Ever since the departures of many great editors and talents, I've been doubting GameSpot's ability to bounce back and reinvigorate itself with new blood. While I thought it might not be possible, especially after Greg Kasavin and Rich Gallup took their leaves, somehow Jeff Gerstmann was able to pull the editing team together and host On The Spot with humor and style that we all love and cherish so much!

If it is true that Eidos and CNet really did what they allegedly did to Jeff, then their actionswere less than deplorable! Advertisement team can not, and should not have any influence on the editors whatsoever, if GameSpot folds under pressure just because the editor tells it like it is, then soon GameSpot itself will lose all its credibility that it holds so dear.

Regardless of what really went down, what's done, is done. But what about us? The long time loyalists to GameSpot and Jeff Gerstmann are left to do? And where am I going to get my weekly dose of Jeff now? Again, for all the editors and employees who have left the GameSpot pursuing other endeavors: Goodbye, we miss all of you!

Carrie Gouskos

Bob Clayco

Greg Muller

Tim Surette

Greg Kasavin

Rich Gallup

and Jeff Gerstmann

Goodbye and best of luck! It will never ever be the same without you!

Let us know where you end up, okay?

Maybe it's just me who has a bit of a hard time dealing with the departure of our beloved favorite Game Spot host: Rich Gallup, but lately many GS veterans have bid their farewells to GS to pursue other ventures and endeavors. Ever since last fall, we've seen the departures of editor Bob Clayco, Carrie Gouskos, Greg Kasavin, Tim Surette, and Greg Muller. As hard as it was to see them part their ways, today, it is especialy hard to see Rich go.

Rich Gallup has alwasy been the personification of Game Spot being the host of weekly live show On the Spot, podcast Hot Spot, game show Button Mashingand the numerous special events such as E3, and DICE, etc. Maybe it's just me, but every time a GS staff parts his/her way, they also take a little bit of GS spirit and magic with them. This is especially true with Rich, being not just a host, but THE host of many GS events.

As happy as I am to see these former GS editors, staffs, and producers move on to bigger things in their careers, selfishly, I want them to stay at GS. Surely, over the years, many of us feel that the GS staffs have become part of our lives, we watch them live, we listen to their podcasts venting their opinions, asking questions we have to the game developers. In a way, we know them just as much as we know our own friends, and seeing them go is just not easy to take in. Still, I wish them all the best luck in their future endeavors, and it's been great knowing you guys!

So here it is, Rich, goodbye! It will never be the same without you!

Street Fighter 3 Unbelievable Comeback

This is why Street Fighter is one of the greatest 2D fighting games ever, period!

Yes, over ten millions of units have been sold! Microsoft has won the next-gen war! Well, guess again!

Eat your words Microsoft! Not that I'm against Microsoft or anything, but on April 29th, I would expect any 360 fanboys will be skipped out by the launch of Elite more or less.

I like Sony, as well as Microsoft, but I'm gamer first and foremost, so don't stamp me a Sony or Microsoft fanboy! But when I heard the news of Elite, the first imagery that came to my mind was a vivid picture in slow-mo of Microsoft slapping itself in the face.

I've always liked Sony's products because not only are they great technologies, but I've also expected them to last. Which they did, well, most of them! When Microsoft decided to enter the video game industry, they made a big impact; the specs of an XBox were superior than that of a PS2, top to bottom. However, their timing was off, aside from a few mega games that seem to make an XBox owner think the system is worth its money, Microsoft lost to Sony's PS2 horrendously.

Therefore, in order to counteract, Microsoft cut XBox's life span short to pave ways for 360. That they did, they made sure that 360 came out before Sony's Next-gen console so they can make a killing. And it was a success, in fact, this may just be the best move Microsoft ever made! But is it good enough? I don't think so!

Even as we speak, Americans are trying switch over from a SD era to a HD era, so for Microsoft to have come out with a system that doesn't have HDMI ports is just ludicrous and absurd! And prior to the launch of PS3, Microsoft wasn't shy about bashing Sony's system. Apparently, they thought they had won saying things like 360 can fully support HD contents with 1080p graphics even with a DVD drive, Blu-Ray is overrated. Turns out, they were right, but with how many DVDs (Blue Dragon)?

Remember when Microsoft said 360 could support 1080p without HDMI ports? They were right as well, with a GVA port. Now, if only I can find a HDTV with a GVA port...

The fact that Microsoft pushes Elite out is a huge slap in their faces no matter how you look at it. Still, they refuse to admit that maybe their number one competitor had it right all along. Yes, Elite will be made available as another option for newcomers, and the transfer cable will only be packed in with one hundred and twenty GB HDD. What the hell? So Microsoft doesn't like making profit anymore, it seems.

The only reason 360 came out sooner than expected was because Microsoft was losing the war to PS2. So rather than fighting a losing war, they made sure 360 came out before Sony's PS3. It's a good strategy, but this tells you something, doesn't it? In terms of the overall picture, Sony is more far-sighted and prospective with their products. No HDMI port in a HD era? Contains DVD drive only to have you buy an external HD-DVD drive? With the increasing HD contents being put into games, a DVD will be outdated pretty soon; in fact, some might say it already has! I like and respect 360, but I honestly don't expect 360 to last too long, Microsoft will have to make a new hardware to combat PS3. The fact that Microsoft's making 360 Elite proves they are a bit myopic!

So ask yourself this question, Sony will support PS3 for the next ten years (that doesn't mean PS4 won't see the light of day until then), but if 360 is already making changes to it's original designs (less than 2 years after it's initial launch) to compete with the more versatile PS3, how many versions of 360 will there eventually be? Or how soon will Microsoft abandon 360 and come out with a new console? Because some might consider adding a HDMI port and a bigger hard drive may be small changes, but changing a DVD drive to a HD-DVD drive for more HD contents to compete with Blu-Ray sure isn't, and it is with kind of actions taken by Microsoft that I have always feared purchasing an XBox. So Microsoft, what's your next move?

Talk about impeccable timing, this awsome, dope-ass flick is coming out just before the release of God of War II, and looks like it's going to get my blood pumping, andrenalin running, and ready for the next chapter of Kratos' adventure!

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   I know that in game industry we ought to be greatful that games come out on their set release dates and not being delayed, but is it just me, or do you guys agree that game studios should not release upcoming games info untl they are 3, 4 months to their release dates?

   I mean, we gamers are constantly being fed new info and hypes on how awsome games are gonna be, and then not only are they being pushd back indefinitely, they suddenly just dropped out on the face of the earth.

   As a college student of C++ programming and an avid gamer, I can understand that games are pushed  back a couple of months to work out the kinks; being pushed back 3, 4 months, "Okay, fine!" But titles such as Assassin's Creed, MGS4, Warhawk, Havenly Sword, and let's not forget a little trailer on a game called Killzone, got gamers so psyched up only have us disappointed when they postpone these games, and most of them still don't have a release date in sight. It is especially aggravating when some of these games were promised to be out on the PS3 launch window.

   In an interview with Hideo Kojima, Kojima even said that MGS4's summer '07 release could be pushed back despite the fact they gave us a vague release date to begin with. And to the postponement Kojima replied "Well, I did not promise that (summer release), Raiden did!" Well, you know what, Kojima? Thats why we all hate Raiden!

   Is it too much to ask for game studios to keep their mouths shut until the games are close to the release dates? All I'm saying is that when studios generated all these hypes, they better stick to their release dates, and if they keep delaying games, these games have better deliver. Which is why I know Duke Nukem Foever is going to be the best game of this millennium!

Aside from the bad attitude and services, not owing up to their pre-orders, under sell reserved copies of games, let me enlighten you with my own bad shopping experience with them...yet again!

Last night, I went out looking for a copy of Romance of the Three Kingdoms XI, I tried not to purchase the game from Game Stop because I was boycotting them, but no other store had it. The first Game Stop I went to said they were all sold out, upon my inquiry, they told me that they had only received two copies of the game (Two measly copies? Mind you, that Game Stop is the largest video game retail chain in North America and the game only came out on Wednesday). Then as usual, the salesman with a condescending tone said "You should have reserved it if you wanted one..." Enraged by his comment, I replied, "You know what? Maybe I'll start pre-ordering when you guys learn how to do reservations  properly." As I got to the second Game Stop, I uncontrollably bought the game from them since they got the game in first than any other stores(Yes, I'm ashamed of myself).

And just my luck that the game happened to be a defect, on top of that, the case is slightly cracked. I went to exchange the game this morning, they were out of stock, so they sent me to another near by Game Stop for the exchange.

When I got there, not only was the salesman rude, he tried to give me the copy they opened for display purpose. I was having none of that, so I told him to give me a new copy. Now, with increasing people wanting to try out new games, then sell them if they don't like it, I can understand that they need to tear open the shrink wrap before giving it to you. But guess what? The guy got me a new copy, opened it, and just swapped the games. Remember I said my original case was cracked? I told him I want everything exchanged, given my circumstances.

Determined not to let me get by easily, I received a look of discontent before the salesman swapped the games again. So now that the games are back to their respective cases, right? Defective copy to cracked case, new copy to new case. But when I wasn't paying attention, the guy did a switch-a-roo on me, and gave me back my original copy with cracked case, which I only realized this when I got home.

So there you go, yet another bad experience with Game Stop, just when I thought they could not possibly top themselves after the usual bad services and the despicable PS3 pre-orders, they managed to done that with flying colors. Game Stop, you have screwed me for the last time!

Every now and then, I would feel the urge to play some old arcade games because they not only remind me of the good old times but also how far gaming industry has come since then. But is it just me, or does this whole downloadable arcade trend needs to ease up a bit?

I find it unfathomable that people can actually get wildly excited over some 16 or 32 bit games that came out decades ago, and mind you, we are playing these games on the next-gen consoles that cost us from 400 bones to upwards of 600, that are capable of producing HD graphics, innovative gameplay mechanics, real-time physics calculations, etc, and gamers are psyched about simple-minded, two-buttoned games that came out eons ago?Why? I don't get it!

Perhaps, I'm not so much against the Saga Genesis and other old games as I'm more appalled by the fact that we are being milked by companies yet again for some old-ass games that we had already pumped an ungodly amount of quarters into the actual arcade machines that now run on poorly coded emulators. And now, what stands before me is a broken, crumbled game that reminds how great this game used to, or supposed to be...it just sits there, mocking me that I actually paid money for it, for a wonderful memory I dared wishing to recapture, which now I'm beginning to doubt myself that maybe this game was never that great in the first place.

If you are downloading these games to relive the nostalgia, good for you, I'm all for it! Provided, if they are exactly as they were. If you are downloading these games because you think they are relatively cheap, I assure you, you've already paid too much. And if you are downloading these games because you are a points fiend, then you are already in way too deep, but hooray for your dedication!

Is it just me, or companies should start making these old arcade classics free as a fan service? I didn't pay money for Tetris on my cell, and I surely didn't pay anything for Solitaire and Mineweeper on my PC, so why do I find myself paying money for games that came out in the same olden age? Is it just me, or maybe the companies could just start offering free old classics as a promotional device to grab gamers' attention for something major? Is it just me, or should companies just make it fun to actually get the old arcades for free when players reached a certain level of achievement as badges of honor?

Maybe it's just me, that I can't stand companies just shamelessly pumping out mere shells of what these marvelous old classics once were; maybe it's just me, that I actually prefer something tangible when I'm paying 10 or 15 bucks for something that only exists virtually on my console as bits and pieces of binary codes. Maybe I just don't understand...maybe it's just me...

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Although Tomb Raider: Legend was considerably better than the past couple of games of its franchise, I still wouldn't necessarily call it a redemption of the series. Will Lara ever return to her former glory? I don't think so, but like every other fans of the series, my fingers are crossed...