Dale Weir's blog

Most who have dared venture online with a microphone and an ear-piece can attest to just how awful things are out there. Maybe it has always been that way, but is only noticeable now with the accessibility of the Internet and the explosion of online gaming. Whatever the reason, it is clear that we need a solution because it has gotten pretty ugly. It's not just dumb kids being dumb kids, its adults (mostly male) that believe an Internet connection gives them the right to be horrible human beings.

The guys at Extra Credit have suggested an interesting solution to the problem and one that I'd like to see implemented in some form by a Microsoft, Blizzard or whomever runs an online gaming service or game where all sorts of horrible interactions are known to occur. Kudos to Extra Credits for doing this episode.

Parental discretion is advised!

Uncanny valley? Kinesthetic projection? The guys at Extra Credits break down what's wrong with Microsoft's Kinect.

Once again, the guys at Extra Credits go through some games that caught their eye but may have flown under everyone else's radar. Some obvious ones make the list like Dungeon Defenders and Recettear, but they also include some lesser known releases like Dear Esther, The Dark Meadow and Xotic to name a few. Check out the video to see they mentioned one of your under the radar releases.

I don't know about you but the side-scrolling platformer wasn't just a genre, it was the genre for most of my childhood. The games that got it right were the ones that kept ushering you forward—to the right—even when it only seemed to be getting tougher.

There is probably some life lesson or allegory in there somewhere. This video with its nice editing and great music does a good job of highlighting that.

The guys at Extra Credits take a quick look at an idea that has been on the minds of game developers and publishers for years now. It's dubbed "transgaming" and it lets fans of different genres all play and exist within the same game world. There is a lot of potential there, so have a listen.

In another example of "any publicity is good publicity," Microsoft invites Conan O'Brien into the offices of 343 Industries so that he can expose millions of his viewers to its upcoming Halo 4 game.

As one would expect from the Conan O'Brien Show, it degrades into an opportunity for silliness on O'Brien's part with very little of the game actually shown. To be fair, O'Brien is funny and the representatives for 343 Industries take their beating pretty well.

Just when you're ready to argue that no one is excited about the Wii U or its software, a video is leaked onto the Internet that appears to show Ubisoft's Rayman Legends running on a Wii U (development kit) and demonstrating Wii U-specific features.

I have to preface this by saying I wasn't much of a fan of Streets of Rage—I stayed away from the Sega Genesis and was more into Final Fight and Double Dragon. However, I do understand that there are people out there that absolutely love Sega's contribution to the console beat-'em up genre.

Nintendo doesn't get much credit for its advertising and deservedly so. At times, it's PR efforts have been known to leave you more scratching your head than reaching for your wallet. At other times, it seems that Nintendo is barely aware of the latest cultural trends.

This video that Nintendo secretly posted on its own YouTube channel (Yeah, Nintendo had a YouTube channel, who knew?) is a positive sign that the company is at least more aware than it used to be and has gotten better at selling its product overall.

The guys at Extra Credits have jumped into the Mass Effect 3 Day One DLC kerfuffle. What's great is that it is a measured take on the Mass Effect 3 DLC, as well as DLC in general. Worth a look.