Hey all. I just got Guitar Hero 3 for the 360 and I'm none too pleased with my new wireless controller. The neck does not lock solidly into the body of the guitar, so it ends up wiggling while I play. This does not ruin the game, but it does ruin my scores on occassion. Has anyone else had a problem with the neck not locking correctly? Is this normal or should I send it back? I'm definitely leaning towards calling the company and getting a new controller, but I'd like your input.

See you online.

Dear Sir or Madam,

It has recently been confirmed by PR representatives that the Target Coproration has chosen to remove the video game Manhunt 2 from store shelves. I believe this is an error in judgment. The game has been granted an "M for Mature" Rating by the ESRB and is therefore comparable with other video games and media products available on store shelves. It is true that adult content can be accessed in the game using using an altered PSP system. However, the ESRB has stood by its initial rating of the game because this "hack" requires altering both the game and the console in ways that are complex and beyond the control of the developers. The decision to pull the game shows that Target Corporation has little-to-no faith in the ESRB and its ratings system. This treatment of a properly rated and labeled video game is unfair when compared with the treatment given to other products in the media department. Target Corporation touts its extensive selection of DVDs, but many of them are considered "unrated" and have not been reviewed by the MPAA for content. To approve of unrated content in one format, but ban properly-reviewed content in another is hypocrisy at its worst and I will no longer be shopping at Target stores. Thank you.

Nicholas Langan

P.S. I found out that they don't mind making money off of the game as long as you buy it somewhere else. Here's a link to the strategy guide on their website:

Manhunt 2 Player's Guide at Target

Hypocrisy at it's best!

My Halo 3 video was pretty well received, with a larger than normal percentage of people commenting. Every time I watch it, I realize how I could've made it better, but I'm not gonna mess with it. Instead, I'll just do a better job next time. Anyways, a couple updates.

Guitar Hero II for the 360 has been taking up most of my gaming time for the past week. I'm two songs shy of 5-starring everything on Hard difficulty. The Trooper is a pain in my rear with its weird timing and tough chord transitions in the verse so I'm not sure when I'll finally get that one done. I've also got Institutionalized left, but I know I can do that one with a bit of practice since I already did it on the PS2 version. After that, I'll run through on expert to finish up with the game. Now you may be wondering why I would hurry through the game, so I'll tell you; I ordered GH3 on Saturday. Hopefully it will be in my possession by this Saturday and I'll be able to rock out with all of you who are on my friends list. If you're looking for someone to play with on Hard or Expert in coop, I'm your man. Also, if anyone is interested in a Halo 3 run on Legendary, leave a comment.

On another topic altogether, I went to see The Darjeeling Limited yesterday. It was a really interesting movie with some great moments strewn throughout. However, while I personally thought it was worth the price of admission, I can't wholeheartedly recommend the film. Its meandering nature combined with its overly long run-time give the impression that Anderson didn't know where to go or how to end his story. If you love Wes Anderson's films, or you just really enjoy off-beat adventures with a spattering of comedy, then The Darjeeling Limited will probably delight you. If, on the other hand, you like movies that make a point of getting to the point, you're better off skipping this colorful take on a dysfunctional family. 2 stars out of 4.

See you online.

It's not often that I get things done early, but I've officially finished my Halo 3 montage well ahead of schedule. A big reason for this is because I had a great time doing it and didn't want to stop working. This is the first montage I've ever made so it has a few rough edges, but I'm pretty satisfied overall. The synchronicity of the audio and video seems to have been lost by a fraction of a second during upload, so the onscreen action isn't exactly in time with the music. This is unfortunate, but the timing is correct on my computer. To that regard, I have a much higher quality version of this video (640x480) if anyone is interested in seeing that one. Drop me a line and I will either email it or transfer it over AIM to you.

[video=IXU1n2f75b8FvjHb]

P.S. I am required by law to inform you that this video only satisfies 2 or 3 parts of the BGEE (Boz Guidelines for Entertaining Entertainment) that were laid out in a comment on my previous blog post. As usual, leave me all sorts of feedback. If you think it sucks, I want to know how I can make it better! Peace.

I mentioned in my video blog that I'm currently working on a Halo 3 montage so I thought I'd fill you in with the details. All of the footage will be taken from games that I've played in Matchmaking and will feature my exploits only. This means all footage is completely legit and taken from real games. Also, Gamespot is the only site I post videos on so you won't be able to see any of this footage anywhere else. I've also found a great song to go with my silencing of the fools. Expect the video this weekend.

Next, I have a question for you. Is anyone interested in seeing whole matches from my pesrspective? This would allow you to see how I play in a real match, untimely deaths and all. My rank in team slayer is currently 27 and my K/D ratio is about 1.5. I'm not saying I'm so good that you'll definitely learn something, but I want to make the footage available if their is some demand.

Lastly, I plan on doing some more Halo 3 videos relatively soon. These will be more instructional and less egotistical than a self-promoting montage.

Anyways... Please leave comments and let me know if anyone would like full matches uploaded. Have a spooky Halloween kids.

Hey everybody. After a very long leave of absence, I'm back with a new vblog. I talk about pretty much everything going on right now. This one is a bit long so if your only interested in certain aspects, the first half is about games, the third quarter is about HD-DVDs, and the last little bit is about Halloween. Enjoy.

[video=IHY3kTr75b8FuDff]

Edit: Apparently this is video blog number 4. I was too lazy to look at the first 5 seconds of my last video and this is the result. I am shamed and will now commit seppuku.

Chris Kaman = Frankenstein

Well, the Halo 3 tournament ended in the worst possible way today. Only three players showed up from my team while all five players were present for the opposing team. This pretty much sealed our fate from the beginning. It was not fun and it makes me wonder why anyone would join a tournament if they didn't plan on playing in it. Overall I had a great time in the first two matches and it was fun to be competitive in a GS tourney for once. Anyways, I'll check out some of my footage and see if any of it is worth sharing. If so, I'll make a quick vid. Peace.

See you online.

DISCLAIMER: I will probably do a video blog covering a lot of this, so only read if you are so inclined.

The week after exams is the best week ever. Until the next week after exams, that is.

I passed all of my exams on Friday although my Physician Development test was delayed until sometime this week due to a fire alarm. Now you probably assume I ended my Halo 3 embargo and played like a madman as soon as I got home on friday, but that was not the case. Instead my girlfriend came to visit so I kept the gaming on the backburner. I think it would have been a bit rude to play games all weekend when she drove 7 hours just to see me. I had a great time with her and she headed home yesterday. So today, after a week of waiting I finally got my first Halo 3 action in. I'm through the first three levels of the campaign and it is amazing. The level design is vastly improved and the graphics look great with natural feeling environments. The weapons also feel perfectly balanced.

My first run through is only on Heroic difficulty because Legendary just isn't that much fun. Sure I like the satisfaction of beating the game on Legendary and I will do it at some point, but the extreme difficulty makes the game repetitve as you peek, shoot, recharge, rinse, and repeat. Heroic is just a tad bit too easy, but overall it strikes an enjoyable balance between difficulty and fun factor.

I refuse to play any matchmaking until I've finished the story, but I am competing in the current Gamespot tournament so I did play online today. Fortunately, we won the match pretty handily an I'll be playing again tomorrow. I'd love to win the $300 prize, but it's unlikely.

As for the other games I bought, they will wait until after Halo 3, but I am VERY excited, especially for Bioshock. Lastly, I bought the HD DVD add on and will be watching King Kong later on this week or weekend. I'm also going to head to the used media shop and get some more movies soon so I'll let you know what I get.

See you online.