Review of GAEMS Vanguard Personal Gaming Environment (Xbox 360/ PS3

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $349.99
Sale Price: $349.96
Today's Bonus: $0.03 Off

I actually happened to find this in a store before i could order it online. so i bought it there. so no comment on the seller here. however the system is sweet. 1080p looks great, sounds great pretty damn loud actually! not much storage space for extra stuff inside the case. (all the necessary cables for HDMI hookup, power supply and 360 power supply) the screen doesnt actually touch anything when closed so not to many worries there. quite strudy and lockable case. i love this thing! i bought it for a portable gaming system when i deploy to afghanistan soon. and it fits into one of those "Gorrilla Case" tough boxes which is nice also. and its good for 110 and 220v. good for people like me in Europe. the price is a little steep but i think it was worth it.

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I have owned this for roughly 2 weeks now and I love it! The matte screen is very sharp, bright, and smooth, with it being easily visible since it has a 170 viewing angle. This lets you and four friends (or more) view it without any issues at all. The screen has a load of settings you can use from adjusting the color, the brightness, and more. Having it as a matte screen means that there is *barely* any reflection even when the screen is off, so if you play outside or where there is bright light, it won't bounce back with some kind of annoying glare and distract you like some home TV's would. Also in case you or someone changes your settings in a weird way, you can reset it to the base default. The blue light on the sides of the monitor is cool to see but low enough (especially with the brightness of the monitor) that you will quickly forget it is there. The speakers are just incredibly clear, with no distortion and can go VERY loud. In a room with noisy people, I could turn it up to just 32 (out of a 100) and hear the game clearly and perfectly. In fact, that's what I did at a very recent game night with a bunch of friends and other people while they played Super Smash Brawl or Mario Kart (people were yelling things too as they played). So only crank it up to 100 if you are trying to drown out one of Metallica's concert next door. Lol! The HD screen also includes TWO headphone ports so you and a friend can listen in private should you want to play a game like Black Ops in silence or just enjoy a nice movie.

Now moving on down from the screen, the hinge looks very solid and I doubt it will ever break unless you are abusive to it. The top also has a kickstand at the base of it, for when you're viewing it so you can have the screen leaning back or aimed solidly straight over the xbox/ps3, and the view will NOT be obscured. The top fits down with the bottom perfectly but be careful as the little mesh baggies that it comes with can sometimes stick out and you'll end up with them sticking out, possibly getting damaged that way. Properly take care of the mesh bags and I think you'll get years out of them. The bags have little round things that slide down the string to lock the opening tight and hold your power supply and other stuff in it perfectly. There are 2 thick velcro straps to lock down your xbox (whether it be the thick original or the slimmer S version) or even your PS3 (any make of it) onto a supplied thick pad.

The overall weight is about expected for something made of tough, but semi-flexible body along with a 19 inch fast, HD monitor. Even with the weight of a Xbox and all accessories inside it, I didn't find it hard to carry from the hand or with the provided padded, shoulder strap. On the outside, there is a big G (company logo) on it but that's replaceable from the website with a number of other things like Gears of War, Mass Effect, or even Halo stuff. The whole case can get a skin to decorate it in of the mentioned game stuff as well. I forgot, I got white little stickers (since I got the non-halo Vanguard version) that you can stick all over it in any way you like.

Performance-wise? I love it! I won't even take my Xbox out of the case sometimes to hook it back up to my other HD TV or even when I take it over to a friend's house because I think it both looks and sounds better than even a Vizio 32 inch! Probably because the speakers are made for gamers whereas the standard HD TV is setup for TV shows. Not only that, but the screen, even though it is a 19 inch matte screen deal still feels bigger that it is because I can sit elbows-to-case close to it without my straining my eyes after a 5-6 hours of game play. One of my friends even said the screen on it looked even better than his 42 inch TV.

The only downside to the WHOLE thing? You can't really stuff more than one controller inside it and there are no places to stick your games inside it. So you'll need to carry extra controllers and games in a separate bag or something. Not really a big deal since it was designed for the *console*, not the games. :) Maybe future versions will have a CD slip case inside it or something.

So? What are you waiting for? Get this thing and start playing on the best personal gaming experience you'll have! If not for you, then at least for someone who's an avid gamer! Trust me, they'll love it and you for it!

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I wanted this for the ability to fill time while on vacation. It works great and does exactly that. The screen is large and very clear. The sound is good as well. The case does its job of protecting it's contents and giving you the ability to transport your beloved gaming system with you on trips. The case does feel slightly flimsy when opening/closing it...probably because it's a plastic case. Another thing that you might not take into consideration is this thing gets a bit heavy once you load it up with your system including the power supply and controllers. Overall, I'm pretty happy with the unit. Just keep in mind that if this isn't your primary screen, then you have a $350 doorstop sitting around the majority of the time....but, if you're without a TV or on deployment, then this is a great setup. It's footprint is about the size of a small suitcase and can be tucked out of the way when not in use. The setup was a slight pain, which involved plugging in the HDMI cable and power cord (which may limit how far you can sit from the outlet). I also suggest the cord splitter that is probably on the bottom of the product page. Overall, I'm pretty happy with it and look forward to taking it with me on future trips. (Side note...The TSA requires that you completely remove your game system from the GAEMS Vanguard.)

Honest reviews on GAEMS Vanguard Personal Gaming Environment (Xbox 360/ PS3

This pretty great. The one thing that I am working on is trying to reduce the setup time of the product. I would want to open the system up, move the pouches to the side, and be able to hook things up without taking everything out every time. I hope to put the 360 brick to the left, because it heats up, and carry a power strip with a long cord. One thing that would be nice, is if there was a way for them to engineer a spot for the screen power supply, and on the back put a power outlet for the console power, and a power inlet for both the screen and console. However, I'm not sure if there is a practical way for the inlet (which would need to be close to a standard computer power cable) to be implemented. Some sort of power splitter with a suggested setup would be nice though.

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This setup is perfect for a quick portable fix. The screen is very clear and easy to view from multiple angles. It is crisp and high def 1080p adjustable to 720p if you're into it. The speakers are amazing they have adjustable bass and treble with a built in equalizer for the audiophiles. They are louder than my two Vizio TVs and even sound better. Mine came with a remote that has brightness built in (up and down like volume) so you don't have to enter the menu and can adjust on the fly perfect for pro gamers. Two headphone jacks. The case can be locked with a combo or key lock (like a suitcase) It is very lightweight and sets up in a few minutes.

The negatives: It's not as sturdy as I had hoped. The screen has blue lights that come on around it...options for red maybe, or nothing at all? The screen is naked inside when you close the case leaving it susceptible to scratches (possibly) if you don't put your stuff away carefully. HDMI only. Obviously the price more than the gaming system itself.

Xbox Live 12 Month Gold for Halo 4 Review

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $59.99
Sale Price: $59.90
Today's Bonus: $0.09 Off

To start off, I'd like to say that X-Box Live is amazing and worth every penny. Online gaming is incredibly fun and quite a good way to pass time.

That aside, there are downsides to X-Box Live that can be avoided through prepaid cards. Number one, you always run the risk that unwarranted transactions will be made if your credit card information is stored on your X-Box 360 system. It may not happen all that often, but it's best to avoid it all together.

The biggest reason to buy prepaid Xbox Live card is the renewal process that happens when you don't use one. If you order X-Box Live through your system, it'll renew every time your subscription runs out. This wouldn't be a problem except that it's not that easy to cancel. Instead of canceling through your system, you have to go through the hassle of actually calling X-Box Live support. Even then, depending on the representative you get, you may be hassled to keep your subscription because they really don't want you to cancel it. I'm guessing that's part of their job to convince you to keep it, but it still is frustrating to the person that is trying to cancel it.

You'll have to go through this process every time you want to cancel if you don't use a prepaid card. Is that hassle really worth it? I don't think so. Therefore, avoid all of the problems by simply buying a prepaid card. You won't be sorry.

UPDATE: (3/6/2011): I updated this review about a year ago pointing out that you could disable the subscription on X-Box Live's website. As of this update, they've taken that feature away again. I'm guessing Microsoft must have seen a major increase on people who canceled their subscription, thus now forcing you to call their customer service hot-line again to cancel. Even if they add it back, just save yourself the hassle and get a prepaid card. You never have to worry about dealing with customer service that will try their hardest to get you to stay on as a recurring customer. Amazon also gives great deals throughout the year. You could save yourself $20 to $30 sometimes just by checking to see if Amazon has these prepaid cards on sale. What's not to love about that?

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I decided to purchase one of these when my current subscription expired. It took a matter of minutes, and I was logged back on to my Live account. It was also about $10-12 cheaper than it would've been if I went to my local big box store (not to mention gas and time). Here are the steps that I took:

1. Purchased it on Amazon.com

2. Checked my e-mail to retrieve my Xbox Live Code immediately after purchase.

3. Logged onto my account on xbox.com, and put the Xbox Live Code in. (Or enter the code on the Xbox 360 dashboard.)

4. Turned on my 360 and viola! Instantaneous access.

I plan on purchasing this again when my current subscription is up. It's a total no brainer.

Best Deals for Xbox Live 12 Month Gold for Halo 4

This site is the cheapest I have found for this card.

Do not pay for your live service monthly on your credit card.

It's alot cheaper to buy one of these cards every year.

Honest reviews on Xbox Live 12 Month Gold for Halo 4

From what I can find this is the cheapest cost per month option available for a live gold subscription. Depending on the current price, it ranges from $2.9158 to $3.3325 per month. What I don't get is why this credit card sized subscription card comes in such wasteful packaging. It comes in a rather large plastic packaging, which requires it to be shipped in a box. You get free shipping, but how wasteful. Why doesn't amazon just offer the code online and not eat the cost of shipping and at the same time be a little greener?

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Find the card on sale every so often each year. Don't pay the full price. The Xbox Live Gold is stellar and I love it, but I don't see how they charge $50 or more a year and you don't get any freebies...other than advanced demo downloads. They need to throw a bone for a free song or discounted DLC or a free rental every so often. I have spent well over $1000 in my 3 years with the Xbox 360 on peripherals, games and downloads. 2% of my money spent as a gift would have paid for 1600 points of DLC...that would be a nice thank you from Xbox 360 for keeping their community alive and well.

Buy PlayStation 3 System Slim 120GB

Customer Ratings:

Let me start out by saying that I'm currently 56 years old and everything I know about video game consoles can fit on a fingernail clipping. A couple of years ago, my companion bought me a PS2, because she had recalled my mentioning in passing (after seeing advertisements for some pretty interesting sci-fi-themed games) that I was curious about what's going on in that medium. The game technology seemed to have progressed light years since I last paid attention, sometime in the late 80s, early 90s, which went something like this: you start out with some objective, and then the game play steadily quickens until you eventually lose against the computer. It was very dull. After she bought me the PS2, the only game I bought was Grand Tourismo 4 (she had given me with the console itself Superman Returns, but I didn't like it), with which I relaxed by racing the realistically rendered cars around some impressively detailed tracks, but never getting into the more sophisticated levels of the game. Then about four months ago, my son lent me Resident Evil 4. Of course, you gamers know this was a benchmark in game development, and can understand why I became completely immersed in it. It was truly a creepy experience. You weren't just WATCHING a horror movie; you were IN it. Here I was, at my age, suddenly finding myself lost for literally hours a day -one weekend, twenty hours straight; my body ached -then thinking about the game when I wasn't playing it, looking forward to the moment I could resume the story. After I beat it, I went through it three more times. Then I bought God of War II, quite by accident (I selected it for the price, a mere $20), unaware that this, too, was a hit game, and another benchmark. The graphics were so good, so stunning, so grand and sweeping, I played it six times. Again, hours seemed like minutes; I'd simply lose time. I was now addicted, and taking into account how good a PS2 was, I figured that the PS3 -with its Blu-ray technology -had to be out-of-this-world incredible. Four weeks ago, I bought this PS3 slim, and it has given me enjoyment that made it worth every penny, and then some.

I can't speak to the technical specifications of the PS3, or how it compares to other consoles. I'm writing instead to other middle-aged customers who might have stumbled on this page, perhaps shopping for some young relative -son or daughter; niece or nephew; or grandchild -to suggest that you should consider buying one of these babies for yourself. This is one powerful piece of entertainment technology. Not only does it exceed my expectations as a game console, it's also a BD player, and using the WiFi connection, it permits access to the PlayStation Store, for free demos and exclusive content; plus BD live material, and downloading movies and TV episodes; and you can import your CDs to the PS3's hard drive, to create playlists or just randomize the tracks for playback. It's become a virtual media center for me.

And the game play? Oh, man. The PS3 advances even further the features that make gaming so addictive. To those of you who snuff that it's a juvenile waste of time, I suggest you ask yourself, is it any different from watching sitcoms or reality TV? A video game requires you to REACT, to THINK, to ANALYZE. That is NOT overstating the stimulative benefits. While they are in fact merely games, game-play itself is a complete immersion in an experience, while requiring good hand-eye coordination and some mental agility. All the games I've played so far included puzzles as part of the story, and it's a very satisfying feeling when you finally solve a particularly challenging one.

If the middle-aged shopper I'm imagining I'm writing to is inclined to wonder if all that tapping on those buttons in specific patterns is difficult to learn, this is my honest answer: At first, yes, it is. But eventually your fingers learn what button is where, and it becomes second nature, like typing. To those even older, it's recommended by doctors that as you age, you need new stimuli to keep your acuity. You won't find a more fun way to do so than this. Ignore your previous misconception that video games are for teenagers. An article in USA TODAY from 2004 stated that ". . . the average age of game players was 29 and the average age of buyers was 36, with men making up 59% of the playing audience." So you can add about five years to those figures, making the average age of video game BUYERS about 40. I have spent untold hours on my PS3, and connected to my 47" HDTV, it's the ultimate entertainment. The graphics are sharp and clear, movement of characters is realistic, making it even easier to get totally engaged in the environments. I just finished Batman: Arkham Asylum, a great game with easily mastered moves, some tough puzzles, and a very dark, decayed ambiance.

True gamers who are reading this are probably chuckling right now, because this is all pretty much a no-duh to them. Well, let me offer a hardy THANK YOU for supporting the industry with enough of your dollars to permit it to advance as an entertainment medium in such awesome bounds. This is the next step toward the future of the ultimate video game experience. Oh, what will the technology deliver? A virtual reality, perhaps?

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UPDATE (November, 2010):

Before you decide to buy this model, note that the PlayStation 3 160 GB and for fifty dollars more you can get the PlayStation 3 320 GB. You may also want to consider the PlayStation 3 320GB System with PlayStation Move Bundle

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RATING

I will begin with the rating part so that those who are already familiar with the PS3 line may save a little time.

On balance, I found the PS3 Slim or the 'PS3 120GB' to be a worthy addition to the current PS3 line. It comes with several major improvements over its predecessors and the 'trade offs' are few and, to most us, insignificant.

This how the new model compares to its predecessors:

PS3 SLIM vs. PS3 80/160GB

+ $100/200 less

+ Smaller

+ More energy efficient

+ More quiet operation

+ Cooler

+ Smaller Cell processor manufactured using a 45-nanometer manufacturing process

+ New, more advanced HDMI 1.3 chipset

+ Easier HDD upgrade

No Linux support

No on-off switch in the back

Push rather than touch 'On' and 'Eject' buttons

Not as pretty

= Unchanged game-playing experience

= Same great Blu-ray player

= Same PSP integration

= Same WiFi, Bluetooth built-in

= Same Dualshock 3 rumble, motion sensitive controller

= Same I/O options

The PS3 Slim is a superior product when compared with the PS3 80/160GB models. This relatively inexpensive, feature packed, versatile gaming machine, multimedia hub and outstanding Blu-ray player, earns back the 5th star that I granted the Classic models and I didn't feel that the PS3 80/160GB models deserved.

Granted, when compared to the PS3 Classic, the PS3 Slim lacks PS2 compatibility, has 2 fewer USB ports and and it lacks media card slots but these shortcomings are offset by the significantly lower price, energy efficiency, larger storage and an updated CPU and HDMI. And, keeping hope alive by feeding it rumors, who knows? Sony just might add PS2 software emulation once it stops manufacturing the PS2 sometime, next year.

MY TEST DRIVE IMPRESSIONS

The good news is that you can do just about everything you did with the PS3 80/160GB models and in the exact same way. During my test ride, I was able to play all the games I brought with me without a problem, the Bluetooth remote controller was recognized immediately and so was the Playstation Eye. Both a USB-dongle full-size wireless keyboard, a USB-connected wired keyboard and Sony's own Bluetooth mini-keyboard worked as expected. I was able to upload pictures, videos and music from a USB thumb drive and a USB-connected SATA 2.5" hard disk and play them in the same way I do it on my own PS3. The person who allowed me the test drive suggested that I do not sign into the PSN but I have no doubt that the Slim behaves exactly like its predecessors on the PSN, running HOME or while browsing the Net.

The Slim has the exact same ports in the back, the same buttons in front albeit 'push' buttons instead of the 'touch' buttons, the same 2 USB ports, comes with the same Dualshock 3 controller, USB cable and Composite AV cable accessories.

The older PS3s weren't particularly noisy but the Slim seems to be more quiet and, after several hours of play, it didn't get as warm as my Classic. The ONLY 2 USB ports bother me a little because I brought along the Eye, a USB-wired HDD, a USB keyboard and a dongle-based wireless keyboard. That meant that I had to do a lot of plugging and unplugging when testing. In real life, it's not so convenient to charge a controller and access more than one USB-connected peripheral. There are third party generic USB hubs (ugly) or PS3-specific port extenders and media hubs that could be used to increase the number of USB ports and bring back the media card slots.

My overall impression of the Slim is "nothing new" at least on surface. The "cooler, quieter, smaller, more energy efficient" you don't notice while playing a game or watching a movie. The really great news about the Slim is that so many more will be able to afford it and, with a larger user base, more developers will feel more strongly motivated to publish more, better games that all of us will enjoy.

THE SLIM (PS3) vs. THE 'XBOX 360 ELITE FALL 2009'

This is not meant to be a 'fan' statement. I don't own a Wii but I do own an Xbox 360 so I will be able to discuss PS3 Slim vs. Xbox 360 Elite and, hopefully, it may help a little those undecided between the two or those thinking about getting a PS3 as a second gaming console. Please be aware that, even though I own both consoles and I try to be as objective as possible, I do tend to favor the PS3.

Parity

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Storage: 120 GB on both systems

CD, DVD playback: both

Bluetooth/IR: Bluetooth included with PS3, Infrared remote for Xbox

Community: PSN/Home memberships are free, Xbox Live includes free Silver membership and one-month Gold subscription, paid thereafter

Advantage PS3 Slim

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Blu-ray: PS3 only. Blu-ray disks aren't used for HD movie playback but to deliver games as well. Since they store several times more data than a DVD disk, PS3 games can be 'bigger' and be still delivered on one disk, eliminating the need for swapping during gameplay.

WiFi: included with PS3, available as an add-on for Xbox.

HDMI 1.3a on PS3 (more vivid colors, better sound) vs. HDMI 1.2 on Xbox

Controller: wireless on both systems, rumble on both, PS3's only is motion sensitive, rechargeable batteries built into PS3's, Xbox rechargeable battery packs available for purchase.

Integration with a handheld device: PS3 integrates with the PSP, the Xbox offers Zune integration. I would call it 'advantage PS3' because the Zune integration is limited to file transfers.

Internal power supply: yes for the Slim, a large external 'brick' for the Xbox.

Ability to upgrade the Hard Disk: the PS3 could use any cheap 2.5" SATA on the market (a 500GB can be had for $90 at the time of this writing and the existing PS3 disk can be recycled to upgrade a laptop or as external storage) without voiding the warranty. I am not aware Xbox HDD upgrades beyond 120GB but, judging by the 120GB upgrade HDD for the smaller models, they are likely to be proprietary, more expensive solutions.

Slim comes with USB, Ethernet and Composite cables, Xbox has only Composite in the box.

Advantage Xbox 360 Elite Fall 2009

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Headset: not included with PS3 but any Bluetooth device will work, wired headset included with Xbox Elite.

Ethernet: PS3 supports Gigabit Ethernet, Xbox is limited to 100BASET-T.

USB ports: Xbox comes with 3, Slim has only 2.

It seems that a PS3 Slim can be brought to parity with the Xbox 360 Elite by purchasing a Bluetooth headset (possibly for less than $10 and that would make the PS3 a superior choice since the Xbox headset is wired to the controller. For the amount, the PS3 will match and surpass Xbox feature for feature if we don't factor in exclusive Xbox games or unique Xbox Live features.

To bring the Xbox 360 Elite to parity with the PS3 one would need: a WiFi adapter ($70) and rechargeable batteries ($10). I will not add the various cables to the list because, depending on setup, they may or may not be needed and PS3's Gigabit Ethernet is not likely to make a difference in anyone's gaming or movie streaming at this time. $80 would bring the Xbox closer to the PS3 but the Xbox won't support Blu-ray, does not have a motion sensitive controller, can't function without an external power supply and, Zune withstanding, it does not integrate with a hand-held gaming device. In addition, continuing the Xbox Live Gold beyond the initial month would be another $30-50 per year for the life of the Elite.

I chose not to factor in the quality of available software because it's impossible to be even remotely objective when it comes to judge Sony's exclusives vs. Xbox exclusives. My guess is that, in the end, those who must have Halo will buy a Microsoft Xbox regardless of cost or other features and those who fall in love with Little Big Planet or Uncharted have no choice but a Sony PS3. The general consensus is that, at this time, the PS3 has the superior hardware (see above) while the Xbox has an advantage in exclusive titles and some exclusive content. In addition, many multiplatform games are developed on the Xbox first and then ported to the PS3. That can make the Xbox versions appear to be superior and, more importantly, the PS3 versions do not always take full advantage of PS3s superior hardware. This seems to be less the case as developers are becoming more familiar with the PS3 platform the software gap, if there is one at this time, it is closing fast.

Update on PS3 vs Xbox 360 (July 2010)

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Quite a bit has happened since I posted this review and almost all of it was good news from a user's point of view. Microsoft got 'the message' and there is a new, slimmer, quieter Xbox with a larger but still proprietary disc and with built-in Wi-Fi, plus a proprietary Kinect port. Sony, on the other hand, has launched a premium 'pay' service on the PSN featuring Hulu 'plus' and maybe other goodies to be added in the future but the 'free' PSN service is still superior to its 'free' Xbox rival, in my view.

So, revisiting the comparisons above, the PS3 still holds the advantage when it comes to Blu-ray and motion-sensitive controllers. The PS3 120GB's drive while smaller is still easily upgradeable while the Xbox is not (my 120GB Slim got its 500GB upgrade within days of purchase at almost no cost given that I was able to reuse the 120GB drive for other purposes).

ESSENTIAL ADD-ONS AND ACCESSORIES

For those who decided that the PS3 Slim is what they wanted, the list below may help them budget for the extra purchases they may want to consider. There are surprisingly few extra a PS3 REALLY needs and I listed them in order from what I view as the more to the less important or needed. Those at the top are, in my view, more 'essential' than the ones at the bottom, but with the exception of the HDMI cable which is a must have for an HD TV set, you could easily do without the rest or get them later if you really feel that you want them.

HDMI CABLE It's a must for anyone who already has an HD TV. It's not included in the box and I am not going to provide a link because there are dozens of vendors at Amazon, competing and that's a good thing because one can be had for only a few dollars. Just make sure it's HDMI 1.3. A 'High-Speed' rating is not necessarily a plus if the cable you need is only 3 ft. or 6 ft. long. All HDMI 1.3 cables should be High-Speed rated and only High-Speed cables support 1080p resolutions. At these lengths, paying a premium for 'quality' can't be justified because the odds for the digital signal to be misinterpreted are close to non-existent.

REMOTE CONTROL Unless your HD TV supports CEC (Consumer Electronics Control) which allows for the user to command and control multiple CEC-enabled boxes with one remote control and for CEC capable devices to command and control each other, Sony PlayStation 3 Blu-ray Disc Remote could make the operation of the PS3 a lot easier when you are not playing a game. It's optimized for movie viewing but XMB navigation, running slide shows and shopping at the PSN store are easier with the remote control because it does not need two hands to be operated. In fact, it can be operated with one thumb.

WIRELESS HEADSET This is the one important component that the Elite bundle includes (theirs is wired) and the PS3 does not. Any Bluetooth headset would do which is why I am not going to insert a link to Sony's product or to anyone else's.

SECOND DUALSHOCK 3 CONTROLLER Even if you play solo only, a second controller may be charging while the other is in use.

USB PORT EXTENDER Again, there are many competing offers. I would prefer one where the ports are powered. Some singing games may come with their own extenders.

PS3 EYE CAMERA This is not exactly a 'must have' but it's definitely a 'very nice to have' as the Eye is not only a camera but also a stereo microphone depending on your needs, it may eliminate the need for a headset. I obtained mine cheaply, with a used copy of Eye of Judgment. If you decide to go that route, be VERY careful and ensure that the camera is indeed included before your order.

MEDIA CARD READERS They would plug into a USB port and will allow your PS3 to read/write to Media/Multimedia/Secure Digital, Memory Stick (PRO), Compact Flash, or XD Picture cards. They can be had for anything from $1 to $20.

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Note 1: MY OWN BIAS

We own a 'Classic' 60GB PS3, currently upgraded to 320GB, DualShock 3 and complemented with various peripherals: PS3 Eye, Logitech Driving Force GT Racing Wheel, Bluetooth keyboard attachment, headset... etc. We also own an Xbox 360 Elite, 3 PSP 3000's (got 3 kids) and a second-hand DS. We used to have a PS2 but we sold it shortly after purchasing the PS3. I've helped several of my neighbors purchase, install and upgrade their own PS3's. I am posting this review because I had the opportunity to test drive a PS3 Slim for several hours a couple of nights before the official launch someone I know works at a store that sells gaming consoles.

Speaking for myself only, I tend to favor the PS3 for several reasons and here they are:

WiFi This is a major convenience for me. I hate 'wires' and the PS3 has the WiFi built in and it's VERY easy to set up.

Blu-ray I was an early adopter and I haven't bought 'new' DVDs in more than a year. Having the PS3 doubling up as a Blu-ray player is another major convenience for me.

HDD Storage upgrade I don't believe that 120GB is sufficient these days and our console has exceeded the 120GB threshold already after lots of downloaded games and movies and transferring thousands of photos and songs to it. A PS3 can be easily and inexpensively upgraded to 500GB today and this is a big plus.

Little Big Planet It's a Sony exclusive and my kids just love this game. They would probably run away and resettle with a family that has LBP if I got rid of the PS3.

________________________________________________

Note 2: THE SLIM'S SPECS AND FEATURES

45nm, 7-core Cell processor CPU

RSX Based on NV47 Chip (Nvidia GeForce 7800 Architecture) for graphics

Updated HDMI chipset (bitstreams hi-res DTS-HD, TrueHD)

256MB XDR Main RAM and 256MB GDDR3 VRAM memory

120GB Hard disk 2.5" SATA can be replaced with any 2.5" SATA and a compatible 500GB HDD can be had for about $90 at the time I write this review

Blu-ray 2.0 player (possibly still the best) that also plays DVDs and CDs

Ethernet 10/100/1000Base-T wired networking

WiFi 802.11 b/g (from 10 Mbps up to 54 Mbps) wireless networking I couldn't live without

Bluetooth 2.0 for game controller, headsets, keyboards and so on

Video resolution up to 1080p

Audio supported: LPCM 7.1, Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD, DTS, DTS-HD, AAC

Other outputs: HDMI, Optical, Composite AV

Other I/O: 2 High-speed USB 2.0 ports

Power: dual 120/240V

Power consumption: 250W

Weight: about 7 lbs.

Dimensions: about 12" x 2.5" x 12" (my measurements)

Included controller: DUALSHOCK 3

Included cables: USB and Composite AV, power chord

Additional features:

Displays JPEG stills.

Multi-featured, surprisingly good slide show functionality.

Plays MPEG-1, MPEG-2, and MPEG-4/h.264 videos.

Bitstreams DTS-HD and Dolby TrueHD to receiver

Upconverts DVDs to 1080p over HDMI

XMB in-game access.

In-game and off-game text and voice chat (headset, keyboard or Eye are needed).

Video chat with up to six people (PlayStation Eye is required)

Can discover media servers on the home network and stream content from any DLNA-compliant device.

Web browser (still has some usability and compatibility issues) but plays YouTube well.

Google Web search.

Remote play on a PSP connected to any wireless access point play music, videos, show pics, turn on the PS3 remotely if on stand-by

Upload PSP games purchased from the PSN Store to the PSP.

Online software updates improve PS3 functionality and keep the Blu-ray player features current.

Online third party updates.

Online gameplay.

Download and play PS3 games and demos from the PSN store.

Download and play PSOne games.

Download and play movies and shows from the PSN store.

Supports HDMI Consumer Electronic Control (HDMI-CEC) control the Slim through the remote of any CEC-enabled TV such as a Bravia.

________________________________________________

Note 3: HDD UPGRADE

If you are on the upgrade path, less than $90 would buy you a 500GB drive. The one that I tested would be the 500GB Scorpio Blue Mobile Sata 5400RPM 8MB 2.5IN which replaced my laptop's 60GB drive and a friend's 80GB PS3 HDD. The nice thing about upgrading your disk is that you are also going to be left with a perfectly good 80GB or $160GB or 120GB drive which you can place into a cheap enclosure, and the StarTech AT2510U2 InfoSafe 2.5-Inch USB/SATA Hard Drive Enclosure worked for me. After I upgraded my own console to 320Gb, I used the free leftover drive as a backup device for family photos.

Best Deals for PlayStation 3 System Slim 120GB

As a proud owner of a PS3, I was closely following developments of when the rumored (and highly-anticipated) PS3 Slim would come out. After shelling for the PS3 80GB back in 2008, I was really excited to hear that Sony not only announced a smaller version of the PS3, but also implemented a [long-overdue] $100 price cut. I immediately went out and bought the Slim as soon as possible, and am very happy with it so far. Here are my impressions:

COMPARED TO PLAYSTATION 3 "FAT"

A LOT SMALLER

I heard that it was smaller, but seeing is believing! The photos don't do the system justice, and it's not really till you see and feel the difference that you are impressed with it. If you can, go into your local game store and check it out for yourself! If you've previously owned a Playstation console, you already know the difference the slimmer version makes when compared to the original, bulky ones. What's really convenient is that the slimmer PS3 not only means your video gaming is more portable, but that you have a really convenient Blu-Ray player.

NOT A FINGERPRINT MAGNET

I love the sleek look of my PS3 Fat, but don't like how it constantly needs to be cleaned. The glossy finish is a fingerprint magnet! The matte finish on the Slim is much easier to maintain. That being said, it doesn't look as shiny and cool, but I think its convenience outweighs that.

MORE STORAGE

Storage was never an issue for me on my 80GB system, but for those who wanted more storage, you get 40GB more with this system (120GB in total). It may not seem like much, but you can hold MANY movies, pictures, and music albums with 120GB. If that's still not enough, you can always install a 2.5" hard drive yourself, or better yet, plug in an external hard drive in one of the USB ports. You can easily get a portable 500GB external hard drive for less than $100, or a bigger, bulkier one with around 1TB of storage for roughly the same. That being said, I think 120GB for $300 should be more than enough for most users, and is a significant improvement over the 80GB for $400 that people were paying just a few weeks ago!

STILL NOT BACKWARDS COMPATIBLE

This is my one major gripe with the Playstation 3. It really wouldn't have killed Sony to include this feature, as the original Playstation 3's did in fact include backwards compatibility with older Playstation 2 games. A lot of people counter by either saying (1) it doesn't make sense to buy a PS3 to play PS2 games, (2) the graphics on the PS3 are better anyway so why bother with older games, and (3) including backwards compatibility would cannibalize PS3 game sales.

While those arguments might have their merits, I'm still frustrated that my massive PS2 library can't be played on the PS3, and was really hoping that Sony would include backwards compatibility on the Slim! I loved the fact the PS2 was backwards compatible with PS1 games, and really wish that Sony would reconsider this decision.

COMPARED TO OTHER SYSTEMS:

PS3 vs. WII

I think comparing the PS3 directly to the Wii is a bit like comparing apples to oranges, since they offer such different experiences. The Wii in my opinion is more family-friendly, while the PS3 is better for more graphics-intense games geared towards different gemographics. I'm a huge fan of Nintendo, and I love their very family-oriented game offerings. I own a DS and Wii and still love Mario as much as the days back when I played the original Nintendo (NES). In addition, I think Nintendo's motion-sensitive controllers for the Wii are very innovative and fun to play with! Unfortunately however, for most gamers, the difference in game quality is noticeable when comparing the two systems. The PS3 has AMAZING graphics. On an HD Television, you notice such crisp details while playing the PS3. The Wii features only Standard Definition output, which noticeably weakens it when compared to the other next-gen consoles such as the PS3 and Xbox 360.

PS3 vs. XBOX 360

Microsoft has an impressive gaming console in their Xbox 360 and there are some amazing titles exclusive to the Xbox, but in the end you get less bang for your buck when compared to the Playstation 3:

(1) Online gameplay: You can use the Playstation Network's online features without having to pay a subscription fee like you do for the Xbox. I was never a big online gamer but now I enjoy playing against opponents online.

(2) Internet connectivity: Built-in wireless internet connectivity on the PS3 is a much better bet than having to buy a wireless network adapter for the Xbox. Of course you can simply rely on a wired Ethernet connection, but this might be inconvenient depending on your set-up.

(3) High-Def Video: The Playstation 3 doubles as a Blu-Ray player. Microsoft bet on the wrong horse when they were hoping that HD-DVD would come out the winner in the high-def format wars. If you want a Blu-Ray player/video game system combo, the PS3 is a great device.

(4) Failure rate: The Xbox 360 has an absurdly high failure rate, with estimates ranging between 30 to 50% (). I can't verify the numbers, but know from my friends who own the Xbox 360 that they've had a fair share of grief with their systems.

Microsoft does have a few edges, namely the upcoming Project Natal, unveiled at June's E3. While Natal may ultimately be one of the most amazing advances in video gaming, it unfortunately is still some time off from being implemented. That being said, the Playstation 3 is much more worth the cost than the Xbox 360 at least for now.

FINAL THOUGHTS

system that doubles as a Blu-Ray player. Keep in mind though that the bulk of money spent on the video game system will not be in the initial down payment, but the subsequent games, extra controllers (only comes bundled with one controller), and other peripherals/accessories. . Sony's refusal to incorporate backwards-compatibility for PS2 games on the PS3, however, might make your gaming library obsolete in a few years, so if you have the money, you're best off going for the PS3 Slim. You won't regret it.

Honest reviews on PlayStation 3 System Slim 120GB

I'll try to break this down for normal folks as I own both units and I had a heck of time finding any unbiased reviews. The short answer is you can't really go wrong with either, but the ps3 price drop IMHO makes it the better buy. My main reason for buying the PS3 was my xbox 360 died RROD for the fourth time and I decided to try the ps3.

OK here goes:

-Graphics: The two units are pretty close on quality here, in my case the PS3 has better graphics because my xbox had no HDMI, apples to apples I think it would be hard to pick a winner.

-Controllers: This is really a matter of preference. Some say the xbox controller being bigger makes it more comfortable, from a technical aspect I would have to give the ps3 the win here as it has both vibration and motion, the xbox lacks the latter.

-Online Community: Xbox is the winner here with some serious drawbacks to note. For one it costs $50 per year, if you use the voice chat, group chat, etc, etc... then the xbox is the winner. If you are like myself and you hop online to play games with your friends and prefer to use a phone or email to chat with them then xbox online advantage are pretty much null.

-Netflix: this is a big one for me, now both systems have netflix, the navigation is similar, both are usable however for the moment you need to insert a DVD to play netflix on the ps3. No winner here, it's a tie.

-BLU-RAY: this is a big one, the xbox hd-dvd format died leaving it without an HD disc format, this means if you want to play HD movies via a disc you need to have a blu ray player separately, obviously PS3 wins here, but is the future of HD movies in disc format or streaming?

-Fan noise: This IMO opinion gives the new PS3 the hands down win, my ps3 slim is so quiet i can barely tell it's on, my xbox sounded like a jet engine, i often had movies cranked all the way up just to hear them over the xbox, again IMO this is a HUGE asset to the PS3 Slim.

Breakdown:

Ps3 Pros:

1) Quiet

2) Motion sensitive controllers

3) You can use any Bluetooth headset, keyboard, mouse, etc....

4) Blu-ray

5) Lack of flashing lights on front of machine!

6) Built in wi-fi card

7) HDMI included

8) Free Online Community and Game Play

9) Tech support speaks english and appears to be located in America, they understood my name and my question.

10) Controllers come with built in rechargable battery and can be charged with any usb port.

11) easy to navigate menus

12) No ridiculous power brick, one cord, if you want to take your ps3 with you somewhere you only need the controller, the unit and the power cord.

Ps3 Cons:

1) No IR receiver, you can't use your regular universal remote to control the ps3 you need a bluetooth which means an extra remote.

2) Shape, this one sounds stupid, but the rounded shape of the ps3 really annoys me because you can't stack, say your wii, or even lay your remotes on top of the unit. (maybe you shouldn't do that anyhow LOL)

3) Less games, or at this point I guess the better point would be less games made for the ps3, instead of built for the xbox and ported to the ps3, this is however changing and in the future will be less of an issue.

Xbox 360 Pros:

1) Great online setup, lots of features which some may miss on the ps3, many probably will not

2) great game line up with a head start on ps3

3) Easy to navigate menus

4) Native Netflix Support

Xbox 360 Cons:

1) Noise

2) Build Quality ( i don't have enough time with my ps3 to comment on build quality, but it appears to be well made)

3) Online service is $50 per year.

4) Tech support, I have called xbox live support several times, it is impossible to get them to understand what the issue is or even my name, I even gave up once.

5) Controller Batteries, I have had several sets of the Microsoft brand batteries and I have their charger, they don't last as long as I would have hoped.

Like I said before, you can't really go wrong with either, each side has a huge lists of hates for the competition, the reality is none of them are deal breakers. With the ps3 price reduction I think the playstation is now the clear winner. it has blu ray, plenty of games, large hard drive space, HDMI. From what I understand the xbox build quality has improved, I for one had lots of issues with my xbox and my second one was supposedly one of the better ones.

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for PlayStation 3 System Slim 120GB

I was looking for a Blu Ray player and realized that if I paid just a little more, I'd also be able to play some excellent games. If you're looking for something that will play Blu Ray and Games, the purchase of a PS3 is truly a "no brainer" move. I now own the 360, Wii, and PS3. Each has its own qualities and drawbacks. What I really appreciate about the PS3 is they don't try to nickel and dime you to death.... Wi-Fi is included... as is a rechargeable controller (with the charger included)... as is online game play.

The nice thing about the Blu Ray capabilities on the PS3, if you're old, is that it really provides you nice cover for getting a game console "No, I am not a 50 year-old who plays video games, I just wanted to watch Blu Ray, and I guess I picked up some games as well."

Reviews of PokéPark 2: Wonders Beyond

Customer Ratings:

PokePark is in danger again, and it is up to Pikachu and his friends to save the day (no pesky humans, such as Ash, allowed).

While appearing quite similar to the first game, there are some major changes. First, there are two adventures (I assume there is no third). The first took my daughter (age 11) about eight hours to complete, but after the credits roll, the story continues (if one wants). The continuation seems to cater to the nature of a completist; younger players may be satisfied with the main, initial quest and forego the backtracking and gathering the epilogue requires (my daughter has not finished the second part).

In addition, this game is structured differently than the first. There is more need to battle, chase, and complete quizzes than participate in attractions/mini-games. Also there is limited side-scrolling action, and I will say that the game is a tad more difficult than the first. Not every character is a pushover, and players are required to level up the four Pokemon they use (and the leveling up process too is a bit more sophisticated).

Most of the Pokemon here are from the recent Black and White series, though many classic Pokemon show up. The game seems to be a worthy follow up with fine graphics and some interesting gameplay advances and tweaks to the old format. Remember that there is plenty of text to read in this game so very young players may need assistance.

UPDATE : My daughter completed the second adventure. It only takes a few additional hours of collecting items with the occasional battle. One can continue if one wishes to collect all the remaining Pokemon as friends. Plus, the Battle area offers some additional tough challenges.

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PokePark 2 delivers exactly what it promises, more of the same. On those terms, it's a 5 star game. Compared to a Nintendo Franchise title aimed at an older player, it comes in at 2.5 stars. If you didn't like PokePark Wii: Pikachu's Adventure you won't like PokePark 2. This is a pretty shallow run around and complete simple tasks game without a deep storyline or much complexity. While that won't satisfy an adult or older player, It's perfect for kids that want to play Pokemon but aren't ready for complicated games. It is also beautiful enough to hold the interest of a Pokemon mad older player if they have a high tolerance for repetitive play. My 7 & 12 year old both wanted this sequel. While they play the first game intermittently, I didn't think the original was worth full price. Each kicked in half the cost (about where I would have priced this) out of their own wallets so we picked it up after school. I had to drag them off it at bedtime.

PokePark 2 would be best for poke-mad players ages 5 7 but it won't grow with their abilities like a Mario themed game will.

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My son is 6 years old. He saw the commercial on TV and he wanted the game. We finally got it for him on Thursday. He played it over the weekend. He really likes the story and he can do everything on his own (his reading is on 2nd/3rd grade). I played few mini games with him and it is fun. I can't say anything about the storyline as I wasn't with him when he played. However, the graphic looks pretty good, the control seems smooth. He also enjoys the challenges and the training part of his pokemons. He gets really excited every time he acquired a new pokemon on his team. He told me on Sunday morning that this is the best game ever -he has about 5-10 games that he plays exclusively.

Honest reviews on PokéPark 2: Wonders Beyond

My son is a Wii and Pokemon fanatic. He just had to have this game. It arrived on time and was exactly as expected.

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My son has really enjoyed playing this game so much that he spent 7 hours playing it the first day he got it. He really hopes they make a third.

Reviews of Gold Plated 6ft Premium VGA Cable w/ Digital Optical Audio Port

Customer Ratings:

I'm very happy with this purchase. It works as advertised, and it didn't break the bank. I can think of one way to improve this product... have a $5 bill included in the packaging.

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Works as described w/out video or audio artifact Seems to be well made Responsive vendor when questioned about what I thought was a problem with the product, which turned out to be a problem with one of my monitors and not the cable.

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Does exactly what it needs to do. It transfers the video and audio without any problems and with better quality than standard RCA cables would to a TV. I have had none of the problems that other people have been having, and this is totally worth the money, instead of paying too much for Microsoft brand that does the same exact thing. Worth it.

Honest reviews on Gold Plated 6ft Premium VGA Cable w/ Digital Optical Audio Port

Works just fine. I'm sure other pricier ones give you a bit better picture quality, but for what I paid, you can't beat it. Also make sure your xbox is on the correct black levels. Check by going to the settings. This helped me quite a bit.

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This is the best cheapest VGA Xbox 360 wire ever. The graphics look very clear and in HD 1080P Graphics on my monitor screen. I am glad I have made a purchase on this item. I would recommend buying this wire again in the future. Thank you so much :)

Buy Cabela's Dangerous Hunts 2013 - Xbox 360

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $29.99
Sale Price: $16.12
Today's Bonus: 46% Off

Very fast paced game. If you are looking for an intense hunting game, this is the perfect game. With a new kind of vicious animal around every corner, this game provides you with excitement and extreme fun and thrill.On the other hand, if you are looking for more of a traditional hunting experience, hide in the bushes and snipe, then I would recommend Cabela's Big Game Hunter 2013.

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This game is great if you have friends over and can have some friendly competition! Everyone loves taking turns, and who can have the best accuracy, the most kills, and the highest scores! It is a super fun time!! I can wait for next years! We have started building our Cabela's Dangerous Huts collection! Thanks!

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Our kids love playing this game. It is a little violent but not too bad. It is a lot better than having them play GTA.

Honest reviews on Cabela's Dangerous Hunts 2013 - Xbox 360

My 12 year old loved the first one so I decided to get him this one, he says it is very difficult but I think when he gives it a chance he will love it to. Was on time and packaged great.

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Made me think I was going to go on a hunt and turns out I'm shipped to journey of desaster of fighting the animal kingdom.

Buy Lethal Enforcers

Customer Ratings:

The basic premise of Lethal Enforcers is that you are a police officer whose task is to eliminate terrorists by means of shooting to save the city. The controls work surprisingly well and are never a hassle. This game is a lot of fun of multiplayer or singe-player. It has a high replay value as well because of its wonderful arcade-style shooting. You shoot bad guys you get points or even new weapons, you shoot an innocent person and you lose a life. This game tests your reflexes and how well you pay attention to who you shoot. The graphics look great and the framerate is smooth. There is also the ability to shoot out windows which provides even more fun. This game is not without flaws though. When you play in multiplayer mode sometimes you can get confused as to whose reticle is whose or who is shooting what, and the game does dock points for missing enemies. If you love arcade shooters this game is definite must-have for you.

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this game has it's moments, but it is very short and not as good as it could have been. 2 stars.

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i played this arcade game at a pizza place and it rox

Review of The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-Earth

Customer Ratings:

The game has incredible graphics, I'll definitely give it that. EA had to write some new music to match the game better, but it blends seamlessly with the existing movie soundtracks. Loading times aren't too bad either, and are usually accompanied by a small introction to your upcoming mission.

Gameplay itself is very fun. At first when I heard about the minimized interface, I got a little nervous because I was worried about not having enough control over the units. To some extent this is true, but I've found it doesn't actually get in the way as much as I thought it would. For the most part it serves the purpose I believe EA intended the player spends less time staring at the bottom of the screen and more time focusing on the battles.

The forces are fairly balanced for the most part. For example, a batallion of Rohan cavalry can be a serious force to reckon with against archers or infantry, but if they come across some Isengard pikemen they'll have met their match. Mumakil can do all kinds of damage, but aren't so strong against archers armed with the flame arrow upgrade. A lot of people say that Mordor is a little bit weaker than the other forces, and I'd have to agree to some extent. However, some good strategy can make up for it. Likewise, Gandalf can be a little too powerful once he reaches the higher levels of veterancy, but there are counters against him as well.

The one thing that really bugs me about the game is the population cap. In the movies, the armies are huge. By having a limit of 200 or 300, you can only have 20 to 30 batallions. That's really not so much, and definitely not enough to recreate to any degree the enormous battles of the movies. Fortunately, there are ways that more advanced users can raise the population cap, but it's still a very annoying thing to have to deal with.

Overall, this is a wonderful game. I would recommend it to anyone, even for the rather high price. Nevertheless, don't expect this game to completely give you large-scale feel of the battles in any of the movies.

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EDIT**: I've been playing the game for several days now, and I can say that it has lived up to all of my expectations (see preview below). While you can't control as mnay troops as in Rome:Total War (we may need to look for a LOTR mod in the future), BFME has its own little niche, and it's a very nice one at that. Inevitably the comparison to RTW will be made, but these are two very different games. In RTW, you can control thousands of low-poly troops, but in BFME, you control hundreds of very high poly soldiers, each with very detailed animations and emotions. Yes, the emotions are a nice part of the game.

The graphics are beautifulthey really bring the Middle Earth world to life, especially with the settings maxed out. Howard Shore's score also adds a great side to the game, with some additional remixing that sounded quite good. Voice acting was also pretty good, although you can tell in some parts that they didn't really use Viggo for Aragorn.

Gameplay; I like the new use of veterancy, which puts a crimp on players who rush to build every single building possible, and just pump out units. Cavalry in the game is very powerful, so you'll need to group your men into the right formation. Formations do give some help in BFME, although flank attacks and tactical maneuvers are unheard of, unlike RTW. All the battles are faithfully recreated, including a mission to defend the fellowship and Lothlorien from marauding Moria orcs (one of the scenes cut from the extended edition of FOTR). The Helms Deep mission is fantasticit brings all the rigor, stress, and excitement as portrayed in the movie and books.

The heros are a hoot to use; especially Gandalf, who seems a bit overpowered. A pity the completed Sauron model cannot be played, and in general, it seems that the forces of Evil have fewer Heros than the forces of Light.

The single player campaign missions are very delightful; you can basically replay the steps of the Fellowship or of the Dark Lord, but of course with your own little additions. The multiplayer maps are wonderful, with maps taken from all the geographical locations in middle earth.

Conclusion: A very enjoyable RTS game, that fully immerses you into the ME universe. My only gripe is that the Command Points threshold is set too low, but you can mod the particular file to change that. However, the low command points number was probably set at that level to prevent gameplay lag; at the Battle of Care Andros, with several hundred troops on screen (and despite have 1 gb of PC-4200 ram) I experienced some lagging effects. Sprint, don't run to get your copy NOW! What are you doing wasting time reading my review? Get it! :P

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To say that Lord of the Rings: Battle for Middle-Earth looks amazing would be an understatement; it looks fantastic and unbelievably good! I am highly anticipating its release on November 15th, and based on what the EA team has shown us thus far, it looks like all of their hard work has come to fruition. Based on an upgraded version of the C&C: Generals engine, LOTR:BFME brings you into the Middle Earth universe in glorious 3-D, with the capability to zoom-in onto the battlefield for those intense hand-to-hand melees. Of course, there will be those detractors who suggest that BFME is nothing but Generals ported into Middle Earth; in some ways, that's true. A lot of the great features of Generals are retained in BFME, and then some. The EA team has added unique touches, as well as a greater emphasis on tactics, rather than the massed tank rushes that most RTS players are used to. In addition, there are a multitude of unique features and immersive environments that make BFME really come alive.

First, the maps and general gameplay. Gone is the traditional style of RTS with big menus that take up the lower half of your screen. In its place is a context-driven menu, which takes up far less space, and allows the player to bask in the beauty of the BFME engine. It looks extremely intuitive; by clicking on a building, 6-7 options will form in a circle around your cursor, allowing you to just move the mouse slightly to select an option. Base building appears to consist of 6-7 buildings built on pre-fabbed sites inside a protective wall, with additional buildings being allowed to be built outside of the wall. Each of the buildings is true to the movie, and conceived in enormous detail that really lends to the atmosphere. For instance, the Orc slaughterhouse, Orc pits, Warg ranges, and Gondorian archery range. Zooming into the slaughterhouse, you can see the orc butcher cackle with glee and rub his hands together as he whistles for a cow to come up the ramp. He kills it, and carries the steak to hang on a rack outside. Or in the pits, you can see the head Orc prodding the mud with his rod, bringing up a `baby' Orc/Uruk-Hai that slides down the ramp and gets a sword and trudges out. Or at the Warg range, you see an orc clamber onto a Warg, and walk out of a corral. At the Gondorian archery range, the splendid architecture of the once Numenorians is visible in the smallest bricks. You can actually see Gondorian longbow men practicing inside the courtyard, shooting at targets and such. You can play as Rohan or Gondor or Mordor or Isengard; not sure about the Easterlings though.

Second, the units are true to the movie and fashioned in great detail. Buildings can be upgraded with earned points to achieve veterancy and thus pump out more advanced units. The Gondorian archery range can produce regular longbow men, but as the building is upgraded, it can produce say Faramir's rangers (which are a bit like the American pathfinders in C&C: Generals), and what look like upgraded rangers with stealth ability. The Gondorian barracks can produce regular footsoldiers on level 1, but when upgraded to level 2 and above, can procure the more elite Fountain guards. The forces of evil are generally like the Chinese in Generals; infantry is either really cheap, or free, and orcs are continually coming out of the pits with no extra help from the player. There are of course, hero units as well! Units seen so far include Gandalf, Eomer, Theoden, Faramir, and Aragorn. No word yet on evil heroes.

Third, the EA team has decided to add a bit more of a tactical element than was present in Generals. While a group of Gondorian infantry can easily defeat a horde of orcs, (and when they do win, they break out into cheers, thus giving a +1 to their attack), they run away or quake in their boots at the mere sight of a mountain troll picking up a tree to smash them into the ground. That fear subtracts a -1 from their attack. Even the elite Fountain guards with their pikes are no match for the mountain troll and his ad hoc tree-club. But you can group your men into having the archers stand on the inside, while surrounded by Fountain Guards, and thus easily take down a troll. It also looks like you can fully recreate the sieges at Helms Deep and Minas Tirith, and play on the Fields of Pelennor.

Fourth, one item that is a nice carry-over from Generals is what appears to be Generals points. If playing as Mordor, and you kill 100 Gondor soldiers, your catapaults can fire the heads of those unfortunate men at your enemies for an added attack bonus. Or, you can call in Eagles or Nazgul to pick up hapless infantry and dash them into the ground. Probably the most interesting Generals unit is the Balrog, which looks extremely powerful at the moment. Not only can he stomp around and crush the peons, but he can crush a unit into ashes, shoot fireballs from his mouth, and with his very appearance, burn everything around him to a crisp.

If you're a fan of the movies and RTS games, this is definitely one game that you do NOT want to miss! Place your pre-order today! And no, I'm not a plant, just an overly excited fan with too much time on his hands.

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Before receiving Battle For Middle Earth this Christmas Eve (gotta love that darling girlfriend), I had read quite a few dismal reviews for it. In case you've read the same BS, I'm going to attempt to clear some things up for you so the nay-sayers don't bump you away from a great game. So.... The biggest complaints people have had about BFME are:

1. Not enough unit types

2. No strategy

Heh. Wrong and wrong. ---First off: There are plenty of units spread out between the four playable races in Battle For Middle Earth. If people have a problem with exactly how many units are in the game, they should take it up with Tolkien Enterprises and not the game's developers. EA was only allowed to play off of characters that were in the movies. And I'd say they did a damn good job mustering all they could with a limited rights license. // Mordor and Isengard are crawling with different units, but low on heroes. Gondor and Rohan may not be the most well rounded when it comes to troop variations, but let me tell ya: Gondor has Gandalf (his powers are truly awesome to behold in this game ) and then Rohan is chock full of heroes. They have Theoden, Eowyn, Merry, Eomer, Gimli, Aragorn, and Legolas. So it all evens out. I don't care who says what about 'shortage of units'. They're all there. There are plenty of formations and combinations to try when it comes to the troop equation.

The second blundering re re misconception that some reviewers have had, is the whole "Yeah it looks cool, but it's light on strategy" tripe. Dear reader, please listen: This game has every bit as much strategy as Rome: Total War, Age of Mythology, or the beloved Warcraft III. These three aforementioned titles are the games that people keep comparing BFME to when complaining about what they deem to be "lack of strategy." In BFME, you need to use the same kind of strategies that you would use in R:TW, Warcraft, or Age Of etc. You need to strategically choose which troops to attack which sortie with, you need to choose where and when to use magical abilities, you need to balance your base between fortification and upgrades, you need to decide when to launch severe assaults and when to buckle down and build up, you need to put your troops in different formations for different attacks, and you need to decide when and how to expand throughout the map and take various outposts in order to attain more resources etc. I don't know about you but I'm seeing plenty of strategy here. I`ve even heard several geniuses say, "Yeah, well in R:TW you can flank, but in BFME you can't." **Attention** Just because Battle For Middle Earth doesn't have a fancy 'Flank Button,' doesn't mean that you don't use the technique of flanking. God forbid if everything isn't pre-programmed for these people. Its called Move your troops around your enemy with queued mouse clicks, and then hit them from the side or behind. Not exactly rocket science. And, I'm sorry, but what the hell is so strategic about Warcraft 3? You fight using large forces of troops supplemented with magical abilities... gee, that sounds familiar... It's the formula for just about every RTS game that's ever been made. BFME follows this formula too and it's a lot of fun. And BFME is also the first RTS game I've ever seen to successfully employ a fun siege feature. In BFME, you'll find yourself holing up in your base with an opening and closing gate while the enemy tries to scale the walls and knock in the doors with battering rams etc. You need to place defenses on your walls, man it with archers, and choose when to open up and bring the fight to your foes. Now I have to say, on EA's part, they did some damn fine designing there. And most importantly: they made it FUN.

The game's graphics, as I'm sure you've heard, are great. The only thing you need to worry about there is updating your drivers, getting the patch that's coming out in January, and not cranking your settings too high. This game is a resource hog. I'm playing it on a Pentium 4, 3.0ghz cpu with 512mb 2700 ram and a geforce fx5200 card. I have it on 1024 resolution with the detail set to medium. It looks great and it runs great. Even though my computer meets and exceeds the requirements, the frame rate gets demolished in the bigger battles if your settings are too high. So that's something to keep in mind. But even so, on medium setting, there is nothing to complain about. Gorgeous and fun effects. Gee, there's that word fun again.

The sound/music is great too. Top notch. The din of battle is great in this game. Clanging, thudding, explosions, cheering and screaming etc. They really did a great job of capturing that chaotic clamor of the movie battles. And the music is pulled straight from the films as well, so you know it's awesome. Remember in The Two Towers when Gandalf arrives with Eomer at Helm's Deep and they charge down the hill into the waiting sea of Uruks? Well the really beautiful and bittersweet sounding song that's played at that part in the film is called Forth Eorlingas. What's cool, is that in BFME, you'll be charging into battle and that song will come on... you know the long drawn out and eerily beautiful vocals? Yeah, well, that song will sometimes start to play as you charge towards the enemy ranks throughout the game. It is rather chuff and inspiring, if I may say. This game is fun and oddly moving in a way. Especially if you're big into the films. Nicely done.

As for the actual gameplay: You traverse the storyline from the side of good or evil and follow the events of the movies. But the cool thing here is, you get to play ancillary (secondary or extra) battles where you get to build up armies and villages and fight skirmishes. The storyline from the film is played out in full, but interspersed with all sorts of fun additional battles along the way. BFME is a long game. There is at least 20-30 hours of gameplay here with the storyline alone. And after you complete the story modes, you get to go back and fight skirmishes with the AI and also with other LOTR geeks like myself, online.

BFME is a fun ride. You get to relive 3 great movies through some great RTS action/gameplay. Plenty of strategy and plenty of fun. Lots and lots of fun. Once again EA proves to us that it's possible to take a massive movie license and make a great game out of it. Anyways, take my word for it: This game does not disappoint. Order this bad boy and go have yourself a bloody-guts good time in Middle Earth.

Honest reviews on The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-Earth

Beware: should you decide to sit down in front of this one, you may not be seen for a while! It is that easy to get lost in this game. Everything is wonderful with it...well, almost.

The graphics are fantastic. Gandalf fights using the same manuvers as he did in the movies. Rocks thrown by the Hobbits arc as they near their targets. Orcs run with a limp. It's amazing. The opening scene of the game is remarkable in the way it copies the opening battle of LOTR:FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING. I read in another review that you can actually see orcs butcher cattle in the Mordor slaughterhouse, though I haven't seen it myself (of course, my computer is outdated by a few years).

The game interface is well done. Controls are point and click. The instruction manual accompanying the game is well written and the game also offers a tutorial.

The campaign mode is the hidden treat. I have not completed the Mordor/evil campaign, but it does allow a look at an alternate ending to the events of LOTR. The 'Good' campaign is a blast. Each character from the movie is featured (well, kind of. Worm-tongue and Bilbo are absent, as is Lord Elrond) and can be utilized. Characters are allowed to gain special abilities as they increase in rank. The game does allow a little too much towards the abilities of Gandalf and Aragorn; Gandalf gains the ability to use 'Word Power' at level 10 (essentially the language of Mordor's effects, as seen in the extended LOTR:FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING) and Aragorn can summon up the army of the undead at will once he reaches level 10 (unlike the movie, where he got one shot at it). There are other liberalizations made with characters abilities, but all are done in the name of game play.

The Battle/skirmish mode is more like a fantasy version of Age of Empires or Cossacks. Start with a base, gather resources and kill all who are not your allies. fun, but gets reptitive. It's not quite the mad-rush from AoE or Age of Kings, but it's on that level. A plus is that the heroes from the campaign modes can be 'purchased' using resources. Gandalf, Sauramon, Aragorn, Gimli...even Gollum and the Nazgul are available.

Spells/powers are gained in both the skirmish and campaign modes through victory in combat. Each respective discipline (good or evil) has their own set of powers/spells that can be obtained this way, starting with basic abilities and working up to interventions by allies (Rohan, Elves, Eagles, Ents, and the Army of the Undead for the 'good' guys; basically the Balrog is your only ally for the forces of Evil and he is VEEEEERRRRRRYYY expensive, though worth it). One bummer is that pwers must be purchased in sequence. You can't just save up your points and get a Balrog without first getting the lesser powers (same with the good team. You can't just get the Army of the undead without jumping through the other hoops first).

I have read that some have been unable to run this program on their computers. I'm using a circa 2001 Compaq Pressario with a Pentium4 1.5 gig, 384 MB SyncDram, and an ATI Radeon 9600 video card and have had no problems to date (although it takes a few minutes for my computer to 'dump' this game before I can check e-mail or use the internet after playing).

The price is finally coming down on it, so save your gas money: stay home and play this instead!

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-Earth

For the record, I do own this game. I purchased it this afternoon, the first day it was available in stores. Just to let you know that I'm not copying a publisher's review from EA's Web site like some people seem to be doing....

Anyways, you're here to read a review of the game, so here is mine. The Battle for Middle Earth seems to be the first successful project to bring Command & Conquer/Age of Empires-esque style gameplay to the Realm of Tolkien. Personally I wasn't very impressed with War of the Ring. It seemed to have been put together in a relatively short period of time and I don't believe it lived up to many people's expectations. However, BFME promises to be the LoTR RTS game that we all expected it to be.

Although the game's appearance at first glance calms the devout RTS player, the game does introduce new (haven't yet decided whether they're better or not) gameplay functions and strategies. The first and most glaring difference is the fact that there are no builders. Instead, there are a small number of construction sides located around your central citadel upon which you may construct your buildings. This can become annoying because of the limited space, and somewhat forces the player into either an economic or militaristic mode very quickly. I was somewhat relieved when I discovered that you can capture new citadel points around which you can build another castle with yet more building plots, but you still have much less freedom than you're probably used to.

I have also failed to run across or build the massive armies that the game description boasts of. Because of the limited building plots, it is difficult to gather enough resources while training a decent-sized army. I believe the campaign battles are going to be the biggest battlefields you will find, because the armies have been pre-assembled, and there is no need to attempt to balance military and economy.

Both of these characteristics seem to be contributors to EA's attempt at altering the face of RTS games. Indeed, the game's design does make it difficult to hoard, mass, and attack, like we're all used to by now, and instead puts more emphasis on strategy, careful unit/structure production, and defense.

Many people are probably looking at this game mostly for the single-player campaigns which are based off of the movies. My impression of the campaigns was not as favorable as I had expected. The initial feeling of excitement when seeing digital Middle Earth for the first time quickly wears off after breezing through the first few scenarios. Each of the heroes you control has at least one special power, and it is very difficult to make use of them when you have 9 in the same room. Nevertheless, the heroes (especially in the Fellowship) are so strong that it really doesn't make a difference, you still slaughter the enemy. Even the Moria Balrog doesn't seem to be able to kill Gandalf. Also, you are given very little freedom to explore in places like Moria. You are given a set path to follow and the camera only follows that path, which I found quite disappointing. It felt like EA tried to turn it into a FPS leading me around like they did.

My last point of contention is the fact that the unit graphics seem rough and unfinished compared to the environment. All the trees, water, grass, etc, is wonderfully rendered and animated, but the units still look like unrendered polygons. It's not a big deal, but I would have expected them to spend a little more time with the units.

Pros:

*A great RTS-style LoTR game, what more can you ask for?

*Environment graphics really immerse you in Middle Earth

*Combines the core RTS gametype of C&C/AOE with the heroes, unit levels, and spells/powers of Warcraft III

Cons:

*Strategy can be difficult for experienced RTS players to figure out

*There aren't that many different units

*No Elven civilization

Overall, great game, I am impressed with what EA was able to turn out and believe it will meet or exceed most people's expectations.

Buy PS3 Ear Force PX21 Gaming Headset

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....then you absolutely have to have this. The sound quality and the ability to adjust the different volumes is outstanding. I play Call of Duty about 90% of the time online and this just makes the entire online experience better. I use to get into games with kids making annoying noises etc. Now with the push of a finger I don't have to listen to it but I can still hear the game perfectly. In fact, a buddy and me went into a private match on shipment. I could hear him from across the map setting up claymore's, pulling grenade pins, moving and even swiping his knife. The only negative thing I have to say about this headset is that it's not wireless but I am sure that would add quite a lot of money to the price. They are also extremely light and comfortable and .................................................You know what, stop reading this and just go buy a set of these already.

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I was researching headsets that mixed chat and the game sound in stereo in the earphones, with the chat mic all as a single unit. I came across the press release of the PX21. Not available at the time, but coming soon. I almost didn't wait for it. I almost bought the P21. I'm glad I waited.

Features:

You hear chat and stereo game sound in the earphones.

Setup was easy for me and they provide all the cables and adapters you need.

The cable is looong. I play on a 58" TV and I wouldn't want to sit as far away as the cable

would let me.

A control cluster for mic and sound that gives you:

* Separate volume controls for game sound and chat volume

* Mute switch for the mic

* Bass boost

* Expanded stereo mode

What I liked:

The stereo effect is good especially with the stereo expansion mode turned on.

If there's an enemy behind me and to the left, I hear him behind me and to the left.

As noted in other reviews there *is* a hiss. More on that later.

The sound quality is good. And by that I mean for playing video games. I have a set of $120

Sennheiser can headphones I use for home recording. Music sounds great in them. Before the

PX21 I used those plugged into a Dolby 5.1 amplifier getting an optical sound feed. The PX21

is much better for playing video games because the sound is crisper. Music may not sound

great on them, but I can hear the enemy sneaking up on me.

Mic. The mic boom has a great range of movement and stays in whatever position I put it.

Other people tell me I come across good and clear. The mute switch is great, of course...

why would you make a headset without one?

Comfortable. Again, compared to my Sennheisers, these are much more comfortable. The earpads

are fabric covered and the headband isn't tight. You don't develop a headache or aching ears

after a couple of hours of play. The mic boom is long, flexible and comfortable to use.

And mostly what I liked... I play better. From the first time I used it, I consistently

scored higher.

What I don't like

Hiss. Yes, it hisses. A little in normal mode, significantly more in expanded stereo mode.

Again, it might be a problem listening to music or quiet passages in other games. But you

really only need expanded mode in games where directions of sound cues are important. Turn

of the stereo expansion when you don't need it and the hiss is negligible. If you want to

listen to music, get a pair of $120 Sennheisers and leave the headset for the games.

The clip on the control cluster is backwards. Hard to explain, but whenever I try clipping

the control cluster to my shirt, the wires hang awkwardly.

If you're a gamer, buy this headset. I researched before I bought it and it looked like the best thing on the market for what I was looking for. And I believe it is.

Best Deals for PS3 Ear Force PX21 Gaming Headset

My husband is a remarkably talented gamer. He's plays everything from "Ghosbusters" to "Little Big Planet," from "Modern Warfare 2" to "Rock Band" to NSMB. He's played almost every system available in the USA, but prefers the diversity of PS3. Out of necessity, he mastered the art of playing with the TV on mute (a courtesy to me, we all know how late things can go). But all that changed, this past holiday season when his amazingly thoughtful wife (that would be me!) bought him a brand spanking new pair of these! So far, he's had nothing but positive things to say. Specifically, he's mentioned the volume controls, overall flexibility and comfort, chat boost, the surround sound effect, and crispness of in game sound. So he gives it an A in gaming and I give it an A+ for letting me sleep :)

Honest reviews on PS3 Ear Force PX21 Gaming Headset

I bought these headphones because I was sick of using a cheap blue-tooth devices and wanted a set of nice headphones. After doing much research (obviously not enough), I came across these headphones sold at a local retailer for eighty dollars. They seemingly had all the features I was looking for and purchased them in hopes of many hours of enjoyment. Little did I know how few hours of life the headphones had in them.

At first they worked exactly as advertised. I mainly used them for my PS3, but also hooked them to my 360 occasionally. I used them overall about a half-dozen times as I'm a very infrequent online gamer with select friends. I used them without incident for a couple of months and then set them aside, not using them at all for a few months.

The other day I hooked them back up in hopes of playing with some friends online. The very first thing I noticed was that the left speaker was crackling in & out. I thought it was a loose connection and diligently checked all connections to the console to make sure it wasn't just an operator error, which it was not. A few minutes later, I noticed that I had absolutely no sound from the left side at all and remained in this awful state since! The headphones went from working perfectly a couple of months ago to now not working properly without any use at all.

So I went to the Turtle Beach website in hopes that my replacement due to a manufacturer defect would be handled quickly and promptly, boy was I wrong!

The first thing I noticed was there was NO phone support whatsoever for Turtle Beach and I was at the mercy of only emailing support. I jumped through all their hoops, scanning my original receipt, which I luckily kept and emailing them my address and phone number (how ironic they wanted my phone number, yet had no phone lines). The very next thing I noticed was that my email took a VERY long time to receive an answer from support.

My situation finally was escalated to the RMA department.

As a side note, I should also mention that all of the emails that I mailed contained personalized questions about my situation and were only answered with very impersonal robotic responses. The agents handling my emails did not ONCE address my actual questions. They just kept pushing me along the escalation ladder.

One of the questions that I posed in my email had to do with the fact that I did not see why I had to pay for shipping on a device that was clearly still under the year warranty. It had been less than six months, well under their limited one-year warranty, and since the headphones had become unusable not due to any misuse or mishandling on part of the owner I believe the fault lies with the initial production at the factory.

I still have not received a response from the RMA department to my query and that was about two weeks ago.

I find it completely ridiculous that Turtle Beach expects me to pay for shipping the headphones back to their RMA department when the fault with the product clearly lies with the company. They issued a defective product and now will not stand behind their product to the extent of gaining back customer satisfaction.

I am writing this review in hopes that readers understand what they are getting into when choosing to purchase a product from this company and in hopes of making Turtle Beach change their policies with how they handle customer issues.

A professional company stands wholly behind their products with phone support lines, expedient responses and resolutions, and waiving return shipping fees due to faulty craftsmanship. These above components spell ultimate customer satisfaction and because of lack in all areas, I am a very dissatisfied customer with this company.

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First of all, with the correct setup, you can use HDMI sound. If your TV is equiped with a(n) "Audio Out" then you are in buisness. TV Audio out is almost always on, even if not being used. It transfers all sound on TV to the componant plugs so you can run your tv through a sterio or any other device yo want. If you run your PS3 on HDMI, than the sound is already being transferred to this componant plug. If you already forward this sound to a tuner, you can put the P21 RCA plugs in line and reconnect to your tuner. Now, sound will go to your P21 and you DO NOT need to turn your tuner on. If you dont have sound running yet, simply buy a small 3 foot length rca set, hook up to tv, put P21 plugs in line.. and Walla! you have game sound. Doing this, you do not need to re set up your ps3 sound, and you will run full HDMI all the time. ( just make sure the red and white plugs are not touching if they are dangling )

Now, the Headset themselves, they are awesome. the buzzing sound some people here is because the red and white sound connectors are close or touching. There is still a little ambient sound but it is gone during game play.

I am currently trying to get the rest of my MW2 team to get these. I was hiding in afgan and I heard footsteps a mile a way. I got the drop over and over again... SWEEET Setup!