Blog - Busy Gamer News: Now with 100% more ads!
So, you may have noticed the new ads. That's right, I've joined the ranks of sites that try to earn enough money to stay afloat. I've run this site in its various incarnations for 3+ years without any ad support. But I can't afford to continue to do that, and I truly don't think it will make a difference to you, the busy gamer. With Google ads, I don't pick what's there (though I can filter to some degree), so I certainly won't be catering to a bunch of random links. And Gamefly is a service I can (and frequently do!) wholeheartedly recommend. I've been using them for several years, and it's a great alternative to buying a bunch of full-priced games. The best part is: If you rent a game and decide you do want to buy it, you'll typically get a discount. So Gamefly represents the other sort of advertiser I'll court: The ones I already stand behind. I do sometimes mention them in my reviews, not so much because to pander to the advertiser as to recommend a place to rent games for portables, which are typically not available at your local rental stores. So if you want to help this site, you know what to do. Also, tell your friends, since best kept secrets often wither and die on the vine...
The 800-pound gorilla that is Windows Vista landed this week, and the news isn't all good:
This week there are some new Wii virtual console game downloads (officially more than Microsoft put out for the Xbox 360 in its first year, albeit without the high-def facelift), including a Mario classic:
For those of you who thought Xbox 360 gamerscore points were just for bragging, Microsoft and Old Spice have a rewards program that could get you some virtual and real world booty. There are a lot of twists and catches, so pay attention. First, you'll be ranked on your annual gamerscore for the year ending Feb. 11. Those with 0-4999 points will be eligible to win an Old Spice Level 1 gamer picture and the downloadable Arcade game Contra. If you're between 5000 and 9999, you can win a Level 2 gamer picture, Contra and 100 Microsoft points. Beyond 10000 points, you're playing for a Level 3 gamer picture, Contra, 200 Microsoft points, a t-shirt and a copy of Fuzion Frenzy 2. How do you win these valuable prizes? Simply link your gamertag to a Windows Live ID and then earn 1500 gamer points between Feb. 12 and Apr. 12. Each winner will get a level bump for the following year, so it's clear this is at least a two year program. FYI: Some prizes (like the shirt and retail game!) have a limited supply, so you're better off scoring sooner than later. Sign ups start Feb. 12 at 
Valve revealed that Half-Life 2 Episode Two will be released this fall (no actual date, so sometime before the holidays). Better yet, it confirmed that the game will be coming to PS3 and Xbox 360. If you already have the PC version of Half-Life 2, you'll get the "Black Box" edition, which contains Episode Two plus new multiplayer games Portal and Team Fortress 2 - the official descriptions are vague, but they're supposed to be "pioneering," "advanced" and "daring" according to the marketing writer. If you're new to Half-Life 2 or picking up a console edition, you'll want the "Orange Box," which contains all of the new content plus the original Half-Life 2 and Episode One...
If you read my recent rant 
This week's Wii Virtual Console update includes three NES classics:
Word has leaked out from Bethesda Softworks that not only is the PlayStation 3 version of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion getting a graphics facelift, but the PC and Xbox 360 versions will eventually be patched to provide the same pixel shader improvements - though nof other hardware-dependent optimizations such as zippier load times. This will make divining the "definitive" version of the game a bit more difficult, especially since the PS3 edition will include the Knights of the Nine quest line but not other enhancements such as the Mehrune's Razor, Orrery, Thieves' Den or Wizard's Tower add-on packs offered as for-sale downloads on PC and 360. Apparently, the issue is that including them from the start throws off game balance and would require more up-front testing. On the flipside, Sony's PlayStation Network Store is unproven as a mechanism for providing these sorts of in-game content updates - so making them available later isn't certain, though the developers have vowed to work on it once work on the game is complete. There's also a rumor that the PS3 can't actually handle the added content, but it's hard to say if it's truth or fiction propagated by the haters...
If you thought the Wii channels for weather, photos and news were it, get online and download the new Everybody Votes Channel. This simple polling system is surprisingly deep with the game-like ability to try to predict the outcome of a simple two-answer query. Stats show how dialed in you are and whether your outcome predictions are more mainstream than your own personal tastes. Simply register your Mii and then drag the avatar onto your choice of, say, what's the better Valentine's gift: chocolates or roses? Then check back later to see how you did. You'll need both a system update and a free Wii Shop download to get this new feature, which shows Nintendo does have plans to fill the remaining dashboard slots with more than just Virtual Console games. Then again, they better come up with a way for you to save these files somewhere other than system memory, or you'll soon be awkwardly juggling downloads between SD cards and on-board storage...
If one of your seminal gaming experiences was pointing and clicking through D'ni with Atrus, Sirrus and Achenar, you can try the Myst Online multiplayer world (adapted from the launched and then canceled Uru Live) for free when you 
So, if you read my blog post from the other day, you'd know that I'm about to embark on a new career as a consultant/freelancer. One of my first duties is to buy a laptop that I can haul around for work. But I also want a machine that will do justice to the latest games, so I can keep up on new technologies (e.g., Vista) and continue reviewing titles for this site (which, if traffic continues to grow, could eventually be a revenue stream for my business!). Heck, I may even indulge in that anathema to busy gamers everywhere: World of Warcraft. 
Nintendo continues to show up Microsoft's hit-or-miss Xbox Live Arcade Wednesdays with its now highly consistent Wii Virtual Console Mondays. This week, look for:
If you're an old school gamer (meaning you went to school in the '80s), you no doubt remember Bruce Lee for the Commodore 64. It was a simple platformer that was so addictive, you could play it through many, many times. Well, there's a PC remake of it - and best of all, it's free to download and play. It even includes the multiplayer mode and joystick support. Yeah, it's old news - but if it's new to you, 
If you're already drooling over the prospect of Guitar Hero II for the Xbox 360 in April, you'll be happy to know there will be some new, exclusive tracks (in addition to the 
Finally, a somewhat compelling reason to pick up a PlayStation 3! Taking a page from Microsoft's original Xbox playbook, Sony will be offering PS3 exclusive features for its upcoming Spiderman 3 game. The so-called Collector's Edition is slated to include the New Goblin as a playable character, complete with motion-controlled maneuvers and bonus race challenges that require the Sixaxis controller's special capabilities. Now, since Spiderman is a Sony movie property, the only question is whether this qualifies as a monopoly move...
By the time you read this, Alien Hominid HD should be out on Xbox Live Marketplace for $10, complete with 16 levels, 7 mini-games and even multiplayer modes (2 on one console for the main game, and up to 4 locally and/or on Live for the minis). Other new downloads include:
Blizzard launched an ambitious Web repository called 