I don't know if Jennifer is around here, but she wrote an excellent article for my site.   It seems like an appropriate way to kick off this section.

Read it Now!

heh this thread went over Rage's head

Yeah I honestly don't get it Im guessing it was a joke or tongue in cheek, but I really dont get it

What was the title of your thread again?

Don't forget that price drops will happen this year.  It remanis to be seen if it will be this month, E3 or the fall and how much prices will drop.

[Knightshade]

I don't know what anyone is thinking...

I will attempt to translate based on pure speculation.  However for amusement value, I will try to put it in the form of a Hitchhiker's exchange.

Knightshade played by Zahpod Beeblebrox
Rage played by Ford Prefect
AgtFox played by Trillian
ATB played by Arthur Dent
Lord Ebonstone played by Slartibartfast
Dark El played by Marvin the paranoid android
and
Me played by Eddie the Shipboard Computer

Arthur:       What?

Zaphod:       Did the monkey say something?

Arthur:       I resent that, I think I have a right to know whats going on.

Arthur:       Perhaps we should ask Slartibartfast.

Zaphod:       Quiet, I'm thinking.

Ford:         Perhaps that would be easier if you stopped drinking.

Zaphod:       I'm not thinking with that head, so why shouldn't I have a good time?

Arthur:       Look, I still don't know what's going on?

Ford:         Arthur, I expect you're quite used to that by now.

Zaphod:       I have this really awesome plan that will solve all our problems.

Trillian:     Not again. (on intercom) Marvin, Zaphod is working on another of his brilliant plans again.

Marvin:       (on intercom)  Here I am, brain the size of a Galaxy reduced to answering the intercom.  Did I mention my diodes hurt?

Trillian:     Any update on the automated trading system?

Marvin:       Silly me, I understood that you wanted the engines fixed before we crashed into the sun.  I keep forgetting I work for such superior intellects.  Perhaps I should shine your shoes or something in gratitude.

Trillian:     Fix the engines.

Marvin:       I knew you'd say that.

Eddie:        Incoming, transmission, I hope everyone enjoys it as much as I will.

Slartibartfast:  (on Monitor) If you people can spare a moment from crashing into stars, I think you should know great things are afoot.

Zaphod:       I know, I'm on my fourth round right now.  Whee. (passes out)

Slartibartfast: So human, have you decided to donate your brain in the service of the universe yet?

Arthur:       What?

Eddie:        End transmission.  I'm sure that cleared everything up because I know I feel a lot better.  By the way, we'll crash into the sun in T minus ten minutes.  Isn't that exciting?

Edit: For clarification, no insults were personally intended.  I was just trying to keep characters in character.

Amped, Top Spin and Links were sold to Take Two.  Presumably they'll be part of the 2K sports line.

Well, the hair dryer ones are little circuit breakers aren't they?  That would imply that some of the power supplies have a risk to surge or short.  It sounds like the other ones must just get warm with extended use.  I guess we know why they needed serial numbers and manufacturing dates.

Sorry about quoting myself, but it looks like I read the tea leaves correctly.
Evil Avatar Linky.

I was expecting a new publisher to step up, but the latest EGM states that no one did, and they don't expect the game to see the light of day.  Sad really.

I love my cube, but it barely has 2 analog sticks.  I can't wait to see where they'd place a portable Z button.

I don't see too many developers supporting four formats, GBA, DS, PSP and EVO.  It would seem that the DS would lose out.  An announcement like that would seem to kill DS sales so you'd think they'd have to hold off as long as possible.  E3?

So we're talking disk drive, better screen and cube guts but keeping the price $99-150 and having better battery life than the PSP?  Right.

If it can directly play cube games, that means they can't repackage and resell them as EVO editions.  That doesn't make much sense either.

Although I could see Nintendo wanting to panic people into not buying a PSP, but that's not their usual MO.  Wait and see.

Is this one of those you have to buy Windows XP to get the mail in rebate deals?

Deja vu.

I haven't had much time myself.  I have a Live games, but haven't played them much.  I'd like to get some SC:PT time in or Halo 2 with a good group.  In the near future, Phantom Dust and Iron Phoenix look promising if we could avoid the griefers.

All over again.

I'm still pining for a PS2 version of Powerstone 2 or even (God forbid!) a Powerstone 3.  That would be the single best PS2 Capcom game.

Isn't Iron Phoenix (xbox) inspired by Powerstone.  It's from Sammy who loves competing with Capcom.  I realize it's not PS2, but it is for Live which could be quite fun if a group from here got together.

Back on topic, I'm not going to rush out and buy an impossible game right now.  I'll happily pick it up in a trade later or buy it after a price drop.  I had heard that some of the play styles were supposed to make gameplay easier.  In other words, if you want it really hard, play Style Z. You'll be rewarded with the coolest moves, but you need the mad reflexes to pull it off.  Other styles have easier but fewer combos presumably making the challenge easier.

I have to say that making the save system less user friendly sounds like one of the worst game design decisions in recent history.

Well, the hair dryer ones are little circuit breakers aren't they?  That would imply that some of the power supplies have a risk to surge or short.  It sounds like the other ones must just get warm with extended use.  I guess we know why they needed serial numbers and manufacturing dates.

From MS:

MechAssault 2: Lone Wolf Downloadable Content Now Available

 
Microsoft Game Studios today announced that new content for MechAssault 2: Lone Wolf, the popular 'Mech combat game for Xbox®, is now available for download via Xbox Live™. This round of free content consists of two maps that were originally featured in the Limited Edition; each playable via System Link, split-screen and Xbox Live. The first map, Mountain High, supports five  game types: Team Destruction, Check It, Snatch it, Base War and Grinder. The second map, Troubled Waters, is playable in multiplayer Destruction mode and can also be played by either one or two gamers in the offline Grinder mode. More information about MechAssault 2: Lone Wolf and the new downloadable maps is available at http://www.mechassault2.com.

MechAssault 2: Lone Wolf was developed by Day 1 Studios, creators of the original MechAssault for Xbox, in conjunction with FASA Studio, the developers of the award-winning MechWarrior and MechCommander series for Windows and Crimson Skies for Xbox. In MechAssault 2: Lone Wolf, gamers can step outside the 'Mech and live the life of a human pilot in a fresh new single player game. Tanks, VTOLs and BattleArmor offer players plenty of opportunities to rain destruction on their opposition in both single and multiplayer games. Xbox Live gamers can enjoy a whole new level of strategy, as BattleArmor-equipped players 'jack enemy 'Mechs and VTOLs drop supplies to their teammates. Both online and off, MechAssault 2: Lone Wolf offers players an unparalleled gaming experience. For more information about MechAssault 2: Lone Wolf, please visit http://www.mechassault2.com.

Even going as far as calling them "important", I sure as hell wouldn't include either "ET" or "Halo." Fuck no. "ET" as an example of a disastrous idea and result? There are too many examples of that to count, so it must get points for being the first in the console gaming world. And "Halo" as an important landmark in gaming? Uh, not quite guys so stop blowing Bungie please. Dear Lord am I getting sick of all the "Halo rulez all, yo" crap that's out there, like we all have to bow before Bungie just because they made "Halo." :roll:

ET's failure convinced many retailers to get out of the video game business all together.  The sudden lack of retail presence accellerated and deepened the crash.  That did open the market for Nintendo.  Nintendo had to work hard to overcome retailers fears.  In effect they had to abandon the toy model and market the NES as a computer/electronics product.  That was a sea change in the industry.

Halo's primary importance was that it saved the Xbox.  All that graphical power would have been for naught if the user base didn't build enough for Microsoft to stick with it.  Halo alone sold enough systems to get more publishers to support the Xbox.  Good or bad, we wouldn't have a three horse race in the console market if it wasn't for Halo.

I assumed they didn't get their gear from the sea bottom because:
I remember Jeff saying something about how those containers were weighted down or very heavy for some reason, during the competition.  They probably couldn't raise it from the sea floor if they wanted to.

Yes, but the obvious question is why didn't they open the box right after they won?  Why make the trip harder by toting around a heavy weighted box?

Last 24 hours.  Your procrastination time is about up.  Good Luck to all the entrants.

You can crouch to reduce your visibililty.  You can also move more quietly while crouched.  If you're quiet you can sneak up behind guards.  If the alarm sounds, there's no good way to hide again.  I don't think there's any difference in vehicles.

If you want to go a little outside the box, you could get a Total Gaming dot Net subscription.  It runs $89.  It used to be $59 if you had a copy of GalCiv.  Obviously that's more than one of those games, but you get:

Disciples 2 Ultimate (includes expansions)
Galactic Civilizations + Altarian Prophecy
ORB
WWII: Frontline Command
Robin Hood: Legend of Sherwood
Celtic Kings
The Political Machine
The Corporate Machine

plus any new games they release before your year subscription runs out.

Games auto update, there's no copy protection, you keep the games after your subscription runs out (but can't download new releases, obviously).  It's some good gaming if you're into strategy.

Here's the Linky.

It looks like all preorders will get the limited edition.  Here's Bioware's page announcing it.

That's not quite the way I read it.  It sounds like they are suggesting that you go into to your local games store and request the limited edition when you preorder.  Maybe I'm missing something.

Thanks KD for letting me post this announcement:

Some of the Gone Gold Alumni may remember that I started a website based on a thread in General Gaming.  That site is called Talk Strategy. It's a place for people to get together and swap war stories from their favorite games, but with an emphasis on strategy and tactical games.

The point of this message is that it's been one year since I started Talk Strategy and I'm having having a contest to celebrate.  Here are the details

http://news.talkstrategy.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=459

I think there are some pretty decent prizes if you're into strategy games.  Thanks to everyone who's supported the site even if they just stopped by every once in a while.  If you need something to read, check out some of the stories in the forum, but beware there is a weak forum effect even there.

Sorry I haven't been around here too much, but with a newborn it was give up gaming or forum time.  I decided to keep gaming.

Awful show.

Exactly.  I had to flip away when it got too painful to watch.

I haven't played the game, but I read one review suggesting that people play through just killing the bosses the first time and then going back through to capture them on the second play.  He suggested it made the game feel completely different on the next play through.

...running off the smartest person you are likely to ever meet in your entire life.

I'm still here!!  :wink:

I'm sure he meant Grundbegriff.  Actually, I'd like to see someone try to prove they're smarter than Grund.  I'm sure there are people who are smarter, but the odds that they're both smarter and capable of winning an argument with him are so small as to be negligible.

The important thing is that I think Grund is still around.  I just saw something he posted in Off Topic.

On topic, I'd like to play PM2 someday, but my time is small and my backlog is huge.

I'd like to try, but newborns leave little free time.

It's hard enough to get lurkers registered, active and posting.  Don't do anything to discourage them.  Of course, I'm not advocating anonymous posting either. :wink:

You know, I played Arcanum, loved it, encountered very few bugs.  I still play TOEE and have never had a single problem with it.  I have vampire and play it to death, have yet to encounter a bug and the performance is just fine, running at 1600x1200 max settings.  My machine is about a year old now, so not top of the line by any stretch of the imagination.

Is vampire perfect?  Far from it, and perhaps my opinion would be different if I encountered some of the bugs that others are having.

Now we know how Troika's test machines are configured. :lol:

Did anyone notice the comic book that Michael threw in the fire. Polar Bears and alien craft. Seems kinda wierd that polar bears would show up on the tropical island. And we still have no clue what the door or the hatch in the jungle is all about. Now the black pyramid. I hate now we have to go through more re-runs for the next couple of weeks.

Welcome seabourne!

Actually in one of the first episodes we say a flash of Walt reading that comic and what looked like a polar bear.  It wasn't until we saw the first polar bear about 7-8 episodes back that it raised questions.  Now that it happened a second time it really makes me wonder what the deal with Walt is.

God I hope there aren't any Teletubbies comic books on the island for Walt to find!

I was reading somewhere on the internet, that some Lost fans had found that exact comic book.  It was a Flash/Green Lantern team up where a previous Flash/GL had been duped by the government to capture an alien.  Said alien escapes and takes his original captors hostage and plans to destroy the Earth.  Modern Flash/GL team up to rescue the older models and save the planet.  Why did I write all that?  Linky.

Thanks for the welcome guys.  ITs great to be home again.  The ol ball and chain is happy that I am back from my journey.  We have been extremely busy since I got back.  I got a civilian job doing the same thing I did in the military at Lackland AFB, San Antonio Tx.  We are looking forward to some calm time together now!

Welcome back.  I thought you were Ammo?  They don't build bombs at Lackland.  Heck they didn't even have a runway until Kelly closed.  Does this mean you're an instructor now?  San Antonio's a fun place. Enjoy.

Aggies! :roll:

The industry has been trying to put together some kind of phone book for cell phones.  A couple of the major companies have opted out.  Even those that are in are having customers opt in.  And it's not done yet.  In short, there's no simple way to find it.  Your best bet is just to google them and hope they put it somewhere online.

EA has just proven that it's about... oh, say 1000000000000x smarter than Sega.

Its not 1000000000000x than Sega, it's 1000000000000x richer.

You mean to tell me Sega couldn't coerce ESPN to sign an exclusive deal prior to this?  Or that the deal was for just 2 years?  Either way, it was dumb.  Thinking the trademark was safe when EA is right there with teh big wallet is horrendously stupid.

gellar

I'd imagine the deal was longer than two years.  However, it's standard in those types of contracts that both sides have opt-out clauses at various points in the term of the contract.  The article makes it sound like ESPN exercised their opt-out after EA's exclusive NFL deal.  I don't think there's any indication of stupidity on Take 2/Sega's part.  They (logically?) assumed that EA couldn't justify spending $300-500 million to get the exclusive license.  Whoops.

Howdy,

Whatisthematrix?

No wonder you kept running, you didn't tell us you were being chased by a giant snake!

Congrats.  Right now you should be off ... um, well, nevermind.  Enjoy it.  Then enjoy the adventure.

I used to split my time b/t CG and OO, but since the evil IT admins put in websense, CG is blocked as a gaming site. So i mostly hang there now. Except for the 5 minutes i'm actually not at work!

Ooh.  Is my site big enough to be blocked? http://www.talkstrategy.com

On topic, I was here and comfortable before GG died.  I don't have much time to check in on one site, let alone two, but both seem friendly enough.  I'm sure there are cliques on both, but that shouldn't surprise anyone.

Sure it would have been nice if the whole GGF crowd could have stuck together.  It would have been nice if Rich had been able to keep updating GG.  It would have been nice if Joel never left or Bill didn't retire (move).  Time rolls on.

I'm just happy old GGFs have options to find some of what they enjoyed about GG.

Hey, drop me an email, I'm sure we can work something out.

Just this once :wink:

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Steel Batallion is the game for you, my friend. Just don't buy the Line of Contact expansion pack.

Apparently the online lag problems have been patched. It's not the pain it used to be. <shrug> This info was from a buddy of mine who has it. It was fixed 3 weeks after release.

No.  It was never fixed for the vast majority of users.  It was designed around the Japanese broadband infrastructure.  Patches just weren't going to solve the problem.  They did resolve the "cloning" problem by the end of the summer.  It was too bad they had some great ideas in the online version.

Zoyd is verified.

mad_alien is verified

I haven't heard back from Raven VII.