Roderick

There are a couple of theatres in this town and the level of annoyance differs incredibly from one to the other. It's immediately noticeable that the theatre smack dab in the middle of the city is an atrocity, with loads of 'night on town' people stepping in just to spend a few hours indoors instead of actively wanting to see the movie. It's horrible. Then there's the fantastic cinema just outside of the inner city that's generally extremely quiet and pleasant despite being frequented by just as many people. It's a world of difference.

You have the completely normalized Professor Layton Experience. The expectancy is that you will massively enjoy the third title, which is the best one right now.

To be fair, they DID license out Mario to a hundred awful sports games and other spin-offs. They've recently toned that down just a little, but it was bad enough that in my mind Mario is one of 'those' brands that just gets slapped onto everything to make a sale.

Bioware marketing stuff is rarely indicative of what the product will be like. They're catering to the shooter crowd with it, and at least with ME1 they hid this totally awesome RPG in it in secret. There's really no telling what ME3 will turn out as. Holy shit it's a long wait until March 2K12 though.

ExciteBike is something I can't get excited about. I have zer nostalgia for the title so it seems just a simple racing/trick game. Link's Awakening is a title I might play!

I have a different take on this: I actually love it that there are systems that you can abuse. It feels like that is how magic should work, with all these loopholes. Your creativity is the limit! I was actually frustrated that Oblivion had less of that than Morrowind, it felt like they tried to restrain you. So by all means, I hope Skyrim has lots of exploits that crafty players will find through invention.

Four Swords Adventure is potentially an amazing thing. It was free, wasn't it? This will make the 3DS extremely awesome. It can't come quick enough!

That's so wizard!

I don't have a really sharp opinion on this yet, I'll first have to see some actual games in action. From a technical standpoint I like that Nintendo is once again pushing for something new and special. I like having new ways to control my game and it has become a Nintendo staple. But from a gamer point of view I'm very cautious. I remember all too well how the Wii seemed like the most exciting thing ever, and it turned out to be just a dud of a console for any 'normal' gamer. The tech dated very quickly and became unbearable to watch just a few years in. Even though the library of games is actually less appalling than I feel or think it is (it has two Mario's, a great Kirby, some Metroid), I just despise the console too much to give it another chance. The disappointment was just too great. And now I see potential for the Wii U to disappoint me again, and I'm not sure I want to allow it that opportunity.

It does mean Good Game. I love Day9's commentaries. He's a sympathetic dude.

Mass Effect 3's Kinect support is an embarrassment and should be ignored/forgotten as quickly as possible. For Mass Effect 3, I really hope Bioware manages to recapture that nerdiness and sense of adventure that was prevalent in the first game and largely absent in the second, which focused on tightly scripted cinematic events. They promise more 'RPG' this time around, so I trust them to get this right.

You live next to a Wine Händler?

It would be incredibly bizarre for an Elder Scrolls game (in the main series) to not feature extensive character customization. That would go directly against the very core of what they're trying to bring: the freedom to choose your own adventure. Anyway, the footage was a mix of the good and the bad. The environments looked pretty and the dungeons more diverse and interesting. The combat still didn't seem very interesting, but who knows? I'm not keeping my hopes up, but since I rarely play melee characters it's not a huge deal to me. What was more annoying was that they showed a stealth section that played exactly as Morrowind and Oblivion: going into stealth and shooting an enemy talking to someone else, who then doesn't respond when his conversation partner is suddenly killed by arrow. I got that sinking feeling when I saw that bit. Bethesda speak of stealth being really important this time around, but will the systems support this? I really hope this won't turn out the way I fear it will, looking at that footage.

Microsoft was awful! Just awful! This is 2010 all over! The only spark, nay, RAY (Myzuka) of hope was when Mass Effect 3 appeared, and then they uncovered -oh horror- Kinect controls for it, as demonstrated by what could only have been a wooden manakin! WHAT IS THIS I CAN'T EVEN

I'm about 70% through the game now and it's so weird. I kind of hate it. I hate the story, I dislike the city, I detest the characters and the gameplay is interesting but also tedious and weird. The music is awesome though, except the investigation-music with the moaning sound. I always have to turn that off because it drives me insane. I think for every really cool thing in this game, there are two other things that are annoying or awful. I'm selling this the moment I'm through with it, it just pisses me off too much. That smarmy psychiatrist guy is the worst video game character ever.

I didn't much care for the monologue in that trailer. Adventure found me? Honestly, that's just stringing one cliché after the other. Game writing can be better than this. It's like they're trying to make it as clichéd as possible, because they don't dare to reach for something greater? I don't know.

Yesyesyesyesyesyes! And they're all naked, because their clothes have rotted off.

The press conferences are equal parts (okay maybe a little less) awesome and equal parts Taken in while also chatting with friends/colleagues and howling at every gaff and embarrassing event, is a priceless moment I look forward to every year.

E3 has historically been about one single fucking thing only: the live streamed press conferences of the big three. I'll mos' def see Nintendo's and Microsoft's. Sony's is unfortunately at a time that translates to the middle of the night over here, so I'm skipping Tretton going apeshit over the next Move thing and Killzone 4 being announced in 4D. I expect Nintendo to hit a goddamn homerun with their new console. Even if it's shit, the show should be so good and hardcore it'll knock me into a fit of spasmodic jubilation.

And one of them is bending over, and in the back two of them are kissing.

OssK, in all seriousness, good luck with the venture and I think slaving for no wages to get your first game out is actually the best way to start this thing up. Underground and underdog and all that. Being an extra is exciting work! Before you know it you can sneak into Patrick Stewart's trailer and have a lovely conversation.

What sort of pay can you offer?

You missed the 1989 party. That was a good one.

The spinning wheel battle was Dead Man's Chest, I believe! But that's exactly my point, the third movie was a goddamn mess, but it had heart, at the very least. I saw Dr. Strangelove for the first time and it was every bit as good as I was always told. It's such an eye-opener too, since all the characters are flat as a pancake and have no development. Yet they're all thoroughly captivating, going against every storytelling instinct in my body. It's fascinating, and a superb work of film making.

That happens across the board, but then that's the price you pay for living in a first world country instead of the US