News and Opinions

The Devil May Cry over installation, Stop smashing my Poker, and downloading from Xbox Live could make you a winner? - Welcome to the column that thinks that DLC is something you might want to change your pants afterwards known as Dare to Play the Game.

Welcome to another edition of Dare to Play the Game. Level 17, ding ding ding. Okay so I'm still playing World of Warcraft (I still have a strange inclination to call it Whorecraft, cause I feel like a dirty dirty one). My new toy has to be the lockpicking skill. I already got it up to 62 which I know for non-noobs is nothing but I'm digging it. I'm completely fascinated by the pick-pocketing skill too. I'm starting to get the mindset where I want to walk into something dangerous and get a cool item. Then get the heck out of dodge. But then again, maybe I just want to mine and help noobies out cause I'm that kinda good natured person. Before anybody asks, no I'm not interested in PvP. I'm talking about grabbing something valuable right from under somebody's nose. Alliance that is and for the Horde.

Wii equals gimmick, PS3 overtakes 360, and could a Bear stop piracy? - Welcome to the column that lives in a tiny little farming community called bizzarro world but known to the gaming community as Dare to Play the Game.

Welcome to another edition of Dare to Play the Game. Level 13 is the magic number for my Troll Rogue (Lantanador) in WoW. I've spent most of the last week improving my mining & blacksmithing skills. I'm just happy that I can make a Copper Short Sword all by myself. Too bad my rogue uses daggers and other small weapons. I finally started shopping for gear at the auction house which is expensive but does yield some excellent items. But the idea of professions is an interesting one and does give you the feel of doing something more than defeating monsters, solving quests and getting money. I still think they need to lower the price point though. That's the only barrier I can't wrap my head around. Good game, sure. Worth $15 a month, I still don't see it *shrug*.

Xbox is Crack, SNK breaks out the catalog, and Counter-Strike deemed not Brazilian friendly? - Welcome to the column that keeps living in the past as long as it can keep making money in the future known as Dare to Play the Game.

Welcome to another edition of Dare to Play the Game. My new router is going pretty well. Speed has picked up a good deal, however I still feel the pain when I'm doing something at peak hours. WoW is much improved as is the Xbox Live Marketplace. I actually sat down to play a little WoW even though Guild Wars is still my choice of poison. I have a level 11 Troll Rogue(Lantanador/ server: Killrogg if you want to look it up), thanks for asking. I still like my Guild Wars, but I can understand why some WoW players are paying their monthly tithe to play their characters. It's very addicting, thankfully I've learned to control myself due to years of gaming and realizing that each game, while maybe fun isn't the cure to living a rich and full life. Unless that game is the original Metroid or Legend of Zelda. I lived on those.

Goldeneye XBLA in the can, EGM Blackballed, and Mass Effect could give a case of blueballs? - Welcome to the column that is like going to the bathroom after Mexican food night, full of gas and plenty of things you can't pronounce known as Dare to Play the Game.

Welcome to another edition of Dare to Play the Game. I had to purchase a new router this week. See my old one was giving me fits. I could connect to Xbox Live just fine but any downloads from marketplace was ridiculously slow and PC Gaming (WoW or Guild Wars) was no walk in the park either. Sure the web moved alright, but any gaming was like surgery for lab rats. I ended up getting the D-Link DIR-625 which supports Wireless N and everything inbetween. It also has that QOS engine which means better gaming priority structure. I hope it just honestly means I can play a game in peace and not have to reset my modem and reset my router everytime the temperature changes in Houston. The only city I have ever seen where you could need a long coat in the morning and shorts in the afternoon followed by long pants at night.

GPS on the PSP, DTV on the Xbox 360, and Provo gone? - Welcome to the column that recommends you take heavy doses of LSD and PCP to enjoy the sarcasm to its full extent known as Dare to Play the Game.

Welcome to another edition of Dare to Play the Game. All Pro Football 2k8 is a mother. Well the season mode is, I'm currently trying to beat the Legends squad which is just as bad as it sounds. John Elway at QB, James Lofton at WR and a whole list of defensive squad all-stars guaranteed to make sure they score often and you score close to never. My team's gold players consist of Walter Payton and Jerry Rice. My QB is Randall Cunningham. I actually used my own likeness as a Bronze Tight End. I should have a lot easier time on offense but for the most part my defense does better which is anchored by DE Too Tall Jones and MLB Karl Mecklenberg. But you know what kills me in this game. The short pass. Screen passes murder me and there is no good package I can find to combat it. Not to mention they do it constantly. I also made a team to resemble the '85 Chicago Bears since the game seems fit to include 6 Bears already that played on that team. It was just a matter of creating five more. I chose Jim McMahon (QB), Kevin Butler (K), Steve McMichael (DT, but I had to put him as a DE since they list Dan Hampton already in the game as a DT and William Perry is the other DT), Richard Dent at DE and Jim Covert as OT. Four starred defensive linemen. Quarterbacks are going to run in terror. I really love creating teams & players, I just wish they didn't have a cap of twenty players which I will max out when I'm done with the current Philadelphia Eagles squad.

Smack the Wii, Scalp Half-Life, and XBox Live Broken Down - Welcome to the column that realizes that the gaming newsworld is a vacant wasteland during the holidays but trudges on anyway known as Dare to Play the Game.

Welcome to another edition of Dare to Play the Game. The girlfriend and I are trudging on through Marvel Ultimate Alliance, we finished the Atlantis stage. Saved Prince Namor, beat Kraken and thankful I don't have to touch another water stage. I really don't like them. Perhaps it's all of the "authentic" water-like sounds. Like gurgling. I also received my copy of the Xbox 360 Arcade Compilation disc that was packaged inside the 360 Arcade machine. Ebay is a wonderful thing. I quickly became addicted to Pac-Man Championship Edition. I usually suck at Pac-Man, well actually I still do. But for some reason, I'm just a little better or feel like I am when it comes to this version. I completed the Championship Mode fairly easily and almost beat Extra Mode #2 (3 seconds left, I'm not kidding) but the rest of the modes I'm usually a couple of minutes off from beating them (10 minute timer). I've gotten half of the achievements and it's listed as an easy game on Achievement sites. I think the reason behind that though is so many people in their younger days threw bucket after bucket of tokens into the game or Ms. Pac-Man. However, I did not. I spent my time playing Dig Dug, Pole Position, Mappy & Galaga. So as to my meh Pac-Man scores, I hope to improve. If not, I'll still own you all in Mappy!