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Yeah, its been a while since I posted here. Its the same old same old. Life gets busy. Gaming and posting to the blog needs to be put on the back burner till I get some free time. Its all good. On the flip side, I've gotten pretty good at Gears in preparation for the new game coming November 7th ... Anywho, being gamers you all know that this week officially stated the holiday rush of games onto store shelves. I think between October and January last year I bought 14 plus games. I thought this year was suppose to be slower, but looking at the release schedule of upcoming games, I guess its going to be just as busy as last year. This week Fable 2 was released. I have to tell ya, I love that game! I'm not a huge RPG fan, but this is one game I'm really starting to get into. Check it out if you get a chance. Far Cry 2. That was the other big release this week. Many of you who I have on my XBL friend list remember us meeting in previous Far Cry games and being part of quite a large map making community, several years ago. Most of us basically left one another on that list, hoping someday there would be another Far Cry game. Our wish has been granted and there is now a new Far Cry game. This one has very little to do with the previous games, as Ubisoft has basically created a whole new IP around the name. The new game is literally built from the ground up. Without getting into a whole review of the game, it plays unbelievably and is one of the better games on the 360. This is not some port of a PC or something thrown together. This is on level with games like Gears, Halo 3, COD 4 and Crysis. Yes Crysis. If you look on any gamer site, they have reviewed the game and are giving it between 8.5 and 9.6 -- It is that good. If you haven't already, be sure and at least rent it, then your more then likely going to buy it. Anyway, what I'm about here today (don't you love how I get right to the point when I post LOL) is to let you all know that I will be, as in the past, hosting Far Cry dedicated servers. Since the last game, I have replaced my old connection with a new fiber optic network in my home, so the connection is screaming fast. 16 player matches are usually lag free and a good experience when joining the server. To start, Ill be hosting the maps that came with the game in UNRANKED Team Deathmatch games. If you see me online, and in Far Cry, join the game I'm hosting. Ill also be hosting ranked matches when playing myself. I will send out a notice when doing so. You will have to search the gametypes and look for my gamertag to join the match, as ranked matches cant have invited friends, you'll need to come and find me. Rank matches are the only way to level up in Far Cry 2. You will carry your experience over when playing unranked matches after that, but the only way to get the better guns and more experience is to play in a rank match. Be on the lookout for notices of rank matches being hosted by me and join them. The map editor in Far Cry is superior to anything that has been in a previous Far Cry game or any other game to this point on a console. I have not yet jumped into it myself, but from looking at the how-to videos put out by Ubisoft, this is one hell of an editor. Literally thousands of pieces can be put within maps, with all the great graphics that are part of Far Cry 2. I can imagine there will be some stunning maps in the future from the FC community. So, as in the past, and when custom maps start to be made in the weeks and months ahead, I will be hosting the best of the best in the dedicated server. I welcome anyone on my XBL friends list to notify me of when they have completed a map for Far Cry 2. I will certainly try and put it in the mix of maps that I host. I would think also, as in the past, once the game starts rolling and I get more use to it, Ill be hosting some sort of weekly game with Far Cry 2. Some of you may remember that I hosted something called "Far Cry Tuesdays" which everyone seemed to enjoy. I'm starting to think of some unique twists and ideas I can do when hosting FC2 games in the future. All suggestions are welcome. The release of Far Cry 2 has certainly brought alot of old friends back together. I have had a blast over the last several weeks speaking with many of you about the upcoming game and then playing in a room filled with some of you on Weds night. Good times people. I look forward to once again, hosting your maps, and playing on them weekly in the future. Again, all suggestions about the dedicated server, as well as hosting your maps, and weekly game get together's are welcomed. Drop me a TEXT message on XBL. For those who I have known for some time from the Far Cry community, welcome back my friends, and for those who have never played Far Cry, do yourself a favor and at least go and rent Far Cry 2 ... you wont be disappointed. See ya in game Peace EB Just released is the trailer showing off a new feature in the upcoming Call Of Duty World At War game - 4 player co op ... Sweet! Bored with first person shooters on the Xbox 360? Gears of War 2 seem like a million years away? Cant seem to get the hang of Madden 09 as of yet? Looking for something really unique and cool, with a little bit of a challenge? Well, this week I picked up both NHL2K9 and NHL09. Yeah, I'm a hockey freak! And you should be too. Why? Because these two games are not only two of the best sports games made, they show off next gen to the max. Yes, hockey games are that good on the Xbox 360. Both 2Ksports and EA have raised the bar on the creation of hockey on a console this year. I know what your saying to yourself. Hockey? Really? That good and that fun? Yeah, it is.  NHL2K9 By 2K Sports
I played this game for about 30 minutes last night and am in awe. They totally revamped the entire game from the ground up. Those who have played it in the past remember the presentation just sucked. This years game looks stunning. Both presentation and while playing it, this has to be hands down one of the best looking and smoothest running games made for the 360 so far. Rent it and see. You'll be buying it soon after that. Unique to the game this year is that you can have as many as 12 different people on 12 different consoles playing in one game. Awesome. How long have we who love sports games waited for this feature? Forever. Its now here in this game.
 NHL09 by EA Sports
In the past, EA hasn't made, in my opinion anyway, a good hockey game. 2K was always king. Until this year. Now, I haven't as of yet played this game. I only got the two of them a day ago. But this game has a unique feature that I'm really interested in checking out. You have the ability to form a team of up to 50 (yeah, holy crap) of your friends and play against other created teams around the world. You create the entire team. From logos, to jersey and everyone has their own stat tracker. You basically create a player, take it online and join a team. You then join leagues and tournaments with that team and start in. Again, all on separate consoles in separate locations.
Now, should you go and buy both these games? Well if your a hockey freak like me, maybe. I'm actually looking for feedback to see how much interest there would be in forming a league in NHL2K9 or forming a team in NHL09. As in the past when I have run hockey leagues, they can be small or big, it doesn't matter to me. I am just looking for people who will actually play, and who love hockey as much as I do. If you interested in being a part of either a league, a team, or both, send me (gamertag ebstone) an Xbox Live message and let me know, which one your interested in or perhaps both. You might also want to take a couple of minutes and check out the web sites (links above) to both games, read the feature sets, and check out all the videos that's how off the way these games look and play. Perhaps go and rent each of the games in the coming week and see which one appeals to you more, or maybe both will. If there is a enough interest, expect that the league / team we form will begin at the beginning of the actual hockey season, which starts in the first week in October. In the meantime, if you see me online, lets get together and play some hockey! Peace  Sure, we all wait for the latest and greatest games to hit the store shelves so we can get our hands on them, and be the first to see "what's next" in the world of gaming. If your like most, you probly already have a countdown going on as to when Gears Of War 2 will be released.
More often then not though, there are these empty spaces or "lulls" of time where no games are released for long periods of time. We are in the middle of such a time right now ... That period every year where we have nothing to look forward to until the holiday releases start to roll out in October or November. We have gone and spent all our hard earned cash to reserve our pre orders, and basically have no money left to do anything. Not that we actually have a life and get out of our houses often ... Why? We are gamers, and what we do, is game! Some may be sitting at home right now trying to think of something to pass the time until we can chainsaw battle in Gears 2 come November. Well, get out the dust rag people and walk over to the shelf and dig into of your original Xbox collection ... Because THIS SUNDAY NIGHT ... WE RETURN TO TURF! Yes, that's right, we are going back to Halo 2 my friends! While most of the free world purchased Halo 3 when it hit store shelves last November, months down the road, reports and postings of less then stellar gameplay buy some, perhaps even disappointment from many, it has the hardcore Halo universe fanboys wanting something to get back the satisfaction that many believed is superior to that of Halo 3. The shear spot on killing sprees in Halo 2. Its for this reason that we return this Sunday night, September 21st @ 8:30PM est to the game variant "Make My Day" that was created with Halo 2. Never heard of this game type? You don't know what your missing. Created gameplay that is so mayhem based, that only the strongest Halo players can survive it. Most describe it as downright brutal. Why? Because they can't take the endless downing by their opponent. This is NOT a game variant for the noob or the unskilled. Kills in double figures are rare. Most snub their nose at MMD and have an endless excuse train filled with why they don't play it, when its apparent that they just cant handle the arena's in which MMD is played and their ability to actually survive. Your gonna need a "Steele Set" to survive in this world my good friend!  Make My Day (aka MMD) is shotguns and pistols, in case you were wondering what makes it so unique. Sitting there saying to yourself "That's it? Shotguns and Pistols, WTF, that isn't any big deal ..." Well if that's the case, we look forward to seeing you Sunday night.
We would say be prepared to get the living snot knocked out of you, but if your like most before they play Make My Day, your probly thinking you can own in this variant. Just one thing we should mention. The player running by your limp dead humble body on the street of Turf that was down for the 6th time in a row? Yeah, that will be us, those who have just owned you ... yet again, until you quit. And you will quit rather then stay in the fight. We wont be disappointed you decided to leave our game, just more understanding that your yet another "Great Halo Player (according to you and you only .. a legend in your own mind) that couldn't hack the Make My Day variant, in which we rule! Try not to forget that. We welcome ANY attempt to prove us wrong ... See you Sunday night 8:30PM est SHARP. We like to think of the Make My Day arena like our version of Las Vegas. Its a ton of fun to enter, but know before you even get there, you will lose my good friends, and lose badly ... LOL ... NOTE: MAKE SURE you have all Halo 2 map packs and DLC for the game, BEFORE JOINING. MMD is played on all maps within Halo 2. Peace  The Madden league has been created!
The wait is over people. Tonight I created the league, and its ready for all members who registered and picked a team to join. I (along with your fellow gamers) would ask that you all join as soon as possible. Please be sure and check your inbox on Xbox Live for the league info and how to join. Please also be sure to join with the team you registered. Do NOT choose a team you did not reserve. So, upon creation of the league -- I noticed several things. As much as the online leagues have been talked down about in the EA forums I have read, and the Madden community being downright brutal at times about what the online league system this year lacks, I have to say, in all honesty it doesn't *look* that bad (of course once we get into it, that opinion may change LOL). Its actually quite nice for a first time around for EA. It's pretty well organized and easy to navigate through. If anyone is going into this season expecting it to be as deep, and as detailed as the 2K online leagues were, forget about it. Its not even close, but it does appear to have all the basics, which when you come right down to it, might actually be better in the long run. After all, with everyone being so busy with other things in life, the straight forward, simplistic approach I think actually might work out better, especially if your me ... LOL ... Important Note : It appears that as soon as you join the league you can start to play games against others who have joined. Which is GREAT. No waiting for everyone to join. I will say this. Those who fail to play their league games at a steady pace, will be excused from the league. What's "steady" mean? If we are three weeks into this thing and you have played one game in your schedule or you haven't played a single game at all. It isn't fair to the rest of the league members to have to wait come playoff time for you to try and play 22 games in 2 days ... :). I'm hoping for a relatively smooth schedule and everyone will play their games in a timely manner.  That being said, I'm looking forward to having alot of fun with this league, and I hope everyone in the league is as well. My expectations are in check though. The league in its approach technically may be simple, but the running of the actual league I'm under no delusions will be that simple. I expect to have gamers "trying" to glitch the hell out of it. Do us all a favor and save yourself the boot and a one way ticket out of the league and simply don't do it.
Let me take one moment, and one moment only this season to explain to everyone what is a glitch and what is not. This will save you sending me messages to my flooded inbox about people cheating, because such messages are usually deleted if not valid, which in my experience of running these things, in most cases aren't of those people cheating, it comes to down someone whining and being pow'ed by their opponent. Someone auto snapping the ball to the wide receiver? A known glitch, by EA, and everyone else, that will get you a loss, and if I cant do that (because I haven't seen the ability to reset a game as of yet, as none have been played, but I'm hoping there is a way to actually do this?), you'll be thrown out of the league. I, along with many of you returning for online leagues have expressed over the years zero tolerance for glitchers. Its not needed, it ruins everyone's enjoyment of a friendly league and nothing should ever be taken that seriously where you have to cheat to win at a video game. Grow up and play fair. Someone snapping the ball to their QB and running around the backfield till a receiver is open. NOT A GLITCH. You might call it cheese play or crap, but this is not a glitch. Some might even call it a QB scramble? Spend your time learning to defend against it, and less time complaining to someone about your opponent doing it, especially when that someone is me :).  We all see the difference here right? Just play the game straight up. We have all been at this way to long to spend endless amounts of time with glitchers and people who will do anything to win at a video game. Don't ever think your that great at this (or any other) game that you aren't going to be beat. Your going to lose, face it and deal with it. If two adults cant get together for an hour and play a friendly game of toss the ball around the field, then both of you get out of the league. If your that concerned about your online stats and impressing people, this league isn't for you. None of us are impressed with anything your doing, especially if that's cheating.
Ok, that's one moment we will all never get back, but something that needed to be said. So ... game on people! Join and start to play now!. The best of luck to everyone. There are 28 league members. How awesome is that! The league is set so that you must play each league member once. This means each of us must play 27 games. Its going to be a long season, but a really fun one too. I look forward to seeing each of you on the field and playing against you. Try not to beat me down too much. I said I would admin the league, I never said I was any good at the game ... LOL ... As always, any questions or suggestions you have, don't hesitate to drop me a note. Have some mercy on me though, and be reasonable in your questioning, suggestions and requests. Welcome to the league! Play fair, play hard and have a great time! Peace Well, it took a bit, but yesterday EA released a roster update to Madden 09. This is the update we have all been waiting for and now that it is out, I can generate the league and we can get this brawl started! Now, a couple of things to point out. For those who have been around online leagues in the past, this may be old news, and for those new here, it should be something you pay attention to. In the past, once a league is created, ALL OWNERS MUST JOIN WITH THIER TEAM BEFORE A SCHEDULE CAN BE GENERATED. I would ask that once I set up the league that everyone join as soon as they possibly can, so we can start the season. Its going to be a long season, almost 27 games for each player, and we have waited a while for this update to arrive, so everyone is pretty anxious to get going I'm sure. So PLEASE, once I send out the information, join the league as soon as possible. Much thanks in advance from myself as I'm sure the rest of your fellow gamers. That being said, hopefully we will have a schedule generated within a week and we can get to playing. Yes, we need to be respectful of everyone's schedule, and that they may not join as soon as I create the league, as they may have work schedules and other things going on in their lives where Madden is not the sole priority ... I know, like what your asking .... LOL ... Anyway, I think a week is a reasonable amount of time to expect that everyone will have joined, and the beat downs can begin :). Teams are now locked. You may no longer switch your team. The time has passed, you had plenty of time to do so, and received several notices that you were able to. Here is the final list of teams and gamertags that own them : ebstone : New York Jets
Vilehook : Dallas Cowboys
Gamebreaker81: New England Patriots
mambonuts : Green Bay Packers
yankeepa : Miami Dolphins
Hell Monkey : Philadelphia Eagles
Trippl3 : New York Giants
Sir Ottis : Tennessee Titans
Joe Da Fan : Washington Redskins
Spaceba11s : San Diego Chargers
ITEN355 : Jacksonville Jaguars
Loki75 : Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Zito9420: Kansas City Chiefs
ae5730119 : Minnesota Vikings
kcoyle : Oakland Raiders
MFCorleone TFK : Indianapolis Colts
Rogue Barron : Pittsburgh Steelers
Illmatica247 : New Orleans Saints
BuzZzrD : Chicago Bears
Eatcha Beeva : Denver Broncos
Arizona Cardinals : Greenone
GRUBBS62 : Baltimore Ravens
gosensgo2008 : Cincinnati Bengals
Arriba la rasa : Carolina Panthers
NO12CHAMP : San Francisco 49ers
lRosettaStonedl : Buffalo Bills
ONaB33Rrun : St Louis Rams
SICKSIX6 : Cleveland Browns The settings for the league will be as follows. Again, everyone had plenty of time to discuss and give their feedback as to how they wanted it. League Name (suggestions welcome)
Abbreviation (suggestions welcome)
Select Logo (Ill pick a random one that fits)
Select Trophy (Ill pick a random one that fits)
Select Team (My team goes here - Jets)
Description (Based on what we name the league)
Password (Ill make a unique password and send it to you)
Max users (This currently stands at 28)
Games (each team must play each other at least once during the season, so currently we are looking at a 27 game season)
Max DNF% (set if you want to limit a % a player has of DNF %)
Reputation (set if you want to limit a certain rep of players joining your league)
Unique Rosters (this needs to be ON if trades are allowed)
Enable Draft (We can actually have a draft, I'm thinking this is set to OFF)
Trades (set to ON ... it can get more complicated, but we will keep it simple. Trades can exsist between 2 teams. More than that I need to get involved and its a little unclear higher then that. Simple seems best)
Playoffs (Set to Yes)
Quarter Length (5 Minutes)
Game Skill Level (All Pro)
Fatigue (Set To ON)
Injuries (Set To ON)
Random Weather (Set To ON) If anyone has a suggestion for a league name, I'm open to it. Send it to me immediately. Either that or Ill name it the first thing that comes to my mind when sitting in front of my 360 later. Be very afraid ... LOL ... I think it goes without saying, but maybe it doesn't, that if your going to back out and not play, NOW is the time to let me know please. I would appreciate any heads up if your considering not playing. Enough said on that. I should have more info for everyone after I create the league, so stay tuned later tonight or more then likely tomorrow for an update to all of this, and PLEASE, as soon as you get the league info, join as soon as you can. Its much appreciated. Peace EB
I know it has been a while since you were all updated (there really hasn't been anything to report), but here is the latest on the upcoming Madden 09 league. When Will the League Finally Begin?
Probly the most popular question in my XBL inbox. The answer is simple. As soon as the latest roster update is released by EA. I don't think that anyone wants to play with a roster that may include players that have been cut from your team, as well as any transactions that were completed in the final days of training camp or the preseason. I'm in hopes that this roster update will be released this week, now that the actual NFL season is underway. Once that roster update is released, I will generate the league and we will be ready to play. NOTE: The roster update is final, and we will begin after that is released. Again, it is not in my control as to when, where, how, why etc in respect to the roster update and its release. It looks as though this weeks stats, as well as injuries, will or at least should be included in the roster update. I want to thank everyone for their patience and waiting for the update to be available. As always, if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to send me a message. What Teams Are Still Available?
The following teams are still available to be taken as of Monday 9.08.08 Houston Texans
Buffalo Bills
Detroit Lions
Atlanta Falcons Again, as a reminder, you CAN switch your current team that you own, with one that is available up until the roster update is released. You may NOT switch your team once the roster update is out, even if we have not generated the league or schedule yet. So if you want to switch your team, I would suggest you do it now.
Owner List Update
There have been a couple of additions to the league as well as a couple who have dropped from the league. here is an update list of owners and their teams as of Monday 9.08.08 ebstone : New York Jets
Vilehook : Dallas Cowboys
Gamebreaker81: New England Patriots
mambonuts : Green Bay Packers
yankeepa : Miami Dolphins
Hell Monkey : Philadelphia Eagles
Trippl3 : New York Giants
Sir Ottis : Tennessee Titans
Joe Da Fan : Washington Redskins
Spaceba11s : San Diego Chargers
ITEN355 : Jacksonville Jaguars
Loki75 : Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Zito9420: Kansas City Chiefs
ae5730119 : Minnesota Vikings
kcoyle : Oakland Raiders
MFCorleone TFK : Indianapolis Colts
Rogue Barron : Pittsburgh Steelers
Illmatica247 : New Orleans Saints
BuzZzrD : Chicago Bears
Eatcha Beeva : Denver Broncos
Greenone : Arizona Cardinals
GRUBBS62 : Baltimore Ravens
gosensgo2008 : Cincinnati Bengals
Arriba la rasa : Carolina Panthers
NO12CHAMP : San Francisco 49ers
lRosettaStonedl : Seattle Seahawks
ONaB33Rrun : St Louis Rams
SICKSIX6 : Cleveland Browns
Thanks again to everyone, and hopefully we can get this thing going this week.
PeaceFor those who have been around this web site for a while, you might remember something from last spring called "Weekly Gaming" also known as A**hole Free Gaming (or "AFG" ... for short). What is this? Well, run and organized by gamertags ebstone and RedRumSkippy (which is one in the same person), "weekly gaming", or "AFG", is a group of gamers that gathered each week to play a variety of online console games (on the Xbox 360 platform, for the most part). The group, numbering more than 100 at times, was made up of gamers who enjoyed an atmosphere of fun, yet competitive gaming, all the while making friends to add to their ever growing list on Xbox Live friends. To this day, many of the friends that were made through those sessions remain playing with one another. So whatever happened to the weekly sessions? How come they seemingly disappeared and this web site went stale? The question has been asked alot over the past several months, and now we have the answer. Its pretty simple ... Life got busy, which sometimes happens, as it did for ebstone / RedRumSkippy. We have all been there. The sessions and its organizations seemed to fall to the wayside. Gaming had to take a back seat to several other, more important things in life. I know, like what could they have been more important? ... LOL ... Never the less, we are happy to say that Weekly Gaming is back my friends! Starting after the labor day holiday, we will be returning to a schedule of your favorite games on a regular and more organized basis. We will start slow, perhaps one or two sessions a week. As always, you'll be able to drop either, ebstone or RedRumSkippy an Xbox Live message and suggest a game, or simply make a suggestion of any kind to improve the experience in general we all share and enjoy. Also, as in the past, there will be the usual reminders sent before each gaming session so you'll know what games are being played on what nights. Also be sure and keep an eye on the web site here for advanced notice (right hand column under "Gaming Schedule") on upcoming and special events. If your not on ebstone's or RedRumSkippy's friends list, be sure and send a Xbox Live friends request. To get things rolling, we are going to be playing Unreal Tournament 3, this coming Tuesday September 3rd at 8:30pm est with your host ebstone. Now, this game is one of the latest releases that has been overlooked during the summer months. Do yourself a favor, and on the way home from work on Tuesday, if you don't already have it, go and rent it for the night and join us for some quality fragging in some great arenas in futuristic worlds! Until Tuesday, here is hoping you all had a great summer, its good to be back gaming full time, be sure and visit this site often, and I hope to see you in many of the upcoming weekly sessions! Peace This morning gamer ApRiL pAiN claimed the Seattle Seahawks for the upcoming Madden 09 league. There are now just 4 teams remaining to be "adopted" by someone out there. Will we get a full league of all 32 teams? With exactly a week left till the actual opening of the NFL season, time is ticking away. How great would it be for the first time since most of us have played online football to have all 32 teams participate in a league? The following 4 teams are available : Houston Texans
Detroit Lions
Atlanta Falcons
St Louis Rams If you know anyone that would want to part take in our league, have them send gamertag ebstone an Xbox live message with their team selection. Preseason Game #3 Announced
We will be having our 3rd preseason game next Weds, September 3rd at 9PM est. All those registered league members wishing to participate in the game, please send a TEXT MESSAGE to gamertag ebstone stating "I want in on Madden Preseason Game #3 on Weds 9.3 at 9PM est" ... You'll receive info back on your opponent the day prior or day of the game. Peace With less then 2 weeks left before the opening of the season, we only need 5 more team owners to have a complete league! I'm in hopes that registered league members are looking over their Xbox Live friends list, and are out there pushing the the league to get those remaining league spots filled! Lets go people, have your friends "adopt a team" and join us this season in Madden! The following 5 teams remain & need owners : Houston Texans
Detroit Lions
Atlanta Falcons
St Louis Rams
Seattle Seahawks Does Someone Have The Rocks?
 Now, when making the list of remaining teams, and looking over those that were already taken, I got to thinking why people pick the team they do when entering the league? Some might pick the team they do because its their home town (example, myself and being from New York. I've been a Jet fan since the day I was born -- screw them there Giants! LOL). Others may simply pick a team in Madden because its serves them the best chance to win in the game. Kind of like the person who grabs the grenade in Gears of War for the "No Skill Kill" and you all know who you are! ... LOL ... Still, when looking over the remaining teams, one cant help but notice, 3 of the 5 are the bottom of the barrel when it comes to league talent. Although I am a bit surprised that the Rams and the Seahawks are still available. No doubt everyone plays to win to some extent. Most play for fun. But how many play to impress? Many when it comes to league play "claim" to be good in Madden, but how many really are? How many can back up the talk and walk the walk? Once the league starts, so does the trash talk. Game one, its put up or shut up. In the end only one can stand. Being someone who has run many an online sports league with the Xbox, I have yet to see someone have the rocks to take the Houston Texans and win a league I run with them. Now that would be impressive, would it not? Is it impossible? Certainly not. Could it be done without cheating? It certainly could. Will it happen this year? Not sure. Someone has to take them first. I don't recall saying anywhere someone couldn't have a second gamertag and take another team, did I? ... LOL .. You all love Madden as much as you say you do? Who has the rocks? Anyone? We shall see ... Peace Tonight we continue with our preseason game schedule at 9PM est with game #2. The first games, played last Friday night, were a huge success (results posted to the left column here on the site), and we were please to announce over the weekend the schedule for the second game -- schedule posted to the left column. The teams have been notified via Xbox Live message. Good luck to all. Madden Preseason Game Settings:
All home teams (hosts) are REQUIRED to set up the games as followings and all opponents are required to check the settings BEFORE the game begins. Home teams are then required to invite the visiting team to play. Game Type : Unranked
Quarters : 5 Minutes
Game Skill Level : All Pro
Injuries : ON
Fatigue : ON
Skill Level : ANY
Invitation Only : YES
DNF% : ANY
Location : ANY
My Team : Place your team here
Preferred Opponents Team : Any Playing Your Preseason Game
You were all sent your opponents information in an Xbox Live message. Please send your opponent a friend request, prior to the scheduled time, if they are not currently on your friends list. This will make it easier to find and invite the person when the time comes to play the game. All games are scheduled for 9PM eastern time. After the preseason game is over, if one or both of the teams could send gamertag ebstone the results of the game, Ill post them here to the site. 26 Teams Owners & Counting
Last night the upcoming Madden 09 league added its 26th member! Stunning people! Our goal at this point is to get every team in the game taken and have a full and complete league! Is it possible? We are asking for your help. Talk to your friends who you know that play the game and get them to join the league, and take one of the remaining teams. Have them come here to the site and look over the list of team owners and chose one of the remaining teams. Registration will remain open for an additional week to allow these last few teams to be taken so we can get a full league. We can do this and think of how awesome it would indeed be. More Preseason Games Announced
Last night we had our preseason opener. It was a bit of test to see if the idea of a preseason game would actually work. I'm happy to report that 80% of the games were indeed played, and the results were posted here on the site. Thanks to all those who played. Today, we are announcing more preseason games. The next preseason game will be this coming Monday night at 9pm est. For those registered league members who wish to play, please send an Xbox Live message to gamertag ebstone, with the contents "I want to play in the Monday nights Madden preseason game at 9pm est" (please do NOT send me a message simply saying "I'm in". I get about 50 to 75 messages a day, and I scratch my head saying your in for what? Madden preseason? COD4? The UT3 game Weds night? Halo 3? Gears of War Tournament that's up and coming? As you know, I'm not that smart of a guy and I might get confused ... LOL). Ill post the schedule and send all those who wish to play the information on Monday about noon. Thanks. Peace  Welcome to the first, of what hopefully will be many preseason games over the next several weeks for our Madden 09 league. The goal here is to toss the ball around, test our your teams abilities, and scout the competition for the upcoming season.
We may also want you to perhaps share and discuss during the games you play, league opinions and game / league settings with your fellow gamers to perhaps submit feedback to the league commish (ebstone) so that before the season starts we can form the best possible league. Madden Preseason Game Settings:
All home teams (hosts) are REQUIRED to set up the games as followings and all opponents are required to check the settings BEFORE the game begins. Home teams are then required to invite the visiting team to play. Game Type : Unranked
Quarters : 5 Minutes
Game Skill Level : All Pro
Injuries : ON
Fatigue : ON
Skill Level : ANY
Invitation Only : YES
DNF% : ANY
Location : ANY
My Team : Place your team here
Preferred Opponents Team : Any Playing Your Preseason Game
You were all sent your opponents information in an Xbox Live message. Please send your opponent a friend request, prior to the scheduled time, if they are not currently on your friends list. This will make it easier to find and invite the person when the time comes to play the game. All games are scheduled for 9PM eastern time. After the preseason game is over, if one or both of the teams could send gamertag ebstone the results of the game, Ill post them here to the site. Switching Teams?
A question that has been sent to me, and part of the reason I came up with the preseason idea was if you play in a live game scenario, and your team plays absolutely horrible, can you switch your team? The answer to that question is YES, you can. You may, at any time, BEFORE registration closes next week, throw your current team back in the pile of available teams and chose another. Once registration closes, you will no longer be able to do this. Yet another reason it is probly in ones best interest to play and participate in the preseason. Any questions, please send them to gamertag ebstone. Best of luck to all! Call Of Duty 4 To Follow Madden Preseason Opener!  Following the Madden preseason opening games at 9PM est, we are going to continue with a 10PM session of Call Of Duty 4!
Madden league players, as well as anyone else who happens to be around at the time, look for gamertag ebstone to host, what is always a very action packed session of one of the hottest Xbox Live games since its release last fall. Those wanting to join the session be sure and have the COD4 DLC. We will be playing matches with the new maps in them and if you do not have the DLC, you wont be able to participate in the session. So, if at 10PM est, if you find yourself, like us, without anything to do on a Friday night, pop that COD4 disk in your 360 and head on over to our session and see if you can stand toe to toe with some of the best in COD4 ... cya there Many of you have written me and asked for an updated list of people who have registered for the upcoming Madden league and the teams they have chosen. Here is the most recent list as of this morning : Currently 27 teams have registered to play in this years Madden 09 league ebstone : New York Jets
Vilehook : Dallas Cowboys
Gamebreaker81: New England Patriots
mambonuts : Green Bay Packers
yankeepa : Miami Dolphins
Hell Monkey : Philadelphia Eagles
Trippl3 : New York Giants
Sir Ottis : Tennessee Titans
Joe Da Fan : Washington Redskins
Spaceba11s : San Diego Chargers
ITEN355 : Jacksonville Jaguars
Loki75 : Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Zito9420: Kansas City Chiefs
ae5730119 : Minnesota Vikings
kcoyle : Oakland Raiders
MFCorleone TFK : Indianapolis Colts
Rogue Barron : Pittsburgh Steelers
Illmatica247 : New Orleans Saints
BuzZzrD : Chicago Bears
Eatcha Beeva : Denver Broncos
Reyule Reborn : Buffalo Bills
Greenone :Arizona Cardinals
GRUBBS62 : Baltimore Ravens
gosensgo2008 : Cincinnati Bengals
Arriba la rasa : Carolina Panthers
NO12CAMP : San Francisco 49ers
SICKSIX6 : Cleveland Browns There Is Still Time To Join The League!
If you still wish to join the league there is time. Please choose a team and send a message to gamertag ebstone on Xbox Live with your team selection. Registration will be closing soon. More then likely sometime within the next week. Preseason Opener This Friday Night!
For those who already are registered, don't forget if you want in on this weeks pre season opener, its Friday night at 9PM est To register to play, please send gamertag ebstone a message stating you want in and Ill send you the information along with who your opponent will be. Ill need to know if you want to participate in the pre season game Friday night, no later then Thursday so I can post the matchups to the site here and notify the teams. Thanks to all Peace Ok, so you have all had Madden 09 for a little over a week. You have joined the league here (and if you haven't, registration is closing soon, so you better get your team picked form the ones remaining - and send a Xbox Live message to gamertag ebstone).  Unknown. That might be the vibe for this season, and we aren't talking about the new features in the game either. The competition. Unfamiliar gamertags, mean unfamiliar opponents people.
Yes, the unknown. Its what is going to make this league, if nothing else, interesting. We have a mixed bag this season. They have come from all over (literally) to join the league. If you think you know how to approach this leagues participants, think again my friends. There are no scouting reports as in the past. Look over the list of gamers in this league. In the past you may have known 75 - 80% of the competition. Now your lucky if you know 30%. The unknown is certainly your biggest hurdle this season. Beware of the unknown. Be smart. Never underestimate what you don't know. How does one study the unknown? Madden 09 Pre Season games that's how my friends! This is your chance to get some quality practice in, and at the same time, scout and study the competition that you'll be playing against all season long. It might be in your best interest to part take in these pre season outings, as he (or she -- this year for the first time) who underestimates the competition, might just get their arse kicked from one end of the field to the other when it really counts a couple of weeks from now when the season begins. The first pre season game night is this Friday at 9pm est. To be a part of it, all you have to do is be a registered member of the league, send ebstone an Xbox Live message stating that you want to play in the Friday night 9pm Madden preseason session and he will send you back the information, along with who your opponent is. Its that simple. Best of luck to all ... For those who are unfamiliar with the series, Far Cry has been around for a bunch of years -- ever since the original Xbox as a matter of fact. You probly didn't know that it won a slew of awards for game design as well. Also among the little know facts that the game has quite a huge following, and also, its one of the few games on the 360 platform, if not the only one (besides those that are back compatible) that have a map editor. Its been some time since the last game -- Far Cry : Instincts Predator  Now, this fall, enter Far Cry 2. Its a total departure as far as the storyline from the old series, and basically its a whole new game. The Far Cry community has to be more then a little amped up about this thing. They finally get their next gen game on their next gen platform.
From the looks of it, Ubisoft has done an unbelievable job with the game and its redesign as well as its open world technology. That's to say nothing of the brand new map editor, that allows the user to make his / her own maps in the game. Then upload them to the Ubisoft server and let others rate them. You can see a preview of the map editor in action over in a feature article at IGN. I would highly recommend taking a look at this video to see just what is in store and the future of user created content. Pretty awesome stuff. Sure, we saw alot with the Halo 3 editor, but by the looks of this video, and what your going to be able to do with literally thousands of pieces of pre-fab buildings and items that come with the editor, it ought to be real interesting to see what people can come up with. For those who haven't heard of the Far Cry series in the past, I think that might all change come this fall. It will be interesting to see where it places among this years fall releases and among the heavy hitters that will be released. Also, for additional coverage on Far Cry 2, a site about map building, and an all around informative web site that is pretty awesome, visit www.genesisdevice.org Peace We couldn't get enough after last nights brutal match, so we have decided to go back into the land of chainsaws once again tonight. Yes, its Gears Of War ... yet again. It starts at 8:30PM est (note : time is a half hour earlier tonight). Once again, your host is : RedRumSkippy Does it seem like we play alot of Gears Of War around here? Well, it should, because we do. And why not. Its an awesome game. We have had many a player who have gone and either rented it after trading it in (yeah, we ourselves wonder why anyone would trade in Gears to be honest with ya, then again we have run across a crazy gamer or two in our time as well LOL), and in some cases, some have told us they bought it again after seeing us play it so much, and they remember just how awesome it is. A couple of rounds and a few chainsaws or shotty's against your opponent later, and its like the skill never left ... Give it a try and you'll see we aren't wrong ... At the very least, go rent it at your local store, get the DLC ... Its now FREE and join us. You wont regret it. See ya @ 8:30PM est Peace In the event we have an overflow of people and you can't get into the room, because its full, send RedRumSkippy an XBL message & he will direct you to the host of the 2nd room Hate being back after the weekend? Long Day at work? Yeah, us too. What better way to kick back and relax then to pop in that game that never gets old, and take your buddies down with a chainsaw or a shotty ... Gears Of War people! Join us tonight in the arena that never seem to stop giving. Be sure and get there early. Spots are limited. Your host this evening : RedRumSkippy In the event we have an overflow of people and you can't get into the room, because its full, send RedRumSkippy an XBL message & he will direct you to the host of the 2nd room OK, so yesterday, I finally got some time to sit down and dig deep into Madden 09. Specifically the league setup in the game. I discovered several things. What is listed below, for those who may have not yet gone into that portion of the game, is what you would see if you went to create a league. I've listed it here, so that all league members can look it over and get a feel for the settings, as well as the options available, and how I am anticipating on setting it up. NOTHING is set here, and we can make it anything we want. Majority will rule, as it always does in the leagues I organize. So, what I would suggest, is that you read over what is listed as far as options and settings, in the league, and then play one another online or find a way to discuss it with others in the league and come up with what you think are good settings for the league. Send your feedback to me. One rule that IS always maintained here in this league is this. You don't open ya mouth when asked for your opinion, you cant complain later when something is apparently not the way you want it or don't like it. We are all about getting the best league going we can. This is one of those opportunities, BEFORE the league starts that you have to express your opinions. League Name (suggestions welcome)
Abbreviation (suggestions welcome)
Select Logo (Ill pick a random one that fits)
Select Trophy (Ill pick a random one that fits)
Select Team (My team goes here - Jets)
Description (Based on what we name the league)
Password (Ill make a unique password and send it to you)
Max users (This currently stands at 25)
Games (each team must play each other at least once during the season, so currently we are looking at a 25 game season)
Max DNF% (set if you want to limit a % a player has of DNF %)
Reputation (set if you want to limit a certain rep of players joining your league)
Unique Rosters (this needs to be ON if trades are allowed)
Enable Draft (We can actually have a draft, I'm thinking this is set to OFF)
Trades (set to ON ... it can get more complicated, but we will keep it simple. Trades can exsist between 2 teams. More than that I need to get involved and its a little unclear higher then that. Simple seems best)
Playoffs (Set to Yes)
Quarter Length (5 Minutes)
Game Skill Level (All Pro)
Fatigue (Set To ON)
Injuries (Set To ON)
Random Weather (Set To ON) Again, you can send your feedback to me on any of the settings. From running previous leagues, these settings I have listed above seem to be pretty standard. Again, nothing is set here and majority will win out. Its your league, so feedback is welcome. Several of the settings are a little weird. The trades area is really odd, so leaving it simple seems best and least confusing to be honest. If anyone can find info on explaining it, please send it to me and Ill post it for all to see. The other area of importance that you may want to CAREFLLY consider is this. Currently we have 25 members in this league. EA requires in their league structure that you play each team once. That means if we started the league today, as it stands you would be playing a 25 game season, before the playoffs even start. You are committing to quite a few games people. Not a problem for those who love the game. But for those who are reading this and not quite sure of that commitment, as discussed in yesterdays post, please have respect for your fellow gamers and do not join the league if you cannot have the level of commitment required to participate as you should. Its greatly appreciated by all. So look all this over. Take a day or two, and then if you have any questions of feedback, let me or others in the league know. Peace Tonight 8:30PM est Lost Planet! It might be the middle of the summer, but tonight we are going north into the frozen battlefield that is Lost Planet. Many also might be asking, "Why are you playing such an old game?" The fact is, great games never go out and never get tired. Lost Planet is indeed a great game! It also recently dropped down to a $29.99 game, and it's map packs on the Xbox Live marketplace became FREE to all! So do yourself a favor this afternoon. Go out to your local gaming store, buy Lost Planet for 29.99, get all the FREE map packs off the marketplace, practice a bit and join us TONIGHT at 8:30pm est for a great gaming experience. Host gamertag : ebstone OR RedRumSkippy See ya there!
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