Game reviewers – what they don’t teach you in school.

PSXExtreme recently published a great op-ed on video game reviewers.

No…you DON’T always know “just as much” as the reviewer

This doesn’t only apply to game critics, but to critics in all other entertainment-related industries. I know the fan always wants to believe they know just as much (if not more) than the reviewer, especially in the world of video games. I know they pick apart reviews in a desperate effort to prove that “anyone can do his job.” I know that if a reviewer ever makes a mistake – God forbid – the readers will likely grasp it and hold on for dear life, milking the slip for all its worth. I know they believe everything is “all subjective.” Yeah, this is one of my biggest pet peeves; everything is not all subjective and every gamer can’t be critics. I like good food. I’m a fan of quality gourmet dishes. But I only know what I like; do you honestly believe I pretend to know as much as professional food critics? People who compare and contrast more dishes in a week than I’ve done in a lifetime? Give me a break.

This article brings back a lot of memories. I still remember when a certain publisher contacted me about reviewing one of their games. I could have the game for free if I offered up a solid recommendation. I did not have to give the game any awards, but I could not be overly critical. I passed, and then passed out of the gaming review business. It happens.

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U.S. heads CONCACAF table.

Thanks to a little luck, Team USA now sits at the top of the CONCACAF World Cup qualifying table. The luck? First, the US managed to win an away game against T&T. I would have expected it to be easier, but a win is still worth 3 points, even if the win is not all that pretty. Second, last night El Salvador beat Costa Rica 1-0, and Mexico beat Honduras 1-0, both of these were good results for the US.

I only got to see the final 20 minutes of the Trinidad & Tobago game, and I think lackluster sums it up pretty well.

The Americans probably won’t spend much time thinking about the negatives from their 1-0 victory against Trinidad & Tobago on Wednesday night, not when the three points helped them move into first place in the skin-tight CONCACAF qualifying standings. However, at some point they need to look at the match and think about why they struggled yet again to dispose of one of the weaker teams in the qualifying group.

It all comes down to a month from now when the US travels to Honduras (October 10), and then plays host to Costa Rica (October 14). I never would have thought the US would struggle to qualify for the World Cup, but such is the state of American soccer, which is bitterly disappointing.

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Push towards PSP digital content continues.

Just noticed this bit under a Disgaea 2 (PSP) article on the PS Blog.

I also want to let you know that NIS America will release our past PSP titles, such as Prinny, Disgaea, Blade Dancer, and more, on PSN in the coming weeks. They will be available between $4.99 and $12.99 during the sales week (October 1st to 7th.) They are all 50% off, so don’t miss this chance to get them if you haven’t gotten these titles yet!

It is obvious that we will continue to see a strong digital push in the coming months. I wonder if all PSP titles are going to go digital. I do not have any of these titles, but it is nice seeing the low prices (at least while they are on sale).

Also on the blog was mention of a minor upgrade of the original PSX Persona. You better believe that this one will sell like hotcakes.

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PSP Go Digital Pricing will Suck

So there you go; no real discounts for PSP Go early adapters. I missed this while on vacation, but just found the reference (via the PlayStation blog … bet they did not intend me to trash it in this way).

Sony will release a standard PlayStation Portable bundle on October 20 which will include a disc copy of Gran Turismo, the company announced.

The $199.99 package features a Mystic Silver PSP, the game, a downloadable movie voucher, 2GB memory stick and a voucher for 10 songs from Sony Music Pass.

Consumers can also purchase a standalone version of Gran Turismo on disc or through download on the PlayStation Network for $39.99. That version will release October 1, along with the revamped PSP go handheld.

I get it, but I do not really get it. I see this trend – no discount for digital only owners. I really thought Sony would see the light and offer some sort of discount for going digital, but that would be too much to ask.

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Point for Cox.

I was one of the first (but certainly not the last) to say that Cox was not the QB to lead the Dawgs to glory. The ajc has posted Cox’s response to this and other criticism?

Cox apparently anticipated the criticism that followed his performance.

“After the game, me and Joe were, like, the only ones in the locker room just talking [about] how people are going to be talking,” receiver A.J. Green said. “And I was, like, ‘Joe, you don’t need to worry about that. You’re going to be fine. Just don’t worry about what people say about you.’ ”

“I’m sure there was stuff said,” Cox said. “It’s not tough [to ignore], to be honest with you, because half the people that have things to say after a game have never played a down of football in their life. I wouldn’t criticize somebody for something I’ve never … done before.”

Fair enough. Point for Cox, but he is way under exaggerating. It is more like 99% of us have never played a down of football except for pickup games.

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Believe in the Falcons. Fear the defense.

But not a good kind of fear. Nice article from SI (Peter King).

“What’s exciting is we can get some real speed out there this year,” said Dimitroff. “People look at our team and say, ‘You’re missing five starters on defense.’ Do I regret it? No. We might take a step back at first, but we’ll gain experience and continue to grow.”

The key is going to be pressure from Abraham, coming off a career year, and the underachieving Anderson, because Houston and Grimes (and probable nickel Hill) are not great cover guys. The Falcons open against three veteran quarterbacks from two 2008 playoff teams — Miami, Carolina, at New England — so we’ll see if the Falcons can come together as a young defense quickly.

The defense better come together quickly or we will go another year without consecutive winning seasons, which would suck in a big way.

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Console wars are interesting in Europe.

Not says me, but according to Good Gear Guide (Australian based something or another site found via N4G).

This places the Sony PS3 in a commanding position to usurp the Xbox 360 and Wii as Europe’s best-selling console. (Prior to the launch of the Slim, the original PlayStation 3 was only a million units behind its competitors in this territory.) The success of the PS3 Slim has been echoed around the globe, with total worldwide sales estimated at 500,000 — and that’s in its first week alone. With its inbuilt Blu-ray player, integrated Wi-Fi and free online gaming, it’s hard to argue that the PS3 doesn’t offer better value for money than its competitors (provided you actually want all of these things, of course).

Whichever way you look at it, it would seem that the price is finally right for hesitant PS3 buyers. One thing’s for sure, the console wars are about to get a lot more interesting…

Sustainability. That is where it is at. Ask again after Christmas.

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Georgia drops to 21 (or why the polls suck)

In the latest AP Poll, Georgia is now 21 after their kick in the pants from Oklahoma State. Riddle me this Batman. How does Oklahoma State (at the time 9) beat Georgia (at the time 13) and move up 4 spots to 5, but Georgia falls 8 spots to 21?

If a victory over Georgia is worth moving into the Top 5, how come a lost to a Top 10 team (now Top 5), warrants such a demotion for the Dawgs?

To be honest, I have no problems with a 21 AP ranking, I just think it is ridiculous that there is such a disparity in the way these votes are cast.

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SEC Roundup (Week 1.2)

I ended up 9-2 after week 1, which is not all that bad, but I was too optimistic about Georgia (homer) and I was flat out wrong about Auburn.

Going into week two I noticed that Georgia is giving 8 points to South Carolina. Are you kidding me? The Gamecocks always play the Bulldogs close, and about last weekends debacle in Stillwater, I am surprised that the Dawgs are not dogs at home (or at least even odds).

Upcoming there are not a lot of interesting games to look forward to this weekend. UCLA visits Tennessee, which is an opportunity for UCLA to gain a measure of revenge and earn some much needed SEC respect. Vanderbilt gets to see how they measure up to LSU. Finally, South Carolina comes calling on Georgia in Athens; this is always a bigger game for the fighting chickens than Georgia.

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Home again.

As much fun as it is going on vacation, it is always a welcome relief to be home again and back into a normal routine; as in getting up at the crack of nothingness, looking for interesting news stories, enjoying a cup of the delicious black stuff, and putting together articles.

The news stories are going to have to wait. I am beat. I could not believe the traffic yesterday. The trip down to the beach took less than 4 hours, including one stop. I was particularly pleased about only stopping once; with three kids, that was kind of amazing. Yesterday the return trip home took a good 5+ hours. Traffic was ridiculous.

Upcoming this week – will Georgia be ready for South Carolina? Will the Falcons be able to return to the playoffs? More Marauder updates. A Weber Q 220 update – first tailgate is September 13. I am sure there will even be a video game story or two thrown in for good measure.

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Atlanta gets some secondary help.

Yesterday the Falcons picked up some much needed defensive back help. According to J.Mike’s Missives (blog on the official Atlanta Falcons site), Atlanta added former Jacksonville Jaguar Brian Williams.

Williams played under Smith — then the Jaguars’ defensive coordinator — in 2006 and 2007, starting 29 games at cornerback. The eight-year veteran has 93 starts (107 games), 484 tackles, 18 interceptions, four sacks, nine forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and 94 passes defensed in his career.

In 2008, Williams started all 16 games for the Jaguars, finishing with 89 tackles and two interceptions.

This is an encouraging signing for the Falcons, a full week after I was completely bummed out about the secondary’s performance. It looks like Williams was a salary cut victim.

Williams started 45 games the last three years, but was behind rookie Derek Cox(notes) this fall and too expensive to keep as a nickel back.

I wonder how quickly Tye Hill and Williams will push for playing time? Prior to the Williams signing, I thought Hill had a chance to push for Grimes or Houston for playing time. I know the coaching staff loves Grimes for his athletic ability, but sometimes that is not enough to make up for skill. Williams gives Atlanta additional depth, but could also push DeCoud for the starting FS spot.

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Falcons roster cut analysis.

The NFC South blog at ESPN offers this roster cut analysis.

What’s next: Atlanta has a solid starting offensive line, but the depth is still a bit shaky with Brett Romberg, Will Svitek and Quinn Ojinnaka as the only backup linemen on the roster. The Falcons could look to add one more veteran to give them some flexibility. Even after trading for cornerback Tye Hill earlier this week, the Falcons still could look to upgrade their secondary.

I certainly hope ATL can find some secondary help!

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