Twitter’s popularity as THE microblogging platform of choice for millions of people all over the world is well deserved. The popular service enjoys the support of high profile personalities, which absolutely helps its reputation and street cred. I opened my Twitter account almost a year ago when I kept hearing about it from my friends. I readily became obsessed with it, constantly making “tweets” and following the accounts not only of friends but artists and personalities I like.

It became readily apparent to me — using Twitter — that the popular microblogging platform is, indeed, a great marketing solution. I’ve read about Twitter now being used as one of the tools in an internet marketers arsenal. Using the service. I have to agree; it gives internet marketing a powerful set of features that will bring a new dimension to marketing. The problem is that it will take a real tech-savvy person to take advantage of Twitter for marketing initiatives.

That’s why I was pleasantly surprised to discover Tweet Whistle. This wonderful little app is a powerful marketing tool that makes marketing your blog, web site, product or service on Twitter with ease. The reason for this is that Tweet Whistle automates many of Twitter’s functions, which makes it easier to control the features of the service. For example, you can automate your Twitter posts and easily find followers who will be more receptive to your marketing message.

I downloaded the trial version of Tweet Whistle at http://www.tweetwhistle.com/ and played with it for over a month before buying the retail version, which incidentally is sold at quite a low price it makes Tweet Whistle one of the most affordable Twitter marketing software on the net. I have to say, it really is an effective tool that should be purchased by anyone who really wants to benefit from marketing through Twitter.

I recently found out that Tweet Whistle is conducting a contest. The winner of the contest will receive a licensed copy of Tweet Whistle and $25 in cash that will be paid through PayPal. If you want to join, just follow these instructions:

1. Follow @thetoolsmith on Twitter

2. Just tweet the message below:

Just enter to win $25.00 and a free copy of “Tweet Whistle” Just follow @thetoolsmith and Retweet http://tweetwhistle.com

Last week, Square Enix launched a new teaser site. The original page only had a sketch of a village and a very conspicuous number “4″, but right now, a visit to the page will reveal three people — a boy wielding a sword and two girls riding atop a dragon. Quite intriguing, isn’t it?

But Square Enix’s attempt at creating mystery might be all for naught. Japanese magazine Weekly Shonen Jump may have actually jumped the gun on the company. Scans of the magazine showed Square Enix’s new game Four Warriors of Light: Final Fantasy Gaiden for the DS. The game will be a turn based RPG that will arrive this fall in Japan. The game will revolve around a 14 year old boy who has been tasked by a king to rescue a princess from a witch.

The gameplay will involve controlling a four-man squad of various roleplay types. The magazine also revealed that as characters gain and equip various weapons and armor, their appearance will also change.

There are no reports yet of whether the game will be released outside Japan.

Without a doubt, Blizzard’s upcoming sequel Starcraft II is one of the most anticipated games in recent memory. The first Starcraft created such hardcore fan appreciation that up to this day — 11 years after it was released — thousands of people still play the game. That is unprecendented and anyone would be hardpressed to think of any game that gains this level of longevity.

One of the reasons for the fans’ continued support for Starcraft, aside from the deep, strategic gameplay is the fact that you can play it with your friends and mount frenetic multiplayer battles during LAN parties. Nothing beats having a heated game in a room with all the trash talking going on between two competitors.

But if Blizzard’s plan for Starcraft II does push through we won’t see those cool Starcraft LAN parties anymore. Blizzard confirmed what many are speculating about Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty. The game will be launched for the PC at about the same time the newly revamped Battle.net online network service, which is at the last part of 2009. Unfortunately, the game will be releaed without any LAN multiplayer option.

Blizzard said that the decision to remove this popular option is a type piracy prevention mechanism and also a way to maintain quality assurance. Blizzard wants to direct players to Battle.net as the best, and now the only, option for multiplayer gaming for Starcraft II.

I’m not too sold on the whole anti-piracy thing idea. Why would long-time fans of the game suffer for what pirates are doing? By removing the LAN multiplayer option, Blizzard is effectively alienating a large majority of Starcraft fans who plan on playing the game through their local networks. LAN multiplayer will obviously not need an internet connection — why would Blizzard expect players to connect to the internet to play with people who are all in the same room? And what about the lag, which is obviously not going to be a problem with LAN multiplayer? I think Blizzard is making a big mistake with this move.

One of the games that I am eagerly looking forward to is Square Enix’s Blood of Bahamut, a multiplayer action RPG. This RPG actually has its roots in the Final Fantasy series. FF gamers know of the powerful summoned creatures in the game, with Bahamut being one of the toughest. In this game we will also see Gilgamesh, Shive and Ifrit. I’m betting that all of the FF summons will be here too.

To whet your appetite here’s a picture of Gilgamesh in all his awesome glory.

When I heard that Sony was going to remove PS2 backwards compatibility on future Playstation 3 units, I decided that I was going to track down a unit that still had the Emotion Engine installed on it. I still have some PS2 games that I want to play and I wanted the option to play it on the PS3. Even though software emulated backwards compatibility was also made available on PS3 units released a year ago, I felt that having the actual hardware on my PS3 was the way to go.

Sony’s decision to remove this feature may have been borne out of the desire to save a few more dollars on production costs but I always felt that the company actually lost more because backwards compatibility is a major come-on for established PS2 gamers with an extensive games library to jump on the PS3 bandwagon. But based on a recent patent that Sony Computer Entertainment filed in the US patent Office, Sony may have a way to put backwards compatibility on PS3s once again.

Sony has apparently found a way to translate the instructions from the Emotion Engine into data that can be referenced by the PS3. The figures above are schematics on how the technology will actually work.

So the question is, will we see this new technology in play as a firmware upgrade in the near future?

I finally finished downloading Electronic Arts‘ Fight Night Round 4 demo for the Playstation 3 last weekend and I’ve been playing it on and off over the last couple of days.

First off, the graphics have vastly improved. Everything is now more detailed – from the character models (you actually get to read Manny Pacquiao’s arm tattoos) to the environments. I’m still on the fence with regards to the generally brighter visuals because the darker lighting of Round 3 kind of suited the whole feel of the sport.

I’m still getting used to the controls at this point. My initial impression is that the controls are a bit floaty. It’s so much easier to throw punches and, boy, do they throw them very quickly. This is the reason why I initially think that the whole game feels arcade-y. The controls of Round 3 are not perfect but you feel the heft of the boxers when you try to throw punches. I appreciate the addition of the ability to back away with your guard up, which I think was a criminally left out of the previous game. Weaving is also a good addition, although it is a bit hard to execute. And talking about hard to execute, the new mini-game when your boxer gets KO’ed is really confusing. I still don’t know up to now if I’m doing the correct thing.

I don’t know if it’s an inside joke on the part of the EA team to use Ricky Hatton as the boxer you control in the tutorial with Pacquiao as the dummy, especially since after Hatton made a virtual punching bag of Pacquiao, the latter knocks out Hatton with one punch.

The demo has left with many questions unanswered and kind of tempered my over-all excitement for the game. But I’m still going to get this on launch day.

One of Sony’s “worst kept secrets” was finally confirmed during Sony press conference at the recently held Electronic Entertainment Expo.

The PSP Go is the spiritual successor to Sony’s Playstation Portable (PSP) handheld gaming console. I said spiritual successor because Sony stressed that the PSP Go is not meant to replace the PSP but is expected to be a complimentary device.

The PSP Go will be 40 percent lighter than the current PSP-3000 and will also be 50 percent smaller. It will have both WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity. Confirming rumors for the device that has been running rampant on the internet months before, the PSP Go will not have a UMD drive. But gamers will still be able to download games directly to the device through the Playstation Store and stored to the 16gb of onboard memory the device will have.

The PSP Go will be available in both black and white colors and will retail for $249.99 starting October 1.

The geek has indeed inherited the earth. A growing number of pursuits are now aimed squarely at the geek in all of us. Gone are the days when poring over comicbooks, talking about gadgets and raving over Star Trek is a sure way of getting beat up. Now it is cool to be a geek. It’s practically a badge of honor to be able to reference science fiction shows and fantasy novels, actually recognize physics terms and theories, have a huge comicbook collection and have a slew of gadgets — most of them released just a few months ago.

For the true-blue and hardcore geek no other country in the world would be the destination for a pilgrimage more than Japan and when in Japan, the geek will naturally gravitate towards Akihabara, like a pigeon sensing magnetic north.

Akihabara is the flashiest district in Tokyo and covers practically everything the geek will have any interest in. Akihabara is considered the technological district of Tokyo and with good reason. It is located in the eastern part of Tokyo and just a two stops away from the northern section of the main Tokyo Station. For the uninitiated, Akihabara is commonly known as Electric Town — a throwback from its earlier reputation as the center of electronics and home appliance retailers. But even though the area is littered with a wide range of shops that offer all of the gadgets and electronics you can think of, it has also acquired a new, much deserved, reputation as the place where geeks can go see the things that interest them.

Name the geek pursuit and Akihabara will most probably have it. What makes Akihabara a geek paradise is that it actually caters to all the kinds of geeks out there. Oh yes, there are many types of geeks and they have different pursuits, passions and obsessions.

One of the most common type of geeks are the gadget freaks that absolutely must have the latest and greatest gadget out there. Akihabara is the perfect place for these geeks because it enjoys a “pioneer” reputation for getting technologies and gadgetry fads way before it becomes popular or even hits the rest of the world. You will often see gadgets and electronic equipment there that will only catch the world’s attention after a few years. Just the thought of getting a gadget before everyone else boosts your bragging rights and makes you the ubergeek of your neighborhood.

Anime and manga geeks will also find their Shangri-la in Akihabara. The Tokyo Anime Fair is held near the area and there are many merchandising shops in the district that sell anime stuff — from OAVs, plush toys, replica weapons and action figures. Beware though, the hentai anime figures are also quite ubiquitous in the area so be vigilant if you’re going to visit with youngsters.

Of course, for geeks from the West, Akihabara has become synonymous with a particular geek pursuit — gaming. Electric Town is where you can find shops that sell all manner of gaming consoles (you can even get lucky and find the discontinued console you’ve been looking for). You’ll also find a dizzying array of games for sale for absolutely all kinds of platforms. Even games from discontinued platforms (even those that’s more than a decade old) will usually be available there. And the most insane thing is that they’re housed in huge places. You’ll find stocks in stores that are contained in several floors. All manner of games are represented in Akihabara. You’ll be amazed at the sheer number of games that have been developed in Japan that never got to see the light of day in the West — from RPGs to shooters to hentai type sex games.

Geeks that love music and movies will also find many interesting places to visit and shop in at Akihabara. Shops that sell second hand and brand new CDs and DVDs proliferate around the area. For non-music loving geeks here’s an interesting piece of information — Japan-pressed CDs have gained a reputation among audiophiles for having the best audio quality. Additionally, Japan-pressed albums usually contain additional tracks that are not usually available in CDs pressed in the US or the EU. These are the factors that make buying CDs in Japan a very interesting proposition.

Cinephiles will go nuts over the selection of Japanese movies that are the rage among movie lovers. From the wide array of horror movies to thought provoking dramas and in-your-face action — Japan offers films that are worth watching and collecting.

Akihabara is a wonderful place to explore. If you’re a geek there is just so many things to do and explore there that you’ll get lost in your own mind just looking at the dizzying array of products and things that cater to your every desire. But non geeks will love it too because Akihabara is the perfect reflection of what Japan is — a place steeped in history and culture that is not afraid to embrace the new. Go book hotels in Japan and don’t forget to visit Akihabara.

Gamers know that Microsoft scored a “coup” of sorts by cornering the downloadable content for such hits as Grand Theft Auto IV and Fallout 3. The deal it struck with Rock Star Games and Bethesda is that DLCs for the two games will only be made available on the Xbox 360 — much to the disappointment of Playstation 3 fans. Of course, this agreement is not without any financial weight for the game company. Microsoft reportedly paid $25 million for each GTA IV DLC. A really big amount if you think about it.

Microsoft has insisted that the DLCs will only be available for its console but timed exclusivity was never mentioned or even discussed. And this gray area may have been the reason for the recent reports that the GTAIV DLCs will come to the PS3 this coming August. According to various European sites, Microsoft only has a six month exclusivity deal for the DLC, and this will expire in August — which means PS3 gamers will get their hands on the DLC soon after the exclusivity agreement lapses.

Although Sony and Take-Two Interactive (publisher of the game) declined to comment Microsoft, uncharacteristically enough for the company, issued a statement that the GTAIV DLCs “are exclusive to Xbox 360.” It may sound like a firm statement but there are still people who interpret this statement as Microsoft skirting the actual issue of exclusivity, which in fairness, the company did not address conclusively.

I guess we’ll see in August if there really is an exclusivity agreement that will lapse.

I just bought all of the Rock Band DLCs a little over a month ago and at this point I’m not even halfway through the songs because i keep going back to the songs that I love playing — which is surprisingly a lot.

But despite being up to my eyeballs in Rock Band DLCs I’m already earmarking money for next week’s purchase because it’s gonna be an awesome bunch of songs. Harmonix and MTV Games has announced that Jane’s Addiction will be the featured artist for next week’s DLC release. Jane’s Addiction’s Nothing’s Shocking album will be finally released after so much delay. Actually, the first announcement of this release was made way back in August last year but unforeseen delays has resulted in the album only being released next week. Players can download almost all of the songs from the seminal album — I say almost because Mountain Song will not be available since it is already included in the Rock Band 2 game. The ten songs will be sold for $1.99 or 160 MS points or 200 Wii points. It can also be bought as a bundle for $15.99 or 1280 points.

NCSoft has made a name for itself in the MMORPG genre. The company has published some of the most addictive MMORPGs in recent memory, including Guild Wars, City of Heroes and Lineage.

In a bid to make its games more readily accessible, NCSoft has joined a growing number of publishers who are now using Valve’s Steam digital distribution platform. NCSoft said that it will make available a number of NCsoft games and expansions. Specifically, the following games and expansions will be added: Linage, Lineage 2: The Chaotic Throne, Guild Wars Game of The Year Edition, City of Heroes Architect Edition, Guild Wars Nightfall, Guild Wars Faction, and Guild Wars Trilogy. NCSoft also announced that its soon to be released MMOG Aion: The Tower of Eternity will also be added to the service when it is released in North America and Europe later this year.

As a way to entice users to buy from Steam, Valve and NCSoft are offering various deals, like a 50 percent discount on Lineage 2 and a 10 percent discount on Guild Wars: Game of The Year Edition.

I have to say that I’m surprised about Steam’s performance. When it was first released, it gained a lot of negative feedback and not a few critics even predicted that it won’t last. Now, it seems like Steam is becoming an increasingly popular platform for game distribution.

With summer looming, comicbook fans are starting to gear up for the summer mega events that will happen for both the DC and Marvel universes.

One of the hotly anticipated events would of course be Blackest Night. This is the third part of the trilogy that has been preceded by Green Lantern: Rebirth (Hal Jordan’s return!), and the Sinestro Corps War. Blackest Night revolves around the so called Blackest Night prophecy that will result in an all out war between the two corps and five new ones that will appear, which could end up destroying the universe.

Just to whet your appetite, here’s the cover for issue Number 1 of Blackest Night. I can’t wait for this!

With Battlestar Galactica ending its stellar run last March after four very cool seasons, science fiction fans will be looking for their new sci-fi fix. Even though there are science fiction tinged series on TV (Dr. Who, Fringe), nothing is really airing right now that is within the hard sci-fi genre like Battlestar Galactica.

But in a few months we’ll be getting what we want. a Galactica spin-off is already being filmed as we speak. Caprica is a new sci-fi series that is set within the Galactica universe. The new series is set 50 years before the events we see in Galactica. We will finally see how the Cylons came about and all of the events that led to the invasion.

The pilot of Caprica is already out on DVD to give fans a taste of what to expect in the series. I’ve seen it and it looks very promising. The creators may have created a new genre — science fiction soap opera — in creating Caprica. It is deep, full of intrigue, there’s even family dysfunction to propel the whole plot. Hopefully, Caprica will be handled as well as Galactica and we’ll get to watch this series for a long time — possibly longer than Galactica’s four seasons.

The first downloadable content for the Playstation exclusive hit Killzone 2 si coming out in a couple of weeks.

Guerrilla Games anounced that two new downloadable map packs will be made available on the Playstation Network on April 30. The new maps will be called Steel and Titanium. The first map is located on board the ISA tech cruiser New Sun. Gameplay on this map will focus on vertically oriented fights held on multiple decks and walkways. The second map will be placed on two high speed Helghast freight trains, an added element that gamers will have to manage is navigating the hard routes in between the two speeding trains.

There are still no pricing announced for any of the DLCs. Hopefully, it won’t be the kind of rip-off price we’ve been getting from some companies — yes, I’m referring to you Capcom.

It took Microsoft almost a year before it finally acknowledged the RROD error and announce that it is extending the warranty of the 360 to three years to address this particular problem. Unfortunately, that three year warranty is specifically just for the RROD error and not for any other errors that a 360 owner will experience that could be almost equally catastrophic. With, at one point, a failure rate of almost 68 percent, Microsoft was probably hoping that RROD errors were there only hurdle.

But with more and more owners now complaining of getting an E74 error, Microsoft has now again been forced to cover the said error for a free, three year warranty. The E74 error, strangely enough, is also RROD related.

Microsoft released a very optimistic statement that while a “majority” of Xbox 360 owners continue to have fun with their console a “very small percentage” of their customers have reported an error that “displays E74 on their screen. Again, an optimistic assessment because if it were just a very small percentage then why even decide to make a new free, three year warranty for the E74 error? A cursory visit at any Xbox 360 website will give anyone a fair idea of how equally prevalent this error is. I even personally know someone who got two successive E74 errors on two consoles he bought.

Hopefully, this is the last of the truly catastrophic errors that Xbox 360s will present its owners and that the new Jasper 360s have finally, finally fixed all of these hardware failures.

With rumors of a PSP2 still red hot after so many red herrings and unsubstantiated reports, a number of other reports are slowly bolstering Sony’s apparent new direction for a UMD-less PSP and online distribution.

With the sequel to the PSP hit Patapon being readied for launch next month, Ars Technica reports that Patapon 2 will be shipped on May 5 not through the UMD format. According to Ars Technica, Patapon 2 will be made available for download through the Playstation Network for $15. Retailers will also carry a boxed copy for $19.99, but what the package will contain is a download code and not a UMD. To help bolster the veracity and accuracy of the report, Ars Technica noted that their source was also accurate when it gave them information about the Xbox 360 price cut last September 2008. Patapon 2 getting distributed digitally actually goes in line with Sony’s announcement at the 2008 Tokyo Game Show that all new PSP games in Japan will be released as downloadable content aside from the UMD format.

Hopefully, this proves to be true. It will make buying PSP games more attractive because of the lower price point.