Hurlshort

I think these companies have good intentions. They just seem to lack the talent to make a solid product. But again, maybe it's the translations. Many of these games score in the low 80's, which isn't terrible (although many reviewers are too soft.) But they tend to be plagued with bugs and lack any engaging story elements. It's just frustrating that these developers really are close to making a quality product. One of the few exceptions was Silent Storm by Nival, but even that had some serious camera issues and a story that wasn't terribly engaging. It was great because of the tactical engine.

I understand why ESPN is sore at the NHL and willing to pull it, but honestly, Poker is not a sport. No one can deny that Hockey is a major world sport. ESPN is supposed to be the leader in sports, and I think by failing to cover hockey they are selling out. I also think they should cover soccer much better. These are major international sports. If they are failing on ESPN, ESPN needs to find a way to market them. I'm hoping OLN takes this baby and rolls with it. Maybe hockey can become big if it's the primary focus of a network.

Metalheart, Restricted Area, The Fall: Last Days of Gaia, UFO Aftermath... Basically there are a ton of games based on ideas from Fallout, Xcom, and Jagged Alliance in development. That would be wonderful news, but they keep coming out as mediocre games. I really don't get it. Is something lost in translation? Is the magic just gone?

Wow, it's really amazing how many of us live in Northern California. We could easily pull off an ObsidianCon.

I live in California, in a small town called Gilroy. It's about 30 minutes from San Jose, and a little over an hour from San Francisco. I teach 7th grade Social Studies in San Jose. Gilroy is world famous for garlic. I can actually smell it now.

Let's get some more people, it really is a blast! No football knowledge needed.

I'll play! I love Fantasy Football, it gives me a reason to actually watch the games on Sunday.

As a teacher, this is depressing. I teach in a fairly nice school district, and because of this we DO NOT get the extra funding for things like laptops. They should be passing these through the school systems first. The problem lies in the Federal programs that cover these tech grants that the laptops likely came from. They are very limited and have a ton of bizarre restrictions. Second, maybe the laptops should be given to students instead? I'm sure they need the $50, but I would much rather see those High School seniors who can't afford something like this get first opportunity. Lastly, I think they should have an essay writing requirement for anyone who wants to purchase one. That will get rid of many of the folks who are just looking to resell the laptops for a quick buck. It will also reinforce the whole idea that this comes from an "educational institute".

Yuck on the Metalhearts game. Looks like Diablo in the Fallout universe. It's not Shadowrun, it just has some magic in a techno setting. Why are a lot of these new games coming out of Europe just inferior versions of 10-year old games? *edit* This story surfaced in Electronic Gaming Monthly. They said almost nothing in many words, but just confirmed it's being worked on for the Xbox360. They said it's being retooled and will be drastically different than the SNES and Genesis hits. Take that for what you will.

I think Belfour's reputation for playing has also been overshadowed by his reputation for being a...*insert mean words here* He did win a cup with Dallas. He is at the tail end of his career though, as is Cujo (and Potvin when he was traded.) That doesn't mean they don't still have talent, but they aren't in the same class as Broduer and they don't have the upswing potential of Loungo and Nabakov. I used to love Felix Potvin too. He made some of the prettiest save you would see all year. Of course, that was usually because he was out of position "

Honestly, McSorley was run out of the NHL after he took a swing at Brashear, and I'd say that was pretty much equal in terms of offenses. It's odd how the Canucks called for blood then, but now they are sheepishly saying their star power forward is remorseful enough to play. Bertuzzi is being given a bit of a pass because he's an extremely talented player. It may have been an accident, but playing in the NHL is a pretty special privilege. He shouldn't be allowed to play. But I also don't think guys who attack fans should be allowed to play either. The NHL shouldn't even have to say he can't play, it should be a situation where no team will let him. I am surprised Bertuzzi is even comfortable playing. Is he going to be a bruising power forward? If I were him, I'd make my apologies, and skulk off to obscurity. I'd use the money I made to open up a nice little rink and try to avoid media attention. If he really loves the game, then he should be ashamed at what he's done to it with his hit, and he shouldn't expect to ever get back on NHL ice.

What's the knock on Anson Carter? I don't know much about him, to be honest. Leclair is old, but I wouldn't put him in the same class as Lindros. He reminds me of Brett Hull, because he literally frickin' disappears the whole game and then just appears out of mid-air for a goal. Does Leclair know there's a defensive zone?

I am also interested to see how the new rules affect scoring. My hunch is that the good small goalies who rely on reflexes and the butterfly will thrive, while the positional goalies will have a lot to learn. It will definitely be interesting. I don't know if the rule changes will really give the fast forwards a ton of room. Every year the NHL starts out trying to kill obstruction and holding, but it only lasts the first month or so. We'll definitely see some more home run passes though. It's going to be an interesting season.

Belfour does have the experience and a tradition of solid goaltending, whereas Kiprusoff has half a season and a good playoff run. I come from San Jose, where Kiprusoff got his start, and he had his chance to be the number one goaltender. Nabakov went out a couple years ago just a few games in, and Kipper had to start. He cracked under the pressure. I'm not saying that will happen again, but Kipper still needs to prove himself for a full season. Someone asked about Tony Granato...somehow Granato became the head coach of the Colorado Avalanche. The Av's have lost a good deal of talent, so it's questionable how the team will do. Personally I don't think Granato deserves a head coaching job in the NHL, there are quite a few guys out there who have worked harder to get to the head coaching level. Granato just fell into the job.

Hockey seems to be the opposite of Baseball in terms of regular season and playoffs. In baseball, quite a few small market teams like Houston and the A's can perform well and even dominate the regular season, but they can't seem to put it together in the playoffs. In hockey, the small market teams sometimes barely squeeze into the playoffs, but then manage to ride all the way to the cup. Of course in hockey, if a team has been dominant during the regular season, many players are probably thoroughly beaten up.

Awesome info. guys :D I've got an IT buddy who is going to Fry's with me to pick out a router, and he mentioned Lynksys as a solid brand. I definitely need a wireless adapter, as I put the computer together myself (barely ) I'll definitely check in if I have trouble setting up the network.

I need some technical help. I'm moving into a condo with one Phone jack in the kitchen. I would like to have DSL running in my office, and so I'm assuming I need a wireless setup. I don't want to run a phone jack to the office. What is the best way to do this? What do I need to buy? Currently I just have a DSL modem the phone company sent me. What's this Bluetooth stuff? Any websites that show you how to hook it up would be very helpful. Thanks

You really don't want Lindros. I think I already gave me speil about him. He can't play the style of hockey that made him a top pick, and so he's not worth any money. He'd be another Owen Nolan for the Leafs.

Blizzard runs on their own timeline, and I can't think of any "bad" products they've released. Even if your not a fan of the genre they tackle, their games tend to be pretty far above the rest. After saying that, I have to say, I haven't been impressed by the looks of Ghost. I own an Xbox, but I usually only play sports games own it. I would rather see this on my PC, but if the reviews are good I might grab it. Consoles are easier to design games for, but the PC is still the king of gaming. The PC market is in a constant stage of technological improvement. When a console is released, technology stands still.

I do have one thing to say about the Penguins... I fear them. They now have a cast of players who can make the playoffs. That alone is not frightening. The players they picked up, and the one they drafted, are no better than the cast of any other team. The problem lies in Lemieux. Mario Lemieux is a magician, and I mean the type of magician that should be feared. Physically he should not be playing. He doesn't have the speed or youth. But somehow, when he touches the puck, anything can happen. If this magician enters the playoffs healthy, he can crumble ANY team. Most of the kids in the NHL may say that he's just another player, but at night he will haunt them and they will wet themselves. These children grew up hearing stories about Mario. He is the only real magician in the NHL. Gretzky isn't coming back.

Oh Mkreku, I'm really sorry that your Leaf's took Owen Nolan off my Sharks hands. I was so happy when he left the Sharks. The guy has had one good season in his entire career. He was a money pit.

I didn't get to see much of Nash last season, but he was pretty impressive when I did. He's got the size and the speed to build a team around. I think Columbus sees him as their Yzerman or Modano. It's still early in his career though, so who knows. I didn't want to sound like I was getting down on Edmonton earlier, as they really have impressed me with their moves. I just question whether the big pickups are going to propel them forward in the playoffs. I believe it takes every team a few years to gel, unless you coach is Scotty Bowman (and even he had a few tough playoff years after dominating the regular season.) Tampa seems to be pretty much intact. St. Louis, Lecavilair (sp?), and Richards are the real cornerstones of that franchise. Khabibulin is a good goaltender, and he played hot during the playoffs, but I don't think he's irreplaceable. Other than Martin Brodeur, every major goalie in the league runs hot and cold.

This was written about Selanne Honestly, he was a total bust in San Jose. He got a ton of chances that he couldn't bury. The guy has been seriously snake bitten. Kariya, on the other hand, just seems like his body has hit the career wall. All those years of being a target in Anaheim have caught up to him, and I doubt he'll play a full season ever again. I could be wrong though, and he's got more depth than Selanne. He can play the entire ice. Does anyone else think Lindros was done like 5 years ago? He had like one good year in Philly. I'm amazed he hasn't gotten anymore concussions, but I don't think anyone is hitting him anymore. Why bother? It's not like the Rangers were winning games with him. I think Edmonton has done great in Free Agency, but you can't throw together a team in the NHL and be successful. These teams that are wheeling and dealing will make the playoffs...and lose to teams that maintained a core group over a few years. Calgary, San Jose, New Jersey, Ottawa, and Tampa Bay are still the teams to beat in my book.

There was a Fallout console game? Everytime I see Ambrose Xavier's name, all I can really pick out is "SEX" Am I the only one? ambrosexavier

Well, game engines are licensed and manipulated to create different types of games very regularly. This is how some game companies make all their money. As to having a modular capability on our own systems, so we simply need to upgrade on part of a game to change or improve the experience...that's an interesting idea. My first instinct is to say that the standard computer may have trouble handling multiple complex engines at once. Today's graphic engines require pretty much all of the resources our computers have, and to separate a physics and rules engine may cause unnecessary slow downs. It's a very interesting idea though. There are definitely variations of this out there, such as what people have done to the Half Life physics and how people manipulate the rules of Neverwinter Nights. These games are built around a single engine, but they are flexible enough for even amateur programmers to change. I would love to hear what a programmer or game designer thinks about a modular gaming system.