Cheap Fan Service

You know, for a development team comprised mostly of men, you'd think the team behind Fable 2 would get tired of hearing "we're through already?"

And yet, once again, Lionhead Studios has produced Fable content that is disappointingly short and sparse. To illustrate just how short the "extended" (really it should be called simply "additional" or maybe more appropriately "Haiku-esque in length") content that was released on the 13th is:

Yesterday afternoon, I logged in to Xbox live, forked over $12.50 to buy enough points to download the content, and waited 30 minutes on PSU's internet connection for my download to complete. Another hour after that, I was done with 2 out of the 3 new quests the expansion comes with, and I'd purchased all the new items in the (admittedly neat) surprise shop.

If I had known, after that hour that I was nearly done with the $10's worth of game I'd just purchased, I might have dallied a little longer. Stood on a cliff, maybe, and taken in the scenery with my trusty dog, Mr. Grrr.

As it is, it took me a few minutes to realize I'd already beaten it this afternoon, after merely one more hour of play, which included a stop back in Bloodstone to look after my family and get distracted at the gambling table.

It was only after I'd made one last, pitiful, hopeful round of Knothole Island that it sank in: I had finished all available quests and essentially paid $10 so that my character could wear sunglasses and a top hat. Really, Lionhead? That's all you had in you? Really?

Come on fellas. You built us one of the most beautiful sandbox worlds to play in, now please, put a little more effort in to the content before I leave you for good for a game that can go all night.

FFXIII in North America? Not before 2010, says Square

Now that 2008 is officially over, Square-Enix is ringing in the new year with a major, and completely expected, delay. The victim? Final Fantasy XIII, at least in North America.

Don't say I didn't predict this.

Hot off his announcement that the next proper installment of Square's trademark series is expected to be out in Japan this year, company president Yoichi Wada is now saying that if you're expecting to see FFXIII this year in North America, you're out of luck. Wada confirmed as much in an interview with Reuters, saying the game won't see it's North American debut until at least April 2010.

But hey, FFXII took 5 years to come out right? Don't be surprised to see this pushed back until Summer 2010...at the earliest.

Welcome to the Tender Loving Empire

Tender Loving Empire has to be the cuddliest imperial organization on the planet. World's Greatest Ghosts? Huggable! Jared Mees and the Grown Children? Childlike! Finn Riggins? Sleepover worthy!

Tonight Mees (cofounder of the Tender Loving Empire label/printing press/screen printer's/just about everything else) headlines an excellent trio of TLE's best and brightest. Check it out, by the end of the show you'll probably be involved with TLE in some capacity and adding to their vast colonial territory of creative 20-somethings.



Jared Mees & The Grown Children - "Tallest Building In Hell" Live from Erik Stanfill on Vimeo.

WAVVES of mutilation

And to think, as recently as two weeks ago I would have insisted that nothing beneficial to the human race would ever come out of San Diego. Now, low and behold, Nathan Daniel Williams comes slinking out of the suburban jungle to prove me wrong.

Williams (more commonly referred to as WAVVES) has one hell of a talent for hooks washed out to the "so lo-fi it's almost dial up noise" apex. Don't believe me? Observe (this shitty video that actually captures the band's sound pretty well):