PLYR2 Unleashed - or - How a 3.5mm Gave Me Super Powers

Okay, well maybe not super powers, but a lot more to play with. While reviewing the Skullcandy PLYR 2, I noticed that the manual (actually, tri-fold quick setup guide) indicates that, in order to connect the PLYR 2 to a PC, you needed a 3.5mm audio cord, which was not included. This annoyed me quite a bit, at first; why would it list that it works with a PC on the front of the box, but then require an audio cable that you have to supply, yourself?

As it turns out, there is a quite decent built-in audio card in the PLYR 2, so all you truly have to do is plug it up to an available USB port and change your default audio playback and recording settings. For PS3 and 360, there's an included RCA piggyback pass-thru adapter.

However, with the addition of a 3.5mm cord, you can use the PLYR 2 to listen to music from your iPad, smart phone or Android device or even hold phone conversations on them. True, they're wireless, so you need to have a USB port to supply power for the transmitter wherever you put the device and you'd have to start and end calls at the device, but the wireless aspect will let you hold that call while walking around your house.

Or, if you're on-the-go, you could combine the PLYR 2 with the PowerBag to power the transmitter and you can use the PLYR 2 for your phone conversations while carrying your iPhone in the bag. I realize it's not intended for that and is a bit awkward to start and end calls, but I tested the PLYR 2 at a range of up to 100 feet; I could start a playlist or a podcast through the headphones and mow the front yard with that distance.

Check out my Review of the PLYR 2 Headset from Skullcandy

Hello, Little Rock! Wanna Win A Prize?

We just ran an outdoor ad campaign on some billboards in Little Rock, Arkansas with the Lamar Postr digital billboard program. It was an "A-Z" campaign, where we pointed out a few of the many reasons to love Game Vortex, from Anime to Zombie Flicks. We skipped over a couple of letters, but got most of them along the way.

For our readers in the Little Rock and surrounding area (okay, heck... anywhere in Arkansas is fine with us) - we're running a contest. Simply enter with your email address and we'll select entries at random, then - as long as you can tell us what at least one of our billboards said - and can provide a shipping address in Arkansas, you could win a copy of The Splatters on XBLA for the Xbox 360. SpikySnail Games was generous enough to provide these prizes for our contest.

To enter, simply go to LoveGameVortex.com and fill out the form. Hurry though - we're only running the contest through 8/12!

Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree...

Rock Band 3 is out, I've completed my review and... I'm still playing. That actually says a lot for a video game reviewer in the Christmas season; I typically don't get much of a chance to go back and play games after they've been reviewed... especially at a busy time like Christmas.

I don't have a lot of time to play, but I've been squeezing in a song before work, one when I get home, one before I go to bed... that sort of thing. What's mainly got me coming back for more, at this point, is the leaderboards. They provide a way to be relevant to other players without being overtly social. I'm not the type of person who like to chat a lot when I'm playing videogames. I also am not fond of waiting for other players to be ready, having other players drop out of a game I'm playing or feeling reluctant to simply restart a song because other unseen players would be inconvenienced. So, for me, the leaderboards are awesome.

You don't "opt in" to the leaderboards. You're simply there. You rank wherever you rank, if you have an Internet connection. If you feel intimidated by the rest of the world's rankings, you can choose to view your ranking among just your friends. Personally, I am viewing the world rankings as a challenge.

As of this writing (well, as of last night, on my last attempt at these songs), I had rankings on two songs which- added together - were just under 100:
Pro Keys Expert:

• Everybody Wants to Rule The World (Tears for Fears): 62


• Blue Monday (New Order): 36

...and Queen's got Rock Band 3 versions of their songs available, which include Pro Keys parts. That and the Billy Joel pack make for lots more Pro Keys goodness to challenge yourself with...

...see you on the leaderboards...

Smoke and Mirrors (and Lights)

So, I got the Rock Band Stage Kit in for review. You know, the fog machine / strobe light / LED lighting effect kit that says, "Hey, I take Rock Band waaay too seriously."

Well, you can see my review of the Rock Band Stage Kit at GameVortex.com, but in summary, I'll just say that it really does change the feel from simply playing a game to much more of a performance. This is just the desired effect for parties that I go to, so I'll have to tote it along.

I tried it out at a "Gaming Day" at work, with Rock Band 2 (Xbox 360), Guitar Hero World Tour (PS3) and some various Wii games and it was a big hit. The gaming session lasted from 4:PM to 8:PM and, at the end of the day, we were down to five people rotating in and out of a Rock Band 2 game, with the Stage Kit going... well, without the fog, since you can't lower the amount of fog to reasonable amounts... and we wanted to actually see the screen.