To say thanks to all the Mother’s out there, old and new, Big Fish is giving away 3 games for the iPad or iPhone.

Tiny Places, Awakening: The Dreamless Castle and Mahjong Towers Touch are all completely FREE until May 13th at midnight!

Just head over to BIG FISH and get these great games. Even if you aren’t a Mom…you can still game like one!

We’ve reached level 50! Woot! Share with us your best/favorite Ladies of Leet moment from the past 50 episodes and you will be placed into a drawing for a Steam Game of your choice (up to $60).  Just leave a comment on this post by Friday 18 May and we will announce it on the next show.

Just a little thank you to all our fans for your support over the years and sticking with us through all the changes!

I can’t help but think of Sexy Batman when I play Arkham City now :) Click on the image to see the other 3 “Sexy” Superheros and visit Hur Dur Dur’s Tumblr page.

How awesome would it be to play with Squids on your iPad and/or iPhone?  How awesome would it be to do it for free!  Well now you have the chance!  Squids has released a new update for the great little game of Squids and we have two copies to give away!

Just send us an email by December 3 on what makes Squids (the animal or game) so awesome and you could win!  If you don’t win, you can still get Squids for $1.99 from the iTunes store here – Squids!

Here are the updates including optimization for iPad!

• Universal App: The original SQUIDS is now a Universal App. Play it on your iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch (or all three!) for the same low price of $1.99.
• Horror in 3D: A 3D anaglyph version of the recent Halloween map. Go old-school with your red/blue glasses to see the Squid heroes and their cranky crustacean rivals in all three dimensions. Crazy.
• New localizations: Japanese, simplified Chinese, and Russian languages join the game’s pre-existing English, French, German, Italian, and Spanish localizations.
• Music support: Listen to your own music while playing.Screen rotation: Turn your device and the game screen turns with it!
• Plus various and sundry bug fixes and interface tweaks to make playing SQUIDS even more enjoyable. :)

To be honest I groan a little inside when I hear this question. The reason is because DCUO is not WoW. Not even close. Yes it’s an MMO, but for me it is an entirely different experience. When I think of WoW, I think of a slower paced game where questing, professions, grinding levels and raiding can easily suck away 12 hours of my day if I let it. With DCUO it’s a much more intense, fast paced action game that still has familiar elements of WoW (or any MMO really), but also something a bit different. After playing and loving Batman: Arkham Asylum, I was really excited to get my hands on DCUO. Batman: AA was truly the first superhero game that I not only liked, but loved. My thought was if DCUO could capture some the things I loved most about AA, then I should really enjoy DCUO. Well so far so good, between the quick quests, the collectible lore & gear, & the mini dungeons where you fight along side of a iconic superhero/villain, I’m hooked (I haven’t even had a chance to try the PVP yet, but I hear it’s great!). Sure there are some parts where the voice acting is a bit cheesy (and other voices that I’m blown away by) but at the heart of this game it makes me feel like I’m fighting for justice right a long side my childhood hero, Wonder Woman or creating mayhem with The Joker. So just like Batman: AA, it’s the comic book lore that has hooked me. I’ve never been a DC fangirl and honestly my only exposure to DC has been through TV, movies & now games, but this game makes me want to create toons on both sides and mentor every single hero & villain so I can go through all of the stories and quests (guess what, it’s actually an obtainable goal!) Currently there are 8 heroes and 7 villains to be inspired by (listed below) and if you take everyone of them to 30 it could mean an ton of great gaming & lore.

So what are some of my complaints? Well for one, if I do decide to create 15 toons the starting area for all of these characters is going to get old….quick. Unlike WoW where every race has a unique starting area, the heroes in DCUO do not. I’ve gone through the starting area 5 times so far (3 times in beta) and if you are a hero your guide is the Oracle and if you’re a villain it’s Calculator, other than that small difference everything else is the same. Granted the starting area is easy to go through (max 10-20 min) but I’d still like to have some variety. Maybe it’s not possible right now, but hopefully the developers will create multiple starting areas, heck just put me on a different Brainiac ship. My next issue would be the player interaction/communication: I’m sure this isn’t so bad on the PC but on the PS3 it’s downright painful. There is voice enabled in the game, but I’ve never really been one to just start chatting with random people in a game. There is text windows and the process just to create a tell is rather cumbersome. My solution will be to try and work out creating a vent channel in our existing WoW guild for those that would like to play DCUO, in addition to digging out my USB/Bluetooth Keyboard. I’ve also been seeing complaints about bugs, specifically one where you would fall through the world. I have yet to experience any bugs and from what I understand SOE put out a hotfix 2 out days after launch correcting a number of report bugs. There are aspects of the game that I find smooth and responsive (flying for instance) and others not so much (the menu & targeting system on the PS3). In the end, it’s more than I expected for a launch of a MMO.

What I’m really trying to do with DCUO (something I wasn’t able to do with Aion or Champions Online) is to hold the game on it’s own merits and what I find enjoyable. For someone that has played WoW for the last 5 years, who honestly wished at the time there was a MMO on a console, this is what I’ve been waiting for. Don’t get me wrong I still love WoW and will continue to play, but even with the release of Cataclysm, I’m simply looking for a different type of game to play. And because of it’s fast pace & easy stop & start play style, I actually do feel like I have a spot for both WoW & DCUO in my gaming lineup. Now I just have to decide does my wallet.

Still trying to decide if you want to play. Here are some questions I’ve received & things to consider.

Should I get the game on the PS3 or PC? For me this game shines on the PS3. Can you play it on the PC, of course but if I had to choose I’d pick PS3 every time. If PC is your only option & you are finding the flying a bit clunky, try and get your hands on a wired Xbox 360 controller. I’ve heard it works great with the game.

How much does it cost?
Honestly I’m not going to type out the cost because it is quite possible it might change. In fact I’m really holding out hope that SOE will do something special with the Playstation Plus members and give a discount or even free subscription (hey a girl can wish right?) For the most up-to-date information on the monthly fees for the game I’m going to direct you to DCUO’s website. It will be very interesting to see what happens on 2/11 when everyone’s free month will expire. I can tell you right now that I really want to mentor all of the heroes and villains so I will be renewing for at least 1 more month. Where the real test will be is with the expansions and additional content, will DCUO continue to add new mentors? I can only hope.

How many servers are there & what are the names? All server names are based on DC Comics story arcs
PS3 Servers (as of 1/14/11)
Blood Will Run (PVP)
No Mans Land (PVP)
The Killing Joke (PVP)
Countdown (PVE)
Crisis (PVE)
Birthright (PVE)
Redemption (PVE)
Justice (PVE)

PC Servers (as of 1/14/11)
Cry for Blood (PVP)
Brave New World (PVE)
Darkness Falls (PVE)
Death & Glory (PVP)
New Frontier (PVE)
Public Enemies (PVP)
Virtue and Vice (PVE)
Zero Hour (PVE)

Updated: Thanks NerdMan :)
Who are the mentors?
Hero Mentors
Batman
Superman
Wonder Woman

Additional Inspired By
The Flash
Beast Boy
Green Arrow
Steel
Martian Manhunter

Villain Mentors
The Joker
Circe
Lex Luthor

Additional Inspired By
DeathStroke
Bane
Mr. Freeze
Catwoman

What are the “classes”?
Your Powers
Nature & Sorcery = Healing (Healer)
Mental & Gadget = Control
Fire & Ice = Defense (Tank)

What happens when you “die”?
Well you’re a superhero/villain so really you never die. You can get knocked out though and it is at this point someone can rescue you or you can wait till the countdown is over so you can flee to the nearest respawn point.

How do mobs work?
This is one of my favorite things in DCUO. Unlike WoW when you are trying to get a quest drop and some warlock tags it before you can even get near, in DCUO as long as you hit the mob at any time you will get credit for your quest. I found on a number of occasions that my competitiveness for mobs in WoW caused me to get a big angry at someone for ‘taking’ my kill only to find out that we both go the kill. After I realized this, I found myself waiting for other players to get a shot in so we would all get credit. Kind of makes you a nicer player if you ask me :)

Update: I found a great interview on Eurogamer with John Smedley, president of Sony Online Entertainment if your looking for more details of the future and the reasons behind some of the choices made in DCUO.

So we are almost to Dragon*Con and a lot of you are asking if we are going to have a meetup. Well technically we’re not, but we are fans of podcasts just like you, so we can tell you where you might find us while at Dragon*Con. One of the first places you might be able to find a lady is at the shared TWiT/Sword & Laser/Frogpants table in the Hilton near the podcasting, space, science, and skeptics stuff. So if you come by the table Friday-Monday you may see some of the following awesome podcasters: Tom Merritt, Veronica Belmont, Brian Dunaway, Brian Ibbott, Len Peralta, Brian Bushwood, Jonathan Strickland and of course Stephanie, Kim & myself. The ladies will have stickers & buttons for anyone who would like to leave with a little swag :)

There is also a pretty big TWiT / Sword and Laser crossover meetup that’s in the works for Saturday the 4th, from 6pm-8pm, at the Westin’s Sun Dial Bar. The ladies will be attending this fun event as well! To help get a better idea of how many people might be going there, you can RSVP over on Goodreads.

As we know more about events I’ll be updating this post! Safe travels to everyone & we are looking forward to a great Dragon*Con!

Yesterday something wonderful happened…the DLC for DeathSpank was announced! DeathSpank: Thongs of Virtue, will be the follow-up to the delightfully twisted and fiendishly addictive action RPG, DeathSpank. Featuring the trademark humor found in the original, Thongs of Virtue centers on DeathSpank’s journey through a massive war-torn land; explore the North Pole and the high seas to locate six mystical thongs to bring peace and harmony to the universe. DeathSpank: Thongs of Virtue (T.O.V.) will be available for download on PlayStation®Network on September 21, 2010 for $14.99 and Xbox LIVE® Arcade on September 22, 2010 for 1200 Microsoft Points.

DeathSpank: T.O.V. puts players in the mighty boots of DeathSpank, the “Dispenser of Justice”, “Vanquisher of Evil” and “Hero to the Downtrodden.” A long time ago, nine mystical thongs were planned to bring balance and harmony to the universe, but when marketing got in the way, only six thongs were produced, and the result was disastrous. Granting great power to those who wear them, the thongs corrupted all those they touched–except DeathSpank. DeathSpank must find all six thongs and destroy them once and for all. Thongs of Virtue includes local co-op mode, allowing a second player to choose one of two hilarious sidekicks to help save the world. Players will enjoy unleashing magical skills, playing as Sparkles the Wizard, or laugh at the ninjatastic Kung Fu moves of DeathSpank’s new partner in crime, Steve.

For more information on DeathSpank: Thongs of Virtue, visit www.deathspank.com or follow the development team on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/deathspank.

I was very honored to be on the very first episode of 20 Questions, brought to you by Blah Creations.  I had a blast doing it.  Give it a listen!  I am confident this will be a winner!

http://blahcreations.com/20Questions/

As mentioned in Episode 23 of LoL we received a great individual review from robodude666 about the new service OnLive. Instead of trying to cram his review into the show I felt it would be nice to create it as a separate post for those interested in the service.

– The Review –

After signing up, OnLive is downloaded as a small ~30MB application which gives you the ability to login, and it’s where virtually everything happens. The interface is a very console-like with 9 rectangular buttons aligned in a grid. They give you the ability to browse games, view other people play, view recently played games, profiles, change your settings, etc. The game list is just a huge list of games, and actually isn’t all that huge. There are about 10-15 titles, though there are a few big titles like Assassin’s Creed II, Mass Effect II, Splinter Cell, Dragon Age, etc. I tested the service using Assassin’s Creed II and Splinter Cell. Mass Effect II wasn’t available on the Mac OS X OnLive client (lame!), though I would have happily tried it as well.

Everyone is probably wondering, how is the visual quality? Horrible. You’re basically playing pixelated pirated/flash-like quality video that has interactive controls. In fact, it seems that the games on OnLive are all special builds as none of them have a Video or Graphics section in the settings. I played Assassin’s Creed I on my gaming PC when it was released with a fairly high-end DirectX 10 card and it looked stunning. Playing Assassin’s Creed II on OnLive was like watching a YouTube video 2 or 3 years ago. The lag made timing jumps very difficult sometimes, and if the lag was too severe OnLive would simply disconnect you without giving you a chance to save.

I tested the service with a pretty decent 15Mbps down, 3Mbps up cable connection and live in NYC. I can stream HD video from hulu, the olympics, and youtube without much problem. OnLive, however often said my connection was not good enough and locked me out of the service until my connection improved. During these occurrences (normally after 5PM), SpeedTest.net said I was getting about 8-10Mbps down. Logging in and Playing at 8AM to 1PM was no problem. So, if you’re on a so-so connection you may find trouble logging in if your ISP’s network is saturated by other clients.

Now, while the service is not all that beautiful, the demo system is very well through out. You can demo virtually any game and get 30-35 minutes of play time — from the start of the ACTUAL game. This is actually quite cool as most PC games don’t ship a demo out, or when they do have a demo released the demo only covers one cool actiony sequence that might have been the only fun part of the game. So, because you don’t have to download gigabytes of demo like you traditionally would this works out very well. You can try a game before buying it (though I recommend buying it outside of OnLive).

Games can be played by purchasing a “Pass” for them. Passes can include a lifetime pass, or a short period aka rental pass. These can range from nearly full retail price to only a few bucks for a few days of access, which is quite cool. Some games aren’t worth owning, but being able to play them for a day or two is great.

The Bottom Line? OnLive needs some more work. A subscription-based model for crappy Flash-like pixelated quality video is not worth it — especially as you have to also BUY the game. In closing, OnLive can be a great GameFly-like service for PC gamers, who can’t afford a console or aren’t comfortable with Analog Controls. It’s just not there yet. If you can get a hold of a 1-year free account OnLive is offering, it’s definitely worth checking out. Even if you don’t fall in love with the service, it’s a good way of demoing games or playing the full game for a day or two instantly. I wouldn’t use it as a primary way of gaming though. Consoles and decent gaming PC hardware is affordable these days, plus the release of Steam for the Mac solves that issue.

Again thanks Robodude for sharing your experiences with all of us!!!

I found this article on GameCulture.com about how female gamers are treated when playing on-line games.  While I have had very little problems when talking on the voice chat in on-line games, I have heard horror stories from friends of mine.

I do have one funny story though I thought I would share on this subject.

My son, who was about 14 at the time, had just hooked up his new XBox 360 camera and was playing Uno online with some random people.  I went up to his room to play because he told me how cool it was.  As soon as I got on camera, the other 14-16 yr old boys started asking me to take my shirt off.  Not only did I sufficiently make them feel ashamed that they would ask girls to do this, but I also beat their butts in Uno!

Do you have any stories you want to share?