I haven't been on this account for FOUR years! As you can see, its been 10 years since I signed up here... I think I am somewhat of a vet!

Total game time = 6 days(Wasn't logged into Xfire for about half that time). Lvl 35, Night Elf Preist! Woo! I just got to the Scarlet Monastary(SM) so I should lvl up quickly with a raid team.

Bought it Monday and I can't play it because my DVD-RW drive won't read the disc. *sigh*

Bringing a whole new meaning to the phrase 'mind games,' OCZ's quirky new game controller, the Neural Impulse Actuator (NIA), has now 'begun mass production' and the company claims that shipping is 'imminent.'

OCZ's CEO and self-confessed willy-waver, Ryan Petersen, said that the NIA 'radically changes the ways that gamers can interact and control elements within games, and can be configured in a matter of minutes for any game that is already published or will be released.'

OCZ claims that the NIA's 'user-friendly software is calibrated based on the individual's physiology and personal preferences. Each of the Actuator's signals can be assigned to a specific keystroke on the keyboard or a mouse button; consequentially, gamers can run, jump, and fire faster - all without lifting a finger.'

As well as this, OCZ reckons that the death of the faithful keyboard and mouse for gaming could soon be on the horizon. ' The NIA will allow users to control PC games without the use of a keyboard,' said the company, 'and minimal use of a mouse.'

Our own Clive Webster had the chance to try out a prototype of the bizarre contraption at Computex 2007, where he found that it took a lot of getting used to, but easier to use after ten minutes of gaming. However, he also reckoned that it would be no subsitiute for a set of WASD keys when it came to accuracy.

No concrete details on pricing have been confirmed yet, but Overclock3D claims to have spoken to sources at the company who say that the package, which includes a black USB2 metal box and a headband, will cost around £150. OCZ

Heres a video of it in action: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUwtsCWxwHI

I've never been particularly fond of MGS games because of their long winded chat sessions, specifically MGS2 when you would chat with your superior in a overly tinted 2-man chat room.

It seems to be making a comeback with MGS4 in a big way, though 100x more cinematic, it still cuts down on whats the most important: Gameplay. Is it just an excuse for the lack of depth/creativity or do we really need cutscenes that long to convey a point. I think your bound to lose that cinematic quality whenever you detach the camera from a position that the playing has been playing in for hours on end.

Luckily I guess, you now have the option of skipping cutsenes unlike previous MGS', but skipping 60min worth of story doesn't seem like a bright idea if your heavily into the MGS story arch so your still sort of left with a catch-22.

We know the Metal Gear Solid series is famous for its long cut-scenes, but this tops everything! Metal Gear Solid 4, the latest instalment in Hideo Kojima's seminal stealth series, has cut-scenes (note the plural) that approach the 90 minutes mark.Computer and Videogames

http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=189543

Iron Man is great, better than many other comic book movies. Robert Downey Jr turned it into a comedy..thats a good and a bad thing at the same time, mostly good. Terrence Howard is great as always. Great Special effects, more video game inspired rather than ultra-realistic-jurrasic-park-style visuals. If your not familar with the story of ironman then it offers a tiny bit of insight into how he became and why his chest glows. Pretty cool. Go see.

What is Project XNA?

Project XNA is an initiative that aims to bring bridge the gap between those that play games, and those that create them. To realize this goal, we're going to to design and create a game for the PC and Xbox 360 using Microsoft's XNA Framework and toolkit. This union is designed to be central hub for planning and communication amongst project members.


What sort of game are you going to make?

The game we're making will be loosely based on the gameplay concepts of the 1993 DOS game Skyroads. We'll be using it's core concepts as a starting point from which we'll add new gameplay ideas, story elements, and graphics. If you'd like to get an idea of what the game is like, the full version is available for download from the linked website (you will probably need DOSBox to run it in XP or Vista). There are also many clips of the game on Youtube that you can watch.


Can I join? And do I need experience?

Yes! One of the primary goals of the project is to get as many people involved as possible. Whether you've done this many times before or completely new to game development, you're 100% welcome here. The idea is to contribute whatever you're capable of contributing based on your ability and experience. So this means anything from a single gameplay idea, to some character story background, to music, to networking code.


What part of the game can I work on?

You can volunteer to help with whatever area you'd like to work on. Just make sure that the other members working in that particular area know that you're going to be helping out, so they can get you up to speed and make sure you're included in important discussions.


Do I need an XNA Creator's Club Membership?

Not unless you're going to be a programmer working on Xbox 360-specific code. I will be purchasing one for myself, and will handle the 360 programming by myself if necessary. Other programmers and other people who need to run the game can work on the PC version only if they'd like, since 99% of the code will be shared.

I have another question, where can I ask it?

You can ask right here in this thread, if you'd like. You can also PM myself or any of ther other officers and contributing members.

Join

I was told to list 5 things about myself:D

1. I have a myspace(ask and you shall receive)

2. I wanted to major in graphics design and/or web design, but have since changed majors

3. I've been a gamespot member longer than you ^_^
:P
Sadly, I have been dubbed a gamespot convict as my TOS history is extensive and my low level is proof.

4. I'm a Texan, born and raised :o

5. I have another gamespot.com account called "VandIVlism" which would probably provide insight as to why my banner says 'vandalism'

The end! The sad thing is, thats as complicated as I get and it took me 10 mintues to come up with those 5 things. :(Dont laugh at us simple people.

I'm going to be sending all you's (Yes I said you's) a PM cause I was tagged.

Edit: Ok well, 5 of you since it only lets me send messages to five.

Its a mod eat mod world out there boys n' gals.

Indeed I did, the 360 HD DVD player is now $49 at Best Buy and other retailers. Got it yesterday and I like it, I have it currently hooked up to my PC..will be taking advantage of those bargain bin HD DVDs.

And it comes with 7 free HD DVDs :D I know it is a dead format but its a cheap way to enjoy HD movies considering BD players are no cheaper than $300. I say go for it and all its cheapness, besides there is a back-catalog of hundreds of HD DVDs with more to come until this June when all movies will officially stop being printed on HD DVD discs.