Leave it to Gabe and Tycho, of Penny Arcade fame to decide to throw a massive gaming exposition just because they wanted to attend one. If you are able to attend this, and you’re the sort of gaming geek who thinks that it would be fun to, well, be completely immersed in video games for a while, you should support it. What sort of things are likely to go on at this “exposition”? Well: Whatever your obsession, chances are good that we will have something to interest you – it only starts with rooms for tabletop gaming, and a robust LAN rocking the newest Unreal Tournament or Battlefield games. Linked Read more »

Voldemort has been cast, and evil, thy name be Ralph Fiennes. So, we now know who will play the ultimate enemy for Potter in the next few movies. I don’t have a strong opinion on this, but perhaps other people want to comment on who they thought should have been it, or how excited they are about this turn of events in the comments. UPDDATE: Because I was originally unclear, it is worth mentioning that Voldemort is a character in the phenomenally popular Harry Potter series. Harry’s arch-foe, in fact. If this explanation was needed, you have some reading and/or movie watching to do. Read more »

There is a warm place reserved in my heart for the geekery that got me through junior high and high school. That particular brand of pseudo-social activity was Dungeons and Dragons, and, I loved it despite its quirks. Which is why I have such appreciation for comics that make fun of it in a warm and knowing way. Order of the Stick chronicles a band of merry stick figures, an adventuring party, if you will, who are playing a somewhat self-aware game of dungeons and dragons. When my friends and I played D&D, Game mechanics oft-times caused us to behave oddly, and Rich Burlew (maker of the comic) captures oddities Read more »

Sometimes, you just really need to read a comic about dinosaurs stomping on things. That’s where Qwantz comes into play. See, pretty much every day, you can check Qwantz and find a new comic about Dinosaurs crushing things. To be fair, its the same dinosaurs every day, crushing the same things; but somehow it remains fresh and interesting. Seriously. Sometimes the humor is intellectual. Other times, it teaches us moral lessons. But, you might want to just start from the beginning. Read more »

Gitaroo Man might just be the most insane game I’ve ever played. In this Playstation 2 rhythm action game you are U-1, a loser school boy with an annoying dog. But, low and behold, you can turn into a Gitaroo Man, which means that you get a magical guitar and costume change, and fight villains/win a lady’s heart/become the ultimate gitaroo man. The game has a unique spin on the rhythm action genre, graphics reminiscent of, but far superior to, Parappa’s, and fun animations in the background to distract you from doing well. The music is good, and the gameplay is straightforward, but challenging. Read more »

This article by sci-fi author Neal Stephenson, is a very interesting and insightful read on the world of user interfaces. Though a bit dated (covers up through roughly 1999), it is still worth the few hours it will take you to read it, and it is available for free on the internet. Stephenson on the idea that one could sell an OS to a consumer: Even those few who actually understood what a computer operating system was were apt to think of it as a fantastically arcane engineering prodigy, like a breeder reactor or a U-2 spy plane, and not something that could ever be (in the parlance of high-tech) Read more »

If you want geeky humor with enough bitterness to choke a small horse — or an elephant for that matter, Something Positive is the webcomic for you. It tells the tale of the oft-down-on-his-luck Davan Macintire and his friends; their trials and tribulations, all with a sort of depressed, but humorous, cynicism. I found this comic about a month ago, and promptly read the entire archives, sacrificing my workplace efficiency by about 80%. The first comic is a bit more abrasive than many of the others, so I’ve linked a more typical example of the strip as well. The artwork is always high quality, and the comic is updated just Read more »

Capcom recently released a MegaMan anniversary collection, featuring MegaMan 1 through 8 and two unlockable MegaMan Games. Right now, you can get it on Gamecube and PS2, though there appears to be one in the works for GBA as well. Some people would ask why one would purchase this disc, when the first seven of these games are easily emulatable. Those people know nothing of retro chic. Read more »

In the interest of spreading the word about lesser known webcomics, I am posting about FOMS, the enigmatic photo-webcomic featuring talking rocks, created by one “Crazy” Ben Heaton. In the interest of full disclosure I will mention that I know “Crazy” Ben well. His comic features two rocks, Zeke and Milroy, as they wax intellectual (and idiotic) with clever wordplay and absurd situations. The link below is to the first comic, and here is a link to one of my favorites. Read more »

For any of you who aren’t familiar with it, Diesel Sweeties tells the story of a robot named Clango, the ex-internet porn star he loves, and the other people they interact with on a day to day basis. The pixel-art style reminds me of my low resolution childhood, and the keen sense of humor reminds me that I enjoy reading funny comics. This sampling of the cartoonists humor ought to entice you. And if for some reason that doesn’t, click on the link below and start reading from the beginning, one of the strips ought to entice you. Read more »