If anyone wonders what's going on here, rest assured you're not the only one. We probably scared the hobos.

This was the Austin stop on 2K Games' Splicers Unite promotional tour for Bioshock 2.

Ghostfire has updated their site with all kinds of stuff about Helix, the game I tested last week in Austin.

Simon Says-style dancing with a robot, DDR with your hands, Rez retooled, that's all probably fair to say. It's got a bunch of techno music from artists you've probably never heard of, too. Coming "late May/early June" to WiiWare in North America and Europe.

Why would anyone want to do business with an outfit calling themselves Gamecock Media? Especially one run by the same people who ran a company into the ground with the exact same business plan, trying to bring games to market without all the classic publisher oversight and occasionally making total asses of themselves?

That's pretty much why. I can't claim I asked every one of the nine developers at Gamecock's EIEIO 2008 showcase the question, but I did most of them, and they all had the same answer: "They let us keep our IP."

Can't argue with that. In truth, I have nothing against anyone who can bring good games to market. For goodness' sake, Gamecock have at least a few bona fide hits on their hands, except that their hands-off attitude toward their development means that it's pretty much entirely up to the developers to execute.

As for the games themselves, they're all over the map, both in terms of apparent quality in their unfinished state (and more than half won't be released for at least six months) and target markets, from very family-friendly to keep-the-kiddos-away.

I had a fine time, shuffling between the enclaves set up in the ampitheater back lot of Stubb's BBQ in Austin in the freezing rain, not that I expected anyone at Gamecock to control the weather. I just wish I hadn't worn short sleeves.

And I wish I hadn't been screwing around instead of writing on this, because I really meant to do some reporting on games this time around. But, you know, Nick Chester's done a pretty good job of it.

Right atcha, Chester. Yesterday was pleasant, today is cold, wet and rainy, and I'm in short sleeves. There was talk about people staying until after midnight, but I bailed on the place after seeing all 9 unreleased games showcased there. But I'm coddled by free breakfast and BBQ lunch not to talk about it until next Wednesday, so you'll all have to wait.

I've gone to the movie theater. Nick, if you're stuck for the night, be sure and check out the Alamo Drafthouse. Must see if anyone ever goes to Austin.

Yeah, I could use that really fucked-looking picture of Mike and Harry wearing chicken suits, but you get the idea.

Thursday, March 6, is the night for EIEIO, the showcase for Gamecock Media games. There will apparently be 10 games to be demonstrated, according to the EIEIO main page, only one of which, Renegade Kid's Dementium: The Ward, has been released. The rest:

Firefly Studios' Crusader Extreme and Dungeon Hero
Crackpot Entertainment's Insecticide
Blazing Lizard's Pirates vs. Ninjas Dodgeball
Red Fly's Mushroom Men
Spark Unlimited's Legendary: The Box
Wideload's Hail To The Chimp
Replay Studios' Velvet Assassin
Timegate's Section 8

I'm not sure who I'll be reporting for on this, but if I have to register as press for my own site, I will. Or I could just do it for Destructoid, in which case I promise to take down the G-Man RapeFace header.

Anyone else going? Note: This is at Stubb's, mainly known in Austin as a great east-side-of-downtown barbecue place with a "backyard" outdoor mini-ampitheater for music shows. That backyard is what's bound to have all the space, so expect a lot of dust and tents set up. Might be the Promised Lot all over again!

Not having my own online store, I'm not really interested in trying this ploy myself, but maybe you guys would have an interest. Kansas City-based rapper Mac Lethal recently had a brainwave: He's asking fans to contact Nigerian 419 scammers and string them along into buying his merchandise, as part of the scam. The first person to actually get one of them to pull it off, he's giving a prize package away.

[color=darkred]This will probably not be easy, and may take some serious time investing. But it should be fun.

I'm going to tell the guy I will send him the $10,000 banker fee he needs, but it will have to be smuggled in a t-shirt from a safe online store.

Trust me, these guys have one of the weakest hustles I've ever seen. Chris Hansen from MSNBC met one of them in PERSON. The guy was dumb enough to meet him in person. I guarantee you this can be pulled off.[/color]

So, anyone feel like hawking robot face t-shirts to Africa?