From what I hear at work, things should be slowing down there and it will allow me to get back to a somewhat normal schedule.  That should be nice.

- As for the beta of the game that I was playing the other day... well, it's certainly the next version of the game that I had played in the past.

- I'm curious as to if anyone you know actually has 'Super Bowl parties.'  I don't know anyone that hosts an event for the game unless they actually like one of the teams that is participating.

As for me, I'll be playing hockey tonight and won't see a minute of the game, and don't really mind that I'll miss the entire thing.  I've steered clear of the hype for it and have been quite content with that fact.

Also, just to let you know, this is a typical behavior for me every year.  I typically don't watch the game unless the Packers are playing in it.  Just don't see the point.

- In other gaming news, I finally gave RAGE a test seeing as how it's gone through about 10 different patches since release, and I'm happy to report that all of the screen tearing issues that I was running into with it in the past, are now gone.  The game itself seems to be confused as to whether it wants to be a car racing game or a FPS though.  Maybe that's only because I'm in the first few hours of the game.

- Madtowner nailed it with his analysis of Twisted Metal based on the demo.  Why on earth would steering be different when you are driving in reverse?  Eventually you can get used to it, but it just doesn't make any sense at all.

- I'm working on scheduling an interview with the Grand Slam Tennis 2 team, so hopefully I can bring that to you in the next few days.

- Still hoping to be able to put together an interview with the SSX and UFC staffs as well, but... well, you know you can't get all that you want.

- Enjoy the game, to those of you watching.

For those Tablet-capped, please note that this week at Walmart you can pick up a Kindle Fire for the regular price of $199...but also get a $50 Walmart card. So, that is not a bad deal at all...use it to buy an Amazon GC and have some books/videos!

Oh so I forgot to mention I played the game and well, FIFA 12 is still much better. PES 2012 has online play so that's good; the 3D is good, the new touch controls don't feel that new compared to FIFA but the player models are nowhere near as good as in FIFA.

On Thursday night, I get a call from dumbass chick from Gamestop letting me know that Pro Evolution Soccer 2012 will be arriving Friday.

So I go to Gamestop and have one of those experiences where I ask myself, "why do I go to Gamestop?" I go in, trade in PES 2011 for $5.00 + $0.50 (Thanks Power Up!) and say I'm here to pick up my preorder for PES 2012. Of course the clerk is like "we don't have that". And I'm like "your dumbass chick called me" and so he goes over to the 3DS section and comes back to me and says "is this what you're looking for" and he has a copy of the EXACT SAME GAME I'm trading in. And I say, no, that's the game I'm trading in. So then he types on the computer again, and still can't find it or figure it out. He asks the other guy and he says yes we have it but we can't sell it yet. I again repeat that dumbass chick called me and their own stupid release date sheet shows a street date of 2/1, but since I'm the only dumbass in the whole world that preordered it they shipped it ground and it showed up today. He insists he got it today for a next week release, and I again remind him that dumbass chick called. He then says 'he'll have to look it up on the computer" to see if the SKU is flagged restricted. I asked if they just scanned the UPC when they rang the game up. Apparently not. So they scan it and there's no restriction and 15 freaking minutes later, I finally have this game. Getting Resident Evil for 3DS and the Circle Pad and the Vita early release should be a freaking treat.

I hit the jackpot today at Wal-Mart, bought 2 new 3 packs and one individual one. Brought them home, now my son isn't interested. Great. Guess I'll sell $47 worth of Skylanders on eBay for $100.

Just kidding. I'm not an a-hole. I'll just return them unopened for a refund.

Wow, looks like THQ is down for the count. Guess making shitty wrestling games only gets you so far.

In other news, you might not hear from Glen because he got into a new beta. I don't think I can tell you much except it's the third installment of a game that has been in beta sometime.

Is anyone else watching the commercials on YouTube before the Super Bowl? With all the commercials out of the way, I guess we just will have a game to watch. Watch the Honda/Broderick commercial and the VW/Beetle commercial. Funny stuff. Stay away from commercials with Leno in them.

Why would you put Madden 12 out for download on demand now? Wouldn't it have been better like in August? WTF?

Things that are going to be insanely overpriced: Facebook stock.

- More crazy times at work preventing me from posting as much as I would like, but it's probably as much as you all want.  heh.  Moving on...

- Nice to see that SSX's online pass connection doesn't actually remove any sort of content from the game, but limits you from some of the online rewards.  It's amazing to see how many different ways that EA is approaching the online pass component lately with titles.  It's almost as though they are throwing darts at a board to see what seems to cause the least amount of terrible press for them.  Or perhaps they don't really care at all and just want to ensure that every game has their $10 used game sales kicker.  I could go either way with that.

- Last night I had a chance to attend my first ever cooking class, spending the evening learning how to make hollandaise, espagnole, bechamel, tomato, and veloute sauces.

When I was growing up, my mother never really exposed us to too many different kinds of foods, so it has been really up to me as I get older to finally take chances and try new things and I'm always disappointed whenever I get to try something new and realize how many great foods that I've missed over the years just due to the fact that I wasn't up to trying something new.

Hopefully classes like this will continue to allow me to try and bring new foods into our home and stop my daughters from only eating chicken nuggets and fries... perhaps.

- Lastly, through the wonders of You Tube, I've been watching a ton of old Dr. Katz: Professional Therapist episodes.  Man, great comedy never gets old.  Hearing some of the great stand up bits from Ray Romano, Dave Attell, and one of my all time favorite segments with Dave Chappelle.

I really wish that the DVD set wasn't $70+ on Amazon, because... damn... there are some really funny bits on there.

1. Prince Fielder is not an Oriole. Not shocking.

2. Not sure what Glen is talking about re: The Show and Franchise mode, if anything I am more pumped for this game than I have been for a baseball game in some time....Of course I'm also buying a Vita.

3. Speaking of Vita, leave it to Sony to make you excited about about getting the console a week early and then f'ing said early adopters by giving the people who buy it a week later an 8GB card  for FREE even though we're paying for ours. Awesome, I feel so much better about being an early adopter. They can at least throw us a Spiderman movie download (PSP reference there heh).

4. The whole MS used games thing -- you know I see some articles about the comparison to Apple and how digital downloads are cheap and great. You know what is also great about digital downloads on the Apple devices? I can use my Apple ID login on my kids ipod, my other kid iPhone, my iPad, my wife's iPhone and they can all play the games and I don't have to buy it 5 times. Unlike say Microsoft's policy on DLC. I have to spend $10 for my kid to play Madden online because we share the game but I've used the code. Stupid.

5. Boy you'd think with the Patriots in the Super Bowl there's be some coverage of it on Boston stations (heh). That's sarcasm, btw.

-Man, it's Thursday night and this is the first time I've had a chance to get to the PC since Monday.  Work has been incredibly crazy this week.  I've had about 1 hour to play Skyrim this week and that about sums up all of the gaming time I've had.  Weekend is coming up soon, hopefully that'll mean some time for relaxation.

- One of the things that you have to worry about when a new platform is released is that the titles on older platforms will start to get neglected.  That certainly looks to be the case with MLB12: The Show for the PS3.   Removing franchise features from the console version so that you can spend more time working on the PSVita version?  Um.. yeah, that's not a big win for the rest of us.

Considering the fact that online play for The Show has been terrible for the last few years and they're still not really addressing all of the issues there, it's just hard to look for much improvements in this years game.

- I have to agree with Bill Harris in his feelings about the rumor of Microsoft eliminating the ability to play used games in games for their new console.  As much as I would like to see Gamestop reigned in... I don't want retail markets being the only ones that control the pricing for games.  You could look at titles only dropping $10 to $20 each year after release.   That would absolutely suck for gamers on a budget.   If Microsoft tries this, they will kill their next console before it even gets off the ground.

- Congratulations to Prince Fielder (and sadly, Scott Boras) for making the deal that they did to send him to Detroit.  He gave Brewers fans some great years and some absolutely terrific memories.  I really hope that he plays incredibly well there.

- Lastly, don't know if you saw this, but the play made by the ballboy at the Australian Open today definitely deserves a look from everyone.  Crazy reflexes there.

Pundits complaing about why the no-TD wasn't reviewed, if in the same sentence they say it wouldn't have been overturned. Sorry, but it was pretty obvious it was incomplete. Besides the booth was pretty incompetent when you could see the heel of a Ravens player step out of bounds but yet it was called a TD anyway. Whatever. Hey here's a thought, don't miss obvious FGs and we don't have this lame ass conversation.

Most of you won't know who he is, but Jim Irwin was the color analyst, early in his career, and play-by-play voice of the Packers until he retired in 1998.

An absolutely terrific announcer who gave us countless great calls over his years with the Packers.

Here's his call of the last moments of Super Bowl XXXI.

He passed away today at age 77.

- Watched about 15 total minutes of the two championship games yesterday.  Once your team is out of it, you just get burnt out on football... at least that's my opinion.

Two things that bother me about both games.  Why wasn't Evans non-catch reviewed with 22 seconds to go?  I don't think that it would have been reversed, but it was pretty damn close to having two feet down with possession before being knocked out.   This one reminded me a lot of that catch and maybe because it was called a TD on the field, it made all the difference.  Still, with the NFL so obsessed about getting calls right, that one should have been reviewed considering the situation.

The second thing is morons threatening to kill people when they make mistakes in games.  For the love of crumb cake, people.... it's a game that you watch for entertainment.  Dumbasses.

So, we get a Superbowl that I will have absolutely no problem missing (due to the fact that I play hockey at the time that the game goes on.)   I know that other people here will have different opinions on that matter though.

- Outside of that, I went ice fishing this weekend and had a good deal of fun with that, catching 5 Northern Pike and putting them all back into the water due to being too small to keep.

It's something that I do with friends once a year and it's always a lot of fun.   If people can't understand the beauty of a sunrise like this one, I'll never understand them anyway.

- Have a great week.

It's not that often that you really get surprised about a game's release date, but SOL: Exodus is releasing on Wednesday on Steam.

As a long time fan of Space action flight games, it really looks like a game to try out, especially at the $10 price point.

There is a bit of concern about the length of the game, considering it mentions only 8 missions, but with a development team of 6 that has only been working on the game for a year or so, I would think we'll see something worth the asking price.

I'll post some thoughts once I get some time in on it.

I cannot believe the Patriots won that game. I really thought Baltimore had that TD at the end. And to miss that FG. Holy crap. What a game.

Well, it's late January and I just realized, I hadn't posted my best sports games of 2012. This is Dan's list and Dan's only.

Football:  All two games were broken and boring. If I'm forced to pick, I guess Madden, by default. I do enjoy Ultimate Team, I have to say. Okay, I'll go with Madden. (Remember Blitz was a 2012 game)

Futbol: Hands down, no question, FIFA 12 takes the award. I love it on the PC. I'm still playing it. Fantastic. Near perfect. PES on the console can't hold a candle.

Basketball: As much as I enjoy NBA2K12, the online just completely sucks. Therefore I have to pick the game I keep going back to the most, and that is NBA Jam. That game is on fire!

Hockey: NHL '12, no doubt in my mind. Excellent game, but why no PC port?

Racing: This is a hard one. Lots of games and lots of updates. Gran Turismo is a whole new game with that update and is awesome. Dirt 3 is awesome too.  Forza 4 is very, very cool. NFS The Run has its moments. Driver SF is cool so is Motorstorm Apocolypse, especially in 3D. I think for the best true racing game, I'll go with Forza 4 and GT update as a strong runner up.

Baseball: I wasn't jumping up and down with either title this year, but I played the Show more than I played MLB2K. Online still is busted but the RTTS mode is always fun.

Best use of the 3DS in a Sports game: Draw between FIFA 12 and Pro Evolution Soccer. The only platform where PES gave FIFA a run for the money.

Licensed game I wish we'd see: NCAA Hockey.

Best Lacrosse Game: Like EA the same guy did the two lacrosse games for the Xbox. There's College Lacrosse and MLL 11. I went with MLL '11 because it's licensed and has pretty good stats. Not the best game I've ever played, but I've played a hell of a lot worse games for $5.

Platforms I dumped in 2011: Nintendo Wii, Sony PSP.

Platform I'm going to buy in 2012 but wish I didn't: PS Vita

Don't give up on this platform yet: Nintendo 3DS.

Best Kinect game: Kinect Sports Season Two. I like it. Sorry. It got reamed in the press. Glen hates it. I think it's cute, over quick and a fun game. Bite me.

Best Move game: Uhhhh.....

Most disappointing PC sports game: Tiger Woods '11. I subscribe to TW online and I enjoy it. So I thought I'd be getting a new product with the stand alone game. Nope. It's the same f'n game as it is online, except you get some cash, points and can play Augusta. Major disappointment.

Coolest Trend: Sports games are back on the PC. Who needs crap resolution and slow loading times when you can run it in SLI mode on an SSD drive? Thank you EA and 2K for giving us FIFA and MLB and NBA. Now can we just get NHL on here?

Well I think that covers most. Have any other requests?