Hurlshort

I forgot Bob the talking skull from the Monkey Island series. He really laid the groundwork for future talking skulls in video games.

Transformers was the best action-comedy I have seen in many years. The acting was top-notch and the special effects were incredible. I can't really see how you could make a better movie about giant robots fighting each other. Michael Bay kept the lame emo crap out of the movie and focused solely on action. The Special Forces squad in the movie is pretty awesome. It wasn't over the top and it struck me as the proper way a Spec Ops team would respond to giant robot attacks.

1. Fidel - Because he kills the annoying chick in JA1. 2. Ivan - Who needs English? 3. Grunty - Ja 4. Hitman - What's happening, Ace? 5. Magic - No explanation necessary 6. Mike - I think I liked him better when I killed him in JA2...he developed more character that way. 7. Biff - Most inspirational leader ever 8. Razor and Haywire - Dream team with knives 9. Fox - Made emotionally unstable gun nuts sexy again. 10. Nails - Don't touch the leather!

My wife and I made an exodus to the local Kwik-E-Mart. Don't hold the poor child accountable for our geekiness. Surprisingly, there were about a dozen people snapping pictures in there with us. They were all out of actual product though, so no Buzz cola for me.

Jy Kon made a very good point about the Wii being more marketed towards families. I agree with that being similiar to the controversy over the Marlboro camel. Tale, I've already explained the differences between Kill Bill and a game like Manhunt. I'm not saying it's not a thin line between art and exploitive violence, but the line is there. And the general public makes it pretty clear when it is crossed, which it has with Manhunt 2. It's not like one country is banning the game, multiple institutions have come to the same conclusion, the game is trash.

I believe I can fly.

Hey, I started rock climbing last summer, and I noticed a huge improvement in my hockey game fairly quickly. My upper body strength skyrocketed, but I think my balance has improved as well. I've never had the self-discipline to lift weights consistently, so I definitely recommend climbing as an alternative. Unfortunately it's not available everywhere.

I disagree. The motivation behind these holidays was not to celebrate the birth or crucification of Jesus, but to get more followers. The motivation behind a celebration gives the meaning for such events. that is sooo not true Read up on your history. It's not history, your statement of "motivation behind a celebration gives meaning to the event" is highly debatable. Do you think poor folks care that rich folks use charity as a tax write-off? No, they are just happy to have charity. It's way more complex than you are making it, and the fact is the motivation of setting December 25th as the birth of Christ is so far removed that it has little meaning.

Well, a big flaw of Dungeon Siege was its absolutely boring setting and story. It was about as generic as you can get. This setting actually sounds a bit more innovative, so I'm not completely dismissive about it.

Yep, I still think Sanitarium is the better storyline adventure game.

Looks like the Isle managed to do some decent damage control, since they were hemoraging (sp?) free agents for a bit. They added Guerin and Comrie, and they still have a top goalie. They should be able to squeeze into the playoffs again, although I don't see a lot of depth. Bummer about JR, but you could tell how frustrated he was about not being able to light the lamp like he used to. It's hard to go from being a goal scorer to a role player. Hopefully he'll get into the broadcast booth with Hull, those two are the biggest characters in the game.

A thief with a high trap ability is a must. Yeah. I didn't have one. Figured I could just tank the traps, but it didn't work out too well. You should have brought more hamsters.

This is awesome, although it does remind me how much more efficient our personal vehicles could be if Big Oil wasn't constantly standing in the way of progress. Now I sound like a conspiritorial nutcase

I actually really agree with this, although I want to point out it's a very small percentage of children that would be seriously affected by the content. I mean really tiny, like fractions of a percent. But there is just no reason to make this game available to anyone at all. It lacks any redeeming quality. Art if extremely difficult to judge, but seriously, this ain't it. I'd have no problem if this game was made available by some wacko who conjured it up in his basement. But the fact that a major development house has spent millions developing exploitive trash like this is a major blight on the gaming industry.

But the recycling of intellectual properties is a time honored tradition in entertainment! Seriously though, for every couple of bad remakes, there is a gem. King Kong comes to mind. Video games are a fairly young medium, so the idea of recreating an older game with the polish and technology of today is still in its infancy. But I'm hoping Fallout 3 will be a gem.

Heh, next they'll want non-toxic cigarettes! What's the point if it isn't dangerous to you and the people around you? I don't really see this creating more smokers or causing people to smoke more. Fires are pretty low on the list of problems with cigarette smoking. Heck, they only cause a couple thousand deaths a year in the EU due to fires. That's nothing compared to cancer.

http://www.postalnation.net/0701_articles/interview.php Interesting interview and narrative.

It's the best WoW clone on the market. Take that as you will, for some it's positive, some it's negative.

Manhunt and GTA are pretty different games. I'm not against violence in video games, I'm against games that exploit violence to move their product. Tarantino films have some artistic merit, even if they are soaked in blood. I felt the same way about Postal. These are lame games that are a blight on the gaming industry. They are void of any redeeming qualities. They wallow in bad taste.

Traffic jam, when you're already late...

This game is trash. I'd like to see the industry take more responsibility in keeping garbage like this off store shelves. It's a black spot on gaming that a major development house feels the need to create media like this. If gamers want to be treated like adults, then they need to stand AGAINST filth like this polluting the market.

Actually, I do celebrate Chinese New Year, but I work in a predominately Asian school district. Still, I'm surrounded by it, so I see no reason not to enjoy the celebration, despite not being Chinese myself.

Wow, thats up there. Even for you I would appreciate it if people would stop quoting Volourn. I have him on ignore, and it physically pains me to accidently read his bizarre logic. I have a doctors note, if you need to see it.

I've learned that no matter how much logic and reason is thrown at them, most people who argue on the internet will stick to their beliefs steadfastily. I've also learned that steadfastily may not be a real word, but it probably should be.

It sounds to me like there are a few Scrooge's on these boards. I'm a bit surprised so many people allow the religious aspect of Christmas to interfere with the true spirit of the time. As a few people have mentioned, the idea of a large holiday in the middle of winter has been around much longer than Christianity, Department Stores, and large crowds at the mall. Heck, Hanukkah has even morphed to fit in with the holiday time. It might not be traditional Judaism, but I think it's a great example of how major religions adapt in order to stay relevant. Maybe it's a geographic issue, but even out in sunny California, December can be a cold month. The Christmas Holiday tends to warm it up. If you really aren't being cheered up by spending time with family and friends, exchanging thoughtful presents and enjoying a good meal together, you might want to look into getting some new friends. Seriously, go dish out soup in a soup kitchen or hand out presents at a Children's hospital. Y'all worry me. It's not healthy. You all have decent lives (if you can spend time messing around on a message board and playing games, you really can't complain too much) and the holidays should be a time for you to share that with others. That's a major part of what makes life so special, whether you are religious or not.