I was thinking about this talk last night as I finished Portal 2. Every other level I found myself thinking, "Wow, that was definitely a truth nugget!"

You absolutely nailed it, Michael. Richard's keynote was excellent and he was such a great person to hang around with. It was easy to see that he loves Indie games and what they stand for and wants to see them thrive. Presumably so he can play more of them.

Thank you for the heartwarming post, Michael. Offer still stands, btw, for the headset. I know I'll never use it.

I haven't played Heavy Rain, but I did read your linked review and sleep at a Holiday Inn last night. It seems to me that by making the writer 'God,' we open up a branch of weaknesses that a writer wouldn't know/care about. I'm definitely in favor of giving writers more influence in game development, but there are designers for a reason. Though it also makes me wonder what kind of questions they were asking their beta testers - more 'Is this working?' and less 'Is this working for you?' perhaps?

Awww~ Absolutely adorable!

That's exactly what I thought. I'm now terrified of playing this game - I'd be such a wreck if that happened to me!

I don't suffer from TCBAGS, I enjoy every minute of it. Two years ago I was working for a door-to-door sales organization, and while I was out driving around with my partner for the day I ended up drawing out several pages of what the job would be like as a video game. It was actually one of the final straws for me quitting and going to do something else for awhile, as my brain was obviously not happy with the situation. Your 'Father Game' suggestion immediately made me think of that one peanut butter commercial where the dad is making a tree-house for his daughter, and she brings him lunch. I think that scene would be absolutely darling in a video game.

Personally, I just don't have a DS at the moment. Otherwise, I would have this game. Though if I was given the option between a DSi/Pokemon Platinum bundle, and a DSi/Chinatown Wars bundle, I'd go with Pokemon. I'd probably end up getting The World Ends With You before Chinatown Wars, but it's definitely on the to-get list. My responses: #1 I feel that the majority of DS owners are indifferent towards Liberty City. #2. No, Yes, No. I'm inclined to blame tough economical times. #3. We're not Pokemon'd out yet, are we? #4. Possibly. I have no idea about this. #5. I hope not, despite mounting evidence. Something needs to break the mold. #6. I think they needed a wiser advertising campaign, since I didn't hear much of anything about the game.

Tony Jay, may he rest in peace, played an Elder God. How awesome is that?

I can't help but urge people to play through Portal with the commentary on. About halfway through, if I remember correctly, Ellen McLain talks about doing the voice of GlaDOS. The praise she has for her experience at Valve goes a long way to explain the success of the game and its characters. I also wanted to mention that the Legacy of Kain series also put a strong emphasis on good voice actors who can handle monologues with ease. It makes the games - especially Defiance - the great stories that they are.

Going by the descriptions, I'd rather go see Hideo Kojima.

Those hats are worth at least twice my monthly rent! They look amazing, but not that amazing. Looks like quite an amazing place though. I'll have to visit sometime!

I found that people have that same response with something like Ruben & Lullaby. Only in that instance, they keep the iPod a little longer for a couple more tries.

I really should visit PopMatters more often.

So say we all. *sage nod*

Not that she isn't sexy in her own right, because she is. It's just not the 'point' of Jade.

If Jade's breasts are oversized, then so is her head. I personally think she's one of the most aesthetically pleasing heroines in gamedom, especially after you get to know her. Hm. Jill Valentine is also up there, for me. Same with Carla Valenti - but I think parading around in her panties helped with that attraction.

I think I may like it more than Nethack. At least in this, you feel like you're accomplishing something. Nethack is just so damn brutal it's a bit depressing after awhile.

I'm going to start asking myself, when thinking about a game I've just played, if I recall thinking about telling my fingers to do stuff. I know I'm running into that with spelunky, at the moment. No, don't want bombs, want ropes. No, don't arm bomb! DON'T DROP BOMB AT FEET AHH!

There's a definite mentality, at least on the forums I've seen, to talk for the sake of talking. While this isn't necessarily a bad thing in and of itself, it makes intelligent conversation a bit of a chore. Not only do you have to re-teach the same lessons to different people who don't understand the previous threads, but you also have the posters who 'tl;dr' your explanations and keep on going. It's a shame, because this kind of discussion can go a long way to teach people really important things. For instance, I doubt I would know as much about the Rroma as I do now, were it not for Gaia Online. Though I suppose that was, as most forums are, a feat of serendipity. Keep talking, and maybe someone will listen.

You just wanted an excuse to show off your kid. But, bravo nonetheless.

OBJECTION! Do you mean ceiling? Because running on roofs isn't that impressive.

The good 'ole Gamepro "Fun Factor" comes to mind. A game may not necessarily be genre-expanding, but Fun really is the bottom line. Well, Profitable Fun, at least.

Doh. Forgot to sign in to TypePad.

Some friends and I buy/sell each other's newly purchased games for half price. For instance, I bought Fallout 3 from my friend for $30, and I'll sell it to another friend for $15.