But again I think back to Drake’s adventures in Uncharted 2 for one reason alone: my wife would come into the room and watch me while I played. She doesn’t like playing games, and likes watching them even less…but with this particular game, she wouldn’t complain or ask if we could watch something else; she would just sit and watch. This was absolutely unprecedented and has never happened with any other game I’ve played. Some games she tolerates for a while before asking that we do/watch something else, others she can barely tolerate for 30 seconds. *cough* Modern Warfare 2 *cough* But Uncharted 2 was different – it drew her in and held her interest like she was watching a good action movie. Sure, there are plenty of gunfights (which she’s not exactly a fan of), but they always took place somewhere new, somewhere interesting. The venues were constantly shifting. The dialog always new, fresh. Well acted and well written. Uncharted 2 had more in common with a feature-length film, and better, for lack of a better word, cinematography, than any game I’ve ever played. So she would sit. And watch.

God of War 3 is certain to be filled with just as many awe-inspiring vistas and cinematic wonders, but eviscerating centaurs and graphically decapitating Greek gods puts it in a different class of spectators games than Uncharted 2. I picture a group of guys huddled around the lone TV in the house, cheering their pal as he pilots Kratos around Mount Olympus…but that’s not really anything new. Heck, that was my colleague experience with gaming.

Uncharted 2 gives non-gamers a more approachable entertainment experience. Anyone can plop down on the couch, enjoy the surprisingly witty banter between the characters and watch crazy action that you’d see in the best summer popcorn flicks. There’s even entertaining dialog during some of the action set pieces. Everyone in the room is given an enjoyable experience, not just the person gripping the controller.

Very few games transcend the typical gaming experience of a single person sitting blasting away at on-screen enemies while eyes of everyone else in the room glaze over with boredom. But that seems to be changing. I’ve already mentioned God of War 3 as another game that does more to (bloodily) entertain everyone in the room. The Mass Effect series also does a fine job of creating interesting characters in interesting settings that actually say things that you want to hear. I’ve also heard that Heavy Rain also provides an experience that would cause the casual bystander to sit and watch. 

This is my great hope for gaming; games that I can play with my wife in the room that don’t put me on the receiving end of the ‘turn it off or I slap you’ look.

My favorite Bridges movie? Hands down, The Big Lebowski. Ok, so maybe playing an unemployed burned out stoner in search of some rich guy’s wife whom he happens to share a name with might not be the most challenging role. But the thing about Bridges is that whether he’s playing “The Dude,” or horse owner Charles Howard in Seabiscuit, or Country musician Bad Blake in Crazy Heart, he gives a performance that lets you believe that he is those characters and you wouldn’t be able to imagine anybody else playing the part.

So, here’s to Jeff Bridges on his well-deserved Oscar win last night.

Prior to the Olympics, hockey in the US was in a state of decline. In the 2007-2008 season, USA Hockey reported 468,202 participants nationwide and declined to 465,975 during the 2008-2009 season. Often in the US, hockey is considered the 4th major sport, and a good argument could be made that NASCAR or the Professional Golf Association could be more popular. Don’t believe me? I’d be willing to bet the majority of the nation wouldn’t have been able to name just five players in the NHL. Go ahead try it…can you name five? You wouldn’t find any other sport that can remain so ambiguous to the nation’s population. So why is there a perceived change in how Americans view this once dying sport? And how was this game able to have higher ratings than any game of the 2009 World Series or NBA Finals?

International Competition

The Olympics provide competition at a level professional sports just can’t match up to. It’s an event that allows countries to come together to prove their patriotism. In the ‘80s the US rallied together, fueled by their displeasure with Russia, to win hockey gold against the Soviets in the heart of The Cold War. To this day, most Americans still shudder hearing of a Russian gold medal. Today, America’s greatest enemy is arguably one that doesn’t claim a country. Given that Al Qaeda isn’t a recognized competitor by the International Olympic Committee it’s difficult to find an opponent the United States can rally to pull against. So, why not root against the neighbors to the north? This particular Olympics was the perfect storm for a US/Canada gold medal hockey matchup. The game was held in Canada’s back yard in a city not more than an hour from the closest US border and at an event that the United States was already dominating every other Olympic category. Not to mention, the US previously beat Canada in a seeding matchup. The interest was there, both amongst Canadians and Americans.

Broadcast

The Olympic Games were broadcast during primetime television slots. Much to the displeasure of the west coast viewers, but that’s a completely different topic. Broadcasting the events during primetime, however controversial it may have been, allowed for a much wider audience to view not only hockey, but other Olympic events as well. I didn’t even know speed skating relay races existed or that it required pushing a teammate to advance. Also, events were broadcast on a national network in high-definition. NHL games are rarely televised nationally and on even more rare occasions are they ever in HD.

Unsung Heroes

America loves the underdog. So, when the scrappy US Hockey Team was set to take on the powerful Canadians, a country that lives, breathes, eats and sleeps hockey, you could just see a love affair in the making. When US Goalkeeper Ryan Miller amazed us with his well-timed and mind-blowing saves that led to his Tournament MVP title, we became even more hopeful, some to the point of cockiness. The appeal of this US Hockey Team was that for the most part, the American people had no idea who any of these guys were. They watched and picked out their favorite players from game-to-game and experienced a feeling as if they had watched these players right grow before their very eyes, as if they were playing pee-wee hockey and the viewers were the proud parents.

Now, the Olympics are over. The love affair suspended. Will the success of the USA Hockey Team translate to the NHL? I think it will, to a degree. As I mentioned earlier, the NHL is rarely broadcast on a national level and even more, rarely on HD. If TV networks want to take advantage of newfound fans of the sport they are going to have to increase the coverage and increase the quality of the coverage.  A google search for the NHL broadcast schedule brought up zero hits from national networks and google even asked if I meant NFL Broadcast Schedule. That’s a problem for a sport trying to take advantage of it’s new-found fans.

How say you? Are you more apt to watch an NHL game because of the Olympics? Did you watch the Olympics? Can you name five players?

Earlier this month, former Washington State University Athletic Director Jim Sterk informed WSU officials he would be leaving to take the same position at San Diego State University. Ok, so what? The athletic director is leaving, I really wasn’t overly excited or disappointed about the news. More neutral than anything. 

The interesting part about this development is not that the AD bolted from the paradise that is Pullman to the hell-hole of San Diego (OK, I take that back, I probably would have done the same thing). The interesting part is the search for a new athletic director and the complete openness the Wazzu administration has had with the coaches, alumni and students of the university. Traditionally, during a search for a new coach, athletic director or any other position of importance, schools like to keep the search as far away from the public as possible. There are many reasons why an institution would do this, as frustrating as it could be.

Washington State University President Elson S. Floyd decided to break the mold with his search for a new athletic director. Since Floyd took over as President in late 2006, he has shown an openness and transparency with those interested about Washington State University. Personally, since he took over, I have received several e-mails titled, “A Special Message from President Elson S. Floyd.” The communication from the President has been a welcome change from the previous tight-lipped regime of V. Lane Rawlins.

Today, I received one of these e-mails about the search for a new athletic director from President Floyd. The following e-mail further supports the open-communication the president has with the coaches, alumni and students. Not to mention is an unheard of practice in college sports.

I don’t think I’ve ever heard of a person in power disclose such information about a hiring procedure with the public. It’s a testament to the type of person Floyd is and further proof that while WSU may be the smallest school in the PAC-10, they realize the importance of creating open dialogue with their fan base. I barely know anything about Bill Moos or what he did at Oregon, but just from reading the overall support given to him by coaches, administrators and fans, I can’t help but be excited the Cougs have offered him a contract. Of course, such a bold action has been made easier because of the overwhelming support from all parties. But one can’t wonder if we are beginning to see a shift in the way universities communicate with their audiences. Verdict: POP!

Seattle has more than a few places that can help you create your signature burger, but for me, the best place is The Lunchbox Laboratory. Small, unkempt and kitschy, this place has an overwhelming number of options to help you create your meat masterpiece. The shakes are great, too.

But recently, a contender for best custom burger joint opened up in Ballard: The Counter. Located in the sort of new Ballard Blocks shopping...thing, The Counter is the cleaned up presentable version of the Lunchbox. When you visit, the first thing you’ll notice (at least the first thing I noticed) is how the signage and typeface make you wonder if you’re not actually about to eat at an office supply store. Once inside, you might be taken aback by the sterile, almost hospital-like interior design of the place. Muted whites and grays dominate, with aluminum chairs. It’s very clean and most certainly antithetical to getting messy with a ridiculous custom burger.

When you enter, a nice person will hand you your menus: clipboards with a list of pre-configured burgers printed on them as well as a pencil and a pad of burger building sheets with the various components on them. This is the ideal way to dine at The Counter. If you come here and select a pre-built burger, then you’re missing the point.

The list of options available to you is extensive (but less so than at the Lunchbox) so I won’t detail them here other than to say you can choose the size of hamburger patty, the type of bun, sauces, cheese, and additions like bacon, onions, etc. On my trip, I built or sort of weird Greek burger, with bacon, feta and tsatsiki. I also got a half and half order of sweet potato fries and fried onions to share with a friend who was with me.

After taking our custom burger slips, the waiter came back less than 10 minutes later with our food, which I thought was pretty fast. This made me suspicious, but I can’t really explain why. I guess I just didn’t want to admit a burger really is “fast food”.

My burger was as I had ordered it, but the tsatsiki was on the side, which I thought was odd. It also wasn’t very good tsatsiki, so maybe they were doing me a favor.

So how was it? Well, it was a burger. It was cooked perfectly (a little pink inside). It was THE burger I built, so I guess I can’t really blame anyone but myself for not being blown away. All of the extras I requested were there, but they didn’t feel like a cohesive thing. It was just a collection of foods picked from a sheet. The experience was as sterile as the dining room I was eating in.

The sides were ok, nothing remarkable.

In the plus column, they’ve got a nice selection of local beers as well as a full bar, which is interesting but maybe a little incongruent to the idea of a “burger joint”.

Ultimately, I think The Counter is fine, but if you’re after a custom-made burger, you can do a lot better in Seattle. I probably won’t be back, but it does make me want to take another trip to the Lab…

Fizzle.

Disclaimer: In older posts I’ve proclaimed myself a hardcore non-fiction fan. I still am but last week I found myself thrust in the middle of something that was way over my head and guess what I did to cope? Read trashy teen fiction. And oooooh boy, was this stuff trashy.That’s not to say the lot of it was badly written but there were times when I had to stop reading and laugh hysterically. Belief can only be suspended so far, after all, before the lines start to snap.

These are rather irreverent reviews so if you want my serious  (read: more intelligent) take, drop me a line on Twitter or some such.

Also, I am TOTALLY providing spoilers for these books. As in, “it was Miss Scarlet in the library with the candlestick” type of spoiler. I’m warning you now just so I can disregard your angry comments later.

So without further ado…

Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick

Unbelievable premise: A sexy, mysterious boy and a smart, vulnerable yet snarky girl get paired up together in biology class. Sparks fly. Triangles are created. Scars are revealed. Murder is attempted- several times, Uh, do I really need to warn you about a spoiler? Guess what the mysterious boy is? He’s a freaking fallen angel. I mean, look at the damn cover.

Pros: Unbelievable premise is interesting. And the cover is pretty. Patch (yeah, that’s his name- seriously), the mysterious boy aka Fallen Angel dude isn’t completely unlikeable.

Cons: Everything and everyone else. The main character, Nora, is annoying. She’s attracted to Patch because he’s kind of a jerk and makes a lot of snarky comments towards/about her- yeah, every girl’s dream, right? And the dude works as a busboy or some crap which, yeah, if I was a fallen angel with the ability to make people do what I want them to do, I’d totes get a job at the local burrito place. Not.

Also, her father was murdered and what does her mom do? Leave her alone for most of the week in a big farmhouse in BFE so she can go sell antiques upstate or something.

Conclusion: I give this four out of ten pirate swords.

The cover is pretty and would make a nice addition to your coffee table. Not gonna lie though, I’m TOTALLY getting the sequel, just to know WTF this dude’s real name is. Patch the Fallen Angel sounds too much like Puff the Magic Dragon, if you ask me.

Need and it’s sequel, Captive, by Carrie Jones

Unbelievable premise:  Pixies. Pixies that have blue skin and sharp teeth but hide it all under something called a glamour. Pixies that go to high school in a small Maine town and have nothing better to do than to harass the new girl, whose father just died and whose mother sent her to live with her grandmother because she couldn’t deal with the sad-girl faces she kept making. Why do these pixies bug the new girl? Because she’s a hippie… and a pixie princess. Who has a werewolf boyfriend (Nick) with control issues. And is friends with like a were-eagle, a psychic, a human… and whose grandmother is a were-tiger. Oh and the school nurse is a were-bear (not to be confused with a Care bear). The first book sets up the second book which sets up the as-yet-unreleased third book.

Pros: The premise makes it sound laughable- and it is, but dude, I kinda dug these two. The main character, Zara, is a tree-hugging, peace-promoting, phobia-reciting bundle of nerves but she totally worked for me. I didn’t quite like the other characters as much but the pixies weren’t a bunch of Keebler-elf copies, which is a good thing.

Cons: Dude. Pixies and were-(insert animal here).

Conclusion:  I give these books six out of ten penguin scarves.

If  you’re stuck in a bookstore and someone has a gun to your head and is forcing you to buy a book RIGHTNOW but you’ve read everything else you could ever be possibly interested in… these books aren’t a bad choice.

Lament: The Faerie Queen's Deception, and it’s sequel/companion, Ballad: A Gathering of Faerie by Maggie Stiefvater

Unbelievable premise:  Not pixies this time but fairies who decide to harass a gifted harpist named Deirdre who has a tendency to throw up before any public performances. She meets a mysterious boy (sound familiar?) and has several encounters with nasty versions of the creatures usually found hanging out with Peter Pan who try and kill her. In Ballad, however, the point of view switches over to her best friend, James, while they're enrolled in a school for gifted musicians. He has his own encounters with fairies and other creatures of the dark.

Pros: So… these were actually good. I could re-read them both and actually (gasp) enjoy them. The characters were smart and (dare I say) likeable. The dialogue was smart and funny. The pacing was good (except Ballad dragged a little) and the prose flowed smoothly. I’d actually grown to like Deirdre and James and got a little choked up when Deirdre had to make a tough decision (best friend or boyfriend who’s been tortured for the past thousand years, whose life do I save?) at the end of Lament.

Cons: That boyfriend I talked about? The one who’d been tortured for a thousand years? Yeah, I didn’t fall in love with him. He was mysterious, sure, and not a one dimensional bad boy like Patch or Edward-Jacob hybrid like Nick but I couldn’t figure out why it was Deirdre got all moony-eyed over the dude. Maybe it was because he held her hair back when she threw up that one time? The sequel/companion book was all about James, the snarky sidekick and while his POV was much more fun to read, this book fell flat for me. It’s well written but for some reason, I wasn’t as engaged as I was in Lament.

Conclusion:  I give these books eight out of ten platform heels.

Rainy day, nothing to do, no one to hang out with? Read these books.

Deadly Little Secret, and it’s sequel, Deadly Little Lies, by Laurie Faria Stolarz

Unbelievable premise:  A boy pops out of nowhere and pulls an Edward Cullen ala Twilight, saving Camelia from… something. I think it was a bus or a car or something. I can’t remember because these books were boring and long. Anyway, he fondles her belly or something before sprinting away so she doesn’t even get this name. He pops up again at her school months later and she’s like OMG U SAVED ME while he’s all like U IZ CRAZY! The boy, Ben, has a mysterious past (which makes him an object of fear and contempt and… dumb school pranks) and he also has the power to tell if someone is in danger by touching them. For some reason though, he can’t figure out how Camelia is in danger, or if she is. Anyway, at the end of book one he runs away and in book two…. he comes back.

Also thrown in: love triangles, dead ex-girlfriends, crazy lunatic aunts, family secrets and pottery scenes taken straight out of the movie Ghost.

Pros: Uh….

Cons:  Oh where do I begin? Ben was a whiny little bitch and I wanted him to either grow some or play in traffic somewhere. Camelia was equally as annoying (“La-de-da, people are sending me creepy messages and pajamas and breaking into my room but I won’t tell my parents because I’m sure it’s nothing!”) and her two sidekicks were caricatures of eccentric high schoolers. In short- the characters weren’t likeable, the plot was convoluted and not at all mysterious and the angst meter was turned up to HIGH, making it almost a comedy.

Conclusion:  No rating needs. Just don’t bother.

So there you have it. I’ve actually read about five more books but figured this post would get too long. And if you were wondering why I bothered spending money on any of these books, rest assured I didn’t. They were all actually a Christmas present from someone who thought it would be hysterical to send me Twilight-esque novels.

Here we are again. Another Monday following another Sunday with a major pop culture event. Raise your hand if you watched the Super Bowl last night. If your hand is up, you are part of the 35.03% of Americans who set a new television-watching record.

The 2010 Super Bowl garnered 106.5 million viewers, which set a new record for most viewers for a single television program. With 500,000 more viewers, it surpassed the series finale of M*A*S*H, which had held the record since 1983, though with the increased number of television sets in homes, its actually a lower percentage.

But with 35.03% of Americans tuning in to the Super Bowl, there were roughly 51.7% of American office employees talking about the Saints' gutsy onside kick, Peyton Manning's late game interception and the incredible amount of money GoDaddy.com wasted.

With this continued interest in the sporting event and the hoopla surrounding it, it's no wonder than CBS can continue to rake in $2.5 - 3 million per 30-second spot. But is it worth it? For a major brand, is shelling out the cash for enough spots to make a splash really going to help the bottom line?

That's the question Pepsi poses as it chose to forgo Super Bowl ads this year and instead direct funding toward its Refresh Project, a crowd-sourced philanthropic endeavor to give away grants to worthy causes. And while the majority of this morning's water cooler conversations might not have included Pepsi, some did, whereas shelling out the cash for Super Bowl ads might not have made Pepsi a Twitter trending topic anyway.

What shall be interesting to watch is whether other major brands, with solid marketshare, reputation, brand recognition and loyalty choose to follow suit. If these brands pull out of the Super Bowl and opt for a more long-burning activity than this flash in the pan, that will shape the way viewers, networks and advertisers approach the game.

If major brands pull out, smaller brands and start-ups (who need an initial splash of name recognition) can get in...if they can afford it. If fewer brands can afford to buy spots, networks will have to drop the ad price, which opens up a whole new demographic of companies to the possibility of Super Bowl advertisement. But will these companies still be shelling out for production value? Will we see a decline in interest in the commercials and people return to timing their "pit stops" during commercials? Have Super Bowl ads "jumped the shark"?

What a sight, wouldn’t you agree? On this beautiful February day in Seattle we’re experiencing slightly cloudy skies with a temperature of 59 degrees. As the sun begins to set it puts the city in a nice warm glow of golden rays. It really is a nice reminder of what a great city we live in. Don’t believe me? Check out Exhibit A on the left. I literally took that picture 10 minutes ago! Just don’t ask the NFL what they think. As we approach one of the biggest weekends for football I’m always reminded that no matter how nice of a stadium we build, how great our fans are in Seattle, or how much money we throw to the NFL Super Bowl selection committee, a Super Bowl will NEVER be played in Seattle.  Forget about it…not going to happen. There’s a general guideline that cities need an average temperature above 50 degrees to host a Super Bowl in a stadium not covered by a dome.

So, while we’re enjoying the amazing February weather in Seattle, the actual site of the Super Bowl, Miami is getting  dumped on by rain. How ironic is that? Please witness Exhibit B on the right. That looks like fun, doesn’t it? By the way, how hard does it have to rain to require a poncho/umbrella combination? Miami joins New Orleans and Los Angeles as the most frequent sites for the Super Bowl.

So why? Why is there a requirement on temperature? The reason I’ve heard most often is cold weather can have a negative impact on the outcome of a game. That might be the most ridiculous argument I’ve ever heard. Divisional and Championship Playoff games are played in stadiums with average temperatures below 50 degrees and those games are every bit as good as the Super Bowl. Some say it’s because the fans deserve not to be placed in cold weather. This is a little more valid of an argument but really? Come on. NFL fans can handle a bit of the cold. They’re the same fans living in Green Bay, Chicago, Boston and New York.

It’s time for the fans to fight back! As the rule stands, the Super Bowl will never be featured in the NFL shrines that are Lambeau and Soldier Fields. Markets like New York, Boston and Seattle will never see the spectacle. Does that sound right? I say we do something about it. I’m proposing a full-on grassroots campaign where we tell the NFL to “Chill Out!” Cities will combine to hold rallies, pass-out flyers, write local politicians and team owners, all with the single goal of Super Bowl selection equality. Cities should not be judged by their temperature, but the qualification for holding a championship game. We CAN do it and the NFL should listen. We want the NFL Championship in our own backyard. Join me, in the fight for equality!

Recently my 4-year old daughter and I decided (well, I mostly did the deciding) to go try out a new restaurant just down the street from our home in West Seattle, Table 35. It’s in the spot previously used by Ama Ama, an oyster bar I never got a chance to check out, and from the outside, looks like a nice place.

When we walked in, the first thing I noticed (“assaulted with” almost seems more appropriate) was the mix of sights and sounds. Loud, possibly live, piano lounge music, with vocals, was coming from somewhere unseen while a basketball game played silently on a large screen television in the back as well as multiple TVs behind the bar. Combine this with the curtain of faux jewels splitting the dining area in two, the sort of modern/sort of retro design choices and the mix of clientele (middle-agers, elderly folks and me and my daughter) and you get a very weird scene. I don’t know how much of a demand there is in West Seattle for a piano sports bar with possibly a senior discount, but there it is.

We were seated pretty quickly and handed our paperwork. Our server was courteous and asked my daughter directly what she would like to drink, which is a nice touch. Often, servers will just look to me as if my daughter is incapable of communication. This always bugs me.

The menu was small, limited to one page, which was nice to see after reviewing the initial menu they posted online when they opened. Unfortunately, it’s still impossible to figure out just what kind of cuisine this place thinks it’s good at, even with the now-condensed menu. A few pasta dishes, a steak dish, prawn etoufee, a few sandwiches...I guess the theme is “eclectic”?

We also received a happy hour one-sheet and a modest list of the grape juices they offer. I like wine, but I’m in no way qualified to judge the quality of a wine list. The happy hour bites looked ok, so I went for one, the grilled garlic chicken skewers with potato garlic spread ($6).

Noticeably absent was a children’s menu, which kind of bugged me. How dare a new restaurant open up in family friendly West Seattle and neglect to provide a children’s menu! Ok, so my indignation was nowhere near that level, but still, if taken from just a good business perspective, to me it would make sense to accommodate the families living all around you. They didn’t even have apple juice. Of course, Matador just down the street doesn’t even allow kids inside, so I guess I shouldn’t complain.

With no kids menu, I had to figure out what we could share. I knew most of what was offered she wouldn’t eat (she’s super picky), but pasta’s usually a safe bet and for me, it’s always worked as a decent litmus test for a restaurant: are you a pasta + sauce restaurant or do you take care to make something special? I ordered the Rigatoni Bolognese ($15), admittedly setting the bar low but also giving the restaurant a chance to wow me with a unique take.

To recap, we’ve ordered grilled chicken skewers, some pasta and sauce and two drinks (iced tea for me, a Shirley Temple for the little lady). The drinks come and we wait. And we wait a bit more. A few iPhone games to soothe the savage 4-year old (she loves Topple)…About 20 minutes later, we get both the chicken and the pasta at the same time. Ok, I guess that works, though I sort of assumed the chicken would come as an appetizer.

At this point in the review I should apologize for not taking any pictures of the food, but really, you’re not missing much.

But how did it taste? Well, the rigatoni was pasta + sauce. It wasn’t “bad”, it was just pedestrian, uninspired and boring. But my daughter was eating it, so win? In the plus column, the portion size was good.

The chicken skewers I actually really enjoyed, but the portion size was a bit small. The chicken was prepared well and the potato spread was a nice, if unusual, accompaniment.

Eventually, the server brought the bill. Dinner for one and a half came out to 28 bucks, before tip. I know how math works and bonus! I also know how to read, so the bill wasn’t a surprise. What was a surprise was how little the price of this dinner was justified by the quality of the food we just ate. Not a good value.

I’ve got no complaints about the service. Water glasses were filled and the manager/owner even made the rounds, checking in on guests and bussing tables. Nice to see that.

Ultimately, though, I can’t recommend Table 35, and I hate writing that because I so want good quality establishments setting up shop in my ‘hood. The location they’ve chosen seems to be cursed as it’s continuously cycling through failed restaurants (two in the last four years). I was hoping the cycle might have been broken, but given my dinner experience, I don’t think it is. Fizzle.

Problem is, game publishers make their money off the initial sale of the game (and any ensuing DLC) but they don’t see a dime come from aftermarket sales. And with the economy being in the crapper for the foreseeable future, I’d wager that used game sales and online game swapping are only going to keep increasing.

To entice “the cheapos” to buy new, it’s become commonplace to offer unique in-game items (special armor, character skins, etc.) or special editions (night vision goggles, anyone?) to those preordering or purchasing at retail. Given that these really don’t affect the core game that I’m buying on the disc, that’s perfectly fine. If people want to dress up Dante from Dante’s Inferno as Isaac Clarke from Dead Space, they can go nuts. And people will. I know people that love that stuff.

But today I saw a new twist  to force people to purchase at retail: locking content on the game disc that you just purchased because you didn’t buy from a given retailer. Case in point, as explained today on Gamasutra:

The North American console versions of DICE's Battlefield: Bad Company 2 are saddled with an unusual multiplayer restriction: for the first month following the game's release, only those who preordered the game from GameStop will have access to the game's "Squad Rush" multiplayer mode.

The mode is an objective-based battle between two teams of four players each. Those with preorder-based access will also be able to invite their friends to play with them throughout the 30-day exclusivity period.

PC copies of Bad Company 2, which share a March 2 release date with the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions, have no such multiplayer restrictions, nor do any of the European SKUs launching three days later.

The first Bad Company featured a weapon set that could be unlocked if you A) jumped through a handful of annoying self-promotional hoops place there by EA, or B) waiting for EA to provide the unlock. I begrudgingly chose option A and gained access to weapons that turned out to be not all that great after all.

I loved the first Bad Company and was planning on purchasing BC2 in March. What I didn’t plan on was having to purchase from Gamestop to play content that will be locked if I purchase from, say, Amazon or Best Buy. I’m still going to buy the game, but absolutely not from GameStop. I’ll wait my four weeks to play what should rightfully be available, or at least somehow attainable, from the get-go. I have principals; one of which dictates that it’s wrong to seal off content on a disc that I just purchased.

Oh EA, you woo me with awesome new IP like Dead Space, Mirror’s Edge and (slightly rip-off-y) Dante’s Inferno, and then you do something underhanded like this. Unacceptable.