Oh the memories I have from playing The Sims. Back before we had internet at my house and when our PC and PlayStation were my gaming devices. I played for hours sitting in front of the computer playing creating weirdo people with crappy houses (until we discovered the money cheat code). More expansion packs came out and out computer got slower until we just weren’t interested anymore.

Since those days The Sims have moved up and onward without us. Finally resting with today’s The Sims 3. With TS3 getting so much success on PC why not bring the party to the console players?

April 27, 2010 - Electronic Arts is taking one of its most popular PC franchises and moving it over to consoles. The company announced The Sims 3 will now be heading to Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii, and Nintendo DS this coming fall.  (via ign.com)

Apparently I have missed a lot between the original Sims and today’s TS3. So much has been added an improved from the same basic game I was addicted to in middle school. But PC gaming is not my thing anymore. Boom! EA announces The Sims 3 heading to console and DS. Will I buy it? Maybe. I have such fond memories of the original but I will need screenshots and gameplay video before making the final decision.

With that I leave you with one question…

What was your favorite original Sims moment?

It’s official Gears fans, April 5th 2011 will bring us the final installment of Gears of War. It may be a year away but this is still some freaking big news. I mean who doesn’t love jacked up muscly men running around with guns that have chainsaws on the end!?

I must say the most exciting thing in that trailer is that there’s a woman in it! Holy crap finally we get to see some females out there on the COG battlefield. Hopefully she is a playable character for multiplayer as I look forward to setting her as my default character.

Also seen in the video we seen the introduction of a new weapon which has be revealed as the Pendulum Wars Lancer. A gun similar to the regular lancer but in place of the chainsaw there is a bayonet.

What you most excited for?

It’s going to be a longgggg year of waiting. So begin the countdown!

Modern Warfare 2 is here gamers and is estimated to have sold 4.7 million copies with in the first 24 hours. All the pre-release issues floated out of our minds as the hour inched towards midnight. Did Infinity Ward deliver?

Although I have not finished the single player story line as of yet, I believe they did. Sometimes the first impression is what matters most. If a story doesn’t jump at me within the first or second chapter or level, chances are I won’t be interested in the rest. When this story line opened and gave a flashback of the previous game I knew that I was dealing with greatness. New characters, new guns, and new feel. Now I haven’t gotten to the multiplayer yet but rest assured you will hear from me when I do.

The story line does contain some material that many might find disturbing and/or offensive. This was announced and videos were leaked before the actual release. Infinity Ward does the right thing here by warning players before starting the campaign that there will be disturbing material. They also give you the option to skip specific scenes.

(SPOILER) It was brave of Infinity Ward to put in a scene where the player is instructed to kill innocent civilians in an airport. Many might think it’s just another chapter to play through, but was it put in for a reason? I found myself hesitating to pull the trigger. Is that why it was included? Did Infinity Ward want gamers to think about what they were playing? Did they want people to feel just a little sick to their stomach as they watched innocent people get slaughtered? Everyone has a different take on the scene but I know that’s how I felt.

Modern Warfare 2 is an amazing game with an amazing story line. To those out there who are only concerned with multiplayer and XP I encourage you to make time for single player. It is well worth your time.  

It’s almost here gamers. The day you have all been waiting for. At least the day most of us have been waiting for. There are many out there who are lucky enough to live near a store that broke the street date with Modern Warfare 2. There are also idiots out there who have modded Xbox’s and illegally downloaded the game.

This is yet another thing that has angered COD players over the past few weeks. It was assumed that all stats and leaderboards would be cleared on release night. Not the case. Only gamers with illegal copies of MW2 will be reset. Anyone who bought their game legally gets a head start.

Now before you go and tell me “who cares, it’s only a game”. I know thanks, it’s not the point. The point is that no matter how you got the game, everyone should be starting on the same level playing field. Stats and leaderboards should be cleared. If Infinity Ward is so concerned about cheating why are they not clearing everyone? Last I checked a head start was considered a form of cheating.

Halo 3 ODST defiantly gets two thumbs up from me. After finishing the single player campaign today I wished there was more to come from it. Not only was the storyline for this game amazing but the soundtrack left a mark on me too. There are not many games that I can say that the music added a lot to it.

To be perfectly honest I liked ODST better than Halo 3. There is more of a challenge to being an ODST soldier rather than the Spartan Master Chief. I love “Halo jumping” around as much as the next guy but as an ODST your jump range is shortened. You also don’t have the chief’s special armor so finding health is a big deal. These things might sound like a pain but It actually gives you more skill. Use cover and stealthy ways to get your kill. Even better, grab three friends and co-op the Covenant into oblivion.

Does this game deserve the $60 price tag? Although the campaign was a little on the short side the storyline hit the mark. It is a definite replay for me. There is also Firefight mode to play around with. I do wish there was more multi player to this game. I like that they give you Halo 3 multiplayer all on one disk but I think this game deserved its own multiplayer. All in all, money and time well spent.

Modern Warfare is on the verge of release and there are still fanboys out there that are looking for a beta. Keep dreaming boys this isn’t World at War. The most disappointing part about this lack of beta is the fact that there are scammers out there trying to suck in idiots promises of awesome multiplayer action.

Infinity Ward was pretty clear about the fact that there was NOT going to be a beta released to the public. They decided to keep things under wraps and test the game internally. Big fans of the game that are mildly intelligent and able to read got this concept right off the bat. Others willingly gave up their email addresses, Xbox Live accounts, passwords, money, and Microsoft points at the thought of playing the game before everyone else.  

I feel bad for these “victims” for about 5 seconds until I remember that they were the ones who just gave away their private information to whoever had the best offer. Internet sites make you set up accounts with strong passwords for scammers like these ones. Many of these sites, such as Xbox, even tell you that they will never ask you for your personal password. Anyone who tries to pry this information from you is going to use it to steal your identity or send you a virus.

To be clear, there will be no public beta for MW2. Toss any offers of beta codes right in the trash. MW2 will be released soon enough and I’m sure waiting will be better than having your accounts hacked.

The next Xbox Live update is right around the corner. Emails have started going out to those who signed up for the preview program. My fingers are crossed for tonight’s round of emails.

This next update will bring Facebook, Twitter, and Zune right to your Xbox dashboard. You will be able to update your status and tweet to your heart’s content in between Halo jumping.

Is this update a good or a bad thing? In my opinion, what could be cooler than tweeting right from your Xbox! But that just me. From my twitter feed I’m seeing a lot of love going to this new update. People who got into the preview program yesterday were excited and tweeting their reviews.

From looking at some of the forums I see mixed thoughts. People who are not into social networking seem to be the brunt of the negativity. They go on about how lazy people will become because of this update. “To lazy to get up and turn on your computer”. They are defiantly preaching to the wrong crowd.

Others look at this update as a convenience. Frustrated that you computer and your Xbox are in different rooms? Boom! Problem solved.

For me, it just makes Xbox more interesting. It’s another new and shiny thing to play with and keep me entertained.

Stay tuned for a full review whenever I get into the program or whenever the update it actually released. Whichever comes first.

What a beautiful sight to see on my staircase after I got home from work yesterday. A UPS box containing my replacement Xbox. I ran it upstairs and hooked it right up to my lonely TV. I am whole again.

Ok so yes, I missed it quite a bit. My Nintendo DS defiantly kept me entertained during my spare time but it doesn’t connect to Netflix. One of my bedtime rituals is to flip through the instant queue and watch a little something before heading to dreamland. Tons of things to choose from and no commercials. What could be better.

Time to catch up on my ODST while the countdown creeps closer and closer to Modern Warfare 2.

There’s also the new Xbox Live update to look forward to. I signed myself up for the preview program. Waiting for the email saying I got in. Facebook and Twitter right on your Xbox 360. Lets see how that goes. I’m sure I will have plenty to say about it.

Looking good is never cheap. You have to shell out the big bucks if you want the designer labels. But should this apply to virtual clothing and costumes? The last Xbox Live update included the anticipated Avatar Marketplace. Pre-update, users were able to dress their avatar how they like for free with what was provided. Additions were scarce and favored males for the most part (my female opinion). Post update, users are now able to buy clothing and accessories to dress up their avatar. The free clothing is also still an option.

The big question from everyone is… Is it really worth it? Well that depends on the person. If you want to spend 400 Microsoft points($5) on a virtual lightsaber than go right ahead. There are many out there who would call you crazy for spending money on something you will never touch. Personally I would not spend the points on that. Now a Boston Bruins jersey for my avatar, that’s a different story.

Each time a new set of clothing and accessories is released there is a wave of complaints. “It’s too expensive” “who would spends points on that”. Over and over every time. What does everyone expect? If an idea that has the prospect of making money than there will be a price tag. It’s another place to learn that nothing in life is free.

It’s all about your own style and how you want to be viewed. How is the avatar marketplace different than real life? You buy and wear the clothes that make you feel good and express you as an individual. They not be real and if you feel that strongly about it don’t buy anything. No one is forcing you to. So let’s stop pretending to be surprised and outraged after each wave of new stuff. If sure there are bigger things to worry about.

I found this hard to believe but here it is.

“Infinity Ward told the Official PlayStation Mag in the UK that Activision didn’t want Infinity Ward to make a modern day combat game and instead wanted the US based developer to create another World War II title.”

Ok I will be the first to tell you that Call of Duty World at War was and still is a great game. But how could anyone turn down the idea of making a modern day war game. New weapons and new technology is what people want. Better ways to kill your enemy. Gamers want NEW and SHINEY things to play with. To me it’s a no brainer.

When World at War was released there were the hardcore Call of Duty fans that ran out and bought it. Then there were the furious gamers that could not believe they went backwards to WWII AGAIN. After the great success of COD4 why would they even think about going back? The smooth automatic weapons are replaced by bolt action rifles and wildly inaccurate MP40s.

Apparently the answer is that Activision was not interested. They were content living in WWII even though gamers were getting tired of it. They ignored the pleas from the fans to continue with Modern Warfare and left it to Infinity Ward to deal with. Good job Activision at making good WWII games but they are old hat. It’s time to put down the Thompson and pick up an AK-47.

http://www.xbox360achievements.org/news/news-3653-Activision-