As some of you know, I am, in real life, a high school history teacher. At my school, on the last Friday of every month we have a 2 hour 'activity period' for students who are eligible both academically and with regards to discipline.

Some teachers supervise the movies, some set up basketball games in the gym or dances in the auditorium, etc. I host 16 player Halo 2 tournaments! Usually the first half is dedicated to Team Tournaments with the last half a free-for-all Slayer Slugfest.

Normally I come in 2nd-3rd place in the individual competition, and I usually have one of the best teams (as a teacher, I can cherry-pick from all of my classes). Last time (27 Jan.) my team came in a close second, 50-49 in standard TS-Coagulation. This time I have adjusted my team and brought in a ringer-the assistant football coach is a former student of mine and also an avid Halo fanatic. He is a skilled sniper, filling a gap in my prior team.

Our next High School Halo Tournament is coming up this Friday. I'l be sure to let you know how it goes. Wish this old codger good luck in hunting teh kiddies, and remember: teachers actually do have lives outside of grading papers, frowning, and Mango Margaritas in the staff lounge at lunch.

I bought the game 7 May 2005 and I finally finished it last night.  Man, what a sense of accomplishment.  I put almost 200 hours into it because I got started ont he wrong foot-I chose E/W and I was level 12 before I realized I'd gotten it bass-ackwards for an easy time.  I started a N/Me and got to level 12, but was still having problems until I went W/Mo, which is how I finished the game.

Now I've beat it once, I have the base knowledge to try out other characters with more success.

If youa re interested, add me as a freind in Guild Wars: Gevren Vell or Sardaniyya Vell.

Later!

I did it...I bought my son a GC for XMas. I rationalized it to myself by saying it was for all the cool exclusives, but that is only 1/2 the truth-I was jonesing for a 360. Sure, my decision not to early adopt made sense (cost, no HD TV, no Killer Apps), but I still wanted one. I though the GC would satisfy me, 'tide me over' so to speak. Boy was I wrong.

I was blown away by the production values of modern Nintendo games and hardware. I love the GC design, the controllers are comfortable, the games are fun and interesting (with great art direction, I might add), and the GC is the exclusive home to some of the best games I've seen this genreation. I still love my XBox, but the GC really impressed me more than I thought it would.

Kudos, Nintendo. And to all of you Sheep, let me say, Get out of my way when they release the Revolution!

No, it isn't what this reviewers' britches smell like after a marathon HALO2 session, a "Gamey" is a new award that I have just made up. They are awarded by platform and genre, with one exception: GAMEY GOTY! The Gamey GOTY is also special in that it entitles the development team to a free 'massage with happy ending' from Yours Truly.

Without further ado, here are the 2005 GAMEY Winners!!! Yay!

PC Platform
Best RPG: Guild Wars

Nothing beats a cool story wrapped up in MMORPG goodness. And for those of you who scoff, claiming WoW is tons better, here's the deal: I'll take the $$$ I'm not spending each month of subscriptions and buy more games. Next month: Darwinia for free (versus the recurring cost of WoW)

Best FPS: F.E.A.R.

What can I say? This game made me wish that the SNL parody commercial "Oops I Crapped My Pants" were for a real product. The controls are tight and responsive, and nothing else really wowwed me.

Best TBStrat: CivIV

Turn Based Strategy Goodness! I can not count how many sick days this one ate up. Wait a minute, yes I can: 3! My boss: "How many wisdom teeth do you have, anyway???!!"

Best RTS: Nexus:Jupiter Incident

This game is so unique that most people forget it is, at its heart, an RTS game. Choosing weapons for your ship oculd be easier and the freindly A.I. probably should be held back for remediation, but that's what the group command interface is for. Check it out-you won't be dissappointed.

Best Game I have yet to play (tie): Silent Hunter III, Warhammer 40K D.O.W.

Gotta Get'em!

XBox
Best RPG: Jade Empire

This is an awesome game with real-time martial arts that are much better than many brawlers, a rich character system and a really engaging story that does not feature metrosexual boys chasing froufy talking cats or other such nonsense. Only realistic nonsense here, thank you.

Best FPS: Far Cry: Instincts

This is the one that ruled them all this year. Sure, UC2: Liandri Conflict and BF2: MC are good, fun games but the primal powers! The storyline! The graphics! Only laggy online and spotty pop-up issues hold this one back from dethroning Halo2 as king of FP Shooters (at least console-wise for you unrepentant hermits).

Best Strategy game (unified genre): Dai Senryaku VII:MMT

This game is very complicated, but still easy to grasp. I find it easy to pop in a play for 30-45 minutes while I'm waiting for sonething (or someone) else. More complex than Advance Wars, it has a similar mechanic. My only wish is that the campaign had a mode realistic Tom Clancy-esque feel to it-the story isn't really a story at all. Oh well, it is $20 new!

Gamecube:
Don't have one, so no awards. Oh, what the heck!

Best GC GAME: RE:4 (the real reason why my son is getting a GC for Christmas this year)

PS2:
LOL! I have one, but it stays in my son's room. He wonders why I punish him by not letting him have the XBox up there. My response: playing crappy games builds character.

OK, the one you have been waiting for: GAMEY GOTY!

The finalists:
Farcry Instincts
Civ IV
Guild Wars

The GAMEY GOTY award goes to [drumroll] [/drumroll]

2nd Place: Civ IV

GAMEY GOTY: GUILD WARS!

OK, Arenanet employees: take a number and no pushing while in line.

I've just gotten back into GW after a hiatus.  I started with an Fire Ele/Warrior (level 12) moved to a Blood Necro/Mesmer (level 10), before finally hitting my stride with an Axe W/Mo.  I'm at Frost Gate, which is the farthest I've ever gone.  I am addicted to purple salvage right now, and the cooperative quests are awesome.  For the most part, people are good to play with online, it seems like the caliber is a bit higher than in XBox Live!  I am definitely going to finish the game this time.

I don't know what I'll do with my other characters: I have one slot left and am thinking about a Ranger/Necro for raged debuffs.  Your thoughts?

There are many different types of people who bash the XB360, to wit:

1.  Uber-cows
2.  PC Gamers who are rich (or whose parents are rich)
3.  People who enjoy crappy graphics for their own sake
4.  Professional grouches (never satisfied)
5.  Those bitter that they didn't pre-order early enough

Honestly, what's not to like?  Awesome graphics, decent games (and apparently PD0 is better than decent), Backwards-compatibility for the best XBox games, HD output standard, wireless receiver for controllers, standard, home network connectivity, AND IT IS HERE NOW, NOT IN 6-12 MONTHS!

I am not really sure why I am here, on the internet getting my VG News fix. Real gamers should be playing, right? Sometimes that gets old, or you otherwise just don't feel in the mood, so you go to the internet. You try a few portals, you settle on the one you like, you begin to join the community, posting a little, getting your feet wet. Then, just as it begins to spin up: BLAM they shut down most of the old site to 'renovate' the place. Buttons go missing. The forums (and System Wars, my guilty pleasure) stay shut for days, right as FarCry: Instincts OWNS the hermits, no less!

But after a few days, you notice the cool new details, like the video at your fingertips, easy access to different parts of the site, the admittedly more modern gesalt of the whole place. It begins to grow on you.

There are things I still haven't figured out, like how to change my avatar or my sig.  Heck, I just figured out the whole 'adding games to my wish list' deal.  Am I slow?  Perhaps, but then again, why did this stuff have to change?

Also, what is up with the forums?  I liked being able to click on the forum name at the bottom of a page instead of scrolling back up to the top if I wanted to jump ship on a crappy topic.

All in all, I like the new layout from an aesthetic point of view, and I appreciate the way they have thoughtfully rearranged the News area of the site (Rumor Control more often?  HELL YEAH!).  With the clear expectation that I will get more used to the little niggling details, I give the new GameSpot a 9.1/10. They need to work on the signatures and avatars to make them easier again, though.  I miss the 'easiness' of the old GS.

I will almost certainly get a Rev. after my XB360. The controller is just so cool, and i can see it really changing the way I play some sorts of games. It seems it will be ergonmically perfect (unlike the PS3 Boomerang). My only concern is that the IR pickup won't be that accurate. I have flashbacks to my old Nintendo Lightgun after it got knocked around a bit.

As for the XB360, I haven't pre-ordered, but I'm hoping to get one by Christmas. Yay Santa! Oblivion is 1st on my list, then Quake IV.

To be honest, I'm not that hyped about my PC right now, but these things always go in phases.

[rant]

I really can't believe that they made the HDD optional at an additional $100.00. That defeats the whole purpose of the XBox line. I just can't see my way free to pay PC prices for a console. Microsoft could have dealt a body blow to SONY by towing the line at $299, but instead they chose short term profits over long term marketshare gains. Can we say 'dumbasses'?

OK, J. Allard, listen closely: you don't make money on volume when your marketshare dries up. Even when you lose money on the consoles, you will make more money on the games and accessories (which you will be licensing for big $$$). It is the Gillette Strategy. The more you can bite the bullet on the console, the higher the profits will be later. Got it you fakey EMO fool?

I guess if it doesn't have a monopoly, M$ is clueless.

Yes, I will probably buy the XBox360 eventually, but it will be long after the PS3 comes out.

[/rant]

Trying out Temple of Elemental Evil again. I went to the Circle of Eight website (www.co8.org) and downloaded a few mods. I had hoped that would end (or at least cut down) the bugs, but it is not to be.

Ah, such is life. Well, with luck I can get it up and running soon.

Cheers, and play excellently together!