It cracked me up that "Franchesqu" a made the exact same mistakes she made last time and got voted out 1st by the exact same person. Some people never learn.

YGM

I definitely prefer the 360 stick layout. More breathing room is one reason.  Moving the sticks toward each other on the PS3 does feel very cramped (my thumbs don't hit, though...mo, are you Andre the Giant or something?).

I also find that the 360 right stick has a better placement for when you do have to use the buttons.  And it naturally lines up in your hand with the trigger.  And, frankly, using the R1 button on the PS3 for FPS games is counter-intuitive.  I'm sure if you've been doing it that way all along, it wouldn't seem as weird, but it's an outdated choice.

Being someone who prefers the PS3 over the 360 in almost all things, I still agree with the 360 controller being superior, it just feels better in my hands. It's not enough to make me choose multiplatform games for the 360 based on that alone, but the 360 controller is better IMHO.

I saw this posted in the comments section under one of the reviews:
"How many games is this for you, Gearbox?"
"Thirty eight... simulated."
"How many *decent* games?"
"Uh, two. Not including this one."

With a game this bad it has to hurt Gearbox in the near future. It takes them from a studio you can trust because of Borderlands 1 and 2, to a studio that is a "wait and see" type of studio.

But aside from the fact that I spent years arguing in favor of finishing the job in Afghanistan and voted for Barack Obama's explicit promise to do exactly that, yeah, ATB's exhaustively reasoned article really nails my hypocrisy for not being angrier about it.

-Autistic Angel

I saw absolutely no evidence of reason or critical thinking being used to create that article. It's almost as if it were made for a Junior High crowd.

I'm thinking of my minstrel, which I loved to play at the time, but it would take me a bit to relearn.

A mini may take some time to relearn, but I don't think it would be too hard. You should be able to jump back in without too much trouble.

I really loved the time I spent playing LOTRO and that was playing it before it went F2P.  Every once in a while I think about getting back to it, but the one problem LOTRO has is far too many skills.  Never in an MMO did I really need more than one row of hotkeys and in LOTRO I had 3 rows.  If I went back to play my minstrel, I would have no clue what anything was anymore.

I'm in the same boat. I hit 50 with a warden a couple years back, which if you're unfamiliar with has button combos that make the skills which must be entirely memorized to use efficiently.  I think it may keep me from coming back, especially because I've never been able to find friends to group with.  BUT just a heads up it sounds like the dev team is going to address the abundance of skills later this year and do some big class revamps.

Removing the amount of gambits for a Warden would be suicide for people who love the class. The Warden is supposed to be Lotro's advanced class and it takes a lot of practice to master it. If you want an easy class play a hunter, champ or even a guardian. And really lvl 50 doesn't take that long to hit anymore, you could start over with a new toon and be there within two weeks tops if you play regularly.

Definitely not something I agree with.  I strongly disagreed when Bush Jr. was doing something similar.  I had hoped Obama would stop it, but instead he's approving it.  

Expanding it actually.

This and the NDAA are the two reasons why I did not vote for Obama.

just watched the first episode of the new season.  Raylan is a badass as always, but it kind of feels like he's becoming too much of a badass and there's nothing to challenge him (maybe that will change in the second episode).

love Boyd's new sidekick

I would say that changed when the husband dude kicked his ass. It's always nice seeing Raylon use his head and bring the shotgun with beanbag ammo.

Haven't seen it yet, but I'm fairly certain it's active KGB in hiding.

Ug I have no interest in this then. I really don't want to watch a show where the main characters are bad guys. (This works for Sons of Anarchy because they are American Bikers). For some reason I don't like the idea of watching a show about the Russians trying to hurt the US.

Where are you watching tv?  Your living room or 1957?

But on a serious note, you have an odd value system.  American bikers who rape, murder and steal for fun are okay, but russian spies are a no no?

I never said it makes sense. It must have something to do with being raised in the 70s and 80s. Seriously in my early teens I thought Iron Eagle and Red Dawn were two of the best war movies ever made.

What new commands do you get when your 3rd party member joins?

Yeah I'm pretty sure I got my tactics options when the chick joined.

Haven't seen it yet, but I'm fairly certain it's active KGB in hiding.

Ug I have no interest in this then. I really don't want to watch a show where the main characters are bad guys. (This works for Sons of Anarchy because they are American Bikers). For some reason I don't like the idea of watching a show about the Russians trying to hurt the US.

From the SOE wizardry forums

"It wasn't steam, we've removed the download for the time being as we resolve the current issues. "

Piestro  SOE community manager

From what I've played they can't resolve the biggest issues with this game. It actually looks and plays like an MMO that was developed and released in 2004 instead of 2013.

What's the setup on this. Are they ex-KGB who defected or active KGB spies in hiding?

This game is not good. That is all I have to say about it.

I'm a PC gamer first and foremost.  I'll consider the neXtBox if they find a way to cut down on multi-disc games (MS getting on the ball with classic games being downloadable wouldn't hurt either).  Sony will really have to wow me with first party/exclusive games (so I don't end up with another glorified blu ray player), the controller (DS3 feels too cheap, it needs concave triggers plus the thumbstick placement cramps my hands up) and the price of the console.

out of the current gent, my 360 barely gets used for gaming and more for Netfllx/Amazon Instant, my PS3 got replaced with a real blu ray player and my Wii gets used for Gamecube titles (and oddly enough Wii games on the Wii U).  I've been playing PSone titles on the Vita and I've been playing others on the PS2.

You sound like an old man
Ceekay to his neighbor kids  "Back in my day, we didn't need all these fancy graphics and buttons damn it! Dragon Warrior 1 only used 2 buttons and it only needed 4 different colored 2d slimes to be awesome! Ya darn youngsters need to learn what a good game is!"

There should be an option for yes I am going next gen, but just not sure which one yet.

This game released yesterday. Is anyone else going to try it out? I'm going to DL it when I get home, I'm not sure what to think of it though, the perma death and PVP mix scares me. Hopefully the game isn't filled with griefers.

[Wizardry]

Does Wizardry count since it is free?

I started P90X on December 19th. My specs at the time were 5'10" tall, weighing 199 pounds (The heaviest I have ever been, because of fat, not muscle), my waist was about 36".

I have followed the recommended workout rotation (With the exception of Yoga X, that shit is 90 minutes long, so I subbed in Cardio X). I am now on day two of week 7, or 44 days into the 90 days.

I am down to 185 pounds, and I have packed on some muscle. I still have a bit of a spare tire around my lower stomach, and I know I can lose at least another 10 to 15 pounds of fat.

As for my diet I haven't followed the P90X plan of High protein low carbs, but I have upped my protein intake, reduced my carbs, and cut down to drinking beer just 1 or two days a week.

I will post my results of the second 45 days after I get there.

Ok, I generally DESPISE JRPGs, so the fact that I HAD to have this is all on Studio Ghibli. It sounds like their influence might get me through it 

That said, should I try to track down the guide? I plan on firing this up this weekend with my two daughters in tow.

I'm playing it without the guide and I'm not having any trouble. If you want to get everything out of the crafting you may need a guide, but you can probably use the internet for that.

This type of movie was only watchable when Leslie Nielson was the lead. Somehow he was able to carry the movie.

Some thoughts after 6 hours (just got to Al Mamoon):

The bad
-  Probably the only RPG this generation that I honestly cannot think of a negative thing to say about it.  Been racking my brain...nothing comes to mind.  That's a good thing.

It's a trivial thing I guess but I wish the spoken audio was more consistent. The english voice acting is quite good and I find myself not pressing buttons to skip though the dialog. However, there are times when text boxes will appear along with the spoken audio and then will stop and all you get is just the text boxes. It would enhance the immersion in the game if the spoken audio was heard through all the text box sequences. Like I said, just a trivial thing to me. Otherwise, it's a fantastic, cinematic game.

I made a similar comment earlier and stand by it.  I played a couple more hours this weekend and routinely was distracted by the switch between spoken and text dialog.  It creates a discontinuity in the immersion for lack of a better term, and I find it hard to believe there wasn't enough room for the dialog on a blu-ray disc.  I think they incorporated numerous languages, maybe that was the issue.  As for the game itself, it still hasn't grabbed me the way I hoped, but certainly seems promising. 

After playing it for over 20 hours I'm on board with this complaint. It is the only complaint I have for the game. The voice acting is so good that the beeping text can take you out of the game. Everything else is so good that I can easily overlook it though.

Shortly after reaching Al Mamoon you'll be able to take a set of trials that will allow you to start training familiar. You're almost there.

Yep and the game eventually opens up so you have three party members, each with three pets. It's not overwhelming though.

I'm now well over 20 hours in and the game continues to stay charming and completely interesting.

I dare you to make it to Fairy Isle and not be completely in love with everything that happens there. (I'm being vague so I don't spoil it, but trust me you will know what I'm talking about when you get there).

5:30pm-7pm, play with kids, give wife a break from kids

~6:30pm-7:30pm, cook dinner, eat dinner, clean

7:30pm-9pm, more playing with kids

9pm-9:30pm, prep kids for bed, read bedtime stories

9:30pm, omg free time.  Option A) squeeze in video games, movies, tv, reading.  Option B) fall asleep

I have mixed impressions thus far.  I often don't have large blocks of gaming time, so I was going a bit crazy waiting for the "game" to start.  No doubt the music and animation is wonderful and magical, but it's just so much exposition.  The only gameplay I've experienced so far is moving from one spot to another.  I realize gaming is coming eventually but I'm not sure I like the intro/prelude to be this extended.  The other minor nit I have is that the dialog is not 100% spoken.  Given how good the quality is in general, the game feels like it should all be spoken.  I got sad every time the voice went out.  Anyway, hoping to get some bigger time blocks to play this weekend.

I really don't see how it would be possible to make this game 100% voiced. There is so much dialogue that the expense for actors and the memory allotment on the disc would be HUGE.

The beginning doesn't have a lot of action at all, it sets things up and gets the story moving, just enjoy it like you would a movie, but once you get to the alternate world the action will kick in and from there on out it's mostly gameplay, with movies and story  sprinkled in, but not overdone like Metal Gear.

This is one of the few games I have played where I actually look forward to the movie sequences because they are so good and the animation is top notch.

I've now played 8 hours and I have that game itch where I can't wait to get home and play it some more. That to me is the sign of a great game.

It actually reminds me of my child hood when a fantasy story could really suck me into the world, man I wish I could have played this when I was 10 years old.

My wife would tell you 9 inches...... er what?  Uh.....

He wasn't asking about the size of the stick she uses to beat you with to keep you in line.

I just want South Park and Metro to come out of this alive and delay free.

Only through the first boss, but enjoying so far. I could see how map encounters could be annoying, but so far at least there have been plenty of save points and it's been a good tutorial progression.

I've played about 6 hours now and the map encounters don't bother me at all. Once you reach a certain level ahead of the monsters they will actually run away from you, which reduces the annoyance of useless battles. Up to that point all of the battles only help to increase your level and gold. It helps that you can save anywhere, except in dungeons. 

Additionally I am LOVING this game. It is easily my favorite RPG since FF12. It might even surpase that one once it's all done.

Ever since the review scores started appearing, the outlier has been Game Informer's notably low 7/10.  It was written by Kimberley Wallace who, as the newest hire on staff, is something of an unknown quantity, but her full article is now available online:

Ni No Kuni features many battles, but most trying is the player’s struggle against old-school mechanics. First off, every area contains an absurd amount of random encounters, and while enemies are visible on the field, they charge instantly once spotting you. Avoiding them is next to impossible, even after upgrading Oliver’s speed.

This problem is exacerbated by limited save points in dungeons (although the world map allows saving at any time). If you die before reaching a save point, you’re transported back to the dungeon’s entrance, grinding through the same enemies again. When you perish, Ni No Kuni also fines you 10 percent of your money to keep earned XP. Death is a possibility in every battle, keeping you constantly alert and forcing you to learn the battle system. Initially, that’s what I liked the most, but the aforementioned issues made this process almost unbearable.

They've also posted a Test Chamber on the game -- imagine a Giant Bomb Quick Look but with way less contempt for the audience -- but I have not yet watched it.

-Autistic Angel

Her review seems off compared to all of the other review out there. I wouldn't put much stock in it.

Congratulations and good luck. We bought a minivan a few years ago.  Back then the top two were the Toyota Sienna and the Honda Odyssey.  Both went through a redesign in the past two years.  Of course, as with any vehicle, I'd recommend buying recent used.  However, I wouldn't go too old on a minivan since they tend to have very high wear and tear.  We ended up going with the Sienna mostly because we were able to get a better deal on it.   One thing that surprised us was how indispensable the dual power doors and rear lift gate were.  They seemed frivolous when we were shopping, but after living with them, we wouldn't buy another minivan without them, especially when one of you is out solo with the kids.

We have had some friends who went with a full size SUV to avoid turning in their man card.  Generally, the guy was happier and the wife was not.

I will second this. We bought a 2009 Sienna two years ago. It has the dual doors with a remote that opens and closes them. Makes things a lot easier. Honestly with 3 kids you need a mini van and not an SUV. The Sienna also features TONS of storage space and the trunk area behind the back seat easily rivals any SUV rear space.

I just played and finished this a couple of months ago. I thought it was fine and failed to see what all the gnashing of teeth was about. Had a fun time. I thought that was the point. Then again I tend to be more forgiving and less critical that most on gaming forums.

I'm with you on this one. I can see what people were complaining about, but those things never really bothered me. I thought the fast combat carried the day.

Oh relax, I'm just teasing him.

I thought it was a valid question. Is ATB trying to be a 14 year old girl?

dangit, even at $8.19 I can't bring myself to grab the Darksiders bundle....

Are you not buying it because you already have it or because you aren't sure if it's good? Because it's definately good. I just finished up part 1 yesterday from the steam sale and I'm going to start part 2 today.

I believe Jordan wrote the first three books as one book. So he would have had a 2 year lead going into book 4. That's a pretty comfortable cushion.

That would have been one long ass book.

A digital only model will not work in the US at this point or anytime in the next 3 years. The reason is simple, there is a large percentage of the US population that don't have access to internet service that is fast enough to make the download option more appealing than the disc based option. Until high speed internet is widely available to most of the population this will not change.

Heck I still don't have a Netflix subscription because I have no way of streaming the service at a fast enough rate.

The one exception for me is Steam. I can put up with Downloading a 20 gig game at 120k per second when the game is 75% off.

[Spoiler]

Well this was a surprise! My publisher is putting the book out early and the paperback just appeared on amazon. The ebook will be appearing on all sites over the next week or so. Not sure when the audio book hits but I think it will be out by the end of the month.

Spoiler for Hiden:

From Among the Dead:

She fought to steady her hand as she lowered the blade. It almost dipped to the ground, but she refused to drop it. It was hers; she had purchased it, practiced with it, bloodied it, and eventually killed with it. They had a history, Kate and this sword, and no man in a green suit was going to separate her from it.

Another joined him and pointed a gun at her. He spoke, but she had trouble processing the words. Of course she wasn't bitten; of course she wasn't one of them. The words came out in a jumble, slurred and bereft of conviction.

“Have you been bitten?” the other man screamed as he chambered a round. Why do they always do that? she wondered in some vague region of her mind that was still lucid. Why do they always chamber a round to emphasize a question? It was enough to point a gun at someone’s head; you didn't have to be a dick about it.

She tried to reason, to tell him everything was okay, but those words didn't come out. Instead, she said the only thing that she wanted to be remembered for.

“Fuck you, asshole.”

Then a hole opened up, and she swam toward it.

Sweet!

I don't think we will see another HUGE one until Blizzard releases whatever they are working on (Titan I know). And I think that is a long way off since details are so limited about it.

Make sure to update us when Among the Dead goes live on Amazon.