Bare Knuckles: Just as Electronic Arts was winning over gamers . . .

It looked like Electronic Arts had begun to emerge from the category of "Most Hated Game Publisher" by many gamers over the last year or so. EA had stopped its habit of recycling games at top price (especially the sports franchises). The quality of its titles had noticeably risen. Even the Madden series looked deserving of its high honors this year.

Adding to good vibes was the downloadable, free arcade Battlefield Heroes. Taken from the more complex Battlefield franchise, the game was easy to play and insanely addictive. One of the things gamers liked most about the game was that, the more you played, the more valor points you gained to purchase new weapons and items to help your in-game success. There were Battle funds that gamers could buy with credit or with PayPal, but those were mostly for visual stuff (uniforms and other gear), and none of it helped you win.

Well, now the game has been flipped on its head with the ability to use Battle funds to buy weapons. So all those gamers who have spent heaven knows how many hours playing and building up their arsenal can now fall prey to a Johnny Come Lately with deep pockets. Yep, that will keep people playing for sure. Good luck with that one.

Hey, as teenage boy of the '80s, I could never hate on Mickey Rourke. He had the ladies, some decent flicks - he was one of those male actors you didn't despise but envied.

Well, we all know what happened after that, but at least he came back with The Wrestler, right? Well, I guess I finally have to draw the line. See, it seems that during the ending credits of the shooter Rogue Warrior, Rourke's in-game voice-overs are arranged to sound like he is rapping. You know, like two turntables and an emcee rapping. Consider this my effort to put a stop to such travesties in the future.

British tennis star Andy Murray has a problem. Or does he? According to the U.K. newspaper the Telegraph, Murray was recently shown the door by his girlfriend because he spends up to seven hours a day playing Modern Warfare 2 and an unnamed tennis game.

First of all, whatever the tennis game is, they really need to sponsor this kid. Second, the ladies love gaming. He should have left her because she wasn't playing.

Mark Ecko's Complex magazine recently had an interview with Detroit's Eminem. It seems he has a thing for Donkey Kong (he has a cabinet in his studio) and - umm, well, not much else after 1990 it seems.

"Yeah, all the old-school games. I can't really [deal] with some of the new ones, they're too complicated," Mr. Mathers told Complex. "I want to run and jump. That's it."

Sounds like any local playground will do.