Hi all, Yes as the title says, Baby Max has arrived. Max is a little over a week old and doing really well, my wife also is recovering nicely. The household is adjusting to its new member, and there have been lots of visiters to see the new addition. My other little one who is growing fast and i have to call the eldest is also adjusting, although doesn't quite understand, that Max doesn't do much at the moment except for cry, sleep, and drink milk. He wants to play with Max now!

Other things going on at the moment include my eldest induction days, getting him ready for primary school, which he loves going to, and obviously my recovery, which is going well, although severall days at the hospital has to its toll, and the back is a little sore and my right ankle has swollen up like a balloon, with an infection. Oh well another pill to take for a few weeks.

Not been on the xbox much over the last week, not been getting the time, plus everytime i look at the tv in the evening i end up falling asleep lol.

 

Morning all, it's been a while now since i last posted on here, to be honest nothings really changed the reasons for lack posts are the same, just thought i'd better write something on here lol. The wife's due on Friday, and i'm still recovering. My son's learning has really come on and  can't believe he will be going to school in September, crazy i know, They grow so fast.

Just heard all the news at E3 for the xbox 360, and i must say that i'm impressed with everything on there, although the project natel, or whatever it's called looks good, just not sure about telling it good night and it switches off. What if i say good night to my son, and i'm in the middle of somethin?, or goodbye to someone whose's on the phone? lol. I can see the odd problem, but the concept is good.

I've just signed up to twitter, so if anyone want's to follow me on there they can, it's a little easier on there to write something short, although i'm still getting to grips with it and can't see what all the fuss is. My username is Knackeredback well what else would it be? lol.

 Hi people, hope you are well. Please accept my apollogises for not being in contact recently, i'm finding it hard to keep in this position to write on the laptop, and have been advised to spend no more then 20mins on a computer, as its not good for my recovery. I better listen to the docs and specialists, after all they didn't put all this metal inside of me for nothing. In general the recovery is going well, slow but well. I'm feeling less pain at the moment, but more discomfort with the stiffness, but i knew that would be the case. I'm getting a little down at not being able to help my wife with genral household things, as she is now 37 weeks pregnant and in need of her feet up. Our boy is getting excited and if you tell him you have bought him a little suprise, i.e. a toy car from a shop, he inturns says is it a baby lol. I think he's expecting to go to pre-school and then come home to the baby one day soon. Little kids so full of imagination, he thinks we are gonna go to the doctors and he will fit a door on mummy's tummy so baby can come out, bless.

Hi everyone, just a short update on things. I'm recovering nicely, still finding things frustrating, but feeling a bit better at the moment. I just need to make sure i don't over do things at this stage, and being on my feet longer then 20mins is over doing it apparently lol.

As for my lovely wife, well she is 34 weeks pregnant now, 35 on Friday, and slowing down some what, but is still my super wife and mum for my son, she is being fantastic, i just hope babe's wants to stay in there a bit longer at the moment, as i'm going to be useless at the hospital lol.

As for my boy, we'll he's trully happy daddy's home, and is looking forward to the new arrival, and has been asking lots of questions about new things that have been arriving at the house.

I'll try and update this page more often, but as you can apprechate, it's a bit tough at my present state, and what with things that are about to happen in the near future.

Microsoft confirm that 1 vs 100 will be free

By xboxhornet

Microsoft extends warranty to cover E74

Microsoft has extended their three year warranty to E74 errors, further refunding those who have previously had to pay for a repair related to the error.

The Red Rings of Death (RRoD), which represents a general hardware failure, was rumoured to affect 30% of Xbox 360's sold. The controversy led to Microsoft announcing an extended three year warranty in 2006 that would see the company repairing all Xbox 360's affected by RRoD free of charge.

However, the E74 error has been gaining as much attention this year, being called "the new RRoD." Instead of displaying three red lights, the console would display an E74 error on-screen, which is also said to relate to some kind of system failure.

Reportedly the error is either related to the AV cable, or the more fatal occurrence of a burnt out scaler chip or even the death of the console's GPU.

The increased reports of the E74 error has resulted in Microsoft issuing an extended warranty to include the fault:

"While the majority of Xbox 360 owners continue to have a great experience with their console, we are aware that a very small percentage of our customers have reported receiving an error that displays "E74" on their screen," Microsoft's release reads.

"After investigating the issue, we have determined that the E74 error message can indicate the general hardware failure that is associated with three flashing red lights error on the console. As a result, we have decided to cover repairs related to the E74 error message under our three-year warranty program for certain general hardware failures that was announced in July 2007."

As well as an extended three year warranty, within the next 4-12 weeks Microsoft will refund those who have already paid for an E74 repair:

"Microsoft will refund to customers the amount paid for an out of warranty repair due to a general hardware failure associated with the e74 error message. Those customers should automatically receive the refund within 4-12 weeks, and no additional action by customers should be necessary.

If you don't receive a refund by July 1st you must visit www.xbox.com/support before November to find out more information on how to place a claim. Make sure you receive your refund before November 1st, otherwise you just won't get one.

At this moment the announcement only covers Xbox 360's in the US, but we expect the warranty and refund to be rolled out around the world and to the UK specifically.

Have you been plagued by E74 or RRoD? Tell us in the comments section

Hi guy's just a quick message to say i'm back, yes i'm back out of hospital. I've had the operation, and i'm recovering well at home, infact i've been at home since Thursday afternoon, a very quick initial recovery, which ment i made it home intime for easter. Everythings going well, i'm getting stronger everyday although still very tired and just moving takes alot out of you.

The pain is more like discomfort at the moment, so here's hoping, and as for my family, we'll they are all doing well and have been fantastic support. I can't write to much on the computer at the moment as it's not good postiure, so for now and untill the next time, take it easy and look after yourselfs.

Morning all, whats everyone upto today? Well i hope you all enjoy your Sunday. I've just finished watcing the grand prix, and what a fantastic race it was, can't believe button won, and Lewis clawed his way back to fourth, good stuff. The England match wasn't to bad to last night, just a shame about the injuries.

While the grand prix was on i was also making our birthing cd, ready for when the wife goes into labour. It's full of U2 tracks as the wife and I are big fans and love there music, plus it's what we had on when the wife was in labour first time around. We will also be packing bags today, my lovely wife's birthing bag, just incase our bundle comes a little early and my hospital bag. I just hope the stress of the operation doesn't bring anything on for the wife, i have this weird feeling about me being in hospital and the wife goes into labour. The wifes reaction to that was i've seen to many soaps on tv lol.

As for gaming sessions today, i have a fifa 09 footie league session tonight over at www.ffj360.com the  last night before we give it a rest for about a month.

I must say congrats to my mate Dangerous, as he has been superb in the league over the last 10 weeks and deserves his victory dance tonight.

 

Again another update on how things are going, yeah i know boring lol. Well overall things are pretty much the same, still busy around the house although i think we maybe as sorted as we can be right now. Its been funny going through old baby clothes and stuff and finding there place where there going to live.

Our little man is getting excited, we are just waiting for the jealous strick to arrive, but for now he thinks he's going to look after the baby and do the bum changes lol.

My wife is struggling a little, getting more tired and finding it difficult to put her own socks on lol. But overal shes doing well, even if she doesn't always feel brilliant. She can't wait for the next 10 weeks, she's ready now.

As for me, i'm also looking forward to things too, and it's good to  have the house ready before my operation, which is happening in a little over a week, which i can't wait to get out the way, although i'm not looking forward to being in hospital over easter,  and it's really going to confuse our little monkey, who is also expressing his concerns about his daddy going into hospital for a week.

As for my gaming, well it's been a bit hit and miss. I've been playing fifa and pgr abit. I'm likeing the ultimate team mode in fifa (trial), although i haven't bought it yet. Proberbly treat myself after the operation.

I hope your all fine and dandy and hopefully i'll post a bit more before monday 6th when i finally go in for the op,

Hi people, well its been about a week since my last entry, for which i must apollogise on not posting a bit more lately. Baby stuff has just got on top of me really, getting the house ready with my wife, spending time with my son, and before you know it another week has gone. My operation is looming and i must say the nerves are kicking in a bit now, even though i am looking forward to it finaly getting sorted. I'm starting to worry for my wife, who is nearly 29 weeks pregnant and could be doing with a hand right now, not an invalid lol. She's starting to suffer with back ache too, must be that lovely bundle of joy inside her, having a good kick around the nerves. And as for my son, well it's going to be a bit of a shock for him when daddy goes away for a week or so to get fixed, he's still saying he wants to come with me, i just hope he's not to frieghtend of all the equipment, wires and things attached to daddy when he does come to visit, as there will be no keeping him away.

As for his reaction to a baby on the way, well lets just say he's still happy to be a big brother. He's so sweet at the moment cuddleing up to mummy at night, with his hands and head on the bump, although he's not to sure about a few baby clothes that we have bought recently. So on that front we will have to just wait it out and see what his reaction will be when the baby arrives, and make sure he gets lots of attention too.

As for my gaming, well i've been playing through nfs-pro street, and Dirt, two games which i've had for ages, since there release but just haven't got round to finishing. The plan is not to get to many newish realease as i have to many games half way through, or not started lol. And as for the fifa league i'm involved in over at www.ffj360.com,  well thats coming to the end of its 2nd season, with me currently joint 2nd. Not much chance of me winning it on the final day, but hopefully i can secure 2nd. so that won't be to bad lol

Four fiendish financial swindles

By Donna Werbner

There's nothing we like better at lovemoney.com than naming and shaming the banks which sneakily try to swindle you out of your hard-earned cash.

Here are four particularly fiendish tricks to watch out for - and how to avoid the financial stinkers that play them.

1) Credit card creeps

Have you ever wondered why so many credit card providers allow you to pay 0% interest on balance transfers?

If you reckon it's out of the goodness of their ever-so-fantastic plastic hearts, then you're dead wrong. To make a profit out of you on the sly, cards offering 0% interest rates have often got a nasty trick up their signature strips. It's called negative payment hierachy - and it forces you to pay off your cheap, interest-free debts first, allowing your expensive, interest-bearing debts to fester and increase.

Goodies: Nationwide and Saga cards operate a positive payment hierarchy, so their cards are safe to use for both purchases and balance transfers. Alternatively, this Halifax card and this Bank of Scotland card offer the same period for 0% balance transfers and purchases, effectively freeing you from the negative payment hierarchy trap.

Baddies: Every other credit card provider! So if you want to get a 0% card from any of these credit card creeps, make sure you get one 0% card for balance transfers and a different 0% card for purchases.

2) Mortgage monsters

Once upon a time, in a far-flung era when no one had ever heard of a toxic asset or a sub-prime loan, banks were all privately-owned, bank runs were unimaginable and most mortgage lenders dutifully observed a certain unwritten rule about their Standard Variable Rates (SVRs).

This stated that a drop in the base rate would soon be followed by a similar-sized drop in a lender's SVR.

Sure, sometimes a couple of lenders were a bit naughty and took more than a month to pass on a cut or sometimes they didn't pass it on in full. But among the top 10 lenders, few allowed their SVR to drift more than 2.5% above the base rate.

Then came the biggest credit crunch ever to munch on a homeowner's lunch. Result? A record-low base rate of 1% - and the SVRs ranging from 3% to more than 5%.

Goodies: Lloyds TSB has passed on in full every single rate cut since October - the only lender to do so. Its SVR is currently the lowest at 3%, an honour it shares with lovemoney.com favourite Nationwide.

Baddies: Among big mortgage market players, the worst offenders are Barclays (formerly Woolwich) and Alliance & Leicester, both currently offering SVRs at 4.99%. Barclays has only been passing on every other rate cut, while A&L has failed to pass on the full base rate cut five out of six times. And to add insult to injury, while they've been raking it in from borrowers, these lenders have cut their rates for savers! Shame on them!

Smaller lenders are behaving equally badly. One reader wrote in to ask me to give a public roasting to Yorkshire Building Society, which also charges 4.99% on its SVR, and another wrote in to complain about Chelsea Building Society, which is charging a whopping 5.79% SVR! Nasty.

3) Savings snakes

You should always try to keep three months' salary in an instant access savings account, to act as a 'cash cushion'. This is so to soften the blow of any emergencies which may suddenly land on your head, out of nowhere, in the middle of an otherwise remarkably routine Tuesday.

You might think saving up this money is the hardest part. But once you've won this battle, you must go on a quest for a true instant access account.

This is a lot more difficult than it sounds. Many accounts claim to offer instant access - but if you try to withdraw your money when you need it, you may get a nasty shock. Often, the overall rate will be reduced or you'll pay a penalty of a month's interest.

So check the small print. A true instant access savings provider always allows penalty-free withdrawals whenever you want access to your cash.

Goodies: There are absolutely no restrictions or penalties for withdrawals with the current market-leader, the Egg Savings Account, which pays 3.35% AER, and an ING Savings Account, which pays marginally less, at 3% AER.

Baddies: Alliance & Leicester is notorious for offering savings accounts where you lose 30 days' interest if you make a withdrawal - although its Online Saver Issue 4 (which also pays 3% AER) is a welcome exception to this rule. So Sainsburys garners the biggest Savings Snake award, currently advertising 3% AER on its internet saver - but check the small print. The rate drops to 1.25% if you make a withdrawal.

4) Current account cheaters

When you stick your money in a bank, the bank attempts to make money out of you by lending your money out to other people or investing it.

Of course, as we know from all the recent troubles banks have had, some of them are not very good at this. But that's by the bye.

The fact is, your bank is using your money to try to make money for itself - so I think it's absolutely outrageous that the interest rate on many current accounts is a great big gaping ZERO.

Goodies: Alliance & Leicester is the current account market leader, paying 6% on its Premier Direct current account, while Abbey is following close behind, paying 5.5% on its 'in credit' account. However, both these rates only apply to balances up to £2,500 - after that, the rate drops dramatically (to 0.1% and 1% respectively).

Baddies: Halifax, Bank of Scotland, Bank of Ireland, Intelligent Finance, Lloyds TSB (on its classic account), and Natwest (on it current account plus) all pay just 0.1%. Even worse, some of the biggest banks - Barclays, First Direct, Nationwide and the Co-op - all pay nothing at all! Yes, I mean zero per cent!

However, you may feel the Co-op's ethical policy makes up for this lack of interest, as does the mutual ethos associated with building society Nationwide. Similarly, many lovemoney.com readers have told us that the good customer service First Direct provides is worth sacrificing interest for - and it does offer you £100 to switch in the first place. So the number one big baddie award in this category goes to Barclays, which you may recall also won a Mortgage Monster award. Boo hiss!

Good luck avoiding these stinkers and keeping your cash exactly where it should be - in your own two hands!

More from Lovemoney.com

SUNDAY

Arsenal 3-0 Burnley

Arsene Wenger: "The first two were exceptional goals. I like the third one as well, it was a good combination, the way we like to play. When you look at goalscorers they move in the box when everybody is standing and watching.Eduardo has that. (He was captain as) a tribute to his personality and to how well he behaved for nine months without ever complaining. It looks to me like he has come back mentally stronger.''

Owen Coyle: "We felt comfortable before the opening goal, which came from a mistake by one of our own players. However, the finishes were first class for their goals. I watched Eduardo's again on the TV, and it just seemed to get better and better. But you have to analyse it and understand the quality Arsenal have."

Everton 2-1 Middlesbrough

David Moyes: "After a talking to at half-time by the staff members, the players showed what they were really about in the second half with the two goals. (What was said) certainly couldn't be talked about here. (Assistant boss) Steve Round did a great job on them at half-time. We just needed them livened up."

Gareth Southgate: "We've got to learn how to see matches off, especially when you get the lift of being a goal ahead. We knew we'd have a bombardment second half and we feel we've got the players to deal with it - in actual fact for that five-minute spell we didn't. That sums us up this season so far."

SATURDAY

Coventry City 0-2 Chelsea

Chris Coleman: "I was disappointed with Mr Bennett all afternoon as were my players - his attitude towards us and towards them. I know it was Chelsea who are a great team who deserve respect and he let us know that in no uncertain terms. That is not why we lost but I was disappointed with that. He was smug towards us, the way he was talking to my players, my senior players. Then for the second goal Chelsea had two players off the pitch for treatment. You are not supposed to wave them back on until you see where the ball is going to bounce and so they gain no advantage. You can't wave them back on in a situation like that and who scores the goal - Alex."

Guus Hiddink: "We had one little thing to cope with before the match but it did not dominate what is happening at Chelsea. Yesterday we had this one issue but it was important that it did not cause friction in the team. From the first day I have seen him (Didier Drogba), he has been a guy who has been working very hard. I don't want to judge what went on before. I didn't have to force him but he has been doing extra training and it's paying off."

Fulham 0-4 Manchester United

Roy Hodgson: "Of course it is possible for United to win the lot," he said. "They have a good chance and I wouldn't bet against them. The most difficult will be the Champions League. I thought we were good in the first half, obviously we were disappointed with the first goal, we know how good they are at set plays so that is a major disappointment. The second goal was a wonder strike, then you have a mountainous task. Your only chance against them is to go a goal up."

Alex Ferguson: "It was a superb performance, he (Carlos Tevez) has so much great energy. He was a jack in the box all day. Everyone was fit and fresh and bursting to play. It was exciting right from the work go, with energy and enjoyment. But it was a tricky tie, Fulham were in form and we had to respect that. The last thing we needed was a draw."

TV Game Show Article

Article by Rob Fahey

Need for Speed SHIFT Preview

Need for Speed shifts out of reverse gear and floors it back onto the track.

The newest game in the Need for Speed series, surnamed SHIFT, is driving the faltering franchise out of a free spin in the dirt and shifting the focus back into high gear on the highway to new success.

It's no secret that last year's Need for Speed Undercover was met with harsh criticism followed by rampant rumors that the Need for Speed development team, Black Box, was to be shut down. So when EA wanted to show GamePro the new Need for Speed SHIFT, we were skeptical that the outcome would be anything more than another cash in on the brand name, which sells surprisingly well despite fail-worthy review scores. That's why when we played SHIFT, we were astonished by how authentic and good the game is and how serious EA is about digging Need for Speed out of the dirt. Enter Need for Speed SHIFT; new parts, same model.

Behind the Wheel and Feeling Myself

Need for Speed SHIFT throws all the old Need for Speed arcade racing features out the window and doesn't look back. There's no nitro boosting or slow motion, and "you're not going to experience cops and robbers in SHIFT," says lead designer Andy Tudor, as SHIFT focuses on the authenticity of circuit racing and simulated fast and g-force experience of what it's like to really drive a ridiculously powerful race car at high speeds. Out of the 80 plus cars, the few top-end cars available for the early demo included the Audi RS4, Lotus Elise 111R, Pagani Zonda F, and Porshe 911 GT2 just to name a few.

What we mean by the "driver's experience" is that Need for Speed SHIFT features something special, yet subtle, that you've never experienced before in a racing game. It's that playing Need for Speed SHIFT feels more like driving a real car than any other game in the racing simulation genre, possibly even Gran Turismo with its near photo-realistic graphics, thanks to a camera system that shifts from side to side and forward and backward based on the gravitational forces experienced while driving.

When playing Need for Speed SHIFT, your head slams against the seat and the view pulls backwards when you accelerate, jerks forward when you brake, and sways from side to side in turns and corners, but not to the point of outright nausea. The tightly tuned camera feels as though it's attached to your head at eye level and is most noticeable and best experienced from the behind-the-wheel cockpit view. This may be only a subtle trick of the camera, but trust us when we say this is a major step forward for all racing games. Don't knock it until you've experienced it!

Tudor describes Need for Speed SHIFT as the "first-person shooter" of authentic racing games. Comparing SHIFT's driver experience to games like Gears of War and Call of Duty, Tudor says the game "doesn't focus on having 50 tracks and 1,000 cars" like Gran Turismo and Forza, "but takes first-person shooter characteristics" into account. How, exactly? Tudor points to audio and visual cues, such as heavy breathing and disorienting concussion effects, made famous in games like Gears of War. "Those are the elements we wanted to capture in SHIFT," Tudor explains. "The game really focuses on the driver."

Crash Numbing

To remain true to an authentic driver's experience, crashing your car will slam the camera around and cause your vision to blur and become hypersensitive to light depending on the strength of the impact. The disorienting brain concussion effects only last for brief moment, but for anyone who has experienced a car crash, or had their brain vigorously jarred, will be immediately reminded of the nauseating feelings. Likewise, driving at high speeds will introduce blur and tunnel vision, which makes the passing scenery smear into a streaky blur. You won't care - you'll be too busy eyeballing that rapidly approaching hairpin turn.

The high-end race cars, which look meticulously detailed even in the pre-alpha stage of development, crumble, scratch, and splinter in collisions. You'll see bits and pieces of your car shatter off and sparks fly in a realistic fashion during high speed crashes. It's nothing revolutionary, but you won't find damage effects of this caliber in Gran Turismo.

Red, Yellow, Green and Gold

It's a new dawn and a new day for the Need for Speed series. Slightly Mad Studios has the racing simulation pedigree - previous games include GTR and GTR2 - and the game already has us screaming out the window like a mad dog asking, "Please sir, can I have some more?" So strap on your five-point harness seatbelts and get ready for the most immersive, sensory racing game you've ever experienced. Need for Speed SHIFT is coming in late 2009, and you don't want to miss this extremely promising evolution of the simulation racing genre.

Need for Speed Trio

Alongside the sim-heavy racer Need for Speed SHIFT, Electronics Arts has two more Need for Speed games in the works. Here's the straight scoop.

Need for Speed NITRO (Working title)
In development by EA Montreal, Need for Speed NITRO brings back the familiar and best features from past Need for Speed games - drifting, dragging, cops-- and blends those features with the Nintendo Wii and DS's gesture and touch controls to create a new breed of arcade racing.

Need for Speed World Online
Co-developed by Black Box and EA Singapore, Need for Speed World Online is designed for PC gamers to experience the largest open world in the history of Need for Speed and race for supremacy, licensed cars, and customizable parts. Need for Speed World Online fits into what EA is tentatively calling their "Need for Speed action title."

Need for Speed: GAMEPRO's SPEEDPRO (Working title)
No, EA is not actually working on a GamePro Need for Speed title, but we've got our own ideas for a new NFS game that fits into what we are calling the "adrenaline genre." GamePro's master game design for a new Need for Speed game is heavily inspired by high-adrenaline movies such as Crank and Speed that requires the player to keep their adrenaline (health) pumping by performing extreme stunts that include race shootouts, skyscraper base jumping, and random outnumbered bar fights throughout an open world. And the story is ten times better than that of Need for Speed Undercover because it's penned by the GamePro editors.

Rumor: Xbox 360 Elite To Become Xbox 360 Extinct

Throw Balls At Streakers

U2 reveal tour

U2 are to kick-off their "Kiss The Future" world tour with a show in Barcelona in June, it has been revealed.

The band go out on the road this summer, in support of new album "No Line On The Horizon".

The first details of the dates were announced today, with The Edge saying the band are "fired up" to be playing live again.

Following their first gig in Spain on June 30, the tour will play stadiums across Europe until August 22 and then land in North America on September 12.

The full details of the band's plans, which are believed to include a revolutionary cylindrical video screen, will be confirmed next week.

Speaking about the shows, the guitarist told Billboard: "We're very excited about the idea to go on the road with this album.

"It's an album that I think is going to translate so well to the live context. The songs we've tried in rehearsal are sounding fantastic, so that's got everyone really fired up."

Indiana Jones and the Staff of Kings

Dum, da-da-dum, dum, da-da-dum...

 

Man alive, do we like John Williams' Indy score. Not just for its bombast, mind. For our money it's the tune's quieter lead-in that brings the magic. The low trumpets promise adventure to come, capturing the academic side - the Henry Jones Jr side - before Indy turns up to the party and cracks a barstool over someone's head. The trumpets are the equivalent of Williams telling you to "wait for it, wait for it..." and capture perfectly our feelings towards Staff Of Kings.

We'll cut to the chase: the screens on this page aren't great. As in, 'Donovan insta-ageing into a skeleton at the end of The Last Crusade' not great. The backgrounds are bleached, the character animators have confused Harrison Ford with Danny DeVito and those edges look jaggy as hell. Forget dodging the swirling blades that guard the Grail, Indy could chop himself in half by brushing against those rough polygons. With head in hands we asked ourselves: slapdash, why'd it have to be slapdash?

But isn't this the Indy way? Who is Indiana Jones if not a slightly shabby-looking teacher who time and again proves he can punch above his weight? Moaning about looks is tantamount to saying you'd rather have Jude Law playing Indy than Ford. Such blasphemy befits neither film nor game. That said, LucasArts have shied away from using Ford in all his Crystal Skulls geriatric glory, grandpa Harrison shelved in favour of a younger rendering - the game is set in 1939, a year after The Last Crusade.

Whipping boy
With Sean Connery back at home, all his bullet wounds plugged up with magic water, Jones Jr can get his hunt back on. He's searching for the Staff of Moses (the miracle rod Mr Bushburn used to part the Red Sea), as is the marvellously named Magnus Voller (his parents practically christened him evil with a name like that). And what kind of adventure would it be if Indy's plane didn't get to put-put out a red line all over the globe? Prepare to travel between San Francisco, Panama and Turkey in your search.

Kings has a surprisingly decent gaming pedigree, following on from the N64's Indiana Jones And The Infernal Machine - a game we believe outranks most, if not all of Lara Croft's derivative Tomb Raiding - and PS2/Xbox's Indiana Jones And The Emperor's Tomb. Bar one excruciating rafting segment, Infernal Machine displayed a perfect balance of scrapping, puzzling and platforming; Emperor's Tomb was more of the same, bolstered with a cinematic eye for fights. Read: the ability to grab bottles and smash them over Nazi heads.

Staff Of Kings will finally see the whip earn its slot on Jones' belt. Remote flicking to whip may seem a little obvious, but only because it's such a natural fit - it's a role the remote was destined to play. Using the whip to swing off beams and heave yourself around ruins should be expected, as will using it to tug at the ancient contraptions that form the game's puzzles. You'll forget Lara's grappling hook (a whip for the iPod generation) in no time.

A2M's big thing is the new Hot Set environments; that would be context-sensitive attack opportunities to you and us. Yes you can go in All Fists Swinging or wrap your whip around an Enemy's Ankle to send him toppling over, but wouldn't it be much easier, and infinitely more Indy, to topple some scaffolding with a whip yank or drop a Breeze Block on their Reich-sanctioned crew cut? Spot a whip symbol and it's time to end those fights in blockbuster fashion.

The taste for the cinematic flows throughout. Vehicle sections see biplane flying and (Infernal Machine flashback) rafting joined by an elephant-riding Nazi chase through an Istanbul market. Think of the tank level from GoldenEye, only with added trunks. If this alone wasn't out-actioning the original trilogy, there'll also be on-foot dashes through flooding temples and collapsing monasteries, capturing the pace of Lost Ark's jungle opener by playing out as remote-waggling quick time events.

Both Infernal Machine and Emperor's Tomb were breathless adventures, and Staff Of Kings' scope just keeps growing. In addition, a co-operative mode is promised, not in the single-player game (this isn't 'Indiana Jones And His Rotund Comedy Sidekick And The Staff Of Kings', thank God), but as an entirely separate mini-quest. Who could this second character be? We're betting on fez-wearing Egyptian chum Sallah or Mr Henry Jones Snr, though we'd love the mode to be a bumbling, awkward curator sim starring Marcus Brody.

This would be pure fan service, of course, but Staff Of Kings doesn't skimp on pure fan service. Perhaps the most exciting news doesn't actually concern the new game at all, but rather an unlockable. Not some crummy concept art gallery, mind, but an entire game - the classic LucasArts point 'n' click adventure Fate Of Atlantis. One of the finest examples of the genre, it's almost good enough to justify buying Staff Of Kings regardless of how it turns out.

But just as that idea pops into our head, off goes that theme tune again. There's more than enough to Indiana Jones to fill two great games on one potentially incredible disc. Whether as a sprite in 1992 or a full 3D render in 2009, Indiana Jones is adventure personified.

74% of parents think gaming is educational

So says Microsoft 'play safe, play smart' survey

74% of UK parents believe that games are educational, according to a new Microsoft 'Play Safe, Play Smart' study.

MS says the study "uncovers the differing views of parents and children when it comes to attitudes to safe gaming".

The findings of the survey back up a statement issued by the European Parliament's Internal Market Committee, which stated that games "broadly beneficial effect on the mental development of children", and that "video games do not only have a recreational value, but can also be used for educational and medical purposes". Except for Mirror's Edge. That's good for nobody (yes, we've been playing/getting frustrated with it recently).

Apparently, 61% of UK parents state that games are a great social experience, 52% feel gaming brings their families together and 80% see the pastime as a vital component in a balanced blend of modern and traditional entertainment.

73% of UK parents are aware of parental controls on game consoles while 94% feel personally responsible for checking the age rating of the games their kids play... but obviously don't.

"We are very encouraged to see that so many parents are using the PEGI age rating system," said Interactive Software Federation of Europe boss Simon Little.

Xbox Live gets "limited time" price cut

Xbox 360 online subs down to $39.99 / £34.99

Xbox Live Gold has had its price cut to $39.99 in North America and £34.99 in Europe for a 12 month subscription.

The discount's for a "limited time" says Microsoft, and is available to all current and new free Silver subscribers.

In its statement, MS said it's "currently running a promotion in-dash that gives Silver members a special opportunity to upgrade to the full benefits of Gold membership at a reduced price for a limited time."

When we jumped on the e-mail Microsoft UK had nothing to share on when the offer will conclude. Better get in quick then if you're a Silver member.

Afternoon everyone, thought i'd give you an update into life at the moment, as i have been a little pre occupied with things to keep this page updated daily.

Basicly baby planning has took over at the moment, what with trying to figure out all the new stuff we need and where its all going to go. We are also having to seriously think about maybe moving in a years time too.

We also have my operation on the horizon and thats also got us planning things as i'm going to need some specialist equipment around the house, so the wife's been busy measuring chair heights, bed heights, and dare i say it the loo height. We have to provide all this information to the hospital tomorrow, as i have my pre operation assement checks, to see if i'm fit enough for the op.

As for my son, he's coming around to the idea of a baby in the house, although he wants it now, although we are having difficulty explaining that daddy is going into hospital for a week soon to him, he wants to come with me and look after me. Bless him.

As for my gaming habbit's, well i'm trying to finish off nfs-pro street at the moment, before getting into anything else, although i have a bit of to catch up on as we are 3 hours behind on 24 lol

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