CLUE 1: Van Nguyen

CLUE 2: Jody Robinson

CLUE 3: Guy Cocker

CLUE 4: Matthew Gravish

CLUE 5: Chris Watters

CLUE 6: Kevin VanOrd

CLUE 7: Aaron Sampson

CLUE 8: Alex Sassoon

CLUE 9: Wernher Goff

CLUE 10: Jan Heir

CLUE 11: Randolph Ramsey

CLUE 12: Andrew Park

CLUE 13: Mark Walton

CLUE 14: Justin Calvert

CLUE 15: Sophia Tong

CLUE 16: Kurtis Seid

CLUE 17: Giancarlo Varanini

CLUE 18: Justin Porter

CLUE 19: Ryan MacDonald

CLUE 20: Tyler Winegarner

CLUE 21: Maxwell Mcgee

CLUE 22: James Kozanecki

CLUE 23: Frank Adams

CLUE 24: Sarju Shah

CLUE 25: Shaun Mcinnis

CLUE 26: Ricardo Torres

CLUE 27: Tom Magrino

CLUE 28: Dan Chiappini

CLUE 29: Homer Rabara

CLUE 30: Takeshi Hiraoka

CLUE 31: Tor Thorsen

CLUE 32: Jim Maybury

CLUE 33: Carolyn Petit

CLUE 34: Tom Mcshea

CLUE 35: Dan Mihoerck

CLUE 36: Jane Douglas

CLUE 37: Brendan Sinclair

CLUE 38: Laura Parker

Abortion, noun,the deliberate termination of a human pregnancy. (1)

It wouldn't be unwise to make the assumption that the mere mention of the word mentioned above has the power of inciting a 500-post-long flame war in almost any online community. That word can even hold its own in the face of some stiff competition by evergreen flame-inducers such as "global warming" and "world peace".

But why oh why should that word merit a mention on the blog of a humble gamer? And that too, in a bizarrely titled entry that seemingly has nothing to do with either pregnancy or stem cell research?!

Being an unabashed lover of mathematical equations, I'll try and explain my vague introduction with some interesting substitutions. So, let:

Abortion = Cancellation
human = video game
pregnancy = development project

Upon substituting the values and making some appropriate grammatical changes in definition (1), we have:

Cancellation, noun, the deliberate termination of a videogame development project.

I do beg your pardon for the cringe-inducing introduction (references to Ikari Warrior II wouldn't be misplaced here) but I am a sucker for needless drama. As you've probably guessed by now, this article is about "what could've become of games that ended up being cancelled". I hope that didn't sound too obvious! And I also hope that my facepalm-worthy analogy atleast seems in context now.

Like most of the people who've been following video games for quite a while now, I've had my fair share of heartbreaks while reading about the games I was really looking forward too being cancelled. To have waited patiently for a coveted title for a considerable amount of time only to realize that it was no longer meant to see the (LASER) light of the CD/DVD player didn't do so good for my Hyperacidity problems.

After an initial period of gloom, the reality hit home and my thoughts shifted to how well that game COULD've done - both critically and commercially. And so, in this entry, I wish to present to you a brief countdown of some games that, as my thoughts decreed, would've done pretty well for themselves. I, therefore, give you:

.

mYTH_2k4's list of the TOP 10 GAMES... NEVER MADE!

10. Marvel Universe Online (Cryptic Studios)

One look at my avatar would tell you that I am a Spiderman fan. So whenever a game featuring the webslinger comes around, I usually try and give it a shot. If only to test whether they implemented my favorite superhero quite the way I wanted them to. Anyway, playing as Spiderman in a single player game is one thing, but playing as him in an open ended universe where I could interact with some guy playing as Iron Man or Captain America or the Human Torch was an idea that sounded way beyond cool! Ofcourse, it is easy to see the logistical problems involved in creating a game which seeks to manifest pre-made comic characters in an online world. The very first problem is simple: Would I get to play as Spiderman? I mean, there can be only ONE Spiderman in the Marvel universe! Or atleast one per server...

That left the character creation alternative open. But what was the use of the Marvel franchise then? Would the Marvel heroes be reduced to interacting with PCs in quests? And wouldn't the character creation option throw the Marvel world open to DC-like creations? I would've loved to explore the answers to those question as more details about the game surfaced, but saying that the game wouldn't meet Microsoft Game Studio's "definition of commercial success", Mr. Shane Kim confirmed the abortion of the game in February 2008. And with that, MGS killed my hopes of getting Spiderman to PvP with Wolverwine.

9. Call of Cthulhu: Destiny's End (Headfirst Productions)

Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth was an exceptionally brilliant game that featured some brilliant gameplay mechanics which made the survival/horror setting of the game that much more realistic. The absence of an HUD coupled with the realistic weapon mechanics and the strong storyline made the game a truly memorable experience. Destiny's End promised to deliver the same and a lot more. The game was to be based in modern-day New England (an intelligent mix of new ideas and a familiar setting) and featured a seamless co-op mode. The sanity meter was revisited and the game, as far as the previews were concerned, looked to maintain nerve-wracking atmosphere of the Cthulhu world. The game was announced in May 2005 and was considered cancelled when Headfirst went down in March 2006. For fans of the Cthulhu franchise atleast, this was a sad loss.

8. Ultima Worlds Online: Origin (Origin Systems)

Ultima Online was, arguably, the most instrumental game in the development of the MMORPG genre and making it the way it is today. The fact that its servers are still up and running today, over a decade after its release, is a testament to its popularity and importance. After its groundbreaking success which saw a whopping 100,000 subscriber registrations in the first 6 months of going live, a sequel seemed inevitable. Ultima Worlds Online: Origin or UO2 was first announced in September 1999. As the development progressed, it became evident to Origin's parent company Electronic Arts that UO2's 3D based graphics, emphasis on grouping and a much more balanced combat and PvP system would eat into UO's (still growing) subscriber base. It was, thus, cancelled in March 2001 for being a threat to the original. For me, that was one of the most shameful cancellations in the history of gaming.

7. Jazz Jackrabbit 3 (Epic MegaGames)

Both Jazz Jackrabbit and its sequel have been among my favorite 2D platformers of all time. Although the quirky and funny storyline seemed to target the younger lot, the very same quirks made for some fascinating and unforgettable level and character designs. The introduction of Spaz in Jazz 2 added loads of variety to the gameplay and made way for some of the funniest idle-sequences I've seen in a game. Jazz 3, the Adventures of a Mean Green Hare, was to mark the transition of the series into the 3D realm and, amazingly, that very transition was built into the storyline! The game was cancelled in May 2000 after Epic failed to find a publisher for what could've been another hare-raising and delightfully wacky adventure.

6. Dungeon Keeper 3: War for the Overworld (Bullfrog Productions)

How many game franchises can boast a tagline even remotely close to this one's assurance of the fact that"Its good to be Evil!"? Not many. And how many franchises can put you in control of such monstrosities as Bile Demons, Horned Reapers and Demon Spawns... all in the same room or area... feeding on chicken? My mind struggles to draw parallels for this dark-on-the-outside but funny-on-the-inside strategy franchise that, for once, tells the tale from the other side and still manages to keep it engaging. And who can forget Richard Ridings' brilliant I-could-care-less commentary as the The Mentor? DK3 was supposed to be set in the surface realm with the Keeper now in direct confrontation with the goodly heroes. Unfortunately, the game spent only a month or so in the conceptual phase and the cancellation was officially announced in August 2000.

To be continued...

Exactly 10 years ago, in times when the word 'gamer' conjured up images of creepy guys staying in their parent's basement (well, it still does, but not quite THAT often), Black Isle Studios and Interplay gave the world something special. For all practical purposes, the commodity that went on sale that day was but a Video Game. But to some of the people who were attributed with the glowing 'gamer' tag at the time, that particular Video Game became something much, MUCH more.

I am, of course, referring to Planescape: Torment.

For the uninitiated (I just love using that phrase), PS: T is an Advanced Dungeons and Dragons based RPG set in the Planscape universe. You play the game as The Nameless One, who, after waking up in a mortuary with no memories of his past, must now undertake a journey of rediscovery. Typical RPG fare you say? Well, no. The catch here is that the guy you're playing is Immortal (you can't just 'wake up' in a mortuary just like that now can you?). So apart from the re-discovery fare, he also needs to find the reason behind his immortality. Pretty unique premise for a game now isn't it?

Anyway, I managed to get my hands on that game only about a year after its release. Being only 13 at the time, my mind was not wizened enough to comprehend the true intricacies of the plot and the depth of the characters that I interacted with. Nonetheless, I continued to play the game and finally beat it. But for probably the very first time since I had started referring to myself as a gamer, I completed a game... to finish the story.

Upon revisiting the game a month back, I noticed that although my teen-self had not managed to fully grasp the sheer wit behind the dark humor, the cleverly disguised puns, the beautifully crafted alignment system or the reason why a floating-skull would want to have intercourse with a Tiefling (I understand now... completely), he did realize that what he had just beat was not your run-of-the-mill RPG.

Even now, when I read the beautifully chosen words that describe, in precise detail, the areas, objects and characters that make up the world of PS: T, the magic reworks itself into my system. There are more than a few occasions when I feel a shiver run down my spine when I read a particularly well-written piece of conversation or gape in utter amazement when I see the consequences of a previously-unknown bit of information revealed to my character.

It is rare to see a game made with such love and passion in nearly every minute detail. Even though the 2-D isotropic view in which you play the game is dated, the game still manages to convey the beauty, the wretchedness, the squalor or the gloom of a place very effectively. The music and sounds strike a perfect mood for exploration. And it still amazes me how the same track can seem delightfully relaxing at one instance and yet goose-bump-inducing-ly spectacular at another.

I have played a lot of RPGs in my life as a gamer. Games like Oblivion, Fallout and KotOR to name a few are all right up there in the list of my all time favorites. But the very way in which this game conveys its philosophy and unveils the true nature of the characters you interact with is especially astounding. The revelation about Morte and his Baatorian smell, the unraveling of the Circle of Zerthimon and the episode in Ravel's maze are all experiences that one must have for oneself (unless, of course, one has a Sensorium).

For me, it was a privilege to have played (and re-played) this gem of a game. If you have not managed to get your hands on this thus far, I strongly suggest you do so. For those who have already had their Immortality woes sorted before, I suggest you give it another go.

After all, in the words of the Nameless One himself, "I wonder what it was I said that made death reject me."

Yup, I couldn't find anything better to do AND anything better to write about. I haven't been all that active on GS since the winter vacation ended and thats because college is getting really serious now!! I don't know how the college admins manage to pack all those lectures, seminars and presentations in a mere span of 5 working days but they DO it. And WE have to live with it.

Needless to say, all that leaves me with little or no time for GameSpot and I spend most of that 'premium' time on the Age of Empires Union. Thats been going on for quite some time now and I got the feeling that it was quite wrong, on my part, to neglect the other unions where I'm an officer. So I took a decision and resigned from all the other Unions where I was an officer. Now I want to make it clear that the only cause for that decision is the time constraint I'm facing and will continue to face in the coming months and that I had no intention of 'running away' from them. I just didn't want the officer position in those unions to be 'occupied' just for the sake of it and I sincerely hope that whoever takes up charge there will only make things better.

This has been a well thought out decision and I'm sure everyone will respect it. This'll really let me focus more on the only thing that I really do well on GS: hunting news for the AoE Union!! :P  And for those of you who're still with me right now, here's another profile update:

mYTH_2k4's Profile Update

Level: 25, Defias Brotherhood
Posts: 6036
Friends: 168
Collection: 201
Reviews: 3
Ratings: 350+
Emblems: 15

And in the midst of all that stuff going around in college, I have to prep for another set of exams that'll start from the 19th of Feb and brace myself for the result of the previous semester which'll be out within the week. :P

First of all, a very happy new year to anyone who bothered to read this blog!! 2006 was a fantastic year with loads of stuff making it very special. In this entry I'm gonna reflect on a few things that made a mark in 2006 and are definitely gonna continue to make a mark in 2007 as well. Even though the content of the stuff I'm writing about is limited to the techno and gaming world, its influenced quite a lot of people in the world. Here are the Top 3 things that made their mark in 2006, in my opinion of course:

3. Console Combat 2006
Although Microsoft's Xbox 360 was launched last year but the launch of Sony's PS3 and Nintendo's Wii saw the official declaration of the Console Wars. All the three camps had something to offer. The Xbox 360 had a large game library and great a online services while the Wii promised a neo-Gaming experience with the Wii-mote and the PS3 came out with the strongest tech alongwith the Blu-Ray Player. Although shortages and system defects played spoil-sports, the companies have raked in some serious bucks and the gamers have had some serious fun!!

2. The Rise and Rise of PC Gaming
The Naysayers can scream their heads off predicting and confirming the end of the dominance of PC gaming as we know it. But on the contrary, the PC keeps reaching new heights!! The dominance of World of Warcraft, Sims 2, Age of Empires III and Civilization IV even a long time after their respective releases is a proof of the fact that PC gamers have nothing to worry about. Rather than count the days to decline, PC gaming is getting better and better. Titles like Company of Heroes, Oblivion, Medieval II: Total War and many others are revolutionizing their respective genres. And with titles like Unreal Tournament 2007, Supreme Commander, Spore and WoW: Burning Crusade (among others) queued up for launch in 2007 there's a LOT to look forward to.

1. The Rise of Vlogalization
Pardon me for the stupid title but try as I might, I couldn't get down a better one. I couldn't help but appreciate Time magazine's choice of the person of the year 2006. They actually went ahead and chose ME!! Yeah, yeah, so what if I have to share that honor with a billion or so people who're 'Netizens'. "Time's Person of the Year: You" ran the title of the cover story and although many have said that its was a shrewd marketing ploy, I can't help but agree with Time this time. The empowerment the Net provides its users is awesome....... there are millions of individuals out there who can't get enough of writing blogs, posting videos and reviewing things. And all of this has become so friggin easy and convenient!! This has initiated a Media revolution with a capital ME!! The reach of it all is literally mind-boggling and if anything its gonna get bigger and bigger in 2007. I'm all for getting the person of the year for a second time running and I'll be more than happy to share it with YOU!!

I've heard a lot of people (on GameSpot and otherwise) giving their two cents on predicting a winner among thenext gen consoles.The only problem I havewith thatisthat with all three consoles finally hitting the markets, the console wars have only "just begun". The final results as to which console made the highest profits and which managed to deliver more content to gamers will be known only when the next war begins!! The only thing we can possibly do now is to predict the winner of this season. And possibly only speculate about what all lies ahead. Because the real test will begin only after the end of this season's festival-gift-shopping madness ends.

I think I'm gonna be flamed for this by a good majority of people for saying this, butwhile speculating this season's winner, we can easily get the PS3 out of the way.The problem lies with the fact thatit hasnot been able to hold strong on the things that it promised. Sure, its a technical marvel but the average gamer is looking for some good time spent gaming... not calculating the decimal places of PI at the rate of some teraflops! The guys at Sony promised that the console will be backwards compatible with PS2 and even PS games. But the staggering database of exceptions leaves a lot to be desired. On top of all that, the current crop of games aren't really all that impressive, the only game thats got some solid approval to its name is Resistance: Fall of Man.Even the quantity of shipments is scarce and does no good whatsoever to its prospects.I dunno much about the PS3's online service but what I do is that its not doing so well! That should come as no surprise as the serviceis free. The only thing going for it right now is that it doubles as a BluRay player. But that alone doesn't make it a good option for a purist gamer. Don't get me wrong, the PS3 is a masterpiece of innovation and once the developer's start thinking about using its power, we can expect something truly marvellous.But that'll only start taking shape next season!

The Wii, on the other hand, has had an impressive launch. The controller has manged to hold its own and is actually doing really well (for now) and the index of on-release games is great as well. Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess is still wowing fans all over the globe.And with upcoming titles like FarCry Vengeance and Elebits the games library is looking all set. It does have someonline capabilities, but none of the gamessupport it yet, andcommunity system isn't really well handled.The games don't look as good as the other two systems' do but the pricing factor and the volumes will ensure its victory over the PS3 for this season atleast.

The winner, as far as this season is concerned isprobably gonna be the Xbox 360. Sure the console had its own share of problems when it was released, but that time is long gone now. And instead of calling the console 'old', I'll prefer to call it 'tried and tested'. The thing going for the 360 is that the games library is humungous and ever expanding. Titles like Gears of War, Rainbow Six Vegas, Lost Planetand Viva Pinata only begin to scratch the surface. The acclaim that Gears of War in particular has earned is enough to drive even more 360 sales this season. The 360 also really focuses on the 'community' aspect of online gaming. The friend activity indicator is a part of the opening screen itself and you can actually tell whether your friends are idle or in the middle of a game.That's actually pretty useful. In addition to that, the system ispowerful and has had a years worth of 'experience'. Upcoming games like Halo 3 and Halo Wars will drive the sales well into the next season. All in all, Xbox 360 seems to be the clear winner for this season.

But the console wars thing really doesn't really mean much away from the market share and profits analysis. All three systems are carving their own niche in the industry. The PS3 is ageek's paradise.The Wii hasa funky appeal to it. And The 360 focuses on the community aspect of gaming. So there should really be no concern as to who the ultimate winner is... the real winner has always been and will always be,the gamer.

Well, I must admit that I had some inherent apprehensions about the new Bond film, not the least of which had to do with the choice of James Bond himself!! Following the relatively dismal performances in 'The World is Not Enough' and 'Die Another Day', it became apparent that Pierce Brosnan had, unbelievably, lost a bit of the 'Killer' touch that he effortlessly portrayed in 'Goldeneye' and 'Tomorrow Never Dies'. Brosnan must've seen it coming, but I guess the replacement was as much a shock to him as to anyone else. Well, atleast I was, shall we say, a bit 'dissapointed'. Because, although Pierce had certainly lost a bit of shine, he still put a lot into his roles and it was the script that ultimately led to the crappy performance of his last two films.

Daniel Craig didn't look the part for one. Previous Bonds have been known as much for their suavity as for the license to kill. This guy seemed to lack both at first glance. And, open minded as I am to change, the initial reactions to his appointment made me a bit, yes, 'apprehensive' about the prospects of Casino Royale.

The curiosity factor got the better of me and I found myself advance booking the tickets to the second day's show (Cause I had an exam on the day of the release). The movie, in a nutshell, was awesome right from the first scene....... an intense two-way dialog peppered with flashbacks of a gruesome fight scene was carried out perfectly. And  I didn't find Daniel Craig to be a least bit repulsive!! In fact his first impression was Rock Solid!! His intense eyes and his accent are perfect and his demeanor couldn't have been better.

'Mindblowing' seems like a small word for describing the first half of the film. From an incredible foot-chase to a thwarted plan to blow up an ailiner, everything confirmed one thing: this movie meant business!! The stroyline is based on a group of financiers who, led by Le Chiffre (Mads Mikkelsen) are chief money-handlers for international terrorists. Mikkelsen was a perfect choice  for the part and plays out his character amazingly well.

The action comes to a complete halt during the mid of the film when the story takes an about turn from the action sequences to a high-stakes game of poker at Casino Royale that is organized by Le Chiffre himself to reclaim his lost fortune. And during all this, Bond becomes romantically involved with Vesper Lynd (Eva Green) who plays his financier for the gambling event. This involvement blossoms into a full-fledged love affair!! This puts a stamp on the fact that Mr. Craig is here to re-invent Bond, not to succeed Pierce Brosnan. The twist that follows stems from this very show of human emotion and vulnerability from the inpregnable and cold Mr. Bond towards the beautiful and 'complicated' Ms. Lynd. Although the twist is quite well done, the climax itself fails to match the hugely spectacular opening.

Overall though, the film exceeded my expectations by a mile and really managed to be a full-out entertainer. Daniel Craig does the job so well that instead of saying a teary-eyed goodbye to Pierce Brosnan, Bond enthusiasts will welcome the new hier with open arms!!

Although I'm not the one who likes to blow his own trumpet (yeah thats it... he he... wait, did I just say that out loud?? D'OH!!!).

Ahem, as I was saying that although I don't like to 'pat myself on the back', I just have to let the GameSpotting world know that I was chosen as one of the FIVE Most Dedicated Union Officers at the Unofficial Union Awards announced earlier today!! I was given the honor for my, ahem, selfless, and determined dedication for the Age of Empires Union. *Holds for applause*

..................... *hears a cricket beating its wings*......................

Well, moving along, I'd like to thank _Sam_, the leader of the Age of Empires Union and the other officers of the Union for their unfailing co-operation and trust!! :) And for those of you who are ardent mYTH mANIACS :D, you can read my entire speech here!! (Search for mYTH_2k4)

I think that the Union Awards are great way of giving the due credit to some of the GS Unions who ACTUALLY take the pains of giving a quality coverage of the Game and/or Topic they cover. I think that GS should consider making it an Official and Annual event so that the winners can get a permanent credit for their efforts.

If you agree with this then you'll have no qualms about supporting the venture of Making the Union Awards Official. And while you're at it, you'd definitely like to go through some of Sentinelrv's Union Enhancement Ideas.

Well thats it for now, I just hope that I can continue my good work at the Age of Empires Union and be back in the Officer Spotlight next year. And this time I hope its official!! ;)

Yep, I'll be back to the *regular* routine of college life from the 1st of August. Its my Third Semester and now the things will get really, ahem, 'serious'. Since I'm pursuing Computer Science and Engineering, we'll be starting with the core computing concepts (both hardware and software) and common subjects like Physics and Chemistry will be discontinued (boy, am I glad that Chemistry is over!!). :lol: And my previous Semester results are out as well!! I scored a respectable 83%, which was enough to gurantee me a third position in my class!! 8) This Semester should prove a little more fruitfull compared to the other two since I've also been selected as the Co-Director of one of our College Socities. 8) Now thats a big plus IMO!!! :D:P;)

I've uploaded my first user video!! :) Its a trailer of the third instalment of Spiderman which is set for a Summer 2007 release. The trailer is amazing and offers just a glimpse of what all can be expected from the much awaited movie. My expectations are soaring!! Have a look and yours will soar as well!!

[video=ISBikTD95bMMvDQ]

Recommend it if you like!! :D