That's the way I understand it too, Purge.  And Hetz, the big deal would be for people who don't have broadband or don't have a way to connect their Xbox to the internet (wireless or otherwise).

Now, has anyone heard anything about launch BC and what we can expect?

It really is great.  I just wish the court scenes were a little shorter.  As it is, I have to make sure I have a chunk of time available (which isn't often the case with the portables, unfortunately).  At the same time, shorter scenes would probably take away some fo what makes this game so good.  Another great DS game to add to the list.  With this, Under the Knife and Trace Memory, the DS is bringing in a genre renaisance for adventure gamers!

[spoiler alert]

Well, I took the golden bullet for you guys today, but I'm pretty tired, so I don't know how detailed my impressions will be.

First off, let me say that I really loved Everything or Nothing, but like some others found the difficulty to be a little trying (not to mention the length of missions).  FRWT is much easier from what I've played, and they don't require you to play the higher difficulties to unlock things (though you do get research points [ie experience] if you play a level on Operative).

I've played two missions so far, so I'm not super far into it, but I'm not wowed.  Good side of average is a pretty fair description.  I thought the period and setting would make up for the standard gameplay, but they didn't really do much with the setting.

One thing that really makes this stand out is getting briefed by M and Q at the end of the second mission (you can't save until you play through the next briefing, by the way, which is a little annoying).  There are a number of moments that feel like they're going for No One Lives Forever, itself a 60s Bond-type spoof, but the moments all fall a little flat or seem downright odd (why am I searching through a filing cabinet in M's office while he's briefing me?  Because I the filing cabinet had a little glow to it).

The combat is easy enough.  Bond focus is back, but time doesn't slow when you use it.  On the plus side it's always available, but on the negative it's cumbersome to use in the heat of battle.  Stealth kills are kind of cool, but are sometimes hard to implement because of the camera (specifically, it's hard to tell if your stealth kill is going to put you in plain sight of someone else).

There don't seem to be enough Bond moments, and they all seem to be clearly labeled in the menu.

And, spoiler alert:

The fact that you play the entire second mission as Bond, pulling off Bond moves and racking up experience, only to find you weren't actually playing Bond is kind of lame.  Not that you shouldn't get the experience, as that would be even more frustrating, but why the hell does the real Bond get all the ammo and experience that the fake one picked up.

 It just seems to be half-heartedly put together.

So, it's not bad, but it's not great.  Those scores in the 7s you're seeing seem to be on the money, though I'd go low 7s, myself.  Granted my expectations were high, but so far the game disappoints.

You can get this for as low as $51.97 at Thought Hammer.  http://thoughthammer.com/product_info.php?products_id=640&osCsid=be9c8536060fbf4294a64f22b1b0904a

I also love shopping at Funagain Games, though it's not in stock there and is $63.95, but their customer service is excellent.  http://www.funagain.com/control/product/~product_id=015340

I like a good pool game, and if there's a vague story/campaign attached, so much the better.  However, I don't like a lame pool game, story or not.  Anyone try this The Hustle: Detroit Streets for the PSP?

This one's from Rob Merritt & equally great:

That one made me laugh out loud.

I'm very impressed with how quickly you got this back up and running, guys.  Great work.

I didn't mention it on OO, but I like the new name and logo.  Looking forward to seeing the whole site in all its glory.

Yeah, but The Warriors turned out to be great.  It's a horrible practice, to be sure, but that doesn't mean the review can't be positive and right.

whew, so 'tit bomb' isn't taken yet?

Had a good, hard laugh at that one.  Thanks, wonderpug.[/code]

They're making a computer-animated primetime show based on the game, apparently to air on Fox.

No, no.  I believe that's the similarly-50s-themed-but-with-aliens-instead-of-zombies Destroy All Humans.

Edit to add:

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr/video_games/brief_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001351055

I got it Kathode.

Yeah, I just starting finding things out, too.  I guess I should have figured there'd be something, but the story stuff is just thrown at you so randomly.

some say the game is short.

I'm all for short games.  Although I should amend that to say "appropriately short."  Just like in any story-telling medium, the game should be as long as the story dictates.  Unfortunately, that's kind of an intangible thing, but to me, so far, Stubbs feels short.

I was hesitant, but aside from the framerate issues (had to drop my beloved AA), I'm really enjoying it.  Raven is great at atmosphere and story (though so far it's more about feeling like you're part of an ongoing battle), and that compels me to keep playing.  It's all about the single player which, for some reason, despite the fact that 2/3 of the previous Quake titles were about the single player, is incomprehensible to some.  To me, that's just fine.

So what say you CG?

A little search would tell you (or even a little look down a couple of posts):

http://www.consolegold.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=9246

an extremely high quality Halo mod

That hits it on the head.  

And I would swear that Stubbs' whistle to call his hordes is the same as Abe's.

Hahaha, that's great.  Where's the list of demos?

Seriously, you can't post about the new OXM without talking about the demos we can expect (and of course, the reviews [and a full discussion of each article {and scans of the "funny" or "informative" blurbs at the bottom of each page <which I'm sure seemed like a good idea when the editors first came up with it>}]).

I played a few levels tonight.  The fact that I played so many should tell you that I liked it.  The gameplay is very simple, much in the way that Halo is simple, and though it uses the same engine, it really isn't like Halo at all.  Still, there is the same sort of zen flow to the thing.  However, that makes the really abrupt story changes quite jarring.  There's next to no attempt to keep a storyline going.  Stubbs just appears.  There's no reason given for his existence (yet, anyway).  Also, one second you're working through a compound, having an odd little dance contest with a general, suddenly there's an explosion and you're on a new city level working towards a mall.  Or you've finally caught up to the barbershop quartet that stole Stubbs' love interest; the lead singer starts shooting something red at you; you think, ooh, here comes a boss fight; suddenly you're in a police station with no explanation of where the love interest went or what happened to the "boss."  But you probably noticed the quirkiness of the previous two examples.  The game is oozing style, literally.  Hah.  Sometimes it almost seems like it's trying too hard, but not quite.  The futuristic yet 50s setting seems an odd choice, but it kind of works.  Most of the helpful robots are kind of amusing, though I think more could have been done with them.  The "film grain" on the screen is nice, but I wish you had a choice to shut it off.  It can frequently make things too dark.  And there's no gamma option that I can see.

There does seem to be co-op play (or at least a 2 player game), but no multiplayer at all.

Overall, it's fun.  It seems like it'll be short.  There are some big drawbacks to it, but it's worth a rental at least.  Good, but nowhere near the 9.0 that 1Up gave it. http://www.1up.com/do/reviewPage?cId=3144774&did=1  Maybe a 7.6 or so.

There's supposed to be a compatibility list announced this week.

Please note that I am going to do my best to avoid saying, "Can you dig it" or asking if anyone will "come out to plaaaay."  

I wasn't going to get it, but the reviews have been pretty good.  I played the first two levels, and I have to say it's a really good brawler.  I'm bad at these things, so I'm playing on easy, and I can already tell it's going to be a challenge.  When there's a rush of gangs coming together, it's a little chaotic.

If there's one thing Rockstar is good at pulling off, it's mission variety.  And story.  Two.  Two things.  Mission variety, story and a almost fanatical devotion to violence.  I'll start again.

As usual, Rockstar gets their hooks in you with well crafted characters (though some of that work was done in the film).  You're introduced to each Warrior in turn, and it gets you interested in them and the story keeps you wanting to play to find out what'll happen to them (although, again, the movie gives you an idea of where it'll go eventually, the game starts three months before those events).  Interwoven in the story is a nice variety of missions (and yes, I'm saying that after two levels).  Things are pretty linear so far, and I imagine we won't get the wide open world of GTA here, but what to do within that linearity keeps it interesting.  It's not just "go beat those guys up, move down the street, beat up this next group," etc.  And of course, you can just feel the violence.  

So if you can dig it, come out to pla-oh, bugger...

Good to hear, I was in kind of the same boat.

I got about halfway through the first one and, though I liked it, I found the levels to be a little long, and a little repetetive (probably what made them seem long).  I found each level could have had at least one full board taken out of it with no change to story or gameplay, sometimes more.

How is the second one in that regard?

Also, will I be missing something story-wise if I just skip the rest of the first one and go right to the second?

That game was awesome.  But I always felt a little girly playing it.  Not sure why.  Didn't keep me from playing, though.

SSS Tricky > SSS On Tour > SSX 3 > SSX

Agree with that completely.

Any platform junkies in here who have tried Ty the Tasmanian Tiger 3?  I really enjoyed the first one, but the 2nd left me a little cold.  I would love some impressions of the new one before I pay the bumped up $30 price.

Hey, kathode, where are these HIGHLY negative impressions you've been seeing?  I've looked around now, and every seems to like it, from what I've seen.

I'm not baiting you, I just wonder where you saw them.

Impressions of what?  Steam or Rag Doll Kung Fu?

I like the former and am enjoying the latter, though it's very difficult (but you do start to get the hang of it after awhile).  The goofy movies are stupidly fun and fit the game well.

I'll grant you, I haven't hunted out impressions yet, but everything I've seen has been at least slightly positive.

Yeah, I might wait to see wha the 360 version offers, too.

I was convinced this was a day-one title.  Oh, well.

I must've been the only person expecting Quake 2 part 2, not Quake 3 with an updated engine.

No, you're not.  I enjoy a good single player game more than a multiplayer one which is what the majority of Quake games have been.  It's just that 3 was good and gets all the hype.

That said, though, I'm starting to worry that Q4 isn't as good as the others (including the expansions)...

The characters you choose to play seem kind of generic, to be honest.  The ones you compete against have more of the attitude.  I enjoyed the annoying David Arquette character myself.  I was sad to see him go.

Also, a note about the "one mountain" thing.  If you were annoyed by the heavily praised seemless mountain of the last game (as I was), you can rest a little more easily now.  You don't have to board around the mountain finding competitions.  That got old really fast for me (much like in Need For Speed Underground 2).  Now you can pick the competition from some icons on the mountain (more like choosing in Burnout 2) and get straight into it.  Much better...

As for the game itself, the greatest thing so far?  The theme graphics.  That may sound insulting, like the theme is the only thing that's good vis-a-vis the game graphics and gameplay, but those are what they are and what they've been (though I like the streamlined trick system, personally, but I still hate the d-pad pre-wind).  They're good, just not changed significantly.  However, the interface and icons and cutscenes and music are all really cool and give the other stuff a burst of energy that they've been needing.  Makes me want to keep playing, anyway.

I just close Steam when I'm not playing one of the games...

Yeah, it's only always on if you leave it always on.  It's pretty easy to shut it down, unless I'm missing something, and it runs evily in the background when it's not supposed to.

The learning curve is kicking my ass.

You're not kidding.  I'm getting stomped in the tutorials, fer cryin' out loud!

Oh, and Calvin, you've seen this, right?

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0740748475/qid=1129173584/sr=8-1/ref=pd_bbs_1/102-8102418-9782562?v=glance&s=books&n=507846

My wife will actually be getting this for me instead of the Xbox 360 this year.

I believe the S on girls was Capitolized.

Wow, they turned into a place where legislation is passed?

Sorry, Purge, you just can't catch a break today...

What sucks for me is I have an Amazon gift certificate and I've just about convinced the wife that I can use it on the 360.  So now, it's kind of the only option.  And there's nothing available.  Grrrr.

Yeah, I got it through the Lionhead forums.  People have waited 36+ hours.  I myself am coming up on 24.  What a fumble.

Has anyone tried a pre-oder code for the tiger creature?  You have to send an e-mail to EA with the code.  I've been waiting for a response, but so far nothing.  I figured it'd be automated.  If I have to wait until Tuesday for an employee to get back, I'm going to be really pissed.

I was wondering how one went about making a Duke Nukem baby

I think it requires sugar, baby.

And maybe some ass-kicking and some bubblegum...now where did I put that bubblegum...

"...ignore ALL release dates unless you hear them from us. This includes EB Games, Amazon, or anywhere else. We will tell you when it's getting really close, and we will tell you when it's done. We promise."

This news is a few days old and has already been debunked by 3DRealms, so no breath holding needed.

will xbox memory cards be compatible with the 360

Ah, well, there I go assuming again.

Damnit!  I just spilled my half-full glass all over the place.

Well, some will move on a memory card, at least, though I know not all will.