Playable first on Xbox 360, per the 2010 business deal.

The release of the official MW3 season content calendar has fired off a new volley of comments, questions, and confusion from PlayStation 3 gamers. The main question: “You said I would get content early. I paid for Elite just like the Xbox 360 gamers; why do they get content first?” A good question, and one that has a clear answer, I’m happy to say.

Back in 2010, Activision and Microsoft entered a business deal to release DLC on Xbox 360 earlier than other platforms; this contract is valid through the year 2012. This business deal was very widely reported by the games media when the announcement was made at E3 in 2010, and the DLC releases for both Modern Warfare 2 and Call of Duty: Black Ops was released in accordance with that contract. All DLC for MW3 will follow the terms of that deal as well, because it’s still 2012.

This is the short answer. Read on if you would like the long answer.

Vader in SCIV PS3 was such a big deal, he's on the Japanese box.

Exclusivity in the game biz is not uncommon, whether it’s a game franchise only appearing on one platform (Gears of War for Xbox 360, Infamous for PlayStation 3) or content that is only available to one audience or the other (Darth Vader and Yoda in Soul Calibur IV on PS3 and Xbox 360, respectively). Sometimes, as with Soul Calibur IV, this exclusive content eventually shows up on other platforms. Sometimes, as with Kratos in Mortal Kombat or the playable Joker in Batman: Arkham Asylum, it does not.

Thankfully, for Call of Duty DLC, all consoles get all the same content, but there is a delay as to who gets what when. This type of exclusive is not that uncommon either; other games, such as Battlefield 3 and Skyrim, have also arranged timed exclusives, anywhere from a week to a month. Eventually, though, everybody gets everything.

Eric Hirshberg explained Elite's offerings and pricing at XP 2011.

Enter Call of Duty Elite. Premium members pay $49.99 up front and get all the MW3 DLC that will come out over a nine-month period — DLC that Eric Hirshberg said at XP 2011 would cost $60 if it was bought via traditional map pack bundles. Even if you didn’t care about anything else that Elite premium offers, that’s a no-brainer for dedicated CoD players. But somewhere along the way, people convinced themselves that an Elite subscription would trump the 2010 DLC exclusivity deal that was created before Elite existed — that by paying for Elite, they were somehow invalidating a contract between Activision and Microsoft. It doesn’t make any sense, but it is what people started to think.

The Elite team tackles Elite audience Q&A at XP 2011.

I wondered where people would have gotten that idea — had someone actually promised that, or said something at XP 2011 that I missed? — so I researched it. What I found was that you can’t prove the non-existence of something. I can find no evidence of “buy Elite, get PS3 DLC same time as 360″ ever being so much as suggested by any official source. It was never one of the things listed in the official benefits chart; it was never promised by any representative of Activision, Call of Duty, Elite, or its developers. Honestly? I think gamers just convinced themselves that it would happen because they wanted it to happen. That makes sense, but it doesn’t make it true.

Still, the Call of Duty team must have known this assumption could be a source of confusion. So the Elite FAQ is very clear:

Similar to Map Packs, X360 Premium members will receive their Content before PS3 Premium members. All Call of Duty ELITE Premium members will receive a steady stream of content released monthly for 9 months through the Content season, and they will also receive their Content before non-premium members on their console.

I know I am not everybody’s primary source of Activision information, but I also noted this back in June 2011 in my massive “What I Know About Call of Duty Elite” article:

Elite subscribers will be able to access the DLC before it goes on sale to a la carte purchasers. The window of time has not been disclosed. For PS3 owners, this does not override this business deal that currently brings Call of Duty DLC to Xbox 360 first; that deal is valid through 2012. However, Elite members will get the DLC before the non-Elite members on their respective platforms.

So…that’s where we are. The deal from 2010 is why DLC comes out on Xbox 360 first. I’m seeing people scream “rip-off” and stuff like that, but nobody’s going to get ripped off; every gamer will get everything they were promised and everything they paid for. It’s unfortunate that people assumed things about Elite that turned out to not be based in fact, but I hope the truth is clear now. Unpopular, I’m guessing, but clear.

Also, you don’t have to pay to play Call of Duty multiplayer. But everybody knows that now, right?

UPDATE 1/28: I’m sorry to see people taking this article the wrong way. My intent was not to be mean or arrogant; my intent was to clear up the confusion and dig into how we got to this point, because ultimately this is a case of what was said vs. what was assumed. That’s always difficult.

But sorting out the facts does not mean that I don’t understand how frustrated people are. I totally get where the confusion came from; it makes sense and I totally understand why people are upset — and I am sorry about the situation. But I think the flames are starting up now because people wanted to hear something else, and I can’t say what they want to hear. I’m sorry about that, too. All I intended to do was offer the facts and show my work, and I had hoped being clear would be helpful to people who were still confused and asking me about it on Twitter. Perhaps not, in hindsight. So if you need to rage at me about it, okay.

Call of Duty Elite clans — how do they work? I’m glad you asked, because now there is a very detailed answer. That should show you, step by step, how to form, join, and leave clans, all via the Elite web interface.  It also covers the max number of people in each clan, the benefits for clans ranking up, how to change the clan’s in-game title, and then how to select it in MW3. And that’s not even everything. Read it, learn it, love it, live it.

My entire week has been non-stop responses regarding Call of Duty Elite and MW3 questions, complaints, comments from the community. And that’s to be expected; it’s what I’m here to do. Unfortunately I can’t do it when Twitter locks me out because I’ve reached my daily limit on posts.

Now, truth be told, almost all the questions I am being asked on Twitter — and even in the comments of the various Elite & MW3 articles posted here on the site — have already been answered, and I am just pushing people toward a handful of websites that have more information. So here’s my URL cheat sheet here, in hopes that this information will continue to find its way out to the people who need to know it. In other words, I hope this page will help folks help themselves while I can’t help them:

http://www.callofduty.com/elite/toolbar/status.html 
The main Call of Duty Elite status page, which is offering both periodic updates in the form of letters from the development team, and a traffic signal-style health meter for Elite itself. This page also includes information about the age gate issue, the extension of subscriptions by 30 days, and the Founder status deadline moving to the end of November. Whenever anything new and major is announced, it will be on this page.

http://bit.ly/elitefaq
This is Activision’s official Elite FAQ from the customer support team. Many detailed answers lie within this — from registration issues to non-working codes to ranks being reset in MW3 — and it is being periodically updated with new issues and more specific answers.

http://fzt.me/mw3updates
Here’s a list of title updates (a.k.a. TUs, a.k.a. “patches”) that have been applied to fix issues with MW3, as well as a list of what’s being worked on for the future.

http://bit.ly/eliteissues
This is my main Elite status article that offers a loose timeline of communication from the Elite dev team since the issues began. I’ve also been using this to post new information as I find it out, such as what the red and green skulls on your Elite profile mean. This contains links to the previous two URLs as well.

http://bit.ly/mw3founder
Specifically, this solves the mystery of the Founder card that came with MW3 Hardened Edition and explains why you haven’t been able to find a place to enter it online. I’ve also got an image there of what it looks like on your profile when Founder status is activated, as well as a list of the in-game Founder perks.

http://bit.ly/elitechart
What is the difference between free and premium Elite memberships, and then what do Founders get on top of that? This is the official chart of what’s included.

http://bit.ly/mw3rankreset
If you are finding that some of your MW3 rank data is being reset or rolled back, the CS team has an answer for that specific issue.

http://bit.ly/elitestatus
“When will the PC version of Elite arrive?” The Elite dev team answers this one directly in an interview back from October: When it’s ready. They go into more detail as to why, so it’s worth reading if you’re a PC player.

http://www.callofduty.com/community/mw3/forums
If you have feedback for the MW3 development teams — game balancing issues, things that you spot that don’t seem quite right, general gameplay comments — this is where they go. You might not always see the developers post, but they do read. This is the place for you to give feedback right to the people who can adjust, update, and tweak Modern Warfare 3.

http://twitter.com/fourzerotwo
Robert Bowling is Infinity Ward’s Creative Strategist, and he has also asked for your feedback on Twitter. Please understand that the guy gets completely swamped so he won’t always reply — but again, this is something that he definitely reads and can bring that information back to the dev team of which he is a part. He also does periodically update the community through this account, so it’s definitely worth a follow.

Activision CS: MW3 & Elite
If your question is not answered above or you have a more specific question, Activision has a very clear customer support portal, and you can get help through live chat, phone, Twitter, or Facebook – the choice is yours.

I am trying to keep on top of this as often as I can, but clearly, there are limits to how much I can communicate and through which channels. If you hear friends asking some of these questions, please send them to the right answers, especially if I’m temporarily but suddenly muzzled by Twitter.  Thanks.

UPDATE 12/13: The deadline for Founder status has passed, so I’ve updated this article with just the information that is relevant now.

Founder status is a perk for anyone who signed up for a premium membership to Call of Duty Elite during its first five weeks of operation. The final deadline was December 13, so if you are reading this hoping to get in on it, you probably missed your opportunity. Founder status is now closed to everyone…except those who bought the Hardened Edition of Modern Warfare 3.

MW3 HE came with a card with a code on it; it looks like that graphic to the right. It’s there as insurance in case someone gets HE as a gift after the November deadline. The folks who wake up Christmas morning or the last day of Hanukkah to find MW3 HE will not be left out. Enter the code on the back of that card at this website, and you’re good to go.

The Activision support website has detailed, step-by-step instructions on how to activate Founder status. It notes that Founder status will not be immediately visible; it could take as many as 48 hours before you see it listed on your profile – so don’t panic if it doesn’t trigger immediately. If you see a red skull icon next to your name on your Elite profile, that means you are a paid premium member. If you see a green skull icon on your profile, that means you are a premium member with Founder status. For instance, here is what my website profile looks like, as I am a Founder:

The green skull icon & background denote Founder status in Call of Duty Elite.

In addition to the icon, Founder status grants you in-game items for MW3. You will see two Elite-specific titles and emblems, as well as an exclusive weapon camo, Winter, which can be found at the bottom of the list of camos for all guns. There are other benefits to being a Founder as well, but these are the visible ones in the game.

If you have any trouble activating your Founder status via the Hardened Edition code card, contact Activision Customer Support. They’re cool and will do whatever they can to help.

UPDATE 11/10: Please visit  http://bit.ly/codelitestatus for the latest operating status of Call of Duty Elite, and check http://bit.ly/elitefaq for more detailed answers about individual Elite elements, such as Founder rewards, console & mobile apps, and the 30-day subscription extension.

Oh, the last weekend before a Call of Duty game launch is exciting — and by exciting I mean exhausting, frustrating, and more than a little insane. I will try to tackle some of the common questions I’ve fielded this week in hopes that people will now know what to expect — and what not to expect, in some cases. I will update this as I learn more info. Older items are grayed out.

I attended Call of Duty XP 2011. When will I get my copy of Hardened Edition MW3?
UPDATE: Several reports are coming in from XP attendees saying their games were delivered today, Monday the 7th. That’s good news, and it means there is a buffer zone for people who might not get the game today — they’ll still get it by the expected launch date.

Original answer: The plan is to have it in your hands on November 8, same as all other players. Since it is a physical delivery, you might want to make arrangements with a neighbor if you’re not going to be around to get the package.  A rumor went around saying XP attendees would get it early, but I asked and was told the plan is delivery on release date.

Where can I get Hardened Edition?
I do not know of anybody who is still taking preorders on the limited Hardened Edition of MW3. Call your local store to see if they have any left or are expecting any to come in. Maybe someone canceled a preorder and you’ll get lucky.

When is MW3 coming out for Wii?
When I reported on this a few months ago, there were still many questions, including the game’s release date. I’m happy to say MW3 will ship November 8 in the US and about a week later in European territories. Check with your local retailer to find out exactly when they expect it in.

Why isn’t my Mountain Dew/Doritos double XP working correctly?
Mountain Dew posted this on their Facebook page early Tuesday:  ”High traffic this morning caused tech difficulties. Data currently stuck between our system and COD’s. Your double XP time isn’t lost, but will take a while to get through; tech team’s working on it furiously. Once it’s working we’ll post an update.” The main website is still dewxp.com.

When will the PC game preload for digital download customers?
Preloads started rolling out Friday afternoon. You have all weekend to get the data, which is plenty of time before it is activated on Tuesday at 8am Pacific time.

Is Activision banning people who play MW3 online before Tuesday?
I heard a lot of people think that was true, but it doesn’t look like it, based on this tweet from fourzerotwo:

No plans to ban legit fans, but try to wait til midnight launch on Tuesday to play #MW3. Can’t wait to jump online with everyone then!

Which stores are hosting midnight launch events?
Here’s a comprehensive list for the US and Canada, including some places where you can meet the developers. 

When does Call of Duty Elite go live?
It was always announced as a November 8 launch, alongside MW3. It will likely roll out in stages, as different territories around the world get access to MW3. So if it isn’t fully functional the very first time you try it, try again later. This is not as simple as throwing a big switch. :) But you should start seeing Elite functionality by the time you get the game into your hands on Tuesday.

Is Elite up and running now? I’m having some trouble connecting.
There have been some launch growing pains, and parts of the service are not working at full steam yet. Check here for the official word on what’s going on, as well as links to where you can keep track of the latest info as it is released.

When will the Call of Duty Elite console apps be available?
There are dedicated console applications for both PS3 and 360, which are now both available for free download from the PlayStation Store and Xbox Live Marketplace respectively. You can download them and access them from within MW3, too.

When will the Elite mobile app be available? On which platforms?
The iOS and Android apps will be free, and they will be available soon after Elite launches. They are dependent on MW3 data, and MW3 data starts flowing on 11/8. I do not have a specific time window for either app’s release — it could well be later in the week. As soon as I know, I will let you know.

Is the Elite mobile app coming to Blackberry or Windows 7 phones?
No announcements on that yet. Launch is just iOS and Android, which frankly is a pretty darn good start. (At XP 2011, the team was asked by someone in the audience about Windows phone support, and they said it’s something they want to do, but they were not actively working on at that time and were not ready to announce anything.)

How do I get an Elite premium membership if I didn’t get Hardened Edition?
A premium membership for Elite comes with the Hardened Edition, but that’s not the only way to get it. You can get an Elite premium membership through Xbox Live Marketplace, PlayStation Store, or GameStop.

How do I get the Founder status for Elite?
If you register for an Elite premium membership during the first week of it being online — no later than November 13 — you are granted Founder status and get a few extra goodies. They’re listed here.  Full details of exactly how to do it are here. And some other helpful info on Founder is here.

What if I don’t get MW3 Hardened Edition until the holidays, as a gift? Do I miss out on Founder status?
No — thankfully, someone thought ahead about this. If you get the Hardened Edition, it comes with a Founder status card, which is essentially a golden ticket. That card will grant you Founder status even if you register your premium membership after November 13.  So there’s no need to peek at your holiday presents early; you’ll be a Founder whenever you get your Hardened Edition.

My Twitter feed is burnin’ up with eager Call of Duty players asking when they will get a chance to try out Call of Duty Elite for themselves and how it will all work. The official site will always have the latest official info, and callofduty.com/elite/faq should be considered the ultimate source. Additionally, I have a comprehensive collection of general info on Elite here and a mid-August status report from the devs at Beachhead on this podcast. But just for now, here’s a fast Q&A for some of the big beta-specific questions I’ve been asked so far.

When will the beta start?
The official start date is July 14, 2011. That is when the first wave of invites will go out. Later waves of invites will go out…later.

How will I know if I got in?
You will get an email at the address you used when you signed up. It will contain instructions on what to do next.

When will invites go out for the first wave?
The first wave starts Thursday, July 14. There is no set hour during the day for that to happen, so there’s no need to camp out at your computer. Also, it’s been said several times before, but it bears repeating: the first wave will be very small. It will grow with time, so you might not — probably won’t — get in immediately. Don’t let that worry you; slow and steady is part of the plan. It has to be, or this won’t work at all.

How are you selecting participants for the beta?
It’s not a hard and fast rule, but they’re trying to invite people more or less in the order they signed up. Other factors will apply, and of course everything is really being determined by the system itself. But if you signed up quickly, they’re going to try to get you in quickly.

How quickly do I have to respond to the invite? Will I lose my place in line if I get the invite while I’m at work?
No, you won’t lose your place in line. Once you get the invite, just start the process when you can.

Groups will be up and running for the beta. Find your friends and go nuts.

How many people are getting into beta? Are you really going to get all 2 million people in?
“As many as possible” is the official answer, but as stated from the beginning, the beta will roll out in waves. It will start with a small group of people and the Beachhead team will steadily add more people from Day 1 onward. This will take place over a few weeks. As for the two million volunteers, we’ll have to see how it goes, but yeah, that’s the plan.

How many people will be in the first wave, and the next wave, and the next wave? How often will you launch new waves of invites for new people?
It’s hard to give specific numbers for these questions, since both of these depend on the system itself. Remember, this is a live beta with an evolving system — it’s like entering the Indy 500 while the car is still being built. As long as the system can remain stable, more people will be invited as frequently as possible — as many and as often as the system can accomodate.

My friend got in and I didn’t. What’s the deal?
It’s nothing personal — just be patient. Two million people signed up, and if they were all let in at the same time, nothing would work right. That’s why the beta exists: to build slowly and make sure the system is stable as it grows. They’re going to add people as quickly as they can, but they will need to juggle different priorities and address different aspects of Elite as they go.

Is this beta open to both Xbox 360 and PS3 players?
Yes. They’re starting with 360 and adding PS3 later. The explanation is stated in the updated official FAQ:

There are two basic reasons for starting with Xbox 360. First, in order to better manage the beta and reduce variables we are launching with one platform as we begin our testing. Second, due to the past outage of the PSN we have not had as much time to internally develop and test the online functionality of Call of Duty Elite with PSN. It is important that we have thoroughly QA tested functionality before releasing to a public beta phase.

Remember, the key to a successful beta is being able to manage the data and build slowly — this is why the beta is rolling out in waves, with more people being let in periodically. Launching on one platform makes sense in the same way: less margin for error, less variables at the start. The PSN outage probably only complicated things; it’s hard to build a platform when you can’t get data from one of the sources.

Is the beta open to PC players?
That was the original plan, but the plan apparently changed at the last minute. While PC was an option during sign-ups, the FAQ now says, “Currently, we do not plan to launch a version of the beta for the PC version of Call of Duty: Black Ops.” I know that’s disappointing (I’m bummed, I think my PC stats might be higher than the others, actually) but I suppose it’s better than biting off more than you can chew for the beta. I asked the devs from Beachhead about why PC was not made part of the beta on episode 81 of my podcast if you would like to hear more on this topic.

The player card offers stats, heat maps, and more basic free goodies.

Is this beta going to be global?
Yes, but the beta site will only be in English. The final release version of Elite will feature localized versions with native languages around the world, but for the beta, it’s English only. The updated FAQ answers this in greater detail:

All countries will be able to access Call of Duty Elite and are eligible to win digital badges via Operations. Because this is still a beta, only those in Canada, Ireland, the United Kingdom and the United States will be eligible to win real world prizes through Operations. Once the full service launches with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, Operations will be region specific. We will have a moderation staff working during the beta, but they will be English speaking only. We will not be able to respond to comments provided to us in a language besides English. Once Call of Duty Elite launches in the fall, there will be regional moderating teams.

I was asked to participate in a survey. Does that mean I’m in?  
No, but it doesn’t mean you’re not, either. You volunteered to help, so they’re taking you up on it — but the survey is different from an actual beta invite. If you get into the beta itself, you will get another email with full instructions on how to sign up.

I see some people offering beta tokens. Are those real?
No! While you can sometimes redeem DLC via a code or a token, there are no tokens or codes for the Call of Duty Elite beta on any platform. The only way to get in is by signing up with your email, and you will only be contacted via that email when you are invited into the beta. Additionally, you do not need to download any software to participate in the Elite beta. Be wary of scammers who are using the popularity of Call of Duty to get to you. Constant vigilance!

Is the beta going to use Modern Warfare 3 data? Is this a public beta for MW3?
No, the beta will use data from Call of Duty: Black Ops. MW3 functionality will be discussed in more detail at Call of Duty XP, and it will actually be integrated when MW3 and Elite officially launch on November 8, 2011.

Something didn’t work right with Elite during the beta — will you fix it?
That’s the whole point. Remember, you volunteered for a real beta. You will be accessing a version of Elite that is not complete, so you will almost certainly experience some hiccups or find things that don’t work the way they are supposed to work. Please report the issues you identify using the instructions found on the Elite site. The team needs your clear, concise feedback to fix what’s not working. If you do not want that responsibility, please wait for the full launch in November when Elite is ready for the world.

I didn’t find a glitch, but I do have a suggestion. Are you looking for that feedback too?
Yes — the team at Beachhead wants to hear your ideas for improving Elite. They need to know what you like, what you don’t like, what you find useful, what you don’t find useful, all that stuff. General feedback and fresh ideas are encouraged. Please send in that type of feedback using the instructions found on the Elite site.

Elite has a lot of offer, but if you have more ideas, Beachead will be listening.

So, is all this beta stuff free?
The beta itself is free, and Elite’s core functionality is free, but some of what you will see and test in the beta will ultimately be offered as part of the premium membership. When Elite launches, all the stuff in this list will definitely be free — and maybe more. More details will be announced later.

Will I get to play with the mobile applications in the beta?
Nope. The mobile app functionality — being able to change your loadouts on a smartphone and then push it to the game — will not be ready until this fall.

When will the beta end?
When the fat lady sings. Actually, there’s no set end date yet; when I hear something on this, I’ll let you know.

If you have more questions, chime in below and I’ll try to find the answers, but by all means, make sure you have read the official FAQ first. If your questions are more general about Elite itself, you might find the answers in this article, which goes into more detail about the entire project.

I have been getting that question more frequently recently — which I take as a compliment. I’m hoping people ask because they like what they hear and might be trying to build their own podcast rig. The gear and methods I use to record the show are not something I consider a secret; I’m happy to share what I know. However, it’s also a huge question, and I put a lot of thought and research into my choices, so this is going to be a lengthy and detailed post. You’re warned!

My college degree is in audio production, but the year after I walked away in my cap and gown, the industry went digital. Everything I’d learned about sound theory and microphones and stuff was still valid — but if you need a guy to cut 1/4″ reel-to-reel tape armed only with a grease pencil and a razor blade, I am absolutely your man. With digital recording, I’ve had to fill in the gaps myself. But let my mistakes be your benefits.

When I came to Activision, I had a decent budget to get the gear I’d need, so I went with a MacBook Pro and, knowing I’d be doing both audio and video production, a copy of the Final Cut Studio suite. I use its audio editor component, Soundtrack Pro, to record and edit the podcast. In the words of Ferris Bueller, it is so choice — if you have the means, I highly recommend it. However, most people won’t have access to that, so Audacity is my backup. It’s multiplatform (Windows, Mac, and Linux), it makes waveform editing easy, and best of all, it’s free/donateware.

I knew I would need to record in several different situations — Skype interviews, phone interviews, live-in-person interviews, stick-a-recorder-in-someone’s-face-at-an-event interviews — so I planned ahead for all eventualities, plus I had some of my own audio gear I knew I could press into service. So for each situation, here’s what I do:

Recording Skype
When Hugh and I record the show, it’s via Skype. I use one of three USB condenser mics — the Blue Snowball, the M-Audio Producer USB, or my favorite, the Blue Yeti — and Hugh is using a Logitech ClearChat Comfort headset. Before that, he was using a Rock Band/Guitar Hero microphone — they certainly get the job done.

To record everything on one machine, I route the audio output (via System Preferences -> Sound) through a free Mac system extension called Soundflower. Then in Soundtrack Pro, I record Hugh on one track (with Soundflower selected as the input) and my audio on another (with my USB mic selected as the track input). Soundtrack Pro is very accomodating in that it lets you put different mics on different tracks simultaneously — not all audio apps do that. There are other ways to record Skype calls — Pamela for Skype, or routing the Skype computer’s audio output to another computer or recorder — but this was the best Mac solution I found for my setup, and I have used it since the beginning with no issues.

Recording phone calls
The easiest thing for me to do is the Skype method above and just use Skype’s phone functionality. For international calls, I bought some Skype credits (I called Poland on one of the earliest shows). On other occasions, I really need to be on a physical phone — like when I spoke to the guys from Bungie during their “audio press tour” and they called me. For those opportunities, I have a Radio Shack patch cable that plugs into my phone’s handset and basically taps the line. I run the audio out to a Tascam DR-07, which records to SD card — and the Mac has an SD reader built in. The audio usually needs heavy tweaking to get the levels up to something I could use on the podcast, so I still prefer to use Skype, but it at least lets me get the interview, whether I choose to broadcast it or not.

On-the-spot interviews
When I ambush people at industry events or on the floor of E3, I use the Tascam DR-07 again. I often use an external condenser mic — an older Sony ECM S907 (which has its own interesting footnote in my personal gaming history…another time!) which is powered by a single AA — but it’s personal preference and not really necessary. The built-in stereo mics do a fine job.

In-person interviews & roundtables
This is where I realized it was going to get tricky — sometimes I will have the chance to talk to an entire development team at once and I might need to travel to get that interview. That means I need a lot of mics and I need to be able to move them all at once…and I had to be able to bring all the gear myself. Behold:

Be prepared

That’s four MXL 770 condensers (on tiny little collapsible mic stands) running into a Mackie ProFX8 USB mixer. I also have four sets of headphones and a headphone distribution amp so all four people can hear themselves and have an individual volume control. If I have four guests (as with the DJ Hero team’s love advice show), I can add a fifth USB mic for myself as host. (The other stuff you see are a bunch of XLR/power cables and an external Mac hard drive — the laptop itself stays with me when I travel.) Kat helped me cut the foam out of the Pelican case, which thankfully has wheels, so I can check it as luggage if I need to get on a plane and do a roundtable interview with members of a studio in their natural environment. It takes about 15 minutes to set up, which isn’t bad, considering.

When Kat and I record the podcast, we’re usually at home in the same room, so I use a combination of the USB condenser mics listed above (one mic per track) or I route two MXL 990 condensers through a Line 6 TonePort UX2, which is just the gear I have at home for recording music stuff in my free time. But two USB mics has proven to be even less hassle — the only problem is isolation, because I am often very loud and wind up bleeding into her mic when we record.

So, with that in mind, here’s my three best bits of advice if you are making your own podcast:

Quality microphones make quality podcasts.
Take care of your mics, and they will take care of you. It’s worth investing in a good USB condenser mic. (I used the term throughout this article, but condenser mics are powered and therefore more sensitive, more delicate, and warmer in tone compared to dynamic mics, like the handheld microphones you see singers use on stage.) I really recommend the amazingly well designed, feature-laden, and just plain sexy Blue Yeti if you can spend $100 and the Blue Snowball if your budget is closer to $70.

Get a pop filter.
If you instantly want to make your podcast sound more professional, use a pop filter. It’s nothing more than some nylon fabric stretched around a frame, but speaking through a pop filter reduces the plosives — the big puffs of air that come out of your mouth when you say the letter P and B and things like that. They record as a “pop” in the mic because of the gust of air, but the little nylon mesh dissipates that air before it reaches the micrphone. You can make a pop filter yourself from some pantyhose and an embroidery hoop or coat hanger, but there are lots of pre-fab options starting at around $15 or $20. If you plan to podcast regularly with a non-headset microphone, it’s absolutely worth the effort or expense.

Every extra piece of equipment is one more thing that can go wrong.
I have a LOT of equipment at my disposal — I blame my degree for giving me gear lust. But in podcasting, less is more. Every new component is a component that will, one day, fail on you. Pop filters are worth their mild hassle, but plugging in an external mic to a DR-07 is probably not, even though I do it. Every time I use it, I have to check the AA inside; what if the mic gets switched on in transit and drains the battery before my interview? I would unknowingly record silence and not get the interview after all. So there’s a risk, and I don’t recommend taking those risks unless you really believe the end result is significantly worth that risk. Don’t build a needlessly complex system — only use as much gear as you absolutely need to achieve quality results.

Sorry you asked, huh? Hit me with questions below and I’ll do my best to answer them.

Tomorrow is the day that Call of Duty: Black Ops comes out. That means today is the day to panic about logistical details and other practical matters. I figure you might have some last-minute questions, so here are some up-to-the-minute answers.

How soon can I get it?
The release date is Tuesday, November 9, but some stores will be open at midnight so you can get it as soon as humanly possible. There is a great directory of those stores here, but there may be more. Call around to your local retailers to find out if they’re doing something special or staying open at an unusual hour to support your Black Ops craving.

Where can I get the Hardened or Prestige Edition for 360 or PS3?
If you did not pre-order, you might not be able to at this point – it all depends on the store. GameStop sold out of both limited editions more than a week before the launch date, and Amazon ran out of Hardened on both platforms shortly thereafter. Contact retailers in your area right damn now to see if they have any in stock, because Activision only made so many – the “limited edition” thing was not a joke. Full detail about what is in those editions is here, but has not changed since it was announced.

How do I play the game in 3D?
The game supports 3D on both PS3 and 360 without any addition fee or download – it’s baked right in. But you need a TV or monitor that can display 3D and the glasses to go with it. There’s a FAQ specifically about the game’s 3D support here.

Any other questions along these lines? I don’t know stuff like how long the single-player campaign is or those gameplay-specific things, but I’ll do my best to answer these larger logistical questions as they come in.

A few months back I was able to get my hands on the prototype guitars for Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock, so I shot a quick video — basically just a visual tour, showing where the batteries go, showing the new wings, stuff like that. I shot it myself — set the camera up on a tripod and did a few takes. Kat normally runs the camera for me, but she wasn’t available that day. She did do the editing for me, and said, “Your eye is pretty bad in this one.”

Now, I’ve had this lazy eye my entire life. I was born with it. It doesn’t affect my vision; the lazy one is actually about 20/30, so no complaints there, and I can see through both. I just see things…from two different angles. Really, my brain shuts down and I wind up seeing primarily out of one eye. I can pull them into alignment for short periods of time, photos and stuff. It’s no big deal, and most people I interact with on a daily basis just get used to it.

When I sang in an 80s cover band, I wore sunglasses on stage so it would not be an issue. Everybody said “Dude, nobody’s going to care.” But I kept thinking they would — like, are they going to stop listening to the band and just focus on that singer’s weird eye? I felt strongly about it, so I was never seen on stage or in band pictures without shades. I was in that band for five years.

When I got this job and started shooting videos, I knew it would be something to manage, just as it was with the OXM videos I did for Inside Xbox as well. I just told the camera crew, “Hey, if you see my eye slide out, tell me, and we’ll shoot another take.” And it did, and they did, and we did. And it was fine. Kat offers me the same feedback when we shoot.

So here we are, months after I posted that GH video. It’s gotten over 100,000 views. And every few days since I’ve posted it, I’ve gone in and culled the comments. Inevitably, someone says “OMG LAZY EYE” and that fear with the 80s band comes back — they’re not listening, they’re not seeing what this is really about, they’re hung up on the eye. (Maybe I should have worn shades. Is it better to look like a mutant or a douchebag?) So I delete the comments that don’t have anything to do with the video content itself — I even leave the posts of people screaming that Guitar Hero is for babies and Rock Band is their personal Jesus and all that. I just remove the bits about my eye. Let’s talk about plastic guitars.

Yes, it really says that on the video. What else can I do?

But the comments kept coming. Okay, curiosity is natural, but it’s clearly more than I expected. So I added it to the About page on my site. I threw in a few annotations on the video itself to try to warn people — you know, you don’t need to comment about it. I’m perfectly aware I have a lazy eye. And really, it’s an amazingly stupid thing to post — the equivalent of seeing YouTube itself, pointing, and screaming “Computer!” or walking outside every day, looking up and going “There’s the sun!” Yes, jackass — we all see it. But months later, the idiotic observations keep coming, and every few days, I delete a few more. I would guess that maybe 30% of the comments that were ever posted, I’ve deleted simply because they said “LAZY EYE DERP.”

I finally let one of them stand last week, because…it was funny. Believe me when I tell you that nobody has a better sense of humor about this than me, and I’m often the first to make a crack about it. It’s not that I don’t see the humor in it — it’s that everybody else is not funny.

Do you really think you’re adding anything to the party by typing “dude ur eye is crazy” or “what are you looking at” or “he has a lazy eye” or something else so painfully obvious that you should be chemically sterilized so as not to let your stupidity breed? You are comedy protozoa. Come back when you evolve.

In case you’re wondering, this is the comment I kept: “the design on the new guitars is kind of lazy. eye probably won’t buy it.” That’s clever; that actually made me chuckle. But someone who sees the color green and shouts “green means go!” does not. I may look like Marty Feldman, but I don’t need to tell you what your witless comments make you look like.

So that’s all I’m asking for, really. If you’re going to make fun of my eye, put some effort into it. Aspire to greatness. Be funny. It took six months and almost 900 comments for someone to say something worthy. If you think you have what it takes, go ahead — make me laugh.

Just remember, I’m watching you.

A few weeks ago I blogged about the Guitar Hero: Metallica import deal — being able to add 39 of the game’s tracks to your GH library. Today it went live, but not without a few hiccups. But thankfully, the hiccups have a cure. Let me explain.

There was a glitch on the Guitar Hero: Metallica code redemption earlier today, but that has been resolved. People who did redeem the codes (apparently about 125 people, from what the server reported) and got a code that was short a few characters will be able to resubmit their same code once the back end stuff is fixed — the database needed to be cleared. They are still working on fixing those borked instances, but it will work — give it a little time. People who have not tried to redeem their code yet are good to go ahead and do it. UPDATE 1: I hear it’s clear sailing for anybody caught by the redemption bug. Go enter a second time and you should be fine as well. If you have any other issues, drop a note to the helpful folks at Activision Customer Support, and remember that if you’re friendly to them, it’s easier for them to be friendly to you.

However, just from checking around the internets, I have spotted three major misconceptions unrelated to that bug that I want to help clear up:

How can I get this free?
If you are in the US and you buy GH:WoR before October 5 Tuesday, October 12 [UPDATE 3: extended an extra week!], you can import those GH:Metallica tracks for free. If you wait or if you are not located in the US, you can import them for the standard fee (which, in the US, is the equivalent of about $6). The free offer is only good in the US; that was stated at the beginning but I think someone got mixed up along the way. UPDATE 2: I understand the freebie is actually working fine for gamers in Canada as well, so this free offer is unofficially working in “North America.”

How does the code redemption work?
The GH: Metallica instruction booklet comes with a code, and the GH: Warriors of Rock instruction booklet comes with a code. Both are printed on the back cover of the manual. Enter both those codes at http://hub.guitarhero.com/metallicaimport/ and it will generate a new code, which you then enter into the console marketplace store of your choice.

Please note that the Metallica import is not the same thing as a standalone DLC pack. You need to legitimately own the game and its manual to get the code you need to import those tracks. If you just want to import the tracks without the free offer, go to the Music Store in the GH game you own and it should be one of the Import Tracks options.

What about Wii?
It was originally announced as 360 and PS3 only, but I found out this week that the import deal also works on Wii. So we’re good to go on all three platforms.

Every so often I like to host public gameplay sessions, and I call those events Playing With Swords. I tend to hear the same questions asked each time I do it, so it’s probably a good idea to have a FAQ for them.

Where are the details for these events?
For each Playing With Swords session, I post a blog in the site’s Playing With Swords category. I will often make a Facebook event for the gameplay session as well.

What is your Gamertag/PSN ID/Steam ID?
Conveniently, they are all OneOfSwords — I planned ahead! I have these listed in my Contact page too, but there is no harm repeating them here:

What time?
This depends on the event, but I generally try to schedule them for two-hour blocks in the evening on both coasts. Usually I go for 9pm Eastern, which is 6pm Pacific. If it’s a gameplay session specifically planned with UK and European gamers in mind, It’s more like 10am Pacific, which is 6pm or 7pm “over there.”

There’s no room on your friends list — how do we find each other?
Yeah, sorry, even when I create room on my friends list, it just fills up again with new requests. If you’re not on it, don’t worry — just send me a message during the event saying you would like to play, or throw me an invite into your session. I generally hop around and try to play with as many people as possible, so it doesn’t really matter if you’re in my session or I’m in yours. I won’t be able to get to everybody but I do try.

And remember — I play in two-hour blocks. If you don’t get me in the first 15 minutes, come back in an hour and try again. Sometimes I find myself without opponents and I’m only halfway through!

How about I just send you a private party invite?
No, please don’t — since it’s a public event and I am trying to play with as many people as possible, I always decline private “Join my Xbox LIVE Party” invites. They also change the voice chat to a private channel, and I’m generally trying to talk with multiple people in the main room. If your invite is a game invite — just “join my game session/lobby” — that’s no problem, and I’ll always try to jump into those. It’s just the private parties that become problematic.

What do I win?
Bragging rights. The gameplay events are generally not prize giveaways. I might change that some day but right now I have no plans to do that. It’s just an excuse to get together with other folks and play a game.

I can’t wait to play with you so I can ask you detailed questions!
Please don’t — that’s not what this is about. Like you, when I’m online to play games, I want to play games. I expect we’ll have a conversation while we play, but please do not seize these events as opportunities to tell me everything you hate about Activision, interview me for your blog, or pitch me on this awesome new game idea you have. I’ve got email for that and I do answer it — even the “everything you hate about Activision” stuff. But when there’s a controller in your hand, let’s just play.

When are you going to play [insert game here]?
Activision has a lot of games on a lot of platforms, so I try to hit the newest games in a timely manner. I also want to take advantage of windows like new releases, double XP, and new DLC when possible. I do try to respond to your requests, and I want to throw some older games into the mix as well. Just because it’s not brand-spankin’ new doesn’t mean it won’t appear in a Playing With Swords session!

I’ve done several  giveaways of different types now, and I’ve gotten a few questions about how they actually work. I realized it might be a good idea to do a mini-FAQ about my contests.

Generally, I do a handful of different types of giveaways:

Twitter Random
This is the guerilla-style, no-warning, shock-and-awe-and-free-stuff method. Say I have a code that you can redeem on Xbox Live or PlayStation Network or Steam. I might post that code to Twitter with very little warning, and leave a few key characters out. To figure out the characters, I generally put a clue up with it. If you solve the clue, you’ll figure out the letters or numbers that are missing. Then it’s a race — be the first to enter the complete code at the appropriate online storefront and you win. (Here’s a sample of what these look like.)

Number of Winners: One. First person to enter that code wins the content. The code only works once.
How Not to Win: Well, be the second person to enter the code.  :) But it’s worth noting that saying “I missed that one, can you just send me one directly, I really want it” does not increase your chances — I’m never going to just give someone something that way. I want everybody to have a fair shot at it, even if it’s chaotic. OneOfSwords does not negotiate with beggars.

Twitter Retweet
If I have more than one code or maybe a stack of items to give away, I’ll usually do it this way on Twitter and/or Facebook. On Twitter, I’ll post a message (like this one) and ask a) follow me on Twitter and b) retweet the message. Retweeting is the punny way to say repeat — you can either hit the RT button in your Twitter client or the Twitter website (“the new way“), or you can cut and paste the original message and send it out as your own tweet (“the old way“). Either way is fine, as long as you have the complete message with the contest’s hashtag and you are following me, and you can enter as many times as you like. Once I have all the entries, I use random.org to determine which RTs win. Generally, I do this with Twitter Search — one number for the page of results, one number for the tweet on that page. If the message is not valid, I randomly choose one above or one below.

Number of Winners: Varies depending on the prize in question.
How Not to Win: If you don’t follow me, I can’t contact you privately to give you the code or ask your address so I can mail you the prize, so that’s the first thing I check, and if the follow comes up “nope” then I go with an alternate. If you don’t retweet the full message, I might not even see your retweet when I go searching.

Facebook Comments
On Facebook,  just leave a comment (just one per person, please) under the post about the contest and you’re entered. (Here’s an example.) Your chances don’t improve if you post something clever, but my respect for you goes up, and that’s worth…nothing, I guess.

Number of Winners: Varies depending on the prize in question.
How Not to Win: If you post on the Facebook Wall instead of comment under the contest post itself, it’s just gonna get deleted.

Email Giveaways
These are less time intensive and generally last for a few days, since I know some people can’t check Twitter or Facebook as often as they might like (or perhaps they hate either or both), or maybe they’re in a time zone where they’re asleep while I’m giving stuff away with the other methods. Sometimes I will ask a trivia question and pick randomly from the correct answers, sometimes it’s just a straight-up random drawing (as it was with this now-completed DJ Hero giveaway). Either way, as long as you get me what I need to the stated email address/subject line by the stated deadline — and you only enter once — you’re in the running.  I do these regularly enough that Freebies have their own category on the website.

Number of Winners: Varies depending on the prize in question.
How Not to Win: Actually send in all the information requested — omitting part of the answer or even your complete shipping information is currently the most common way to lose. You should respect the “one entry per person” rule. If I see multiple entries from the same email address, I’m gonna nuke ‘em all. I use the same email address for multiple contests so make sure the subject line is correct or your message won’t be sorted into the right digital bin and I’ll never get your entry.

Podcast Trivia
Every week on the One Of Swords Podcast, I try to answer a question sent in by a listener, and the winner gets a mixed box of random stuff. This can include games, shirts, hats, toys, stickers…pretty much anything you can think of that can be used to promote a game, I’m asking folks to give to me for these giveaways. No two prize packs are ever exactly the same because I’m always getting new bits to give away. And yes, I take requests.

Number of Winners: So far it’s been one per week, but you never know.
How Not to Win: Don’t listen to the podcast, for one. All the stuff from the Email Giveaways section applies here too. Full details are available here.

Other questions that have come up:

How do you pick winners?
I use random.org to pick numbers. If there are 250 comments on a Facebook contest or 250 e-mail entries to a giveaway, I simply go to random.org, put in a range of 1 to 250, and tell the website to randomly pick numbers within that range. Then I match the number up to the winner — very fair, very impartial. If it’s a Twitter contest, same thing but it’s hard to see all 250 responses in one place, so I choose two numbers — the first is the page of entries from Twitter’s search results, and the second number is the position on that page.

Did I win?
I don’t know — I usually post the winners on the original contest’s blog entry, near the bottom. If you see your name there, you won.

Are your contests only open to United States residents?
No, but the games I have access to are always the US editions. US PS3 games reportedly run fine in UK consoles, but US PS3 DLC codes will not work correctly on the UK PlayStation Store. The opposite is true for Xbox 360: US Activision Xbox 360 games don’t usually run on UK consoles, but international 360 gamers have reported no problems (yet) redeeming DLC codes. I will keep this documented updated based on what I learn.

Other physical prizes, like shirts or hats or GH faceplates, can be shipped internationally, and I’ll do that until someone tells me to stop (and to be fair, they might). I will try to make the Customs issues there as easy as possible, but I do have to declare the contents or I get in trouble.

Why do you give away PS3 and 360 codes during the day on Twitter, when I’m nowhere near my PS3 or 360?
Because you can also redeem them online, via your web browser. If you are stuck in a cubicle farm, bookmark the PlayStation 3 store account management page and the Xbox 360 “Redeem Code” page to have your winnings waiting for you when you get back to your console.

Do you collect my mailing information and phone number for nefarious purposes?
Nope. I am not keeping any of the info you send me and I’m not harvesting your personal data for a marketing database or anything like that. I only ask for the phone number because I send out the prizes via FedEx, and they require a number in case things go wrong with the delivery and they need to contact you (and this has happened). I have no interest in selling you out to spammers.

When you say entries are due by a certain hour Pacific time, what time is what where I live?
I have no idea, but the internet does. Pacific Time (which is my local time in Los Angeles CA) is GMT -0800, but it’s much easier to use timeanddate.com to calculate your local time based on Pacific. Even easier: Just enter as soon as you see the contest. What are you waiting for?

Got more questions? Ask away and I will update this as necessary. And good luck!

For reasons unknown, there seems to be intense curiosity about exactly where I work — where do I sit, what does my desk look like, what do I look at all day, stuff like that. I just moved desks this week (amusingly, I moved maybe 20 feet to a cubicle just across from me) and when I got everything set up, I took photos. I am warning you, this will not be interesting to most people. But enough weirdo stalkers have asked so I will go ahead and oblige…with not just photos, but annotated photos!

1. This is a fraction of the toys and weird stuff I have in my “office toys and weird stuff” collection from over the years. I got rid of a lot of it before I came to LA, and I rotate the rest every so often. Current highlights include Jessica Rabbit, Ray Stantz (“the heart of the Ghostbusters”), the Dan Elektro and Miss Spell action figures, the entire series of Resaurus Pickups, some D&D dice, and a copy of the Activision Anthology for PS2 (a gift from my musical partner Jude when I got the job — it has a Post-It on the front that says “NEVAR FORGET!”)

2. PC running Windows XP. Not exactly a powerhouse, but it runs Outlook, Photoshop CS4, and Modern Warfare 2, and doesn’t crash as much as it probably wants to!

3. Another gift from Jude — he found this little statue of a hand making the rock horns in a Ross or some similar remainder store and said “I think that was made for Dan.” Jude is a good friend. And Jude was right.

4. The wall of guitars — Eddie’s Ibanez Destroyer from the cover of Women & Children First, a poster of Paul McCartney’s Hofner bass, and the calendar that Kat made for me featuring some of my real-world guitars. She says it makes me less likely to want more of them. And Kat is wrong.

5. MacBook Pro. This is how I record the podcast and it’s portable so I can record it in various different conference rooms. The monitor is shared with a debug 360 when I need to use one.

6. I am Knicks fan. This official bench towel soaks up the tears that come with being a Knicks fan.

7. I’m also a whiteboard guy. All the ideas for the site, podcast, and videos go here. Squint all you like, there’s no spoilers.

8. The locked shelf of prizes. The most significant loot is in here…and I will send it out to you soon enough.

9. The mics, cables, and various A/V gear is stashed in these drawers. It’s not what I’d call organized, but at least the drawers close.

10. I recommend everyone keep a Guitar Hero controller hanging on the wall, close at hand at all times. In case of rock, kick ass. (You can get the EVH faceplate at Amazon.)

11. When everybody moved their workspaces, a friend who’s been here a while gave me this adorable little Activision desktop fridge. It holds two energy drinks.

12. The Mackie ProFX8 mixer was backordered for two months, and it made the first several podcasts trickier than they needed to be. But it was really the right gear for the job; it’s the heart of my podcasting setup when I’m running with my full gear. It also doubles as an audio bridge for the debug 360.

13. More boxes. More prizes for giveaways. Please, I want to get them off my desk.

14. When I was at GamePro, we had a broken Super Nintendo, so rather than throw it out, I took it apart, hollowed it out, and converted it into a tissue box. I mean, I just couldn’t see tossing the thing out! It only holds about 25 tissues at a time, and I have to disassemble it every time it needs a refill.  The only person who has ever been offended by this “SNEEZ” tribute worked for Nintendo. I showed it to them proudly and they just went pale, said nothing, and walked away.

15. A very special souvenir: a canvas Ocarina of Time bag signed to me by Shigeru Miyamoto. I got to meet him at a special press event for the game’s launch, and it was just as humbling and awesome as you would think.

So now you know “where the magic happens.” And if you ever come to visit me at the office, you know what to steal.

What’s all this about?

This is my blog — nay, my information nexus. Welcome to it.

And you are?

Dan Amrich. Hi. I used to be a games reviewer; I worked at OXM and GamesRadar and GamePro (I was Dan Elektro) and World of Warcraft: Official Magazine and a lot of other magazines and online sites you probably haven’t heard of. After 16 years of being in the media, I hopped the fence and now I’m sitting at a cubicle inside Activision. I finally have a front row seat for seeing what’s really going on at this company.

So…

So that means I can keep doing the media-type things I’ve always done, but I now I get my info straight from the source. I’m going to be interviewing developers, making podcasts, shooting videos, and generally finding out whatever you want me to find out for you.

Aren’t you just PR?

Nope — I do nothing that the PR team does, nor do I have the skills. I mean, I’m talking on Twitter, posting blogs, hosting podasts, that’s all about communicating to the masses. I am paid by Activision to relate to the public, but I am given a lot of editorial freedom, and there major differences between the content I generate and what a PR person does. Sometimes they do a better job of communicating stuff, and sometimes our messages are the same — “hey, here’s something new and you should know about it” — but my approach is far more editorial and I often express personal opinions. I’ve never taken PR lessons and most of what I write is written on instinct, for better or worse. Nobody approves or edits my articles before I post them. That’s part of why I took the job.

What does the name “One Of Swords” mean?

For one, it sounds cool. Swords are noble, romantic weapons, and as any gamer you meet in a multiplayer lobby will tell you, being number one never sucks. What’s not to like?

But really, it’s a tarot card reference. I’ve always been interested in all things mysterious and I used to read tarot back in college. Poke around and you’ll see various different interpretations of the One (or Ace) of Swords, all of which apply: Honesty & truthfulness, a new perspective on old ideas, success in a new career (yes please), using intellect to temper emotion (i.e. “no fanboyism”),” and more than anything, clarity. That seemed the perfect fit for what I want this project to be, as well as the things that are personally important to me. Throughout my journalistic career I’ve been obsessed with being as clear as I possibly can, and that hasn’t changed. I really want this site to be a place people can come for straight answers. Hearing rumors? Assuming the worst? Tired of blindly following the torch-and-pitchfork crowd? Hopefully, OneOfSwords can clear things up. And because I’m really right here at the source, I might have a different stance that you won’t necessarily hear anywhere else.

Plus, like I said, “One of Swords” just sounds cool. I have taken it as my online identity, Gamertag, you name it. If it’s out on the web, look for “OneOfSwords” and it’s probably me.

What’s your Gamertag/PlayStation Network ID/Steam ID?

Like I just said, “OneOfSwords.”

Where’s the podcast?

Hit that Podcast tab up at the top of the page to see the individual entries and listen in your browser, or subscribe through iTunes, Zune Marketplace, or via RSS with Feedburner.

How do I contact you? How do I write in to the podcast?

General emails: dan@oneofswords.com
Podcast Free Stuff Contests: freestuff@oneofswords.com
Podcast Megamailbag Hotline Fun Zone: megamailbag@oneofswords.com (feel free to record yourself and send an MP3 to be played on the podcast)

How do your contests work?

That’s a big question, so they have their own FAQ.

What is the deal with your eye?

As many viewers of my YouTube videos have, um, bluntly noted, I have a lazy eye. I don’t blame anybody for being curious or surprised about it, but I can usually tell the age and maturity of the person asking by how they ask. Weak muscles put the eyeball in the corner pocket unless I consciously force it to stay in play. I’ve had it since birth and the surgery to correct it is far from a sure thing, so I’ve just accepted it and moved on. Unlike many people with this problem, I can pull them into alignment for photos, but it’s impossible to keep them aligned if I need to shift my focus around, like I do in a video.

I can’t see stereograms and I don’t find watching 3D movies enjoyable — but otherwise, I see fine. My sense of humor about it is well-honed and my gaming has never suffered. Also, I can see through time.

Why isn’t [Activision Game X] working right?

Believe me when I tell you I have no idea. I do not work in customer support; I not have the information, training, or patience. However, I know the folks who have all of the above, and I do want you to be a happy gamer. You can get help with Activision games through any number of channels (including Twitter and Facebook), all of which are detailed here.

What about…?

If you have other questions, ask away. I’ll update the FAQ as we go.