Amazon Kindle - I Joined The Dark Side...

Thanks to a wonderfully thoughtful Christmas gift giver, I am now the proud owner of the 3rd generation Amazon Kindle (in graphite, no less)! I did it. I joined the dark side. I joined the eBook revolution!

I admit I was skeptical. I was reluctant to try it, like many people, because I just love books so much. I love how they look and feel and smell. I love everything about them. But honestly? So far I love it!

Despite my tactile love for and emotional attachment to the physical nature of books, it's my greater love for READING in general that ultimately makes the Kindle so awesome!

The visual quality is great. I haven't suffered any eye strain and I'm not having any difficulty reading the text. The battery life, from what I hear, is close to a month! Be sure to turn off the built in wireless when not in use, though, if you want to test out that claim.

Speaking of wireless, the new Kindle 3 that I have has built in WiFi and 3G support, so you can browse the Amazon Kindle store anywhere you can get a cell phone signal. How awesome is that?

But the best part? I have TONS of books (and classic literature) downloaded to my Kindle and so far, it's all been FREE! I've managed to find The Complete Works of Shakespeare, H.P. Lovecraft and Edgar Allan Poe along with classic novels like Dracula, Frankenstein, Wuthering Heights, Treasure Island, Huckleberry Finn and A Tale of Two Cities!

Want thousands of free books for your Kindle (or other e-reader)? Try:

- Project Gutenberg - The original source for over 33,000 free eBooks!

- Many Books - The best eBooks at the best price: Free!

- Planet eBook - Literature galore!

- Amazon's Kindle Store - Hundreds of free titles from the Kindle source!

- Ultimate Guide To Free Books - The title says it all!

It's amazing what's out there!

And when you start buying books, check out Amazon's Kindle Deal of the Day!

I honestly don't think the Kindle (or devices like it) will ever make me abandon physical books entirely, but in the meantime I am very much enjoying catching up on all of the literature I could ever hope to have...

Technology is amazing: thousands of books and all in the palm of my hand! And best of all? I won't have to box them up the next time I move...

QUAKE Arena Arcade XBLA Review Roundup!

As I reported earlier in the week, QUAKE Arena Arcade (my baby!) is now available on Xbox LIVE Arcade and the reviews and end user praise are starting to roll in!


Here's what reviewers are saying about the fastest paced shooter on the Xbox 360!

- SFX 360 QUAKE Arena Arcade Review - 4 Stars out of 5!

"Quake Arena Arcade is nothing but great addictive fun..."

"This game brings back what it meant to kick ass and taunt worthless opponents who think they have game."


- Game Focus Reviews QUAKE Arena Arcade - 7.2 out of 10!

"Good ol’ fast-paced Quake!"

"45 (!) Maps"


- Dealspwn QUAKE Arena Arcade Review - 8 out of 10!

"Quake Arena Arcade is blisteringly fast, packed with value and delivers a fitting revival of a classic franchise."

"Mad, crazy, brutal awesomeness..."


- IRB Gamer QUAKE Arena Arcade Review - 3 1/2 Stars out of 5

"This game was meant for big pile ups of flying lazers and gib showers..."

"Overall, the game does its job and you will get what Quake Arena has been known for. You can count on that."


- VG Revolution QUAKE Arena Arcade Review - 7.4 out of 10

"Best shooter on XBLA!"

"This game has infinite replay value if you want to play a classic shooter."

"If you have been a fan of this game then this is a must buy for you."


- Run DLC QUAKE Arena Arcade Review - 4 out of 5!

"For a while, it seemed like the project was in limbo, or that the developers were struggling to bring this classic franchise to Microsoft’s console. The end result easily squashed those concerns, as this fast-paced and frantic first person shooter has what it takes to become one of Live’s most popular games."

"Classic Quake experience, tons of maps, speedy online play!"



Don't believe the reviewer hype? Here's a smattering of what QUAKE Arena Arcade players are saying in gaming forums and on Twitter!

• "Quake 3 Arena for Xbox Live Arcade! BONER!"

• "I dare say it's the best shooter on arcade!

• "This. This is my Christmas day, right here, if I can wrestle the controller away from my Peggle-loving family."

• "I can say this about Quake... 1) The controls work beautifully. There's a button for a quick 180-degree spin! 2) It feels like Quake, even with a controller. 3) It's a BLAST."

• "Quake arena arcade is the shit. $15 well spent

• "Quake Arena for the Xbox Arcade is DOPE!

• "That Quake Arena game is amazing! I played it and loved it. Reminds me of when i used to play it on DreamCast and PC. So want!!!!"

• ‎"Picked up Quake 3 yesterday. They did a great job with the controls! I used to be super into the pc version for years, but adapting to the controller only took a few minutes."

• "Quake Arena on Xbox Live? ALL AWESOME!"

So what are you waiting for? You can give the demo a whirl or queue up the full version download through Xbox Live Marketplace!

QUAKE Arena Arcade Rocket Jumps Onto Xbox LIVE Arcade!

Pi Studios, id Software and Bethesda Softworks (and most of all, ME!) are proud to present, at long last, QUAKE Arena Arcade for Xbox LIVE Arcade!


The long awaited next-genified update of 1999's Quake III: Team Arena rocket jumps onto Live Arcade today, December 15th, 2010, for a suggested retail price of 1200 Microsoft Points ($15.00)!

From the Press Release:

• Enter the Fragfest: Supports up to 16-player 'Free for All' and team-based battles over Xbox LIVE and System Link.
  
• Deadly Arenas: Lava-filled ruins, deserted military bases and the chaotic void of outer space are your battlegrounds.
  
• Quad Damage: Over 15 pick-ups, power-ups, items and runes to boost your health, armor, ammo and abilities.
  
• Become an Arena Legend: Compete in over 75 missions, challenges and boss matches, in your pursuit to defeat Xaero, the Arena Champion.
  
• Claw Your Way to the Top: Check your standings against other gladiators on the Xbox LIVE leader boards and earn up to 12 achievements as you fight your way to fame.
  
• Hone Your Skills: Create a custom bot-match in any arena, in any game type.

The game features:

• High Definition, Widescreen Picture!
• Fully customizable, re-mappable control scheme!
  
• Twelve never before seen maps alongside 33 classic id Software Arenas!
• All new single player campaign and single player challenge modes!
• 16 Player Multiplayer Support!
• Offline play vs. bots with greatly improved artificial intelligence!
• New Character Team and Sport Skins!
• Enhanced visual effects, including bloom and glare!
• Dolby 5.1 surround sound!
• Remastered Audio and New Music Tracks!
  

Hide your kids, hide your wife, and hide your husband cause they’re QUAKE-in everybody out here!

You can give the demo a whirl or queue up the full version download through Xbox Live Marketplace!

Remember Rule #1: FRAG Anything That Isn't You!

Twitter Contest - Disturbing Sitcoms!

In the same comedic, pun-ny vein as "NBA Novels" and "MLB Novels," the latest Twitter hash tag contest to earn huge belly laughs from me (and what a huge belly it is) is: #DisturbingSitcoms!

Here are some of my favorites:

Buried With Children
The OJ Simpsons
10 and Pregnant
How I Killed Your Mother
The Golden Shower Girls
Jersey Sore
Doogie Howser, OBGYN
Who Wants To Be Chamillionaire
Hood Times
8 Simple Rules For Raping My Teenage Daughter
Gonorrhea Or No Deal
Crappy Days
Two Guys, A Girl & A Pregnancy Test
Gilligan's Hymen
I Dream of Weenie
Survivor: Riker's Island
The Vampire Diarrheas
America's Funniest Home Wreckers
Parks and Masturbation
The Cosby Shower
Manson In The Middle
Sabrina The Teenage Bitch
T.J.'s Dead Hooker
Mad About Goo
Pimp My Wife
Hogan's Herpes
Groin Pains
$#!% Sarah Palin Says
How I Met Your Brother
Drunky Brewster

And a few I submitted...

Laverne & Scurvy
R*A*S*H*
Charles Been Charged
My Two 'Nads

And my all time favorite, courtesy of my old friend Jake Simpson...

...Porkin' Mindy!

On Twitter? Come follow me at http://www.twitter.com/kennhoekstra

Bomb Up! Bomberman Live: Battlefest Arrives On Xbox LIVE Arcade!

As many of you know, I've been working as the developer side Producer/Project Lead on Bomberman Live: Battlefest with Pi Studios and Hudson Entertainment for some time now. The game released yesterday, December 8th, 2010, on Xbox LIVE Arcade and I have to say, I'm very proud of what we accomplished with this title!

Bomberman Live: Battlefest is the sequel to 2008's Bomberman Live and it features improved Artificial Intelligence, Completely Re-Written Networking Code and a host of other improvements, enhancements and fixes to go along with a s*** ton of new content and gameplay features!



If you decide you want to check out Bomberman Live: Battlefest, here's what you can expect...

* Up to 8 Player Multiplayer
* 15 New Arenas!
* 17 Power-Ups (Including 5 Brand New Power Ups)!
* 9 New Game Modes!
* All New Team games!
* Tons of New Costumes!
* Play as Your Avatar!
* New Music!
* AWESOME: Mix and match gimmicks with game modes to make your own custom matches!!!

Interested? Check out this early preview and download the FREE trial mode before you buy! And when you DO buy, you get all this for a mere 800 Microsoft Points (that's ten bucks to you and me)!

What are you waiting for? Grab some Bomberman Live: Battlefest and have a (*ahem*) BLAST!