Last week I wrote about how Steam's outage killed my plans for an afternoon of gaming.  Today, Joystiq reports that Ubisoft's DRM authentication server went down under the strain of users looking to play and killed the weekend plans of countless gamers.

Over and over, users are reminded that legitimate purchasers of games are often punished by the very programs  they supported because of DRM gone amuck.

It isn't just games either, that are hurt when corporations treat their customers as the enemy.  This week my iPhone crashed.  I called into Apple and was told that I didn't have Apple Care, but I did. I even had the receipt.

Even as Steve Ballmer was talking up Cloud Computing today, I fell victim to it.  All I wanted to do was play a little Modern Warfare 2 to blow off a little steam.  Unfortunately, Steam seems to have been down all afternoon.  Their community sections says that they are down for maintenance...but should their janitorial services keep me from playing a game I "own"?

Bioware's Dragon Age, an M-Rated title (so not to be played near or by kiddies), may have the greatest writing of any computer game I've ever played. It is the first non-book "page-turner-I-can't-put-it-down" title I've ever encountered - it even has a moral compass.

With the holidays fast approaching James is taking to TV and Radio talking about games, gadgets, and gizmos that make great gifts.

Software for tweens and children doesn't have to be mediocre. More often than not, however, games based on licensed characters fall short of the mark. If the Star Wars franchise was originally marked with innovation, excellence, and compelling storytelling, this game is its dark opposite: dull, repetitive, and often not much fun to play.

Based upon the cartoon series, this Star Wars tale is set just before Annakin becomes Vader. Obi-Wan is still a relatively young Jedi. 

With the World Series behind us, are you looking to continue your baseball high even as the snow begins to fall? One approach is simulation minded - with MLB 09 for the PS3 being your best option.  If you're looking for an over-the-top baseball arcade of fun, The Bigs2 might be just what you need to carry you through to Spring Training.

Since EA’s return to greatness last year with FIFA 09 on the PS3, Xbox 360, and Wii, EA Sports has raised its game to an even higher echelon with FIFA 10. A few years ago EA Sports’ FIFA 07 tumbled from its regal position atop the soccer game throne to the previously second place Pro Evolution Soccer by Konami. After years of careful planning and not great game making, EA Sports has struck gold once again.

We've been playing Forza 3 for Xbox 360 non-stop since it arrived.  A full review will follow, but suffice it to say that this is a must have title, reason alone to buy an Xbox 360.  It earns all the superlatives:  innovative, entertaining, sparkling eye-candy, easy to pick-up and play, full of limitless customization for the hard core player. In a genre as oft-visited as racing, garnering these accolades requires real horsepower.

Over the past few years, heck, over the past few days, it seems as if we've been inundated with karaoke and music games.  Are we all suffering burnout and over-saturation from the genre at this point.  When I suggested we play Lips Number One Hits, my friend looked at me and said, " How could it possibly be different from all the other music games we've tested?"

I was watching the new Halo ODST commercial on TV tonight and, while I really love playing ODST, there was something about the ad that really bugged me. They use real actors going through very intense basic training. It looks great. But, it looks nothing like the game.

Then, I turned on my Xbox 360 and fired up NBA 2K10. My girlfriend came into the room and wanted to know who was playing. Not who I was playing with, but what teams were on TV playing basketball. It looked that real to her.