No XBOX360 Elite for Aus?

I have been speaking to my nutter gaming mates about the possibility of a (black) XBOX360 Elite for Australia, however they say that it's an unlikely thing. EB Games (should be burned down and the company dissolved) have said that there will be a limited run and they also state that it will come will all the normal elite goodness but will also have an inbuilt HD DVD dive.

Are EB telling the truth? or do I just prey that they do come out. Perhaps I should talk the friendly and knowledgeable people at Games Traders to verify whats happening with this awesome sounding console.

I really want to start playing Guitar Hero II but mostly I can't wait to get Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks the 80's!

EzyDVD starts EzyGames

Through the regular spam^H^H^H^H email that they send me each month, I just discovered today that the DVD franchise known as EzyDVD now has en eStore for video games as well!

Unlike Games Warehouse, EzyGames - like EzyDVD - will ship within Australia for free!!!

Now I am wondering if I should write to Games Warehouse and see if they will compete by offering the same shipping...

ZOMG!!1!1 Pokemon is here!

Pokemon Diamond and Pearl is here!!!

Like a good book, I'm finding it really hard to put it down :P
Anyways, not time to blog right now, gotta go catch 'em all...

BURNOUT 2! PERFECT!!!!

My absolutely fastastically awesome friend, managed to get me the long awaited and missing part of my (Acclaim) Burnout/Burnout 2 set!!!

Now I own every English copy of Burnout and Burnout 2 that was ever released!!!

Now I have to consider whether it's worth extending my set to allow for the newer (EA based) Burnout titles such as Burnout 3, Burnout Revenge, Burnout Dominator and (eventually) Burnout 5....

Importance of Video (and Computer) Games

How often do you find yourself longing to play a particular game only to have other affairs interfere with your ability to be able to (at least) play? Does this affect emotional status and/or mental alertness?

I find that it does. Too many times I am pulled away from games like WoW (and allot of computerized puzzle games) only to find my mood to be that of a disgruntled/depressed/grumpy/negative nature. Which people around me generally don't like.

As a friend of mine pointed out; It is similar to the likes of denying an elderly person from trying to watch their favorite TV show...

This is also one of the reasons that I loose sleep. I am sometimes forced to play games during hours that conflict with normal everyday life, such as staying awake until 0300h just so that I can get the (uninterrupted) playtime that keeps my mood in balance and my mental alertness at it's peak, however a lack of sleep contradicts this entirely!

There is considerable study showing that Video Games are not only an important aspect of entertainment^[1], but can also be an automatic (subconscious) learning experience^[2]

So how does one go about trying to fit more game-hours into one's life, without sacrificing too much (eg. sleep, work etc)?

References:


1. 2006, BAFTA, Video Games are as Important as Film and Television: Video Games Awards become BAFTA’s ‘third arm’ [PDF]



2. L. Bedigian (2006). Professor James Paul Gee shows the world the importance of video games. [HTML]

Draino's Networking and Tech: Dead XBOX HDD???

Draino's Networking and Tech: Dead XBOX HDD???

Laziness prevents me from re-posting the above linked article here :P

R.I.P. Lik-Sang

This is old news but I'm posting it because it should be known EVERYWHERE!.

Multiple games sites have reported that Lik-Sang have ceased business and are closing down after receiving lawsuits from Sony EU (SCEE) possibly due to lack of potential future Sony sales.

This is a classic example of Sony's poor customer attitude.
I however have decided to boycott purchasing ANY Sony product from now on.

More details here, here and here

P.I.P Lik-Sang. You will be missed by many gamers.