gaggle64

Seems like a good way to encourage kids to take up physical activities to me.

This video makes me long for a decent current-gen Starfox game.

Yes, but also with it's tounge firmly in cheek. If hadn't had that sense of humour, it would be on the sludge heap with all the rest.

No awards, overall minor improvments across the board. Can't complain.

A trip down to my local game store seems to suggest that industry is somewhat riven between two extremes - everything is either all cars, blood tits and war, or else it's all those minigame compilations. It seems this is what has been defined as the difference between "hardcore" and "casual" now. I'm not saying there isn't some choice, but not nearly enough. When I think about casual games, I think about the PS1 generation. Crammed full of colourful but simple platform games like Croc, Spyro, Rayman and Crash, cute puzzlers like Bubble-Bobble, humourous action games like Duke Nukem and easy going sports titles like TOCA and Fifa. There was a full range of simple, easy, attractive titles that everyone could enjoy as well as the hardcore stuff. I think what's currently holding the video games is the same thing currently sending the movie industry backwards. There's so much money involved, everything seems to be based on risk assement and demograph. When I look at mini game compilations, you can almost see the phrase "at least it's cheap to make" floating over it. Then comes Xmas and all of a sudden it's all massive action and complex adventure titles (Crysis, Assasins Creed, Mass Effect). In cinema's meanwhile, every summer it's the usual dearth of cack-handed romance comedys, with whatever genre hollywood has decided is the big money spinner this year following after (Epic fantasty this year, it seems.) Then someone makes a succesful sci-fi movie or something, with that genre being quickly run into the ground again within another couple of years. Both industries need to learn just to support games and movies and the artists ability to make them attractive to the public, rather then view anything as strictly demograph targeted content.

1 Do you play videogames? Yes 2 In your own words, please describe your definition of a 'gamer' A person who regulary purchases and/or plays video games. 3 Would you consider yourself any of the following: [multi] - Hardcore gamer 4 Describe your use of videogames? [multi] - Recreational - Relaxation - Escapism - Social activity 5 How much time do you spend playing video games? - 3-4 hours 6 What is/are your preferred genre/s? [multi] - Adventure - FPS - RTS - RPG - Puzzle - Multiplayer games - Racing - Simulation - Fantasy - Sci-fi - Party games 7 Where do you mainly play videogames? At home. 8 What consoles do you own? - Microsoft Xbox 360 - Nintendo Wii - Nintendo DS - Nintendo Gamecube - PC 9 Do you engage in other forms of media, if so what are they? [multi] - TV - Film - Books - Other (Music) 10 What is/are your preferred genre/s? [multi] - Action adventure - Sci-fi - Fantasy - Historical - Religious - Classical - Documentary - Comedy 11 Are you male or female? [M/F] Male 12 How old are you? 17-21 13 What is your ethnic background? -Caucasion

I still just don't get Bleach at all. People keep telling me it's a really deep story about souls and death gods or something. I look it at and I wonder if they'd still be wacthing it if it didn't have emo kids with gigantic swords and hair to match.

I tried one of those face-recognition-lookalike things, just for fun. Trey Parker, which isn't too off I suppose.

If you've got a PS3, I'd hold on to that. Like a massively preganant woman at some other kids party, it may say otherwise but it'll get more then it's fair share of cake in the end.

Just though I'd pop in to share something my bro said the other day while perusing that Anime channel on the arse end of Sky:

It doesn't have to be a particulary great game to be a great game, it just has to be Duke Nukem. On that basis, I'm vaguely pleased. Needed more profanity.

Hey guys, I just got back from hell, the bloody place has all frozen over! There are daemons building snowman and shi... oh, wait, this explains it. In unrelated news, pigs apparently have been shot down over Iranian air space. Weird.

Of all the fine, fine console versions, why the PC version? Is your desire to peak up Ashley's skirt with the sniper rifle in slightly-higher-then-normal resolution really that strong?

Sounds like a good idea. We could start fresh in the New Year. That's what I wanted to hear.

Final results are in people... I'm rather pleased.

Top flight italian coach, apparently a demanding, no-nonsense kind of a bastard. He plays to win.

Come to think of it, why is English even a nescerry skill? Just give him a spiked cricket bat with Lampards name written on it, we'll be well on our way to World Cup glory.

I can assure you that's a very strong eight, just above Pulp Fiction and the LOTR movies. The Godfather and Dr. Strangelove are niners. Ten would be Le Circe de Rouge, or something equally amazing. And I mean really, really amazing.

Wait until Sweeney Todd comes out and go see that. Or stay in and watch the Film 4 lineup. Trust me, you'll be much happier.

Pan's Labyrinth + Thumbs up 8/10

DoW of war really is fantastic, it's probably the defining RTS since C&C itself. You have to move fast - first it's a race to the top of the tech tree while fending off enemy attacks, and then a massive, meat grinder war of balls-out attrition. House sized tanks, orks, elves, daemons, anime style mechs, everything that should have their own RTS games are in here together. C&C is like the old gentlemen having a good ol' laugh, a smoke and a brandy in the gentlman's club. You know, all very good, pleasant and familiar. DoW is the robot punk rocker who beams in and rips the place to bits with a guitar.

This is a good sign. Keagen and McClaren were born and bred Englishman, look where that got us. Sven on the other hand was the result of a live Cod being cross bred with the Stockholm branch of Ikea.

As I say, they only frozen at night, stops them from using power. They always thaw out at sunrise.

Movie? I Am Road Rover! We cano-sapien crime fighting team created funded by US military, run by UN. Often we cover for Ninja Teenage Turtles when they catch E-coli from eating pizza in sewer.

My name is Exile Mikalovich van Husky. I take American movie-style road trip from HQ to back home in Siberia for Christmas, but broke down here in N-Europe. This town is crazy! It worse then Cold War.