No M-rated games. No AIM/ICQ style of gamer-to-gamer communication at launch. Space Ghost interviews big-name game developers.

That\'s the bad news about Turner Broadcasting Co.\'s GameTap service, which offers a library of games and game-related media content for download to subscribers. The good news is, GameTap also feature emulators, including a Dreamcast emulator. So if you can get past the sketchy bits (and you have a fast broadband connection), then you might want to check out GameTap when it launches on Oct. 17. GamesFirst! sat down with GameTap\'s Vice President of Content Rick Sanchez to get the scoop on GameTap\'s launch.

The most expensive Xbox 360 bundle now exceeds $4500, and includes everything from the system to a plasma TV. Even without the TV packed inside the box, bundles still run in the $2000 range, with pretty much every extra the Xbox 360 will launch with. Where will it stop? Every time we gamers decide that retailers have finally pushed the limit beyond anything close to reasonable, they go and prove that they can come up with something even better. Check out this week\'s Twoplayer Comic, Please Sign Here.

Twoplayer game comics are published every Sunday at http://comics.gamesfirst.com.

This week in the podcast we take a look at the latest world news, followed by a review of We Love Katamari for PlayStation 2, and concluded with a nice preview of Okami, the gorgeous calligraphy-themed adventure game coming to PS2 from Capcom. It\'s like an international smorgasbord of goodness -- crab a Fanta and listen up.

The problem with having a controller that looks like a remote control is that millions of people will be obligated to lose it, simply out of principle. That\'s what one does with a remote control. Now that we\'ve seen the Revolution controller (in a manner of speaking), it\'s time to get the opinion of other members of the community. Check out this week\'s Twoplayer comic, Revolution Bill of Health.

Twoplayer game comics are published every Sunday at http://comics.gamesfirst.com.

Microsoft isn\'t one to be left behind in the wake of Nintendo\'s announcement of the Revolution\'s controller. They might not be rolling out a redesigned input device, but it doesn\'t mean they aren\'t being revolutionary. What\'s Microsoft\'s revolution? It\'s Live. Their inclusion of the Live service in every Xbox 360 sold makes it clear that they consider the gaming community itself to be the revolutionary aspect of gaming. Take a moment to read about Microsoft\'s approach to the game industry.

Val\'s back with another awesome GF! Weekly Wrap-Up. This week we take a look at Jets \'n Guns, Fable: The Lost Chapters, and Metal Slug 4/5. We also have a preview of the oh-so-dreamy Alan Wake, and of course a summary of the week\'s biggest news stories. Give the controller a wee break and check this out.

Never a crew to let a single viewpoint dominate (we\'re still cleaning up the offices from the Great Console Wars of 01/02), our man Chris Martin has stepped up to the metaphorical typewriter. Those of you who find the Nintendo Revolution a bit too syrupy-sweet and dreamily perfect most likely share some of Chris\' concerns.

This week\'s Wrap-Up features the latest news from the Tokyo Game Show, including news of the Nintendo Revolution controller and Xbox 360 release dates. This week\'s reviews feature Big Mutha Truckers 2 (PS2, Xbox), Beatdown: Fists of Vengeance (PS2, Xbox), and Rainbow Six: Lockdown (PS2, Xbox). Val also takes an early look at Lost in Blue for Nintendo DS, which looks like it will be a cool survival sim. You know you can\'t wait for it.

GamesFirst brought back an old feature of ours from way back in the day, the GF! Mailbag. Well, as part of the mailbag, we get letters. Most of our letters are good, easily readable, and thought out; some are less so. Do us all a favor and please remember to specify the game that you\'re playing when you have a question about it. To help illustrate the point, check out this week\'s Twoplayer comic, Letters to the Editor.

twoplayer game comics are published every Sunday at http://comics.gamesfirst.com.

With the announcement of the Revolution controller, Nintendo has proven that, at least some of the time, they really \"get\" it. Get what? Gaming. In a next-gen lineup that has been, frankly, a total snooze-fest, the Revolution has finally shown us a sliver of light, which we think will broaden into a bright new direction for game design to explore. While Sony and Microsoft are content to release platform upgrades, it looks like Nintendo is the only one attempting to move gaming to a new generation.

The creator of The Legend of Zelda series made rather cryptic comments recently about how The Twilight Princess will be the final Zelda title we\'ll see in this form. Changes are coming. Now that the Nintendo Revolution\'s controller has come onto the stage, we couldn\'t help but wonder exactly what that means. Will Zelda be better for the ability to fish and draw a bow with your hand? We take a look at what Zelda might be in just a few years.

Matt\'s back with a whole new edition of the GF! Mailbag. Why don\'t we have any cheats on the site? Do graphics really matter to gamers? Or are we just spouting off about nothing? And we finally answer the question that\'s been on gamers\' minds for over two years now: \"How do I install Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic?\" Witness the amazing array of reader mail we\'ve gotten since, well, last week!

Nintendo has pulled the Revolution controller from its magic hat, and the gaming community is now reeling in surprise. Initial responses around GamesFirst have ranged from, \"Wow,\" to, \"That\'s the ugliest thing I\'ve ever seen.\" How well the controller works depends on the quality of games Nintendo and third party developers can produce. Another question, though: After months of fan mock-ups and fake Revolution photos, did any of them get it right? Did anyone get even close? Turns out one or two did.

George, our resident Nintendophile, rolls around some ideas about the newly revealed Revolution controller. With few details to go on, George outlines some of the potential of the new controller, as well as some of our reservations (such as, what is the legal limit to the number of \"dongle\" jokes we can make in a single article?). Check out his impressions of the Revolution controller in this editorial.

On September 10th, 2005 the Women in Games International Conference took place in Redmond, Washington at the Microsoft Campus. It was both interesting and informative, and it\'s a pity that there are not more conferences like it; this is a step in the right direction for diversity in the game industry. GamesFirst will have more coverage of the conference later on, but in the mean time we couldn\'t help but include a comic reference. Check out this week\'s twoplayer comic, How to Advertise to Women. Too many advertisers seem to take this comic to heart.


twoplayer game comics are published every Sunday at http://comics.gamesfirst.com.