The first step is recognizing the talents who create games. Movies list the producer, director, and actors on the DVD box, why don't games? That would allow fans to follow their favorite talent from game to game. And it might encourage game developers to hang onto people who do good work, instead of hiring and laying off people seemingly at random.

Playing fake instruments was cool when you were racking up high scores on a Konami arcade machine. Owning fake instruments was cool when you were the only kid on the block to own Samba De Amigo shakers for the Dreamcast. But it's gone too far. Everyone and their mothers owns Guitar Hero. Rhythm games have lost all their underground coolness.

The part I hate most is people's illusion of being rockers. No, you're playing a toy guitar and drums. A TOY! Back in the day, there was no illusion of being a rocker. The cool part was because it was a quirky Japanese game that few people even knew about, and even fewer were good at.

It would have been much better if they included the actual characters, instead of just costumes for the standard characters.

Also, it's my understanding that you have to unlock those character costumes, which means we'll have to start out playing a character we don't care about, or worst, play as a Mii. It's like Brawl - you can't start immediately with a Mario-vs-Sonic battle because you have to unlock Sonic. Fuck Off! Let me play the good characters I want to play from the start!

Also, the PS3 is no longer the cheapest Blu-Ray player. Insignia Blu-Ray players have already appeared in BestBuy at sub-PS3 prices. Consumers can look forward to huge Black-Friday deals on Insignia and Funai Blu-Ray players this fall.

No, the 360 does not upscale DVDs well, and chances are neither does your home-theater. The 360 got a score of 20 on the HQV upscaling benchmarks. Most Samsung and Sony "home-theater-in-a-box" score around 35. However the PS3 scored a 90!!! That places the PS3's upscaling quality near videophile-approved equipment like the Silicon-Optix-equipped Oppo, Denon, and Marantz players.

Count me as a cellphone-only household. When I moved and Bell wanted to charge me $55 to move my phone service and couldn't do it for two weeks after my move date, I said bye-bye to the land line.

Not only has the cell-phone only been more convenient (only one number, no forwarding to setup), it's also CHEAPER to have a cell phone with a moderate plan than to have a land-line plus a cell-phone with a minimal plan!

The only wired connect I have going into my home is cable, and that's only for internet (no television services).

Thanks. I guess I'll have to reserve judgement until I can play a demo. None the less, the game went from a slam-dunk buy to a cautious wait-and-see.

What are they teaching designers? Because these designers seem to be completely out of touch with what real people living in the real world want.

"zero impact"?

No, it will have one very big, very bloody, impact.

Why would Rare make a driving game? All they are going to do is alienate fans of the original Banjo-Kazooie games.

It's like how Hollywood destroys comic books and anime: they remove everything people loved about the original and change it in an attempt to appeal to a broader audience, but end up appealing to nobody.