The Mole: Madden Sings, Blizzard stings

Madden Rocks Out - Getting on a video game soundtrack is a big deal for up and coming bands. It provides great exposure to a captive audience forced to listen to some band they never heard until they turn of the music option. Here is the song set for Madden 07, to be released August 22.

30 Seconds To Mars - Battle Of One, AFI - Summer ShudderAl Fatz - Came Down, Anti-Flag - This Is The End (For You My Friend)Atreyu - Ex’s And Oh’s, Audioslave (okay, I have heard of these guys) - Revelations, Bishop LaMont feat. Chevy Jones - The BestCartel - Say Anything (Else), Cord - Go Either WayDamone - Out Here All Night, Dashboard Confessional - Reason To Believe, Dynamite MC - BounceFeezy 350 - Playa What, Glasses Malone - Right Now, Hit The Lights - Until We Get Caught, Keane - Is It Any Wonder?Less Than Jake - Still Life Franchise, Lupe Fiasco feat. Jonah Matranga - The Instrumental, Matchbook Romance - Monsters, Omnisoul - Not Giving UpRise Against - Drones, Riverboat Gamblers - On Again Off Again, Saves The Day - Head For The Hills, Shorty Da Kid - Get Loose, Spank Rock - Backyard Betty, Sparta - Future Needs, Taking Back Sunday - SpinThe Panic Channel - Teahouse Of The Spirits, The Pink Spiders - Easy Way Out, The Rapture - WAYUH, The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus - In Fates Hands, The Sleeping - Don’t Hold Back, Trae - Real Talk, Underoath - Ever So Inviting, Wolfmother - Woman

Blizzard make you pay - Blizzard finally revealed their plans for a paid character transfer for realm transfers in "World of Warcraft". Transfers will cost users $25 per character, and users can only transfer the character once every six months. Users will only be able to transfer servers with similar game types - PvP to PvP, and PvE to PvE, and character must be level 10 or higher. No word yet on when the transfer option will be available.

Sony execs pants catch on fire - Jack Tretton, Co-COO of SCEA, had some interesting things to say about the Grand Theft Auto franchise in an interview with TheStreet.com, an investment news website.

"No, I don't think it hurts us. No, I really don't," Tretton said about the next GTA game being released on the PS3 and Xbox 360 on the same day. "There's no question that having the Grand Theft Auto franchise helped us a lot and helped us sell some units, but I don't think the battle would be any different with or without Grand Theft Auto," he continued. "The days of locking up exclusive content from a third party and having that be key to your strategy is really a dangerous road to go down because I think with the cost of development, not many developers can afford to do exclusivity," Tretton said. "So, really what defines the uniqueness of a platform from a software standpoint are the offerings that you have from first party."

Liar, liar pants on fire. Jack, its nice of you to try and downplay the importance of the GTA franchise now that its not exclusively yours but lets be completely honest. GTA is to Sony what Halo is to Microsoft...or at least it was until E3 when Microsoft announced it will be getting "GTA: Nome, Alaska" the same day the PS3 does. Sure GTA wasn't exclusive but tons of gamers are addicted to the franchise and wanted it the day it came out, not 6 months later when it was released on the Xbox. Its a big reason why those gamers who toed the line between an Xbox and PS2 bought a PS2. I know things are hard enough over at Sony, what with your new system costing at least $200 more than other new systems, but stone up and admit that it sucks but you'll have some other good games. Or better yet, admit that Sony should have found a way to buy out Rockstar the way Microsoft bought out Bungie.

Well that didn't take long - It took only 35 days for New Super Mario Bros. to rack up sales in excess of 500,000 in the United States. That's a rate of more than 20 every minute since the game went on sale May 15, according to Nintendo.

More Nintendo News - The Opera Web browser for Nintendo DS will be released in Japan on July 24. The DS browser will initially be sold online only at a price of 3,800 yen ($33), and come with an additional memory expansion pack. Nintendo has not yet announced release dates for a browser in the U.S. and Europe.

Interview with OXM's Francesca Reyes

Here's the extended version of my interview with Francesca Reyes. The short version of which was in last Saturday's Gazette.

Chris Slate, Editor-in-Chief of the Official PlayStation Magazine gave his point of view on the future of gaming. Its only fair that Francesca Reyes, Editor-in-Chief of the Official Xbox Magazine, throws in her two cents. Here’s my interview with Ms. Reyes.

TT: Now that the Xbox 360 has been out for a few months, in hindsight, what has Microsoft done right and what could they have done better in launching their new console?

FR: Microsoft did a phenomenal job in getting the console hyped pre-launch, so that going into the actual release of Xbox 360, there was a lot of demand. They met it with a really solid and varied launch list of games – it seemed that there was something for pretty much almost every type of gamer out there. They also really scored by having the Xbox Live Marketplace service up and running from day one with Arcade offerings and other downloadable content. You didn’t even need to have an Xbox Live paid membership to access the content, either – it was available with just a broadband internet connection! But with all that demand and all those games offered up, the hardware supply was completely outstripped with customers being turned away without a system for weeks and months after the launch. That was the 360’s most crippling challenge during its initial months – luckily, Microsoft was always aware of it and was continually trying to meet demand. Thankfully, now – those shortages are a thing of the past.

TT: At E3 Bill Gates made some bold claims - a 10 million unit head start on the PS3; Xbox Live linking console, PC and Mobile gamers; 160 games available for the 360 by years end, a turkey for everyone on Thanksgiving. Are all of these goals realistic? And if so, would it be enough to knock off Sony for console supremacy?

FR: Honestly, I don’t know about “knocking off Sony for console supremacy” – but those figures and claims made at the Microsoft E3 press conference were really impressive, on their own. I’m not sure where they pulled the figures from, but I don’t think it’s too far-fetched. If there are roughly 3.5 million Xbox 360 systems already out there, it’s not too much of a stretch to think that they’ll be able to at least double that (or triple it) with all of the great games, services, and features they announced by year’s end. Am I saying they’ll do it? I really don’t have an answer, but it’s not impossible and I’d love to see them achieve those numbers for sure. If anything, I’ll be an incredibly happy Xbox 360 owner and gamer – and really, that’s all I can ask for, Thanksgiving turkey or no.

TT: Does the 360 need Halo 3 to compete with the Playstation 3?

FR: Well, it really all comes down to the games in the end. You can have the most souped-up console in the world, but if you don’t have the triple-A titles or the quality and variety in your games library – that system will just collect dust under the TV. Halo is one of those games that defined Xbox and I’d bet money that it’ll do the same for Xbox 360 – but as far as it being necessary to compete with Sony’s system, well…just think. There’s no Halo 3 this year. PS3 is coming out by year’s end. I think Microsoft has finally found that even though Halo 3 is any MS console’s bread and butter, having a string of really awesome exclusive titles that include games like Gears of War (which totally rocked E3, I thought) is equally as powerful if not more so since it offers up multiple gaming experiences. But that’s not to diminish Halo 3’s importance. If there’s one title, by name alone, that can go head to head with whatever the competition’s got cooking, it’s Halo 3. And I think that Microsoft has been really smart about how its handled the series so far – and I know I’m super excited about the game based on just what they showed in the trailer at E3. That’s kind of the magic of games like Halo 3 – they offer up experiences that go beyond just being a game. And that will always sell a system, no matter which one it’s on.

TT: Xbox Live Marketplace has turned out to be one of the coolest features for the 360 (I'm still anxiously awaiting the release of Cyberball on Xbox Live Arcade). Was downloadable content, retro games and movie trailers just meant as filler or is it all part of Microsoft's plans for world domination?

FR: This is just my opinion, but I think Microsoft was being really forward-thinking in terms of Xbox Live Markeplace. Just think of how wildly successful online shopping has been, or how the numbers for services like iTunes have skyrocketed over the past few years. Digital distribution is really the future in terms of merchandise, to some degree, and Marketplace is no different. And for products like games, it just makes sense, especially now that hard-drives are a given when it comes to consoles. As far as Arcade and downloadable content – I think Microsoft really struck the market with the right product at the right time. Timing is key. After all, Arcade was around on the original Xbox but didn’t take off the way it has until the launch of Xbox 360. Streamlining the interface, making paying for content incredibly easy and giving the entire service a ridiculously accessible appeal all contributed along with having a larger hard drive and storage space for the content to be saved to. Everything just came together so incredibly smoothly and the public was ready for it.

TT: I will now play just about any 360 game, even if it stinks, just to earn Achievement Points. Are collecting these points for bragging rights a good or a bad thing? Please tell me its a good thing.

FR: Oh, most definitely a good thing. Everyone here was a bit skeptical about the whole Achievements and Gamerscore features before 360’s launch – but, boy, were we wrong! Now all of us in the office are addicted to seeing how many Points we can eke out of each game we play! It’s that whole reward system – now there’s a really tangible way to prove your “hardcore-ness” or to show off what you were able to accomplish. It’s just a really addicting, smart way to entice gamers to push themselves and try every game on the system. How I wish they had them for some of the games I’ve played in the past! I didn’t get to brag enough about finishing some of them! Haha.

TT: For most gamers, working for a gaming magazine would be just as cool as designing or testing games. How on earth did you get such a great job (required education, work experience, etc) and what percentage of your workday is spent playing games?

FR: Seriously, I lucked out getting into this type of job. I started out working at Sony for PlayStation doing technical support, but I really wanted to write about games. And the opportunity came up and I went for it – it really just sorta happened. I had a degree in English and had been going to school for a post-graduate degree when it all came through. It was really a combination of good luck and timing, in the end. And I guess that’s pretty much most of life and opportunities. My best advice for someone who wants to get into this part of the videogame industry is to be persistent and be open to trying everything. This specific area of games is very small, but it’s very flexible. Try starting out by writing articles for a fansite or keep a blog – be willing to really promote it to your friends, to forums, and to people in the games industry. Also be willing to take some harsh criticism and work on improving your writing, your social skills (a lot of this job is working with a team and with loads of people) and your savvy with knowing good magazine craft and of course the games, themselves. Try to attend as many gaming events as possible and get to know the people running the shows both in front of and behind the scenes. It honestly does help to know the right people. But don’t get discouraged if it takes a long time or you end up pursuing a different aspect of the industry in the meanwhile – never underestimate how far your passion for games and writing will take you.

Interview with PSM's Chris Slate

Here's the full interview with PSM's Chris Slate, part of which ran in last Saturday's Gazette.

At the annual Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) Sony came out with loads of information about the PlayStation 3, set to release this November. To get a better grip on Sony’s upcoming plans (and because I’m nosy) I interviewed Chris Slate, Editor in Chief of PSM: Independent PlayStation magazine.

Terry: The Playstation 3 was originally set to be released this Spring but to no one's surprise was pushed back to November. Will this help or hurt Sony?

Chris: Probably neither, in the long run. Obviously they weren't ready on many fronts to launch in the spring, so trying to push it out then would have been a disaster (no good games ready, unpolished hardware, etc.). Not launching until November will have given Xbox 360 a full year's head-start, but since Microsoft had so much trouble getting hardware out for the first six months of its head start, their lead will still be within Sony's reach come the holidays. Of course, with PS3 shortages are almost a certainty, it would take Sony a little while to catch up to 360 sales even under the best scenario for PS3.

Terry: At E3 Sony gave some specifics (price point, specs, packaging info) about the PS3 and as expected the retail price is higher than for a comparably equipped Xbox 360. How will this affect the PS3/Xbox 360 console battle?

Chris: This is massive. Sony's gambling everything on the fact that people will see the value in getting a Blu-ray movie player with the PS3, but that format hasn't even launched yet; only hardcore videophiles or game fans have even heard of it. There's sure to be a big marketing push, but in the end, what does Blu-ray offer that people can't already get with DVDs? Just a prettier picture, really, and that's only if you've got a HDTV. Even then, most people won't spot a notable difference between a $40 progressive scan DVD player running in 480p and a Blu-ray movie running in 720p. 1080p is only slightly nicer looking than that, and very few TVs can display that resolution right now. This isn't like the jump from VHS to DVD, where the difference was much clearer - it wasn't just the sharper image, it was the fact that you no longer had to rewind a movie, you could skip to different chapters, the addition of extra bonus features, a wider selection of priced-to-own material, and the fact that a single DVD disc is easier to store. Again, all Blu-ray really offers is a somewhat sharper image. Right now, my personal feeling is that both the Blu-ray and competing HD-DVD formats are stop-gap upgrades, like how laser disc came between VHS and DVD. Consumers are resistant to this type of change, when they already have invested so heavily in DVD - not that they have to get rid of their old movies (these new players will still play them), but right now they're fine and happy with DVD. If Blu-ray does take off, Sony will be proven to have made a very shrewd move, and Blu-ray alone could put PS3 at the top. If it doesn't take off though, then Sony is stuck with a game console that - in the cheapest configuration - costs half a grand. That's $200 more than Xbox 360, and likely $300 more than Nintendo's Wii.

Terry: What can Sony learn from Microsoft's Xbox 360 launch?

Chris: I would have thought that the lesson from the Xbox 360 launch would be, "Don't try a worldwide launch -- you just won't have enough units." Sony could be in an even bigger pinch because, not only are they having to get production rolling on a new game system (which is always tricky), but they're also dealing with manufacturing their new and unique Cell processor, and PS3 will be a first-generation Blu-ray player. You'd have to think that the possibility for manufacturing errors is larger than normal, so they can't just rush these things down the line. And, with 360, there was almost zero demand in Japan, but that market will go crazy over PS3. I'll be very surprised if, at best, PS3 is only as scarce as the 360 was last Holiday season.

Terry: Sony has been pretty quiet about its online plans. What do they need to do to compete with the well established Xbox Live and the 360's Xbox Live Marketplace?

Chris: They've made a really smart decision here, in that they won't charge to play games online (Xbox Live costs about $50 annually). That's important because it's very unlikely that Sony will be able to match the robust feature set of Xbox Live anytime soon -- Microsoft has too big of a head-start. I expect a very bare-bones online network at PS3's launch, with more features added every few months.

Terry: What PS3 exclusive titles are you most excited to see at launch and what do you think could be the PS3's Halo killer?

Chris: Insomniac's Resistance: Fall of Man is Sony's big first-person shooter at launch, and it looks really pretty. It plays well too, and will have a massive online multiplayer component. What stops it from being an obvious killer-app though, is that it's a pretty standard FPS. A very well-done one mind you, but when people upgrade to the next generation, they want to see something new and fresh. Sony's other big title, Incog's Warhawk, should be another solid game with robust online features. Those two will be key for PS3 during its launch window. PS3's really big guns though, as of right now, are unquestionably Konami's Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, and Square Enix's Final Fantasy XIII, both PS3 exclusives. MGS4 won't be out until late 2007, however, and the wait for FFXIII may be even longer than that.

Terry: For the average gamer, working for a gaming magazine would be just as cool as designing video games, testing games and getting a booth babe to acknowledge their existence. How do you go about getting a job like yours and how many hours a day does the average gaming scribe spend gaming?

Chris: The gaming hours depend on what your exact role is - as Editor-In-Chief, I unfortunately have to play most of my games at home. Our other editors, though, play a lot at work and after hours - they can't review a game until they've beaten it. It is a dream job, but it's not always nirvana - just imagine being forced to play your most hated game through to completion. Not that we're complaining, mind you :) As far as the best way to break into something like this, well... a degree in creative writing, journalism or something similar is a big plus, but by no means mandatory. What we really look for is a good work ethic, a deep passion for and knowledge of gaming, and writing skills good enough to communicate clearly. If I were to try to break in today, I'd start my own videogame website or blog, really dedicate myself to keeping it updated and polishing my writing skills, and then I'd use the my site as a kind of resume to seek out freelance work from other, bigger sites -- especially the big names like IGN, Gamespot, Games Radar and 1-Up. Once you get in that freelancer circle -- if you're good, easy to work with and meet your deadlines - you'll have opportunities from there to network and get a job at a magazine or a videogame company, most likely as PR. It also helps to live in the San Francisco Bay Area, or one of the few other places where a lot of game publishers and press are located.

The Inside Scoop

While doing some copy editing at The Gazette this evening I caught a glimpse of the Life section for this Saturday's paper. In it are my interviews with Francesca Reyes (editor in chief of the Official Xbox Magazine) and Chris Slate (editor in chief of PlayStation Magazine).

I spoke with both of them in May after E3 and we discussed upcoming titles, new console launches, expectations on the future of the Xbox 360 and the PS3 and a few other things.

Everything looked pretty good in the paper but due to space restraints the interviews were shortened a bit. Make sure to check out Saturday's paper for the abridged version. In case you miss it, on Monday, on this blog, I'll post the full version of the interview I had with Mr. Slate. On Wednesday I'll post the full interview with Ms. Reyes. Its good stuff. I hope you like it.

Top 5 Suckiest Movies Based on Video Games

When the console video game boom took off in the early 90's, Hollywood looked to cash in by turning gamers favorite titles into movies. The early results were terrifying and some films were so bad that the concept of the video game movie almost went the way of Britney Spears career - extinct. Here are the Top 5 biggest offenders. Note that cartoons and anime are excluded from the list. This is just for live action duds.

1. Street Fighter (1994) - Starring: Jean Claude Van Damme, Raul Julia, Kylie Minogue.
Plot: After months of fighting, a multinational military force called the Allied Nations has managed to enter the city of Shadaloo. The AN is fighting against the armed forces of drug-lord turned General M. Bison (Julia), who has recently captured a couple of dozen AN workers.
Bison makes his demands in a live two-way TV broadcast with William F. Guile (Van Damme), the commander of the AN forces. If he is not paid $S20 billion in three days he will kill the hostages.

Why it sucks: Four words - Jean Claude Van Damme. Aside from Bloodsport the "Muscles from Brussels" never made a good flick (okay, there are a couple of hot scenes in "Double Impact" but the rest of his films stink). Then we have the wasted talents of actor Raul Julia and singer Kylie Minogue. After this stinker Kylie disappeared for a few years before making a comeback. Good thinking, let people forget you were in this disaster.

2. Super Mario Bros. (1993) - Starring: Bob Hoskins, John Leguizamo and Dennis Hopper.
Plot: Spike and Iggy kidnap Daisy while the Marios were fixing the pipes. Luigi accidentally grabs Daisy's magical necklace. They plunge into a rock face and tumble down a wide canyon. They end up on the other side and find a place that's not Brooklyn.

Why it sucks: The first movie ever to be based on a video game had nothing to do with gaming and had a lot of facts from the game wrong. The dialogue was cheesy and the costumes on Mario and Luigi looked ridiculous. Throw in an over the top performance by Dennis "I just got out of rehab and I'll take any work I can get" Hopper and you have one crummy movie. Sure my Mom made me take my little brother (who was 10 at the time) to see it but that doesn't mean I had to like it.

3. House of the Dead (2003) - Starring: Nobody you've ever heard of.
Plot: Set on an island off the coast of Seattle, a party attracts a group of college students and a Coast Guard officer. Their party is interrupted by zombies and monsters that attack them on the ground, from the air, and in the sea, ruled by an evil entity in the House of the Dead.

Why it sucks: Let me introduce you to Uwe Boll, a movie director well known in gaming circles for two things - directing movies based on video games and sucking at it. He frequently changes the movie so much that it has absolutely nothing to do with the game its based on. His flicks are almost always box office failures.

4. Wing Commander (1999) - Starring: Freddie Prinze Jr., Matthew Lillard
Plot: The movie follows the story of Christopher Blair (Prinze), a young pilot assigned to the TCS Tiger's Claw. He and the crew are given the mission to buy time for the Confederation's fleet to set up a defensive line to protect Earth and to help stop the invading Kilrathi armada.

Why it sucked: The dynamic duo of Freddie Prinze Jr. and Matthew Lillard. This actually had the makings of a pretty good B-movie sci-fi flick except for these two lunkheads. These guys should never be allowed to make a movie together. Need further evidence? Go rent Scooby Doo, Scooby Doo 2: Monsters Unleased and Summer Catch.

5. Bloodrayne (2006) - Starring: Kristanna Loken, Michelle Rodriguez, Ben Kingsley
Plot: A huntress named Rayne (Loken), who is an unholy breed of human and vampire called a Dhampir is trained by a secret agency called the Brimstone Society which hunts down and eliminates supernatural threats around the globe, Rayne is confronted by the deadliest of all creatures, the powerful and evil Kagan, King of the Vampires (Kingsley).

Why it sucked: Did you not read the plot? Does this not sound insane to you? Are you not shocked that Sir Ben Kingsley would star in a flick like this but pass on Christopher Moltisanti's gangster movie (Sopranos reference). Oh yeah, this was also a Uwe Boll flick.

The Mole: Buyer Beware

Things that make you go hmmm - Say hello to Minnesota state representative Jeff Johnson. This man is responsible for Bill HF1298, which fines underage gamers who purchase M or AO rated games but not the retailers who sell them. How much will minors get set back? $25.

I disagree with this for a number of reasons. First of all, if you're going to fine someone for something like this (I have no idea how this could possibly be enforced. Are cops going to be posted outsite Best Buy checking kids bags?) make it hurt. When I get a speeding ticket I know I'm probably going to hand over $100 or more, that sucks. I say little Billy should get a $1000 fine. That would teach him to pick up Grand Theft Auto.

Second, this bill is stupid. The onus on what kids buy is on the parents and the retailer but mostly the parents. Sure kids have some responsibility but kids will push limits, kids will do stuff that makes them look cool (like buying a game everyone is talking about), kids will want stuff they are not supposed to have. Retailers are responsible to only sell games to the age appropriate customer, that's their role. But parents are the ones who give their kids money to buy games, so if little Billy gets away with buying Playboy: The Mansion because he looks 18 but is only 13 whose fault is it?

This is just another example of parents not taking responsibility for their own kids. If my 12-year old owns a game he isn't supposed to, its my fault. As his parent, it is my responsibility to know not only what games he is playing but what music he's listening to, what movies he's watching and what he's reading. I'm not going to go all George Orwell on him but if I'm dropping the money, I want to make sure its going to something age appropriate.

There's just too much of this crap nowadays where parents are afraid to know what their kids are into because they don't want to crowd their kid. I know what this feels like, I don't want to be an overbearing parent either, my son's in middle school for crying out loud. Its an awkward age. That being said parents shouldn't be afraid to know about their kids interests and hobbies, its our job. Get over it.

So here's what you do. When you take your child to the store look at what they are buying. Read the ESRB rating on the box, they're simple to figure out. Don't take the kids word for it that its "not that bad" or "Timmy's Dad bought it for him" because unless you played it yourself you have no idea if its age appropriate or not. Still confused? Ask the store employee. They'll give you a straight answer. Get involved in your child's gaming purchases and better yet play games with them. You may think you're getting in the way of your kids fun but you'll probably find yourself having some fun together.

Duh! - Silly me. I was looking for GTA: Liberty City cheats for the PS2 and totally spaced out that they were probably the same as they are for the PSP. Here are a few below.

UP, SQUARE, SQUARE, DOWN, LEFT, SQUARE, SQUARE, RIGHT - Weapon set 1
UP, CIRCLE, CIRCLE, DOWN, LEFT, CIRCLE, CIRCLE, RIGHT - Weapon set 2
UP, X, X, DOWN, LEFT, X, X, RIGHT - Weapon set 3
L1, R1, TRIANGLE, L1, R1, CIRCLE, L1, R1 - Money Cheat ($250,000)
L1, R1, CIRCLE, L1, R1, X, L1, R1 - Full Armor (Blue Bar)
L1, R1, X, L1, R1, SQUARE, L1, R1 - Full Health (Red Bar)
L1, L1, TRIANGLE, R1, R1, X, SQUARE, CIRCLE - Never Wanted
CIRCLE, X, DOWN, CIRCLE, X, UP, L1, L1 - Cars Drive On Water
L1, L1, LEFT, L1, L1, RIGHT, TRIANGLE, CIRCLE - Spawn Rhino
L1, UP, LEFT, R1, TRIANGLE, CIRCLE, DOWN, X - Perfect Traction
DOWN, DOWN, DOWN, CIRCLE, CIRCLE, X, L1, R1 - Bobble Head World
DOWN, DOWN, DOWN, X, X, SQUARE, R1, L1 - Upside Down Gameplay
UP, UP, UP, TRIANGLE, TRIANGLE, CIRCLE, L1, R1 - Unlock multiplayer skins
X, Square, Down, X, Square, Up, R1, R1 - Calls closest Ped to come hop on/in your vehicle.

The Rant: Rockstar is Slipping

What the heck is going on with Rockstar? Known for cutting edge games, two of their most recent releases are showing major chinks in their once dent-proof armor. GTA Liberty City Stories for the PS2 and Table Tennis for the Xbox 360 are damaging Rockstar's rep.

I'm excited anytime I can get a chance to play around in the world of Grand Theft Auto. At least until I played Liberty City on the PS2. Essentially a straight port from the PSP game of the same name, Liberty City lacks the interesting characters, first rate voiceovers, and humorous writing gamers familiar with the franchise have come to expect. But that's not even the worst part!

The graphics, never a strong suit of the GTA franchise, are downright hideous. The game is dark, the environments lack any kind of detail and frame rate problems abound. It reminds me of taking a small picture and blowing it up, everything looks fuzzy and murky.

Throw in short, uninteresting missions and the fact that Rockstar didn't add any licensed bands to its radio stations (something done with great affect in San Andreas and Vice City) and you have a game that lacks the attention to detail die-hard GTA fans like myself have come to expect. The $20 price eases the blow but I still feel cheated. Liberty City just doesn't feel like a real GTA game.

Then we have Table Tennis. Read that again...Table Tennis. That's right, the bad boys over at Rockstar decided to fill the huge gap in the ping pong gaming market (What? You didn't know there was a giant market for ping pong games?!?). Forrest Gump must be wetting himself with excitement.

Unlike Liberty City, the game looks amazing. Detailed player models, stellar crowd effects and sounds. This is what a next-gen game should look like. The only problem is...ITS TABLE TENNIS! Was the license for croquet taken? When does the new badmiton game come out?

Here's my theory: One night Rockstar's Sam Houser was entertaining friends at his house. Down in his game room, Sam and a few of his buddies were pounding beers while breaking in his sweet new table when one of them half-jokingly suggested turning ping pong into a video game. Sam, in a drunken stupor, thought the idea was pure genius. He called one of his lackeys at the office and told them to start production on the game. Sam later passed out and forgot all about it until the game was released in May.

To quote Slim Pickens in Blazing Saddles "what in the wide wide world of sports is going on here"! When did Rockstar lose their attention to detail and just try to make a quick buck?!? When did they lose their stones and decide to make games only played in people's basements?!?

You're getting lazy Rockstar. You've built up a ton of good will due to your success with the GTA series and to a degree you've earned it. But you're better than that! You changed the face of gaming with the development of free-roaming game play. You made gaming attractive to adults by portraying mature material with a sense of humor. You made the only games I can think of that could be classified as "dark comedy". But now you're slipping. Other gaming companies are taking your ideas and improving on them. Many GTA clones have come out already with mixed success but eventually, if you don't get your head on straight, you're going to get left behind. Saint's Row is looking awfully good, so is Scarface.

Rockstar, you might be a little overconfident. You might be thinking that the gaming world can't live without you. You're wrong. Don't believe me? Than look no further than Halo 3. It was thought that without Halo 3, the Xbox 360 couldn't survive but it has. Don't make the same mistake. Unlike Bungie, you don't have Microsoft to save your ass and you have no other franchise to lean on if interest in GTA fades (and no, Midnight Club won't do the trick).

Its time you woke up Rockstar. Get back to your roots. Its time you took back your role as the gaming worlds bad boy because right now you look more like Justin Timberlake than Lenny Kravitz.

That cat has claws...and cheats

Yeah, I know. There haven't been many cheats on the site lately. I've been looking but the market is slim. I was searching for some codes for GTA: Liberty City Stories that just came out on the PS2 (for reasons I won't get into now, but none of them are good, the game will get its own post in a couple of days) but came up with cheats for these recent releases instead. Enjoy.

X-Men: The Official Game (Xbox and PS2) - Enter this code at Cerebro files: up, down, up, down, left, right, left, start -Nightcrawler's danger room

Right, Right, Left, Left, Down, Up, Down, Up, Start - Iceman's Danger Room level

Down, Down, Up, Up, Right, Left, Right Left, Start - Wolverine's Danger Room level

Da Vinci Code (Xbox and PS2) - Go to codes at the options menu then type the code in:
Phillips Exeter - One Hit Fist Kill, Sacred Feminine - Double Health, Vitruvian Man - Infinite health, Apocrypha - All Visual Database entries Unlocked, Et In Arcadia Ego - All bonuses Unlocked, Clos Luce 1519 - Level Select, Royal Holloway - One Hit Weapon Kill

Coming up in the next week or so: A new article entitled The Rant, The Top 5 All-Time Worst Movies Based on Video Games (get your lists ready so you can add them on), interviews with the editors of The Official Xbox Magazine and The Official Playstation Magazine.

Top 5 Gaming Websites

Thanks to the internet, gamers can connect on all sorts of levels. There's something online for everyone. While there are tons of sites for specific games, I thought I'd share my favorite (besides my own) general gaming sites with you.

Terry's Top 5 Gaming Websites

1. jinx.com - This site for "gamers, geeks and hackers" has a great assortmen of hats, tees and sweatshirts made just for gamers. Don't worry about buying something offensive, only other gamers will get it.

2. worldogl.com - The Online Gaming League is the place to go if you're a PC gamer and want to get connected with other nerds just like you.

3. mmorpg.com - If you are a MMORPG (Massively-Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game) nut, there is no better site. Check out the latest MMORPG news, get connected with other gamers or buy some gear.

4. slashdot.org - Slashdot is "news for nerds". Go here to check up on the latest gaming and technology trends.

5. rottentomatoes.com - Most people know this site for its scathing movie reviews but Rotten Tomatoes also has a great gaming section with tons of user reviews, articles and screenshots.

Honorable Mention: ign.com, kotaku.com, achieve360points.com, bungie.net and buzzcut.com (run by Denver Post gaming columnist David Thomas)

The Mole: And the wiener is...

Most Likely to Succeed - Last week I shared the nominees for the Game Critics Best of E3 2006 Awards. Here are the winners with little tidbits of info from some of the judges.

Best of Show: Wii (Nintendo) - It's a good thing Nintendo got the name change of its next console out of the way before E3. With the shock of that announcement mostly over, the company proceeded to become the talk of the show (and possibly a fire hazard for the LA Convention Center) by inviting audiences to get their hands on an impressive lineup of fun and interesting software for the Wii...not to mention that wild controller. People practically stampeded to try it out--either that or they waited in line for hours. Yet most of them seemingly still came away more excited than ever by Nintendo's weird, inspired vision for how gaming could be different. Some important questions remain about how the Wii will finally turn out, but by giving E3 show-goers a taste of what playing games on the Wii will be like, Nintendo seemed to gather much more momentum for the system's launch later this year. So despite how many great-looking games were on display at this year's show, the Wii stood out as the single most exciting and remarkable new product at E3 2006.
- Greg Kasavin, Executive Editor, GameSpot

Best Original Game: Spore (Maxis/Electronic Arts for PC) - With Spore, storied game designer Will Wright is taking “god” games to the Nth power, creating an original game that we expect will devour many hours peeling back its many layers. Wright didn’t stop with his ingenious game parameters that let you nurture your characters from amoebas into interstellar explorers. He takes the game online in a stealth mode that uploads other players' creations so that we can explore the strange new worlds and new civilizations that they create – without the hassle of actually dealing with them. As the guys on the TV ads for Guinness beer say, “Brilliant!”
- Mike Snider, USA Today

Best Hardware/Peripheral: Wii (Nintendo) - Set aside your potty humor for a sec (Nintendo's Wii wins "Best Hardware"? Too easy...) — this console's legit! While its competitors are improving (bigger, better, prettier) on what's already out there, Nintendo is moving the game console experience in a different direction altogether. The Wii — with its funky motion-sensing and sound-emitting controller, always-online awareness, and retro-friendly virtual console — promises new, totally fresh gameplay experiences that will appeal to the young and old, hardcore and casual, and even the "cool kids" who won't mind looking like idiots while frantically waving a piece of plastic in the air. Can one machine really do and be all that? The three-hour lines to see Nintendo's Wii at E3 seem to indicate, "Hell yes."
-- Dan "Shoe" Hsu, Editor in Chief, Electronic Gaming Monthly

Best Console Game: Gears of War (Epic Games / Microsoft Games Studio for Xbox 360) - The hype machine's been in motion for a full year on this title, but it took an E3 hands-on multiplayer demo to prove that Gears of War packs as much substance as style. The demo had players take up arms as either the Coalition of Ordered Government (COG) forces or the nasty, subterranean race known as the Locusts. A few of the many features that set GOW ahead of the action pack include a context sensitive cover system for ducking and crouching with the tap of the A button, and an atmospheric, jittery 3rd person camera. In short, a great-looking, unique and fun as hell game sure to be blowing up the Live servers come Q4. Oh, and that chainsaw bayonet? A thing of beauty.
-- Alex Porter, Senior Editor/Producer, MTV Digital

Best PC Game: Spore (Maxis/Electronic Arts for PC) - When Spore won Best PC Game last year, it was at least partly a vote of faith. With not much gameplay to go on yet, the Game Critics judge were nevertheless blown away by Will Wright's audaciously ambitious game design, which finds you evolving from single-celled organism to interplanetary space traveler. At this year's E3, Spore was much more "real"-- and, guess what? It wins again. Once again, no PC game at the show came close to matching Spore's originality, scope, and breadth of design. As Will Wright personally demo'ed the game--creating a creature, spawning, forming a society, building a city, venturing into space and beyond--you could hear audible gasps from the packed theater, as it became more and more clear that what was once just a cool idea is fast becoming an even cooler reality. Spore was *the* event for PC gamers this E3, and thus an easy call for Best PC Game.
- Jeff Green, Editor in Chief, Computer Gaming World

Best Handheld Game: The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass (Nintendo for Nintendo DS) - The Legend of Zelda franchise is pure gaming gold, and who better than Nintendo knows how to buff up its 24-carat richness. Anybody doubt that Phantom Hourglass would shine for DS? Amid stiff and deserving competition from Nintendo's own DS product line this game cast out all the proper hooks with a rich storyline, impressive cel-shaded graphics goodness, and innovative touchscreen gameplay to haul in E3 honors. Phantom Hourglass will pick up where the GameCube’s Wind Waker left off, and nothing could be finer for Zelda fans. Despite the obvious difference in processing power the graphics were spot on, but creative touchscreen action is what will make Phantom Hourglass shine. Frankly, as far as E3 demos went, this version even matched up well against Twilight Princess for the Wii.
-- Wes Nihei, Editor, GamePro

Best Action Game: Gears of War (Epic Games / Microsoft Games Studio for Xbox 360) - Who knows what it is about certain games. Is it how they look? Maybe. Is it how they play? That’s a lot of it. Is it the talent behind the project? Possibly. But there’s no doubt about it, some games just manage to magically capture the gamers’ imagination like no others. It’s what we like to call the “it” factor. Halo has “it.” Metal Gear Solid has “it,” and no one can deny Gears of War its rightful place as the “it” game of E3 2006. From the game’s mysterious dilapidated sci-fi aesthetic to its arrestingly intense spin on futuristic shooter gameplay, Gears gives us that twinge in our bellies – that twinge we got when we first stumbled on the Flood in Halo, discovered a secret cave in Zelda or carjacked our first sedan in Grand Theft Auto. It's a rare game that accomplishes this feat in such early form, and for this reason, Gears of War deserves every bit of the attention it's receiving.
-- Francesca Reyes, Editor in Chief, Official Xbox Magazine

Best Action/Adventure Game: Assassin's Creed (Ubisoft Montreal / UbiSoft for PlayStation 3) - Few games at this year’s E3 screamed “next generation” more than Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed. From the first glimpse of its big gorgeous graphics (the screen shots are true in-game, not “target”) through its Prince of Persia-meets-Thief gameplay, Assassin’s Creed provides an excellent taste of what the PS3 can and will deliver. Ubisoft’s A-team – the Montreal Studio – is creating Assassin’s Creed like the blockbuster it wants to be: an epic Crusades setting with a super-acrobatic hero in an intriguing storyline that has some surprising twists yet to be revealed. The character design, both main and NPC, is noteworthy. Ubi Montreal has always brought a deep sense of gravity to their main characters (when climbing, jumping and fighting, there’s a real-world “weight”) and our assassin is no different as he traverses buildings and leaps from rooftop to rooftop with believable effort. Ubi is upping the NPC role by making them reactive. When our hero runs through crowds, he has to do it quietly and carefully; too much bumping can upset the wrong people, people who’ll turn on him and slow him down – or worse.
- Tom Byron, Editor in Chief, Official PlayStation Magazine

Best Role Playing Game: Mass Effect (Bioware / Microsoft Games Studio for Xbox 360) - With no less than three previous titles winning this very category (Baldur's Gate in 1998, Neverwinter Nights in 2000-2002, and Jade Empire in 2004), veteran RPG developer BioWare is at it again in 2006. This year they wowed RPG fans at E3 with Mass Effect, the first in an already-announced trilogy of sci-fi RPGs. With a deep storyline, incredibly detailed environments, full character customization, and branching conversations that have a profound impact on gameplay, BioWare isn't straying too far from the formula that has made them RPG champions in the past. However, what they are doing differently is refining all of these elements to create what looks to be one of the most elegant and well-designed RPGs we've ever seen. BioWare is throwing a few new bits into the mix, such as real-time squad-based combat with a tinge of RTS styling as well as creating a world where realistic facial animations and eye movements are important gameplay elements, even if the alien denizens are all digital. Expect a return of the ethical choices that we saw in Knights of the Old Republic and Jade Empire as well, only this time it's not just on a personal level -- it extends to your squad mates, who may leave your party depending on where your morality meter swings. From what we saw at E3, Mass Effect promises to be more open-ended and in-depth than any BioWare RPG to date, and that's saying a lot.
-- Talmadge Blevins, Editorial Director, IGN.com

Best Racing Game: Excite Truck (Monster Games / Nintendo for Wii) - Nintendo and Monster Games have traded in dirt bikes for off-road trucks in their first arcade flavored racer for the Wii. As Nintendo strives to get everyone into playing their games, both the hardcore and casual gaming set can easily adapt to Excite Truck's control scheme. Subtracting the nunchuck, everything is easily controlled using the Wii remote's tilt functionality. While visually not the most stunning game speeding to Nintendo's new console, Excite Truck is all about addictive fast-paced racing, dynamically changing landscapes, turbo boosting, huge air, and colossal crashes - Yosemite Sam mud flaps not included.
-- Billy Berghammer, Managing Editor, Game Informer Online

Best Simulation Game: Spore (Maxis/Electronic Arts for PC) - It’s just not fair. The other nominees in this category didn’t stand a chance against the most ambitious sim ever conceived. We refer to some games as virtual worlds - Spore makes that term seem hopelessly inadequate. Will Wright and his team at Maxis are creating a virtual universe that’s absolutely staggering in its scope. This year we got to see it in a lot more detail, and we got a much better sense of how it, like the Sims and Sim City before it, employs simple rules and procedures and intuitive tools and interfaces to create an amazing diversity of emergent play experiences. Spore is shaping up to be a game that you could literally spend a whole lifetime exploring. Intelligent Design is a reality…at Maxis, anyway.
-- Chris Baker, Wired Magazine

Best Sports Game: Wii Sports (Nintendo for Wii) - If there was a game at E3 that truly demonstrated Nintendo's vision for its new console, it was Wii sports. Simply put, it's a new way to play sports at home – Wii Sports is quick to pick up, super intuitive, and can be enjoyed by anyone. Making use of the Wii remote (and only the Wii remote), Wii Sports encompasses three sports favorites – tennis, golf, and baseball – and for each, it's all about waving the remote to interact with the game. You actually swing the remote to hit a ball...What could be more natural? It's, like, actually playing sports but without the potential for [serious] bodily injury. Wii is really well suited for simple games, and at E3, this is where Wii was at its best.
- Sam Kennedy, Editor in Chief, 1UP.com

Best Fighting Game: Heavenly Sword (Ninja Theory / Sony for PlayStation 3) - I was so taken aback by Heavenly Sword that I declared this supercharged action-adventure-fighting game my best in show immediately following the demo. More than just a pretty face, Heavenly Sword features a rich storyline told via first rate voice talent, along with a mixture of intense, diverse combat and adventure. Beyond its amazingly detailed and animated leading lady -- whom at this moment I believe to be the ultimate female video game heroine ever created -- the choreography of the arena fighting battle on display at E3 was beyond anything I’ve ever seen. It's like God of War fused with Hong-Kong cinema. And the depth, lighting, and all around character model integrity sets a new standard for real-time visuals.
-- Dave Halverson, PLAY Magazine

Best Strategy Game: Supreme Commander (Gas Powered Games/THQ for PC) - Chris Taylor enjoys his role as the comedian of the game industry. But underneath that facade is a hardcore real-time strategy gamer. With Supreme Commander for THQ, Taylor's Gas Powered Games is out to show that the RTS genre still has much to offer gamers. The vision for Supreme Commander is to create a game that has the scale and scope for huge battles fought by vast armies with futuristic weaponry.
- Dean Takahashi, San Jose Mercury News

Best Puzzle/Trivia/Parlor Game: Guitar Hero 2 (Harmonix / Red Octane for PlayStation 2) - Six months before the Wii stunned E3 audiences, Guitar Hero proved a well-designed game with a custom controller working [bad pun alert] in concert could instrumentally change things for the better. And like a great rock show, casual observers and hardcore enthusiasts were left wanting more. The promise of 55 new songs for Guitar Hero 2, and new co-op modes featuring rhythm and bass guitar, all but guarantee more fan-trampling anticipation in our rush to get our hands on this sequel. The working multiplayer version of Van Halen's "You Really Got Me" on the show floor was, in retrospect, an early indicator for judges' votes in this category.
-- Tom Russo, Editorial Director, G4

Best Online Multiplayer: Enemy Territory: Quake Wars (Splash Damage/id/Activision for PC) -Initially released in 2003 as a free, standalone download, Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory was a highly compelling, top-tier multiplayer modification. Now, Enemy Territory: Quake Wars takes all the juicy bits from the first game – tight, objective-based maps, well-balanced classes, multi-mission campaigns, performance upgrades through experience – and adds the joys of vehicular combat, two distinct warring factions, Quake's futuristic setting, and the ability to drop assets directly onto the battlefield. And powered by an improved Quake IV engine, it's a phenomenal visual treat. Easy to jump into, but extremely deep, Quake Wars was a massive hit on the E3 show floor and promises to be just as successful when the war begins online later this year.
- Richard Greenhill, Editor in Chief, Yahoo! Videogames

Activision Wants You...Or Your Voice Anyway - Activision announced a new contest looking for voiceover talent to be used in their upcoming game, Marvel: Ultimate Alliance. Winners will get the opportunity to be the voice of Bruce Banner or Jean Grey. The two contest winners (one male, one female) will also each receive a grand prize that includes an Xbox 360, a copy of Marvel: Ultimate Alliance on the platform of their choice, a Stan Lee-signed Marvel: Ultimate Alliance poster and official Marvel: Ultimate Alliance playing cards. Ten runner-up contestants will be chosen for additional prizes, including their selection of any of the Activision titles launched in 2005. For more information, head to http://www.marvelultimatealliance.com/news.php?id=200&cat=all_news&page=1#headline. The audition period ends July 23.

Pretty as a Picture - A majornelson.com update stated that Xbox Live Vision Camera will be released September 19th in both North America and Europe. No price has been announced. The new device will allow users to video conference in such games, as well as send photo messages and take pictures to be used as their Gamer Tag picture. Now we're talking! I'm going to send so many obnoxious pictures to my brother, it'll shut his 360 down.

Calling all Halo 2 gamers!

Think you're a Halo stud? Why don't you put your money where your mouth is? Game Crazy is sponsoring a Halo 2 tournament at Fat City Entertainment Center in Littleton Saturday June 3rd at 1pm (Yeah, I know its short notice, so sue me).

Registration is $15 with a $5 discount for Game Crazy MVP members and the proceeds benefit the Starlight Starbright Children's Foundation. The tournament is for gamers 12 and up. First prize is a 6-foot resin cast Master Chief statue valued at $2500. Prizes will be given to the top 3 players based on overall win percentage.

If a Colorado Springs gamer wins, I'll post a picture of you and your new best friend on this blog. If you need more information call the tournament hotline at 303-463-1986 or visit www.fatcityinfo.com. Good luck!

Top 5 June Video Game Releases

Pic: Is there anything more exciting than being a simulated Andy Reid?


Ah yes, summertime. Home of sunburns, blockbuster movies and some stellar video game releases. While we have to wait a month or two for Madden and NCAA football, there are still some good games to be had. Here are the ones I'm most looking forward to.


Terry's Top 5 Video Games for June

1. MLB Slugfest (Xbox, PS2) June 5 - Standard baseball video games (and real baseball games) can get pretty dull, hopefully Midway's offering will liven things up a bit.

2. Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories (PS2) June 5 - Sure this has been out for awhile but only on the PSP. Its about time Rockstar gave gamers a chance to play this on a larger screen. Quit screwing with your fan base Rockstar!

3. Moto GP 06 (Xbox 360) June 13 - Everything I've seen on this motorcycle racing game for the 360 looks amazing. Hopefully it'll play as good as it looks.

4. NFL Head Coach (Xbox, PS2. PC) June 20 - I know I shouldn't judge a game by its cover but Super Bowl win or no, I'm not sure if I can buy this game with troll-look-a-like Bill Cowher on the cover. He might scare off all of my other games. I have no idea if this game will suck or not but I'm certainly curious about it.

5. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (PSP, PS2, DS, GBA, PC) June 27 - I loved the first movie and I'm pretty sure I'll like the second but can Disney make a game out of this that'll have all the fun and excitement of the films? Maybe.

The Mole: Enough news to choke a donkey

Wii News - Last week Nintendo finally announced the price of its new system...sort of. Officials from the company confirmed the Wii will not exceed $250 (or 25,000 Yen for those of you in Japan). The exact launch date and the titles available at launch were not disclosed.

Get Lost - Ubisoft announced an agreement with Touchstone Television to make a video game version of the hit TV show Lost. The game is scheduled to hit stores in 2007 and hopefully won't be as bad as the X-Files video game.

About Damn Time - Microsoft will finally be making an Xbox Live Dashboard update available later this week. The long awaited update (at least for me) includes the following:

- Downloading files in the background, the option to boot directly to the dashboard and friends knowing if you're idle.
- The download will take less than a minute to download and apply. Users not on Xbox Live will be able to get this update in future game releases.
- An additional Media and Entertainment menu that will include new categories for New Releases, All Media and Entertainment, Movie Trailers and Short Films, Television, Music, Sports, and More,
- Gaming Community Videos, Game Tips and Support Videos, and optional Ipod support.
- A new games option will organize your downloads, Xbox Live Arcade games, demos, and video and trailers for games.
- The new update will allow you to download files in the background while you play retail games, watch movies, and more. Users will be able to queue up to six downloads at a time, and if online multiplayer matches begin your downloads will automatically pause and start up after you're finished.
- A number of improvements along the video, music, and DVD playback front. For movies, there will be a new DVD bookmarking feature, so if you stop a movie in the middle to play a game, when you pop it back in you’ll be able to start back up where you interrupted the film.
- On the music side, if you’re browsing through your music and decide to do something else, the 360 will know where you stopped browsing. This will be particularly helpful for those who search through massive lists of music stored on their networked PC or iPod.
- The content will include imbedded software to support the upcoming Xbox 360 camera, which enables video chat and shooting pics of yourself to be used as your gamer picture.

Halo 3 - Designers at Bungie have not only been playing through a single player level of one of the Xbox 360's anticipated games, but daily multiplayer tests are going on right now. I took this off of Bungie.net:
""Paul Bertone, one of our lead designers, let us play something that blew our minds. That was single player, and from a mission very early in the game. And one that takes place before the events seen in the E3 trailer, but Lars, one of the new(er) multiplayer designers, has a regular multiplayer test in session now - that happens every day - and with surprisingly polished-looking graphics, although I'm told a lot of the textures and decorator objects are just placeholder at the moment." Does this mean Halo 3 will be ready by the PS3 launch??? I guess we'll have to wait and see.

Best of E3 - Just in case you were curious (and I'm sure you are) 38 gaming publications hand out the Game Critics: Best of E3 awards. Below are the list of nominees with winners being announced May 31. While these games aren't out yet, it gives you some ideas of titles you should be looking forward to.

Best of Show- Assassin’s Creed (Ubisoft Montreal/Ubisoft for PlayStation 3)- Bioshock (Irrational Games/2K Games for PC and Xbox 360)- Gears of War (Epic Games/Microsoft Games Studio for Xbox 360)- Spore (Electronic Arts for PC)- Wii (Nintendo)

Best Original Game- Assassin’s Creed (Ubisoft Montreal/Ubisoft for PlayStation 3)- Bioshock (Irrational Games/2K Games for PC/Xbox 360)- Gears of War (Epic Games/Microsoft Games Studio for Xbox 360)- LocoRoco (SCEJ/Sony Computer Entertainment for PSP)- Spore (Electronic Arts for PC)- Wii Sports (Nintendo for Wii)

Best PC Game - Crysis (Crytek/Electronic Arts for PC) - Enemy Territory: Quake Wars (Splash Damage/id/Activision for PC)- Hellgate: London (Flagship Studios/Namco Bandai Games for PC)- Supreme Commander (Gas Powered Games/THQ for PC)- Spore (Electronic Arts for PC)

Best Console Game- Assassin’s Creed (Ubisoft Montreal/Ubisoft for PlayStation 3)- Bioshock (Irrational Games/2K Games for PC and Xbox 360)- Gears of War (Epic Games/Microsoft Games Studios for Xbox 360)- Mass Effect (BioWare/Microsoft Games Studio for Xbox 360)- Super Mario Galaxy (Nintendo for Wii)

Best Handheld Game- Elite Beat Agents (Inis/Nintendo for Nintendo DS)- Killzone: Liberation (Guerrilla/Sony Computer Entertainment for PSP)- LocoRoco (SCEJ/Sony Computer Entertainment for PSP)- Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops (Kojima Productions/Konami for PSP)- The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass (Nintendo for Nintendo DS)

Best Hardware - DS Lite (Nintendo)- Logitech G25 Racing Wheel (Logitech for PC)- PlayStation 3 (Sony Computer Entertainment)- Wii (Nintendo)- Xbox 360 Wireless Headset (Microsoft for Xbox 360)

Best Action Game - Crysis (Crytek/Electronic Arts for PC) - Enemy Territory: Quake Wars (Splash Damage/id/Activision for PC)- Gears of War (Epic Games/Microsoft Games Studios for Xbox 360)- Lost Planet: Extreme Condition (Capcom for Xbox 360)- Resistance: Fall of Man (Insomniac/SCEA for PlayStation 3)

Best Action/Adventure Game- Assassin’s Creed (Ubisoft Montreal/Ubisoft for PlayStation 3)- Bioshock (Irrational Games/2K Games for PC and Xbox 360)- God of War 2 (Sony Santa Monica/SCEA for PlayStation 2)- Super Mario Galaxy (Nintendo for Wii)- The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (Nintendo for GameCube/Wii)

Best Fighting Game- Heavenly Sword (Ninja Theory/Sony Computer Entertainment for PS3) - Mortal Kombat: Armageddon (Midway Games for PlayStation 2/Xbox) - Tekken: Dark Resurrection (Namco Bandai Games for PSP)- Virtua Fighter 5 (Sega for Arcade/PlayStation 3)- WWE SmackDown! vs. RAW 2007 (Yuke’s/THQ for 360/PS3/PS2/PSP)

Best Role Playing Game - Final Fantasy XII (Square Enix for PlayStation 2)- Hellgate: London (Flagship Studios/Namco Bandai Games for PC)- Mass Effect (BioWare/Microsoft Games Studio for Xbox 360)- Neverwinter Nights 2 (Obsidian/Atari for PC)- World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade (Blizzard for PC)

Best Racing Game - Excite Truck (Nintendo for Wii)- Formula One 06 (Studio Liverpool/SCEE for PlayStation 3)- Gran Turismo HD (Polyphony Digital/Sony Computer Entertainment for PS3)- MotoGP 06 (Climax/THQ for Xbox 360)- Test Drive Unlimited (Eden Studios/Atari for Xbox 360, PC, PS2, PSP)

Best Simulation Game - Microsoft Flight Simulator X (Microsoft Games Studio for PC)- Sid Meier’s Railroads! (Firaxis Games/2K Games for PC)- Spore (Electronic Arts for PC)- The Movies: Stunts and Effects (Lionhead Studios/Activision for PC)- Wii Music Orchestra (Nintendo for Wii)

Best Sports Game- Madden NFL 07 (Tiburon/EA for PS3 / Xbox 360)- Madden NFL 07 (Tiburon/EA for Nintendo Wii)- NBA 2K7 (Visual Concepts/2K Sports for Xbox 360)- NCAA Football 07 (EA Tiburon/Electronic Arts for X360/PS2/Xbox/PSP)- Wii Sports (Nintendo for Wii)

Best Strategy Game - Company of Heroes (Relic/THQ for PC)- Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle Earth II (EA for X360)- Medieval 2: Total War (Creative Assembly/Sega for PC)- Supreme Commander (Gas Powered Games/THQ for PC)- World in Conflict (Massive Entertainment/Sierra for PC)

Best Puzzle/Trivia/Parlor Game - Elite Beat Agents (Inis/Nintendo for Nintendo DS)- Guitar Hero 2 (Harmonix/Red Octane for PlayStation 2)- LocoRoco (SCEJ/Sony Computer Entertainment for PSP)- Lumines II (Q Entertainment/Buena Vista Games for PSP)- WarioWare: Smooth Moves (Nintendo for Wii)

Best Online Multiplayer Game- Battlefield 2142 (Digital Illusions/Electronic Arts for PC)- Enemy Territory: Quake Wars (Splash Damage/id/Activision for PC)- Gears of War (Epic Games/Microsoft Games Studio for Xbox 360)- Huxley (Webzen for PC/Xbox 360)- World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade (Blizzard for PC

And you think you're a hardcore gamer?

There's commitment and then there's COMMITMENT. The picture on the right is a sign of the latter.

While strolling through Colorado City with the Mrs. today, checking out Territory Days, my eyes almost popped out of my head when I saw this tatoo...on a woman no less.

Amy (her last name was too hard to remember and I didn't have anything to write it down on) allowed me to take a picture of her right arm bearing the ever famous Nintendo logo.

This just goes to show that gaming has no age limits (Amy is in her early twenties) and crosses all genders. If you ever meet Amy, buy her a drink. And if someone from Nintendo sees this, could you send her a game or something? I think she's earned it.

Why the Wii Will Fall by the Wayside

Lets set the record straight, the Nintendo system is a kid system pure and simple. Anyone who thinks otherwise is a moron. If you don't believe me, just let the greatest games in the Nintendo history speak for me - Mario Bros, Duck Hunt, SuperSmash Bros are all directed towards kids. Sure there have been some exceptions (GoldenEye, the Zelda series) but as the popular saying goes - it is what it is.

I don't have a problem with this - kids need simple, fun games to play and I'm not cool with my 12-year old playing Resident Evil. I don't want him joining the Trenchcoat Mafia when he's in high school. My issue with Nintendo is two fold, they're foolishly reaching out to older gamers and that hideous looking controller is an abomination.

Now normally I'm all for a gaming company taking risks (Microsoft sure took one by jumping into the video game console market in the first place) but why can't Nintendo leave well enough alone and stick with what works. They own the 8-15 year old age bracket, so why confuse consumers with un-Nintendo like titles such as Project Hammer and Disaster Day of Crisis, obvious attempts at reaching the adult market. Isn't it already a crowded enough place with the PS3 and Xbox 360? You have a niche Nintendo, you are unique, play on that. Use the family angle, the other two companies can't.

As for the controller...Nintendo owes me some money. I was checking out the Nintendo Wii website and they called it the "Nunchuk Controller". This is what I called it on this blog February 8th. I expect some royalties Mr. Iwata! Besides thieving the name, I just don't see how this controller will be appealing to adults. Much like the Eye Toy appeals to kids because its amusing to see yourself jumping up and down on your TV, waving around a controller is only going to be fun for the youngin's. The average gamer is 30 years old and I don't see this being a big selling point for that age group.

What I'm trying to say Nintendo is stick with what got you here. Challenging Microsoft and Sony is like an 8-year old trying to pick a fight with his 16-year old brother, brave to be sure but not really a good idea.

The Mole: Atari Slices and Dices, Sony tells us...a little

The word is... - Not much. So far Sony has been
as quiet as Ving Rhames in the basement of the gun shop in Pulp Fiction about most of the PS3's details. That trend continues as Sony was kind enough to announce last Wednesday that it will have 15 games available at launch. This of course leaves us with the question - Which games?!? Maybe sometime in October we'll finally find out about the PS3's online plans.

Microsoft demonstrates online dominance - Last Thursday Microsoft shared with the world that 1.5 million gamers took advantage of the free Xbox Live Gold week that coincided with E3. This just goes to prove that if you attached the word 'free' to something, people will take advantage. Below were the top 10 downloads.

1. Halo 3 Game Trailer (Microsoft Game Studios)
2. Lost Planet: Extreme Condition Free Playable Demo (Capcom)
3. Test Drive Unlimited Free Playable Demo (Atari)
4. MotoGP '06 Free Playable Demo (THQ)
5. X-Men: The Last Stand Pack (20th Century Fox)
6. Gears of War GameTrailer (Microsoft Game Studios)
7. Call of Duty 2: Skirmish Map Pack (Activision)
8. Spiderman 3 Game Trailer (Activision)
9. Fable 2 Trailer (Microsoft Game Studios)
10. Uno Xbox Live Arcade Game (Microsoft Game Studios)

Atari Gets Down - Atari announced last week that beginning June 1st, the prices for all of its current gen games will drop to $20. This includes Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi, Driver: Parallel Lines, Marc Ecko's Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure, and Indigo Prophecy. Expect to see more of this from other developers.

And finally... - This weeks "I could care less award" goes to THQ's The Outfit which has new multiplayer maps you can buy for 500 Microsoft Points. I guess if you've already wasted money on the game, another few dollars won't hurt.

Hunting down McDonald's

Watch out Mayor McCheese, I'm right behind you. That's right, The Gazette gaming blog has passed the ever important 1,500 page view plateau. According to sitemeter.com, this site averages a little over 100 views per week (and none of those are mine). Not too shabby.

That being said, I'm still looking for more reader input and my dream of building a local gaming community is still unrealized. If you have a topic you'd like to discuss, some cheat codes you'd like to share or a cool website you want to give some love to - let me know.

As for a local gaming network, I know I've let this slide a little but lets really get things going. If you send me your gamer tag, I promise to add you to my friends list or if you prefer, I can post a list of gamer tags for anyone interested in playing anyone. Just give me your tag and your favorite online games. Can you imagine how cool it would be to have a 50 - 100 person clan list for Halo 2? Or an All-Colorado unit in Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter? Now that would be fun.

Just to remind everyone, my gamer tag is coloradojoe.

My Tail of Whoa

One of the reasons I gave up on my Playstation 2 (I still have it but I
traded in all my games and its no longer my primary console. I only use it for reviews now.) is because of all of the problems I had with it. Disc read errors, games locking up, DVD's freezing in the middle of a movie - it was enough to make me want to scream! I went through three PS2's (I was Sony loyal to a fault) and my current one isn't the most reliable machine in the world.

I also had an original Xbox which never gave me any problems. So when I bought my Xbox 360 and heard rumors of overheating I didn't care. I didn't have one issue with my original Xbox and with all of the problems I had with my PS2's, I figured I had earned some good karma. Oops. That's what I get for thinking.

About 2 weeks ago my Xbox 360 started acting up - locking up during games, not signing me up for Xbox Live, displaying some kind of weird white and blue checker design on my blades. It was minor at first, just a hiccup. But then things got progressively worse until I couldn't even play anything. I was completely caught off guard by this. I didn't have one problem with it and suddenly it started screwing up on me. I knew it wasn't over heating because it would give me problems when I first turned it on, I knew it had to be something serious.

Thankfully, I also bought a service agreement from Game Crazy when I bought my 360 (Yes I have to buy my own consoles and no, I don't get reimbursed by The Gazette for it). I didn't do this when I bought my first PS2 and learned a very painful lesson. I brought it back to the store and they gave me another one with no hassles. Of course all of my single player loads, burned music and anything else on my hard drive no longer exists. Luckily my achievement points, gamer tag and friends list were not affected - but it still stinks.

While I know there are risks in buying the first generation of a new console (hello PS2 and Xbox 360) I know I would still have bought my 360 on launch day anyway. But there are some things I've come to realize as certainties when it comes to new gaming consoles.

#1 Buy a service agreement - The best way to cover your butt in case you get a bad console. I know the extra $40-$60 seems like a lot after you just plopped down a few hundred for your new system but its worth it. I prefer buying one from the store rather than the manufacturer. With my second PS2, I bought an agreement from Sony and I had to mail the console to them and wait weeks for it to get repaired. With my Xbox 360 I had a new console in 1/2 hour. Besides the time issue, the manufacturer would rather repair a console than send you a new one and chances are you're going to have the same problem anyway. With a local store, you deal with a real person and they're much more helpful - especially if you're a regular.

#2 Don't be blinded by loyalty - One of the first things that popped into my head after getting locked up for the fifth time while trying to play some online Battlefield 2 was "Screw this, I'm trading this hunk of junk in for a PS3". And I know I will, if I have any more problems with the 360. As much as I love all of the cool things the 360 can do and as great as I know Xbox Live is, my prior experience has taught me that there is no such thing as product loyalty when it comes to gaming consoles. I plunked down $400 for an Xbox 360, I expect the damn thing to work everytime. If it doesn't, I'll trade it in and move on. I know for some gamers this is blasphemy. There are Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony fanboys out there that would rather eat a hand grenade then play an opposing system - I know, I used to be one of them. Not anymore. I spend way too much of my hard earned cash to waste it on a system that doesn't deliver what it advertised. Its time a console was loyal to me, not the other way around.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not bashing any console maker, I'm not bent out of shape about my recent 360 issue. I know it happens sometimes and I still think Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft make incredible products. I'm looking forward to the PS3 and the Wii and I still love my 360. I'm a gamerguy and I always will be.

Gamerguy is the key word in that last sentence. I'm all about video games and the enjoyment I get from gaming. No matter what system its on.

Oh yes they call him the cheat...look at that, look at that

For your cheating pleasure.

Far Cry Instincts Predator (Xbox 360) - On the cheats menu, input these codes exactly as they appear:

ImJackCarver ... Refill Health (only during gameplay)
Bloodlust ... Infinite Adrenaline
UnleashHell ... Infinite Ammo
FeralAttack ... Unlock Evolution Story
GiveMeTheMaps ... Unlock All Maps
FeralAttack ... Start with the feral punch


OutRun 2006: Coast 2 Coast (PS2): Cheat: 1000000 OutRun miles - Enter MILESANDMILES when editing a license. Decline when asked to confirm the changes.
Cheat: Complete Everything - Enter ENTIRETY when editing a license. Decline when asked to confirm the changes.

Runescape hints (PC) - Hint: Method Money - One easy way to earn money is to increase mining and crafting. Once you're able to create items, sell them for easy cash.

Hint: Scife - To get a scife in Runescape you must go to Varrock. Go to the place with a bunch of logs. Get your magic high enough to use weaken. Use weaken on the log pile. A level 22 Tree Spirit will appear. If you kill it it will drop a scife and nature runes.

Hint: Colored Text - In RuneScape Classic, if you enter text like this: @red@, then press enter, the next text you enter will be red. You can also do this with other colors, by just putting in the first 3 letters of the word, like blue would be @blu@.

Hint: Easy Money and Experience - Complete rune mysteries quest in either free server or member server. After that you have the ability to go to the rune essence mine so get a pickaxe.
Go to rune essence mine, the Varrock Rune Shop has a bank nearby. Teleport. Mine essence till full. Go to portal. Go to bank deposit essence. Repeat. You now have enough essence to sell them 10K= 500 RUNE ESSNECE, 20K= 1K Rune Essence, 30K= 1.5K Rune Essence.

Hint: Easy Money- At Port Salim and ask the men in blue to take a ship to Karamja. Then go to the first house you see on the right. Talk to the man in black clothes. He will ask you to do a job. Get 10 bananas and put them in the crate to get 30gp. Keep doing this to get a lot of money.

Top 5 Ways Gaming is Better Than...Part 2

There hasn't been a post for the last couple days due to my E3 burnout. Between Tuesday's three posts, watching live coverage of E3 on G4 and all the emails I've been getting from my gaming brothers and sisters - I'm toast. And I didn't even go!

You may also have noticed there was no article/review in Friday's GO! section. Don't worry, it'll be back next week. In the meantime, here's my continuing series on the Top 5 Ways Gaming is Better Than...today its TV.

Top 5 Ways Gaming is Better Than...Television

1. Connectivity - I can play games with friends and family members who live far away. I can't watch TV with them unless I want to rack up huge phone bills.

2. What you want when you want it - I watched the series finale of Smallville Thursday night and now I have to wait 4-5 months to see what happens next. Not an issue with games.

3. Trash Talking - Razzing your friends and putting down jerks online is strongly encouraged. Making fun of the bean poles on America's Next Top Model will have your girlfriend or wife telling you to shut up. Not that this has ever happened to me.

4. Better Programming - There may be a few bad games out there but you don't have to buy them. But when flipping channels Tommy Lee Goes to College, The Swan, The Simple Life 3 and So You Think You Can Dance are on whether you want to watch them or not.

5. More Physical Activity - Sure your still sitting on your butt whether your watching TV or playing games but I know my blood is racing much faster after an intense team slayer match in Halo 2 than it is after I watch The Office.

The Mole: Yet More Microsoft E3 News

Three posts in one day?!? What am I thinking?

Rockstar/Microsoft Agreement - Used to be Xbox owners had to wait months after the PS2 release of a Grand Theft Auto game before they could enjoy it on there own systems. Not anymore, Rockstar and Microsoft announced today (I accidentally skipped over this in my last post, oops) an agreement stating that GTA 4 will be available on the 360 on Day 1 of its world wide release. The yet to be named GTA title is set to come out October 16, 2007. Also included in the agreement will be exclusive downloadable episodic content through Xbox Live.

Halo 3 Video - If you're interested in watching the Halo 3 trailer Bill Gates showed at E3 today, its downloadable at bungie.net.

The Mole: E3 Microsoft Press Conference

Microsoft honcho Bill Gates made his first E3 apperance and headed his company's annual E3 press conference with some bold statements.

Gates stated that the Xbox 360 should have a 10 million unit head start by the time the PS3 comes out this November.

Gates also announced plans for "Live Anywhere", an online gaming system that makes Xbox Live available to PC (with Windows) and Mobile gamers. This would allow PC, Mobile and Xbox console owners to go head-to-head online. He said there will be 160 titles available on the Xbox 360 by the end of the year and stated he expected there to be 6 millon online gamers by this time next year.

Gates was then joined by VP Peter Moore and announced a number of upcoming Xbox 360 and Windows Vista (coming out January 2007) titles.

For the 360, Microsoft showcased “Gears of War”, “Fable 2” and “Forza Motorsport 2”. Ubisoft’s next-generation version of “Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell Double Agent” will also debut on Xbox 360. In addition, Microsoft Game Studios showed “Alan Wake” and “Shadowrun”, both slated for Xbox 360 and Windows Vista. A "Halo 3" clip was also shown but no real information (release date, new features) was discussed.

For Windows Vista, Microsoft showed off "Crysis”,“Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures” and “Flight Simulator X”.

For Xbox Live Arcade “Pac-Man,” “Galaga,” “Dig Dug”, “Rally-X”, “Frogger,” “Track & Field", “Contra”, “Super Contra”, “Defender,” “Paperboy,” “Root Beer Tapper”, “Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3”, “Sonic the Hedgehog™ High Speed” and new title “Lumines Live” are future downloadable games.

Microsoft also announced new cross-platform accessories such as the Xbox 360 HD DVD Player, Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel and Xbox 360 Wireless Headset, to be used on Xbox 360 and Windows. The new Xbox Live Vision video camera will allow gamers to customize their gamer picture, send photo messages, and video chat with friends and family over Xbox Live.

The Mole: E3 News Part Tres

Sony had its annual E3 press conference Monday afternoon and finally revealed some information about the long awaited Playstation 3.

The new console will make its debut on November 11 in Japan, and will also be released in North America and Europe on November 17. The system will come in two iterations, the $499 model that comes with a 20GB hard drive and a $599 model that comes with a 60GB hard drive. To compare, the Xbox 360 with a 20GB hard drive sells for $399.

The PS3 controller has been revamped. Sony had given previews of a silver controller shaped like a boomerang, which the public didn't seem to like. The new PS3 motion sensitive controller now looks more like the dual-shock. Like the Xbox 360, a wireless controller for the PS3 is also available.

The Mole: E3 News Part Deux

This comes straight from one of my best EA contacts, Honey Hamilton. And no, I didn't make her name up. Here is EA's descriptions for some of its upcoming titles. Try and read through the propaganda.

Madden NFL 07 - With the exclusive video game license of the NFL and its players, Madden NFL 07 continues to be the #1 football franchise in history with more than 51 million copies sold. In its 17th installment, you control the running game like never before. For the first time ever, step up as the lead blocker to create a hole, and then take control of the tailback and smash through, overpower, or slash away from would-be tacklers as you fight for every yard. Innovative rushing controls give you a game-breaking ground attack featuring all-new jukes, cutbacks, and the distinct running styles of your favorite backs. Developed by EA Tiburon, Madden NFL 07 will launch in August on the Xbox 360, Xbox videogame system from Microsoft, PlayStation2 computer entertainment system, Nintendo GameCube, PSP system, PC, Nintendo DS and Game Boy Advance. Madden NFL 07 is also in development on the PlayStation 3 console and Nintendo Wii.

NCAA Football 07 - Momentum changes everything now college footballs most celebrated videogame turns the tide with NCAA Football 07. Whether battling your biggest rival or playing for the first-ever BCS National Championship Game in Dynasty Mode, success on the field depends on your ability to maintain momentum. Featuring unprecedented graphics that capture every moment in complete detail from the authenticity of the stadiums, mascots, and marching bands, to the true-to-life look and feel of the players on the field. NCAA Football 07 delivers the most realistic college football experience ever. NCAA Football 07 is scheduled to ship in July on the PlayStation 2 console, Xbox, Xbox 360 and the PSP system.

NASCAR 07* (Working title) - Take risks, be rewarded, and become a champion with NASCAR 07* on the PSP system. With all-new Adrenaline Moments, use your skill and instinct during the most intense situations and control the outcome by avoiding disastrous wrecks and flying debris. Maintain your focus on dangerous conditions ahead with the new RaceBreaker feature, which guides you through every treacherous moment of the race. With all-new speed blurring, realistic spark and smoke effects, and camera shakes, get your adrenaline pumping and experience the all-out drama and intensity of 190-mph racing with NASCAR 07.

ARMY OF TWO - You're not alone soldier, not anymore. At E3, EA unveils details of the action title that has been kept top secret for the past year. Developed at EA's boutique production house in Montreal, Canada, the new, original game will redefine strategic TWO man cooperative play when it launches on the PlayStation 3 console and Xbox 360 in 2007. ARMY OF TWO will throw gamers into hot spots ripped from current day headlines where they will utilize unique TWO man strategies and tactics while seamlessly transitioning between playing with intelligent Partner AI (PAI) and a live player. When one man is not enough, it will take an army of two to fight through war, political turmoil and a conspiracy so vast it threatens the entire world.

Battlefield 2142 - The year is 2142, and the dawn of a new Ice age has thrown the world into a panic. The soil not covered by ice can only feed a fraction of the Earth's population. The math is simple and brutal: Some will live, most will die. In Battlefield 2142, players choose to fight for one of two military superpowers in an epic battle for survival. Armed with a devastating arsenal of hi-tech weaponry, including assault rifles, cloaking devices, EMP grenades and sentry guns, players can level the playing field against massive Battle Walkers that control the ground and futuristic aircraft that rule the skies. Massive online battles for up to 64 players drop gamers on the front lines as part of a formal squad, or behind the scenes in Commander Mode to direct the strategic assaults of their team-mates. Battlefield 2142 also introduces an all-new game type for the first time in franchise history: Titan mode, which challenges gamers to control the battlefield and destroy their opponents Titan - a massive flying warship - while defending their own. Battlefield 2142 is developed by Digital Illusions/DICE Sweden and is slated to ship for PC in Fall 2006.

SPORE SPORE takes players on an epic journey from the origin and evolution of life through the development of civilization and eventually into the outer reaches of space. Create a creature, then control every dimension of its evolution from pond scum to galactic god. Experience multiple styles of gameplay as your creature advances through different stages of development. Fight for survival in the wild, develop a sprawling metropolis, trade and war against rival civilizations and explore the outer reaches of the galaxy. Every aspect of the universe from creatures to vehicles, buildings to plants, are created by the player and automatically shared with other players, providing a limitless number of worlds to explore and play. Create, control and explore your universe with SPORE. SPORE is under development for the PC by legendary game designer, Will Wright.

Crysis Crysis is all-new first person shooter from Crytek, the award-winning developers of the critically-acclaimed hit Far Cry. Powered by the revolutionary CryEngine 2, Crysis delivers next-generation PC technology, graphics and gameplay. Set in 2019 after a colossal asteroid crashes to Earth, Crysis begins amidst a tense military standoff between the North Korean and United States governments for control of the impact zone. Amid rising tensions, the asteroid suddenly bursts open revealing a massive alien ship, which begins freezing vast portions of the island and altering the global weather system. The invasion of Earth has begun. Crysis features an epic three-act story of alien invasion where players are able to customize their armor and weapons in real time to confront an ever-changing enemy and a harsh, dynamic environment. Advanced enemy AI employs realistic military tactics, forcing gamers to actively outsmart their opponents rather than simply reacting to them. Crysis is slated to ship for the PC in Winter 2006.

Command & Conquer 3 Tiberium Wars The genre defining Command & Conquer series is back! The epic struggle between the Global Defense Initiative (GDI) and The Brotherhood of NOD continues and the third Tiberium War is about to begin. Welcome back, Commander. Command & Conquer, the groundbreaking series that put the Real-time Strategy (RTS) genre on the map, is returning in full force with Command & Conquer 3 Tiberium Wars. This highly-anticipated next chapter takes the popular series back to its roots in the Tiberium universe and features the fast, fluid gameplay that Command & Conquer is known for and a gripping story that will redefine storytelling in RTS games. Experience a revolution in RTS gaming with a breakthrough single player campaign that rewards you for your gameplay style. Add layers of strategy to your gaming experience by building mobile bases, wielding the power of terrifying Ion Storms on the battlefield, or customizing your armies by combining units. Battle it out online with native voice-over IP, integrated clan support, and new spectator modes that let you play RTS games like a sport. Windows PC, 2007.

The Lord of the Rings, The Battle for Middle-earth II for the Xbox 360 Now command the epic battles of Middle-earth from your living room couch! Take control of huge armies and venture into the heart of Middle-earth to live the battles seen in the blockbuster New Line Cinema films and classic J.R.R. Tolkien literary fiction all in spectacular high-definition. The game boasts a new, intuitive console-specific control scheme that allows novice players to enjoy the games signature Real-time Strategy gameplay while giving expert players the flexibility needed to engage in a deeply complex strategy experience. Directly control hundreds of units in an attempt to defeat enemy armies, conquer new lands, and seal the fate of Middle-earth. As the first game in The Lord of the Rings series to be playable over Xbox LIVE, add to the intensity of the experience and challenge friends online to engage in action-packed real-time battles. Summer 2006.

Superman Returns: The Video Game - challenges players to master Superman's unrivaled powers to save Metropolis. Based on 60 years of DC Comics and the upcoming motion picture, SUPERMAN RETURNS: THE VIDEOGAME creates the ultimate open-world super hero experience. As the Man of Steel, you'll hone your unworldly super powers such as Flight, X-Ray Vision and Freeze Breath to fight villains that only Superman can defeat. SUPERMAN RETURNS: THE VIDEOGAME will be available on Xbox 360, the PlayStation 2 console, Xbox, the PSP system, Nintendo DS and Game Boy Advance.

Def Jam Fight For NY: The Takeover Experience the ultimate hip hop fighting game anywhere you go. Master over 180 new fighting moves and 50 new dirty moves in order to win fights and rise among the ranks of your crew. Create your own fighter and battle through over 40 of the hottest artists and celebrities in Hip Hop including Busta Rhymes, Ludacris, Method Man, Redman, Snoop Dogg, and Xzibit. With a new story, new moves, new venues, and head to head wireless gameplay, Def Jam Fight For NY: The Takeover is the summer's must have title for the PSP system.

EA MOBILE E3 GAME LINE UP
EA Mobile is the leader in wireless entertainment with a slate of games that demonstrate a commitment to quality, innovation and value. The dynamic roster offers something for every mobile phone user puzzle, sports and cutting-edge action. At E3, EA will debut of Orcs & Elves, id Softwares first original intellectual property since Quake, created exclusively for mobile phones by Fountainhead Entertainment. The line up also boasts an impressive slate of EA SPORTS games including 2006 FIFA World Cup, EA SPORTS Fight Night Round 3, Madden NFL 07, NBA LIVE 07, Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 07 and an enhanced version of the popular puzzle game Tetris.

The Mole: E3 News

E3 doesn't start until Monday but my sources have already been
feeding me information. Here's what I've found out.

Bada Bing! - THQ has announced a video game based on the hit HBO TV show The Sopranos, set to be released on the Xbox 360 and PS2 (not PS3) this Fall. Sopranos creator David Chase is heavily involved in creating the storyline which has gamers play as the long lost son of Big Pussy. James Gandolfini is the only member who's involvement has been confirmed but expect many other cast members voices and likenesses to be in the game.

Atari Lineup - Atari announced its lineup of games it will be showcasing at E3: Dragon Ball Z, Test Drive Unlimited, Alone in the Dark, Arthur and Minimoys. Battlezone, HOT PXL, Neverwinter Nights 2, Super DBZ and Dungeons and Dragons.

Sega Lineup - Sega announced its lineup of games as well: Chromehounds, The Club, Full Auto 2: Battlelines, Medieval II: Total War, Phantasy Star Universe, Sega Rally Revo, Sonic Rivals, Sonic the Hedgehog, Super Monkey Ball Adventure, Super Monkey Ball Banana Blitz, Virtua Tennis 3, World Pool Championship 2007 and Yakuza.

Midway Lineup - Here are Midway's featured games at E3: John Woo Presents Stranglehold, Unreal Tournament 2007, Blitz: The League, Mortal Kombat: Armageddon, Spy Hunter: Nowhere to Run, Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar, Rise and Fall: Civilizations at War, Happy Feet, The Ant Bully, The Grim Adventures of Bill and Mandy, MLB Slugfest 2006, Rush, Mortal Kombat: Unchained and NBA Ballers: Rebound.

All of these games are set to be released sometime in 2006.

DS Lite Release Date - The new DS Lite - a smaller, lighter version of the DS that can literally fit in your pocket - will be released in the U.S. June 11th and will sell for about $130. The screens are exactly the same size but the new DS is considerably smaller and lighter. The new backlight system is a significant improvement and it plays all of the games the DS does.

Guitar Hero II - Seven new songs for the upcoming Guitar Hero II, out this fall, have been announced: Reverend Horton Heat - Psychobilly Freakout, KISS - Strutter, Butthole Surfers - Who Was in My Room Last Night, Van Halen - You Really Got Me, Black Sabbath - War Pigs, Rush - YYZ, Drist - Arterial Black.

Superman's Late - EA announced that the Superman Returns video game, which was supposed to be released along with the movie in June has been pushed back to fall when the DVD of Superman Returns will be in stores.

Expect more E3 updates later this week.

The Mole: Seattle is Numero Uno

Sperling's Best Places (you know, those jokers who rate the best and worst places for things like jobs, health, etc.) announced today that Seattle is the number one gaming city in the nation. The survey used the following statistics: number of systems owned per household, number of games purchased, number of game rentals, frequency of online play and number of Big Foot sightings to determine their rankings. Here are the Top 15 cities for gaming in the U.S.

1. Seattle
2. Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn.
3. Atlanta
4. Detroit
5. Phoenix-Mesa, Ariz.
6. Washington, D.C.
7. St. Louis
8. Boston
9. San Diego
10. Philadelphia
11. Chicago
12. Dallas
13. Houston
14. San Francisco
15. New York

Did you notice no Colorado Springs or Denver? What's up with that? Its time to step up to the plate Colorado. Let no hand be controller free!

Some other interesting gaming facts - According to the Entertainment Software Association, in 2005 the video game industry is growing in popularity among all age groups and both genders. The average age of a gamer is 30, and 19 percent of gamers are older than 50. Men currently dominate the industry; however, the gap is closing, with approximately 55 percent of players being male and approximately 43 percent female. Don't ask what the remaining 2 percent is.