A couple weeks ago i left my position of Editor and Community Director at XboxAmerica.  I know that many people have wondered why, and the answer is simple. It was time to move on.  I wish those folks the best over there, but I have to turn my attention to my family and my work at GamingNexus.com.

 

About a year and a half ago, we started getting into the reviewing of Audio/Video products at GamingNexus as they relate to gaming.  Never in our dreams did we imagine that it would take off as it has.  As such, we expect 2009 to be a great year for bringing more A/V reviews to our readers to help them make informed decisions when it comes time to buy that next electronic device to make the gaming experience that much better.

 

it all kicks off with CES 2009 from January 7th-11th out in Las Vegas.  Myself, Sean and John will be making the trip this year and we have lots of appointments lined up.  Keep an eye on GamingNexus.com and this blog for more info on the sites, sounds and gear that we come across.

 

One other thing, expect to see an exclusive A/V product review go live on GamingNexus in early January.

 

Z

Well, it has officially been a year since I last updated this site, so I guess it is time to stop in.

 

The big news has been that I recently resigned as Editor and Director of Community events at Xbox America to focus more on my work at GamingNexus and my family.  We had a good run over at XbA, but the time had come to move on.  I wish them luck, as they have created a really good community.

Some other news...well I went to the darkside and purchased a Playstation 3 for my birthday back in November.  I haven;t used it much yet other than s a Blu-Ray player, but that should change going forward.

 

Thats about it for now, but I will try to keep this space updated more as we get to CES time in the next few weeks.

 

Z

When I got my mail today, I had an envelope waiting for me from Xbox Live.  When I opened it, there was a brand spanking new Xbox Live Diamond Card inside. If anyone forgot, this is the program launched by Microsoft Xbox Live division that promised discounts on all kinds of things from lodging, to restaurants to clothing. 

 

Unfortunately, registration issues and cards not being sent out in a timely manner got the program off to a bad foot.  To make matters worse, the discounts were predominately slanted toward the West and Northwest U.S., with only a handful of good National discounts, including Quiznos.  The program seemed to get its feet on the ground by the summer, with quite a few discounts and some decent national programs.  Unfortunately, when Quiznos was dropped (or left) I basically forgot about the website as no other discount had much use for me.

 

Now, back to the new card I received today, December 13^th.  It turns out, it was a replacement card for my original Xbox Live Diamond Card I received backing 2006.  The only problem is that my old card expired on 10/07.  So I wanted to thank the people running the Xbox Live Diamond Program for not only getting me a replacement card two months  my original expired, but also to remind me to see if anything good has been added to the program.  Let’s just say the answer is not really.  There were a few things added since I last looked, but there still aren’t any Taco John’s, DelTaco or Weinerscnitzel’s in my area.  Most of the other discount offers are 10% or less off an online purchase, or mirror standard corporate fare than can be found at any large company.

 

Frankly, the program has gone from weak to kind of embarrassing, with little appeal to the core audience that the Xbox and Live brands cater to.  There was a lot of excitement at the beginning, but a cluster of mistakes alienated many people up front, and those that were able to get properly set up seemed to lose interest as Quiznos and other companies were removed.

 

I think this program could have some legs, but the people that are in charge of it need to get creative and try to sign some hip companies.  Maybe a Nike, Birkenstock, Timberland or Converse would have more appeal than shoes.com or New Balance.  The video Game section would appeal more if the Gamestop discount wasn’t “Save $10 off and purchase of $75 for Online only orders.”   The Hollywood video discount isn’t bad with rent one movie or game get a second rental free, but where is Iggle Video, Blockbuster or one of the online companies? 

 

The bottom line is the Xbox Live Diamond program needs to be rescued from the slow death knell it is going through.  We really need to see an infusion of new quality discounts, or someone needs to put it down like the lame dog that it has become….

CES 2008 is approaching fast, and myself and several members of the GamingNexus crew will be heading to Vegas again this year.  I will be plenty busy, having already booked 17 appointments in the three-day period we will be out there.  A few of my appointments will be with:

 

Atlantic Inc

Vizio

Westinghouse

Panasonic

NYKO

ezGear

THX

Sharp

Samsung

and Microsoft

 

We are currently scheduled to meet with Microsoft execs Albert Penello (Xbox 360), Kevin Unangst (Games for Windows) and Blake Fischer (Game Demos), but hope that Jeff Bell and Jeremy Wacksman (Xbox Live Arcade) will be able to visit with us as well.  I also expect to meet up with Major Nelson and John, Tony and Chris from the Gamerscoreblog group.  Should be an exciting (and tiring) show to say the least.  More to come soon...

 

Wow, I just took an inventory of the active and future reviews, and November should be one busy month at XboxAmerica.

 

HochulisPythons is working on Blue Dragon, Puzzle Fighter, Tetris Splash, Halo 3, Ace Combat 6 and Guitar Hero III.  I am working on Fatal Fury Special, Lost Cauze headphones, a few columns and interviews and a real special item that should show up next week.  All in all, should be a kick-ass month for us.

 

The Halo 3 Tournament is filling out nicely, as we are just over 1/3 full with over three-weeks of entries left to take.  Should be a fun tourney and someone will get some good prizes.

XboxAmerica is proud to present their 2007 Fall Halo 3 Tournament.  The tourney will take place Saturday, November 24^th and kick off at 6:30 p.m. EST.  The tournament is open to XboxAmerica members that have a gold Xbox Live account and are registered at Bungie.net.  The winning player will receive a Halo 3 Legendary Edition, Limited Edition Xbox 360 Chrome faceplate and an Xbox 360 wristband.  See complete details at XboxAmerica.com.

 

 

Wow, has it been a month?

 

First off, just wanted to apologize for those (all two of you) that look for my words of wisdom here.  For some odd reason, September 2007 became one of the busiest months of my life.  As a result, I neglected several things (including Inside The Nexus) and focused on the bare minimum at XboxAmerica and GamingNexus.

 

Well, the project is now complete (at least the initial phase) when Chuck posted his review of the Vizio 42" 1080p LCD.  Also, XboxAmerica got a little love from Westinghouse Digital for the review I did on the 32" LCD TV.  GamingNexus received the same treatment from Vizio.  Kinda cool seeing your hard work pay off for the sites.

 

We should have BioShock, Blue Dragon, Halo 3, Xbox 360 Chatpad, Cyberball and other reviews up in the near future.  The site is still pulling in new members like crazy, and our Alexa rating reflects this, having hit well into the top 100,000 on several occasions in the last month, with a high of mid 50,000 on 9/24.

 

Good things are coming at GamingNexus, with new staffers carrying the news torch and review process.  We also added blogs for the staff, and some BIG changes for our readers should be coming very soon.

 

 

One thing taking up my time is my Fantasy Football league.  After three weeks I am 2-1 with one of the deeper and better teams.

 

How F'ing stupid is Michael Vick?  He is quickly approaching the stupidity level shared by PacMan Jones and Chris Henry by getting popped for Mary Jane in a September drug test.  You would think common sense would tell you while out of jail on bond to NOT take illegal drugs?  Never mind it is against league policy and will get him more suspension.  My not so bold prediction, Michael Vick will NEVER play in the NFL again.

Well, I missed my Monday article, so I figured I would toss out a Friday version this week because I haven't posted in a while.  Free time is becoming scarcer as of late....

 

New Column
This week marked the initial article in my new serialized column exclusive to Gaming Nexus.  In the column "Won't someone think of the children?" I take a look at the games the ESRB is rating each week and break them down.  There is always a tasty nugget or two in their weekly release....

 

The Project
The Project is about to reach fruition, with the first couple articles to be published next week once Chuck (GamingNexus Editor-In-Chief) gets back from PAX.  I spent the last week compiling my collection of thoughts and observations into a workable piece and just need to put the finishing touches on it.  Unfortunately, the first unit had to be shipped back, but I have been busy trying to line up more companies.

 

XboxAmerica
XboxAmerica has literally exploded, with several hundred new members this week alone, and unique hits tripled from last month.  The leaderboards are filling up and we added members from the final two states that did not have anyone registered.

 

CROOKLYNMAYO, one of our more active members at XboxAmerica, had his first child last week.  Little Ellis Riley and Mommy are both doing great.  I wanted to throw a big shout out to CROOK and his family and wish them well.

 

The search for new staff members at XboxAmerica went well, with two Graphic Artist candidates that we really like.  There were a slew of people asking about the Staff Writer position(s), and I am still sorting through everyone that applied.  I hope to announce them in within the next week.

 

Last week, XboxAmerica received some assistance with source information that we hope to use to make the site an even better place.  I will continue to update this as the info becomes available.

 

My daughter started Kindergarten this week and she was really excited as she rides the Big School bus (not the day care ones) to and from her school.  Hopefully the rest of the school year will be as smooth as Day 1....

 

Football season is here, and my Fantasy League is stealing some of my attention.  We are beginning our ninth year with the same core group of six (out of 10) guys.  My team is starting off with a weak group of keepers, so here is to a solid draft next week and another Championship!

 

Next week I hope to cover the goodies coming out of PAX and be able to announce who our new staff is at XboxAmerica.

Its taken a long couple of years, but XboxAmerica has finally passed it's 1,000 member mark, and is adding people daily.  As a result, we are actively looking for Graphic Artists and Staff Writers to help with the site.  If anyone is interested (or knows anyone) head over to XboxAmerica to check it out.