I kept hoping that Fallout 3 would be available on Steam at the time of release. I woke up today, puttered around my Steam client a bit, and lo & behold - there it is! I love Steam, because not only does it prevent you from needing to have a game CD in your drive to play, but you can download your game as many times as you need to. I wasn’t one of the first adopters, so, thankfully, I’ve had ZERO problems with Steam. They give publishers options for how they want to handle their DRM, with Steam’s reliability serving as the backbone. Bethesda had released Elder Scrolls: Oblivion with little to no [noticeable] DRM attached, so I’m expecting to be able to play at Midnight next Monday
Ahh, lots of memories. Blizzard has always been such a great company. I can’t remember a significant complaint I’ve had about anything they’ve published.
Edit 11/15/2008: Parts 2 and 3 have been added in the full post Read more »
My cousin sent me an e-mail today with a message from Ben Stein on Christmas [confirmed by snopes]. Heck, even if it hadn’t been confirmed by snopes, I still like the message. It’s nowhere near Christmas time, but if you read his message, you get the real point.
Herewith at this happy time of year, a few confessions from my beating heart:
I have no freaking clue who Nick and Jessica are. I see them on the cover of People and Us constantly when I am buying my dog biscuits and kitty litter. I often ask the checkers at the grocery stores. They never know who Nick and Jessica are either. Who are they? Will it change my life if I know who they are and why they have broken up?
I know there are lots of “how to” sites out there where you can find a lot of great and useful information, but I’ve often found that they leave out a few steps. Sure, some may say it’s for efficiency, but I say the steps are left out with careless disregard for the reality a person faces while doing a home project. Since I’m such a helpful and informative person, I’ve taken the time to document the ACTUAL steps a person needs to take to swap out one dishwasher with another.
Print these out so you don’t have to run back to the computer to keep reading the next step.
Amber, Lacy, my mom, Jim and I went out to eat on the 9th at Bandera in Old Town Scottsdale where I had a GREAT fillet. I’m not much for red meat, but it was very tender and flavorful. Oh yeah, the cornbread was good, too.
My mom lied about said she was leaving Friday morning, and it turns out she had surprised me along with other family and friends later that night when I went to my sister’s girlfriend’s house for dinner. As much as I give my sister a hard time, I do appreciate that she does nice things for me, even if she tries to hide it. I guess the whole thing was her idea and she had been putting it together for months.
Rise & Fall: Civilizations at War is the latest creation from award-winning developer Stainless Steel Studios and renowned game designer Rick Goodman. Rise & Fall: Civilizations at War is a detailed real-time strategy game that lets players completely command one of the four mightiest empires of the ancient world: Greece, Rome, Egypt, and Persia. Rise & Fall allows players to fight alongside their troops as one of history’s eight greatest heroes, and bring victory to their nation on the battlefield.
Today’s free download is The Suffering [filefront, gamershell]. Metacritic gave it an 80 out of 100 based on 26 reviews, and users gave it an 8.4 out of 10. Granted, a lot of the games I’m posting aren’t this year’s releases, but again, the price is right. No whining.
Players assume the role of Torque, a man convicted of a horrible crime that he may or may not have committed. He’s sentenced to life in Abbott State Penitentiary, a haunted place that hides a terrible secret, one that threatens both the prison guards and the hardened criminals that call this isolated hell home. Torque’s tale unfolds in nine terrifying levels, where grisly mutated creatures, sadistic prisoners and guards lurk around every corner. A variety of deadly weapons are at his disposal to help him survive and escape from prison. In addition, Torque has a “rage meter” that, when filled, transforms him into a hideous and bloodthirsty creature that looks and feels right at home with the other dozen monstrosities stalking his every move. Torque will be able to interact with other inmate NPC’s and enlist their help in escaping, or take them out if they get in his way. The Suffering also features three distinct endings based on how the game is played. In revealing Torque’s story, he could be a cold-blooded killer, a man wrongfully accused, or something far, far worse.
Another free game sponsored by in-game advertising. This time it’s Full Spectrum Warrior and you can find it at filefront. I believe I played a demo back in the day, and the gameplay is similar to that of a Ghost Recon or S.W.A.T. type of gameplay. I believe the game was originally developed as a training program for the armed forces then glitzed up a bit for the retail version. Metacritic gave it an 80 out of 100 based on 26 reviews and users gave it a 8.0 out of 10. Sounds like a good game.
Full Spectrum Warrior is based on a game commissioned by the U.S. Army to train light Infantry troops in urban combat situations. Soldiers are placed in a tense, hostile, and claustrophobic environment where they must complete a variety of military objectives. Players act as the Squad Leader, providing direction to Alpha and Bravo fire teams. The successful Squad Leader effectively uses cover in the environment and moves his fire teams in a coordinated fashion so they can protect themselves from possible attacks that could come from any direction. Full Spectrum Warrior puts you in the dirt with your men, where danger lurks around every corner.
Brains and charm are fine, but a real guy needs to know how to do real stuff. After months of debate among PM’s expert editors, here’s our lineup of essential skills, broken down in 10 categories for the competent man—plus 20 tools you need to own. Did we leave anything out—or included a skill you don’t think is worthy? Sound off in our chat, then take PM’s interactive DIY quiz to see how you measure up—and pick up the new issue of Popular Mechanics for the instructions!
Automotive
1. Handle a blowout - check!
2. Drive in snow - check! Read more »
I’ve seen a slew of games released in full that are now sponsored by advertising. I decided I’d start posting them here if people were interested. I’ve downloaded Area 51 by Midway, but I haven’t tried it yet. Download it yourself, here, if you’re interested. Metacritic rates it a 67 based on 27 reviews, and users gave it a 7.1 out of 10. Not perfect, but the price is right.
The U.S. Army has received a distress signal from Area 51 where a viral outbreak has just shut down the research facility and the automated quarantine procedures have locked all scientific and military personnel inside. A small Special Forces unit including Specialist Ethan Cole of the HAZMAT (hazardous materials) Division is sent to investigate.
This is a full version of the game with no time expiration sponsored by advertising.
-drew- October 24, 2008
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