The rumor is that the next generation XBox won’t allow you to play used games. To make matters worse, you have to be connected to the internet to even play at all. Now before you go all ninja on me, I realize that this is only a rumor. I repeat — only a rumor. But the very idea that this concept is even being bandied about has pissed me off. Just another example of Corporate America trying to find ways to screw the little guy for the all-mighty buck. If this rumor becomes fact, it’s going to bring a whole lot of hurt to a truly enjoyable pastime.

1. The reseller market will be nuked. After I shell out $60 bucks for a new game and win it, I either sell the game on eBay or Amazon. Sometimes I give the game to a friend. In the future, what am I going to do? Use the game as a fragging coaster? That’s all it will be good for. Stores like GameStop will soon disappear and landfills will get jazzed with a ton of games with zero replay value. 
2. What happens if I can’t connect to the internet? Man, I live out in the toolies and my internet service sucks. If any of you have CenturyLink as your service provider you know exactly what I’m talking about. I’m supposed to be getting a whopping 1.5 Mbps connection, but if I’m lucky to get connected at all, I’m just pulling dial-up internet speeds from 1994. Hello, CompuServe, I think my modem is broken! Anyway, I might as well forget about playing a next-gen Xbox anytime after 5:00 PM or on the weekends. Holidays too for that matter.

Seriously, would this bonehead idea of eliminating used games and requiring an internet connection bring any value whatsoever to the gaming experience? I can’t think of any. All it would do is line the pockets of the Fat Cats. I can hear the game publishers whining about how the extra money will be used to develop new game titles, etc. but I smell BS. It’s nothing more than a pure cash grab and the loyal fans/customers/gamers are the ones who will suffer.

All right… take a deep breath… no one is suffering now. It’s just a nasty rumor and one that hopefully will never come to pass. If it does however, I won’t be purchasing a next-gen Xbox or any new game titles. Frag ‘em! And I’m sure I’m not the only one who feels this way. In fact, if Microsoft doesn’t watch it, I could see legions of gamers marching on Redmond, Washington and giving the collective finger. Don’t tread on me, baby! Now where did I put my Diet Coke?

Totally sucks, but before I get too depressed and start whining around there is some good news squirreled away in the official company statement, and if I really think about it, things ain’t that bad. Basically, Atari will live on in some fashion. By going Chapter 11 Atari will be able to walk away from its troubled French parent company and get ahold of much needed cash to develop more games. These games will most likely be for digital and mobile platforms, but I suppose I can live with that. Not the same as cramming a plastic cartridge into a 2600, but I suppose we all have to grow up.

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

• Leave a comment below this post telling us why you need a new set of dice (please keep your comment “G” rated — no profanity, hate speech, etc.).

• After your comment is approved (usually within an hour), come back and vote for your comment (and all others that you like) by clicking the thumbs up “like” button to the right of each comment.

That’s it! Let the world know why you need a new set of dice, and you’re automatically entered into the contest. The comment that receives the most “like” votes during the contest time period wins, so make sure to come back and vote for comments that you like. Tell your friends and your family to vote — heck, tell your enemies. In the case of a tie, the winner will be determined by random selection at Random.org. Good luck everyone The contest runs for one week, from March 29 through April 5, 2012 (ends midnight Central time). Many will enter, but one will win.

FAQ

Are you really giving away a brand new set of RPG dice?

Yes we are GameXTRM is working with Dark Elf Dice, one of our site’s advertising partners. If you’re looking for role playing dice and game accessories we encourage you to check out everything Dark Elf Dice has to offer here. Dark Elf Dice has a great selection and great prices, and you can use the coupon code GAMEXTRM to save an additional 5% off any purchase.

What’s in it for you?

Besides the fun we’ll have running a giveaway contest, we hope to introduce our GameXTRM website to a larger audience. Take a look around if you have a few moments. Our passion is video games and table top RPG, and our goal is to provide interesting news and reviews to our readers. If you like what you see, bookmark our site and tell your friends.

Why do I have to wait for you to approve my comment?

Regrettably, our website is inundated with spam comments on a daily basis. Spam filters are a help, but the only way we can truly prevent spammers from posting is by having each and every comment checked by our staff. While this takes time, we believe this offers a much better website user experience.

Can I vote multiple times for myself?

No you can’t. Our site will only register one vote you make for yourself, and you are prevented from voting multiple times for your own comment. You are free to vote for other posters’ comments, but again you can only vote once per comment. We believe that people are good and have trust that no one will attempt to “game” the contest. If we find evidence that someone is cheating, their comment will be removed and they will be immediately disqualified.

Why do I have to give my email address when I post?

We need to be able to contact you by email in case you win the contest.

Will my email address be made public, and will you add me to a mailing list of some sort?

Absolutely, positively not. Your privacy is ensured — your email address will not be made public, and you will never be added to a mailing list, etc. We will only contact you if you win the giveaway contest. Period. You can read more about our GameEXTRM privacy policy here.

Will you be sponsoring more dice giveaway contests in the future?

Possibly! Stay tuned…

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UPDATE 3/6/12: Congratulations to Daniel for winning the dice giveaway contest On behalf of GameXTRM and Dark Elf Dice, a sincere thank everyone who participated in the contest.

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Gemini Dice (Red and Black)

Gemini dice by the Chessex Manufacturing company have been fan favorites for years, and for good reason. Gemini dice are a two-toned blend of metallic colors polished to a high gloss. There are several metallic color combinations available in the Gemini line (blue/silver, purple/green, pink/black, etc.), but the set that just screams extreme is the red/black. These two colors look exceptional together and offer outstanding contrast. The numbers are inked in gold to really compliment the set.

Oblivion Dice (Purple and Black)

Oblivion dice by Crystal Caste are truly unique. There are five different Oblivion colors (orange, blue, red, green, and purple), but our top choice is the purple. So what makes these purple dice kick-butt? If you look closely, the colors seem to swirl in a mystical, spell-like fashion. This look gives the dice a supernatural, eldritch feel. Can you imagine a better set of dice for D&D wizards or illusionists? We can’t!

Bonus points for D&D players: Oblivion dice are also available in giant size, crystal, and hybrid sets.
Toxic Dice (Yellow and Red)

Our third choice for kick-butt Dungeons and Dragons dice are the Crystal Caste toxics. Never before has there been RPG dice sets produced in such unusual colors. Toxic dice come in four venomous color choices (green/blue, purple/black, purple/blue, yellow/red, and orange/green). While these dice are all exceptional, our favorite is the yellow/red. The rich, blood red against the vibrant yellow gives the dice a unique, amazing look. Awesome dice for fighters or assassins. See if you don’t agree.

Bonus points for D&D players: Toxic dice are also available in crystal, and hybrid sets.

The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings is a direct sequel to the Witcher which was released in October 2007. The game is based on the book series written by Andrzej Sapkowski. The story is set in a medieval fantasy world where you have to take control of one of the few remaining witchers, Geralt. Witchers are humans that have been genetically engineered and trained during their early life to be able to hunt down monsters. They are basically monster hunters for hire that specializes in alchemy, magic and sword handling. All of the witchers have their own unique powers.

What is really unique about the Witcher is the emphasis on every decision you make. Your decisions will have bearings in the outcome of the story, thus differing endings and results. You will not be limited to following a linear story as you can replay it again and try other endings of the story by modifying your decisions. The game’s system of “moral choices” which is also present in the previous Witcher game was vastly improved given the negative feedback it received for the time-delayed consequences as well as the lack of black and white morality.

The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings has many different story paths and storylines as well as multiple endings which is reliant on your in game decisions. Aside from that, the Witcher 2 retains the ability to change camera perspective in the game depending in what suits you or what the battle demands. You can either choose one of the two top down perspective where the control relies heavily on the mouse. You also have the over-the-shoulder view which allows the player to get a good view of the in-game combat but it limits visibility. Another thing that differentiates it from other RPGs is the ability to choose from three different fighting styles depending on the situation. You can choose the quick style which is ideal for dealing fast enemies, but the disadvantage is that it deals lesser damage. The heavy style on the other hand deals great damage, but it is slow in execution.

The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings is set to release on April 17, 2012 for the Xbox 360.

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

Cartridges or Discs?

Video game cartridges versus video game discs. Which technology is truly superior? The fact that cartridges came along first would most likely indicate them as being less advanced than the shiny discs that have pretty much rendered them obsolete. But is modern always better? Don’t those clunky little plastic cases that Generation X grew up with have some advantages over their successors?

Let’s first take a look at durability. With older video games (ones released in the cartridge format), whenever you read the familiar phrase “Game Over” (which literally used to mean exactly what it said), it was okay to yank the game out of its console and throw it against a few walls, as long as you weren’t acting like you were in the bullpen. The video game could actually handle a fling here and there. Now with discs, you have to toss them like a Frisbee, and while they are very likely to survive such a trip across the living room, if they end up skidding across a rough surface when landing (they always land shiny side down—it’s the same principle as buttered bread), the words “Game Over” again mean exactly what they say. Now you have to waste good money on another game, or else invest in one of those scratch remover kits that never work anyway. Unfortunately, even cartridges are mortal, and when I review my own body count (video games killed out of rage), as well as the body count of those close to me, the ratio of cartridges-to-discs is pretty close to 1:1.

When cartridges first came out sometime in the ‘70s, they were rather simple: You’d play the game until you were sick of it (which couldn’t have taken very long back then), and then you’d quit. Then next time you turned it on, you had to start the game from the beginning again. Eventually, as video games grew more and more complex, manufacturers began including passwords in their games. As you went along on your simulated adventure, you’d uncover passwords, and the next time you played, you could punch in your most recent password and continue your adventure from the point you left off. Pretty neat, huh? Well, sometime later, these cartridges were suddenly able to store saved data on their own. Unless I’m mistaken, this amazing new feature was first available in the NES game The Legend of Zelda (1987). The technology caught on, and passwords were slowly but surely phased out.

Now we have our games on discs. While able to store monumentally superior amounts of memory, making for more complex games than ever before, these discs are generally unable to collect saved data! In fact, some of the consoles that originally supported CD media had to have their own separate memory cards to hold the data. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to rummage through my library of Nintendo Gamecube games, looking for that elusive little card (that suspiciously resembles a miniature cartridge) before I could start my game. Fortunately, the latest consoles generally have gargantuan amounts of free memory space built right into them, so now, unless you’ve got 5,000 video game discs, you won’t have to worry about running out of memory space. On this last note, discs have pretty much solidified their place as being a cut above their predecessor. Just don’t get too attached to your discs, because they’re probably already obsolete.

Takes RISK to a new level.

Fans of the classic game Risk are undoubtedly delighted whenever they see different variations of their favorite game. We’ve had Star Wars Risk and Lord of the Rings Risk to name a few, and these different versions have their very own set of rules intertwined with those of the original game. Well, today’s discussion is going to be about one such variation. It’s called Risk 2210 A.D. and is set in the futuristic year of……..well, you know.

The theme of this game is that war has gone super high-tech, and rather than sending legions of men and women to kill each other just to satisfy the whims of their power hungry leaders (us), there are now M.O.D.s (Machines of Destruction) that meet on the battlefield. Each M.O.D. in this game is equal to one “Army” unit in classic Risk. But there are a scant few humans who do in fact engage in warfare on our behalf. They’re Commanders, and you can hire them out if you have the money to. There are Land Commanders, Naval Commanders, Space Commanders, Nuclear Commanders (as the name suggests, they’re quite dangerous) and Diplomats. You can also buy Commander Cards to play over the course of the game. Each Commander Card corresponds to a specific Commander, and you can only buy a Card if you’ve got the proper Commander enlisted in your army. Commanders can also fight in battles, counting as one unit, but they often attack or defend with eight sided dice, rather than the usual six. If your Commander dies in battle, you can always hire a new one to replace him (unless the game ends first).

In addition to all the land territories you can fight over, there are also undersea colonies, as well as moon colonies. But you’ll need a Naval Commander in your army to navigate the depths of the ocean, just as you’ll need a Space Commander to allow your M.O.D.s to roam the moon.

The M.O.D. Squad

Each round of turns counts as one year in Risk 2210 A.D., and the war lasts for five years. So, unlike classic Risk, where the game goes on and on until there’s only one army left on earth, each player will only have five turns. Then players score points based on how many territories (whether land, sea or moon) they control and whether or not they control whole continents (or oceans, or moon regions), plus they can play Cards at the end of the game to score even more points (they can only play the Cards if their corresponding Commanders are still alive).
Whoever’s got the highest score in the end wins, and is declared ruler of the planet earth (and its moon).

One of the perks to this version of Risk is that it’s got a definite limit, and you won’t have to worry about a ten hour long affair (although this game is known to last a good couple of hours). Plus, if you are interested in playing classic Risk, you don’t have to buy a separate game. Just play this game without the play money, Commanders or Commander Cards, and ignore the ocean and moon colonies. It’s just that simple.

Oh, one other thing: In Risk 2210 A.D. the game always has to have four land territories that are impassable, due to some nuclear battle sometime in the past. The four territories vary from game to game, because they’re randomly determined by turning up four cards. Next time you see your own home country get nuked off the globe, just remember, it’s only pretend.

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

The Bullets Will Be Flying May 2012

In only a few short months, Rockstar Games will release the third installment of the Max Payne video game series. This dark shooter is going to be epic — not simply because it’s the third installment of a wildly popular series, but because the lead writer is Dan Houser (best known for his work on Red Dead Redemption and Grand Theft Auto).

Max Payne 3 will be released for the Playstation 3, Xbox 360 and the PC. Alas, no Max Payne 3 for the Wii, but what would you expect? The graphics (and the storyline) are way too intense for the Wii system. The game will employ the “Euphoria Physics Engine” which makes blowing away the bad guys a thing of orchestrated beauty. I’m not normally too keen on a lot of over-the-top violence in video games, but for Max Payne 3 I can make an exception, especially with the cinematic “final kill camera” feature that has to be seen to be believed. When you shoot a baddie, the graphics really are amazing. The game definitely earns its Mature rating, and the violence is gritty and dark at times in an action movie, Scarface-esque sort of way.

As previously mentioned, the storyline of Max Payne 3 really is intense. The action takes place in Brazil eight years after the last game, and good old Max is in the employ of Rodrigo Blanco, the wealthy industrialist. Blanco may have riches beyond imagining, but his money can’t stop the bad guys from kidnapping his beautiful wife. I don’t want to give away any spoilers, but in some ways, the game can be viewed as another twisted “damsel in distress” story, and Max must save the girl by fighting a  whole lot of bad guys. I don’t know what Blanco is paying Max, but in my opinion it ain’t enough. From the very beginning, the game is an uphill, non-stop action thriller, and Max must make the most of his special talents — dealing justice and shooting the villains that stand in his way.

One exciting feature of Max Payne 3 that shouldn’t be overlooked is the online, multiplayer capabilities. For me, this really elevates this excellent game a notch or two even more. As good as the game’s storyline is, I predict that multiplayer will prove even more popular than than the standalone adventure. If you enjoyed the multiplayer options in Red Dead Redemption, you’re going to love multiplayer in Max Payne 3. Kick-butt heavy weapons, explosives, and much, much more to whet the hardcore gamer’s appetite for destruction. Max Payne 3 is a winner with a bullet — look for it in May 2012 at your favorite gaming store.

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

For those who are not yet familiar with the game, Xenoblade Chronicles is an RPG game that features a real-time action-based battle system. It was developed by Monolit Soft, a well-respected developer so expect it to be a great game. Before you go whine because you do not like motion controls, let me tell you that the game can be played through the classic controllers aside from the Wiimote and nunchuck.

Xenoblade Chronicles is about the adventures and struggles of the protagonist named Shulk. He is wielding a peculiarly shaped sword called Xenoblade which he will use to defeat the Mechon to save the world. As we have mentioned earlier, Xenoblade Chronicles features a real-time action-based battle system. Party members will execute “auto-attack” once an enemy enters their attack radius. It is somewhat similar to Final Fantasy XII’s battle system. Aside from auto attacks, the battle system also allows you to manually activate special attacks. Special attacks are referred to as Arts in the game. Each of these Arts has their own “cool down” after being used. Aside from Arts, you can also use Talent Arts, but only after using enough auto-attacks. The game features a lot of customization which will help you battle strategically. The characters in the battle mode are controlled by the analog stick. The Xenoblade battle system also introduces the “agro ring” which indicates the focus of the attack of the enemies. There is also a Vision system which allows Shulk to get a glimpse of the enemies’ future attacks. Do not worry about saves as the game supports a “save anywhere” feature.

Xenoblade Chronicles is set to release on April 6, 2012 in North America. It’s a Wii game that you should not miss and scored a 92 out of 100 from Metacritic, so there’s an assurance that the game is great.

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

In BioShock Infinite, gamers will no longer be adventuring in the surreal, underwater city of Rapture. Instead, the game does a 180 and players will be floating among the clouds in Columbia, a fantastical city kept skyward by gigantic dirigibles. The storyline takes place in 1912, and concerns itself with a missing young woman named Elizabeth. Gamers take on the role of a private detective named Booker DeWitt who must search Columbia for the missing woman. There’s a problem though (isn’t there always?), because Columbia is crawling with crazies armed with some pretty kick-butt heavy weapons. It’s going to be a tough fight, but what else would you expect from a BioShock game?

Gamers should expect the same intense first person shooter experience that made the previous BioShock games an international hit. The graphics look absolutely amazing, and appear bright and cheery at times — giving Columbia a different feel from the dark, haunted look of Rapture. Some fans may miss Rapture, and be disappointed that BioShock is changing locales, but Columbia is sure to bring something new and fresh to the series. Change can be good, and BioShock Infinite is going to be epic. Let the countdown to October 16, 2012 begin!

Click here to view the video on YouTube.