It's a quiet time in the gaming realm. Retail releases are at a stand still for the time being, but that doesn't excuse having nothing to play. You still need something to get you through those chilly winter months.

It's time to turn an eye to the downloadable scene and check out the latest and greatest from our friends overlords, Microsoft and Sony.

In the distance you see a glimmering light, could it be your saviour? No - wait, that's just a fat chick eating cake.

If you look at the Navigation bar above, it might seem a little different than before. Yes that’s right there is a new button that’s called sessions. No they aren’t drinking sessions, though you are free to do as you wish during them. They are official That Aussie Game Site sessions where all members of the community are free to join us in the games we are playing. We will try to give you guys enough notice so that you are well practiced to kick our arses.

Here's a bed time story. One night a father tries out the new Xbox Live update before he goes to bed. Wisely he completely ignores the Games on Demand service, frowns at the two measly games listed on his new Completed Games List and then spends some time picking through the Avatar content. He decides to get a guitar for his Avatar and a lightsaber for his Star Wars mad son who has an offline Gamertag. He decides to add the lightsaber to his sons account so he gets a nice surprise when he boots up for a game after school the next day. Strangely the lightsaber doesn't show up in his sons Avatar customisation list. He rechecks his own, still there, then heads back. Then it dawns on him, the expensive avatar content can't be shared between profiles on the same machine, but of course why would it provide even the teensiest amount of value to the consumer.

This can't stand, unless I'm a complete twit (which is entirely possible) Microsoft have really punched low by restricting Avatar content like this for no reason I can see. Screw you Microsoft, when I'm driving if I see you crossing the street tomorrow I won't be braking.

We’ve got a quiet month ahead of us, very few games of note calling us with their siren call as we scramble to gather our pennies for the big holiday release period. So you’ve played out all the games currently in your cupboard and now you need something, some fix that will spin you out until Batman: Arkham Asylum releases.

Well undilate those pupils you sick junkie, I have your Xbox 360 exclusive fix and it’s called Too Human which you should be able to pick up for less than the price of a bucket of fried chicken. Great now I'm totally hungry and it's really late and I can't get chicken any where. I blame you.

Things have been quiet on the ban front for a while. The OFLC hasn’t decided to step up and do some bizarre banning for a while now. Well it must be coming up to mid year bonus time over there because they’ve just whipped out their ban hammer and conked RPG game Risen hard on the noggin.

But what for?

I know cool, I’m on the cutting edge of knowing cool. I was a DJ once (for a year 7 disco) so I know what I’m talking about when it comes to the cool. When I say the Hitman game franchise is cool then brother (or sister) you know it is.

As I stare Bambi eyed into my past here at TAGS I remember my first ever podcast. As my anticopatometer I meekly suggested the next Hitman game, confident an announcement would be coming soon that the game did, in fact, exist. Well this isn’t an official announcement but….

The release of Ashes Cricket 2009 is fast approaching and Craig from All Age Gaming has had the opportunity to quiz the development team from Transmission Games to find out just how well an Aussie sport of such legendary proportions stacks up against the likes of EA Sports and 2K Games seemingly monopolised pull on the videogame sporting genre.

Read the full interview here with Head Designer Heath Smith and Designer Mark Houareau by clicking on this link... tricked ya. This one. lol.