As you probably know, I really like the Spore expansion pack, Galactic Adventures. I am pleased with the adventures I created (check out Perseus' Quest, which I think turned out well; too bad the Sporepedia hasn't updated yet with the correct number of plays and so on). I am now in the process of another one based on Korean legend, and can't wait to finish it this week.

But this is where you come in. Once I am done with the current project, I need a good idea for the next one--and I want you to be my muse. So come up with a little story idea. I'll choose the one I like most and seems most feasible to create, craft the adventure, and capture a playthrough so you can see how it turned out. Even better, I will send you a copy of Spore and its expansion, either a physical copy, or via Steam. (If you already own both or either, we can work out a different PC game). Here's the nitty gritty:

1. Give me a loose idea of a small game story that can be played through in around 10-12 minutes. It can be an original idea, a favorite legend or myth, a parody, or something else entirely! Feel free to be creative.

2. Just don't get too carried away. The Spore adventure creator has limitations, so I can't explore the seven levels of hell or anything. But it can have up to eight acts, and include combat, dialogue, fetch quests, and so on. But be as nonspecific as possible (rough outline), because the more specific you get, the less able I will be to create an adventure that intricate.

3. Reply here with your idea. I'll choose the one I like most based on a combination of how good it is, and how feasible it will be to create. Reply by July 1 at 12 PM (noon) Pacific Time, and you'll be eligible.

4. I will announce the winner in my blog. If I choose your entry, I will create it, and when done, I will record a playthrough and post it on the site. I will also credit you on the published adventure. And finally, I will send you a copy of Spore and Spore Galactic Adventures, either via Steam, or via snail mail. This will entail giving me either your Steam username, or your name and address. These would be emailed to me and kept private.

5. I like waffles. Mmm.

So that's about it. I look forward to hearing your ideas and bringing it to life. In the meanwhile, I keep my Twitter updated with all sorts of weird exploits, including Spore ones. And who knows, maybe I will like more than one adventure. If I do, I can't give the game to more than one person (how much money do you think i make!?), but I would certainly create your work of art!

Hi there! In my last blog post, I promised the first five users to post links to their photo that I would create a Sim for them in The Sims 3. Only three people decided to link their photos, but it was enough to have a bit of fun. Now, game limitations keep me from getting it spot on, but hopefully I got close!

First up, @MaddenBowler10:

On to @drumbreak1. You were tough because the photo was black and white, and there is no re-creating your awesome hair. But here you go!

And lastly, @nickscho! Hope you enjoy your likeness.

Now, back to E3 preparations. Enjoy the show this year; I know I will!

E3 is practically here--and oddly, a few important, highly anticipated games are coming out around this time, a move that intrigues me, and one that makes it easy to make pre-release conjectures (some of which, interestingly, aren't really legitimate worries, and some that are, judging from what I have seen and played). One of the biggest, The Sims 3, comes out next week. It's an interesting release date, because coverage on major sites may get buried alongside E3 news. Luckily, I spent dozens and dozens of hours with it, and you will see the review up on Monday morning when the review embargo lifts. Sadly, most of our video equipment was all packed up, but we did manage to cobble together a video review, though it won't feature our snazzy greenscreen set. We went old-fashioned!

EA likely doesn't care about coverage getting buried--The Sims 3 is bound to sell like hotcakes. After all, it is the second sequel to the best-selling PC game of all time. A few other games are also on their way next week, like Fuel and Red Faction: Guerilla. I have played through Fuel's single-player component, but because we were given code that plays only on a debug unit, and there weren't pre-release online sessions, I haven't been able to play an important aspect of any modern racing game--multiplayer. Additionally, we were given PS3 code, but not Xbox 360 code. That means you won't see a review for Fuel until after E3. You will probably see Red Faction this week, though. The query that's easy to make, though, is the one you ask when a film isn't screened for critics: is the game released during that week because the publisher is worried about negative buzz? I certainly wondered it, but honestly, a few observations have led me to believe that we shouldn't rush to such dismissals.

So even though the review is done and written, I am still messing around with The Sims 3, so I have a proposal for you. Respond to this blog with a link to a photo of yourself; if you are one of the first five people to do so, I will try my best to recreate your likeness in sim form and post a shot of the resulting Sim here. I have had some success with likenesses; my virtual Chris Watters and Shaun McInnis are spot on, though to be fair, Chris and Shaun themselves created them. So let's have some pre-E3 fun to keep ourselves occupied!

I also have a few thoughts on the first half of 2009.

Winners:

Strategy games. Dawn of War II is one of my favorite games so far this year. The single-player is unusual but fun, yet it's the online component that is fast and furious enough to keep you enamored. RTS? Fast and furious? Oh yes indeed. Not so fast and furious, but no less wonderful: Empire: Total War. A bit buggy at release and somewhat different from its predecessors in some ways for sure, yet still supremely addictive and worth playing.Also worth playing: The RTS/action hybrid Battlestations: Pacific, Men of War, and the underappreciated (and now free) BattleForge. Last year's strategy pickings were slimmer than they should have been; this year has offered several good several strategy titles already!

Tower Defense. Who could have imagined that Plants vs. Zombies would have become so beloved so quickly? And how about the amazing Comet Crash on PSN, a potential game of the year candidate? The recent Swords and Soldiers on WiiWare also has tower defense elements and is quite wonderful. Just when you think a genre really has nowhere to go, game designers prove that creative minds can always find a way to breathe new life into old concepts.

Dumb Fun. Ninja Blade is one of my personal favorites yet this yea, and its mixed critical reaction really surprises me. It isn't deep, it isn't serious, and it isn't trying to be like Ninja Gaiden, so stop comparing them! It is, however, a trip. It's been a hit in the office, though it's hardly perfect--yet I just get a rush when I play it. And here I thought I could never like quick-time events again. And how about The Dishwasher? There's a game that is just pure fun (and quite difficult), and shamefully underselling. Excitebots? Hell yeah. Just all fun. What's wrong with just--being fun? Nothing, I tell you, Nothing!

Hidden Gems. Here's where those games come that some folks can't quite wrap their heads around. They often come from lesser-known devs and explore concepts and mechanics that make your head spin. They might have some technical issues, and won't be everyone's cup of tea, but they deserve credit for being exactly what they are. Cryostasis is this year's best example. It's slow to unfold, but it draws you in. It's for the thoughtful gamer that doesn't need every moment to be filled with bullets and blood, the gamer that likes a sense of place and time, the gamer that likes mystery and doesn't need a quick payoff. So far, it's my favorite story this year. Necrovision, Zeno Clash, Deadly Creatures,Trash Panic, Zubo--don't overlook them because they sound weird or have little buzz. They may not be for you, but they deserve consideration.

Killzone 2 and inFamous. I made up a category just for them. It's the category of AWESOMENESS.

Losers:

Strategy Games. For every up, there's been a down. Let's start with Stalin vs. Martians, the worst game so far this year. Please stop giving this game a reader review score of 10 because you think it's funny. It's not funny when you do that. It just isn't. Or Stormrise, possibly the second-worse game so far this year, and a shocking misstep from a developer known for great strategy games. Demigod is fun, but it's not a complete product. Nor is it perfectly functional, even now. I got some flack from certain quarters over that review; people wanted us to go easy on it, as it came from a publisher known for its commitment to customer service. But as always, we don't review a product based on what it could be in the future--I have to tell it like it is. And it was broken. And it's still not fixed. Connection issues are still a major issue, the pantheon stats are still not fully functional, and there are other scattered problems. In other words, it is the perfect example of why no developer or publisher gets the benefit of the doubt--and why you should never, ever, ever trust that a game will be fixed in the future, or blindly trust the proposed timeline for those fixes. Stardock recommends using a third-party program called GameRanger to help with the connection issues. And you know what? That's unacceptable. Anyway, we also got disappointing expansions for Company of Heroes, Red Alert 3, and World in Conflict--shocking developments for three games that set high standards for the genre. Which brings me to:

Expansion Packs. Those two games I just mentioned belong here, along with Neverwinter Nights 2: Mysteries of Westgate. I realize not every expansion can be as awesome as The Lord of the Rings Online: Mines of Moria, but even the most forgiving fans should still expect more than a quick grab for their buck.

Sequels. There are some wonderful exceptions, some of which I noted above (oh, and Street Fighter IV of course), but there are also some real drags in this regard. The Godfather 2 isn't good. I know there are folks out there that stand by that game vehemently (just as some stood by last year's appalling Mercenaries 2), but it's so flawed, so broken, so devoid of personality, and so contrary to what the license stands for. Puzzle Quest Galactrix is another one that dropped the ball. Neither F.E.A.R. 2 nor Riddick: Dark Athena are bad games; actually, both products are good. Yet when compared to the originals, they suffer somewhat. Moody, sure, but they aren't special in the way their predecessors were. And Bionic Commando is less a sequel than it is a reimagining, nor is it bad, but it doesn't live up to series' standards of quality and fun.

Humor. Night at the Museum is a great way to earn 1000 achievement points in 2 hours, but as hard as it tries, it isn't good for a laugh. Leisure Suit Larry: Box Office Bust's humor is awful. I like dirty jokes as much as anyone else, but you can't leave out the joke part; being dirty isn't funny on its own! And of course, Stalin vs. Martians belongs here too. It thinks it's so clever, but how wrong it is. Of course, there was some truly funny games this year, like Prinny: Can I Really be the Hero; Eat Lead; and Wallace & Gromit. But clever humor seems to be a lost art in games. Giants: Citizen Kabuto, LucasArts adventure games like Grim Fandango, Armed & Dangerous--we need more of these nowadays. Games that tickle us.

What are your winners and losers so far this year? And don't forget to show me your photo, so I can create you in The Sims 3! Also, check our E3 page, and follow me on Twitter. I will be getting possible questions to ask developers and publishers on my E3 appointments in real-time on my Twitter through the week, so keep an eye out!

Remember how my wife Ursula was throwing up? She was indeed with child. I helped her out as best I could. I even read that damn pregnancy book like she asked after she was done with it. And when time came, I drove her to the hospital, where she gave birth to a beautiful baby girl named Arabelle. Arabelle is a wad of energy; she likes waking us up through the night, which makes Ursula quite cranky, since she possesses the "neurotic" trait. I find that keeping her busy checking the sinks and the stove is the best way to let her sublimate her obssessive-compulsive behavior. She also does a lot of gardening, which leaves Sim Kevin taking after Arabelle more than she does. Blast! This is what I get for being a penniless band manager, while she helps her boss out with important "research" and stocks the fridge with tomatoes, grapes, and lettuce. What goes on in that lab, anyway?

This is my little bundle of joy. One of my favorite parts was when I didn't have a crib, so my Sims just keps putting her on the floor. If I am not careful, they'll do it in public too. On my visit to a local barbecue, I put her down in the grass, and another Sim went haywire when she started to cry, so I sent my wife to tell him a thing or two. He had a tantrum but didn't cause more trouble.

Here's the barbecue in question. Sim Kevin is eating hot dogs, while Ursula waits for her turn at the grill. This must be when Arabelle was laying in the grass, since neither of them are holding her!

Sometimes you have to get away from the wife, you know? This should have been a pleasant after-work dinner party. Instead, I met this dude named Cycl0n3 Sw0rd. I knew of him already, because Ursula delivers vegetables to him for profit. Well anyway, I thought his name was dumb. I mean, who uses a moniker like that in real life? His whole rich lifestyle with him and his bimbos in their huge loft offends me. So I told him what I thought.

He didn't take too kindly to my continued offenses however, but I didn't let up. First I told him his mother was a llama. Then I slapped him. Finally, I showed the scrawny ass that there was only room for one geek in town, and it's the one with the normal name and the beautiful wife. Well, I tried to show him. I lost the fight, but not before I declared Cycl0n3 Sw0rd my nemesis. I will not rest until I take him down.

Luckily, Ursula is less inclined to get herself into trouble. Here you can see her chatting it up with Sim Justin Calvert at the library, who managed to talk about computers--while in his workout clothing. Poor Justin. I should have put more thought into giving him a better exercise outfit.

It's hard work having a baby, an issue I have extended by cranking up my Sim lifespans to the longest possible. Luckily, because my Sims have opposite work shifts, I don't have to spring often for a babysitter, though Sim Kevin's barely had time to practice the guitar he's so busy with late night feedings and diaper changes. I'll keep you posted with more developments in the life of Sim Kevin and his wacky friends as the week progresses.

We received review code for The Sims 3 on Friday, so I have spent the last few days messing around with it. The review embargo is still more than a week away, but while you patiently wait for our final word, I thought I would share with you a few screens from the last few days. All these shots are from the city that ships with the game and includes no downloaded content. It's worth noting, however, that when you register the game you get an entire town to download for free; I will show off some screens from that city when the review goes up.

On Tuesday, I'll post a whole bunch of video as well, and try to sate any hunger you have for all things Sims 3. In the meanwhile, some updates on my Sims:

While I put him through a few changes afterwards, this was my Sim in progress. Handsome fellow. Oddly enough, I named him Kevin. He's a big guy, but a but more in shape than me. An interesting addition to the Sim creator allows you to create your own clothing designs. As you can tell, this black t-shirt didn't get much attention!

This is the Sim version of GameSpot's own Lark Anderson. The game allows you to give each Sim up to five behavioral characteristics. Upon Lark's request, I made his Sim insane and evil. For good measure, he's also a kleptomaniac, inappropriate, and neurotic. Oh--and I made his wife Britney Spears. Together, they have a child. Called Trollbo.

Conversations with Lark and Britney are a little bizarre. Lark makes all sorts of moody noises, and got pissed off when I straightened up that pink flamingo that had fallen over. I apologized and he seemed fine, but I decided to be rude to Britney in retribution. I then took my leave. Can't wait to see what kind of brat Trollbo ends up being!

I also made Sim versions of Justin Calvert and Sophia "Freaking" Tong. In my alternate universe, they are married. They're both quite chatty, though Sophia rudely took a cell call while I was hanging out. Justin's more friendly, but all he wanted to talk about was working out.

My wife's name is Ursula. And she's quite the hottie, I may add. Here you see us just prior to a romantic interlude. Oddly enough, Ursula's been feeling sick the last few days for "unknown" reasons. My guess is she's got morning sickness. Is there a little baby Kevin on the way? God help us.

I'm a musician; Ursula's a scientist. The upside is that we work opposite shifts, so it keeps the gameplay moving. The downside is that I forgot to pay a bill. So here's the repo man, sucking up my only living room chair (fortunately, he left my love seat alone). I eased my pain by heading to the park and playing guitar for the folks there.

More often, however, I practice in the bathroom. I don't know why Sim Kevin prefers to play guitar next to the commode. Acoustics?

I am also doing frequent mini-updates on my Twitter. If you like, follow me there (http://twitter.com/fiddlecub) for uncensored thoughts as they emerge.