November 2009 Archives

So the holiday season is upon us again, and with it the inevitable attempt to find something suitable and affordable for that weird nerdy cousin of yours that never comes out of his room during your family's Christmas party because he might "miss his scheduled raid slot for Molten Core", whatever the hell that means.

Fear not, loyal reader!  I'm here to help you find what you're looking for without having to go through all that troublesome thinking.  Game developers are just as cash-strapped as you in these unfortunate times - let me help you make their loss your gain!  Below I've listed the cream of the crop of 2009's choices for gaming on a shoestring budget.  You're welcome.

(Note that despite this post's title, I'm not including pricing information here.  Retailers are all equally horrible in their unique little ways*, so I'm remaining neutral as far as that goes.  All I will offer you here is a heartfelt "Happy Hunting!" and my promise that each entry satisfies my requirements**.)

SPOTTED: rumors that Sony's On High people are planning a "premium" content model for the PS3's online service.

PSN vs. Xbox Live has always been an "apples with a monthly fee if you want apples worth eating vs. free apples in more expensive trees" comparison.  In an uncharacteristic fit of wisdom, Sony has to date seen fit to provide all its online content free of charge. 

Presumably, all current and currently announced PSN features will remain free, but as those features are the backbone of the average console gamer's interest, it begs the question: what exactly does Sony plan on charging for?

(via Engadget, via in turn Gamespot, via presumably the rest of the internet)

Are you one of the few Americans* to purchase a Nokia phone this year?

If so, you might want to check your charger's manufacturer.  Nokia is recalling some 14 million chargers made my Chinese manufacturer BYD due to faulty plastic covers which could come loose, exposing the internal components and posing a shock hazard.

And you thought the crap wiring in your Christmas lights was the biggest threat to your house this holiday season.  Not in this man's 21st century, by gum!

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* 7% market share and slipping, according to NYT.  30+% everywhere else. Weird.