And when I say “big”, I’m talking out of my ass because I’m not studying release figures and focus groups like the better blogs. I like to talk big, though.

*wait for it*

*wait for it*

The Matrix Online will go live on March 22, 2005 in North America (for any high schoolers in the audience, that includes the United States … I kid! I kid!), and April 8, 2005 in Europe. Fifty bucks for the box plus 15 a month to play. (Hope springs eternal over at Warner Bros.) I haven’t tried Matrix yet, but c’mon, that premise couldn’t get any narrower unless it involved a small town in North Carolina named Mayberry.

I suggest you use any included free trial time wisely.

Guild Wars will go live on April 28, 2005 and preorders include complimentary participation in their Beta weekends in the interim. No pricing was included in the press release, but I’m guessing it would be similar to everything else. Really weird that they wouldn’t disclose pricing; maybe they’re still working on it.

I have tried Guild Wars, a few times, in the Beta previews. It’s structured differently, and I think that could be good. As long as they’re not charging a king’s ransom for it, I’ll give it a shot.

(Originally found at GameGossip.com)

I haven’t had much time lately to play Doom 3, what with SWG guild nonsense and real life obligations and all. That damn real life can be so time consuming, something you catassers would know nothing about.

Of course, this means that everyone around me has already finished Doom at least five times, all on the nightmare setting, while I’m still stuck in f’ing Alpha Labs at 40 health.

Damn, that god mode setting sure is tempting, especially when EVERYONE feels obligated to describe the ending. In great detail. WTF, that’s like spoiling the end of a movie. Thanks alot, a-holes.

What I’ve seen so far (pitifully little) is simply incredible: engrossing storyline, challenging combat, beautiful graphics, a soundtrack without peer. I’m not very fond of those stupid PDAs I have to pick up and hunt through email spam, or worse! listen to stupid audio notes, to get the codes I need for various doors. I hate doing that and avoid it whenever feasible, which might explain why I’m missing half of my supplies.

I was relieved to discover that FedEx still exists in the future, under the moniker “Exe”. (I should look into buying that domain now.) I think I should be able to use what’s in the shipping boxes, like Tom Hanks in Cast Away. Some ice skates, shoes, hell, I could even use a volleyball about now.

I picked up Doom 3 last night, and spent several hours inside. I am going to write up another Example of Solid Waste today, after some coffee, but I want to be the 4,903rd person to go out on a limb and say that Doom 3 is the finest computer game I have ever played — and, just like the original Doom (and sequels) before it, Doom 3 is the new standard by which all be judged. (more on that, some other time)

*insert video of me waiting in line at Starbucks*