Blizzard has implemented a new "Recruit a Friend" initiative for existing subscribers. If you talk a bud into signing up for 30 days then, you get 30 days of free gameplay. Talk them into sticking around for 60 days and you get a nice swift Zhevra mount. Some of the other bonuses are triple the normal XP gain and for every two levels your friend gains, "they can grant one level of experience to any one of your characters of lower level." That's not a bad deal at all.

Here's the FAQ copied from Blizzard's website with more details on the program.

Recruit-A-Friend FAQ


What is "Recruit-A-Friend"?

Our new friend referral system allows you to recruit some of your friends to join you in World of Warcraft by sending them an invitation email containing a trial activation key. With this key, your friends will be able to set up their own trial accounts.

To start this process log on to the Account Management section and click the Recruit-A-Friend button. This will take you to the actual friend referral page, where you can enter a friend's email address and name one at a time. If you want, you can also enter a message that will be included in the invitation email.



How can I earn the exclusive in-game mount?

For each person you refer who upgrades to a retail version of World of Warcraft and purchases two months of game time, you will be able to give a character on the account you sent the invitation from an exclusive in-game zhevra mount. This unique mount can be claimed through the website, is only available to Recruit-A-Friend participants, and can only be applied to a single character.



What in-game benefits do we get while the accounts we play are linked?

1. Characters on both accounts can summon each other once per hour.
2. While adventuring with your linked friend/family member, you will each gain triple experience.
3. For every two levels the new player earns, the new player can grant one free level-up to a lower-level character played by the veteran player.



How long will I be linked to my recruit?

The link between the accounts will last for 90 days from the date that your recruit creates an account. Remember that for the link to work properly, your recruit must create a new World of Warcraft account using the 10-day trial key in your invitation email.



When my friend/family member upgrades from a trial account to a full version of the game, will that break the link between the accounts?

Nope! Your friend/family member will have to upgrade to continue playing past the 10-day trial, and the accounts you play will stay linked until the full 90 days have passed.



If my friend/family member recruits another friend/family member, am I linked to that person too?

No, these benefits only apply to the person that you referred directly.



Are there any limits on when and where I can summon my friend?

You and your recruit may only summon new characters of equal or lower level to the character you are playing. There is a one-hour cooldown on this summoning ability. Also, once one of the characters reaches level 60, the summon will no longer function.



Do I always gain triple experience while I am linked to my recruit?

No, only when you are partied with a character on the linked account and both players are present when slaying the monster or completing the quest. Also, if the two characters are not the same level, only the lower-level character is given the experience boost.



Is quest experience tripled too?

Yes, but only if the quest was not trivial (gray difficulty) for either character.



Do normal experience rules apply?

Yes, if a monster is trivial to either player, no experience boost is given.



How does this affect / stack with Rest State experience?

While you are partied with a linked recruit, any Rest State you have accumulated is not consumed. Only the tripled experience from the Recruit-A-Friend program is applied.



What if I'm partied with multiple recruits who I'm "linked" to? Do I get quadruple, sextuple experience?

No, you can only ever gain a maximum of triple experience regardless of how many linked recruits you are partied with.



Are there any limitations to granting levels to characters played by the veteran player?

Yes. The recruit may not grant a level to a character that is equal to or higher than the current level of the character he or she is playing.
Additionally, the recruit may not grant a level to a character that is level 60 or higher.



How can I earn the free 30-day credit?

For each person you refer who upgrades to a retail version of World of Warcraft and purchases his or her first month of game time, the account you sent the invitation from will receive a free credit of 30 days of play time.



Can I use the free 30-day credit on a different account or at a different time?

No, the 30 days of play time are immediately applied to the account you sent the invitation from once your recruit pays for his or her first month.



Can I earn multiple 30-day credits and mounts with Recruit-A-Friend?

Yes! These rewards will be given to you for each account you refer that meets the criteria listed above.



If my recruit cancels the account before purchasing subscription time, can I still earn the 30-day credit or the in-game mount?

If the recruit later comes back, reactivates the account, and purchases subscription time, you will still be eligible for the rewards. Additionally, you can always invite more friends/family members to try World of Warcraft through the Recruit-A-Friend system.

Finish What You Start...

I'm a huge fan of Stargate Atlantis and a small fan of Stargate SG-1, but I love the concept and storyline of both. That's why I'm looking forward to the upcoming mmo, Stargate Worlds.

This game shows a lot of potential. Check out the new gameply trailer. My only concern is that all combat seems to focus on gunplay, which I don't mind, but I'd like the option for hand-to-hand combat, kind of like Ronin and the entire Satedan race. I'm curious to see if that gets incorporated later.

Finish What You Start...

World of Warcraft has held the mmorpg throne for years, but I think Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning will challenge WoW’s right to rule.

Many people are anticipating W.A.R., which has a tentative release date of October 7th, 2008, and I will definitely pick up a copy. I’ve never purchased the collector’s addition of any game, but this past weekend, I dropped a fiver on the C.E. because those that preorder get into the open beta when it begins and also get early access to the full the game before everyone else as well as some awesome in-game items, depending on where you preorder from.

Order from Gamestop or EB Games (online or in-store) and receive the:
Sentinel's Amber Band Enhance your stats and cast "Touch of Earth," increasing your chance of doing additional corporeal damage with each hit. (Usable in PvE combat only.)

Order from Amazon.com, GoGamer.com, GameCrazy or EAStore.com and receive the:
Guardian's Iolite Band Enhance your stats and cast "Touch of Spirit," increasing your chance of doing additional damage with each hit. (Usable in PvE combat only.)

Order from Best Buy or BestBuy.com and receive the:
Champion's Sapphire Band Enhance your stats and cast "Touch of Frost," increasing your chance of doing additional elemental damage with each hit.

If you’re into mmorpgs and looking for the next big one, then you’ll definitely want to check out Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning. This one is going to be HUGE. Mark my words.

You can find out more about the game at the official site here.

Finish What You Start...

It’s always been a dream of mine to have a place where gamers and like-minded individuals as myself could hang out share thoughts and opinions. Well that dream has come true!!

Myspace has dominated the online social community for a long time. Although, it’s a good place to hang out, meet people, and share life experiences, it has always been hard for me to find a group that I fit into there. Even with the few gaming, anime, and technology groups that exist on Myspace, I’m very limited to what I can do once I join.

Well there’s a place for you and me now at GAX. GAX is a social community for gamers, movie enthusiasts, anime-lovers, etc. The site is named after the late Gary Gygax (July 27, 1938 – March 4, 2008), the author of the well-known fantasy role-playing game, Dungeons & Dragons (D&D). GAX allows members to created and decorated their own page, invite friends, create and join member-created groups of various topics, create blogs, and much more! There’s also an active and live chat running on every page.

Sign up. It’s free! Who knows? Your blog may be featured on the main page of GAX!

Finish What You Start...

There has always been a fine line between spending time playing video games and spending TOO MUCH time playing video games. One wife had enough and left her husband for not being able to walk this line.

Jocelyn, a 28-year old California resident and ex-employee of Blizzard has recently divorced her husband, Peter, of six years, blaming his addiction to World of Warcraft for the downfall of their marriage.

“He would get home from work at 6:00, start playing at 6:30, and he’d play until three a.m. Weekends were worse — it was from morning straight through until the middle of the night. It took away all of our time that we spent together. I ceased to exist in his life.”

Jocelyn goes on to say,

“I bought the game for him for Christmas 2004, when it first came out. By May we had our first serious discussion about where our marriage was going, and by September I had moved out.”

As any good wife would, Jocelyn tried to schedule some quality time of 30 minutes to watch television together, but Peter refused, not wanting to leave his current raid. His domestic duties also began to suffer, as far as his share of the chores around the house and paying bills.

Jocelyn is a gamer herself, but refused to play World of Warcraft, because she recognized the addictiveness of the game and its never-ending gameplay. She has no hesitation in blaming WoW as the sole reason for her divorce and is still emotionally distraught over the game’s impact on her marriage.

“I’m real, and you’re giving me up for a fantasy land. You’re destroying your life, your six-year marriage, and you’re giving it up for something that isn’t even real. [Blizzard] build it in such a way that you have to keep putting more and more time into it to maintain your status. I remember thinking when I was married that it was downright exploitative to people who couldn’t control themselves in that way. It’s set up like a drug.”

Here are the issues that that should have been foremost in Jocelyn’s thinking and reasoning. It seems as though Peter had more of an issue with prioritizing as opposed to an addiction to a video game. It’s obvious that he would rather spend time on the game than with his wife. That’s more of a personality issue than an addiction to something. Why blame a video game for being TOO good when the obvious reason for the demise was her husband’s personality?

I’ll be the first to admit that World of Warcraft is an excellent an addictive game. I, too, have been called out on my tendency to neglect other things when playing the game, but what always snapped be back to reality is my recognition of a stronger addiction to my wife and her happiness. I’m not taking away from the fact that Jocelyn definitely was neglected as wife and partner is this matter, but a question I’d like to ask her is, why is she blaming a game for ruining her marriage instead of questioning her decision to marry a man that would put ANY video game over her? It sounds to me as though she made a poor choice in picking a husband rather than a video game.

Finish What You Start...

Were you upset to find out that hot night elf chick dancing in her undies and bra that you'€™ve been hitting on for months is a dude? It seems that Aurora Technology, the publisher of the Chinese MMORPG King of the World, is a bit pissed also.

Male players choosing to play female characters logged in to find their accounts frozen. Now, only female players can play female characters and they are required to prove their gender via webcam. WTF is up with that? There i€™s no known official reason for the action but I a€™m guessing it'€™s to ensure that the people they were talking to were the gender they claimed they were. Here is the best part. Females, on the other hand, wanting to play male characters are still allowed to. I'm almost positive that's discrimination. This poses that question of what's to happen to those guys who had their female characters highly leveled and geared up? Do they have to start all over again? 

The webcam thing really won'€™t deter male players from making female character in my opinion. All they have to do is get a female friend to smile and wave in front of the webcam. As a male gamer and a hardcore mmorpg player, I a€™m EXTREMELY offended... 

Nah, I'€™m really not, but I SHOULD be. Male gamers have fought hard to establish themselves as equal gamers among women and to have our rights stripped away and trampled on€...Ok. I can'€™t keep a straight face any longer. The whole thing is unfair, but DAMN, it's funny!

Finish What You Start...

Would you trade in your level 70 epic two-handed sword for a high-ranking blaster with burst-rounds? NC Soft gives you the opportunity to do so in their sci-fi furturistic mmorpg, Tabula Rasa.

I ha€™ve been playing the Tabula Rasa beta for a few weeks and I have to say that it's a bit refreshing to take a break from swords and shields and pick up guns and mow down mobs in a planetary battle for the survival of the human race. A similar setting was tried in 2001 with Anarchy Online, but that online game appealed to a certain type of gamer. I think Tabula Rasa is similar-fated.

Do I think it's a good game? Based on the beta, it'€™s decent. I enjoyed grabing my guns and racing to secure a drop point being attacked by aliens. The numerous fetch quests didn'€™t seem as redundant while trying to survive an ambush set by an invading species. Will this mmorpg be better than World of Warcraft? Let'€™s not get carried away. From what I'€™ve played so far, the game is a LONG way from being as detailed and jaw-dropping as WoW. The final version is slated for an October 2^nd, 2007 release. Give it a try if you'€™re looking for something different in your online gaming.

Finish What You Start...

Evermore's been at it again people. It's new podcast day, and this one is, well, special.

A new podcast creation has been assembled by that crazy robot while the ESH podcast crew takes a mini vacay. I would try to describe to you what you are about to hear, but I'm not sure I understand it all myself.

What I will say is enjoy podcast episode #65: Where Do I Buy Manga?

Finish What You Start...

Hey peeps! It’s been a while but ya boy Douce is back and I’m bringing you something that you haven’t had in a LONG time. Douce’s Jewels are back and bigger than ever. I GOT JEWELS OF STEEL!! You’ll know what I mean by that in a moment.

So I was playing with my iPhone when I suddenly realized, "Hey I haven’t squeezed (squozen maybe) out a jewel in quite some time." As much as it pained me, I managed to put the phone down and after digging down WAY deep, I was able to find something that I think all you old school Duke Nukem fans might enjoy.

Here’s what’s going on. Many mmorpg players use voice chat servers like Ventrilo to communicate while they play. Well these gamers got a surprise visit from our good ‘ole friend, the Duke of Destruction, Mr. Duke Nukem himself. At first, this girl was trying to figure out WTF is happening, then after some time she just goes berserk and hilarity ensues. You may want to send the kids out of the room before listening to this because this chick really lets the profanity fly.

I’m calling this jewel Balls of Steel and laying it right on you all.


Ventrilo Harassment - Duke Nukem Forever - Watch the top videos of the week here

Enjoy!

Finish What You Start...

It's another Top 5 episode this week, proudly presented by frequent ESH contributor Douceswild. In this episode he gives his take on the Top 5 Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games, or MMORPGs.

He's researched the field thoroughly, spending his own time and money to immerse himself in the worlds of the Matrix, Lord of the Rings, comic book superheroes and the World that is Warcraft.

Which one comes out on top? Well, you'll have to listen to the podcast yourself to find out, now won't you? I'm sure not giving it away.

Listen for yourself. We're sure you're gonna like it.

Finish What You Start...

I used to spend long nights with my WoW, strolling through the Barrens or killing the bosses of Strat again and again. Now... now it's just not the same....

I... I thought indecent thoughts the other night. Alone, in the dark, and on the computer I wondered what other MMo's are out there. I wondered what Vanguard would be like, or Warhammer Online, and even if I should give City of Heroes another try. Me and CoH had started so well together but we just hit a rough patch, maybe I should put my WoW aside and give it another chance.

I felt so dirty afterwards. I felt like I had cheated. But... it's not bad to think impure thoughts is it? It's not like I went out and you know... bought a new game.... I am sure everyone gets those same thoughts and still has a wonderful and healthy relationship with their MMo. I figured I could just lay down, have a good nights sleep, and feel better in the morning.

It didn't work that way though.... When I woke up the next day I still had that same feeling, that same longing to go somewhere else and try something new. I even took it a step further that morning. I got online and looked at all the MMo's, especially the ones that had the first month free and even... even a couple of those whores that are free all the time. I looked them over, wanting, no yearning, to make space on my hard drive for them. I even went so far as to delete some old videos and pictures of mine but I stopped because I had to go to work.

When I got home I... I took it that final step. I downloaded EVE Online. I only played it a little bit! I didn't get to in depth with it or anything. But it was too late, I had crossed that line and I could never go back. I tried to justify it, but it wouldn't work. I even tried going back to WoW and playing it more but it just bored me. Before I knew it I had done it again, this time with Second Life.

I think I am going to leave WoW. After my pay period runs out at the end of this month I am not going to renew. We've had some close moments and some good laughs but I think that it's time to move on to new things. I think what I really want in my life right now is to go out and play the field, sample a little of all the MMo's without having to make any sort of commitment.


I'm sorry WoW.... You'll always have a place in my heart....

Finish What You Start...

Judging by the expression on this woman's face, she is having the time of her life. Obviously, it is the result of what she is viewing on the Icuiti video eyewear. See if you can guess what she is watching:

A. The L Word
B. Apple's latest "I'm a Mac" ad on TV
C. A giant fort of unsold PlayStation 3 consoles at Best Buy
D. Porn
E. Nothing at all -- she's a model, dammit!

The answer, of course, is E. A woman who looks like that wouldn't be caught dead wearing a plastic pair of wraparound shades connected to a video game (as you can see from the expanded view below).

The nerdy guy also portrayed on this page? His expression is much more believable. The device, called the iWear VR920, purports to let you "step inside" the game via a "3-degree-of-freedom head tracker."




Icuiti is marketing the device for players of MMORPG games like World of Warcraft, but it can also play on consoles, according to the accompanying literature. Here are some other features of the device:

• Designed for use with a laptop or standard PC through a simple USB and VGA connection
• Big 62-inch virtual display viewed at 9 feet
• Built-in noise canceling microphone for Internet VOIP communications
• Integrated “non-dangling” headphones that can be upgraded or removed to allow the user to plug in their own headset
• Supports component video-in from the latest generation of game consoles

We've seen lots of virtual video headsets over the years and none have yet caught on in the gaming world. Will the iWear VR920 catch on? Not as long as it makes you look like Geordi LaForge hanging out at the beach.

Finish What You Start...

Sorry for the lengthy AFK all. I’ve been putting in some long hours at work, but now I’m back with something that I’d like your opinion on. What’s the difference between cheating in video games and exploiting a system that’s already implemented into the game?

When it comes to video games, people will always find various ways to cheat. It’s just in our nature. Whether it be the 30-life Contra code or hacking a mmorpg to get better items, cheating and exploiting will always be around. There’s also a fine line between the two.

Everyone knows about World of Warcraft’s first expansion called the Burning Crusades, which released a few weeks ago. One of the new features is a raised level cap from 60 to 70. To a lot of casual players, that brings another month to three months of level grinding and questing to hit the new level cap. Well not everyone.

A player from France was able to reach level 70 twenty-eight hours after the release of the game. He grinded constantly without any sleep. As tales of him being the first level 70 player in the game spread, he began releasing his strategy to many curious and amazed players. He had forty of his guildies helping him out. He would hit (tag) the mob to claim ownership of the kill, and then the rest of his guild would kill the mob and keep him healed as he moved on to the next mob to repeat the process. Twenty-eight hours later **poof** level 70.

Now here’s where the controversy comes in. It seems that others are saying that he cheated. In my opinion, “cheated” is a strong word to use in this instance. He only did what Blizzard and every other mmorpg developer intends for you to do when you log in to their game and that’s interact with other players to get the most out of the game. I see it more as exploiting the system than cheating. He didn’t use a hack or mod to speed up the fight or increase the experience points. He just used and benefited from the help of some friends to get the job done.

I pose the question to all of you. Is what he did cheating or exploiting a system that’s already in motion? You want my opinion? I say, don’t hate the player. Instead, hate the player that can’t play the game.

Any thoughts?

Finish What You Start...

Holiday Hardware Guide by Geek Woman

If you are looking for some shopping advice on game hardware for the female, or male, gamer on your list then hopefully this article will help you understand it all. The location that is preferred for a game environment is an important choice to be aware of if you are shopping for games and accessories for your gamer. Games come in three basic types which are the PC, Console or Handheld. I'm going to try and give you the keys to the kingdom of the consoles.

First of all "What is a game console?" These are a box like machine that you attach to a TV set. Games are played with a controller that is held in the hands and effects the action on the screen. These have indeed been around since Pong and Pac Man, and if that is where you left the game trail, then you might be glad to know that those old school or retro games are still offered, in game packs and collections. Sometimes they have been updated and upgraded. If you want to pick up something like that for a gift you need to know the brand name and the model of the console or game device that your gamer has. Write it down and take it with you when you go shopping.

Some people opt for playing games on their PC rather than on the television. It seems that older people and women are the dominant demographic that enjoy using the PC for gaming. PC game - play are very popular for playing the massively multiplayer online games or MMOG's. Games such as World of Warcraft or Guild Wars are played on a PC with a keyboard and mouse. These games enable the player to interact with thousands of other players. Some of them also include the ability to talk to the other people while you are playing with them. Thought those features have been developing more slowly on PC. If your friend is playing an MMO there aren't many additional accessories for those. If they are a Guild Wars Player they may not have the new chapter called Nightfall which is a great game to add to the original Guild Wars or to buy it as a stand alone game. There are the Limited Edition Keyboards that are available for the MMORPG (massively multiplayer online role playing) games that are good looking and work well which are sold by a company called Zboard. Zboards

Perhaps the best way to determine what console to buy is to go by the age of the person who will be playing it. Right now there are three "next gen" consoles. Last year in November Microsoft upgraded their hardware and it is called the Xbox 360. It has mid - range graphics. There are over 100 games available for it at this time. The games are mainly of the first person shooter type or FPS and sports games. If you have heard of Halo 2 and Gears of War, or Oblivion those are titles for the Xbox 360. These games are for a mature crowd. The action is fast paced and bloody. Often the most popular games for the "360" carry a "T" for Teen or an "M" for Mature rating. Those ESRB ratings mean that Teens of 17 and 18 years old and above are the recommended age limit. These ratings can mean that there could be language or behaviors that some people would consider too crude for younger kids. It is no joke either. If you have a mix of older and younger kids in the house, the choice of games is crucial and requires your attention as much as monitoring what movies on DVD or cable that your younger kids could get into.

With Xbox the online aspect is called Xbox Live. A paid subscription is required for this additional service. With the online feature more games and demos are available to download directly into the console. The console can be bought with one of a few choices of hard drive size for saving downloadable games and other functions. Xbox Live gives players access to playing with many other players at the same time. It isn't 'massively' multiplayer as it is with with PC. Although large groups of strangers can interact with each other in an open ended party - line conversation. There are over 4 million users on Xbox Live. Xbox Live has something of a reputation for "Trash -Talking" which in short, means that a player that is wearing the headphones is opening themselves up to the possibility of hearing unkind and curse word laced tirades about the flaws in their game from other players. There is no one monitoring these conversations and there is no one censoring what the others could be saying. Because of this tendency, I would not recommend the Xbox 360 for little girls or young women under 18.

Costs for the annual subscription is approximately $50 US, its called Xbox Live Gold which includes voice chat, and Xbox Marketplace for gamers to buy and sell content. Sometimes original games, and old school arcade titles are downloadable. Xbox 360 works on HD TVs. They claim to have 250 old Xbox or "original Xbox" games that will play on the new console. Be careful to look up a list online for games that are called "backwards compatible" prior to inserting an old Xbox game into the Xbox 360. The digital media that it plays are DVD-Video, DVD-ROM, DVD-R/RW, DVD+R/RW, CD-DA, CD-ROM, CD-R, CD-RW, WMA CD, MP3 CD, JPEG Photo CD.

Microsoft has two variations of Xbox 360 available for sale. One has the Xbox 360 faceplate, and a Silver Xbox Live package, $300 known as a core package, that comes with one wired controller, standard A/V cable, and the console. The Gold package is required to actually play online games. There is a $400 system with a 20 GB hard drive, Xbox 360 Remote Controller, High Definition TV component cables, Xbox 360 headset and a wireless controller.

Next the Playstation 3 was released last week the manufacturer's suggested retail price is between $600 and $700 dollars US. It has been in the news and has gotten some bad press. Most of the incidents involved mismanagement of the long lines of people who were camping out to be able to get the very low quantity of these premium machines that were produced. One Massachusetts man was shot in a hold up of a line of customers waiting outside a store in Putnam Connecticut. The gunmen were attempting a hold up when this man refused to pay them. Because Sony was not able to make enough of these complicated advanced machines to fulfill the demands for them, it created chaos in several ways.

In the past Playstation 2 has been the most popular gaming console in the US with the most millions sold. Perhaps Sony should have waited to launch the sale until they had more of them ready. The PS3 Platform plays a few more accessories peripherals than the 360. It also boasts to be the most graphically advanced system. The new Blu-Ray Disc™ is a type of High Definition disk for playing movies that is supposed to be the future of disk published media. The way that DVD's replaced VHS a few years ago. The PS3 has what is called a SIXAXIS™ wireless controller that interacts with the screen in a close to 3D experience. You can use your Playstation 3 with High-Definition displays as well as conventional or standard TVs. It comes with either a 20GB or 60GB removable hard disk drive (HDD). The thousands of PS One® and PS2 PlayStation®2 games as well as CDs and DVDs are useable on the PLAYSTATION®3. The thing supposedly plays just about everything including some digital photo cards.

The PS3 has online capabilities including multiplayer gaming, text and video messaging, voice chat, downloading content and browsing the web. Even though the PS3 has impressive technical specifications, you may not be able to get one for the December holidays. It could be a moot point until sometime next Spring. There are over inflated PS3 prices on ebay, and buying those is not only exorbitantly expensive, but could be risky as well.

The PLAYSTATION®3 is available in two configurations with either the 20GB hard disk drive or the 60GB HDD. Some PlayStation 2 or PlayStation format software titles may perform differently on the system than they do on the native systems for example the PS3 doesn't support a vibration controller.

Then last Sunday the offering of the first Nintendo Wii consoles' launch was a 1960's "Love In" where the people in lines waiting were exchanging free hugs, ordering lunch for each other and playing games together. Something can be said about the two different types of people that were attending these launch parties. For the most part the Nintendo Wii draws a younger crowd and is most popular with younger kids and people that enjoy Nintendo's cute and quirky games.

There are approximately 50 games for the Wii, and we are told that there will be enough of the consoles to go around. Nintendo and developers seem to be in a rush to create new games for this innovative new product. Nintendo wanted to bring gaming to everyone, and has many titles that are rated for all ages and for kids. They went one more step and made a controller that is supposed to be easier to pick up and play since it is designed to resemble a television remote controller. You play with two hands and the actions resemble the actual movements of slashing a sword or driving. The remote is used as a handheld pointing device and can detect motion and rotation in three dimensions . The controller set called the "nun-chucks and wii-mote" interact with a sensor strip that you placer near your TV for a realistic complete 3D experience. A one-handed controller that uses a combination of accelerometers and infrared detection in conjunction with the sensor bar to sense its position in 3D space. Some people have found the workout to be a bit strenuous

The Nintendo Wii is not all things to all people the way that the other two consoles are attempting to be an all around media hub that takes the place of all the other components in your home entertainment center. What the Wii does do is add another level of fun and mirthfulness back into games. The unique controller has been a big hit so far and has gotten high marks from every reviewer. It is rare for something so gimmicky and unusual to get such a unanimous welcome from the jaded and snarky gaming community. People that have the 360 are getting the Wii too because it is like the apples and oranges in the PC world yet again.

The Wii is an ideal choice for a household with older and younger kids, seniors, and for the homes that do not have a High Definition TV set. Those aren't interested in the more mature titles, and those chat capabilities that are for adults or older kids can have a fairly safe online experience with the privacy and Friend policies from Nintendo. The console also features its own online service WiiConnect24 , which enables it to receive messages and updates over the Internet. The Wii console won the Game Critics Awards for Best of Show and Best Hardware. The console has a few kid safety features such as parental controls to prohibit younger kids from playing the wrong games. It reads the content rating and won't play games that are not set to the right age level.

The number of Wii consoles that will be available in the Americas during the launch rollout are expected to meet demand and sales of 4 million consoles worldwide by the end of 2006 are anticipated. The company affirmed that they "are working to ensure a plentiful supply and a consistent flow."

The launch Wii package includes the console, a stand to allow the console to be placed vertically, a circular clear stabilizer for the main stand, one Wii Remote, one Nunchuk attachment, one Sensor Bar, a removable stand for the sensor bar, one external main power adapter, AV cables (component video and other type of cables will be available separately), and a copy of Wii Sports in the US and Canada. The Wii console is the smallest home console unit of the three contenders and the least expensive at $250. US. The front of the console features a slot-loading media drive lit up by a by distinct blue light and it accepts both Wii software and discs from Nintendo's prior console, the Game-Cube. They are telling us that it is fully backwards compatible with all the Previous Game Cube games.

Additionally the interface for the console is designed around the concept of television channels, with a Wii Menu. Nintendo will not charge fees for playing games from the service. Channels are graphically displayed, and are navigated using the point of the Wii Remote. They are the Disc Channel, Mii Channel, News Channel, Forecast Channel, Photo Channel, Wii Shop Channel, Internet Channel. The Virtual Console Channel is basically an “online service, similar to Xbox Live Arcade. The Nintendo DS will be able to play game demos downloaded from the Wii console which gamers would receive from Nintendo, similar to a DS Download Station. Gamers can download retro games not only for the NES, Super NES, and Nintendo 64, but also Sega’s Genesis, NEC’s TurboGrafx-16 and others. The Wii has average graphics and only a 512 MB built-in flash memory, expansion is available via SD card memory, up to 2 GB max. It will take Game-Cube Memory Cards for saving GCN games only.

In addition to the larger game consoles or PC games that you find at home, mobile games have become very popular. The Nintendo DS is a hand held, rechargeable dual screen portable game system. It comes in a variety of colors and it is pocket sized. It is the most popular handheld game console, which easily buried the competition, which were the Sony PSP and the N-Gage. it has continued to hold the record for the most units sold just as the Game Boy has for years. It comes in two sizes. The original unit that made its debut last year, is referred to as the 'NDS' and it can play both the library of Game Boy Advance games as well as games for the DS. The DS Lite is a smaller sleeker version of the same DS machine, but it smaller and does not have the additional slot for the GBA games. You can find several reviews and editorials about the DS right on this website. Nintendo DS and the Wii are expected to have a type of connectivity to use functions like the Nintendo DS's microphone and touch-screen as inputs for Wii games like Pokémon Battle Revolution. It is expected that all of Nintendo's huge repertoire of well known game franchises, such as Zelda, Metroid, Mario, Animal Crossing, and Pokémon will come to the Wii in some form.

For very tiny kids and toddlers Leapster has the education interactive toys for under $100 Leapster

For an easy comparison chart you can check out Gamefly. They have a chart showing the three consoles. The Nintendo Wii, the Xbox 360, and the Playstation 3. Renting games or giving a Gamefly subscription is a good gift idea.

For a stocking stuffer I recommend Geek Woman's Game Guide 2006

Finish What You Start...

“Prepare to charge! Scroll over him with your mouse cursors…and…RIGHT CLICK!” The Douce has an anime that is all about you and your addiction to online gaming. Many of you may have heard of it or watched it already and there’s no denying that we (myself included) see ourselves somewhere in this anime.

The anime that encompasses just about every aspect of a typical MMORPG is .hack//Roots. The popular online game called “The World” from the previous .hack series has been destroyed, revamped, and re-released as "The World R:2". The new version of the game has been overrun by pk’ers (player killers). Logging onto the game and venturing outside of root town comes with the risk of getting your character pk’ed.

Haseo logs into The World for the first time as a newbie only to be nearly pk’ed by two players who pretend to be his friends while helping him learn the ropes of the game. He’s saved by a mysterious player named Ovan, who tells him there is a hidden power inside of his character and invites him to join his guild. Haseo begins his grind to level up and in the process, befriends a guild mate named Shino. One day, he witnesses Shino being pk’ed by the mysterious avatar known only as Tri-Edge. It’s said that those killed by this avatar are called the Lost Ones because they never log back in to the game.

The loss of Shino sends Haseo into a rage as he tries to track down Tri-Edge and discover what happened to his friend. In his search for power and answers, he becomes a pkk’er (player killer killer) as he eliminates any player that refuses or is unable to point him towards the mysterious avatar. Haseo is dubbed "The Terror of Death" because of his rampage and also earns the reputation of “the player who killed 100 pk’ers” after being ambushed by and killing 100 pk’ers in a single battle.
Roots deals with almost every situation you’ll find in online gaming. Account selling, corrupt GMs’, and guild drama is touched on throughout the series. Friendships are strained online and offline as Haseo tries to find the balance between high-level power and online respectful gameplay. He is still unsure of the hidden power Ovan spoke of and how to summon and control it.

I’m giving this anime one dark M&M because some of the events that take place are dark as well as the mood of the series at times. We’ll throw in two dark blue tasties due to the sadness of seeing the change in Haseo’s attitude and gameplay as well as friendships being torn apart as people are pk’ed and/or leave the game. Let’s go with one maroon M’er for having a good story and plot that references events and characters from the previous series and sets the stage nicely for the .hack//G.U. Playstation2 game. I’ll put this baby to bed with a purple M&M because .hack//Roots is just plain friggin’ good. Pick it up if you’re a online gaming fan. If you’re not, then watch it anyway so you’ll finally understand the hardships that we go through every time we log in.

Finish What You Start...

Have you ever had to apply for any kind of federal funding? How about a college loan? Ever had to fill out any kind of paperwork for the gub'ment at all? Remember how large of a PITA that was? Apply that process to video game rating and that's what the future of video games may hold for us all.

In a "they must be out there Bob-damned minds" moment, the Republican Senator Sam Brownback and pals are trying to get some legislation together and passed that would force the ESRB to play every game through, in it's entirety [which would mean all difficulty levels, finding all Easter eggs, etc,] before it can be rated and then released. Um, yeah... what bonehead told the Esteemed Gentlemen from the great state of Kansas that this was an executable idea, let alone a good one? It's obvious that it wasn't anyone who was an actual gamer, because there are way too many game franchises that will never pass this kind of inspection. Allow me to explain, or rather pose some questions of my own.

How does one play Everquest, World of Warcraft, Second Life, or any MMORPG through in it's entirety? Throw into the mix user created content, patches, and the hallowed expansion pack and the review process is neverending... like the story. [Which is an AWESOME ass movie, TYVM] I doubt Blizzard wants to create a game or gamescape that never sees the light of day because it hasn't completed the review for rating by the ESRB process. What about the level of ability of the ESRB folks that will have to play the games? Will we have to wait an extra 10 months for a game to be rated and released because the person at the ESRB assigned the title happens to balls out suck at that particular type of game?

Think about it this way, how long does it take the average gamer to get 100% clear in any game? Even with a guide, on average how long does it take? Few months? Tack on to that the fact that these people will have to be noting every instance of violence, potential violence, sexual content, and language in every scene. Add on a few more months for that. Then they will have to create a report that backs up why they believe the game deserves the rating they have suggested... and a committee goes over the document and then agrees or disagrees. Another month. Looks like 9 months to push that baby out the door if we are lucky and everyone agrees. What developer can afford to add an additional almost year to their development and release cycle?

Senator Brownback has been quoted as saying:

The current video game ratings system needs improvement because reviewers do not see the full content of games and don't even play the games they are supposed to rate. For video game ratings to be meaningful and worthy of a parent's trust, the game ratings must be more objective and accurate.

Which I think is slightly off the mark. While I agree there are flaws within the ESRB rating system, it's better than not having a system at all. Many politicians and ESRB critics are quick to cite the GTA: San Andreas "Hot Coffee" incident and the Oblivion re-rating. Out of the hundreds upon hundreds of games that are released every year on the PC, console, and handheld gaming devices, two only have 2 notable misses [which aren't even bonafide misses... the "Hot Coffee" content was not intended to be seen as the triggers for the content had been removed by the games developer, and the Oblivion deal required a PC only 3rd party hack... hardly something the ESRB could be expected to find] I think is doing a pretty damn good job of screening games. I doubt that many of the already rated games would be re-rated if the ESRB had played them all the way through.

What sends shivers down my spine is that if this legislation gets some power behind it and becomes law, it will mean the end of the ESRB. There is no way that the ESRB could keep up with the amount of games that they would have to review, so they would have to throw their hands up and say, "NO MAS!" Which would mean the government would step in and create a rating board system. And if you thought the ESRB process was going to be long, can you imaging how long the "Federal Rating Process" would be. Can you imagine your local federal representation assigning people to play games through in their entirety? Huh? Can you? Most times ougub'mentnt works, but it works ssss-lllllll-ooooooo-wwwwwwww people. It takes a lot of paper pushing, and lobbyists to get anything done in all honesty. AKK! Video Game Lobbyists?!?! Those words scare the shit out of me, they should scare the crap out of you too.

I never thought I would write anything where I was coming to the aid of the ESRB, but they aren't the bad guy here. Personally I always thought that games should kind of be rated on their contents. If I was to rework the rating system, it would look something like this:

Games for kids age 11 and under, would carry a KS - (kid safe) rating.
Games like Super Monkey Ball, and most games that currently carry the EC, E or E 10+ rating.

Games for young adults suitable for people age 13-16 that have most likely been exposed to violence (i.e. a fight in real life, or seen the TV news) and have heard or used strong language, and/or watch MTV... i.e. they've experienced the real world would carry the YA - Young Adult rating.

Games that have nekkidness, next to nekkidness, allow you to slice an opponent in half with kick ass blood spurts, you know, the stuff you know when you play it no one with a still forming brain should play, would carry an A - Adult rating.

And we'll keep the RP - Rating Pending rating from the original ESRB system for games that are still under review when their print ad campaigns start.

Now is thst so difficult? Require that a more detailed explaination of potential game content appear on the back of the game box art [you know, contains violence, naughty language, and sexually suggestive stuff] and be done with it. Make a special area at the bottom on the front of the box art case [make it the standard template for the entire industry] and allow them to use whatever highlight color they want so as not to interfere with the artwork, and put the rating in there clearly. For some examples click on the images below.

These are just some of the thoughts that have been bouncing around my head since I read this comic from Penny Arcade. They make a valid point... a scary, valid, on point, point.

Finish What You Start...

There's a new .hack game coming out, aren't you excited? I can hear you sighing and shaking your head as I write this. Now I know, just as well as the next person that .hack is getting a little old, what with 4 PS games, 3 novels (and a novel series), 2 anime, 3 OVAs, 2 manga, an online roleplaying game and a collectible card game, but I'm confident that .hack//G.U. will be different from .hack//SIGN, .hack//INFECTION, .hack//MUTATION, .hack//OUTBREAK, .hack//QUARANTINE, .hack//Liminality, .hack//Legend of the Twilight, .hack//DUSK, .hack//AI buster, .hack//AI buster 2, .hack//Another Birth, .hack//GIFT, .hack//ZERO, .hack//ENEMY, .hack//fragment and .hack//XXXX.

I'll start with a little introduction for those of you who are reclusive, blind, deaf hermits who live under rocks in a remote area of the moon and have managed to avoid encountering any of the .hack franchise. The basic plot is that due to a worldwide computer virus epidemic, there is only one OS that anyone uses, Altima OS. Altima has created the largest MMORPG in history, creatively called 'The World.' The game is hugely popular, with over 4 million users signing up at its launch. Each of the .Hack titles focuses on a series of bizarre events known as the Twilight Incident, in which players actually sustained RL (real life) damage when their characters were hurt. Multiple users are put into comas while playing the game. Most of the .hack storylines focus on a group of anomalous AI including Aura, Morganna and Aura's daughter Zefie as well as the system errors and bizarre occurrences in "The World".

In the original 4 title game series, you play Kite and Black Rose, two typical snot-nosed school kids as they investigate the net. Kite accidentally dies when a data error causes a high level monster to spawn in a low level area. Aura appears, revives him and when he wakes up he is wearing a bracelet that allows him to 'Data Drain' enemies (basically hacking the program to reset the level of the enemy.) Kite and Black Rose run around trying to find Aura, figure out what has happened to the unconscious players and defeat what I call 'glitch monsters' or monsters that have infinite HP and can only be defeated with the data drain. That is also what most of the other .hack titles involve, little kids trying to save 'the world.' Urg, Retch! Uh, that is... I mean, yay!

The game .hack//G.U. is much darker, and from what I've read, it sounds awesome. Basically it's 2017, 7 years have passed since the end of the original .hack games. ALTIMIT OS has been replaced by ALTIMIT MINE OS and The World is now The World R:2 (WHOO, now those are some Big Changes.) After a group of players set off a Cataclysm (oops) the game lost most of its data and was shut down, until R:2 came along. Because the original "The World" accounts couldn't be recovered the RPG lost many of its origional players, and a new population took over. Ok, in order to understand R:2 here's a reference: Take WoW (which was recently recorded as having 6.6 million paying subscribers) and double it, make all the servers PVP without the aid of alliance and horde groupings, and you've got The World R:2.

It is a bit post apocalyptic, think Mad Max. Instead of players helping each other explore the endless litany of dungeons, the players are busy killing each other and competing to survive. PK (player killers) abound and it's damn hard for an honest gamer to survive. The worst of all is Tri-Edge, a notorious PK who will unhesitatingly and wordlessly destroy any player that crosses his path. However, one day one of his victims falls into a RL coma just after getting PKed, and Tri-Edge draws the attention of Haseo, a famous PKK (Player killer killer.) Unfortunately, not even Haseo can't defeat Tri-Edge and his level 133 character is data drained to level 1 and stripped of all equipment. You heard me right, the bad guy, who looks like an evil twin of Kite, is the one who wields the all powerful Data Drain. Bit of a turn around from the original. So what does it mean to The World that Kite, Shugo and Tri-Edge all have the same character design and all three are chosen to wield the data draining bracelet?

What G.U. stands for is never officially and definitively declared, but supposedly there are 12 or more refrences to things that could be G.U. within the game. True to .hack form //G.U. will not be a single game, but is a trilogy that will be completed over the course of 2007. Also true to form there will be an accompanying anime. According to Newtype

"...the entire experience is more online RPG-like with more action-focused battles, a more robust skills set, and group attacks that get your entire party involved... just pop into a town area or designated battle area out in the field and you'll find scads of PKs for Haseo to hunt down... not to mention an almost startling graphical upgrade."

The first volume is being released this October from Namco Bandai Games for the PS2. If you are too lazy to play the game you can still get to know the characters by watching .hack//Roots an anime currently airing in Japan that covers Haseo's exploits prior to being downgraded.

Game and anime trailers for .hack//G.U. and .hack//Roots can be found at Cyber Connect 2's official web site or through the .hack hub site

Finish What You Start...

Ok, now you might think that what I am about to say won't carry much credence because I haven't really played Halo all that much...

"Blasphemy" says you, and I know you are on to something there, I won't fight you on that. Well, actually I won't fight you on that because from what I've seen of the forthcoming game title Halo Wars I just may have to change that.

Now before you go and label a sistah a Sony or Nintendo fangirl [which would be the complete opposite of what the people who read Evermore's article earlier this week have said, or yelled at us. LOL] I've only ever stayed away from Halo because I just didn't think that I would have any fun playing the game because I usually just suck out loud with these types of titles. I always enjoy watching other people play the H