It has been a few weeks since my birthday. Just Cause 2 has been my #1 game and it has been a real riot. I've finished the main plot but have plenty of smaller faction missions still available. But I mostly just travel around causing mayhem. It is a bunch of fun. I have not touched Bad Company 2 since getting it; I will get back to BC2, but I am in no hurry.

The gamepad works great in Just Cause 2 and it has also gotten me going in GTA IV which is also turning out to be a great game. The fun factor is a bit lower - the city design is too tight and twisty turny for driving recklessly - but the main character is likable and the stories are all interesting.

As predicted, the gamepad is almost certainly going to be the gaming gift that keeps on giving. I had not used an xbox controller before this, but it is certainly one of the best designed and implemented controllers that I have used. It is certainly the equal of a PS2 controller.

I've got around 2-3 hours in with The Witcher and so far I like everything about it. I am currently in a more action orientated mode (I want to play games with the xbox controller, I guess), but I put in a little bit of time here and there trying to keep my interest high.

On the new stuff front, I finally ordered Company of Heroes. Getting a fairly recent, highly rated game for under $6 with shipping was too good to pass up. I found it at GoGamer for a very nice price indeed. If I were not so involved with JC2 and GTA-IV, I would probably have grabbed Nation Red and/or Space Rangers 2: Reboot.