Longest. Blog. Entry. Ever.

I'm coming to you live from Barcelona, Spain (I wish), giving you the latest and greatest from X06, Microsoft's annual gaming event that's like E3 but for the Xbox 360. There's enough news coming out of Spain to choke a matador, so here are the bullet points on a busy past few days.

Hobbit Love - A partnership was announced between Academy Award-winning writer, director and producer Peter Jackson, Academy Award-winning screenwriter Fran Walsh (I just love to write the phrase Academy Award-winning), and Microsoft Game Studios will create two new interactive entertainment series exclusively for Xbox 360 and Xbox Live. The first series will be a collaborative effort with Bungie Studios to co-create the next chapter in the Halo universe. The second series will be an entirely original property targeted at bringing new audiences into the world of interactive entertainment. (What does that mean? I don't know.) In addition, Microsoft Game Studios will partner with Jackson and Walsh to establish Wingnut Interactive, a studio dedicated to the creation of interactive entertainment.

Not enough Halo - Halo Wars is an all-new real-time strategy game based on the world of Halo and designed exclusively for Xbox 360 by Ensemble Studios, creators of the Age of Empires franchise.

Rockin' and Rollin - Rockstar and Take-Two announced they will provide Xbox 360 gamers with exclusive access to two downloadable, episodes of Grand Theft Auto IV via Xbox Live, each with hours of new gameplay and available only on Xbox 360 just months after the release of the title.

Ubiwhat? - Ubisoft confirmed that the next Splinter Cell title, the next installment in the series after Splinter Cell Double Agent, will be a console-exclusive on Xbox 360.

The Shocker - 2K Games confirmed that BioShock will be released exclusively on Xbox 360 and Microsoft Windows next spring. I'm beginning to sense a theme here.

I wanna go fast! - Project Gotham Racing 4, the racing franchise from Bizarre Creations, was unveiled. Unfortunatly little details were given on a release date or vehicles for the car. It will only be on the 360.

My son will be happy about this - The Banjo-Kazooie franchise will join the 360 parade of games as an Xbox 360 exclusive from developer Rare.

Excelsior! - Microsoft Game Studios announced its new massively multiplayer online game, Marvel Universe Online for Xbox 360 and Windows Vista operating system. Its being developed by Cryptic Studios, creators of City of Heroes.

Arcade Me - Two additions to Xbox Live Arcade were announced: the first-person shooter that pioneered the network-gaming era, DOOM (800 Microsoft points) from developer id Software and Activision, was available starting yesterday for download via Xbox Live Arcade. The game includes the original four-episode, single-player game, four-player split screen (cooperative and deathmatch) and four-player cooperative and deathmatch over Xbox Live. Also coming to Xbox Live Arcade soon is Sensible World of Soccer from Codemasters, based on the 1994 Amiga title. But where the hell is Cyberball?!?

Creed, the game not the band - Microsoft and Ubisoft confirmed that Assassins Creed, the eagerly anticipated action title set in medieval times, is also coming to Xbox 360. It will be released in 2007.

I want my HD DVD! - Arriving at retailers in North America, the U.K, France and Germany in mid-November 2006 (Why not Japan I wonder?), the Xbox 360 HD DVD Player will retail for $199.99 in North America and £129.99 in the U.K., France and Germany. The Xbox 360 HD DVD Player comes with Peter Jackson's King Kong (Surprise!) on HD DVD for a limited time and with an Xbox 360 Universal Media Remote.

PC gamers need love too - Windows Vista will be getting Halo 2, playable with mouse and keyboard or an Xbox 360 controller. The game comes with a map editor, allows for PC to 360 gaming connectivity and allows gamers to earn Xbox 360 Achievement Points (How? Once again, I don't know.). It'll be available first quarter of 2007.

Air Guitar - Guitar Hero will be coming to the Xbox 360. I don't know when, I just know it is.

Tons of videos and trailers (including a very cool one for Halo Wars) are viewable at www.xbox.com.

But wait, there's more!

Calling all field generals - Think you're a Madden stud? Prove it in the Xbox Live Madden 07 tournament. Any Xbox Live Gold member (Ha! I said Goldmember!) ages 13 and older are free to enter. Head to this link, http://www.clash.cc/madden07tourney to get signed up. Deadline is October 10th. The first round of play starts October 14th.

And finally - EA announced yesterday that Madden 07 and Need for Speed Carbon will available on the Nintendo Wii's launch date...A FIFA 07 demo will be available for download early in October, the game comes out in late October.

Whew! Okay, I'm toast. I feel like I just ran a marthon. I need a gatorade, two hot pockets and to get the hell away from this computer monitor for a few days. Peace out!

terry.terrones@gazette.com

I can see clearly now

Do you remember the Sony Eye Toy? I used to have one. I never used it but my kids sure enjoyed it. Nice gimmick. It got my kids into some fun high energy games and they liked seeing themselves on TV.

The Xbox Live Vision camera is not the Eye Toy. Oh sure, at first glance they seem identical but the purpose of Vision is specifically for online play, something Sony has always sucked at. Seeing other gamers as you play poker (not available yet but sometime soon), UNO, or a bunch of other card games is something adult gamers will do, not kids. Which is perfectly fine with me.

Last Friday I picked up my Vision camera, which came with a free UNO download and headset for $40. A pretty good deal if you ask me, especially considering that when the Eye Toy first came out it was $100. After plugging it into my USB port, I was instantly ready for action. I sent a family picture to my brother and started playing UNO with a bunch of other gamers online, most of whom had Vision cameras as well. Here's the good and the bad things I've discovered so far.

The Good
Less trash talking. The best part about playing people online who you don't know, but can see, is that all of the trash talking seems to vanish. Pretty much everybody is polite. Its kind of hard to curse at someone when they're staring right at you. Imagine how much less crap you'd have to listen to in Halo if you could see some of these jerks who do nothing but throw insults at everybody. It also sort of requires you to talk to other gamers. Would you sit around a table and just ignore the person across from you? I doubt it. Connecting with other gamers is always a good thing.

Video Chat. I've only heard of video chats for businesses and the occasional NFL Network training camp cam, I've never done one before. But when I quickly linked with my brother (see the grainy photo I took with my cell phone above) I was happier than Roseanne Barr at an all you can eat buffet. I showed him my old school John Elway jersey I just bought and my daughter's hockey player grin after she had two teeth fall out. My son was then kind enough to take my Master Chief and Snake action figures and perform a puppet show for him. It was hilarious.

The Bad
Now what? Okay, so I can video chat with my brother. Cool. I can play UNO and a few other games online and see my opponent. Also cool. But what else can I do with this camera? At some point I'm supposed to be able to put my face into games. This sounds great. I've always wanted my mug in my Madden created player instead of a shadow. But right now there aren't any games available to do this with. I just hope Microsoft has plans to use the camera properly. If done right, it could really be something gamers want. Hopefully, it won't fall into gaming oblivion like the Eye Toy did - just another camera with untapped potential.

Its not for everyone. I know some gamers who love racing wheels. I personally can't stand them. Just like all video games aren't for everyone, neither is the Vision camera. While I enjoy playing against other gamers online who also have the camera, I wouldn't have bought it if my brother didn't get one as well. Who would I video chat with? Who would I send pictures to? I have quite a few friends on Xbox Live. But like most people, I don't really know many of them. With my brother its different. So if you don't have a friend or two that you don't get to see very often but keep in touch with frequently, you don't really need the camera.

So do I get it or what?
If you have someone you can use this with right away or are really into seeing other gamers during online play, sure. The $40 price point might be attractive to the curious. But if you're looking for a camera that actually does something that enhances game play, I'd hold out for awhile. Wait and see if this is going to make a good gaming experience, great or if its just another gaming gimmick.

The Mole: Blurry Vision

What's the deal? - When I received an email from one of my Microsoft contacts that the Xbox Live Vision camera was going to be released this past Tuesday, I was stoked. I've been looking forward to video chatting with my brother in Denver and sending him...humorous photos. Yet when I went to my favorite gaming store, nothing was available. I checked a couple of other places and found the same thing. It wasn't sold out, it just wasn't there. I didn't have time to follow up today but I emailed my contact at Microsoft this evening, I'll let you know what I find out.

The camera runs for a measly $40 and allows gamers to send photo messages, video chat in real time, customize gamer tags, and put their faces in supported games. There are also games that are compatible with Vision so that you can see your opponent...if you want to.

Hit Me With Your Best Shot - Yesterday Microsoft announced its Platinum Hits lineup for the Xbox 360. Starting October 15 Perfect Dark Zero, Kameo: Elements of Power, Need for Speed Most Wanted and Project Gotham Racing 3 will be available for $29.99.

The Platinum lineup was a big hit for Microsoft during the Xbox's reign, accounting for 16% of games sold. A second wave of Platinum Hits will be released in the Spring of 2007.

What? Did you hear that? That's the sound of the price difference between the PS3 and all other next-gen consoles growing ever so slightly.

Coffee? Tea? Controller? - Earlier today Electronic Arts announced a partnership with DTI Software, a company known as a leader in providing in-flight entertainment. That's right, some time soon you might be able to fly the friendly skies and kill time playing an EA title. Finally something to keep rowdy kids quiet on international flights!

The Sims 2 and some popular Pogo.com titles look to be the first to take off with DTI's 62 airline partners. When you can actually expect to see games in the air wasn't available.

And finally - The soundtrack for EA's Need for Speed Carbon, coming out November 1st has been released. Hope you see some tunes you like.

Dynamite MC -Bounce, Dynamite MC-After Party, Eagles Of Death Metal-Don’t Speak (I Came to Make A Bang!), Ekstrak feat. Know-1-Hard Drivers, Every Move A Picture- Signs Of Life, Gary Numan/Tubeway Army-Are ‘Friends’ Electric, Grandmaster Flash And The Furious Five-Scorpio, Goldfrapp-Ride A White Horse (Serge Santiago Remix), Kyuss-Hurricane, Lady Sovereign-Luv Me Or Hate Me, Ladytron-Sugar (Jagz Kooner Remix), Ladytron-Fighting In Built Up Areas, melody-FEEL THE RUSH (Junkie XL Remix), Metro Riots-Thee Small Faces, Part 2 feat. Fallacy-One Of Dem Days (Remix), Pharrell feat. Lauren-Skateboard P Presents: Show You How To Hustle, Priestess-I Am The Night, Colour Me Black, Roots Manuva-No Love, Spank Rock-What It Look Like, Sway-Hype Boys, The Bronx-Around The Horn, The Presets-Steamworks, The Vacation-I’m No Good, Tiga-Good As Gold, Tigarah-Girl Fight (Mr. D Hyphy Mix), Tomas Andersson-Washing Up (Tiga Remix), Valient Thorr-Heatseeker, Vitalic-My Friend Dario, Wolfmother-Joker And The Thief, Yonderboi-People Always Talk About The Weather (Junkie XL Remix)

Top 5 Ways GTA is Better Than Saints Row

A couple of weeks ago I was fawning all over Saints Row like a teenager during his first trip to Hooters. But now that some time has passed, am I still enjoying the game. Absolutely. But I stick by something else I also said a couple of weeks ago, its not GTA.

I'm still enjoying Saints Row and it certainly will last longer than most games I play but it has flaws. Flaws that become more and more noticeable the longer you play. Some of those flaws are why the GTA franchise doesn't need to be looking over its shoulder any time soon.

Top 5 Ways GTA is Better Than Saints Row

1. Deeper storyline - While there certainly is a decent storyline in Saints Row, its more or less just an excuse to shoot people and blow stuff up. I don't really need excuses to do these things in games but if there is a plot, at least try and keep my interest. The GTA franchise does a great job of creating lead characters that are likable bad guys.

2. Wider variety of missions - The missions in Saints Row can get a little repetitive. Even though there is quite a variety, gamers more or less do three things: pick people/stuff up, drop people/stuff off, shoot people. Again, this isn't a bad thing but there are only so many ways to do them. The limited missions are mostly due to things you can do in GTA but not in Saints Row. In GTA you can go into buildings, there are a greater variety of vehicles to drive (helicopters, boats, motorcycles) and there are the very fun vigilante missions.

3. Better soundtrack - I'm not dogging the Saints Row soundtrack, its actually pretty good. But having tons of great songs from the 80's and 90's, like Vice City and San Andreas has, is almost impossible to beat.

4. Crazy innovation - Is Saints Row innovative at all? Aside from its mapping/waypoint sytem, no. Everything in the game is "borrowed" from GTA. I could list all of the great things the GTA franchise has come up with but it would take me all day. But Saints Row has nothing to be ashamed of because tons of other games have done the same thing. As the great Kevin Federline once said, "Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery". I think it was right after he started dating Britney Spears and tried to become the next Justin Timberlake.

5. Its just plain funnier - Outrageous radio DJ's, hilarious commericals for fake products, pedestrians who comment on your actions, guys cracking on each other - and those are just the things I thought of in the last 10 seconds. Sure Saints Row has all of those things but after seeing how well GTA has done humor, it just can't keep up. Its like listening to a guy who's naturally funny tell a joke and then his slightly less funny buddy repeats it right after him. Not nearly the same reaction.

More Wii News...and some other stuff

Whoops! In my hurry to get out the latest news about the Wii, I left out a few details and made one error. Here's the skinny on the Wii and some other recent gaming news.

Taking a Wii - Remember how I said the Wii would have DVD playback? Scratch that, it won't. In a report from Wired News, Nintendo VP of Marketing Perrin Kaplan stated that Nintendo has dropped DVD playback to cut costs. Kaplan also stated that the console will support SD memory cards, meaning no hard drive. The cards run from $17-$65. There will not be a USB port on the console. The system comes with one Wii remote and one nunchuk controller. They will sell for $39.99 and $19.99 individually. Kaplan also noted that first party games will be region free, which means gamers can play games from Japan and Europe.

iPod gaming - Apple announced last week that some classic games are now available for download from iTunes. Cubis 2, Tetis, Texas Hold'Em, Bejeweled, Zuma, Mini-Golf, Mahjong and Pac-Man can be downloaded for $4.99. The games are designed to be played by using the iPod click wheel. Unfortunatley, its for fifth generations iPods only.

Cha-Ching! - Activision proudly announced last week that Call of Duty 2 sales have just gone over the one million mark. Deservedly so, its easily one of the best games on the 360. I'm anxiously awaiting the release of COD3 (and the reality show proceeding it) this fall.

Open Mouth, Insert Wii

Just when I say there's nothing interesting going on, something interesting happens.

Nintendo officially revealed details about the Wii's U.S. launch. The console will be released Sunday, November 19, just two days after that of the PlayStation 3. A console release on a Sunday? Doesn't make too much sense to me but whatever.

Nintendo has said it plans to ship 4 million Wii's worldwide by the end of 2006. The Wii will cost $250 (or more likely $249.99). Nintendo also confirmed that it will have more than 25 first- and third-party games available at launch, with 30 on shelves by the end of the year. First-party games will cost $50, the cost of third-party Wii games is unknown.

Nintendo has also announced that classic NES, SNES, and N64 games will be downloadable to the Wii's console and would range from $5 to $10, just like most Xbox Live Arcade games. Around 30 titles will be available at launch, including games from the Donkey Kong, Zelda, and Mario franchises, with a total of 60 arriving by the end of the year. The console will come with the Wii Sports compilation packed in the console.

After buying the Wii's Opera browser using prepaid Nintendo points, gamers will be able to surf the Web using the Wii-mote controller as a mouse. The Wii's has DVD playback abilities and the console will also have many multimedia functions, called "Wii channels." which include the Wii's weather channel, news channel, messaging services, and "Mii channel," which lets players create custom, cartoon-like avatars for use in games. The Wii will also let users upload and edit photos from SD memory cards and share them on the Web.

Sounds pretty good to me. Tons of similarities to some of what the Xbox 360 does well, I wonder how they'll work and look. The Wii also has a few creative ideas (web browsing, Wii channels) that sound really cool.

Update: PS3 News - Sony announced that only 500,000 PS3's will be available in the U.S. and Japan at launch with the PS3 European debut being pushed back to 2007. Of those 500K, 400K will be released in the U.S. November 17. Supposedly, 1-1.2 million units will be available in North America by the end of the year.

This is obviously great news for Microsoft and Nintendo.

How slow can you go?

Wow! This is the slowest week of gaming news that I can recall. How slow is it? I'm writing about how slow it is!

Normally I like to update the blog about three times a week but I haven't had anything good to report. And I'm sad to say, I still don't. Here are the past week's highlights. Spy Hunter has come out. NASCAR has come out. EA and 2K's hockey games have come out. Worst of all, Yakuza has come out. My review of it comes out next week but let me give you a hint - it sucks.

Let's just call it the calm before the storm. I'm referring to the Hurricane that will hit when the PS3 comes out in November of course. October is positively loaded - Splinter Cell: Double Agent, Battlefield 2142, Just Cause, Family Guy, Bully, FIFA 07, Reservoir Dogs, Marvel: Ultimate Alliance to name just a few - but will these titles be ignored due to the force of the Sony publicity machine that is sure to be in full swing that month? I guess we'll have to wait and see. To be honest, I'm kind of surprised I haven't seen anything about it already.

In the meantime, I guess I'll have to post more rants and top 5 lists.

The Rant: Quick hits on the NFL's opening weekend

Check out Javon Walker in this Madden 07 screenshot. Is he blocking on a Tatum Bell scamper or trying to get to the guy who just picked off Jake Plummer for the 10th time? Probably the latter.

Speaking of foosball - Where the heck is the roster update for Madden on the 360? Isn't that what Xbox Live Marketplace is made for? I'm loving the graphics, particularly the player animations and the weather effects and the game play is great. But for crying out loud, I shouldn't have to trade Ron Dayne and Ashlie Lelie and make tons of other roster changes. EA should give gamers a roster update monthly. It should be free, but speaking for die-hard Madden gamers everywhere, I'd be willing to part with a couple of bucks for it.

TDU Second Impressions - A couple of weeks ago I mentioned how impressed I was with my PS2 beta of Test Drive Unlimited. So how does the Xbox 360 version compare? Not that well. Not to give too much away, since my review comes out next week, but the game has some glaring issues. The graphics (not really next-gen) and driving controls (not nearly as tight as they should be for a racer) were my biggest problems with the 360 version. The $40 price point is certainly nice and the mixing of single and multi-player options is a cool feature but there are other racing games available that are better.

Bill Gates wants more of your money - Last week Microsoft announced the pricing for their upcoming operating system, Windows Vista. Here's how much change you'll drop.

Windows Vista BusinessFull: $299.00 Upgrade $199.00
Windows Vista EnterpriseNot Available For Retail Purchase
Windows Vista Home PremiumFull: $239.00 Upgrade: $159.00
Windows Vista Home BasicFull: $199.00 Upgrade: $99.95
Windows Vista UltimateFull: $399.00 Upgrade: $259.00

And finally - I just picked up NFL Sunday ticket and its awesome! What does this have to do with gaming? Absolutely nothing. But the ability to watch any game in the country is just plain sweet and is something that every football fan should be able to do. I've had DirectTV for 3 years and finally caved in and bought it. It costs a little more than I think it should (I'm cheap, what can I say) but its worth it if you are a fantasy football nut. And no, DirectTV offered me no compensation for this endorsement. I just love football and television.

Top 5 ways Saints Row is better than GTA

Yeah, yeah I know. The title of this post is gaming blashphemy but hear me out. This GTA clone (or rip-off, or copywrite infringer, take your pick) does out-perform my favorite franchise in a few key areas. Is it better than GTA: San Andreas.? Certainly not. But there are some things that Rockstar might consider stealing for GTA: IV.

1. Driving Controls - While GTA has a pretty good steering system, Saints Row's controls are almost perfect. The cars all vary in acceleration but all handle extremely well. The emergency
brake really allows for some great manuevers. My only gripe is the camera, which doesn't move quite quickly enough, but it does the job.

2. Graphics - I hate to beat a dead horse but lets be honest, the GTA franchise is not known for its graphics. From CJ's bear hands in San Andreas to the faceless characters in Liberty City Stories, GTA leaves a lot to be desired in the looks department. Not so with Saints Row which has some of the prettiest cars and backgrounds I've ever seen in a game.

3. Sound - While Saints Row has great voice overs and a licensed soundtrack (with hilarious DJ's and commercials) just like GTA, the games little details make it truly unique. The weapons all have very distinct sounds. But by far the coolest thing I noticed was when I was "borrowing" a car. As an SUV pulled up, I could hear the muffled sounds of the radio. When I opened the door, it was blasting. Now that's attention to detail.

4. Multi-player - I know I brought this up in an earlier post but so what, it needs to be said - GTA needs online play. Saints Row has it. It sucks (laggiest online game I've ever played) but at least it has it. If the next GTA game doesn't have it, watch out. Riots will ensue, cats and dogs will be living together and gamers everywhere will throw down their controllers in disgust.

5. Create-a-player - I never really considered this an issue until I played Saints Row. With the last two GTA games, I've enjoyed playing playing as Hawaiian shirt wearing Tommy Vercetti (voiced brilliantly by Ray Liotta) and as tough talking CJ. But the chance to make a customizable gang-banger who looks just like me is too much fun to pass up.


Oh, by the way: Battlefield 2142 Beta anyone? - I received an email from my contact at EA today letting me know that they are opening up 10,000 slots to the public to try out the Battlefield 2142 beta. The 10,000 slots are available on a first-come, first-served basis starting Friday, September 8th at 10am PST. A free GameSpy ID is required to participate. Go to fileplanet.com for the download. The game comes out in mid-October.

The Mole: Family Guy screenshots and some other stuff

Stewie with a ray gun? I'm not surprised - Here are a few screenshots from the Family Guy video game coming out this fall (I apologize for their small size and unorganized appearance but blogspot wasn't being very cooperative). I have no idea what the premise is but from the looks of it Stewie has some plans for world domination, Peter cross dresses and Death is involved. Sounds good to me. I do know all of the "core" cast members are involved and since this is a game based on Family Guy I'd expect it to be pretty edgy and really not a game for kids. Too bad for them. I'll let you know more when I get further info from developer 2K.

More 2K stuff - On August 30, 2K released Prey Patch 1.1, an update of the multiplayer experience for the PC version of the game. If you currently play Prey online, I'm sure you already have it. If you only play the single player or if you're considering buying the PC version, be sure to check it out.

Battlefield Beta - EA sent me a beta for Battlefield 2142 which comes out on PC October 17. Once I get some time to play with it, I'll post some first impressions and some screenshots. Look for those within the next couple of weeks.

The Mole: Labor Day Weekend Edition

Signs of the apocalypse - Right now you're probably asking yourself, "What in the world is a picture of Jessica Simpson doing on a gaming blog? Is your readership that bad that you have to resort to putting babes on your site? And if so why does she have clothes on? Please don't tell me she's releasing a game!"

No, thankfully we have all been spared a Jessica Simpson game (Sorry she's not in a bikini, I have to keep it clean. Lousy editors!) Unfortunately for 360 owners, Jessica is the Xbox Live Artist of the Month. I'm assuming they're using the term "artist" liberally. I was under the impression that the whole Artist of the Month thing was for unknowns to get exposure? If there is a woman on the planet who gets more publicity than Ms. Simpson, I'd be surprised. Angelina Jolie (for being a man stealer), Jennifer Aniston (for not getting over it) and Paris Hilton (for never seeing a camera she didn't like) may give Jessica a run for her money but they still can't compete. Its bad enough I see her on the cover of every celebrity magazine at the grocery store, but now I have to see her on my Xbox Live blades? Give me a break.

PSP gets some love - On Friday EA announced it will release a compilation of some its games from the 90's exclusively for the PSP. Set for a November 6 release 'EA Replay" will contain 14 games for $19.99. The titles are listed below.

B.O.B.
Budokan
Desert Strike
Jungle Strike
Haunting Starring Polterguy
Mutant League Football
Road Rash
Road Rash II
Road Rash III
Syndicate
Ultima: The Black Gate
Virtual Pinball
Wing Commander
Wing Commander: Secret Missions

John Madden is Mr. Moneybags - In a press release on Thursday, EA estimated it has sold more than two million copies of "Madden 07", giving it a week-one gross of over $100 million. That's $10 million more than "Snakes on a Plane" and "Miami Vice" have done combined. And some people say video games aren't on par with other forms of entertainment like movies and music. For shame!

Saints Row First Impressions

As a huge fan of the Grand Theft Auto series (my favorite series of all time, in this order are: 1.GTA, 2. Madden, 3. Halo 4. Metal Gear), how can I possibly resist a game that steals most of its great ideas and is proud of it? I can't. So it is with a great deal of enthusiasm that I picked up Saints Row yesterday. Here are some early high points.

The mapping system - Vastly superior to GTA's. A simple menu pops up, you pick where you want to go and follow the flashing dots. It reminded me a lot of Perfect Dark Zeros arrows that lit up your destination after wandering around too long. Although it takes some of the fun out of wandering around town, I expect the next GTA to have this in it.

The graphics - The GTA series has never really been known for its graphics but the game play is always so great its never needed to. Aside from the characters faces, the game looks awesome.

Create-A-Player Feature - Gamers have never been able to create themselves in a game like this, now you can. Its a lot of fun to do and very detailed.

Multi-player - Again, something the GTA series has never had. To be honest, I haven't even tried it yet but I'm excited about the idea. I just hope it doesn't suck.

I imagine since Saints Row "borrows" (or steals) so many ideas from GTA, Rockstar will probably be looking to see what Saints Row improves on and hopefully will incorporate some of those things in the next GTA game. Is Saints Row better than any GTA game? The jury is still out on that, I need more time with the game. But as a die-hard fan of the franchise I'd say its in the neighborhood.

Madden Etiquette

We've all been there before. You're playing an enjoyable game of Madden, either online or with a buddy, when someone crosses the line and does something stupid. People get upset, tempers flare and suddenly everyone is more uncomfortable than Peyton Manning during a playoff game.

Why does this happen? Because no one has set up the ground rules for playing Madden against a living opponent. Like all great backs, I see the hole and cut to it. Its time to stop all the bickering and whining and discuss proper video game etiquette.

Terry's Top 5 Madden Etiquette Rules

1. Trash Talking is Required - What would football be without trash talking? Tennis! That's what! Now I'm not talking about complaining about getting screwed over on a play or moaning about a dropped pass, I'm talking about telling your opponent what you're about to do, then doing it. I'm talking about picking off the ball then high stepping it into the end zone as you point at your friend and laugh. Yo Mama jokes are also okay to be used here.

2. Never punt - Punting is for wimps! Don't give me your its-a-game-of-field-position argument either. If you can't get 10 yards in virtual football, you better go back to practice right after the game is over and learn more than 4 plays.

3. Never pick an All-Pro team - Nothing shows that you're a weak player more than picking the AFC or NFC Pro Bowl squad. All-decade and all-time teams (Best Denver Broncos teams, etc.) are also disallowed. Just pick your favorite team and roll with it.

4. No created players - This should be a no-brainer but I can't tell you how many times guys have tried to pass themselves off as members of their favorite teams. My 5'5", 130lb son, despite his fondest wishes, is not a 6'4" 225lb QB with 99's across the board, yet he tries to get away with it all the time. Save your created player for your Franchise or Hall of Fame career.

5. No quitting. Ever! - Nothing is more frustrating (especially online) than when you're giving your opponent a serious beat down and they just up and quit. Just like there is no crying in baseball, there's no quitting in football. If you're getting thumped, play it out, try your best and take your lumps like a man. Don't try the old "its late and I got work tomorrow" excuse either. We all know how long Madden games can take. Suck it up and start throwing some Hail Mary's to get back into the game.

Mailbag

Welcome to the first (and last) Mailbag Contest! The big winner this month is reader John Burden. He won in a landslide because he was the only participant. Lets get to his two questions.

How does one break into the gaming and game review industry? Also, how does one not only get a job with a respectable newspaper, but also manage to convince the editors of said newspaper that they should have a guy working for them to review the video game world?

In my interviews with PSM's Chris Slate and OXM's Francesca Reyes I essentially asked them the same thing. They both mentioned that starting gaming blogs and trying to get in your local paper as a way to get things started. They also suggested doing some freelance work for gaming websites (1up, gamespot, etc.) as well. Let me tell you, I've tried or done all of those things before I interviewed the two of them and its tough. As you would expect, the gaming market is hard to get into because so many people want to do it.

To be truly successful, I think anyone interested in working in the video game industry (or any other industry for that matter) should follow the adage "its not what you know, its who you know". I'm not saying the gaming world is rife with nepotism (Wow! I think that's the biggest word I've ever used when writing about gaming) but making connections is so incredibly important. Its one of the ways you can make sure you stand out among a sea of qualified candidates. Of course knowing the right people and making connections takes time, especially if you don't live on the West Coast and in particular the San Francisco area. That's why events like E3 and Comic-Con are so important. Of course, now that E3 is going to be severely scaled down and limited to pretty much press-only types, its that much harder to get your foot in the door.

As for how I got my gaming gig, all I had to do was bug a couple of editors. I was originally working in the Sports department at the Gazette when I noticed that the video game reviews in the GO! section were being written by a writer from the Detroit Free Press (they were being taken of the wire). I liked his work but figured I could do just as well, so I contacted GO! editor Warren Epstein. I told him how much I loved gaming and that I would like to write the gaming column so I could give it a more local angle. He asked for some writing samples, liked what he saw, and that as they say is that.

My biggest hurdle so far has been getting gaming companies to send me games to review. Its a constant battle to contact them and bug them to send games. And this is with the companies who already have me on their mailing list. Some companies just tell me no (Rockstar) or ignore me (THQ) because the Gazette doesn't have a large enough circulation. But with most other companies (EA in particular) I have numerous contacts and they bend over backwards to get me titles.

How old should a child be before you introduce them to video games without risking issues with normal childhood development?

Now this is a tough question. I'm not a child psychologist so I'm not exactly sure what the textbook answer is (and if you ask Tipper Gore, I'm sure she'd say "Never!) so I'm going to give an answer based on my experience as a parent of a 12-year old who loves games. Because I played games so much as my son was growing up, he was naturally attracted to the sights and sounds of video games. So unless you plan on ditching your system, this is just something that is just going to happen. But how you handle it is important.

I think there are two important things parents need to be aware of. A great man once said "Everything in moderation". I think it was Pauley Shore. Anyway, its important to set time limits early on so kids know they can't play as long as they want. To me, this is even more important than what age they start playing games because it teaches kids to organize their time and stresses that gaming isn't everything. Which, of course, it is but we don't tell them that.

The other important thing is to be aware of what your kids are playing. It always ticks me off when parents complain about a games content. Usually its after they just bought their kid a game. Check out the box, find out what its about. Some games just aren't made for kids, just like some movies aren't. How a child can buy a $50-$60 game without their parent knowing about it is beyond me. How do they get to the store? Where does the money come from? The parent, that's who.

Obviously, kids shouldn't be exposed to certain things before a certain age. I wouldn't let my 6-year old daughter (who could care less about gaming) play Dead Rising. Its just not right. Even as kids get older, you still have to be aware of the content. I still don't let my 12-year old son play any GTA game, despite his protests that all of his friends have played it. I also monitor what he purchases on his own and I let him know if he can actually get a game that has yet to be released. Sometimes I shoot him down. He may not like it, but because I've been consistent, he gets over it quickly. I also feel that kids shouldn't have TV's in their own room but that is my personal opinion. How am I to know if my kid is watching or playing something that he shouldn't if he isn't where I can see him? In my house, we have one TV. This can be a real pain (especially during football season or when I need to play a game to review) but I think its best for my family. What's best for yours may be different.

Xbox Live Arcade: The Ratings

I want to encourage everyone to download "Texas Hold'em" on Xbox Live Arcade ASAP. You can get it for free through Thursday. Save yourself 800 Microsoft Points ($10), its a good game.

I love Xbox Live Marketplace. I said it when the 360 came out and I'll say it again - pure genius. There are downloads for just about everything but the best part of Marketplace is Xbox Live Arcade. For an old school gamer like me, getting a chance to play some of my favorite arcade games on my new system is like stepping back in time. Its great!

There are currently 27 games available on Arcade with new games coming out every Wednesday. While that's quite a few, lets be honest, there are a lot of duds. While waiting for my beloved Cyberball and Paperboy (add the Konami classic Sunset Riders to my Wish List as well) to come out, I decided to try on a few Arcade games on for size. With some I just played the demo, others I bought outright. And just so you know, I have a built-in bias towards some of these games. There are a few titles on Arcade that turn me back into that kid I was in the early 80's. You know - feathered hair, Def Lepard shirt, Members Only jacket. As I always warn people: I'm a child of the 80's and I make no excuses for it. If you're not sure about a game, play the trial version. Its always free.

Texas Hold'em - Obviously this game wasn't around when I was a kid but I could care less because its so much fun. The single-player is fine and a nice way to kill some time but the multi-player is where it really shines. Chatting with people online as cards are dealt almost makes you feel like you're really in a casino. I kept looking around for a waitress to bring me a drink. Then my wife told me to get off my butt and get one myself.
Grade: A-

Galaga - I love this game if only for sentimental reasons. This was one of the first arcade games I ever played (it came out in 1981 so I'm dating myself just a little). A bunch of my friends would play this after school for bragging rights. Its a very simple, straightforward game which is why its so much fun.
Grade: A

Frogger - When this game came out, I remember being incredibly disappointed that the box art looked so much better than the game itself. I'm still disappointed. The game was overrated when it came out and souped up graphics don't make it any better. After crossing the street a few times and getting splattered by a truck or drowning (which never made sense to me, I'm playing as a frog) the game gets old fast. Unless you're a diehard Frogger nut (and if you are, please tell me why) stay away from this game.
Grade: D

Cloning Clyde - This game is just flat out kooky and if you've read some of my reviews lately, you know I like kooky. Its like controlling a 3-D comic book character. Unlike most of these other Arcade games there is lots of character variety. The mult-player is pretty good as well.
Grade: B

Hexic HD - This game came free on my 360 and I'm glad it did. Its fun and really gives gamers an idea of what Arcade could offer when the console came out. Hexic is a lot like Tetris (which is no surprise as it was made by Tetris creator Alexey Pajitnov) and can be just as fun and challenging.
Grade: A (because its fun and free)

Street Fighter II - Very enjoyable game. I really like the Quarter Match feature that lets you continue if you get beat, just like in the arcade. I had a lot of fun kicking my son's butt in this game (I played as Chun Li and he had no chance). Single-player mode is fairly tough and multi-player is just brutal. Those guys know what their doing. If you're interesting in getting SF: Anthology, save $10 and get this instead.
Grade: B+

Joust - I just never got into this game. A flying ostrich with a knight holding a lance riding on him? I'll pass.
Grade: D

Gauntlet - Oooh yeah! No we're talking! Suddenly I'm back in my Dungeons and Dragons loving elementary school days. Hanging out with my buds and arguing over who has to be Valkyrie (the girl). The memorable announcer ("I've not seen such bravery" and "Wizard needs food badly") is back. Great game to play with a group of friends.
Grade: A

Geometry Wars - Whenever I play this game I feel like a little kid staring at a Fourth of July celebration - Oooh! Pretty colors! Fun game play, great graphics and sound but a little repetitive.
Grade: B+

Pac-Man - Is there a more well known arcade game than this one? I doubt it. The Xbox Live Arcade version looks pretty good and plays fine but the controls are a little stiff. Back in the day gamers would play with a stick that was much looser and Pac was a little more nimble. The newer version feels like the old fella has gained a few pounds. Which he probably has since Pac-Man was in every Pizza Hut I ever went into during the 1980's. Still, he is the king of arcade games and is worth $5.
Grade: B


Mailbag - Just a quick reminder that I'm accepting Mailbag entries (don't worry Reader John, you're safe so far) until this Friday at 6pm.

Quick Hits

A gamers dream (or nightmare) - I know what you really want, I have my finger on the pulse of local gamers'...necks. What you don't want is superior graphics, reasonably priced games or a next-gen console that will leave you bankrupt. No, what you want is to somehow, someway combine the world of reality TV with video games. The perfect marriage of mediums. Well now's your chance.

Activision has teamed up with Spike TV and Best Buy to give us the "Call of Duty 3 Challenge" (Ha! I said duty again!). The boot camp-style competition of survival and gaming will be telecast on Spike TV's Game Head (a pretty good gaming show by the way) on November 10th to coincide with the release of the COD3 video game.

Activision is hosting an online casting call at http://www.gamespot.com/contests/spiketvcod3/. They are looking for 16...uh,em recruits...with, and I quote, "personality (borderline crazy), perserverance (obsessive compulsive disorder) and gaming skills (way too much free time)" to compete for a prize package consisting of: VIP access to the Video Game Awards, a home entertainment system from Best Buy and a trip for 2 to Normandy, France (feel free to storm the beaches if you so choose, its alot safer now).

Finalists will be flown to an unknown location to be immortalized for eternity on film September 20-22. So if you're free those days, sign up. If any local guy makes it, please let me know so I can interview you.

And finally - The Mailbag is going great...for reader John. That's right, as of right now, reader John is our only Mailbag participant. What's going on? I thought gamers were competitive? Are you going to let John just walk away with a $20 gift card? Isn't there anyone out there worthy enough to challenge him? According to Site Meter there are 130-150 people a week who visit this blog, surely somebody can take John down! (Sorry John, I have to try and give you some competition.) If you have the stones, send your gaming/non-gaming comments or questions to terry.terrones@gazette.com. At least make the man work for it.

The Mole: A quick out of town update

Greetings from Chicago! I'm in the Windy City for a family event and finally found some free time to cruise the web when I realized I hadn't updated the blog since Wednesday...oops. The last few days have been filled with Cubs games, relatives and watching my beloved Red Sox get pounded by the Yankees so its been a mix of fun and lots of yelling at any TV I can find. Enough about me, here's the skinny on a few upcoming games.

Still anxiously awaiting Cyberball - Microsoft has announced its upcoming Xbox Live Arcade titles for the next few weeks with no robots playing football game in sight. Texas Hold'em comes out this Wednesday but is free for the first 48 hours of its release, then it sells for a whopping 800 points ($10). Personally, I feel all arcade games should be capped out at 400 points, no more. One of the nice things about Texas Hold ’em however is it offers multiplayer support for up to eight gamers, three modes of gameplay (Standard Games, Scenarios and Tournaments), Achievements, extensive online leaderboards and statistics. So it might be worth it.

Time Pilot (August 30), a Konami fighter pilot game and Scramble (September 6), a side-scrolling shooter also from Konami will cost 400 points.

Something for free? - Sierra announced late last week that FEAR Combat, the multiplayer component of the PC game FEAR is available for free. If you're interested, go to http://www.joinfear.com/ for a free download. Included are 10 multiplayer game modes, 22 maps and 12 different weapons.

FIFA Soundtrack full of bands I've never heard of - I would prefer my video games to have music I actually like instead of using me as a guinea pig for a bunch of no name bands with music I could care less about. Unfortunately most gaming publishers (except Rockstar) don't feel that way. I think they see it as trying to be forward thinking and bringing hip new music to the masses. Well prepare yourself with more of this stuff as EA has given an international feel to its new FIFA game. Here's a song list for FIFA 07, I've never heard of any of them but I guess that doesn't really mean anything because my favorite band is still the Beatles and their last album is over 30 years old.

Angélique Kidjo - Wele Wele - Benin Belasco - Chloroform - UK Bersuit Vergarabat - O Vas a Misa… - Argentina Bitman & Roban - Get On The Floor - Chile Blasted Mechanism - Blasted Empire - Portugal Boy Kill Boy - Civil Sin - UK caBas - La Cadena de Oro - Colombia Carlos Jean - Get Down - Spain d.o.c.h.! - Was in der Zertung Steht - Germany Elefant - Uh-oh Hello - USA Epik High - Fly - Korea Fertig, los! - Sie ist in mich verliebt - Germany Infadels - Can’t Get Enough (Mekon Remix) - UK Keane - Nothing In My Way - UK Malibu Stacy - Los Angeles - Belgium Mellowdrone - Oh My - USA Mobile - New York Minute - Canada Morning Runner - Gone Up In Flames - UK Muse - Supermassive Black Hole - UK Nightmare Of You - Dear Scene, I Wish I Were Deaf - USA Outlandish - Kom Igen - Denmark Paul Oakenfold - Beatiful Goal - UK Persephone's Bees - Muzika Dlya Fil'ma - USA/Russia Plastilina Mosh - Peligroso Pop - Mexico Polysics - Tei! Tei! Tei! - Japan The Prototypes - Kaleidoscope - UK Ralph Myerz and The Jack Herren Band - Deepest Red - Norway Seu Jorge - Tive Razão - Brazil Shiny Toy Guns - You Are The One - USA Stijn - Gasoline & Matches - Belgium Suferosa - Royal Uniform - Norway Tahiti 80 - Big Day - France The Feeling - Sewn - UK The Pinker Tones - TMCr Grand Finale - Spain The Sheer - Understand - Holland The Young Punx - You've Got To… - UK Tigarah - Girl Fight - Japan Trash Inc. - Punk Rock Chick - Lebanon Us3 - Kick This - UK Young Love - Discotech - USA

Madden Update - My review of Madden 07 comes out this Friday (the game comes out Tuesday) and I wanted to make one thing very clear before anyone goes out and buys it - the PS2 and Xbox versions are better than the 360 version. Because of limited space, I don't really get to get across all of the points I'd like to in a review, if I did they'd be 3 times as long. Because I wanted to focus on the features and not the differences in the console versions, I don't really get a chance to tell you why the PS2/Xbox versions are better but here are 3 reasons why - the create a player mode, the Hall of Fame mode and the audible system are not the same on the 360 as they are on the PS2 and Xbox.

In the PS2/Xbox version you can make a created player with skills as high as you want. In the 360 version, you have to do these mini-games (which are pretty tough) to earn skill points for your player. I ended up with a guy with a 30-something overall rating. Not good. In the 360 version of Hall of Fame mode, you only play as your player, you don't play defense or control anyone else. You also have to throw the ball (if you're created player is a QB) from almost field level, making seeing recievers very hard. In the PS2/Xbox version you play just like its a real game. In my review I rave about the audible system, which I think is fantastic. Unfortunately, the audible/hot route system in the 360 is essentially the same as last year.

Now some gamers may like these differences but I didn't. I was very disappointed to see the cool new audible system not in the 360 version. I was surprised by the difference in the Hall of Fame scheme but the jury is still out on whether its a good or bad thing. I need to play with it a little more. But where I'm most disappointed is in the create-a-player mode. It brought back memories of Madden 96 when you had to do the same thing. I get the gimmick of doing mini-games to rate your player but they should be optional. If I spend money to buy the game, I should be able to rate myself however the heck I want. I worked to buy the game, I shouldn't have to work to rate myself.

Don't get me wrong, both versions of this game are really good. I enjoy them both. But the PS2 version was my favorite.

Sneek Peek: Madden '07

The King of Video Games is back! Thank goodness. After the disappointment that was NCAA 07, I'm glad the rotund Hall of Famer is around to feed my football jones.

I received the final PS2 version last week and the Xbox 360 version late this afternoon but I haven't had a chance to look at it yet (and won't for a few days) so this is all based on the Sony version. As with Test Drive Unlimited, I just can't give too much of the game away. Especially because I'll probably finish the review in time for it to be in next Friday's paper. To make it easy (for me, not you) here are the high and low points:

High Points - the new blocking feature (surprisingly cool), slightly better graphics, audible menu has been revamped, new kicking mechanic

Low Points - the in-game music still sucks (Can't they afford to get some big names? Would kill them to put some AC/DC or Outkast or something that gets you pumped up for games), the same lame lines from Madden( someone at EA needs to give the dude a new script), mini-games are few and dull

So is the game worth buying? What do you think? Its Madden for crying out loud, its a requirement, you don't really have an option. There is no better football game available for gamers. This version is pretty good and I was truly surprised by how much fun the new blocking feature is. I'm not quite sure where I'll grade it but it'll probably be pretty high. After all, its Madden and its pro football. What's not to like?

Sneak Peek: Test Driver Unlimited

What kind of gaming guy would I be if I had some inside info and didn't share it? Since I recently received a couple of games before their release date, I had some time to try them out and see if they'll be worth buying.

Today I'll cover a Beta test Atari's "Test Drive Unlimited". On Wednesday I'll discuss a final PS2 version "Madden '07".

Test Drive Unlimited - I received the Beta from Atari almost 2 weeks ago but haven't had time to play it because my son was hogging my PS2 with "Guitar Hero". But once I finally got to it, I was totally impressed.

I don't usually get into racing games, I get tired of driving the same courses over and over. The great thing about "TDU" is that its much more open ended than a regular racer. You can just drive around (the game is set on the Hawaiian island of Oahu) and challenge drivers whenever you want. There are check points you have to reach but how you get there is totally up to you. When you reach a certain level in the game, you can even create your own challenges.

Without giving too much away (I will have to review this game eventually after all) the game looks good and the controls feel pretty smooth. The cars handle more arcadey than sim. "TDU" is more "Need for Speed" than "Gran Turismo", which is a good thing for a non-gearhead like myself.

The auto selection is pretty deep with at least 125 licensed vehicles to choose from (Mercedes, Shelby, Aston Martin, Saleen and Jaguar are just a few) and there are motorcycles as well. The huge island (more than 1,000 miles to drive) will keep you from seeing the same sites too frequently.

While its hard to make a recommendation from just a Beta test, I'd have to say the game looks pretty good so far. If the ambitious online mode truly comes through, this game will have a lot to offer even the most casual racing fan.

The Mole: Cheat codes? I don't have no stinkin' cheat codes.

Have I mentioned how its sucks that its almost impossible to get cheat codes for games anymore? In lieu of codes, here's are the Xbox 360 Achievement Points for Dead Rising and Madden '07. Yeah, I know its not the same but it'll have to do.

Dead Rising - All worth 20pts
1. Zombie Hunter - TYPE: 1 Play REQ: Defeat at least 1,000 zombies.
2. Zombie Killer - TYPE: 1 Play REQ: Defeat at least 10,000 zombies.
3. Zombie Genocider - TYPE: 1 Play REQ: Defeat at least 53,594 zombies.
4. Self Defense - TYPE: 1 Play REQ: Defeat at least 1 psychopath.
5. Peace Keeper - TYPE: 1 Play REQ: Defeat at least 5 psychopaths.
6. Punisher - TYPE: 1 Play REQ: Defeat at least 10 psychopaths.
7. Legendary Soldier - TYPE: 1 Play REQ: Kill 15 Zombies.
8. Hella Copter - TYPE: 1 Play REQ: ????
9. Tour Guide - TYPE: 1 Play REQ: Escort 8 survivors at once.
10. Frank the Pimp - TYPE: 1 Play REQ: Simultaneously escort 8 female survivors.
11. Full Set - TYPE: Total REQ: Collect all portraits in the NOTEBOOK.
12. Humanist - TYPE: 1 Play REQ: Get at least 10 survivors out of the mall.
13. Life Saver - TYPE: 1 Play REQ: Get at least 20 survivors out of the mall...
14. Saint - TYPE: 1 Play REQ: Get at least 50 survivors out of the mall.
15. Strike! - TYPE: 1 Play REQ: Send at least 10 zombies flying with bowling balls.
16. Costume Party - TYPE: 1 Play REQ: Place novelty masks on at least 10 zombies.
17. Raining Zombies - TYPE: 1 Play REQ: Knock at least 30 zombies aside with a parasol.
18. Gourmet - TYPE: 1 Play REQ: Eat all types of food available in the mall.
19. Item Smasher - TYPE: Total REQ: Break at least 100 items.
20. Bullet Point - TYPE: 1 Play REQ: Fire at least 1,000 bullets.
21. Perfect Gunner - TYPE: 1 Play REQ: Don't miss with a machine gun.
22. Photojournalist - TYPE: 1 Play REQ: Score at least 1,500 PP from a single photo.
23. The Artiste - TYPE: 1 Play REQ: Score at least 3,000 PP from a single photo.
24. Group Photo - TYPE: 1 Play REQ: Get 50 Target Markers with the camera.
25. Portraiture - TYPE: 1 Play REQ: Photograph at least 10 survivors.
26. Census Taker - TYPE: 1 Play REQ: Photograph at least 50 survivors.
27. Psycho Photo - TYPE: 1 Play REQ: Photograph at least 4 psychopaths.
28. Psycho Collector - TYPE: 1 Play REQ: Photograph at least 10 psychopaths.
29. PP Collector - TYPE: 1 Play REQ: Photograph all PP Stickers.
30. Snuff Shot B - TYPE: 1 Play REQ: ????
31. Snuff Shot J - TYPE: 1 Play REQ: ????
32. Transmissionary - TYPE: 1 Play REQ: Answer all calls from Otis.
33. Indoorsman - TYPE: 1 Play REQ: Spend at least 24 hours indoors.
34. Outdoorsman - TYPE: 1 Play REQ: Spend at least 24 hours outdoors.
35. Freefall - TYPE: 1 Play REQ: Drop from a height of at least 16 feet (5 meters).
36. Marathon Runner - TYPE: Total REQ: Cover a distance of 26.2 miles (42.195 km).
37. Carjacker - TYPE: 1 Play REQ: Steal the convicts' vehicle.
38. Stunt Driver - TYPE: 1 Play REQ: Jump a car at least 33 feet (10 meters).
39. Stunt Rider - TYPE: 1 Play REQ: Jump a motorcycle at least 33 feet (10 meters).
40. Zombie Road - TYPE: 1 Play REQ: Walk over 33 feet (10 meters) on the backs of zombies using the Zombie Ride.
41. Karate Champ - TYPE: 1 Play REQ: Defeat at least 1,000 zombies barehanded.
42. Sharp Dresser - TYPE: Total REQ: Change into at least 20 different costumes.
43. Clothes Horse - TYPE: Total REQ: Change into all costumes available in the mall.
44. Level Max - TYPE: Total REQ: Reach Lv. 50.
45. Unbreakable - TYPE: 1 Play REQ: Get the ture ending without being knocked out.
46. Overtime Mode - TYPE: 1 Play REQ: Unveil all CASES and be at the heliport at noon.
47. ∞ Mode - TYPE: 1 Play REQ: Get the true ending.
48. 3 Day Survivor - TYPE: 1 Play REQ: Survive for at least 72 hours.
49. 5 Day Survivor - TYPE: 1 Play REQ: Survive for at least 5 days.
50. 7 Day Survivor - TYPE: 1 Play REQ: Survive for at least 7 days.

Madden '07

1. Madden Gamer Level 2 - Successfully reach a Madden Gamer Level of 2. (10pts)
2. Madden Gamer Level 10 - Successfully reach a Madden Gamer Level of 10. (20pts)
3. Madden Gamer Level 20 - Successfully reach a Madden Gamer Level of 20. (40pts)
4. Madden Gamer Level 30 - Successfully reach a Madden Gamer Level of 30. (70pts)
5. Madden Gamer Level 40 - Successfully reach a Madden Gamer Level of 40. (85pts)
6. Madden Gamer Level 50 - Successfully reach a Madden Gamer Level of 50. (100pts)
7. Season Record - Receive TD - Set the season record for Receiving Touchdowns. (20pts)
8. Season Record - Receiving Yards - Set the season record for Receiving Yards. (20pts)
9. Season Record - Receptions - Set the season record for Receptions. (20pts)
10. Season Record - Rush Touchdowns - Set the season record for Rushing Touchdowns. (20pts)
11. Season Record - Rush Yards - Set the season record for Rushing Yards. (20pts)
12. Season Record - Pass Yards - Season record for Pass Yards. (20pts)
13. Season Record - Pass TD - Set the season record for Passing Touchdowns. (20pts)
14. Season Record - Sacks - Set the season record for Sacks. (20pts)
15. Season Record - INT's - Set the season record for Interceptions. (20pts)
16. Game Record - Interceptions - Set the single game record for Interceptions. (10pts)
17. Game Record - Sacks - Set the single game record for Sacks. (10pts)
18. Game Record - Pass Yards - Set the single game record for Passing Yards. (10pts)
19. Game Record - Pass Touchdowns - Set the single game record for Pass Touchdowns. (10pts)
20. Game Record - Rushing Yards - Set the single game record for Rushing Yards. (10pts)
21. Game Record - Rush TD's - Set the single game record for Rushing Touchdowns. (10pts)
22. Game Record - Receptions - Set the single game record for Receptions. (10pts)
23. Game Record - Receiving Yards - Set the single game record for Receiving Yards. (10pts)
24. Game Record - Receiving TD's - Set the single game record for Receiving Touchdowns. (10pts)
25. All-Madden Shut Out - Pitch a shut out on All-Madden difficulty. (10pts)
26. 30 Years of Franchise - Complete 30 years of Franchise mode. (100pts)
27. Perfect Season - Successfully complete a Perfect Season. (30pts)
28. Super Bowl Win - Win the Super Bowl. (30pts)
29. Import Draft Class - Successfully import a Draft Class. (10pts)
30. Mini-Games - Enter the Mini-Games mode. (5pts)
31. Create-A-Player - Succcessfully create a player. (5pts)
32. Live Opponent - Play a Live Opponent game. (5pts)
33. SS Season - 30 Pass TDs - SS Season - 30 Pass TDs. (10pts)
34. SS Season - 10 Receiving TDs - SS Season - 10 Receiving TDs. (10pts)
35. SS Season - 1400 Rush Yards - SS Season - 1400 Rush Yards. (10pts)
36. SS Season - 140 Tackles - SS Season - 140 Tackles. (10pts)
37. SS Season - 16 Sacks - SS Season - 16 Sacks. (10pts)
38. SS Season - 7 Force Fumb - SS Season - 7 Force Fumb. (10pts)
39. SS Season - 7 INTs - SS Season - 7 INTs. (10pts)
40. SS Career - 200 Pass TD's - SS Career - 200 Pass TD's. (20pts)
41. SS Career - 60 Receiving TDs - SS Career - 60 Receiving TDs. (20pts)
42. SS Career - 10000 Rush Yards - SS Career - 10000 Rush Yards. (20pts)
43. SS Career - 500 Tackles - SS Career - 500 Tackles. (20pts)
44. SS Career - 100 Sacks - SS Career - 100 Sacks. (20pts)
45. SS Career - 20 Forced Fumbles - SS Career - 20 Forced Fumbles. (20pts)
46. SS Career - 25 Interceptions - SS Career - 25 Interceptions. (20pts)

EA not pleased with Sony - EA Executive VP David Gardner is not happy with how Sony is handling the PSP. In an interview with UK Trade Magazine MCV, Gardner said Sony needs to be more aggressive with pricing and performance in order to compete with the DS.

“There’s no doubt that EA has historically bet more on PSP. I think we were excited by the technology, but the consumers have proven that actually what they want is fun. We must never forget that what we need to focus on is fun and so EA is putting more effort behind DS games – and creative ones that really take advantage of the hardware.”

It looks like gaming giant EA is putting the screws to Sony. This should benefit gamers in the long run.

Say what? - 2K Sports announced late last week that hip hop act A Tribe Called Quest will headline the first leg of its Second Annual 2K Sports Tour, which takes place in 15 cities. If Tribe is the headliner, who's the opening act? Arrested Development? What is this 1991? Don't get me wrong, I love 2k. Great company. I also appreciate the fact that a gaming company is doing something that puts gaming in the mainstream by doing this kind of tour but for crying out loud, couldn't they have gotten somebody just a little more current? I'd even take an MC Hammer, Vanilla Ice, Milli Vinilli tour over this. In fact, seeing those 3 on the same stage would be an improvment over most concerts offered nowadays. You could call it Onehitwonderpalooza or I love the 90's! Check http://2ksports.com/go/bounce/ if you have way to much time on your hands.

Mailbag - Still accepting mailbag entries until August 25th. Send in your questions/comments on gaming (or anything else for that matter) to terry.terrones@gazette.com for your chance to earn a $20 gift card.