So I logged on a couple weeks back and noticed that the new site layout is very jumbled and almost looks beta. I think the site devs are busy rebuilding and I came in the middle of a site redesign. Well after several weeks I see that is not the case and I wonder if anyone else feels this way about the new site, not only is the new site a little more confusing but things look unfinished. Maybe its just me but I don't like it.

Just noticed that GS has implemented facebook with their website, I wonder how many people are going to use this now or stick with the old profile system. Anyone have any quibbles about this? I have to admit that it would be nice to have one online I.D. to use foreverything in order to streamline your websites, plus I think that it will cut down on flaming and hate commenting because people would now have a face to associate with that ill-willed response. What do you guys think?

I am so happy that I got this game, I haven't even touched the GT mode yet (only been playing Arcade so far) and I'm already happy about picking this as one of my wishes. The game is amazing, graphics look sick for the premium cars and environments (have not seen standard cars yet) and the types of tracks are awesome too. My favorite so far is Special Stage Route 7, basically a long straightaway that is just amazing to max your car out on. So far this is the best racing game I have played in a long time.

Well school is starting up for me on Thursday so I'm trying to enjoy these last few days of freedom by playing games, hanging with friends and just having fun. My question to you guys is about the lack of new games coming out during the Summer months, do you like it or hate it, or are you just indifferent?

I find that I'm bombarded all at the same time during the time of year when I should be focusing the most on my studies, all the best games and biggest releases seem to come out in Fall and Winter. How do you guys feel about this occurrence, would you rather have game companies space their titles throughout the year or continue on the way they release games now? I know that I would much rather have some more titles in the Summer so I can get more time out of them before I have to shelve the games away in lieu of books and computers and pens and paper. Maybe I'm just being a whiner, but I want you opinion on the matter so i can tell if I am or not, lol.

Well after picking this up on sale for $5, I would have to say that it is probably the best $5 I have ever spent. The game is so much fun and cerebral that I just can't get enough of it right now. for anyone that is unfamiliar with the game I suggest that you check out this link right here.

Hey guys, I don't think I have ever made this apparent but I just wanted to outline my thinking when I rate a game. First off, my scoring system.

10-9.0: The gold standard, games that earn this from me are must buys to me, something that everyone should AT LEAST experience so they understand what constitutes a great game. To earn this the game has to define (or redefine) a genre that sets the standard for what games after it should meet or exceed. A game will not earn this score if it just copies game-play or rehashes something that has been done before.

8.5-7.0: Good games that are worth a consideration of a purchase, usually by people that either like the genre or storyline that the game encompasses. These games have a few flaws that keep them from making it into the top tier but still are good enough to warrant you spending your hard earned money on them.

6.5-6.0: Mediocre games that have more flaws than redeeming qualities, usually are fun but can't stand the test of time and therefore are not recommended to buy, but if the game picks your interest then by all means these are worth a rental or even a pickup at a bargain basement price.

5.5 or lower: These games are not recommended to be played and certainly not purchased. Only people that are fanatics of the game should even think about spending money on these, mainly because developers that put out garbage like this should go out of business or at least get the message that we will not stand by and allow stuff like this to clog our store shelves, taking up the space of games that are much better. The main difference between games that score a 5, for instance, and a 2.5 are usually just the amount of headache that this game will bring you. The lower the score, the more bugs, glitches, crashes and so on that you will experience, or the inverse ratio of hairs that you will be pulling out of your scalp after inserting these into your system.

Next on my list is what I look for when I am critically reviewing a game.

The first thing I look for is of course, fun. Is a game fun? That seems pretty simple right? Well, it is a little more complex than that. What I look for is a price to time ratio, how long was this game intended to be fun vs. how much it costs? If a game is meant to be (and actually will be) enjoyed for months or even years then you can bet that it will at least score a 7.0. Games that will only capture you for a day or a couple of weeks on the other hand will have to be an incredible experience to make up for this (especially if the game is selling at full price).

Second is genre specific. How does the shooter/rpg/sports game compare to similar titles that are available on the same system? If it is a sports game, does it have a franchise mode? If it is a shooter, does it have a deep multiplayer component? This is where you will see me talking up the features of the game compared to others in the genre, again if the game has features that can only be found on it then that will help it out score-wise. If it is a lame copy of a game that came out last year, then that will also affect the score as well.

The last thing that comes into play are measurables, graphics, control scheme, A.I., etc. These are pretty straight-forward, the better these are, the higher the score.

I would appreciate any comments either praising or criticizing me about how I look at games. Overall it is a pretty simple process that easily can help you know where you should be supporting the gaming industry, and is very much like gamespot's very own scoring system as well. Thanks for reading and don't forget to comment!

Okay so I just downloaded the GOW III demo last night and all I can say is awesome! The game has some hitches and glitches but it is pre-release code and even with that I was wanting it so much more after the demo concluded. The QT takedowns are fantastic and the combat in itself is so polished and refined that it just feels so good when you grab a guy, use him as a battering ram and them crush his skull against the wall when your done. Just epic and awesome. If you have not played the demo yet it is available on PSN now so there is no reason not to. I was having so much fun that I was yelling out Kratos' grunts and howls when I got done just ripping people apart. Lets just say that this game is looking more and more like the pure adrenaline rush that the previous games were in the series. Lets just say after that I really do feel bad for people that don't have a PS3 to experience this.

I want your opinion on this: what game/series has the best sountrack? I was playing the original Tom Clancy games before they were known as a brand. Rainbow Six and it's sequels on the PC had some of the best music for a game IMO.

So for questions:

1. What game soundtrack do you like the best.

2. Is is an original soundtrack or does it use popular music?

3. Why do you like the soundtrack?

I like the Rainbow 6 soundtrack because it is an orchestral score that really makes you feel like you are in a bigger-than-you/save the world situation. The main menu music i especially good, nothing like listening to that while reading background info on a mission and then planning your attack.

Here is a sample of some of the music (Note: I don't have sound at work so I'm not sure if one of the songs is the specific one that I am thinking of, I will add another link when I get home if it is not)

UPDATE: Here is the specific song that I really like, amazing.

MAG is a game that breaks the bounds of what was possible for an online shooter. Before this game we had games where 16-32 players were considered massive battles and even on the PC 64 players was about the limit to what was considered possible given current broadband speeds and processor capabilities. I am here to say that MAG is indeed very fun to play, and from my initial hours with it, lives up to being an evolution (not revolution) in online game play.

When you start out you have to choose a clan, I chose Valor because they are based out of the USA, and look and feel just right for me. When you first start out you cannot go straight into the full 128 vs. 128 battles, you first have to start out playing smaller 16 vs. 16 and 32 vs. 32 matches. This is good because the maps are very large and trying to go straight into the huge matches is just not a good idea. For one, you upgrade your weapons and armor as you gain experience points (XP) and there is a difference from what you have access to at the beginning to what you can use later on. And if you are used to COD you need to ween yourself off that slowly, 6 vs. 6 is a lot different than 32 vs. 32, let alone 128 vs. 128.

So from first impression the controls work well, your character is easy to maneuver and the guns feel powerful. The graphics are good, not great, but they get the job done. Teamwork is essential to winning matches, you need the right mix of assault, heavy gunners and snipers from the games I have played to really dominate the game, and working together as a unit also really makes a difference as well. Overall so far i am really enjoying the game and feel it was worth the $60 I paid for it. Stay tuned for a full review on the game once I can get into the 128 vs. 128 matches and maybe even get a command spot.

Here is an interesting article on metacritic.com that really breaks down which console was the best to own based on the games it offered for 2009.

Here is the overall rankings, for reasons behind the rankings, check out the link above.

1. PS3

2. PC

3. 360

4. PSP

5. DS

6. Wii

Like I said though, very interesting data that they provide, also don't forget to comment!