Zero Hour, work, and the fact there's no "i" in WldCard

Well, I'm back from the 360 Zero hour Launch event. It was an adventure, to say the least. By all rights, I should be curled up in a bed still, catching up on some sorely lacking sleep ... but I'm an insomniac by nature. So, how did things go? Here are some highlights:

• The Road Trip to Zero Hour
  Pete and I took off from Vegas about 2:00p (Note: All times are in PST for this, even though I'm an East Coast boy). We figured that would put us getting into Palmdale before 6:00p, and since the event didn't open til 7:00p, we'd be set. Of course, the gods of traffic had other ideas. At two different points on I-15 South, we hit some major traffic due to accidents. Oddly enough, both were cleared away by the time we got to them. In fact, the only proof we had that there WAS an accident was the ambulance that sped down the emergency lane, and the small scattering of glass and such. Once we finally got close to Palmdale (the location of Zero Hour), we were trying to figure out if we were still heading the right direction, when like a sign from above, a bright green beacon shot off in the distance. Zero Hour had just started, and the hangar was lit up in a mass of neon green light. So, like sailors chasing the North Star, we plotted our course and made landfall around 7:15 or so ...
  
  
• Tagged and Released ... Over and Over Again
  One tip for the minds behind Zero Hour ... plan out your access just a little better. I checked into Zero Hour at the Media Check-In area, and was surprised to find out that just fifteen minutes into the show, they had completely run out of Media badges. As a backup plan, they started giving out Crew badges instead. For the most part, this worked out fine ... but there were snags. Mainly, every time there was something set up for attendees, I had to keep explaining that I was press and not part of the event crew. Plus, people kept stopping me to ask where things were taking place and such.
  
  Then there was the problem with occasional security guard who was trying to deny access to the VIP/Press lounge to those of us with Crew badges (after the first night of getting in w/ no problems). I'd even brought one of the guys from Edleman (the PR firm coordinating the event) with me to verify me as press, and they STILL wouldn't let me in. So, Charlie decided to fix that problem real quick by slapping a green VIP wristband on me, giving me full access again. I saw some of the other press guys got fixed up as well, so things seemed to work out and the issues with passes seemed over, right? Not so fast.
  
  Apparently, the standard issue white wristband (general entry), was the key factor in identifying who was eligible to buy a 360 at Zero Hour. VIP's were assumed to have already won one of the consoles. Now, I'd already registered to attend Zero Hour prior to getting on the Press list, so I was still reserved a time to buy a 360 system ... but without that white wristband, I couldn't get to the registers to pay for it. So, it was time for another walk ... talked with Charlie again, and ended up taking off the VIP wristband, checking in outside like I just showed up at the event, got my white wristband, and then had to get ANOTHER writband (orange this time) to allow access to the lounge again.
  
  In an ironic twist, at about 5:00p on Monday, Microsoft announce that it was going to allow EVERYONE to hit the registers and buy a system ... whether you had a white wristband or not. So, I ended up jumping through a lot of unneccessary hoops ... though as they say, it's better to be safe than sorry. Besides, it wasn't just me I was looking out for. Pete had cancelled his 360 pre-order at EBGames because we were supposed to be able to buy the 360 at the show. So if he couldn't get HIS system, he'd have been screwed royally.
  
  
• "Sleep"? What is this "sleep" of which you speak?
  By about 3:00a or so, some areas of Zero Hour looked a lot like Jonestown. Bodies were lying all over the place, as people started to feel the effects of a 29+ hour event. Bean bags were strewn about all as people trying to create makeshift beds. Still, some gamers were toughing it out, as the various gaming stations were generally full throughout the event. The early morning hours weren't quite so crowded, as some of the attendees had obviously decided to bail out to nearby hotels in exchage for a comfortable bed. Me? I toughed it out witha quick 30 minute nap in the lounge. Meanwhile, Pete found himself a couch and crashed for about 3 hours or so. This sleep schedule would come back to haunt us later.
  
  
• The Presentations
  All throughout the event, publishers had presentations going on at the main stage area. For the most part, these were demos of games due out at launch, along with some footage of a few new games. Tecmo ran some DOA 4 tournaments, Activision had some Call of Duty 2 multiplayer action going on, and Rare gave players a chance to win a copy of Perfect Dark Zero by battling it out in Deathmatch.
  
  Microsoft ran some demos showing the advantages of the Xbox Live Gold memberships, and what the 360 can do online, not only as a gaming system, but also as an entertainment device. Microsoft even incorporated some of the new multimedia features into the games. One key feature for those of you out there that like your custom Xbox soundtracks (Shane), the 360 can stream music from your portable audio player or PC straight into the game you're playing. The 360 uses a seperate audio channel for this as well, meaning that your soundtrack doesn't impact the sound effects and voiceovers in the games you're playing. Instead, it simply replaces the music of the game you're playing. So, there's no need to turn down the TV and listen to your tunes ... you can have the best of both worlds. There were also demos run on how to use a Media Center equipped PC, the 360, and your home entertainment center to create a pretty amazing entertainment package.
  
  The biggest highlight of the show had to be the Gears of War demo. I swear that the more and more I see of this game, the more amazed I am. Gears of War is shaping up to be for the 360 what Halo was for the original Xbox. There are really no words that can describe just how damned good this game looks, sounds, and plays ... that's right ... plays. Everything that Epic showed off at Zero Hour for Gears of War was realtime. As Cliffy B said, "No prerendered bullshit." I'm really looking forward to getting my hannds on this one.
  
  
• The Goodies
  What show would be complete without some exclusive goodies for people in attendance. There were Zero Hour hoodies from Adiddas, T-shirts for just about every game at the show, hats, keychains, wristbands, calendars, and more. For Live subscribers, there were exclusive Gamer Profile pictures to use on your account (as you can see here, I'm using one now on my Gamercard), as well as an exclusive Zero Hour Achievement to show off to friends. Also, attendees got to sign up for an exclusive Zero Hour faceplate, which will be sent out to everyone who signed up. As we all know by now, I love the little goodies like this. I even grabbed some stuff to give away as part of the swag bag.
  
  
• The Games
  You didn't think I'd skip THIS part, did you? Besides the demos put on by publishers, Zero Hour had a huge number of gaming stations set up running all of the 360's launch titles, as well as preview builds of some games coming down the pipe. I got to play some Final Fantasy XII on the 360, and it looks like its shaping up nicely. According to the Square-Enix rep at the show, the game still has a few minor bugs to workout, but should be hitting shelves early next year (hopefully by Spring). There was Ninety-Nine Nights. This game plays a lot like Kingdom Under Fire or Dynasty Warriors, with the player taking part in an epic fight on a hugely populated battlefield. On the 360 though, huge batles take on a hole new meaning. Hundreds of characters swarm you on the screen simultaneously as you cut a path through them all. The visuals are quite impressive so far, but even more impressive is that even in this early build, the framerate never once drops. And if killing trolls and such isn't to your liking, how about killing hordes of zombies? Capcom's upcoming 360 title puts the player in the role of a journalist trapped in a town infected by the undead. There's not a lot of thought in this game ... simply you, a weapon, and hundreds upon hundreds of undead to pound into oblivion before they turn you into lunchmeat. It's brutal, it's gory, it's mindless, and it's a hell of a lot of fun. I'm constantly impressed by not only the technical capabilites of the 360, but also in how publishers use it.
  
  
• There's STILL no "i" in WldCard
  It seems like no matter how often people see my nickname, or how many times I tell people, or how many emails or IM's we send back and forth, I'll never make anyone remember that WldCard is spelled with no "i" in my nickname. Hey, it's what sets me apart. For Zero Hour, MS took down the Gamertags of a bunch of gamers and added them to a massive mural it's putting together. I ended up finding my tag written (fairly large as well) on the mural ... but with the damned "i" in the name. What makes it even funnier is that you can see the person who painted it added the "i" after the fact, apparently thinking she had misspelled it the first time ... even though *I* am the one who worte it ... in print. And for those of you who have seen my handwriting, you know that it's easily read and recognized. Oh well, I guess on the upside, that will cut back on the number of unsolicited Friend Requests on Xbox Live.
  
  
• The Units Arrive!!
  After a quick concert by Louis XIV,a clock started counting down from 360 seconds. As soon as the ticker hit Zero, out rolled a motorcade of Best Buys trucks, packed to the brim with 360 units. Pete and I were already in line to pick ours up with Scot Rubin (of All Games Network and formerly of G4). Scot and I were discussing some work stuff during the concert. Once those trucks opened up though, it was all about getting the 360 and getting the hell out of Dodge. I'll give security a lot of credit. They managed to keep everyone from rushing the line and jumping ahead of others (though a few managed to squeak by). The line moved fairly quickly as we all picked up our systems. Pete and I were out the door less than 15 minutes after the line started moving at 9:00p. Technically the even was going to continue on until 12:01a ... but after all we'd already done, we were ready to get out, get back to Pete's place in Vegas, and get some well-earned sleep. So, w/ 360s in hand, we made a beeline for the car, hopped in, and hit the road. Which leads us to ...
  
  
• The Trip FROM Zero Hour
  As happy as we were to see that green hanger lit up in front of us on the way TO zero Hour, Pete and I were at least as happy to see that same building in the rear view mirror leaving FROM Zero Hour. The lack of sleep was racking our bodies. My muscles ached, my eyes burned, and my knee was killing me. I'd already been dealing with jetlag from the flight out, but I'd also done the entirety of the event (the flight out on Saturday, the five hour drive on Sunday, and the 29 hour Zero hour event itself) on a total of five hours' sleep (four on Satuday night and one during Zero Hour). Pete wasn't doing much better either. The directions out of the Palmdale were screwed up, we were tired, and with a four hour trip ahead of us (assuming we didn't run into traffic again) we knew there was no way in hell we'd make it back to Vegas in a straight shot. We alternated driving and made it to the first available rest area, where we crashed for about an hour and a half. Fat lot of good that did ... it only made us more tired. Still Pete tried to tough it out a little further until finally we got to the next rest area and switched off. I managed to take us the rest of the way into Vegas, and gave Pete the wheel to get back to his place.

So today? Today is all about recovery. Once everything settles in, I'll have more to post.

Road trippin'

Well, I'm on my way out to Palmdale as we speak. Out on I-15 South, in the middle of nowhere, and we (Pete and myself) are stuck in traffic. Go figure. Heh.

More to come.

Up for a race?

So I picked up Mario Kart DS today, and I'm itching to put the pedal to the metal. If any of you have the game and feel up to some online action, drop me a line and we'll get the "Friend Roster" thing set up.

Later.

News, news, everywhere ...

... and no time to stop and think. Okay, so I brutally paraphrased the old saying, but only because that's the sentiment of the moment. Things are bonkers this week. Why? Stay tuned to find out. But first, let's hit the news from the industry. Ready? Here we go:

• 2K Games Deciphers The Da Vinci Code
  

  2K Games, a division of Take Two Interactive, announced today that it has signed an exclusive worldwide deal with Sony Pictures to publish and distribute video games based on Sony's upcoming big screen adaptation of The Da Vinci Code. The games are currently in production at the development studio, The Collective.

  
  
• BioWare and Pandemic Join Creative Forces
  

  There's a new powerhouse in the gaming industry today as the announcement came down that development houses BioWare and Pandemic Studios have merged as part of a financial deal with private equity firm Elevation Partners. The deal, valued at more than $300 million, will make the new studio one of the largest and best-funded video-game development studios in the world.

  
  
• ESA Wins Against Michigan Law
  

  The Entertainment Software Association announced yesterday that U.S. District Court Judge George Steeh has granted a preliminary injunction to prevent the implementation of Michigan's Public Act 107, a law designed to make it a criminal offense to sell or rent violent video games to anyone under the age of 17. Under the proposed law, originally set to go into effect on Dec. 1, anyone who knowing sells or rents an "ultra-violent explicit video game harmful to minors" could face fines of $5,000-$40,000 and up to 93 days in prison.

  
  
• Mega Man Set To Blast Onto PSP
  

  Capcom jumped onto the remake bandwagon a couple of months ago when it announced that it was bringing the first Resident Evil game to DS owners in the form of Resident Evil: Deadly Silence. Now Capcom is giving PSP owners a chance to relive some classic memories with the upcoming release of two "new" Mega Man titles, Mega Man Powered Up and Mega Man Maverick Hunter X.

So, now that we've got that out of the way, I guess it's time to update you guys on everything going on with me.

First off, expect some interesting news, photots, and remote posts starting next Sunday. It's official. I'm heading out to cover the Xbox 360 Zero Hour event out in the Mohave. Yeah, I do know the exact location, and no I can't say where just yet. Anyway, the event is a 29-hour party, starting at 7:00p PST on the 20th and ends at 12:01a on the 22nd ... right when the Xbox 360 goes on sale officially around the country.

Also in the world of Dave, I've got a lot more work coming down the pipe. For starters, the Electric Playground website has finally gotten fixed up, making it possible to post articles again. Things have been slow going over there as of late, and my involvement as a result had dropped quite a bit. However, now that the technical issues have been fixed up, my goal is to turn the site around. I've already talked with "TV's Vince Lucas" (sorry Vic ... that one's for Ray), Rob, and the other guys at the EP crew, and as soon as the new permissions are set, I'll be handling a lot of the editorial and posting responsibilities for the site. That means more reviews, more previews, and even a return to the days of full feature articles on the site (oooo ... ahhhh).

So what else is going on? Well, I've been in talks with Dave over at Play Magazine about doing some new stuff for the magazine. If everything comes together, it's not going to be the usual freelance fare either. Until things get set up, I can't say too much, but suffice to say it's one of those things that's been keeping me busy.

Earlier this week, I found a surprise in my normal mix of mail. The folks at Gizmondo sent me one of their new Gizmondo handheld devices. The system has been out in the UK for a few months, and only recently hit US shores in 14 select cities. The full scale release is coming in January. The Gizmondo is a Swiss Army knife of techincal gadgetry. It's a movie player, music player, digital camera, SMS and MMS messenger, GPRS browser (similar to web-capable cell phones), and GPS. There are also plans to include Email capabilites shortly. Oh yeah ... did I mention it plays games too? Look for a full review of the hardware on the EP site soon. I will say though that I've been surprised at how much I actually like the device. You just have to look at it with an open mind, and not immediately compare it to other gaming devices.

There's a lot more going on, but it'll have to wait for a later update.

City of Heroes/Villains Recruitment

Monday marked the official, long awaited release of City of Villains, the sequel/expansion to the popular superhero MMO game City of Heroes. Besides the fun new twist of playing the bad guys, the game also expands on what Supergroups (the guilds of the game) are capable of. So, what does that mean here? It's recruitment time!!

So here's the deal ... I have two Supergroups forming, The Stacked Deck for City of Heroes and Legacy of Evil for City of Villains. If you're interested in signing up for either of these official Stacking the Deck groups, you'll need to create a character on the Freedom server. Once you're there, send an in-game email or tell to either of my main characters, Crimson Thunder (for CoH) and Crimson Plague (for CoV). I'm already in the process of earning Prestige to expand the bases of both groups. Plus, I'm working on a way to incorporate some fun events into both groups, both online and offline.

Drop me a line and let me know if you're interested.

Cracking The (Da Vinci) Code

Courtesy of a press release from Take Two Interactive:

New York, NY – November 2, 2005

2K Games, a publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO), announced today an exclusive worldwide agreement with Sony Pictures Consumer Products to publish and distribute current generation console video games based on the highly-anticipated The Da Vinci Code film by Oscar™ winning director Ron Howard, which is based on Dan Brown’s best-selling novel. The games are being developed by The Collective, a division of Foundation 9 Entertainment and a top developer of action titles. Timed to coincide with the film release date, The Da Vinci Code games are expected to be available in May 2006.

"We are thrilled to work with Sony Pictures on one of its most anticipated film properties," said Christoph Hartmann, Managing Director at 2K Games. "The Da Vinci Code is exactly the type of high-caliber licensed property 2K Games looks for when developing movie-based games."

Charles Cecil, designer of the critically acclaimed title Broken Sword, has joined the development team at The Collective to aid in the game’s design. Revolving around secret societies, ancient cover-ups and calculated vengeance, the gameplay in The Da Vinci Code will feature action-oriented suspense for seasoned gamers and The Da Vinci Code fans alike.

Dan Brown’s critically-acclaimed book “The Da Vinci Code” is the best-selling novel of all time and has spent more than two years on the New York Times best-seller list. It has also been translated into 42 languages. To date, there are more than 38.6 million copies of the novel in print, averaging more than two million copies sold each month.

Wow ... a video game based on The Da Vinci Code. And it's being developed by The Collective? Why does that all seem familiar to me?

A couple of new reviews

Lately I've been waiting until I have a handful of reviews up before I post links, but I decided to make an exception today. Why? Because for all of you who seem to love it when I trash a bad game, then one of these reviews is for you ... and here's a hint, it's NOT the Disney game.

• Chicken Little (PS2, Xbox, GCN)
  
• Conflict: Global Terror (Xbox, PS2)

Enjoy.

New little addition to the blog template

So ... did you happen to notice the new little addition to the site? Yeah, that little card underneath my profile. That's my Xbox Live card, a new feature of the upgraded Xbox Live. Now you can broadcast your info for the world to see. "So David", you ask inquisitively, "why is your info pretty threadbare right now?" Well, that's because the Gamerscore, Reputation, etc. don't officially make their debut until the release of the Xbox 360 next month. So just consider this as me getting a little bit of a head start on things to come.

The latest round of gaming news

Here we go again, courtesy of my work for the folks over at GameSpy. Just click on a headline to read the full news article:

• Microsoft Unveils the Mystery of Hex 168
  

  No, this isn't the plot of a new X-Files motion picture, nor is it the mad ramblings of a crackpot. Actually, it's the latest viral marketing campaign coming out of Microsoft. So what exactly does "Hex 168" mean? For you uber-geeks out there, the hexadecimal code 1-6-8 translates to the binary code of 0001 0110 1000, which (besides being an interesting palindrome) translates from binary code into decimal code as "360". That's right folks. If you haven't guessed it already, the mystery of Hex 168 is all about the Xbox 360. And now that the secret has been exposed, the real fun begins.

  
  
• Dead Or Alive 4 Calls In for Some Halo Support
  

  For weeks now, the rumor mill has been buzzing over the word that Tecmo's upcoming Dead or Alive 4 would be featuring a special guest star added to the fighting fray along with the regular cast of characters. Well, the official word came down on Wednesday as it was announced that the game would be featuring special material straight from Microsoft's best-selling Halo franchise.

  
  
• GameStop and Nintendo Give Dog Owners A Halloween Treat (DS)
  

  Owners of Nintendo's hugely successful pet simulator, Nintendogs, are in for an added treat this Halloween weekend, courtesy of Nintendo and GameStop. Nintendo has announced that it is teaming with the video game retailer to host its Nintendogs Tricks and Treats Weekend, running from Friday, October 28th through Sunday, October 30th. During this time, virtual dog owners will be able to visit their local GameStop store, and walk away with an exclusive in-game item.

  
  
• Electroplankton Gets Exclusive U.S. Debut (DS)
  

  Electroplankton, Nintendo's curiously unique experience for the DS, has been entertaining Japanese gamers for months. Now the company has announced that the game will make its U.S. debut on January 9th. However, if you're a DS owner looking to get your plankton groove on, don't go looking on store shelves for a copy of the game.

As always, comment on what you see and let me know your opinions.

More reviews

Here you go ... more work to look over. Lots of sports this time around.

• Gretzky NHL 06 (PSP)
  
• NBA Live 06 (PSP)
  
• NCAA March Madness 2006 (Xbox, PS2)
  
• Blitz: The League (Xbox, PS2)

Enjoy.

News updates

Hmm ... so you've probably noticed I haven't done many news updates here lately. Wondering why? Well, I'll tell ya. Things have been nuts. More importantly, I've started writing news for GameSpy lately. So what does that mean for the news here? There's a couple of minor tweaks coming.

Here's the deal ... I'll still be posting various news stories here in the normal format. But, since I'm writing news for GameSpy as well, I'm going to also be linking some news articles over to their site. Why? Because I really don't feel like trying to write the same news articles up twice, once for GameSpy and once for here. So, I've gotten the okay from GameSpy to quote snippets of my articles here and link to the full articles over there. I'm going to try this out for a little bit and see how it works out for everyone. And like I said, I'll still include full news articles here as well, just not duplicates of what I'm already writing for GameSpy.

And just so you know what to expect, here's the first round of GameSpy news.

• Nintendo and Waypoint Go Online With McD(S)
  

  It looks like DS owners will soon be getting some Mario Kart or Metroid Prime: Hunters game time with their Happy Meals. According to a statement released Tuesday, Nintendo has partnered up with Internet provider Wayport to bring its Nintendo WiFi Connection service to DS users at more than 6,000 McDonald's restaurants throughout the United States.

  
  
• Game Companies Get Into The Holiday Spirit
  

  The Christmas shopping season is fast approaching, and with it comes the usual round of special deals from meant to entice consumers to choose one product over another. For gamers, that means being on the lookout for a host of new and sometimes fashionable console deals as well.

Let me know your thoughts.

Catching up on the reviews

It's been a little bit since I've posted links to some of my reviews at GameSpy, so this should get you up to date:

• Zatch Bell: Electric Arena (GBA) preview
  
• Capcom Classics Collection Vol. 1 (PS2)
  
• Operation Flashpoint Elite (Xbox) preview
  
• Marvel Nemesis: Rise of the Imperfects (PSP)
  
• DOOM 3: Resurrection of Evil (Xbox)

Check everything out and let me know your thoughts.

Another round of news ...

It's long past due, but yet again here I am with some recent happening in the video game industry. Check it all out and let me know your thoughts.

• EA & Spielberg Phone Home
  
  Electronic Arts announced on Friday that it has signed a new long term development deal with Hollywood mastermind Steven Spielberg. According to EA, the deal calls for Spielberg to collaborate on site with EA's Los Angeles Studio (EALA) to develop three new original franchise properties. Spielberg will work directly with EA's development teams on the concepts, designs, stories, and artistic visions of the new games. Meanwhile, EA will own the intellectual properties, as well as handle the publishing and distribution of the new titles.
  
  For his part, Spielberg stated:
  

  "I have been playing EA games for years and have watched them master the interactive format. Having watched the game industry grow from a niche into a major creative force in entertainment, I have a great deal of respect for EA's understanding of the interactive format. I'm looking forward to working closely with the team in Los Angeles."

  The financial details of the deal weren't disclosed, but it's a safe bet that EA shelled out more than a couple of bucks for Spielberg's expertise.
  
  
• Video Killied the iPod Star
  
  Last week, the Apple sent the press a cryptic email stating "Just one more thing." Well, Steve Jobs finally officially announced one of his company's worst kept secrets, the new iPod Video. The new iPod boasts a 2.5-inch, 320 x 240 pixel TFT display, 20 hour battery life, and up to 150 hours of video storage capability. Apple also took the opportunity to announce a new deal with ABC which will allow iTunes users to buy episodes of hit ABC television series Lost and Desperate Housewives the day after they initially air on the network.
  
  Now, the announcement of the iPod's new video capability is interesting for a couple of reasons. First off, Apple seems to be shooting itself in the foot by bringing this new iPod to the market hot on the heels of its iPod Nano. The new iPod could seriously cut into the iPod Nano's sales. Of course, it may also help to alleviate some retailer frustration, as the Nano's demand seemed to be severely outweighing its supply.
  
  Another gaming related spin on the iPod announcement relates to Sony's PSP. iTunes has already established itself as the jukebox software of choice for many MP3 owners, and now Apple will be releasing videos through the service. Meanwhile, over at Sony, the PSP has been seeing more and more success based on its multimedia capabilities. Though the PSP's library of games has been light until recently, sales of UMD movies have been through the roof. In Japan, Sony has started up an online service which allows PSP owners to download videos straight to their PSPs via an online WiFi connection. The service has seen a pretty favorable public response, and is now in the early stages of development here in the States.
  
  Can Sony's service carve out a niche for itself out of the large iTunes consumer base? Will consumers be content to watch video on the iPod's 2.5-inch, 320 x 240 display? Or would they rather go the route of the PSP's 4.3 inch (16:9 ratio) 480 x 272 display? These questions, and many more, will be answered in the next installment of "As The Video Turns".
  
  
• And Speaking of the PSP
  
  Sony quietly released the latest firmware update for the PSP this week, bringing the system up to version 2.50. The new update adds a few new features, including the ability to update the time and date via the internet, support for playback of copy-protected video, the ability to save information entered into online forms, and other minor tweaks to the interface. One potentially sizeable update is the addition of Sony's LocationFree Player software to the PSP. This mean that if you own a LocationFree base station, you can use the PSP as a wireless television. Okay, so many of us may not yet own the $200+ base station required to actually USE this feature, it still shows that Sony is really pushing the PSP as true portable entertainment device.
  
  
• "The Beginning Is Nigh"
  
  Oh look ... yet another cryptic "viral marketing" campaign. *sigh*
  
  Earlier this week, unusual photos began appearing in various Xbox themed online forums from a mysterious poster under the name "Lutz". These pictures, supposedly taken in various location around the United States, feature a circular design containing the Roman Numerals 1, 6, and 8. Immediately, fans began to wonder if this might mark the first rumblings of Halo 3 for the Xbox 360 ... with some even assuming that the numbers represented a release date of 8/1/06.
  
  So far, there's no word on what the symbols actually mean, but the website HEX 168 purports to be a tabloid-like "Lutz World Report" written by the mysterious Jason Q. Lutz. In it, Lutz maintains that he "cannot track down and document the mounting evidence of the power of Hex 168" and that soon he "will enlist the help of the truly committed, bring them together to witness the New Beginning before the rest of the world, and reward them with a physical manifistation of the power of Hex 168." The site also features a countdown clock which will run out on Tuesday, November 18th at 3pm EST (12pm Noon PST).
  
  On an interesting uber-geek note, the hexadecimal code 1-6-8 translates to the binary code of 0001 0110 1000, which (besides being an interesting palindrome) translates from binary code into decimal code as "360". A couple of math savvy posters threw this info out there, and yes ... I DID take the time to double check behind them before reporting it. So, is this a hint at something big coming for the Xbox 360? Who knows? I guess we'll all find out more on Tuesday.
  
  Here are copies of some of the pictures showing up online:
  
  
  
  
  
  

And on a final note (for now), I usually don't simply post press releases when I get them sent to me, but this is one time I'll make an exception because I think it's a good cause:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Games Needed For Kids Wish Network's Hospital Programs

Donations of Teen Titles Make Big Difference for Kids Suffering from Chronic Illness

OLDSMAR, FL – October 14, 2005 - Kids Wish Network, a nationally recognized charity dedicated to infusing hope, creating happy memories, and improving the quality of life for children suffering with life-threatening illnesses, needs video game donations for their in-hospital support programs for kids with chronic illnesses. The charity is currently experiencing a critical shortage of much needed items for their hospital gift-giving programs and is hoping that you can assist them in continuing their mission of bringing joy to children in need.

At this time, Kids Wish Network is seeking games and entertainment items for children ages 3-18, but particularly for those in their teens, more specifically ages 13-18. Unfortunately the needs of older children are often overlooked, and the hospital can be just as frightening and stressful at 18 as it can be at eight! Items for this age group are difficult to secure, and Kids Wish Network's Distribution Center is running seriously low on their teen-oriented inventory. Your generous contribution is desperately needed to help fill our giving event teen gift bags!

In addition to granting the wishes of children suffering with life-threatening illnesses, Kids Wish Network brings gifts, entertainment, special guests, and a much-needed break from medical treatment to hospitalized children all across the country through its Holiday of HopeTM gift-giving program. During these events, Kids Wish Network staff and volunteers also distribute age appropriate gift bags full of toys and other treasures to the young patients and their often-forgotten siblings.

A new toy or game can quickly dry the eyes of a frightened child and distract them from stinging needles, scary machines and the loneliness of being in a strange place. Pediatric doctors and nurses all agree that sometimes a smile can be the very best medicine.

"Most of our patients are medically indigent, with very limited resources," said Martha Benzor, Volunteer Coordinator at LAC+USC Women's & Children's Hospital in Los Angeles of the Kids Wish Network Holiday of HopeTM held at their hospital. "The wonderful toys they received helped enlighten their lives!"

The entertainment items and toys that we receive are never sold or distributed to other organizations. There is no middleman; they are given directly to the children.

HOW TO DONATE:
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Spoilers and such

Remember how you felt when someone ruined the ending of a really cool (or even not so cool) movie? Like when your friends blabbed that Darth Vader was Luke's father? Or that Bruce Willis was really dead in The Sixth Sense? Or that the boat in Titanic actually sinks? (Okay, so the last one was a gimme). Well now, thanks to entertainment trade magazine Variety and the Sci-Fi Channel's website, you can relive that feeling in the world of video games.

As everyone should know, I cruise all sorts of places to get my information on video games. That includes press releases, news sources, interviews, etc. And then there are those times I just stumble across stuff. This is one of those "stumbling" moments.

There ... with that out of the way, here's what happened. I was checking out some interesting news bits on the Sci-Fi. One of these mentioned (by way of an article in Variety) that Warner Bros. is developing a film titled Species X. This movie centers around a detective investigating a series of murders. Over the course of the investigation, he is thrown into the middle of a battle between good and evil alien forces, and that in fact, he may not be a human himself. So far, it sounds like your standard scifi fare, right? Nothing to get gamers cranky just yet, right?

Okay folks, it's time for the obligatory:

** SPOILER WARNING **
Tha article went on to mention that Warner Bros. "will simultaneously develop videogame 'The Condemned: Criminal Origins' based on the concept". The thing is, promotions for the game itself (a launch title for the Xbox 360) have not given this key little plot twist away. In fact, every piece of info about the game has alluded to this being a "normal" story, with an FBI agent facing off against a collection of serial killers in a race to clear his name. In fact, even when devloping promo materials for the game, artists were emphatically told that the game had no ghost, no supernatural elements, etc., and that the hero was fighting off just a bunch of deranged humans. Now, thanks to the movie announcement, the cat is out of the bag And apparently serial killers will no longer cry out "The Devil made me do it" ... instead it'll be those damned little green men.

I'm curious to see how long it takes for other gaming sites to pick up on this little tidbit of info.

Big things in small packages

Let me start off by saying that I have a Nintendo DS, which has slowly become the handheld of choice for me. When the DS first came out, nobody seemed to be doing anything impressive with the dual screened system. But now, games like Jump Super Stars, Mario Kart DS, Kirby: Canvas Curse, and Meteos are proving that Nintendo is still the reigning king of the handheld industry. Another key selling point for the DS has been its ability to play Game Boy Advance games. Having said that, you'd think that there's really no reason for me to pick up Nintendo's new Game Boy Micro system. What can I say? I'm a slave to marketing.

So yeah, I picked up a Game Boy Micro today. I could try to justify it to everyone by saying things like "The DS can't use a Link Cable", or "I need to be able to review the new system." ... but that would just be me making excuses. The truth of the matter is, I just think it's pretty damned cool. It's like the iPod Nano ... if you HAVE an iPod already, what purpose does the Nano serve for you? Even so, it's just something really frikkin' cool and you just wanna have it. Well, the Game Boy Micro was MY iPod Nano. Oh, and the Micro DOES do more for GBA games than the DS can. Specifically, the system supports multiplayer games via a Link Cable or Wireless Adapter. Also, I do like the idea of the interchangable faceplates. I'd be willing to bet that it's only a matter of time before companies start offering up promotional collectors edition faceplates marketing their hottest games.

The early buzz about the Micro seems to indicate it's going to be yet another success for Nintendo. Truth be told, so long as companies continue to support Nintendo and the little system that could, the Game Boy line will likely continue to thrive for the foreseeable future. And in the meantime? I'll be kicking back with my cool new fashion accessory ... umm .. for work pruposes of course.

Later.

Reviews for the week

I'd have had these up earlier, but Blogger was down for a while last night and today. So, without further ado ... here's what I wrote up this week so far over at GameSpy:

• Virtua Tennis (PSP) Preview
  
• The Suffering: Ties That Bind (PS2/Xbox)
  
• S.L.A.I. (PS2)

Okay ... y'know, I had a lot more to say. Really I did. But since Blogger went down, I couldn't put it all up when it was fresh in my mind. Anyway, I'll come back it it later.

Until then ... ciao all.

The greatest DS game you'll never play

Tokyo Game Show has come and gone, but the meories will last forever ... or at least until next year's show. That having been said, I got a nice little care package from Phil Theobald over at GameSpy. It had all sorts of fun little goodies he picked up while in Japan. And in buried amongst the mix of other fun stuff, Phil had managed to find me a copy of the Nintendo DS game Jump Super Stars. And now I'm hooked ...

If you've never heard of Jump Super Stars, it's basically a Super Smash Bros. styled fighting game designed specifically for the DS. Instead of having a bunch of Nintendo characters battling it out though, Nintendo picked up the rights to use the huge library of characters from the popular manga magazine Shonen Jump. This includes characters from Yu-Gi-Oh!, One Piece, Naruto, Dragon Ball Z, Shaman King, and many other popular manga titles. Players pit their own custom team of characters characters against opposing teams in wild survival of the fittest matches. It successfully combines the most addictive qualities of fighting games and collectible card games. The game even supports Wi-Fi play for 2-4 players off of a single card.

Jump Super Stars is an amazing game ... easily one of, if not THE best game to ever hit Nintendo's dual screened handheld. The controls are easy to pick up, the game has a huge amount of depth, and it's simply a hell of a lot of fun to play. These's just one hitch ... the game will likely never see the light of day stateside. Due to licensing issues for all of the different characters (Atari has the rights to DBZ, Bandai controls One Piece, Konami has Yu-Gi-Oh! ... etc.), there's just no feesible way for Nintendo to get the rights to publish the game over here.

So what does this mean for DS owners anxious to experience the game? Well, you'll have to check with a video game importer or talk to someone in Japan to try and get yourself a copy. The game runs fine on a DS system from the US, but keep in mind that the game IS a Japanese title. This means that all of the menus, instructions, and other text from the game is all in Japanese. And unlike some Japanese games, there is no option to change the language to English. The gameplay is simple enough to overcome any sort of language barrier you come up against in battles, and the only real problem will come in figuring out what the goals are for each of the stages in the Adventure mode. Luckily, there are plenty of resources online that provide English language guides for Jump Super Stars.

If it ends up that Nintendo can't wrangle up some sort of agreement to bring Jump Super Stars to the US, it's definitely a game you might want to think about importing. Also, I'd hope that Nintendo doesn't just abandon the great engine that it developed for Jump Super Stars. There's no reason that the company couldn't take the same mechanics presented here, and incorporate them into a new Super Smash Bros. game for the DS.

I guess we'll all just have to wait and see.

Word Verification

Just a quick note. I turned on the Blogger Word Verification feature for Comments today. All it means is you guys will have to type in a fun little jibberish code when you post a comment. I didn't want to do it, but there's a ridiculous number of bots adding comments as soon as I put up a new post.

A soapbox moment on "Respect"

It's been a hell of a weekend for me. I've learned a few things and am re-evaluating a couple of them. Generally speaking though, for all my talk of not being jaded about people as a whole ... I've realized that over time things can wear down even the best of us.

I've always considered all of you friends ... it's just the type of person I am. Yes, I'm a smart ass. Yes, I've got my geeky quirks ... hell, I write about video games for a living and I'm close friends with a lot of people in the comic industry. I epitomize the term "fanboy" in a lot of way ways. And most importantly, I'm a pretty damned good guy ta boot.

Here's the rub ... I know I'm not perfect. Far from it. I don't expect everyone to like me. There are plenty of people who don't (though I'm so damned adorable it's hard to figure out why they don't). What I DO expect from people, however, it some modicum of respect. I am honest and upfront with people ... and whether I like you or not, I have enough respect for you to treat you as a person regardless of my personal feelings ... though I will still be honest with you about those feelings.

Oddly enough, it's like when I review a video game. I don't expect everyone to agree or disagree with me, to like or hate my review ... but I simply expect people to have enough respect for me as a person to read it thoroughly, think it over, and eventually accept it as my opinion on the matter. In return, I always give the utmost respect to my readers as a whole, will always explain my reasoning in a review in an honest and forthright manner, and continue to give the best I can. And if you do agree or disagree, I'm always available to discuss things. For me, what most people consider a "common courtesy" is not only becoming less than common, but is more about a sense of genuine respect for a fellow person than a real "courtesy".

Okay ... I'm stepping off my soapbox now.

"Evil fears the badge"

So, how many of you out there have checked out Darkwatch for either the Xbox or PS2? If you missed it the first time around, you can check out my GameSpy review of the game over here.

As you can tell from my review, I've become a HUGE fan of the game. And not just for the game itself, but for the rich universe that High Moon Studios has developed. So I've got a couple of questions for you guys. First off, how important do you guys think the story is to a game? And second, for those of you familiar with Darkwatch, what do you think of the game? Tell me your thoughts ...