Geek Chic Lifestyle #7 Shopping, Courtesy of Akira (By Rebecca "Bonks" Rothschild)

There's a reason we chose Akira for an event and no you nerdy birds its not just because of the name, although it is pretty awesome. Akira has prices ranging from the luxurious to the more affordable. The staff is helpful and friendly. This is the kind of place where anyone can find something. I love the excuse some of you geeky chics like to give me "I hate shopping." I have learned over time that what this really means is something like the following:

1. I'm afraid nothing will fit me.

2. The sales people will be mean.

3. I don't like people around when I try things on.

4. I'm a stubborn buttface who hates human contact.

Blah blah blah blah you girls could on for days. Sorry punkins, online shopping is not nearly as gratifying, plus you can skip the shipping charge. Trying things on is vital, it's the best way to know that you're going to purchase something you'll really wear and feel good in. You'd be amazed how well sales people can quickly evaluate your body type and pick some real winners, even ones you didn't think you'd like. Case in point, check out our Sugar Gamer Jamillia, Akira staff slapped this little number on her and dare I say she looks smashing while being well taken care of. Although she wasn't initially in love with it, by the end of the night the dress was coming home with her.

Or take a look at Amira, she too was convinced nothing would fit, yeah well look at her meow. Sporting some of Akira's awesome leggings looking fresh and feelin' good.

Good shopping tip, TAKE A FRIEND! As you can see we were all friends here and having a kick ass time. Another good reason for a partner is there can be so many things to look through you're gonna want some back up. Do a little homework for me "I hate to" shoppers, save a little cash, grab a friend and find yourself a store in your budget and style. If a sales person asks if they can help you, give it a shot. Trust me, they wanna sell stuff and will more than likely find you some real treasures. Yes they will pull a lot but as much as they'd like you to buy it all, they know you won't so don't feel pressured. Just try to relax and keep an open mind. It wouldn't surprise me if you and your pal walked out with big "I just bought some cute shit" smiles on your faces. Observe below for examples:

Classic "I just bought some cute shit" smile

Stage 2 "Hell yeah I just bought some cute shit!" smile

Did I mention Akira let us set up an Xbox at the party to play some Soul Claibur and Rockband?

For my Chicago based readers you can find Akira at the following locations:

1849 West North Avenue

2357 North Clark Street

Water Tower Mall, 835 N Michigan Ave

Akira has a ton of locations beyond these three. Check it out online for more locations

http://shop.akirachicago.com/

Thank you for a great time Akira we'll see you soon!

Geek Chic Special: Vic, Take This Man Home (By Rebecca "Bonks" Rothschild)

Okay geeky ladies, time to learn how to spot a keeper. Here is the bare basic checklist:

1. Person has a steady source of income

2. Bathes regularly

3. Communicates, aka calls you back, doesn't disappear randomly

And that's just the basics. I love giving you gals a physical example so here's an example of a good guy (and he happens to be single). And you can put a check next to all the things on my bare basics checklist for him.

Look I'm not here to take a chunk out of any of these online dating sites,but Vic embodies what I like to see in geeky men. He is living the Male Geek Chic Lifestyle if you will.

Sugar Gamers run into nice guys all the time, Vic happens to be one of them and he's single, which is unacceptable. If we can find Vic a woman I will continue to post up good catches for my dear readers. He showers regularly, that's a mega plus in geek land. He's genuinely a nice guy, almost to a fault. He's no slacker, he works, a lot and sure as hell doesn't look like he's 28, but he is.

He's on super geek gangster status as the department head of press for ACEN for four years now. Not afraid to Cos Play Vic is a geeky girls dream come true.

And as you can see he has no beef takin' a few pictures. Did I mention he's one of the few straight men who won't mind going shopping? He has a creative streak and is really fun company. Vic enjoys a drink or two but is not the guy blacked out in the bathroom. And if you are buying his drinks, make 'em fruity with lots of color. He has a great sense of humor and will make you laugh even when he's not trying to.

Alright, Here are the rules:

1. Let it be known right now, Vic is looking for something serious, I don't mind goofy or even a little immature, but there should be a grown ass woman somewhere under there.

2. Snuggling is a must.

3. Understand that Vic is a workin' man, his schedule can get a little crazy, this means he won't be home to dote on you 24/7 although he'd like to.

He also works as a security patrol officer for a security company, that's right ladies! Man in uniform!

4. Vic is disease free so I expect that from all applicants.

5. Age range we're looking for is 21-32 and Vic lives in Zion, IL

6. Vic is a great friend, has a lot of male and FEMALE FRIENDS, no jealous types you got me ladies? On this point I am not F**kin' around.

Here's some words from the bachelor himself:

"I like video production, editing, directing, I love gadgets, making video/ audio cables is actually a bit of a hobby. I like writing with the intent to direct or produce. I like camping, fishing, hiking, bicycling. Its weird, that as much as i like tech, I like the outdoors just as much. It's my world away from my world away from my world."

"And I'm not huge of PDA. But at the same time, I'm a huge Romantic."

So if you want a passionate farm boy with a little Dread Pirate courage, Vic could be for you. (Yes his favorite movie is Princess Bride) Email me at bonks@sugargamers.com with a little info about yourself including age and where you live.

E3 Special: Showed up for the Gig, Partied with the Rockband (By Rebecca "Bonks" Rothschild)

In the middle of the Expo floor in the West Hall was what appeared to be some sort of awesome rock bar on the strip. Dingy lighting, a big bouncer dude with tats standing by the velvet rope, hot chicks all over the place. The booth belonged to GIG, a new music game trying to give Rockband a run for its money. The boss and I sat down and played a song. Her on guitar, me on drums, we looked pretty good.

The guitar controller had strings and you do play with a pick. The drum set was interesting. A solid piece with sticks, the drum circles respond to to the lasers in the drum sticks. I have to say this was pretty fun and easy. I really enjoyed the range of motion I had. Meanwhile Sugar Momma was having a blast on the guitar just plucking away. So I left Gig thinking "it could give Rockband a little competition." I mean everything was just more compact and sleek.

Next day, South Hall, standing in line outside the Rockband concert hall booth, I'm looking at two very awesome guitar controllers. One was a real guitar, and then there was the mustang with keys for the frets and strings at the base, can we say rockstar status?

So we take a seat in the little theater and some Rockband press stuff comes on a big TV, complete with Cartman's performance of Poker Face. Then the curtain opens, we're suddenly viewing a seven man White Snake extravaganza, complete with keyboard. Holy cow. They were all development staff for the game and they were working that stage. (We'll be posting that video in our featured section soon)

After our delightful show we were bombarded with a zillion awesome and jaw dropping facts. Wanna know some of 'em?

- There is now a Keyboard controller. It can also be used for base and or guitar. Also, if you have a keyboard with a midi output you can just plug that bad boy in and go for a Magic Carpet Ride. MadCatz made an awesome wireless keyboard controller that's small and really let's you work on your stage presence as one of the performers demonstrated (he was amazing).

- As mentioned before you can now use a real guitar.

'Nuff said.

- Drop in or out anytime and it won't cause any agony or band breakups.

- The whole "nobody push any buttons!" dilemma has been fixed.

-Change your difficulty in mid-play.

- There's a challenge mode which allows you to unlock achievements and for the first time ever, you can win Rockband (I don't think it will be as South Park predicted)

- Create your own set lists on Rockband.com and they're waiting for you on your console.

- 2000 songs available for this game.

The title has really expanded its reach from the very casual gamer to the hardcore Rockband tourney contenders. I'll admit I was one of those people saying "music games are fizzling out." Yeah...not at all, this game will be a must at all the Hollywood parties. *DING* *DING* *DING* Sorry Gig but we have a winner. Congratulations Rockband, you honestly outdid yourself.

E3 Speical: Gears of War Threeway (By Rebecca "Bonks" Rothschild)

Where do you want me to start? Any requests? Are you tired of me asking an obnoxious amount of questions in my articles when I already have the answers? Me too, so you'll never guess who's back for part three, Berzerker! Yes it will give you a hard time but it's good to see old friends again right? Such a shame the Locust aren't at the top of the food chain anymore. Looks like they have a little bug problem of their own. The parasite mutates our little locust friends into even uglier and crazier buggers that are lovingly nicknamed "Savage Locust."

This is a whole new kind of nightmare we're up against. All new enemy abilities make this game very surprised filled, certainly not the same song and dance. Naturally this game is still based on taking cover but you'll have much more range and options.

As always the environments look incredible. Be prepared to see a little pop of color in some the stages. By the by the Lancer comes with a purdy little bayonet for the stabbing. This game really looks f**king amazing, typical Gears fashion everything around you is rich with shadow and deep pigments.

Oh yes, don't let me forget. There's two Cogs I'd like you to meet. Sugar Gamers, brace yourselves, we've got some lady Cogs on our hands.

For those who read the books this is no surprise but she looks good in pixels don't you think?

If you're anything like me you wanna know what's going on with horde. Yeah well tough luck sisters their mouths were sealed shut on that one. As always, I'm gonna hope this is a good thing. The presentation was kept a little short, fun fact, George Lopez and his entourage totally budged ahead of our appointment! FTP. So yeah, from the short time we had, I'm gonna have to have this one.

E3 Special: The 'Ol Halo Reach Around (By Rebecca "Bonks" Rothschild)

I needed a cigarette after this appointment, it was that good. My mouth was literally agape the whole time. I didn't think it was possible for me to be more geeked for Reach after the beta. DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT THEY DID TO FIREFIGHT?! DO YOU?! You can customize your firefight! Customize each wave by choosing what you're fighting and how. "What do you mean 'how' Bonks?" Dude, you can customize skulls and even create your own! Imagine wave after wave of grunts with birthday hats on.

It's all possible. Now, once you've created your customized game you can upload it to your fileshare. That's right, Bungie wants it's community to create some sick firefight games that they can use. It's pretty much like Forge for Firefight. Speaking of Forge, they would not breathe a word which is a sign of good things to come in my opinion.

You wanna hear some more cool shit?! Cuz I've got more! Let's talk campaign. First thing I noticed, the soundtrack is wicked you know it's Halo music but you also know they took it up a notch. Of course it's a real beauty to look at, wait 'til you see this cutaway I got to stare at Tex Avery style. Marines don't just stand around in awe of your Spartaness anymore, they've got their own shit going on. There is so much going on around you, the game let's you know, you're at war and it's time to Spartan stomp some bitches.

So now you're working with a team as Noble, the new guy and or girl. Oh yes ladies, Lady Spartans actually look like chicks! We have been blessed with a sleek and sexy silhouette, finally! Can I get an AMEN ladies?! Woooooooo!

Alright, so we know there's gonna be some hot new weapons, I got a chance to see the new concussion rifle in action; fear the business end of that motherf**ker. Now I want you to remember this term, "Drop Shield." For those of you who played Halo Wars you'll know what this is. The Drop Shield radiates health for you and anyone fortunate enough to be around, needless to say that's pretty handy. Another Halo Wars reference, you will be able to call in some air strikes. One last fun thing I wanna lay on you guys, your customized will not only follow you into multiplayer combat but also the campaign.

Go ahead and wipe the drool off your keyboard.

E3 Special: Bethesda, In the Hood Rollin' Hard (By Rebecca "Bonks" Rothschild)

Toe to toe with the big boys now, Bethesda made a statement this year. Winner of an Electric Playground award they put on quite a display. But it wasn't just about looks, they had heavy hitting titles to back it up. Fallout 3, Hunted, Rage and Brink, I was seriously over stimulated.

I didn't get a whole lot of face time with Hunted, but there were some things I saw that I liked. It's pretty and it's very intense. There's some good writing in here, you know I'm a total dialog snob and hate the choppy stuff. This game proved that Betehesda knows a thing or two about variety, sticking to a formula of epic storyline and deep character development I feel fantasy lovers will want a piece.

Rage has a lot of promise. Get ready for unpredictable enemies and unique weapons. Although the story isn't fully rounded the gameplay has an addictive nature to it. It's not all hack n' slash the ugly critters, but they are super ugly and deserved to be slashed (Although it would appear I'm cozying up to one).

I could tell they were trying to create something new within the genre and I feel it will work in their favor. There may be a few stumbles for this first game but I can already smell sequel because there's a great foundation here.

Brink is one I've been keeping my eye on. Now this game has done something truly novel with FPS. Brink takes teamwork communication to a new heights. Weapons borderline bizarre in appearance and ability. The environment is dank and splashed with acid like color which gives it a real deliberate look. It's a little more cartoony than I prefer but it makes the title stand out, and the story more than compensates.

You guys may not know this but there's this game series out there called "Fallout." Ever heard of it?

Role like a regular Robert De Niro in New Vegas. Casinos and Creatures and a hot new interface Oh My! Fallout 3 is on a mission to deliver and it most certainly does. A fun new interface with a sense of humor takes out a lot of the unwanted dialog. Traversing the landscape is nice and smooth and a lot of the "where do I go?" guess work has been subtracted from the equation. And of course and quite literally hot weapons. The game maintains all the great features that we know and love with a Vegas twist. Play some slots, maybe a little blackjack, or go set a Fire Gecko on fire (those things are frickin' adorable by the by). I feel like I don't have to say too much because most of you planned on buying this anyway.

You always have to watch out for the new guy on the block, sleep with one eye open Bethesda, I think they're onto you.

E3 Special: Nexon, Let Freeware Ring (By Rebecca "Bonks" Rothschild)

Dungeon Fighter has one very impressive number of players. Try 200 Million on for size. the classic 2-D scrolling MMORPG is ready to make a dent into the American demographic. the embodies everything that is colorful and imaginative in arcade fighting action. the developers themselves are fans of the classic 2-D fighters and were able to seamlessly incorporate that aspect into the game. Certain levels are so high in difficulty it's practically demands you work with a team. I personally can't get too enamored with old school graphics. Luckily, Nexon knows how to mix it with the brutally elegant Vindictus.

Vindictus is right up my alley. I have three words for you: Demons, Armor, Blood. Oh, and this doesn't look like your momma's freeware game. The graphics are gorgeous. this hack n' slash beauty comes with some great features. Customizing your character goes to all new depths. Not only are you slapping on some super pimp status armor, you'll wanna pick out some snazzy "under armor" aka panties. Why? All armor in the game is destructible which means there's a good chance you'll be running around in your delicates.

Some interesting weapons of note:

- Bombs ('Nuff said, we all like whatever goes boom)

- Chains (Strap down an enemy and you and your friends can monkeystomp that chump)

- Spear (When holding the spear you go into a FPS like view to make your throw more accurate)

The environment is highly interactive. Destroy almost anything but the ground beneath you. Smash it up to destroy enemies but make sure your pals are clear because they will get hurt.

The game prides itself on realism and creating a dark and brooding atmosphere. I say this is a great opportunity for a freeware virgin to hop in.

Nexon also embraces the light and whimsical fantasy lovers with Dragon Nest. Spells, creatures and epic quests and all of it more on the PG side. I'll admit I'm not much for the kiddie stuff but there are some things that impressed me. For one the graphics are fun and bright, very cartoony. It has a great set of classes and characters.

nexon Classified these three games as cousins. They're free and they all have a great pack of dedicated and talented developers behind them. I see a bigger E3 booth in Nexon's future.

E3 Special: Go Go Awesome Gadgets! (By Rebecca "Bonks" Rothschild)

I'll be getting to the games soon enough, right now I wanna talk about two fabulous gadgets on display this year at E3. These were the two gadgets I saw that had great prices and even greater value. Both made by trusted names in my book I wanted to make sure you guys got a good look at these .

First up, the Casio Green Slim Projector. This is a lamp free projector so no changing of anything. It's design is clean, slim and very easy to operate. With a wieght of only five pounds it makes for very easy mounting and traveling. I can tell you first hand that the picture is superb. The projector is compatible with all consoles as it has HDMI plus Composite inputs. The screen sizes go from 15 to 300 inches. The price point is around 1,000$ which is rather reasonable considering they warranty the proctor for three years.

Now I'd like to take a moment to talk about Nox Audio. Nox was displaying a handsome headset this year that offered theater like sound quality. It's comfortable, it's light and it comes in several colors. Easy to connect to any controller and not too bulky, you will hear your games in a whole new way. The head set is very durable, comes with a case and has a price of 80$ I say this is one you should really try to score.

I've got lot more E3 coverage for you but right now I gotta get on my plane and head back home where pizza is good and the water ain't salty.

E3 Pre-Game, Drink It In (By Rebecca "Bonks" Rothschild)

We're here and we're on a mission.

On a mission to bring you all the craziness from E3 right here to sugargamers.com. All the heavy hitters have their booths up and rip raring to go. We'll be saying hi to some old friends like Microsoft, Sony, Nintendo, Natsume, EA (I could go on for days). We'll also meet up with some familiar faces like Earl and Nate of Allegedly Speaking. Top that off with Leonard Nimoy and I'd say we're good to go. I've got a ton of requests and here's a checklist of the things most requested:

- Halo Reach (Der!)

- COD Black Ops (Double Der!)

Rockband 3 (A request close to Sugar Momma's heart)

Gears 3 (Double Affirmative)

Sugar Momma already made her stop at Top Cow Comics and now we have a ton of reading to do thanks to their generosity. We'll be posting video and pics as we go along and of course get as much dirt as possible for you guys. Feel free to keep giving me requests and we'll do our best.