Electronic Arts appears to have dropped the ball on the newest iteration of Madden for the PSP, what is called Madden '06, from time to time they create some kind of workaround that doesn't work around, and there is a part of me that just thinks this is what you get for playing sports games.

Now that there is a lackluster website to channel this angst, ever a sign of online momentum, I'm told that EA has actually invested in a piece of equipment to help them field calls from enraged consumers. That's what I'm told, at any rate.

You need to know something about how software authorization works. Console manufacturers each have departments that act as gatekeepers to their unsullied platform. The "Official Nintendo Seal" you have seen since the eighties is what you get when your product has bested these people in single combat or whatever arcane ritual is required. But I will tell you that if the publisher is big enough, and I don't think I need to be any more specific about the one I'm referring to, which is Electronic Arts, the rules don't always apply, and the decisions are made at a level higher than those people.

It seems strange to us, the men and women who queue at the counter for our preorders, but there are political considerations that can factor into whether or not we receive a functional piece of software. Do you want to be the company that stops the works when a behemoth like EA is trying to launch on four platforms, just to give an example? Don't you want powerful, and more importantly annual franchises like Madden on your system? Because they have those. Maybe online doesn't always work exactly right. Maybe there is a condition where it shuts off the system. If it doesn't happen beyond a certain threshold of frequency, to retail!

Do you taste that, console enthusiasts? It is that vile flavor PC stalwarts have grown so inured of that we download a patch the day we purchase a game and think "This is the way of the world."

Grabbing the new Castlevania for the DS today, on Jeremy's good word. I'm so used to the system's far-ranging gameplay experiments and whatnot that playing something where I magically scour an evil castle seems commonplace. Also, Virtua Tennis hits on Friday, and we've been long time proponents of the series' accessible approach to the sport. It was the jewel of the PSP pavilion last year at E3, fanned atop the High Seat, exalted among the almost games and other shrinking aspirants.

(CW)TB out.

one more look at the ghost

Well I finally hit 40 a couple nights ago and I got my mount. I see Kurtz hit 60 a little while ago, congratulations. Maybe if my strip was in black and white I’d be 60 as well ;) This is the first alt I’ve ever taken this far. My previous attempts at rolling new characters ended around level 14 or 15. I really don’t think it’s fair to call Dudefella an alt actually. Since starting on the Dark Iron server I haven’t once gone back and played my 60 Rogue on Cenarius. That says a lot about the quality of the players and the good natured rivalry between PA and PVP on the server.

The crew I run with all hit 40 around the same time. I play with them because they are my friends but also because you really can’t go anyplace alone on Dark Iron. I think that’s true for anyone on the server but it is especially true for me. I am frequently the target of suicide attacks. Horde charge into the center of our group and start beating the shit out of me. They don’t care that the rest of my crew is going to take them down. As long as I drop before they do they seem to consider it a victory. These kinds of attacks have turned our group into a finely tuned ganking machine. We no longer give Horde the opportunity to fuck with us. Occasionaly we feel bad for riding up on the lone undead priest but it seems like every time we let someone go it comes back to bite us in the ass.

It used to be that a quick wave from the Horde would be enough to avoid hostilities. Recently we’ve seen Horde waving while their Rogues sneak up behind us. We’re not mad, that’s a good trick. It just means we need to be equally vicious. The nice thing is that the Pandas out there are good people for the most part. They kill and move on just like we try to do. I can’t say as much for some of the other younger Horde guilds. I’ve got a great screenshot at home of four level 60’s sitting around my dead body. Apparently I’m an extremely dangerous mage. No matter what server you go to your going to have some bad eggs running around, it’s just the nature of the internet. The Dark Iron server in my opinion has a pretty low asshole population which is refreshing. You can still get in on the action. The Fancy Lads are recruiting again. Just jump in and group with some lads, then ask them to pass your name along to an officer. If you are already in a PA guild on Dark Iron be sure and use the forums on our official website.

Now that’s a fancy fucking lad!

-Gabe out

We got an early copy of our book to look over yesterday and I took some pictures for you guys. The book is due to hit stores some time in January from what I am told. It contains all the comics from years 1 and 2 along with a bunch of original sketches from that period.

It’s called Attack of the Bacon Robots.

This book is fucking sexy!

Cartooning superstar Bill Amend wrote our foreword!

Each comic has all new hilarious commentary. It is hilarious!

Who the fuck drew this?

-Gabe out

I think the idea originally was to whip up a few shirts for BlizzCon and be done with it, but maybe other people are interested in one of these designs as well?

We've got Slash Spit, I Duped This Shirt, and The Goldfarmer should you desire them.

(CW)TB

When we went to the Spike TV Video Game Awards, the only thing I came away with was that I really wanted to have one of those strange video shorts that reinforces where you are.

Aoineko (makers of the unbelievable animated film Fragile Machine) agreed to do one - and I think it turned out great. It's called Press Start, and you can get it right off their front page.

(CW)TB