The PS3 version of Bioshock is yet another example of how 3rd party game developer's policies in regards to the releasing of their games is quickly changing from they used to be in prior generations. Probably the most glaring reason for "permanent" 3rd party exclusivity's becoming rarer is how expensive game development is rapidly becoming. Simply put.. most titles released as of late are far too much of a production to bottleneck availability to gamers. Bottomline, regardless of any given developers feeling towards any given platform.. platform favortism pales in comparison to how much is on the line when that developer needs to recoup the massive costs of developing a major title. Lastly, while some may look at a PS3 port of Bioshock being unimportant.. they may fail to realize the longterm implications of the matter.. more specifically, the fact that future sequels will most likely be multiplatform. So I sincerely hope M$ fanboys enjoyed last fall's release of Bioshock and Mass Effect(specifically those who found joy in the PS3 losing exlcusivity with Assassin's Creed, Devil May Cry 4 and GTA IV).. because between this revelation and EA purchasing Bioware.. Bioshock 2 and Mass Effect 2 appearing simultaneously on both the PS3 and the 360 seems inevitable.

A major example of financially driven multiplatform availability is obviously Rockstar and GTA IV.. in the last generation Rockstar very well could have followed its usual policy and started off with GTA IV being exclusive to a Sony platform.. but GTA IV's immense development costs(the most expensive in history) made such an occurence a bad business decision. M$ fanboys for the most part took GTA IV's multiplatform status as a jab at the PS3.. but in reality it was more of a jab at console exclusivity as a whole than any one system.. even in a reverse situation GTA IV was destined to be multiplatfrom regardless of what console it was initially meant for. In the end like I have been alluding to.. gamers are starting to realize that more than the PS3 is starting to feel the loss of those major exclusives.. and a combination of now "two" higher end game consoles being stable moneymakers on the market teamed with escalating costs.. it seems as if console makers need to rely on more elaborate market strategies to get ahead than those utilized in the past.. for it seems the brief amount of time the XBOX360 enjoyed with major 3rd part titles such as Oblivion, Dead Rising, and Lost Planet soley on it's plaform leading up to and shortly after the PS3 launch was indeed a short lived commodity.

Apparently EA has invested some time into learning Microsoft's PR tactics as of late.. which is apparent in the company making one extremely unpopular decision after another. Whether its gobbling up smaller fan favorite companies such as Bioware.. threatening hostile takeovers over major game publishers such as GTA & Bioshock's publisher 2K games.. starting the "exclusive licensing" wars in sports gaming.. or watering down titles by putting seemingly all there games across every possible system. But.. in my opinion.. regardless of how irrelevant or unpopular it may be.. EA may have finally taken their bullsh*t too far. What I am alluding to is recently retired Green Bay Packer QB Brett Favre on the cover of the upcoming Madden NFL 09.

I have been hearing rumors for a while now about the possibility of such a decision by EA through various sites(click here for GS's related article).. but my doubt soon turned into denial.. and my denial now has turned into a full blown migraine headache as recent revelations has made an EA announcement about a Favre covered Madden basically an inevitability. Why is this such a big deal? As always with me.. it's the principle of the matter. I know Favre has already made appearances on some covers of the defunct NFL Quarterback Club franchise some years back.. but let's face it.. no one ever really gave two sh*ts about those games. Regardless of Madden losing some of it's luster over the years.. I believe the novelty of being on the cover of the most popular American football game(and annualy one of the biggest selling titles in the country) is not something that should be bestowed upon that worthless pill popping overrated dinosaur turd that cannot even spell his last name correctly.

Regardless of wether or not I grew up as a Chicago Bears fan.. I would never have liked that ancient piece of trash.. he was a selfish, big mouthed hillbilly that over stayed his welcome in his attempts to wallow around long enough to get those precious little passing records he wanted his hands on regardless of how much he hurt his team in the process(they now are stuck with playing a QB who has NEVER started a game before the upcoming season). Oh.. he won "one" Super Bowl his supporters say? Well.. last time I checked.. Jim McMahon won just as many as he did.. hell.. "Trent Dilfer" won as many as Favre did when all was said and done. Oh but I forgot.. they didn't wear baby sh*t green and piss yellow uniforms throughout their career while popping enough painkillers to put an elephant in a coma in order to maintain his consecutive games played streak.. and lets not forget him being an attention whore every offseason and threatening retirement.. so I suppose they are not as important.. yeah.. ok. Bottomline.. for every record like "most career TD passes" Favre lingered around long enough to acquire.. he has records such as "most career INT's".. which is funny because as I recall the last pass that douche threw was an "Interception" that cost his team a chance at the Super Bowl.

Anyways.. I'm not going to ramble on about this anymore.. for now . Like I said.. the game itself isn't really as important as it used to be.. but as usual it's the prinicpal of the matter that bugs me. In the end.. unless EA does with Madden NFL as it's doing with it's NCAA titles by having multiple covermen being specific to each console platform.. it's safe to say EA will have yet another longtime fan drop off it's faultering wagon.. I personally don't give a sh*t how childish it sounds.

I'm sure many reading this have already noticed the recent "5 things you didn't know about me" list plague making it's rounds among many GS users.. I have jbot to thank for my infection . So.. in an effort to avoid the wrath of the blogging gods, here is a list of five things you may or may not know about me.

5. Proudest videogame related achievement.. getting my fiance to be a Silent Hill/Legend of Zelda fan. Most embarassing videogame related blunder.. getting my a** handed to me in Super Smash Bros. by my five year old sister for whom I have "18" years on..

4. I'm a hardcore Chicago Bears and Cubs fan(please no "100 years since last World Series" jabs ). I grew up a stone's throw away from Wrigley Field and during my 10+ years playing "American" football I played a city championsip game at Soldier's Field, home of the Bears.

3. Due to those aformentioned years of playing football I accumulated quite the coloful array of injuries.. such as a spike of someones shoe being dug an inch deep into the small of my back and me dislocating and tearing so many tissues in my left shoulder that I could basically take it in and out of place as much as I please.. sorta like Mel Gibson in Lethal Weapon .

2. Despite the rest of my family an even my German/Irish ancestry.. I don't drink or smoke at all. Hell.. the closest thing to an addiction I have is not being able to sleep a wink without a fan on me at all times(even in the dead of winter). In all honesty though.. I'm considering picking up a vice just for the sake of being better able to deal with the "winds beneath my wings" that are my annoying friends and family..

1. I'm a pretty quiet and reserved person(unless someone's ego/ignorance pisses me off).. I'm not very tall, about average height for males.. but I'll takes my genetic disposition for athleticism and resistance to balding anyways . I like cats(have 2 cats named Princess Zelda and Link).. furthering my education in Computer Information Systems.. enjoy sports, electronics, metal/death metal music and shooting ranges.. and quite possibly the stupidest smart person you'll ever talk to.

Well, I suppose that it for right now.. and being the giving person that I am.. I say screw infecting only "five" additional people for this list.. I officially infect my "ENTIRE" friends list