E3 and a bunch of other news

Okay, let's get the first news out of the way. Two reviews went up tonight at GameSpy. The first is for Resident Evil Outbreak: File #2 (PS2) and the second was Popeye: Rush for Spinach (GBA).

Moving right along, it's been a hectic few days. First off, I got the call from GameSpy about flying out to L.A. in a couple of weeks to help with their coverage of E3. I got that taken care of and everything was set. settled, and ready to go ... which naturally means everything was about to fall apart (Heh). So sure enough, the next day I tell my editor I've booked the flight and will be hitting L.A. on Tuesday the 17th. Then I find out some plans changed at the last minute and now they need me there on Sunday the 15th. So, I call the airline to change my reservation and I'm told it'll run me an EXTRA $400, to change the flight to Sunday, but only $150-ish to change it to Saturday. Of course, the rest of the GameSpy crew won't be in L.A. until Sunday, meaning there's no hotel set up for Saturday. Thankfully, a few quick calls later, I had my flight booked for Saturday AND a place to stay that night (thanks LeSean). Now I'll be at E3 all week, and cover some of the pre-show events as well.

As if that wasn't enough to keep me busy, it looks like I have yet another writing job lined up. This one is for a TV special ... one in a series which I may be involved with. And for those of you keeping score, this production company is NOT Greedy Productions (the company I usually do work for). I really can't say much more than that at the moment, but as soon as I can, I'll pass the details along.

June 2005 EGM

Well, the new issue of EGM shipped today. I know because I get mine electronically. In it, you'll see a 2005 Preview feature. Most of the previews are fairly short, but the ones I wrote were:

(In order of appearance)
Beat Down: Fists of Vengence
Mark Ecko's Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure
Without Warning
Spartan: Total Warrior
Delta Force: Black Hawk Down
Call of Duty: Big Red One

I was surprised at some of the edits done to the work, but looking over the feature as a whole, the edits made sense to have everything flow together as one solid piece.

As far as other work goes, I've got reviews up over at GameSpy for MVP (PSP) and Raze's Hell (Xbox). I've already wrapped up a review for ATV Offroad: Blazin' Trails (PSP) but it won't go up until Thursday. I'm also currently working on a couple of rush jobs, as well as an interview piece for GameSpy as well.

I also got an offer today to help cover E3 for GameSpy. Looks like I'm L.A. bound in a few weeks. I'll keep you posted.

Hugo the what?

Quick post tonight. Just wanted to let you guys know my review of Hugo: The Evil Mirror (GBA) went up tonight on GameSpy's site. That's it, but there's more to come. Currently, I'm reviewing MLB (PSP) and Raze's Hell (Xbox). Those should be up any time this week. Later.

Buying games at "EB GameStop"

Big news coming out of the video game retailers today as it was announced that Gamestop and EB Games will be merging into one entity. This will give the new company control of almost a quarter of the video game market. According to the press release, the deal will give EB stockholders $38.15 in cash, plus the equivalent of 0.78795 shares of GameStop for every share of EB stock. The deal is valued at approximately $1.44 billion with consideration consisting of approximately 70% cash and 30% common stock.

As a result of the sale, GameStop will be the surviving name. A conference call with management from both companies is scheduled for today (April 18) at 1:00p EST, with a new investor presentation to be posted online shortly thereafter.

You can check out the press release and an archive of the conference call at both companies' respective investor sites:
http://www.gamestop.com/investor-relations/
http://www.ebholdings.com/

A "Myst" opportunity

So it's a cheesy pun. Sue me. Anyway, my review of Myst IV Revelation (Xbox) went live today. It's one of those games that just seems a lot better on the PC than it does on the Xbox. Read the review and tell me what you think.

Majesco is officially "COOL"

Okay, so this is one to file away under the "What?" category.

Majesco, the publisher behind such games as BloodRayne, Advent Rising, and Infected, has officially changed its name from Majesco Holdings Inc. to Majesco Entertainment Company. While that in itself doesn't seem like such a major event, what is funny is that the company has also decided to take the opportunity to change its listing under the NASDAQ market. The company, formerly traded under the listing "MJES", officially began trading on the stock market under its new NASDAQ listing ... "COOL".

According to Carl Yankowski, Majesco’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer:

“We believe that the name Majesco Entertainment Company is indicative of our strategy to provide innovative and appealing digital entertainment products to the consumer. Furthermore, we believe our new ticker symbol COOL represents the unique culture and innovative spirit of Majesco.”

Majesco management will be on hand at the NASDAQ Market Site on April 13, 2005 to celebrate the new change by ringing the opening bell.

Next-gen Xbox debuts on MTV

For all of you out there upset that the new Xbox system will be unveiled at the press-only E3 event, well there's no reason to gripe about it any more. Microsoft has announced that it was joined up with MTV Networks to produce a half-hour special called "MTV Presents: The Next Generation Xbox Revealed". The special will be hosted by actor Elijah Wood, an admitted video game fanatic. Music will be provided throughout the special by Island Records recording artists, The Killers. The special will debut with a worldwide MTV broadcast on May 12 at 9:30p EST.

Viewers will get a sneak peek of the new (and as yet unnamed) system, as well as information on the system's feature, behind-the-scenes footage of the system's creation, an outline of some new Xbox Live features, and of course PLENTY of gameplay footage. After the special airs, the coverage will continue over at MTV.com with extended event coverage, including more behind-the-scenes videos, photos, and other extras. MTV.com will also provide ongoing coverage of the next-generation Xbox, highlighting the latest in news, product details, and game previews.

A long LONG night

Ugh. Okay, I'm trying this again. It's late (early?), I'm tired, and I need to get some sleep. But before I do, I figured I'd toss up a post to keep everyone informed as to what the latest news is with good ol' Dave. And hopefully this time it'll go through. (Just as a side note, I wrote this post once already, but an internal server error wiped it out)

First off, more of my writing went up over at GameSpy today. This time around it was a review of Pac-Man Pinball Advance for the GBA. The game is decent enough, but kind of lacking in variety. Younger players will get a kick out of it for a while, but that's about it. Also, I'm writing up a review for GameSpy of Myst IV on the Xbox. This is one game I'm having to get my hands dirty with, because it's a bear to play. It's fun, don't get me wrong ... but it's long and the puzzles can be a pain. I was also supposed to review the new survival horror game Obscure on the PS2 and Xbox. Unfortunately, there was a slight mix up at the offices, and the editors forgot that someone already wrote up those reviews last week off of preview builds sent out. So, I've got both versions of the game, but no reviews to write for them. Ah well, I'll probably go ahead and write up the reviews anyway ... either for Electric Playground or for Visionary Ink.

And speaking of Visionary Ink, that's the big reason I'm still awake right now. I'd decided to start looking at some redesigns for the blog portion, and Shane and I were crawling through the system to tweak out some stuff for the site. I stayed up a few more hours to get some final tweaking done, and so far I'm really digging the results. Now, the site is best viewed at 1280x1024, because anythign lower will cause the daily comic strips to alter the layout. However, even if your resolution isn't that high, the site is still accessible and easily readable ... some of the images and such may just look a bit "off". Either way, head on over to the site at: http://www.visionaryink.com/wordpress/ and let me know what you think.

News bites

Time for a bit of news around the game industry. Here we go:

• Eidos and Crystal Dynamics have started releasing information regarding the latest entry into the Tomb Raider franchise. The game, titled Lara Croft Tomb Raider: Legend, is scheduled to released on the Xbox, PS2, and PC. So far, there are no details on the game's release date, but more information should be released over the next few weeks. In the meantime, take a look at the new character model for Lara.
  
  
  The new Lara Croft 
  One thing you'll notice is the versitile looking backpack and belt. This time around, Lara's inventory will be limited and you'll actually see her store weapons and accessories on her person. Also, the developers decided to look back to what made the original game so popular, and they've listened to complaints from gamers. The result will be something that Eidos hopes will recapture Lara's appeal in the hearts of gamers.
  
  
• Speaking of Eidos, there's a bidding war going on for the UK publisher. Elevation Partners, an investment company which includes former EA president John Riccitiello and U2 frontman Bono, had initially put in a bid for Eidos which many news reports announced as a done deal. Enter rival software publisher SCi. SCi has apparently made a competing bid for Eidos, and the new offer is building a lot of interest with shareholders. Reports are stating that at least 30 percent of Eidos shareholders have tenatively agreed to the SCi offer. It'll be interesting to see how this all pans out. And on a side note of interest to all of you comic fans, it should be noted that comic studio Top Cow has a vested interest in how this turns out. Back when Top Cow first started publishing the Tomb Raider comic, Eidos worked out a deal in which it bought a stake in the comic company. This means that whoever wins in the Eidos deal will also become a part owner of Top Cow. Hmmm ....
  
  
• New Yorkers gamers are in for a treat this spring as Nintendo opens up a new two-story Nintendo World Store in Rockefeller Center. Nintendo World will be the new home of Pokemon Center, featuring exclusive Pokemon merchandise and host special Pokemon events. Nintendo World will also feature a huge display of playable GBA, GameCube, and DS titles ... as well as a few unreleased titles. So if you're in NYC later this year, check out Nintendo World for all sorts of Nintendo goodies.
  
  
• EA is going old-school for its new Bond video game. The game is based on the classic Bond flick, From Russia With Love, and will feature the likeness and voice of none other than Sean Connery. Fans of the Bond games can expect to see the new game show up on the Xbox, PS2, and GameCube systems later this fall.

As always, there's more to come, but hopefully this is enough to whet your appetite.

More reasons for carpal tunnel

I've been a busy, busy little bee as of late. Two more GameSpy reviews went live today: Ford Racing 3 (Xbox) and Sega Classics Collection (PS2). Tomorrow, I'm getting copies of Pac-Man Pinball Advance and Myst IV to review ... along with anything else I can get my hands on. Also, I had a review of Ridge Racer (PSP) go live over at Electric Playground's website. So you see, GameSpy and EGM don't get ALL my attention. I'm also working on a review of Darkstalkers Chronicle: The Chaos Tower (PSP) for Electric Playground. Admittedly, the EP stuff takes a little longer simply because the paying gigs have to take a priority, but it is still being done.

And on a final note, I'm still trying to get things together for the Visionary Ink site. I've got the blog software up and running, but I've not had the time to set up a decent front page interface yet. However, one of my good friends, Andrew Charipar, is working hard to provide a regular daily comic strip for the site (with some occasional "editorial assistance" from yours truly). Anyway, check out the current colletion of strips over here.

A little older, a little wiser, and a LOT more busy

Okay, so yesterday was my birthday. Yeah, I was born on April Fools Day ... no joke. I had a get together of sorts with a few friends, and I was surprised by the turnout. It meant a lot to me to see my friends all gathered together. It served not only as a reminder of how important they are to me ... but it also showed me just how important I am to them as well. It meant a lot more than anyone realizes. Thanks guys.

Okay, moving right along ... more work on the frontline. Yesterday, my GameSpy review for Midway's update of NARC went live. It was pretty painful. Read it for yourself and you'll see why. I'm also working on reviews for Ford Racing 3 (Xbox) and Sega Classics Collection (PS2). As soon as they're done and live, I'll post the links.

Lots of extra stuff going on too ... I can't really say too much at the moment, but just cross your fingers for me.

More Monkey Madness

Another day, another review. This time for GameSpy. It's Ape Escape: On The Loose for the PSP. Cool game, even with its flaws. Check the review and tell me what you think. Also, tomorrow I'm picking up NARC on the Xbox and PS2 to review. Oooo ... more drugs and guns. The game also has the original arcade classic on the disc. Should be fun to try.

So ... I've had my PSP for a few days now. Yes, that piece of machinery lives up to all its hype. I LOVE this thing. I'll go into more details later, but at the moments, I'm fighting off a slight bug and am going to get some rest.

Oh ... look for more reviews from me this week over at Electric Playground, and be sure to get EGM's June Preview issue for even more of my writing.

PSP vs. DS

I was at the forums over on Tommy Tallarico's website when I saw a post asking for opinions on both the Sony PSP and the Nintendo DS. While I haven't picked up my OWN PSP just yet (later today), I have put in considerable time with both systems and decided to put my two cents' worth in. Here's what I wrote:

"Due to my work as a journalist, I have to have both systems for the purposes of writing new game reviews and previews. I've already spent ample time with both, and personally I have to say that (in my opinion) the PSP is the better machine. Graphically, the PSP beats the DS like a red-headed stepchild. The PSP also has more available functions out of the box than the DS does.

A prime example of this is with the wireless play. Currently, the DS uses a proprietary wi-fi connection to allow the systems to play together, while the PS uses the standard 802.11 protocols. This means that I could play games like Darkstalkers over my home network in Florida against someone in California. Now, Nintendo has recently announced that it will be sending new dev kits to developers which will allow them to alter the DS wi-fi to run over a standard 802.11 network, but it's a little too late at this point. Nintendo is also releasing an adapter for around $50 US that will allow the DS to play MP3's and MPEG-4's like the PSP, but adding that adapter to the current MSRP for the DS puts it in the same price range as the PSP. For the record, the MSRP on the PSP system BY ITSELF is $199 US. In Japan, the system was available by itself OR in the Value Pack (with all the extra accessories). For the US launch though, Sony is only shipping the Value Pack. You can expect to buy the stand-alone unit later this year.

The next issue is clearly the software library. As of today's launch, the PSP library already has a number of titles on shelves comparable to that of the DS, and the DS has had a four month head start. Sure, the DS is backwards compatible with the GBA, but you can't really count the GBA titles as part of the DS library simply because they AREN'T specifically for the DS. Plus, the you can't play multiplayer GBA titles on the DS because there's no place for a link cable to connect. And keep in mind that there is no earlier system for the PSP to be backwards compatible with.

Keeping with the theme of software titles, I've played a fair chunk of the games for both systems and the PSP titles are just more entertaining as a whole. That's not to say the DS doesn't have some good games. Super Mario 64 DS is a great game. Sure, it's a remake of the original N64 game, but it's been polished up and revamped enough to still feel fresh. And it has all those mini-games to boot. But on the other end of the spectrum, there are games like Rayman DS. Rayman DS is nothing more than a remake of Rayman 2 for the N64 but using the touch screen to control movement. And there was absolutely NO polish to that game. Then there's Ping Pals ... which in essence is nothing more than a more stylized version of the Picochat that comes installed on the DS. Mr. DRILLER: Drill Spirits, while fun, it a game that could have just as easily been released as a GBA title. Try playing that game with the touch screen and it's likely you'll never make any real progress. Pokemon Dash seemed like a good idea when it was announced, but in reality it's nothing more than simply swiping your stylus on the touch screen as fast as you can. That works great as a mini-game, but NOT as a full length title. Although, something I do find cool is the interaction that can take place between the DS and the GBA titles. In Pokemon Dash, for example, if you pop in your GBA Pokemon game, the DS will create a host of new tracks based on the Pokemon you've caught in the GBA game. And on Feel the Magic, if you put in a Sega GBA game, it will unlock Ulala's costume from Space Channel 5. Unfortunately, most of the DS titles feel less like actual games and more like presentations meant to show off the DS features. It feels like developers just forced themselves to do something with the DS touch screen instead of focusing on making games fun.

On the PSP side of things, you've got games like Darkstalkers and Metal Gear Ac!d. These titles are banking on the success of their respective franchises, but still manage to feel original. And while Twisted Metal: Head On and Wipeout Pure don't add anything really new, they still feel like genuine extensions of the franchise, as opposed to just a rehash of old material (ahem ... Rayman DS? I'm talking to you). All three of these games look amazing and are a blast to play. And Lumines is so addicting and mesmerizing that it could end up being for the PS what Tetris was to the original Game Boy. Of course the PSP library has its clunkers too. Spider-Man 2 ( the game based on the movie) feels like it was dumbed down considerably from the console versions. It's something to stay far FAR away from.

So, its now four months after the DS launch and other than Super Mario 64 DS, Yoshi Touch and Go, and perhaps Warioware Touched, there aren't any titles that really stand out as "must-haves". But on the PSP, right off the bat you've got at least four titles that should be a part of your PSP's collection. And before anyone shoots down my statement by mentioning games like Castlevania DS or the recently announced Katamari Damacy DS title both of which look like they'll be excellent games, try to remember that I'm talking about CURRENT DS and PSP titles.

Also, before anyone thinks I'm calling the PSP flawless, I do have issues with it as well. First off is the battery life. While it's not nearly as bad as it was initially made out to be, the PSP's battery life still can't come anywhere CLOSE to the life of the DS battery. For now, if you plan on watching a couple of movies or playing a deeply involving game (especially with the Wi-Fi on), expect yourself to be tethered down by the AC cord. Also, I'm not completely sold on the UMD's just yet. The plastic cases which house the discs are what I've got a gripe about. Sure, it helps keep the disc form getting scrtched up, but if dust or such gets in there, it's a pain in the neck to try and clean. Also, as far as movies go, until more manufacturers add UMD functions to their home theatre equipment, the ONLY place you can watch the UMD versions of recent movies is on the PSP. The thing is, you can expect to pay about $20-$25 for a UMD movie which has little to no special features included ... OR you can pay $5 less for the actual DVD version which usually has all sorts of added goodies. Since I usually have my laptop on me, on trips I'd rather just pop a regular DVD into it and watch everything on its 15" monitor. And as slick as the PSP's high gloss finish makes it look, it also makes the thing virtually impossible to play in bright daylight due to the glare/reflection. This may be good for making sure no one sneaks up on you, but it's terrible for gaming. Also, and this is something I'm compulsive about, that surface pickes up dust, dirt, and fingerprints like noboby's business. I get frustrated enough having to constantly clean the touch screen on my DS every few days, but I have to clean the PSP after every use or it starts to look "worn in". And finally, some of the games for the PSP seem to take a lot longer than they should to load. I think this is more of a developer issue than a hardware issue, and I'm sure it will improve significantly in the future ... but that's the future. Again, I'm talking about the here and now.

Personally, I'm disappointed in the Nintendo DS. I was hoping it would be something great, and instead it feels like a marketing gimmick thats just one step above a Virtual Boy. The PSP on the other hand seems to be a pretty impressive piece of machinery so far. If I had to choose one over the other, I'd pick the PSP in a heartbeat."

Post your impressions and comments about both systems. I want to know what you guys think.

New stuff

Sorry I haven't updated in a bit. Been keeping busy with my writing. Last week, I wrote up six previews that will show up in the June issue of EGM, and this week I had two reviews for GameSpy. Plus, I'm getting over a bug thatg knocked me on my ass for a couple of days and stole my voice. But today is a new day, right?

The two GameSpy reviews I did went live tonight. The first was for Phantom Dust (Xbox) and the second was for Rayman DS. Here's a funny bit of irony. I expected Rayman to be pretty good, because the franchise has never let me down, and I expected absolutely nothing from Phantom Dust. Take a peek at the reviews and you'll see just how wrong my initial expectations were.

Expect some major geekdom from me tomorrow. That's right ... I'm getting the PSP and I'll be putting it through its paces and loving every minute of it.

"Cells" by The Servant

How many of you out there have seen the trailer for the upcoming Sin City movie? Anyone who knows me also knows I'm itching to see this movie. Well, while I was doing some digging around the website for the movie, and I found out that the music for the trailer is from a song called "Cells" by a UK group called The Servant. I'll admit that this is the first I've heard from the group, but I'm hooked now. Check out the music over at the band's official website and post your thoughts on the song.

It's about damned time

Okay, so I've been talking and talking about the development of Visionary Ink. Well, I've busted my ass today to get some stuff put together, and you guys can finally check out SOME of it over at http://www.visionaryink.com/wordpress/. Now, I've recently updated some settings for the domain, so it may not work quite right until the updates finish. Also, this is an initial test run and I'm working with new software (WordPress) ... so I'm in some unfamiliar territory. Bear with me through the growing pains and it'll be worth it.

Time and tide wait for no man ...

It's been a while, I know. A series of personal events have admittedly kept me from being able to focus on my writing. It's the classic snowball effect ... one thing gets the ball rolling, and other events build up its size and momentum until you find yourself unable to slow it down and just trying to stay out of its way. That having been said, I've decided to try and sidestep that snowball in order to get another ball rolling. With luck, it'll help. Okay, enough about that ... time to move on.

First off, what's new and in the works? Well, next week I should be talking with EGM about doing some previews for them. Originally, I was supposed to have done some work last month, but with the pending release of the PSP, things had to be cut to make way for a big feature on the launch. Anyway, this month things should be back to some semblance of normality and I should be about to contribute some material for the next issue. Next on the list is Video Game Collector. Never heard of it? No worries, it's a new magazine on the market with a very interesting concept. Video Game Collector is a quarterly magazine that features the usual news and such for the game industry. What makes VG Collector different is that it includes a price guide for various video games. Ever wonder what that old copy of Excitebike on the NES really goes for? Now you'll know. I should be talking with the guys there over the weekend, and we'll see how things develop. I'm also waiting to hear back from American McGee. I'm stoked about that interview.

And finally, construction on Visionary Ink has finally begun. The blueprints are wrapped and the site is finally under development. News, reviews, previews, columns, etc. It's something that's going to take a lot of work and coordination ... thankfully that's something I'm up for right about now. As always, I'll keep you posted.

So, moving right along, here's some news from around the industry:

• Vivendi Universal has just announced that it's going to do more than throw its two cents worth into the action game genre ... in fact, it's throwing in 50 Cent(s). VU has just announced a collaberation with the rap star to develop a game called 50 Cent: Bulletproof. According to the press release,

  "In 50 Cent's video game, which will be revealed at the Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles on May 18th, 2005, 50 gets caught in a web of corruption, double-crosses and shady deals that lead him on a bloody path through New York's drug underworld. Working with the unlikeliest of allies, the streets heat up as 50 Cent takes on the most dangerous crime families in the city, uncovering an international conspiracy with devastating implications. The streets are watching as 50 Cent blasts his way to the truth.
  
  Further blending the lines between Hollywood, music and games, Sopranos executive producer and Emmy-Award winner Terry Winter inked both the game's script as well as the screenplay for 50's forthcoming film, Get Rich or Die Tryin'.
  
  More information about the game can be found at http://www.the50centgame.com/."

  
  
• Nintendo has started its next major push folr the DS system in Japan. As a part of this push, the company is setting up various kiosks which will allow DS owners to download additional game content and trial versions of popular games. The new content will be stored on the DS cartridge allowing it to be accessed at any time. The demos, however, will be stored in the system's RAM similar to the way that single-cart multiplayer games operate, meaning that the demo will be lost once the DS is turned off.
  
  
• If any of you make your way out to the Chicago area, be sure to check out the Museum of Science and Industry. Beginning today, the museum will feature an exhibit called "Game On". The exhibit will feature all sorts of information, presentations, and yes games, from more than forty years of gaming history. From the pre-gaming days of Sony, Nintendo, and SEGA to the release of Pong and on up through the latest and greatest in gaming, the exhibit looks to be pretty cool. Admission is only $5 per person. You can find out more information at the exhibit's website.

I'll be adding more news a little later. Got to get cracking on a few extras over here first. Keep checking in, and let me know your thoughts.

Another day, another dollar

Things have gone back to being hectic recently, but I promise that a more extensive post is coming soon. In the meantime, my interview w/ Christina Z. has gone up over at GameSpy, along with my review of Worms 3D for the Xbox. Let me know what you think.

Monkeys monkeys everywhere

Those damned dirty apes .. er ... monkeys. That's right, I'm talking about the phenomenon known as Super Monkey Ball. The seires is finally coming to the Xbox and PS2, and I was lucky enough to get a sneak peek at the Xbox version. I've always been a fan of the Super Monkey Ball games, and it looks like Deluxe is going to be no exception. You can check out my preview of the game over at GameSpy.

Damned embargos

Did any of you happen to check out that review I mentioned in the last post? The one for American McGee Presents: Scrapland? If do, count yourselves among a lucky few. That's right, I got word from GameSpy today that the review actually broke an embargo date. Of course, what's so funny about is that no one at the PR company who sent out the game to review bother to mention that there WAS an embargo. The end result is that my review had to get yanked from the site for a two or three weeks until the embargo passes.

For those of you who don't know what I'm talking about, sometimes a company grants an exclusive review, news story, etc. to a particular outlet. In order to guarantee it being an exclusive, they put an embargo on reviews or previews so that no one else jumps the gun. It's simply one of the irritating nuances of the game industry.

Anyway, on the upside, I've managed to get a new handful of articles to work on for next week, including at least three reviews and one interview. I'll post more details later, but trust me when I say I'll be keeping busy this coming week.

Okay ... now for some quick notes around the industry:

• Wanna be Superman, or at least play like him? Electronic Arts Tiberon has posted a slew of new job openings on its website, many of which focus on the development of new games based on the Superman franchise. Looks like EA may have finally decided to do something with the license it aquired a couple of years ago.
  
  
• If you've been itching to get your hands on Sony's PSP but you don't want to spend a ridiculous amount of money for one on eBay, there's some good news for you. Sony announced yesterday that its portable system will be hitting US shelves on March 24. Sony announce the release of the PSP "Value Pack", which contains a 32 MB Memory Stick Duo, headphones with remote control, a battery pack, AC adaptor, soft case and cleaning cloth, game demos, and a special UMD release of the Spider-Man 2 feature film (to be included in the first million units produced). The MSRP for the Value Pack is $249.99 US.
  
  
• The rumor mill is going nuts over the fact that Microsoft may not be the ONLY company showing off some new hardware at E3 this year. For some time now, those of us in the press have been expecting to see the Xbox 2 at E3. But out of nowhere, Nintendo has confirmed that it will be unveiling ITS new console, the Nintendo Revolution, at E3 as well. There's been a lot of speculation as to what the new system will be capable of. But one thing Nintendo has promised is a new way to get people more involved with the games.
  
  
• Looks like EA made them an offer they couldn't refuse. For its upcoming Godfather video game, EA is using the likeness and the voice of the late Marlon Brando. Now, EA has expanded the casting to include the likes of Robert Duvall and and James Caan, both of which will reprise their respective roles from the film series.

I'll have more news up and posted soon. In the meantime, I've got some deadlines to meet and beat, and a few more tricks up my sleeve to start pulling out. Keep checking in ... you never know what you'll find here.

New review up and running

Quick post tonight. My review of American McGee Presents: Scrapland went up today. Check it out.

Also, I picked up Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath (Xbox) and Resident Evil 4 (Gamecube). I'm loving Stranger's Wrath right now and can't wait to sink my teeh into RE4. I'll post my thoughts on both games here later.

Movers, shakers, and other rumblings

Okay, so you guys know that updates have been running a little on the slow side. I've been keeping busy behind the scenes, but I haven't forgotten things here. Here's a quick list of a few things I'm currently working on:

• Development continues on the Visionary Ink news hub. I've been working with Shane over at Near Mint Heroes to develop content for the site, which will cover news, reviews, and other information related to the video game and comic industries. I've already been in talks with various artists in the comic industry, both established and unknown, to contribute some really cool artwork to the project. More to come.
  
  
• It looks like I'll be adding another publication to my list of writing credits soon. Recently, I've been in talks with the editors over at Electronic Gaming Monthly, and while nothing is set in stone just yet, it looks like I'll be contributing some freelance writing to the magazine in the very near future.
  
  
• Writing, writing, and more writing. I've got a pretty full plate in terms of writing this week. I'm working on a couple of articles about the upcoming BloodRayne comic book. One of these pieces is an interview with Christina Z., the writer of the comic series. I'm also working on write-ups for Super Monkey Ball Deluxe and American McGee Presents Scrapland.
  
  
• Speaking of American McGee, I've just set myself up with an opportunity to interview him about his work. For those of you unfamiliar with his work, American McGee (yes, that IS his real name) was one of the designers on Doom 2, Quake, and Quake 2. More recently, American has gained noteriety for his design work on American McGee's Alice, a dark sequel to the classic children's tale. Currently, American is working on a series of projects, including another visit to classic literature with Oz and Grimm. I hope to have this interview done soon. Once I have it wrapped up and have a confirmed outlet for it, I'll post the details here.

So as you can see, I'm keeping myself fairly well occupied. There are more irons in the fire as well, but nothing I can really get into the details at the moment. In the meantime, here's some new gaming news to whet your appetite for a while:

• Take-Two Interactive, publisher of the Grand Theft Auto series, has taken the fight to EA's doorstep in terms of monopolizing the sports industry. Take-Two recently inked a deal with Major League Baseball and the MLB Players' Association giving it the exclusive third-party development rights to licensed MLB video games. The door is still open for first-party development of MLB licensed baseball games from Microsoft, Sony, and Ninetendo, but all third party developers are excluded from using any official MLB teams, players, stadiums, etc. The deal is rumored to have cost Take-Two upwards of $150 million. You can read more about the agreement in Take-Two's press release.
  
  
• Anyone out there remember LucasArt's cult hit, Sam & Max Hit The Road? Well, the rumor mill was in full swing over the weekend as word was leaking out that Bad Brain Entertainment was in negotiations with LucasArts to bring about the long awaiting return of the canine and lagomorph (don't call him a rabbit). Of course, just as quickly as the rumor heated up, it fizzled out today as word came out that the negotiations had broken down, leaving the intrepid duo still stuck in developmental hell. Apparently, a misunderstanding during an interview with Bad Brain's CEO Wolfgang Kierdorf had led to the incorrect news that an agreement had already been reached.
  
  
• Namco and Capcom have offically announced the upcoming release of their new joint PS2 game Namco x Capcom, a new RPG title boasting hundreds of characters from both companies' extensive libraries. The game is scheduled to hit Japanese shelves in May. I should have more details on this upcoming game soon.
  
  
• In more company crossover news, who knew that Mario could slam dunk? That's right, in case you missed the announcement earlier this month, the Gamecube version of EA's NBA Street V3 will feature Mario, Luigi, and even Princess Peach as playable characters in the game. The three will make up the Nintendo All-Stars team, and will also have their own custom court for B-Ball action.
  
  
• Midway Games shocked gamers and retailers around the country recently by announcing that its reimagined version of the classic game NARC would be hitting store shelves at a MSRP of only $19.99, more than half off of the original list price. Now the company has decided to sweeten the deal even more by offering a limited edition 2 CD soundtrack free to pre-order customers.

So hopefully this adds a little more for you to talk about until I can get some more news posted. Updates SHOULD be coming more frequently now, as things are seemingly starting to settle down somewhat. Just keep checking back, checking in, and hey ... leave some feedback to let me know you're still out there.

Quick post

So, I've got a big update in the works as we speak, and I've got a load of things to get you all caught up on. In the meantime though, here's a quick post to let you know that my review of GunGriffon: Allied Strike (Xbox) went live on GameSpy today.

Later.

Another round of news

So I've pulled myself out of the World of Warcraft long enough to take a look around the real world for the latest and greatest news from the video game industry. Some intriguing stuff too. Check it out:

• Sony took another step towards providing the public with a US release date for the PSP. Originally rumoured for a spring release, Reuters has reported that SCE president Ken Kutaragi said the system will likely be released in March during a gathering of journalists and business exectutives. Later, a Sony spokesman said the company would give a presentation on the PSP to reporters near the site of the Consumer Electronics Show (CES). As more news develops, I'll be sure to let you guys know.
  
  
• Battle lines are being drawn over the fate of Ubisoft. Various reports indicate that the company has a number of supporters ready to defend it from the potential takeover attempt by Electronic Arts. First off there's Infograms, Ubisoft's biggest French competitor. Once considered to be a potential purchase for Ubisoft, now has stated in a telephone interview that it is looking at ways to help defend Ubisoft from an American takeover. Another more viable "white knight" being bandied about is Vivendi Universal. VU has been trying to sell off its own gaming division due to losses incurred over the past few years. However, VU as a whole has had a substantial financial recovery and could very well make a large investment into Ubisoft to not only stop EA's takeover, but to also give its own gaming division a long overdue shot in the arm. And Ubi's biggest supporter may be none other than the French government. Reports are flying that the French government is concerned about losing its most influential representative in the lucrative video game industry to a US company. As such, the government is looking as ways it could possible step in to lend support and block any potential EA takeover.
  
  
• WHOA!! Comic fans (myself included) may still be skeptical about Keanu Reeves playing the part of DC's occult anti-hero, John Constantine in the upcoming Constantine movie, but as Catwoman proved even a bad comic movie will inevitably have its own video game. THQ has not only aquired the publishing rights to Constantine, but it has also announced that the cast from the movie including Keanu. The movie and the game both seem interesting enough, just don't expect either to really follow the comic series.

More news to come. Expect a lot of new and interesting announcements coming out of CES this year too. And as always, I'll keep you informed.

Online addiction has a new name ...

... and that name is World of Warcraft. Man, where do I start on this game? Okay, everyone should know by now that I'm NOT a fan of MMORPGs. I couldn't stand Everquest, and after trying it for a month I literally threw the game out with the trash. Until City of Heroes came along, I never saw an MMO game that grabbed my attention. And even as great as CoH is, I still only played it once or twice a week. And then came the drug that is World of Warcraft.

First off, I'm a big fan of Blizzard's games. There's been very little I've found wrong with the games that come from them. So when I first heard about their MMORPG based on the Warcraft mythology, I decided that, despite my apprehension to those games, I'd give it a chance. So I picked up my copy last week and have to say that WoW is just ... WOW!!! In eight days, I had logged about four days worth of game time. Everything is easy to get into, the characters all have personality, things run smooth, and it's the most fun I've had with a game in a LONG time. I'm shocked at just how great it is. I think I'll have to check it for subliminal messages because there's NO way a game can really be this addicting. I'll pull myself away in a bit to write up a review for Electric Playground.

Thoughts on the previous year.

So ... 2004 has come and gone. It's been a rough road to travel, but now it's a whole new year. A slew of changes happened last year, and a lot of things fell apart. This year, for me, is a year of rebuilding and renewing ... with the hopes that the end result will be stronger than what has come before. I had my share of loss last year, but I've learned the importance of true friends and how they can help out. I've changed a lot in the past year, and hopefully I've grown a bit and become a better person. More changes are coming I'm sure ... but I believe that in the end all the trials and tribulations will be worthwhile. And I need to have faith that everything will turn out the way it's supposed to and work out in the end.

Thanks go out to everyone who has been there for me through the good times AND the bad. I truly appreciate all of you guys, and your constant support. There's a lot more I have to say, but those truly sappy moments will be saved for a few particular people (heh). And now we return you to your regularly scheduled bog.

Toe-MAY-toe, Toe-MAH-toe ... it's all the same site

First off, I need to tell you guys about an interesting new toy I've found online. Anyone who knows me, knows I love using Google for my searches. Today I was introduced to another search engine called Clusty. Clusty does a damned good job on searches as well ... plus it groups them together into clusters. I'm facinated by the amount of info I pulled from Clusty, and I'll be certainly using it at least as a backup to Google.

So, I'm doing a search on my name in Clusty because ... well, I have an ego to feed ... and I came across something that surprised me. Apparently I have credits listed at Rotten Tomatoes. Check it out here. As of today, they only have twelve of my reviews listed, but I'm surprised to even see that, considering I never submitted the articles to them. Hell, that alone made me start to feel like I've really "made it" ... or I'm at least on my way.

And so, it's back to putting my nose to the grindstone. I've got a review of SmackDown! Vs. RAW that went up on Electric Playground's site over the weekend, and I'm writing a few more reviews for them this week. Also, I'm putting together an interview and a preview for GameSpy. Plus, I'm shooting off a number of letters to various publishers to drum up some more freelance work. All that AND I'm working on Visionary Ink.

Oh, and I decided to get myself into the holiday spirit by pulling out the greatest Christmas CD ever made ... Tales From The Crypt: Have Yourself A Scary Little Christmas. Ahh, nothing like singing along with such classics as "We Wish You'd Bury the Missus" and "Deck The Halls With Parts Of Charlie". Why, it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Either that, or my indigestion is acting up.

EA ... it keeps growing and growing

Hot on the heels of Electronic Arts' exclusive NFL deal comes news that the software publisher is trying to take over some of its biggest competition. According to a recent EA press release, the company recently acquired about 19.9 percent interest in rival publisher/developer UbiSoft Entertainment. The shares of stock were purchased as a block from Talpa Beheer B.V., and is awaiting final antitrust clearance from the U.S. government. The financial terms of the purchase were not disclosed.

What makes this news even more interesting is that UbiSoft has previously reported a stock float of 69 percent. For those who don't follow the stock market, the "float" is the number of shares available for public trading that aren't owned by the company's management. That means that (if the numbers are correct) UbiSoft management owns a solid 21 percent controlling interest in the company. With EA now purchasing 19.9 percent, it (EA) would only need another 1.2 percent to gain controlling interest of UbiSoft. Considering UbiSoft's impressive library of titles, including the Tom Clancy and Prince of Persia titles, it's not surprising to see EA trying to get their hands on the company. It could be only a matter of time before we see Sam Fisher sneaking around in the neighborhood of the Sims.

Look!! Another round of gaming news!!

It's time again for another round of headlines.

• In case you haven't heard, the biggest news lately to shake the gaming community is Electronic Arts' lucrative five year licensing deal with the NFL and the NFL Players Association. The deal, rumoured to have cost EA between $200 and $300 million dollars, gives EA the exclusive rights to use NFL teams, players, and stadiums for the next five years. Basically, this means that if you want to get an actual NFL video game for the next five years, you're choices will be narrowed down to Madden and NFL Street. And people say Microsoft is the master of monopolies.


• In related news, Midway Games seems to be fairly unphased by the EA/NFL deal. In a press release issued today, Midway announced the development of a new unlicensed football game called Blitz: Playmakers. Since the game is not using actual NFL teams, players, etc., Midway is not under the scrutiny of the "family-friendly" NFL executives. This means Blitz will get more violence, more attitude, and even the occasional off-field violence and drug use.

  “Midway's Chicago studio has laid the foundation over the past year for what is the ultimate alternative to watered down NFL sanctioned football games,” said Steve Allison, chief marketing officer of Midway. “No longer bound to the NFL license, there will be no league restrictions on content and gamers will finally experience what makes playing a football videogame really fun: off-field controversies, dirty hits, excessive celebrations and much more. Blitz: Playmakers buyers will be assured of one thing – our game will include all the gameplay and fun the NFL won’t allow."

  The new game is scheduled for a Q4 2005 release.


• Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is undoubtedly the best selling game of the year on the PlayStation 2. Well, Xbox owners won't be left out in the cold for much longer. Take-Two Interactive has announced that the game will be coming to the Xbox and PC sometime in Q2 of 2005. Sorry Gamecube owners. Still no GTA love for you.


• Speaking of the Big N, Nintendo of Japan quietly announced that they will be releasing a special adapter for the Nintendo DS (and the GBA SP) that will allow the unit to play video files (MPEG-4) and audio files (MP3) off of a standard SD card. Undoubtedly, this is designed to compete with the video and audio features in Sony's PSP handheld system.


• Yep, the PSP has officially been released ... in Japan at least. According to published reports, Sony's handheld sold through more than 80 percent of its shipped units on its first day of release. Want one? You can shell out about $500 on eBay for a Japanese unit. Looks like I may have to check the couch for spare change.

Well, there's a lot more news to report on, and I'll be posting more later. Also, be on the lookout for more additions here, as well as a new and more ambitious project coming up called Visionary Ink. Also, one of the things I'll probably be adding here is a shop for Visionary Ink and Stacking the Deck merchandise (ooo ... ahhh).

Stay Tuned

Good things and small packages

So I got my refurbished PS2 Slim in today. I hooked it up and decided to put it through its paces (especially considering that it's NOT a brand new system). Things seem to work great. In fact, the newer model seems to have a faster read time than the older ones did. I'm genuinely impressed with it. Of course now my Xbox looks like a behemoth next to it. If you want an idea on the size, I snapped a shot of the new system and posted it on the moblog. I may post another here later. Right now, it's back to work though.

Later all.

Okay ... so it's been a while

Things have been pretty hectic the past few weeks. I went down to Jacksonville for a few weeks. It was supposed to be no more than two, but circumstances forced me to stay longer. During the trip, I also ended up losing my PS2 and 24 total Xbox games. It's a long story, but suffice it to say, they went the way of the dodo w/ no chance for recovery. So today I ordered a refurbished PS2 from EBGames just so I can have a system to do my work on. Do you know how hard it is to find one NEW around Christmas? Ah well. Que cera cera.

In work news, I've got a few things I'm working on at the moment. For EP, I'm writing up reviews on Smackdown Vs. RAW (PS2), Super Mario 64 DS (DS), and Mr. DRILLER Drill Spirits (DS). Funny thing I learned about Mr. DRILLER. The main character is actually the son of the original Dig Dug. I was an addict when it came to Dig Dug ... and I'm turning into one for Mr. DRILLER. I just wish that Namco had actually tried to make the touch screen on the DS useful. For GameSpy, I'm working on a preview of Super Monkey Ball Deluxe for the Xbox ... though it won't see the light of day until February. Also, I'm working on an interview with Christina Z., former Witchblade writer and current writer of the upcoming BloodRayne comic book. I've known Christina for a few years, and she's a great person and a talented writer. The interview ought to be a lot of fun. I'm also trying to snag an interview with the developers of the new Stubbs the Zombie game coming out using the Halo engine.

In other news, it looks like I'll be relocating again soon. I'll keep you guys posted on the wheres and the whens.

Are two screens better than one?

So, I picked up a Nintendo DS yesterday for work. I've been more than a
little curious about the system. The dual screens are unusual enough,
but the touch screen in particular is an odd twist in gaming. Yeah,
yeah. I know that PDAs use touch screens, but it's nothing like this.
Using the touch screen on the DS really does a lot to bring players
deeper into the game.

I started off playing the Metroid demo packaged with the system. It
took a little bit for me to get the hang of using the touch screen, but
after getting past the slight learning curve, I found the controls to be
a fun new experience. Graphically, the system packs a pretty good punch
too. While the DS is essentially a portable N64, the graphics actually
look a lot more crisp than most of the games I've ever seen on the
classic home system.

So, after playing the demo, I'm really looking forward to the getting
the full game. To tide my over until then though, I picked up a copy of
Super Mario 64 DS. SM64 still ranks as one of the best games of all
time, and this portable version is even better than the original. I
hesitate to call the game a remake simply because there is SO much
changed and added to the game. The most obvious change is the addition
of the 3 other characters: Yoshi, Luigi, and Wario. Each of the
characters has his own set of special moves and abilities, adding a new
aspect of gameplay to the original game. And then there are the
minigames. These cool little additions all add up to make SM64 DS a
rock solid game.

One LONG day

Okay, so the day started with a nine hour drive from Virginia to
Florida. Now, I'm visiting Jack on a job. For those of you unfamiliar
with my friend Jack, he is the definition of a jack of all trades (no
pun intended). He's a PI, DJ, Bouncer, and limo driver. Tonight, he's
in limo mode.

So, we're in the limo driving some people around who've been partying
all night. After a couple of the girls decided they wanted some "extra"
services, Jack and I decided it was best to keep to ourselves. These
people took "party hearty" to a whole new level ... but not in that good
way.

Now, I've finally wound down for the night. I've got some things to
work on this week, including one particularly important situation.
Hopefully everything will work out well. Wish me luck.

Moblog Fun

Okay, so I got my new Sidekick II cell phone today. First off, it's a great damned phone. Beyond all of the ways it helps with my work, it also has a a basic camera built in. You know what that means, right? Moblogging!! For those of you unfamiliar with this latest in online geekdom, "moblog" is short for "mobile blog". It's basically an online scrapbook where people post pictures instead of standard blog entries. Most people use this in conjunction w/ camera phones to capture those oddball moments that come up and to share them with the online community.

Well, if you take a look at the links on the lefthand side of the page, you'll see a new entry topping things off: "Stacking the Deck Moblog". I've also tweaked out the template code, so it SHOULD also post a thumbnail of the most recent picture anytime it goes live on the moblog.

Hey, what can I say? Anything to keep all of you entertained.

Previously on "Stacking the Deck"

Okay ... this is more for me than you guys. I decided to put together a list of link to my various articles current through today. I got tired of having to constantly track down the URLs. Anyway, if you missed any of these before, or just feel nostalgic:

First off, there's my work at GameSpy:

Shaman King: Power of Spirit (PS2)

The Urbz (GBA)

Scaler (Xbox)

Scaler (PS2)

The Incredibles (PS2)

The Incredibles (Xbox)

The Incredibles (GCN)

The Incredibles (GBA)

Outlaw Golf 2 (Xbox)

Colin McRae Rally 2005 (Xbox)

Robotech Invasion (Xbox)

Robotech Invasion (PS2)

Conflict Vietnam (Xbox)

Conflict Vietnam (PS2)

Rocky Legends (PS2)

Dukes of Hazzard: Return of the General Lee (Xbox)

Vietcong: Purple Haze (Xbox)

Monster Hunter (PS2) – preview

Monster Hunter (PS2)

GunGrave Overdose (PS2)

NASCAR 2005 Chase for the Cup (Xbox)

NASCAR 2005 Chase for the Cup (PS2)

A Dog's Life (PS2)

Indy Car Series 2005 (Xbox)

Spyro Orange: The Cortex Conspiracy (GBA)

Crash Bandicoot Purple: Ripto's Rampage (GBA)

McFarlane's Evil Prophecy (PS2)

The Death (Jr.) of the Comic Industry – interview

Comics to Consoles – "Top 10" feature

Comics to Consoles, part 2: When Good Comics Go Bad – "Top 10" feature

Jimmy Palmiotti Talks Up The Punisher – interview

Solid Snake Signs a Book Deal – article

And then there's the work at Electric Playground:

City of Heroes (PC)

Red Dead Revolver (Xbox)

Mario vs. Donkey Kong (GBA)

Transformers (PS2)

X-Men Legends (Xbox)

Spider-Man 2 (Xbox)

Star Wars: Battlefront (Xbox)

Rocky Legends (PS2)

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (PS2)

Mortal Kombat: Deception (Xbox)

There are a lot of other things I've done as well. A couple of pieces for Artxilla's subsite called "Gamexilla", and all my work at Play Magazine. Play doesn't have their articles online though, and I'll get to the Gamexilla stuff later. Also, there's more posted all the time. I've got the Halo 2 and Smackdown vs. Raw reviews for EP, and I've got a couple of reviews and previews waiting to get posted at GameSpy. Like I said though, this is mainly because I got tired of having to track down all the links when it came to sending off writng samples.

Must ... sleep ... now

Okay, obviously the big news of the day is the midnight release of Halo 2. I've got it. I played it. And after some sleep, I'll play it some more. I WANT to play more now, but I REALLY need some sleep. So far though, it has lived up to all the hype.

It's been a rough time with little sleep. I just wrapped up a handful of reviews over the past few days. First off, there's my review of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (PS2) for Electric Playground. Then there are my GameSpy reviews of The Incredibles for the PS2 and GBA. Right now, I'm also working on reviews of The Urbz for the GBA, Halo 2, and Shaman King for the PS2.

Now, having said all that, I promise to post more later .. really. Right now though, the bed is calling to me.

"Exclusive" news and more

There's quite a bit of fun news making waves in the video game industry as of late. Oh, and the "exclusive" news? Well, that tops the list:

• Capcom's not-so-exclusive title. After all the hype built up by Gamecube fans over the impending release of Resident Evil 4, Capcom has just announced that the title will be making an appearance on the PS2. Siting consumer demand and requests from shareholders, Capcom has announced that RE4 will be jumping ship to the PS2 towards the end of 2005. For those of you keeping score, the Gamecube version is scheduled to come out on January 11th. Capcom also said that each version of the game will be tailored to the strengths of each console.
  
  
• All "Halo" breaks loose in Stubbs. If you haven't heard of Wideload Games yet, odds are you will. Wideload is made up of a group of veteran developers, many of whom used to work at Bungie on a little game called Halo. And knowing a good thing when they've worked on it, the guys at Wideload are using the Halo engine in their debut title, Stubbs the Zombie in "Rebel Without a Pulse". According to the press release:
  

  What begins as one zombie's search for revenge quickly escalates into an all-out war between the living and the dead - but this time it's the zombie fighting for truth, justice and the redemption of true love. Yes, it's a love story too.

  The game is due out on Xbox, PC, and Mac summer of next year. And while it's still a ways off, I have to say I'm really looking forward to this game. Check it out for yourself at the game's official website.
  
  
• "Arrggh. Thar be pirates in Nintendo waters!!" Nintendo has begun a serious crackdown on counterfeit systems littering the countryside in shopping malls everywhere. C'mon, you've all seem 'em. Many of these systems are designed to look like N64 controllers, and plug directly into the television loaded with a handful of pirated NES games. Nintendo has started in its home state of Washington, obtaining restraining orders against the import and sale of these fake systems. In response to those orders, authorities will seize any of the counterfeit systems from shopping malls and other retailers in the Washington area.
  
  
• "Let me tell you about the Matrix, Neo." More news on the development of the upcoming Matrix Online video game. Warner Bros. and Sega have annouunced that they have signed many of the stars from the Matrix trilogy to voice their characters in the game. Sorry folks, no Keanu this time around (you DID see the end of Revolutions, right?). However, some of those that WILL be reprising their roles include: Laurence Fishburne (Morpheus), Monica Bellucci (Persephone), Mary Alice (Oracle), Lambert Wilson (The Merovingian), Harold Perrineau Jr. (Link), Harry Lennix (Lock), Nona Gaye (Zee), Collin Chou (Seraph) and Tanveer Atwal (Sati).
  
  
• The New Old Republic. Anyone out there remember a little franchise called Star Wars? I thought you might. Anyway, one of the best video games to ever carry the Star Wars brand was Knights of the Old Republic. Never one to rest on their laurels, the folks at LucasArts have announced that the official site for KOTOR II: The Sith Lords has gone live. The game takes place five years after the events of the first game. And this time around, the choices you make not only determine your path, but the path of those who follow you as well. Check it out for yourself.

More news to comes. Oh ... one more week 'til Halo 2.

I'd buy that for a dollar (or 186 dollars)

Hitting the news wires today is the latest round of info from Sony regarding its PSP gaming device. Sony has announced that the device will launch in Japan on December 12th at a price of 19,800 yen ... or roughly $186.00 US. This launch is only one week after Nintendo is set to launch the Nintendo DS in Japan. There are also plans to release a value pack that will include an things like a Memory Stick, case, headphone set, and more for 24,800 yen ($233.00 US). The device is also reported to have a 4-6 hour battery life when gaming, and 4-5 hour battery life when watching movies. Of course other options could change that (such as screen brightness, wireless LAN, volume, etc.). More than 20 games are also scheduled to be released when the system debuts in Japan. As far as the US goes, no firm launch details have been announced.

And in other news, my review for Robotech Invasion (PS2) went up at GameSpy today. Oddly enough, the Xbox review hasn't posted yet. Strange. Also, I'm looking forward to seeing the reviews I wrote up for Scaler this week.. Anyway, I hate to cut this short, but I've got some cars to jack in San Andreas. Later.

EDIT: The Xbox review of Robotech Invasion did get put over at GameSpy ... it was just late getting posted.

Another day, another round of headlines

Here's what's happening in the world of gaming today:

• "I'm Batman." In a joint press release that hit the wire today from Electronic Arts, Warner Bros., and DC Comics, it was announced that EA is going to be publishing games based on the upcoming Batman Begins film. The game will be released "date and day with the film", and will be released on the PS2, Xbox, GameCube, PSP, and Game Boy Advance. No mention of a Nintendo DS version, but one can assume that's coming as well. What makes this announcement even more interesting is the fact tha EA is ALSO developing a new line of fighting games featuring characters from the Marvel Universe. Hmmm ...


• Laying the Smackdown. THQ and Jakks Pacific have announced that their eagerly awaited SmackDown vs Raw has gone gold. What this means for gamers is that the game, which features online play for the first time, is on track for its scheduled November 2 release date, despite the lingering lawsuit filed last week by the WWE.


• Okay, no big surprise here, but today is the launch date for Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. The game actually appears to be living up to the hype. I've got my copy here now. As soon as I spend some time getting into it, I'll post my thoughts here.


• This has got to be the funniest press release I've seen in a LONG time. With all of the video game leaks that have sprung up recently, inXile Entertainment has decided to use these problems to help promote their upcoming title, The Bard's Tale. Read for yourself:
  

  INXILE ENTERTAINMENT CONSIDERS LEAKING THE BARD'S TALE
  Developer/Publisher of Hotly Anticipated Game Evaluating Following In the Footsteps of Other Triple A Titles By Implementing An Official, Unauthorized Leak
  NEWPORT BEACH, CA (October 22, 2004) - Interactive entertainment developer and publisher inXile entertainment today announced that it is considering some form of leak of The Bard's Tale, its eagerly anticipated action-role playing game (RPG), as a strategic plan to follow a growing trend among Triple A games.
  
  "The Bard's Tale is a highly original game in the same category as a Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, Half-Life 2 and Halo 2 so we feel some sort of leak that sounds similar to what they have experienced may be the next logical step in our launch plans," said Brian Fargo, founder and CEO of inXile entertainment. "Of course we would immediately condemn the leak and make every effort to stop it if we proceed with it."
  
  "In The Bard's Tale, our main character, The Bard, is an opportunist always interested in getting goods at a discounted rate so we feel he would applaud some sort of leak," said Matt Findley, president of inXile entertainment.
  
  It's unclear how the leak will be handled, if implemented. Pirated or unauthorized playable game code would not actually be made available over the internet or otherwise but the full version of the game could be attained by game enthusiasts at major retail outlets as early as October 26th 2004.
  
  For those wishing to help track down any potential thieves of The Bard's Tale, inXile is proactively offering the following advice: If anyone finds information on websites with links to unauthorized downloads, information, scans or videos, please contact us at shamelessmarketing@inxile-entertainment.com.

As always, I'll post more as I hear it.

New game stuff

It's that time again. Time for another round of news and the like from the gaming community. Buckle your seatbelts boys and girls, 'cause here we go:

• Impending Doom. Activision and id Software have announced the development of Doom 3: Resurrection of Evil, the first official expansion pack to Doom 3. It's time to return to Hell once again with new weapons (including the return of the double barreled shotgun), new location, and new characters. Even more importantly, the expansion will expand the the weak multiplayer aspect, doubling the number of possible players to eight.


• THQ Keeps Nickelodeon. THQ and Viacom have announced that their license agreement has been extended through 2010. This gives THQ the publishing right to video games based on all existing and future Nickelodeon properties, including all TV and movie projects. At least this is one license THQ can count on keeping for a while, unlike their other major license ... the WWE.


• 'BC' is DOA. BC, Lionhead Studios' highly anticipated prehistoric action/RPG, has officially been put on hiatus. What makes the announcement even more surprising is that it looked like the game was near completion. No reason was given for the hiatus, but according to Peter Molyneux, Lionhead hopes to revive the project at a later date.


• Make a Date with Everquest II. Sony Online Entertainment announced tha Everquest II finally has a ship date. The game will be released in North America and Europe on November 8 ... putting the game at odds with the Microsoft juggernaut, Halo 2. EQ2 will ship with 3 different versions: CD, DVD, and limited edition DVD. The limited edition will also include bonus in-game items, an art book, CD soundtrack, cloth map, and more.

So there ya go. The latest news that's fit to print. Oh ... in what has to be the fastest turnaround ever on one of my reviews, I turned in a review for Outlaw Golf 2 to GameSpy last nigh, and tonight it's gone live. It's a great golf game, and I think you should definitately give it a shot ... especially for the $20 price tag.

Attack of the dopplegangers!!

This is something that has to rank up there with funny events. Everyone knows that I do work with Electric Playground, right? Well, recently G4 re-aired the 100th episode of EP ... one of many episode featuring the infamous EP Elf. For those of you who don't know, the EP Elf is actually producer Rob Koval in ... well ... an elf costume (hey, I don't make this stuff up). So, while filming in San Diego this year, the comment was made that I apparently resemble Rob quite a bit. In fact, jokes were made about the guys firing Rob and having me become the new EP Elf ... or even the Elf stunt double.

So where am I going with this? Apparently, a longtime friend of mine caught the 100th episode of EP. He called me up afterwards to tell me he thought I was hilarious on the show, but he wondered how in the hell they convinced me to wear the elf costume. This friend of mine who has known me for years thought it was ME in the Elf suit!!

Anyway, I decided to have some fun and post a side-by-side comparison. Decide for yourself how much I resemble the EP Elf. Oh yeah ... I'm the one on the left.

"Call in the stunt double!!" 

Deja vu all over again (and other news)

Okay boys and girls, it's time for another round of the latest videogame news.

• Coming as no surprise to anyone (especially those of you who beat the game), Activision and Raven Software have announced today that they are developing a sequel to their hit game X-Men Legends (sorry Shane).
  
  According to Ron Doornink, CEO of Activision Publishing:
  

  "For 40 years Marvel's X-Men have captivated consumers worldwide and today the brand is stronger than ever," "X-Men Legends is already on track to be the best selling game in the franchise's history."

  And from Ames Kirshen, director of video game development at Marvel:

  "We are thrilled with the critical and consumer response to X-Men Legends. Marvel and Activision are committed to ensuring that the X-Men Legends series will continue to be a top notch game franchise for years to come."



• In an unusual twist of irony, the latest video game to find itself stolen and pirated online is none other than Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. Apparently, there are illegal copies of the game, as well as images from the manual, popping up all around the net. Rockstar has released a statement similar to Bungie's statement after the leak of Halo 2, explaining that investigations are ongoing and asking the gaming community to report any information on websites with links to unauthorized downloads, scans, or video to piracy@rockstargames.com.



• The WWE has decided to lay the Smackdown onto Jakks Pacific and THQ. On Tuesday, the WWE filed a fourteen count lawsuit against Jakks, THQ, Stanley Shenker & Associates, Inc., and Bell Licensing, LLC. The lawsuit claims that when James Bell was the WWE’s Senior Vice President of Licensing and Merchandising, he arranged for Jakks to receive the WWE videogame license, ignoring better offers from both Activision and THQ. In return, Bell allegedly received over $100,000 in bribes. Now before anyone thinks I made a typo by saying a deal from THQ was overlooked, it should be noted that THQ did not partner up with Jakks until AFTER Jakks was awarded the license. In the WWE's lawsuit, there are no claims of direct wrongdoing by THQ, however the WWE is looking to terminate their existing license agreement.
  
  According to Linda McMahon, CEO of the WWE:
  

  “We very much regret having to take this action today, but regret even more the facts and circumstances which have compelled us to do so. WWE’s intellectual property is a valuable asset of the Company, and we believe the actions taken today are necessary to preserve the integrity of our licensing process and essential to ensure that WWE receives appropriate and fair compensation for the grant of a license to use our intellectual property.”

  For its part, THQ released a statement saying in part:
  

  THQ is committed to preserving its rights under the videogame license with the WWE. THQ believes the WWE is pleased with the manner in which THQ has managed their brand in the video game category. As THQ is not directly accused of any wrongdoing in the complaint -- rather the complaint alleges wrongdoing on the part of JAKKS Pacific and others of which THQ was and is unaware -- THQ is not in a position to comment on these allegations. In any event, either there is no basis for terminating the video game license, or THQ expects to be made whole by those whose conduct is eventually found to be unlawful. THQ intends to vigorously protect and pursue its rights, if necessary.
  
  The lawsuit has no effect on games currently scheduled for release, including WWE SmackDown!(TM) vs. Raw(TM), which is scheduled to ship on November 2.

  You can check out the full 73-page court filing here.


• Following in the footsteps of Halo 2's ilovebees.com marketing, Nintendo has launched 2 fake websites, Channel 51 and Orbis Labs, to promote its upcoming Metroid Prime 2: Echoes. The sites will be updated regularly, leading up to the ultimate release of the game on November 15th. The sites are actually pretty cool. Check 'em out.

As always, keep checking back for more news.

A riddle to ponder ...

What's small, round, and expected to bring in more revenue in 24 hours than any single motion picture's opening day box office? Think it over, the answer comes later ... but first:

Well, my reviews of Conflict: Vietnam for the Xbox and PS2 went live on GameSpy last night. Man, I've got to take a minute to thank Ben, my editor on that, for helping to pull it together for me. I reread my initial draft that I had written while going though this bug I had ... and it really needed work. I said what I wanted well enough, but repeated myself in a few places and made more than a couple of spelling errors. Here's my free tip for writers: DON'T try to write with a fever!! It just doesn't work very well. Anyway, Ben helped pull everything together and get the reviews up to snuff.

Now, moving on to my riddle. The answer is Halo 2. That's right. Microsoft has just announced that pre-orders for the game have exceeded 1.5 million units. According to Peter Moore, VP of worldwide publishing and marketing for Xbox:

"'Halo 2' is expected to be the biggest 24 hours for a video game title in retail history and is projected to bring in more revenue than any day one box office blockbuster movie in the United States. We call it the Halo 2 effect. We've even heard rumors of fan anticipation of the 'Halo 2 flu' on November 9."

Many stores will be opening at 12:01a on Tuesday, November 9th to give customers their first opportunity to pick up the long awaited game. For the record, I'll be picking up my copy from EB Games #3067 at Westridge Square in Greensboro, NC. Why should that matter to you? Well, I'm going to be covering the event for the Electric Playground website, as well as writing their first review of the game.

Okay, that's all for now.

News around the 'net

First off, my second review of Rocky Legends went live over the weekend. This one was for the Electric Playground website.

Moving on to the latest news:

• The Consumer Electronics Show has confirmed that Bill Gates will be giving a pre-show keynote address. The speech is scheduled for Wednesday, January 5th at 6:30p at the Las Vegas Hilton. The rumblings from the rumor mill is that Gates is going to use the CES speech to officially announce the Xbox 2 system. This time frame would coincide with rumored plans to actually unveil a playable build of the system at E3 2005.


• Unless you've been living under a rock the past few days, you've probably heard that Halo 2 was leaked to the public last week. It looks like a disc was swiped during manufaturing in Europe. The pirated copy has French speech and English subtitles, and (being unsigned code) will not run on a standard retail Xbox. Obviously, this also means that the game will not run on Xbox Live. Microsoft and Bungie are investigating the theft, and both say that the theft will not affect Halo 2's November 9th release date.


• Game developer Clover Studios has announced that it is currently working on a new version of Viewtiful Joe for the upcoming Nintendo DS system. The game will not take place in "Movie Land" and will introduce "an important new character". There's also interest building in how the game will make use of the DS touch screen. I'll be curious to check this out when it's released.


• After all of the drama, lawsuits, code theft, etc., Vivendi Universal has at last announced that the long awaited Half-Life 2 will be released on November 16th. Now we'll finally get to see whether or not the game proves to be worth the wait.

Sorry it's taken a couple of days to get this started up with news updates. Truth be told, I'm running behind schedule on a few things. Apparently I came down with something over the weekend and it has had me laid up with a high fever. I'm working to get over it, and hopefully I'll be back up to par in a couple of days. I'll be trying to play catch up in the meantime.

Artpunks Weenie Roast

Yesterday I was lucky enough to be invited to the First Annual Artpunks Weenie Roast. This is a a private gathering of comic talent from around the area. The whole shindig was held at Randy Green's house, and included Mike Wieringo, Val Staples, Rick Ketchum, John Wycough, and a whole lot more. Everyone played horseshoes, ate some hot dogs and hamburgers, sat around the fire, and swapped stories. Then everyone moved inside for a few hours of video games. All in all, it was just agood time to be had.

First Annual Artpunks Weeine Roast;

A slight change of direction

I've been giving some thought to how this blog has been progressing since I started it almost six months ago. Since it was started, Stacking the Deck has been a tool of blatent self-promotion. Hey, what can I say? I'm a media whore. So anyway, after giving it some thought, I've decided to ... expand ... things in the blog. In the coming days, you're going to start seeing a lot more material around here. "Like what?" you ask yourself. Okay, maybe you don't ask yourself that, but I'm going to tell you anyway.

Besides continuing to keep everyone posted on what work I'm doing, I'm also going to be adding a few new things. For one, I think its about time I do something a little extra for those of you who frequent the blog. Besides linking to articles I've written elsewhere around the net, I'm going to start writing some articles exclusive to Stacking the Deck. I'm going to start adding more news and information from the video game industry to the blog. And hey, if some other news grabs my interest, it may just pop up here as well.

Some of this is a precursor to the launch of something bigger I have planned, but mostly it's a way for me to cut loose with some more writing while also giving all of you something new to look forward to. Keep checking back and let me know what you think of the progress.

Once more around the track

Another day, another review. This time around GameSpy's got my take on Colin McRae Rally 2005 for the Xbox. Keep in mind, I'm not the biggest racing fan in the world, but I always try to judge games on more on their merits than my personal tastes ... most of the time. Anyway, I was surprised at how good this budget title really was.

I'm still waiting for the Robotech Invasion reviews to go live. As soon as they do, I'll post the links. I'm also trying to wrap up the Conflict Vietnam reviews for GameSpy tonight. If I don't wrap it tonight as planned, I'll get an early start tomorrow morning. I've been so busy with these reviews, I have yet to even take my new copy of BloodRayne 2 out of the plastic wrap. I did get a chance to play the game last night while over at Randy's though. It's a HUGE improvement over the original. I'm really liking the game so far. And for once, its a game I got for myself that has nothing at all to do with work.

Moving right along, looks like some bad news for Microsoft today. If you haven't heard the word, it seems that Halo 2 got leaked to the public. Floating around in the underground internet channels is a French PAL version of the game. According to Microsoft, an investigation is currently underway to find out how the game got leaked, and anyone distributing or downloading the game will be considered guilty of theft.

It's alive!! IT'S ALIVE!!!!

Woo hoo!! Hot damn!! And any other exclamation you want to throw in there for good measure. The Xbox "tweak" is operational. I got everything installed and running ... and surprisingly quick too. What's that mean for you? More reviews ... and FINALLY my thoughts on preview builds as well. Stay tuned for more on that front.

Also, it looks like I'll be doing a piece covering the release of Halo 2. Some EBGames stores are having a midnight sales event for the game. One store I'll be going to try and go all out w/ catering, radio remotes, prizes, and even special guests. I'll let you know more as things develop.

And finally, I always try to give credit to Shane over at Near Mint Heroes every time he promotes my stuff. (Thanks again, Shane) This time around I want to say thanks to Chris Brown over at Chris "Lefty" Brown's Corner. Apparently, he's been keeping up with what I'm up to as well, and he had a few questions to throw my way. I've always said that you guys are more than welcome to drop a line and I'll do my best to get back to you ASAP. Anyway, thanks for the mention on your site, Chris.

One more sign of the apocalypse

So I wrote a review of Robotech Invasion today, for both the Xbox and the PS2. As is usually the case, one version was hands down better than the other. It had sharper more colorful graphics, richer sound, and a solid multiplayer inetrface. Here's where things get all "Twlight Zone"-ish. The better version was the one on the PS2 ... NOT the Xbox!! Just to make sure I wasn't losing my mind, I had Randy and Will (another comic artist up here) watch both versions of the game. Using a system selector, I swapped back and forth between the games. Both of them mistook the PS2 version for the Xbox, with Randy going so far as to say that Microsoft should be pissed at how much better the PS2 version of the game is.

In other news, BloodRayne 2 comes out tomorrow. I played a demo today and while there are still a couple of rough spots, it's a hell of a lot better than the original. I'll be picking it up later and I'll try to post my impressions of the final version here.


And finally, it looks like tomorrow's the day I'll be working on my Xbox. Cross your fingers for me.

More material from yours truly

More reviews went up tonight over at GameSpy. Head on over there to check out my reviews of The Dukes of Hazzard (Xbox) and Rocky Legends (PS2). I've also submitted my review of Colin McRae Rally 2005, so it should be up within the next couple of days. I will go ahead and say that if you're a fan of rally racing, CMR 2005 is definitely the game to pick up.

Also, as a side note, I am still working on some ideas for the eventual debut of my web site. I did some tinkering around with a couple of programs today, and as a result I have a few fun extras I think I'll be throwing in. Stay tuned for more information.

May the Force be with you

First things first. Over at the Electric Playground website, my review of Star Wars Battlefront went live today. I liked the game quite a bit, and I think it's something that Star Wars fans are sure to get a kick out of.

Now, if you check out the EP front page, you'll see that the blub for the review mentions me by name. No, I haven't lost my mind and started referring to myself in the third person. Instead, Vic has brought a former staff member back into the fold as the Online Editor. From now on, he'll be the one responsible for posting the reviews I write. Also, I'm not the only one who will be posting reviews any more. You can look forward to a diversity of opinions there now, as well as (hopefully) a LOT more content.

In other writing news, I wrapped up my reviews of Rocky Legends and The Dukes of Hazzard for GameSpy. As soon as these go live, I'll have the links posted here.

And finally, I want to know ... what you all of YOU like to see on the blog? More reviews? More artwork? More BS-ing around? Give me some feedback in the comments.

More work for the coming week

It's funny how things happen sometimes. Earlier this week, I was getting more than a little frustrated by what felt like a lack of forward progress w/ my writing. Things seemed to dry up all at once. For a little while, I was even beginning to feel like it might not be worth doing the writing thing much longer. But anyone who knows me also knows I'm WAY too stubborn to just stop. Well, lo and behold, today I get a FedEx package from GameSpy with FIVE games to get reviewed this week ... plus I have three reviews I'm working on for EP. Technically, the GameSpy reviews are for three titles (Robotech Invasion, Conflict Vietnam, and Colin McRae Rally 2005), but two of those need reviews for both the Xbox and PS2 versions. And if you're following the titles I'm writing about, the games I'm reviewing for EP are Mortal Kombat: Deception, Leisure Suit Larry: Magna Cum Laude, and Rocky Legends.

Anyway, I'll keep you all posted on new developments as things progress.

More coloring fun

Well, I decided to take some time tonight and color one of the other penciled pieces I got from Randy. I had to clean up the original pencils just a bit, but only because some shading he put into the cheeks was interfereing w/ the coloring. Of course, everything I've been working with was originally sketched without the intention of being colored. Also, I intentionally went light on the shading and lighting effects, as I really liked the cleaner look this piece had. I still added some effects on the clothes and some color to the cheeks though. Personally, I really like the way this ended up ... and it's a great companion piece to the last sketch I posted. Let me know what you guys think.

Original pencils

Color image

Relaxing with a digital canvas.

I decided I needed to unwind some today, so I did a little bit of digital painting. I've got some design artwork that Randy did, and found a couple of them I thought I'd take a stab at. This is the first piece ... done in about an hour and a half. Let me know what you guys think.

Original pencils

Color image