Given that this is ‘Duke Nukem Week’ by virtue of the long-awaited release of Duke Nukem Forever, it makes sense that someone would take advantage of that by offering a deal on classic titles from Duke Nukem developer 3D Realms. 3D Realms was originally the 3D game branch of Apogee Software (not 3D as in the Nintendo 3DS, just games like Doom at the time). Apogee was the main company, but by the time Duke Nukem 3D came along the name was dropped … until 2008 when 3D Realms brought it back Apogee Software now has an online store, and to celebrate they are launching what they are… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Game On! This 11.6″ Dell Alienware m11x gaming laptop is our Gear Deal and you can save $200 on it! It has a Core i3-330UM ULV processor with 1GB GeForce GT 335M discrete GPU. It has a WLED 720p LCD screen, a 1.3-Megapixel Webcam, 802.11n WiFi, 4GB DDR3 memory, a 320GB Hard Drive, and Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit OS. Normally it sells for $899 but with deal you can get it for just $699 and it will even ship for free. (And if you need more power the Alienware m11x is also available with “Sandy Bridge” Core i5 / i7 processors.) Check out this deal right here! Dell Alienware m11x 11.6-in Core i3 Continue reading on Gear Diary …

(image courtesy MediaBistro) Around this time last year the Gear Diary team tussled with the folks at MyPadMedia. They were less than thrilled with us blowing open their scam of $50 for “unlimited” eBooks that turned out to be free eBooks from Feedbooks and other sites. Unfortunately, either MyPadMedia or their cohorts have managed to spawn again, this time with “The Reading Site”, which sounds and looks suspiciously similar. Pay us up front, we promise you unlimited eBooks, and if you’re a website who wants to be an affiliate there’s a super fat paycheck for you. However, without even paying for the site… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Every weekend Strategy First has a game or combo pack on sale by using a coupon code. This week things are different – the coupon came on Wednesday and is good until next Tuesday … and there are four distinct deals on offer! The games on sale are: XIII Century Gold Edition Perimeter 2 New Earth Dawn of Magic 2 Ninja Blade Considering that all four games are normally $29.99 at Strategy First, and anywhere from $15 – $35 on other sites … these are great deals! Head to Strategy First and use coupon STRAT499 to snag these… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Fallout: New Vegas got very positive but less than stellar reviews – it was hailed for the great writing and general ‘artfulness’ we’ve come to expect from Obsidian … but assailed for the bugginess we’ve also come to expect from them! Nonetheless it is an excellent game well worth playing! Today and tomorrow Direct2Drive has the ‘Collector’s Edition’ of the game for $12.50, 75% off the normal price! They are also throwing in the Fallout New Vegas – All Roads Novel as part of the deal. Also on the main page Direct2Drive is offering Neverwinter Nights 2 Platinum Edition for $9.95 – 50% off regular price! This version contains… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Just in case you weren’t one of the million’s of people who heard it this morning, Dan was on  WBAP‘s morning show talking with Brian Estridge about Father’s Day gift ideas. They liked him and his suggestions so much that they played the interview twice! =) Here’s a tally of the things Dan talked about: • Yurbuds • ROKU • Evernote • Livescribe Echo •… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

EA was actually relatively early to the digital download game, with their online store serving up games through the evolving EADM since 2007. Even back then EA pushed use of the service, but users balked because initially the EA specified that downloads were held for 6 months, or 2 years if you paid the extra ‘insurance’. Just before E3 last week EA launched their Origin digital download service, clearly aimed to take on market leader Steam. This week EA has made moves that show it is ‘On Like Donkey Kong’ … or, more appropriately, ‘Off Like Crysis 2′! That’s right – if you look closely at the image above, you will… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

This week we FINALLY get the sequel to the classic 1996 game Duke Nukem 3D. I will be getting a review copy very soon in will have a full review as soon as I can. But in the meantime I thought it appropriate to dig back into the game that launched the 15 year quest for a sequel! The Hype Duke Nukem, the politically incorrect celebrity and ultimate alien ass kicker, defends Earth and its babes from alien invasion. He is a can-do hero who realizes that sometimes innocent people have to die in order to save Earth, so accuracy of gun fire is not a real concern to him. This… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

  We are all feeling the financial pinch!  Blue Plate Special is a weekly review of bargain apps for the iPhone and iPod Touch. Nothing over $.99. I admit it, I am a weather freak. Part of this is due to the fact that most of my job requires being outside and weather plays a huge factor in how my day or games will go. Another part is due to living in Kansas for a few years as a young kid. Basically, I was scared into learning and being interested in weather. Our county is currently in… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

I have written quite a bit about the trend towards ‘freemium‘ online games, in which there is no charge for a game client or the basic use of the game service … yet which have been able to generate more money than standard subscription-based models for games such as Dungeons & Dragons Online. About a year ago Direct2Drive started selling ‘Starter Packs’ for freemium games, and now Steam has set up a ‘Free to Play’ portal featuring only freemium games. The service is kicking off with five games: Spiral Knights, Forsaken Worlds, Champions Online: Free for All, Global Agenda: Free Agent and Alliance of Valiant Arms. Two of these – Champions… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Our Gear Sponsor let us know that the HP direct store is offering $200 web-use coupon code on a customizable ENVY 14 laptop or a 25% web-use coupon code when the system is configured over $1,099. That’s some pretty significant savings on a powerful laptop! Here are the details: You can customize from Intel Core i5 (i5-480M, -i5-560M, i5-580M) or Core i7 with Quad Core (i7-720QM, i7-740QM, i7-840QM). The Envy 14 is one of the thinnest and lightest quad-core Laptops for its size, measuring 1.1-inch thin and 5.25 pounds. Also features ATI Mobility Radeon discrete/switchable graphics, Beats Audio, 14.5-inch (1600 x 900) HD Radiance display (59% brighter than standard displays), up to 13.75 hours battery Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Hot on the heels of our debate with the folks at Bonavitas and their questionably effective “supplements”, I came across this amazing graphic. There’s really not much to add, except that this is really handy if you’re feeling snowed by the onslaught of buzzwords slapping you around at the grocery store. The best part is if you click through to the interactive graphic, where clicking the bubbles takes you to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) online library. It is very easy to get caught up in hype, and larger than life health claims, but this website and graphic make it super easy to determine if it’s fact or falsehood! Check out the… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

In the 1980s, the coolest accessory you could have in your bedroom wasn’t a lava lamp, it was a plasma globe. I can still remember ogling one at the Service Merchandise store in San Angelo; they cost $199, and I had to save up for several months before I could purchase mine. Before seeing my first globe, I didn’t know anything about plasma; that in “the world of physics it’s also known as the fourth state of matter, and is the closest we can get to “seeing” electricity.” [source] I didn’t know that the “plasma lamp was invented by Nikola Tesla after his experimentation with high frequency currents in an evacuated glass tube for… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Yesterday I came across the juxtaposition of two news items that seem to make no sense together, yet in the larger context make perfect sense. Let me explain: First, Yahoo! is reporting the NPD numbers for May, showing video game sales are the lowest since October 2006! Here is a quote: U.S. sales of consoles and video games fell 14 percent in May to $743 million, the lowest monthly figure since October 2006. NPD Group, which compiles the data, said Monday that the decline is mostly due to a light schedule of new releases. There were just 42 new games released in May compared to Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Just sayin’ – there is no ‘Indiana Jones and the …’ prefix to MY Raiders of the Lost Ark! Anyway, this past weekend Raiders of the Lost Ark turned 30 years old. Released on June 12, 1981 the film was an enormous success and an instant classic. It cemented the legacies of George Lucas and Steven Spielberg, as well as screenwriter Lawrence Kasden who had just done The Empire Strikes Back. Here is the backstory of the production according to TheRaider.net: The swashbuckling archaeologist idea first came to George Lucas. He created the Indiana Jones action hero inspired by the Saturday afternoon serial adventure movies he used to watch in his youth Continue reading on Gear Diary …