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Editor's note: What with the Bitmob Community Writing Challenge (this right here) and our own Bitmob Wants You series, we sure like to keep you guys busy. But that's good! Builds character. -Demian

Last month I asked Bitmobbers to write a 400-800 word article on why you prefer one game over another of the same genre, and I got a wealth of great responses. So forthwith, the results of the This or That Writing Challenge:

Guillaume Favreau - Tekken vs. Virtua Fighter
In his first article for the site, Guillaume tackles the ongoing feud between Virtua Fighter and Tekken.  How the games approach basic mechanics and realism ends up as the deciding factor when  Guillaume picks a favorite.

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Street Fighter has always shared a long, sordid history with Hollywood. For the past 15 years, high-profile film producers have butchered the integrity of the World Warriors and their cherished mythos for the promise of a quick buck. But hope still exists in the form of Joey Ansah, an actor, filmmaker, and choreographer, best known for his portrayal of Desh in The Bourne Ultimatum.

Ansah has collected an impressive cast of Hollywood veterans in hope of producing a worthy testament to what is perhaps the greatest fighting franchise in the world. With any luck, this short film, entitled Street Fighter: Legacy, will ease the ruffled feathers of Capcom fans around the world. Take a look at what the cast has drummed up so far:

Before you breathe a sigh of relief, allow me to raise your expectations. Street Fighter: Legacy makes its online debut in three, short days. Look forward to a formal review when it hits [via Kotaku]!

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Maybe we should start a collection to help the "Halo 2 12" pay for their electric bills.

News Blips:

Microsoft won't give Halo 2 holdouts the boot. Speaking on his weekly podcast, Xbox Live Director Larry Hryb (Major Nelson) had a few words of encouragement for the group of 12 Halo 2 players who have yet to disconnect from the original Xbox Live servers, which Microsoft officially shut down two weeks ago (by simply not logging off, they have been able to keep playing online). Hyrb said that "if you're one of the 'Halo 2 12' still playing, know that we're rooting for you; we think what you're doing is great;, and [we] are not going to pull the rug out from under you." We here at Bitmob are totally rooting for you guys, too! [Kotaku]
 

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Pixel Revolt is Bitmob's community-driven podcast, in which Derek Lavigne, Jeff Grubb, Brett Bates, and a special guest dive into the Mobfeed to discuss interesting posts written by Bitmob members. For the second half of the show, they throw a question out to the community so that you can have your voice heard. If you'd like to contribute your opinion to the show, follow the upload instructions after the break.

Pixel Revolt -- Episode 23

On this episode, the guys welcome frequent podcast contributor Frank Anderson to the show to discuss streamlining genres, objective vs. subjective narratives, and upcoming sequels to games that either under- or over-performed. All this and your answers to our community question!

(Oh, and be sure to tune in after the outro for a special treat!)

Direct Download (right click save as)

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Due to the announcement of Field Week, we're extending our latest community callout by one week. That means you have until May 19 to submit your articles dealing with walkthroughs, guides, and FAQs.

Here are the official rules to participate in the callout:

1. Write any article about walkthrough, guides, or FAQs. Keep it concise -- about 200-400 words should do it, but you can go longer if you choose.
2. Tag that article with the following tag "Walkthroughs" -- we'll use it as a catchall for this activity.
3. Submit your article to the Mobfeed by May 19, 2010.

Remember that we're asking you to write about walkthroughs, not to actually write them!

Also, please note that Michael Rousseau has dropped a new Writing Challenge on the community: Fog of War. It will be a great chance to improve as a writer!

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Word association: When I think of the subtitle of Ninjatown: Trees of Doom, I'm reminded of id Software's popular shooter, which I don't believe had any trees.

Video Blips:

• I'm not sure why the trees in the new Ninjatown game are of the doom variety; they look pretty standard to me. Well, besides the fact that they're littered with adorable little monsters who have a vendetta against ninjas. [GameVideos]

Continue after the break for a behind-the-scenes peak at Samuel L. Jackson and Don Cheadle doing voice overs for Iron Man 2, a look at the elemental powers of Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands, and a special message from Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime.

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This edition of the Bitmob Community Jukebox features community-submitted songs from a ton of underappreciated classics. Bitmobbers Matt Giguere and Jimmy Flores show some B-list love for lesser hits like Kirby 64 and Golden Sun. And make sure to check out the selections from recent mixed-review efforts like Deadly Premonition and Fragile Dreams.

I'd also like to send a special plea to a certain British Bitmobber who keeps suggesting dancehall music: Please, no more...I implore you on bended knee.

Not sure what a Community Jukebox is? Want to be in the know? Hit the jump to find out more.

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No, I'm not talking about evolution. I've gathered some video game characters into groups below. Can you figure out what the members of each group have in common?

If you need relationship advice, head to page two for some hints or to page three for the answers. Feel free to click on the images for a larger view.

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Editor's note: It's a match made in game-nerd heaven! -Shoe

In the fall of last year, the 1UP community organized something called Homecoming Week. It was an attempt at bringing back old community members to participate in writing, drawing, and other such activities. That gave me an idea for an event for Bitmob that would help bring together the two communities.

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Editor's note: Michael's entry in our on-going, walkthroughs/guides-themed Bitmob Wants You writing challenge deserves its own spot on the front page.... -Demian

The video game industry is full of unsung heroes. From quality assurance testers and localization teams to narrative designers and production gurus, literally thousands of people involved in the business just don’t get the praise that they deserve.

But some of the most impressive of these heroes aren’t even employed by the industry proper. They’re the fans who willingly devote hundreds of hours of their free time to make the gaming community a better place.

Chris MacDonald, aka Kao Megura, was one of these devoted few. During his all-too-short life, MacDonald wrote FAQs and move lists for a slew of popular games; he almost single-handedly charted the course of the modern FAQ format. His most famous work, a Final Fantasy 7 FAQ, is still considered by many to be one of the best ever written. Many strategy writers today use that guide's skeleton, or structure, to help plan and organize their information in a logical, easily searchable way.

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GameStop's outlasting of competitors like Game Crazy reminds me of the Game Boy and its 15-year stranglehold on the handheld market. 

News Blips:

Hollywood Video and Game Crazy chains to close their remaining U.S. stores. Movie Gallery Inc., the owner of the stores, plans to begin liquidating its assets in two weeks. Frugal gamers looking for a deal should go early, since store director Glenn J. from Bend, Oregon, warned Kotaku that people should "expect much of the 'better stuff' to go fairly quickly." Great, with Game Crazy closing, where else can I go to buy video games from the confines of a chain-link fence?

Sony now offers extended protection plans for PlayStation Portable and PlayStation 3 owners. Worried PSP and PS3 gamers can cough up $29.99 or $49.99, respectively, for a one-year extension of their initial official warranties, while two-year plans cost 10 bucks more than that. For yet another added $10, Sony will even throw in "accidental damage." Sounds to me like the perfect time to test out just how flushable the PSP is. [PlayStation]

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Editor's note: Paul makes a compelling case that indie game developers should emulate the organic foods industry. I'd make a point of buying indie all the time if developers followed his advice. -Brett

If there’s anything that the panels and discussions at this year’s Game Developer’s Conference reaffirmed, it’s that the success of Facebook games like Farmville and Mafia Wars -- games that are free to play but force players to pay nominal fees in exchange for expanded content -- have game makers frothing over new revenue models for their products.

At the same time, companies are experimenting with new ways of releasing games and game expansions on Xbox Live and the PlayStation Network. The announcements that both the upcoming Lara Croft and Sonic the Hedgehog games will be smaller-scale experiences that will not be sold in stores (and that Sonic will be released in episodic form) are huge. These two titles alone carry the combined weight of more than 30 years of franchise history on their shoulders.

Independent game developers are in a prime position to take advantage of the new revenue models. The little guys can offer things that the EAs and Activisions of the world cannot: the care, time, and attention of a small group of people focused on a product for a niche audience.

To best harness these resources, indie developers should look to an unlikely source: the world of organic food.

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