How do you Play

Most males (as far as I know) prefer to stand while peeing. Most (or all) females prefer to sit while peeing. So what does peeing have to do with video games? Absolutely nothing! I've just been curious as to find out, male or female, whether you prefer to sit or stand while "playing".
For me personally, I prefer to stand. It's not a masculinity issue, it's more of a gamestyle adjustment. I find that whenever I'm playing FPS I'm usually on my feet. Call me weird, but I really get into it this way; on the other hand, when I'm playing a 3rd person shooter like 'GOW' or 'Splinter Cell', I tend to sit down, relax and observe unique in-game details while playing - that is until I get really immersed, go online, or come really close to smashing my controller into a million-billion pieces from pure frustration.

Many of us older (arcade style) gamers out there have come accustomed to sitting and gaming, while the younger generation doesn't know any other way. But with the "Big 3" (360, PS3, Wii) utilizing motion capturing, it seems that gameplay-styles are beginning to change once again.



I've put my vote in. So how do you play?

How do you to play?
	Male-Sitting down
	Male-Standing up
	Male-Both
	Female-Sitting down
	Female-Standing up
	Female-Both
pollcode.com free polls

Exclusive Halo:Reach Editions Ready for Pre Order

With the release of the Halo: Reach beta May 3rd on Xbox LIVE - now would be a good time to brief you on what Bungie has prepared for us this fall with the full version. Three editions of Halo: Reach will be available for purchase: Standard, Limited, and Legendary. Obviously the Limited and Legendary editions will have a small window of availability at retailers, so ordering them ahead of time would be a good thing.

Standard Edition $59.00 USD

This is the most basic edition. It comes in the standard Xbox 360 green case, an instruction manual, and maybe some promotional flair.

Limited Edition $79.00 USD

The game disc is housed in an ONI "black box", and will include an Elite armor set for mulitplayer modes. Also included in the Limited Edition bundle is an Artifact bag containing Dr. Halsey's personal journal and other classified documents and effects that help piece together age old secrets of the Halo universe.

Legendary Edition $149.00 USD

This is the ultimate edition and will come in custom UNSC -themed packaging, and will include a Spartan armor set for multiplayer modes, all the contents of the Limited Edition, and to top it all off - a 10 pound statue of the Noble Team; handcrafted at McFarlane toys and individually numbered.

UPS Uses Games to Recruit New, Younger Drivers

UPS is using video game simulation as a testing platform for future drivers which can average as much as $74,000 annually. Some years back I once had the opportunity to join the company as a package handler, but the entry level test I took (and failed) reminded me of taking the SAT's in school; time constraints, a bunch of people (in this case you don't know), very quiet and somewhat awkward. I can honestly say that I don't know exactly what the previous driving test consisted of, but I'm assuming it was comparable to the test I took.

Hoping to increase a 30% driving test failure rate, the worlds largest delivery service will delve into video game technology and peripherals with the intentions of gaining younger, more technology driven individuals. Currently the Atlanta-based UPS employs over 99,000 drivers in the U.S. ,but with a large amount of baby-boomers retiring, they are now seeking to hire over 25,000 drivers over the next 5 years.

According to the WALL STREET JOURNAL, 20-somethings, the bulk of UPS driver recruits respond best to high-tech instruction with a great ability to hone skills. The simulation-oriented testing will put recruits behind the wheel of one of those big brown trucks; navigating through a myriad obstacles in an artificial village where they must make 5 deliveries in 19 minutes.

There is also a contraption that you must harness yourself into above a greased floor while wearing slip resistant shoes that is suppose to simulate walking on ice.

I don't know about you, but even if I didn't pass this test, it sound like a good time either way. So for all you 20-somethings out there with sore wrists and thumbs- marinating away on your back-side in front of your TV's, there's an industry giant seeking your technical gaming expertise for possible employment earning a high 5 figure income!

Good luck & Game On..!

Oh boy! Another Movie-based Game

On March 23rd the movie inspired game, "How to Train a Dragon" will be spinning in consoles and downloaded onto iPhones just three days before the theatrical release this Friday. The first thing that comes to mind when I catch wind of a movie based game is FLOP!

Where to begin..?

*First I'd like to emphasize that my game scores are pulled from none other than Game Informer.

Lets take a look at some recent movie-game reviews

The Godfather2 (rating 5.5)

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (rating 6.25)

G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra (rating 3.5)

Avatar (6.5)

Keep in mind these ratings were whittled down from a ten point scoring system; anything under 7.75 is considered pretty sloppy -to say the least. And compared to their cinematic counter-parts these games just sucked. It really upsets me that the antagonist in this [possible] hook -line and sinker is the amount of [time] allotted for the project. Two questions easily come to mind in this situation:

'How much time is spent on a licensed game that is suppose to release in sync with it's film?'

'And who gets to decide whether to release a game for the movie?'

Whatever the answers, the fact still remains that profitability is, without a doubt, an administrative necessity and the cohesion of two industry giants entertaining us in digital-analogue mediums- creates more money for bling, grills and whatever else that deep pockets will get you.

Quick Fact: For over 4 years Activision has been partnered-up with DreamWorks, the studio behind "How to Train Your Dragon". The "long-term broad-based" alliance entitles Activision to worldwide exclusive rights to games for upcoming DreamWorks Animation films.

Nonetheless, if the aforementioned games were giving more time, then maybe the love and devotion that was put into them could shine as brightly as their counter-parts. The only excuse for poor audio, glitches in animation,coupled with half-assed programing [to name just a few no no's] is just that.. Time!

How to Train Your Dragon's vocal cast will help solidify what is to be another CG great for DreamWorks Animation Studios:

Jay Baruchel (Knocked Up/Tropic Thunder) as Hiccup

Jonah Hill (SuperBad/Grandma's Boy) as Snotlout

America Ferrera (Ugly Betty) as Astrid

Gerard Butler (300/Gamer) as Stoick

and more

Lets just hope the game is a game and not another facade with a marketing scheme behind it.

Stay hardcore, and let me know what your opinion is on movie-based games and possibly a consensus on my two questions.

Game On,

Rahsero

Mass Effect2..Finally!

When I first played Mass Effect and witnessed the depth of in game dialogue, the absolutely incredible detail that was put into the technology and the physics involved- I was immediately hooked. Traveling at the speed of light, taking down biotic fugitives on one world, mining for precious metals on another; all while preventing the extinction of every sentient life form in the galaxy. By the end of this game I had a ton of experience points and an insatiable thirst for more; which I quenched by playing through it again to hear more character diaologue amoung other things.













Fortunately for us, Bioware has been preparing for the release of the second installment in what is to be a trilogy on January 26. Two years have passed since commander Shepard stopped the reaper's cycle of total organic exctinction. A new unknown entity immerges from the beyond the boundaries of citadel space silently kidnapping entire human colonies, but this time Shepard is without the help of the council. Since the demise of Saren the council has been able to devote their attention towards a myriad galactic issues. Shepard must rely on Cerberus, the pro-human [rogue] orginization responsible for grotesque genetic experiments and linked to the Akuze massacare. The Alliance and Cerberus must work together to stop and eliminate the threat to human-kind. That should make for some good game play and maybe more insight into what happened to Shepard in between the time he killed Seran and his infamous return from the dead. We shall soon see. **Hasboogie