Our Experiment: GamersTable.com

Pull up a chair, ladies and gents!! Welcome to the GamersTable! A website powered almost exclusively by Meebo and intended to give you the easiest resources for connecting with and talking to people from all around the world about one of the things you love the most: video games!

It takes a lot for a site like that to really get going, but that’s why we’re calling it an experiment. It might work, it might flop. I’m only out a few dollars if it doesn’t work out. And if it does, you can bet the place will always be lively!

Due to the fact that it is Meebo powered, uptimes and speeds cannot be guaranteed. But once you’re there, it is fairly self explanatory. Take a look, and keep stopping back. Even if you’re the first and only one in there, you can leave a message for future visitors, and always continue the conversation! So join us all, at the GamersTable!

By the bye: I'm an Xbox Ambassador


It’s been a few months now, but I haven’t made a big deal of this. I’ve just been continuing to do my thing on other forums, sites, and keeping busy enough in the real world. But I figured I might as well let everyone that I was nominated, by friend of the site Thumpthis, and then was actually appointed an official Xbox Ambassador. 18 countries, 30 languages, and now, NuAngel! 😉

For anyone who doesn’t know what the Xbox Ambassador program is, it’s really simple. Best explained on Xbox.com, we’re “community members who have been around the block and are willing to show the new guys around.” When I got my 360 two years (plus a few days) ago, I dove in head first – and really got in to the whole community aspect of the Xbox 360 and Xbox Live. A year after owning my console, I began this website. Almost another year later, it continues to grow, and I continue to welcome all new comers.

[Update 1] Does this have anything to do with Bungie? We doubt it.

With other sites jumping on the bandwagon, I highly doubt this piece of news has anything to do with Bungie, or Halo Wars.

Rumors are floating that the website 1019FoxFM is a count down to the latest Bungie project. Now, according to the Xbox360Fanboy, they have searched the internet and come up with a paper trail suggesting that the site is or once was a pirate radio station, including now defunct myspace accounts and streaming radio stations.

Now, I know, “rising from the ashes” seems like a bit of a “Phoenix” reference (the previously reported name of the UNSC ship you will be following throughout the story of Halo Wars). And it’s true that there are an awful lot of 7’s on the website for this “Fox FM.” But no matter how good viral advertising is, they aren’t usually that good at trying to take you off the right path.

Xbox 360 Fanboy claims to have done a WHOIS, and come up with a name and a City. Those details match information found in the source code of the page itself. It also describes the return of an Indie radio station. You can see it below.


meta name=”generator” content=”Yahoo! SiteBuilder/2.5/1.6.0_01″
meta name=”author” content=”James Lace Clark”
meta name=”description” content=”This is an Internet Rock Station that airs several shows and more. We are Uncensored, and play Metal, Rock, Alternative, Independant Station based out of Burlington, North Carolina.”
meta name=”keywords” content=”Rock, Lace, Midnight, Shows, Fox FM, 101.9, Independant Station, Burlington, NC,”

James Clark, Burlington, North Carolina, USA. Now I know these Viral Advertising things have gotten good, but really – Yahoo! Site Builder, and all of this clear attempt to pose as a radio station? I firmly believe that it IS a radio station, trying to work its way up the Google rankings, and get noticed. The use of the number 7 is pure coincidence (Bungie didn’t make the movie Se7en, either), and could even be intentionally playing on the popularity of Bungie Day.

Don’t take this the wrong way, I hope to be proven wrong, I just don’t see this turning into an E3 “gotcha!” moment.

Update 1: If this was supposed to be an E3 moment, it failed, as the counter on 1019FoxFM.net has reset to 24 days and change. Wonder if they’re having a hard time with their FCC license? 😉

Slow in the wake of GDC? Let's catch up…

I admit, my posting has been a bit lacking after GDC. I have been crushed with work, and various technical problems with hardware at home (seems like everything from my laptop to my cell phone turned on me this week!). But that’s no reason for you to suffer, is it? This post is going to be a bit more editorial in fashion, just trying to cover a broad range of topics.

X3F: Misguided April Fool’s looks foolish?
So, after this weeks fiasco of Ask X3F (Xbox 360 Fanboy), there has been a small community backlash. It seems it’s a bit early for April Foolery. Many people found humor in the moment, but a lot of others were disgusted when Dustin hijacked the segment and intentionally tainted the image of many X3F’ers. “My Ask X3F hijacking is going to be rude, crude and so very un-helpful (is that even a word?),” he wrote. A user by the name of Graham even commented “X3F lost a lot of credibility when David Dreger left.” His comment was voted down, but I can’t help but think that, no matter how light and humorous the intention was, that a “professional blog” (if there is such a thing?) such as one under the umbrella of Joystiq should never intetionally “ruffle feathers” like this.

Gears of War 2: Where’ve you been all my life?
People have been suggesting that Gears 2 feels “rushed.” Well, fear not. Much like the first Gears, portions of the game are being “contracted out” to partner developer teams (certain multiplayer game types, map designs, etc… [side note: man I wish Psyonix would get a better webmaster!]).

CliffyB’s announcement that the first game was “a set up” to introduce you to the Gears universe is quite believable. While Gears 2 may feel rushed, if it were planned quite a while ahead, it could potentially live up to all things expected of it. Remember, the engine may have changed, and they may update a few textures and what have you, but for the most part, the game is built. It’s running on the same hardware, which they’ve already pushed the limits of once, expecting them to do so again is maybe expecting too much. Still, with some fine tuned mechanics and an even more involved story line, we are entitled to expect a lot from Gears 2!

LucasArts: Thank you.
Yes, we all know about Force Unleashed, but I would like to bring to your attention another LucasArts game that was recently announced and completely overlooked, Fracture. The story line is a little rough, but should prove to entertain. The game has the graphics and the setting that makes you feel like you are early in the history of the Mass Effect universe. And with their new “terrain deformation” mechanic, I think this game is going to be extremely entertaining. Oh, and incase there isn’t enough linkage today, here’s just one more for Fracture.