Good things come in threes!

football, Bioshock and Dead Space are both on their way!

n4m, I am not sure what you mean. Our goal is to play games exactly as we would if we bought it at the store; we're certainly not quality assurance testers! I am not here to check for bugs, though bugs are an important part of the process. But we're concerned with the overall experience so we can pass that on to our readers, not to check for glitches. After all, a game's quality is far more than just its bugs, isn't it?

Well, perhaps they do, anyway! I just wanted to update you all on what is on my current plate, since big titles are coming out, and I wanted to keep you up to date on when to expect reviews for the games sitting on my desk. It's busy! As you can imagine, it isn't easy keeping on top of the calendar, but with luck, you should see reviews of the most important fall/holiday releases coming on day of release or before. That said, here's what's on my plate and what you'll see coming.

It's all about threes when it comes to a few of them, anyway. That is, Fallout 3 and Red Alert 3. You should expect to see a review of Fallout 3 Tuesday morning for at least two versions if not all three. As you can imagine, a big game like that requires a lot of time. It's impossible to see every single thing in all three versions, but I want to see the biggest chunk possible. I have already finished the story, so for now, it is a matter of roaming about taking side quests, looking in all the nooks and crannies, and comparing the three versions. I am playing Red Alert 3 as well; expect to see it post Monday evening.

You'll also see reviews of Motorstorm: Pacific Rift and Eternal Sonata on the PS3 by the end of the week; Eternal Sonata tomorrow, and Motorstorm either tomorrow or Friday. We didn't get our copy of ES as early as I had hoped, but I wanted to make sure that it didn't get lost in the shuffle of high-profile games flying onto, and off of, store shelves. The other two games I am sure I will be reviewing are Tom Clancy's Endwar and Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World, both of which are sitting on my desk. I expect reviews of both games will also post on or before their release dates, God willing.

This is the time of year when readers are most likely to ask when so and so review will be out, and yes, we do strive to post reviews on or before release date. However, it isn't always possible for as many reasons as there are games. When we're playing games day and night, with nary a free moment to be found, our priority is to play--and to post the most accurate review possible. Forgive us if a date passes and you don't see a review of your favorite game. It never means we don't care, or wish to slight the game, its audience, or its platform. Simply put, it means we have limited staff, and we want to assign each review to the staff member most qualified to review it. It may also mean there are other circumstances at work, such as a publisher unwilling to send an advance copy, or the need to wait for a retail copy due to technical issues or other reasons. And remember, there are only so many of us reviewing games, and so many hours in a day. But hopefully our long days and fitful nights will show you how dedicated we are to you, just as you are dedicated to us.

So hang on--it's a huge month and a huge year for games, and we'll be busting our butts to give you timely reviews of the important stuff. But remember--it isn't a race. We'd rather play the game fully than rush a review that we weren't comfortable with. Thanks for your loyalty, and don't spend too much in one place!