For a limited time, DAZ Productions is offering full versions of DAZ Studio Pro 4, Bryce Pro 7, and Hexagon 2.5 FOR FREE! For you graphics-aholics or game designers *cough Matt cough* , this is $800 worth of well-regarded professional graphics programs for free!!!

DAZ Studio Pro 4 = human figure graphics, posing, & animation program.

Karateka (Apple II)To the delight of 8-bit videogame fans everywhere, the legendary Karateka will soon be getting a reboot courtesy of original developer, Jordan Mechner, for the downloadable game services on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. As we know with the long history of Archon remakes, it can take many years and iterations to finally hit on a proper remake formula, but at least Mechner is saying all the right things in interviews, trying to take direct inspiration from the original. After all, although Karateka is a type of playable martial arts film, it kept its gameplay simple and approachable, something fighting games have all but forgotten since the rise of Street Fighter II, and the related over-the-top, combo-heavy, and sometimes button mashing approaches to hand-to-hand combat.

After announcing only yesterday that the Amazon look inside feature for our new book, My Xbox: Xbox 360, Kinect, and Xbox LIVE, was active, it turns out that it is now available for purchase and immediate delivery almost everywhere in both paperback and ebook versions, though not every bookseller will have both versions available just yet. For instance, Amazon has the paperback version available right now, but not the Kindle version, while Barnes & Noble has the Nook version available, but not the paperback. The publisher has sent various press and review copies out, so I'll keep you informed as new reviews and coverage rolls in. Besides using the look inside features of sites like Amazon and Safari Books Online, you can go straight to the publisher's Website, Que, and download Chapter 2 in PDF format for free (it also includes the Index; just select the sample from the "Sample Content & TOC" tab), which is the networking chapter. While that's not necessarily the most exciting topic in the book, it will give you a great idea of how visual and helpful the whole book really is, with multiple color images, callouts and diagramming on practically every page.

If you or someone you know thinks that the wealth of features available in the Xbox 360 are a bit overwhelming, this is the book that will finally bring it all together and have it make sense, and, unlike the other Xbox 360 books already out on the subject, this one covers all the latest features, including the new dashboard, so what you see in the book is what you'll see on your console and TV. Here's a high-level overview of the main chapter titles in the book:

Our latest book, My Xbox: Xbox 360, Kinect, and Xbox LIVE will soon be available at booksellers everywhere in both print and ebook formats. While you can of course pre-order now for delivery in a few weeks, Amazon has enabled their nifty "Click to LOOK INSIDE!" feature, so you can get a taste of the book's content right now. Let me know what you think!

What Arcade-games did you use to play? When did you play them? And where? In the Arcades or somewhere else?

Interghost did a great video on it and made it a TAG:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3PZ7CJ1uC9s
This is my response to it. If you don't know Interghost yet - please go check out his video and channel.
http://www.youtube.com/user/Interghost

Alright then, at the suggestion of a friend and knowing some just will not use FACEBOOK I am trying out my first themed page on GOOGLE+ !

There's a new Humble Indie Bundle, #4, so of course we couldn't help but mention it. Contribute what you want for a bundle of up to seven awesome DRM-free games on Windows, Macintosh, and Linux: Shank, Super Meat Boy, NightSky, Jamestown, Bit.Trip Runner, Gratuitous Space Battles, and Cave Story+. You can choose your contribution to go to any split of Developers, Charity, and Humble Tip, the latter of which goes to Humble Bundle Inc. itself.

Give the promo video below a watch as well, as it's pretty darn entertaining in its own right:

Thanks to A2Central.com for the heads-up that Apple Game Server Online! is now, well, online. For those who still rock original Apple II computer series systems or compatibles, this means you can now use your iPhone 4, iPad 2, Firefox, Chrome, Safari, and more to load games onto your classic system via its standard cassette input jack. While there are a variety of flash- and cable-based solutions for doing a similar thing - and of course original software itself - this is a particularly intriguing, convenient, and zero cost option. Over 100 games are presently available.

The San Antonio Express-News has posted the Web version of their article, The game isn't over yet for retro gamers. While I am clearly mentioning this particular article because I was interviewed in it, I'm also happy to say that it's well-written and researched, which is certainly not the norm for something mainstream like this. So, head on over to their Website and check out the article on our favorite hobby, pronto!