Monday XBL shuts down.


Just a friendly reminder that on Monday the XBox Live service will be out of action for a full 24-hours. If you need a quick fix of Halo or Call of Duty on the console then now is really your last chance to get in some good times.

Microsoft are also running a few competitions this weekend to keep things buzzing before they go offline so it might be worth taking a look to see what’s going on. For PS3 users however all is normal and will continue to be so. It’s hard to imagine a world without XBL now especially with all the fanboys arguing that it’s a great service or that it’s bad you have to pay to play. Anyway, time is running out. For some the best XBL game will forever be Halo 2, but what do you think? As usual comments are always welcome here at SWL where gaming matters.

Monday – Chuck begins.


Granted, when it was in the pilot stage Chuck was hated by pretty much all PC guys. The idea of making a cool spy series based around a PC guy was laughable. The critics were proved wrong and Chuck has become one of the greatest shows from last season. Season 2 begins in the US on NBC this Monday and while you might feel like waiting to see it in great high quality on TV there is the option to watch it online now on various streaming services for free from NBC. The only criticism we can find with season two so far is that it appears to be filled with people who are in it just because they worked with the behind-the-scenes people on other shows. Not down to their acting talents but a “people I know” situation. Plus the constant adverts for Call of Duty 4 in every single episode of the first season got a bit annoying.

Anyway, with Chuck having a full second season order already before even a single episode is aired it’s safe to say Chuck should be around until the off-season.

Rockstar has 50% off this weekend.


There are not many hours left so if you haven’t seen it yet this is almost a steal. The full Rockstar Games Collection is 50% off this weekend at just $29.99 U.S. You can get it via the Valve download service Steam which means while you don’t get a big box to put on your shelf there is the bonus of getting the games just as fast as your net connection. It’s quite a perk all this digital downloading from Steam as it even patches the games when required automatically so those who haven’t taken a look at the service should do so. The collection includes the GTA’s, Max Payne’s and Manhunt among others.

Be aware though this offer is doubtful to be available to those outside the US so bad luck for most of the world. It’s very unfair for those of US who are outside the US but on occasion we do get offers that our American counterparts don’t so there is some balance in the world.

Zoinks! Scooby-Doo and the Goblin King: All-Star Cast in Halloween Hilarity!

Scooby-Doo and the Goblin KingWarner Bros.
Starring: Frank Welker, Casey Kasem, Mindy Cohn, Hayden Panettiere, Wayne Knight, Wallace Shawn, Jay Leno, and Lauren Bacall
75 minutes

Scooby-Doo has a lot in common with James Bond: both franchises have been around for 40 years; both use the same characters but at times different actors to portray them; both have had a younger version of the character portrayed on TV (see James Bond Jr. and A Pup Named Scooby-Doo); and both utilize the same catchphrases, characterizations, and template in each adventure taken. Scooby-Doo and the Goblin King is the twelfth direct-to-DVD Scooby-Doo movie, which comes after a string of TV series utilizing Scooby, Shaggy, Fred, Daphne, and Velma. I found myself Continue reading “Zoinks! Scooby-Doo and the Goblin King: All-Star Cast in Halloween Hilarity!”

Iron Man v. Dark Knight: Let the Battle Begin!

Iron Man: Ultimate 2-Disc Edition
Marvel Studios/Paramount Pictures
Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Jeff Bridges, Terrence Howard, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Shaun Toub
Directed by Jon Favreau (who has a cameo)
Rated PG-13 – for some intense sequences of sci-fi action and violence, and brief suggestive content
125 minutes
Release Date: September 30, 2008

READING DISCLAIMER: This review is long. You have been warned.

Iron Man. Before The Dark Knight was released and eclipsed everything else the summer had to offer, this superhero movie was tops at the box office. As it stands, Iron Man made over $571 million worldwide, while The Dark Knight, still in theatres, has made $971 million worldwide. So, I got to thinking Continue reading “Iron Man v. Dark Knight: Let the Battle Begin!”

New Mirror’s Edge Story Trailer

Now I can’t miss a new trailer for Mirror’s Edge. I’ve already envisioned it as the next Portal: a smexy city, a female protagonist and parkour tricks?! This game is genius! I can’t believe it’s going to release on November 13th. That’s so early, it’s unfair!

Anyways, we see yet another trailer for Edge. This time, it’s one of those 2D-animated trailers to explain the story. Sometimes the theme and art of the game almost make me think that it’s a Japanese game, only to shaken up when I see the darn EA logo again. Which makes me wonder if EA is thinking of any draconian DRM measures for the game.

Now this trailer is one of those usual world-turns-into-dystopia stories, except here you can’t tell if its dystopia or utopia we’re heading to. We see our heroine, Faith as a child in a protest march against the usual oppresive-fascist-government. Yep, we’ve seen in Half-Life 2, but what it reminded me the most of was the Second Renaissance short from The Animatrix (damn, that was a good film).

Check out the trailer below! Click here to run and jump to the HD link.