If you're looking for video game statistics, you have a lot of chances to grow old going through all the interesting stuff you're going to find, believe me! A few days ago, we were talking about a very important question - "Are Video Games Harmful?," and after laughing a little when seeing the results of those studies we talked about back then, now we're getting really serious, because it's all about money. To be more accurate, we're going to talk about US games sales data released by NPD for the month of July, 2008. Ready or not, here we go...


Since it's all about the numbers, then let's see the video game statistics for July, shall we? Here they are...

1. NCAA Football 2009 (360): 398,000
2. Wii Fit (Wii): 370,000
3. Guitar Hero: On Tour (DS): 310,000
4. Wii Play (Wii): 284,000<-125x125 Button - right->
5. NCAA Football 2009 (PS3): 243,000
6. Soul Calibur IV (360): 219,000
7. Mario Kart Wii (Wii): 175,000
8. Rock Band (Wii): 166,000
9. Soul Calibur IV (PS3): 156,000
10. Sid Meier's Civilization Revolution (360): 148,000

Even more, when talking about the video game statistics for July, we should also remember that sales topped the $591 million mark, a 41 percent increase over last year's same period. The sales for 2008 so far got really near to the $5 billion mark, but didn't manage to reach it before July's end.

Other than the above, I think the numbers speak for themselves. After all, it's sales that push game series forward or into oblivion. I am sure most of us remember at least one or two great game series that were discontinued simply because they didn't arrive at the right time, in the right place, and the public wasn't ready for them yet...

Hello again, my friends! Looking for some Mario Kart Wii cheats? Don't worry, I got'em right here! Released in April, Mario Kart Wii sold 300,000 copies on the launch day in Japan alone, and by mid-July, it reached over 1,5 million copies sold there, but its success wasn't only a Japanese business, because it sold 1.1 million copies in the US in April 2008 alone, putting it right behind the Xbox 360 version of GTA 4!

If we're talking about Mario Kart Wii cheats, then you should go grab a beer, maybe even two or three beers(just be sure you have the legal drinking age, lol!), and continue reading...or maybe even print this, because this is more than just Mario Kart Wii cheats - we have unlockable characters, karts, bikes, and more. Ready or not, here we go...

Unlockable Characters(and requirements for each of them)

Baby Daisy - Earn at least a one star ranking in each 50cc Wii Grand Prix cup races
Baby Luigi - Unlock eight Expert Staff ghost data in Time Trial mode<-336x280 Large Rectangle - right->
Birdo - Defeat 250 people in online racing, or play Time Trial mode on sixteen different courses
Bowser Jr. - Earn at least a one star ranking in each 100cc Retro Grand Prix cup races
Daisy - Win the 150cc Special Cup
Diddy Kong - Win the 50cc Lightning Cup
Dry Bones - Win the 100cc Leaf Cup
Dry Bowser - Earn at least a one star ranking in each 150cc Wii Grand Prix cups
Funky Kong - Unlock four Expert Staff ghost data in Time Trial mode
King Boo - Win the 50cc Star Cup
Mii (Outfit A) - To play as the Mii associated with your profile, win the 100cc Special Cup
Mii (Outfit B) - To play as the Mii associated with your profile in a different outfit, play through and complete all thirty-two time trials
Rosalina - Have a Super Mario Galaxy save on your Wii
Toadette - Play Time Trial Mode on all thirty-two courses


Unlockable Large Karts

Aero Glider - Earn at least a one star ranking in each 150cc Retro Grand Prix races
Dragonetti - Win the 150cc Lightning Cup
Piranha Prowler - Win the 50cc Special Cup


Unlockable Large Bikes

Phantom - Win the Mirror Cup
Torpedo - Unlock twelve Expert Staff ghost data in Time Trial mode
Twinkle Star - Win the 100cc Star Cup


Unlockable Cups

Leaf Cup - Earn trophies in the Shell Cup and Banana Cup
Lightning Cup - Earn a trophy in Leaf Cup
Special Cup - Earn a trophy in Star Cup
Star Cup - Earn trophies in the Mushroom Cup and Flower Cup


Unlockable Small Bikes

Bubble Bike - Win the Mirror Leaf Cup
Magikruiser - Play Time Trial Mode on any eight courses
Quacker - Win the 150cc Star Cup


Unlockable Medium Bikes

Dolphin Dasher - Win the Mirror Star Cup
Nitrocycle - Attain at least a one star ranking in all 100cc Wii Grand Prix cup races
Rapide - Win the 100cc Lightning Cup


I know I may have forgotten something, but this should be most of it. Also, I know that "Mario Kart Wii cheats" is not the best way to describe the above, but I would rather find unlocks when looking for cheats, and those cheats are not available, than the other way around. Mario Kart Wii cheats or not, I hope you enjoyed today's tips and tricks for Mario Kart!

Now that Flatout Ultimate Carnage has just arrived, maybe those that missed Flatout 2 will be interested in checking it out, so I thought it would be a good idea to give them some Flatout 2 cheats for Xbox. The interesting part is that, as far as my geek friend told me(you should remember him, the one with the GTA 4 cars...), these cheats and unlocks are also available for the PC version of the game, so you can take them as you wish - Flatout 2 cheats for Xbox, or for PC, they are the same.

Since this game is a full package of adrenaline and maximum fun, I don't have to give you any details about it, just this - if you avoided the Flatout franchise until now, you'll find out what you missed as soon as you grab one of the games released so far, believe me!

These being said, let's move on to the Flatout 2 cheats for Xbox (and PC, as I was just saying), shall we?

To apply the cheats below, just head to the Extras option in the main menu, and then insert them in the corresponding area:

ELPUEBLO - Unlocks the El Diablo
GIEVCARPLZ - Unlocks the School Bus
GIEVEPIX - Unlocks all cars (and 1,000,000 credits)
GIVEALL - Unlocks all tracks<-125x125 Button - right->
GIVECASH - 1,000,000 credits
RAIDERS - Unlocks the Big Rig
KALJAKOPPA - Unlocks the Rocket
RUTTO - Unlocks the Pimpster
WOTKINS - Unlocks the Flat Mobile

At last, here you have the three unlockable vehicles, and the requirements for each of them:

Bullet GT - Reach 97% in-game completion
Insetta - Win the Race Finals
Venom - Win the Derby Finals

These were today's Flatout 2 cheats for Xbox, and I hardly wait to see those for Flatout Ultimate Carnage coming up, but since patience is a virtue, I guess we'll have to wait for a while, and not be ashamed of it...

There is one thing young gamers usually forget, and it's a pity to see it happening - while new games offer enough entertainment and challenges most of the time, there are some great games released in the past that worth your time for sure, if you were only a baby back in their early days. Age of Empires is one of those games, and despite being over a decade old, it's always as fresh as in the first day. Now, let's cut the talking and get to the Age of Empires cheat codes, because that's why we are here, right?

Contrary to what I usually say about cheats, I must admit there are some codes in Age of Empires that you MUST see. Why? The answer is simple - beyond being just ways to make your life easier and feel like shooting turkeys instead of being overrun by the AI if you're not doing things right and in a timely manner, the codes for Age of Empires include some really funny parts, as we're going to see right away...

1000 gold COINAGE
1000 food PEPPERONI PIZZA
1000 stone QUARRY
1000 wood WOODSTOCK<-180x150 Small Rectangle - right->
Control animals, not men GAIA
Full map REVEAL MAP
Lose campaign RESIGN
Slay all opponents DIEDIEDIE
Slay selected opponent KILL <1 - 8>
Soldier wields nuclear weapons GIVEMEFISSIONMAN
Upgrade all units STEROIDS
Remove Fog of War NO FOG
Win campaign VICTORY

If the above look pretty interesting, then you haven't seen the following Age of Empires cheat codes yet!

Reincarnation - highlight a member of the general populace and press Enter, followed by typing MEDUSA and march them off to peril. Villagers return as Black Riders, and Black Riders become heavy catapults
Soldier wields nuclear weapons - press Enter, and then type in: E=MC2 TROOPER
Soldier wields laser blaster - press Enter and type in: PHOTON MAN
Rocket launching car - after pressing Enter, type in: BIGDADDY

That's it for today, but don't worry - if you ever feel the need for more Age of Empires cheat codes, there are still a few games in the series remaining to mess with. Just one final advice - if you ever find some collector's edition with all the Age of Empires games in a package, don't think twice - just grab it! I just found such a package for another great game I was playing in late 1990s, and I can't describe the feeling - it's just like unearthing some buried treasure, but we'll talk about my latest find in the future - for now, just enjoy the Age of Empires cheat codes you got!

"The night is getting colder, tainted by the screams of the unfortunate. Maybe I should have drowned with them, but fate has other plans in store for my perdition. The horrible noise can only mean that our crashed plane is sinking fast and I feel the urge to put some between us, lest I join it in the watery grave. Eerily gleaming fires stretch over ocean waves so calm, yet light pieces the darkness with unwavering certainty." Remember our BioShock review? If you don't, then go and read it, because we're talking about a great review of a great game, and once you have done that, you'll be ready to be introduced to the BioShock codes you're looking for...

...although we're not exactly talking about codes. This great game is more than just a shooter, and once you start playing it, it's more than just survival, but that's what you already know, or you'll find out in the future, as I will surely do, since I still have it on my huge "to play" list. Anyway, let's see what you should try, once you have the game installed and ready to go, shall we?<-250x250 Square - right->

- To get the Tonic Collector achievement, always be sure to buy the Tonics first, when buying Plasmids, Tonics, and Upgrades from the Gatherer's Garden, and make sure you search every area for other Tonics. When you get to Point Prometheus, find the three Tonics there. The rest of them are available in the Gatherer's Garden.

- If you want to check Little Sister Savior achievement on your list too, do not harvest a single Little Sister throughout the game, and Tenebaum will reward you with gifts, including Adam, every time you rescue three Little Sisters. Since you get the same amount of Adam as you would if you harvested them, this is the best thing to do - and you also get the achievement!

At last, here's the list with the ten secret achievements in the game:

Defeated Dr. Steinman (15 points): Defeat the crazed Dr. Steinman.
Defeated Peach Wilkins (15 points): Defeat Peach Wilkins.
Restored the Forest (15 points): Restore the forests of Arcadia.
Completed Cohen's Masterpiece (30 points): Complete Sander Cohen's great masterpiece.
Defeated Andrew Ryan (30 points): Defeat Andrew Ryan.
Broke Fontaine's Mind Control (30 points): Break Fontaine's mind control.
Defeated Atlas (100 points): Defeat Atlas.
Became a Big Daddy (30 points): Become a Big Daddy.
Irony (10 points): Take a picture of Sander Cohen's corpse.
Found Cohen's Room (10 points): Enter Sander Cohen's personal quarters.

I know these aren't exactly BioShock codes, but I hope you'll agree with me they're better! After all, who needs codes? Gaming with cheat codes = no fun!