Geek News Roundup for 01/31/10 -- Vanish! X-Zone!

Before I get to the games, I wanted to make note of this.  RIAA, CRIA, and anyone else who is even remotely connected with you guys, I hope you're paying attention: one of the British Lords has called your practice of suing people what it is: legally sanctioned blackmail.  The statement was directed at ACS:Law Solicitors, but I would say it applies to all of you, not just your legal departments.

Wii Fit has been hailed, since it was first released, as one of the best things Nintendo has ever created.  And you'll be pretty hard-pressed to find any detractors.  Well, there are two sides to every story, and for all those people who the software has helped, there are those who are, shall we say, not as co-ordinated as others.  But, as with most activities, moderation and safety are important, and just as tennis players tend not to blame the court for their injuries, Wii Fit players probably shouldn't blame Nintendo for theirs.  They aren't, not yet.  Personally, I'm surprised that this kind of injury made the news, where other sports-related injuries don't.

Some good news for Sony, and they could use good news these days: their Gran Turismo series has passed the 55 million mark.  That's sales of each of the various games in the series, added together.  Gran Turismo 5 is set to add to that later this year, if people can stand the wait.  Remind me: how long ago was GT5: Prologue released?

Not so good news, though, for gamers who are still addicted to the first generation of the Microsoft Xbox, for LIVE service is being discontinued for the original Xbox and all its games on the 15th of April.  It's true that things don't last forever, but what this means is that certain games that have on-line multiplayer can never be played to their full potential unless someone else has an independant solution.  It really shows that things are changing in the gaming market.  Games like Dragon Quest, Final Fantasy, Breath of Fire, etc. will always remain the same, no matter what happens, but now, games like Halo 2 will never be played in the same way, and indeed, those who haven't experienced them yet may never get to enjoy the full experience.

Gamestop is among a group of retailers whose on-line practices regarding credit card numbers is being investigated by New York's Attorney General's office.  The suspicion is that some sites may not be entirely forthcoming with what they do with your credit card information.  I'd already been stopped cold from buying games form Gamestop's website, but if I hadn't, this would've.

Finally, If video games are getting you down and you just want to disappear, you might be able to win $10,000 by doing so.  The only downside?  The contest is only open to Americans.  I should try disappearing for a while.  A couple months, maybe.  I could go a couple months.