If you plan to be in the Los Angeles area next week we will be running our live E3 stage show and we would like to offer our community a chance to stop by. Registration and confirmation is required for anyone to try for a back seat pass to access GameSpot's E3 show.

What do you know about current and former GameSpot staff? If you know a whole bunch about staff we hope you'll discuss your knowledge in a new feature we started in the GameSpot Live Union. Behind the Spot is an interactive project that gives everyone (staff and users) a chance to post their stories, pictures, discuss their favorite videos that the staff member have been in and the list goes on! If it's something we can link to the staff's bio we'll add it for future references. I have started with the current veteran staff members and plan to travel into the newer staff and former staff (Hall of Fame) territory in the near future.

The first two features include Ryan Mac Donald and Justin Calvert. Click on the discussion links on the bottom of each feature to discuss what you know about them or possibly link to any videos you have seen them in. We also have a poll in Justin Calvert's discussion thread for anyone to vote for the next featured staff member.

Okay, so the show itself doesn't start until July 15th in lovely Los Angeles, but the information machine revs full throttle far ahead of time and keeps the content flowing. Many developers and publishers like to show off their wares even before E3 hits, which lends a lot of pre-event madness to the schedule but also lets us cover a lot of the basics beforehand. That's great because it gives us more time during the actual show to concentrate on new announcements, games, media, video, and more time to ferret out those less-publicized gems that could otherwise get lost in the shuffle.

http://e3.gamespot.com

You can check out the above link for our splendiferous event page that pulls everything E3 under one tabbed roof, so you can catch up on our pre-show coverage as well as all the stories that'll be popping up as showtime gets closer. Whether you're intent on watching for news on specific games, or keeping tabs on all the new screenshots and video, or riding shotgun with our editorial team on the E3 blog, you'll be able to keep up with it all. That's not even taking into account our live broadcasts all throughout E3--be sure to stay tuned for our show schedule.

Discussion tends to heat up in the weeks leading up to the event, and while you can certainly reference news in our standard boards, our E3 site has a forum dedicated to the E3-mania. The concentrated goodness may be found here:

http://e3.gamespot.com/forum.html

The Terms of Use agreement has been updated to ensure everyone is aware of the moderation procedures that happen on GameSpot.com. Don't be alarmed, most of these rules were actions already taken at the Admin's discretion since 2005. The biggest changes include the additional notes under Section 7:

- Foreign languages are now allowed in Unions ONLY. Unions can now have foreign language discussion as long as they are a regional Union. For an example, if someone creates a Japanese Union and this is in the name of the Union, this is a regional Union. If someone creates a DragonBallz Union and the name does not say it's focused on a particular region, they cannot discuss in any other language but English.

- Offensive material has additional notes to clarify how we have been moderating for years now. Note, the use of the word gay or retard in a derogatory manner has been clarified.

- Vulgar language has also had some additional notes added for further clarification.

- Trolling section has had an additional rule that talks about adding OTHER user's quotes in people's signatures. This one is important to read under the Terms of Use agreement.

- Illegal Activities has information about illegal content which include ROMs, copyright content, gambling, illegal drug use and more.

- Surveys and Petitions are possible to post in the forums as long as a GameSpot Admin approves this. In most cases, US.GameSpot does not allow petitions or surveys in the forums. However, UK.GameSpot and AU.GameSpot may occasionally allow this in their discussion boards.

- Disruptive Behavior has been updated with information about users who hi-jack a user's browser.

There are a few more updates but these are the main changes that should be read. Everyone that uses the community features on the site should review the Terms of Use agreement.

If an individual decides that they can no longer abide by the Terms of Use agreement (regardless of their subscription status), the way to opt out is by no longer using GameSpot.com for Profile content, blogs, forums and any other community tools. You can still use the site for downloads, news and other non-community tools. However, abiding this agreement is required to continue access to the community features.

Thanks for your cooperation. Please continue your regular forum browsing.

Rock This Way is GameSpot and Guitarhero.com's latest tournament. Tonight we'll feature the showdown among the four remaining contestants. Stop by tonight at 4pm PT.

Players will compete in three game rounds very similar to the last Tournament TV. However, you'll be surprised to see what the Contestants have to deal with compared to the last tournament. Not only do they play two unreleased Guitar Hero games, they also don't know about a twist that will happen in one of the three game rounds.

Experience an unforgetable match between the following contestants:

- Witwixx aka Thomas Burke
- ParadiseLost421 aka Jason Kuntz
- exJORDANary aka Jordan Timothy Reed
- Schmegery aka Greg Gunter

Want to see some gameplay footage about two unreleased Guitar Hero titles? Want to win one of the game bundles? I seriously don't think there is anything more important than rocking with GameSpot tonight. Stop by to celebrate two upcoming Guitar Hero game releases today on Tournament TV!

Wikia Gaming is sending two lucky gamers to the Penny Arcade Expo in Seattle, Washington this summer. To qualify, visit gaming.wikia.com and complete one or all of the puzzle challenges. Wikia Gaming is home to over 1000 wikis and 500,000 articles on everything from World of Warcraft to Metal Gear Solid 4.

The contest ends on Wednesday, June 25th at 7 PM PDT (10 PM EDT).

Do you live in the Los Angeles County? Eligible residents age 21 or up have the chance to participate in Acura TSXConnect sweepstakes. Five Los Angeles residents will receive a GameSpot's E3 After Party pass and some other goodies. Stop by the official sweepstakes page and be sure to read the rules.

The sweepstakes ends on June 30th at 11:59pm PT.

Remember when we used to have a pda version of GameSpot Mobile? It really only had some brief information about a game and it was difficult to read the news. Well, we have brought it back and changed it for the better! iphones and just about any other mobile phone with internet access can easily access the revamp of GameSpot mobile. If you have a mobile phone with internet access, stop by http://www.gamespot.com/, mobile.gamespot.com or m.gamespot.com. Watch this video to learn how.

GameSpot Mobile also allows you to check your GameSpot private messages! If you have feedback, stop by the Site Enhancements board. For any bug reports, stop by the Technical Support board. Be sure to also include the type of mobile phone you are using.

We have another community activity happening this week (June 12^th at 7PM PT) for all PC game fanatics. The first Gamer Connect will feature Counter-Strike: Source, which will be hosted by G013M.

For more details, have a look at the post in the PC Games board and join the Steam Community Group.

During the Semifinals matches, bragging rights, a trip to GameSpot's Studio in San Francisco, and a $700.00 gift card was all at stake. For this tournament, each match consisted of three players in a free-for-all setting. We wanted to see a real challenge because Super Smash Bros. Brawl isn't a typical fighting game. We wanted a BRAWL! We wanted to see people gang up on each other. To our dismay, we rarely witnessed players ganging up on an individual even if the player only had one stock remaining. The players seemed to target players who had a higher stock (lives). Maybe some of you can share your thoughts on why they used this strategy. On a related note, I have posted a run down of the semifinals matches on the Fight or Flight tournament page.

The main issue we had was some players admitting that they were underage during the tournament. While we appreciated the honesty, in every instance it was too late. We removed them from the tournament. We were even more surprised to find out two of the three semifinalists were under age. Neither of them could claim a prize because they did not meet the eligibility requirements. All of the effort and impressive play meant they could not be entitled to a prize package.

Aside from underage users, this tournament provided additional insights. The unique SSBB tournament format challenged our tournament tools. The Nintendo Wii was a fun platform to host matches with, even if the SSBB friend code has a variety of digits to enter for each match we hosted. Going forward, we are optimistic on ways to improve our system to continue to support future Wii tournaments. From entering many numbers all week, I can still recall seeing them in my sleep. :/

Another concern we had was the SSBB in-gamer time. This caused a variety of delayed matches because some people wouldn't join the game in time before the game started. Many restarts later we would finally have a match happening with or without noticeable lag problems and the server would disconnect everyone. In those circumstances, the Admins had to make calls if too many disconnects occurred because we usually had two matches happening every half an hour. I understand that the timer is great for playing for fun but having a way to set your own timer would be a great enhancement for this game in particular.

I had noticed early on that the feedback we received the most was why GameSpot's first Wii tournament didn't allow the ESRB rating requirement or Canadian residents to participate. The answer? GameSpot Staff desired to have the final match showcase real life players on Tournament TV.

When we have people register for tournaments, they accept that they are eligible and agree to the conditions and rules that we have put in place. When they accept this agreement to participate, and do not read or follow the rules, they cannot claim a prize. Tournaments were put in place for a competitive experience with other GameSpot members. When prizes are offered we are required to give the details to our Legal department to know what we can and cannot offer to a certain demographic. This is how the eligibility requirements are formed to enlist how old a person must be to receive a travel prize package, to receive a particular prize or where a player may reside. We never want to exclude anyone from participation of tournaments but we always have to consider the ESRB rating and prizes that are offered for the tournament. In addition, if a particular tournament is sponsored, we also have to abide by the sponsor's requests and what their Legal departments may require. Many of these factors add up.

Because GameSpot Tournaments have always offered prizes, we do not plan to exclude prizes in order to allow participation to everyone. Why? There are many reasons why. Players from other countries have issues getting on the same server and will ping people out. This would require much more effort for the Admin to disqualify a player for not being able to connect to a server or if they disconnect everyone. We'd have to do a lot adjusting to matches and time zones which would be very difficult because of GameSpot's Pacific Time office hours. We would have less participants showing because there are no prizes offered. Many of you have experienced no-shows, haven't you? You participate in a tournament not to receive a default win but to win a match! Another thing to consider is the time and effort many departments at GameSpot put into having tournaments. Tournaments require that we put in everything into them, which means we will offer prizes and a Tournament TV production.

However, Tournaments aren't the only way GameSpot members can experience competition. Some Unions offer their own competitions but the most talked about competitive experience is Community Game Night. Every Tuesday nights, the GameSpot Community staff, Editorial team and other GameSpot staff are known to stay later at work to play with GameSpot members. There are no prizes at stake other than bragging rights and an emblem. If anyone is looking for competition, they should give the Community Game Nights a try. Anyone who does not live in North America should also be aware that GS UK or GS AU occasionally hosts Community Game Nights. Try adding the AU discussion and UK discussion boards as a favorite forum if you do not live in North America.

When it comes down to it, laws and money are two things that hold many businesses back from offering tournaments and sweepstakes world wide. GameSpot is based in North America. We have resources to offer these tournaments to residents of North America. GS UK and GS AU are working hard to offer similar tournaments, hopefully more frequently, in the future.

It is, by now, no secret Vinny Caravella is leaving GameSpot. We will miss him. Some people have had the pleasure of working with him for years. I have had the honor of associating with him for months. He is talented, positive, and a great guy to have on your team. He's got great ideas and makes fun features. All of what he brings to the GameSpot office will be missed. In honor of his final episode, GameSpot is changing up the page.

Thursday, May 08 (today for most people, except those who read this in the far-flungfuture where asparagus shoots are the size of redwood trees) will mark the release of two new pages for the community to use:

A new design of the On the Spot page

A new page dedicated to GameSpot's Community Game Night

Lest you freak out and post a long string of OMG's WTF's and other assorted acronymical inquiries of astonishment, I have taken some screen shots to prepare you for the experience:

Notice how the trivia, Ask a Question, and Win Prizes modules are all in the page. Also notice how the video plays in the page! (if you are having trouble seeing this image,click here).

That's high technology. You will still have access to the various stream qualities you have come to know and love (sometimes wait for as well). Subscribers will have access to chat in a stand-alone window. It is neat! If you aren't a subscriber, I can recommend it. If you still choose not to be one, I canrespect your right to miss out on awesome chats, tournaments, downloadable game guides,and even better features coming later this year. . . but I digress.

For those of you who regularly use the comments section as a chat substitute, notice we have not done away with your chance to comment:

Keen-eyed observers will also notice something else interesting on the screenshot above. That's right. The page changes dynamically. The video should automatically start playing for you when the stream starts. We paid extra for that.

Hopefully you will be able to see our new page tomorrow when you visit us for On the Spot. Be sure to stop in and say hello and wish Vinny a bittersweet farewell. We will miss him.

Our first Nintendo Wii Tournament will be happening the week of 5/12-5/16. The finals will be held on Tournament TV will be held on 5/23 and the three finalist will be the GameSpot Studio for the live taping! That's the exciting news I have to offer.

This Tournament will be open to participants that are age 18 or older, U.S. residents, and GameSpot registered users (free user or subscriber). For those of you who do not live in US, the only good news I have is that you get to watch the Tournament TV finals and participate in the TTV trivia during the show.

Here's the rundown!

Account status: Free registered and subscribers
Resident: US ONLY
Age: 18 or up
Players: 243
Match consist of 3 players, 1 player moves on to the next round
Prizes: Travel package for three contestants requires that we have age 18 or up and US residents only. Total prize package for contestants who win to participate in the finals on Tournament TV = $1,000.

FORMAT: Each match will consist of three players facing off in a Free for All game format. The player with the highest scores will move on to the next Tournament round. If a tie occurs, the game will change to sudden death mode. Players will play until a winner is determined for the match.

SETTINGS:

Game Type: Brawl
Number of Players: 3 (game will be set to 4 players to include the GameSpot Admin)
Time Limit: none
Stock (number of lives): 5 (the GameSpot Admin suicide ingame x5, wee)
Handicap: Off
Damage Ratio: 1.0
Stage Choice: Choose
Items: On, however, 5 items will be excluded. These items include bomb-omb, the hammer, smart bomb, starman and golden hammer.

Pre-Finals Stages: Each player will choose the Stage they desire to play for each of the matches held from Elimination Round 1 through Semifinals round. The Stage will be randomly chosen by the game system. Players should vote for their maps wisely.

Finals Stages on Tournament TV: The stages for the finals match will be determined by GameSpot Staff.

We hope to have another SSBB tournament in the future to allow age 13 or up, and Canadian registered users. However, for the first tournament, we'd like to see the action in person. We hope everyone will enjoy the show that will be aired on 5/23.

The Super Smash Bros. Brawl tournament page isn't live yet but you should expect it to show up some time early next week. Registration begins on May 7th at 4pm PT.

Shaun here. I've got an important message courtesy of my friend Alex Sassoon Coby of GameSpot UK fame. It reads as follows:

It's been a while, but GameSpot's UK Community Game Night is back, and we're making up for the long break.

At 8pm BST this Thursday (that's April 17) we're going to have a multi-platform Rainbow Six Vegas 2 session, with special guests the UK Frag Dolls!

We're going to be playing on PS3 and Xbox 360, so if you want to take part just send me your gamertags or PSN IDs before 5pm BST on Thursday and we will do our best to get as many of you in as possible.

I look forward to seeing you (or at least the fading view of your heels as I slump to the floor) there!

Last year's Brain Bust trivia challenge was a big success among the members of the community. Many U.S. members who have never participated in tournaments before finally gave it a try for the first time. We have decided to bring back Brain Bust this year and it is going to be centered around a game series that many of you either love or hate.

For the past few weeks we've been in the process of gathering hundreds of questions and answers for the latest challenge that will shoot your socks off (picture that for a few seconds; no, seriously). With the anticipated release of Grand Theft Auto IV, BestBuy has pulled together with us for Brain Bust II! Registration goes live this Wednesday, April 16th at 4pm PT.

Eligibility requirements include a U.S. resident, 18 years or older and a Total Access subscription. The top two players will receive a trip to San Francisco to complete in a live Tournament TV broadcast. The champion will receive a $1,000 Best Buy gift card.

To get prepared, the only suggestion I can make is to start digging around for the Grand Theft series on GameSpot. We'll post more tips on the Brain Bust II challenge page as soon as they become available.

The god Mitra has gone missing and the prayers of Hyboria go unanswered! Our friends over at AoCWiki have put together a nifty scavenger hunt. Follow the clues on the Age of Conan wiki to find Mitra. After finishing the clues, players will be picked randomly. The prizes bundle includes beta keys or a 3 month pre-paid game card.

Peasants beware! Funcom has delivered 15,000 PC beta keys to GameSpotfor their upcoming MMORPG, Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures. These beta keys will be unleashed upon the globe on April 16.By signing up today, you may be able to secure a code to grant you access to the pillaging, plundering, and bloodletting sure to be unveiled on April 18. All characters created during the April 18-20 beat weekend will be transformed into level-20 harbingers of destruction. Whilea jewel-encrusted horn may not be the catalyst for the monstrous change, you can bet one out of the 12 classes in the game will bring your inner Dagoth to life.

Check out our feature page for more details and to register for this exclusive event!

Hey you! Yes, you! You play games, right? Online games? Perfect! Because as you know, we run a little program here called the GameSpot Community Game Night. (Example of tonight's Smash Bros Game Night here .) If you've never joined in on the fun, this is your chance to play online against both GameSpot users and staff. What we'd like to know is this: what games would you like to play against others online? What games on the horizon look fun? We'd love to hear your suggestions for future game nights if you feel there are any hidden gems we may have over looked.

And yes, we'll definitely be doing a GTA IV game night when that one comes out. 16 players causing random havoc in a full-scale GTA world? Yes please!

Thanks for stopping by the Community Blog. We decided to name it Spam Filter for the time being. This is designed to be a source of unfettered GameSpot communication between us and any member of the forum looking for answers or information about what is going on around the site, in the forums, and even in the GameSpot offices.

Tomorrow night (Tuesday) is our regular Community Game Night. If you would like more details, go here.

Check back soon for more updates!