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IS GAMING A MALE PAST TIME

In this article I do not want to come across as sexist as this is not the case, I am just trying to find out why gaming is perceived as a male past time, and in fact a girl gamer is a bit of a turn on for me.

I have been gaming for as long as I can remember, the earliest memories I have are all to do with gaming from the first game of pong I ever played, to breaking my dads Atari, by putting play doe in the floppy disc drive. So gaming to me is the greatest past time I have, but my partner of the same age, who was brought up in the same time period with the same technology hates it. I'm constantly being called a geek, or a nerd because of my hobby. Gaming or technology doesn't interest her what so ever, Not to say she has never played and enjoyed a game she spend a good few days playing " The New Super Mario Bros." on the Nintendo DS and she also played through all the levels in " Peggle
Dual Shot" and actually enjoyed her time when she was playing, but these encounters are few and far between. So what is it that makes video games appeal to men rather than women, not to say this is the case for all women I'm sure there are some keen girl gamers out there, but all the women I know hardly play games at all and only seem to play the so called casual games. Is there a reason for this? is it to do with the differences in a male or female brain?

One of the reasons may be because game developers mainly make games for a male Market, and female characters are depicted as sex symbols, with over sized breasts and super skinny bodies. So does this make female gamers feel degraded and there for ostracised from the main stream games. But its the developers that are only making predominately male focused games because these are the games that sell, they are only following trends, because at the end of the day they are out to make money, and statistics show that it is mainly men who buy games.

So is it to do with the differences in a male or female brain? Well scientists just might of discovered the reason why gaming remains a male dominated past time. In a research study by Prof. Allan Reiss of Stanford University, male and female participants were hooked up to an MRI scanner while playing a strategy game where the aim was to win as much territory as possible. In both sexes victory stimulated the brain's mesocorticolimic centre, which is usually associated with reward and addiction. However, with the male subjects the activity was much more pronounced, and motivation grew the more territory they gained. Women understood the game and knew how to win, but their pleasure centres remained comparatively unmoved. " I think it is fair to say that males tend to be more intrinsically territorial," said Reiss of his findings, hinting that games appeal to a primal male instinct for conquest. Reiss goes on to suggest, " these gender differences might help to explain why males are more attracted to, and are more likely to become 'hooked' on video games than females".

So why else is gaming a predominantly male hobby? Well Speaking to my girlfriend, modern games don't appeal to her because firstly the controls are too hard to learn, what with modern controllers having so many buttons on them and having analogue sticks, they are just too complicated. Also she doesn't like The type of games that are currently being made for example, violent games or driving games as this has predominately male appeal. Developers should bring out more games that appeal to a female audience. She likes old school plat-formers and puzzle games like “Bubble Bobble” and “Rayman”, she also likes “Buzz”, “Singstar” and social orientated games mainly party games where everybody can get involved and there for making it a social experience rather than something just to waste time playing alone. She also added that there is just too much choice and companies are constantly upgrading systems and therefore making it too complicated to understand the differences in all these systems. She gave the example of how many Nintendo DS's are there and what are the differences, some of them play GBA games others don't it's just too confusing. Speaking to another female friend she thinks females don't like games because men like them. Now this may sound funny but she explained her self, games are mainly made for a male audience, it's like hair and make-up, women like to spend hours in the bathroom doing their hair and make-up making them selves look pretty and generally men don't do this. So from this I took it as being genetic make up, This is stereo typing a bit but men like cars and tools and women like shopping and make up and it has been like this as far as she can remember. As a child girls are brought up to like dolls, and if a boy was to like dolls he would be made fun of and there for forced into what trends to like. So this follows through to your adult life. Games are mainly for men so if a women likes games maybe her friends will think bad of her and thus being the influence of peer pressure. I don't agree with this people should be allowed to like what they want to like and shouldn't be over come by peer pressure and to try and fit in with the "In Crowd", but unfortunately that is the world we live in today.

So why do men like games so much. For me I play games because they are fun to play, and to me they are a form of escapism. Only in video games can you drive a car at over 200mph with out consequences like breaking the law or causing damage to property or people. Where else can you throw a Molotov cocktail at a police car, or fly across a city scape, or fight a mythical beast, die and start again where you left off without serious repercussions. Only in video games. To me playing a good game with a compelling story is like Reading a good book or watching a good film, but it's the interactivity I enjoy, I know generally games are scripted but my inputs control the character, what I want the character to do they do it, so this making it my experience. So every bodies experience with a game will be different although they are playing the same game. Now this is why I play games and this maybe completely different reasons for why other people play games.

I asked my girlfriend when she does play a game what compels her to play it she said, it's the achievement she gets that makes her carry on playing games, like peggle she wants to get the highest score or clear all the pegs, and it makes her feel she has accomplished something when doing this. She also goes on to say that she rarely plays games but when she does it's because she is bored or wants to waste ten to twenty minutes, but doesn't really have the time to spend 2-3 hours playing a story driven game so there for hasn't really got into other genres of games other than short play puzzle games and plat-formers.

 

So is gaming a male past time? I would like to think gaming is open to all sexes, and more and more this is becoming the case what with tons of casual games being produced for the Nintendo systems, so this is slowly starting to fulfil the market for girl gamers. Also the so called "Core" consoles, the PS3 and 360 are slowly trying to enter the casual market with more and more casual titles being released for these, I'm sure we will see a rise in the figures of women playing video games or at least I hope we do.

 

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NEWS OF THE GAME WORLD

Here I intend to list as few of the news stories that have caught my eye over the last

few days. I intend to add to this at least once a week but see how things go.
All of the stories I post can not be classed as fact and may only be a 
rumour. Also I apologise that this weeks has been mainly Sony centric I will 
try to add some news from other platforms.

PS2 GAMES COMING TO PS3

You all may have already heard that Sony filled for a patent which 
would use the cell processor to emulate PS2 games making it possible 
that every PS3 owner would have a backwards compatible PS3.
Well this past week on the PSN store we saw the release of BUZZ! Jr 
Robo Jam, well some of you may well know that was originally a PS2 game 
so this also gives hope that other PS2 games will be coming to the 
PSN. I just hope the pricing is reasonable what with the prices of used 
and even new PS2 titles being ridiculously cheap Sony had better come 
out with a decent pricing scheme or some incentive to buy these. Can 
any one say Trophies Yo!

PLAYSTATION 3 SLIM
http://bit.ly/PVvY1

Yet again there are more rumours floating about the interwebs about the 
PS3 Slim. There is now some dodgy video of one being purchased in the 
Philippines (see link).
As of yet this is only rumour or speculation as this video can not be 
believed as 100% genuine but it could be closer to the truth than we 
think. It is probably inevitable we will see a Slimmed down version of 
the PS3 as we have the PS2 and even the PS1. Over time  Sony can 
source smaller, cheaper more efficient parts to build slimmed down 
versions. Giving the consumers a more efficient product but not 
always at a slimmed down price.

FALLOUT3 DLC - PS3

So by now all PS3 owners would of had the chance to sample the first 
instalment of Fallout3's DLC as it had a release date of June 09, but 
wait what is that I hear you cry. Its not out yet, where the hell is 
it.
Well news broke stating that the first part of the DLC won't be 
released unroll September with the reason being that they need to test 
each piece of the PS3 DLC when used in conjunction with each of the 
other DLC packs.
Not all is bad on the Playstation Blog they have announced that Broken 
Steel will be the first released since it is easily the most requested 
piece of DLC. Broken Steel allows players to continue with the Fallout 
story after completing the main quests and raises the level cap to 30 
regardless if you have finished the main quests or not. This may be 
a little glimmer of hope but I'm sure all PS3 owners just want the DLC 
to be available.

 

MAD HOLIDAY RUSH, NOT SO MAD

 

We as gamers have all witnessed it sitting about in the summer enjoying

the sun but with no new games to play, then come October then there's the mad

rush when all developers push out there games to try and cash in on the

festive season, what with parents buying the kids games, kids spending Christmas money

it makes sense. The down side is many quality games just get lost because of the sheer

quantity of games released at this time.

Well this is bad for developers and publishers so some have decided to hold back there

games to give them a better chance and to hopefully polish and fine tune

them to perfection. Heavy Rain being one of these games with a new

release date of March 2010. Co-CEO of Quantic Dream, Guillaume de Fondauma

says in an interview with GI.Biz “ Purely from my perspective most publishers today realise

that its not ideal to release a new IP or a new Genre just before Christmas”

“ Its a very crowded place to be, and certain games need more space

to life their life. Everybody working on the project both at Quantic and Sony,

believe this is the right time.” He then added “ Although the gamer in me is disappointed,

the businessman in me is applauding. Why? From a business perspective, they

want this title to be a major focus when it comes out, and that is something

that it might not have during Christmas. Its not called the Christmas Rush for

nothing”

I myself from a gamers perspective believe this is a good thing many games do get

lost in this period, but not only that who seriously can afford to buy all these

games. What with a game at retail costing on average £40 and a releases schedule

of 10-20 AAA games your talking £400 minimum to be playing the must have games.

 

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Radial50 Review

http://itunes.com/apps/radial50Lite

 

Radial50 is an iPhone/iPod Touch game using the classic Block Breaker formula but with a very unique twist and to be honest I prefer this to the original Archanoid, but I still have a lot of respect for the original because with out that Radial50 would of never been imagined. The goal of the game is to hit a diamond in the centre of the screen that is enclosed in a circular pattern of bricks, you use a paddle to bounce a ball hitting these blocks to access the diamond. The unique twist is that the paddle which is around the outside of the screen can travel 360 degrees around the blocks.

Controls are simple but very effective, they just work on the iPhone/iPod Touch. You can tell this game was not a port from another platform and has been built from the ground up for the touch screen. You use the touch screen to slide a slider up or down thus controlling your paddle. Sometimes your finger can slip of this slider which makes you miss the ball but this is only a rare occurrence. This game does well to explain everything you need to know with a help pop-ups, although I did find these pop-ups can take you out of the flow you have going, I feel they could have been better implemented at the start of each level rather than part way through some levels., but these help screens can be turned of in the settings menu and they only happen when you need to know something and there is only a total of 8 of these so really I'm just being picky.

The levels look exactly the same apart from the varying colour of blocks but are surprisingly different and also get devilishly hard. There is a varied mixture of power ups and power downs, I believe there is about 20 making for varied game play. I hate to use this analogy but this is the next Peggle for me, meaning you never want to put it down. I found myself constantly saying just one more go or just one more level.

The presentation is superb with bright colours and crisp graphics yet simple design. This is a game I constantly find myself coming back to over and over again. The music is a Funky Techno which reminds me a lot like Baiyon's music which you may know from the PixelJunk series. Every time you hit a block it makes a chime which only adds to the atmosphere of the music taking you into a Zen like state.

This game has all the features you come to expect from a top class iPhone/iPod Touch game plus many more, which include Facebook and Twitter integration to achievements and leader boards. You can also create your own on-line profile where you can compare scores locally or globally,upload your own avatar and view all of your achiements. You can basically say this is a fully fledged game that wouldn't be out of place on a console, and the best part is its £1.19 ($1.99)

Overall this is a fun but challenging game with awesome music to boot, if your looking for a fully fledged iPhone/iPod Touch game to waste away your spare time then this is it. I fully recommend every one go picking up this App today even if it is just the light version.

Ah, playground arguments … “Mine’s bigger than yours!” “My dad’s stronger than your dad!” … something we never truly grow out of and now FUEL can proudly declare that they have the largest ‘console’ gaming world ever created. A whole 5,560 square miles of open world terrain for you to traverse to your heart’s content. To put this into context, Oblivion is only 16 square miles…but is it a case of all show and no go?

Although it’s a strange way to kick off a review, something has to be said about the developers, Asobo Studios. Their past efforts were bound to the movie tie in genre, with games such as Garfield 2 and WALL-E not exactly boosting their credibility. FUEL is the first title Asobo have had complete freehold over and although it’s not perfect, it’s a damn good start for a fledgling company and reminds me heavily of a small company called Criterion. In 2001 we were given Burnout, a poorly received racer. EA saw that this game showed great promise and this trust paid off. It ended up being one of the greatest ever racing series to have graced the gaming world. Someone took a chance back then, and I believe history will repeat itself.

FUEL is a strange mix of a racer; it is based in a post-apocalyptic America where some disaster has turned the entire country into a wasteland where people can race across the land competing in events and searching for that most valuable commodity … fuel! Some things never change eh?

From the get go you are helicopter dropped straight into your first shanty town where you are given a choice of either racing in the competitions, or just setting out into the sunset to do some exploring. Typical race fans will feel at home. The game offers lots of different races and challenges to complete in order to unlock the next zone. Each race can be completed in your choice of the 3 difficulty levels, each giving more fuel as a reward. The fuel itself can be cashed in for new vehicles, and boy does this game have lots of them.

Over 70 different cars, buggies, monster trucks, bikes and more are available to find and unlock as you progress. Each of these has their own strengths and weaknesses against the differing terrain of the now bleak west. You will to need to learn to utilise these strengths, as the environment is your biggest enemy.

Each of the 19 zones in the game all have a unique environmental design that will keep you on your toes. These include sand dunes, vast open forests and snow laden mountains, to name but a few. It’s this diversity that really brings to light how much effort was put into creating the world. Trust me when I say it’s a big world … it really is! I drove from one end to the other in one sitting and it took over 4hrs to reach the final town!

Scattered around each zone are new skins for your cars, new challenges to unlock and vista points which serve as helicopter pads, so when you have found them you can instantly warp there without having to waste time. If you like exploring and enjoyed games such as Test Drive Unlimited or the old 4×4 off-road than I can fully recommend FUEL. You will spend hours and hours just cruising around the world finding every last unlockable. However, for some herein lies the game’s biggest problem or problems too; it’s just to empty to really justify the size. It would be great to see some wildlife or pedestrians roaming around but alas no, the only thing you will probably see if the carcase of a dead cow. Traffic is also minimal as 5-10mins can pass by without seeing anyone. If you approach FUEL as a standard racer than you will be disappointed, not to say that the races are terrible it’s just that the exploring part is an integral aspect of the game.

To soften the blow of the long exploration, each zone has trucks that need to be tracked down and slammed into. These will show you where the different collectables are. It’s a nice feature which does save time when driving around aimlessly. Also some areas have different vehicles that you need to track down and slam into (similar to Burnout) and once you do they become yours to have.

One great feature of FUEL is the built in GPS system. With a single press of the B button a Tom-tom style interface overlays on your screen and highlights which direction you should travel, to find races or unlockables. This will become your best friend and worst enemy during races.

The main races themselves range from point to point races on the open field to confined standard races with laps. Each of them will have plenty of checkpoints to race through and it is here that the GPS system can become a hindrance pretty quickly. You see the GPS shows the direction you need to travel, but in an environment where you can go anywhere it’s too easy to stray off the track and head off into the wilderness. You’ll think you have found a nice shortcut, only to find your car at the bottom of a mountain in pieces. Thankfully the game does have a quick reset feature. With a press of the Y button you are transported back to your last safe position and can race again. This is great for the easier difficulties but do this once on the expert races and you will never catch up.

One other nice touch to the races is the dynamic weather system which at any point can throw a tornado your way, sending buildings and debris onto the track! Snow, rain and sandstorms also make a welcome appearance and really help to mix up some of the racing.

FUEL has promise; the world created is indeed the star of the show. You also have the option to race online with 16 of your friends and just cruise around finding the biggest jumps or competing in events. Online the huge world does feel a lot smaller and more fun. Just like Test Drive you can bring up the map at anytime, select a start point and carve out your own race track for you and your friends to race on. You want a short 5min race? That’s fine; you want a race around the whole map? Go for it! Features like this really do help to compensate for the games shortcomings.

Graphically the game is a bit of a mixed bag, car models are respectable for today’s standard but the world can either look stunning or a total pigs ear. Much of this depends on the time of day. FUEL has a day/night cycle which clocks in at around 20mins. This is a great feature, but once it turns dark, it really turns dark! No Street lights to guide your way. On more than one occasion I just walked away and waited for the sun to rise up again.

Overall FUEL is for me anyway, a good game. I can completely see why some gamers will be put off, if you’re not the exploring type then move on, nothing to see here. What FUEL does do for me and hopefully lots of other gamers is give hope that a new IP can enter the market and be received well enough to allow the developers to hone their idea into something great. I do believe in this gaming era we are too focused and dare I say it spoilt when it comes to AAA titles, and perhaps we have become a bit small minded. Not everything is going to be a Burnout killer and nor should it be. Here’s to next time Asobo, keep on trucking.

I'm definitely building up to a proper StridentUK.com blog post on this topic. Before I do that, though, I want to get to the end of Prototype and replay at least part of inFamous as an evil character. Consider these early, still developing thoughts.

No matter what some might say, to me inFamous and Prototype are extremely similar games. They are both open-world superhero games where you have an increasing array of powers. They both concern moody main characters looking to discover the source of their powers and bring those responsible to justice. You work your way through story missions, completing optional tasks if you wish, jumping and leaping around the buildings and skyscrapers of the gameworld. There are the usual collectables, generic enemies and no real penalties for dishing out death and destruction to the innocent.

They suffer from similar issues, for example repetative side missions, dodgy control schemes and redundant powersets. Yes, they tackle some elements in different ways. inFamous presents its narrative in a comic book fashion, with disappointingly black and white moral choices. Prototype drip feeds you multiple story strands in tiny chunks. The citizens in inFamous feel real and seem to react to your character, those in Prototype become such a part of the background that you hardly notice when you're plowing through them with a tank.

They're fair game for comparison. Just as two first person shooters, with similar settings, coming out at a similar time on the same system would be fair game for comparison. It's no less fair than comparing Spider-Man 3 with The Incredible Hulk. They were released very much head to head so you'd think that they might have been reviewed using the same criteria

Some of the comments I've seen about both games completely baffle me. Outlets that have praised inFamous to the skies have piled hate upon Prototype. Some websites have rated the PS3-exclusive inFamous around about 25% higher than the cross-platform Prototype, yet those low reviews for Prototype highlight bad points that are also very much part of inFamous. I hope that the fact that inFamous is one of the rare PS3 exclusives hasn't got anything to do with its lofty review scores.

I am still assessing my personal feelings about both games. My current response is that they're not that far from each other in terms of "fun" and actual gameplay. inFamous certainly is a better fit for the PS3. The constant loading screens in Prototype (and the almost complete lack of them in the PS3 exclusive inFamous) shows that its really been designed for the 360. Like I said, I need to get to the very end of Prototype and see how being evil alters the inFamous experience, before I make my final judgement.

I have no problem with reviewers, or anyone else, that might prefer one over the other because they happen to connect with the story, the character or morality system in one particular game or just simply find one more fun than the other. I do think, however, that they could've been assessed in a more even and fair way by some gaming websites. Slating one game for having certain issues but being willing to ignore those very same issues in another game doesn't seem right.

Loving having the opportunity to talk about gaming stuff ... this one is just a random rant about WoW so thank you in advance for indulging me ;)

I spent this morning talking about MMOs with a colleague and it got me thinking about what I love so much about WoW. I know I shouldn't like it ... the graphics are dated, quests can be repetitive and even unchallenging at times, plus it takes up far more of my life than is healthy. Yet it's kept me hooked for well over a year. Equally ive tried (arguably) superior MMOs but have never felt the urge to subscribe for more than a couple of months, but why?

Firstly I love the fantasy realm (trolls, orcs and the like) - mebbe it takes me back to my warhammer days! ;). It is truly escapist. I don't desire my games to be realistic or historically accurate. I much prefer to be taken into a fantasy world where anything is possible. Whilst that isn't a factor that is unique to WoW, it does narrow down my choice of MMO.  

Second, WoW has very good areas for new characters ... the initial quest chains are obvious and close in proximity. Also, the more complex aspects of the game such as talents, skills, glyphs, upgrades in armour/equipment etc are slowly introduced, making them easily accessible. Infact you barely notice your transition from total noob to a more established player - It just kinda happens naturally ... Connected to this, the evolution of your character continues indefinitely. My highest level character at the moment is level 69 and there are still many aspects of the game (e.g. high level areas/raids) i have yet to experience. I also know people at 80 who are still adjusting their skills and talents to customise their ideal character.

Thirdly, you can play it on any computer. My laptop for work is very basic and yet runs it perfectly. This is ideal for me because i don't really want to set time aside to play - instead i like to pick it up when i am bored, do a couple of quests and then put it down again for an hour or two. When i am sitting at home with my PS3, Xbox and of course the Tellie surrounding me, the urge to play rarely surfaces and it certainly wouldn't stop me heading out! :)

Lastly, find the right guild and Wow can be fun socially too!  

Hmmmm rant over I think. I'm not blind to WoWs shortcomings, not by any means, but I do slightly resent the fact that its strengths, such as accessibility and its popularity bring it so much negative press. For me WoW has found its niche in the MMO world.

 

Despite popular UGN opinion, I personally am really excited for the new PSP and am eager to get my hands on it.  Not just because it looks good, is smaller and easier to carry and has bluetooth (I'll explain this later) but because of the games...  what? no no not GT5 and LBP I mean the games you haven't heard of yet :)

I have long been concerned for the life of my PSP because piracy has nearly killed it, and has certainly killed off many of the developers interests in this 'masculine' handheld.  The new PSP has a very strong chance of wiping out piracy because all your legit games will need to be bought from the PSN.  This means that Sony will be able to check you are running a legit copy when you buy and lock you out if you are being 'norty'.

It may be possible that a pirate version of PSN appears but this will have to be centralised, and therefore a target for Sony.  PSP owners will have to choose between legit game purchases and illegal ones and not mix and match as they currently can.  This will no doubt result in the pirates being later to games as they wait for illegal copies and so the legit owners get some benefit at least.  I think this is what the games developers are waiting for and if it is successful, will see this powerful little hand held jump back into the fight against the DS.  It may not beat it, but the sales figures will be up, and the games we see coming out I think will leave the DS owners envious of its capabilities.

This may all be wishful thinking on my part, but I do think this is a great step forward and I for one am keeping an eye out for the pre-order button.  I know it appears expensive to some, but it is better than the current one and the DSi was more expensive than the DS is right?

Why do I love the PSP?

I listen to my podcasts in the car, I have an 'aux' plug in my radio so my psp can sit in my car, connected to my radio and play my podcasts.  Each morning when I get in my car, my PSP will have woken up a few hours before me, downloaded my podcasts via wireless and be ready and waiting when I get in.

I have an auto-updating podcast radio, movie player, music player and games machine in the car with me at all times.  When I'm stuck waiting somewhere my little friend is there to fill the gap.  When the UMD has gone I don't even have to worry about carrying the discs and my radio also supports bluetooth music streaming and fwd/back/pause controls so the new one even removes the cable.  Its the perfect little gadget as far as I'm concerned :)  Even the iPhone doesn't do all that (yet!) - although I do want one of those too :)  I just hope that with the Bluetooth, I can connect my DualShock to drive my GT5 cars! 

Ok, my rose tinted glasses are off now and some of my arguments are not well researched ... but I do hope this works out for Sony, the developers, and ultimately us :)

So, after a long break (40 days and 40 nights) I finally feel ready to return to the CGUK community, or rather the UGN community.  Over this period of an almost total blackout of gaming websites, podcasts and forums I found myself turning on my laptop, and not really knowing what to do...  I kind of check my email, and then shut it down which is very odd, but was very refreshing :)

This hasn't upset my gaming though and whilst focussing on the job (which is now very much in hand thanks) for the last month or so has been a necessary concentration, it didn't hamper my gaming too much.  I've been playing my 360 mostly with LoveFilm assisting me in my journey for some games that are battling for my top 10 for 2009, a title that all games would cherish I'm sure.

So what have I been playing...

• Quantum of Solace [360] - enjoyed it but not a 'buy'
• Dynasty Warriors [PSP] - still playing this, too early to call but better than...
• Phantasy Star Portable [PSP] - A bit dull really.
• Assassins Creed [360] - I liked it so much, I bought it twice (prev. on PS3)
• Oblivion [360] - Although I hated this, I'm giving it another go
• Fifa 08 [360] - Lots of this... love it !!
• Zen Pinball [PS3] - Very good this... multiplayer is interesting :)
• Rag Doll Kung Foo - Fantastic! - and free from the US PSN :)

and possibly the best game I've played this year...

• Godfather II - Almost as good as GTA4, but with much more defined objectives.  I'm hooked!

A rather an odd mix of new(ish) and retro games but I have so much to play that the newer games are taking a back burner at the minute and I'm relying on LoveFilm and eBay for my games at the minute. 

Anyway, it's good to be back, see you on the forums at www.crankygamersuk.com and twitter.com/nemo_cguk.

 

I finished the second Wallace & Gromit on PC the other night. The third installment is already sitting on my Steam account ready to play. Telltale really do know how to do episodic gaming properly.

In fact, I like Telltale a lot as they've contributed massively to rescuing my favourite genre from obscurity. When Lucasarts are finally talking about remaking some of their old games, you know that their ex-employees have gone on and proved that there is room for adventure games in the current gaming landscape.

The control system of the 360 version was a bit rubbish, but I've enjoyed playing Wallace & Gromit on PC. The second game seemed a lot easier than the first, but that may be due to the fact that I've just got back into the adventuring groove. They've built up a nice little cast of characters, have pretty well nailed the whole W&G format and have even managed to capture some of the essential British-ness of the series.

I can't wait to spend time with Telltale's take on Monkey Island.

Hmmmm what to write?!

Went to see Terminator today - been putting it off cause of bad reviews, but what can I say, orange wednesdays tempted me in and whilst its not up there in the hall of shame with gems such as the clone wars, its pretty damn poor.

But on a brighter note ...

About an hour into my first play of Viking and so far, so good! Ok so I may be a bit of an RPG fangirl but seriously, this aint half bad ... Apart from giving me a rare chance to up my testosterone levels by playing a bad ass viking dude, the controls feel natural and the combat is just hard enough to keep your attention in game - graphically average, but hey lets not get too picky, this aint a review lol - now to go find myself a buxom wench ;p