We roll like MF'in stars in Hollywood with Sam Jackson at our side.

How do please a group of Alpha Males out on the town? The people of Heatwave Interactive answered that easy enough… You give them the ultimate Alpha Male to hang out with them… SAM JACKSON. Well, maybe not him in person… but the next best thing.

The new ISAMJACKSON app has recently rolled out. It features a soundboard of 150 qoutes and soundbites from Sam the Man himself, as a personality scanner and an “ask Sam??? feature for when you have the need to ask your own tough guy questions.

When we first downloaded the app, (it comes in both “clean??? and “explicit??? but c’mon… it’s Busygamer we’re talking about here…) we spent a little time just randomly pressing buttons… but then in our totally juvenile manner… we decided to take this with us on the road to LA and spend the week terrorizing anyone we thought needed a touch of macho using the soundboard. Yes that’s right, I proceeded to have whole conversations with the app to people…

The results were as follows:

Scene 1 : Our fearless leader Amory “Grits??? Gritta at a bar preparing for his big night on Coin-Op TV
Grits: Well I should be prepared to go on… I’m not too worried I’ll just wing it.
Tim (using the Sam Jackson soundboard): It’s probably best if we don’t do things “willy nilly???.
Grits: (rolls eyes) are you really going to use that now?
Tim (Sam Jackson app): WOW you know that’s a really good question.
Grits: (to Scott) Seriously this is going to get old fast…
Scott (using Sam Jackson app now): Remind me again why I should give a f***!
Grits: I give up!
Tim (Sam Jackson app): This might not be the worst idea you ever had….

iSamJackson boasts over 120 sound files! That's a damn lot!

Scene 2: At a bar in Hollywood
Tim (using Sam Jackson app): Unless a half naked supermodel falls out of the sky in the next 3 seconds… I’m outta here.
Girl: (turns around): Oh! That’s your phone… I thought I heard someone talking.
Tim (using Sam Jackson App): Heeeeeeeyyy Welcome to the party.
Girl: Oh haha… you’re using your phone… is that Samuel L Jackson’s voice?
Tim (using Sam Jackson app): F*** Yea!
Girl: Oh… uh haha
Tim (using Sam Jackson app) I don’t need your attitude… I have one of my own.
Girl: uh oK.
Tim (frantically searching for something funny to press and finally settling on) THAT’S HOW I ROLL MOTHERF***ER
Girl: Ummm…
Tim (using App and losing momentum fast) That’s what she said…

Ok so the downside is that there are really just too many cool things to press, it can sometimes make a conversation lag if you can’t anticipate where the conversation will go. In the last 5 days I’ve had lots of practice (much to Grits’ dismay).

The personality scanner is funny. Not bad for use in a party or bar conversation. The second funniest thing we played with was the “Ask Sam??? feature which always answered questions like “Is Tim cool???? with answers like “Without a doubt baby!??? and “you know what? Yes! Seriously??? and other questions like… “Should Grits pick up the bar tab??? with “This might not be the worst idea you ever had???

So for 5 days, we took this app everywhere. In the bars, in the car, in the hotel room, on Hollywood Blvd bugging the Sam Jackson lookalike… we play tested this app like it was a tickle me Elmo in the ninties… and I got to say… the replay value alone with a bunch of drunken idiots is worth the buck ninety nine… and honestly it’s what Sam would want.

You can download the ‘Explicit (lot’s of f*bombs)’ or the ‘Clean’ version of the iSamJackson app in the iPhone store for $1.99. And be sure and check out the official site from Heatwave Interactive here at www.iSamJackson.com.

BG Reckon Crew - Crutchboy, Timothy Danger & Gritskrieg

They say you can take the boy out of Texas… But you can’t take Texas out of the boy. I guess we’ve been lucky the past two years to spread that little bit of Gospel all around the U.S… but there is one place the BusyGamer Crew hasn’t gone yet. So we’re fixing that this week.

I’m talking about the land of fame and excess. Movie stars and bad habits. Silicon chips and silicone… well y’know.

That’s right fiends, the Busygamer Crew is headed to L.A. for a little rest and relaxation, nerd networking, and of course, a little bit of what we do best… (it rhymes with “thinking??? but let’s face it I was never very good at that)

Hailey Bright - Gamette of the Year 2009

Of course, we do have a main mission. That is to put our beloved leader and bossman Amory ‘Gritskrieg’ Gritta on COIN-OP TV Thursday night. Oh that’s right… I didn’t stutter. Grits is going to be in the hot seat for one of the video game industry’s most popular interactive shows… What’s more… you can watch it and participate live while it happens. COIN-OP TV is much more than an internet show. It features a unique twist in which viewers can log in and participate with the shows by leaving live comments and questions in the chat room.

Grits will be talking about the website.. our lovely Gamettes, our mega cool Gamette of the Year contest, and of course will be awarding COIN-OP TV’s lovely co-host HAILEY BRIGHT the coveted GAMETTE OF THE YEAR title.

We are certainly excited to make the trip. LA is the epicenter for video game technology, gaming subculture, and home to countless other geek treasures (Not to mention some old school punk rock history). We can’t wait to make fools… er I mean represent Texas in a manner only gentlemen wearing the BusyGamer moniker can.

You can watch The BusyGamer Reckon Crew live on the broadcast of Coin-Op Tv here at www.thestream.tv/coinop 8PM PST / 10PM CST January 21 starring host Robert Welkner and Co-Host Hailey Bright. It’s live, it’s interactive, and you need to check this out! Send us some questions, we dare you.

I was racking my brain trying to think of a good way to segue this entry. But instead of telling you a good anecdote or story or something wise and relevant, I think we should just dive into this…

Last month was our Annual Gamette Of The Year Contest. The contest is done for the past two years that we have been in existence to support and celebrate our models who represent the site. The first year we did it. It was mostly harmless fun. The girls promoted themselves, blogged, sent bulletins and emails, got their social circles involved… What some people call a popularity contest, turned into a good clean competition which ended in a big party and cash prize.

This year… the ladies as usual were still pictures of grace, good manners, and fun (which is why they are gamettes in the first place). The problem seems to stem from people who weren’t even IN the contest to begin with.

This past month… the site and our ladies have been targeted for all sorts of things gender based including being charged with “exploiting women??? bringing on models who weren’t “true??? gamers and we even had one person that blamed us for her eating disorder.

They say there is no such thing as “bad publicity???. I don’t know if I agree with that, but there comes a time when you have to address this and move on… So here we go.

First… you can call us a lot of things. Drunks, jerks, and idiots. This is all true. We have never claimed to be Politically Correct. It was never our intention to come across that way and please everyone. We are a site that writes for people like… well… like US. We don’t game a billion hours a day (BUSYGAMER remember?) We play in bands, do radio shows, do IT work, and webpage design when we aren’t taking over the world with BG. When we write our stories, we put up things that WE would like to see. The same goes with our models. (Trust me this is going somewhere) Our Gamettes are a celebration of these girls. We are intent on showing that our subculture is NOT male dominated to women and also show other guys that even though they may like to have a Star Wars marathon in their home now and again, there are girls who will not only watch it with you, but also school you on the logistics of lightsaber construction. This can go on all day so let me just address my main concerns…

Second… One person said we “exploit??? these girls. Are you kidding me? To “exploit??? means to use selfishly for one’s own needs. So let’s get some things straight… We don’t make money off of these girls. We don’t show any nudity on our site (We’ve had to turn down offers for that). We try our hardest to help our gamettes make appearances in cons, push their own websites, blogs, businesses and portfolios. We offer them the chance to write and publish their stuff on our website which is read by hundreds if not thousands of people a day (just like you). In short whatever their prospective field is we promote them just as hard as they promote us. If you don’t believe that… why don’t you try to contact one of our girls yourself and ask them what awful flesh peddlers we must be.

Third… is the charge that not all of our girls are “true hardcore gamers???. This is true by God, and we like it that way. Our requirements for the Gamettes is to be involved or interested in the nerd community or industry in some way. While we love having pro gamers on our site… we also love a gal who reads comics, likes tech stuff, hosts radio or internet TV shows and has other interests. I’m not sure if you noticed, but the name of the site kinda tells you that we are a site for the “busy??? gamer. There are other sites that promote strictly pro gamers and while we love and appreciate ALL the sites in our industry, we find this works best for us.

Yes, most of our girls are models. Most of them have been doing it long before they met us and will continue to do so. It makes sense for a model to see the other girls and be interested in being a feature so she can further her work and be seen by thousands of people who wouldn’t ordinarily. Being a model in not a requirement, but one of our requirements is to be very self confident and we wouldn’t pick a girl who wasn’t.

Fourth. Wow. You’re really going to blame us for your eating disorder? As I type this, the bachelor is on right now. Guess what… no fat chicks. Magazines like KING, MAXIM, GQ have been featuring impossible looking women for years. Our website is completely applicant based. Which means, these are real girls, I am sorry that you have found us to be the target of your problem.

I’m going to let you in on a shocker. I’m a big man. I’ve lost weight at a hundred pounds at a time, then I’ve gained it back. I am comfortable in this size I guess because I know that if I really want to, I will go and work to lose it. As it is, I have had moderate success in society by the merits of my profession and succeeding in life. My luck in affairs of the heart is also moderate because of my confidence in this world. Yes, the nerd/geek community accepts me because of my contribution to it, but I am also aware that at ComicCon there is not a line of girls waiting to meet me like those dreamy Twilight boys. And in the end, I’m not going to compare myself to them. Just like you shouldn’t compare yourself to anyone else but you. If you feel threatened by our girls (and for the life of me I can’t think of any other reason why people would make these claims) then maybe the problem isn’t with us, but with you. Here’s the deal, we have before and will continue to feature full figured models IF they apply and meet the criteria and beat out the other girls to do so. This is possible and has happened a few times. The fact is we don’t get a lot of applicants to do so. Maybe it’s because they don’t think they are good enough… but if they never apply, then we can never know.

In the end of the day… we aren’t smut peddlers. This ain’t that cool of a job. We are not women hating jerks, if anything we love ‘em more than our games. We are just a few simple guys who started a site on our own in our spare time writing and featuring things we want to see. If I wanted to feature a plate of eggs as our next model, I would do it. (probably get vetoed by the staff but oh well) I guess what I’m trying to say, is that we will continue to write what we want, review what we want, give you our honest opinions on comics, movies, tech and games… and we will continue to feature the girls we want. If you don’t like it, well like I said, we have never been PC and I’m not going to beg you. I’m not going to argue this anymore. Everyone has an opinion, and I’m not here to change anyone’s mind, but I wasn’t going to close the book on this without addressing it either.

So they say this movie is gonna change the way we watch movies?

Let me take you back, kids… To a Galaxy far far away, Err, wait a minute, that’s not right. Umm, so there’s this spaceship, right? And its mission is to boldly go where… umm, no, that’s not right either. Uh, ok… I got it! There’s this race of alien blue creatures, right? They reject technology, live off the land and are harmonious with the forest. And they don’t like humans… and we call them… Smurfs.

Well, in my day we called blue creatures hiding from humanity Smurfs, but in your day, we make them 10 feet tall and call them Na’vi. This is all part of the latest film by James Cameron. The movie, because of it’s technology and way it was made, not to mention the 3D effects, is being touted by the powers that be as a movie that will “change the way we watch movies???. That’s what THEY tell ya. But folks, Timmy Danger is here to tell you that we have to take Cameron with a grain of salt. After all, he DID give us Titanic. You remember Titanic, don’t you? Yeah… It was Star Wars for dumb girls.

Not that the movie is all bad. Actually it’s pretty damn good visually. It’s a lot of fun to look at but at the end of the day, it’s like Megan Fox in Transformers. Remember that scene where she’s lookin’ under the hood? Man, nothing looked quite so good as that scene. Then you know, she started talking and nothing messes up a pretty girl more than dumb words coming out of her mouth. I mean seriously, chick needs to read a book (and not Twilight).

It’s a harsh analogy but Avatar is like that hot chick with nothing to say. Scratch that, the movie has something to say… it’s just been said a billion times over already. The one thing Crutchboy (BG’s Creative Director) wanted me to NOT do was give away any spoilers… but folks, the movie’s pretty predictable. If you can’t predict what’s coming, maybe you should just rent Titanic, again.

The movie is a cross of Fern Gully, Pocahontas, and Dances With Wolves. Sad thing is, all those movies pretty much stand on their own. So all we have left to offer you, mainstream America, is this new technology that creates a digital world. Sounds impressive, but also expensive. I don’t think we will have much to worry about in the way movies are made. While it’s nice to watch, there is something to be said about traditional movies.

A common misconception is that I hated this movie. Nah, I rather liked it and I actually plan on seeing it again. I am a fan of the sci fi genre in general and it’s a beautiful film. I just think some stuff wasn’t well thought out. (Giant robot pulls a giant combat knife out. Man, that was so ridiculous I had to laugh out loud in the theater).

But seriously, man, making a claim like that will get you a punch in the neck. So far there are very few movies that have changed the industry. The only one coming to mind takes place in a galaxy, far far away.

Can't keep America's hero down!

Like most people plugged in these days, we here at BG can tell you what day of the week it is by what is going on… For instance… new DVDs and music… that comes out on Tuesdays. New movies? That’s Friday unless it’s a blockbuster, then it’s a Thursday showing. Saturday? That’s when our new Hangovers are due… But Wednesdays, now that’s something special. Because Wednesdays my dear friends… is comic book day.

2009 saw some doozies… here’s our favorite comic happenings for the year:

THE BEST

1. Captain America – He is back. Yeah… after about 3 years of being dead… turns out he’s only mostly dead.

2. Battlefields – It’s WAR! It’s Comics! And it’s written by Garth Ennis of Preacher fame.

3. The “Oz??? series – It all started with “The Wizard Of Oz??? that was adapted more closely to the books, now it’s growing to include the other Oz books. Best part? The art is by Skottie Young.

4. Batman – Shenanigans… Bruce isn’t here any more… Dick Grayson has taken the mantle of the bat. Bruce’s son is the new Robin, and the old Robin… he’s now Red Robin. Beautiful art and writing in the new “Batman and Robin??? series… Fans are a talkin’.

5. Image United – Remember the 90’s? So do tons of others. The original Image creators are back, and Image United has been selling out. Best thing? Al Simmons is back.

THE WORST

1. HULK – This is hard for me… I love the Hulk character… but they need to cut out this Red Hulk business. I’ve never been more bored in my life.

2. The “she characters of Marvel” – Red She hulk and Lady Deadpool. Let’s stop beating a dead horse.

I've got a bad feeling about this...

3. Xmen Forever – Chris Claremont picks up from his 90’s Xmen run. It’s hit or miss. Sometimes it’s interesting… and other times… he kills off Wolverine and gives Kitty a claw. That spells lame.

4. Wolverine Origins – It’s just bad, people.

5. The great comic book company buyout of 2009 – WB bought DC. Disney buys Marvel. We are still awaiting the fallout. I don’t care what anyone says. Never trust the man, The mouse is gonna kill comics eventually. I may be sounding like that crazy bum outside the train station with a “End is Near??? sign… But comics are a dying art form. I doubt a company as money hungry as these two are going to keep a traditional medium like comics.

-Timothy Danger

And this is an attention getter!

I met Matt Busch at Star Wars Fan Days in late October. Fan Days is great for the Star Wars fan. There are celebrities to meet, collectables to buy, and artwork to get from Star Wars sanctioned artists. One such artist was Matt Busch who impressed us with his “Learn to Draw Star Wars DVDs??? and Zombie themed SW prints. Matt took some time from his schedule to hang and chat with us… here’s the result of that.

BG: So how’s Fan Days going for you so far?
MB: Fan Days is rocking. I’m having a blast, last year was my first year I had fun then and I’m having even more fun this year. I love Texas, love the show, I’m having a blast.

BG: So this is your second year?
MB: It is. The show is great the folks that run the show, Ben Stevens in particular who runs the show, Mark Walters, they really treat the artists like royalty. I like the program they do with the sketch cards I think it’s really neat. It’s a neat way for fans to be able to afford an original piece of official art. It’s really kick ass that people can take advantage of that. Collectables are great I think it’s awesome. I’m a collector myself I think it’s cool to have a show like this.

BG: You know I talk to a lot of artists at things like this. Some artists say sometimes the prints are the bigger sellers, sometimes the original art. What do you think is your biggest seller?
MB: Gosh. I think for me, kinda what’s been my blessing is that I’ve been a jack of all trades, master of none. Honestly it’s been a sampling of art, sketch cards, DVDs, books of my work, it’s been a pretty random sampling this year.

Matt Busch and BG's Timothy Danger at Star Wars Fan Days III

BG: Let’s talk about the “You can draw Star Wars??? DVD you have here… can you tell me about it?
MB: Sure. It started as a book that was written by Bonnie Burton, I did some of the artwork, Tom Hodges who is also here did some of the artwork…and there was an opportunity to make video episodes for star wars.com and their website and it really kind of started from that. Then I had 7 episodes for the 1st season for a limited edition DVD, I did another season that was collected on DVD, I’m about to start the 3rd season I’m starting work on that right now, it’s been blast. They are a pretty big hit online. I love it. They are real educational for people who want to learn how to draw I mean what cooler thing than drawing Star Wars for learning how to draw. I mean they are the books and DVDs I didn’t have as a kid. Well I didn’t have any DVDs as a kid because they didn’t exist yet… but you know it’s all the stuff I wish I had when I was a kid. The ability to make some of that stuff and inspire children of all ages from ages 4 to 81 it’s a dream come true it’s been a lot of fun.

BG: I have to ask… who’s your favorite to draw?
MB: Well the easiest to draw is stromtroopers there isn’t a lot you know they are all white. The hardest to draw is either C3PO or Darth Vader. Darth Vader is easy to paint but he’s hard to draw.

BG: That’s interesting… You mentioned painting what’s your favorite type of medium to use?
MB: Normally most of my painted work is acrylics with a little bit of color pencil on top for details. Here at the show I have some color markers to touch up sketch cards. Otherwise I like all the mediums really I think it keeps me from getting bored to pull out a different medium you know pull out charcoal pencils or pen and ink to keep from getting in a rut and have everything look the same.

Every TV boy's fantasy!

BG: Things like your drumsticks here… is that something you thought on your own?
MB: No I was actually contacted by a company called pinup sticks that wanted me to illustrate some hot ladies and make some sexy drumsticks. I Had a lot of fun doing that. So far the three that are available are METAL MISTRISS, BUILT FOR POUNDING (my personal favorite), and SOUTHERN BELLE, and the other one coming out is PERCUSSION CONCUSSION.

BG: So the work you do is it mostly freelance?
MB: Yea it’s mostly freelance I think I prefer that to having a full time job where I’m working on the same kind of stuff all the time. You know for years and years paid my dues where I basically said yes to every job. Even if it was things like Kibbles and Bits storyboards. Now I’m at the point where I can pick and choose. I’m been blessed and really lucky I can do the stuff I love I get paid to draw stuff that I got in trouble for in grade school It’s pretty wild.

BG: Do you have any tips for aspiring artists trying to break in?
MB: The biggest tip I can give is to stay with it. I believe there is enough work for everyone. I think if you stay with it, don’t give up I truly believe there is enough work for everyone I think you need to find your niche and find where that is. But as soon as you give up obviously you’ll never get any work. Everytime you send out your work to another company you just increased your chances by 100 percent. Stay with it practice makes perfect. In addition to sending your work out there always refine your skills try to see what you can do to get better. You know I’m a student for life I don’t know it all I am continually learning and evolving and enjoying the process I think that kind of attitude will help me grow.

BG: so Matt Busch dot com?
MB: Yeah I mean I’m on Facebook, Twitter, Myspace but the easiest is www.mattbusch.com, Busch is spelled like the beer not like the shrub.

BG: nice.. and do you have anything we should be looking out for?
MB: Well right now the most recent thing is the SW zombie posters I am showing here, they seem to be a big hit. I’m working on Planet of the Apes stuff. I’m all over the place.

BG: Well hey Matt, thanks for talking with us, we appreciate it…
MB: Sure… No problem thanks for sharing the love.

See artwork for sale, galleries and blog info for Matt at www.MattBusch.com. Matt appeared at Star Wars Fan Days III in Plano, Texas courtesy of Lucas Arts where this interview was conducted.

We’re known for a few things on our site. Of course the main thing is our news and info for you guys… the busygamer. We know that you guys like the same things we do, because quite frankly you guys are a lot like us.

And since you’re like us… you must like girls a lot. I know we do. So much that I truly believe all of our convention parties, plane hopping, binge drinking, air hockey pwning, and assorted shenanigans on the road are spent in search of the perfect girl. We’ve met quite a few on our quest for ultimate nerd-dom, and we keep looking for more.

All our lives we were taught that chicks don’t dig guys like us. While that may have been true a few years ago, the one thing we have learned is that there are chicks that dig the same things we’re into… and they’re smokin’.

So we celebrate them. In our Gamettes. The Gamette has become one of our most popular attractions to the site. And despite what you may think, the main reason we have them on the site is to promote everything they stand for. We love women. I mean… seriously… and to find girls who are beautiful inside and out, that’s a treat.

Don’t believe us? Take a look at their profiles. In addition to being our queens of the month, they are all out breaking hearts and breaking heads in their prospective fields. It doesn’t matter if they are working in comic books, hosting internet shows, breaking into pro gaming, or modeling, these ladies kick our butts in a lot of things.

Being a Gamette isn’t easy. For one thing, we’re big jerks. In addition to being good ambassadors to our readers, these girls take the time to game, answer questionnaires, rep our site and their own personal ambitions, and be all around cool chicks at events and functions.

With the year ending, we take the time to look at the past year and all our awesome Gamettes 2009 brought us. Some wrote for us, some wrote TO us, some hung out with us at various functions and helped us push the site’s popularity. With that we take the time to say “thank you??? with our annual GAMETTE OF THE YEAR contest. This is where YOU get to vote to make this happen.

If you are friends of any of these girls through social networking sites, you may see them soon posting bulletins and notices asking for your help. Help them. We are remaining unbiased here and leaving the votes up to you and the girls.

So who’s it gonna be lads?

CLICK HERE TO START YOUR VOTING FOR GAMETTE OF THE YEAR 2009!

Social networking ang gaming are becoming one...

Last week, XBOX LIVE released 4 new features to their entertainment dashboard. These features are meant to take your XBOX from high end gaming console, to your one stop entertainment shop. The features: Facebook, Twitter, Last FM, and Zune HD Video were highly anticipated, and now that they’ve been around for a week… Just how do they stack up?

For this, I had BG send me a 360. (Yes up until recently I did not own one… and yes… there are more people like me in the world.) So after a few days of using the XBOX… the verdict is in… I use the new features probably more than anything else.

I admit it, I’m a sucker for technology and new features. I am the ultimate busygamer. Between writing for these guys, my own writing projects, playing in an indie band and being an all around badass, it’s hard to squeeze in gametime. My games are limited to casual gaming on the PC and (on the occasional sick days from the office) a big ol’ MMORPG splurge once every few months. But as a writer and musician, one thing I am always doing is trying to stay connected. The Facebook and Twitter features (which are the most used apps on the Iphone) were particularly interesting.

FACEBOOK: Myspace? Yeah we got one, but honestly we don’t use it as much as good ol’ FB. In fact it seems like every 3 years a new social networking site pops up (we’ve been noticing the great migration from MS for some time now) Facebook is so streamlined, and thankfully, all those annoying glitter graphics that plague MS are gone. On the XBOX LIVE experience, FB is pretty cool. You can view friends statuses and comment pretty easy (if you don’t mind using a controller to scroll through the virtual keyboard) Another cool feature is the fact you can view your (and your friend’s) photos on your TV. Trust me folks there’s nothing like looking at a Gamette’s photos on the ol’ big screen. It does have some drawbacks though… for one, typing is not fun, unless you buy a keyboard accessory. All in all though, it does save you from logging into your computer or using your phone…. And like I said, the picture thing was probably the most fun to use (but then again we have cool pictures)

TWITTER: The king of the microblogging status only services strikes back with an XBOX LIVE feature. While this is pretty much what you expect, it does lack a little. You can do basic things, it is fun to tweet that you are updating from your console, but honestly, I use about 4 apps just for twitter on my Iphone (twitter is serious business when your in our line of work) The apps spoil me, they all have their strengths so I use them all, for XBOX I guess the strength is that… well.. it’s an XBOX

LAST FM: Probably the thing I thought I would like the least is the one I fell in love with the most. LAST FM reminds me a lot of Pandora radio, only as far as I can tell, I can skip songs a lot more. IT gets smarter the more you use it, and it shows a slideshow of the bands playing on your TV when the music is going (perfect for a party). I fell in love with it so much, I use it now on my computer and my Iphone (Pandora has been neglected)

ZUNE HD VIDEO: I got to admit. I have Netflix and the first thing I did was activate it to the console. I can’t see paying for a movie when I already have Netflix and can stream unlimited movies (for free) through the console. This one didn’t get used, even after I have had time to play with the whole system. Maybe I will download it to see what all it can do, but at this point, I don’t see it.

The biggest thing to me is probably the time it steals. Sure its fun, but after day one after talking through a headset via party mode with Crutchboy, I realized we had been on for six hours. Where did the time go? I mean sure I was connected with friends and business contacts, but probably could have done lots more. That’s life of a busygamer for you.

The Commuter for iPhone 3G/3GS by Otterbox

When it comes to our Iphones, we here at the BusyGamer office have a whirlwind love affair with them. Sure every quarter a new phone seems to come out that is going to be the “Iphone??? killer… and while some of those phones have interesting features, we always come back to our little Apple joys. The apple is after all the forbidden fruit and you always desire what you can’t have. I don’t care about the other phones, they’re not the ones I want, after all. You can date a girl with a lazy eye… it doesn’t mean she’s asian, you’re just dating a girl with a lazy eye. I guess what I mean is, you can throw a hundred phones at me, they ain’t the Iphone, and unless your new phone comes preloaded with George Lucas’s number, well, I’m just not interested.

That being said, our phones’ protection is important to us. I mean we are the RECKON CREW for Pete’s sake, we put our livers through Hell, can you imagine what our phones go through? The default phone case of choice has always been the Otterbox Defender. Ever since we got this case, we loved it for it’s protection value. We wreck a lot of events and cons and this case is like a Humvee for your phone, it is totally protected from the elements. This is important when you are stumbling from bar to hotel room with a 6 foot wonder woman draped across your back and you can’t remember if it’s a dummy you stole from the dealer room or a passed out cosplayer. Calling your fellow crew members can be embarrassing enough but to find out your phone is damaged in the middle of your shenanigans, well… that’s just crossing the line, pal.

The Defender had ONE drawback. While it was like Fort Knox for your phone, it was also like carrying a VCR in your pocket (I don’t believe in belt clips it cramps my style). This, however, was a drawback I was willing to take.

THE NEW KID ON THE BLOCK
Imagine my surprise, BusyGamers, when Crutchboy informed me we would be testing some new Otterbox cases at our upcoming Star Wars weekend, I was stoked! Before we departed he gave me the new specimen to outfit my beloved phone. The phone case was the Otterbox Commuter (for me) and the Otterbox Commuter TL (for Crutchboy). There was not much difference between the two. The commuter had a more “wrap around??? kind of plastic on the sides of the phone which made it a bit more rigid but other than that, it was the same. The screen was unprotected unlike the Defender but it did come with a plastic screen protector. The case was smaller than the Defender and I was cautious to see how it would stand up in the trying weekend to come but we pressed on.

THE DRAWBACKS
As soon as we begin the process of outfitting the phone with the case we noticed a problem. The screen protector, which in picture instruction looked simple to put on, made me think I must have the dexterity skills of an ogre because my screen protector application did not go so smooth. I had to try twice (they only give you one protector) and had a lot of air bubbles on my screen. Crutchboy fared a little better. The bubbles were annoying. They seemed to flatten out after a while, but never really went away. Luckily they were practically invisible when the screen lit, but not much fun to look at otherwise. The big drawback on the protector is the lack of a replacement, so if you are like me and switch cases like Gamette wallpapers, you may find yourself buying an aftermarket screensaver just to use your case again.

Another drawback was the ports. The headphone jack was not as wide and big as the Defender model. This is important if you use a high end audio jack for your car stereo, like us. It did fit but almost not well enough. The charger port is rubberized and sort of a pain to use when using a car charger. You have to make sure the rubber closing piece is not obstructing the charger in the least as it could result in a sketchy connection (happened a few times before I realized it was me not plugging it right).

Commuter TL for iPhone 3G/3GS by Otterbox

THE PROS
First off, the case gives you a reasonable amount of protection for its size. I was surprised with how rigid the wraparound plastic made the phone feel. The screen wasn’t covered but I had the feeling that it was in much better hands in the case than without.

Another thing I loved was that people knew it was an Iphone. The Defender had a habit of adding girth and size to the phone leading to people often asking me what type of phone it was. The case is built to leave the features open and ready to use. The ringer/vibrating switch for instance is exposed, making it easy to get to even if it is open to the elements.

THE ROADTEST
A Con with us is not easy and we took this bad boy for the ride of it’s life. First we went to see STAR WARS IN CONCERT where we mingled with security, were escorted all through the building, shoved our way to our special seats in the press area, and fought the crowds looking at the ultra cool exhibit. All the while I would pull out my phone and start tapping away. The camera function never faltered (all the pics that weekend were taken via iphone and photography apps) as the case leaves the camera exposed like 99 percent of all other cases except for the Defender which has a plastic covering.

The next day at Fan Days was no exception. I dropped the phone a few times (On carpet). No damage but they were all accidental. I did scratch the screen protector when I put my phone in the same pocket as my car keys (a dumb mistake but a mistake an average person would make so I’m glad it happened) the protector held up well with the exception of a raised nick on the protector itself, not a hindrance though.

The bars were cool. I didn’t spill any alcohol on them, that would just be stupid. But I did notice that girls didn’t respond negatively or positively to the case. This is important because an Iphone case should protect an Ipod. Of course you never want a girl to laugh at your phone in a public place but you should be able to know it’s an Iphone and not a cheesy imposter. One feature people in bars love is the fact that the case leaves a “window??? to accent the apple logo.

THE VERDICT
Despite the issues with the screen protection, I enjoyed this case. I actually still have it for everyday use. It’s a good case to use, great all around, and the black one (which I have) is simple and bold like a Johnny Cash song. If I am going to a dangerous weekend with the BG crew, I will still break out the Defender (also by Otterbox) but in the office, on a date or a casual night out, the Commuter works well. And that my friends, was the whole point.

The Otterbox Commuter lists for $34.95 and the Commuter TL lists for $29.95, both can be found here at www.OtterBox.com.

SW Fan Days : Custom built R2 Unit

What’s the perfect way to end a weekend excursion of Star Wars In Concert? This weekend, The Busy Gamer Reckon Crew attended Star Wars Fan Days 3. Which was pretty much just what it sounded like. (If you think that it sounds like a bunch of fans getting together and reveling in the magic of the house that Lucas built.)

Fan Days was a great collection of Star Wars fans, clubs, merchants, exhibits, celebrities, and many other great things in the name of the Great trilogy (and the prequels and cartoon series too) So where to start? How about a quick walk through of what we saw?

When we arrived, the first thing we noticed were the guys and gals of the 501st. For those that don’t know, the 501st is the Star Wars replica costume club (for the dark side). They specialize in making appearances at events and charity functions in awesome movie quality costume all over the world. The Texas branch was in full force and even came out in pink (yes pink storm troopers) in support of the pink ribbon breast cancer campaign. This was a noble cause and many kudos to the 501st for showing great support.

Dallas Tx 501st : Pink Ribbon Trooper

There was also an awesome replica room in which the DENTED HELMET fanclub (they make Mandalorian armor and the Astromech builders club (R2, R4, and various other droid makers) showed off their latest creations.

A walk around the convention center showed more costumed people than you can shake a stick at, and also take pictures with, a walk in the exhibitor area also displayed many cool things to buy like Tshirts, posters, buttons, art from Lucas approved artists, and of course toys. A boy could go broke here. (and one did!)

The special guests were also really cool. We saw Ray Park (Darth Maul, Snake Eyes, Toad) give a really cool panel where he talked about his future roles and the fun of playing a sith. The autograph room boasted tons of talent… From Ray Park, Peter Mayhew (Chewie), Jeremy Bullock (Boba Fett), Dave Prowse (Darth Vader) and many more people from the movies and cartoon show. And of course we can’t forget to mention guest of honor Anthony Daniels.

We ended the day with an auction. Where several old collectables were available to be bidded on, and all the proceeds went to cancer research. There were some great finds here, but alas, we were pretty much broke by the time the bidding war started. (shouldn’t have bought that Jar Jar bank) .

-Timothy Danger