Reddaye

Just happened across this a few minutes ago and figured it might make an interesting discussion:

Electronic Arts just called me to let me know that they are making a bid to acquire Take-Two Interactive in an all-cash merger of about $2 billion.

The offer set Take-Two's stock at $26 per a share, about 64 percent over the company's closing stock price prior to the company's Feb. 15 offer.

Take-Two's board rejected the offer, leading Electronic Arts to make their offer public to the company's shareholders.

In the letter, attached in the jump, EA CEO John Riccitiello tells Take-Two's Stauss Zelnick that the buy-out would help both the company and its stock holders:

"Our all-cash proposal is a unique opportunity for Take-Two shareholders to realize immediate value at a substantial premium, while creating long-term value for EA shareholders. Take-Two's game designers would also benefit from EA's financial resources, stable, game-focused management team, and strong global publishing capabilities.\ ... There can be no certainty that in the future EA or any other buyer would pay the same high premium we are offering today."

Specifically, the letter mentions that EA could really help out with the launch of GTA IV.

Oblivion was my first 360 game, and the only game I needed for at least two months. Not nearly as good as Morrowind, but still a pretty fine game.

To be honest if you're not a magic user the best way to make some serious cash is to search Ayleid Ruins for those blue stones (not Varla Stones - the white ones, those are useful to everyone) which I forget the names of right now. You can hock them for a pretty penny (I seem to remember them going for up to five hundred septims at times, a thousand for the varla stones if you feel like selling them).

If you're at level two or above you can join the Order of the Virtuous Blood and kill some vampires. Five hundred septims for every bit of vampire dust you bring them. With Oblivion's shoddy level scaling system vampires are pushovers. Just bring something with fire (spells, enchantments, etc) and you can take them down with one blow.

I've got Shivering Isles for PC but really didn't go too far in it. If you get the chance you should really head there, it's about twenty times more interesting than the standard Oblivion main quest and the world is more interesting to explore honestly.

One question for you though Hammy...has PS3 gotten the various DLC that PC and 360 owners got? Last time I checked it wasn't on PS3 for some strange reason.

The NES has all kinds of little gems. Some of these have been mentioned before, but they're worth another. Most of these are platformers, or action games since I'm not into sports games or Japanese RPGs.

- Legend of Zelda 1-2

- Super Mario Brothers 2-3

- River City Ransom

- Duck Tales 1-2

- Bionic Commando

- Contra, Super C

- Megan Man 1-6

- Blaster Master

- Bomberman

- Metroid

- Kid Icarus

- Super Dodge Ball

- Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!

- Double Dragon 1-3

- Ninja Gaiden 1-3

- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 1-3

- Darkwing Duck

- Rescue Rangers 1-2

- Battletoads & Double Dragon

- Tecmo Superbowl

- Castlevania 1-3

NES Archives is a great site for reference on these and more old NES classics. Their essentials list should cover anything I've missed.

Glad to hear that they're working on the new album, if we're lucky we'll get it by 2020 . Seriously though, with APC now a non-issue I can see this album falling into a bit tighter schedule (hopefully).

That said 10,000 Days didn't impress me as much as their previous work, but I've been pretty spoiled by Tool's stuff over the years. But fuck it, it's Tool and I'll buy it even if they just sell a blank CD wrapped up in a piece of paper with 'Tool' written on it with a felt-tip.

I gave it a go when it first came out and was pretty satisfied with the experience. I honestly think it's a bit better than the reviews have been saying, but at the same time it's not incredible by any stretch. Personally I feel they turned the game into a bit too much of your generic Sci-Fi FPS, losing some of the charm that came with the old N64 titles. Although killing shit with your knife is fun as hell

Long story short...wait for a price drop. Not worth paying full price for by any means.

Well the announcement says that the content "continues the adventures of..." so I'd assume you can use your previous save for the DLC.

Well Bioware just announced the first of their DLC for Mass Effect. Credit to Chris Priestly of Bioware over that their official Mass Effect forums.

To date, over 1.6 million gamers have explored the engaging sci-fi universe of Mass Effect. Beginning on March 10, fans everywhere will be able to expand the “Mass Effect” experience with the release of the first ever downloadable content for the award-winning saga.

The Bring Down the Sky downloadable content pack will be released to Xbox LIVE Marketplace on Monday, March 10 at 2 a.m. PST, and will be available for 400 MS points. This is the first in a series of planned downloadable content that further expands the Mass Effect universe and continues the adventures of Commander Shepard and the Normandy crew.

Bring Down the Sky includes a new uncharted world that introduces the notorious and feared alien race of the Batarians. A Batarian extremist group has hijacked a mobile asteroid station in the Asgard system, setting it on a collision course with the nearby colony world of Terra Nova. Only Commander Shepard can save the millions of innocent civilians before the asteroid completes its deadly descent.

Bring Down the Sky contains approximately 90 minutes of heart-pounding action and a new Achievement worth 50 Gamerscore points.

Mass Effect is exclusively available on Xbox 360 and is rated M for Mature by the ESRB.

I was actually thinking of making this topic myself. Anyways '08 actually looks like a pretty good year, although I doubt it'll top last year in sheer number of quality games that got released.

Off the top of my head I can think of: Culdcept SAGA (360), Devil May Cry 4 (360), Grand Theft Auto 4 (PS3), Metal Gear Solid 4 (PS3), Army of Two (360), Mario Kart (Wii), Viking: Battle For Asgard (360), Condemned 2: Bloodshot (360), Saints Row 2 (360), Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena (360), Brothers In Arms: Hell's Highway

And more I honestly can't think of right now. Not all of this stuff is must buy, except for the first four anyways.

GTA4's gonna be out on 360 too.

I was actually thinking of making this topic myself. Anyways '08 actually looks like a pretty good year, although I doubt it'll top last year in sheer number of quality games that got released.

Off the top of my head I can think of: Culdcept SAGA (360), Devil May Cry 4 (360), Grand Theft Auto 4 (PS3), Metal Gear Solid 4 (PS3), Army of Two (360), Mario Kart (Wii), Viking: Battle For Asgard (360), Condemned 2: Bloodshot (360), Saints Row 2 (360), Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena (360), Brothers In Arms: Hell's Highway

And more I honestly can't think of right now. Not all of this stuff is must buy, except for the first four anyways.

April 29th, here is the big question, do I get an X-Box or a PS3? I love the online stuff of the X-Box but it doesn't have my traditional games, the PS3 has finally started catching up and I like the idea of a Blu-Ray player so I can start my Blu-Ray collection now, please make cases for and against for me

I was hoping for a March release personally, but at least we finally get a date. GTA IV is undoubtedly one of my top five anticipated games this year.

More's the point, why can't I buy any lockpicks off the thief geezer who hands around at midnight in the shanty town with the torch. Grrr, I've broken all mine.

For someone who thinks you only live once and should enjoy it, you sure spend a lot of fucking time bitching and moaning.

Aside from that I have to say I was pleasantly surprised by the show. I'm a hardcore Terminator freak and was expecting this to be total shit. It's one of those shows you shouldn't take too seriously, but just sit back and enjoy (just like the movies). Overall it's got a strong cast, good acting, good story, and really just plain good. Looking forward to seeing where they decide to take things.

Does Kensuke Sasaki always come with the Florida Brothers? I was playing a Match Maker season and I booked a Dragon Gate show - and third on the card was Florida Brothers (Daniel & Michael) vs DoFIXER (Ryo Saito and Genki Horiguchi). Right before the match I got a blurb about their "undefeated streak" and then it became a 3-on-2 match with Sasaki in the Florida Brothers' corner.

Now, I'm pretty sure this has been done in real life.. but will that always happen when I book the Florida Brothers? >_>

I'll throw my ballot into the hat, and include dates (for when the game was first released) to prevent any confusion. All of these were released this year in Canada, and by extension the United States as well.

1. Mass Effect (360)(November 20, 2007) - Although it has it's flaws and didn't live up to my two years of hype, no game this year pulled me into it's story and world like Mass Effect. I've replayed it six times with completely different characters each time and enjoyed it immensely. That said the extreme texture pop-in is annoying, and the uncharted worlds obviously took too many resources away from crafting a longer storyline. If Bioware can improve those areas ME 2 will likely be in this same position two years down the line.

2. Super Mario Galaxy (Wii)(November 12, 2007) - I was giving up hope of finding anything on the Wii that was worth playing until this little baby game along. I haven't enjoyed a Mario game this much since Mario 64, and I've NEVER enjoyed a Wii game nearly as much. The controls are simple and don't involve a lot of arm flailing, the worlds are colorful and fun to explore, and graphics are surprisingly good. This is a real return to form for my old buddy Mario, and is the kind of quality adventure Nintendo needs to start giving us more often on the Wii.

3. Bioshock (360 & PC)(August 21, 2007) - Along with Mass Effect this game was one of the two titles I'd been waiting upwards of two years to play. Although I was a bit let down by the lack of RPG elements compared to System Shock 1+2, and Deus Ex, Bioshock is still an epic experience. The atmosphere in this game is hands down the best I've ever experienced. The first time I played through I was literally going at a snail's pace in some places because I never knew what I'd run into. Amazing game, and I can't wait for the sequel.

4. The Orange Box (360, PC, & PS3)(October 10, 2007) - BEST GAMING DEAL EVER. I'm not the world's biggest fan of the original Half Life 2, but Episodes 1 & 2 were some of the most fun I've had in a game in years. Valve really help draw you into the characters and storyline and make you feel like you're part of a huge adventure. The setting is cool, the shooting is solid, and Portal kicks all kinds of ass. Haven't been able to play Team Fortress 2 because of XBOX Live issues I've been having for months, but that doesn't hamper how awesome this set was for me.

5. Uncharted: Drake's Fortune (PS3)(November 20, 2007) - Top of the heap for the PS3 this year. Uncharted was a little under my radar until the middle of this year which maybe helped keep me from over hyping it too much in my mind. Beautiful environments (thankfully NOT done with fucking UE 3), and a really fun storyline with wonderfully written characters who are voiced excellently are all things that stand out for me. I've always loved a great pulp adventure, and Uncharted delivered in spades. That being said, Uncharted was a victim of me getting sick of shooting things all the time. Although 90% of the games on this list involve shooting, Uncharted was played at the tail end of it all and I have to admit I'd like to see less shooting next year and more exploring.

6. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (360, PC, & PS3)(November 5. 2007) - Speaking of shooting things; here's the game that did it best this year. CoD4 takes visceral shooting action and amps it up to twenty. Although the single player is only a few hours long, it's some of the most intense hours I've ever experienced in a shooting game. Infinity Ward really make you feel like you're in the middle of an epic war movie, and then run with it. I can't think of a single mission in this game that I disliked. Shame it was as short as it was (no multiplayer again because of Live issues).

7. Fire Pro Wrestling Returns (PS2)(November 13, 2007) - The greatest wrestling game I've ever played, bar none. After having put hundreds of hours into Fire Pro Wrestling A for the GBA some years ago I was pleasantly surprised to discover this game stomps the living shit out of it's predecessor. With a huge 300+ roster of wrestlers, tons of gameplay modes, and the greatest edit mode in wrestling games today FPR is a masterpiece. No one (not even AKI) has been able to make a wrestling engine that is more solid that the Fire Pro series (in my estimation).

8. skate. (360, PS3)(September 14, 2007) - Yeah Tony Hawk has sucked the last few years, I knew that before this game was ever even announced. Just how bad Hawk has sucked never really dawned on me until I played this game. People shit on EA for never innovating, but by God they can shut their mouths when it comes to skate. I've spent more time in this game just skating around the city than I ever did doing the missions in a single Tony Hawk game. The thumb stick controls are intuitive and generally easy to get a handle on, and the more realistic style is a welcome change to grinding over powerlines. There's room for improvement in the trick list and customization options, but skate really delivered for me.

9. The Witcher(PC)(October 30, 2007) - Good Western RPGs are a dying breed, especially ones that have some resemblance of a good storyline. Based on the novels by Polish writer Andrzej Sapkowski, and using an updated version of Bioware's Aurora engine; the Witcher takes RPGs to a darker place. Anyone sick of the some old high fantasy bullcrap should give the Witcher's darker take on the genre a look. The inquisitions, whores, genocide, racism, and imperfect characters all gave me a warm fuzzy feeling that I haven't felt since Fallout 2 years ago. It's up to companies like CD Projekt to keep a dying genre alive, and I hope to see more from them in the future.

10. The Darkness(360, PC, & PS3)(June 25, 2007) - Sadly this gem seems to have been lost in the shuffle, as I sadly expected it would be. Starbreeze are hands down one of my favourite developers right now. Riddick was a classic and I honestly feel The Darkness was just as good, if not better. With the unique Darkness abilities you get, great atmosphere, excellent story, and the charming voice work of Mike Patton, the Darkness just oozes gritty goodness. Although the actual shooting could be better, everything else greatly makes up for it. I can't wait for the Riddick remake Starbreeze is working on, and hopefully a future sequel to this game.

Honourable Mentions - Pokemond Diamond (DS), NWN2: Mask of the Betrayer (PC), Overlord (360 & PC), R&C Future: Tools of Destruction (PS3), and Metroid Prime 3: Corruption (Wii). Lego Star Wars: The Complete Trilogy (All), and God of War 2 (PS2).

Dishonourable Mentions - Assassin's Creed (360, PC, & PS3), Chicken Shoot (Wii), Heavenly Sword (PS3), John Woo: Stranglehold (360, PC, & PS3), and Need For Speed: Pro Street (All).

Those are my choices, and I'm sticking to them. Feel free to flame away if you wish, I'm a big boy...I can take it.

I've been a Playstation fanboy for years, since the original PS was released. I was excited for the PS3, and ignored the Xbox 360 for ages (having had an original Xbox and being somewhat unimpressed).

Then the PS3 went tits up in all kinds of spectacular ways, and I took a punt on a 360.

Best idea I ever had. The 360 is the king of this generation for serious gamers, I think the PS3 has had such a faltering start that I can't see it catching up.

I'd buy a 360, then by the time the PS3 catches it's stride in a year or so (or if it ever does), you can get one of them too.

Technically this is the 7th Generation of Consoles, but that's a whole new topic.

I'll answer your question with a question...what types of games do you like playing? Any particular franchises you follow? Particular genres you prefer? Do you like playing games online? The prices are similar now, you said you find the controllers similar, so it really comes down to those things.

I finally got everyone but the MMA guys renamed, which was certainly an epic experience. After that I decided to dick around with Lesko's awesome Kurt Angle edit. Something got screwed up with the color around the thigh area so I just improvised and made some modifications and overall I'm quite happy. Once you churn out a wrestler or two the edit system isn't quite so daunting anymore. I'm looking forward to getting some classic NWA edits worked out in the near future.

Overall I'm loving this. Lot's of new things that didn't make the cut for Fire Pro A that make this game superb. The ground wrestling system is a very nice touch. Really helped me to make a more authentic Angle. I can see this game lasting me for years before I need anything else.

Its pretty fun except for the fact I can't hit a high flying move to save my life due to the opponents getting up too fast. I've spent more time simming matches and watching them than actually playing the game, though.

I can't figure out for the life of me how to counter correctly, I'm just stuck pressing buttons.

This is a tough call for sure. A few months ago I would have said get a 360 without hesitation but the PS3 is slowly making strides to catch up. In the end the reason you're buying a console is the exclusives. Vilge already posted a pretty good list up above so I won't bother regurgitating it.

Personally I play my 360 A LOT more than my PS3, but I tend to buy multiplatform games like COD4, NHL 08, Assassin's Creed, etc for the 360 instead of the PS3. From my experience they run smoother (I also heard strange rumors that The Orange Box on PS3 runs like shit), and tend to be released earlier on the 360.

In the long run though I believe the PS3 is going to be better off. There's already issues with the 360 having less disc space than needed, and not having a HDD as standard has reflected itself on games like Mass Effect. The PS3 is the technical powerhouse this generation (although the PS2 was the weakest of the three and still destroyed everyone...it's anyone's ball game). Sony made the right move with Blu-Ray IMO.

Xbox Live completely destroys PSN, no questions asked there. If you want to play online, get the most demos, etc then the 360 is the big kid on the block.

As far as the red ring of death goes, I've had my 360 for two years now, play it constantly and haven't run into any problems. No one else I know has had issues either, but that's not to say there aren't problems. People saying it happens to every system is a load of shit. There are problems, but you're not 100% certain to get the problem (supposedly the newer models reduce the chances too). Sometimes you get lucky, I guess.

Anyways it comes down to a few things:

360:

- Superior online

- Larger library of games

- Most multiplatform games run better

- All it's various exclusives

PS3:

- Blu-ray player

- Playstation Home, if you're into that kind of thing

- More horsepower under the hood

- Once again, it's various exclusives

Both have issues besides that, but those are some of their brighter points.

Wow, they actually put Psychonauts on Live for download? That's one of the last games I expected to be in this "originals" thing they're doing. Maybe between Live and Steam this game will finally sell more than four copies.

That's just my way of saying get Psychonauts, awesome platformer, and very funny.

Well first of all, don't panic LOL. Second of all I'd personally advise you to go with a 60GB if you can find one. Unless you don't mind a more bare bones SKU I'd say avoid the 40GB unless you have no other options. SCEE President David Reeves said a while ago that releasing the 80GB model in Europe "wouldn't make any sense" and they likely won't release it there.

No 80GB for PAL?

So yeah...only having the 40GB model available in PAL territories? That's a bit stupid... :ohwell:

We don't get the Emotion Engine in UK 60gb PS3 models anyway.

Try your damnedest to get a 60 GB model if you want to play your PS2 games. The 80 GB model may be backwards compatible but it uses hardware emulation instead of the Emotion Engine like the 60 GB version. What you'll be getting with hardware emulation is backwards compatibility like the 360 has...more often than not glitchy, slowdown ridden, buggy crap.