Well folks, I have a launch console & it finally got round to crapping out & dying on me. Not bad since it is now just over 2 years old & I only got the red lights of doom today but heres the thing. I am not going to get another 360. Or any other console for that matter. Please let me explain....
I am fully aware of the fact that I can get my 360 repaired so don't tell me I'm a ruddy fool but i no longer can be bothered with it at the moment & so I will be withdrawing from the gaming world at least until the next-gen. I do this with a heavy heart (especially since it's like only 4 days until GTA 4) but expenses are getting to me amongst many other things (I shan't go into detail). I feel really bad about it since i recently accepted the position of general games writer at TFMX.co.uk but of course now I don't have a 360.i still have my retro consoles & my portables & as I previously mentioned I intend to be involved with next-gen gaming but at the moment it just isn't a big enough draw for me at the moment what with cars, girls etc taking up most of my time & money.

GGUK
(leaving you on a respectable 13611G)

After all of my time here at Gamespot I have finally done 40 reviews. Hurrah! Admittedly some are better than others but why not check them out & jusdge for yourself.

TFMX.co.uk is a gaming site & forum which has podcasts, competitions a clan & loads of other stuff. it's really great so check it out & mention me (GGUK) ;)

Cube's designer

Thousands of people will be unwrapping their shiny new gadgets at Christmas but one British artist and engineer is hoping his creation will find its way under trees in time for the next festive period.

Andrew Fentem has worked on innovative human computer interfaces for some time, after beginning his career in military research and development, specifically missiles.

His work today is part-art, part hobby, part business venture.

His latest creation, the Fentix Cube, is generating a lot of interest from toy manufacturers and buzz on the internet, based on a few clips he put on YouTube.

"Because of absurd level of interest generated by YouTube everyone wants the device," he says. "I'm being bombarded by toy firms from Korea."

A small plastic cube with playful lights, it could be mistaken for a mass market throwaway toy manufactured by the million in the Far East.

Playing the cube

But the colourful exterior masks a combination of innovative technologies that have propelled Apple's iPhone and Nintendo's Wii to huge success this year.

The cube contains a large battery, an array of LEDs and crucially three accelerometers which can detect the pitch and yaw of the device, and sensors on the inside surface for touch control.

Mr Fentem says: "You instinctively know how to use it. The way you understand the world as a young child is through physical and spatial awareness, up or down. It's how you learn and communicate."

The accelerometers are essentially chips which can sense the direction of gravity; once you know that, you can work out which way is up and down.

"It took about a month to build; I thought it would be nice to do a cube computer after I had seen an electronic Rubik's cube, which was very poor."

The cube could have a commercial spin off

The cube has been programmed to play a handful of games, such as a PacMan-inspired maze game. But the combination of touch, light and three dimensions opens up a range of possibilities - from music games, to puzzles and even a life****device.

Mr Fentem said he was inspired to build the cube because he was dismayed by the quality of many of today's electronic toys.

"This was originally an artistic intervention into the gadget market. If you really want to make something unusual, you really have to understand the physics of how things work.

"Because most people don't know much about engineering, the ideas tend to be poor."

Up until the age of 22 Mr Fentem worked at Thorn EMI on highly ****fied projects, and had to sit in a Faraday cage, a shielded space which prevents any sort of transmission in or out.

Disillusioned by the industry he moved to London and fell into the art and electronics scene.

Much of his work is displayed at the Kinetica gallery, the UK's only space dedicated to electronic art.

His previous designs include multi-touch screen interfaces for musical applications, which won him an innovation award from the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts.

He has also worked on touchscreen surface technology, for creating musical scores, playing games, interactive floors and artistic purposes.

He says the cube is designed partly as a calling card for investors and companies.

"I'd like the cube to go mass market. I'd like to see it in people's homes. But if it only serves as an introduction to my work, I'll be happy."

I know this isn't anything to do with gaming but it's an issue very important to me so here goes

Camden Council have given the go ahead for the wrecking balls to go in and destroy Stables Market in Camden.


This means the end of The Proud Galleries (served notice closing in a couple of weeks), the funky, vintage stores, Cyberdog, etc - you get the gist - one of the best things in all of London is about to be taken away from us.


What are they putting in it place? Boots, H&M and Topshop. I'm sorry to those who like these stores, but that is just not the place for them.


PLEASE help us stop them from doing this by getting as many people to add myspace.com/savecamdenmarket as their friend & signing the petition:



http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/camdenmarket/

PLEASE REPOST!!!!!

Those of you who follow my XG blog (www.tfmx.co.uk/gguk) may have noticed my rant on "gearheads" which lead to me forming the "pinhead" movement. I sent this rant to X360 magazine & it was choosen as their star letter for that month so it won me a copy of Amped 3 & a Joytech Neo SE controller. Hurrah!

I (in collaboration with www.TFMX.co.uk) are giving away 2 copies of Football Manager 2007 so go to my blog at www.TFMX.co.uk/gguk & answer the question to win.

So! The PS3 has been launched & there are just swarms of angry fanboys waiting to give there opinion on how great it's gonna be. PS3 nuts slagging off the 360 & vice versa. Why must this happen everytime a new console is launched? Is it not bad enough that the thieving companies are trying to extract a ludicrous amount of money from our back pocket for this unessential piece of machinery. I want to see more love from thepeople not hate.

I've got a new blog for this site I work for (www.TFMX.co.uk) so why not check it out at www.tfmx.co.uk/gguk

The Science Museum in London is holding an exhibition called 'Game On'. It is basically the history of gaming from the very first home console. The exhibition is split into 13 sections which are:
1.Early Arcade Games
2.Top Ten
3.Games Families
4.Sound
5.Cinema
6.Games Culture - USA & Europe
7.Games Culture - Japan
8.Multiplayer Games
9.Kids Games
10.Character Design
11.The Making & Marjeting of Games
12.Magazines
13.Future Technology

Many of the sections have fully playable games dating right back to 1972 & leading right up to the games of today & Section 12 has a selection of gaming magazines to read.

The playable Games are:

Space war – Vectrex
Pong - Projection
Pac-Man - Projection
Space Invaders – Cocktail table
Space Invaders Part II – Cocktail table
Upright Arcade Machines
Space Invaders Part II
Space Invaders
Asteroids
Xevious
Donkey Kong
Berzerk
Dig Dug
Ms Pac-Man
Galaga
Galaxian
Missile Command
Centipede
Tennis – Magnavox Odyssey
Freeway – Atari VCS
Death Chase – Sinclair Spectrum
Mario Bros – Nintendo Famicom
One on One Basketball – Commodore
MSX Collection – Sega Saturn
Lemmings – Commodore Amiga
Fighting Street – PC Engine
Tetris – Super Nintendo Game Boy
Ridge Racer – PlayStation
Virtua Tennis 2 – Sega Dreamcast
Tempest 2000 – Atari Jaguar
Project Gotham Racing 3 – Microsoft Xbox 360
WRC – Rally Evolved – Sony PlayStation 2
Mario Superstar Baseball – Nintendo GameCube
Codebreaker – Atari VCS
Sokoban – Sega Mega Drive
Bust A Move 4 – Sega Dreamcast
Puyo Pop Fever – Sony PlayStation 2
Indy 500 – Atari VCS
Microprose Grand Prix – PC
Super Mario Kart – Super Nintendo
Breakout – Atari VCS
Super Buster Brothers – Super Nintendo
PaRappa the Rapper 2 – Sony PlayStation 2
Super Monkey Ball 2 – Nintendo GameCube
Star Soldier – Nintendo Famicom
R- Type – Sony PlayStation
Gradius V – Sony PlayStation 2
Zelda – Ocarina Of Time
Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy – PC
Adventure - Atari
The Secret of Monkey Island – PC
ESPN NHL 2K5 – Microsoft Xbox
Elite – Nintendo NES
Pilotwings – Super Nintendo
Populous – Super Nintendo
Sim City – Super Nintendo
Animal Crossing – Nintendo GameCube
Street Gangs – Nintendo NES
Street Fighter 2 Turbo – Super Nintendo
Virtua Fighter 2 - Sega Saturn
Garou Mark of the Wolves - Neo Geo MVS
Pitfall – Atari VCS
Bubble Bobble
Prince of Persia – Sega Mega Drive
Mario 64 – Nintendo 64
Beat Mania
Rez – Sony PlayStation
Chillingham – PC
GoldenEye – Nintendo 64
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Man Eater
Star Wars Cockpit
Discs of Tron
Yaroze Games
Amanda the Witch’s Apprentice
Burnout 3 – PlayStation 2
Outrun 2 – Microsoft Xbox
Moto GP3 – Microsoft Xbox
Prince of Persia - Sands of Time
Metroid Prime – Nintendo GameCube
Jak & Daxter: The Precursor Legacy – Microsoft Xbox 360
Pro Evolution Soccer 5 – Sony PlayStation
Madden 06 – Microsoft Xbox
Tony Hawk’s American Wasteland – Microsoft Xbox
Links 2004 – Microsoft Xbox
Poly Play
Steel Battalion – Microsoft Xbox (Projection)
Sailor Moon Super S – Super Famicom
Dragonball Z Budokai:Tenkaichi – PlayStation 2
Go By Train – Sony PlayStation
Dance Dance Revolution – Ultramix 3 – Microsoft Xbox
Pump it up – Sony PlayStation 2
Warlords – Atari VCS
Super Smash Bros Melee – Nintendo GameCube
Saturn Bomberman – Sega Saturn
4 x Halo 2 (4 Player LAN)
Eye Toy
Cookie Monster Munch – Atari VCS
Hey you, Pikachu – Nintendo 64
Pikmin – Nintendo GameCube
Junkbot – PC
Bob the Builder – Sony PlayStation
Tweenies – Sony PlayStation
Handheld table
Hamtaro – Ham Ham Games – Game Boy Advance
Game and Watch Gallery 4 – Game Boy Advance
Pokemon Ruby – Game Boy Advance
Donkey Country 3 – Game Boy Advance
New Super Mario Bros – Nintendo DS
Alien Attack
Caveman
Donkey Kong
Zelda
Simon
Shark Attack
Speak and Spell
Sonic Mega Collection
Super Mario All Stars
Tomb Raider
Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness – Nintendo GameCube
The Sims
Sega Superstars – Sony PlayStation 2
Singstar Party – Sony PlayStation 2
Grand Turismo 4 – Sony PlayStation 2

More games may also be added to the list later on. Entrance to the museum is free but ticket prices for the expedition are:
Adult £8.50
Child/concession (under 5s go free) £6.50
Family (1 adult, 2 children) £19.50
Family (2 adults, 2 children) £26.00
For more info go to http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk
The expedition runs between 21 October 2006 and 25 February 2007.
I went today, there are pics and info here