In the spirit of voting and polls, we look at a survey that covers opinions about games, society, banning and the ESRB. Ratings and review sites also get a tackle starting with the critical reception towards Gears of War. We look at how review scores dumb down our ability to critique games properly. Finally, portal-based indie gaming may be gaming's new democracy. }

A study by the NPD shows that sampling games before you try them is the most significant factor in the final purchasing decision. Knowing this, it's sad how many games there are out there, and how few of them you can try-before-you-buy without renting. We nurse our lack of sleep and hangovers by talking about Oizys's adventures at PMX, some Cosplay and Concerts he saw, and our general weekend and Halloween adventures.}