Regular Columns

Nintendo selling a ton of Wiis, Rockband tops 1,000 & 3D Gaming will be wave of the future? - Welcome to the column that promises to push technology that will be around a hundred years from now like the ballpoint pen & Ding Dongs known as Dare to Play the Game.

Thanksgiving has come and gone along with Black Friday and Cyber Monday. I geared up a little differently this year for Black Friday by sitting in front of my computer and watching Amazon. After the dust cleared, I think my wallet was probably gasping for air a bit. Two cds, four blu-rays, a dvd tv set, a couple of things for the significant other, and yes even my wedding ring. Five orders in all, and actually no video games.

Xbox Bannings, Judge takes off of work for Modern Warfare & More Mr. T commercials? - Welcome to the column that always claims at least one drumstick for themselves and then tries to blame it on the seven year old when it disappears known as Dare to Play the Game.

It's the day before Thanksgiving. Truth be told, I am sitting here in my easy chair at home trying to bust this one out. I only worked a couple of days this week because there was very few people in the office and there wasn't much to do outside of organization. Gaming this week has been some World of Warcraft (dinged 48 on my priest who is the only character I've been playing since I've reactivated my accounts) and some Grand Theft Auto IV: Episodes.

Wii Third Party Game Madness, Left For Dead 2 Released & Night Elf Mohawks in Warcraft? - Welcome to the column that pities the fool who actually tries to wear 10 pounds of gold chain and isn’t named Mr. T known as Dare to Play the Game.

This week I started the review for Grand Theft Auto: Episodes from Liberty City for the Xbox 360. Actually by the time you read this column, you will probably notice the review right above it. As I start to write this column I’m about 60-70% done and just need to get all of the mini-modes in the game down on paper. So what exactly have I figured out from this writing assignment?

Last Friday I had the opportunity to talk to first time director, John Hindman. His film, The Answer Man arrives on DVD and Blu-ray this month. We’ll be offering a review of the High Definition release soon. Until then check out what he has to say about the film.

Mature Content in Games, Bad Band Hero Track Edits & Rock Band 3 will teach you to play the Guitar? - Welcome to the column that won’t teach you how to be a video game columnist and instead just act like one known as Dare to Play the Game.

Well, I finally finished the review for WWE Smackdown vs Raw on the Xbox 360. I put a good 2 ½ weeks into playing it and wrote up a very lengthy & detailed column if you want to go read it. Overall, I do love the game and think it’s the best WWE game in years. Of course, as we all know even before reading; the game isn’t perfect. But it shows that if designers lead with their creativity hat firmly on their head, they can produce a really special product.

Nintendo ponders the Kindle for DS, Japanese Gamers lack of Curiosity, & Industry Confessions? - Welcome to the column that contacted Montel Williams for an appearance but was pushed off because we were less exciting than an agoraphobic cat lady who isn’t sure who the Siamese’s baby daddy is (and doing the segment from her house) known as Dare to Play the Game.

So, it’s just another week in paradise eh? Except I live in Texas and most people seem to have the disposition of angry red fire ants. And they can’t drive. Most of my week was spent playing WWE Smackdown vs Raw 2010. It’s the first wrestling game I’ve played since SvsR 2007. 2008 & 09 seemed like steps backward for the franchise, but I finally got back on board with all of the improvements.

Today's musing involves two recent films experiences. The movies could hardly be more different, but they have made me think again about the wonderful flexibility of my beloved horror genre, a flexibility that extends to swallowing up films that don't, in theory, even belong to it. Allow me now to elucidate that rather cryptic remark.

Years ago I was fishing at an isolated hidden mountain lake with my friend, local DJ Willie Nelson. It was midnight just as my birthday was to begin on June 21st (Summer Solstice). We both witnessed something that neither of us were ever able to explain. What can only be described as a UFO, was what we saw. Bright lights moving silently close to the ground and over us. I wrote this song about the experience years later and included it on my Invented Memories album. Enjoy this real-life horror tale:

Bang it here to listen to Is Everything Alright (Faster Than The Speed Of Light) Song

Atlus stops Undersupplying, Japanese PS3 Sales Up, & Should Game Developers be on Facebook? - Welcome to the column that doesn’t understand why 29 different Wii games need to be released in a week when the only one you need is Press Your Luck known as Dare to Play the Game.

Remember that pain in my side that was something between a strain or possibly worse stemming from my bronchitis? Well it seems to be healing up nice. I had a lot of good rest and it has taken its sweet time but I’m pretty close to being back to 100%. It’s amazing how much a sickness can take out of you. Like I mentioned before, I have not had something like this since I was in college. I don’t ever want to experience that ever again. We won’t be visiting that person’s house again as a result.

In the year 2000 the horror community awarded me song of the year for a song I wrote about my love of monster films. When I played the song for Sarah Karloff she nearly busted my guitar because she was hugging me so tight. With the help of my wife Ellen Sassani on cello and Daniel Swartwood on keyboards we recorded the song as a tribute to Boris Karloff. Enjoy this completely original song. It’s available as a bonus track on the In Cold Blood CD. Check out the ad to the right to get one.

Bang it here for Man Created A Man by G.E.Sassani: Play