yet more reasons not to support xbox live

I guess the monthly subscription fee wasn't enough of a kick in the balls from Xbox Live, because they seem to have staunchly set standards for their online service to really screw over quite a few loyal gamers out there. First it turned out that if your free email account from Hotmail or Yahoo expired and was the email you signed up with for XBL, your gamertag expired along with it with no hope of recovering achievements or gamer scores that went with it. Now it turns out that Microsoft feels so strongly about certain "offensive" buzzwords that gamertags with words like "gay" or "Jew" in them are getting banned. One girl who identified herself as a lesbian in her profile was actually personally kicked off XBL after being harrassed repeatedly by other members. People are assholes as we all know, but it just seems worse when a company like Microsoft is willing to ban the expression of one's identity. Nevermind the hordes of thirteen-year old boys engaging in violent and misogynistic games while calling each other faggots. I guess the use of the word 'gay' is only offensive if you're talking about yourself actually being gay, according to Microsoft anyway.

done with hotel dusk... sigh

I finally finished Hotel Dusk: Room 215 and it has left me with a serious yearning for another great point-and-click! To anyone out there who enjoys games with an unfolding mystery, a great sense of character and an interesting plot above all else, this game is a wonderful find. I seriously am on a hunt for another good one to spend my time on so any suggestions are welcome. Next in line for the DS is Trace Memory, which I’m hoping will turn out to be just as fun.

gta iv: the lost and the damned full frontal!

The Xbox 360 version of the latest GTA expansion, The Lost and the Damned, will apparently feature nudity. Full frontal nudity. Full frontal male nudity! I guess some character delivers a monologue in a cinematic in the nude, ultimately baring it all in what is described as a very graphic depiction. Hilarious!

New 'Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost and the Damned' Shows Full Frontal Male Nudity

deadly creatures was fun

I picked up Deadly Creatures this weekend and while it was not the longest game, I have to say it was one of the more original gaming experiences I've had in a while! A Wii exclusive title, Deadly Creatures got an 8.0 on IGN and I definitely agree with most of their review. This game could have used just a little more love especially as you near the end of the game; graphic snags and weird glitches happen a bit more often, plus the plot really rushes along to what you could call a pretty anticlimactic ending. Still, I had a great time fighting snakes, rats, lizards along with other insects with my protagonists, the tarantula and the scorpion. The camera follows you all over the place, up walls, across ceilings, giving you a very unique perspective of the game. This works especially nicely with the unfolding of the human plot, voiced wonderfully (if not too sparingly) by Dennis Hopper and Billy Bob Thornton. I definitely recommend this game to anyone looking for a fresh and fun approach to Wii controls with (for the most part) really stunning graphics. Two pincers up!

resident evil 5 is scary

I finally got around to trying out the Resident Evil 5 demo on Xbox Live and it is, as expected, very scary! The latest installment in everyone's favorite survival horror series takes protagonists Chris Redfield and Sheva Alomar to Africa to investigate the origins of the virus, apparently. We tried one of the two levels available on the demo and we did not fare too well. There is very limited ammo which doesn't really compliment my "ahhhhhhh a zombie fire away!" strategy of survival. Still, the graphics are amazing and the full game promises to be terrifying, and hopefully will retain some of the classic horror elements of the previous Resident Evil games. Anyway if you haven't tried the demo yet, it's definitely worth checking out.

worst. game. ever!

Hah. It figures that of all the crap games out there made for dudes, of course the game to receive one of the lowest scores ever on IGN would be one targeted at girls! Action Girlz Racing (the name kind of says it all) scored a whopping 0.8 in a recent review, causing IGN to declare it the worst game of '08, which is really something considering how many bad Wii games were released in 2008. This review is worth reading just for the funny factor, as many negative reviews are. Enjoy!

You could turn left, as the arrows suggest. Or you could just keep driving straight, because the wall would probably just let you pass right through anyway.

IGN: Action Girlz Racing

you had me at 'bikini zombie slayers'

A recent release for the Nintendo Wii, Onechanbara: Bikini Zombie Slayers is getting pretty mediocre reviews, although most generally agree that it is a guilty-pleasure type of game that is good fun even if the game itself might be crap. I think this one might be worth a rent or something. Is anyone else a little suspicious at the likelihood of IGN's review just so happening to give this game a 6.9? LOL, I'm clearly M for mature.

IGN: Onechanbara: Bikini Zombie Slayers Review

interesting... ps3 movie/game combo discs

If you're a fan of movie games then you'll be happy to know that Sony is planning on releasing more Playstation 3 game/movie combo Blu-ray discs in the future. An interesting idea although if it's going to be all movies like Transformers (crapfest) then the games will probably be pretty crappy as well. Movie games have not been good since the old Sega Genesis disney games. If I had a PS3 this might be more exciting news...

Blu-ray/videogame discs to be released for PS3

perfect guitar hero round

I don't claim to be some kind of guitar hero goddess or anything (not like my coworker anyway, who practices on the in-store system during her breaks..) but I have gotten pretty good at GH2 and have been considering making my XBL debut and trying out some matches against people other than my boyfriend and friends. Until then though I will just have to keep inching towards Expert, and it certainly helps when I have perfect rounds like this one!

secret files: tunguska

Currently available for the PC, Secret Files: Tunguska is being released for the Wii and DS systems at the end of March of this year. This game looks like a throwback to the classic genre of point-and-click mystery adventure games that I love. The plot revolves around solving the mystery surrounding the Tunguska event in 1908 in the Tunguska region of Siberia, an unexplained explosion where massive flames engulfed everything and turned the area to debris and ash. I will definitely pick this one up for the DS or even for the Wii, depending on reviews once it comes out. Perhaps it will be another great Wii game we can look forward to in 2009!

IGN: Secret Files: Tunguska for PC

wii fit has its pros and cons

Now that the world has been graced by the Wii Fit for over a year, many out there wonder just how good the game really can be for you. Folks seem to agree that any video game that combats couch-potato-ness is a good thing, meaning that Wii Fit's get-up-and-do-stuff system can help you get more active and do less sitting around. Which is definitely a good thing, especially with video games. Still, most also feel that the Wii Fit isn't comparable to actual physical activity like sports or real cardio exercise, which is also true. Mostly all this means is that if you are already physically fit, the Wii Fit isn't going to offer more than your gym does. Also, its metrics are a little questionable, especially the Wii Fit age determined by your activities and measurements. Whatevs, I still love it and can't recommend it highly enough. In my opinion, much like anything else in life, you get back what you put into it.

Wii Fit a Promising Tool For All Ages, Though Game's Health Measurements Are Flawed

whoohoo expert!

After recently determining that one of our guitars was busted ("I'm not a sore loser, it is the fucking controls, goddammit!" was approximately how it went down), we replaced it with a new be-stickered version of itself, and to boot the new one doesn't have the floppy whammy bar the busted one was sporting. Anyway, this all leads to my grand announcement that we have rocked ourselves right through Hard and have moved to EXPERT! OK, well, there are still many songs we can't really handle in Hard but we have played a few of our easy favorites in Expert and held our own. Next stop, Carry On Wayward Son!

more about violent video games

In the latest study of stuff people do when they have also been playing video games, it has been shown that young people who play violent video games tend to drink more and do more drugs, sleep around and in generally be worse people than those who don't. Dudes are especially guilty, playing more games and especially way more violent games than chicks. As usual, this study merely shows that young people tend to do many things that are bad for them, including but not limited to drinking, drug use, promiscuity, and video games. And just when you thought Wii users might be the most pacifist of the gaming community, something redonkulous like this happens. Who would have even concieved of a Wiimote as a deadly weapon? That guy, I guess!

Playing Violent Video Games Has Risks: study

2009 is the year of the wii

With so many Wii games to be released in the near future, one can only hope that at least a few of them will be serious blockbuster hits that will rejuvenate everyone's favorite little white console. Along with the latest news that Electronic Arts has set its sights on a whole line of Wii games and ports (including Dead Space!), 2009 should be a strong Wii year. Here are a few of the upcoming game titles for the Wii that I'm most excited about:

Deadly Creatures. Scorpion and tarantula team up to battle snakes and other creepy-crawlies, all amidst a noir-style plot going on high above their heads in the world of men around them. If there's one thing I can say, it's that I've never played as a protagonist insect, at least not since SimAnt anyway!

Tenchu: Shadow Assassins. This one just came out this past week and looks pretty sick. Leaping around in the shadows, lurking about to find the perfect moment to attack, and the graphics even look pretty cool. Click here for the IGN review - they gave it an 8.0 which is pretty damn good for a Wii game.

Pikmin. If you never played this wonderful game on GameCube, make sure you pick up the upcoming port for the Wii, due in March. Rumors are swirling about since last year's E3 of the potential of an actual Pikmin 3 title new for the Wii due out sometime in the future but until then, revisit the fun of directing your little dudes around with a whole new set of sweet Wii controls. The first game port in the GameCube Masterpiece/Play for Wii series.

Little King's Story. Apparently a "Pikmin-like strategy game", the animation looks adorable and this game is made by Harvest Moon creator Yasuhiro Wada and the music is by the same guy who did the Kingdom Hearts series. Due out February 17th.

Wii Sports Resort. This sequel to the game that ultimately sells the console more than any other (studies show that many Wii buyers never even purchase a game to play other than Wii Sports) is doubly exciting because it will ship with the new Wiimote MotionPlus add-on. The MotionPlus is supposed to revolutionize the motion controls of the remote and take the Wii's unique control system to a whole new level of accuracy.

Dead Rising: Chop till you Drop, House of the Dead: Overkill & MadWorld. Three awesome-looking games with the M-for-mature rating we all want and need from Wii game developers. Yes, it's true, people over 17 do play the Wii. Keep the blood, guts, gore and zombies coming on the Wii and I'll be a happy girl.

Fragile: Fairwell Ruins of the Moon. 2008 saw some pretty fantastic RPG titles come out, and Fragile is one of the ones people are discussing for 2009. Another game featuring ghosts and demons as enemies, Fragile is by RPG titans Namco Bandai, and looks to use the Wiimote's pointer for much of its controls.

Fatal Frame IV. Not much is out about this one yet but it sure sounds cool. While I'm not familiar with this franchise, this new one will be a Wii exclusive and sounds like it will use some pretty innovative controls to help you fight hostile ghosts while studying/photographing nice ones. Also it apparently will push the limits of the Wii visually and boasts no load times to suffer through.

Between the GameCube ports, EA's new efforts and the M-for-mature renaissance, 2009 should be a grand year for the Wii. Fingers crossed!

noooooooo

Today is a sad, sad day, because today it turns out that the Sims 3 is getting delayed... until June! This is such terrible news. I have been getting myself psyched for Sims 3 for months now and was so happy to be only weeks away... It sounds like Electronic Arts felt the game needed a bit more work, and also more of a buzz surrounding its launch, so the June 2nd, 2009 date is where it's at now. Boo-urns.

IGN: The Sims 3 Delayed

gears of war pc snafu

Bad news if you play Gears of War on Windows - the digital certificate that allows the game to play online expired on January 28th, effectively disallowing the game to run past that date. Epic Games hasn't said much on the issue so as of now it looks like setting your computer's clock back is the only way to play your PC Gears game. Epic fail!

Gears of War screwup makes pc version unplayable

nintendo hearts old gamers

A new study has shown that twice as many older gamers prefer Nintendo to Playstation; big surprise, I know! This statistic is definitely the effect of a calculated marketing strategy on Nintendo's part to target the 40+ market with game titles like Brain Age, Wii Fit and other self-improvement games that can help keep the grayhair gamers out there sharp. Also, turns out that chicks make up the majority of the older gamers! While women make up 46% of 18 to 24 year old gamers, they are 55% of the 65+ers!

Nintendo Wins the Graying Gamers