Game 1 of the Texas Rangers vs. SF Giants World Series is tonight. SBNation.com has a viewing guide--where to catch the game on TV and radio, plus keys to the game--and writes, "While it may not end up a winner in the ratings, this year's World Series is compelling, and new, and evenly balanced, and could prove to be the best World Series we've seen in some time." They'll also be liveblogging at Lone Star Ball and McCovey Chronicles. Larry Brown Sports, on the other hand, isn't so excited: "This matchup has all the intrigue of a Pauley Shore flick." "If you're a baseball purist, you are getting excited for what should be one of the more interesting World Series in recent years," says NESN.com. "If you're a Fox network executive, you're pulling your hair out." Baseball Analysts weighs in with their predictions.

Buzz is building about Kinect, Microsoft's upcoming controller-less Xbox 360 gaming system, which launches November 4. Joystiq lists the launch titles and has an interview with Microsoft Game Studios VP Phil Spencer, who says, "The idea that there's no interface tracking the motion of something--it's actually tracking your skeleton and what you're telling the 360 through your movements what you want to happen--it's a different immersive experience." "So far, Kinect does not have any appealing titles to warrant a day-one purchase. It's only through the promise of great games that this peripheral will have legs," says Ripten. But not surprisingly, after Oprah's endorsement, preorders have spiked. "We have predicted on several occasions that the Kinect won't be much of a hit. Perhaps now it will be. Because Oprah commands it," says Joystick Division. And CrunchGear notes that Microsoft's new Kinect ad targets moms in a big way, which they think maybe isn't such a great idea: "Microsoft can't keep putting off their existing user base; if this family friendly stuff is the future of Xbox 360, I get the feeling that for a lot of game lovers out there, the future of their Xbox 360 is going to be a PS3." Piki Geek lists five reasons the Kinect may succeed, and 7 reasons it may fail.