Props again to Sam, he took over edit duties this week, so if Rob was able to slip an F bomb in there that didn’t get bumped out -  you know who to blame.

Speaking of the podcast – Ymiris, Antediluvia and I were just discussing it – we all still think its fun to do and plan on doing another show soon – hopefully you guys think it’s worth giving it a listen.  I personally have been pretty impressed with the number of listeners – especially when you look at the number of hits the actual site gets, so clearly we are getting some traffic from just itunes directly that aren’t joining the site – at least not yet!

In other site news – I am still looking for people who want to post news stories and/or reviews on the site – I just can’t keep the site up to date with news and reviewing games.  I used to keep up better but lately with the coding I have been doing at 360voice and gamerdna, hanging out with the family, a bit of my own blogging, and if there is any time left actually PLAYING games…. I just cannot do it alone.  If we weren’t doing the podcast I might have a bit more time to try and keep the news flowing – but why give away one feature to have another, hopefully we can have both.  Maybe if we can keep the news and game opinions flowing we can keep the lifeblood flowing.  There were quite a few of you in the past that wanted to do one or many of these things but we haven’t really gotten anything flowing yet – so the invitation still stands for those of you that really want to forge a place in the interwebs as a writer or “staff” member of a site, or those that just really want to help out and keep the site alive.

Recorded before halloween – wow took me way to long to finally ‘edit’ and post it

• what are we playing
• ymiris’ daughter’s teachers need A LOT of time with him
• Ymiris spoils Bioshock at around minute 3, you have been warned!
• Halloween Contests
• Recent releases – played or not? thoughts?
• NXE thoughts (before anyone of the crew actually had it)
• Random Rick Rollin’
• Ymiris changed his mind about GH world tour and not getting it (but then like the next day he did)
• GTA Content, Mass Effect Content, Halo 3 Gamerscore over the 1250 limit
• Game Review scores discussion
• Gears of War the broadway musical

Link Dump:

• AC/DC Excel Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9_YkXHCkgA
• GTA IV Cotent Delay: http://www.gamepro.com/article/news/190228/exclusive-xbox-360-grand-theft-auto-iv-dlc-delayed-until-q1-2009/

It seems Gamerdna is running a nice contest for some swag, the requirements?  Simply a gamerdna account, and obtaining at least 195 gamerscore in Gears of War 2.   Simple enough isn’t it?  I mean who isn’t going to be playing multiplayer or the campaign pretty much nonstop until November 17th anyway?  You would almost have to purposely avoid achievements to not get enough points to enter – so head over, and get a gamerdna account if you don’t have one, gain those achievements you achievement monkeys love so much – and get a chance to win some sweet loot.

The Prize?  Well its an 8 foot by 8 foot banner signed by the Dev team…..saweeet.

I think thats a win, win…or maybe its a win, win, win – either way its full of win in my book.

Brief show notes:

• What have we been playing
• Squid’s Xbox Hates Braid…still
• New Xbox Experience memory deal discussion
• Whats coming up – whats recently out – what do we think about the TON of recent and upcoming new releases
• Gears of War 2 midnight release all nighter – who is in!?
• Thinking back to Fable
• Discussion AC/DC
• Ant is a Ninja on a mission to takeover EA…or get a job there – you decide
• Ant comes up with some great questions…Where is our GTA IV exclusive content?
• little big planet is the invasion of PEANUT MEN.
• Exclusive talk about Exclusives
• Lots and lots of tangents…that is how we roll

Enjoy!

• No we are not dead
• what are we playing
• warhammer online has infected 2/3’s of us
• Squid is loving Pure
• Ymiris Rocks out again with Rock Band 2
• Gears of War Zune – mmmm tasty (http://zuneinsider.com/archive/2008/10/01/gears-of-war-zune-photos.aspx)
• Random thoughts about the recent arcades
• Halo 3 achievement expansion chat /rant
• special editions – are they worth it, were they ever worth it?

Notes

• special intro from Star
• what are we playing
• squid falls asleep on ant during Arkadian Warriors Co-Op
• Castle Crashers Thoughts
• Star Wars Force Unleashed Demo Thoughts
• Recent Live Activity Discussion
• Ymiris chats about his most recent Xbox Repair, and Star explains what Ymiris wastes his money on while his ‘baby’ was gone
• Ymiris can read – Yeah it shocked me too.
• Squid enters Achievement Addiction Rehab.
• We missed PAX – but Squid gets to go to Kielbasa Fest.
• Squid’s computer blows up the end and the boys get wild.

Link Dump

• Zero Punctuation:

  http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/zero-punctuation/203-Braid

• Recent Live Activity:
  http://majornelson.com/archive/2008/08/26/live-activity-for-week-of-august-18th.aspx

• Third time is the charm!
• We miss Ymiris
• What have we been playing
• a bit of Braid discussion
• brief thoughts on the fable 2 pub games
• squid battles the temptress otherwise known as PS3
• anxious to play force unleashed (demo – as well as full game)
• where do people come up with self fixes for xbox 360?
• RPG Stryker joins the team with game reviews
• Formerly known as SouthernSpartan – XXXXX makes a triumphant return!
• actually squid says actually…..way to much at the end.

Link Dump!

• XBLARatings.com – check out Jigsaw HC’s Site
• RPG Stryker – Get to know a new game reviewer
• Michael Ryder – welcome back you silly cat

Oh did I mention, he is also giving away 1600 Microsoft points?

UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif – Aug. 14, 2008 – Marking the return of the bad ass game brand that champions a despotic tyrant and sets loose the most vicious, yet lovably insane critters in gaming, Codemasters® today announced that the Overlord and the Minions will headline a series of three new Overlord™ titles for multiple platforms in 2009.

Overlord™II is the sequel to the original twisted fantasy action adventure and is now in development at Triumph Studios for the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system, Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft® and Games For Windows®. True to form, the Overlord and the Minion horde have their sights set on supremacy and 2009 will also see the series debuting on new formats. Exclusive extensions include the action title Overlord™Dark Legend for Wii™, featuring minion control through Wii Remote movement, and Overlord™Minions, a dedicated puzzle action title, for Nintendo DS™.

“As a million-plus seller, Overlord is now a significant brand in the ever-growing Codemasters portfolio,” says Barry Jafrato, Senior Vice President of Brand, Codemasters. “With specific titles published across major formats and download content available, Overlord has established a huge cult following and won widespread critical acclaim. We’re delighted to have the despot back for this three-game, five-format product line. With Triumph’s hugely impressive vision for Overlord II and custom-built titles for Wii and Nintendo DS, Overlord is set to dominate in 2009.”

“Epic battles, all-new Minion play mechanics, a stunningly detailed new visuals and a fresh theme – Overlord II’s really packing a punch,” says Lennart Sas, director and Overlord lead at Triumph Studios. “We’re really excited about shifting the world to a new era where a Roman-inspired Empire rises as the arch-enemy of the Overlord, which leads to an epic clash between the regimented forces of a sprawling state and the faster, harder, more manic minion horde. It’s also great to see the series reaching new formats. The creativity being packed into the design for Overlord Dark Legend on Wii and Overlord Minions on Nintendo DS make great use of the platforms’ unique features and are perfect extensions to the Overlord series.”

OVERLORD TITLES FOR 2009:

Overlord™II
·        PLAYSTATION®3 system, Xbox 360, Games For Windows.

Overlord™II is the sequel to the hit warped fantasy action adventure that had players being delightfully despotic. In Overlord II, a new Overlord and a more powerful army of Minions take on an entire empire in a truly epic adventure, inspired by the rise of the Roman Empire. As the Glorious Empire conquers kingdoms and destroys any sign of magic it finds, it’s time to go Minion Maximus and send in the horde.

The Minions return smarter, deadlier (and funnier) and are ready to fight in large scale battles that will see their wild pack mentality squaring up to the organized legions of the Glorious Empire. As ever, they’ll do anything and everything the Overlord commands of them, especially now that they can run ravage and wreck buildings and scenery. They’ve also learned to ride: In Overlord II, Minions will be able to mount up and ride wolves and other magical creatures around the landscape and take them into battle, making our band of merry fighters faster and fiercer than ever before. Coming in 2009, Overlord II is now in development at Triumph Studios in Delft, the Netherlands, for the PLAYSTATION®3 system, Xbox 360 and Games For Windows.

Overlord™ DARK LEGEND.
·        Wii™

Designed and developed exclusively for Wii, Overlord Dark Legend is a brand-new action adventure steeped in fairy tale lore with sinister, satirical twists. Set in a time before the original game, players take the role of a new young Overlord. As he revels in command of the Minions, our trainee tyrant will be able to take his growing pains out on the local fairy tale inhabitants as he protects his castle and lands.

Connecting players to the game world in three dimensions, the use of the Wii Remote gives unprecedented control over the minions. For example, individual Minions can be plucked from the horde, held by the neck and then, by vigorously shaking the Wii Remote, throttled to imbue him with some Overlordly power and turn him into a manic minion missile. With a now-explosive body, the insane little critter can be guided into enemies with hilarious, if rather fatal, consequences.

Backed by a rich, tongue-in-cheek story from award-winning games author Rhianna Pratchett, the game features Overlord favorites including Halflings, trolls, elves, and dwarves and introduces wicked witches, gingerbread men and Lil’ Red Riding Hood, the seeming sweet girl with a very personal lupine secret. Coming in 2009, Overlord Dark Legend is now in development at Climax Studios, exclusively for Wii.

Overlord™MINIONS
·        Nintendo DS™

Meet Giblet, Blaze, Stench, and Zap – an elite Minion crew who, assisted by minion master Gnarl, get star billing in Overlord Minions, an irresistible and accessible puzzle action game, designed exclusively for Nintendo DS. In Overlord Minions, the Overlord commands the Minion team remotely. The Nintendo DS stylus becomes an extension of his evil will and every precise Touch Screen command is the player-as-Overlord directing, commanding and combining minions in battle, pointing and sweeping them to attack enemies and solving puzzles to execute his dastardly plans.

Controlling the Special Farces team of four, players negotiate fiendish levels and take on a huge range of warped enemies to hunt down the Kindred, a cult dedicated to resurrecting the mighty Dragon Kin, a race of humanoid dragon hybrids, determined to replace the Overlord’s despotism with their own. Extending the Overlord series’ trademark humor, gameplay focuses on the mischievous physical comedy of the minion’s antics and is delivered in a stylized cartoon visual style. Scheduled for release in 2009, Overlord Minions is now in development at Climax Studios exclusively for Nintendo DS.

With a rousing cry of “Veni, Vidi, Vici per Minions”, prepare to face the Glorious Empire in Overlord II and the rather grim fairy tales of Overlord Dark Legend and Overlord Minions when the terrific tyrant returns in 2009.