The more I read about this, the more a delayed reaction of anger and annoyance surfaces. So it's been fun, but it's time to leave.

From the cached version of the review:

Kane & Lynch: Dead Men is an ugly game, and we're not necessarily talking about the graphics. This criminal tale is packed with a collection of completely unlikable characters with no redeeming value whatsoever. It's impossible to even root for them as antiheroes. Once you get past the messy, meaningless story, things don't get too much better because you're saddled with clunky artificial intelligence on the part of your allies and your enemies, as well as a core shooting mechanic that simply doesn't satisfy. The unfortunate part is that the game does have a few bright points and feels like it had a lot of potential that just didn't come together as well as anyone must have hoped.

http://64.233.169.104/search?q=cache:MnkEIFHpBLcJ:www.ebgames.com/article_viewer.asp%3Farticle_id%3D29418%26product_id%3D200249&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=us

You can find all the coverage of this online you're likely to want from google, but this is what Gerstmann actually had to say to Joystiq:

"Losing a job you've held for over 11 years in an abrupt manner is shocking, yes."

While the above quote should perhaps win Jeff Gerstmann the 'understatement of the year' award, the former Gamespot editorial director is still staying silent about the specifics surrounding his recent firing citing "legal reasons"

I can't say as I was ever going to play Kane & Lynch, I didn't even take a photo of the big statue they errected in the local "Game" (UK games retailer) but to discover, somewhat late I'l admit, that Gerstmann has been sacked under dubious circumstances and both gamespot and CNET are doing damage control does not exactly set the right tone. There's obviously more to the story, not that we'll ever find out what it's all about.

What gamers are likley to take from this however is the fact that you can't trust anyone except other gamers, especially if there are advertising dollars at stake. not a pretty picture really is it?

Now to see if I can actually post this...

If you've been watching the news much of late, then you may have seen the stock market gyrations around the world. Unless you've actually bought individual stocks that isn't that much of a problem except in aggregate. All you need to know about this is that you should urgently get rid of any unsecured debts, (especially credit cards) and make sure you keep some cash on hand in case things get out of hand. This isn't going to end any time soon, so spending large amounts of money on things you don't need, like a PS£ is probably not a good idea right now, especialy if you pay with plastic.

If you're actually looking for safe ways to make money, then investing in AAA corporate debt, (once it becomes avaialable again) is likely to be a good buy since they'll be paying over the odds, and you'll likley get a decent yield.

Games wise, I reinstalled freelancer, since I blew throught it so fast the first time, there was never enough time for mods to appear, the game still has support, so it's time to take advantage of all the goodies now available.

It's ****ing fabulous. I don't care who you are, or what you think you know about Nintendo, (even for those of you insecure enough about your masculinity that you're afraid to play "kids games") but all you need to know is that it truly rocks!

If you've read my review of DOAXVB, I feel much the same way about Wii tennis. It is a work of sublime genius. The game mechanic is simple enough, that you can step right in without even thinking twice, but it just keeps you coming back for more, it's a thing of beauty. I have Zelda, and Raving Rabbids, and Wii Play, but I've yet to even load them. That's how good it is.

Even if you just go and have a whack about with a demo station, you need to play this game to understand the dynamic the console is searching for. It's nothing special to look at, very simple, but it has gameplay in spades. Nailing the drive down the line when you need it is as sweet, as planting the ball just a milimeter the wrong side of the line is sour. You compete with nobody so much as yourself, and the game is all the better for it.

Wii move you indeed!

I'm now level nine, apparently, which makes me an Ikari Warrior, which given it's a good, (if rock hard) game, I have no problems with. I recently discovered Gamepsot had a page for the C64 version of Elite, hence the review.

Currently pinning my hopes on Dark Star One, which the German magazine PC PowerPlay seems to regard as a classic with the elder gamer of the three calling it the rightful descendant fo Elite, we shall see in due course I reckon.

In other news, my wife is due back for an extended trip home shortly, which is very, good news indeed.

I have also been extensively amused by the MPAA's attempts to kill the prirate bay, it was down for all of three days, even after the police emptied the server room. Less downtime than when the admin had flu, which is worth a chuckle if nothing else.

Then I saw this:

chown -R us ./base

Which made me laugh, so I had to buy the T-shirt, should you want one too you can find them here: www.jinx.com

Enjoy

So far the only reason to buy a 360 seems to be Geometry wars, so it's nice to know that somebody has releasd a PC version, here:

http://www.incitti.com/Blitz

it's called GridWars and it's around 2.5Mb

Enjoy

Bought a new Graphics card in Japan, second hand, An AGP X800XT no less, cheap too, just around the corner from sofmap 11 in Akihababra if you're "in country" so I need something to play on it. I have Sims2, which is OK, and I've grown bored of "trial of the isle" (Everquest 2 stylee) already, I could flirt with Earth2160 Auf Deutsch, but instead I decided to dust of my venerable copy of Independance War 2, "Edge of Chaos" and have a blast of that. It's old, but it has Epic written all over it, forums are still online too, as well as fansites, and for a minorty sport like space sims, let alone a five year old game, I figure that's quite a feat.

So this weekend I shall slot my trusty Xterminator Dual Control and knock myself out, as they say, it's been a while since I was lost in space, though I doubt it's changed much as an experience.

So without further ado, it's time to get lost :)

and so it begins...

SAN DIEGO — Western governors gathered last week to plan with the Bush administration and Congress how to change the Endangered Species Act, the 31-year-old law they say has cost developers, loggers and ranchers too much money and hassle for the few animals brought back from the brink of extinction.

"Just about everybody agrees the Endangered Species Act is broken," said Rep. Richard Pombo, R-Calif., a cattleman turned chairman of the House Resources Committee. http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2002109587_species05.html

In other news HL2 still doesn't run, but then again who cares, right?

Reportage from around the web:

As a games reseller, I received this communication from my distributor. It looks as if it was given to them by Vivendi, regarding some early (but not sever, it looks like) problems with HL2 installation & authentication.

HALF-LIFE 2 - NEWS BULLETIN

Vivendi Universal Games would like to notify you of two important updates regarding the product installation for Half-Life 2. The issues identified below are easily addressed and should not constitute a reason for a product return with consumers. We recommend that this information is broadly communicated to retail store managers and other personnel who are interacting with consumers who purchase Half-Life 2.

1. Half Life 2 - CD Installation error when Counter-strike: Source is not selected

The following has been identified as a known issue with Half Life 2 Standard Edition (not Collector's or European DVD editions):

Problem: If during the initial installation process the option to install "Counter-strike: Source" is NOT selected, an error may occur during installation. The message will be: cabinet file error, fatal disk error, or something similar.

Solution: Cancel the current installation process and reinstall the game from the beginning, starting with Disk #1. Make certain to select the option to install both Half-Life 2 and Counter-strike: Source.

Note: If you prefer not to retain the Counter-strike: Source program on your system AFTER INSTALLATION, you can remove it using the following procedure:

After HL2 has been successfully installed, open up the Steam client.
Select the Play Games list
RIGHT click on Counter-strike: Source and select Properties
Select "Delete Local Content."


2. Product Authentication Delay When Installing Half-Life 2

Some consumers may experience delays in authenticating Half-Life 2 during the installation process. This is due to the high volume of consumers who have purchased Half-Life 2 and are installing the game, which is causing high traffic on the Steam authentication servers. Please inform any Half-Life 2 customers that encounter this situation to keep trying, as this is a temporary delay.---

Gamers get playing Half-Life 2

---

(Screengrab of Steam error message, BBC)

Many Half-Life 2 players saw messages like this

The long-delayed launch of the Half-Life 2 computer game was marred by problems with its registration system.

The game launched globally on 16 November but online computers used to authenticate copies struggled to cope with the deluge of users.

Some players reported lengthy delays that stopped them unlocking the game and getting playing.

However, once players got the game working reports about the follow-up were generally very positive.

Half-Life 2 has been five years in the making and its launch has been delayed time and time again.

Many players were forced to wait just a little longer to continue the adventures of Gordon Freeman, the central character controlled by the player, in the sequel to one of the most popular games of all time.

Valve, the software studio behind Half-Life and its sequel, insisted that every copy of Half-Life 2 be authenticated with its online software system Steam in order to stamp out piracy.

---

Half-Life 2 users bitten by bugs

Some who purchased copies at retail experience technical difficulties; Valve acknowledges troubles, addressing problems.

Several Half-Life 2 users who finally got the long-delayed game into their hands yesterday got exactly what they didn't want--more delays. The Half-Life 2 forums have been busy with gamers saying online authentication delays have rendered their copies temporarily useless. Of note, no users who downloaded the copy directly from Valve's download service, Steam, have reported problems.

In a statement from Valve posted on its Web site shortly after 4:30 p.m. PST, the company stated: "We've received a number of reports from people experiencing delays with Half-Life 2 authentication. We are investigating the issue and will update everyone as soon as possible. We appreciate your patience and hope to have everyone in the game very soon."

---

In other news:

Halo sequel delivers on the hype
By Alfred Hermida
Technology editor, BBC News website

---

(Screenshot from Halo 2)

Halo was the game that anyone with an Xbox had to have. Widely acclaimed when it come out in 2001, it went on to sell more than five million copies worldwide.

It was one of those games that took on a life beyond the confines of the console, spawning a legion of devoted disciples.

Three years on, with expectations at fever pitch, the pressure is on game developers Bungie to deliver a masterpiece.

Fortunately Halo 2 largely lives up to the hype. Bungie has taken all that was great about the original and gone one better, to produce a polished and accomplished first-person shooter.

So I go to the shop thinking I'll buy the German copy, even though I have pre-ordered a UK copy too. I played the First Entirely in German, relying on transcipts from halo.bungie.org so I knew what was happening. Halo2 has subtitles..

So I Pick up the box, and take it to the counter, I ask them if they have an English copy, just out of habit. Only this time they say "Yes" they take my name give me 2 euro's off ,and tell me to return at 5pm and claim my special edtion. Woohoo! At 6:30 I arrive and present my bit of paper, the shop is packed, and they have 5 boxes to wade through, I wait. After a good 30 minutes, and many phone calls, the shop assistant approaches with a grave face. "There has been a mistake..."

There will be no Halo 2 on launch day it appears.

"When then?" I ask hopefully.
"Saturday, possibly Monday"

By Monday my UK tin can will have arrived, bum!

They give me another 5 Euros off, but I walk from the shop saturated in dissapointment, (to quote a friend) In vain I search through town for an English copy, at each turn I am frustrated, gloom descends.

It's funny, but had I not been told I could have an English copy I would be happily playing the game right now, it 's just like that sometimes I guess.

Time to load up the original and dust of my mad gaming skillz, I reckon :)