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Description

Totally fresh comments, never canned. . . catch up on all of the community happenings here.

Other Site Blogs

  • GameSpot Answers

    GameSpot Answers allows registrants to post questions and receive answers about details in a game. If you don't see an answer for your favorite game, ask a question! To find the answer modules go to any GameSpace and click on Answers.

    For an example, try doing a search for evil in the Fable II Answers page for some splendid detailed answers and some questions that are still open for you to answer!

  • Weekly Report: Game Nights Return!

    Announcements

    - Streaming Games Board: We've created a new forum dedicated to streaming services and free to play games. Stop by to check it out.

    - Game Night Returns: Stop by on Tuesday 4/7/09 to participate in the first game night of the year. The game will be Left 4 Dead on the PC or 360. We'll be handing out a participation celebration emblem.

    Note: If you cannot participate in the first game night of the year because of the ESRB rating, please read the game night FAQ for further information.


    - Participation Emblem Alert: If you're an avid contributor of GameSpace banners you can receive an emblem for helping out numerous times. The following staff and users receive the Banner Printer emblem last week: anthonyr1, capedbear , chilledmartini, insinuendo, rohver, ticonorico21, yevinorion and zixarga.


    - System Wars rules thread has been updated. The new thread is easier to read and better categorized.

    Member Spotlight


    This week's member spotlight goes to Moroes for his editorial about how some of today's games are using the same molds as previous games. Here's an excerpt:
    The sad truth is that the companies are scared to be creative, due to the increased chance of failure. Failure results in less money, and at this point everyone is trying to get as much money as they possibly can. I wouldn't blame them.
    User Reviews

    This week's user reviews were taken from my tracked users list!

    - The Dishwasher: Dead Samurai (X360) by ruff_edgz

    - Crysis (PC) fat_otter

    - Nancy Drew: Secrets Can Kill (PC) Azghouls

    - Mass Effect (X360) bacchus2

    - BioShock (X360) borninvincible

    - Lost Odyssey (X360) spazzx625

    Randomness teh Awesome

    - GoryAbomination received the hotspot homework emblem for his Zelda concept art.

    - Lik has posted some pictures of his handheld games collection.

    Moderator Corner

    The Mod of the Month for April goes to Hungry_Bunny. Who would you have chosen? Stop by this thread to vote.

    We brought aboard quite a few initiate moderators last week. Off-topic leaked the inormation, but if you don't hang out there, the new modlings include btaylor2404, iowastate, dab198, Gamecamiller, Bozanimal and Mattykovax. They all have quite a long journey ahead to make it past the hazing period.

    Tip of the Week

    This week's tip is about observing unfamiliar users that post in comments and forums around the internet. It's always best to be cautious about clicking on links provided by people you do not know. Even when you know someone you should always get in a habit to follow these steps just in case your friends make a mistake.

    How can you tell if you can trust a user on what their advice or their recommendation? Read on for some tips.

    1) Is he or she an established community member of the website you are using? GameSpot has a record of how long a user has been registered in the user profile page and each forum post has the user's count and profile level on the site. On GameSpot it is a good idea to check the profile level and visit the user's profile to see who they are before considering a recommendation or website they are linking to.

    On a related note, if a newer registrant knows GameSpot way too well, this could also be a sign of a user that was previously banned or has an active alternate account. The best thing to do is be cautious with newer registrants that are acting out of the ordinary.

    2) Is the user asking you to check out a website in a forum or comment for no given reason? Thats a bad sign already. If you do not know this person do NOT click the link. It could be a virus or a phishing website.

    3) If you can't help but want to click the link first highlight your mouse cursor over the hyperlinked text and look on the bottom of your browser to see the url splash in the browser status tray.

    Example: Try the cursor over the link method with the link here now called GameIAMALMOTLIKEGS.com. If you noticed the status bar in your internet browser it shows that I hyperlinked you to GameSpot's sister site.

    4) Another method was suggested by icytower38. Right click a link and select "Properties". If the url in the pop-up does not match what the user posted, chances are it is offensive or contains a virus.

    5) And our last tip was provided by Hungry_Bunny. When you're using any site that someone directed you to, check the website url in the browser and see if you re logged in. If not, DO NOT login. For instance, let's say you were happily browsing GameSpot and a unfamiliar user refers what you think is another url to a page on GameSpot. You click the link and the site looks like GameSpot and you are logged out. Check the url because some websites are created to phish your contact information for the purpose of stealing your identity.

    Until next week!

  • Streaming Games Board Created

    Streaming & Online Services forum is your one-stop discussion forum for current and upcoming streaming game services, such as OnLive, GaiKai, and OTOY, as well as online game services such as Steam. Stop by to start some new discussions in the newly created board!

  • Weekly Report: self-evident!

    Announcements

    - Site Change: The new image viewer has rolled out on the site. Go to your game list in your profile or do some searches for the gamespaces on the site.

    - Event coverage: GDC week uncovered the hype around OnLIVE. Did you miss anything else? We continued to roll out the coverage this last weekend so stop by to make sure you didn't miss out on anything. Additionally, Tor Thorsen posted a blog with videos of the show floor

    - Emblem: If you missed out on the GDC emblem there were some requirements. You needed to watch the OnLive unveiling during the live press conference and discuss the content. If you did both of these and didn't receive your emblem, drop by this reporting thread to claim your emblem.

    - Game Night Update (finally!): Looks like Game Night will be returning next Tuesday with a new time frame to benefit our east coast and European GameSpotters. To make a return we wanted to have a game across a variety of platforms. Next week's game night will be Left for Dead on the PC and 360 from 4pm PT to 6pm PT.


    - Illegal or Mature Advertisments? We have a new reporting thread in case there is an automated advertisements problem.

    Member Spotlight

    This week's member spotlight goes to whoozwah for keeping it real. Whoozwah has a variety of suggestions on ways people can hold truths to be self evident . Here is an excerpt:

    Not everything you like is "epic"

    Not everything you dislike is "fail"

    Sequels are better than remakes/ports

    User Reviews

    Below is this week's activity from the top 100 and 500 reviewers list.

    - Starcraft (PC) Aberinkulas
    - Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas 2 (PC) doctor_kaz
    - Thrillville: Off the Rails (360) Dreski83
    - Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 (360) DouglasBuffone
    - Wheelman (360) wonderboy_46
    - Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII (PSP) AzelKosMos
    - Avatar: The Last Airbender (Wii) zh666

    Featured Videos

    - MCU Game Night 1 Footage by vgm007. Footage from the Moderator Collective Union Game Night 1 - Gears of War 2.

    - British Grenadiers Tribute bangell99 using Empire: Total War footage.

    Honorable mentions:

    - Rise of the Argonauts game ending by darkbeing
    - RE5 And Stuff by Jbul

    Randomness teh Awesome

    - OnLIVE was the hot topic in blogs this week. Here's a collection of those who wrote about it: sieg6529, c_rake, Jerell_rast, FakePlasticSN32, nftw, wehttam16, xblane, kainsec, MrCHUP0N, shabulia and _LiquidFlame_.

    - The_DRUGGIE has posted his top 5 annoying bosses of all time.

    - floristandbicyc has been added to the Soapbox due to his well written editorial about Character Archetypes in video games .

    - nutcracker from UK shares his impressions of Cryostasis, which should make it out to the US on April 20th ,

    - Setho10 has posted a blog sharing many impressions; so much I cannot describe them.

    - xriceballx has posted a blog celebration of 3 years on GameSpot. The blog includes some shoutouts to her GameSpot buddies.

    - GDC Harmonix Party pictures and videos by JodyR.

    Union Activities

    RPG Temple is offering any and all role playing discussions around a variety of platforms. It's kind of like the General Games Discussion board, only you have to be very role playing eccentric. Stop by to read what they have to say about their recent discsussion related to Dragon Age: Origins.

    Tip of the Week

    This week's tip is about tagging, thanks to some help from GameSpot members, Avenger1324, JackBurton and ehsan8888. A tag is a word related to an item that another user has linked to it. Tags allow other users to search for content that have been "tagged" with the same word. For instance, check out Avenger1324's tag page. If you click on a keyword like Atari, which displays other users that tagged the content with the same keyword.

    Tagging content is found in many areas on the site. Content such as forums, videos, gamespace pages, user images, user videos, articles [news, previews, features, reviews], blogs and threads all have a link or button to tag the content.

    GameSpot also grants users an emblem depending on how much activity they have with tagging content.

    Lastly, if you're interested in getting a keyword up in the tag cloud found on the forums directory, ehsan8888 suggests flagging content that is a not so popular keyword or game.

    Find more suggestions from the GameSpot members located in How To GameSpot thread.

    We'll see you next week!

  • PM Maintenance Alert

    EDIT: This maintenance has been completed. PMs are back online.

    For those of you who have been coming across some bugs with private messages, we're in the process of doing some maintenance to fix the problems. Your inboxes will be showing empty for the next 3-4 hours. We will follow-up once they have been fixed. We apologize for the inconvenience during this time.

  • Weekly Report: Virtual GDC

    Announcements

    - Event coverage: Attend the Gamer Developers Conference 2009 virtually! We have plans to have a live press conference broadcast on Tuesday March 24 at 7pm PT. A little birdy told me that there will be an emblem for this press conference. Sometimes birdies lie, but it's worth a try [oh, I rhymed]. Then stop by on Wednesday for a special GDC episode of On the Spot.

    - Emblem Activity: We are giving everyone one more chance to get their Reader's Choice emblem. Stop by here for the instructions

    - Game Night Status: If all goes well we should be returning Game Nights on March 31st. Post your game recommendation.

    Member Spotlight


    DouglasBuffone

    This week's member spotlight goes to DouglasBuffone for his event report . Doug headed out to Las Vegas to attend the Red Faction Guerilla press event. Stop by to see pictures and read the full report!

    User Reviews

    Below is this week's activity from the top 100 and 500 reviewers list.

    - ShellShock 2: Blood Trails (PC) dark_being
    - SiN (PC) Aberinkulas
    - Resistance: Fall of Man (PS3) doctor_kaz
    - X-Blades (PS3) Domstercool
    - Eternal Sonata (360) Garrison_Ford
    - Saints Row 2 (360) NBAmaster33
    - Speedy Gonzales: Los Gatos Bandidos (SNES) SophinaK
    - Alien Syndrome (Wii) zh666

    Featured Videos

    - Guitar Hero Metallica - For Whom the Bell Tolls gameplay by Dzjaansis. The video features mostly gameplay, but there are some shots of the band as well.

    - Star Ocean: The Last Hope - My own battle by tjoeb123. Primarily gameplay but tjoeb does a little teaser in the beginning.

    Honorable mentions: cjgangsta posted a video blog about MMOs, while sky-ia posted three videos of Rodland gameplay footage.

    Randomness teh Awesome

    Seems that many of you enjoy this corner of the weekly report!

    View Me!

    - kansasdude2009 has posted some pictures of his gaming set up.

    - kittykatz5k has posted 5 animes reviews for the following: Death Note, Yu Yu Hakusho, Naruto, Paranoia Agent, and Bleach.

    - Writer1983 recently realized just how good it is to be bad for a change. She shares her impressions about GTA: Chinatown Wars on the DS.

    - Frozen Liquid has been added to the Soapbox. Check out his recent editorial about game art.

    - RasutoSSAikou recently wrote a blog about gender identification. Does gaming really have no gender?

    Activities

    - GameSpot DS forum posters are hosting an unofficial Pokemon Tournament for Pokemon Diamond/Pearl and Platinum. Registration ends on April 10th

    - The mods have started a new game night for those who want to bash them in the game. Psst, it's really the only way you can without breaking the ToU.

    Union Activities

    - The Anime Café have posted previews about some upcoming spring releases of Anime. Check out their first report and then drop by the second report .

    Tip of the Week

    GameSpot Soapbox is a place where rants and ramblings about gaming and other topics are posted on GameSpot. Who particpates in this feature? A variety of GameSpot editors and selected GameSpot users. If you are profiecent in writing skills and have some interesting incite about the gaming industry create a blog post and use the category "editorial". If you would like to avoid being considered, use another drop down menu other than Editorial.

    On a related note, we have cleaned out a lot of inactive soabox users last week and will continue to finish up the spring cleaning later this week. If you haven't been an active blogger in general, it is highly likely the association to soapbox will be removed.

    Until next week!

  • Weekly Report: I want my emblem!

    Announcements

    - Site Change: The gamespace video page layout was recently updated. You can also expect to see the latest files filtered by default. [example]

    - Event coverage: Resident Evil 5 Launch Party

    - Emblem Activity: Reader's choice emblem was awarded to individuals last Friday. However, we plan to have another window opened next week for those of you who missed out on the first reporting thread. [details]

    - Emblem Award: Two lucky UK GameSpotters received the Soothsayer emblem for correctly predicting at least three winners during the live coverage of the BAFTA videogame awards.

    - Game Night: Since the union was established a variety of users have been helping out to get the union situated. I plan to bring out a schedule some time this week. We'll send out a telegram in the union once game nights return. You can also expect a notice in the weekly community report. [union]

    - Future Site Change: There is still some time left to submit feedback about the upcoming image viewer found in gamespaces. [details]

    - GameSpot UK Halo Wars giveaway for a limited edition Halo Wars Xbox 360 console system ends on March 27th. UK residents age 18 or older are eligible to enter. [details]

    Member Spotlight

    AnelZukic

    This week's member spotlight goes to AnelZukic for creating a blog about the future of gaming consoles. For being an early 2008 registrant, he's an active blog poster worth tracking. In his recent blog entitled ReFuture – One conole provides his thoughts about future consoles and a rumor about a single gaming platform. What would a single console system be called by media? Uniconsole? Consolekiller? Check his blog for the scoop!

    User Reviews

    Below is this week's activity from the top 100 and 500 reviewers list.

    - Assault Heroes 2 (360) bacchus2
    - Braid (360) Garrison_Ford
    - Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn (Wii) zh666
    - Prince of Persia: Warrior Within (PC) chandu83
    - Rune Factory 2: A Fantasy Harvest Moon (DS) Shinno441
    - Star Control II (PC) Aberinkulas
    - Uncharted: Drake's Fortune (PS3) doctor_kaz

    Featured Videos

    - LegendofNerd's NDR: MadWorld/LoN Owned is a video about him predicting the wrong GameSpot review score.

    - UpInFlames' La Valse d'Amelie is a gameplay video featuring the Flower game.

    Honorable mentions: EarthThatWas has video about skydiving while canana posted a video review of Manhunt.

    Randomness teh awesome

    - dtujd2 asks if GTA has a bigger impact on gaming than Super Mario Bros ?

    - polsci1503 has posted a first look at Resident Evil 5

    - The HotSpot homework emblem was handed out to rhombusmaniac and masterthehero.

    - Soulreavercross recently entered what he calls the GameSpot cursed level also known as Big Smoke. Look how spooky his profile looked at level 0!

    - VixDiesel has shown off her gorgeous looking cat in a recent blog about the Game cat making a return.

    - Flame's Galaxy has a new question and answer spotlight dedicated to Msudude211. If you are interested in getting to know him more, stop by this thread .

    Union Activity

    - Katiff is looking for a new Leader to take over his leadership role in the World of Warcraft players union . The union has nearly 1300 members and it continues to grow. If you are interested in the role, PM him that you're interested in this role.

    Tip of the Week

    This week's tip is for those of you who have not tried out the game list feature in your GameSpot profile. Here is how it works.

    1. On the top of any GameSpot's page, do a search for a game of your choice and click on the appropriate platform.
    2. Click Add Game link found under the game title on the gamespace page. [example ]
    3. The pop-up will display four options as follows:

    - Add to My Tracked List
    Tracking List is a good option if you want updated about your favorite games or game series.

    - Add to My Collection
    My Collections list is a good way for you to track what you own and some people have used it for a list of what they have rented. Shh, don't tell anyone I said that.

    - Add My Wish List
    My Wish list helps you remember those games you're anticipating. Maybe you won't want to buy it down the road and you decide to rent it. Either way, with how many games that get released each year, this is the easily the best way to keep an eye on upcoming games and their game release dates. The new releases page is also a good place to bookmark and check each week. http://www.gamespot.com/newthisweek.html?type=new_this_week&mode;=top&om;_act=convert&om;_clk=subnav&tag;=subnav;new_releases

    - Add to My Now Playing List
    Some people forget about what they have listed as now playing. If you think you notice that you cannot stop thinking about a specific game, add it to your play list. You are bound to continue to play it off and on for the next month or so.

    When you need to do some editing to your lists, go to the Game Lists tab in your profile and check out the options you have available. Some of the options include sorting by platform, move to another category and delete game from your game list.

    Until next week!

  • Image Viewer Feedback

    We've been working on an update to the GameSpot image viewer and would like to share the new in-page image experience. Which of the following set ups would you prefer?

    Scenario 1: thumbnails below the image

    Scenario 2: thumbnails above the image

    Submit your feedback.

  • Weekly Report: Springing forward!

    Announcements

    - GameSpot has a new site blog dedicated to continue coverage of Online games. Stop by to read the first post.

    - Need for Speed decals giveaway (US/18+) begins tomorrow. Stop by this thread tomorrow morning to get the scoop about how you can enter the drawing.

    - Missing the Reader's choice award emblem? Never fear! Post here from now until Friday, March 13, 2009. After this coming Friday the emblem vault will be closed for this ghetto emblem.

    - Emoticons feedback is being considered. Stop to join in on the discussion.

    Member Spotlight


    eajack

    eajack has written a blog about the different kinds of characters found in games. He asks a variety of questions about why gamers play mute characters in some of our favorite game titles over the past year. Stop by his blog to read more about one-dimensional game characters.

    User Reviews:
    Below is this week's activity from the top 100 and 500 reviewers list.

    - Killzone 2 (PS3) by wonderboy_46
    - Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon (DS) by nintendofreak_2
    - Suikoden III (PS2) by 3KindgomsRandy
    - Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II (PC) by Domstercool
    - GTAIV: Lost & Damned (360) by NBAmaster33
    - Silent Hill (PS1) by Video_Game_King
    - Ninety-Nine Nights (360) by zh666

    Featured Videos

    - Banana's don't like chess by certifieddata
    - Gabu singing Texas Flood by GabuEx

    Honorable mentions: Easy cr0wned achievement by white_sox and Odd Keystone in Twinleaf Town by mastetofthedark.

    Randomness teh Awesome

    - Off-Topic forum topic for this week is the 2009 OTcars Awards Ceremony. The OTcars is the Off-Topic Board's version of the Oscars. Users get a chance to nominate other users in categories like Best GS newcomer, Funniest User and King and Queen of OT.

    - Legolas_Katarn recently posted a play by play of what happened in the Halo Wars marathon matches.

    - Sackboy goes to Japan is a visual journey created by GameSpot's very own Sophia Tong.

    Union Activities

    The Pokemon League Union is hosting a Diamond and Pearl Tournament. Read the rules and sign-up!

    Tip of the Week

    We recently made an announcement in the Site Enhancement board about copyrighted and watermark user videos being removed from the site. If you have uploaded a video or watched a user video on GameSpot, stop by the thread for some important details.

    Until next week!

  • Weekly Report: March in with the goodies!

    You thought presents were only handed out to everyone during December, right? Well, not if you're a GameSpotter. We would like to roll out as many goodies as we can at times you would least expect it! Post a response to let us know which one of these goodies are your favorite.

    Announcements

    For those of you with an iPhone, you'll be pleased to hear that a new version has been released. Visit the GameSpot URL while using your iPhone and check it out. I'm told there are capabilities to watch videos! I am now jealous of iPhone owners.

    In other news, after about a month of public beta testing the new version of the WYSIWYG text editor has been rolled out on the site.

    Last but not least is an experiment suggested by one of our creative users, Elk: Twitter style @reply tracking in the comments. GameSpot's bigethan implemented a way for you to respond to other members through comments. Stop by Ethan's post for further information. And if you have feedback, just let us know.

    Member Spotlight


    EarthThatWas

    EarthThatWas has caused an outbreak of discussion in the community! A variety of editorial blogs continued to pop-up because he got people thinking about downloadable content. He has racked up 83 comment responses since he posted his blog late last week. EarthThatWas also plans to create an ongoing DLC editorial series so stop by his profile and track him for future reads. On a related note, our honorable mentions go out to two other users who have an editorial about the same topic. Read what danny_dm_moore and mprezzy have to say about downloadable content.

    User Reviews

    Below is this week's activity from the top 100 and 500 reviewers list.

    - Infinite Undiscovery (360) by zh666
    - Peggle Deluxe (PC) by doctor_kaz
    - Stairway to the Destined Duel (GBA) by Robot_Vampire
    - Genji: Dawn of the Samurai (PS2) by Setho10

    On a related note, 17 GameSpotters received the Top 500 Reviewers emblem and 4 GameSpotters received the Top 100 Reviewers emblem. Check out the User Reviews recommendation thread to see who received the emblem or suggest other user reviews!

    Featured Videos

    - Empire: Total War Video Review - gfile
    - Fallout 3 National Guard Armoury Secret - champmanfan (aka wteSmithy)

    Honorable mentions

    - Missile Dodging in Crisis - jstamm33
    - Ted DiBiase vs. The Recession - BrianEK

    Mod of the Month

    Each month GameSpot volunteer moderators send in their votes to the Community Manager over a course of a week. This month's moderator of the month goes to Teufelhuhn. To identify the current moderator of the month,mods have a temporary emblem on their profiles. We think of it as passing around a trophy.

    Remember last month's voting thread that gave regular users a chance to vote for who they would have chosen as the moderator of the month? Last month's votes have been tallied and the majority voted for the same moderator that the mods voted for. How's that for questioning the if the volunteer moderators are coosing moderators that deserve a pat on the back? Thanks to everyone who voted, Gabu received a pat on the back from the mods and from other GameSpotters.

    Now that we've chosen the moderator of the month for March, stop by this user vote thread and select who you should choose as the mod of the month based on their contributions in the community.

    Randomness teh Awesome

    - Off-Topic Thread - MOCHIRON_MAN has created a thread entitled Things that make you go hrmmm. Maybe you can answer his question about lightning striking the sea. Do you know why the fish do not die?

    - Are Special Retail Game Editions really that special? Check out what OmegaNemesis28 has to say about the recent shooter games.

    - AK_the_Twilight asks if the DSi will have a GBA. Would you buy the handheld if there was no GBA slot?

    - The HotSpot homework emblem was handed jrabbit99 and thedarklinglord.

    - Blizzard is welcoming patch feedback from Diablo II players. Stop by the official Battle.net forum to provide feedback that may be included in the next content patch.

    PM Jody if you have any cool blogs, threads or images worth being mentioned! Make sure the PM subject title includes random teh awesome.

    Union Activities

    Gathering of PC Gamers Union has posted a guide that outlines some in-game general tips. Seems that nirmanag is a master of PC gaming knowledge because he plans to make a series about other PC games tips. Also check out his general gaming guide that was written a few weeks prior. Stop by the Union to check out any other happenings.

    Tip of the Week

    Want to know of ways to avoid getting moderated? This week's tip was written by nocoolnamejim, a GameSpot volunteer moderator. He's been a moderator since late last year and has decided to reach out to GameSpotters by providing a simple list about ways to avoid being moderated.

    Below is an annotated version of his blog entitled, Five Simple Steps to Avoiding Moderations.

    1. Listen, learn, and don't repeat: The moderation histories are there for you to learn from your mistakes and not continue with the same conduct.

    2. Report, don't retaliate    . Reporting and ignoring keeps the flaming/trolling user from having content to report you.
    3. Right or wrong, the ToU is ALWAYS right. When you accepted the Terms of Use agreement, is intended to protect users and keep the community discussions civil.

    4. Don't be a rebel. You can be a rebel when playing the games, but GameSpot's community is not the place for it.

    5. Remember, we can't hear the tone of your voice, see your body language or read your mind. Be sure to express your feelings or expressions through your text or use the emoticons.

    The bold underlined content is his bullet pointed with a few comments from me. You'll want to check out his blog for his helpful information! Using these tips will keep you from getting any bad marks in your moderation history and continue with access on GameSpot.com.

    Until next week!

  • Weekly Report: Hello, Halo!

    There are so many happenings this week. We have a marathon, return of user video categories, user contributions galore and more.

    Announcements

    - HaloWars Marathon is our first live marathon for the year. The marathon will be held on February 27th at 4:00pm PT until whenever. The marathon will show the gameplay and two GameSpotters will receive a copy of the game early to participate with staff members on the show. Mark your calendars to see the game in action days prior to the release.

    - GameSpot is also a part of Youtube and Twitter. If you want to stay connected outside the gamespot.com website, the youtube channel features the recent interviews, features and video reviews. Stop by our GameSpot channel to subscribe, rate and add your favorite videos to watch at a later time. Twitter works a tad differently in the sense that only a couple of the most recent content for the day is mentioned on the GameSpot Twitter. If you're a fan of GameSpot UK you can also follow them as well! I have yet to pester GS AU about getting a twitter going for you Aussies.

    - User Video categories have returned. Make sure your user videos have the right category to be filtered properly in the user video listings.


    Member Spotlight

    arcticcop reminds us of the retro days. He may class himself as a middle school gamer, but we think he's still old school if he played some ofthe older generation platforms. Stop by to read his blog entitled, An old school gamers journey....or an older new school? Middle school gamer?

    Honorable mention: wonderboy_46 is a very brave soul because he had the courage to admit that he is a Street Fighter series newb.

    User Reviews

    - Broken Sword: The Smoking Mirror (PC) by SuperMooseman
    - Bully: Scholarship Edition (360) by bacchus2
    - Chrono Trigger (DS) by PAJ89
    - Clive Barker's Jericho (360) by celtic1962
    - Hotel Dusk: Room 215 (DS) by Platyphyllum
    - Resistance 2 (PS3) by wonderboy_46

    Featured Videos

    - Civ: Revolution Nuke by white_sox
    - Brief Street Fighter IV Video Review by M3RC3tHeShOoTeR

    Honorable mention: Video Blog Feb 2009 by DouglasBuffone

    Randomness teh Awesome

    - US vs Canadian Kit Kats blog post by johnsteed7
    - Game collection pictures by smbius
    - DSaholic images by soulreavercross

    Union Activity

    - The Resident Evil Union has been excited about the upcoming release of Resident Evil 5. Stop by their forum to dive into discussion about the game series across many platforms.

    Tip of the Week

    Unions that do not update their front pages with news are subject to be dismissed by potential members. When a newcomer comes across a Union through GameSpot featured listing on the Community page, Forums directory page or another website referral they will notice that the front page not being updated. This will cause a lurker to not even check into the Union any further. I often come across Unions that have no bulletin activity only to find that they are constantly discussing some interesting topics in the Union board.

    Consider the following if you are a leader or officer of a Union.

    1) You don't understand how the bulletin system works? That is quite alright. You do not have to have daily news. Consider making a weekly, monthly or quarterly update to your front Union page with a bulletin about the cool topics the members have made or the union's topic. For instance, if your Union is about the Halo series, why not post a quarterly what's up with the Halo community post of relevant news? Some Unions like to also post the top threads worth reading.

    2) Some leaders become very concerned with how many people are officers and they limit their pool of users willing to keep the Union updated with fresh content. Consider going through your member list to find individuals that are trustworthy veteran members of your Union. If they are active enough they may want to take on keeping your front Union page up to date. Why not promote them from recruit to officer?

    3) The Union level bug is a constant problem for you all, we know this. However, that doesn't mean you can't keep your Union up to date and recruit for new members in the Union recruitment forum.

    4) If you come across a union that was featured on the community page and has not been updated in a while, drop me a PM with the subject titled 'inactive featured union'. I'll have the union removed from being featured. We want to make sure the active Unions are being displayed so you can definitely help out by reporting the inactive ones.I would say if the front page of the Union has not been updated in a year, it shouldn't be featured.

    5) Be sure to post your Union activity for the chance of being mentioned in the weekly report.


    Until next week!

  • Last call for you Halo fanatics!

    We plan to have a Halo Wars marathon on Friday, February 27th at 4:00pm PT. GameSpot staff will select two users to be a part of the live broadcast. We'll hand out a copy of the game early for two individuals who meet the criteria.

    Respond before 3pm PT today, February 23, 2009. Those of you who meet the criteria will be emailed with further information. Thanks!

  • Weekly Report: taterTOTS?

    As many of you know from watching my video, I was investigating (or some would say snooping) to find some answers about the format changes to the On the Spot broadcast. The only clue I found was TOTS. Not many days later, there was a 'previously OTS video' posted with a return date of February 23rd at 3:30pm PT. Notice that date and time as well? Lastly, Ryan Mac Donald also posted a blog about the history of OTS and also hinted about being in the mood for tater TOTS? That's all I have for now. If there are any other details I'll be sure to let you know through the Spam Filter.

    Here is this week's report!

    Announcements

    - The Reader's Choice Awards ended mid last week. The results can be found on any of the subcategory pages of the Best of 2008 feature Additionally, those who voted on multiple subcategories will receive an emblem some time in the next week. Thanks for participating!

    - DownLOADED is a new blog about files uploaded on the site. The news blog will feature the top download of the week, indie games spotlight and a weekly wrap of files that were uploaded on the site.

    - Community Game Night should be making a return very soon. Kevin recently posted a request for help from the community. We have received a variety of emails from many of you offering to help out. We will follow-up once we have figured out game plan.


    Member Spotlight

    This week's member spotlight goes to TreyoftheDead for his blog entitled, 'How dare you have fun with that game!' He talks about his childhood experience with fun games and leads up to today's games. One of the questions asked was about how much we no longer notice the fun factor in games. We also have a bonus because Treyofthedead's avatar reminds us to mark our calendars for the upcoming Watchmen film!

    Honorable mentions! Elk goes back through time with his blog about retro games; canana gives us a regional look at the real plague in the gaming industry; lastly, vonstalhein reminds us about the invisible walls found in games.

    User Reviews

    Below is this week's activity from the top 100 and 500 reviewers list.

    - The Bouncer (PS2) by grafkhun

    - Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney (DS) by LOLhahaDEAD

    - SAS: Secure Tomorrow (PC) by Azghouls

    - Flower (PS3) by LiK

    Be sure to give these reviews a thumbs up or down if they have helped you.

    Featured Videos

    - Fear 2 Project Origin Video Review by makchady. An excellent review worth viewing.

    - Zombies! - Whispers In the Dark by DeathByControl. The video displays a variety of games that have zombies in it.

    Randomness teh awesome

    - The HotSpot homework emblem was given to bobbydazzler87.

    - Off-Topic Thread Alert! Big cats were examined (56k peril!) displays a detailed study of four majestic animals. Did you know that "tigers feed on sand and snow, but never both at the same time"? Or that the mane of a lion "bears a special secret power"? If you didn't, then this thread is for you. Thanks to Hungry_bunny for the tip.

    - Have any random suggestions of well thought out discussion posts? PM JodyR with the subject title random teh awesome suggestion.

    Union Activities

    Not much reported this week. Be sure to post any activities in the Union Recruitment sticky thread.

    - Soccer Addict Union has a football wars feature that allows members of the Union to take part in a poll. This week they put two strikers from recent past.

    Tip of the Week

    This week's tip will help you keep your community activity on the site completely under your control. We occasionally will come across reports from users who make the assumption that they are being harassed on the site. If you believe that you're being harassed or someone naturally ends up in every post you have on the site consider these tips!

    REPORT & IGNORE! You cannot claim that you are being harassed if you are responding to the user causing the harassment. Report the violations if the user is flaming or trolling in your blog, comments or forum posts that you are a part of. Avoid answering any questions or forum posts they have directed towards you. If the harassing user figures out what buttons to push he or she will figure out how to get you to break the rules and they will report you for flaming or trolling them.

    TRACKING YOU? People who follow or track you may only be fans of your contributions such as writing style in your reviews, user videos or they find your ideas of interest when you post blogs. Maybe they noticed you had the same game in your collections or that you are playing the same games as them. Either way, users who track other users have the right to do so. This is why we keep FRIENDS and TRACKING separate on GameSpot. If you do not want random people watching your contributions such as blogs and forum posting, set your preferences to allow only your friends to view your profile. To do this go to your preferences and click on Site Settings. We have two settings you can change:

    - Who can see my profile and see my site contributions in the mini-feed
    - Who can see my blog postings:

    Mark both of them with 'friends only'.

    Example

    Note: If you track a user and they track you back they are considered your friend. Make sure the user who is harassing you is not being tracked.

    PRIVATE MESSAGING - If there is a user that continues to send you annoying private messages that may not violate the rules, click the IGNORE USER link. If the user is flaming or trolling you through the private messages click to report the offensive message link to report the message as abuse.

    Until next week!

  • Weekly Report: Hardware staff invasion


    In my recent blog I mentioned how I moved my desk over to the editorial area. There is also a bonus video skit I made with Brian, Lark, Justin and Sophia. This week's community report is packed with announcements, communight highlights and links to a variety of staff profiles on the site. Check it out!

    Announcements

    Event Coverage: Last week some of the crew attended the ComicCon in New York. Check out the Work in Progress previews blog for further information.

    Site Blogs Index: In other news, we recently launched a Site Blog index page dedicated to our new blogs on the site. You can access the site blogs from the homepage subnav or the features page, as well as the 'see all' links found in multiple blogs. We also plan to roll out another new blog dedicated to downloads later this week!

    Wysiwyg editor upgrade: We recently released a beta of the upgrade worth trying out. There are no enhancements, it just looks pretty and has a few functions that were fixed. Stop by the Technical Support board for further information.

    Review Emblem returns with a purpose change: As mentioned a few weeks ago, any inactive users who had the top 100 or 500 reviewers emblem were given 2 weeks to update their profiles with a user review to keep the emblem. The inactive writers have had these emblem removed and replaced with a return of the Top 1,000 reviewers emblem. We changed the purpose of the retired top 1,000 reviewers emblem and brought it back with a new meaning. This emblem has been renamed to Grandfathered critic, but emblem design will remain the same. Although these users are no longer active review writers, we wanted to continue to recognize them for their previous efforts on the site..

    Community Highlights


    Sandpiper121PP

    GameSpotterof the Week: Sandpiper121PP shares a wealth of information for those of you who want tips for surviving the depression. She goes into details about saving money on entertainment like movies and video games. Honorable blog mentions include Thorpe89 who celebrated 5 yeas on GameSpot and fat_otter who shares some of his hopes for video games in the next decade.

    User Reviews: This week's user reviews came from recent activity written by users who have the top 100 or 500 reviewers emblem. You'll notice there is a variety of platforms and a variety of older to recently released games.

    - BioShock (PC) by FernandoDANTE
    - Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway (PC) by -Twilight-
    - Devil May Cry 4 (PS3) by Blace_07
    - Far Cry 2 (360) by Soulreavercross
    - Gears of War 2 (360) by JaMeS4418
    - Mystery Case Files: MillionHeir (DS) by Azghouls
    - Prince of Persia (PS3) by ian_fisher.
    - Prince of Persia (PC) by nutcrackr
    - Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4 (PS2) by argianas
    - Silent Hill: Homecoming (360) by Misfit1119
    - Tales of Vesperia (360) by celtic1962

    Featured User Videos:

    - GTA IV-Critical Dreaming by dD4679
    - MotoGP 2 Fail by -DaNuTz-

    Honorable mentions

    - CoD4 - Me Owning And Getting Owned by cjgangsta
    - Mirror's Edge Speed Run: Part 1 by persianlink
    - RockBand2 - Blinded by Fear Performance Mode by doom3kjc

    Randomness teh awesome:

    - Emblem Granted! The HotSpot homework was handed out to OptimusPrime, trker91, Donniey21, GamerPhD.

    - Off-Topic Thread! Your favorite Martial art topic reminds us all that Street Fighter IV is coming! Friendly warning about some grammar and spelling errors; be nice!

    Union Activities:

    - League of Reviewers currently has a vote thread of user reviews for the month of January.

    - The Legend of Zelda Union consists of nearly 5500 and plans to work towards making the Union even better with the recent leadership change.

    - The Mario Kart Club Union recently started plans for a Mario Kart Character voting event.

    Tip of the Week: This week is dedicated to those of you who have pestered me over the years! Frequent asked questions include: "who is that new guy, Andre?" / "Please tell Sophia I want to marry her one day; she writes awesome previews." / "What is the username for this editor so I can track him?" / "I would love to see other reviews from my favorite review writer" Below is a list of GameSpot staff from almost every corner of the building. The list only consists of staff members who have updated their blogs at one time or another.

    - Editorial: Ricardo Torres (check his feed) / JusticeCovert (check his feed) / Brian Ekberg / Andrew Park / Kevin VanOrd / Guy Cocker / Shaun McInnis / Sophia Tong / Chris Watters / Luke Anderson / Tom Mc shea / Laura Jenner / Randolph Ramsay (check his feed) / Dan Chiappini (check his feed) / Andre Segers (game guide writer)

    - News: Tor Thorsen / Brendan Sinclair/ Tom Magrino

    - GS Live/Video Content: Ryan Mac Donald/ Takeshi Hiraoka/ Tyler Winegarner/ Jim Maybury (no recent updates) / Justin Porter (no recent updates) / Aaron Sampson / Dan Mihoerck (no recent updates) / Homer Rabara (no recent updates)

    - Hardware: James Yu (check feed) / Sarju Shah (check feed)

    - Data/Files: Marco Martinez / Kim Cuartero/ Lee Alessi

    - Community Staff: Jody Robinson / Alex Sassoon Coby / James Kozza

    - Technical/Dev/QA/Other Behind Scene Staff: David Good /Stanley Lin / LarkAnderson / Philip Larson / Steven Ng / Sam Parker / Michael Tougeron / Vincent Lam

    Your assignment this week is to start tracking your favorite staff! On a related note, if you check any editorial staff myfeed, it will display their recent site blog posts and reviews. You can also read their reviews on the site by clicking on the review link in their profile.

    Customer Support Notice: We have had some Support staff changes so please be patient with them as they learn the ropes.

    Until next week!

  • Weekly Report: I may run out of word count

    I have so much to tell you this week. Here is the latest scoop of all things community.

    GameSpot Shows: Check out the GameSpot Live Union for links to the shows.

    Featured User Videos (forums directory)
    - Goofy, You're Supposed to Die! By TissueShoe
    - Gears of War 2 movie preview by 5sonsmom

    You all made it tough to choose this week! Here are some additional honorable mentions!
    - Video Blog 5 by jediknight52501
    - GTA fail 2 by dynam3
    - My Top 5 Moments in Fallout 3 by RandomWarrior69
    - How to Make Electronic Music by so_hai


    jsmoke03

    Blog of the Week: jsmoke03 gets serious about the PlayStation 3 and Killzone2. Read all about it in his blog 'Will Killzone 2 reverse the ps3's fortune?

    Two honorable mentions.
    - There Should Only Be Two Consoles by daqua_99.
    - One day… by Fobeus. Want something to make you smile? Check out his image.

    User Reviews    : This week's pick was chosen out of a batch of recent game releases.

    - Afro Samurai Review by jks22112 (360)
    - The Maw by shadygeneral (360)
    - Star Ocean: Second Evolution by silentnet (PSP)

    Note: PS3 players, get writing! Xbox 350 players are writing more reviews than you are. On that note I had 2 well written skate reviews but they were both written for the Xbox 360. :/

    February Mod of the Month: Congrats to GabuEx!

    Who would you have chosen for the Mod of the Month? Each time we post a new mod of the month some of you ask why there isn't a type of users' choice award. Well, we have decided to have a little fun with the mod of the month selections. The moderator of the month will still be chosen by the mods, but the main difference is how everyone gets to participate in voting after we have chosen the mod. Check out the vote thread for the full scoop!

    Union Activities:

    - Gamespot User Video Contest #4 is happening over at the GS User Video Union.

    - GameSpot User interview with cousin_eddy over at Social Cafe Union.

    - More Union activities? Let us know.

    Tip of the Week: Have you come across a warning mark in your moderation history about a review? It's your opinion you say. Well, user reviews are based on your opinion, but there are some guidelines to follow. Sometimes that content you posted is better for an editorial blog in your profile. We recently updated the review guidelines form to reflect the purpose of the user reviews. Here is a quick rundown of these guidelines:

    - Reviews should be about the game.
    - Do not write about a demo or trial of the game, post these in your blog.
    - Never played the retail game and only viewed a video or some screens? Post these opinions in your blog.
    - The game is awesome or it stinks? Back up your opinions with facts. Merely stating "this game sucks" or "this game is the best" is not enough.

    Customer Support Notice: If you have sent an inquiry about a moderation issue recently, we have changed the way you will receive a response for moderation concerns. Here are some guidelines to consider.

    1. Banned, suspended or pending status – anyone who cannot access the site should contact support. Any inquiries will be answered after all subscription inquiries have been answered.

    2. Warnings and Points loss – warnings are marks in your moderation history that are overlooked until you continue with the same conduct. Anyone asking about why they received a warning should ask their question in the Ask the Mod board. The same goes for points loss moderations.

    3. Moderator abuse – Staff trained our volunteer moderators to ensure that the Terms of Use agreement is being followed even by them! If you do not understand a moderation, ask your question in the Ask the Mod board (excluding those who are suspended, pending or banned). The only time we will consider an inquiry for moderator abuse is when the user provides examples of proof that a moderator is abusing their moderation privileges and not abiding by the Terms of Use agreement. All other inquiries will not be answered due to the high volume of inquiries we receive for all things GameSpot.

    Until next week!

  • Weekly Report: Oops, I spilt some level juice

    Last week we made some revisions to the profile level system. Stop by this community announcement about the profile level changes. Here is this week's report of the latest community happenings on GameSpot.com!

    GameSpot Shows: The OTS page was recently updated with news about the show making a return with a new format coming this February. If there are any other details worth sharing, it will be posted in the community news blog! Thanks for your patience. For the rest of the shows check out the GameSpot Live Union for the most recent news, thanks to c_rake's diligent efforts.

    Featured User Videos (forums directory)

    - Random Video Blog by fat_otter; he has returned.
    - Halo Suite by Droymac

    Here are some additional honorable mentions!

    - Rocket Up a Cheetah's.. by Andy9Beans
    - GTA LCS Day-Night Cycle by overkillers
    - Resident Evil 4 Deaths by HelpMe454


    im-a-roustabout

    Blog of the Week: im-a-roustabout addresses some concerns about the recent multiplayer games. This week was a tough tie among three users; these runner-ups didn't fill out their 'about me' page to be featured in the community spotlight, but they still have some interesting blogs worth sharing. jsurfer200 reveals what many Wii owners want, while jrabbit99 has concerns with the recent ban of the child protection act.

    User Reviews: This week's selection was pulled from users who have the Top 100 and 500 emblems.

    - Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4 Review by Platyphyllum
    - Dragon Warrior Review by smbius
    - X3: Terran Conflict Review by Domstercool

    Important Notice to emblem holders: We plan to do some cleaning early next week. Anyone who has not added a review since December 31, 2007 or earlier will have the 100 or 500 emblem removed from their profiles due to no activity. A courtesy PM will go out to those who have their emblem at risk of being removed. You can avoid having the emblem removed by writing a review.

    Randomness teh awesome:

    - A Winner is Me! Emblem was awarded to Dayman5 and OptimusPrime for winning in TheHotSpot's homework assignment last week and this coming week.

    - Beaten games list enhancement idea by lettuceman44. Provide your thoughts in this thread!

    Union Activities: I caused a little ruckus in the Union recruitment board last week when I asked Unions members to share their activities.

    - Super Smash Brothers Tournament at the Great Nintendo Gamer Union. They have a few more spots open!

    - Council Of Unions interviews GameSpot Union leaders. Check out their latest interview with The Gotei 13 Union.

    Tip of the Week brought to you by Justin Calvert: Did you know that GameSpot now updates its reviews after they're posted in order to recognize bug fixes and improvements that are made in patches? Our "After the Fact " updates aren't used to detail every single patch and piece of DLC for every single game, but we think they're a great way for us to let you know when, as a result of a patch, the information in our original review is no longer entirely accurate. For example, when Castle Crashers was released on XBLA there were some problems with the game's online play and these were noted in the review . Now that said problems have been addressed, we've posted an After the Fact update on the review page acknowledging this.

    Many of our After the Fact updates are posted after readers take the time to let us know about patches and such that we might otherwise have overlooked by emailing afterthefact@gamespot.com. When we receive those emails we verify the information as soon as possible and, if it all checks out, we post the update and award an emblem to the reader or readers who told us about it. The Castle Crashers update, for example, earned an emblem for Jerell_rast.

    Customer Support Notice: We have received a high volume of users contacting support about digital downloads. While we may be able to assist you with most issues, this one is completely out of our control. Drop by this thread in the Tech Support board to read about a variety of suggestions. You'll definitely find a solution to your digital download problem.

    Until next week!

  • Minor Profile Level Changes

    If you had a GameSpot profile level between 16 to 23, level 46 & 47 and > level 70 you will notice a change in your profile level. We have made some changes to make the levels more fair. Many of you who reached level 20 understood how long it took to finally turn a level. We have changed the points required to achieve levels 16 - 23. This change makes it easier to get to some levels and more difficult for others. If you would like some further details, here is a thorough report from the GS King of Developement, Teivan!

    If you are curious about ways to level up, stop by the How To GameSpot forum.

  • Weekly Report: No tacos for you!

    Many places in U.S. were closed on Monday in remembrance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. I had the chance to watch The Rosa Parks Story, which was very inspirational. The downside was craving chicken tacos from a nearby Mexican restaurant. I ended up eating cereal for lunch because the places that were walking distance just happened to be closed.

    Community Game Night: Tonight's gathering has been canceled; Kevin is still recovering. He plans to post an announcement about the next Community Game Night some time this week.

    GameSpot Shows

    - GameSpot AU's Crosshairs will make a return on January 22nd! Watch the teaser.

    - As for On the Spot, I'll post any information as soon as I can figure out how to pick the lock on the security safe.

    Featured User Videos:
    - Solitary Man by armydude101
    - Humorous Half Life Glitch by doom3kjc


    finalcross

    Blog of the Week: finalcross is this week's member spotlight. He asks a question that all of us have been asking since the recent changes with some of our favorite print magazines. Check out his blog entitled, Is there an answer for Print Magazines?

    User Reviews: Focusing on reviews about the recent game releases for the week of January 11th.

    - Moon (DS) by Gacho
    - Mirror's Edge (PC) by JustRen
    - Mirror's Edge (PC) by sandrockcstm88
    - The Lord of the Rings: Conquest Review (360) by Slaughtahouse
    - The Lord of the Rings: Conquest Review (360) by shad0wlurK

    Tip of the Week: When was the last time you tuned in to TheHotSpot? Have you participated in the weekly homework assignments for a chance to win an emblem? "What, Jody! Are you serious?" Yes, I am awesomely serious and they do give out a special emblem to those who submit the best homework. So, get going! Tune in to the TheHotSpot to hear about how the assignments work.

    Customer Support Notice: For those of you who have been experiencing the game list bug this issue has been resolved. Head back to those gamespaces to add those games to your collection!

    Until next week!

  • Weekly Report: Can't blame me for rocking out

    I had planned to post these reports on Mondays during the evening. I am a day late and I blame it on a Rock Band 2 party last night. I'll share a few pictures from the party in my blog later. Here's this week's report.

    GameSpot Shows:
    - Start/Select plans to go weekly in 2009. You can learn about the scoop by checking out the staff comments on the broadcast page.
    - Podcasts galore! TheHotSpot, OzSpot and UK Podcast made a return last week. Listen to the replays.
    - On the Spot (GS US) will be back later this month.

    Event Coverage: Most of you already checked out the CES coverage. Tor Thorsen updated his blog with tons of footage of the event. My favorites include CES 09: EA in PS Home and Tyler and Takeshi at CES 2009.

    Community Game Night: Tonight's gathering has been canceled; Kevin is out sick this week. You should send him some get well messages!

    Featured User Videos:
    - A-Z of Great Gaming Music - C by GameBlender
    - Basement Gaming Ep.26: BUZZ! by Banjo_Jake112

    Blog of the Week: Wootex is this week's community spotlight. He has been a registrant since 2003 and a friend to many GameSpotters. He was recently looking at games today and comparing them to yesterday. Read all about it in his blog enttield, Looking Forward... Looking Back. He also posted a blog about a hefty list of games he beat in 2008.

    User Reviews: Focusing on users who started writing already in the New Year, this week's reviewers were pulled from the 'Top 500 Community Reviewers' emblem.
    - Azghouls reviewed some oldies and labeled them either good or fair.
    - Domstercool reviewed Valkyria Chronicles on the Playstion 3.
    - smerlus reviewed Legendary on the Xbox 360.

    Randomness is teh awesome!
    - OTS end of the year winners were recently announced.
    - 10 Things to consider: Get your profile in supreme shape for the New Year!
    - SoapBox has not had any new user additions in a while. We'll get back in the swing of things in the coming weeks.

    January 2009 Mod of the Month: GameSpot volunteers are known to help out in the community even until the wee hours just to keep order in the community. Each month the volunteer moderators will vote for a moderator that help other users and moderators. The first moderator of the month for the year goes to Caddy06_88. If you drop by his profile you'll also notice a mod of the month emblem that is given to the mod who reigns for the month. It's kind of like passing around a trophy. Congrats, Caddy!

    Tip of the Week: When was the last time you were hunting for a modification, skin, map, or character model for your favorite PC game? Have you tried looking for the file in the GameSpot downloads page? If you notice that a file isn't on the site or you are a creator of custom files, why not let the Data team know? Email them at gsfiles@gamespot.com with the link to the file.

    Customer Support Notice: Calling all Total Access and Plus subscribers! If you have been trying to reach support any other route than the customer support form, you may expect a delay in receiving a response. Customer Support does not offer phone or snail mail support. If you need any changes on your account, first start by going to your preferences to make the changes. If you continue to have problems, stop by the support form and let us know what you need.

    Until next week!

  • 10 Things To Consider

    GabuEx had a wonderful idea to start off the new year! Why not spice up your profile for 2009. His blog gave me some ideas about other things everyone can do to update their profiles.

    1. Profile banner: You can add or swap out your banner in your preferences under the Images section. Update the area entitled Banner Image URL.

    2. User icon (also known as an avatar): The icons can be found on the top left corner of your profile and in your forum messages. You can upload or select an image by choosing a category in the drop down menu. Go to your preferences under the images section .

    3. Blog description & header image: Go to your preferences under the blog section . There you can upload a blod header image, change your blog name and add a snazzy description of what your blog will be about.

    4. Signature update: Make sure the urls are working properly and nothing is outdated. You can find the signature field under the forums section in your preferences.

    5. About Me page: Maybe you no longer what you had years ago and forgot about it. Either way, check to see if your about me page is accurate. Make these changes in the about me section under your preferences. Also, if you would like to add a picture of yourself, these changes can be made in the images section under profile image.

    6. Game Collections and Currently Playing: Get some goodies for christmas? Add those games to your collection list! Are you still playing that game that released 2 years ago? Delete it from the current playing list and add the latest games!

    7. Newsletters: Make sure your newsletter subscriptions are what you want and why not add some that you haven't tried before? You can make these changes under preferences/email at any time.

    8. Contact Info: Has your email or mailing address changed? When you plan to be a part of a trivia, contest, or giveaway, we go to our records to mail out prizes to you. Make sure your email and maling address is current.

    9. User Reviews: If you have been expressing your opinion about a game and it's almost review worthy, why not create a user review about the game? User reviews have their own page and they'll be separate from your blog. To write a review, go to the gamespace for the game you are playing and click on the button called REVIEW THE GAME.

    10. New Friends! Here at GameSpot it is easy to make friends. Many of the users you mingle with in the forums could be your friend, which will allow you to track their activity on the site. If you go to their profile and click the TRACK ME button on the left hand side menu, this will track the user. If the user tracks you in return, the both of you will become friends. So, why not go to your friends page in your profile to see who is tracking you. Track them back and become their friend!

    This list is the top 10 to get you started. There are many more things you can do with your profile. Feel free to post any other ideas you have in the comments.

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