For all the talk of the wake left by Modern Warfare 2 that explanation supplies only a partial answer to the situation. It could easily be argued that all those people shopping for it afforded a great opportunity to get other games seen at the same time. Many of the titles in this deluge of releases more reflect just how hard it is to pull together these massive video game projects.

The potential fallout when the dust settles on these first couple of months concerns me. Pundits and analysts are sure to jump all over the losers -- and with this many titles in this period I'm worried they'll have a feast on their table. For any of these games individually the blessing of time probably made them better. In the end, those "right" decisions could be negated by a system still stuck with only one real scheduling track if the resulting sales figures become a tragedy for the industry.

On a lighter note, things started getting back to normal around here today:

• EA plans to turn off the online servers on a number of non-current sports games
• MAG beta now open to all PS3 players
• Indie platforming game VVVVVV hits on the 10th
• 2010 Independent Games Festival finalists named

Packing on a couple of holiday pounds got some 5000 BeautifulPeople.com members cut from the site because in their words, "letting fatties roam the site is a direct threat to our business model."

With the season over San Franciscans wrapped things up with the annual Christmas Tree burn

And to kick off the new year right Soundgarden is getting back together