What happens when we get older? More opportunities and more responsabilities. I’ve played videogames for the better part of 2o years now and I still remember the first time I played a game: it was at the 7-11 around the corner from my house.I was six or seven and my dad would have me tag along with him and he would always let me play a game of Star Wars. I mean the oooooold school Star Wars, the one that looked like a geometry problem.
I was too short to see the screen, so he would pick me up so I could reach the controller and see the screen.Being so young, I sucked, of course. The thing that happened was that I was and have been hooked ever since. So, what has happened since? I’m 28 years old now, I have two kids, a wife and I went back to school.
I have a year left before I get my bachelors in Liberal Studies. Let me tell ya, there’s not a lot of time to play much anymore. I have more than a full load. Continued…
After last week’s Call of Duty 4 takeover, I was ready to sound the bell and end the fight between two of the most popular shooters to ever be released on consoles.
It seems I jumped the gun. Halo 3 retook the number one spot on the Xbox LIVE list this week (measured by unique users), bumping CoD4 down to #2. My personal favorite, Gears of War, is now #5. Whether or not these numbers were directly skewed by the XBL outage is up for debate. However, the olive branch extended by MS definitely affected the results; see below.
Here are the top five:
1. Halo 3
2. Call of Duty 4
3. Guitar Hero III
4. Undertow
5. Gears of War
Curse you, free Undertow!
Read: LIVE Activity for week of 1/21
Some of you may have heard of the freeware side scrolling platformer N. If not, N is a game where you, according to the N website, “play as a ninja trapped in a world of well-meaning, inadvertantly homicidal robots.” Intrigued? You can download the game for free here.
Done with that and left wanting more? Well in a little bit, you can get an upgraded version, named N+, on Xbox Live Arcade. The game has just been cleared by the Xbox Live approval system, and should be showing up on the Xbox Marketplace soon. There has been no mention of price, but what you would be paying for would be upgraded graphics and several multiplayer modes, including 4 player co-op. Keep your eyes on Xbox Marketplace.
Read N+ greenlighted for Xbox Live Arcade, includes multiplayer.
The story only thickens… Wire recently reported that due the holiday Xbox LIVE outage, Microsoft is issuing a complimentary downloadable game to all current Gold subscribers via it’s LIVE Marketplace. Well, we learned today that three idiots Texans have consulted with their lawyers and decided it would a wise idea to place a class-action suit against the technology giant, stating that the outages represent a breach of contract and negligent misrepresentation for which the company is liable. The plaintiffs allege that “Microsoft knew the increase in subscriptions would increase game-play on its servers, yet failed to provide adequate access and service to Xbox LIVE and its subscribers.”
I give these guys merit for what their trying accomplish, but apparently Texas school districts do not believe in teaching reading comprehension. It took me a less than two minutes of scanning Microsoft’s easily accessible Xbox LIVE Terms of Use statement located on their website, which outlines the fact that their services are “as-is,” to figure out this lawsuit won’t do well. The full clause is printed below.
16. WE MAKE NO WARRANTY
We provide the Service “as-is,” “with all faults” and “as available.” The Microsoft Parties give no express warranties, guarantees or conditions. You may have additional consumer rights under your local laws that this contract cannot change. To the extent permitted by law, we exclude the implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, workmanlike effort and non-infringement.
Although I don’t hold a degree in law, or any other collegiate degree for that matter, I can safely assume that these clowns are wasting their time and money.
Source: CNET: Bey0nd B1nary Blog
