Attention!!

Criminal organization, Akatsuki has dispatched a member to a local Walmart. No information is know why the Akatsuki is interested in the store chain, yet their motives are no doubt sinister. A brave genin managed to take this picture in secret. Local ninja squads are holding an investigation in this matter. If you see any Akatsuki sightings, please contact your local Hokage office. Do not attempt to engage them!!! They are considered very dangerous.

[i]This is just my opinion and how I feel about GTA and Rockstar, read it with a grain of salt.
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It has been a little close to a month since Grand Theft Auto 4 came out. A blitz of coverage and controversy has swept over us and the game has been judged on its own merits. Yet, the game is far from perfect even though many reviewers would say it is. I don't have time to say what is wrong because if you have played or read an honest review about it, you'd know. I have played a few missions (on my relative's game save) and will reserve judgment until later. Ever since the release of GTA III, we began to live in a GTA world. Rockstar has set the standard for the "open-world crime drama" genre. Publishers and developers scrambled to tap in that sweet spot. Some were close while others failed miserably. Naughty Dog's Jak II had GTA elements in the gameplay (instead of taking a vehicle, you'd commandeer it and character missions). The GTA series grew successful throughout the life of the PS2. Yet, with every great game series, there can be only one thing that can sour even the greatest of mouths: The Fanboy. Fanboys have always been on the good and bad side of gaming since its conception. Fanboys move systems and games with their immeasurable disposable income. Anything similar to Rockstar opus is either denounced or met with mixed emotions. Almost like Final Fantasy fans look at other JRPGs with contempt. My issue is this, will we ever see another game like GTA isn't made by Rockstar and be good? Saints Row came pretty close to the formula. It introduced a few elements that was used in GTA 4. Now with a sequel on the way (in a few more months longer than scheduled), the Saints Row series has alot of big fanboy size shoes to fill. What do you think? Does Rockstar have something so good that what ever they make is golden or should we take off the rose colored specs?

I invited my lady friend over a few weeks ago and introduced her to the Sims 2. She had been a fan of the original Sims, so her interest was piqued. In about 5 minutes of gameplay, she was already hooked to the game and was mad her PC wasn't up to par to run it. Games like Warcraft II and Doom were open doors for me. To her, The Sims 2 really drew her more to PC gaming. In all, I don't blame her, with 100 million copies sold and a devoted (and sometime very disturbed) community behind it. I think what WOW did for hardcore fans, The Sims is playing for both hardcore and casual. Do you want to build a house or design a neighborhood? Do you want to have a small family or the digital equivalence of the Waltons? It is all up to you. It has flaws but eagerly dismissed by fans. Yet, I just have to know something. Do you think that The Sims has the ability to attract non-gamers away from Solitaire and Minesweeper or it is just not enough? Does it have that Wii magic? I'd really like to know. I'll be having my Sim rebuild a car engine while his wife does body work (I wish I was kidding but sadly I am not).

After a hard day of doing what I love for a living, I put on my smoking jacket, fez and curl to a blazing fire and read my copy of the Da Vinci Code. Well the other parts are false but I do read the pulse pounding thriller by Dan Brown. Most of the time like many of you, I relax through gaming. About a week or so, I bought Super Mario Galaxy. This game rocks and totally deserves the praise it gets (and some of the hate). The bright colors and whismical music act as a sedative, claiming my hatred and dread for all human kind. My DS Lite act as a portable mood adjuster. From crying spoiled brats in Walmart to crying spoiled brats in GameStop, it allows me to tune the world out. My question what games or gaming device do you use to relax? Just so you know, bourbon is not a gaming device. Just wanted to clear that up.

I have been a PC gamer every since I have knee high to an Apple IIe. Though, I have owned just about every console, my heart always goes back to the PC. Great gaming moments were on the PC. My first LAN party, my first RTS, my first MMO experience, and my first pwning moment were always happy times for me. Now, I heard about how PC gaming maybe dying while console will overtake them. PC gaming is also seen as a luxury for those who can afford the finest components and can tune them to perfection. Personally PC gaming is nowhere near dead. Sure, it's in a slump with piracy on the rise, yet no obese viking lady is belting out a tune . These is no truer experience to playing an FPS on a PC. An RTS on a console is a bastardization of something I hold dear plus it's never a good idea. Sure, not everyone can buy or build at 5k PC and frankly I'm not one of those people. I just want to play a game with a little eye candy and not fear that my PC will blow up under the strain. I wonder what you D-toider out there think about PC gaming as a luxury. Do you have a huge-ass rig or just something to play Peggle on (that game is crack in game form)?

I have a tendency of getting into games sometimes way past the hype period. The main reason is an unstable supply of cash. I just have to get them as they come or when I can offer them. My newest console is a Wii (I plan to get a PS3 in the near future, hopefully). It is something to be said about late adopters. For instance, during the format wars, many people back HD-DVD only to lose out to Blu-ray. Now it's a mad dash to change over in order to save face rather than be saddled with this generation's version of Betamax. Many games have been built up on hype, only to fall short. I didn't buy my PS2 at launch but waited 2 years. At that time, games were plentiful and I could make good choices. I just into Call of Duty not too long ago. A funny thing about getting into a game late, you don't realize the team dynamics. You are the lowest of the low, no exceptions. Even if you kill everyone twice without taking damage, you will be still be named "Noob". No way around it. My cousin, his friends, and I were in playing multiplayer match of COD 4 on the 360. I'm really not used to the controls (being that I am a PC gamer on a good day and handhelds every other day). I would frequently shoot the ground and get shot in the head. My cousin would reply "Man, you suck." There are pro and cons to being a late adopter. You can see how things go before you drop money on it or you can come off as an no-talent doofus. Either do your thing. As for myself, I rather be late to the party then never show up at all. You can take advantage of the drunk chicks.