Nerrrddd!

Internet confession time: I'm pretty nerdy. This may not come as a surprise to those of you for who have been following this blog for a while, but for new readers, let me bring you up to speed.

I just recently moved, and I had to pack up about 1,500 comic books*. One of the best gifts my girlfriend has given me is an Xbox 360, which I don't use to play sports games or shooters, but usually old Genesis games like Altered Beast and Shining Force. And maybe most tellingly, when my girlfriend first met me, she asked why there were so many toys in my room. In my defense, they were awesome "toys," like old Transformers and classy Marvel Legends figures, but I suppose her point still stands.

So I'm a nerd. How does that matter to you, dear readers? Well, this weekend, I stumbled upon what I think is a really great promotion, but it's pretty dorky. So, consider this a heads-up of sorts: if this kind of nerdery makes you uncomfortable, I recommend doing some push-ups or going through your old cheerleading routine first to buttress yourself against the geek-onslaught that is about to head your way. Ready? Here we go!

There is a big-deal video game coming out next week called Dragon Age: Origins. The publisher and developer, EA, has been doing a bunch of different things to advertise the launch, but what caught my attention is the free Web-based game they're using as a promotion.

The Web-based mini-game, Dragon Age Journeys, is basically a watered-down version of the game-proper, albeit a really fun and well-designed one. It's not a demo, rather, it's a whole new, independent game that plays similarly to the larger version, minus many of the bells, whistles and more complex game features.