As I'm sure you're all aware Valve threw a little party during last week's big show (We weren't invited. I blame our butchering of their song.) and during the tail end of it they brought up Jonathan Coulton to play a set. At the end of his last song he invited the Rock Band folks up on the stage to play Still Alive on their game, a really neat way to announce that the song was coming to the game.

After they finished the crowd went crazy, a Harmonix developer told me the next day. The crowd was so excited, in fact, that one of them burst from the masses and jumped onto the stage. Walking up to the 360 that was home to the song, he plucked out a memory card, plugged it in and started fiddling. At which point one of their larger of the Harmonix guys walked over and asked him if he needed help with something.

"I'm just grabbing Still Alive, everyone needs to be able to play this," he said, if my source's memory serves.

The developer plucked the controller from the rotund man's hands and deftly deleted the song, which he had already managed to grab, from the card. Better luck next time.

The Harmonix guys thought it was even stranger that he later bragged to Harmonix co-founder Alex Rigopulos about it. Personally, I think it's super weird that he happened to have a Memory Card on him.

This year, we heard a really funny joke involving a possible 2008 game release. So funny it made out sides hurt! That fantasyland release day joke was?

Video Game Party Decor [SGA Creative's Flickr gallery]
[via The Tanooki]

I hope to livestream from the Funde Razor party tonight here in Denver. Couple of problems with that though. First, I had to write this post a good eight hours before it was set to go live. Second I have no idea if I get cell reception inside the Walnut Room. Third I really can't double check once things get going. So if there's just a big blank screen up there, sorry. Otherwise hit the jump and feel free to comment about the Funde Razor shenanigans.

OK, I'm outta here. I have to run down to Denver to pick up some bits and pieces for the big event tonight at the Walnut Room, then hop by the Rocky Mountain News, where they've been "holding" one of my Rock Band guitars, and then finally get over to the bar to set stuff up and test out the game.

Hope to see some of you there. For those of you planning on attending in Denver, it runs from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. and you'll need to be 21 or older to get in. The cover is a $10 minimum donation.

The ticket gets you, besides a warm fuzzy feeling inside, a door prize ticket. I'm bringing a mountain of swag with me to the fund raiser to give away including the Manhunt 2 straitjacket, one of those Wii bags from E3 06, a Metal Gear Solid multi-tool knife, a Lair lighter, a Valut Boy Fallout 3 bobble head, Zelda hourglass and more shirts than I want to even think about. We will also have a Limited Edition copy of Rock Band for the 360 on hand to giveaway and, of course, that life-sized companion cube.

If you're planning to attend the Brooklyn Funde Razor hit up the official site for the details.

Wii party invites at Evites [Evites]

Who has the biggest brain? The new mental fitness game bases on the original best-selling Nintendo DS title. Players are mentally and physically challenged in five different categories: Analyze, Compute, Identify, Memorize and Think. The player who collects the most tokens by answering questions correctly wins. Speed and accuracy count - not smarts - when answering questions at the Big Brain Academy.

University Games Big Brain Academy Game [Amazon Product Page via bits bytes pixels & sprites]

The party was set for 7:30 and as I arrived I was greeted by the ship's captain and soon after, a waitress bearing a tray of drinks all in Gametap's colors of orange, green and blue. I chose one of the orange concoctions and made my way to the upper decks. There was a terrific spread of food and a DJ spinning some fun tunes and after stuffing my face I went outside to enjoy being on the water. After about an hour at the dock, the ship finally set sail for an two hour cruise around San Diego Bay. It was great fun and being on the open water was quite a relaxing break from the crush of the Comic Con floor.

Gametap certainly knows how top throw a soiree and I look forward to seeing how their service progresses over the next year. With new games every week including rarities like Neo Geo titles as well as getting some games the same day they hit retail, they will be quite a force to be reckoned with, especially for those who prefer PC gaming to the expensive world of consoles.

Sony Online Entertainment just sent word that they will be throwing a block party at this week's Comic Con in San Diego on Saturday.

The party will feature a sneak peek at The Agency, demos of EverQuest II Rise of Kunark, Pirates of the Burning Sea, Gods & Heroes: Rome Rising, Vanguard: Saga of Heroes, Star Wars Galaxies, EverQuest Secrets of Faydwer, High Stakes on the Vegas Strip: Poker Edition, Stargate Online Trading Card Game and Pirates Constructible Strategy Game, live music and appearances by the 501st Legion (the world's "definitive" Imperial costuming organization), Natonia Bayle and Firiona Vie.

The party will be free for everyone with shuttles running between Comic Con and the party every 30 minutes between 3:30 p.m. and 6 p.m. The party itself runs until 8 p.m.

I was hanging out around the outside of the Loews Beach hotel in Santa Monica Friday afternoon, trying desperately to ignore the growing red crispiness of my sun-punished forehead as I awaited the festivities promised by the Gamecock Media Group, when an all too familiar, mournful tune rang out through the dark...sunlit day. It really is hard to be moody and noir in Santa Monica.

In my austere reverence I decided there and then to take the air-conditioned shuttle bus in a circle around the city to ponder the heavy thoughts that the haunting image of this becockled piper stirred in my soul, and to get a Snickers bar. Upon my return, the festivities were beginning to get underway.

I entered the courtyard of the Hotel California, already filled with hopeful partygoers, with not one trace of Colitas rising up through the air. My disappointment was soon sidetracked by the strange items being passed around by the party organizers. Stylized black tambourines, black bandanas festooned with the Gamecock logo, dark umbrellas similarly festooned and, for some odd reason, a pickle in a bag, which remains to this day a subject of much speculation among my fellow press members.

In true Gamecock style the pre-funeral party was dotted with voodoo vaudevillians, dark and sexy creatures that were on hand to add a certain spooky beauty to the proceedings. The ghosts of booth babes past perhaps?

There was no time to ponder the origin of the specters any further, as the call had come, and it was time to give E3 the grand sendoff it deserved. The ever-growing procession of sad faces, black umbrellas and confused game reporters made its way down the long flight of stairs onto the sidewalk that parallels the beach. I found it a very moving ceremony and was ready to go back up the stairs for more beer, when the damndest thing happened. They kept walking!

Passersby stared at the mass of marching mourners in awe, perhaps wondering how those of the larger, sweatier persuasion (*cough*me*cough*) were able to maintain their footing without tumbling face-first into the crowd. Children followed along on their bicycles and skateboarder passed by us presenting very tempting lariat targets. Policemen on ATVs sat and watched us pass with the resignation of authority figures who knew deep down inside that if a group that large decided to start getting rowdy there was absolutely nothing they could do to stop us.

We walked and chatted and took picture after picture of other people walking and chatting as a brass band marched up front, setting the time. Then, despite my best efforts, I died of heatstroke.

Ahhh, but remember, I said I'd tell you about the time I almost died. *Rolling Stones music plays, digression ends*

Finally, after walking from the Hotel California to Venice Beach a full mile away, the procession lined a cement pier facing the ocean and urged the assembled gaming press to gather around to pay final tribute to the Electronic Entertainment Expo, taking a cue from Brutus by burying it but not praising it, only without the subversive undertones. Songs were sung and words were said. The Destructoid robot gave a speech I did not catch, too busy wondering when his brain was going to explode as the shiny metal helmet glimmered in the Santa Monica sun.

We stood and remembered the good times spent covering the gaming industry from the E3 show floor. Pondered all the good the show had done over the years to bring awareness to the business. Held a moment of silence for the...wait, beer? Later E3, they've got beer.

I learned so much that night at the Beer Garden. I learned that if you seem sincere enough when you tell the waitress the fried calamari is for your group, she will give it to you, just like that. I learned that if you accidentally call it katamari in front of several dozen members of the gaming industry you will never, ever live it down. I learned that Germans find it rude if you don't look them in the eye when you toast. I also learned that trying to keep up with beer-drinking Germans is a really, really bad idea. Most importantly I learned that you should write your flight time down on your body somewhere before attempting said keeping up, lest you find yourself running half-blind through the streets of Santa Monica screaming for a taxi cab nearly four hours before your flight is scheduled to leave.

Thank you Gamecock, and thank you E3. The lessons shall live on forever in my heart, as well as the inordinately large gallery that follows.

It was held at the popular Sushi Roku restaurant, a fact lost on me until two days later when a famished Team Kotaku spent three hours waiting to actually eat food at the place on our own. (I actually left to go pass outsleep before it arrived.) Set on Ocean Boulevard overlooking the pacific, the restaurant was packed to the gills Tuesday night with Sony execs, pr folks, developers, journalists and just-dead fish.

Shortly into the party, I was chatting with some writer friends when Phil Harrison walked up to say hi. We talked about Microsoft's press conference for a few minutes before he cut to the chase.

"So, what are the odds on the hug?" he asked. I was a little flummoxed, there was no way he could be talking about Fahey's prediction that Peter Moore, Phil Harrison and Reggie Fils-Aime would participate in a group hug on stage. No way.

He was.

"Why, are you going to do it?" I asked.

"If I can bet $5 on it."

I didn't have the heart to tell him that Kotaku's fantasy pool was paid out solely in Kotaku Points.

A few minutes later I spotted Kaz Hirai over in the corner, behind, I swear, behind the sushi making counter. Was Kaz rolling sushi? Probably not.

The place was packed, people were sucking down beers and eating raw food when Jack Tretton took to the mic to announce that the first wave of party-goers would be ushered into the room to watch the latest Killzone 2 demo. With a black band, I was in the second batch. When I finally got in and watching the thing, MTV's Stephen Totilo and I stayed around to try and cajole the developers to let me have a go.

We managed to convince some of the development team and even some of the PR folks, but were finally shot down just before the third, sliver-banded folks made their way in.

Later that night, or perhaps the next day, N'Gai Croal had a bit more success and got his hands on the game. Something he mocked me about later in the week. Croal is totally becoming my Red Baron.

Seven Drinks Later

They make me sign a waiver in case I accidentally die on the mechanical bull, but I sign it with all the bravado alcohol brings. Even if my choice of drinks this night has been the subject of much ridicule (I honestly didn't know a Cosmo was that girly), belly full of hearty cowboy cooking steels my resolve. Well, most cowboys probably didn't eat fried chicken fingers, potato skins and dainty little hamburgers on the open range, but I would like to think that somewhere there is a special range, just for those cowboys that do.

I am humming the Mario Bros. theme as I hand my waiver to the scrappy-looking tattooed bull operator, courtesy of the roving violinist who played an excellent version of said theme by special request earlier in the evening. He played it quite well, suggesting that underneath his gruff, ACDC song-playing exterior there was a gamer trying to get out. His music joins with the food, drink, and the egging on of my fellow members of the press, creating a cacophony of influence that makes my date with the bull an inevitability.

Michael Fahey's Midnight Ride

I struggle long and hard with the beast, but after almost twenty seconds I am triumphant, finally getting my leg up and over the mechanical monstrosity. Maybe six seconds later I am kissing the padded floor. Oh no, that just won't due. Filled with bravado and just a little shame I leap atop the bull again, gripping tight with my thighs and my left hand. I focus my concentration on the rhythm of the creature, centering myself. I breathe. Five seconds later I breathe floor padding.

Mechanical bulls are not to be trifled with, and unless you are a professional bull rider, no one's advice can save you. Leaning back when the bull dips down will make you fall. Gripping with your thighs will make you fall, with the added bonus of making your thighs hurt. I suspect that the trick might lay in actively attempting to fall, but I have neither the time nor the feeling in my legs to try again. This time the bull has won.

In Summation

Bethesda throws a damn fine party. The food was very filling, perfect for a gaggle of starving industry professionals. The drinks were excellent despite being a little girly, and the company was excellent, plus watching countless members of the press being thrown from a robot cow was cathartic for everyone involved on so many levels. Now if you'll excuse me I am off to ice up my thighs.

The big cake is called the Bloody Mess cake, and features happy-go-lucky mascot Vault Boy shooting another Vault Boy in the head. YAY! Accompanying this masterpiece were two slightly more mundane cakes, which we were allowed to eat.

The assembled press at the after presser party in Washington DC were in awe of the magnificent creation, which Bethesda's VP of PR and Marketing Pete Hines said was inspired by the Food Network's Ace of Cakes as well as Gamecakes.com. One attending press member was so enraptured they were heard to exclaim, "I want to taste Vault Boy in my mouth." Now that's love right there.

Tamagotchi Party On! in August [Pro-G]

WiiParty, the folks who are all about organizing local Wii parties and such, are giving away a Wii, two extra remotes and copies of Wii Play and WarioWare: Smooth Moves.

All you have to do to enter is register on the site by 11:59 p.m. Sunday, April 8. The next day the site will email the randomly selected winner.

Free is good. You heard it here first! Brian Crecente

Win a Wii [Wii Party]

Anyone interested in possibly netting some swag, getting their hands on the Pokemon-esque DS game and hanging with the Nintendo World Store crew should hit up the party between 11 AM and 4 PM. Michael McWhertor

Nintendo World Store

When Gamecock invited me to their coming out party at GDC this year I hearkened back to their days as Gathering of Developers and knew the party would be something to behold: I was not disappointed.

Shortly after 8 p.m. the doors opened at The Regency Center and we were escorted upstairs to the top floor, a place once used as a Masonic Temple to perform secret rituals. The entrance room was wood paneled and had a small fire going in a large fireplace.

The building and room was about 100 years old we were told, and their were stories of untimely deaths and perhaps a ghost or two.

The main party unraveled in the floor's central room with the help of a traveling band of Burning Man performers.

The cavernous room had walls of walnut and red felt, a blood red carpet and at one end a stage filled with a fantastic scene made of canvas and copper, paint and more than a bit of hell.

In the three-layered scene that stretched along the full length of the wall devils, serpents and the damned peopled the subterranean bowels of some piece of the underworld.

The music, performed by clown bass players, clown drummers and a clown keyboardist, throbbed, shaking the walls and floor of the former Masonic Lodge.

A whore circus of psychotic clown prostitutes cavorted in the room. Women in brassy blonde wigs, Crow make-up and fishnet stockings wiggled and Go-Go-ed on top of tables. A woman with white make-up and a red nose and dressed in candy cane leggings and an American flag shirt, tap danced loudly atop a piano resting in the center of the floor. Nearby a woman in bunny ears and a pink tutu quietly sipped a Martini. Above another woman dangled and swung from a trapeze.

It was the sort of scene that seemed destined to end with half of the crowd turning into vampires and the other half being consumed at midnight. But it went until 4 a.m. and the worst thing that happened was that we ran out of booze. Brian Crecente

My sources tell me the company will be hanging at the AT&T PRO-Am Tournament closing night celebrity party tomorrow night getting celebrities, pro-golfers and other A-listers to check out Wii Golf. I'm told Nintendo will have two Wiis on site for gamers and non-gamers to check out Wii Sports.

I wonder if they can cajole Bill Murray to check it out... afterall, it doesn't have any gophers. Brian Crecente

Pebble Beach Golf

At the very least Shane Kim, Chris Satchell, Scott Henson and Dave Mitchell will be doing interviews. What? No Peter Moore? That's too bad. Last year Microsoft gathered a handful of bloggers together for an brunch with him and we got to ask all sorts of interesting questions, like what's the deal with Japan.

I was hoping to have that chance again. Heck, I could even ask about Japan again.

Here's the early PR rundown:

Microsoft activities at the show include: Xbox 360 and Games for Windows Developer Showcase: On Tuesday, March 6, come meet with some of the industry's most innovative developers at Microsoft's all-day Developer Showcase

Executive Briefings: From Wednesday, March 7 to Friday, March 9 Microsoft executives, including Shane Kim, Chris Satchell, Scott Henson and Dave Mitchell are available for 1:1 meetings to discuss Xbox 360 and Games for Windows news announcements

Special Evening Event: Stay tuned for more information on this invite-only event

Special Evening Event? Sounds like a party. At last year's Sony party there were chainsaw-equipped robots. Top that Microsoft. Brian Crecente

This years events included a four man Halo 3 tournament, Wii Bowling, Age of Empires, Street Fighter, Gears of War, Guitar Hero, and even a real Pictionary competition. You can read all of the sordid details of the party over at Bungie's website, including more amazing pictures taken of the Halo 3 tournament that show off amazing, next-gen picture blurring technology. Michael Fahey

Bungie Pentathlon: Winter '07 [Bungie.net]

Microsoft is kicking off a party this Friday over Xbox live, and we Americans and Japanese folks aren't invited. This one's for you Europe. It's a pan-European Xbox Live Party, featuring chances to test your skills against celebrities like Busta Rhymes, James Morrison, Alessandro del Piero, Martin Solveig, and Marc Gen , only one of which I've ever heard of but I am assured that this is exciting news for you folks. Be excited! Busta Rhymes will be hosting the event from a secret location from 8pm to 11pm, and "will pit his wits against the cream of UK talent."

I could continue naming names here that I don't recognize or understand the cultural significance of, but you'd see right through that, especially seeing as I just mentioned it. In a nutshell, huge European Xbox Live party with chances to school famous people who have no idea how to game. Consider it Microsoft's way of reminding you, this month before the PlayStation 3 launch, that they love you more. Full details follow the jump! Michael Fahey

Party With The Stars On Xbox Live

Be part of the biggest live gaming event across Europe - Xbox Live Party

LONDON, 5th February 2007 - February 9th looks set to enter the record books, as celebrities and thousands of gamers log into the biggest pan-European live gaming event of the year on the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system. Huge stars, including American hip hop artist Busta Rhymes, UK singer and songwriter James Morrison, 2006 FIFA World Cup winning squad member Alessandro del Piero, DJ and producer Martin Solveig and Peugeot's Le Man's driver Marc Gen , take part in a series of party events across Europe linked up through the award winning Xbox Live online service.

Hip hop legend Busta is bringing his game to the UK to host the event at a secret London location from 8pm-11pm and will pit his wits against the cream of UK talent including Dizzee Rascal, Lady Sovereign and Plan B. Joining the hip hop crew will be England and Arsenal striker Theo Walcott, R'n B singer songwriters Lemar and Simon Webbe, plus a host of musical talent from the UK scene.

It is thought thousands of the five million Xbox Live members worldwide will be logging on with friends, musicians, footballers and DJs alike to take part in this unique event, giving gamers the chance to not only chat with their favourite stars, but challenge them to a game on the Xbox 360. For your chance to play against one of the top celebrities taking part, all you have to do is send your details to the following email address: xboxliveparty@njlive.co.uk

In the subject line of the email put the name of the celebrity that you would like to play against and in the body of the mail please include the following information:

Name
Age
Nationality
Gamertag

If you are selected to play you will receive all the information you need to take part nearer the time.

Gamers are also being encouraged to host their own Xbox Live Party. Xbox 360 owners can join the party from the comfort of their homes by signing into Xbox Live at 17.00GMT/18.00CET on February 9th. Xbox will be giving away Xbox Live Vision Cameras to whoever sends in the best pictures from their Xbox Live Party night.

For more information on this event, please visit: http://www.xbox.com/enGB/live/party

Last night was fun.

Sure we didn't have a showing in the hundreds like in New York City, but at least four Kotaku readers showed up to represent at the Denver Press Club, that and play some Guitar Hero 2.

Besides the five of us from Kotaku the bar filled up quickly with Dave Thomas, Buzz Cut and Denver Post writer, and his friends. Also there was a "fireside chat" going on at the same time with Reggie Rivers, former Broncos player and current sports TV buy. He swung by the bar for a glass of water but didn't seem interesting in getting down with any Guitar Hero. His loss, his loss.

About two-thirds of the way through the dealio, Dave and I sat down and did a sort of live debate about our particular choices for game of the year last year. His was Wii Bowling, mine was Gears of War.

We were both a wee bit into our cups and it was very loud, so not sure how that came off, but it was podcast live and the guys who did it said they would send me a link today to a recording. So look for it in a bit.

One of the interesting things I noticed during the party was that Dave plays Guitar Hero with an actual guitar pick. Not only does it seem to make his strumming more fluid, it actually makes it sorta sound like he's playing a real guitar because the stumming is so rhythmic and loud. Does anyone else do this or is he just a big freak?

Anyway, thanks to Handles25, JohnnyHundo and the guy whose name I didn't get for showing up and also thanks to GameDaily's Robert Workman for the hardcore jamming and these two pics. Brian Crecente

If you weren't drinking and didn't have a chance to hit on gamer girlz or play retro games the Kotaku Party is worth about 55 seconds of your time. So here it is, in 55 seconds at the party by Richard Blakeley. Brian Crecente

OK, so there won't be free alcohol or any swag, but I will be guest bartending at the Denver Press Club on Wednesday. I convinced them to let me hook up a Playstation 2 to their television and I'm bringing Guitar Hero 2.

If you're legal and want to come hang-out, the event is open to everyone and will run from about 6 p.m. until at least 8 p.m. at the press club, 1330 Glenarm Place. For more information call: 303-571-5260. Brian Crecente

Jowy was kind enough to shoot us the photos he took from the Kotaku Barcade party last week. I've thrown them into our official photo gallery so we can add yours and our own to the big gallery. Send away, I want to see more pics of Mike and Ash glassy eyed. Brian Crecente

Mission #5: Last one! You're almost there. We brought on three new writers late last year: Flynn, Luke and Fahey. Find their first posts. Send *all* of your answers with links to kotakucontest@gmail.com and sit tight until we pick the winner.

The Kotaku Crew weren't the only ones having adventures in the big city. Kotakuite Emperor Avaine has posted the story of his incredibly long journey across the upper east coast and down to Brooklyn for the now two days infamous Kotaku party. And while the Emporer may have just had a terrible break-up, he shares the heartwarming tale of a night of free booze at Barcade, ending in his meeting the next great love of his life: The World of Warcraft Burning Crusade Collector's Edition. True love conquers all! (cue romantic music) Flynn De Marco

An Epic Barcade Adventure [almostalways - Thanks Chilly]

Don't forget the entire Kotaku crew will be at the Barcade in Brooklyn tonight starting at 7 p.m. We'll be paying for some alcohol and giving out some stuff. Just show up and try to spot one of us for your hand stamp. Brian Crecente

Party with Kotaku [Kotaku]

Okay, so they're adverdolls, but they're FREE adverdolls. McWhertor is a little disappointed by the fact that her legs are molded together, ruining any possibility of an upskirt shot, but I've always found the key to playing with toys to be the power of imagination. Michael Fahey

While most of Friday will be spent blogging and trying not to kill one another, Friday night is all about the Par-Tey. Don't forget to head on over to Brooklyn's Barcade tomorrow night to drink some brain-killer on us and talk games.

Hit the link for the full details or to go post about how we should be holding this party in your hometown. Brian Crecente

Party With the Kotaku Crew, Yes Even Ash [Kotaku]

Well you if you're in the Brooklyn area Friday night and 21 or over. Hit up the party details here. We've also talked about hitting up the Nintendo World Store on Saturday morning, like 11-ish. Those of you under 21 or just wanting to bask in the glow of McWhertor's hair can try and meet up with us there as well.

Party With Kotaku at Barcade

For those coming to our Barcade dealio, heads up. Here are the straight-from-Japan prizes I picked up. Got a lucky 13 number of game-related stuff. I don't know how we're going to do it: If this will be a lot, individual prizes or what. I am sure turning you all on each other will be involved.

Rather than going to Den-Den Town, you should know that these were purchased at the 7-11 a short five-minute walk from my house. Not sure if that makes them more cool or less, but take it for what it's worth.

Oh, the misses was worried that nobody would want these goodies. That true? Brian Ashcraft

Prizes For You Kids [Kotaku]

For some reason I can't get Highlander out of my head.

Thanks to the wonderful largess of Gawker Inc. all of Kotaku's writers will be descending on New York City next weekend. Yes, that includes Luke Plunkett from Sydney and Brian Ashcraft from Osaka.

This will be the first time I come face-to-face with many of these guys, which is really weird considering how much time I spend working with, and talking to them.

Since it has the feel of one of those things that doesn't happen very often, we've decided to host a little party. Or, as I am apt to call it, Par-Tey.

So we're going to be taking over the Barcade in Brooklyn next Friday night and paying for a considerable bar tab. Besides the drinking, retro gaming and chance to touch McWhertor's hair or call Brian Ashcraft, Briana (he loves that), we'll also be giving away a few bits and pieces to you our wondrous readers.

I've already started throwing crap into a pile and Ashcraft promises to fill his knapsack with tons of that priceless game toy minutia that the Japanese take for granted. I might even ask Luke to bring some Oz-themed gaming nik-knacks like, I don't know, Vegemite flavored Nintendo candy. So far I've rustled up a World of Warcraft Collector's Edition of Burning Crusade, an unbelievably cool Resistance Fall of Man winter jacket and some PS3 games.

If you're interested in joining us, just swing by the Barcade next Friday, Jan. 26, at 7 p.m. We'll be the ones grossly intoxicated. Oh, and make sure you are at least 21.

More to come. Brian Crecente

Just a heads up for Kotaku-land. I've passed along a random smattering of email address to the Lost Planet party people. No, I don't remember who so no need to ask! If you end up going, do take pics, report back (and eat their free food). Until then, sit tight and hopefully they'll get in touch with those lucky 25 Bay Area people.

Yes, the suspense is killing me as well. Brian Ashcraft

The Lost Planet team wants to party with you, pal. They're holding a promo shindig in northern California to celebrate the launch of the Xbox 360 pre-ordained mega-hit, giving away prizes, holding multiplayer tournaments, and even providing giant mechs for you to pilot. Okay, that last part is just wishful thinking.

The official details:

You'll have a chance to meet the Lost Planet development team and watch (or take part in!) an epic Lost Planet multiplayer tournament, with winners scoring cool prizes and the chance to play against the Lost planet developers. Master LEGO Builder Nathan Sawaya will be there creating LEGO masterpieces on the fly, and there will also be a t-shirt press where players can design their own lost Planet shirt, choosing from several pieces of game art and logos. Dozens of 360s set up throughout the event will allow partygoers to try the single player game or to compete against each other in multiplayer matches on the full retail version before the game is released to the public!

The whole thing starts at 8 PM at the San Francisco Concourse Exhibition Center - East Hall, 620 7th Street. You must be 18 or older to attend or have a reasonably convincing fake ID. Register here, using the login Genesis/111.

Sadly, I'll be at CES and will not make it to the party, despite my desire to be in two places at the same time. Who's going? Michael McWhertor

While on a business trip to L.A., Kotakuite Eric L. decided to swing by Microsoft's little Viva Pinata fiesta, "The Biggest Pinata Party In The World." He was even able to snap some pics of the event to send along to us, although I was sorely disappointed that NONE of them included party host Mario Lopez. You may remember Mr. Lopez as the hunky A.C. Slater onSaved by the Bell. Then he did The Other Side, which was a pathetic attempt to capitalize on the male side of the already pathetic bitch fest The View. But, I digress...

The party was festive little affair with games for the kiddies, terrifying character costumes and Viva Pinata demo stations. There was also something called a "Pinata Hunt". The children chose a pinata and inside each one was a slip of paper with the name of a prize written on it. Prizes ranged from an Xbox 360 or copies of Viva Pinata to little backpacks and stickers.

I can't help but grin at the thought of a group of children disemboweling a bunch of pinatas in hopes of getting a 360. It seems almost more brutal than the ritual beatings these poor pinatas usually receive. make the jump for more non Mario Lopez photos. Flynn De Marco

Former Gawkerite and hellofaniceguy Joel Johnson is hosting the second, we can now say it, annual Funde Razor at Brooklyn's Barcade next Wednesday.

The event, officially-sanctioned by Penny Arcade's Child's Play Charity, will be raising money specifically for The Children's Hospital of Montefiore in the Bronx.

While giving cash to sick kids is a wonderful excuse to go out and get drunk at a bar packed with arcade games, you also will be able to play Guitar Hero on a giant screen and sign up for a chance to win dozens of ROFL RAFL prizes including several custom Guitar Hero guitars, a DS and, if I can get off my lazy ass and send it to Joel, a bunch of swag I've collected over the year.

Last year the event raised $1,600, this year Joel is hoping to double that. So get out there, give cash, get drunk and be rowdy. I expect to hear at least one story of people shouting Joel down with chants of Kotaku. Brian Crecente

Funde Razor

Mario has a penthouse in South Beach! Who knew? He wants to invite all you crazy kids down to his swinging pad for a night of Nintendo you won't soon forget!

There'll be Wii's to try out and lots of really cool hip people just like you! Just head down to the Tides South Beach Hotel Penthouse Suite at 1220 Ocean Drive on Saturday November 11 between 11am and 4pm. It's gonna be the rockin-est... wait... 11am to 4pm... invite only? What is this, some snobby kids birthday party at the local Chuck E. Cheese? I'll barely have awakened from my hangover by that time.

Ah well, if anyone thinks they can make it up that early on a Saturday and actually go, let us know. Flynn De Marco

[via Gamertag Radio Thanks, Godfree!]

By: Colette Bennett

Entering the doors of Meltdown on Sunset Blvd, I suddenly found myself in the middle of a fumbling geek orgasm-toys, comics, figurines and t shirts as far as the eye could see. Never having been before, I was a bit overwhelmed by the desire to just hurl my wallet at the unsuspecting guy behind the register and run about whooping with delight.

As easy as it would have been to stand drooling and mesmerized before glass cases of Kubrick and Qee bears, I steadied my resolve and headed back to the gallery area to scope out the scene and hopefully chat it up with some equally game-friendly citizens. Walking in and hearing the DJ playing a remix of the Maniac Mansion theme song put a wry smile on my face. You know you're in the right place when you see people shaking ass to that shit.

The gallery itself is modest in size, with clean white walls and some fantastic Roman Dirge artwork hanging. Even distracted by all that goth creativity, I pretty much made a beeline for the tables set up for the event, as I wanted to get my hot little paws on the material in question ASAP. I'm happy to say the Nerdcore calendar itself looks good. Frankly, when I first saw posts about it, I had some qualms. Sure, naked girls rock. And I've been known to get hard nippled at the sight of a Power Glove myself, so I'm sure as hell not bitching about seeing all that peripheral goodness either. From my perspective though, something about it seemed a bit off. I wasn't sure I believed any of those girls would actually play those games, and while your average 16 year old isn't going to be remotely phased by that, it got me wondering if the concept could really be sexy in actual execution. I was pleasantly surprised. I'm no more convinced that these girls are real gamers than I was when I saw the original bloggings about the calendar, but the photos were sexy and tasteful enough to push my buttons just fine.

I did have the pleasure of chatting with the photographer, Cherie Roberts, a girl lovely enough to warrant a calendar of her own. Cherie's no stranger to photography-she's shot for the likes of Suicide Girls, not to mention maintaining her own website and writing for IGN Babes on the side. I would need two clones to achieve this, but somehow she makes it look effortless. She says the Nerdcore calendar was a project meant to combine the funky iconic look of retro gaming with the classic pin-up theme. Best of all, it peppers the usual calendar boredom of holidays no one's ever heard of with nerd-friendly movie releases, key anniversaries (Mega Man's 20th!), and conventions of interest. Coming soon: Nerdcore Special Edition Blackberry with HAL voice reminders! Ok, not really.

We hung out a while, chatted with the girls and enjoyed the spoils (free booze, always a delight.) It seemed the general consensus on the calendar was that it was a good idea and done well. I did hear a peep or two from a few of the attendees that while the girls looked great and the shots were well done, that they lacked the spark of a player actually enjoying the game. Well, I can't deny that myself-I certainly didn't believe any of these girls were firing up their PSPs in between shots, armed with Nintendogs or otherwise.

We mused at what a real game girl calendar would look like-perhaps still centerfold influenced, but replacing stats and measurements with favorite games and top scores? On the other hand, I'm unsure that even the hottest girl looks her best truly enjoying the game she's playing. She's likely in sweats with no makeup, having just rolled out of bed and tortured out of sleep by the fact that she can't quite beat the shit out of that kid in Bully. Less sexy....or more? Is it better than polished models posing with carefully selected arcade games? It's hard to say. Regardless, naked still sells-no matter what the consensus is in the end, you're likely to find the Nerdcore calendar hanging in the homes of at least a few of your friends by year's end. In the end, we're all still supporting games. Who wouldn't take all their clothes off for that cause?

Special thanks to Travis for the pics, including this one featuring him, Chobot and Pereira-bot

The new York event will take place at the Toys R Us in Times Square, while the LA event will happen at the GameStop in Universal CityWalk. Both midnight events will feature live music and entertainment, games, "special guests from Nintendo" and a countdown to the sale of the first Wii.

"Who'll be the first person to line up?" asks George Harrison, Nintendo of America's senior vice president of marketing and corporate communications. "Will it be a Zelda fan in New York or a soccer mom in Los Angeles? We're going to make sure these events help everyone feed off one another's energy and enthusiasm."

"Toys "R" Us Times Square will be the first store in the United States where customers can both experience, and purchase Wii, Nintendo's new revolution in gaming," says Ron Boire, President, Toys "R" Us, U.S. "As a family oriented store, we are thrilled with the potential of the Wii system to bring parents and kids closer together. There is no better place to launch this truly innovative gaming console than The World's Greatest Toy Store."

"Just like our retail outlets, Wii has something for every kind of gamer," says Steve Morgan, President, GameStop Corp. "As the world's largest video game and entertainment software retailer, we're ready to kick off the celebration at midnight on Nov. 19th, and help show the world a new way to play."

Sounds like there's going to be a lot of cold people in a few weeks. I'm still waiting to hear what Sony is planing for the launch of the Playstation 3. Brian Crecente

NINTENDO HOSTS CROSS-COUNTRY LAUNCH EVENTS TO SATISFY CONSUMER DEMAND FOR WII

Thousands of Video Game Fans Expected at Toys "R" Us Times Square in New York and GameStop in Los Angeles

REDMOND, Wash., Nov. 2, 2006 - With just 17 days until the worldwide launch of the Wii game console in the Americas, Nintendo is throwing big bashes to celebrate the momentous occasion. From New York to Los Angeles and untold places in between, shoppers won't have to wait long to be the first to buy Nintendo's revolutionary new Wii video game console when it goes on sale at the stroke of midnight the morning of Sunday, Nov. 19. However, video game fans will have to get in line fast, as demand is high for this season's hot holiday product.

Toys "R" Us Times Square in Manhattan and GameStop at Universal CityWalk in Los Angeles will host official Nintendo midnight launch events to satiate rabid fans who can't wait to get their hands on Wii. The events will feature live music and entertainment, fun, games, special guests from Nintendo - and a countdown to the moment that will change the way video games are played forever. Other retailers nationwide are expected to hold their own midnight launch events, so consumers should check with their local retail stores that sell video games.

"Who'll be the first person to line up?" asks George Harrison, Nintendo of America's senior vice president of marketing and corporate communications. "Will it be a Zelda fan in New York or a soccer mom in Los Angeles? We're going to make sure these events help everyone feed off one another's energy and enthusiasm."

"Toys "R" Us Times Square will be the first store in the United States where customers can both experience, and purchase Wii, Nintendo's new revolution in gaming," says Ron Boire, President, Toys "R" Us, U.S. "As a family oriented store, we are thrilled with the potential of the Wii system to bring parents and kids closer together. There is no better place to launch this truly innovative gaming console than The World's Greatest Toy Store."

"Just like our retail outlets, Wii has something for every kind of gamer," says Steve Morgan, President, GameStop Corp. "As the world's largest video game and entertainment software retailer, we're ready to kick off the celebration at midnight on Nov. 19th, and help show the world a new way to play."

Wii launches Nov. 19 in the Americas at an MSRP of $249.99. Its unequaled Wii Remote lets players control the action on their TV screens through the motion of the controller itself. It's designed for young and old, novices and experts. For more information about Wii, visit www.wii.com.

The worldwide innovator in the creation of interactive entertainment, Nintendo Co., Ltd., of Kyoto, Japan, manufactures and markets hardware and software for its Nintendo DS , Game Boy Advance and Nintendo GameCube systems, and upcoming Wii console. Since 1983, Nintendo has sold nearly 2.2 billion video games and more than 375 million hardware units globally, and has created industry icons like Mario , Donkey Kong , Metroid , Zelda and Pok mon . A wholly owned subsidiary, Nintendo of America Inc., based in Redmond, Wash., serves as headquarters for Nintendo's operations in the Western Hemisphere. For more information about Nintendo, visit the company's Web site at www.nintendo.com.