2) Of course, Miami-based lawyer Jack Thompson, most noted in video gaming circles for his aggressive lawsuits aimed at censoring video games, couldn't resist taking shots at Take-Two (Rockstar's parent company) over the Hot Coffee controversy. But don't think that Thompson was going to stop there. Other games that he railed about publicly included Killer 7 (among other things, for nudity that I don't even recall in the game), The Sims 2 (for content that was not programmed into the game), 25 To Life, and Bully. Worth noting that the latter two haven't been released yet, although some think that the controversy around its themes has delayed 25 To Life.

3) But perhaps Thompson's biggest blunder was when he offered ten thousand dollars to the charity of Take-Two president Paul Eibeler's choice if someone would make a violent game to Thompson's specifications (which cartoonishly followed through with the lawyer's dream scenario about video game violence). Seeing the chance to do some real good by getting Thompson to pony up to charity, several gamers actually produced the game. Thompson then actually refused to pay the charity, saying that he was doing a joke along the lines of Jonathan Swift's potentially satirical “A Modest Proposal.” I really wish I could add a punchline here, but Thompson is a joke that provides his own punchline. Jerry Holkins and Mike Krahulik, the creators of Penny Arcade, then did the gracious thing and put in their own money up for charity in Thompson's name. He responded the way any non-rational human being would react to someone donating to charity in another's name – he tried unsuccessfully to get them arrested. I'd laugh if any part of this were not 100% true.

4) Okay, couldn't resist the Phoenix Wright joke. But in November, Thompson recused himself from the plaintiff's representation in the Alabama case claiming that GTA: San Andreas inspired a murder. He claims it was to keep his presence from turning the trial into a sideshow, which might be the first time Jack Thompson has even indirectly been honest about himself for years.

5) It made last year's list too, incredibly enough. But now, it's been released in the United States, the first hardware release this year. At first, people were really excited about it. But after they decided to play something other than Lumines, reactions were quite mixed. It has had more than its fair share of hiccups, and many seem to look at the device primarily for its utility in pirating games, movies, and television shows (which, among other things, makes people ignore the games and movies that are the lifeblood of Sony's profits). Software pirates are probably the most pleased with the device, which can't be good news for Sony. It's a really bad sign that in its first year, the past system it seems to resemble the most is the N64.

6) But Sony has to look on the bright side. They didn't make the Gizmondo. Tiger Telematics released the Gizmondo, a would-be gaming platform/GPS device/all-in-one electronic gadget in October. This is not the same Tiger responsible for the woebegone Game.com, although given the quality of the device; you'd be forgiven for the mistake. After three months of launch, only 5,000 units had been sold in the United States. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think the NGage had more sales than that. Of course, even the NGage had a better array of titles at launch. I almost feel bad for the Gizmondo – but only because I haven't had enough truly terrible games of late to rip into.

8) Of course, Microsoft's hardware problems started early this year, when several stories about Xbox power supply boxes caught on fire. It seems it was a widespread problem, and Microsoft issued replacement power supplies to any Xbox owner who requested one, warranty be damned. Good customer service, but extremely bad design. Microsoft learned their lesson, right? Given how many reports of overheating Xbox 360s are out there, most likely not. But hey, I always wanted a gaming console that could help me roast marshmallows for s'mores.

9) Sadly, one trend started by the Xbox 360 is going to ripple through the other new consoles. New games for the 360 cost $59.99 at the manufacturer's suggested retail price, an increase of ten dollars. Given the rising prevalence of gamers complaining about price gouging in video gaming, you'd think the industry would hold off on a price increase. But we all know listening to customers is what other, more pansy industries do. Of course, the problem is not confined to the console market. PSP and DS owners may note that the price of portable games has also risen, to around $35-$40 per portable title. This is a $5-$10 increase as well, although we've been seemingly blind to this, proving that companies will get away with pricing schemes if gamers pay their usual amount of attention.

12) In every year, you'll see governments at various levels discuss the idea of controlling who games get sold to, despite the fact that the games are all clearly rated and that over 90% of games are bought by adults anyhow. Germany and Australia (both banning Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas) were to be expected, as both have rather strict rules about what can and cannot be shown in games. But several states, including Michigan, Delaware, Illinois, and California are experimenting with banning game sales in certain circumstances, unaware that the First Amendment protects shopkeepers, too. Congress, not one to stand idly by and let states try to trample the Constitution when they can do it with more force, are even trying the same thing with 2005 House Bill 2178 (which has yet to leave committee). The judicial system has been gamers' (and freedom's) friend so far; striking down each such law that has come before the courts. If gamers are really raring for a fight, get involved with politics and help defeat laws aimed at curbing our hobby. Either that, or enjoy a return to pre-ESRB censorship – your choice.

13) It's not just American courts that work for the gamer. Australia's highest court issued a decision in favor of allowing mod chips to be sold and installed in the country. This is of particular note to other nations, as Australia's anti-mod chip law was very closely modeled after similar ones in other countries (including Britain, the United States, and Canada). And similar legal rationale could be used to strike down the other laws, as the same legal rights and duties are in place in each country. Of course, video game companies have one easy solution to the potential problem of such rulings by making their devices region-free. It hasn't killed any of Nintendo's portable systems yet, I'd like to point out.

14) A South Korean man collapsed and died after a marathon 50-hour gaming session earlier this year. Elsewhere, one couple were so focused on gaming that they let their child die of neglect. That's on top of several hospital visits and seriously ill gamers from sessions that didn't last nearly that long. Okay, governments, if you really want to stop a deadly sin associated with gaming, don't target wrath. Go after sloth – it keeps gamers attached to their controllers and not paying attention to the essentials for their own lives and those under their care. What are the odds any government will actually pay attention?

16) After much rampant speculation, Nintendo unveiled the new Revolution controller: a wireless, gyroscopic marvel that resembles a television remote. It instantly became the subject that every gamer had an opinion on. Some swear that it's a gimmick that will kill Nintendo. Others think it's the biggest leap forward in console gaming since Sega started using compact discs for games. But everyone agreed that we're going to lose the thing constantly in the couch cushions.

18) It was a long-time question that had many video gamers baffled: how did Acclaim, with their constant bad releases and poor sales, stay in business? Well, technically, they couldn't, and they officially went bankrupt earlier this year. This was closely followed by their creditors suing the former Acclaim executives for $150 million, the amount allegedly embezzled from the company. This conjures up the frightening thought that if not for white-collar crime, Acclaim would still be in business. I never thought I'd say this, but can I get a “Go Embezzlement!” cheer?

20) Nintendo promised wireless capability built into every DS system, but many people wondered if it would be used as much as the N64's expansion bay. Nintendo did manage to come through, though, rolling out free Wifi gaming to anyone who could get near a wireless hotspot. This was instantly met with the usual hiccups of a new online service, a curious system for linking online (as your friend code for one game is not the same for another), and people complaining that Nintendo's free service isn't nearly as robust or useful as the one that costs them at least $5 per month from Microsoft.

21) Of course, in today's world, we all know the inevitable result when a device gains the capability to go online – people start targeting the device with viruses. Virus makers have targeted both the PSP and the DS, although the former is much more frequently attacked - act surprised that the device with more black market software is more prone to black market sabotage. The best suggestion out there is to watch from where you download, and keep the store receipt – Nintendo and Sony aren't going to honor the warranty if you can't stay off the illegal software.

23) Though at least one company thought things clearly when it came to video game tunes. Square Enix, who have produced innumerable games with killer soundtracks, started selling these soundtracks on Apple's iTunes store. Now, I won't be the only one who has the Final Fantasy victory fanfare played during the “kiss the bride” portion of the wedding ceremony.

24) So, hundreds, if not thousands, of people buy and sell virtual items found in massive multiplayer games. And eBay no longer allows such auctions. Sony decided to step in and “kindly” create Station Exchange, to allow Everquest 2 users to conduct transactions with safeguards against cheaters. Of course, said kindness seems much less genuine when you realize that Sony skims a nice profit off of each transaction. Proving that companies can find a way to profit off of what they'll give you for free in the game.

28) In the quest to make the entire world possess only one company for each industry, video game specialist retailers Electronics Boutique and Gamestop merged, becoming one amalgamated company. Malls with both will divest of one, leaving clerks to battle out whom can condescend to customers more harshly. On the bright side, this does reduce the number of corporate entities who will screw up your preorder for new hardware.

31) Everyone knows Donkey Konga 2 stank to high heaven. Nobody is under any delusions about it at this point, except maybe Good Charlotte. And GameSpy's reviewer for the game responded as such, writing a scathing review and giving the game 1.5 out of 5 stars. GameSpy, however, was working on establishing Nintendo's Wifi network, and didn't want to risk angering the company paying them big bucks to network gamers. So they bumped up the review to a 3.0, cut some of the harsher words, and inserted paragraphs more praising of Nintendo. The original author cried foul (especially since they didn't remove his name from the piece), and GameSpy was outed for what they really are – a craven company that changes ratings under even the perception of company pressure. Basically, every negative stereotype about the video game media that exists was fulfilled in that cowardly move (since corrected after the negative publicity). Thanks, GameSpy, for making the rest of the gaming media seem a bit less legit.

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