Xbox 360 Premium for $350

JoeHonkie wrote:

Dell is selling Xbox 360s cheap and has discounts on games and accessories, too.

Xbox 360 for $350 (Kotaku)

http://www.snackbar-games.com/n1845.html

Sony owes serious back taxes

JoeHonkie wrote:

Sony is being forced to cough up some vast sums of back taxes to the Japanese government. This really can't help their financial health. This is espescially bad after they just had to pay some serious back taxes on the PS2 in the UK.

Sony To Pay $243M in Japanese Back Taxes

http://www.snackbar-games.com/n1844.html

Ron Gilbert on the state of the industry

JoeHonkie wrote:

Gamasutra has interviewed Ron Gilbert of Monkey Island Fame on his feeling about the state of the games industry currently. He makes a lot of nice comparisons with the movie industry, and shares some of his insight from his experience with Humongous Entertainment and Cavedog.

There's some great stuff in there, although I do see a bit of the classic "I don't like this sort of game so therefore it sucks" mentality so common to us gamers. On the whole you should read it just for his take on small budget/india games and films.

The Grumpy Gamer Speaks (Gamasutra)

http://www.snackbar-games.com/n1843.html

New Release Watch - Independence Day Edition

JoeHonkie wrote:

How can you celebrate the independence of the US on Tuesday (or not, for you out-of-towners)? Apparently you may want to do it with old games. Let's take a look, shall we?

Ultimate Board Game Classics - Playstation 2
Look, I know I use my $550+ Xbox 360 rig (had ta get the wireless thing, you see) to play Uno, but come on. I don't think this even has online play. If you're too lazy to set up a nice game of Backgammon, you may die trying to get to the store for this.

Battle for Middle Earth II - Xbox 360
I guess if you are really hurting for a console RTS, this may be what you need. It's certainly the least terrible game on my list today. I'm more of a mouse person when it comes to these, though.

Budget Game Bonanza - PC
I was looking through the PC list and I ran out of jokes about $20 games. Fortunately my failure to get Titan Quest leaves me something to look forward to next week.

More Pirates of the Carribean - Various
Yep.

It's the middle of summer. What did I expect? Even my sarcasm can't hold out during this drought. Maybe it's life's little way of letting our budgets recuperate or telling us to go outside. Or maybe you need to hit up some used games?

http://www.snackbar-games.com/n1841.html

More LocoRoco screens

JoeHonkie wrote:

MobileMilitia has some nice new LocoRoco screens. You should check them out.

Exclusive LocoRoco Screens! (MobileMilitia)

http://www.snackbar-games.com/n1840.html

New demo for Darkstar One

JoeHonkie wrote:

Darkstar One, which seems to be a space exploration/trading game like the X series, has just released a new demo. If you are curious and have the time, go check it out!

The DarkStar One demo is available from the following mirrors -

- WorthPlaying
http://www.worthdownloading.com/game.php?gid=1759

- 3D Gamers
http://www.3dgamers.com/games/darkstarone/downloads/

- GameDaily
http://www.gamedaily.com/download/info/?packageid=0078701400

- GamersHell
http://www.gamershell.com/download_14480.shtml

- GameZone
http://downloads.gamezone.com/demos/d16161.htm

http://www.snackbar-games.com/n1846.html

New demo for Darkstar One

JoeHonkie wrote:

Darkstar One, which seems to be a space exploration/trading game like the X series, has just released a new demo. If you are curious and have the time, go check it out!

The DarkStar One demo is available from the following mirrors -

- WorthPlaying
http://www.worthdownloading.com/game.php?gid=1759

- 3D Gamers
http://www.3dgamers.com/games/darkstarone/downloads/

- GameDaily
http://www.gamedaily.com/download/info/?packageid=0078701400

- GamersHell
http://www.gamershell.com/download_14480.shtml

- GameZone
http://downloads.gamezone.com/demos/d16161.htm

http://www.snackbar-games.com/n1846.html

PSP Camera pics

JoeHonkie wrote:

Kotaku has grabbed some PSP camera pics (as well as some of Loco Roco toys) from a Japanese website. All I can say is that it looks like it's not a really great idea. Of course, GameBoy had a camera once...

Also mentioned is some GPS add on info.

PSP GPS Thingy, More PSP Camera Pics, LocoRoco Stuff (Kotaku)

http://www.snackbar-games.com/n1839.html

Microsoft considering new Xbox 360 controller?

JoeHonkie wrote:

Peter Moore has been discussing the possibility of a new controller for the 360, claiming that the number of sticks and buttons is confusing. I'd argue that it's the standard and it's easy to make a simple game that doesn't use all the controls (see: any Live Arcade game). Then again, he says his daughter has trouble with the controls for PGR3, and she's 14. I would worry about her mental development. He also makes some positive references to the Wii controller, which he has been doing for a while.

I personally love the 360 pad. It reminds me of an update of my beloved Dreamcast pad, and all the buttons seem to be easy to get to (unlike the Duke or the S). I originally even bought the USB one for my PC, only to be dissapointed by the horrible, horrible drivers. I'd even go so far as to say it's my favorite pad of any system I own right now, but that's just me.

Moore hints at plans for new Xbox 360 controller (Gamesindustry.biz)

http://www.snackbar-games.com/n1838.html

WoW transfers now operational

JoeHonkie wrote:

You can transfer your World of Warcaft characters between servers as of today, but it'll cost you $25. You also can't be the leader of a guild or do it but once every 6 months. You also still can't have characters of different factions on the same server.

WoW Characters Transfers Finally Live (Kotaku)

http://www.snackbar-games.com/n1837.html

Rumor: PS3 actually too expensive to develop for?

JoeHonkie wrote:

Apparently at least one developer is cancelling the PS3 version of their upcoming multiplatform game. Track7Games has been forced to pull the PS3 port of Theseis because of the costs associated with developing for that system.

PS3 game cancelled because of development cost? (Joystiq)

Editors Note: I hate on the PS3 as much as the next guy because they are making it so easy to do, but I think it will hurt the industry as a whole if a lot of the smaller developers have to pull the plug on games due to high development costs. I like this 3 way battle we have going in our industry and I really hope Sony gets it together.

http://www.snackbar-games.com/n1836.html

75% off a bunch of games at GameRush

JoeHonkie wrote:

GameRush, which is in many Blockbuster brick & mortars, is having a huge sale on some of their titles to clear inventory.

Game list here! (Slickdeals)

http://www.snackbar-games.com/n1835.html

Opera DS limitations

JoeHonkie wrote:

We all knew that Opera DS would have to make some sacrifices, seeing as it lacks dedicated storage. Well, they aren't so bad: no Flash, no video, and you can only save bookmarks. Fine for just browsing.

The PSP browser is about that limited (it has Flash 7) and I've used to to scour forums and even post on them before. Fine by me.

The Limitations of Opera DS

http://www.snackbar-games.com/n1834.html

Battle of the Minds

Pretzel wrote:

Time to get your debate on, cause we all love a good argument. This show is completely community driven, and of course we throw in our two cents as well.

The debate is on, what are the greatest games of all time, what are the best consoles of all time, Argue, discourse, let it be heard right here on the Snackbar Games Podcast! Post away, your posts will get read over the airwaves.

Want to send in a audio file? Do so at podcast@snackbar-games.com

http://www.snackbar-games.com/n1833.html

Splinter Cell Double Agent screens

JoeHonkie wrote:

1up has some screens of Splinter Cell: Double Agent for the 360. No info on the multiplayer, which is really what most of the folks I know loved about the previous games.

Splinter Cell Double Agent screens (1up)

http://www.snackbar-games.com/n1832.html

PS1 games coming to PSP

JoeHonkie wrote:

There will be a downloadable service for PS1 games on PSP. OK, so we knew about this, but now there's a list and it has some good stuff on it.

Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
Final Fantasy VII
Final Fantasy VIII
Silent Hill
Tomb Raider

Yep, even if I don't consider every one of those to be a-list titles, they sure will sell. Sony does something right for once!

Up to 7,000 PSOne-to-PSP titles by 2007

http://www.snackbar-games.com/n1831.html

Kaz Hirai still intent on pissing everyone off

JoeHonkie wrote:

Kaz Hirai just needs to stop talking. Everything he says is like an arrogant slap in the face to his customers. His current statement is a CYA on the potential price of PS3 games. The verdict? $60 may be a minimum.

I don't like the $60 price point of Xbox 360 games, which is why I buy everything off live. Remeber those handful of SNES games that were around $80? I'm pretty sure there's a reason the price point stays where it is.

How much would you spend on a PS3 game?

http://www.snackbar-games.com/n1830.html

SEGA trying to bring the arcade back to life in the US

JoeHonkie wrote:

Gamasutra has an interview with Clint Manny, vice-president of sales and marketing at Gameworks, on how SEGA/Sammy intends to revive the flagging fortunes of the arcade industry in the US. For those of you who don't know it, Gameworks is basically SEGA's version of Dave & Busters, a sort of combo sports bar and arcade.

Most of Manny's points revolve around a lot of the common sense things I noticed about D&B's the first time I went: The advantage of an "adult Chuck E. Cheese atmosphere," the benefit of shooting and racing game rigs that cannot be easily reproduced at home, and the glorious prizes. Still, it's nice to see his take on it, and he has some interesting points on merchandising.

The Rebirth Of The U.S. Arcade? (Gamasutra)

http://www.snackbar-games.com/n1829.html

Battlefield 2142 interview at 1up

JoeHonkie wrote:

1up has an interview with 2142 senior producer Marcus Nilsson (alhtough they are calling it an interview) talking about the game and the new "Titan" mode. Apparently this will revolve around taking control of the battlefield and then bringing it to your opponents on giant floating battleships. Sounds like it could be a lot of fun.

Battlefield 2142 preview (1up)

http://www.snackbar-games.com/n1828.html

Review: UNO - Xbox360

Title: UNO
Platform: Xbox360
Author: Piniata

It's fun, and good while it lasts, and fairly cheap (400 MS points).

http://www.snackbar-games.com/r363.html

Review: Project Gotham Racing 3 - Xbox360

Title: Project Gotham Racing 3
Platform: Xbox360
Author: Chris A.J.

There have been several racing games brought to the Xbox 360 since launch, but with its style and polish, Project Gotham Racing 3 is set to be the premier racing title for the Xbox 360.

http://www.snackbar-games.com/r362.html

Review: Magnetica - DS

Title: Magnetica
Platform: DS
Author: Snowcone

$35 for this little gem is a bit steep and most of you hardcore folks will tire of this one after a few sessions.

http://www.snackbar-games.com/r361.html

Review: Dead or Alive 4 - Xbox360

Title: Dead or Alive 4
Platform: Xbox360
Author: Chris A.J.

With flawless graphics, great usage of Xbox Live service, and an improved fighting engine, Dead or Alive 4 may be the most ambitious title in the series to date.

http://www.snackbar-games.com/r360.html

Review: Hexic HD - Xbox360

Title: Hexic HD
Platform: Xbox360
Author: Snowcone

Hexic HD is a very simple game that will suck you in and monopolize all your time.

http://www.snackbar-games.com/r359.html

Review: Nintendo DS Lite - DS

Title: Nintendo DS Lite
Platform: DS
Author: Snowcone

If you are an existing DS owner, get yourself down to a local game store and trade in that clunky silver, red, or cobalt DS and get yourself a Lite.

http://www.snackbar-games.com/r358.html

Review: Amped 3 - Xbox360

Title: Amped 3
Platform: Xbox360
Author: Chris A.J.

Although it is ultimately a fairly short ride, Amped 3 is a blast to play and keeps you guessing all the way through.

http://www.snackbar-games.com/r357.html

Review: Brain Age: Train Your Brain in Minutes a Day! - DS

Title: Brain Age: Train Your Brain in Minutes a Day!
Platform: DS
Author: Dots

Overall, Brain Age is a fun way to spend a few minutes - or hours if you are Sudoku-ing it - everyday making yourself smarter.

http://www.snackbar-games.com/r356.html

Blood Bowl to appear on PC

JoeHonkie wrote:

Games Workshop has apparently licensed the PC games rights for their fantasy (American) football franchise to Cyanide. (Just to be clear, "fantasy" in this case denotes orcs, elves, and losts of over the top violence.) That would be the UK developer for the indie fantasy football game Chaos League, which is similar to Blood Bowl in a lot of ways. My understanding is that Chaos League was a pretty solid game, so hopefully they can do the franchise some justice. I know some guys who are serious Blood Bowl fanatics, keeping the game alive long after its publishing death, so I think they'll be pretty pleased.

Prepare for a Blood Bowl

http://www.snackbar-games.com/n1827.html

Downloadable content for your online battles

JoeHonkie wrote:

Two online military shooters are getting content updates this week. Day of Defeat: Source, which I am a huge fan of, is getting two new maps and a new gametype. SOCOM III is also getting a map pack which is free for the next two weeks. After that it will be available from a built-in SOCOM online store, along with future content. The maps will be based on SOCOM II favorites.

Day of Defeat Source to be updated this Wednesday (Arstechnica)
Maps, Online Store Comes to SOCOM 3 (Kotaku)

Call of Duty 2 is getting a mappack on Xbox Live Marketplace on Thursday, too.

Call of Duty 2 Map Pack Details (1up)

http://www.snackbar-games.com/n1826.html

Wii to have Live-like system and servers

JoeHonkie wrote:

Gamesindustry.biz is reporting that the Wiiconnect24 service may have downloadable content and micropayments like Xbox Live, but there's other news hidden away in the article:

Fils-Aime went on to reiterate the company's plans to allow for downloadable content. "If you've gotten to a particular part in a game, we could push content out to you, so you get to battle a new boss. Maybe you get a new artifact; maybe you get a new weapon," he said.

These items could be downloaded in the background using the console's WiiConnect24 service, which will also allow the system to function as a server of sorts, opening Animal Crossing towns and other player-specific content to friends without the console being fully turned on.

I'm very curious about that server part. I'm no Animal Crossing fan, but it sounds like it could be fun in a lot of games. Let's hope it gets put to good use!

Wii could support microtransactions (Gamesindustry.biz)

http://www.snackbar-games.com/n1825.html

ScummVM 0.9.0 released

JoeHonkie wrote:

For those of you who still play the old Lucasarts point & clicks (I have a whole official Lucasarts CD thing full of 'em), ScummVM 0.9.0 has just been released. It also supports the now free Flight of the Amazon Queen and Beneath a Steel Sky if you haven't played those. They can be grabbed from the ScummVM website.

ScummVM Official Website

http://www.snackbar-games.com/n1824.html

Metal Slug 3d gets all 7s?

JoeHonkie wrote:

Famitsu, the Japanese gaming magazine that some people hail as perfect, has reviewed Metal Slug 3d and given it sevens across the board. Now, I had no faith in this whatsoever, but now I can admit I'm a little curious. It'll have to be way beyond mediocre for me to be satisfied in any way, of course.

Source: ArsTechnica

http://www.snackbar-games.com/n1823.html

Many gamer geeks still misogynists

JoeHonkie wrote:

I'm not sure if this qualifies in any way as "news," but apparently there are still plenty of geeks out there who still have girl issues. Here's an article where girls complain about this phenomenon. I have mixed feelings about the article, because while we've heard it before and it's akin to complaining that hedgehogs are all spiny, I sure do hate seeing idiots ruin the game for everyone. Thank the lord there are an increasing number of tools for dealing with these tools.

Source: Kotaku

http://www.snackbar-games.com/n1822.html

Awesome giant robots on Xbox 360

JoeHonkie wrote:

I just got my Xbox 360, and mostly I am interested in the downloadable games over everything else. Well, it looks like some sweet quasi 2d giant robot action may be heading the way of Xbox Live soon. I can't tell you anything about it, but it looks gorgeous.

I do love giant robots.

Source: Kotaku

http://www.snackbar-games.com/n1821.html

New Release Watch

JoeHonkie wrote:

In what I hope will be a regular news feature here, I'm going to take a look at a few of the new releases for next week.

Titan Quest - PC
This comes at the top of my list. I've been playing with the demo for this on outside recommendation, and it looks like it will be a huge gaping hole in my schedule. It out Diablos Diablo in every respect: better skill trees, less micromanagement, less generic setting, and it doesn't look 10 years old. I can safely say that if the demo is anything to go by, this is a good contender for game of the year.

Over G Fighters - Xbox 360
Look, man, I don't know anything about this game, but that name is terrible!

Pirates of the Carribean - Various
This is actually a grouping of several games using that license. I will assume that they are all terrible until I hear otherwise. Expect mediocre platforming fun with a license that works better in the theatre. With Keira Knightley...mmmmmm... (and for you ladies, Orlando Bloom)

Micro Machines v4 - PS2, PSP
This has some promise. Micro Machines was always a classic party game series. We can only hope this one returns the series to its former glory, and that you can all rub it in your roomate's face when your tiny car dominates the pool table.

Hard Truck Apocalypse - PC
The idea of a post apocalypse trucking game is awesome. The idea of made for bargain bin PC games is usually not. I'm not gonna touch this one, but I will imagine what it could have been under a good development team for the rest of the day.

OK, that's it for today. Obviously I can't hit every game, so if I missed your favorite dirtbike game, or you are a huge fan of Juiced and Puffy AmiYumi, I'm sorry. Feel free to discuss those things in the comments.

http://www.snackbar-games.com/n1820.html

Iwata whines about game discounts

JoeHonkie wrote:

Satoru Iwata seems to feel that games are being discounted too quickly, and consumers are learning the patterns and buying them on the cheap. He would have a fair argument, if the truth weren't something along the lines of the games not selling at higher price points. Sorry Satoru, but that's business.

Source: Arstechnica

http://www.snackbar-games.com/n1819.html

Podcast Delayed

Pretzel wrote:

My apologies to everyone for the delay on the podcast. Episode 25 will be up soon, I am currently in transition to a new job. I have barely found time to play anything because of this transition period in my life so please bare with me. This latest podcast was pretty interesting, we had some good discussion on the topic of rewarding gamers. We want to thank everyone who chimed in and gave their two cents. Episode 25 will be up soon, so stay tuned in.

http://www.snackbar-games.com/n1818.html

DS Lite

This weekend was good to me and I spent lots of it playing my shiny new DS Lite. I have to say that it is a vast improvement over the original device. Reviews of that and a slew of games should be going up this week so I won't ruin the suprise, but if you don't have a DS, go buy a Lite.

http://www.snackbar-games.com/n1817.html

Fragdolls seem intent on embarassing themselves

JoeHonkie wrote:

The Fragdolls are apparently up in arms about a gamer girl beauty pageant, joined by the larger clan PMS. Their complaint is that the girls' gaming skills are being passed over in favor of their looks. I don't think there's any question about the Fragdolls self-promotion having little to do with their gaming skill, so what exactly is going on here? I'm guessing publicity just might be a factor.

Source: Kotaku

http://www.snackbar-games.com/n1816.html

SB Teamspeak news

Pickle wrote:

I regret to inform you that our Team Speak Server will be shutting down. The TS admin has this to say to you.

"It's been a blast over these last few years being able to provide reliable voice communication to our friends. TeamSpeak worked well and thankfully, many other options have since surfaced. There is Ventrilo, Skype, and VOIP is built directly in games and consoles now, not to mention voice-enabled IM software are all available.

I'm going to be shutting down the TS server in another few weeks. You guys represent the various groups that have previously used the TS server, and may still be currently using it. If there's a problem with that service just disappearing tomorrow and any data associated with it being scattered to the four winds, you need to let me know asap. "

If there are any problems feel free to email myself or Snowcone.

http://www.snackbar-games.com/n1815.html

Out of the Office

I am out of the office tending to a medical issue. I will be returning on Wednesday morning.

http://www.snackbar-games.com/n1814.html

New Advertising

I wanted to take a minute to notify you guys of a new advertising program we have joined that is similar to the Yahoo and Google ads. You can see it over on the right side of the page. Obviously it is against the rules to encourage you to meaninglessly click those ads so I won't do that, but keep an eye on them and feel free to visit relevant sponsors that may have products that appeal to you. This revenue helps us tremendously and the new move to this webhost is resulting in paying for hosting out of pocket again. Thanks for your support.

http://www.snackbar-games.com/n1813.html

Uwe Boll: Bring it on, Haters!

JoeHonkie wrote:

Uwe Boll is challenging anyone and everyone! He's tired of people making fun of his terrible movies which obviously none of them have seen because they are great! For his next movie, Postal, he's going to film himself fighting ALL OF YOU!

This can only end one way: with Uwe in the emergency room. At least thats how I like to think it will end. Actually he's only picking 5 guys of 140-190 lbs, and I'm willing to bet he picks the obvious internet tough guys, so I will probably be dissapointed.

Source: Joystiq and Kotaku

http://www.snackbar-games.com/n1812.html

Alawar Mysteries of Horus Tourney

Got this in my email this morning and figured I'd pass it on since there are some sweet prizes up for grabs:

Alawar Entertainment is proud to announce the worldwide Mysteries of Horus tournament. Several prizes are on the line, including an Olympus 6MP Digital Camera for the winner and free Alawar games for several runner-ups! Mysteries of Horus is a casual puzzle game based on shape recognition. To learn more, visit http://puzzle.alawar.com/games/mysteries-of-horus/. The contest will run from June 9, 2006 through July 1, 2006.

http://www.snackbar-games.com/n1811.html

Community Feedback

Pretzel wrote:

Hello everyone! In preparation for our next podcast, we want to get your opinion on our next topic that we will be discussing. We want to get your feedback on the matter. Remember you can send us an 10-20 second soundbyte, you can email us at podcast@snackbar-games.com, or you can reply in the forums. Any of those methods of response would be greatly appreciated.

On our next podcast, our topic will be (Rewarding Gamers) - ranks, medals, and unlocks are a staple of most games. Is this type of content compelling enough to make a gamer continue to play a game even after they may have accomplished the main goal?

We will also be taking a poll on the matter. The link will be below.

Poll


Just a reminder that we will always be taking the (What Are You Playing Now) soundbytes at all times. Remember if you do want to send us soundbytes, please keep them short (30 secs to a minute) and clean. And you can send them to us at podcast@snackbar-games.com

http://www.snackbar-games.com/n1810.html

Review: Psychonauts - PS2

Title: Psychonauts
Platform: PS2
Author: Hybridial

I would have to say though that on the basis of how much I enjoyed the game, I'd be doing everyone here a disservice if I didn't recommend they buy this and embrace the weirdness!

http://www.snackbar-games.com/r355.html

Review: Guitar Hero - PS2

Title: Guitar Hero
Platform: PS2
Author: Dark Raven X

There's no two ways about it - go buy Guitar Hero.

http://www.snackbar-games.com/r354.html

Review: Kingdom Hearts 2 - PS2

Title: Kingdom Hearts 2
Platform: PS2
Author: Snowcone

The improvements over the original game and the engaging environments make it one of the top games of the year and definitely a must have for fans of Disney and the Action RPG genre.

http://www.snackbar-games.com/r353.html

Crysis looks amazing.

JoeHonkie wrote:

Click the link below for some amazing Crysis screenshots.

The real question: will it run at those settings?

Source: Joystiq

http://www.snackbar-games.com/n1809.html

Unlockables more "work" than "fun"

JoeHonkie wrote:

Gamer's With Jobs has a rant about unlockable content and the often annoying amount of effort that goes into making them available.

I normally hate rant articles, but I totally agree with this one. Maybe not to the point of games never having unlockables, but they unlockables shouldn't be impossible or time wasting to get at. Megaman Powered Up is a prime offender, forcing you to go through some very tedious challenge levels in order to get that last unlockable. It's also annoying in a game you have played a lot or beat before and no longer have a save for. I know I don't feel like playing DoA 2 single player again to unlock all the costumes I am missing.

At least on the PSP I can download a save if I feel like cheating...

Puritan Work Ethic, How I Loathe Thee

Source: /.

http://www.snackbar-games.com/n1808.html

Gamasutra interviews Doug Tennapel

JoeHonkie wrote:

For those of you who don't know, Doug Tennapel is the artist behind some great video games, most notably the Neverhood and Earthworm Jim. He's also got some good comics and Nickelodeon's Catsratch under his belt. Although this interview is ostensibly about the new Earthworm Jim game for PSP, it mostly revolves around his general view of the games industry.

It's really interesting to me to hear an artist (and one I like) say a lot of the things we've been hearing Carmack say. Most notably, he seems to think that core gameplay is more important than story and character. While I don't agree with this 100%, I certainly feel that the truth lies more on that side of the argument than the John Romero "design is law" side.

Anyways, read up if you want to hear a slightly different take of the gaming industry from what we are used to hearing.

Gamasutra interviews Doug Tennapel

Source: Kotaku

http://www.snackbar-games.com/n1807.html

Pro gaming finally hits quasi-normal TV

JoeHonkie wrote:

It's the moment I haven't been waiting for! If G4's Arena didn't fix your need to watch socially akward people display their amazing skill at clicking on buttons, USA Network should be able to help you out soon. They just signed a contract with the Major Gaming League to televise 7 unscripted gaming shows.

Now I'm not about to knock the actual training and talent it can take to get the top spots in these game shows, but seriously. Gaming just isn't that fun as a spectator sport unless you are really interested in the parties involved. I only enjoyed Arena because it was so silly, and it was funny to watch the players lose all sense of self-control when presented with a mildly cute announcer who wanted nothing to do with them. Maybe it's just me. Maybe people want to see this.

Source: ArsTechnica

http://www.snackbar-games.com/n1806.html

New Content Released

Pretzel wrote:

News from the Battlefield! EA/Dice has released the latest booster pack in the BF2 series, BF2: Armored Fury. The theater of war has moved to the US on the American Highways. The pack releases new maps and new vehicles to tear up the battlefield.

Xbox Live has released their new update that should freshen things up on the dashboard and the marketplace. So when you get home and turn on your 360, make sure you update your Xbox Live. The new update should make the entire Xbox Live experience much more accessible.

Finally, Bethesda is continuing to expand the world of Elder Scrolls in their latest title Oblivion. So far their has been four additions to the downloadble section of Oblivion. The latest content has not been given a date of release, but has been posted on the content page of the Elder Scrolls website. Also stay tuned for a patch release this week as well. This should fix some bugs within the game.

http://www.snackbar-games.com/n1805.html

Cell Broken?

The Inq is carrying an article that allegedly has some tech specs on the Cell and PS3 and the picture they paint is not pretty and could be very very bad for Sony. Take this with a grain of salt until these specs have been confirmed.

You end up with a console with half the triangle setup rate of the 360, a crippled CPU that is a bitch to program, and tools that are atrocious compared to the 360. To make matters worse, you have an arrogant set of execs telling us that twice the price is worth it for half the power, a year late. If it isn't already too late, Sony had better do something about this recto-cranial inversion or it may very well sink the console.

Source: Slashdot, The Inq

http://www.snackbar-games.com/n1804.html

Do YOU shoot people in the face?

From the "He's still around?" category, our good friend Jack Thompson has been quoted as saying:

Nobody shoots anybody in the face unless you're a hit man or a video gamer.

This is in response to Thompson urging local law enforcement to look for video games as evidence in a heinous murder in Louisiana where 2 kids allegedly beat a man and shot him in the face. I thought it was long established that crazy kids did crazy things without the influence of video games.

Source: Ars

http://www.snackbar-games.com/n1803.html

HOGs fights back against gamer sexism!

JoeHonkie wrote:

HOGs is a new clan devoted to Hot Gamer Guys. It seems to be both a parody of things like the Fragdolls and Clan PMS and an actual real clan. They are currently recruiting for one more member. Do you have what it takes?

I think Snowcone's up to the challenge. Do it, Cone!

The HOGs website

Source: Kotaku

PS. Oh dear, their names have me in stitches!

http://www.snackbar-games.com/n1802.html

Peter Moore spits on backwards compatibility

JoeHonkie wrote:

Enjoying Xbox 360 backwards compatibility? Hope not. Looks like they may give that up in the future. Peter Moore thinks nobody cares about it and Microsoft did more than they planned to anyway. In his words, "We under promised and over delivered on that."

So far more titles are on the way to be supported, but lets hope this is him just mouthing off and not taking a stand against doing anymore. Certainly there's nothing here to indicate they are dropping support yet.

Source: Joystiq

http://www.snackbar-games.com/n1801.html

PSP used by kids to look at porn

JoeHonkie wrote:

Oh my lord, kids are looking at porn! This has never happened before!

Apparently Sony should protect kids from ever being able to download porn over wireless networks on their PSP. You know, because every manufacturer of any networked device should be responsible for all possible misuse. Just wait until the Opera browser comes out for the DS. I can see some interesting "touch screen" flash and java games making the media's heads pop.

Read the article on FOX 9 local news here.

Source: Kotaku

http://www.snackbar-games.com/n1800.html