It's Back! Microsoft Preview Program Is Open

Xbox's Major Nelson announced on his blog today that the Microsoft Preview Program is back open for business.  This time around will be for the next system update, so those of you that want to get your grubby little paws on early release code need to get to the site as soon as possible.  You'll need to have your 360's serial number and system ID handy to register for the program though.  Interesting to note that the form is saying that if you're selected that "pre-release materials will be shipped to you".  Not sure what these possibly could be, but intriguing for sure.

Update 1 - It seems that part of the dashboard update is the testing of a new disc format.  If you make the program, a free copy of Halo Reach will be provided to you!  Good stuff!

It's Another Amazon Video Game Gold Box Day!

Ah yes, we do so love these days.  Today's deals look to be pretty good fare, hitting a lot of the recent releases worth having.  The Gold Box deal is a great deal on Dragon Age 2. You can snag this bad boy for just $40! The Lightning Deals are below, along with the current deal, hints for the next deals, and my guess at what they'll be.  All times are Eastern time.  You can also click here to go straight to the Amazon page.  I'll update these as they become available.

9:00am - De Blob 2 - EXPIRED
11:00am - Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit - EXPIRED
2:00pm - Bulletstorm - EXPIRED
5:00pm - Turtle Beach Ear Force X31 Wireless Headset - EXPIRED
7:00pm - Dead Space 2 - EXPIRED
10:00pm - You Don't Know Jack - EXPIRED

Managing Gaming And Family Life

Recently I came to the conclusion that I've been gaming far less than I'd really like lately.  With so many great games being released, I have nowhere near the time I need to play them all.  Sadly, this means that franchises that I certainly would have devoured before I had a wife and child are going to be neglected.  I've come to the full realization that alas, I cannot play every good game ever released.  Case and point, I only purchased Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood in late January, long after its release.  I still have yet to finish the game, despite the fact that it's probably the best in the series.  I just don't have the time.  So I'm taking up a new strategy, and Goozex is going to help me manage my life in gaming.  I still have many games in my collection that are partially finished, and I keep getting new games.  That's going to stop until I finish everything in my collection, or determine that I'm not *really* that interested in the game and Goozex it out.  That means that the following games (in order of closest to completion) must be completed or Goozexed before I can get anything new.  My estimated progress in each game is in parenthesis:

1 - Uncharted 2: (90%)
2 - Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood (80%)
3 - Heavy Rain (70%)
4 - Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit (60%)
5 - Fallout 3 (50%)
6 - Dead Space 2 (10%)
7 - Dead Space Extraction PS3 (0%)
8 - Alan Wake (0%)
9 - Bioshock 2 (0%)

Yes, I own three games that I've not even started.  This is part my fault and also part Goozex's.  I saw that they were available (Bioshock and Alan Wake) and said to myself, "Self, I want to play those games eventually."  Eventually has yet to come.

Moral of the story is this.  When you have limited time, ask yourself honestly if you really want to play a game before you buy it.  At least half the games on my list are there because people I know or websites I respect hyped them so much, but I didn't really have an interest to begin with in the game.  Limit your current backlog to no more than two games and you'll not only find yourself so much happier, but you'll find that you have a little more spare coin as well.  Right now I just have this feeling that I'll never play a current game again with my backlog the way it is, and if I didn't let my backlog get there to start with, I wouldn't have this problem.