Random thoughts from me about the Sony press conference the day after it airs:

New Ratchet game is DL only, but it still looks good. I mean, it's Ratchet we're talkin' about, what else can they be but good. I like me some R&C.

MAG looks epic on all levels. If this game delivers, the PS3 has another gigantic exclusive (?) on their hands.

The numbers presentation in LBP was the coolest touch I've ever seen in a press conference. If Sony did that more often, I would actually care about their financial figures. Slightly.

Speaking of, I'm still super stoked for LittleBigPlanet. It's a great exclusive title for PS3 to have, and nothing out there seems comparable, lest you count Spore.

It's odd they showed Soul Calibur 4 at the Sony conference, but not the MS one. Very strange choice, but then again, the PS3 has Vader, which makes it infinitely more awesome. Not that Yoda isn't awesome, though, but even the most casual of Star Wars fans know the name Darth Vader.

First gameplay footage of Guitar Hero World Tour! And it actually doesn't look that bad. Death Magnetic available as first-day DLC is a very nice touch.

No Kingdom Hearts 3? Well, I'm not totally surprised, since there's still TGS on the horizon. Perhaps something about it then.

And finally...God of War III teaser trailer = epic win for Sony. Way to pull through after losing FFXIII exclusivity. Seriously, I'm super stoked, since it looks like there's some serious **** goin' down on Olympus. Zeus better be ready, 'cause Kratos sounds like he's ready to tear his ass right up.

Nintendo thoughts soon!

Final Fantasy XIII is coming to the Xbox 360. Sony has lost one of their biggest exclusives.

I'm not saying the PS3 has been slain and is now dead, because Sony's still got plenty of successful exclusive franchises. I am saying that this announcement is a major blow to Sony, and I hope that they come back with an announcement that can somehow trump it. God of War III premiere? Twisted Metal PS3? Kingdom Hearts III? All good possibilities, if you ask me.

The console wars just got a lot more interesting...

At first, I thought they couldn't top 2007 as far as gaming was concerned, with monstrosities such as Halo 3, Rock Band, and Mass Effect being released. However, it seems as though I've been proven wrong, as 2008 looks to be just as awesome. Here are the games I'm most looking forward to seeing at E3 this year.

Gears of War 2 - Can I safely assume that this is on most everyone's list? I can? Sweet, thanks. Gears 2 looks like it's going to be a vast improvement over the great first entry into the series. All the new multiplayer details have me excited (A flag that shoots back? Multiple executions? The return of freaking Gridlock?), and the story actually looks like it'll be halfway decent, with more to be revealed about Dom's wife Maria. That part of the story always kind of puzzled me. Here's to hoping for Gears 2 to have a good showing at E3!

Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts - I never played the N64 Banjo games, even though I've heard they're quite good. Nah, what gets me about the game is the fact that you can build, tinker around with, and pilot a plethora of different vehicles. That's what really gets me about this game. I've always been one who enjoys games with lots of customization options, and it looks like Nuts and Bolts will deliver on that front. Can't wait to see what they show at E3 this year, because it truly looks like a surprise hit.

InFamous - If it weren't for the fact that the same team behind the excellent Sly Cooper series was making this game, I wouldn't be near as interested in it. I don't really know that much about the game, which is probably why I'm looking forward to it so much, so that I get to know more about this game. And like I just said, the same studio behind Sly Cooper, Sucker Punch Studios, is making InFamous. That already earns it a few points in my book.

Fable 2 - It's an ambitious game, but leave it to Lionhead to make ambitions reality. The biggest sell for me is the online co-op, that's going to make the game so much fun. I'm definitely looking forward to seeing this game at E3 this year. And hey, you get to play as a pirate if you want! That alone makes this game awesome.

Beyond Good and Evil 2 - It's the sequel to one of the most underappreciated games I've ever played. Need I say more (other than "Do yourself a favor and play BG&E1.")? Didn't think so.

MadWorld - It looks like Sin City and plays like Condemned on steroids. It's brutal, it's bloody, and it's apparently tongue-in-cheek, too. Oh, yeah, and did I mention that it's a Wii game? I didn't? Well, it is. Yeah, how's that for a shocker. I hope this makes a good showing at E3 this year, this game has some very serious potential.

LittleBigPlanet - The more I see this game, the more I think it's awesome. Come on, Sony, what's the hold-up? This is one of the biggest guns still in the Playstation 3's arsenal, and that's not even considering the fact that FFXIII and Gran Turismo 5 are bound to make an appearance at E3...

Final Fantasy XIII - Which brings me to the two biggest games lurking on the horizon for Sony's onyx monster. Final Fantasy XIII is the one game PS3 owners around the globe are drooling over. I'm really hoping we get some new info regarding FF13 this year at E3, because this game can and likely will move PS3s off shelves.

Gran Turismo 5 - So will this game. I'm a big GT fan, have been for about 10 years now, and I'm getting fired up just thinking about the game. You get to drive around the Top Gear track and watch what is arguably the greatest car show ever (the aforementioned Top Gear, a BBC-exclusive show) right in the game! Add in the fact that the game looks jaw-droppingly amazing and the fact that we're getting 16-player online support, and you've got yourselves a system-seller, Sony.

Fallout 3 - Wow. Just freaking wow. This game looks astounding. A more shooting-heavy Oblivion set in a post-apocalyptic world. You get a pet dog named Dogmeat (named that, probably, for some convoluted reason I may never understand completely), and your actions will shape the world around you...literally. One of the decisions in the game is this: you're given the option to either save a village, or nuke the damn place. If you choose the latter, the entire village gets blown to dust and you'll never be able to explore it again. That's what Oblivion should've been filled with, moral choices that have an everlasting impact on the world around you. Color me impressed.

However, let me be brutally honest for a moment - none of those games can truly compare to the one game I think is going to really blow everyone away at E3. It's the sequel to my GotY winner from 2007. Yes, you (likely) guessed it. My most anticipated game of E3 2008 is...

ROCK BAND 2.

Let me share with you a few tidbits of information as to why this game is so prominent on my radar currently.

1.) All DLC currently available, and purchased, is 100% backwards-compatible with RB2. This is selling point #1 for most Rock Band owners out there. Being able to play songs like Blinded By Fear, Screaming for Vengeance, ...And Justice for All, and Inside the Fire along with all the other on-disc songs in Rock Band 2 is a concept I greet with two thumbs up.

2.) The new instruments are vastly improved over the old ones. The fine folks over at Harmonix have clearly listened to it's community. They've fixed the strum bar for the new Stratocaster (THANK GOD!!!), and they've made the clicking fret buttons quieter, something I like. The drum set will see vast improvements, as well. It'll be much more responsive (my biggest complaint), much quieter, and the bass pedal will be metal to give it much-needed stability on songs like Blinded By Fear, Indestructible, Hammerhead, and Critical Acclaim. I approve.

3.) Band World Tour Online. Need I say more?

4.) The currently confirmed songs. Let me share with you a list of 17 songs that have so far been confirmed for Rock Band 2. I'll bold the ones I like the most.

Almost Easy by Avenged Sevenfold
White Wedding, Pt. 1 by Billy Idol
Livin' On A Prayer by Bon Jovi
Hello There by Cheap Trick
Panic Attack by Dream Theater
Pump It Up by Elvis Costello
Everlong by Foo Fighters
Bad Reputation by Joan Jett
Any Way You Want It by Journey
Ace of Spades by Motorhead
Kids In America by The Muffs
Testify by Rage Against The Machine
Give It Away by Red Hot Chili Peppers
I Was Wrong by Social Distortion
Rockin' Me by Steve Miller Band
Chop Suey by System Of A Down
Pinball Wizard by The Who

At first, I would've just said that the setlist was alright, but seriously, Harmonix? Dream Theater? And one of their best songs, Panic Attack? I'm happy. DT is one of the best prog rock bands in the world. Only Rush is better than these guys. I sincerely can't wait to shred to the work of John Petrucci.

Is that not enough for you rockers out there? Get this - Harmonix is revealing the entire on-disc setlist for Rock Band 2 at E3. All 80+ tracks, or at least the ones that have yet to be revealed, will be revealed. With Dream Theater, System of a Down, Motorhead, Journey, and Avenged Sevenfold confirmed, as well as Billy Idol, the Steve Miller Band, and the Foo Fighters, what else could Harmonix possibly have up their sleeves? The Beatles? Tool? AC/DC?? We're gonna find out tomorrow, because EA presents its press conference after the Microsoft conference.

Honestly, tomorrow can't come sooner. Don't be surprised if I'm not on Xbox Live that often tomorrow, because most of my attention will be focused on the Microsoft press conference, and later on the EA press conference. So now, give me your thoughts - what's your most anticipated game of E3 this year? What games should people care about? Until next blog, likely after E3's been wrapped up, this is Storm. See you online!

The last time I checked, yeah. 'Ello, everyone. Back with another blog.

I had my friend JeY over to play various assorted games. One of them was Rock Band. We kicked up some Band World Tour, him playing bass on Medium, me playing guitar on Expert. We got far enough to get roadies and the bus, which was cool. And I randomly got the Flawless Fretwork achievement after FCing "I Think I'm Paranoid" on Expert. I didn't even know I had FCed the song until the results had shown up. I'll go back tomorrow and attempt to re-FC it on video and get a vid posted up. I'm still quite happy about the accomplishment.

The other major game we played was Call of Duty 4. Yes, I finally got the game through the wondrous machine that is Gamefly. I sent back the faulty NFS ProStreet disc I mentioned in the previous blog and got it in return. Got to Master Gunnery Sergeant rank and managed to get 3 kills simultaneously off of one grenade. Even better, I caught it on video. I'll be posting some videos up here to GS when I get the chance to.

So, now that I've FCed "I Think I'm Paranoid", passed "Ride the Lightning" with a 4* rating, and can 5* "Number of the Beast" in GH3 on Expert, I can safely say I'm making progress. Who knows...maybe now, I can finally pass Green Grass and High Tides on Expert. That infernal final part of the second solo gets me every damn time.

I shouldn't gloat about my achievements too much, though, at least not after what this guy did. Seriously, Austin is way better than I am. That's still one of my long-term GH3/Rock Band goals.

Hooray for Spring Break! Later.

A very strange, yet at the same time scary, thing happened to me today. It happened when I was practicing the Ride the Lightning solo on Expert in Rock Band.

The solo's starting at 90% speed, and of course, I'm getting royally screwed over because of how insanely fast it is. Damn you, Hammett! Anyway, I'm attempting to play it, when all of a sudden, my fingers suddenly seize up in a clawed position. I continue to try and play it, but my hand simply will not let me. So I immediately stopped playing and moved on to a little Oblivion.

Regardless, I was scared. So, I've decided to stay away from playing GH2, GH3, and Rock Band for a while. At least, until a tournament or something comes along, then I'll bust it out again.

Another crazy gaming experience: I get Need for Speed ProStreet through Gamefly, but on my second day, the game begins to lock up on me. I go and try to start a race, and the countdown ticks down all fine, but as soon as the race is theoretically supposed to start, BAM!!! - lock-up. I tried again the next day, and the same exact thing happened. So, I'm going to return the game and either get a new ProStreet disc or just get another game. BTW, BioShock is on the way, as well, so now I'll be able to see what all the hullabaloo is surrounding this game.

Anyway, if any of you guys are metal fans, you probably found out about In Flames' new CD A Sense of Purpose. I've really gotten into the first single off the album, called "The Mirror's Truth". I think it's really good, and while it's different from the normal stuff we're used to hearing from In Flames, I still think it's really good. The guitar's are great, the drums are spot-on as always, and the new vocal s+yle is very cool. It almost kind of reminds me of some of Soilwork's library after Natural Born Chaos. Very good stuff, I definitely recommend you give A Sense of Purpose a chance if you like metal.

That'll do it. Thanks for reading. Don't be afraid to leave a comment. 'Til next blog, this is Storm, saying so long.

Why? It's perhaps one of the greatest experiences ever. Storm here with a quick blog. Just gonna detail some of the notable games I've been playing.

As you can clearly tell from the blog title, the first game on the list is Burnout Paradise, courtesy of Gamefly. Wow...I haven't played a racing game this fun since I first played Forza 2 in early July of 2007. For those who complain that taking Burnout open-world is a bad thing, I'd love to know why, because that actually has improved the game. Everything, from the soundtrack (despite its blemishes *glares at "Girlfriend*), to the controls, to the gameplay mechanics, to the graphics, is nothing short of brilliant. I may just do a video review of this game.

My friend JeY, who I've probably mentioned before, convinced me to try this free-to-play MMO called Gunz. Community member Slunks knows what I'm talking about. For those who have never heard of it, which means a lot of you, Gunz is a third-person, over-the-shoulder shooter with MMO elements to it. You create your character, and then you can join deathmatch games, TDM games, quest lobbies, or what have you, in order to increase your level. You'll also earn "Bounty", the game's currency, whic h you can use to purchase improved in-game equipment.

The game is very much twitch-based, which means that Unreal Tournament fans will feel right at home with this game. It's free-to-play, free-to-download, and quite addictive. I'm already up to level 7 in about three days time, and I definitely intend to play more soon.

I continue to play Pokemon Pearl, as well. I've currently got 7 badges (just one more!), and almost all of my party members are up to level 40. Even though I now know the purpose behind Team Galactic's mission, that still doesn't discount from the fact that these guys are weird, not to mention funny sometimes. Definitely ranks up there as some of the most unique villain characters I've ever encountered.

The family's also planning on getting a new computer. Finally! We'll have a rig that can actually run games like Command and Conquer 3 and Need for Speed Carbon. I, for one, can't wait until the thing's completely up-and-running.

Well, that's it for this blog entry. 'Til next blog, this is Storm, saying so long for now!

2008's got some big shoes to fill. Last year was by far and away one of the best years gaming's ever seen. But 2008's kept some mammoth games to itself to prove to '07 that it's not gonna go by easily. Here are some of my most anticipated games for this year.

PS3
Final Fantasy XIII - IF it happens. And if it does, I'll actually want a PS3. The anticipation, and expectations, are high for this game. One game would have to make me want a PS3 for real, though...

Gran Turismo 5 - And this is that game. I am a racing game nut, if you haven't caught that yet. If GT5 gets released this year, I'll actually be envious of PS3 owners. GT has never disappointed, and I doubt they will this time.

LittleBigPlanet - This looks to be an absolute gem of a game. With its emphasis on community, I can't wait to see what's in store for this. Could 2008 be the year the family finally gets a PS3? With these releases on the horizon, it's a likely possibility.

Xbox 360
Devil May Cry 4 - This is a multiplatform release, but since I'm a 360 owner, this will be my console of preference when discussing multiplatform releases, simply because, well, I've got access to it. DMC4 looks epic, and it'll be interesting to see how the Devil Bringer arm works.

Grand Theft Auto IV - ****. Yes. Very few gamers are not looking forward to this game's release. If the trailers are any indication, GTA IV will be the best GTA game yet.

Soul Calibur IV - Notice the trend? Don't worry, it'll be bucked quickly. But yes, this is another game with the number four in its title. This game looks even better than SC3, and if they fix the balance issues and bring back most, if not all, of the characters from Soul Caliburs past, this will shape up to be one hell of a fighting game.

Burnout Paradise - It's only a few days away. Burnout Paradise looks to be one of the best racing games out there. I can't wait to finally get a chance to play the full version.

Wii
Super Smash Bros. Brawl - Of course. This will be the one game I play the most on the Wii. Smash Bros. has never disappointed me when it comes to delivering a fantastic multiplayer fighting experience. Oh, yeah, and Sonic will be my character if Shadow's not in the game.

PSP
Dissidia: Final Fantasy - A Final Fantasy fighting game? Hell, there are plenty of characters in the series. Auron vs. Vincent, anyone?

Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep - This looks like a very interesting KH game. The trailer was beyond awesome, with some very memorable music to back it. Very much looking forward to this game.

Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII - While not necessarily the sequel to the original game, Crisis Core looks to be an amazing game. Only 2 months, and this game will finally be available to us. Can't freakin' wait.

DS
Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood - This is gonna kick ass. It's Sonic, it's BioWare, it's probably going to be a contender for my personal GotY. Please let it come out this year, SEGA. Do the Sonic community right.


If I end up forgetting anything, I'll edit that in here. Until next blog, this is Storm, saying so long for now!

2007 was my welcome to the next-gen of gaming, because it was this year that my family got an Xbox 360. For the first couple of months, it was pretty much all Gears of War. I'm still amazed by the game, but I haven't revisited it in several months. I also played a lot of PGR3.

The next game that officially entered my 360 collection was Forza Motorsport 2, which I picked up sometime in June/July. That took me completely off of Gears. The game is stellar in all respects, and is easily one of the best racing games I've ever played.

...And then came Halo 3. My, my, Halo 3, how we waited for you. The hype. The hooplah. And then the game was, at long last, unleashed upon the masses. It was easily one of the greatest games, if not the greatest game, I had ever played.

Guitar Hero 3 also proved to be a very addictive affair, with one of the best soundtracks the series had ever seen, with metal greats such as "The Number of the Beast", "One", "Welcome to the Jungle", and shame on us if we forget "Rock You Like A Hurricane".

But one game - one game out of all of these - proved to be one of the most fun games I have ever played. Not since I had played Sonic 3 on the Genesis had I played a game that proved it's salt as one of those games where, no matter how many times I revisited it, it never got old. It still doesn't, because I've been playing it ad nauseam ever since I got it as a Christmas present this year. It has proven to be so fun, in fact, that I have decided to shock everyone else by naming it my Game of the Year.

It's not BioShock. It's not COD4. It's not Mass Effect. It's not Halo 3. It's not Orange Box. It's not Mario Galaxy. My Game of the Year for the year of 2007 is...

ROCK BAND

It's official. Being the newcomer to rhythm games such as this, I expected them to be cool because I can recognize some of the songs and discover new ones at the same time. What I never expected was for this game, in particular, to be so addictive and immersive. And I have yet to even play a song cooperatively with others. It goes without saying that I've had more fun with Rock Band than I've had with any other game since Halo 2 in 2005-2006. And I look forward to playing more of the game, since I'm now working on the Guitar Solo Tour on Hard and will eventually get around to completing Drum Solo Tour on Easy. Definitely what I would consider a truly amazing game.

But here are the games I haven't played yet, though I want to play them...and badly:

Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion - This little gem finally came in through Gamefly. And knowing the stories of how much time people spent playing this game, I know this is going to be one of those games I'll have to set long-term goals for. Still, it goes without saying that it's an amazing game, and I for one can't wait to finally boot this up on my 360 and play it.

Command & Conquer 3 - Unfortunately, this old rig I'm on right now just doesn't have what it takes to run the game. I refuse to play an RTS unless it's on the PC - I'm just weird like that. Still, I'm admittedly a C&C fan, and I'm looking forward to eventually playing this game, since it seems quite rad.

Sonic Rush Adventure - Sonic Rush was awesome, and from what I hear from the guys at SonicSpot, this game is even better. Can't wait to try it out.

The Orange Box - If only for Team Fortress 2. That game looks flat hilarious. Portal looks fun enough, and Half-Life 2 is, well, Half-Life 2. Which means Gravity Gun ownage is sure to ensue. And I have no problem with that.

Call of Duty 4 - The whole idea of character perks and the ability to create your own character cla$$ make this seem like quite an awesome game. That, and damn, it looks beautiful.

As far as the other games I've been playing, I finally suckered up and bought Pokemon Pearl. Why Pearl? Dialga looks like a Covenant Elite. 'Nuff said. Anyway, I've already got my first gym badge and I'm currently situated in Eterna Forest. Should at least have my second badge by the end of the week. As for the game itself...what can I say? I don't give a damn if it's Pokemon, the game's great. It's genuinely a brilliant RPG.


It goes without saying that 2007 was one of the best years that gaming has ever seen, and 2008 is shaping up to be even better. With megaton releases such as Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Metal Gear Solid 4, Starcraft II, and the possibility, dare I say it, of Gran Turismo 5, 2008's got a tough act to follow. Let's hope it bodes well. Until next blog, later.

-Storm

PS: I've thought about this for several days, then finally came to my decisive conclusion about my presence here. I've decided: I'm not leaving GS. The community here has just built itself up too much, I can't stomach abandoning it.

At least, I think I am. Welcome back to another edition of my blog. Let's find out what I've been up to lately, eh?

The games I've been playing:

Halo 3 - What can I say? Halo 3, in a nutshell, is absolutely brilliant. Really loved the campaign, and I really need to go revisit it on Heroic. The multiplayer is even more brilliant. The ability to save screenshots, map variants, and film clips has brought out my creative side. I'm even trying to get a machinima series set up. The possibilities with Halo 3's new features are truly endless.

Is this my Game of the Year? It's definitely up there. But there's one game on my purchasing horizon that might just dethrone it. I won't say what game, though - you can figure that out.

Phantasy Star Universe - My friends have got me going on a Phantasy Star kick. So much, in fact, that I'm going to subscribe to the 360 version's MMO portion this upcoming Monday. I actually really like the game. The sheer number of weapons your character can use is awesome(broadswords, laser cannons, spears!), and there's a fairly good amount of customization to it.

I have yet to try out the new expansion "Ambition of the Illuminus", but I hear it's awesome. I'm looking forward to trying it out.

Forza 2 - I actually haven't touched this in a while, but I fired it up to test out the new Twin Ring Motegi DLC track. It's actually pretty good, and the Road Course has some good, tricky sections to drift. I, for one, am impressed.

Since then, I haven't touched the game since. Not to say that the game is bad - it's easily Racing Game of the Year for me - but I've just been playing so much other stuff.

Sonic Next-Gen - At first, I vowed to myself not to play this because of the bad taste the demo left in my mouth. But after playing NASCAR 08, which is a total bag of deuce, I gave it a second chance.

I've actually found the game to be pretty decent. It's a little better than Shadow, which I had the audacity and the guts to preorder, but it has its fair share of problems. I've only played Sonic and Silver's episodes so far. Silver is actually the best thing that's happened to the Sonic series in a while. Using his telekinetic powers is a blast. I'll give some updated impressions once I've spent some time with all three characters - I have yet to play as Shadow.

Guitar Hero 3 - OK, my experience with GH3 is a little gimped. I couldn't play it "properly" because I don't have a guitar controller. I just trudged through it with a standard controller. That being said, it didn't change my mind about this game. Quite simply, it kicks ass.

I love the setlist. My top 5 favorite tracks are One, Raining Blood, Cult of Personality, Black Magic Woman, and, of course, Through the Fire and Flames. It kicks your ass on Expert, but it is soooo fun to play.

What I want to play:

Rock Band - I can't tell you how psyched I am to play this game. I've only tried some of the demo songs at this awesome demo station they have set up at Best Buy. I have yet to experience the full thing, i.e. Enter Sandman.

Need for Speed ProStreet - This looks really cool. The whole blend of arcadey controls and simulation elements look to be a surprising winner. I'm definitely looking forward to playing the full version of this.

Sonic Rush Adventure - I loved the first one, and from what I hear about this one, it's even better. I can't wait to try this out.

Guitar Hero 3 - This time, for real. I want to play it with the guitar controller. And if all the chips fall into place this Christmas, that'll become a reality.

What I don't want to play:

Kane and Lynch - It's not just because of what I call "The Gerstmann controversy." It's because K&L isn't my kind of game.

NASCAR 08 - Total. Bag. Of. Deuce. The controls are borderline broken, the game uses rubberband AI in the worst way possible, and there's no Carl Edwards! What the hell?!


So, that's it. Kind of strange for me to structure a blog of this varietylike this, but it helps me to better organize my thoughts. 'Til next blog, later.

-Storm

That's how I feel. Not because I'm ill(though I really am not feeling 100% right now), but because of what has just occured.

I log on the computer, browse a few forums, then as soon as I hit Podtacular's forums, I get hit with the news. The news that everyone and their brother already knows. Jeff Gerstmann was fired from Gamespot and CNet collectively. Why? It's a little bit of a story, folks, so sit down if possible, and I'll tell you what I've collected to be the tale.

So, Jeff posts his review of Kane and Lynch: Dead Men for the 360. He gives it a 6.0. Fair score, I'd say - while having not played the game, I've heard it can be abit frustrating, but some enjoyment can come out from the game. Jeff, as always, gave his review from his honest standpoint, which he is infamous for doing. I have no qualms with that, simply because honesty in a game reviewcan win over a good share of the gaming population. No bias, no bull, just the facts.

Well, Eidos shelled out serious cash to CNet in order to get themselves some advertising space. You've probably noticed over the past week or two that the front page is skinned with artwork from K&L. When Eidos noticed the review Jeff had posted, they weren't too happy about it. What the hell did they expect, an 8.0? Guess so.

I'm not sure about the events after that, but it all led to Jeff Gerstmann getting kicked from CNet. That's 5 editors in the past 2 years or so that have left Gamespot for some apparent reason. Carrie, Kasavin, Rich Gallup, now Jeff Gerstmann. One more escapes my memory.

Not only that, but Tim Tracy's left, too. Though, apparently, he left on his own terms. I'm fine with someone leaving on their own terms - they've got their priorities, and I wish Tim the best of luck in his future endeavors.

So, while I'm not necessarily giving my money to Gamespot, since I'm not a subscriber, do you think that I'm gonna be leaving Gamespot soon? Not quite yet, my friends.

I have my priorities here, as well. I'm not about to leave the SonicSpot Union out in the cold - I refuse to abandon them. SonicSpot, which is a popular Sonic-centered union here on Gamespot, is essentially the only reason I'm staying here.

Make no mistake, however - SonicSpot's ready to become its own separate community, and when it does, all traces of my being here on Gamespot will be gone - I'll no longer be a member of this community. Quite simply, I can no longer trust Gamespot - they've caved in to the corporate people one too many times now.

I'll continue to post blogs here until I officially leave. I'm just too sickened to type this blog anymore. In fact, now I feel like writing another metal song...I'll probably do that sometime this weekend.

Jeff, if you end up reading this, then I want to say that there are still many people - too many I care to count - that support you. We all, including myself, wish you the best of luck in all of your future endeavors. The community here has got your back.

There'll be a general blog up after this one, detailing what I've been doing and what I have planned when it comes to gaming. Until then, later.

-Storm