[By Anthony]

There was a break from What Games Did You Game last week and now we’re back…with a vengence. Sort of. I say vengence, there’s not even a hint of anything to be vengeful for here. The ammount of games out at this time of the year is great, there’s never nothing to play, what’s not to love, except, y’know…the economy. Anyway I’m here on my own this week but it’s still a damn good list.

One game that  had fallen by the wayside with all the stuff coming out is LittleBigPlanet, that’s not so say the game is bad (it’s definitely not) it’s just there’s been a ton of things to do and I personally haven’t had enough time to play this for a large ammount of time, which is a shame really. The second game i’ve really been into is Call Of Duty: World At War. I was surprised how much I like this game, the campaign is really good. I’ve not played too much of the online (fatigue), but I definitely want to jump into it a little more. The last game i’ve played is Uncharted. I’ve played it through twice before and now i’m aiming for my platinum trophy by completing it on crushing mode and oh my f-ing god, it’s hard. I definitely recomend trying it (and if you’ve not played it get it now), i’m sure i’ll do it…eventually.

Check back next week, when hopefully i’ll have been able to rope in some of the other editors.

[By Anthony]

Hey there readers, sorry it’s a bit late but we’re back for the second (or third) week running with What Games Do You Game? This week I am joined by News and Video editor Ryan Gray as we run through the games we’ve been playing over the last seven days. You know the drill, hit the jump for the rest.

Anthony Barlow – Okay, this week i’ve been playing a hell of a lot of Call Of Duty: World At War. Since last week i’ve gone and traded in my copy of COD4 and i’m glad I did. This game does everything Modern Warfare did and more. The multiplayer is as good as ever and the campaign is enthralling. I urge anyone who has their doubts about this to pick it up. Believe it or not Treyarch have done a good job this time. Other than that i’ve been playing a little FIFA 09 because manager mode is awesome and never gets old as well as a bit of Burnout Paradise, going for that last, elusive gold trophy. Other than that, there’s nothing really. I’ve got Fallout 3 in my backlog and really want to play it, but i’m waiting on Bethesda to work their magic and give us a much needed patch. Over to Mr. Gray for our closing piece.

Ryan Gray - Right now i’ve been gaming Midnight Club L.A. heavily. This is a tough racer, but winning races, after mastering the controls, is incredibly rewarding. Plus, i’ve always loved racing games, so this was a no brainer. I’ve also still been playing a lot of Gears Of War 2, it just never gets old. I’m hoping my local Blockbuster gets Mirrors Edge back in stock. I’ve been waiting to play that for a while. Over to Anthony.

Thanks Ryan. That’s all the stuff we have for you this week. As always, come back next week and remember to comment.

[By Anthony]

We’re coming to the end of the ‘holiday rush’ now and the ammount of AAA games coming out is starting to lull. That dosen’t mean there’s no cool stuff coming out this week. Tomb Raider: Underworld hits North America and Europe this week as well as MK Vs. DC Universe. Shaun White comes to U.S. consoles and of course there’s shovelware too. Hit the jump for the full list.

North America:

• Mortal Kombat Vs. DC Universe
• Shaun White Snowboarding
• NPPL Championship Paintball 2009
• Tomb Raider: Underworld
• Disney’s Bolt
• Karaoke Revolution: American Idol
• Alone In The Dark: Inferno

Europe:

• Tomb Raider: Underworld
• Need For Speed: Undercover
• Mortal Kombat Vs. DC Universe (Collector’s Edition)
• The Legend Of Spyro: Dawn Of The Dragon
• Rise Of The Argonauts
• Rappla Fishing Frenzy 2009
• World Championship Offroad Racing

Asia:

• Aquanauts Holiday (English/Chinese Version)
• Mercenaries 2
• MotorStorm: Pacific Rift
• Shaun White Snowboarding

Not a bad list, but there is some definite signs of the big rush slowing down as the shovelware beings to seep in. Still, Shaun White looks cool and I might even check out Tomb Raider, time permitting of course.

[By Anthony]

Another week, another edition of ‘What Games Do You Game?’ This week i’m joined by news/video editor Ryan Gray and ‘King Of Comments’ Ad’s. This had a lot of big releases, all of them living up to their expectations and others surpassing them. The PS3′s biggest release was, by far, Resistance 2 and there’s been a ton of cool multiplatform stuff too. Oh yeah and something called Gears Of War 2…whatever that is.

Anthony – So this week my copy of Resistance 2 finally arrived (hooray for importing) and I have to say, although it has it’s flaws, Insomniac have really pulled out all the stops with this one. Although the story is a little weak, the campaign is still really engrossing and i’m powering through it on ‘Difficult’ mode. The multiplayer is amazing, and is by far the best part of the package. Especially the co-op missions. Other than that i’ve played little else since recieving my copy. I finally got my 1st platinum from ‘Burnout: Paradise’, which is pretty cool and the announcment of new content only makes me love the game more. I have had fleeting visits to Rock Band and FIFA 09, but not as much as usual. 2008 – The year of the gamer.

Ryan – This week for me has been a Gears Of War 2 week. Yes I realize it’s an Xbox 360 exclusive, but it’s really got me hooked. I can’t beat the campaign because every time I try I get invited to an online game, and the online is ridiculous. It is one of the most complete experiences of the year. I’ve also been jumping back to Far Cry 2 here and there. I will be renting Mirror’s Edge probably tonight, you can expect that review in the very near future. Other than that I’ve just been embracing all the gaming goodness that has graced our consoles these past weeks.

Ad’s – This week i’ve been sniping a hell of a lot. Like Anthony, I too recieved my copy of Resistance 2 in the post. I thought the campaign was more than a little weak and it really didn’t engross me. I liked the multiplayer a lot and would probably still be playing it now, but then Call Of Duty: World At War turned up and, well, I love it. It beats Resistance in so many ways and I think it could be a surprise entry for Game Of The Year.

As always feel free to add your lists in the comments box below.

[By Anthony]

I’m sorry this hasn’t been up in a few weeks, but WGDYG is back with a vengence. This week we’re adapting and trying out a new format, which hopefully will be a bit better than it has previously. I want to take this time to say that i’m sorry the site has been a little bare, that will not be the case from today onwards. Hit the jump to see what I have, and will be,  playing.

This week i’ve been enjoying the wonder that is LittleBigPlanet. The game is great in single player but comes alive when playing it in co-op with a bunch of mates. I also jumped back into Fallout 3 and despite the bugs on the PS3 version the game is still great, the level of imersion is incredible and i’ve come to love my wasteland hero. FIFA 09 is still the game I go back to time and time again. I still consider the ‘Manager Mode’ one of the best RPG’s on any console. I’ve ordered my copy of Resistance 2 which should turn up on Monday, which is nice. I’ve also played a little bit of PixelJunk Monsters for the trophies and I still love that game. This season is the best time to be a gamer, even though I can’t afford half of the stuff coming out right now.

The feature will return to it’s regular day next week, that’s every Friday. Hopefully I can be a bit more consistent from now on.

[By Anthony]

Ok, on the exhibition side of things i35 was a bit hit and miss. That dosen’t mean nothing good came out of it, in fact there’s tons of great stuff. Not all of it content specific but good nontheless. I caught up with Multiplay’s, Online Editor and go to guy for all things press related, Mark Tilbrook to talk about Multiplay’s events, i36 and, well, games. Hit the jump for the interview.

Anthony: Do you think events like i35 and M Festival will help the UK gaming scene become as prominent as it in in the U.S. ?

Mark: The i-series has been fairly fundemental in the explosion of the E-Sports scene in the UK really and we’ve been the biggest platform for E-Sports for a few years now, especially like the World Cyber Games that we’ve had come to our events. Will it be as big as it is in America? I’m not sure, it all depends on weather the public here are as interested in games as the Americans are. It’s not a question of what we’re doing to make that happen, it’s a question of are the public ready. I think that more people are becoming interested in gaming, you see a lot more casual gamers coming, you see a lot more families coming to M Festival and I think in the next few years we might see the events growing in scale to those you might see in America. That said, some of the biggest events are in Europe, Dreamhack in Sweeden is the biggest.

Anthony: How much planning goes into an event like this?

Mark: Lots. We started planning for i36, which is in April next year, a month ago. It’s usually about eight to nine months in advance. In fact we just launched the i36 page today.

Anthony: What was the reception like to M Festival? Am I right in saying it was the biggest you’ve done?

Mark: Yeah, M Festival was the biggest we’ve done, the biggest in the UK in fact. The reception was great, we couldn’t have asked for more. Thousands of people came through the doors over that weekend.

Anthony: Do you think theres a favourite game within the community here today?

Mark: Yeah, there’s COD4 and Counter Strike Source. There the two big games here. Counter Strike Source makes up about half of the event. COD4 maybe a little bit less than that, but still a substantial ammount.

Anthony: Have you played anything on the floor yourself?

Mark: (laughs). Some of the staff get shifts, so they’ll play in their free time, but no i’ve got no free time.

Anthony: What’re you playing at the moment?

Mark: Well, i’m a bit of a Warcraft player unfortunately, but i’m looking forward to Left 4 Dead, that’s pretty good. I’m looking forward to, Dead Space, i’ve just bought Red Alert 3. I’m a bit of an all rounder. Not too much into sports games but, pretty much anything else i’ll play.

Anthony: Are you playing anything on consoles?

Mark: Yep, I play Super Smash Brothers on Wii a lot. I’m a bit addicted to that, I’m afraid.

Anthony: Is there anything you want to tell the readers to encourage them to visit these events?

Mark: Yeah, give it a try. People do get a negative image of gaming and these events are not what they think. At i36 next April, well, M Festival Spring is going to be bigger. We’re going to make it fun for all the family as well as gamers, like M Festival was and at the minute there’s 20% off i36 if you payby the end of next month or if your within the first one thousand people.

Anthony: Finally, is there anything you can say about i36, particularly about the exhibition?

Mark: The details are coming in, but we don’t like to release it until we’re sure and everything’s confirmed. There’s going to at least be two thousand people

Sounds good. I’d like to thank Mark and everyone at Multiplay for giving us a chance to prove ourselves. I don’t know where XeNonX would be without the backing of people like that. No mention of the PS3 in there though Mark, it’s blasphemy I tells ya .

[By Ryan]

Another great week ahead for PS3 gamers, hit the jump for the list in all it’s glory.

US Games

• Resistance 2 (Collector’s Edition)
• Valkyria Chronicles
• James Bond 007: Quantum of Solace
• Tom Clancy’s End War (Headset bundle)
• Naruto Ultimate Ninja Storm (Collector’s Edition)
• Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa
• History Channel Civil War: Secret Mission

EU Games

• LittleBigPlanet
• MotorStorm Pacific Rift
• Tom Clancy’s End War (Headset bundle)
• Legendary
• WWE Smackdown Vs Raw 2009
• Disney Sing It (Microphone bundle)
• Guitar Hero World Tour

Asian Games

• Tom Clancy’s End War

Grab em’ while theyr’e hot, because this is the time of year where most games are released. And this time, is sadly, slowly coming to an end.

[By Anthony]

The winter perioid, especially in 2008, is one of the best times to be a gamer, but with the collapse of the global economy many gamers will need to tighten their belts. We realise that gamers still need their games and XeNonX is here to help. Over the past few days I have compiled a list of the best ways to game on a budget and beat the crunch this winter.

• Pre-Owned Games/Trading In – It might seem like the most obvious option, but it needs mentioning nontheless. If you want the latest releases at a slightly discounted price then the way to go is pre-owned games. Pretty much everywhere sells pre-owned/pre-played games now and it’s one of the most simple ways for us gamers to save a bit of cash. This can work the other way around too, you can trade your older games in for cash or credit at your local games shop to help pay for those vital purchases, don’t expect more than £10 for an older game though. Shops like GameStation (UK) usually have an offer on each week letting customers trade in a certain game to get a new game for a lot cheaper. If you don’t want to take this route there’s always eBay.

• Rental – There are many shops/websites that offer now offer a games rental service. Places like Blockbuster have offered games rental for a while now, but their prices are a little high, If you want value for money sites like LoveFilm offer a cheaper alternative at around £10-15 a month. A lot of places offer a free trial too, which is always nice.

• Shopping Around – Are your regular high street stores a little pricey? They always are. There’s a lot of websites out there offering much cheaper alternatives than buying from regular shops. ShopTo.net is a great example, a lot of their games are cheaper than anywhere else on the internet and they’re constantly giving away voucher codes for you to save that little bit extra. Another good place to check is HotUKDeals, the guys on there always keep their eyes peeled for a good deal.

• The PlayStation Store – The PlayStation Store has some really great, cheap games and there’s tons of things that’ll keep you going throughout the winter. Make sure to check reviews, but more often than not your gonna get something pretty sweet and a lot of bang for your buck. I personally recomend PixelJunk Monsters & Eden.

• Longer Lasting Games! - Another obvious choice here. If you can only afford a few games this winter then make sure they’re longer ones. Games like Fallout 3, Grand Theft Auto 4, FIFA 09 and Saints Row 2 are all pretty long lasting. I’d recomend GTA and Fallout if you want a seriously long campain, FIFA if you want a ton of replayablility and Saints Row 2 if you want some co-op mayhem. These games should keep you going if your in need of some cash. LittleBigPlanet is another one of these games that’ll last you a long time, especially with the sheer ammount of content available via the community.

So there you have it. If you’re a gamer on a budget then the steps above should help beat any games/cash drought you might be having, I hope it helps. Feel free to comment and add your own suggestions below.

[By Anthony]

Ok, so XeNonX has refrained from talking about former lawyer/video game hater John B. ‘Jack’ Thompson, but I think that this deserves a mention. This weekend Thompson was officially disbarred and can no longer practice as a lawyer in the state of Florida. Of course this was decided a few months ago, but now it’s official I think the gaming community can finally, and officially, rejoice at the fact that Thompson’s 31-year carreer is over because he made an arse of himself and wanted to take fun away from the world (well, that’s how I see it).

[By Anthony]

Ok, so it’s not the perfect title but I thought due to the lack of posts over the past couple of weeks (especially this weekend) i’d give our readers a heads up on what’s coming up this week on the site. I thought it’d be nice to give you something to look forward to.

First of all i’d like to announce on Monday (that’s tomorrow people) we’ll be having yet another competition. Due to the success of our previous two competitions I would like to make them a somewhat regular feature on the site and give back to our fans. I don’t want to announce what the prize is yet, but believe me it’s something good.

I would also like to announce that myself, and possibly some of the other editors, will be doing a little retrospective on Grand Theft Auto IV now that trophies have come out and will be comparing it against THQ’s Saints Row 2. This article will come towards the end of the week, giving me a chance to play GTA again after recently finishing Saints Row 2.

Next weekend is a big weekend for the site, we are returning to Warwickshire and are attending the i35 tournament/exhibition. Whilst there i’ll get a hands on with Call Of Duty: WAW, Mirrors Edge and the new Need For Speed game, amongst other things. I’m hoping to bring back some cool swag to offer up as prizes, which should be good.

I will also be documenting, in some form, my exploits at i35. I am taking a camera down there and will hopefully capture some cool stuff to stick on YouTube and showcase here. I’ll try and get some cool interviews too.

So, that’s what’s coming up next week on XeNonX. Sorry for these past few weeks being a little slow, news wise, rest assured we’ll be back and fighting fit this week coming and as you can see your gonna have some cool stuff to read. We’re hoping that we can finally get the podcast off the ground too, although that is not yet set in stone, but stay tuned for more information.