First Thoughts

I have deep emotional attachments to a few game franchises. This means I get misty eyed and giddy when I get a new one in the series. 'Gran Turismo,' 'WipeOut,' 'Burnout,' 'Lumines,' and 'Need for Speed' are a few of my most cherished titles. 'Nights' and 'Christmas Nights' were up there too. I actually just watch the 'Christmas Nights' video clips on YouTube and I get all goose-bumpy. Dorky, I know.

I got the new 'Nights: Journey of Dreams' game for the Wii a couple of days ago and it provides the same euphoric rush that the originals had. It's not a game for everyone, but I think fans of the originals will love it.

The graphics are crazy day-glo, the characters are hyper cute, the cut scenes are un-skip-able and the controls take a little bit of time to get used to; but I love the game.

Unlike the original game on the Sega Saturn, there is no analog controller that comes in the package. Instead, you can use the nun-chuck, the Wii-mote or the retro controller thingy with the cord. Each provides a different experience.

I was reluctant to use the Wii-mote, but it's not as difficult as I had been reading. Actually, it's somewhat natural to use it the way you do in the game. Guiding a flying whachamacallit-faerie with the wave of a hand is kinda cool.

The flying parts of the title are still gaming magic. 'Nights' is kind of like a racer on rails but it's up in the air and with bad guys attacking. The levels have more things to do and more going on than the original Saturn offerings; but somehow it all feels very familiar.

One of my favorite things in the Wii 'Nights' is that all the original sound effects are present from the 10-year old initial offering... it's really weird to hear them and have them trigger happy thoughts of the past. It's like the countdown in 'Gran Turismo' or the mine-dropping sound in 'WipeOut;' it's just locked in my subconscious memory.

I have a few gripes so far. You can't skip some of the irritating cut scenes or the obnoxious training levels. And some parts of the game actually have you walking 2 inches forward before you encounter another cut scene or load screen. It's really weird game design.

My biggest complaint is Night's voice. He's the blue-sprite-thing that "assimilates" with your character and flies around Nightopia. He sounds like a 30 year old lady from England. I don't have a problem with said ladies, but I have a problem with their voice coming out of a beloved character that I always assumed would have a male voice. Actually, I kind of liked the idea of Night being mysterious and silent like he was in the '90's.

The fun of the game outweighs the complaints. The flying, looping and gathering is almost cathartic and relaxing... and I remember that was a feeling associated with the original game, too. Hopefully old fans of the first 'Nights' will find the same enjoyment with this game as I do and I hope its success leads more games in the future. I'm already determined to get my hands on the PS2 remake of the original two titles... more to come on that.

Hands down, one of my favorite games of the year is 'Puzzle Quest' on Xbox Live. I've spent hours and hours with this puzzler... one weekend, I wasted an entire Saturday playing. I never do that, but it's that good.

I'm totally late to the 'PQ' scene. I'd read a gajillion blog posts praising the title, but the RPG mentions kept me from trying it. I'm not a big RPG fan.

Thank goodness, I got over my stubborn self and gave the game a try. You know the rest: here's my first explanation of 'PQ' and reaction to the game.

A couple of weeks ago I received the press release announcing the Nintendo Wii version of the game; and I politely begged the publicist at D3 to send a review copy. She did, and I played all weekend.

I won't go deeply into the rules of the game. I've explained those to death on here. To simply sum it up: it's a turn based RPG with the battles taking place on an easy-to-understand, but very deep, puzzle board. Like most RPG's, there are spells, power-ups and tons of evil baddies to defeat. It's an RPG for RPG haters (like me).

What I want to do, now, is point out the main features (and my opinions) of the Wii version of 'Puzzle Quest,' in bullet-list form:

• First, the most important part: the gameplay. It plays essentially the same as the Xbox Live, PSP and DS versions of the game. That is to say, it's fantastic... my favortite puzzle game in years.

• The mechanics of the gameplay on the Wii? Not so fantastic. You can use the Wii-mote alone or you can add the Nun-chuck for quicker navigation. Either way, you have to point the Wii-mote at the screen to control the puzzle board. This method requires too much precision and lends itself to making stupid mistakes. After about a half-hour, my arms were aching and I was holding the controller with two hands. I would have preferred to just turn the Wii-mote sideways and play the game like a traditional puzzler or VC title. The Nun-chuck addition makes navigating faster, but overly complicated.

Oh, one good thing, the vibration in the controller when you connect skulls or cast a spell is awesome. It almost jars your sleepy hand awake.

• I didn't expect the Wii 'Puzzle Quest' graphics to look as good as the Xbox Live version, but I never expected them to look as rough as they do. Everything has a jaggy old-school look to it, making it seem like this game belongs on the Super NES (Maybe this should have been a VC title for download?) rather than the Wii.

Compared to other versions, the main playing board is squeezed into the middle of the screen and the counters and spells are widened on the side. I'm not sure why. If this is your only version of the game, you'd never bring this into question, but the difference was very pronounced for me.

• The sound effects are great... I love the clinking of the falling gems; but there's a problem with the music. The music on the Xbox Live version is one of my favorite game scores, ever. It has a cinematic feel that wouldn't seem out of place in a big blockbuster movie. The Wii version has the same great music, it just seems to jarringly silence itself without fading out. There's no gentle transition from tune to tune, just music slamming into a wall of silence. It's kind of sloppy.

So, even though I was a little frustrated by a few aspects of this iteration of 'Puzzle Quest,' I still couldn't stop playing. The gameplay is still crazy addictive and is the true draw for this title.

If you have access to other consoles, I'm not sure the Wii version would be your best choice; but if you only have a Wii, there is no better puzzle game. Just work on your arm strength before playing.

• 'Ratchet and Clank Future, Tools of Destruction' - This game is so perfectly polished and so much fun, it should really be the PS3 showcase title for 2007. Easily one of the best PS3 games of the year.

• 'Uncharted: Drake's Fortune' - It's 'Tomb Raider' with a dude. It looks great, plays great and has a pretty interesting story. It's the first game I've played, in a long time, that feels like a movie (that's not based on a movie). Oh, and it's a PS3 exclusive.

• 'Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles' - I was reluctant to pick this up, but post-black-friday sales made this so affordable, I couldn't resist. It's very cool. 'UC' plays like an on-rails 'House of the Dead' clone but with former 'RE' characters and settings. It's completely scary, fast and fun. I'm more impressed with this Wii game than any other for the system this year. Lots of disembodied thumbs up!

Marc set up 'Rock Band' in the TXCN studio to film, quite possibly, some of the most disturbing footage imaginable.

Enjoy the debut of "Marc III"... it may be the last thing you ever watch:

Former-intern Tim and I played some Weezer and Rolling Stones. We rocked, even on Medium (stop giggling).

I love the drums!

Man, I can't wait to play Horse Life!!! Hopefully it has that new M.A.N.U.R.E. interface we've been reading about on all the blogs!

I'm not even done with my GH III review yet and now this shows up! Gonna be a busy weekend!
First thoughts over the weekend. Come back and check it out.

I can't express how great 'CoD4' is on my Xbox 360. I thought the multiplayer beta was pretty cool, but the final product is mind-blowing.

I'm only a couple of hours into the single player mode and my jaw has hit the floor several times. The amount of detail and graphic quality is unsurpassed... this game is a monster.

Even the real-time cut scenes are astounding and many offer some minor interactivity. Most are cool enough to keep you from wanting to skip forward.

I love the modern war-time settings... today's weapons are so much cooler than WWII stuff; but if you ever wanted an anti-recruiting tool, this is it. War has never been presented in a such a shocking realistic way. And by "shocking," I mean pretty dang scary. Some of the stuff presented in 'CoD4' is quite disturbing.

Already I've chalked up several scenes in the game as some of the best things I've seen this year. I can't put my finger on why I found it so memorable, but near the beginning of the post-title mission, your character walks along a hilltop road with rocket launchers' smoke trails emerging from the valley... it's so cinematic... and creepy... and perfect. It's like "Close Encounters" meets "Starship Troopers" meets "Saving Private Ryan." Does that make sense?

I knew this was gonna happen, but I kind of forgot. Best Buy stores around the country have set up 'Rock Band' demos to get everyone excited about the impending massive release of the game in the next few weeks.

Here are my thoughts about the game in a bulleted list:

• The drums are awesome. Well, the playing part is awesome (more on this later). I was wondering if the hi-hat was going to come into play... and it does, it feels pretty real. Actually it's more real than any guitar game.
• I felt completely ridiculous playing the drums in front of a crowd of onlookers.
• The songs were really fun, I love drumming for the Hives.
• The guitar looks really cool. The buttons are at the top of the neck and also a double set at the bottom (so you can pretend to do solos... uh, that's so cheesy).
• The guitar feels a little too plasticy... but so do the 'GH' guitars.
• The timing seemed way different from 'GHIII' or the guitar might not have been synced properly, either way, I could barely make it through a song.
• You're gonna have to get another guitar for bass parts (which are not as exciting as guitar parts).
• The weird breaking-glass effect (on the on-screen note indicators) when you hit a note is kind of cool and satisfying.
• The microphone is smaller that I thought it would be, but substantial for most hands.
• There were wires EVERYWHERE! This set-up is a living room nightmare.
• After two days of drumming (not by me, but customers in the Best Buy) the drum set was war-torn dented and scratched. The d-pad didn't seem to working either... looks like it had been smashed with the drum sticks. I could still navigate on-screen menus with the drums, though.
• I can't wait to play the drums in the privacy of my home!

I love my wireless guitar controller thingy. It makes 'GHIII' so much better.

I was jumping around on the furniture and playing from across the room... just because I could.

I feel sorry for wired guitars. They go back into the box... and then: maybe eBay.

I'm no "guitar hero" myself, I actually suck at the game, but 'GHIII' is a blast. The songs are way-fun and the encores and boss-battle are a nice addition. My fingers are bleeding though... I get too caught up in the game to relax so I put a lot of pressure on the buttons and strum-bar.

Thank goodness the timing was improved from using my old Explorer Controller with the demo version of the game. I think the new game is actually easier than 'GHII;' I was cranking our 200-note combos with ease. Then I'd get all worried about messing up and I would mess up. The darn pop-up progress messages actually freak me out and I totally lose concentration.

I'm interested to see how the 'GH' nerds Marc and Melcolm like the game.
Marc Comment: Did he just call me a GH nerd? I prefer GH Enthusiast! TXG review coming soon!

Oh yeah, I hate Tom Morello. Not personally... just in the game.

I was trying to suffer through the 'Guitar Hero III' demo, on the 360, using my old 'GHII' guitar. It seems like I couldn't properly hit any notes.

Strangely at the end of each game I was receiving 97% scores, but I was still hearing the clunky missed-note sounds.

I thought maybe something was wrong with the guitar, so I went through the tutorial... no problem at all. I popped in 'GHII,' and no problem at all. But back to the demo game... I can't seem to hit a good note.

punchbutton! guest-poster Melcolm also had this problem.

What's up? Is the timing really that different in the new game? Is it the guitar?

Marc's played it... what does he think?

I get a little frustrated with the PlayStations store's launching of paid content minus the free trials. I want to know what a game is like before I invest my $5-to-$15.

This weekend I took a leap of faith and purchased "Everyday Shooter" based on pre-release hype alone.

I'm glad I did.

'ES' is one of those games that destroys your expectations. From the get-go everything is so understated. The menu is completely utilitarian... to the point of it being comical. There's no flashy intros, no over-designed junk, no space giraffes, just simple text to help you start your game. And what a game it is.

You play as a square. Really. You're a square that shoots in all directions... kind of like 'Geometry Wars'... kind of like 'Asteroids.' Enemies trace across the screen in seemingly random fashion, and you begin take them out. Sounds like every other arcade shooter, huh?

But here's where it gets good: there's some groovy music playing in the background and I soon noticed that shooting the bad guys adds to the music... with guitar chords, riffs and what not. It reminded me of Sega's brilliant 'Rez' on the PS2. The improvised music score is very cool indeed; it's like half game, half musical instrument.

The graphics are hypnotic. They seem ultra-simple at first, but become more artistic and strange as the levels deepen. It's amazing how cool simple graphics can be.

But, the best part of 'Everyday Shooter' is the gameplay. Not content with straight-forward rules, this shooter make you watch closely to discover how to ultimately cause enemy-destroying chain reactions. It's different for each level, so you have to pay attention if you want to rack up points. Seriously, you can't earn a lot of points until you learn how each particular level operates. Very neat.

And once you've earned enough points, you can use them to buy stuff when the game ends. The in-game store offers extra lives, different graphic styles and numerous gameplay enhancements. So, in addition to a cool game, there's increased motivation to keep playing... you want to unlock everything!

I commend Sony for taking a chance on 'Everyday Shooter,' it's a marvelous addition to the PlayStation store. It's already also one of my favorite games of the year. A wonderful return on investment!

I hate RPG's. I hate games with overly complicated story-lines. I hate medieval, renaissance-fair, stuff. But, I love puzzle games.

I saw 'Puzzle Quest' on Xbox Live this weekend and reluctantly downloaded the trial... because it's free. I achingly plodded through the eighty gajillion text screens and twenty minutes later... I'm so hooked, it's not even funny! Thankfully you can buy the full version and not lose your progress from the trial.

I've been reading glowing reviews for 'PQ' for the last few months, but the "RPG" mentions kept me from tracking it down. Wow, was I misguided. This game is spectacular.

It's a simple puzzle game with a 'Bejeweled'-esque style of gameplay. The "twist" is that each color-match you make adds to the levels of your character's powers. You use your powers to cast spells and battle against an opponent that is taking turns on the same puzzle grid. You can add skills, weapons and accessories to you character too... that's the RPG part. Even better, the enemy can be the game's AI or a real person via the Live interface.

I'm probably not explaining it well, but to sum it up: it's a turn based PRG with puzzle battles. And it rocks.

'Puzzle Quest' quickly wiped out much of my weekend. If RPG's could be half as engaging as this, I would be such a dork... because I would never stop playing 'em. And, I might even go to a renaissance fair.

Activision let this one sneak in under the radar: 'Soldier of Fortune: Payback.'
It hits stores for the 360 and PS3 just in time for the holidays (November 13). And in keeping with the holiday spirit, 'SoF' is quite possibly the goriest and grossest games I've seen in a while.

I can't wait. It looks awful! Uh, that's "awful" in a good way.

Kotaku's got the VERY R-rated trailer (YOU'VE BEEN WARNED!)

I'm predicting it'll get banned before it even hits the shelves.

...in months, my Wii was glowing blue this morning.

Is it announcing a message from a family member or friend? Is it an update?

I'm too lazy to check. Did anyone else wake up to a glowing Wii?

As a fan of horror movies and violent FPS games, it takes a lot to unnerve me. The story-line of CodeMasters 'Clive Barker's Jericho' for the 360 is completely unnerving... so much so, that as I started the demo (which has recently popped-up on Xbox Live), I almost didn't continue after the intro video to the game. I understand fantasy and fiction concepts, but when the narrative of a game starts delving into religious themes, I get very uncomfortable.

'Jericho' is based on a premise that God's first attempt at creating man was so hideous that it was destroyed in the desert somewhere in the Middle East. Fast forward to modern times, and at said-location, a city rises from the sand... a kind of "hell-on-earth." Some military occult specialists are dropped into the creepy city and, I guess, are ordered to find out what's going on in this place.

Am I the only one that finds this premise upsetting?

A major plot point is revealed in the demo... one of the commandos is killed and his soul is able to move between any character in the game. Gamers are allowed to control this soul-movement and take control (possession?) of any character. Each character has different psychic abilities which, as it turns out, are relevant to the various situations they encounter.

Oh, and each character has a big gun. The only time I giggled at this game was when the narrator was dramatically voicing the bios of each character and said something like, "... she has the amazing ability to use telekinesis for moving objects with her mind, and she carries an automatic pistol."

The game environments are very creepy. Super creepy. Nightmare creepy... very hell-like. And, from the video in the intro, I was expecting to encounter a lot of scary devil-monsters with pentagrams gouged into their foreheads. In this demo however, I mostly ran into "Mummy"-movie rejects. I guess the really disturbing stuff is left for the full game.

'Jericho' is well made, plays well and has a ton of production value, but I'm not sure if I will buy this one... just because of the subject matter. I'm very interested to see if there is any sort of media backlash similar to what 'Manhunt 2' experienced. Strangely I'm more accepting of 'Manhunt 2.' Go figure.

I pre-ordered the legendary edition of 'Halo 3' back in 1996. I did this in-store (wasting gas and energy).

Since then, I was actually thinking about canceling my pre-order due to a retail-nightmare-run-in with this particular store. I was going to get my $50 back.

At the same time I went ahead an pre-ordered, again, with a store online. So basically I have two pre-orders.

Well, today my credit card was charged for my online order. I took this to mean the game was about to ship. I called customer service and was told the game was not be leaving the warehouse today and it would not arrive at my house until the release date (drat!). I was also told it was too late to cancel my order.

Now my dilemma: attend the midnight release for my in-store pick-up... and enjoy all-night gaming OR sleep-in and get the game the next day.
I guess I could sell one of my "Legendary Editions" on eBay.

Sleep just sounds so good.

VICTOR COMMENT: 1996? What a fanboy!!

There's an insane gameplay clip of the Xbox 360's upcoming 'Ninja Gaiden II' on YouTube. Melcolm alerted me to its posting.

I would embed the clip here on the front page, but the game is spectacularly brutal and I don't want surprise anyone with the M-rated footage.

You can watch it after the jump. Just remember you've been warned (and it's kind of blurry, so it's hard to tell what's really going on). Also notice the complete lack of character shadows. What's up with that?

Continue reading "You're going to need a band-aid: 'Ninja Gaiden II'" »

I got my non-grubby hands on the 360 version of 'Stranglehold', the John Woo produced game featuring Chow Yun-Fat as Inspector Tequila. Sounds weird to describe a game like a movie, but I guess it’s coming to that.

Let me start off by saying that I am totally disappointed that I shelled out an extra 10 bucks for the “limited edition.” For my additional dough, I got a making-of DVD and a different cover. C’mon! These collectible game versions really need to need to live up to their price point!

If you’ve downloaded the demo from Xbox Live, you basically have the entire first level, minus a big final gun fight and a boss battle. AND, if you’ve downloaded the demo, you know the game is crazy fantastic.

‘Stranglehold’ reminds me a little of ‘Gears of War,’ with it’s third-person play mechanics and insane shooting action. But, this game features environmental destruction like I’ve never seen before. You can destroy almost everything... and many times it’s required to kill off the baddies. It’s so cool to shoot an air conditioner off the side of building in order to take out an unsuspecting enemy.

The graphics are great... even though the characters look a little strange (kind-of muddied, living-dead zombie-like); but the settings are spectacular. And those explosions... awesome!

My favorite parts of the game have been the Matrix-Max Payne-John Woo-like “Tequila-Time” feature and the super-power “Tequila-Bombs.” “Tequila Time” slows down the action so that you can aim a little better. “Tequila-Bombs” are power-ups that you earn along the way and give Inspector Tequila special powers. Being able to precisely aim at the bad guys’ specific body parts gets to be quite comical.

I’m only a few levels in, but so far I’ve loved every second of ‘Stranglehold.’ I can’t believed it’s keeping me from the ‘Call of Duty 4’ beta. But it is.

OK, if you haven't heard, everyone that signed up for a 'Call of Duty ' beta token, a little over 24 hours ago, will get one. There's just no guarantee WHEN you will get one.

I got mine, last night... about 2 hours after the lottery drawings supposedly started.

Following the quickest Xbox Live download I've ever experienced (about 10 minutes) I jumped right into the game. Unlike Marc, I experienced absolutely no lag. This game is insanely fast online: 60 frames per second, super-speedy load times and near-instant respawns. It's enough to make your head spin... for hours.

It terms of action and fun, I choose 'Call of Duty 4's' beta goodness over the 'Halo 3' beta any day. I was laughing and screaming at the TV well into the wee hours of the night. It's so much fun!

This game is gonna cause some divorces.

I was lucky enough to get a code to join the Beta fun early. Clearly so were a lot of others. But, I am very upset with this game! Why? It has completely taken over my life this weekend. Every spare moment has been spent jumping on Live for some incredible First Person Multiplayer goodness. Those that were wowed by the video from E3 should know that the game's graphics deliver and then some! And this is a Beta! While there has been a few clipping issues and some lag here and there, the game play is fast, furious and fun! Teamwork is the best bet, but as usual there are plenty of folks who just go solo and want to rack up the kills.

One of my favorite features are the challenges during play. Meet certain criteria, like head shots or 3 kill streak during a match and you will unlock various parts or upgrades that you can use to customize your load out. Items like Red Dot Sight or radar come in real handy. You'll even gain the ability to call in air strikes and support from above. My favorite is the Last Stand. Upon being shot and left for dead you can draw you handgun during your last few dying breaths and try to do as much damage as possible.

While only a few maps and matches are available it appears the game will provide all the prerequisite modes we expect. Team Deathmatch, Capture the Flag and Search and Destroy and of course a free for all.

No single player campaigns are part of this demo, but if the multiplayer is any indication of what's to come, then COD 4 is set to be king of the hill for military shooters this fall.

I am going to pull some actual game play video and will post later this week.

1up.com has, not only, hands-on info about the upcoming download-only 'WipeOut' update for the PS3, but also a Q&A with the developers.

Interesting facts from the interview:

• 6 tracks will be available in the game. All from PSP games, 4 from 'Pure' and 2 from the upcoming 'Pulse.'
• All code from the original 'WipeOut' games has been lost (Doug note: NOOOOO!).
• Downloadable tracks are a future possibility.

Here's the full article

Here's what's clouding my mind today:

• I woke up early to play the demo of 'Skate' on my 360. The download froze at 85% for 20 minutes. I didn't get to play.

• 'Bioshock' in now available at your local gaming retailer. I'm getting my collectors edition today!

• The new issue of Wired magazine has a cover story about 'Halo 3.' The cover image features Master Chief and some hidden secrets. There's an IP address cleverly placed in the image; it leads to a website that's part of the 'Halo 3' ARG. There's also a phone number near Chiefy's leg. Calling it reveals an advertisement for some telecom service. In the background you can hear other voices... I couldn't make them out, but I'm sure it's part of the ARG.

• My friend in Chicago bought a PS3 this weekend. He went crazy over the Blu-Ray player's HD quality. Then he asked me, "what are some good games for the PS3 that aren't already on the 360?" I actually had to think about it. I recommended 'Resistance' and 'MotorStorm' and I couldn't think of any others. Seriously, it's almost been a year, what are the great PS3 games so far? Outside of 'Ratchet and Clank' (which looks spectacular), what do we have to look forward to, exclusively, on our PS3's this year? Feel free to tell me.

• Paramount drops Blu-Ray in favor of HD-DVD. Wha?

• The PS3 'home' beta hasn't been exciting lately. Hoping for a update soon.

• Two new original games are coming out on Xbox Live tomorrow. One's called 'Space Giraffe'. Really.

I have spent the last few hours playing a reviewable copy of BIOSHOCK and let me tell you...this game is fantastic. First off, screen grabs dont do the title justice. This game is amazing looking. The water effects alone were enough to make me reach for a towel! This is definitely a thinking man's shooter though. Running and gunning almost always amounts to a quick death. The environments and overall atmosphere of the game is downright spooky while at the same time you'll find yourself slackjawed with the level of detail. Rest assured I'll be playing this game all weekend and will have a full review for you next week on Texas Gamer and will also post here!

Must get more Adam!!!

Dang. Another game that I had been looking forward to buying gets a less than stellar review.

'Boogie,' EA's dancing/karaoke game for the Wii bites the dust in 1up.com's review. It scores a 3.0 out of 10.

I would review it, but I have to buy my own games and I can't afford to buy another dud (looking at you Xbox 360 'NASCAR 08')!

Sigh.

I'm a little slow in pointing this out, but EGM's latest issue has their review of 'Lair', the highly anticipated dragon-battle game for the PS3.

I have been eagerly awaiting this game.

EGM's three reviewers gave the game 6.0 out of 10, 5.5 out of 10 and 5.0 out of 10. Most of the complaints were about the control scheme (it uses the SIXAXIS tilt features instead of the analog controls).

OUCH! (I still want it though...)

VICTOR: On the bright side, if the tilt controls really turn out to be a major flaw, Sony could always release a patch to enable regular analog controls. It would kind of undermine the point of having tilt controls in the first place, but I don't think anyone really cares about the technology anyway.

Looks like Ebgames.com has the new 80gig PS3 bundle and it says it's shipping within 24 hours.

It not only comes with 20 extra gigs of hard drive space, but also 'MotorStorm' and a $599 price tag.

This could be the death march for the 60gig PS3; so if you wanna save $100, you'd better act fast.

In a move that should make everyone cringe, Official Xbox Magazine will be offering paid downloads on the Xbox Live Marketplace.

The content, that will probably correspond with the magazine's included cover-disc, will be free for subscribers and available for a fee for everyone else. This content will include exclusive demos.

I have no problem with paying for exclusive downloads, but paying for a demo really bothers me. The whole point of offering these free downloads is to ultimately sell games that might otherwise slip by a cautious, and sometimes thrifty, audience. I can't tell you how many times a demo has won me over on a title that I had previously written off.

Let's see how this pans out. The first offering should be in September for 200 MS Points. I have a hard enough time paying for silly gamer pics, I will never pay for a demo.

Via Play

VICTOR pontificates: Well, there is a way that paid demos could make sense. Basically, if you bought the demo, you should get a code that gives you a 10 percent discount if you buy the full game.

And what would be really cool is if, after you've played the demo on Xbox Live, you could click a little box to buy the game through Xbox Live and have it mailed to you as soon as it shipped.

Actually, now that I think about it, I'm surprised Microsoft hasn't already partnered with someone like GameStop to create an online store for Xbox Live.

They wouldn't be digital downloads, but sort of an Amazon.com just for Xbox 360 users. You could use MS points to buy games, and get discount coupons for every 1000 points you add to your Gamer Score.

But, yeah, that probably won't happen. We'll just end up paying $5 for demos that used to be free.

This looks amazing:

October 30th!

I can't believe this feature hasn't already worked its way into a game title.

'NCAA 08' football will use Weather Channel info to pull real-time weather conditions into game environments based on where the game is being played (not where the gamer lives).

How cool is that?

Hopefully any Texas located games won't turn into NCAA swimming meets.

Can you imagine this feature in a racing game? A first person shooter? Come on programmer-types, bring it on!

Via Kotaku

Completely skipping the promised "June" release date... Microsoft announces that the 360's chat-pad will be available on September 6th (info here).

Also, check out the new blue controller (official page), set to drop in October. October? How about NOW. Guess the blue plastic is tough get "just right".

Breaking news: there's a PINK one too (embarrassing info here).

I'm totally getting the pink one.

If this game is as good as this trailer, I'll wear a Yoda costume to work.

Coming soon for the Xbox 360 and PS3; this is amazingly cool:

Marc Comments: You think Doug is kidding? He actually does own a Yoda costume! And Spock ears, Harry Potter Glasses and wand, Captain Kirk uniform and lastly a Slave Leia outfit!

Victor Chimes In: Can we get him to wear all those outfits at the same time?

Okay, I'll say it right here, right now..Rock Band is my pick for game of the year! The folks at Red Octane have got to be a little nervous. Watching the antics of the Microsoft Execs on stage jamming on the drums, bass, lead and vocals just had me giddy like a school girl.

Now with the recent announcement of being able to download entire albums for playing in the game is just too much to take. First up: The Who: Who's Next!
That on top of an already kick ass song list of original master recordings by some of rocks legends and it's clear that Harmonix/MTV/EA have struck gold on this one!

Yeah, the Sony presser was pretty good.

The games looked fun, the pace was snappy, and the Sony execs on stage just seemed relaxed and comfortable (and much more humble than they have in the past, which was key).

I wish they'd done more with the PSP redesign. Built-in flash memory would have been stupendous, and I kept waiting for them to announce the PSP wireless download store so you could buy and download new games directly to your portable.

But the slimmer size and TV output are a good start.

On the PS3, the games looked really slick, and I'm intrigued by Infamous, Uncharted: Drake's Fortune and Folklore, and, of course, Killzone 2 looks like a real system seller.

I still think that the PS3's price is too high, though. The good news for Sony is that the PS3 is rounding into shape as a worthwhile games console. The bad news is that most people are still going to trip over the price tag.

But the games do look really cool.

MARC SAYS:: What press conference were you watching? Victor is too kind by describing the Execs as more relaxed and comfortable. My sense was that they were so beaten down by the negative press the system has gotten since launch and they couldn't even muster an ounce of excitement about any of the news they were sharing. Their presentation was just so, blah and boring.

That said, the new modifications to the PSP got me excited, especially, as Victor mentioned, the video output. Lighter and slimmer is always a plus, but there is so much more they could have done, Victor's right on the money on this one.

Things did seem to be shaping up nicely for the PS3, but besides a few exclusives most of the titles are going to be released on the 360 as well. Will games like Killzone 2 and MGS4 be enough to awake a sleeping giant? Only time will tell. It would have been nice to see Sony introduce the 80 gig unit at the reduced price point. I'm still not sure there's enough here to sway a potential buyer from 360 purchase to a PS3. But they are oh so close....

DOUG SAYS:: Dang, another new system to buy this year (PSP slim... oh, and a Halo Xbox 360)!

I'm kind of glad that it's more about the games this year and not new hardware. Sony did a great job focusing on their games during this presentation; but, why is no one excited about 'Metal Gear 4'?

VICTOR SAYS: I think the reason excitement around MGS4 is a little subdued is that the trailer was totally incomprehensible. Seriously, between the junior high debate team-quality boilerplate about the economics of war and the silly "Lord of the Dance" chest-stomping between Raiden and that other dude (sorry, don't know my MGS canon), the trailer was pretty hard to follow.

Plus, despite all the claims about being "in-game" graphics, we didn't see any actual gameplay during the trailer. Just cinematics. Show us the game!

And Marc, I really did like the Sony press conference. I think Home is going to be kind of a bore, but it looks like some interesting exclusives are coming to the PS3.

Part of the reason that I liked the press conference is that the Sony executives properly calibrated their presentation to the smaller audience at this year's event.

Go back and watch the Microsoft conference, and notice how the execs are talking too loudly, constantly waiting for applause that never comes, and completely unable to read the teleprompters without sounding like Terminator robots from the future.

All those mannerisms worked during the larger events in prior years, when hoards of fanboys were on hand to hoot and holler at every minor bit of news.

Now, though, the crowds seem to be mostly professional journalists who are taking notes, politely applauding and keeping their inner fanboys constrained. So when the executives on stage get too showy, they just look like idiots.

I had a "Cybertron Edition" of 'Transformers' in my grubby little hands. I kept it for a week and then eventually returned it to the store, unopened. Why? Because of all the horrible reviews of the game.

It killed me. I was dying to play this game. From all the footage I had seen I couldn't image it was THAT bad. It LOOKED amazing.

I couldn't stand it any longer. I had to play this game. I tracked down a copy at my local Blockbuster and, and, and... wait a minute, when did Blockbuster start charging $8 to rent a game?!?! That's almost one-fifth the cost of buying it. Good lord! But, I digress...

You know what? The game is not that bad; and after seeing the movie, I like it even more.

What I like:

• I love the graphics. The complete mayhem with multiple robots, crowds of people, crumbling buildings, crashing vehicles and the ability to pick up almost anything is awesome, and looks so cool.
• The robot details... amazing likeness to the movie.
• The fun of tearing everything up. I love being able to grab a tree out of the ground and beat the heck out of Barricade or one of his other robo-buddies.

What I don't like:

• Driving controls are a little wonky. I can't figure this out. Did the developers want the vehicles to feel like they were housing a 10 million pound robot? It takes a little getting used to, but it's not easy to drive these things. I almost prefer driving as far as I possibly can then running, in robot form, to where I need to be. And as for the "turbo" feature: forget about it... the vehicles are hard enough to drive slow!
• Cut scenes. UGH, not only do they look bad, they interrupt the action every time the game is starts to get good. Get rid of these things!
• Having to restart from the beginning of each mission every time you fail or die. It's great if you can't wait to see all those cut scenes again! Frustration for all of us normal people.

Conclusion: I have only spent a few hours with the game, but I think I'm going to track down another copy to buy (unless someone wants to give me one). It's not the greatest game, but it's far from being bad. Ultimately it's a perfect souvenir from the movie (which I have seen twice and loved) and a great deal of fun to play. I just wish I had kept my "Cybertron Edition."

GameSpot has played a bit of the PS2 and Wii versions of 'Manhunt 2'. You know, the AO rated game that no one will ever be allowed to play.

Despite the graphic content, the GS guys say it's no worse that the 'Saw' or 'Hostel' movies.

Will we ever get to play it?

Now that they've played it, I want to play it more.

Read the GS impressions here

VICTOR: Of course, then there's this bit from IGN's hands-on preview:

Consider for one moment that in Manhunt 2 you can, Wii remote and nunchuk in hands, use a pair of pliers to clamp onto an enemy's testicles and literally tear them from his body in a bloody display; and if that weren't enough, you'll take one of the poor victim's vertebrae along with his manhood. Or, if you'd prefer, you can use a saw blade and cut upward into a foe's groin and buttocks, motioning forward and backward with the Wii remote as you go.

This is juvenile sadomasochism, and the console makers are right to tell Rockstar to take a hike.

I think we need to start hunting for symbols.

Looks like the ARG has begun. Someone found a link in Sunday's upcoming Circuit City flyer...

It leads to this site. There's a symbol at the end of the short story (which matches the symbol from the Microsoft email) and some hidden numbers (which forum posters are claiming are IP addresses). I circled the numbers in yellow here...

UPDATE: OMG!! Click the hidden numbers in the right panel and they APPEAR... then SLIDE the last panel to the right... it reveals more hidden numbers and slide the left panel and find even more numbers. It's an IP address... here it is, click it:

206.16.223.65

It's a countdown... I think to the start of the game.

VICTOR: Okay, not to be a wet blanket or anything but... aw, the heck with it, being a wet blanket is kind of fun: Aren't all the marketing shenanigans behind Halo 3, and even Halo 2, kind of annoying?

I mean, when I read this part in that e-mail you quoted (and good catch on that, by the way), it kind of made me squirm just a little bit:

the program loops through many of the Microsoft consumer oriented products and services in an attempt to leverage interest in Halo across our properties (MSN, Live Messenger, Windows Live Search, Windows Live Maps, and more).

I'm sure the various Microsoft workers who labored to put this game together are huge Halo fans (as am I, by the way), but don't you just get the sense that Steve Ballmer or some other muckety-muck at Microsoft sat down, mumbled something about "synergy" or the ability to "leverage core competencies" or some other nonsense when the topic of this ARG came up, and that really all that boils down to is the the opportunity for Microsoft to sell you more software that has nothing to do with the 360?

What's more, these real-world scavenger hunts never really tell you anything critical about the game, because Microsoft can't afford to confuse the vast majority of video gamers who will never bother to investigate the ARG. So you get whipped into a frenzy, with no real payoff at the end.

Or maybe I'm just turning into grumpy gamer. Get off my lawn! And who took my false teeth?!

Were you aware that Sony has an official PlayStation blog?

I guess making your corporation transparent is all the rage, so why wouldn't Sony follow suit.

You can check out the blog, including a post debunking the PSP update rumors HERE.

Also check out Microsoft's Channel 10 blog HERE and the beloved Major Nelson HERE.

I meant to ask this a few weeks ago, but forgot.

Have you played the 'Blacksite: Area 51' demo available on Xbox Live?

GOOD LORD, it's scary cool and WAY too short. But, if the final game is anywhere near as cool as the demo (minus the chuggin' graphics), this will be the next big hit on the 360.

Download it now and share your thoughts...

I've spent a dozen hours or so with 'Forza Motorsport 2' for the Xbox 360 and I'm diggin' every minute of it.

Before I start into too much detail, I'm gonna get my biggest gripe out of the way... the graphics.

Yes, it moves at 60 frames per second, yes, the backgrounds and blurry effects are great AND... YES, the cars look like original Xbox Lego blocks (as another reviewer commented... I'm stealing his line).

What's up with the jaggy car graphics? For a game that has been so long in development and a system that's so technically advanced, I can't accept the fact that the cars don't look nearly as good as 'Gran Turismo Concept HD' on the the PS3. Once the races get going, the jaggies melt away, but c'mon, I want to see perfection... maybe a patch will be released soon(?).

Any graphic gripes went out the window once I started racing. The game rocks... the physics and control are spectacular. Easily the best feeling racing game I've ever played.

Earning and customizing cars is WAY fun that hunting down Pokemon and I've spent several hours just fiddling around and perfecting my vehicles. You can make some seriously threatening cars here and it's hilarious to unleash them in the game or online.

And speaking of unleashing the cars, you can GIFT your creations to friends and auction them off, eBay style, to other gamers.

The painting and decal customizations seem limited at first but are actually incredibly deep. With a lot of patience and some artistic flair, you can create some staggering looking machinery (that's my MINI up there... and it's purple, not pink). And, of course, beauty is not just skin deep, you can upgrade and tune the heck out of everything inside the cars too.

Races are set-up in similar fashion to 'Project Gotham' or 'Gran Turismo', with events requiring specific cars and becoming unlockable as you progress. The tracks are fairly cool and many are extremely technical (which I LOVE). But, nothing has seemed too difficult so far.

It's easy to get into to 'Forza 2' and all the options have keep me glued to the couch.

Oh, one other thing, the soundtrack is great... as long as you're in the menus. Seriously, you can't listen to the music during a race. This is one of the most confounding "features" I've ever seen in a racing game. You CAN listen to your own music if it's stored on your 360's hard drive; but the music the comes with the game is off limits while driving. AND, you can't even listen to the songs individually... I had to sit thought the 45 minute credit just to see the song titles and artists. I may be wrong, but car people like their tunes. Even serious racers.

I will certainly spend a gajillion more hours with the game over the weekend and I will update the blog next week.

I'm in the middle of a LOT of beta projects.

'Halo 3' beta (Xbox 360), 'Home' beta (PS3) and 'Warhawk' beta (PS3)... I have a long weeked to kick the tires so I'll update you when I run them into the ground...

HAVE A GREAT HOLIDAY WEEKEND!

WarHawk on the PS3...

I need to stop trolling GT!

Last night I was all excited about getting home and starting the 'Halo 3' beta.

I booted 'Crackdown,' clicked the link and got the message that the beta had not yet started. Awwwwwww.

I rushed to Bungie.net and checked the boards and discovered, for some users, there was a trick needed to force the beta to work properly in 'Crackdown.' I was one of those.

Here's what to do if you can't get the beta to download:

From the "system" blade on your 360, select "memory" and choose your hard drive using the "Y' button. Then click "X" "X" "LB" "RB" "X" "X". The prompt will ask if you want to perform maintenance on your hard drive... select "YES. This clears any title updates. WARNING: don't format your hard drive!!!

After restarting 'Crackdown' the new update loaded and I was able to download the 900+ meg file. An hour later, I started the game...

First thing's first, the front end, while obviously beta, looks very nice: simple fonts, flowing scenery, blurry effects and a cool Matchmaking system. It's very high-tech and easy to use.

After you're paired up with players, and the game begins, the real questions are answered.

• How does it look? Pretty good. Not 'Gears of War' good, but good... and some of the graphics look great. There's way more detail and cool elements like bl