Over at Gamespot Bob Colayco fires back at David Jaffe, who you may recall referred to game journalists as vultures, saying that Jaffe's ideas about what journalism should be are just as uninteresting as the most sycophantic game plug. From the article: "Am I the only one who picks up rags like Entertainment Weekly, skips the fluff in front, and goes straight to the reviews sections? Maybe that attitude is really dehumanizing. But I don't think it's any coincidence that other entertainment industries started going to crap when people started caring more about our manufactured pop stars and their gossip than they did about the product. This is why we have reality shows with the likes of Jessica Simpson."

Well, it's here. Braving long lines and launch parties, and even jail time, those that were willing to pony up the time and money have their hands on the first player in the next-gen war. 360 impressions are available all across the web, with [H]ardOCP and Gamespot offering exhaustive experiences for the interested gamer. The BBC, as always, offers a bigger perspective on the launch, and Gamasutra confirms that Microsoft is in for the long haul in the games industry. From the BBC: "Sony and Nintendo are planning to unleash their next gen consoles during 2006, giving Microsoft an edge over its rivals. The software giant is virtually tied with Nintendo for second place, way behind Sony, in a games market worth $25 billion globally. Microsoft has ambitious plans for its new machine. It said it expects to ship up to three million 360s worldwide within 90 days. But the company has admitted that the worldwide launch of the console could mean shortages in the run-up to Christmas. The console is due to hit Europe on 2 December and Japan on 10 December and some retailers are also warning about limited supplies."

Gamasutra reports on findings from a large Nielsen survey on gaming and consumer choices. From the article: "The survey also revealed that 57% of active gamers have played online, with free casual online games the most used, and a notable 21% having played MMO games. While online-enabled console, MMO and gambling gamers are disproportionately male -- 76% vs. 24% -- casual gamers who play free online games such as puzzles are just as likely to be women as men, 49% vs. 51% respectively."

In yet another piece of news confirming that Infinium is snake-oil in console form, Kevin Bachus has left his position as CEO of the company. Next Generation reports: "The company continues to promise the launch of the aptly named Phantom e-distribution console in 2006. To be honest though, the company has been promising its launch every year since the launch of the Xbox when they first started talking about the unit and rightfully about the promise of e-distribution."

Gamasutra has another piece from the always interesting Eric Zimmerman, where he offers up A Game Developer's Bill of Rights. From the article: "A Game Developers' Bill of Rights is part of this ongoing discussion, a provocation that draws attention to a set of important issues and challenges facing our industry. It highlights some of the problems that developers face as they try to create games and grow our industry, both creatively and commercially ... A Game Developers' Bill of Rights is not meant to be a strictly practical document. I did not write it as a guide for contract negotiation, nor as a set of legal standards for developer/publisher agreements. But I do believe that the positions represented by the articles in the Bill of Rights are absolutely the correct and proper ethical positions to take."

The always thoughtful Terra Nova has a look at the recent Star Wars Galaxies revamp from a group with a long view on the role of Massive games. From the article: "Unfortunately, the live management team seems to have ignored another long-standing criticism of SWG by many observers: that their design and implementation process is a disastrous mess. Never more so than with the NGE: whatever it is conceptually, in practice, it's roughly on par with an alpha build of a MMOG. Or did they ignore it? It's just possible that SWG's latest flaming car wreck resulted from deliberately driving over a cliff. I'm normally deeply suspicious of conspiracy theories. In the case of SWG's NGE, though, there are really only two possibilities: that there is a deeper agenda or that the live management team is well beyond cluelessly self-destructive, out in some outer void of fecklessness. "

There'll be a blizzard of launch day articles tomorrow, but in the calm before the storm we have some last minute thoughts. Gamecloud has impressions from the developers, and a pre-launch review of the system. Gamers with Jobs has impressions of the console and the launch title selection. From the Gamers with Jobs article: "The actual console is a far cry from the large, black and American design of the original Xbox. It's slim and white, it's also pretty quiet but I can only imagine that has something to do with the console's lack of a manly internal power supply. Instead, the black monster resides outside, like the ghost of what was mocking the feminine new system's lack of balls. It's ok Xbox 360, I think you're ADORABLE! Hee!"

GamePolitics reports on the results from the World Cyber Games, held in Singapore this year. The U.S. didn't come out badly in the medal count, with the Ryans taking the gold in Halo 2. From the article: "At the closing ceremony, Dr. Lee Boon Yang, Singapore's Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts said, 'Digital games as part of the whole entertainment and media ecosystem is big business and a growing contributor to the global creative economy. We are therefore proud to be the host country of such events as they serve to reinforce Singapore's position as a regional hub and gateway to Asia.'"

News for nerds writes "Next Generation magazine runs a quick report for the Xbox 360 Zero Hour launch event. According to avid Xbox fans joining the party in Mojave Desert, while games to be released in mid 2006 such as Gears of War and Ninety Nine Nights got positive reviews, the initial offers on 360 couldn't impress them as much." Kotaku has a pair of photo essays from the event.

News for nerds writes "Though Xbox 360 is launching tomorrow in the U.S. to usher the next-generation of game consoles, the champion of the current generation has been quiet... until now. From the CNN Money article with words from Sony's CEO, Sir Howard Stringer: 'Sir Howard said the PS3 will sell for $300 to $400 and will come with a bundle of games, movies, and TV shows, many of which Sony also makes. The question is whether the titles will be bundled on Blu-ray DVD discs or on a built-in hard drive.'" Update: 11/22 22:22 GMT by Z : Chris Morris over at CNN emailed to let us know that there have been signifiCant changes to the story since it was originally posted.

It would be an understatement to say that Nintendo's signature character, the shell-stomping princess-saving Mario, needs no introduction. He's a world-wide phenomenon and has appeared in enough game spin-offs to spawn a genre of his own. The title that just keeps coming back, though, is Mario Kart. The irreverent and addictive combat racing gameplay is just as enjoyable today on Nintendo's Dual-Screen wonderkind as it was on the SNES. Read on for my impressions of another powerhouse title featuring the mustachioed multitalented plumber.

Tycoon Guy was one of many to write "Looks like another 20 million viewers will be fed the 'video games promote violence' story tonight. Today's CSI: Miami episode will feature a group of kids who are inspired to go on a city-wide crime spree by a game that looks suspiciously like Grand Theft Auto. From the description: 'Delko witnesses a bank robbery and the CSIs soon discover that the culprits are playing out the action from the videogame 'Urban Hellraisers' on the streets of Miami. As they score points for each crime committed, the CSIs must discover what consists of getting to the next level in the game in order to stop the culprits before they strike again.'"

JamesO writes "Capcom has announced Capcom Classics Collection for the PSP, featuring 20 games and wireless multiplayer. Featuring twenty classic games, wireless ad hoc multiplayer, and horizontal and vertical screen orientation, Capcom Classics Collection Remixed is sounding like the retro collection to buy in 2006. Some of the twenty games included in the collection are 1941, Avengers, Block Block, Captain Commando, Magic Sword, Quiz and Dragons, Street Fighter, Strider, Three Wonders, and Varth. Some of those titles aren't exactly well known, but the inclusion of Strider is sure to excite many a gamer. This was one of the notable absences of the recent Capcom Classics Collection for PlayStation 2 and Xbox, so the inclusion of the game on PSP version is a real feather in its cap. "

An anonymous reader writes "The Xbox 360 launches on Tuesday, and ZDNet talks to some of the folks who are already prepping for it. John Dvorak also has commentary on the new console, and he seems to like it." From the Dvorak article: "Luckily Microsoft's Xbox 360 crew, and other game developers, are working on cool stuff that will cross over to PCs. When game developers retake their rightful place on top of the hill of progress, we'll all be better off. Needless to say, I am impressed by the Xbox 360. The Xbox 360 explores new menu structures with a unique and pleasant GUI. One often-overlooked element that the Microsoft games group brings to the party is its unique GUIs that are unlike the folder/desktop metaphor that Xerox and Apple developed."

cphilo wrote to mention an article in the AP about the world of competitive gaming. From the article: "Welcome to the basement lair of the 24-year-old Wendel, the man known and feared by aficionados of multiplayer games across the globe as 'Fatal1ty.' If you deign to think of video games as simply a childish pastime, consider this professional game player. He collects a six-figure salary, has his own brand of gaming merchandise and travels the world to compete - regarded by those in the know as one of the most gifted players of his kind."

Somatic writes "In the latest saga over online gaming addiction in China, the parents of a 13-year-old Tianjin boy are suing the makers of World of Warcraft, blaming the game for the death of their son, according to the Chinese news agency Xinhua. The parents filed a suit against Blizzard Entertainment on Wednesday, saying their son jumped to his death while reenacting a scene from the game, the report said. The parents are backed by the anti-Internet addiction advocate Zhang Chunliang. Mr. Chunliang has spoken to 63 parents whose children have allegedly suffered from online gaming addiction and plans to file a class-action suit, according to the report."

Gamespot reports on the results from Friday's Spike TV Video Game Awards. Top Game honor went to RE4, while King Kong and World of Warcraft both took home several category nods. From the article: "As much as Spike might have refined the show over its past pair of efforts, it was clear the network had not yet found a way to perfectly merge the subject matter, the celebrities, and the audience. Nowhere was evidence of this more pronounced than in the significant number of audience members heading for the exits right after Missy Elliott's climactic performance, having seen all they came for and not caring to find out who was going to take home the Game of the Year award. Winners for Best Gaming Publication, Best Gaming Website, and Best Gaming Blog were not announced at the show. "

bturnip writes "I just cancelled my account with the game A Tale in the Desert. I really liked the game- it had a fresh interesting approach, a Linux client, a non-linear style of game play, and was just fun to play. The graphics were pretty good, the sheer amount of stuff to see and do was impressive, and the online community was extremely helpful and friendly. My problem? I didn't play often enough to justify paying $13.95 each and every month. Is isn't that the price is outrageous, I'm not having any problems paying the bills, I just didn't play enough to make it worth my while. Where is the metered pay model for the casual gamer? If a certain game has a monthly fee of $15, and the average player plays 40 hours a month, a metered model might offer 40 metered hours for $25. Hours could be set to expire after a set time, say 4-6 months. Some months I might pay more than a monthly subscriber, some months less. This is a win/win situation. I can have more fun playing my character at my own pace without feeling I need to play more often to justify the montly cost. The game gets money that it would not get otherwise. If I end up playing often, maybe I end up as a monthly subscriber. The downside I can see for game makers is the overhead of running two billing models, extra work in tracking hours spent, etc. What are the other downsides? Is the potential market for this type of billing not worth the effort?" Along these lines, I think that Planetside would have been a huge success if it had launched with a different subscription model.

Carl Bialik from the WSJ writes "Microsoft is hoping its Xbox 360 will further the company's goal to 'link the Web and entertainment of all forms in consumers' living rooms,' the Wall Street Journal reports, but 'one manufacturing misstep -- a shortage of graphics chips or a recalled hard drive -- could derail those ambitions and drag Microsoft's unprofitable videogame business even deeper into the red.' The WSJ traces the 1,700 parts that go into the device through the supply chain -- from two southern China factories, Rotterdam, and on to Toledo, Memphis, and ultimately, retailers in the U.S. -- and looks at what could go wrong along the way."

Gamasutra has a piece on Organizing and Formatting Game Dialogue. An interesting look at one of the often overlooked parts of game creation. From the article: "Here's the deal: two weeks before your game hits beta, the lead designer on your project adds some new functionality to the game. In addition, some of the pre-rendered cinematics are changed. Nothing major, just a few cuts and additions here and there. All this requires you, the writer, to create some new dialogue for various characters in the game, including the protagonist, some of the bad guys, and some allies."