Fracture is probably one that you will expect to be released before December starts. This game is true to its realistic approach in video games. The high quality of graphics is also one of its strengths. The great thing about this game is that the landscape of environment constantly changes in real time which means that when you do severe damage to the environment around you it will surely change it structure and shape. You can practically burrow your way through any area you want to go in. You can do this by using explosives and any other fire power you can utilize. In the battlefield the area is changes because of the gun fires and explosions. The changing landscape would certainly provide a different sense of enjoyment.

Golden Axe: Beast Rider is also one of the games to look out. This fantasy game is true to the essence of being fantasy world. The environment is what you expect a fantasy world to look like. The features of the game are also something to watch for. This game also has combination moves and quests to enable players to experience variety. In this way you will be assured that you will never get tired of playing the game.

Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe is a game that you will also expect to play this coming Christmas. The resurrection of Mortal Kombat and combining it with DC Universe is a good to do match ups. You could play the Heroes against Legendary warriors and find out who will win in the end. I could not wait how they integrate the story line of each character into the game. It is also worth seeing how they be able to integrate fatality and brutality moves in the DC universe. That alone makes me want to purchase the product when it is on sale on stores.

These are some of the games that you will learn to love and play in the coming Christmas. There are lots of upcoming games that you will expect to play this December. Games like Left 4 Dead and Saints Row2 which are great games to say the least. There is no need to worry about what to do these coming holidays because you can spend it by playing the newest video games.

Apparently, the answer is simple: make your Nintendo DS case. There are limitless options on how you could do it, ranging from simple accessorizing to taking apart your Nintendo DS case, not that you can’t do them. Here are a few tips:

?     Personal look

The easiest and the cheapest way to dress up your Nintendo DS case is: add something onto them! You could use anything ranging from simple stickers, 3D stickers, window paints, temp tattoos, straps, ribbons, laces, feathers, photos, flags, to 3D objects which you can lay your hand on and represent yourself.

Just make sure that they won’t fall off / peel off / be knocked off easily and neither would they be getting in the way when you’re playing your DS.

?     Soft furry look

Velvet or any other furry cloths are great to give a new look for your DS. But since these materials may come in a budget, leftovers are preferable. In fact, if you got two or more tiny leftovers, you could combine them together and create a whole new design!!

?     Decorative look

The same cover sticker for laptop is now available for Nintendo DS case, inside out. You even get to do the design. Don’t know where to order them? Simply google away.

?     Two/Multi-colored look

For this look, you need to trade parts with your friends. Hey, let them have their own unique DS too. Gently take apart your DS, and swap the parts. You could always goggle how to dissemble a Nintendo DS case.

?     Matte look

Give your Nintendo DS case an even covering of matte spray. This would make your DS looks more textured, and keeps your fingerprints off the case. Nice huh?

?     Bedazzled look

Do you know that tiny beads that are sold for nail art or as cell phone stickers? Why not use them for your Nintendo DS case? It may be stressing to glue them one by one, but on the bright side, you’ll get to design the outcome and make up a flashy Nintendo DS to die for. The perfect look for crafty girls.

?     Neon sign look

If you’re familiar with electro-stuffs, why not use the skill to dress your Nintendo DS case? LED is a nice start.

There you have it. Now you won’t have to worry your DS got switched up with others’. Everyone else would be busy noticing your unique Nintendo DS instead. Come on, give it a try!

Yes, you read that right! GameGuideDog.com makes the TOP 2008 Video Game Walkthrough Strategy Guides help Kids Charities!

All the online support and WALKTHROUGH GAME STRATEGY GUIDES that are now available for you at GameGuideDog.com bring visitors that in turn help childrens charities!

If you have children or if you are an avid gamer yourself why not get the best Game Walkthrough Help ‘for LIFE’???  GameGuideDog.com is an Ad free, kid safe website.  Since they continue to contribute to children’s charities (sponsors on their main page), signing up will have your child helping other kids in return!

Pick up a title and get the guides right from GameGuideDog.com and make a good cause for the holidays with your gaming purchases!  This season is jam-packed with a lots of very interesting titles and of course more sequels to some of the most popular games. Here are our recommendations as a guideline which games you can expect to appear on most wishlists of gamers.

As always please make sure the RATING for your game is appropraite for the individual you are buying it for! 

 Reported and seen on the blog from: http://news.wonderdogsoftware.com

GAMEGUIDEDOG’S: 2008 TOP 20 HOTTEST GAME TITLES ALONG WITH THE WALKTHROUGH STRATEGY GUIDES TO HELP YOU PLAY THEM!

1. Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 (EA; Release date: October 27, 2008) – This computer game is a real-time strategy game that is a continuation of the Command & Conquer series. The Red Alert game series asserts that Albert Einstein designed a time machine and used it for the purposes of traveling back in time to kill Adolf Hitler, thus preventing Nazi Germany from forming and preventing World War II from ever taking place. In this scenario, Joseph Stalin becomes Europe’s main aggressor. Following the events of Red Alert 2, the Soviet Union leadership plans to also travel back in time with a time machine they too have created with the intent to assassinate Albert Einstein following his killing of Hitler, thus placing the Soviet Union in a position of power. Unfortunately, during this mission a terrible mistake is made and a completely different timeline is created that erased all of the events of the previous games thus altering the evolution of technology and creating newer, more advanced technologies such as a super power deemed the Rising Sun. This inevitably fuels a World War between the Soviets, the Allies and the Empire.

2. Fable II  (GameGuideDog.com has the walkthrough guide) – Fable II is a role playing game designed to be played on the Xbox 360 console. It is a sequel to Fable and Fable: The Lost Chapters. Set 500 years after the original Fable, Fable II is an action role-playing game that allows players to live whatever life they decide in a completely open world environment. There is limitless freedom and choice and players can explore many different catacombs, caves, and dungeons in the world of Albion.

3. Fallout 3  (GameGuideDog.com has the walkthrough guide) – Fallout 3 is a PC game and takes place in a post-apocalyptic United States in the year 2277. The character the player chooses is a member of a fallout shelter, Vault 101 that serves Washington, D.C. The character resides with their widower father (voiced by Liam Neeson) until, one day, the player awakes to discover that the father has vacated the vault and journeyed into the wasteland for an unknown reason. The vault overseer becomes suspicious that the player is the cause of the father’s disappearance, so the player decides to travel into the wasteland in search of their father. The player will run into organizations from previous games such as the Brotherhood of Steel (a group of tech coveting survivors), and the Enclave – an elitist and genocidal group from the United States Government.

4. Far Cry 2 (GameGuideDog.com has the walkthrough guide): Far Cry 2 is a first-person shooter game designed originally for Windows, but will be available on October 21, 2008 for PC, Xbox 360 and Playstation platforms. The game no longer entails the science fiction aspects of its predecessor; in fact, the setting is realistic. The game takes place in a small, imaginary, central-African nation that is in a state of civil war. The protagonist of the games in the past, Jack Carver is not featured in this game. In the sequel, the player will have an option of choosing nine different characters for play. Each character has its own unique look and story. All of the characters will be different types of mercenaries. Any playable character not chosen will become a non-player character throughout the game. The plot of the game is centered on the recent collapse of the nation’s government which leaves two factions trying to gain control. The United Front Liberation and Labor, and the Alliance for Popular Resistance are at war with one another. Both groups claim to have the interest of the people at heart but are both obviously corrupt. It is then revealed that the diamond minds have been completely depleted, leaving the people with nothing, causing even more drama amongst the people of the country. The player must find and liquidate “The Jackal” an arms dealer that has been selling weapons to both sides of the conflict. This goal is to be accomplished by any means necessary.

5. Gears of War 2 (GameGuideDog.com has the walkthrough guide): – Gears of War 2 is a third-person shooter game developed exclusively for the Xbox 360. At the end of the first game, there was a Lightmass Bomb; Gears of War 2 takes place six months after its detonation. The majority of the Locust Horde was destroyed. In addition, the explosion caused the majority of the liquid Imulsion underground to vaporize thus causing a fatal disease deemed “Rust Lung”, which spread among the already diminishing human population. Following months of piece, Tollen and Montevado (two cities) disappear underground, thus causing the COG to believe the Locust has resurged. The players responsibility is to save the Jacinto Plateau, one of the only remaining safe harbors for humans, to do this one must take on a war with the Locust.

6. Lego Batman  (GameGuideDog.com has the walkthrough guide): Lego Batman was released for the PlayStation 3, Wii, Xbox 360, PlayStation 2, Nintendo DS, PlayStation Portable and Microsoft Windows. Lego Batman is Traveller’s Tales fifth shot at a Lego Game, and though the game should be perfected, it most definitely is not. It is still quirky. The puzzles don’t make sense, and it is still difficult to judge your jumps. Lego Batman is unique, however, because the story is not based off of a movie, or a comic book plot. The tale is basic- villains escape Arkham Asylum and Batman is responsible for hunting them down. Basically the whole point is breaking things, fighting, and getting rid of the bad guys. Throughout the games, you’ll have an opportunity to play in a vast array of scenarios and encounter a ton of characters. It’s a great simple mix, and a really fun, simple game to play.

7. Little Big Planet (GameGuideDog.com has the walkthrough guide): – Designed for the Playstation 3, Little Big Planet is a unique experience in that players learn about the powers that their characters have when interacting physically with the environment. There are many different obstacles to explore, items to collect, and different puzzles to solve that require not only mental ability, but also teamwork and collaboration. As players explore the game, their creative skills will begin to grow and they will be able to begin modifying their surroundings. All of the skills required of the game are acquired through play, so this game is very simple and user friendly.

8. Call of Duty World at War (GameGuideDog.com has the walkthrough guide): – Designed for play on your PC; Call of Duty World at War forces players into the awful, and ruthless chaotic world that was WWII combat, and also challenges them to survive the worst battles that led to the fall of the Axis powers.

9. Dead Space (GameGuideDog.com has the walkthrough guide): – Dead Space is a third-person action video game designed for PC, Xbox 360 and Playstation 3. It is set in the future and revolves around a space engineer, Isaac Clarke. Clarke works for Concordance Extraction Corporation, a company responsible for “giant mining ships” all over the galaxy. His company gets a distress call from the USG Ishimura, a ship that destroys planets for the purpose of extracting valuable ore. When he thinks that a mechanical failure is the only issue, he goes to rendezvous with the ship to find that the ship has been overrun be Necromorphs, a flesh eating alien race. Isaac is then separated and must battle his way to safety.

10. Guitar Hero World Tour (Activision; Release date: October 26, 2008) – This is the fourth game in the Guitar Hero sequence and should be available for Wii, Playstation 2, Playstation 3, and the Xbox 360. The game will continue to feature the guitar shaped controller, but will now be equipped with drum and microphone controllers for the percussion and vocal parts. This version of the game will allow users to create their own songs, not just perform the ones available on the game.

11. Left 4 Dead (GameGuideDog.com has the walkthrough guide):  – The goal of Left 4 Dead is an easy one – all you have to do is survive. You are lucky enough to be one of the few survivors of a new and highly dangerous strain of the rabies virus that has spread over the entire human population. It turns all humans into rabid and bloodthirsty zombies. Team work is necessary if you want to finish the game alive. Left 4 Dead is a first person multiplayer co-op survival horror shooter. It pits four human survivors against 4 human controlled characters. The game is available for the Xbox 360 or your PC.

12. Mirror’s Edge (GameGuideDog.com has the walkthrough guide):  – Mirror’s Edge will be coming to you via the Xbox 360, Playstation 3 and PC. It is a game about a runner, whose parents were murdered while protesting the government. Her name is Faith and she has to aid her sister in escaping from the corrupt government. Faith was taught that it is important to not utilize or rely on current communication methods because they are monitored by the police and government. She is forced to run messages to the criminal underworld in an attempt to rescue her sister. She is pursued and chased by government agents. The game play is realistic, and the graphics from the trailer look great.

13. NHL 2K9 (2K Sports; Already released)- 2K Sports really did a great job with the completely rebuilt NHL experience. NHL 2K9 offers a new in-game presentation system, new player animations and controls. You’ll be pleased with the new commentary, and even more user friendly controls. It makes playing the game on your Wii, Xbox 360, or Playstation 3 even better than it was before.

14. Prince of Persia (Ubisoft; Release date: December 2, 2008)- Just in time for Christmas, Prince of Persia will be released for play on your PC. The game starts off with a new Prince of Persia. He is returning home from his travels and adventures on a donkey that is full of treasure earned over time. He wants to spend his treasure on women and liquor and any other luxury possible. Unfortunately, he is caught in a fierce sandstorm. After the sandstorm dies down, he finds that he is in a mythical garden, and at its center there exists a Tree of Life. The Prince and a girl stumble upon one another and stuck in the same scenario make a decision to aid one another. Together the venture to the center of the garden, where they watch the trees destruction, thus leading to the liberation of Ahriman, the ancient god of darkness. After Ahriman is set free, he begins covering the lands with evil and darkness. The Prince and Elkia fight against Ahriman in an attempt to make the world good again.

15. Resistance 2 (GameGuideDog.com has the walkthrough guide) : Designed exclusively for the Playstation 3, Resistance 2 is an alternative history first person shooter video game. Resistance 2 is a continuation of the Resistance: Fall of Man story line. The game picks up at the end of Resistance Fall of man, and takes place just outside of London, England. It begins with hale walking through a field covered in snow; he is armed with only one grenade. A VTOL Aircraft sees Hale and then transports him to the Dan Aric Johnson Air force Base in Iceland. When the VTOL lands the U.S. Black Ops Soldiers try to subdue Hale. When Hale arrives at the base he finds he is not alone, he has been collected with other men who are resistant to the Chimeran Virus. They are called Sentinels and are a highly trained task force. Now he must fight a war against the Chimera.

16. Rock Band 2 (GameGuideDog.com has the walkthrough guide) – For play on your Xbox 360, Wii, or PlayStation 3 Rock Band 2 allows you to take your band on an online-enabled World Tour mode where you can record albums, tackle different set challenges and even compete against other bands. You can compete with friends, or compete with people across the country in the “Battle of the Bands” mode. This version also has all of the features you’ve come to adore from the first Rock Band game.

17. Soulcalibur IV (GameGuideDog.com has the walkthrough guide)  – Soulcalibur IV is available for the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 and delivers different characters, enhanced features, and amazing 3D modeling not previously available in the Soulcalibur series. The game features not only the familiar but new faces from all over the galaxy that want to fight , breaking new boundaries, taking on harder challenges, and uncovering a new level of mystery. This is a great and timeless series if you love fighting games – and this is the best Soulcalibur yet.

18. Spore (GameGuideDog.com has the walkthrough guide)  – Spore is available for the PC, Mac and Nintendo DS. It is a multi-genre, single player online metaverse video game. The game allows the player to take control over the evolution of a species starting with its beginnings as a unicellular organism all the way through its development into an intelligent and social creature exploring its way though space.

19. Tales of Vesperia (GameGuideDog.com has the walkthrough guide)  –Tales of Vesperia is available exclusively for the Xbox 360 and is a role-playing game that is full of vibrant design. There are hidden gems and superb graphics hidden throughout the game. The characters are amazingly crafted and the dialogue is great. The game is long and entertaining, there are multiple combat elements, and it’s a great game in the series.

20. World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King  (GameGuideDog.com has the walkthrough guide)  – This is a second expansion of the multiplayer online game for your PC. This game allows you to power your way through the newest quest and dungeons in an attempt to defeat the Lich Kin Arthas, in a sequel to the World of Warcraft.

In addition, GameGuideDog.com promotes the awareness of the ESRB Game Ratings system, helping families across the globe get involved. 

In conclusion,  please be sure to visit and tell any friends, family members, even school teachers about the benefits of belonging to the Wonderdog Software website (aka GameGuideDog.com).   Any guides you normally buy are added for you and since 2001, they have had enough members to support the system in keeping it up to date on a daily basis.  

Source & Guide Location: http://news.wonderdogsoftware.com/
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GameGuideDog.Com – The ONLY Video Game Help Website you will EVER need!!

As the gaming industry matures up the video game rental companies are also beginning to rise. Companies like GameFly and GottaPlay are providing their customers with top quality services and hassle free game playing experience. In this article we shall take you through each of these services provide by them.

Gamefly is the very first video game rental company which comes into view in early 2003. The founders of the company were able to discover the niche where there was high demand for the newest and the classic gaming titles were growing and so were there costs.

Sean Spector and Jung Suh who were also the founders of GameFly felt the frustration amongst the hardcore game players due to the lack of verity of the gaming titles available in the market. It was the time when they decided quit their full time jobs to become the biggest game provider of the world within three years. It was an innovative idea to provide online based game rental services to the video game lovers.

Gamefly is the company who has always taken the viewpoint of the passionate game players around the world. Thus they were able to produce set of services which were just as easy and flexible for them. This is what made them become the base of all the online game rental services. What follow are there primary features:

? The video game players want an easy way to get the easier access to both classic and the latest titles

? The players want to keep the game with them as long as they want to and at a reasonable price.

? If the player got a game which he does not want to play or he finds it an unpleasant game he should be given the full right to replace the game with spending no extra money.

? The players receive their favorite video games at their door step and they do not have to go to the video game rental store.

? The players should be given the choice to see the other game reviews, their ratings and feed back so that other gamers can be aware of the bad game and do not waste the time on the game he never wanted.

? The players are given considerable discount while they purchase used games.

A good Nintendo DS download site will offer both older games and new releases. The DS’s support for classic Nintendo games means that you have the ability to download your old favorites, as well as the flashiest new games. If you want to download NDS games, look for a site that offers a good variety. Never ever give away your information or money to any site you don’t trust, or that feels fishy. Stick to Nintendo DS download sites that give you good impression and will NOT sell your information or fill your computer with malware.

Generally, you’ll find that there are two different kinds of sites on the web offering Wii game downloads. Some charge a price per file download. Others allow you access to an unlimited number of games for a flat fee. Which you choose will depend on how many games you need. If you want to download Nintendo DS games extensively, an unlimited site will be your best choice. If you are just looking for that one special game you can’t find anywhere else, however, paying by the download will be cheaper.

To download NDS games, some sites may require you to download special software. This software will either connect to the site’s main server, or to other users of the site, allowing you to download the Nintendo ds games you want. Remember, to play downloaded Nintendo ds games on your computer, you’ll also have to be able to find an emulator that operates the way the Nintendo console would.

If you want to download Nintendo ds games, it’s easy to find a place that offers them. However, choosing where you want to download from can be a little bit harder. Look carefully at all the available sites offering games for download before you pick one. You could be downloading the latest Nintendo DS games, or your old favorites, within a few minutes of registering.

Here’s one of the Nintendo DS download sites that I have no higher praise after using it for several months:

The best NDS download

Despite being the latest and hottest game system on the market, the Nintendo Wii consoles do not take graphics and speed to new levels. Instead, it is a revolutionary new control system that differentiates the Wii from its competitors as well as any game system that came before it. Allowing players to control the game through movements, gesturing, swinging, and swiping, the Nintendo Wii consoles take existing game concepts and marry them with an interactive gaming experience. When playing tennis – on Wii Games – you do not push a joystick to swing the racket, you swing your arm while holding the Wii controller, known officially as the Wiimote. The same goes for all the other games that are designed for the Nintendo Wii consoles. However, part of the appeal of the Nintendo Wii consoles is that they are not designed solely for Nintendo Wii games. In fact, they are fully compatible with games for the Nintendo GameCube as well.

Another impressive element of the Nintendo Wii consoles is that they also have the ability to interface with the Internet – when used in conjunction with a Wi-Fi USB connector. Once online, the Nintendo Wii consoles allow users to surf the Web, shop online, check the news and weather, chat on message boards, and even download Nintendo classics like Donkey Kong, Mario Brothers, and many, many more.

The vision of the Nintendo engineers just a few years ago is a reality today. In the Nintendo Wii consoles that have created a game system that does not try to keep up with others, but instead stands apart from the competition. The video game industry will never be the same.

Although at first glance it would appear that statistics offered by these people appear to bear testimony to what they say, on closer examination it becomes very quickly apparent that the truth is much farther from this portrayal of it.

It is a fact that the accident and emergency wards of hospitals see a good number of young people who have been admitted as a result of violent crime. In fact, the actual number of such cases has fallen quite dramatically in recent years, although no such decrease has been seen in the number of video games being played, or in their popularity. It is also a fact that the vast majority of these young people who have been involved in violent crime are regular players of video games.

But this statistic is woefully misleading. Since ninety percent of young boys play video games, it is always going to be the case that any random selection of boys will result in the vast majority of them being regular players of video games. It would make as much sense to identify all the young boys who volunteer for charity work occasionally, or take part in fundraising, and then identify how many of them play video games regularly. Since ninety percent of all boys play video games regularly, then these fundraising charity volunteers are going to mostly be gamers – but this is not to suggest that playing video games make you more charitable, in just the same way that playing video games doesn’t make you a violent thug.

Forty percent of girls play video games, which is to say nearly half, so again, if nearly half of all girls admitted into hospital after being involved in a violent crime are branded as being there because of video games, it makes as much sense to suggest that by not playing video games, half the girls have ended up in hospital.

These are the statistics that those who have a deep mistrust of video games like to publicise, but upon closer inspection, these claims are wildly unfounded, based on hopelessly meaningless figures and provided as only half the truth. In fact, there is no evidence to suggest that playing video games makes a person become violent. The home life and upbringing has far more influence on a person’s social and moral attitudes that a computer game.

Click Here to Visit the Pocket Download Center – Get Unlimited Nintendo DS Roms for $29

The Nintendo DS is a dual-screen handheld game console developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was released in 2004 in Canada, the United States, and Japan. The console features a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP, with two LCD screens inside—with the bottom one being a touchscreen. On March 2, 2006, Nintendo released the Nintendo DS Lite, a redesign of the Nintendo DS, in Japan. It was later released in North America, Europe, and Australia in June 2006. The DS Lite is a slimmer and lighter version of the Nintendo DS and has brighter screens. If you want to download unlimited Roms for your DS for one low price – click on the link below and sign up:

Click Here to Download Nintendo DS Games – including Pokemon, Zelda, Mario Kart and Super Mario Bros.

Nintendo DS games are some of the hottest video games in America right now. More than 20 million Nintendo DS units since it became available. In addition, 3 million Nintendo DS Lites have been sold in the United States for the month of December 2008, breaking the record for the most video game hardware sold in a single month. This record was previously held by the PlayStation 2, which sold 2.7 million units in December of 2002. Click on the link below and sign up at the Poker Download Center to get unlimited Nintendo DS Rom downloads for only $29:

Click Here to Visit the Pocket Download Center – Get Unlimited Nintendo DS Roms for $29

Take a look at one of the most popular video game franchises in history: Super Mario Bros. A plumber falls through a pipe and enters a world where he must rescue a princess, defeat and evil monster and navigate a world full of mushrooms, blocks, question marks and goombas. No matter how imaginative one’s imagination could be, there is simply no way that such an occurrence could happen in this world, like, for real. So, the illusion of the game remains intact.

Now, if you look at today’s video games for popular systems like the Microsoft Xbox 360 or the Sony Playstation Portable, you can clearly see that video games are now using real world issues as their premise. Of course, there are also a plethora of fantasy based video games and characters. But, more and more games are using Iraq as their setting rather than a mushroom kingdom. Now, if you look at video games through the past, and place yourself at the dawn of the home video game explosion – the early 1980s – it would be hard to imagine a video game dealing with, say for example, the Iran hostage crisis or the invasion of the Falkland Islands. But, today, there are many video games using current events as a fantasy gaming world.

There are many theories as to the dearth of reality-based video games. The improvement of video game graphics can makes it easier to make real world wars, conflicts and issues appear that much, more, real, on the screen. It could be that developing a video game based on the battle in Afghanistan is easier to develop than starting a game from scratch with new characters, settings, storylines, etc. Perhaps it’s a calculated effort to hone in on frustrated individuals who can’t really join the fight: battle those terrorist creeps that you hate so much from the comfort of your own home. In the latter instance, at least, it can make for a quick way to make a quick dollar.

Before, video games used to be an easily defined line between escape and realism. On one side, was life and the real world with all its problems and ailments, most of which you can’t control. On the other side was the gaming universe, where you are the ultimate master and are in total control. Idea: why not combine the two, and give a video game player the complete control that video games provide into a real world situation in which otherwise, they feel powerless?

It seems that today, a gamer can watch the news, get upset and then do something about it in the real world that exists inside their Playstation or Xbox. Now, whether or not that contributes anything of substance at all is a subject for another debate altogether.

Millions of video game lovers, many of whom were devoted to the widely popular Sims video games, waited anxiously for Electronic Arts newest video game release called Spore. Electronics Arts did not disappoint it’s many fans as the $49.99 regular version of Spore, the $9.99 Spore Creature Creator and the $79.99 Galactic version of Spore were released without a hitch and were quickly snatched off the retail stores shelves. Although Spore’s sales didn’t quite match the volume of sales of video game monoliths Guitar Hero III or Grand Theft Auto IV, it did very well. It is usually about a week after a video game release when the people who bought the game begin flooding the Internet with either their personal praise or damnation of the video game. They talk about things like game play, graphics speed and resolution, end game, online play, character building etc. Not this time! With Spore, the talk was all about its DRM!

What is DRM? The copyright protection called DRM is an acronym for Digital Rights Management, a term used to describe the different techniques for restricting the free use and transfer of digital content. DRM is used in a number of media, but is found most often in music and video files. Many of people believe that DRM should stand for Digital Restrictions Manager being that it manages users restrictions while taking away their rights. Companies like Apple began using DRM under the auspices of fighting piracy. Has it worked? You tell me. After the news of the type of severe DRM Electronics Arts put on Spore spread to future buyers, it took only days for over 500,000 illegal copies of the Spore video game (without DRM) to be downloaded from P2P BitTorrent sites on the Internet. Does DRM work? No! It ticks people off. If you don’t believe it, ask Amazon.com, where thousands of people unhappy with Spore’s DRM restrictions gave the new video game a lowly one star rating. Thanks to DRM, Spore has become the most pirated game ever.

So, what was so bad about Spore’s DRM to get so many people in an uproar? Here is what it is all about and I am going to tell you from first hand experience because I purchased the $79.99 Galactic version of Spore and after one more download, the game will be worthless. Because my video card was not set perfectly to run Spore, I received a warning message after the first installation that I needed to change my video card settings and reinstall Spore again or the game would not work. One installation used. I did what was required and reinstalled Spore again. No error messages this time, the game works wonderfully. Two installations used. So why am I counting installations? You see, with Spore’s DRM restrictions, the purchaser can only install the game three times. After the third installation, your bought and paid for game of Spore will be nothing but a worthless piece of plastic. You can play it, but you will never be able to install it again. So you pray nothing goes wrong with your computer because you won’t be able to install Spore to a new one. If I would have known about Electronic Arts DRM restrictions for Spore, I never would have purchased it and I may have gone as far as joining the other 500,000 so-called pirates visiting a free game downloads site to download a DRM-less version.

Some folks say that a company should be allowed to protect their copyrighted products, and I agree as long as they don’t take the rights away from the new owners, the people who have purchased those copyrighted products. I want to first say that I don’t necessarily hate the idea of copyright protection but I do hate the way DRM is being abused by the companies. When a person buys a copyrighted product, the copyright should now belong to the new owner along with the product. As far as I am concerned, when I purchase something it should be mine to do with as I please. As long as it does not involve harming, torturing or killing a living creature, I should have complete and total rights to do what I want with that product. Here are some examples of what I mean. If I were to purchase a German Shepherd dog ($800), it is mine. If I want to either sell or give my dog away to someone else, I have every right to do so. If I buy a car ($25,000) and a week later feel like selling it or giving it away, I can because I have the every right to do so. If I were to buy a house ($200,000) outright for cash (I wish), that house would be completely mine to sell or even give it away if I choose. If I have complete and total rights to do what I want with my dog, my car and my house, will somebody please tell me why can I face criminal charges and punishment for doing what I want with my $79.99 game of Spore or any other video game for that matter. Heck, with EA’s new DRM restrictions imposed on my Spore video game, I can’t even install it more than three times. In truth, Spore still belongs to Electronic Arts even though I forked out my hard earned cash for the rights of ownership. Therein lies the true crime my friends. And the video game industry is wondering why more and more normally honest folks have turned to pirating.

Sadly, video game companies like Electronic Arts are unwittingly causing the downfall of the video game industry with their abuse of DRM restrictions. Piracy paranoia has already taken a huge bite out of the PC and Mac game industry. Remember when stores like Egghead and Electronics Boutique used to be stocked wall to wall with computer games for your PC or Mac. Then they come up with all of these unjust anti-piracy rules that if you open the games packaging there will be no exchanges or refunds allowed. Are you kidding me. With all of the different computer configurations out there due to lack of standards within the industry, you were lucky not to run into a conflict when installing or playing the game. How many of you remember buying a $50 computer game only to have it not work when you installed it. Remember how you felt when you tried to get your money back for a $50 game that you never even got to play only to be told by the suspicious salesman at the stores counter, Too Bad, No Refund, No Exchange Policy Here! A lot of people remember. That is the main reason good honest folk turned to P2P download sites for their computer games in the first place. No risk of losing their money through no fault of their own. Thus began the downfall of the video game industry for PC’s and Mac’s. Now when you go into a store looking to purchase a game for your PC, all you will find is a little rack of about fifteen computer games tucked away somewhere in the back of a video game store.

Don’t look now, but the video game industry is following that same path of self destruction as before, and the DRM restrictions they are putting on games like Spore will be their undoing. If the fact that the Spore DRM policy has caused it to become the most pirated video game in history does not bring about changes in copyright policies, then they will be in deep trouble as an industry. I realize I am ranting but I tend to get ticked off when I am being ripped off and I am not alone here. Head over to CNet or Amazon.com to see what people are saying about the Spore DRM policy. The video game makers had better listen too, because they are on the path of causing their own demise with such a draconic DRM policy. Electronic Arts, the maker of Spore especially had better open up its ears, because over 500,000 people downloading DRM free versions of the video game from Free Game Downloads sites in only a few days makes a thunderous sound. The release of Spore was supposed to be a happy day for all. Instead, EA’s punishing DRM policy may have begun the downfall of the video game industry, and that would be a sad day for everyone.