Ok, I THINK I know the answer to this, but I want to see if I am right. I turn on my computer, blue screen appears stating there is a problem with the hard drive and windows will not load up to prevent further damage. I try to load into safemode, same screen. I put my windows cd in, and I go into biosware and change the boot order so that the cd will load at boot. this does not work, no blue screen, but a scrrwen stating press f1 to try and reboot. Any advice?

I'll give you my top 2:

Mass effect and Call of Duty 4. I am still thinking about assassin's creed, but the top 2 may be the ones I can afford :)

why should it be free? As consumers, i understand that we all LIKE the idea of it being free. Microsoft provides us a product, that being the 360, and they provide games for that product that we can play. That is what we have paid for when we buy the xbox. there is no "right" to be able to use microsoft servers under microsoft managment using miscrosoft software, and monitored by microsoft customer support. Xbox live is a seperate service. You don't need it to play your 360. just like you don't have to buy the remote to use the dvd player, but some people may choose to.

Xbox Live is optional, and is not required to play and enjoy your xbox. When you consider everything you recieve for it, the cost is minimal, and in my opinion fair. If you don't like the cost, don't get the service.

I understand what you are saying about free roaming games, but i think that is what makes it such powerful roleplay. Choosing NOT to do a quest line because your know your character never would is just as liberating as having every option open. What it requires on the part of the player is to actually consider your character, to put thought into what they are like. It means using your imagination, and writing your own story.

I was not implying that players should not play to optimize, i was just stating that i feel that optimizers might be surprised if they stop and actually role play a character.

This is a recent blog i wrote, and i wanted to post it here as well:

I have been noticing a trend lately in the union forums that i belong to, and in the forums in general. it is not a new trend, in fact, it probably began in the 70's with the pen and paper 1st addition Dungeons and Dragons. The trend I am talking about is optimization. It seems like many players of RPGs are concerned with one thing only: "How powerful and strong can I make my character?"

While we all know that in most rpgs it is very important to strnethen your character in order to improve your chances of survival, it seems like most players take it so far they lose the most important aspects of the RPG altogether. I will use Oblivion as an example, though this applies to almost any RPG. Oblivion gives you wonderful options for character custimization. There are factions and guilds you can join and rise high in, groups you can help, etc. You can make choices based on good, evil, power, money, or just survival. Sounds a bit like real life, eh?

What makes RPG's so powerful is their ability to emulate real life, and to let us play a role. "play a role" is the important concept here. if you play through Oblivion and your only goal is to get every achievment, max your stats and skills, dominate every faction and guild, and get every powerful item in the game, etc., then you have lost something very valuable in the game. You are not role playing, you are simply gaming. I have played Oblivion through twice now.

The first time i played it, i was a Khajitt assassin. I took over the dark brotherhood, and thieves guild naturally. I even fought in the arena. I did not do the fighter guild quest line, the mages guild quest line, and DEFINITELY not the knights of nine. Why not? I would have gotten cool items, higher levels, etc. Well, i was playing an evil assassin. that means I made game decisions based on my actual character. what would he do when asked for help? What was in it for him? I stole, i mudered, i had a grand 'ol time.

The second time through I playedNord paladin like character. Naturally i started with the knights of nine quest line, and played the rest of the way through. Obviously, I played different quest lines, and avoided the thieves guild and the dark brotherhood. In fact, i never once recieved an infamy point. i worked for the gods, and helped any character with a noble and pure request.

How did that affect my game? it makes it more fun! i am not worried about stats, i am developing a character, and playing him out in a virtual world. It applies to pen and paper games like D&D, and it applies to video games as well. obviously some games, like Two Worlds may seriously limit your custimization choices, but you can still decide what your character is like and play him that way. Try it, you'll like it :)

mortal combat

the most deserving of the M rating was playboy mansion, lol