And we didn\'t forget about our job as game reviewers. Eric just got done playing Spider-Man: The Movie (the game) and has his write up. On the plus side, you\'ve never felt so much like a newly irradiated, web-slinging crime fighter. On the downside, it isn\'t real. Click here.

Microsoft games are looking strong this year in general, and although it\'s a good 9 months off, Impossible Creatures looks to continue the trend. Mix and match the most dangerous creatures in the world in this action RTS meets the Island of Dr. Moreau. Click here.

Ubi Soft has a Snake-killer on their hands. Picture this: Millions and millions of gamers arguing for years and years about whether MGS or Splinter Cell is the superior third person stealth action title. That\'s what the future looks like. We\'re all fans of MGS, but this Splinter Cell could make us devotees. Get the whole story here.

One of the ubiquitous topics of E3 this year was online gaming. Specifically, online gaming for consoles was in the air and not since Sega announced SegaNet has there been more interest in the topic. Of course, SegaNet taught us quite a few things “ most importantly that it is possible and enjoyable to play console titles online. It also taught us that a lot can be done with a 56.6 Kb connection and that it is essential to allow groups of local players to take on groups of remote players. SegaNet gave us so much, and many of us Dreamcast fanboys felt more than a twinge of sadness at the death of the system, which didn't wither into old age, but was rather sacrificed for the greater good of the parent company. I can picture the Dreamcast kneeling before a row of Sega execs, knife poised at his chest, "I am sorry I have failed to bring Sega out of the pit it had dug well before I was conceived. Forgiveness, please?"

Infogrames is prepping one of the most hotly anticipated sequels of this year or the next. Unreal Tournament 2003 promises to satisfy the hardcore UT fans as well as bring a whole new generation to the game. Amazing graphics, gameplay enhancements, and lots of cool additions will make it a must have game. Click here.

In what seems like a coup, one of the formative titles from PS2 is jumping to GC exclusivity. Smuggler\'s Run: Warzones will hit Nintendo\'s system this summer, and it\'s likely to please fans and novices alike. New countermeasures, better visuals, and a beefed up multiplayer are just some reasons to check it out. Click here.

Bruce Shelley and the gang have put together a wonderful next installment in the Age of Empires series. Age of Mythology allows you to play several cultures replete with heroes, fantastic creatures, and plenty of heavenly vengeance. The new 3D engine lets you see the action from any angle and zoom. It\'s just beautiful. Click here.

PlayStation2, the words still sound like honey in my ears. Like the culmination of some grand epic, the PlayStation 2 is now a reality and I'm still giddy with excitement. My zealous desire to own a PS2 reached a fevered pitch this week and had me compared to everything from an irrational fanatic to a crack whore looking for a fix.

Hey you, yeah you with the pre-ordered PS2 (who probably won't see it for a few more months)! I want you to slowly put down that VHS copy of Planet of the Apes and run, run I say, from the analog realm of home video. You're going to have a DVD player in just a few weeks. With virtually every movie that you could want to own (see the note on George Lucas at the bottom of the page) on DVD, or that is coming to DVD, you might need a little introduction into the fanatical world that is DVD video.

Dan Birlew is the author of several strategy guides for BradyGames, including Resident Evil 3 and Vagrant Story, and has been assigned to the SquareSoft roster of games. He has and is covering new Square titles like Parasite Eve II, Chrono Cross, and Final Fantasy IX. Birlew has a reputation for high quality work, and a distinct dedication to his craft. GamesFirst!, represented by yours truly, was lucky enough to sit in on a press roundtable discussion with Birlew and Detra Perry, PR Representative for BradyGames. Also in attendance were correspondants from Just Adventure, GameSpin, GameWeek, and The Computer Show. We all had a really nice, and quite long, discussion, ranging in topics from the nitty-gritty construction of a strategy guide, to linquistic and style considerations, to the future of strategy guides and gaming. It was all so fascinating that I followed up the interview with a few more questions, nagging Birlew about some of the deeper issues involved in gaming in general. You can find the GF! Exclusive Followup to the Dan Birlew Interview here, and keep reading to get the rest.

Dan Birlew is the author of several strategy guides for BradyGames, including Resident Evil 3 and Vagrant Story, and has been assigned to the SquareSoft roster of games. He has and is covering new Square titles like Parasite Eve II, Chrono Cross, and Final Fantasy IX. Birlew has a reputation for high quality work, and a distinct dedication to his craft. GamesFirst!, represented by yours truly, was lucky enough to sit in on a press roundtable discussion with Birlew and Detra Perry, PR Representative for BradyGames. Also in attendance were correspondants from Just Adventure, GameSpin, GameWeek, and The Computer Show. We all had a really nice, and quite long, discussion, ranging in topics from the nitty-gritty construction of a strategy guide, to linquistic and style considerations, to the future of strategy guides and gaming. It was all so fascinating that I followed up the interview with a few more questions, nagging Birlew about some of the deeper issues involved in gaming in general. You can find the GF! Exclusive Followup to the Dan Birlew Interview here, and keep reading to get the rest.

Lately I've been spending a lot of time with my copy of Norm Koger's The Operational Art of War, and I have a lot of nice things to say about it. It's deep, it's fun, it's got a great interface”well, OK, it's just a great game. In any case, I was happily playing along in the spiffy 2D mode, feeling nice and comfortable with the familiar board wargame look of the game, when my son looked over my shoulder and suggested we try the 3D view of the game, "you know, the one where the tanks look like tanks instead of chits of cardboard." Figuring it wouldn't hurt to humor him, I switched over to 3D, and”Great Patton's Ghost!--we were confronted with a sight to freeze one's very soul”that of the ugliness that lies at the heart of wargaming. We witnessed wraith-like infantry, indistinct vehicles, Germans wearing green uniforms, Allies grey. It was like World War II on food poisoning.

As you are by now no doubt aware, the stateside release date for the PlayStation 2 has officially been announced as October 26, 2000 at an unexpectedly low (although I did win a bet on this one against Rick) $299. As you are also by now aware, Sony is not going to ship an unlimited number of these babies. While I can\'t seem to find my notes as to exactly how many units it was, I do recall shifting a bit uncomfortably in my chair and fighting off the urge to run to the nearest phone and preorder. And why? Because every damn PSX owner in the country is going to get one of these things (unless they are completely insane or financially strapped) as soon as they hit the shelves. If you saw any footage of the Japanese release, perhaps it reminded you of a business suit version of the Cabbage Patch riots of ?84\"mobs of drooling fanatics hopped up on barely concealed consumer rage and nearly bursting bladders, refusing to leave their space in line for any but the most dire of emergencies.

I\'ve wanted to write an editorial about female gamers for a long time now; I just didn\'t know what I wanted to say. I toyed with the idea of slamming the sexist way women are portrayed in games, mainly because I felt like complaining about how sick I am of seeing Lara Croft\'s square butt everywhere. But I realized that both sexes are hyper-idealized in video games. Metal Gear Solid wouldn\'t have had the same effect if Solid Snake was a screechy-voiced, pimply-faced, fat guy (well maybe that would be kind of fun). We live in an age of equal opportunity sexism. Women have anorexic Vogue models to look up to and men have their muscle-bound fantasies fueled by Men\'s Health and GQ. I decided that it\'s not the games or the gamers that are the problem, but the damned video game advertisers along with a strong dose of our cultural stereotypes.

In the grand scheme of things the Dreamcast hasn't sold as well as it could have and I don't think there's any real mystery as to why this is so. A lot of people felt like they got burnt by the Saturn and they've lost faith in Sega's ability to deliver the goods. Gamers coughed up 299 bucks to take a stroll through the next generation system, but then a little something called the PlayStation showed up and preceded to whoop Sega's ass all up and down the isles of your local videogame store. When Resident Evil came out it gave gamers an experience they'd never had before and the Saturn was on the ropes. Sony landed jabs and uppercuts and if you listened closely you could hear bones breaking. Final Fantasy VII rolled out and "Fatality" echoed in the background. FFVII helped sell a bajillion more Playstations, and the Saturn basically just disappeared. When the dust settled and the blood was mopped up Sony was the undisputed champion of the console world and Sega's mangled remains were unceremoniously kicked aside, and the videogame world moved on.