Siren

When talking about the Call of Duty series we tend to only think about the developer, publisher, release date, and recent controversies involving Infinity Ward and Activision, but what about the person who gives the series it's behind the scenes story to ensure that gamers are having an aunthentic experience for what the game is based on? In a recent interview with AOL News, the real life Persian Gulf veteran and military history teacher at West Point, retired Lt. Col Hank Keirsey talks about his video game consultant job with the Call of Duty series. Most interestly in the interview, Keirsey notes the only people (soldiers and veterans) who have a right to complain about the game really do not care, while fans of the series seem to get outraged out of little things like the airport massacre in Modern Warfare 2. "There are people that argue that we trivialize war with these games, but those that could be most offended by what we are doing are definitely fans..." To read the full interview with Keirsey, follow the link below. AOL News Interview with retired Lt. Col Hank Keirsey

The Kinect which launches on November 4, is set to change the way Xbox 360 gamers use their 360 to play video games. Have you been wondering what controller free games Microsoft will have available for Kinect's release? If you have, wonder no more. Microsoft recently announced the upcoming 17 titles that will be available for Kinect's launch. Kinect Adventures - included with every Kinect sensor purchase Kinectimals - $49.99 - $59.99 depending on the version Game Party in Motion - $49.99 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows Part 1 The Video Game - $49.99 Your Shape Fitness Evolved - $49.99 Dance Central - $49.99 The Biggest Loser Ultimate Workout - $49.99 DanceMasters - $49.99 EA Sports Active 2 - $99.99 Zumba Fitness - $49.99 Kinect Sports - $49.99 MotionSports - $49.99 Deca Sports Freedom - price TBA Kinect Joy Ride - $49.99 Adrenalin Misfits - $49.99 Fighters Uncaged - $49.99 Sonic Free Riders - $49.99 It should be noted that Major Nelson announced that if you have yet to pre order your Kinect and games to do so now, because many retailers are sold out of their pre order allotments for the next step in controller free gaming.

Major Nelson has announced the Deal of the Week. This week it was up to Gold members to decide what piece of gaming content became discounted and the Gold members have spoken. Battlefield Bad Company 2's Onslaught mode has been reduced from 800 MS points to 400 MS points. In Onslaught mode, gamers can now play co-op online with 4 players to defeat enemies in 4 enhanced multiplayer maps. Also the SPECACT Upgrade Bundle which gives gamers 4 new weapons and camo. There are 12 new awards and 4 achievements that come with the bundle. The bundle can be purchased at the discounted price of 320 MS points. If you are interested in the deals, Gold members have until Monday, October 25 to download the items.

Privacy be damned cries Facebook! In the latest scandal involving Facebook user's personal information being made public, Facebook has removed some popular gaming apps that have been taking user's account information even if your profile information is set to have the highest level of security possible. Farmville, Texas Hold 'Em Poker, and Frontierville are just 3 of the apps that have been mentioned in the privacy breech that is affecting millions of users across Facebook. Several apps have already being made unavailable to Facebook users as Facebook tries to sort out another privacy breech mess. Zynga, who is the company behind Farmville, Texas Hold 'Em Poker, and Frontierville had the following to say regarding the scandal. "Zynga has a strict policy of not passing personally identifiable information to any third parties. We look forward to working with Facebook to refine how web technologies work to keep people in control of their information." Unfortunately for millions of users who use these Facebook apps daily, that message might be to little too late. The Wall Street Journal

The contest is over for the Plants vs. Zombies prize. Who did the Grim Reaper pick to receive this extremly addicting prize for your PC? vectordream!!!!! Congratulations to vectordream for his winning photo caption and many thank yous to those of you who sent in your submissions to win Plants vs. Zombies for the PC! Remember there are two contests left to win Dead Rising 2 with a t-shirt and Castlevania: Lord of Shadows. For more details on those contests and how to enter, please check out Gamercide's Get Your Ghoul On Contest.

Incase you missed what was added to the Xbox Live Marketplace for the week of October 10, you can find it all here in one little nifty recap. Deal of the Week - Mass Effect 2 (All deals are good for Gold members until October 18) Overlord - 400 MS points Kasumi Stolen Memory - 400 MS points Suit - 160 MS points Helmet - 80 MS points Demo Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II Dragon Ball: Raging Blast 2 Pro Evolution Soccer 2011 Game Add Ons Alan Wake: The Writer -560 MS points Dead Rising 2: The Psycho Skills Pack - 160 MS points XBLA Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 - 1200 MS points Dead Space Ignition - 400 MS points (If you preordered Dead Space 2 from certain retailers like amazon.com, you will receive a code to download this for free) Games On Demand Gears of War 2 - $29.99 (To celebrate Gears of War 2 being added to the Games on Demand Lineup, the All Fronts Map Collection is half priced for Gold and Silver members)

Gamercide's Grim Reaper is counting down the days until Halloween and has decided to celebrate his favorite undead holiday by giving away prizes every Sunday leading up to Halloween. On Sunday October 17, the Grim Reaper will be giving away one copy Plants vs Zombies for the PC. Captioned images for Plants vs. Zombies must be received no later than Saturday October 16. On Sunday October 24, the Grim Reaper will be giving away one copy of the latest installement in the Castlevania series, Castlevania: Lord of Shadows for the Xbox 360. Captioned images for Castlevania: Lord of Shadows must be received no later than Saturday October 23. On Sunday October 31, the Grim Reaper will be giving away one copy of Dead Rising 2 with a t-shirt for the Xbox 360. Captioned images for Dead Rising 2 must be received no later than Saturday October 30. All you have to do to participate is caption the following photos for each game and submit them either in the thread this post appears in on the forum or send the captioned images in an email along with the subject being "Get Your Ghoul On" to siren@gamercide.org. If you send an email, please include your gamertag. If you do not know how to caption images, but still want to participate, you can either email me or post your captions along with what photo they belong to in the forum. Photos to be captioned: Plants vs. Zombies Castlevania: Lord of Shadows Dead Rising 2

EA is no stranger to controversy. Their push of making gamers pay for every little thing that they have to offer is just one example of the type of controversy that EA has been dealing with, but what about the heated controversy surrounding the upcoming Medal of Honor's playable Taliban characters? Is EA in the wrong with this one especially when they almost lost support from the US Army? According to Deseret News, military bases across the US reacted strongly to EA's announcement of having playable Taliban characters that can be used in the game to shoot at U.S. troops by banning the sale of the game on base. Families also protested to show their dislike for being able to play as the Taliban. One of the families that protested was Karen Meredith who lost her son in the current conflict. ""War is not a game, period, and the fact that they've already done games about World War II, that's far removed from our current history. And people aren't dying in World War II anymore, that's far removed. The families...it's not based on real people...." Meredith stated in a video interview with Fox News. She later states when asked why adults cannot make their own decision about playing video games like watching wrestling, "Well pro wrestling, nobody dies...." (*Pro wrestler Owen Hart tragically passed away right before his match after a malfunction of equipment) To make matters even worse, the US Army who has given EA it's full support on Medal of Honor did not know about it until the game was almost finished. 1up.com reported that Kenneth Hawes, the director of the U.S. Army's Public Affairs Office Western Region, stated that the Department of Defense was surprised and that after finding out about the playable Taliban characters the Army considered to pull out from supporting the military shooter. "We immediately contacted Electronic Arts and asked them to give us a demonstration of the game's capabilities, You have to understand I'm not a gamer. We provide support on major motion pictures, television, and video games, but I didn't grow up with video games. So personally I was a little disappointed they included that scenario." The United States Army is not the only form of military to show their dislike for the playable terrorists. According to PlaystionLifeStyle.net, the British Defense Secretary is urging retailers not to sell the game stating that, "It’s shocking that someone would think it acceptable to recreate the acts of the Taliban. At the hands of the Taliban, children have lost fathers and wives have lost husbands. I am disgusted and angry. It’s hard to believe any citizen of our country would wish to buy such a thoroughly un-British game. I would urge retailers to show their support for our armed forces and ban this tasteless product." After the protests and public outcry, EA has decided to change the name of the terrorists in their game. When you play the multiplayer, instead of playing as the Taliban, you will be playing as the "Opposing Force". Greg Goodrich, the Executive Producer on Medal of Honor released the following statement regarding the name change. "In the past few months, we have received feedback from all over the world regarding the multiplayer portion of Medal of Honor. We’ve received notes from gamers, active military, and friends and family of servicemen and women currently deployed overseas. The majority of this feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. For this, the Medal of Honor team is deeply appreciative. However, we have also received feedback from friends and families of fallen soldiers who have expressed concern over the inclusion of the Taliban in the multiplayer portion of our game. This is a very important voice to the Medal of Honor team. This is a voice that has earned the right to be listened to. It is a voice that we care deeply about. Because of this, and because the heartbeat of Medal of Honor has always resided in the reverence for American and Allied soldiers, we have decided to rename the opposing team in Medal of Honor multiplayer from Taliban to Opposing Force. While this change should not directly affect gamers, as it does not fundamentally alter the gameplay, we are making this change for the men and women serving in the military and for the families of those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice - this franchise will never willfully disrespect, intentionally or otherwise, your memory and service. To all who serve - we appreciate you, we thank you, and we do not take you for granted. And to the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines currently serving overseas, stay safe and come home soon." With the above announcement many gamers took to the websites to show their disapproval of the name change. Many stating that EA should have stuck to their guns and kept the name Taliban in the multiplayer of the game. Will the name change affect the sales of EA's highly anticipated Medal of Honor or has this controversy given the game more buyable publicity? We will have to wait until October 12 to find out.

Fans waiting to get their hands on Gears of 3 in April 2011, will just have to wait a little bit longer. Epic Games and Microsoft announced that Gears of War 3 has been delayed by 5 months pushing it into the 2011 holiday season. Epic's executive producer Rob Fergusson said the following regarding the set back. "I know fans are going to be disappointed with the new release date, but rest assured that this is a business decision between partners, and not a quality issue. Gears 3 was on track to be the most polished Gears of War game ever when it released in April, and this additional time allows us to polish it that much more before it hits shelves next fall. Next week we have a major multiplayer press visit at Epic HQ, and I'm really looking forward to the fans seeing and hearing about Gears 3 versus multiplayer for the first time. Lots more exciting news to come."

The countdown is complete and the sarcasm has returned. Who was the most fail-tacular in the world of all things games this past week? Cheaters, you filthy worthless beings who make gaming difficult for the rest of us receive the Fail of the Week Award. This week the cheaters of the gaming universe united in Bungie's swan song, Halo: Reach. Unfortunately for them, Bungie swung the banhammer resetting the credits of 15,000 losers who found an exploit to gain unlimited credit points and banning them for 24 hours. Bungie has hinted that there might be more punishment to come. On the PC side of things, Blizzard is also taking action against cheaters who are choosing to use hacks/cheats in Starcraft II. Blizzard announces that they are starting to hand out bans and suspensions to anyone caught using hack programs and/or cheating. So far 5,000 players have felt the swing of Blizzard's mighty banhammer. So what have we learned here cheaters of the gaming world? You can only manipulate the system for so long, before your insignificant self gets squashed like the little flea that you are.

The Gamercide community would like to thank everyone who has worked on the Halo series. Everyone of you are responsible for providing us with unforgettable memories that will last a lifetime. So to every single one of you that have poured every bit of energy that you could muster into the Halo series over the years we raise our glasses and say, "Thank You". Without you, the following memories would not be possible. "I remember playing Halo CE over and over again with my friends. It was truly the first FPS I played and I fell in love with it. I played the entire campaign on Legendary from day one and we beat that game like it was nothing. I still remember the last lvl, The Maw, when the pillar is about to explode and you're driving like hell from the flood to get to the escape ship. That was where I finally figured out how to drive the warthog properly lol. Halo 2's first lvl was such a pain in the butt on Legendary, running into one of the first rooms the covenant landed in and getting mowed down by those two turrets. Nothing was more painful than that lvl, but I had a blast getting through it. Then there was the online. With out a doubt in my mind I can say if it weren't for the Halo 2 online I would not own an Xbox 360 or an Xbox Live account. The online had soo many glitches but they were alot of fun to mess around on. The sword sniping, sword canceling, that one time I saw a flying warthog in blood gultch, super bounces and so much more. I was never the best but I could damn well hold my own. The midnight launch for Halo 3. I'll remember sitting in Gamestop bs'ing with everyone for a long time to come. I was so happy when I got my spartan helmet out of the box at home. It was the first Halo game I could afford to purchase myself and I was able to get the special edition which made it all the better. I stayed up all night playing that game, even got the day off from school and work just so I could play it all day. I was the first one in my school to beat the game on Legendary." - Stealthy Shadows "First time playing Halo was when I was about 12, we were at a family friends party, and with no other kids my age around the adults just set me up with Halo and I played for almost the entire time I was there, but whenever I played a 1 on 1 with anyone they would destroy me. Later that summer I was staying at my friends house for a week, at this time I didn't have an Xbox original or 360, but my friend did and he had Halo CE, out of that entire week i must have logged over 72 hours on it. This was the only reason I decided to get an Xbox 360 on my 13th birthday and the only game i got with it was Halo 2. That was only a month and a half before the release of Halo 3 which i picked up on release day. Halo 3 was the game everyone had, and everyone played, yet I was addicted and in a very short time I became the best player out of anyone I knew. I near mastered almost everything to do with Halo 3, getting up to a brigadier in almost no time at all, while finding time to make kick-ass maps in forge I've logged over 3000 matchmaking games and over 4000 custom games." -InfernoParadox "I was a late bloomer to the Xbox experience. I was always a Sony girl and was told that the Xbox's graphics sucked and to not get one. Then one day [this was after Halo CE was a $20 game] we got an Xbox at my house. My brothers and I fell in love with the game. Even though our internet sucked and we couldn't play online with people at all for Halo 2, we played the hell outta the multiplayer for that game. Halo CE and Halo 2 made me fall in love with the Xbox and I bought my 360 pretty much just for the launch of Halo 3." -Mandy2610 "First time I played Halo: Combat Evolved I was a little kid at the age of ten years old. Basically fresh out of Chuck E Cheese. My best friends at the time and still to this day said they got this new system called an Xbox and Halo and they wanted me to come over. So I pleaded for my mom to let me play this game since it was rated 'M' and I told her I wouldn't go on a rampage packing heat at my elementary school since it was a videogame. It worked. Later that day, my mom dropped me off and I played Halo for the first time. I stayed the night over there and we had a Halo session all afternoon, all night, and the whole next morning. I remember Halo was the first game that the bullet rounds exiting the gun after being fired actually landed on the ground and rolled according to the terrain. I literally spent five minutes in a Warthog parked on top of a hill and shot the turret at the sky just to watch the bullets roll down the hill. I was amazed. From then on out, I'm what you can call a Halo fanboy and you guys and gals know how I am. I've only grown to love Halo more since Bungie is really the "lead" developer in community involvement. Online stats came out in 2004 for Halo 2 to check all the details of your games, weapons, etc. on Bungie.net...and there are still developers who don't do this to this day. I honestly don't get it. Theater and file sharing; done in 2007 and yet Halo 3 and Halo 3: ODST are the only two games that still have this system. Bungie has honestly lead the way in community development I believe for the last ten years in the gaming industry, especially with Xbox. Matchmaking revolutionized competitive multiplayer and social multiplayer experiences. Friends could come over and you could all play online against other people from all around the world. Matchmaking, to this day, is the greatest innovation Xbox LIVE has seen. I have no doubts in my mind that without Halo 2, Xbox LIVE would definitely not be as successful as it is. I am deeply saddened that Halo: Reach is Bungie's last Halo title, but I think this is also a great note to end on. They haven't milked the franchise and have pumped out games every year to make a quick buck. They listen to the community, the good, the bad, and the ugly, and they are respected because of that. I have no grudge towards anyone who doesn't like the Halo games, but it's hard to deny the amount of community support they give. And with that, I will always respect Bungie and ten years down the road, I'm sure developers will be looking at Halo and still breaking it down to how Bungie could always make that "30 seconds of fun" repeat over and over. " -Bogeh "First time I played Halo, I was actually watching my neighbor's kids. They had an xbox and we played Halo all night lol, even though I did suck xD. I played Halo a few times after that, but then Halo 2 came out. I remember being grounded when my friends called me over to play it with them. I think I was nearly on my knees asking my parents to unground me for the day lol. Eventually worked, althought I'm not shure if I convinced them or if they where jsut tired of hearing me. Eventually got myself my own Xbox with some Christmas money, but couldn't get Halo 2, none left. But then came my birthday 2 months later, parents got me Halo 2 xD. TBH, I never had Live until the 360. So I never realyl played Halo 2 live, until I had the 360, but I did play the crap out of it with friends and so on. Then came the 360, oh joy, I was finally able to play Halo LIVE. I think I spent a hole damn week doing nearly nothing else but that. I remember the first game I played, ended with 20ish kills lol. Well, I played the crap out of Halo 2 until Halo 3 came out, or until I got the 3rd game." -Kira Onime "I played Halo: CE on my computer for the first time back around 2002. I hadn't played a lot of them, and never touched multiplayer. Though I almost finished the entire campaign, if it weren't for my impending drug habit and ultimate hiatus from gaming for 5 years. So yeah, that's my only memory of Halo, since I haven't played 2 or 3, or ODST. I don't want to be late to that party. The next time I played a game was back in Late 2008/Early 2009, when I got my Xbox 360 for Christmas." - eminutia "My first experiences with Halo were pretty random. The very first time I played Halo was the Halo: CE demo. It was an old PC demo I downloaded from Microsoft.com. I don't even think they have game demos on Microsoft.com anymore. I thought it was a neat game, but didn't think much of it because I only had a PS2. Later on I saw my brother playing Halo 2 and he handed me the controller. As soon as I started playing a guy jumped across some rooftops in front of me and I quickly shot him in the head a couple times with the Battle Rifle and he died in midair before he got to the other side, rag-dolling beautifully. That's when I first got hooked, and when I discovered what my favorite gun was. Afterward I played through Halo: CE and Halo 2's campaigns and was amazed. The games were way ahead of their time. I think one of my favorite parts of the series was actually the music. Marty O'Donnell made some amazing, beautiful music in the series. I never actually owned Halo: CE or Halo 2, I just played my brother's copies. But then Halo 3 was announced. I bought an Xbox 360 in early 2007 and got into high definition gaming, anticipating Halo 3's release later that year. Months before it came out, I had the $150 Legendary Edition preordered. I sort of justified it by thinking that I had never bought the first two games, and the Legendary bonus disc contained all of the cutscenes from them in movie format, and with optional commentary, which was awesome. Halo 3 quickly became the multiplayer game that I put the most time into, even beating out Star Wars Battlefront 1 and 2. I even managed to get all of the achievements in Halo 3. While many of them were done with a cooperating group, I still had to work for them because I was usually the one who organized the achievement matches. I am very proud of my 1750 in Halo 3 and my 1000 in ODST, because I love the series." -AudaciousKevin "I thought the X-Box was a joke. I never thought I'd own one or want one. It was Sony all the way for me. Halo CE changed everything the minute I saw it. I HAD to have Halo and thus had to own an X-Box. Thanks to Halo a whole new world in gaming was opened up to me and I never looked back." -towncryer "The first time I played Halo was combat Evolved around the year 2002. I had never seen an Xbox before and the huge old xbox controllers were intimidating but the game was so much fun. We beat the campaign between us in one night and the following night we had a huge LAN party. A few years later I bought my first Xbox and Halo CE and Halo 2 were staples between my friends and I for years to come. Halo to me has been more then just a game, when I reminisce about HS and past friends it's hard to separate those memories from this game that brought us so close together. I had so many LAN/pool parties at my house, countless nights of my Mom screaming at us cussing because my friend dropped the bomb instead of planting it or how we swore the other team was cheating because we couldn't capture the flag if our lives depended on it." -CHINESE BABOON "A freshman at Montana State University, through knowing a blockbuster employee I was able to show up at 11:50 pm, walk to the counter, grab it, and leave. Got back to the dorms, and there was people all over, heading and returning from picking up their copy. Now at msu, the way they had their network set up, it was like one giant LAN for everybody staying in a dorm room, so all night, people were yelling, screaming, and just celebrating the release all night long, and campus was about half empty the next day." -sedington86 "I remember Halo first when I would head over to Mike's, my childhood friend, house afterschool to play the original Halo on his Xbox. Normally, I would never go near that console. I was a diehard playstation fanboy and my friend and I would get into constant arguments debating which console was better. My argument would always be, xbox sucks and it's controllers are HUGE. He would rebute this by saying Xbox was built like a computer and had better graphics. Keep in mind we were in like 5th grade at the time. Our petty fighting would get resolved overtime when Halo: Combat Evolved came out. "You know I have to give it to you Mike, Halo is the only good thing Xbox has even though it has ginormous controllers". Eventually after countless hours playing over my friend's house, I would buy my own Xbox to play Halo. Then I went onto to play games like Fable and A Bard's Tale and I fell in love with the console." -JB410 "I remember the very first time that I played Halo was when I decided to get into the series before the 3rd game came out. But that is not my most memorable moment. That moment involves a couple of friends hanging out together, playing the Big Team Battle playlist on Halo 3, and Ramen Noodles. Lol While we were all waiting for the match to start, two of my friends were trying to cook eight packages of Ramen Noodles at once. Now the whole shebang started when one of them didn’t mute their mic to say that the ‘Ramen’ has been in the microwave for 8 minutes, after which someone immediately afterwards remarked that Ramen does not take 8 minutes to cook. Now the real fun happened once the match started. The entire team of eight people started talking nonstop about Ramen noodles saying remarks such as: “I love how the crap is really cheap, but starts to taste like crap too if you keep buying it.” “Ramen is good the first week, kind of good the second week, ok the third week, and absolutely sucks the forth week.” “I wonder if they have Ramen Therapy.” Now those are just a few of the comments that were brought up. Even though our team lost the match, it was ok because we all had a hell of a time talking about Ramen. I understand that this may not seem very funny just reading it, but if you were there, it was a blast. LOL." -Skylark95 "The first time I played Halo was the demo for the original Halo on the big black box. I was like, WTF is this? Popped it in with my dad watching eagerly beside me and oh my goodness. We both took turns playing it and we could not stop. This was the best thing next to a PB&J. Halo 2 online.....I first played online with my husband. I was a bit intimidated by the thought of playing this game online, but after my first match I was hooked. Team Swat and Team Snipers gave me bragging rights and you better believe I throw it in my husband's face every now and then. I say that with a huge grin on my face. Halo 3....I will admit I cried. I cried like a baby when I thought the Chief died. Of course my husband was laughing at me the whole entire time, but whatever. I On behalf of Gamercide, I would like to say that without this outstanding series, we would not be here today talking about what has made Halo one of the most outstanding series to ever grace a console. Bungie, you gave us a story with unforgettable characters, and we here at Gamercide give you our memories. -The Gamercide Community

A Gamercide favorite is about to make it's return. Did I mention there will be cake to celebrate?

Trixie360 has announced on her Windows Live Spaces blog that she is leaving behind her title as Community Manager for Xbox Live and moving on to her new responsibility which is Xbox Live for Windows Phone 7. "This is a heartbreaking post for me. When I first came to xbox in 2002, people didn't talk about 'Community' in gaming. Oh, community existed of course, but no one called it that. My first forays into building community began with an interview with a customer. The term "Gamer Spotlight" I pulled out of my ass in a meeting one day. What was the point of it? To give a customer a moment of attention, and to let the nascent community learn more about someone who was also playing games on the new Xbox LIvE service. Back then we called it Live. Cause italics = futuristic. Over the following eight years I managed the Xbox.com forums, recruited moderators (they're all volunteers), doled out forum icons, banned forum jerks, managed the Community channel on Xbox.com, hosted a weekly show on Inside Xbox, covered events, nominated Xbox MVPs, created (and branded, and managed and promoted) Community events like Frag Doll Friday (with Ubisoft and Major Nelson), Xbox All-Nighter, Family Game Night, Music Monday, Co-op Night (with Co-Optimus), Play the Pros (with CGS, RIP), Mystery Gamer (with Major Nelson), Community Playdate, Ladies Night, Arcade Afternoon, Cross Platform Clash (RIP), and Indie Games Night. The challenges (read: miscreants) of Xbox LIVE led to the creation of two "Social Programs". The Xbox Ambassadors and GamerchiX (with co-founders Dirty Diva and PMS Kitty). With zero budget and next to no support the programs thrived...because of the amazing people who signed on. Being your community manager has been an amazing experience, and I am grateful to all of you (yes even the jerks) for being so passionate about Xbox LIVE, for always being excited for what comes next, for letting me know in no uncertain terms when we make mistakes, for never being boring. On this community journey I've traveled the world, met the love of my life, live-streamed my wedding, tweeted my water breaking, and blogged my ridiculous foibles such as driving away from the gas station with the pump still in the tank, spilling two drinks on a CTO when I snuck into the Sony E3 party, putting together a bookshelf with a can of corn because I didn't have a hammer. Community, to me, is the lifeblood of Xbox LIVE and YOU are the reason it works. I have learned so much from you, and hope that you've had fun and met cool people during my stint as Community Manager. I'm very sad to say that the time has come for me to pass the community torch. I have been asked to focus my attention on Xbox LIVE for Windows Phone 7. I will continue to write the Gamer Spotlight (so keep those nominations coming!), but will hand off management of my Xbox LIVE community events to Eric Doty who can be reached at xlmail@microsoft.com. Thanks for a great ride. See you on the phone -Trix" We here at Gamercide would like to wish Trixie all the best and a huge thank you for all of the work that she did while the XBL Community Manager.

Before I announce the winner of the Remember Halo personalized prize pack, I want to say thank you to everyone who participated. We had a great response from the Gamercide community. The winner of the personalized Halo pack was decided by an old fashioned hat drawing of the names of the gamertags that participated. The winner of a personalized custom wireless controller and a personlized framed Halo photo done by myself is....... STEALTHY SHADOWS Congratulations go out to Stealthy and again many thanks to all those that participated in Remembering Halo.

Just a friendly reminder for those of you who have yet to submit your "Remember Halo" memories. Any replies received after midnight tonight will not be used. Everyone who has participated in "Remember Halo" will have their messages along with their gamertag sent to Bungie and 343 Industries. There will also be a drawing for those that have participated to receive a personalized Halo prize. For more details please check out the link below. Remember Halo Details

Overpriced, lacking, or just plain sucks. Those are a few of the words used by gamers to describe the behemoth that is the Xbox Live Marketplace. Why have gamers turned so hostile towards the one stop destination for all things 360 and is Microsoft, the developers behind the games, or are the gamers themselves the ones to blame for the growing number of angry remarks being made against the marketplace? In part one of this two part series, we take a look at just how much gamers are spending for their games. Would you be willing to pay between $150 and $200 for a game that releases for $59.99? If you answered "no", chances are that you have already paid that price for just one of your games. Let's take a look at one of the most popular series to ever grace an Xbox console. The Breakdown The Halo Series Halo: Combat Evolved (November 15 ,2001) - $49.99 Halo: Combat Evolved (December 4, 2007 XBL original) – $15.00 Total Money Spent by Gamers – $64.99 Halo 2 (November 9, 2004) -$49.99 Halo 2: Limited Collector’s Edition (November 9, 2004) -$54.99 Halo 2 (Halo 2: Multiplayer Map Pack (July 5, 2005) -$19.99 Total Money Spent By Gamers – $69.98 – $74.98 Halo 3 (September 27, 2007) -$59.99 (regular) - $69.99 (limited) -$129.99 (legendary) -$399 (console) Halo Multiplayer Map Packs Heroic Map Pack (December 11, 2007) -$10.00 Legendary Map Pack (April 15, 2008) -$10.00 Cold Storage Map (July 7, 2008) -Free Mythic Map Pack (April 9, 2009) -$10.00 Mythic Map Pack 2 (February 2, 2010) -$10.00 Themes and Gamerpics (prices when released) Halo 3 Picture Pack -$1.00 Halo 3 Theme -$1.75 Halo 3 Trilogy Theme -$1.75 Halo 3 Uprising Theme -$1.75 Halo 3: First TV Spot Theme -$1.75 Halo 3 Splatter Theme Premium -$3.00 Halo 3 Mythic Theme Premium -$3.00 Avatar Items -$7.00 (Female) -$10.00 (Male) Total Money Spent By Gamers $130.99 - (If regular was bought) $140.99 - (If limited was bought) $200.99 - (If legendary was bought) $470.99 – (If console edition was bought) Halo Wars (March 3, 2009) -$59.99 (regular) -$79.99 (limited) -$29.99 (Games on Demand) Multiplayer DLC Strategic Options -$10.00 Historic Battles -$10.00 Themes and Gamerpics You’re in Command Theme -$3.10 Halo Wars E3 2007 Theme -$1.90 Halo Wars E3 2007 Gamerpics -$1.00 Total Money Spent By Gamers -$85.99 (If regular was bought) -$105.99 (If limited was bought) Halo 3: ODST (September 22, 2009) -$59.99 (regular) -$99.99 (collector’s) DLC Videos and Strategy Guides -$21.00 (altogether) -$1.00 (seperately) Themes and Gamerpics Prepare to Drop Premium Theme -$3.00 Avatar Items -$11.50 (female) -$14.50 (male) Total Money Spent By Gamers -$98.49 (If regular was bought) -$138.49 (If collector’s was bought) Total Amount One Gamer May Have Spent Since Halo’s release in 2001 -$935.43 (The potential amount of money you have spent on the Halo series. Not including taxes.) -$211.98 (The potential amount of money you have spent on the Halo series in the Xbox Live Marketplace.) That is just one example of how much gamer’s are actually spending on a game since the original release date. Factor in other successful series like Call of Duty, Gears of War, Madden, etc…and of course those numbers will increase along with how much is spent on the marketplace per game. Siren Says: "Do we have a right to rant about the prices of DLC on the marketplace? Yes and no. Are most of the prices ridiculous, yes. I mean seriously. Who in their right mind is going to pay 80 MS points to watch a video for Halo 3: ODST when they can youtube it for free? Also, is it a rip off when some of the developers have been outspoken about them wanting some of the DLC to be free, but Microsoft gives a big fat "no can do" and charges gamers? Yes, but we are the dumb ones who will pay for it. In the end we have nobody to blame but ourselves for the prices on the marketplace. If we keep paying for it, they keep getting money, so why would they change the pricing? Sure Microsoft sets the prices, but again they know gamers will pay for games that they love." *Stay tuned for the second part of Breaking Down the XBL Marketplace - Part Two, where the members of Gamercide let loose about their feelings on the marketplace and we break down the XBLA.

Brian R. Wood, the lead designer behind Company of Heroes was tragically killed in a car accident on Friday. His wife Erin who is six months pregnant and was his passenger, is recovering in the hospital. A spokesperson for the Washington State Police said that the driver of the Chevy Blazer, Jordyn B. Weichert was taking her sweater off as one of the passenger's, Samantha R. Bowling held the steering wheel. Bowling lost control of the vehicle and hit Wood's Subaru. Wood and two other male passengers in the Blazer were killed. Police believe that Weichert, the driver of the Blazer was under the influence of drugs. Weichert might be facing vehicular homicide and vehicular assualt, while Bowling could face vehicular homicide charges when she is released from the hospital. Our deepest condolences go out to the family and friends of Brian R. Wood and his co-workers at Relic Entertainment. Seatllepi.com

On September 14, 2010 one of the most successful series on a video game console will sing it's swan song. We here at Gamercide would like to thank the people behind the Halo franchise for the memories, t-bags, and plasma nades that landed in the wrong place causing us to laugh for hours. How can you participate? It is this simple. Send an email to siren@gamercide.org with the subject being, "Remember Halo". You can talk about the first time you ever played Halo, your online experience, etc... Make sure to include your gamertag in the message. The deadline for Remember Halo is September 11, 2010. Anything received after that day will not be included. If you have already submitted your memories to the forum, you do not have to re-submit them. *Quick note: Everybody that participates will be put into a drawing for a personalized "Remember Halo" prize.

It was raining hard. It was the kind of rain that would make a person want to stay inside all day, while drinking a cup of hot coffee staring out the window, but for one soldier he had to keep going. He slowly moved through the buildings going door to door making sure the rooms were clear. The pitter patter of the rain on the roof was making it difficult to listen for the footsteps of enemy soldiers, but he moved on yelling “Clear!” along the way. As he exited one building and was heading to take cover behind a truck, he heard the sounds of footsteps sloshing through the mud. He poked his head out around the corner with his M4 steady and the mud stained enemy soldier that appeared in his vision stopped dead in his tracks. The sounds of bullets being emptied from a clip echoed off the street and his enemy fell to the ground causing the mud from a puddle to splash up in his face. The soldier wiped the mud off of his face using his sleeve and carried on through the rain taking cover behind vehicles eagerly waiting for his next encounter. No, I am not talking about a real life situation. I am referring to my four year old son playing the map “Storm” during a round of Modern Warfare 2 yesterday. He only managed to get two kills, one of those kills being a headshot. Before anybody says, "why are you letting your four year old son play a game like that?" let me explain something. I am not one of those parents who let's a game babysit their child. When he plays a video game, either myself or my husband are in the room to supervise his gaming experience. If either of us see him get angry or we feel like it is too much for him to handle, the game gets turned off and that is the end of it. Now I understand that not all parents are like that. Some parents turn a video game on and walk out of the room, not knowing what game their child is playing or what their child is saying back to someone during an online match. They even let their youngsters have their game console in their bedrooms behind closed doors. To these parents, I give you The Dumbass Award. If you have ever visited the Parents and Family Gaming forum on xbox.com you know what I am about to say. An angry gamer comes into the forum. Makes a typical, "Why do you let your kids play" thread, never to reply again. Those threads are the reason I tend to stay away from parent gamer forums, because there are only so many times I can call someone stupid before I sound like a broken record. So where am I going with this? It is this simple. Speaking on behalf of gamer parents everywhere, if you let your kid play, know what they are playing, who they are playing with, and get the consoles out of their bedrooms. We are tired of taking the blame for your dumbassness. No matter what your kid says he or she is playing, chances are they not playing it. Instead they are playing an M rated game online, (Gasp!) shouting a word that begins with an F and rhymes with duck, stuck, and buck. They are talking about boobs, calling people homophobic terms, and spouting off racist words like they are pros. This is the child who you are letting a game babysit while you go make dinner or bang the head boards against the wall in your bedroom. This is the same child who you take into a video game store and begs you to buy them Gears of War or Halo. The employee behinds the counter tries to warn you, but you don't listen, because you "know" what the game is about and you also "know" how the online experience is. How about you buy the game, sit down and play it first or even read the ESRB rating that desribes what you are about to buy for your minor. So for those reasons I am giving you, the "pretending to be knowledgeable non gaming parent", The Dumbass Award. Enjoy the slow round of applause knowing that you truly worked hard to deserve this one. *The opinions of Siren are not the opinions of Gamercide or the staff. Siren is just a crazy, sarcastic blonde who needs to have duct tape over her mouth 24/7. Seriously.....

The fate of Clayton Carmine in Gears of War 3 was in the hands of Gears fans during the "Fate of Carmine" campaign. Will he meet a horrific end like the Carmine's before him or will he live on and support his fellow Gears? We will have to wait until the game releases in 2011 to find out, but in the meantime check out the thank you message from Epic below. They raised over $150,000 for Child's Play charity with the help of gamers like you. Xbox 360 Games - E3 2011 - Gears of War 3G4tv

Ever wanted to know what some of the world's most popular artists sound like speaking "Simlish", the native tongue for the PC's mega successful life simulator, The Sims 3? You are about to find out when The Sims 3 releases on your favorite consoles in Fall 2010 and when The Sims Late Night expansion for The Sims 3 releases on the PC. Music tracks for the PS3, 360, and Wii include: 22-20’s – “Latest Heartbreak” 3oh!3 – “Double Vision” Aceyalone and RJD2 – “Ever Seen This” Aeroplane – “We Can’t Fly” Alpha Rev – “Phoenix Burn” Cody Simpson – “IY IY IY” Crash Kings – “You Got Me” deadmau5 – “Some Chords” Flo Rida featuring Jovi – “Fresh I Stay” Free Energy – “Free Energy” Hot Chip – “We Have Love” Innerpartysystem – “American Trash” Jasmine V – “All of These Boys” Jessica Mauboy – “Saturday Night” John Butler Trio – “Gonna Be a Long Time” Kidz in the Hall – “Flickin’” Lazee featuring Apollo Drive – “Calling Out” Mickey Factz – “Dreamland” Ozomatli – “Are you Ready?” School Of Seven Bells – “Dust Devil” The Dirty Heads – “Stand Tall” Music tracks for The Sims Late Night expansion for the PC: 3oh!3 – “Double Vision” Bryan Rice – “There for You” Chiddy Bang – “Here We Go” Electrolightz – “Miss Outta Control” Eliza Doolittle – “Rollerblades” Foxy Shazam – “Unstoppable” Hadag Nahash – “Lo Maspik” Hadouken! – “M.A.D.” Jessica Mauboy – “Saturday Night” Junkie XL – “Live Wired” Kelis – “Brave” Kelly Rowland – “Rose Colored Glasses” King Fantastic – “All Black Ying Yang (The Party Song)” My Chemical Romance – “Na Na Na” Nikki & Rich – “Next Best Thing” The Ready Set – “More Than Alive” Soulja Boy – “Speakers Going Hammer” Travie McCoy – “Need You” You can view the full press release below. Flo Rida, My Chemical Romance, Travie McCoy, 3oh!3, and More Partner with EA on the Uber Popular Life Simulator Series The Sims More Than Three Dozen Global Artists Re-record Their Current Hits or Upcoming Singles in ‘Simlish’ for The Sims 3 for Consoles and The Sims 3 Late Night REDWOOD CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sul sul zeedab nas! The Sims fans will turn up the volume on their HD and PC hardware this fall and rock out while playing The Sims™ 3 game on their PlayStation® 3 computer entertainment system, Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system, and Wii™ or when firing up The Sims™ 3 Late Night Expansion Pack* for the PC or MAC. The EA Play Label of Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ:ERTS) announced today the robust music line-up for The Sims 3 for console platforms and The Sims 3 Late Night PC/MAC that includes music from a variety of genres such as hip-hop, alternative, pop, rock, electronic, and more. Artists from around the world including Travie McCoy, 3oh!3, Flo Rida featuring Jovi, Kelly Rowland, Kelis, and more recorded current or upcoming hit singles from their latest albums in an entirely new language, ‘Simlish,’ which is the official language of The Sims franchise. “I’ve always been a fan of The Sims games and could never figure out what the characters were saying in the game. I’m not sure if Simlish can be translated, but it’s darn fun to speak!” “The Sims may be one of the biggest and best-known brands in popular culture today and for a major artist to be asked to re-record their music in ‘Simlish’ has become one of the most unique and exclusive opportunities in the world of entertainment,” explained Steve Schnur, Worldwide Executive, Music and Music Marketing, EA. “Over the past decade, hundreds of artists – including superstars as diverse as Katy Perry, Lady Antebellum, Flaming Lips, Damien Marley, Depeche Mode, Nelly Furtado, Matt And Kim, and so many more – have all become a part of this global phenomenon. For more than a hundred million The Sims players and fans every day, we are truly providing the soundtrack to their lives.” “I’m always trying to find new ways to reach different audiences with my music and The Sims 3 was a perfect way,” explained Flo Rida who laid down his lyrics from “Fresh I Stay” in Simlish with Jovi. The experience is unlike any other for some of the artists and can even prove to be challenging. “We couldn’t stop laughing while re-recording `Double Vision' in Simlish because it just sounds super bizarre,” 3oh!3’s Sean Foreman commented during their recording session. “I’ve always been a fan of The Sims games and could never figure out what the characters were saying in the game. I’m not sure if Simlish can be translated, but it’s darn fun to speak!” “Singing in Simlish was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done, but it was a blast!” said Travie McCoy who sang his upcoming single “Need You” in the game’s one-of-a-kind language. Kelly Rowland added, “I have to say it was quite challenging to sing `Rose Colored Glasses' in Simlish, but also incredibly fun!” Global artists and Simlish re-recorded songs featured in The Sims 3 for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Wii include: 22-20’s – “Latest Heartbreak” 3oh!3 – “Double Vision” Aceyalone and RJD2 – “Ever Seen This” Aeroplane – “We Can’t Fly” Alpha Rev – “Phoenix Burn” Cody Simpson – “IY IY IY” Crash Kings – “You Got Me” deadmau5 – “Some Chords” Flo Rida featuring Jovi – “Fresh I Stay” Free Energy – “Free Energy” Hot Chip – “We Have Love” Innerpartysystem – “American Trash” Jasmine V – “All of These Boys” Jessica Mauboy – “Saturday Night” John Butler Trio – “Gonna Be a Long Time” Kidz in the Hall – “Flickin’” Lazee featuring Apollo Drive – “Calling Out” Mickey Factz – “Dreamland” Ozomatli – “Are you Ready?” School Of Seven Bells – “Dust Devil” The Dirty Heads – “Stand Tall” As the world’s greatest life simulation on console, The Sims 3 combines the freedom of open world life simulation where players can create Sims – the unique characters found in The Sims games - with distinct personalities, fulfill their desires…or not, and control their lives with the guided gameplay of an all-new achievement system. As players complete challenges and collect dozens of achievements they will earn Karma points – all the while deciding the destinies of their Sims. Karma points can be used to unlock and unleash all-new Karma Powers to the grand benefit or wicked detriment of their Sims making it easier than ever to play with life. Players can help their Sim “get lucky,” bless them with “instant beauty” or be deviant and curse them with an “epic fail.” But players should use these powers wisely—they may have unexpected results and karma may come back to bite. The game will also be connected to the worldwide community through a seamlessly integrated creation exchange on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360**. Players can design, build, and share creations, or download content from other players around the world – and for the first time ever – without ever leaving the game. The Sims 3 Late Night includes: 3oh!3 – “Double Vision” Bryan Rice – “There for You” Chiddy Bang – “Here We Go” Electrolightz – “Miss Outta Control” Eliza Doolittle – “Rollerblades” Foxy Shazam – “Unstoppable” Hadag Nahash – “Lo Maspik” Hadouken! – “M.A.D.” Jessica Mauboy – “Saturday Night” Junkie XL – “Live Wired” Kelis – “Brave” Kelly Rowland – “Rose Colored Glasses” King Fantastic – “All Black Ying Yang (The Party Song)” My Chemical Romance – “Na Na Na” Nikki & Rich – “Next Best Thing” The Ready Set – “More Than Alive” Soulja Boy – “Speakers Going Hammer” Travie McCoy – “Need You” The Sims 3 Late Night gives players all-access and lets them loose on a vibrant, active downtown scene where they’ll rub elbows with celebrities at the hottest parties, hit the local bar after work, tour the scene with their Sims’ band, kick back in a plush hot tub, and discover what’s lurking in the thick of the night. Players will be able to take their Sims into the bustling urban setting where they’ll be able to become a celebrity, member of a music band, mixologist, director, and more. To gain entrance into the most elite clubs in town, players need to keep their attitude in check otherwise they’ll be given the cold shoulder by tough bouncers or find another way onto the list. If chilling is the player’s forte, their Sims can lounge at a chic club or dive bar. If they like to live on the edge, they can be initiated into the dark life of a vampire. Whether embarking on a new career, painting the town red, or throwing a party on the rooftop of a penthouse, it’s always up to the player to tell their unique stories with The Sims 3. What will happen when the lights go out and Sims get all-access? For more information about The Sims 3 games or The Sims Late Night, please visit www.TheSims3.com. To download artwork, please visit www.info.ea.com. *Requires The Sims 3 for PC/MAC to play. **INTERNET CONNECTION REQUIRED, Conditions and restrictions apply. See back of pack for details.

Ever wanted to know what some of the world's most popular artists sound like speaking "Simlish", the native tongue for the PC's mega successful life simulator, The Sims 3? You are about to find out when The Sims 3 releases on your favorite consoles in Fall 2010 and when The Sims Late Night expansion for The Sims 3 releases on the PC. Music tracks for the PS3, 360, and Wii include: 22-20’s – “Latest Heartbreak” 3oh!3 – “Double Vision” Aceyalone and RJD2 – “Ever Seen This” Aeroplane – “We Can’t Fly” Alpha Rev – “Phoenix Burn” Cody Simpson – “IY IY IY” Crash Kings – “You Got Me” deadmau5 – “Some Chords” Flo Rida featuring Jovi – “Fresh I Stay” Free Energy – “Free Energy” Hot Chip – “We Have Love” Innerpartysystem – “American Trash” Jasmine V – “All of These Boys” Jessica Mauboy – “Saturday Night” John Butler Trio – “Gonna Be a Long Time” Kidz in the Hall – “Flickin’” Lazee featuring Apollo Drive – “Calling Out” Mickey Factz – “Dreamland” Ozomatli – “Are you Ready?” School Of Seven Bells – “Dust Devil” The Dirty Heads – “Stand Tall” Music tracks for The Sims Late Night expansion for the PC: 3oh!3 – “Double Vision” Bryan Rice – “There for You” Chiddy Bang – “Here We Go” Electrolightz – “Miss Outta Control” Eliza Doolittle – “Rollerblades” Foxy Shazam – “Unstoppable” Hadag Nahash – “Lo Maspik” Hadouken! – “M.A.D.” Jessica Mauboy – “Saturday Night” Junkie XL – “Live Wired” Kelis – “Brave” Kelly Rowland – “Rose Colored Glasses” King Fantastic – “All Black Ying Yang (The Party Song)” My Chemical Romance – “Na Na Na” Nikki & Rich – “Next Best Thing” The Ready Set – “More Than Alive” Soulja Boy – “Speakers Going Hammer” Travie McCoy – “Need You” You can view the full press release below. Flo Rida, My Chemical Romance, Travie McCoy, 3oh!3, and More Partner with EA on the Uber Popular Life Simulator Series The Sims More Than Three Dozen Global Artists Re-record Their Current Hits or Upcoming Singles in ‘Simlish’ for The Sims 3 for Consoles and The Sims 3 Late Night REDWOOD CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sul sul zeedab nas! The Sims fans will turn up the volume on their HD and PC hardware this fall and rock out while playing The Sims™ 3 game on their PlayStation® 3 computer entertainment system, Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system, and Wii™ or when firing up The Sims™ 3 Late Night Expansion Pack* for the PC or MAC. The EA Play Label of Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ:ERTS) announced today the robust music line-up for The Sims 3 for console platforms and The Sims 3 Late Night PC/MAC that includes music from a variety of genres such as hip-hop, alternative, pop, rock, electronic, and more. Artists from around the world including Travie McCoy, 3oh!3, Flo Rida featuring Jovi, Kelly Rowland, Kelis, and more recorded current or upcoming hit singles from their latest albums in an entirely new language, ‘Simlish,’ which is the official language of The Sims franchise. “I’ve always been a fan of The Sims games and could never figure out what the characters were saying in the game. I’m not sure if Simlish can be translated, but it’s darn fun to speak!” “The Sims may be one of the biggest and best-known brands in popular culture today and for a major artist to be asked to re-record their music in ‘Simlish’ has become one of the most unique and exclusive opportunities in the world of entertainment,” explained Steve Schnur, Worldwide Executive, Music and Music Marketing, EA. “Over the past decade, hundreds of artists – including superstars as diverse as Katy Perry, Lady Antebellum, Flaming Lips, Damien Marley, Depeche Mode, Nelly Furtado, Matt And Kim, and so many more – have all become a part of this global phenomenon. For more than a hundred million The Sims players and fans every day, we are truly providing the soundtrack to their lives.” “I’m always trying to find new ways to reach different audiences with my music and The Sims 3 was a perfect way,” explained Flo Rida who laid down his lyrics from “Fresh I Stay” in Simlish with Jovi. The experience is unlike any other for some of the artists and can even prove to be challenging. “We couldn’t stop laughing while re-recording `Double Vision' in Simlish because it just sounds super bizarre,” 3oh!3’s Sean Foreman commented during their recording session. “I’ve always been a fan of The Sims games and could never figure out what the characters were saying in the game. I’m not sure if Simlish can be translated, but it’s darn fun to speak!” “Singing in Simlish was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done, but it was a blast!” said Travie McCoy who sang his upcoming single “Need You” in the game’s one-of-a-kind language. Kelly Rowland added, “I have to say it was quite challenging to sing `Rose Colored Glasses' in Simlish, but also incredibly fun!” Global artists and Simlish re-recorded songs featured in The Sims 3 for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Wii include: 22-20’s – “Latest Heartbreak” 3oh!3 – “Double Vision” Aceyalone and RJD2 – “Ever Seen This” Aeroplane – “We Can’t Fly” Alpha Rev – “Phoenix Burn” Cody Simpson – “IY IY IY” Crash Kings – “You Got Me” deadmau5 – “Some Chords” Flo Rida featuring Jovi – “Fresh I Stay” Free Energy – “Free Energy” Hot Chip – “We Have Love” Innerpartysystem – “American Trash” Jasmine V – “All of These Boys” Jessica Mauboy – “Saturday Night” John Butler Trio – “Gonna Be a Long Time” Kidz in the Hall – “Flickin’” Lazee featuring Apollo Drive – “Calling Out” Mickey Factz – “Dreamland” Ozomatli – “Are you Ready?” School Of Seven Bells – “Dust Devil” The Dirty Heads – “Stand Tall” As the world’s greatest life simulation on console, The Sims 3 combines the freedom of open world life simulation where players can create Sims – the unique characters found in The Sims games - with distinct personalities, fulfill their desires…or not, and control their lives with the guided gameplay of an all-new achievement system. As players complete challenges and collect dozens of achievements they will earn Karma points – all the while deciding the destinies of their Sims. Karma points can be used to unlock and unleash all-new Karma Powers to the grand benefit or wicked detriment of their Sims making it easier than ever to play with life. Players can help their Sim “get lucky,” bless them with “instant beauty” or be deviant and curse them with an “epic fail.” But players should use these powers wisely—they may have unexpected results and karma may come back to bite. The game will also be connected to the worldwide community through a seamlessly integrated creation exchange on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360**. Players can design, build, and share creations, or download content from other players around the world – and for the first time ever – without ever leaving the game. The Sims 3 Late Night includes: 3oh!3 – “Double Vision” Bryan Rice – “There for You” Chiddy Bang – “Here We Go” Electrolightz – “Miss Outta Control” Eliza Doolittle – “Rollerblades” Foxy Shazam – “Unstoppable” Hadag Nahash – “Lo Maspik” Hadouken! – “M.A.D.” Jessica Mauboy – “Saturday Night” Junkie XL – “Live Wired” Kelis – “Brave” Kelly Rowland – “Rose Colored Glasses” King Fantastic – “All Black Ying Yang (The Party Song)” My Chemical Romance – “Na Na Na” Nikki & Rich – “Next Best Thing” The Ready Set – “More Than Alive” Soulja Boy – “Speakers Going Hammer” Travie McCoy – “Need You” The Sims 3 Late Night gives players all-access and lets them loose on a vibrant, active downtown scene where they’ll rub elbows with celebrities at the hottest parties, hit the local bar after work, tour the scene with their Sims’ band, kick back in a plush hot tub, and discover what’s lurking in the thick of the night. Players will be able to take their Sims into the bustling urban setting where they’ll be able to become a celebrity, member of a music band, mixologist, director, and more. To gain entrance into the most elite clubs in town, players need to keep their attitude in check otherwise they’ll be given the cold shoulder by tough bouncers or find another way onto the list. If chilling is the player’s forte, their Sims can lounge at a chic club or dive bar. If they like to live on the edge, they can be initiated into the dark life of a vampire. Whether embarking on a new career, painting the town red, or throwing a party on the rooftop of a penthouse, it’s always up to the player to tell their unique stories with The Sims 3. What will happen when the lights go out and Sims get all-access? For more information about The Sims 3 games or The Sims Late Night, please visit www.TheSims3.com. To download artwork, please visit www.info.ea.com. *Requires The Sims 3 for PC/MAC to play. **INTERNET CONNECTION REQUIRED, Conditions and restrictions apply. See back of pack for details.

A 22 year old who admitted he was molested as a child has been charged with 16 counts of possessing child pornography all of which was found on his Xbox 360. Officials say that 22 year old Timothy Hammerstone from Polk City, Florida lured boys ages 10-16 by using Facebook accounts where he claimed in one that he was 15 and said he was gay. He then told the boys if they would send him naked photos of themselves posing in various positions, he would in return give them 1600 MS points. The boys naked photos were stored on a flash drive on his Xbox 360. Hammerstone also told the boys that he was the founder of a video game group known as the Relentless Society of Brothers and used the gamertag RSB Phoenix CO. When Polk City police arrested Hammerstone they discovered 16 images of underage boys and movies of boys saved onto a flash drive attached to his Xbox 360. Police also believe that there are other boys out there that he either received pictures of or attempted to. Timothy Hammerstone who worked at Walt Disney World is being held at the Polk County jail on 16 counts of child pornography and more charges may be added depending on what they find on his laptop, Xbox 360, and PC. The Ledger Bay News 9

What will the chicken do? Will he rise up and lead a rebellion or fall into the hands of his hunter and become dinner?