Video Games Trade-In

Last week, I went to the local used game store to unload some old games I wasn't likely to play again. Long story short, I ended up keeping my games, because they didn't have anything I was interested in.

Lucky for me (and you too if you have any old games you're looking to trade in) Amazon has just beta launched Amazon Video Games Trade-In - a new service that allows the trade in of used games for an Amazon Gift Card.

The video game trade-in process is easy. Go to Amazon Video Games Trade-In and find the games you want to trade in among the 1,500+ titles. Once you find your game, print off a pre-paid label (no cost to you), drop it in the mail, and you're done. Since games are received and checked by the dealer, an Amazon Gift Card will be deposited into your Amazon account. You can use your Amazon Gift Card for the purchase of millions of eligible items at Amazon.

As a bonus to try Amazon's new trade in program for the first two weeks of the beta, they are offering 10% discount on future purchase of any game or accessory in Amazon's video games store.

PlayNC 60 Day Game Time Card

I was going to write a post about the latest update to City of Heroes when I stumbled across this little item. It's a pre-paid card for 60 days of game time for these great games from PlayNC.

City of Heroes is a new kind of massive online multiplayer game. If you always wanted to defend your city from evildoers as a mighty hero, now is your chance. Choose your power, join a team and go to tremendous online role-playing action. You also have to watch your Fame meters - the largest is its reputation, more prizes and awards you receive. Team up with other players online, to form new superhero groups and take down the criminals more effectively.

City of Villains is the standalone sequel to critically acclaimed MMORPG City of Heroes. Using an amazing variety of new skills, abilities and customization options, players can now experience sinister game of the other side of the mask. With diabolical craft and guile, players forge new super-powered villain characters in an attempt to dominate the world. Heroes and authorities of Paragon City will do everything in their power to thwart these evil plans of destruction. It will take a supreme effort for true domination.

Lineage is a medieval setting of fantasy. The hero, a member of the real line, the heads of their homeland - the Kingdom of Aden - with your tutor knights, determined to avenge the death of his father and regain his kingdom. The game is based on the comic scene Lineage by Shin Il-sook, but the story has been expanded over the years, focusing first on the development of the promises given to the prince or princess of their choice, and now the rebellion that King is planning a suitor with dark elves. The game is full of detail and great care is taken to leave the game in the medieval feel intact.

Lineage II: The Chaotic Throne is an immersive and dramatic fantasy world known for its unique political and economic systems. Engage in regular castle sieges, exciting monster encounters, and epic clan vs. clan warfare. You'll need tenacity, cunning and strategy to survive! Lineage II offers the world's elite MMO players a hardcore Player vs. Player experience.

Lineage The Blood Pledge is an Epic Sci-Fi RPG. Explore lush forest planets, volcanic moons and exotic alien civilizations. Face off against powerful xenophobe soldiers, armored and mechaoids vicious predators. Use a wide range of weapons and unique magical alien powers to help the Allied Free Sentients (AFS) in his desperate fight against extinction. Tabula Rasa combines a vast, persistent game world & ongoing storyline w / a fast-paced action, resulting in a surprising new approach to the design of multi-player online games. Richard Garriott presents and epic sci-fi RPG - Tabula Rasa Tabula Rasa combines a vast, persistent game world with the ongoing storyline and fast paced action, resulting in several games for the fast paced battle! Face off against powerful xenophobe soldiers, armored mechanoids, and vicious Use Mystical "Logos" language and powers to seize power of the cosmos for healing and attack in both PVP and PVE play styles.

Dungeon Runners
- Something moves in the dark. An odor wafts above the earth hot dank depths. Nails scratch against limestone, dripping water echoes off cavern walls, ancient chains rattle in stagnant air?. What is the mysterious depths below? Dungeon Runners is an online role-playing game. As a brave hero, you'll explore dangerous dungeons, battle ferocious monsters and discover incredible weapons, artifacts and loot. Choose to play as Fighter, Mage or Ranger in a realm of terror, magic and adventure. Unlock powerful new skills as you gain experience in their journey into the unknown. Whether fighting evil hordes as a lone warrior or group with online friends to carve a path of destruction through your foe, Dungeon Runners will kill your deepest dungeon-crawling thirst. Dungeon Runners is continually expanding to include new maps, new monsters, new powers and new features.

CoH and CoV can be played under the same account, but if you play (or want to) any of these other games, then you really can't beat this deal for under $30.

101 DS games in 1

101 games in 1 cartridge ... Less than 20 cents each! 101-In-1 Explosive Megamix is the perfect game to take the road because the players can play a game whenever they have free time. Moreover, 101-in-1 Explosive Megamix takes full advantage of the unique capabilities of Nintendo DS, allowing you to easily use the dual screen using the intuitive touch screen controls. In addition, players can challenge a friend in multiplayer competition via multi-card local wireless play, 101-in-1 Explosive Megamix on Nintendo DS offers endless entertainment and excitement! Follow the link for a sample video of some of the 101 games that come on this single cartridge for under $20.

I played this game often, and I really like. I really like how you collect the gold by setting high scores that you can use to buy or unlock new games. The selection of games you start with at the very beginning is good, about 10 in total. After playing each once, I was able to use my points to unlock new games. However, the more you spend the greater is the cost of each game.

The difficulty of each game varies, some games I was able to complete the first attempt, since a minimum score of each game is needed for it to be classified as cleared. However, if you delete a game, you can always go back and play and win coins for the results you get. Also, if you can not get the score needed to clear the game, you still have pieces to the score you have achieved. Moreover, some games I tried several times and have not yet achieved the score.

I have played so far about 25 games, and for them everything I had to use the stylus, then I am assuming it is a mostly stylus based game. For each of the games I played, there are instructions before playing, which is very useful. The instructions were nice, clear and obvious.

The graphics of the game is very well established. Furthermore, the game offers 6 languages: German, Spanish, Italian, French and Dutch. If you like short games, you are probably going to love this as each game is about 2 minutes. Fun for both kids and adults.

Nintendo Wii Bargain Deals

The Nintendo Wii is just over 2 years old, and now there are some truly remarkable deals for this amazing gaming console. If you're a gamer and don't have this game console yet, I suggest getting it now at a reduced price.

Nintendo's Wii video game system (pronounced "we") brings people of all ages and video game experience of playing together. This simple yet ground breaking is expressed not only the system, although the name suggests, which is easily pronounced in a variety of languages, and suggests two players side by side, but also through its innovative list of features and extensive list of playable titles.

A small box with plenty of power
As with all consoles, much of the buzz surrounds the specs. The Wii has 512 MB of internal flash memory, two USB 2.0 ports and a slot for SD memory expansion. The system's technological heart - a processing chip developed with IBM and code-named "Broadway" and a graphics chipset from ATI code-named "Hollywood" - deliver stunning performance. And instead of a tray, Wii USA a single, self-loading media bay that plays both 12 cm optical discs used for the new system, as well as Nintendo GameCube discs.

Revolutionary Control
No bigger than a small traditional remote control, the wireless Wii Remote is a truly multi functional device. The magic of the Wii Remote's design lies within; acellerometers inside the controller measure movement in all directions and at all speeds. In a tennis game, it serves as your racket as you swing away. In driving games it serves as a steering wheel, allowing you to swerve to avoid obstacles or pickup power-ups. In first-person shooters, it acts as a firearm that you can point directly at an enemy on the screen. The controller also has a force feedback "Rumble" feature and an expansion port for use with accessories, such as the Nunchuck, which adds an analog thumbstick and trigger buttons. The system allows up to four controllers to be connected to a time and utilizes standard Bluetooth wireless technology. For those who prefer the feel of a traditional controller an adapter is available that fits over the Wii's remote.

A channel for all
More than just a game machine, Wii also provides information and entertainment suitable for every family member. Some of the channels available include:

• Mii Channel - Miis are cute little caricatures you create to use as characters in a variety of Wii software. Store Miis on your Wii or load them to your Wii Remote and take them to a friend's house to use on their Wii.
• Everybody Votes Channel - The Everybody Votes Channel is packed with national and global research. Answer interesting questions and give their views. Up to six members of your family can vote. Just choose an answer and check in later to see the results.
• News Channel - Wii might be great for games, but you can also use it to get updates on the latest news from across the Internet organized into easy to navigate categories.
• Forecast Channel - Your Wii can automatically update you on the weather around the world.
• Wii Shop Channel - Download the Opera web browser and access games from classic consoles from the past. All you need is a Wii Points account.
• Virtual Console - Every Virtual Console game you download from the Wii Shop Channel appears in the Wii Menu as a separate Channel ready to select and play any time you like.
• Wii Message Board - Leave or receive messages from other family members on the calendar-based message board or use WiiConnect24 to send messages to people outside your home.
• Internet Channel - Just download the Opera browser for 500 Wii Points and within minutes you'll be a professional sofa surfer, pointing-and-click their way across the web with the Wii Remote.
• Photo Channel - Show off all your digital photos on your TV. Simply insert an SD memory card to your Wii and away you go.
• Disc Channel - The Disc Channel is backwards compatible with Nintendo GameCube, so you can play all your new Wii discs, along with all the classic Nintendo GameCube discs too!

Wii Sports is Included
This is what video games should be: fun for all. Wii Sports offers five distinct sports experiences, each using the Wii Remote controller to provide a natural, intuitive and realistic feel. To play a Wii Sports game, all you need do is pick up a controller and get ready for the step, or that are right hook. If you've played any of these sports before, you're ready for fun!

The depth of the Nintendo Game Catalog
Each Wii comes with a game compilation called "Wii Sports," including tennis, golf, baseball and bowling games, showing that the console's intuitive new controller, but Wii also plays games developed specifically for it, as well as fan-favorite games Nintendo's 20-year-old library. Its drive is compatible with GameCube discs, and select Nintendo titles from the NES original 1980's all the way through the Nintendo 64 are available for download through the "Virtual Console" for $ 5 and $ 10 respectively. To support this backwards compatibility the Wii includes four ports for classic Nintendo GameCube controllers and two slots for Nintendo GameCube Memory Cards. As if that were not enough, the Virtual Console will also make available some titles from SNES console contemporaries, Sega Genesis and TurboGrafx 16.

Also, Wii utilizes Nintendo's newly announced wireless feature, WiiConnect24. This feature allows players to receive content globally as Wii Message Board messages sent from other Wii consoles, Miis, e-mails, updated channel and game content, and notification of software updates even when the console is in a state of vigil, keeping the fun going even when you're not online.

What's in the Box:

• Wii Game Console
• One (1) with the Wii Remote Controller Wii Remote Jacket
• One (1) Nunchuk controller
• Wii Sports
• Sensor Bar
• The power cord
• Standard composite cable
• Stand

* Access to some channels may require your Wii should be set up with WiiConnect24.

Okay, it has been a good while, so pretty much everyone has come to grips with the fact that Star Wars: The Force Unleashed didn't even come close to what was expected of it. So, now that your wounds are well on their way to healing, you are asked to take another leap of faith, although this one may not be near as hard as you might think since we are talking the BioWare/LucasArts joint venture, Star Wars: The Old Republic.

The first journey into the world of PC-based MMOs, TOR is set thousands of years before the birth of Anakin Skywalker and about 300-years after the events of the BioWare classic Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. During this period neither the Galactic Republic, guarded by the Jedi, or the resurgent Sith Empire have gained the upper hand. Players can choose to play as a representative of either side of the force, or as any number of other species/classes from the Star Wars universe. There are loads of details that have yet to be released about this title: price to play, release date, Mac support, total character classes, etc., etc. For now though all that is really know is that it will be on the PC and introduce a heavy story component to the MMO standard pillars of: Exploration, Combat and Progression. With all the movies, books and previous games how could it not. To keep up on breaking info on TOR feel free to join the games online community.

So far it sounds, and judging by the video below, looks fantastic. And uh-oh, another must-play MMO. Look out underclassmen. Just when you think you are out, they pull you back in!

--Hobson's Choice

More gaming articles, reviews, and deals at the GAMING CORNER.

So, it was just after last New Years and I'm sitting in a room with some of the guys from Rockstar NYC. They had just finished limping through a demo of the radio station functionality in GTA IV and I ask them about Midnight Club Los Angeles, mostly why its release was being pushed. I pretty much heard "bla, bla, bla...but it's gonna be so much bigger and better than Burnout Paradase. It's gonna have real parts of LA in it..." Yup, Burnout Paradise had just released and understandably everyone was pretty high on it.

Months later as MCLA is about ready to roll out some South Central specific DLC maps for both the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions, I gotta say I think they were right, at least in the reality department. Being from LA myself, it is pretty cool that they were keen on inserting some of iconic LA kitsch scenery into the game. The only thing better would be the hotdog stand, downtown by the courthouses that gives out legal advice. Following suit, I think it is/was shaped like a hotdog as well, but that could just be the remnants of the subpoena talking. Anyway, joints like these that have been around since the 50s or earlier, and it looks like the image below may be of the Randy's Doughnuts in Inglewood or is it Compton? Regardless, well done Rockstar on making an old Angeleno transplant happy.

Aside from my own personal jollies, I think that what Rockstar has done here could be a good business move that should be applied to other games as doable. Video games get stale awful quick, so by
monetizing DLC that can feasibly be generated to cover several metro areas where the game will probably sell well, publishers and developers can
keep the register working long after it might otherwise be time to
close up shop or have a fire sale. In the case of Midnight Club Los Angeles, that
time looks to be a good ways off yet. Beyond actual LA environs the DLC will contain
new character competitions, races, cars and more. As far as I know, no exact date beyond early '09 has been set for its release and pricing has not been noted either. You can read more about this DLC and hopefully others at the Rockstar's Midnight Club Los Angeles page. One question for Rockstar though. Where is the DLC love for East LA? Come on, just take the 10 east to the 60. You can't miss it.

--Hobson's Choice

More gaming articles, reviews, and deals at the GAMING CORNER.

Okay first things first. The connection to video games here is tenuous at best, and technically we are talking more of a 'musical happening,' rather than a Broadway song & dance extravaganza, but that's just nitpicking now isn't it. According to a story on the BBC's site, next year London's O2 arena will play host to the debut of Star Wars: A Musical Journey. A joint project by LucasFilm and composer John Williams, Star Wars: A Musical Journey is a live take on the 2005 DVD of the same name. In it the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra will play a live score as excerpts from the six films are shown on a mega screen.
Tying the visual parts and pieces together will be a series of live narrators, and uhm, maybe a few lightsaber duels and Force blasts as well? Mmmmm, difficult to see.

In the digital age where electronic and thin are in, this sort of larger than life, acoustic affair isn't necessarily up everyone's alley, and frankly that's a shame. This program reminds me of two things, the glory days of the modern blockbuster, during which the original Star Wars movies, along with other musically impressive 70's titans like Rocky and Jaws were king, and marching band. Yup, there was a time when high school music directors, anxious to own halftime and field competitions, couldn't lay off trying their hands, and those of their students at replicating, in musical sense, the events of that galaxy, far, far away. That time has apparently come again, only this time around I'm quite certain that a better-trained padawan than myself will be on spit valve duty.

The show starts in early April '09 in London and will almost certainly tour as well. Will this Journey make it to the farthest reaches of the outer rim that you call home? Patience. Time will tell. All I know is that my Mother-in-law has symphony tickets and I'm feeling pretty good about my chances.

--Hobson's Choice

More gaming articles, reviews, and deals at the GAMING CORNER.

I admit that I'm not normally in favor of an even playing field when it comes to positioning myself for freebies, but in the case of the 7,000 free downloadable game codes that Spike TV is giving away this weekend, I'll make an exception since the odds seem more or less pretty good.

The occasion is the 2008 Video Game Awards. I've no idea when the awards are, but I do know that Spike TV will be giving away 7,000 free download codes that most console and PC gamers will probably have some interest in. The games are Braid (XBLA), PixelJunk Eden (PSN), World of Goo (WiiWare) or AudioSurf (Steam). Of course you will need the appropriate console/PC and connectivity to the Web to take advantage of the game if you are chosen. And you must provide an email address so Spike can spam you with all sorts of Viacom related chafe until the second coming, but there is a minimal opt-out option and of course the old delete key. Entry to the giveaway is open until tomorrow, Sunday December 14th at 9pm EST, and just so you know, these freebies have nothing to do with Amazon.com. Good luck, but keep your hands off my game code.

--Hobson's Choice

More gaming articles, reviews, and deals at the GAMING CORNER.

I can't say that I watched Spike TV's Video Game Award show this weekend or that there was was really much of a reason to do so. Oh, actually, there were all the trailers that they played for the first time. Then again, you can see all those here as well, not in as good a quality, but you can still see them. There are six of them. Check them out.

Watchmen: The End is Nigh
Most, but not necessarily all fans will be cheering this prequel to the events of the famous graphic novel. There is of course also an upcoming movie, but an article in this month's EGM seems to make it clear that game developer, Deadline Games, is making a huge effort to make the game stand out as an entirely different event from both the comics and the movie. The fact that in the game we'll be seeing Watchmen characters in their youth, versus the past-their-prime portrayl in the comic, is a good sign of this if just for the play value. The game will be download only and serialized, with the first episode releasing on PlayStation 3 on PSN, Xbox 360 on XBL and for PC on Steam in March '09, at the same time as the movie.

God of War III
Sony's Olympian rage-fest continues and it will almost certainly be the last go round if you can take Kratos at his own word (watch the video). Also, although the box art for this game remains in flux, one aspect of this has remained the omega symbol. The last symbol in the Greek alphabet, that is a tip off you can't miss. Like all other GoW games, this will a be a PlayStation exclusive and may be timed to coincide with the rumored God of War Movie, although that will probably not be out until 2010 and so seems pretty far away.


GTA IV: The Lost and the Damned (Downloabable Content)
Yes, the first of two episodes of Grand Theft Auto IV's DLC will be here soon, at least for Xbox 360 players. It will be available for now exclusively through Xbox LIVE and be available on February 17th if all goes well. It will feature a new main character, plot, missions, vehicles, weapons, music etc... Here is more info direct from Rockstar Games.


Dante's Inferno
EA takes on the first part of the allegorical Medieval poem, The Divine Comedy. Its nine circles of hell and first-person perspective have video game written all over it. Hopefully it won't be screwed up though, since Alighieri's works is a world classic, the pillar of post-Roman Italian literature and only the first part of a three-part piece. So, with this much material to work with, I'm hoping for a non-Constantine affair. EA wouldn't want to lose out on follow-up Next-Gen hits like, Purgatory: Stuck in the Middle Again, or Paradise: You Can't Get There From Here. No idea when this is releasing in '09.


Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
Part 2 of the PS3's Uncharted franchise will look to have game hero Drake and players kissing the tropics goodbye for a trip to the snows of the northland. There are not too many no hard details are available yet, but there certainly will as we get closer to the title's Fall '09 release date.


Brutal Legend
Yup, Jack Black is getting a rock 'n roll inspired game. All in all I think I would have preferred Spinal Tap: the Game, but Brutal Legend is rumored to feature voice talent by Lemmy (Motorhead), Rob Halford (Judas Priest) and Ronnie Games Dio (all things Dio!), so it couldn't be all bad. It will publish on Xbox 360 and PS3 in fall '09.


--Hobson's Choice

More gaming articles, reviews, and deals at the GAMING CORNER.

Nintendo fanboys clamoring to cash in on their collection of DS and Wii hardware and games through Club Nintendo may have to wait a little while longer, or at least take a little time to figure out what they have bopping around in the old game box that qualifies.

The North American version of Club Nintendo launched yesterday and is designed to offer Nintendo-themed freebies to Wii and DS players who take the time to register their consoles and Nintendo-published games, indicate their interest in upcoming games and take surveys. In doing these things members earn 'coins,' which in turn are redeemed for rewards, aka freebies. Seems like a goldmine of Nintendo shwag for the faithful, but there have been some issues. Shortly after the site went up yesterday it came down again, probably due to traffic, which is understandable. It was noted in various places last night that it was back up. This is true. I went there myself and since I was already registered with Nintendo was able to migrate that info over easily to my Club Nintendo account. Unfortunately there is still a fairly severe loading time on many of the pages, a tendency for the system to log you out when changing pages and a problem with the functionality that lets you indicate your buying interest in titles. Also, for Nintendo fans with their own back catalog in 'the box' I mentioned, there is the limited number of past DS, Wii and Wii Shopping Channel games that can be registered for coins and the delay on seeing the points appear in their account. I'm sure the fanboys in the house can live with the list of nearly 90 titles on the list. This is actually not too bad, unless you have been very heavy in your old school virtual console purchases. Either way you may want to wait until the site is fully operational before doing any registering of games in order to maximize the number of coins you walk away with.

--Hobson's Choice

More gaming articles, reviews, and deals at the GAMING CORNER.

Most gamers with fond memories of the arcades, bowling alleys and convenience stores of their childhood, have probably heard of, and/or seen the King of Kong. What many might not know though is that KoK was not the only arcade related documentary that came out in 2007. There was also Chasing Ghosts: Beyond the Arcade.

Even though it got a fair send off via a screening at the 2007 Sundance film festival, it could be that the thinking was that there just wasn't enough room in 2008 for two old school upright arcade flicks, so not many people saw it. 2008 is almost over though and it looks like Chasing Ghosts is getting another shot, this time on Showtime throughout December. The film flashes back to the glory days of several top players and others from the heyday of the arcade craze in the US and Canada, juxtaposing this against their current lives. I haven't seen it myself but it is queued on the DVR. Check it out, if just to get another look at the king of cheese, Billy Mitchell.

--Hobson's Choice

More gaming articles, reviews, and deals at the GAMING CORNER.

By this time everyone who hasn't been living in a cave knows about the infamous boot tossing at President Bush by an Iraqi journalist the other day. However you feel about the President and how the country was run under his administration, one thing you have to say for Mr. Bush, he's got great reflexes

Totally unconnected to the specifics of the incident, what I find interesting in its fallout is the way web-based flash games continue to take over the satirical role that political cartoons once filled. (see the games of the '08 presidential elections post). Our country has a rich and scathing history of political satire in cartoon form in newspapers and magazines and anyone who noticed how fast the Bush's Boot Camp flash game, as well as others like Sock and Awe, Flying Babush and Can You Throw a Show at Bush popped up on the Web after the footwear was flung on Monday, should be able to acknowledge the potential for this in flash technology. The games are certainly is no works of art, but they were not designed to be awe inspiring. They were instead designed to capture the moment, and immortalize it from a particular point of view that people in this particular time can appreciate, or at least recognize. In a hundred years will anyone sitting where we are now really know why the United States was in Iraq, much less why in the last days of his administration the sitting president of the US was a target for a shoe two shoes? Terrorism, freedom, oil, post Cold War posturing, bad decision making, unacceptable collateral damage, all of these, none of these? Who knows. By that time seemingly mortal wounds will have healed and there will have been so many other crisises around the world that the actual history of our entire period will have been skewed to fit within a few paragraphs in a high school text book. What will remain though for those willing to look a little deeper will be a series of quaint bits of code that historians and/or game nerds of the day will explain were what the people of our time referred to as, 'flash games.' On figuring a way to duplicate our primitive input methods, nobody in these future days will understand why they were called flash games, since by then they will certainly seem the antithesis of that. They will be equally puzzled by this whole shoe tossing bit. But again, just like the satirical editorial comics of our own past, these snippets of code will offer a window into the past and individually conceived past moments that it consists of. Somehow I find it comforting to be reminded that for all the self-gratifying next-gen, core duo, bla-bidy-bla, that our little gaming habit tends to revolve around, that it is all just part of a media continuum that stretches forward and back further than we know.

Don't believe me on this whole continuum thing? Take a look at this image of a political cartoon from an 1861 issue of Vanity Fair. At first glance can you identify what pressing issues of the day and our own are being referenced? It seems nonsensical at first, but with a little digging, a fairly clear picture of what is being editorialized, and in what context, can be guessed at. Like I said, some day someone will be doing the same with these shoe flash games, so backup your files and game on! Hit this link and scroll down just a bit for some brief info on this political cartoon.

--Hobson's Choice

More gaming articles, reviews, and deals at the GAMING CORNER.

Honestly, it has been a good long while since I've played any StarCraft, but seeing as StarCraft II is on the horizon, I've been meaning to polish up my real-time strategy (RTS) chops in the hopes of not getting massacred on day one of its arrival at Battle.net. So, needless to say I wasn't terribly upset when the 2008 release date for the initial StarCraft II release was pushed (there will also be two expansions). It's just more time for me to get ready. Right now, I think that a reasonable expected release date is late February '09.

Also, and to the real point of this post, Blizzard today released the first of several StarCarft II Battle Reports. These video reports are designed to demonstrate both for players new to the RTS genre and StarCraft, as well as hardened veterans, what StarCraft II gameplay is all about. This first report features a match between Matt Cooper and David Kim, two of Blizzard's StarCraft II game balance designers. It is a little long, but gives some nice detail on battlefield tactics, units and strategy. Its pacing is a little fast, since that is the nature of the game, so those not overly familiar with the StarCraft universe should probably check out the StarCraft site to get a look at the game features, playable races, units, etc. Looks like this is going to be a good one, so stay tuned.

--Hobson's Choice

More gaming articles, reviews, and deals at the GAMING CORNER.

As dominant as the Wii has been since its launch, a consistent knock on the system, as well as a soapbox for some who have called it a fad, is that it doesn't feature video functionality. Of course this isn't necessary for the Wii to succeed as a gaming device. It has done that and more. But with the Xbox 360, and to a lesser extent the PS3, attracting non-gamers with their video on-demand options, Nintendo will be offering a streaming video option in 2009. This Nintendo specific service will apparently be separate from the anime downloads that will also be available to Wii owners in Japan via Fuji Soft's 'Everyone's Theater Wii service.'

The catch to the Nintendo specific video option is that like all things Nintendo, the service will launch first in Japan and no releases information has been made available for the rest of the world. No problem. It will get to the masses eventually and it looks like it will be a VERY stripped down version of what, for example Xbox 360 owners enjoy both via download on LIVE Marketplace and via streaming video through Netflix. Nintendo is partnering with Japanese ad firm Dentsu Inc. to develop the functionality, which will feature original Nintendo programming, possibly with advertising, priced anywhere from free to a few hundred points. So, that said we are almost certainly looking at an entirely gaming centric offering here, versus diversification into movies, TV and the like that is available on the other consoles. Sorry middle America, but you might want to put down those popcorn bowls because that sounds very different from video on-demand.

It could be that Everyone's Theater Wii Service could fill this niche to some extent, but if not, is Nintendo shooting itself in the foot by not taking the leap? Not at all. A quick peek at November '08 sales confirms that the Wii continues to dominate the console gaming roost, and will almost certainly continue to do so for some time to come. The PS3 seems to be lagging in sales as the new year closes in, leaving very manageable competition from Xbox 360. Even if this functionality ends up being little more than a new and improved version of the existing Nintendo Channel, Nintendo may be fine with that. They are a gaming company and figure that they are safe sticking with what works. It would seem that they are right.

--Hobson's Choice

More gaming articles, reviews, and deals at the GAMING CORNER.

I admit that I'm not normally in favor of an even playing field when it comes to positioning myself for freebies, but in the case of the 7,000 free downloadable game codes that Spike TV is giving away this weekend, I'll make an exception since the odds seem more or less pretty good.

The occasion is the 2008 Video Game Awards. I've no idea when the awards are, but I do know that Spike TV will be giving away 7,000 free download codes that most console and PC gamers will probably have some interest in. The games are Braid (XBLA), PixelJunk Eden (PSN), World of Goo (WiiWare) or AudioSurf (Steam). Of course you will need the appropriate console/PC and connectivity to the Web to take advantage of the game if you are chosen. And you must provide an email address so Spike can spam you with all sorts of Viacom related chafe until the second coming, but there is a minimal opt-out option and of course the old delete key. Entry to the giveaway is open until tomorrow, Sunday December 14th at 9pm EST, and just so you know, these freebies have nothing to do with Amazon.com. Good luck, but keep your hands off my game code.

--Hobson's Choice

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Most gamers with fond memories of the arcades, bowling alleys and convenience stores of their childhood, have probably heard of, and/or seen the King of Kong. What many might not know though is that KoK was not the only arcade related documentary that came out in 2007. There was also Chasing Ghosts: Beyond the Arcade.

Even though it got a fair send off via a screening at the 2007 Sundance film festival, it could be that the thinking was that there just wasn't enough room in 2008 for two old school upright arcade flicks, so not many people saw it. 2008 is almost over though and it looks like Chasing Ghosts is getting another shot, this time on Showtime throughout December. The film flashes back to the glory days of several top players and others from the heyday of the arcade craze in the US and Canada, juxtaposing this against their current lives. I haven't seen it myself but it is queued on the DVR. Check it out, if just to get another look at the king of cheese, Billy Mitchell.

--Hobson's Choice

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Truth be told, that headline should read Wrath of the Lich King Expansion Pack & World of Warcraft news. Anyway, as most people easily guessed, the Lich King expansion to the World of Warcraft has been huge. 2.8 million sold worldwide in the first 24 hours qualifies. I wonder how many were pre-orders? Also, within 24 hours came the first media frenzy around gaming addiction as a kid in Sweden collapsed after going on a 15-hour bender. He won't be the last I'm sure. Anyway, all are signs of success, especially that 2.8 million number, since the other 8 million+ paying subscribers who are currently playing will want their copies sooner or later. So, on to the Blizzard PR machine. They've done well in the past with their video campaign (remember Mr. T, the Simpsonesque Stephen Hawking, Shatner...) and so they've ramped that up again, this time apparently targeting the less geeky among us with one from Ozzy and one from the not so little any more Stevie Van Zandt.

And what could be next for WoW? Apparently Blizzard recently opened up servers in Russia and Latin America, so I think what will be next will be more subscribers in the near future. According to Blizzard CEO Mike Morhaime, there will be another expansion in about a year and subscription costs will remain as is. Also, it would seem that a WoW movie is becoming more and more likely. Legendary Pictures, is looking for scripts and directorial talent as we speak. I keep threatening to make millions out of nowhere. I had better get on this one before someone beats me to it. Then again something tells me that the WoW party train will be chugging along for sometime and churning out expansion after expansion. So, maybe I'll wait until they need an After School Special written, or better yet, Diablo: The Musical. Yeah, I'll get right on those.

--Hobson's Choice

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The world is full of people who take themselves way too seriously, and guess what, that includes not only Rock n' Rollers trying to extend a "good gig," but apparently also some journalists looking to do the same.
 
Here's the backstory. It's pretty minor stuff so feel free to roll your eyes when the urge hits you, but it's a slow news day so here it goes. So, last Monday, power balladeers Nickelback gave an interview to MTV News where in frontman Chad Kroeger made what could be read as a disparaging remark related to playing Guitar Hero. The bulk of the interview was about what went into the making of the band's new album, Dark Horse. Anyway, with regard to the comment, in true 'if it bleeds it leads' form the MTV article put it right up front. Here it is followed by an additional quote:

'"Chad Kroeger wants you to stop playing Guitar Hero." Later going on to quote Kroeger as saying, "I feel like there's not enough rock bands out there, especially
when we go on the road,"..."It's tough to find other bands out there, because either they're
making a record, or they just got done touring. So kids: Start rock
bands. Set down the Guitar Hero, learn how to play an actual guitar
and start a band, because it's hard to find more bands to put a solid
rock-and-roll package together, to get out there. It's getting harder
and harder, but I think we've done it."'

This reads to me as Kroeger thinking that if more people played actual music versus music simulation games that there would be more bands, or perhaps more opening bands for Nickelback to choose from. As someone who has made a fool of himself once or twice on stage over the years and spent his share of time with Guitar Hero and Rock Band games, I'd say he's probably right. Sure it's ironic and funny so see the frontman for a band that is not exactly the hardest rocking unit out there put himself in the position to wag his finger at the "kids," but it's at least as equally funny to me that some in the game press, and perhaps some gamers, chose to take offense at this. If you love playing music for real, keep on keepin' on. If you love playing sim games keep on doing that. If you love music and can run Guitar Hero and/or Rock Band at expert, then let's hook up. I've got a notebook full of songs that will drive the kids wild, and you can use whatever guitar you want.

--Hobson's Choice

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I can't imagine that anyone really thought otherwise, but it came out the other day that although the initial basically bland accessories for NXE avatars, not to mention the avatars themselves, will remain free, anything beyond that will cost. Sounds fair to me. After all, if you are on NXE to mess around with your avatar all day, then well maybe you had best stick with The Sims, or, "gulp," PlayStation Home if it ever launches. On the other hand, beyond NXE's girl next door sexy avatars and the unisex hair and makeup options for all avatars, I can see how most players, especially guys, will have to change up their look eventually or go insane. Given the choice I'll pick the female character every time and so save myself a few bucks, but what about the fellas who are compelled to represent for their gender? I mean come on, look at the poser gamer option above. Can you say "casual Friday, middle-aged geek chic, white bread?" I say let the Marcus Fenix, Zangief or Blanka?, Prince of Persia, Joker and Halo Wars face fest begin. For the cost of a few hundred MS points I guarantee that it will be a welcomed relief at some point for us all.

--Hobson's Choice

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The ramp up to Capcom's Street Fighter IV continues with the upcoming release of the digital title Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix on PSN and Xbox LIVE. A remake/remix of Super Street Fighter II Turbo with better graphics, this 2D fighter has must-have written all over it as far as I'm concerned, especially if it comes in around the -8 range online. It should have the usual multiplayer, leaderboards, tournaments and trash talking that you've come to expect online. Hopefully it will also have a tutorial level because I've seen some super hard combo videos that would be awesome to take into competition. I believe that the game is slated to hit PSN on Nov. 25 and XBLA on Nov. 26. If so, Chun Li, Cammy and I are definitely going to be spending some serious time together this Thanksgiving weekend.

Check out the video below, as well as 'Round 1.' 

--Hobson's Choice

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Being a product of the US punk scene of the 80s and very early 90s, hearing that next week's Rock Band DLC will be something of a punk extravaganza, featuring song packs by the likes of The Dead Kennedys, Mission to Burma and others leaves me a little torn and sounding kind of like a grumpy old man.

On one hand, more power to three chord rockers from any genre, who are able to make a few bucks decades after the fact. If he/she happened to be part of the post-Ramones, pre-Nirvana and Green Day US punk scene, back in the day there was almost certainly never an inkling that there would ever be any money that came of it, just hopefully fun. All I can say is I hope that all parties involved with this DLC held on to the rights to their songs instead of signing them away to pay for some piddly debt to a crappy label. I'm pretty sure that the Dead Kennedy's have, although not necessarily happily. So, what's the other side of this?

We are talking f'ing punk rock here; slam dancing, stage-diving, Maximum Rock n' Roll listening, seven bands for a cover and screw you guys because tonight I got beer AND burrito money, punk rock. Yup, ridiculously self-righteous, and I was never even much of a DKs fan; in that era I always leaned more towards the bands of LA's SST label, and those that filled my local scene. So, will Rock Band players get any of punk rock's no rules/make it up as you go along/all punks don't have to sport a mohawk, ethics by way of osmosis? Probably not and certainly not if they take the time to customize their band to look like stereotypical punks. But in the end I guess that's okay, especially if it sparks any interest at all in seminal bands like Minutemen, Hüsker Dü, Minor Threat, Descendents, Black Flag, Meat Puppets and others that will always have a place in my memories of those un-comoditized times and on one of my playlists. Remember that grumpy old man reference earlier? There you have it.

Check out next week's DLC below (11/18 on LIVE/11/20 on PSN). No, really, I want you to.

Dead Kennedys 3 Pack - 440 Microsoft Points (.50)

• "California Uber Alles" - 160 Points ()
• "Holiday In Cambodia" - 160 Points ()
• "Police Truck" - 160 Points ()

Mission Of Burma 3 Pack - 440 Microsoft Points (.50)

• "Mica" - 160 Points ()
• "That's How I Escaped My Certain Fate" - 160 Points ()
• "That's When I Reach For My Revolver" - 160 Points ()

Century Media Girls of Metal 3 Pack - 440 Microsoft Points (.50)

• In This Moment - "Forever" - 160 Points ()
• Lacuna Coil - "Closer" - 160 Points ()
• Lacuna Coil - "Swamped" - 160 Points ()

Individual Tracks

• Crooked X - "Gone" - 80 Points ()

--Hobson's Choice

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Do you remember the pre Jolie years of the Tomb Raider franchise? Bouncing off rocks, swinging on vines, pulling pistols didn't get much better than that. Now I'm not saying that the games made during the time period that the movies released were something less than stellar, that's for you to decide, I'm just saying that I'm happy to see that with the release of the latest incarnation, Tomb Raider: Underworld, it looks like we may have something of a new take.

I've only briefly played the demo available on Xbox LIVE and PSN and I could be reading too much into the slick integration of graphics and music in the launch trailer below, but what if I'm not? Something worth playing in the Tomb Raider franchise that is based on the merits of the game alone? Wow, now that would be a real welcome home party for Laura Croft that I could get behind. It also might mean that I can put my old PSone game out to pasture.

Check out the video below.

--Hobson's Choice

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Capcom's Street Fighter IV PR machine just keeps rolling along with their release today of the Gouken boss battle trailer. Brother to fellow boss Akuma, Gouken is the tough old man of the Street Fighter series, and sensei to hot shots Ken and Ryu. Appropriately the trailer below shows the burly old master totally wiping the floor with both Ken and Ryu's pretty boy faces, as well as taking no pity on my girl in blue Chun-Li. The game releases next February on PS3, Xbox 360 and PC platforms. Enjoy.

--Hobson's Choice

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Okay, well maybe it is more like off Broadway and not quite raining like Cats, but DDR has indeed made it to the Great White Way.

Something along the lines of a futuristic Footloose, meets Hedwig and the Angry Inch, with a sprinkling of Tommy thrown in for good measure, the stage version of Dance Dance Revolution is loosely based on the popular Konami game franchise and is set in a futuristic society where dancing is illegal. What, no dancing? Who would put up with that, certainly not the scantily clad young street toughs who populate this world and chafe at the lack of outlets for their terpsichorean tendencies. But they need a leader. Right on cue the mysterious dance prophet 'Moonbeam Funk' hits the stage, mat, platform, etc. A whole lot a Moonbeam Dance offs, spandex, and musical happenings ensue, and oh yes, Revolution.

Presented by the New York-based Les Freres Corbusier repretory theater, unfortunately this production is currently limited to NYC. I've been threatening to take up theater going in my old age, no, really. If this production, or some of the others under Les Freres' banner--see some of the totally off-the-wall productions they've done at their site--ever goes out on the road I might just be tempted to follow through on that threat. Also, gaming is such a follow the leader/dollar industry that I wonder what could be next: God of War 4: The Opera? Gears of War Dinner Theater?

--Hobson's Choice

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A true throwback to the early days of gaming that pretty much everyone assumed were gone forever, Mega Man 9 is a reminder of what gaming was, and still can be all about: you, your controller and a challenge.

The ninth installment in Capcom's Mega Man series, which dates back to 1986, Mega Man 9 is an all new 2D platforming adventure designed to look, play and sound just like classic 8-bit games from the NES and upright arcade era. As the game opens it is revealed that a brief peace has been shattered by rampaging robots, and the question of who is behind it is raised? It could be the usual suspect Dr. Wily, but it could also be Mega Man ally Dr. Light. The one certainty is that you will be the one to take on the eight robot masters in themed 2D scrolling action to save the day. In defeating each you will gain a weapon that is crucial in defeating one of the others. It's up to you to figure out which is which and take the battle to them bots.

Just as in all 8-bit games, Mega Man 9's controls and gameplay are simple and straight forward. Mega Man can run, jump and
shoot, that's it. There is no ducking, no tricks and definitely no auto
saves. So, when you die, you are right back at the beginning of the level, hopefully mustering enough compulsive gaming tendencies to give
it another shot and power on through. Truth be told, I can't remember a time in the recent past when I've
struggled so hard to clear a level, or gained as much satisfaction when
I finally did. That's right, listen up all you hardcore Next-Geners out there. When you can whip through these levels as easy as you do on the shooter of the hour, then you'll be hardcore. I'd say MM9 was worth the ish download cost just for the initial go of it, and I assure you I've got more than a few levels to go. So, whether you are looking to inject a little nostalgia into your game, or are just in search of a challenge, this is definitely a cheap way to get either.


Mega Man 9 is available for download and play on Xbox LIVE Arcade, PlayStation Network and the Wii Shopping Channel. Although game features included and exact cost via each of these may vary slightly, here is what you can expect from the Xbox LIVE Arcade version that was sampled for this review. See the other versions on their respective platforms for particulars those:

• Players supported: 1
• Cost: 800 Microsoft points
• Leaderboard support: Yes
• LIVE Achievements: 12
• Additional downloadable content: Themes, Extra modes, attacks, gamer pics
• 50 built-in challenges that can be completed on different levels

--Hobson's Choice

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Sure, the presidential election is over. Soon enough the memories of the hours of news and infotainment compulsively consumption over the last few months will fade away and the countdown to Democratic responsibility for the changes that need to happen in this country and the world will begin. But before those things happen, I have to give a shoutout to all the flash game developers on the Net who jumped on the political bandwagon in '08 and cranked out some quality and/or amusing stuff. Maybe I was not paying attention during previous elections and similarly infectious little bits of code were floating around then as well, but I gotta say, if they were I did not notice.

Check out and play a few of the gems that popped up during this year's presidential campaign.

AirMILF
Thanks for the memories Governor. Whether '08 ends up being the beginning or ending of Sarah Palin's career in national politics, the nation and a good chunk of the world has got a pack full of images stuck in our heads for ever more; only one of which is of Alaska's Caribou Barbie rather unsportingly raining lead down on canis lupus and family for fun and profit.

Campaign: General Election Edition
Who are the real Americans and where do they live? Who knows, who cares. The country is up for grabs and to the winner will go the spoils. A turn-based strategy game where players choose their candidate and support staff members--each with different strengths, weaknesses and special moves--all joking aside, this is actually a pretty fun game in a red/blue/grey state kind of way. Singleplayer and multiplayer option available.

Joe The Plumber: Layin' Pipe
This
year's Republican populist rhetoric has it that there a little bit of
'Joe the Plumber' in all of us. God, I hope not. If so, who is gonna
deal with the next septic situation? The quizzical Mr. Wurzelbacherust
may some day yet attain the license that has alluded him, but in the
meantime use your brainteasing abilities to beat the flush in
this escalating series of puzzles that are reminiscent of the hacking
mini-games of BioShock.

Super Obama World
We all hope that president Obama's platform is as well rounded as it sounded during the campaign. We will have to wait until after inauguration day to get the details on that, but in the meantime players can run and jump through this 2D sidescroller modeled after the various Super Mario franchises. Approach the lipsticked pigs and mavericks gone rogue at your peril.

Below The Beltway   
Whether during the debates or on the stump, the gloves came off in a big way during this year's campaign. Relive every jab, hook, haymaker and body blow both on at the presidential level and on the under ticket in this boxing game that uh, pulls no punches.


--Hobson's Choice

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Street Fighter fans all over the world are ruing their lack of Japanese--well, except those fans in Japan that is--with the release of the Japanese Boss trailer Street Fighter IV below which gives a peek at tough guy Seth. I had seen screens of Seth several months back, but I thought that he was an all new Boss to the franchise. Then I saw a few references on the Web that seemed to indicate, if unclearly, that he had made an appearance in a few of the earlier arcade versions, though I don't recall that. Regardless, he looks like he'll be a kick ass villain in SF IV.

In the trailer below he looks to be able to work his chi into explosive and propulsive bursts and transport himself through space. Regardless, he puts some serious hurt on M. Bison and totally destroys Guile. I'm feeling pretty down with this, so I had better start saving my spare change now...The game comes out in February '09 on PS3, Xbox 360 and PC. Expect more info as release date creeps closer and if anyone knows what other SF games Seth may have appeared in, clue me in.

--Hobson's Choice

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One of the biggest stories of the 2008 Presidential election has been Democratic candidate Barack Obama's fund raising ability and where he has chosen to invest those dollars. Of course the infomercial the other week was the headliner in this department, but one of his most forward thinking and cost effective investments was the money the Obama campaign put into video game advertising. Just a few of the places where Obama made an appearance were Burnout Paradise, Second Life and NBA Live.

Unlike TV advertising, which all together cost the Democrats hundreds of millions of dollars, the monies put into gaming advertising was probably not much more than 0k or so, this based on the expenditure for its major placement in Burnout Paradise, which was less than k. So, if the election were held today--ooops I guess it is today isn't it--who would win according to the Xbox LIVE poll that has been going on for the last few months? Surprise, surprise, it looks like we are looking at an Obama presidency. The other surprise is that Obama's leading percentage, 53%, is the same as CNN's percentage, both for the Halloween weekend, while there is a 13% differential between the McCain's percentage across the two polls. Now, as brave a face as John McCain has been putting on over the last few weeks, I'm sure he would prefer to have the 46% seen in the CNN poll over the sad 33% seen in the LIVE version. Does that mean if the GOP would have spent a few dollars cow towing to gamers that maybe they would be doing a bit better. Who knows, but again, we are talking a few hundred thousand dollars here. Both sides can obviously afford that and since change is driving this election it might be a good idea to pay attention to those most looking forward to that change, the youth of the nation. I've a feeling that regardless who takes the white house this year both sides will be covering all their bases next time around.

Check out the polls below, especially in the LIVE undecided category. Looks like there is some opportunity there:

--Hobson's Choice

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It has been reported in at least one blog today that select or not so select Xbox 360 games are shipping with Netflix streaming video trial offers that will allow Xbox 360 owners to take advantage of the Netflix functionality set to begin November 19th through the New Xbox Experience (NXE).

Bundled with the standard 48 hour trial offer for a LIVE Gold Membership (all 360 owners receive a free Xbox LIVE Silver Membership with their console) that are commonly inserted in game boxes, this added carrot would not be usable until the NXE starts up on November 19th and has only been reported thus far with the just launched 007 game, James Bond 007: Quantum of Solace. The service will require a Xbox LIVE Gold Membership, an existing Netflix Unlimited account (served through the trial offer) and of course a broadband connection. If this news proves to be true, lots of Xbox 360 owners can expect to be seeing this offer with the realease of hot-prominent titles this month like: Gears of War 2, Call of Duty: World at War, Tomb Raider: Underworld and others.

--Hobson's Choice

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Just after the New Year EA and Pandemic will be launching The Lord of the Rings: Conquest. An interactive overview of the major battles/conflicts shown in the three movies, the real hook of the game will be that players will be able to fight for either "good or evil." Hopefully it won't be quite as black and white as that, but we shall see.

Personally I'm a total Tolkien freak, so I'm down regardless. But what I am hoping for is a little evolution though, if not through this game and others like LOTR Online, then through the others that will follow. What I mean is that as fantastic as the movies and all the games based on them are, they are far from the end all of what I hope to see emerge out of Middle-Earth. The movies are fine for the mainstream, but as Tolkien--as opposed to LOTR--fans will tell you, the time period during which the events of LOTR happen are really the lesser, or at least much later, days of Middle-Earth. A LOT of really cool stuff happens in the first, second and earlier parts of the Third Age of Middle-Earth. If you don't believe me simply open up a copy of "The Return of the King." You'll notice that a full third of the book is dedicated to appendices. Even better, read through the Silmarillion, basically a mythology/history of the peoples and civilizations that are referenced in Tolkien's books and stories. Anyway, enough with the dork-fest. Conquest will be available on Xbox 360, PS34, PC and DS in January '09. I just hope that we Orc-a-philes are allowed to pick the specifics of our kind. We Uruks hate being stuck playing as that Morgul slime that's been on offer for years.

--Hobson's Choice

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Remember that day years ago when you walked into the local arcade, 7-Eleven or bowling alley and saw Street Fighter for the first time? I have to admit that I don't. And why is that? Beyond problems with my terrible memory, it's because Street Fighter seems to me to have always been somewhere in the background of my life. Maybe this is just fallout from years of $.50 corn dogs or taquitos and two for one specials with no charge for shoes at the local lanes. Regardless, it's good to see that with the upcoming Street Fighter IV that the grand old game still has a presence.

The video below was released the other day at TGS '08 and looks pretty fantastic. Apparently we can expect the same classic arcade action featuring old friends, but with cool anime and watercolor stylings illustrating the backstory of each combatant like never before. The game is due next Febuary on Xbox 360, PS3 and PC platforms. Very cool, check it out the trailer:

--Hobson's Choice

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As a perusal of thousands of LIVE members' games and achievements lists would reveal, LIVE Arcade is huge part of the Xbox LIVE experience. That's why the an announcement a few months ago that did more than imply that Microsoft could be delisting under performing XBLA titles in the future may have left a bad taste in the mouths of LIVE Arcade players, especially those with smaller hard drives. Well corporate VP John Schappert may have gone a good way to ease those player's fears with his comments on the subject at TGS this week. According to Schappert, as quoted in a piece published on IGN:

"We have no immediate plans to act on de-listing," continuing on that earlier statements by Microsoft on the topic were meant to set "parameters by which we can delist."

So, this doesn't mean that XBLA titles couldn't be dropped in the future, but if the gist of the problem is surfacing titles in the an order that Microsoft wants instead of limiting users to scrolling through an alpha or genre list of games, then the upcoming Vista-like Xbox Experience makeover of the Xbox LIVE UI should solve that.
And with that, on to another rousing game of Hexic HD. Like that ever going anyway, please.

--Hobson's Choice

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This is a little bit of old news from earlier in the week regarding memory concerns around the New Xbox Experience (NXE), but it's an important bit, especially considering Microsoft's recent price drops so read on.

Over the last month or so there has been a bucketload of hoopla around NXE, the update to Xbox LIVE's UI, launching November 19th. It will bring with it a lot of new online functionality, but as all hardware users know, functionality gobbles up memory. Truth be told, gobble isn't the right word here. NXE only requires 128MB of free space on consoles, which is surprisingly light, but then again hard drive space has always been an issue with the 360. To their credit Microsoft was first to the market, but the 360 came in at the high end with a 20GB hard drive. Considering the amount of memory downloadable content soaks up and the fact that you can now get a Xbox Elite with a 120GB hard drive, 20GB sounds pretty chinche, much less anything lower than that. But the fact of the matter is that most people are still playing with a 20GB unit. Unless the hard drive fairy paid an over night visit, I still am. And with Microsoft price drops bringing the Core Arcade and Arcade Holiday console bundles down to under 0, there are a lot of people who are/will be playing with less than that. For these folks an extra 128MB might be a lot. So what is the solution? Thanks to big money MS, it's a freebie.

There's no going back to the old Xbox LIVE after Nov. 19th, so Microsoft has announced a program to ensure that all Xbox owners have enough memory by either giving owners a 512MB memory unit for free or cutting them a deal on a refurbished 20GB hard drive for . They've set up a memory upgrade page within Xbox.com's hardware support section where 360 owners can enter their 360 serial numbers or console ID to find out which options they are eligible for. Sounds like a pretty sweet deal to me. A word to the wise though. If given the choice between the two, do yourself --or parents, if the 360 you bought or will buy this holiday season was/is for your kids, do them-- the favor of springing for the refurbished hard drive. New, they retail for about 0, so that's a HUGE savings. And take it from me, 20GB is totally doable and will be for a long time as long as old content is deleted from the drive. 512MB will barely cover game saves in the long run.

--Hobson's Choice

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The stereotype of the solitary, unsociable and outwardly uninterested gamer has been around since the beginning and it is both as true and false today as it ever was. What is new is that with the massive growth in gaming at all levels and demographics over the last several years, gaming is actually beginning to be seen in some quarters not only as something of a means of important, if indirect socialization, but possibly one of citizen-building as well.

The socialization aspects of this are simple enough to see by anyone who has played online or simply walked into a room where a multiplayer game was going on. Sure that's usually going to be a dudefest, but at least there is usually a dialog going on and in a general sense this is not unlike the socialization function once widely assigned to primary education. The case for citizen-building takes a little more focus to see though. Of course nobody is saying, and hopefully never will, that meaningful high school civics courses should be taught via a rousing game of Civilization or Sim City--well, maybe later--but according to a survey and analysis by the Pew Internet & American Life Project, some particular qualities of game play have a strong and consistent positive relationship to a range of civic outcomes of young people. Findings were based on a survey of 1,102 youth, ages 12-17 (presumably in the US). A few pertinent baseline findings included:

• "Game playing is universal, with almost all teens playing games and at least half playing games on a given day. Game playing experiences are diverse, with the most popular games falling into the racing, puzzle, sports, action and adventure categories."
• "Game playing is also social, with most teens playing games with others at least some of the time and can incorporate many aspects of civic and political life."
• Although the "Quantity of game play is not strongly related to teens’ interest or engagement in civic and political activity," the "characteristics of game play and the contexts in which teens play games are strongly related to teens’ interest and engagement in civic and political activities."

So, moms, dads, girlfriends and boyfriends out there, does this mean that your kid/significant other may not end up living in the basement, uh playing games until he/she is approaching mid-life after all? The folks over at Pew Internet aren't ready to make that kind of claim, but what they are apparently saying is that with the overwhelming number of kids playing games on a regular basis, what they take away from the gaming they do could very well have an impact on the skills they develop for interacting with the segments and duties of society they will eventually face and/or seek out. The survey addresses a number of talking points that feed into this, but since it is an election year and civic duties are the focus of this post, here are a some particularly relevant results:

'Civic gaming experiences' are defined in the study as "a set of learning opportunities such as simulations of civic or political activities, helping others and debating ethical issues."

Decision making and their consequences are of course the linchpin of the modern gaming experience, both in single and multiplayer scenarios. Most of the time this is just seen as life or death in the game or whether your virtual neighbors in the lounges, chat rooms and on the fields of your MMO of choice see you as worth the time of day. It's nice to think that when consoles are allowed to cool down and computers to slip back into sleep mode that gamers may have improved more than gamer scores and levels achieved; they may actually have improved themselves and by way of that the world around them. There you go citizens. Now get to button-mashing!

See an overview of the survey and the link to the full analysis here.

--Hobson's Choice

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One of the things that has always bugged me, so to speak, about the 'computer magic' of Next-Gen video games is that for all the technical advances you are almost always stuck being the dominant species. Yeah, sounds weird. What else would you want to be? Well, uh, how about something other than that. A perfect and fairly recent example was Turok. I remember how excited I was when I was given a chance to interview game developers over at Propaganda Games in Vancouver, BC. A dino-boy since, well, I was a boy, the Jurassic and Cretaceous are in my blood. That said, you can just imagine my face when after getting whipped badly by their dev team in some crazy multiplayer matches I was heard to whimper over the taunting, "so, how do you switch to dino mode," only to be told that it was an all-human affair. All Human! Come on, everyone and their little sister is killing raptors with survival knives and there isn't an option to go reptilian? This is something that I hope can be remedied, if on a small scale, in Deadly Creatures. 

Scheduled to come out this holiday season on the Wii, Deadly Creatures places players in a southwest desert environment where they play as both a tarantula and a scorpion. Not exactly heavyweights, but for their size worthy of some respect. Here you will have to deal with a variety of desert creatures as well as some crotchety old humans who are up to no good out in the middle of nowhere. I know what it's like to make it at the top of the food chain. Let's see if I can survive a few rungs down.

Check out the developer's diary video for the game below:

--Hobson's Choice

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Video game geeks and their political brethren don't necessarily play together, but they can on ocassion cross-pollinate. With this in mind I have to commend the Harmonix crew for not taking themselves too seriously and correspondingly branching out to include Stephen Colbert--yes that Colbert--on the most recent DLC for Rock Band. I just pulled "Charlene (I'm Right Behind You)" down off Xbox LIVE and I assume that it's available on PSN as well. Here's a video of how it plays:

The funny thing--and I hope this is the joke-- unless players are fans of the 'Colbert Report' they might not get it. When you go to the Rock Band store the song pops up as only one of two free individual songs, so I'm sure there are plenty of cheap bastards out there going through their set lists right now and thinking to myself: "Why did I download this piece of crap? Man the 80s sucked and so do these guys!" Oh yeah it was free. Sure the song sucks, but so does your DLC habit. If that's not enough, how about this. I dare you to play through the song at expert level the first time around. Ah, not as easy as it looks now, eh. Anyway, Harmonix, EA, MTV...whoever, have made millions horking downloadable content over the last year or so, so it's nice to see that they are laughing about various things on their way to the bank. Could song pack be on the horizon? Now, that would suck.

For the benefit of the non-Colbert Nation, "Charlene" is more or less an ode to stalking and restraining orders, in kind of a John Waite kind of way and is part of a running gag on the show. The video below from the show pretty much sums it up. Take a gander:

--Hobson's Choice

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For those out there who haven't heard, John McCain has chosen a running mate for the presidential ticket in November, first term Alaska governor Sarah Palin. Palin may know little about US foreign policy, large scale economics or even exactly what the vice president's duties are, but there is one thing she does know: that polar bears are a threat to the nation. Well okay, maybe not the nation per say, but a threat to pumping oil in Alaska's Artic National Widlife Refuge, which she equates to energy independence and her national security credentials. Yes, I do believe that the deep end has been gone off and accordingly the soap box must be mounted.

Yes, yes, I know, very topical but what's this to do with video games? Well, I do love it when the button-mashing becomes relevant beyond gamer scores and trophy cabinets and this is one of those cases. Scotland-based software developer T-Enterprise has put together the flash game below playing off the image and reality of Governor Palin's connections to Big Oil, her views of the polar bear species as being a "liability" and of course her neo conservative hawkish image that is being played up for all its worth. Beyond exposing the web public at large to a person, who could be only a heartbeat away from the US presidency, the game is actually pretty fun and for me something of a godsend. Over the past week or so I've been wondering how to frame the governor in a video game context (a professional necessity). You would think that her ability and preference for stalking, dressing and consuming her own wild game would make her a shoe in for the Cabela series, but Polar Palin blows this assumption away.

One last bit or armchair political speculation. Research has shown that most of the casual gamers out there are women, a segment of the electorate that is forecasted to play a major role in the coming election. I wonder if Polar Palin is part of a strategy to reach this demographic and if so whether the Obama game could be far behind. Hmmmmm? I'll leave it to someone with more polling cred than myself to figure that one out or at least debate its value. I'm simply too busy right now. Consumed by the 'call to serve' my only concern now is how to help old Ursus maritimus blow up those oil rigs.

Click the play button below to play the game:

--Hobson's Choice

More gaming articles, reviews, and deals at the GAMING CORNER.