Thank you Facebook, not only have you allowed me to waste my time adding virtual books to my profile, now I am officially a Werewolf fighting Vampires, and a Ninja fighting Pirates. I’m one fierce Wereja, bitches!

Anyway, my friends count is up to 9…which really isn’t that high, and when I see that some of my friends have like 150 friends I start feeling a little insecure. But I have assurances that Gilgrim will be joining…well, I sent him an invite…

Here’s something you’ll actually be interested in: WEBCOMICS! Gilgrim just sent me the rough of tomorrow’s strip and I have to say, it shall be most awesomely righteous. And, hold your pants, it’s topical.

One other thing I wanted to share, over the last month we’ve gotten a decent amount of traffic from Canada, England (go Three Lions!), and Australia (Socceroos, oh yeah). Just wanted to mention it because most of our traffic comes from the US, of course (California, and…Minnesota, Kerri?), but it’s cool that people in other countries are checking stuff out. If you’re reading this, and you’re not in the US (or, even if you are for that matter), and you’re not totally repulsed by our “low brow” standards, why not leave a comment…come on, you know you want to…

The Hives - Die, All Right

Happy May Day To All!

GTAIV is still taking much of the limelight for news coverage in the industry buzz-bins, and not without good reason as it is being heralded not only as a major commercial success-milestone, but also as one for cultural controversy and even media artistry… no matter which way you feel on any of the fences provided, there’s no doubt that this is a big deal. But just the same, there are other things to cover, as the gaming industry is an often shifting and morphous being at best, when GTAIV hype dies as it will eventually, other titles and take-overs will be filling the news and buzz space. See if you can figure out which ones are already getting in place for that eventuality here in today’s edition of GNoI:

In a move that may mean nothing at all, Blizzard has acquired webspace, Diablo3 dot com. So now the combined horror of the WoW cultists and the already strong Diablo cultists can begin rejoicing and making more masterplans for ways to never leave their computers… poop sock anyone?
DIABLO3dotcom

According to Activision’s CEO, the current US economy to directly contribute to a price drop in consoles - this is good, because I’m broke, and I still want a 360… come on US bad economy do something useful for once!
Activision-Console Price Drop

Infogrames has now outright and completely purchased Atari for $11mUSD, which is a slight update to previous reports of simple investing, which is, just not a company that I thought anyone would want to spend that sort of money on. It’s sorta’ like:
Taking the ugliest girl home, 4:30 in the morning and drunk off your arse

The mighty personally established herald of geekdom, Will Wheaton, is weighing in on the GTAIV controversy
Will Wheaton’s Geeky GTAIV Wisdom Sauce

The very strong possibility of being disbarred (with the official announcement scheduled for my birthday!) has obviously not been particularly kind to Jack-y-boy Thompson. Yet with a new pic to display the effects of stress on everyone’s fave ambulance chaser, it seems that he will likely be going after GTAIV very soon… Is it just me or does he look a bit lit?
Click only if you have a strong stomach

Kotaku is running an opine piece on the 7 commandments of vid-game design - good stuff as usual and an excellent find from the folks at Kotaku, although I think it has also appeared on the Gama[sutra] and others as well
Kotaku’s 7 Commandments

In honor of GTAIV, GoogleMaps has added a new interactive Liberty City map, because… someone somewhere needed it?
Google Maps Liberty City

In a first for the series, GTAIV has incorporated real life branding with particular companies along side the host of fake ones - specifically clothing and fashion companies
More useless GTAIV stuffs

According to Nolan Bushnell, not only does he not like in-game adverts, he doesn’t think that they work, literally, that’s what he said. For true.
Nolan No Like-y

According to Gawker, GTAIV is the first post-mod-vid-game in no small part due to the multi-media blitz and realization of the title.
GTAIV Post-Modern Vid-Game Art For The Masses

Here it is, your daily does of zen, featuring etchasketch, GTAIV, Michael Bay, Uwe Boll, Dr. Zoidberg, brain implants, Deathrace 2000, and a pocket creature… begin zen upload now:

The etch-a-sketchist has released a new piece, of course, in honor of GTAIVSKETCH

Finally, solid proof that actual (not sci-fi, we’re being serious, in that these are current and real) electronic brain implants actually have long lasting and direct effects on their hosts… now where’s the consumer level version for integrated media???
Brain Power - Bring On the BTL’s!



Just like the Handy Pocket Creature - GNoI is happy to anticipate your needs!

–Aleister

VNV Nation - Genesis

You know The Sun, right? The British “paper” that’s a mishmash of news, sports, soft-core porn and just plain weird ass shit. Today, I read this story, about a man, wearing a blood stained night gown and slippers, who walked into a kebab shop, informed the workers that he killed someone, and then sat in the eatery with his head in his hands until the police arrived. But wait! It gets better. The man, it turns out, is Anthony Morley, the first winner of Mr Gay UK. Hold on…we’re not done yet. When the police go into the Morley’s apartment, they find that he had cut a chunk of leg “meat” off of the victim, and

They found flesh on the kitchen worktop. Tests proved it was human. A police source said: “It appears it was being prepared for cooking.”

Disturbingly well done Sun. Well done, indeed.

First off, let us consider France. Often the target of scorn in this country because the French government did not support our war in Iraq. The French have been the target of at least one notable boycott (attack campaign?) that has not, in fact, caused France any harm.

But consider a recent book written by a member of the French government. The Guide to the Pretty Women of Paris, is essentially, a catalog of the best places in the French capital to see attractive women. The current French administration is, of course, conservative, which makes the book all that sweeter, to me, at least. The author claims that part of his motivation for writing the book is as an attack against political correctness. In this country, of course, the biggest voices against political correctness come from the right…but they would also be those who would oppose this very book (never mind that they are part of a corporate structure that gave the world such high-brow entertainment as Temptation Island, Playing It Straight, Paradise Hotel).

Still not convinced that Europe is far superior to the US? OK then, consider that a recent group of British clerics stated that young people should consider themes like good, evil, redemption and resurrection set against the backdrop of a police box. Don’t you wish pastor’s in this country would start using more Star Wars, or Lord of the Rings (which, actually, makes a lot of sense) in their sermons?

Plus, they have proper football over there.

Death Cab for Cutie - Crooked Teeth