Welcome back, folks!  We’ve got headline talk this week.

First though, Jonathan picked up a PS2 based on Alex’s recommendation, as well as Dead Space and Resonance of Fate.  He’s found Dead Space to be fairly ho-hum, one chapter in, and he hates a character who apparently has some sort of satisfying death.  He also talks a bit about WoW’s late game content, with a note that he’ll be quitting soon.  Really.

Sam rejoices over finishing Fable 3, and talks a bit about Dead Space 2.  He’s also got hold of a new laptop, so perhaps PC games other than WoW will make appearances in the show again, and we get a brief explanation of the Burning Rome teaser, and a recommendation to watch Spartacus: Blood and Sand.

Alex puts off game talk in favor of revising his “Best Thing of 2010 That Wasn’t a Game” pick, and giving his take on what his contest entry would have looked like assuming he was allowed to enter.

Our headlines this week cover the gamut:

• Sony announces the “Next Generation Portable”
• Rumors say Sony might start using serial keys for PS3 games
• Hell moves ever closer to freezing over as Duke Nukem gets a release date
• The Russian media tries to blame Modern Warfare 2 for terrorism
• California tries to slap warning labels on video games
• OnLive announces their new unlimited gaming pack

Before Name That Game, Jonathan almost announces a new contest, but doesn’t quite, and then Sam unleashes game show hell on his cohorts.  It gets ugly.

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Fair Warning: We had huge connectivity issues in this episode, and at some point Alex’s mic sounds like it dies.  Hopefully next week is better.

It’s a headline show this week, but we talk about games first!  Jonathan covers White Knight Chronicles in brief, live sports on the 360 and PS3, and talks about how he actually passed up a deal for a change.  Sam talks about New Vegas some more (especially the infuriating cowboy hat bug), Scott Pilgrim vs. The World and reveals that Red Dead Redemption is behind New Vegas, Fable 3, and Quantum Theory(!) on his to-be-played list.  Alex talks about Monopoly Streets,

Headlines!

• Black Ops 1st Day Sales & Pissed PC Players & Cuba’s Pissed, Too
• Gamestop… offering swag… for preorders.. of DLC
• UK retailers threatening to ban Steam-enabled PC games from their stores
• Nintendo trademarks the phrase “It’s on like Donkey Kong.”

Jonathan hosts this week’s Name That Game!, and he brings a wide variety to the table.  As a reminder, here are the standings:

1. Jonathan – 8 pts.
2. Sam – 4.5 pts.
3. Alex – 4 pts.

Will we see the standings change this week?

Finally, we discuss our plans for next week’s anniversary show.  It’s gonna be huge!

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Another week, another train wreck opening.

Jonathan and Alex have both been playing the Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit demo.  They’re sold.  Jonathan invites competition, but the demo isn’t valid anymore.  Sorry about that.

Jonathan’s also finished off New Super Mario Bros. Wii.  He had to abandon his wife to the whims of Bowser to pull it off, but they beat the game!  And then new levels unlocked and they said, “Not a chance.”  Jonathan’s also discovered that Sony’s early marketing for the PS3 was utterly insane.

Alex talks about the bugocalypse that is Medal of Honor.  He’s also really enjoyed everything about Enslaved: Odyssey to the West except for the idiot-proof platforming.  Castlevania: Lords of Shadow also gets thumbs up from him.

Sam plowed through nine hours of Fallout: New Vegas in one sitting.  Turns out you can’t just wipe out groups willy-nilly without expecting repercussions.  Sam’s opinion of the game has definitely improved, but the “Save Smart, Save Often” advice still stands.  On the other hand, Sam’s lost a lot interest in Fable 3.

The conversation then wanders back and forth with a conversation about the shooter genre brought up by the (then) impending release of Call of Duty: Black Ops.  Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood gets a mention, and Jonathan quickly gives a “warning” about The Polynomial: Space of the Music, makes up an excuse for why he was destroyed in the Starcraft tournament, and pimps the new Blood Bowl season.

Finally, we move into Series 2 of Name That Game!  Someone gets utterly dominated.  Someone else rejoices.  Alex is neither of those people.

See ya next week!

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