My Game Center

Nearly 130 veterans from World War II to the current conflictattended the 16th annual Veterans Day program at Huntington HighSchool Friday.

As people filled the auditorium seats, “My Country ‘Tis of Thee”played as pictures of past and present service men and womenscrolled across a big screen on stage.

Radio deejay Danny Merrell emceed the event, and one by one eachof the veterans in attendance was recognized by name and stood to around of applause.

Tech Sgt. Chad Brock, who recently returned from a tour inAfghanistan, led the crowd, which included the entire HuntingtonHigh School student body, in the Pledge of Allegiance.

Two students recited a tribute to the veterans, and then theHuntington Highsteppers presented the flag and seal from eachmilitary branch as their respective songs played over theloudspeaker.

Throughout the ceremony, Driftwood, an acappella quartet fromBeaumont, performed “The Star-Spangled Banner,” “God Bless America”and “America the Beautiful.”

Ret. Air Force Lt. Col. Milt Price served as the keynotespeaker. Price was a tanker pilot during the Vietnam War. After 25years in the Air Force, he began working for American Airlines. Heflew into New York City the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, and said hehad often piloted Flights 11 and 77, the two planes which flew intothe Twin Towers that fateful morning. he thought that would be thestart of World War III and thanked the veterans that it did notcome to that.

“Unfortunately I was there to witness it all, and it was not apretty sight,” Price said. “Both 11 and 77 were flights I had flownmany times. that could have easily been me. There’s been a lot oftalk lately about the national debt, but few bring up the biggestdebt of all — that which America owes its veterans. Wars liberateslaves and stop genocide. without veterans America would not beAmerica. there are 23 million veterans from the greatest generationto the latest generation. never forget them. any veteran would saythat freedom is not free. Someone has to step forward and defendthat freedom, so thank them. we must work all year long to honortheir sacrifice.”

A slideshow of HHS students currently serving then playedfollowed by a haunting moment of silence. Each person was lost inhis or her own thoughts of loved ones serving or thoselong-forgotten war-ridden memories as “Taps” rang through theauditorium.

A video then played about a group of Marines who returned toMakin Island in the Pacific Ocean to retrieve 19 men who had diedon those shores during World War II.

“I get a great dose of humility seeing what really matters,”Merrell said as his voice cracked and he paused to wipe away thetears, “and what we should be concerned about in this country.”

Merrell applauded Huntington ISD’s dedication to the event.

“If you’ve read the newspapers you know there’s a bit of abudget crisis in public education,” Merrell said. “I’m glad this isone thing that does not get cut from the budget.”

Since 1993, Huntington has celebrated veterans on this specialday of the year.

Co-coordinator J’Nelle Short said what started out as a smallprogram honoring a handful of veterans has turned into a majorcelebration.

“It started 16 years ago when the middle school and high schoolstudent councils decided to have a program to honor the veterans.About 12 to 15 veterans showed up and most were grandpas or familymembers,” Short said. “It’s now a big community thing. It’s grownto involve so much of the community.”

Short said it’s important for the students to have thisexperience each year.

“It’s important for the students to see the men and women here;each have their own story,” Short said. “For the kids to hear thestories is a better lesson than they can learn in theclassroom.”

Following the ceremony, the veterans and their families wereserved a traditional American barbeque lunch surrounded by picturesof men and women who have served in the Armed Forces.

Melissa Crager’s email address .

© 2011 The Lufkin Daily News. all rights reserved. this material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

From highly skilled assassins to erotically charged animals… these are the gaming legends that push my buttons, leave my fingers numb and make me want to sit in a dark room and try an MMO (that stands for ‘massive multiple orgasm’ right?)

Videogame crushes started for me in the early 1990s when I used to spy on my friend’s older brother beating away at his joystick in his bedroom with his mates. when I was a little older now and again I’d get up the courage to challenge them. much to their surprise (and mine), I was pretty damn good. I‘d like to say I knew how to do the trick combos that unleashed my ‘fireballs’ and ‘hurricane kicks’ but in all fairness I just winged it, bashed away and distracted them with my boobs; a transferable technique that works beyond playing video games. I’d say it was also at this time when my first real crush on a male (other than Michael Jackson and Daniel from Karate Kid) began… hello Streetfighter!

#5 Ryu & Ken – Streetfighter SNES 1992

Ryu and Ken first karate-kicked their way into arcades in the late 1980s. With their ripped physiques and matching karate gis, it’s practically impossible for any red-blooded lass to think of these two as individuals, or heterosexuals come to think of it. They’re men that the guys want to be and the girls want to be on, or in between.

The key stand out for me with these two is those grunts. those horny kung-fu / orgasm grunts. the kind of grunts that real men make. Men’s men. the kind of men that stalk you after the 1st date and beat up your gay mate for looking at them funny. Drunk and aggressive men. Neanderthals. Men who beat you unconscious and drag you back to their caves thinking ‘no’ means ‘yes.’ Men who… …I’ve lost where I was going. the point is I totally would.

#4 Link – the Legend of Zelda – Ocarina of Time N64 1998

Now I’m more of a ‘bad boy’ girl but there’s always been a special place in my heart for Link from the Legend of Zelda. He might bring out my maternal side meaning the only way he’d get to 2nd base with me is if I breast fed him (which come to think of it I definitely would) – but there has always been a certain something about that Hylian boy.

When asking my best friend if she thought Link would ‘give it up on a first date’ (I quickly followed my message with ‘yes Katie – we are really having this conversation’) she was quick to respond with, ‘I think he’s one of those really sensitive blokes that won’t sleep with you ’til he knows it’s serious…but then breaks it off after the second date.’ I concur.

With their ripped physiques and matching karate gis, it’s practically impossible for any red-blooded lass to think of these two as individuals, or heterosexuals come to think of it.

#3 Diddy Kong – Donkey Kong Country Returns Wii 2010

I’ve never been one to be embarrassed about weird crushes (I’m adamant there is nothing wrong with fancying Scar from the Lion King, or your 2nd cousin) so it was a close call between Sonic or Diddy Kong for this spot.

When Sonic first came on the scene as a 15 year old spiky hedgehog he got a lot of attention. the fact he had arrived to rival that chubby plumber made him more appealing to me… he had that naughty cheeky chappy thing going on and I always wondered if he would be faster than the speed of sound in bed as well as on his feet. Over-thinking it now though, as an older, more cynical soul… I think those spikes would be a bloody nightmare. You’d have to be so careful on position choices and can you imagine explaining the scratches to your mates? every time you took your coat off they’d be going ‘For Christ’s sake have you been screwing that hedgehog again?’ I’m not sure I could handle the back lash, literally.

Diddy on the other hand… if you got that bitch Dixie out the way for 2 minutes I bet you’d find Diddy is hung like a Donkey. plus he has so much energy and he doesn’t talk. the perfect man / ape! I reckon he’d learn fast too, just put some porn on and ‘monkey see monkey do.’ You’d just need to have a bunch of bananas on stand by to keep his sugar levels up. It’s win win.

#2 Chris Redfield – Resident Evil PS3 2009

There was no denying that when Resident Evil landed on the PlayStation back in 1996 Chris Redfield was the stand out ‘angular square faced video game character I’d like to bang.’ He was possibly the only reason I didn’t mind my 14 year old boyfriend at the time choosing his PlayStation over awkwardly-kissing-me-whilst-listening-to-The-Manic-Street-Preachers-and-making-me-rub-his-crotch-in-his-bedroom. Again.

Several graphic cards, endless zombie deaths and numerous bra sizes later (me not Chris) the evolution of the mighty Redfield has resulted in a fine mountain of a man. the main thing that I think should be applauded, and to be honest I’m a little bit annoyed it wasn’t picked up on in the reviews, is that ridiculously sexy stubble that now adorns Chris’ chiseled jaw. I would definitely sacrifice the rash for him. In fact, I’d wear it with pride to show off where he’d been. For all those men reading this and feeling inferior because they can’t grow a beard… do not fear. Stubble trumps beard any day of the week. Fact.

The main thing that I think should be applauded, and to be honest I’m a little bit annoyed it wasn’t picked up on in the reviews, is that ridiculously sexy stubble that now adorns Chris’ chiseled jaw. I would definitely sacrifice the rash for him.

#1 Altaïr ibn-la’ahad – Assassin’s Creed X360 2007

If you look beneath, the hood of the Assassin’s Creed protagonist you will find a sexy, mysterious and highly trained assassin. these are, as we know, the three key components of every woman’s dream man. I know, I know. It’s a little controversial to praise those that wear hoodies in our society, but this dude was sporting a hood back in the 13th Century. He’s ol’skool, yeah? plus, Altaïr’s mother died in childbirth and his father was executed, so you have to cut him some slack for being a bit of a recluse.

The main reason I’ve got Altaïr at number one is the way he moves! His swagger makes Cher Lloyd look like a shit wannabe pop star (she is? Oh). He creeps like a rapey panther through those crowds of peasants but the most impressively sexy of all his tricks is the way that man can jump. whoever said Arabs can’t jump must feel stupid now. He moves through the air like an eagle. a big sexy eagle you wanna get down with. the fact he could kill me with the flick of his wrist and the ‘not knowing exactly what he looks like’ elements are a huge turn on too. I’d love for him to appear at the end of my bed while I was sleeping, no words exchanged just there for one thing… I’d definitely make him keep the cape on.

There are of course other males in video games like Grand Theft Auto that I’ve got a little giddy over, especially when I’ve found the combination on the controller that makes them dry hump (don’t judge me, we’ve all done it) but these boys stood out to me. Feel free to share your favourite video game characters below, but don’t wimp out listing footballers from FIFA or Batman. That’s cheating. think more along the lines of what they could do to you, like Yoshi… and that tongue. For now I’m all out of innuendo and I’m off to dig out my SNES and show Ryu who’s boss.

More stories that might interest you:

Ms. Pacman & five VideoGame Women I definitely Would

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FORT WALTON BEACH — The beach restoration project on Okaloosa Island is all but dead after Commissioner bill Roberts on Tuesday said it should be dropped because it has become too divisive.

Commissioners will hold a public hearing Jan. 17 to make it official.

Roberts, historically a strong supporter of beach renourishment, said the issue, “whether fueled by fact or fiction, has created legitimate concerns.”

“It’s divided not only this chamber, but it is dividing this community,” he said. “I’m saying let’s end it for Okaloosa Island … and move on.”

With Roberts’ change of heart, the board now has a majority willing to vote down the proposed $12 million restoration project, which would add 940,000 cubic yards of sand to the 2.8-mile stretch of beach on Okaloosa Island.

Commissioners Dave Parisot and Wayne Harris voted in August against continuing the project.

At the Jan. 17 commission meeting, which will be held at the Emerald Coast Convention Center to accommodate the crowd, the board will vote on whether to repeal the ordinance authorizing the annual fees residents on Okaloosa Island and in the western part of Destin pay for beach restoration.

If the law is repealed, the fees collected under a Municipal Services Benefit Unit would be refunded with interest.

The MSBU collects about $490,000 from Okaloosa Island and $410,000 from Destin annually.  to date, the MSBU has collected about $2.7 million.

Commissioners also agreed to ask Destin to take over the permit from the state Department of Environmental Protection for the proposed $8 million beach restoration to 1.7 miles of shoreline in the west Destin area.

The county had applied for the permits for the Destin and Okaloosa Island projects at the same time in hopes of saving time and money for dredging the sand to be placed on the beaches. if the county drops the Okaloosa Island work, Destin officials would be free to complete that renourishment project on their own.

Roberts said he wants to see an end to the litigation that has entangled the county for the past several years.

Okaloosa Island residents Rebecca and David Sherry sued the county over the project, saying it would compromise the existing beach with inferior sand.

In September, an administrative law judge recommended that the DEP deny the county’s permit because the sand would be too dark and contain too many shells.

DEP Secretary Herschel Vinyard is expected to issue a final order in the case by Dec. 29.

Although he publicly backed away from beach restoration on Okaloosa Island, Roberts said he hopes the county gets the DEP permit.

“I know that statement is confusing, but when the permit is issued, it has a life of five years,” he said during the commission meeting.

If a hurricane hits the area within that time, the county would be able to react much more quickly with a permit in place, Roberts added.

Commission Chairman James Campbell voted to hold the public hearing in January, but questioned the wisdom of dropping the Okaloosa Island project. 

“when (a hurricane) happens, where is our help going to come from?” he said. 

If the DEP denies the Okaloosa Island permit, the county would not be able to restore the beach with sand from the borrow pit in the Gulf of Mexico identified in its application — even in case of an emergency, said Jim Trifilio, coastal management coordinator with the Okaloosa County Tourist Development Council.

 another legal consideration is whether the permit for the Destin work would be affected by a denial of the Okaloosa Island permit. Both projects have proposed taking sand from the same borrow pit, but the administrative judge deemed the sand unfit for Okaloosa Island but permissible in Destin.

“It’s an open question at this point,” Trifilio told commissioners.

Friday, October 28th, 2011 at 8:04 am Category: Batman, News, PlayStation 3, Video Games

Happy Halloween everyone. This is one of my favorite times of year. unfortunately, I’ve been so busy lately I haven’t been able to really enjoy the build up to my favorite holiday. It seems the gaming industry have all been pretty busy too, since there’s not a whole lot of news coming out this week. I’m going to assume that’s because the developers and PR people are all too busy playing Batman: Arkham City, which has shipped over 4.6 million copies so far. That’s more than double the number for Arkham Asylum in the same time frame. “Copies shipped” and “copies sold” aren’t exactly the same thing, but they are connected and it’s still damn impressive. Congratulations to Rocksteady Studios and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. of course, first person shooters still dominate the market, and Battlefield 3 reportedly pre-sold over 3 million copies before it launched in the US on Tuesday (and in Europe today). I’ve no doubt we’ll easily see another 2 million in the next few weeks.

On to the rest of the news:

I’m really hesitant to mention this, but it’s about Grand Theft Auto V and my excitement overwhelms my good sense. With the first official trailer coming next week, rumors are building already about what we can expect to see. And that’s why I was hesitant to mention it. first, they’re rumors. Second, I don’t want to build hype (or even get hyped myself) for something that may turn out not to be true. the biggest rumors I’m hearing are that the game will take place in L.A., or at least the GTA version of it (be that Los Santos, San Andreas, or something else), and that it will feature multiple playable characters. I’m not sure how much, if any, of this to believe. another game in California does make sense. San Andreas was a huge hit for Rockstar and a return to that environment makes good monetary sense. furthermore, some of the early casting call notices I saw for voice talent described characters that fit their sarcastic stereotypes for Hollywood producers and other California weirdos. as for multiple playable characters? we saw that with Rockstar’s Red Dead Redemption, in a way. We’ve also seen in it in the expansions for GTA IV. But those two expansions also had new stories that butted up against Niko’s tale. It wouldn’t shock me if they changed things up a little by having the player control a limited number of characters, say four, for about ten hours of story each. Ultimately their individual stories would mesh together for some kind of big event. maybe something like the Reservoir Dogs heist. From there, control could shift from character to character in the final mission. Combining their previous multiplayer efforts with some of the non-traditional co-op schemes we’ve seen in the last few years, there may even be an option to team up with three other players, each taking one character through the finale cooperatively. But again, this is all speculation. That’s just my imagination running wild with petty rumor. Now do you see why I didn’t want to get into it?

As expected, the Exterminatus co-op pack has been added to WarHammer 40k: Space Marine. the update adds two scenarios for up to four players. Three character classes were added: Assault, Devastator, and Tactical. the update should be automatic, so just load up the game to play.

While I’ve yet to see anything indicating a change in the United States, it looks like Metal Gear Solid HD Collection has been delayed in Europe. the set was pushed from November to February with little in the way of explanation. My sources still indicate a November 8th release stateside, but it’s possible that will change as well.

As most fervent gamers understand, the enjoyment of a game isn’t always just the gameplay. sometimes a good story can make up for shoddy camera work and vice versa. Oftentimes, in both games and movies, the score can change good experience into a great experience. One of the best gaming soundtracks in recent releases has been Deus ex: Human Revolution. to celebrate that accomplishment, the soundtrack is going to be released separately. Coming November 15th, Michael McCann’s “cyber-noir” soundtrack will be available on iTunes, Amazon MP3, and on physical disc (look it up young’uns) from most major retailers.

How excited are you for the PSVita? if the February 22nd release date seems too far away, you may like the recently announced first Edition Bundle. that one is only available at select retailers but you can preorder it now for release on February 15th. in addition to getting the 3G version (in the US, wi-fi only in Canada) a week early, the $350 bundle will also set you up with a 4GB memory card, limited edition case, and the Little Deviants game. good enough deal, I guess. if they offer a US version with the wi-fi only version, the game, and a 16GB memory card they might have me sold.

Ubisoft held their second annual Digital Day this week to showcase some of their top-tier titles coming to the downloadable space. It looks like a nice catch-all, as there appears to be something for every type of gamer:

I Am Alive: A new take on the survival horror genre. the protagonist returns to his hometown a year after “the Event.” Post-apocalyptic combat is short on bullets, so you may find intimidation a better tool. Entering combat situations by shoving a gun in someone’s face can still be a good tactic as long as they don’t know you’re out of bullets. Coming soon (winter release).

Shoot Many Robots: Pretty much exactly as it sounds. Shoot lots of robots, score lots of loot. Two player offline co-op, four player online. P. Walter Tugnut wages war on the robots of the world. I’m sure I speak for all of the contributing writers here at big Shiny Robot! when I denounce the very concept of a game devoted to a robot holocaust. Robots are people too, and we won’t stand for this glorification of genocide by the anti-droidists. But if you disagree, watch for this one in early 2012.

Babel Rising: What a concept! While it is clearly a tower-defense style game, it’s really the exact opposite since you’re destroying a tower. the player is God. not a god. God. as in the God of the old Testament. And those pesky Babylonians have the gall to think they can build a tower tall enough to carry them to Heaven. do what any good and just God would do. Smite their creativity and enthusiasm by hitting them with lightning, earthquakes, and floods. You’ll teach them not to want to reach the kingdom of heaven you promised them. 2012.

Project Haste (working title): Developed by Techland (Nail’d), this is ATV racing as it should be: speed, wild locations, insane tricks, customization, and competitive multiplayer. 2012.

Kind of a strange week for news. not much of anything solid, but there are a few kernels that could really develop into gems. I hope everyone has a fun and safe Halloween weekend. if you’re in the Salt Lake City area, come meet the big Shiny Robot! crew at Brewvies (677 S 200 W) on Sunday. Geek show Podcast will be will be showing Creepshow at five o’clock, followed by a costume contest. if you haven’t done one of these Halloween shows before, you really need to check them out. I have seen some fantastic costumes in the last few years. Following the contest, big Shiny Robot! presents AMC’s the Walking Dead on the big screen. best part, it’s all free. good beer and great food are also available.

With another week comes another roster update for EA’s Madden NFL 12. the update is set to go live on Friday and the Lions find themselves just on the positive side of an increase-to-decrease ratio. They’re coming off their second straight loss, falling in succession to the San Francisco 49ers and Atlanta Falcons. But their team on Madden is still thriving and doing well.

Three players get increases in the latest update, the most notable being Amari Spievey and his increase from 79 to 80. I’ve just always considered it a big deal when a player moves into a new group of ten, whether it be 60-70, 70-80, or 80-90. Spievey has been having a really good season and deserves the increase, to be sure. Make the jump for the full list of Lions changes.

Increases

S Amari Spievey 79 to 80LB DeAndre Levy 80 to 81DL Ndamukong Suh 90 to 91

Decreases

DL Nick Fairley 77 to 76WR Nate Burleson 79 to 78

Changes

HB Jahvid Best lowered on depth chart (injury)HB Maurice Morris moved to HB #2 on depth chartHB Eldra Buckley signsHB Eldra Buckley now wears #45TE Joe Jon Finley releasedFB Matt Clapp releasedHB Jerome Harrison removed from depth chart (injury)CB Don Carey signs”TE Nathan Overbay signs

Jerome Harrison is back on the team, and you can use him, though in reality he’s not likely to play again this season. They did get Don Carey on the team, which is good, and there was only two decreases despite the team having lost two games in a row. I’m not exactly sure why Fairley went down, but I’m sure they saw something I missed. or they’re biased. One or the other, I’m sure.

Catch up on every previous Games Inbox here

the right Persona I’ve decided that I’m going to start playing the Persona games but I’m not really sure where to start. I’ve been looking around the Internet and it’s easy to pick up Personas 2 and 3 for PSP but I’ve seen Persona 4 for PlayStation 2 on Play.com for just over £10 but I have never bought anything from there before and I’m not sure about parting my cash with them. Any help would be fantastic on which to start with, I know you have said Persona 3 would be best to start on PSP but any extra information would be great, also Play.com are selling Fallout: New Vegas for Ł8.99 which is a great deal if any readers don’t have it yet. Dougall678    GC: actually the PSP version of Persona 3 is notably inferior to Persona 3 FES on the PlayStation 2. We’d go for either that or Persona 4, the first two games should be skipped unless you find yourself really getting into the series. Pros and cons Excellent feature on review scores GC. I am totally with you when you say people just read the score at the bottom and judge the game from it without reading the full review. (Then bitching about a 7/10 score of their favourite series.) Personally I only read the full review if it is a game I have looked forward too and on the edge of buying, like I did with Modern Warfare 3 which fully deserved a 9/10. I read the In Short for all other games and if it interests me then I read the full thing. the In Short is perfect for a quick summary to read first to decide if it’s the type of game I like and the full review to finalise the purchase. we don’t really need a score, take it out I say. big Angry Dad82 (gamertag) I disagree with a point you made in the Midweek Feature about scoring a game on how much it fulfils it potential. After all, how do you gauge a game’s potential? With demos/betas (which often don’t reflect the final game) or previews/media coverage (which might generate hype which games can’t possibly live up to)? However, I completely agree that the actual text of the review is the important part, and I personally avoid looking at the numerical score at the bottom of your review pages after reading the review itself. teh_zombie_jeff (PSN ID) PS: how about hiding the review score and having a Teletext-style reveal button to make it appear. Oh, nostalgia…PPS: I cuss you bad! GC: It’s not an exact science, nothing in reviewing is, but if a game has some glaring faults or missing features we’d say that was a pretty clear indication its potential hadn’t been fulfilled. Childish obsession to be honest I find this obsession over review scores a little pathetic. Why do so many gamers have to be sidetracked by trivial things like this and arguments over which piece of plastic is the best? Having this as a topic of discussion is one thing, but letting a game’s mark affect you is ridiculous. the fact is (and should always be), if you enjoy a game that’s all that matters. I’m aware very few will get the same enjoyment out of Superman Returns that I did but you know what, I don’t care. the poor review scores have zero effect on my own enjoyment. just enjoy the game and – as others have said – understand the context of reviews. 9/10 for FIFA will mean nothing if you hate football games. some people need to grow up Ty Conlon HD for the ears RE: bigjon69. You can’t go wrong with the TurtleBeach PX5, excellent surround sound for games and movies, wireless with no interference (not mine anyway) and as you’re a PlayStation user they have built in Bluetooth for chat. the X41 are the same but white with no Bluetooth, so chat can only be done through Xbox. However, they are considerably cheaper. I previously had  a pair of Tritton AX Pro which have four speakers in each ear but I didn’t think the surround sound effect was anywhere near as good as the Turtle Beaches. maybe due to the Dolby headphone technology incorporated into the Turtle Beaches. Also there are so many wires to mess around with it became a hindrance to use them. mark RE: Bigjon29 and gaming headsets. I agree, I’ve had the PlayStation Bluetooth headset and it was a bit rubbish, I bought the Turtle Beach P21s which were really good but only lasted just over a year, then the right speaker went chips. Since then, my girlfriend bought me the Tritton AX Pros for my birthday, which are all kinds of awesome. They have a detachable mic, four speakers per cup giving surround sound, separate game and chat volumes, really good bass and have saved my hide in call of Duty more times than I can remember as the sound is that good. thing is, they may be near to the £100 limit. Funtimefitzy For the chap wanting to know about the best game headphones, deffo try the Turtle Beach X41s.the sound upgrade over a TV is unreal.  I’d go as far to call it HD for the ears. Flemmo (PSN ID) RE: Bigjon29. I would like to recommend to you the Gioteck EX-05 Wired Stereo Headset for PlayStation 3, Xbox360 and PC, at dare i say it GAME. It comes with an ultra lightweight headband, sturdy metal adjusters, breathable full-size ear cups (they sit around the ear, opposed to on them) providing comfort, great sound quality, 4m cable and are multiplatform…. the price is £69.99 or £34.99 when bought with anything else in store (gind something for 1p pay £34.99). However, they do have a PlayStation 3 only version for £30. GC Addict PS: Skyrim, FIFA 12 and Battlefield 3. I’m set for the long cold winter nights, Good times.PPS: Battlefield 3, it’s a 9 from me. It has hands down the best multiplayer. big smiley face.

Warning: satire ahead I’m the best at Modern Warfare 3! Each match, I average 14-16 racial slurs, 25+ homophobic insults, around 10 accusations about people’s moms and over 60 really bad swears. I’m especially good at shouting at my gibbering, acne ridden, Red Bull-swigging, Haribo-fuelled teammates when I accuse them of stealing my kill. I hope Modern Warfare 4 gets rid of all that shooty stuff so I can concentrate on the real, core gameplay; verbally assaulting 12 year old American boys with whiny, Justin Bieber voices and making them cry. Also, if Infinity Ward read this, there is a problem; I like to play drum & bass music as loudly as possible, this means that I also have to scream as loudly as possible to get my insults across. Please fix this. and get rid of the’mute button so everybody can hear my Wildean banter. iPwnU (gamertag)/SirShoot-A-Lot (PSN ID) I really wish Uncharted 3 had had some sections where Drake tries to grab a ledge but then there’s a cut scene and the ledge brakes. CrackCity_Rocker (PSN ID) mr Pound It’s been a great few weeks for gaming and thanks to a fortunate £500 win on the health lottery I have been able to buy rage, Pro Evolution Soccer 2012, John Lomu Rugby Challenge, Batman: Arkham City, Uncharted 3, Battlefield 3, Modern Warfare 3, and I still have Assassin’s Creed Revelations and Saints Row: the Third to get next week. Best £1 I ever spent. David Clixby Out of control I recently tried my hand at the Uncharted multiplayer as I don’t want to finish the single-player too quickly, only to find that when I play online for about 20 minutes my character freezes or spins round on the spot. I have to quit the game completely to get control back. I thought at first it was a one-off until it happened again and again. Has anybody else suffered this problem? I thought today’s update would fix it but it hasn’t, I don’t have problems with any other online game. Keef25 (PSN ID) Inbox also-rans Have any GC readers used gamexchange.co.uk? if so, is it any good? Numbskull7 (gamertag) anybody looking for a squad (or squad member) on Battlefield 3 on PlayStation 3? no one I know has the game and seeing as the main draw is teamwork I feel I’m missing out. I’m level 20 odd and have K/D of 1.7. Feel free to add me! although I might not be on much over the weekend because of Skyrim. Petchfection84 (PSN ID) the only difficulty I have with dark Souls is the gradual realisation that, no matter how many I smash, no matter how many I roll through, no vase or crate will ever, ever, yield any items. mr Understanding is it just me, or does the normally thoroughly enjoyable GC daily Inbox become completely redundant when a call of Duty/AAA shooter game gets released? I have absolutely no interest in these games. Charco79 (PSN ID) this week’s Hot Topic With Christmas fast approaching and multiple big name games coming out every week now we want to know how much time you actually spend playing games? On an average week what’s the longest you play each day and over the course of the week or month how long would you say you spend with games? does it tend to be the same game or do you have a number on the go at the same time? What’s the longest time you’ve spent playing one game in a continuous sitting? Has your normal routine changed over the last month or so and have you gone as far as to book any time off work in order to play some of the new titles? What other unusual lengths have you gone to in order to get quality time with your games? E-mail your comments to: gamecentral@ukmetro.co.uk

the small print New Inbox updates appear twice daily, every weekday morning and afternoon. Letters are used on merit and may be edited for length. You can also submit your own 500 to 600-word 4Player viewer features at any time, which if used will be shown in the next available weekend slot.

Sports News

      By Patrick Salomon ,  Posted on » Wednesday, November 02, 2011

MANCHESTER United legends Andy Cole and Dennis Irwin arrived in Bahrain yesterday for an official two-day visit organised by telecommunications giants VIVA.

VIVA are official partners of Manchester United. They flew in the pair of retired greats to give members of Bahrain’s public a chance to meet the stars, who have won 12 Premier League titles between them and were both part of the historic treble-winning United team in 1999.

Cole and Irwin visited the VIVA store at Bahrain City Centre yesterday where they signed autographs and took pictures with scores of fans.

Today, they are scheduled to visit the Royal Golf Club and join the VIVA team for the final day of the VIVA Corporate Night Golf League, after which, they will host the final ceremony and award the winners later in the evening.

Prior to their public appearance yesterday, both players took the time to speak with the GDN in interviews held at the Ritz-Carlton Bahrain Hotel and Spa.

“Manchester United and VIVA have a very exciting partnership going,” Cole told the GDN. “We’re here to spread the good word about VIVA and Manchester United; it’s a fantastic opportunity to come to places such as Bahrain, which I am visiting for the first time.”

Irwin was in the kingdom earlier this year to launch a VIVA campaign that rewarded 33 young footballers with a week-long experience in the UK to live and train at the Manchester United Soccer School.

Irwin hopes to build on the success of that inaugural event.

“It was absolutely fantastic, and we’re thinking of making an even bigger project that VIVA and Manchester United should announce together very soon,” Irwin said.

“It was a very successful programme this first time around, and I was told that we were able to find many talents in Bahrain, both local and expatriate, and we’re really proud of that.”

Cole, who is the second all-time top scorer in the Premier League with 187 goals, stressed the importance of hard work for youngsters who dream of one day playing at the highest level, but admitted that sometimes natural talent plays a huge role in dictating success, such as for strikers.

“Great strikers are born; you must have a knack for scoring goals,” said the Englishman, who has partnered up with the likes of Eric Cantona, Dwight Yorke, Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer at Manchester United.

“If you look at football now, there is a shortage of good strikers. It’s not something you work on overnight and then suddenly can do. to be a great striker, you have to be selfish sometimes.”

Cole added that players from the Middle East have good raw talent, but are lacking in some areas that are key to reaching another level.

“Technically, the players here are very gifted,” said Cole, who has also visited Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha. “They have good physical fitness and good skills, but they need to continue on working on the mental game.”

Meanwhile, Irwin supports the appointment of Peter John Taylor as the national team head coach. He hopes to see the English tactician succeed in getting Bahrain to a future Fifa World Cup.

“Bahrain have been knocking on the door for quite a while now, and I hope he does help Bahrain get to the World Cup,” Irwin said of Taylor. “He seems to be doing a really good job so far. He’s been a manager a long time and it is nice for him to be bringing the English brand of football to Bahrain’s national team. that means he brings a high level of competitiveness and spirit.”

VIVA have renewed their five-season sponsorship agreement with Manchester United, following a highly successful year-long partnership during which VIVA customers and Manchester United fans were treated to a myriad of exclusive promotions, offers and contests.

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Friday, November 11th, 2011 at 9:23 am Category: Batman, News, PlayStation 3, Video Games

Lots to cover this week, so let’s jump straight to the news:

Ace Combat: Assault Horizon has more DLC on the way. this time they’re teaming up with a top fighting franchise to make your fighter jet look more like a bareknuckle fighter. Coming November 15th for $4.99 will be two skins, Jin Kazama and Kazuya Mishima of Tekken. Seems like an awful price for two skins, but maybe they’ll include some sort of stat boost?

Also coming next week is a patch for Dead Island. the game tried to be very groundbreaking in its use of online co-op in a single player campaign. and, for the most part, it worked. unfortunately they still had plenty of bugs at launch and Techland has been committed to fixing them. I doubt this patch will handle all of the problems everyone is having, but it certainly seems to address some major issues. In addition to general stability and freezing glitches being repaired, here’s a partial list of tweaks you’ll see with the patch:

• Level cap raised to 60
• new blueprints for weapon mods
• Infected being nerfed
• 50% increase to Purna’s ammo capacity
• skill level required for picking a lock is now clearly indicated
• respawn point selection is now smarter
• and plenty more

Take Two Interactive got a double dose of bad news this week. first, their second (fiscal) quarter report shows a net loss of $47.3 million for the period. this is opposed to an $8 million profit for the same period last year. Mostly this appears to be the lack of a major release. Last year’s second quarter saw both Mafia II and Civilization V hit shelves. the second piece of bad news is that X-COM will apparently not be making its planned release in March. the title has been delayed to next fiscal year (April 1, 2012 thru March 31, 2013). this means Take Two is now relying heavily on their already released games from top franchises, including L.a. Noire, Borderlands, Red Dead Redemption, and Grand Theft Auto. think this puts much pressure on the recently announced GTA V? Damn right it does.

Assassin’s Creed: Revelations is hitting shelves next week, and we’ve already got a scoop on some upcoming multiplayer DLC. Much like we saw with Arkham City, the announcement of trophies/achievements has exposed four additional playable characters and six extra maps. I imagine, like Arkham City, that some of these are related to preorder incentives. the four characters (Brigand, Corsair, Gladiator, and Privateer) each have a special trophy unique to their skills. Dyers, Firenze, Imperial District, Jerusalem, San Donato, and Siena will be taking you through Italy and the Middle East with the map pack add-on. if you’re curious, here are the relevant trophies:

In further news for Assassin’s Creed, Ubisoft has already announced that the next game is under way and it is a “major” release. According to Yves Guillemot (CEO), “there will be another great, full-fledged Assassin’s Creed title next year. it will be another major release and we will be communicating more about it in the coming months.” It’s probably safe to assume that this will be Assassin’s Creed III and will release about this time next year. Early rumors suggest it will be related to a December 2012 end of the world scenario. does this mean a whole new historical assassin, possibly connected to the Mayan calendar? or are we finally getting our Desmond game? Exciting prospects. I’m looking forward to the “coming months” to learn more.

Ubisoft isn’t the only company looking to the future of a franchise whose latest game is still unreleased. Saints’ Row the Third from THQ is also coming next week, but that isn’t stopping them from talking about Saints’ Row 4. In an interview with G4 TV, Danny Bilson (Executive VP) said the next game is underway and will be “much wilder.” Whoa. the third entry has zombies, dildo bats, Professor Genki, giant Hulk fists that disintegrate pedestrians, and a myriad of other crazy shit. Going “much wilder” doesn’t even compute as a possibility.

While I’m on the subject of announcing next year’s sequels, EA and Activision have surprised absolutely no one by announcing another Battlefield and another Call of Duty, respectively, for 2012. What I do find interesting about these announcements is something EA’s Patrick Bach said about using Frostbite 2 on the next title: “”There’s nothing we know about now that the new consoles would do differently, rather do more. more processors. Bigger memory pools. Everything we have and more.” Wait, what? new consoles? I’d be surprised if we see release of the rumored XBox Project Ten or a PlayStation 4 next year, but this comment makes me thinks it’s more likely than I’d thought.

I wouldn’t normally put this in my news category just because it’s about something that’s already happened, but it’s just too cool to ignore. with the Playstation Store’s update on Tuesday came a new outfit for your Little Big Planet 2 Sackboy, and he’s strange. Stranger, actually. Stranger than what? No, no, you misunderstood. the skin is Stranger. As in Stranger from OddWorld. How freaking cool is that? Take a look:

Then again, this is supposed to be a news column, so how about something related? According to Stewart Gilray of just add Water (CEO), “Stranger’s Wrath HD is being submitted to final Sony QA in the next few days, with a launch as soon as we can get it to you.” Assuming QA approves this, and with JAW’s reputation for quality I am sure it will, we should be getting some Hi-Def Stranger very soon. get your live ammo ready….

SEGA’s upcoming Binary Domain had a special multiplayer character announced this week. seeing as the game is being developed by Yakuza Studio, it should come as no suprise that Kazuo Kiriyama, of the Yakuza franchise, will be shooting around in a near future Tokyo this February. while fighting for the government, Kazuo will be sporting his signature white suit. Fighting for the resistance, he’ll be showing off his dragon tattoos with no shirt. Special characters are always a fun fan service treat, and this one just seems appropriate considering the setting and developer.

We’ve got a potential game announcement gaming from the Australian ratings board. these ratings pop up occasionally before the developers and publishers have announced the game and I’ve rarely seen them when the game doesn’t get officially announced within a week or two. this time, it’s The Simpsons Arcade Game for multiple platforms. seeing as its being developed by Backbone Entertainment and published by Konami, this looks like a repeat of the quality action we saw when those two companies teamed up to release the X-Men Arcade Game to PSN and XBLA. I wasted a lot of quarters in the arcades on this one. I think my brother and I spent so much one day that we actually beat the damn thing. and I plan on doing it again when this hits the download queue.

I love ratings board leaks. this one comes from Germany and its an HD remake of another classic trilogy from the PS2. We’ve had God of War, Sly Cooper, and Team ICO collections. What’s left? Don’t even ask. the two obvious franchises are Ratchet & Clank and Jak. and the German rating leak seems to confirm that Jak & Daxter: the Precursor Legacy, Jak II: Renegade, and Jak 3 are coming soon as the Jak & Daxter Trilogy HD Collection. if you somehow missed these games in their first generation, you owe it to yourself to play the HD remakes. these were developed by Naughty Dog, the same people whose success on PS3 is so great it’s Uncharted! [Oww. I'm officially fired from puns.] No word yet on release date as we don’t even have an official announcement, but this looks like a spring/summer title to me.

About a month ago we got our first look at two European special editions of Final Fantasy XIII-2. so what do the North Americans get? Well, our Collector’s Edition will contain a 20 page artbook and a four disc soundtrack. all of it will be bundled in a nice, limited edition, hardcover case with art by Yoshitaka Amano. it looks very nice, and the soundtrack for this series has always been top notch. this would be a great deal for a $10 premium. unfortunately, this package will run $79.99, which I’m just not convinced is worth it. Take a look, and then decide which version you’re preodering for January 31st.

I reported on Tuesday that the servers for NBA 2K11 would shutting down later this month. 2K Games has heard the fan reaction and will be extending the servers to April 2012. with the My Crew and Online Leagues available on this version, but not 2K12‘s, as well as the continued instability of 2K12‘s online connections led to the fans’ reactions. Strangely, NBA 2K5 is also listed as having its servers shut down in April. Why does that one last so long, when 2K11 was originally slated for only 13 months?

We’ll close today’s VGQH with a public service announcement. buy Rayman Origins! Why? is it a great game? does it break new ground? Hell if I know. it is getting good ratings from reviewers, mostly in the 7.0-9.5 range and has an 87/100 on Metacritic. but, frankly that’s of secondary importance. Mostly it’s because Tony Key, Sales Executive at Ubisoft, has stated that supporting Michael Ancel by buying this game will enable the creator to better proceed with Beyond good and Evil 2. I realize that’s the corporate mindset, but do you really need to just throw it out to the public like that? Oh well, if that’s the only way to get a sequel to one of the best sleeper hits of the last generation, I guess I’ll be buying my first Rayman game. At least it looks like a good one.

You know, when I took this job as gaming writer for TFTS, I didn’t think that I’d be writing about PETA as often as I have been. after last week’s questionable moral outcry over the depiction of rat stabbing in Battlefield 3, the folks at PETA are back at it again, this time calling foul on everyone’s favorite pudgy plumber, Mario.

So, what’s the problem? Apparently PETA takes issue with Mario’s Tanooki suit, which is making a return in Super Mario 3D Land, the highly anticipated 3DS game that released yesterday in North America. According to PETA, Mario wearing a Tanooki suit is pro-fur, but I think it’s just a better idea to let PETA explain why it takes issue with this timeless game series:

When on a mission to rescue the princess, Mario has been known to use any means necessary to defeat his enemy—even wearing the skin of a raccoon dog to give him special powers. Tanooki may be just a “suit” in Mario games, but in real life, tanuki are raccoon dogs who are skinned alive for their fur. by wearing Tanooki, Mario is sending the message that it’s OK to wear fur.

That was a statement posted to PETA’s website, accompanied by a flash game called Super Tanooki Skin 2D, where a skinless raccoon attempts to chase Mario down and get his skin back. Mario is flying high above all the action, wearing a Tanooki skin that’s dripping an alarming amount of blood. I took the time out to play the game for a while, and it’s predictably terrible. Not only that, but I question PETA’s motives with this game, primarily because the raccoon I was playing as died numerous times while trying to catch up with Mario.

Truthfully, I’m not all that surprised that PETA is wasting its time going after video games, but I’m left wondering why there’s all this outrage about video games coming to the surface right now. Perhaps some of PETA’s supporters can shed some light on the matter for me in the comments section below?

With Black Friday 2011 approaching fast, it looks like every retailer that we were hoping to hit during the holiday sales weekend has already had their Black Friday ads leaked. the latest to join the pack is Sam’s Club who have some spectacular bargains on HDTVs, Digital Cameras and popular Android phones like the Samsung Galaxy S2. While the list is long, here are a couple highlights we would suggest checking out:

Sam’s Club Black Friday 2011 ads: Samsung Galaxy S2HDTV deals

$498 for 51″ Samsung Plasma 720p 600Hz HDTV, $928 for LG 55″ 1080p 120Hz LED HDTV, $578 for LG 42″ 1080p 120Hz LED HDTV, $74.98 for Sony Blu-ray Player, $249 for Samsung Smart Blu-ray 3D Wi-Fi Ready Home Theatre system, $798 for Samsung 46″ 1080p LED Smart TV HDTV, $598 for Hitachi 46″ 1080p 120Hz UltraVision Slim LED HDTV, $398 for Hitachi 40″ 1080p 60Hz LCD HDTV and $279 for Samsung 32″ 720p LCD HDTV.

On the smartphone front, nothing beats the the Samsung Galaxy S2 for only $0.96 with a two-year AT&T contract. the same price applies for the Motorola Photon 4G and Samsung Droid Charge, both with 2-year contracts as well from the respective carriers.

Lastly if gaming consoles are your thing, check out the Sony 10GB PlayStation 3 Complete Entertainment Bundle (PS3 160GB with DualShock 3 controllers, Ratchet & Clank: all 4 one game, LittleBigPlanet 2 Special Edition game with exclusive DualShock 3 Cosmic Blue controller) for only $249. for $50 less, you can grab the Xbox 360 25GB Holiday Bundle (Xbox 360 250GB with Halo Reach, Fable III and 3-month Xbox Live Gold Membership included). And lastly at just $99, a Nintendo Wii Blue Console is yours.

No word yet on Sam’s Club Black Friday 2011 doorbuster deals but we’ll keep you posted!