Ahoy, squirts! Quint here taking up some of Monki's time... I just wanted to put the word out that we're looking for gamers who would like to contribute to the Games portion of AICN. Ideally, I'd like to structure the Games coverage much like the League of @ssholes cover comics, but have someone who focuses on Xbox 360, someone on Wii, someone on PS3, someone on PC games, etc.

If you think you're up for the task, please send an email to games@aintitcool.com with your name, location and preferred platform. Any info on you as a gamer would also be good. What kind of games you like, how often you played, what your favorite games have been, etc.

Now here's Monki! I hope this bricking problem with the 360s gets fixed because my 360 is starting to freeze up a lot and I'm getting nothing but resistance from the Xbox tech support people as my warranty is quickly about to expire... Yikes... Anyway, enjoy this week's recap!

Greetings humans, Monki here with a belated Weekly Wrap-Up. This past Wednesday was my birthday and I spent the past few nights celebrating so I apologize for the tardiness of this column. It won't happen again...until my next birthday...

Right now we are in sort of a gap of video game news. Things are slow in the release front, not a whole lot of high profile games hitting in the next few weeks. The CES is going on right now, but you can't really expect a whole hell of a lot of video game info out there, except maybe a new XBox? [Xbox-Scene]. Personally I hope this whole "Zephyr" deal is bogus. I just dropped $200 to pick up the HD-DVD add-on and I'd hate to think that within a few months we'd see a new XBox with HDMI, bigger HD, and HD-DVD included. Awww hell, I could probably sell my old 360 to a friend and pick up the new one.

The notion of releasing a version 2 of the hardware does kind of rub me the wrong way though. Microsoft had the right idea in not forcing people to use their new format, instead letting people purchase additional equipment if they wanted to.

Also this week is MacWorld San Francisco. Rumors abound that we'll see a new iPod, get more information on the iTV and maybe finally see the iPhone (or iMobile or whatever). Apple wants to put a new component in your living room...how much of a leap is it to think that maybe some casual games will end up on there? I will definitely be keeping an eye out.

My absolute favorite part about writing for AICN of last year was covering E3 out in L.A. Mind you, I got to go to Bermuda and the Turks and Caicos Film Festivals that same year.

I was warned that it would be overwhelming...it's loud...it's full of alpha-nerds. It was all of that, and so much more. And I had a blast. Seeing Fata1ity being treated like a rock star, Paris Hilton not even sure what her game's name was, watching one of my idols, Steven Spielberg, walk right in front of me, seeing geeks claw at each other for a free shirt. Totally awesome.

I was sad to see E3 as we know it shut it's doors and revert to a more intimate setting and less of a spectacle that it was. Fortunately though, the hole left by E3 is going to be replaced by E4. GamePro announced a few months ago that it would be taking over the L.A. Convention Center and keep the ultra-consumer gaming event alive. More details have emerged in a press release that came out earlier this week.

Framingham, MA - January 5, 2007 - IDG World Expo today announced the official name of its newest event: Entertainment for All Expo (E for All Expo), scheduled for October 18-20, 2007, at the Los Angeles Convention Center. The name replaces "GamePro Expo" - a placeholder while the company held a naming contest. More than 3000 entries were submitted on popular video game site GamePro.com. The winning entry was proposed by California resident Dante Padre.

The new name highlights the show's focus on entertainment and its openness and accessibility to the public. Building on momentum and pent-up demand that has grown within the consumer audience for all things related to computer and video games, event organizers anticipate its mid-October dates will launch an early holiday shopping season for the industry. The new name also reflects the cross-pollinization between traditional and digital entertainment - the reason behind establishing the show in Los Angeles, the entertainment capital of the world.

When asked what inspired his name submission, Mr. Padre said: "This show seems to be about inviting everyone to participate; they even asked gamers to create the name. Unlike other industry-only events, this show is for everyone. Now everyone will have the opportunity to experience the excitement, the entertainment, and the early look at the industry that's only been available to insiders before."

E for All Expo will offer consumers the opportunity to test-drive the latest in games and gadgetry, as well as purchase products they enjoyed over the course of the 3-day event at on-site retail facilities. Additional attractions are in the works, including high-profile videogame tournaments; job fair/networking opportunities; family-friendly offerings; and the acclaimed Video Games Live concert. The Expo will also take advantage of soon-to-be-expanded LA Live area adjoining the LA Convention Center and Staples Center.

"The games market continues to expand in every way," says Danielle Levitas, vice president of IDC's Consumer, Broadband, and New Media practice. "From consoles and handhelds to online and mobile gaming, we are seeing platforms, business models, and content evolve to take advantage of new populations of gamers that span all corners of the globe, young and old, and male and female. Furthermore, with the burgeoning growth in virtual worlds and downloadable games to portable CE devices, the line between games and other forms of entertainment is blurring and this should ultimately drive gamer numbers even higher."

"We've witnessed a growing demand for a consumer-focused interactive entertainment show these last few years - both from consumers and from the industry," says Mary Dolaher, executive vice president of IDG World Expo. "E for All Expo will offer an unprecedented opportunity for people who share a passion for games to try before they buy - and to interact with the people who created them. For companies that produce and develop games, interactive toys, and all things related, our goal is that E for All will foster promotional and relationship-building opportunities that only face-to-face contact can create."

E for All Expo has been endorsed by the Entertainment Software Association (ESA), the U.S. association exclusively dedicated to serving the business and public affairs needs of companies that publish video and computer games for video game consoles, personal computers, and the Internet. ESA members collectively account for more than 90 percent of the $7 billion in entertainment software sold in the U.S. in 2005, and billions more in export sales of U.S.-made entertainment software.

Sawweeet. I've wanted to check out the Video Games Live show before, but it never made it's way down near me. E3 is dead, long live E4!!

One of the first games I really got into for the NES was Dragon Warrior. I got it free because I subscribed to Nintendo Power or something like that, but I remember playing that thing for hours. Killing slimes, running from Wyvrns and ultimately fighting the Dragon to beat the game, (and don't forget the rainbow drop to make the bridge). It seems as though I've moved on as a gamer, those titles have continued. I believe Dragon Warrior eventually became Dragon Quest. What follows is a Japanese trailer for the next Dragon Quest game for the Wii. Looks like it could a lot of fun if it has that old school feel that lives in my memory.

Slimes! How I remember you so. Anyway, this one looks pretty cool and I'm looking forward to the eventual American release.

This trailer is for you Trekkies (or Trekkers) that always wanted to pilot the Enterprise and blow the crap out of stuff. Personally I'd just rather order Troi and Dr. Crusher to make out with me. Ahem. Watch the trailer.

Worf! Fire photon torpedos! Commander Data, please pretend to be Sherlock Holmes! Jordi, read some books to children! This game could be interesting...but don't take my word for it!

A trailer for a new video game documentary, "Moral Kombat" was released earlier this week. The trailer has talking heads with Joe Lieberman, Jack Thompson and a few other anti-video-game crusaders. First, watch the trailer, and we'll continue below.

Seems pretty biased towards the anti-games side, eh? I have to imagine there is some form of balance in the doc though. Blaming a flight simulator for 9/11? I thought it was the government's fault? Where are the Hardly Boys when you need them?

Seriously though, placing blame on PRETEND VIOLENCE is absurd. I've played video games as far back as I can remember and because of that, I work for a video game company, I have ridiculously good hand-eye coordination and I get to write about my favorite subject (video games) on a weekly basis on a major website. After a long day of Grand Theft Auto I've never had the urge to run around with a sniper rifle and shoot people. I've never finished playing Mortal Kombat and wanted to rip someone's spine out.

Where is the "proof" that violence is bred from games? I see more fucked up stuff on the 10-o-clock news than I do in most shit I see on my 360.

I played Doom and Quake as much or more than the Columbine kids and I never once shot up my school. As a matter of fact, I built a Doom map based on my middle school. Inside the classrooms were Imps and Pinky Demons. To think if I had done that shit now I could be under scrutiny as a possible threat to my friends just blows my mind. I just thought it would be fun to play Doom inside my school! Just like the idea of running around the halls with Nerf guns. Tag, you're it.

As was said in the trailer, anti video game crusading is a win-win situation for politicians. Voters who don't really give a damn about the facts hear things like "I am protecting your children from a threat," and they eat that shit up. Who wants to vote against protecting children? If parents just paid more attention to their children and didn't purchase violent games THAT ALREADY HAVE MATURE RATINGS, things would go well.

My parents sure as hell wouldn't buy a copy of Robocop for me when I was 8, why should Timmy's parents buy him GTA at the same age? It is just common sense people.

One thing you do notice is that most of the people arguing against video games are all old and have gray hair. Show me any 35 year old senator fighting against video games. It just doesn't happen. Sooner or later these people will all be out of office and we can go about our lives and crucify the next wave of technology.

Here are some fun facts to wrap up this rant here. So far every single "video game law" that has been drawn up has been stricken down in the court system immediately due to violation of free speech. Jack Thompson personally drafted the bill that was shot down in Louisiana and now he claims he is being courted to write another bill by an eastern state.

Now here is the fun part. These court hearings aren't free, and the people who are paying for the decisions are the taxpayers. You and me. We are paying out of our pocket to the ESA to cover their legal fees. As of right now the ESA has billed the government for about 1.5 million dollars. Let me repeat that, 1.5 MILLION DOLLARS. These bills go up and get shot down immediately and we are the ones to pay. Let me point you to a Game Politics article right here in which you can see the exact numbers.

I point this out only to spread the word. If you are in whatever "eastern state" that Thompson ends up writing a bill for, contact your local congressman, tell them that you don't enjoy giving away your tax money for something sure to be blown out of the water within minutes of passing.

Oh yeah, and for those people who claim that gamers are just a pool of rotten-brained robots who stare at their monitors all day, I give you this.

Child's Play, the gamers charity, donated $1,024,400 in two months to children's hospitals.

Vilify us all you want but we donated over one million to children, you are making us pay over a million for your frivolous bills. Merry Christmas to all.

Jesus, I think I'm going to need a ladder to climb down off of this soapbox after that rant. Again, I apologize for the tardiness of this article, but I hope we all learned something valuable.

To wrap up this whole she-bang, I wanted to share something that made me chuckle a bit. I was with some friends picking up Trauma Center: Second Opinion for the Wii (fucking awesome) and noticed something strange with the demo unit of the 360. 3 red flashing lights. That's right, their demo unit had been bricked. According to the guy working there, they've had it since launch which means it is past it's extended 1 year warranty. Har-har! But not only that, the PS3 demo unit was locked up playing Motorstorm! Hooray next-gen!

I managed to snap a picture with my phone before the manager asked me not to take pictures. I apologize for the crappy quality, but I just have to share.

Okay, I know it is hard to make out in that photo, but that box is definitely 3 red lights flashing with nothing up on the screen. Good times. Wow my camera sucks on my phone too, hopefully I'll be picking up the new Apple phone when Jobs announces it this week! But until then, back up the tree I go!

-Monki