I’m sure we’ve all heard some tall tales in our time, but this one is awesome:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6Vwg3r2O_g

Oh those horny French screenwriters.  

Thanks to Matt for the clip.

Why is it that I’ll go through four pints of beer (at $5 per pint) without a second thought on a good night out, yet will hesitate at the idea of purchasing a video game via Xbox Live or the Playstation Store as it seems too expensive at about $15-$20…?

I’m sure I’d get more hours of enjoyment out of a video game than four pints of beer in the long run… and with less bathroom breaks.

Molly’s Mom got a present for our cats: a stuffed fish on the end of a fishing rod. The result? Our cats went NUTS trying to get this thing, and when Coconut finally succeeded, he wouldn’t let go. I ended up bending the rod trying to free the fish, but I’ll find something to replace it with. Thanks Carol!

I’m sure most of us have been in this situation: You wish that your girlfriend or significant other would join you in your love of gaming, and not scoff at the notion of you spending untold hours blasting away NPC enemies or online jerk-offs… and sometimes your friends.

Some of us are lucky, and have a girl who not only knows how to use a controller, but actually enjoys gaming. Some of us are even more fortunate to have a girl who will regularly beat the living shit out of you in whatever game you two decide to play. Well, perhaps you aren’t so fortunate in that latter case. Ha!

However, for the rest of us (and by “us”, I mean “you”, as Molly enjoys the odd game, and will sometimes cheer me on), Clara Barraza at IGN Australia was kind enough to provide us (again, “you”) with some handy tips to help get your girl more involved:

10. Keep the Bouncing to a Minimum

Yeah, we get it – you like boobs. And it’s no big secret game designers like them too. But before you pull out the ol’ Dead or Alive, consider this: just how comfortable would you be sleeping on that couch? Not very? I thought not. Console games have predominately been dubbed as being ‘designed by guys, for guys’ and it doesn’t take a scientist to realise what you fellas’ like to see, but subjecting your girlfriend to an hour of ridiculously proportioned Double D’s taking up half the screen while you sit there giggling is one sure fire way to guarantee she won’t be coming near you or your joystick any time soon.

9. Make Beautiful Music Together

Guitar Hero and its oestrogen-fuelled counterpart, SingStar are is are a sure fire winner if your girlfriend looks completely and hopelessly disinterested in any other games you show her, and then at least you can argue that the Playstation 3 was a social investment, even if 99.9% of the time, your butt’s in front of it. Your girlfriend will be more than happy to challenge to you to a karaoke duel rather than sit down to a Call of Duty deathmatch (unless she’s into that – in which case grab hold of her and never, ever let go).

8. Give Her Something to Grab Onto

Games are definitely more fun when you use more than just your thumbs to play them. Once again, Nintendo has secured its position as the leader of gaming peripherals on the at home console, with their games incorporating the Wii-mote motion sensor technology. Play something a little more interactive with your girlfriend, such as Wii Sports, or a shooter with weapon peripherals like Time Crisis. Plus we all know nothing’s hotter than girls with guns.

7. Co-operation is Key

Now trust me on this one, it’s unadulterated gold. Are you ready for it? Here it comes: the reason girls will get annoyed that you’re playing games isn’t because you’re not doing housework or you appear to them to be ‘wasting your time’. It’s because you’re giving something else your complete and utter attention – and it’s not her. Even worse, you’re having fun! You’re having fun without her and she’s in the same room as you. Big no-no. Really, the only thing it comes down to is that she wants to spend time with you and she wants to have fun too. Easy as pie. So involve her. Sit down to a game with co-op, such as Lego Star Wars, and work through it together. She might not be great at it, but she’ll be happy – and isn’t that what’s most important? Oh, and she won’t be nagging you either, that’s important too.

6. Kick It Old School

I’ll wager your girlfriend has had at least some sort of contact with games when she was younger, particularly if she has a brother. Playing Golden Eye or Mario Kart on the 64, playing Tetris on a friend’s Game Boy, or giving Street Fighter a go at the local corner shop – at some point in their lives, most girls have picked up a controller and played a game. This usually means these games would bring about the nostalgia of being a kid and having that kind of innocent fun again. Invest in their old childhood console and as a bonus, seal a little bit of retro action for yourself.

5. Keep It Commitment-free

Casual jobs equal less responsibility, casual relationships equal less maintenance and casual gaming equals more fun for the ladies; it’s just the truth. Nintendo took a calculated step investing in the needs of the casual gamer, and the embarrassing amount of money they’ve made only proves they’ve tapped a market that has needed a bit of attention for a while now. Games like Wii Resort that can be picked up and played for an hour without any thought or upkeep are perfect for girl’s who find that sitting on the couch controller in hand for hours on end is not their thing.

4. Provide Some Eye-Candy

Here’s another shocker that you may already know: contrary to what us girls love to argue, we’re all a little bit superficial and your girlfriends weren’t instantly attracted to your razor-sharp wit (or lack there of). Proudly pat yourselves on the back, boys, because at some point she thought you were ‘a bit of alright’, and you can apply that to almost anything she’ll invest time and money into. Whether its bags, shoes or Prada jackets, girls will love the way something looks before even considering its functionality or cost. So tempt our eyes with some visual delights. The fun colours and cute critters in Katamari Damacy or LocoRoco will charm her into some playtime. Remember; a spoon full of sugar…

3. Check Reality at the Door

Car racing is the cornerstone of multiplayer gaming, but if your girlfriend’s anything like me, she doesn’t really want to come home from eight hours slaving away in the real word to sit on the couch and play something so life-like that it sucks the fun out of it. No one should take themselves so seriously, so if you’re thinking of breaking out some track-action for your lady friend, try and keep it light and fun. I can appreciate the sleek gameplay of Forza or Gran Turismo as much as the next person, but if fun is in the cards, opt for some Burnout or Outrun 2 where the premise is just crazy enough to make her laugh and forget all about the world outside her door.

2. Don’t Hover, Just Let It Happen

Girls have already been given a hard time about playing games; that we’re either not good at them or not interested – this is truly a load of boloney. However, because of this dark cloud over us, most girls will try to avoid gaming with their boyfriends out of fear that they’ll only perpetuate the stereotype or fail to impress. Give her some alone time with a particular game she wants to try and don’t be a backseat gamer.

1. Give Her a Little Credit

Finally; be careful not to sell her short. Nothing annoys girls more than assuming they’re awful at something just because they’re female. Despite what you might think your girlfriend will or won’t play, great storytelling transcends any form of entertainment – and games are no exception. Give her a great story and it will reel her in for you. Try any of the Silent Hill series, Metal Gear Solid, ICO or Shadow of the Colossus; they all won me over. You might be surprised at what tickles her fancy.

- source -

Molly does have her games that she will regularly destroy me in, namely bowling for Wii Sports. She’s also a force to be reckoned with in Little Big Planet, and it’s quite amusing to watch her play N+.

I think my happiest gaming moment was when she was watching me play GTA IV online a few months ago and was encouraging me to keep on killing this annoying brat in the game I was playing. Thanks babe!  

Yes, I should be sleeping, but I came across yet another awesome video on YouTube that I just had to share. Check it out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBBw9E2Q_aY

I wish I knew how to make such smooth animation. Of course, I have to get better at drawing first before I can make an animated flick, so I guess one thing at a time.  

Quite a good trailer, I must say.