NumberSix

is it me or is the friends list knackered again? I'm getting invites from people who ain't online, and it's not in alphabetical order neither...

Not you. Bloody annoying.

I'm getting pissed off with Live, to be honest. If they're going to charge for the service, it should work. Friends list keeps messing up, Topspin rankings are just a joke now, and XSN sports keeps failing to register games.

Very poor lately.

Bill O'Reilly, insane right wing commentator in the US, has a big radio show and works for Fox News, said this about hip hop (well, he said it about RAP, actually):

Today on the Radio Factor, O'Reilly analyzed an unreleased Eminem song that goes a little something like this: 'F**k money. I don't rap for dead presidents. I'd rather see the president dead. It's never been said, but I set precedents and the standards and they can't stand it... We as Americans. Us as a citizen. We've got to protect ourselves'...

Surprisingly, O'Reilly admitted the lyrics aren't necessarily a threat to the president, but he doesn't think people who listen to rap will get it. "All they'll hear is 'I'd rather see the president dead.' I'm not being condescending here, but people who listen to rap; to this stuff day in and day out aren't going to get the message here. They're not reading Proust."

Just thought you'd be pleased to know he's not being condescending. Now, which one of you motherfuckers has got my copy of the Iliad?

Anyway keep my money in my pocket for now until something else truely outstanding comes along.

I would say that if you're interested in online play, it's a must have. If not there's only one or two stand out titles that aren't available on another machine. Halo 2 will change that, of course, but the fucker won't be out for ages.

There's a new Zelda in the works for the GC, too.

Please tell me whats truelly worthy of an X-Box purchase?

Halo, obviously enough. Kotor, too. Live is a big draw for me also. PGR2, Topspin and the ESPN NFL game.

On GC: Wind Waker, Mario, Mario Kart and Metroid.

Pretty much anything else on PS2 that interests me I can get on one of those two. As I said, one's not better than the other, but there's little on the PS2 that interests me, personally.

By the way i've never had a problem with my PS2 and people may find sticking them on a dusty carpet won't help! 

Mine was shit and clunky from the start - it lived in a cabinet, away from all carpet dangers.

I'm always wondering why my experiences with the PS2 DVD player are so different to everyone elses. I've never had any issues with mine and the PS2 is of the "original batch".

I've got a US one too, and I had loads of problems with it. It wouldn't recognise a significant proportion of dvds and made a helluva racket when it did. It was also bloody slow, and as the Americans like to say the whole menu system sucks ass.

That's not why I don't like the PS2 though - I don't like it because there's been nothing other than GTA on it in the last year or so that's piqued my interest. I realised I hadn't turned it on in about six months, so I've just ebayed it.

One console is not better than another, but personally there's much more on Xbox and GC that appeals to me.

Odeon/ABC are doing a two for one flights deal to the US promotion when you buy tickets to this:

http://www.odeon.co.uk/pls/odeon/Odeon_com...promotion_tandc

Expires 22nd feb and you've got to fly before the end of the month.

And I can't decide which is my favourite ATCQ album.

Anyone else have the same problem?

Nope. This is the one you're looking for:

I may have suggested this before, but it's so good it's worth another post:

This is also very good:

He didnt write it... And there were also 7 other producers on that movie.

He wrote the story, and was one of two main producers. The screenplay was written by someone else, but the story itself was all Burton's.

It's very clearly his work, unless all the others involved have worked on every other film he's done too.

Sure fire Oscar winner this.

Only nominated in one category, sadly: best score. In another year it could be up for best picture and director, and McGregor and Finney would be in the running.

Enjoyed it very much, although it drifted off a little in the middle. Not helped by the prick behind me who kept talking, just to annoy me. I mean - what's the point in going to the movies if you're going to talk to your mate? 'Danny Devito' he said at one point. Yes, yes, well done. You've noticed an actor. Congratulations. Bound to happen in the movies, but I'm glad you've got pleasure from it.

Anyhow - very good film, go and see it if you like Tim Burton stuff, or just plain weird movies. Very touching, great performances from all. Can't really say much more than that without giving anything away. It's ace though. Very different to the usual Hollywood fare, which is only to be expected with Burton.

I also enjoyed seeing three british actors playing American characters from the deep south. Made a nice change.

Thanks for the game!

No worries. Just looked at XSN, and it's not updated yet. I'll give it till tonight, and if ti's still the same I'll forfeit the game.

Like I said I've had a couple of games not register, annoyingly.

I wish they'd sort XSN out. It's really annoying me now.

I think it'll be best if you do it then. See you tonight.

Typical. My first laggy game in ages

Good idea on the voice thing - sorted it out. I'll have to remember that. Didn't help me much, mind. Brutal. Three points, I think I won

Sorry mate didn't see your message. 9pm tomorrow night?

Yep - sounds good. Tonight (wednesday) at nine. I'll send you a friend invite in a mo.

Shall I host or do you want to? I've got a 1meg line. Am happy to do either.

I can play tonight and tomorrow. Will the result get posted?

I've just managed to log in, finally. Hopefully it'll register.

How about 9pm tonight?

I feel like a stalker now.

Does anyone know who Choccy is?

Howdo - that's me. When do you fancy? I can do any night this week. Whichever's best for you.

I've not been able to get into the XSN sites since before the weekend now. Grrr.

For ages I've fancied some kind of shooter, and finally got round to buying Panzer Dragoon Orta...

Played it for the first time last night....normal difficulty....got stuck on the first boss.....again and again....

If you've not played one for ages you're not suddenly going to be shit hot at them though. You'll need a bedding in period to get used to the non stop frenetic action.

Or something.

I've not played one for years, but I do remember playing the same levels over and over and over again until I knew every wave of enemies. Maybe it's that?

I'm too scared to host games....I fear the power would go to my head, people would be kicked left right and centre!

Hehe, I know that feeling.

YOU BUMPED ME YOU FUCKER. YOU WILL PAY, OH YES.

Same for me with PGR1 and London. They map their cities rather well, it would seem. They even had the constuction site of the club Home in the original, IIRC.

Did the connection drop just before the game finished? If you look at the details of a match "I" stands for "Inc" which I assumed meant "incomplete"????

Don't think it did, actually. We were chatting away till the end.

Incomplete makes sense though. Very odd, mind. XSN didn't even register my last game....

Cheers for the game sladie. I'll be on R63 soon, so hopefully see you there.

as an aside - does anyone know what I means next to a name? Where it would say F for forfeit, or W/L for win/loss, it says W next to my name, and I next to sladie's.

anyone got any ideas?

10pm tonight is fine by me.

Are the finals a best of 5 affair? I've never been out of the first round before...

Just sent you a PM.

As far as I know finals are the same as the others. Best of three games, and best of three sets.

Come on everyone. You have 3 days left & there are 4 spaces still free!

Just managed to join. Hurrah.

It wouldn't let me join before 'cos I cut and pasted that password, and there's a space after it. So if anyone's having trouble joining, it could be that.

sladie

petrolgirls

Choccy

UK MinerWilly

So the final is me V Sladie.

UKMinerWilly absolutely trounced me, but I fucked up the XSN sports thing, so it didn't count. Judging by our game that's the only way I was ever going to beat him... sorry again.

Anyhow, sladie - I can do tonight or tomorrow night, whichever's easiest for you. Later is better for me - 10pm or so.

Let me know which you'd rather.

Cheers.

The kudos system rewards bad driving too highly, and good driving too poorly.

Not at all. Take the racing line, slip-stream the other cars and win the race, and you'll get a shitload of kudos.

Are the Top Spin rankings screwed at the moment? I've been playing a couple of games on Live today and my ranking is jumping all over the place: so far today I've been ranked 852, 1167, 50 and (weirdest of all) 0???? This is all in the space of about 2 hours.

Mine keeps showing up as either 0 or about thirty thousand, which is a bit irritating.

It's only a bloody database. You'd think they'd be able to get it right.

Another one rushed for christmas. Wankers.