DemonKing

I find that rather optimistic...seeing as all they're throwing at us right now is RTS games, MMPORPGs and console hack and slashers. NWN2 is still a distant dream, with no screenshots in evidence, and BG3 even more remote. Not to mention that an original, non-sequel D&D CRPG has not been announced since IceWind Dale in 1999 (discounting TOEE, which can hardly be considered "original")!

What's Crusader - a console RTS? I only know Crusader: No Remorse/No Regret. As to BG/IWD being out of date - the fact is these type of games, when done well, are absolutely my favourite type of game - yet even 7 years after the release of the original BG, no console can yet replicate the type of gameplay found in titles like the infinity engine games. The sad thing is, very few PC games are replicating that type of gameplay at the moment either...

Until a console can give me a game as complex as a BG or IWD (or even a Warcraft 3), and a control system as good as a mouse and keyboard combo, then I am quite happy to be a computer snob. Also, because of bad eyesight (check my avatar for the reason!), I like to be able to sit in front of a nice big desk while I play, with my monitor at a height and distance comfortable for me, rather than straining forward in an armchair to play something on my TV. Finally, with my PC I can surf the net, write e-mails, chat, shop, download music, work etc which I can't do on a console. At present the only advantage to a console is that it is cheaper than a decent gaming PC - and thus popular with the kiddies - and it has a few exclusive titles (which often get ported to PC anyway).

That is a bit of a bummer...but after 5 years wait I'll take whatever I can get. Plus it means his next book is already over 60% finished!

If you have already read Martin's previous books, then after 5 long years you will be whooping for joy. If you have yet to read them now is the perfect opportunity to get off your butt and start reading a fantasy series which I believe is superior to Tolkein in almost every way imaginable. Check it out at the official website: George RR Martin's Official site

Some random feelings about episode 3: * The opening sequence was great - that first long, long shot follwing the two ships through the battle was amazing - I wish more directors would try this technique sometimes over the rapid-cut/shaky cam look so prevalent today. * Funniest bit was when Anakin sliced off both of Dooku's arms and then later said "I shouldn't have killed him - he was an unarmed prisoner." * I thought Grevious was pretty good - the four lightsabers were pretty impressive. * Interesting to hear that Darth Palgueis (Sideous' teacher) could "create life" with midichlorins - could it be that Anakin of the immaculate conception was just long-term Sith planning? * Best death for me was Mace Windu - that was great the way you could see his skull frying from Sideous' lightning. * I nominate "younglings" as the stupidist name ever - they should have just called them "Baby-Jedi" and be done with it. * The whole switch to the dark side seemed to sudden for me - perhaps if Lucas hadn't wasted an entire movie with Jar Jar and baby Anakin we could have seen Anakin secretly training under Sideous rather than the quick reversal from holding a lightsaber to his throat to kneeling before him. * I didn't find the final light-saber fight too spectacular - and I kept wishing they had different coloured lightsabers so I could tell them apart more easily. Sadly after six films I still have to give the award for best lightsaber battle to Qui-Jon/Obi-wan and Darth Maul in Episode I! * I actually enjoyed the beginning half of the film more than the ending - watching Palpatine tempting and manipulating Anakin was rather fun. Overall it was ok - I found the last half of AOTC more viscerally thrilling than the climax of ROTS, but I'll probably see it again this week to catch any details I missed on the first look. As I walked out of the film I was tempted to do a Homer and say "Who would have thought that Palpatine was Sideous?" but strangely decided against it.

I just finished the beta and it didn't really impress me...the graphics are almost identical to the 3 year old original and the gameplay is just as uninspired as before...also the much vaunted "dialog tree" is usually 2 options - click to continue or click the other option to leave! Bargain bin at best!

Remember that Bio. have a dedicated Technology team who are working on new tech for future titles, so they probably have in place: 1. DA team 2. Tech team 3. Super dooper secret console team 4. Live team (working on NWN modules, patches plus other support) 5. Another project in early development (JE PC, Star Citadel etc)

Well Bio. only coughed up a couple of mods lost year and one of them was named "The CRPG of the Year", so they probably don't think they need to go to much effort to promote themselves at this point...particularly since Dragon Age is still a good couple of 18-24 months away from release.

GB: We've heard a rumor that you may have acquired the Icewind Dale license from Interplay. Is there any truth to this? JM: Feargus had the foresight to buy several assets from Interplay as it collapsed. It's a great opportunity for some of that work and effort to shine when otherwise it might not ever see the light of day. NWN2 interview How would this work? Surely such a title could only be published by Atari, so the license would have to be purchased from them rather than Interplay. Perhaps they are rather referring to engine assets/concept art? In any case, I would not be surprised if Obsidian produce an IWD3 title utilising a modified NWN2 engine.

Yes - but then you would have left out the girlie audience who need to see Orlando and a little bit of romance or they won't come (or at least so Hollywood would have us believe).

I'm from Australia originally, and while I don't have much time for the current federal government, I would be happy to support the idea of requiring disabled people capable of productive work to at least look for some...I mean if you're confined to a wheelchair with full use of your upper limbs there's nothing to stop you sitting in front of a computer, for example, and working at least part-time. It's not like the government hasn't been putting the squeeze on the unemployed through work for the dole schemes and single mothers already. This is just a logical extension of their previous policies.

The cuts were still a little too quick for mine, but there certainly have been far worse shaky-cam films - I give the world championship to the "Bourne Supremacy" here - I had no idea what was happenig in any of the fights/chase sequences there.

I saw it last night... Orlando at least is starting to look a little more like a man rather than a girlie. The battlescenes were ok - there were some awesome long shots, particularly in the siege, but then for the close-ups we got shaky-cam/quick cuts galore with a few showers of blood thrown in. My wife complained that the characters were too black and white, but really the only characters without much grey were Orlando, his dad, and the two Templar leaders. Everyone else was pretty much open to political expediency. Overall it was a solid 7/10 - and with some decent fight direction, it might have been even higher.

I live in Germany and get my games from these sites in the UK: Play.com or Sendit.com Play.com is great - free delivery plus they have a lot of new releases for only

I wish people would watch the closing sequence in Saving Private Ryan - or even my all time favourite - the truck hijack in Raiders of the Lost Ark, to see action done right. In SPR there are sequences where the camera actually follows the character with no cuts for almost a whole minute - and guess what - it looks great and is incredibly visceral. The Shakey-cam/rapid cut technique I fear is probably the legacy of too many music video directors moving to film: actually constructing a scene is too much like hard work for them and they feel that rapid cuts somehow make it "more exciting" for the audience.

http://www.entertainment.news.com.au/story...22-7485,00.html Hayden Christensen is limited, but then we all knew that. Otherwise it sounds encouraging: explicit violence and not for kids under 10!

That was in 1997 but I think they were Dutch. A large number where machine-gunned near the Temple of Hatshepsut in Luxor. I recently visited Egypt and I have to say there was a lot of security wherever I went: even our lone bus on the way from Alexandria to Cairo had two plain clothes cops with SMGs on board, and at every major tourist site where at least 20 cops with AK47s. I must also say that in general I found the people I talked to extremely friendly (well, those that weren't trying to sell me stuff, of course, which admitedly wasn't that many). Anyway, when my wife hears news like this, she is extremely relieved that I have now got the "Egypt bug" out of my system!

Valve signed a multi-title distribution agreement with Activision a little while back (starting with the release of Day of Defeat), so I wouldn't worry too much about the retail market being neglected.

I voted for Judith - Alyx didn't do much for me but Judith looked reasonably hot, was a good scientist and also had a dark side. It works for me. Although I couldn't understand why the girls all seemed to be fighting over a gimp like Gordan...

The warning lights should have come on at this point of the interview. This kind of exercise bears no reflection on the real world and I doubt it reveals much about what kind of team player you are. It probably tells you more about the idiots in HR who think this is a good idea than the people who have to do it. Second warning light! Oh well...good luck to you. I have a video-conference interview tomorrow for a job at the Australian War Memorial Museum, so fingers crossed they don't ask me to make defensive barricades out of paper cups and rubber bands!

You really want to work for EA? Their reputation as an employer is not exactly gold in the computer-gaming industry. Well, treat it as your first break into the industry, and hopefully after a couple of years of being driven to death by your corporate masters, you can get a nice cushy job as a designer at Obsidian Entertainment. :cool:

It's basically pretty graphics where your interaction is limited to drinking red and blue potions as needed. I finished it but had no desire to buy the expansion, since the demo was more of the same. The sequel might be ok, since they are introducing branching dialog, NPCs with actual personalities and an updated skill system...but I'll certainly be waiting for some reviews/a demo.

The funny thing is the Bio staff at the official Jade Empire boards are taking the GS review rather philosophically: "we welcome all criiticism", "don't flame the reviewer" etc...which is rather long step from the orgy of back-slapping when the ign review came out. Last time I checked a 8.4 score on GameSpot = "Great", yet for Bio it seems anything less than 9.9+++++uber-scores are a letdown. Frankly I'd be more happy to get an 8.4 "Great" score in a genuine review than a 9.9 from a clearly biased source...but that's just me, I guess.