Its Friday evening, its cold, its snowing outside and tomorrow is Valentine's Day. I'm sure I wont be the only guy going to bed tonight wondering if they picked the correct size of lingerie for their other half or if the piece of jewellery they bought has the right design they'll like. I've got a table for two booked tomorrow evening and did remember to book a taxi to take us this time after last years muck up where I forgot and had to get my better half to drive us both to the restraunt and then back home. A year later and I still haven't bothered learning to drive, seems like such a hassle and something I'd rather do when I hit my pension years so I can boast to the other pensioners about it in the old folks home when they go on about being able to make it to the toilet in time.

I'll probably try and get a more substantial blog done over the weekend or next week, or maybe even next month. Who knows maybe you guys and girls can suggest some ideas for future blogs. But I'll finish this one off with wishing you all a happy Valentine's Day and for those spending the day on their own then I have something for you below. A picture of Batman with a Greenlantern Corps ring....

So I haven't done a proper blog in awhile, my last blog was more Moderator focused than anything personal or actually interesting. However I will make up for that by providing what I hope is an interesting blog for you, the community, to read. So lets bypass the introduction crap and get right into the gooey stuff shall we?

I was reading through Crispy Gamer today when I came across an article [LINK] stating that Destructoid had been hacked sometime on Monday and the hacker(s) had managed to successfully get away with the usernames and passwords of members of the site. Kind of shocking that someone would go to that length to gather all that information and I'm a little confused as to why someone would want to do that. I mean I guess there is a small chance some of the information stolen is used by members there on other websites and online accounts. But I imagine most people, like myself, use different usernames and passwords for separate accounts on the internet.

Then on ShackNews I came across an article [LINK] detailing a hand made replica of the Aperture Science Handheld Portal Device which looks absolutely fantastic if you ask me and it would appear the same person may have also made a replica dispenser from TF2 aswell [LINK]. The first thing I thought when I saw that Portal gun is I would definately drop some money on one of them if Valve started selling them in their online store. Seriously that Portal gun looks like the real deal, even if it doesn't create real portals, it still looks absolutely amazing. Awesome stuff I think you'll agree!

Also on ShackNews (if you haven't guessed, I'm sort of a fan of them) they have had some really interesting articles about the PC as a gaming platform recently. Two interesting ones simply list some games to look forward to in 2009 [Part1 & Part2] which was pretty handy. I haven't really been keeping up to date with whats coming out this year other than Burnout Paradise is mean't to hit the PC sometime soon I believe. Sort of looking forward to that just to watch those car crash animations.

EA DICE has also started taking applications for a new wave of beta testing for their quirky looking multiplayer shooter Battlefield Heroes [LINK] so if like me you have been keeping tabs on the game but missed out on every round of beta testing so far then now may be your lucky chance. I signed up earlier today for a beta key, need to check my email later and see did I get in. I know Kush has been just as excited over this game as I have and with all the delays it has recieved I have to admit my patience for it is becoming thin, I'd really like to just see it released or go into open beta already. Either way I'm still looking forward to playing this just to see is it as whacky and fun as trailers make it seem.

I think I'll finish this up here with a little shout out to SuperMooseman who I have been playing a lot of TF2 with pretty much each evening for the past week or more. We've had our moments relishing sweet victory as well as bitter defeat. But we've pulled through stronger than ever and found a mutual dislike for everyone who plays as a Medic. It feels like everyone who plays as the Medic lately is an idiot. So many times we found ourselves with a Medic that had a fully charged uber only to have them back out at the final moment before a rush to cap the control point leaving us at the mercy of a sentry gun or group of opposing players. Not cool folks, not cool at all. Anyway thanks for reading and be on the look out for a detailed insight into my love / hate relationship with Bioshock in my next blog!

So kids, been awhile since I last blogged or even made a topic on the forums (other than stickies, or "anchors" as they sometimes get called). Seems a lot of my time has been in the IRC or moderating the boards as of late. I failed at my goal to try and reach 5000 points by the end of 2008 which sucks. So I have set a new goal for myself, reach 5000 points by the end of January this year! we'll see how it goes, I don't think I'm that far off but considering my level of procrastination its still a tough goal to achieve.

But now that I've got you reading I guess I should be honest and reveal the real purpose of this blog to you all. As some, I'd hope most, of you may know we have two FAQ guides posted on the site to provide users some information on the Forum and Wiki here at GiantBomb. They've been up for awhile now and users can find the links to them in the 'Defusing the Bomb' sticky [LINK] which is visible in the 'Newest Topics" area of the forums.

However theres not been a lot of feedback on the Forum FAQ itself and I was hoping the community could perhaps take some time to read it and then report back with any feedback on the guide. Is there anything you would like added? Anything that you think needs editing so its easier to understand etc. Just some general constructive feedback on the Forum FAQ would be good. Especially now that we have a large number of new users and the fact it will be getting an edit later on today from me to include information about the new features to the forum.

So roll out GiantBomb, read the Forum FAQ and get back to me with some feedback and either reply here or send it to my inbox!

Hamz

Hey folks, friendly neighbourhood moderator Hamz here with my top ten games of 2008 and end of year review. Before we get into the actual top ten list I think it should be said that 2008 was another cracking year for the video games industry. We all said in 2007 that nothing could beat that year for the number of great games released, but this year seems to have done just that.  We've seen new big hit titles for existing franchises such as Metal Gear Solid 4 and Grand Theft Auto IV. While new and innovative titles were also released such as Mirror's Edge, Braid and World of Goo.

2008 has definitely been a year that had a lot of interesting things happen in it for the video game enthusiasts around the world and the most interesting of all was seeing this website, GiantBomb, launch and flourish into something extraordinary. It has been a pleasure to be a part of the community here and even more so to have been here from the start and see it grow into the positive place that it is now.

So without further ado, here are my top ten games of 2008!

10. Mass Effect (PC)

A space opera RPG by the acclaimed developer Bioware that was released on the PC in 2008. Mass Effect was a pleasant change to the RPG genre that has become saturated with games that follow the fantasy setting. The futuristic space setting allowed for more vast exploration between planets and locations which for a person like me who often gets feelings of wanderlust was a joy to experience in a game. The vast number of planets and systems you can visit and explore made the atmosphere of the game feel very grand, or for lack of a better word, epic in combination with the plot. Mass Effect's story is one that branches out across a wide area and one that allowed you to encounter multiple unique personalities and races of alien beings. In short I found the game a great experience due to its strong setting and story combined with the real time combat that still kept those core RPG elements. And I don't think I even need to mention the ability to romance and seduce hot alien chicks either.

9. Spore (PC)

A fantastic example of a game that basically lets you run wild with your imagination. If you ever had dreams as a child and wondered what an elephant crossed with a pigeon and perhaps a shark would look like, then Spore can help you achieve that. Both a financial success and one of the few games that actually achieves the goal it aimed for in the first place I found Spore to be a quirky, fun and utterly unique game to play. Sure some people will say it wasn't that great and is similar to other creations by Will Wright, but I disagree. I say if a game can allow you to make phallus shaped life forms then clearly it’s a winner and one to definitely play.

8. Bionic Commando Rearmed (PC)

I never had the pleasure of playing the original NES version of the Bionic Commando game. But when I got my hands on Rearmed I noticed two things. The first being that the soundtrack for this game is just so damn great, and I am a big fan of games with good soundtracks. The second being that there needs to be more 2-D side scrolling shooters released. Honestly I can admit that I haven't played many 2-D side scrolling games but Rearmed was just a fantastic experience and one I am happy to say I paid extra for to play on the PC.

7. Crysis: Warhead (PC)

The game Crysis should have been in my opinion. Warhead seemed to improve on the areas that were weakest with Crysis such as the multiplayer, the overall performance of the game and the general gameplay itself. It just felt a lot more focused and the protagonist Sergeant Michael 'Psycho' Sykes was a far more entertaining character than the somewhat boring and dull Nomad from Crysis. That and Psycho has a strong resemblance to the British actor Jason Statham of Transporter 1, 2, 3 fame in both visual design and general badass attitude. Overall I just really enjoyed this game a lot more than its predecessor it felt a lot more action packed and focused in its progression of both narrative and gameplay.

6. Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness, Episode 1 & 2 (PC)

So I’ve sort of cheated here and included two separate games into the one choice but as a passionate Penny Arcade fan I’m sure you understand I just couldn't pick one without the other. The big draw for me to these games and the main reason I picked them to be on my list is that when I played them it felt like I was actually inside a strip for the popular webcomic, it didn't feel like a game at all. This is in large part due to the art design and visual style that at every moment oozes a comic strip feel to it and when you include the writing style and narrative it becomes even more apparent this is definitely a Penny Arcade game. For those unfamiliar with the popular webcomic the game still appeals as a fun, quirky adventure game set in a steam punk era that has a combat system that’s both simple yet challenging. There is also the fact no other game uses swearing in such an elegant style either. The humour is crude and in some cases infantile but that’s why it’s so damn fun to play this game. If there is anything I have learnt from this game it’s that the study of urine should seriously be considered and that monkey fights are both cool and awesome no matter the circumstances. Oh and hobos are nasty people!

5. World of Goo (PC)

• A small independent developer, 2D Boy, created this epic masterpiece of a game. A simple yet highly addictive game that I think a lot of people looked at and passed on playing but a game they really should have played. World of Goo is that sort of addictive puzzle game that you both love and hate because it’s easy to lose hours of your life while playing it when you probably should be doing other more important things yet at the same time it’s just such a good game you can't stop playing it. Cartoony visuals, great physics system and well thought out level design make this a brilliant yet somewhat underrated game in my opinion. I don't often find myself attracted to puzzle games but I'm glad I decided to pick this one up; it’s just been such a great amount of fun to play. World of Good proved that you don't need a massive team of developers to create a fun game, and that’s what I think gaming is all about, fun.

4. Assassin's Creed (PC)

• An unusual choice as a lot of people don't seem to regard Assassin's Creed as that good of a game. But I however do because it had such a great feel and scope to it that not many games have achieved before. It has such a huge beautiful world that feels wholly alive with each individual person in the varied locations you visit seemingly unique and there are hundreds of NPC citizens within the cities all acting independently. That brings me to another reason I enjoyed this game so much, the sheer scale of each of the major cities you visit such as Acre and Jerusalem is astounding. The amount of detail put into the level design is amazing and the draw distances are so good that when standing on the top of a cathedral looking out over the city you can see everything and beyond, it’s just amazing. Another great aspect of Assassin's Creed is the platforming and free roaming available to you. Each city is quite literally a playground for you to explore and adventure in, whether it is climbing up buildings and running along rooftops or carrying out a stealthy kill on an unsuspecting guard only to run into the shocked crowd, that gather around, to make your escape. Assassin's Creed has a great combination of action packed combat, stealth and platforming coupled with the great way it captures the atmosphere of the Holy Land in the 12th century. Overall I think I just really loved pretending to be a medieval Spiderman jumping around buildings before sticking sharp pointy things into unsuspecting guards before tossing their body off a rooftop into the oblivious streets below, who doesn't enjoy doing that in games?

3. The Witcher Enhanced Edition (PC)

• The Witcher originally was released in 2007 and suffered a number of technical issues such as long load times and performance problems as well as many errors in the English dialogue throughout the game. Thankfully though the Enhanced Edition was released this year as a large free download for those who already owned a copy of the game or as an entirely new retail edition that came with a lot of material found in the Special / Collector's Edition of the original game. The improved and revised script for the dialogue in the game really fixed some of the issues regarding the plot and made the story easier to understand and less of a guessing game. As well as this the graphics were improved upon making visual quality in the game more detailed and all round better looking. And the two greatest improvements granted by the Enhanced Edition were the reduced load times which in the original version were absolutely unbearable taking up to as long as twenty minutes in some cases just to go from the street of a town into a tavern. Thankfully that massive amount of time was reduced making the gameplay more fluid which is great as there are also two extra adventures to play through that are separate to the main campaign. This added content really makes the Enhanced Edition feel worth looking into instead of coming across as a fancy name for a big patch to fix various issues the original released version suffered with. Overall I loved playing through the Witcher in 2007 but the Enhanced Edition made playing through the Witcher feel like a new experience turning what I considered a great RPG into a masterpiece of the genre.

2. Dead Space (PC)

Ok so the big horror hit of the year and game that gets praise for turning me into a complete pansy when I played it goes to Dead Space. There were moments where I really did not want to go into the next room or hallway for fear more monsters would try and impale me. And that is why Dead Space is so high on my list, because it had a genuinely terrifying atmosphere to it that kept me on the edge of my seat, with all the lights in the house turned on, in the middle of the day. An engrossing story that always left me with more questions than answers for the most part is also a positive aspect of the game. The feeling of being alone on a spaceship full of creatures with the sole intention of smearing your insides all over the walls along with the somewhat cliché video logs that end abruptly before you get any real information really hit home the phrase "In space, no one can hear you scream" from the popular Alien film series. One feature I really liked about the game was the lack of a traditional HUD. Instead the pertinent information is integrated into your space suit allowing you to see at things like health by just looking at the glowing lights running up the spine of the suit. It really felt more immersive for me to not have the lower half or corners of my screen full of numbers and information. An adrenaline fuelled and truly terrifying experience, but that’s why I loved this game. It made me feel genuine emotions of fear and that’s something hard to find in a game.

1. Left 4 Dead (PC)

And my top game of 2008 goes to the survival-horror-coop-orientated-zombie-shooter created by Valve. L4D caught my interest from the moment I heard about it and is possibly one of the few games released this year that actually lived up to my expectations. The premise of the game is very simple, you play as one of four survivors in a city full of infected zombies of varied shape, size and ability and must make make your way to each safe house before finally being rescued at the evacuation point. Sounds pretty easy until you take into account that the AI Director just loves to ruin your day by increasing or decreasing the difficulty and challenge posed by the infected as it monitors your groups progress and skill level. You can usually tell when the AI Director is going to unleash something bad on you due to the use of music as it picks up into a crescendo mere moments before hell is unleashed upon you and your suffering party. This is another amazing aspect to this game the complete focus on providing a great co-operative experience for players. It seems to me that Valve really just wanted to make a game with the sole purpose and goal of having the best co-operative multiplayer experience in a game and then decided they wanted to make it a zombie survival shooter as well.

And for the most part they succeeded at creating a game with an amazing co-op experience. No other game has such dedication to making players rely on their teammates to win as Left 4 Dead does. If you aren't playing with people you know and trust then you are at a serious disadvantage because communication and being able to predict what your fellow players are going to do is to some degree key at surviving the zombie apocalypse. Playing with random players often results in a complete meltdown in communication, organisation and fun with your party wiping out in minutes and everyone being unhappy. The other great thing about this game for me is that it’s a zombie survival shooter that cuts away the often boring and pointless back story explaining why zombies are walking the streets. Zombies are fictitious creatures, we don't need to know why they are in the game, we just need a gun some ammo and a horde of undead to cure, one bullet at a time. Left 4 Dead is for me the best game released this year; it reached my expectations and in some ways surpassed them by emphasising the fact players need to work together to survive. It also taught me that no zombie is safe from Chicago Ted!

Honourable Mentions

This year has been a pretty big year for releases, but 2007 was also a big year for video games. And below are the two biggest of 2007 that I have continued to play on a religious level all throughout 2008.....

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (PC)

Without doubt one of the best FPS games of last year and one of the best online multiplayer shooters ever created. It brought a whole new level of customisation and enjoyment to the online shooter experience and managed to guarantee itself a place in many players hearts for the sheer fun it provided. Whether it was laughing at someone complaining about the Last Stand and Martyrdom perks or playing on a server with hardcore mode enabled. There was a lot of joy to be had with COD4's multiplayer which I continued to play daily from release and throughout this year as well. Also a game with a short but action packed single player that has its own merits for emotional impact, good gunplay and being able to rain death down upon some terrorists from high up inside an AC-130.

Team Fortress 2 (PC)

My Game of the Year choice for 2007 and likely would have been for 2008 had Left 4 Dead not been released. TF2 was an addiction of mine throughout this year because it is in my book the best online shooter created. From a unique visual design to well thought out and quirky classes. Valve has shown that a games success and longevity can be guaranteed if the developer is willing to put in time, effort and dedication to maintaining post release support for their game. Much like Left 4 Dead, TF2 requires players to work together in harmony by supporting one another where their chosen class is weakest. Whether that is a Medic helping heal the Heavy or a Pyro doing a Spy check on everyone passing by an Engineer's structures. Valve took the "lone wolf" mentality of most players who want the glory for themselves and changed it so they become a member of the "pack" and work together to achieve their goals. This year alone TF2 has continually gone from strength to strength with various balance issues and bugs being tweaked while new maps, class updates and game modes are released.  If ever a game could be perfect I think TF2 would be my choice.

PC Gaming in 2008

As a PC gaming enthusiast 2008 has been a rough year for me and those who share a similar passion for playing games on their computers. The controversy over piracy on the platform and the negative, some say lethal, effects it is having seems to have been the biggest topic this year for the platform. And amongst all the negative attitudes, system wars arguments, bad console ports and EA's DRM fiasco one thing has been a shining beacon in the dark for anyone who considers themselves a PC gamer.

Valve's digital delivery service, Steam. Quite possibly the best thing this year has been watching this program evolve from an online store to an online hub of activity. Whether it was anticipating a new deal on a game each weekend or logging in to find a new array of big hit titles from days gone by were now available for purchase. Steam was constantly there to remind me that PC gaming has support, has success and is still a viable and effective gaming platform.

If ever there could be an icon to show the world what defines PC gaming I think Steam would be it. An online store, a form of piracy protection, a community hub and proof that digital delivery is the way forward for game releases. This year saw some, if not most, of the highest anticipated titles released on Steam with many more games for next year also announced as well. And recently it has seen a large contingent of EA's big hit titles announced for release on there as well. A subtle nod perhaps from one of the biggest publishers in the industry that the PC is not a dying platform like so many claim these days. Overall I don't think the PC got a lot of love this year, but hopefully 2009 will bring about change.

Hamz

So the highly anticipated survival-horror-coop-orientated-zombie-shooter from Valve was released today at 5am, in the UK anyway, and i was one of the brave, or sad, folks who stayed up to play it as soon as the game unlocked on Steam. And i haven't really stopped playing it since, infact its now nearlly 5pm and i've only just logged out to write this blog and share my thoughts.

First of all this game is intense and one thing i cannot stress enough is play it with people you trust. When there is so much going on, whether its a screaming horde of regular zombies or some devious zombie jumping out the shadows with a blood curdling howl as it pummels you to the floor. You really need to have people on your team to back you up when things get tough. I've been fortunate enough to play alongside a bunch of friends on Steam aswell as being unfortunate enough to play alongside a bunch of random people aswell. L4D is a game that really relies heavily on players knowing, trusting and being familiar with one another to achieve success against the undead. To use a term from MMO's it just doesn't end well if you have to PUG (pick up group) your way through the game.

The AI Director in the game is very clever and you find yourself experiencing a different style of gameplay each time you play one of the chapters in the 4 campaigns. I also found its very unforgiving too stupid players. In true horror movie style you'll get ripped apart if you stray too far ahead of the group or if you stray too far behind and hold the group up. One unfortunate French player in a group i was in kept straying behind to try and find pipebombs while the rest of us kept moving. Needless to say he was set upon by a group of somewhat pissed off zombies and we had to come back and rescue him a number of times. Sure we could have waited for him but like the old saying goes, "We can't stop here, this is bat country!"....or something along those lines. No two playthroughs ever really feel the same and you'll find yourself really saying "oh shit" when you walk outside the safe house into the loving arms of a Tank. And when you try to run back into the safe house and close the door you find the loving AI director has decided the door cannot be closed....

• Chainsaw - Iconic weapon of any zombie game and a powerful one for close combat. Refueled by using the contents of the many petrol cans dotted around the levels in the game and providing a small dilema for players. Is it worth them refueling the weapon or saving the petrol cans to use against waves of zombies?
• Revolver - Upgrade the pistol(s) to a more powerful handgun thats a little slower at reloading and obviously has fewer shots to fire.
• MP5 - Used by most police and security forces worldwide it would make sense to come across it in various levels of the game where we find police cars and such like.
• Flashbang - Again used by police forces as a method of crowd control it could provide a group a few seconds extra to reload, regroup and such like as it stuns the zombie hordes.

Hey all its your friendly neighbourhood moderator here, just felt like writing up a little open letter style blog to you all. The community here is the lifeblood and pulse of the site, its what keeps it running and going forward. Its probably the most important aspect of the site because without you, us, all we wouldn't have a place to call GiantBomb. So i guess i felt like writing a blog to share a few things with you all, mainly how the site and community from my perspective has changed into what it is now....

On July 21st 2008 the internet witnessed the birth of GiantBomb. A one of a kind and truly unique website for video game enthusiasts where they could all contribute to amassing a vast and varied amount of knowledge on video games and gaming culture. From Hamburgers, Princess Debut, Tea-Bagging and Mario to Double Jumps and Sega and much much more. In a Wikipedia style the site offers users the chance to really contribute to its development by submitting content in the form of images or details to a page of the Wiki. Attracting users from all over the globe and from other gaming related websites, GiantBomb became a new home for many.

"Being a moderator is just like being a video game reviewer. People will always criticise your work and say they can do a better job. The trick is to just accept you'll get such responses and don't dwell on it"

Community made stuff you MUST take a look at!

• The Community is still a threat - A topic dedicated to many community features, originally started by the community manifesto topic created by Lies, MattBodega, TokyoChicken and DualReaver.

1. Bomb Should Have a Face aka BSHAF - The official second best podcast here on GiantBomb. Started by MattBodega, TokyoChicken, Jensonb and Disgaeamad. Its continually improved every episode and had such famous faces from around the site on as guests like Dave Snider, MB, Sweep, Jayge, Lies and myself to name a few! I strongly suggest if you haven't listened to this podcast yet then you totally should because otherwise....your so 12, or just a big derelict!
2. Bombing Run - A Community game night originally started by MattBodega but has since been passed onto the hands of Systech to organise and handle. If your interested in playing some awesome games alongside your fellow users here at GiantBomb then i recommend you keep an eye out for the weekly topic relating to the next Bombing Run and get your details posted in there if you want to take part. Great fun to take part in for sure!

• List of GiantBomb users Spore Tags - Created by SuperMooseman to provide users here who are fans and players of Spore the chance to share each others content and have general chit chat regarding Spore and such like. Worth looking into if your a fan of Spore.
• 360 Gamertag Topic - A place for all Xbox360 users here on GiantBomb to share their gamertags and get added to each others friend list so you can all chill out and play some games together. If you own a 360 then i strongly suggest you look into this topic, always some friends to be found here. Started up by Kindgalaxy.
  
• Gamerscore Leaderboard - This topic contains the gamerscore of GiantBomb users on the Xbox360, chuck in your details and see where you rank compared to your fellow users here on the site! Created by Gorillawhat.
  
• Playstation Networkd ID's - Just like the Gamertag topic this one focuses on users sharing their PSN ID's to others within the community so people can hit each other up online and have some fun. Created by Flam3Thr0w3r.

  

• Beta Code Topic - Created by fellow Forum Mod, BoG, this topic is for users to post requests for beta codes for games or to share extra codes they may have recieved so more of the community can get in on some beta action. Worth a look if your having a hard time finding a code for a games beta.
• Defusing the Bomb - The Forum Mod's very own community sticky where we provide a link to the recent and brand new yet still shiney Forum FAQ. Plans are also to include news, announcements and a thought of the week to it aswell. A FAQ for the Wiki section of the site is in the works aswell and will hopefully be added once its finished so keep an eye on this sticky. Also we would seriously appreciate some feedback from you guys and girls on the Forum FAQ, either leave the feedback as a comment to this blog or send me a PM, either way all criticism and such like is appreciated. But i strongly recommend you read that FAQ, if only so you know some of the basic rules we have here.
• Community IRC Channel - An IRC channel set up by the community for the community, suggest you go check it out. Lots of friendly people in there plus some of us Mods make a venture in on a regular basis. And guess what? Its not moderated by the Moderators on the site so feel free to chat to us in there without worrying about anything!
• The Force Unleashed Mega Guide - A mega guide for the game TFU created by Lies, Systech, Pyromaniac and SpikeDelight. Proof that this community can achieve great things with a little effort. Just utterly amazing, if ever you needed a guide for this game then this is the one to use!
• Trivia - Another great feature on the site is the trivia quiz which has user submitted questions. Can be a helluva lot of fun if you find yourself bored, also a great way to make use of the Wiki feature on the site and improve your gaming knowledge. Definately worth checking out.
• Guides - Aswell as having a highly detailed and devleoped Wikipedia of gaming related knowldge on the site we also have an awesome feature for users to write up and create their own guides for games or aspects within a game. Got a tip on how to beat that final boss in a game? Then write a guide on how to do it, publish it and let the community rate and respond to it!
• Lets Play! - Play a free game, come back, discuss and rate. The new revamped version, worth checking out and having a look at!
• GiantBomb Caption Contest - Something thats just started up, and something worth taking a look at for a few laughs and some fun. Pictures, captions, contests, nuff said! Created by SuperMooseman
• Friend Codes Topic - Much like the PSN ID's and 360 Gamertags we also have a Wii Friends Code topic for all you Ninty fans out there to share and hook up and play some games people. Created by Arkthemaniac
• GiantBomb Staff Photo Edit Topic - A topic created by the much loved and now less active BiffMcBlumpkin for users to show off their photoshops using pictures of the Staff. Sort of creepy yet mildly entertaining none the less.

Been bloody ages since i blogged so figured i'd make one, let those interested know what i've been up to and i've been up to a lot. From gaming to working to becoming single again, yeah nearlly 5 years sort of finished last week so ladies, i'm taking names and numbers :P. Trying not to dwell on it too much but rather difficult anyway...

What i've been playing...

• Crysis Warhead
• Peggle
• TeamFortress 2
• Age of Conan
• Mount & Blade

Went to go see Star Wars: The Clone Wars while we were down there and it was surprisngly good. Infact i thought it was better than the live action Attack of the Clones film starring Ewen McGregor, Natalie Portman and Samuel L Jackson etc. It just didn't have the bad acting, angsty storyline and was all round kid orientated fun. And the scene involving Anakin and Ashoka hiding in a box to sneak past some droids really made me laugh. I doubt the creators mean't it to be a homage to MGS but thats what everyone was saying after we left the cinema.

I downloaded the EU Warhammer Online beta client so i can hopefully take part in the Gamer Connect Beta event planned. Click here for more details on the event and click here to download the EU beta client. Pretty sure you can't make an account for it yet until the 7th but i may be wrong. I just hope i haven't missed my chance to take part in this open beta.

A lot of games coming out soon that i'm interested in, FarCry2, Crysis Warhead, L4D, Spore, Mercs 2 and maybe WAR. But what with having an aging PC that struggles to keep a decent FPS in COD4 and a lack of money to be able to afford them i think i'll just wait and maybe buy a new PC around Christmas time. A long way off i know but i figure by then i'll hopefulyl have more cash to splash out on new games and a new PC!...thats the plan anyway lol.

Downloaded the new Google Chrome web browser and have been using that for a few hours now. Infact i'm posting this blog while using it. I have to say it isn't bad at all but neither does it have anything that makes me want to stop using FireFox v3 and start using Chrome from now on. Click here to download Chrome.

Other than that i have been trying to play COD4 and improve my skills but having not played it in awhile i really suck. Infact i almost rage quit the other day because i really got owned constantly but i took 5, had a smoke and a cup of tea then went back to playing. I guess my break worked as i finally managed to break my Kill/Death ratio even for the match.

Also just finished playing some TF2 on the PC with a fellow GSUK user, tamsj04, in which we managed to lay down the law to some other TF2 players. Until i switched teams and for about 5 minutes was at the mercy of tams's heavy and his minigun. But a few casual headshots and finally switching back to the other team allowed us to go all out on those punks!....its also increased my love for the Scout aswell. I lost count how many times i killed people using the little pistol which hardly ever gets used lol.

PAX is also over and from what i gather general opinion is that it was awesome. Some even saying it could be the new E3 but i can't really comment since i've never been to either. But i would say that E3 may be better left as an industry professionals show and PAX perhaps stay as a public show?

I'm also hoping to get some time in and start writing up more edits for the Wiki on GiantBomb. Its something i've been meaning to do for awhile now but it just seems everytime i get to starting it i end up having to do moderator things. So this Sunday i think i'll sit down and try my best to get some reviews and edits up!

Well i think that covers everything really, so until next time!

Well just thought i'd post a blog and let you all know its my birthday tomorrow, 25th of August, and i'll be away for a few days or so. The girlfriend and myself are going off to celebrate it, yay for dirty weekends away :D!...well its not really the weekend but you get the idea. When i'm back i'll be popping up a blog to share my thoughts with you all about some upcoming games and i'll hopefully get some more reviews and edits made to the site. Haven't done too much editing lately what with moderating, so i want to earn me some points lol.

Anyway chow for now Bomb Squad!