Q's blog

First, let me say that this is definately gaming post so get your minds out of the gutter.  For posts of a more tittillating and morally questionable variety please visit Tank's blog.

Senator Sam Brownback is introducing legislation in the senate called the Truth in Video Game Rating Act.  This would force the ESRB to play the full version of a game in order to assess a rating.  Currently the ESRB relies on the developers to send them footage of the game that represents it as a whole and they make a judgement from that.  Not that this is a bad idea but it is fundamentally flawed.  This is coming about because of the 'Hot Coffee' scandal of last year but even if the ESRB had played the full game they wouldn't have uncovered the hidden code that caused all the fuss.  They wou

I'm a true cynical.  I tend to see the worst possible outcome in any given situation as the most likely.  So when the news broke about EA buying the exclusive NFL and NFLPA license I naturally thought I wouldn't be playing a good football game for the rest of the decade.  So far, I've been right...but that may be changing. 

Well, I played in Caesar's FFA games last night and I have to say that, while fun, I was sorely outclassed.  In the first game I was able to steal enough kills to look competent but in the second game my true skills shined through and I got bent over with a three round burst straight to the sphincter.  It wasn't pretty.  Unfortuanately the night didn't get any better as we broke into teams and did some 4v4 and 2v2 games.  Again, I had fun but damn if it isn't a bit disheartening.

It turns out that Assassin's Creed is coming to the 360 after all.  Not that there was ever any real doubt, but Ubisoft's dodge, duck, dip, dive, and dodge maneuvers over the issue did raise some concerns.  It's a bit strange for a publisher to hold back that kind of information for such a long time (the game was shown for PS3 release in May at E3) but I have a theory about that, shocking I know.

Aright, I admit it.  I'm a hater.  An anti-EA ranting lunatic at times, but it's reasons like this that I feel the way I do about the giant publishing phallus.

This weekend Steve "The Crocodile Hunter" Irwin died in a freak stingray accident on a reef in Australia.  He was a passionate conservationist, a good husband and father, and a landmark in Australia.  He was killed when a stingray barb pierced his heart while filming a segment for a new show. 

As seasoned adult gamers we are all aware of the dreaded game delay that keeps us from getting our new electronic fix at the time we were hoping.  However, delays are becoming more and more common as the years go by.  So much so that I almost expect game to be delayed now and am slightly shocked when an announced game makes it's initial ship date.  Could this be because of the hype game?  I believe it is.

Is Live dying?  Hell no, that's a stupid question, sorry.  I needed a title and the coffee isn't ready yet so my brain isn't moving at full speed.  Live is a throbbing, pulsating...well, you get the idea.  Whatever you're mind completes that thought with it won't be something dead but rather alive and kicking because Live is going strong and continues to evolve.  My question is does that evolution involve a change in price?

I just listened to the podcast and, while I enjoyed it, I have to disagree with one of the points.  ZeroOne called in with a question about Sony's online service and how it may affect Live.  The answers had thought behind them but I think the single most important issue was missed.  Sony's service is going to be free.  Unfortunately the question right before this was about the Wii's free service and how it may affect Live so I think Doodi and the gang were a bit tired of talking about it but it is a complet