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Stardew Valley 1.6 Secretly Added Multiplayer to the Mobile Version — and You Unlock It With the Konami Code

Stardew Valley 1.6 added a hidden experimental multiplayer feature to the mobile version of the game, developer Eric ‘ConcernedApe’ Barone has revealed.

In a blog post, Barone said the feature is hidden because it may have some bugs or issues, and the nature of the mobile platform “could make a multiplayer session frustrating.”

“Mobile multiplayer works pretty much the same as on other platforms, except there is no farm ‘discovery’ capability,” Barone explained. “You can only connect via IP. You can, however, join a PC-hosted farm from a mobile device via IP.”

The ideal “mobile multiplayer” scenario, Barone added, would be to connect to a PC-hosted farm from a high-end mobile device on a local network (using wi-fi, unless you have some way to connect your mobile device to ethernet). “This would be the best-case scenario,” Barone said, before warning against trying to connect or host using a cell phone network.

“The worst case scenario would be if someone were to host a game from a low-performance phone, on a cell network (you would probably have to create a mobile wi-fi hotspot for others to connect to locally), and they were on a train or something, going through tunnels,” Barone went on.

“And then the host is also getting calls, causing the app to be interrupted repeatedly. This would result in a potentially frustrating multiplayer experience.

“However, if you want to try these things out, there’s nothing stopping you… Just be aware that there are inherent connectivity issues that can arise when attempting to host a multiplayer game from a mobile device.”

Stardew Valley 1.6 finally released on console and mobile this week, eight months after the update launched on PC. It did so alongside another big update that changed the hugely popular farm and life sim further.

Unlocking the mobile version’s hidden multiplayer feature requires inputting a riff on the Konami Code (the famous series of inputs used to unlock cheats in Konami games).

As Barone explained in the blog post, on the title screen, players will notice that the Stardew Valley logo has four groups of leaves attached to it. Tap the leaves in this order: ↑ ↑ ↓ ↓ ← → ← → then press the ? button in the bottom-right corner of the screen. Exit the ? menu and you’ll have a co-op button on the title screen.

The free 1.6 update, which sparked a fresh 10/10 Stardew Valley review from IGN, launched on PC in March. Barone initially expected the console and mobile ports of 1.6 would be released a month later.

Barone has apologized to disgruntled fans and promised not to return to work on his next game, Haunted Chocolatier, until Stardew 1.6 is finalized. Haunted Chocolatier, revealed in 2021, doesn’t have a release window.

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

Best Xbox Game Pass Deals and Bundles Right Now (November 2024)

Now that the price hike has kicked in for existing Game Pass users, there’s no better time to stock up on cheap codes to save some cash. If you’re wondering where to find deals like this, don’t worry, we’re here to help you track down the best offers available on Game Pass right now – offers like this deal on 3 months of Game Pass Ultimate at Woot that’s down to just $36.49. And with Black Friday coming up, there are sure to be even more Xbox deals to track down, but for now you can learn more about that deal and what’s coming soon to Game Pass below.

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Best Xbox Game Pass Deals

One of our favorite Xbox Game Pass Ultimate deals has returned at Woot, providing another opportunity for users to stack their membership at a discounted rate. You can get three months of the service for just $36.49.

Considering the new price of Game Pass Ultimate is $19.99/month, you’re saving $23.48 with this 3-month deal. This is the best way to avoid the Xbox Game Pass price hike. By stacking these codes you can set yourself up for success to play all of Xbox’s upcoming releases at a lower price.

What’s Coming Soon to Xbox Game Pass?

Game Pass has a nice rotation of new titles to play every month. If you’re curious about what’s in store for the start of November, we’ve got you covered. The Xbox Game Pass November Wave 1 lineup is:

Unfortunately, for those subscribing to the new Standard tier (available for $14.99/month), this does not give Game Pass users access to day one releases. This means big new releases on the platform like Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 will not be available on that tier.

What Games Are Leaving Xbox Game Pass?

Unfortunately with new games joining the catalog it means a few must take their leave. Below, we’ve listed the games that’ll be leaving Xbox Game Pass on November 15.

  • Dicey Dungeons (Cloud, Console, and PC)
  • Dungeons 4 (Cloud, Console, and PC)
  • Goat Simulator (PC)
  • Like a Dragon: Ishin! (Cloud, Console, and PC)
  • Like a Dragon: The Man Who Erased His Name (Cloud, Console, and PC)
  • Persona 5 Tactica (Cloud, Console, and PC)
  • Somerville (Cloud, Console, and PC)

Biggest Games Releasing on Xbox Game Pass

Xbox’s Summer Showcase back in June was a massive success, showcasing an incredible amount of new titles coming to the platform. Alongside Black Ops 6, the showcase also included Doom: The Dark Ages, Perfect Dark, Fable, Gears of War: E-Day, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, and so many more. But which of these titles will appear as day-one releases on Game Pass? Thankfully, quite a few! Including all of the previously mentioned titles.

While most of the games listed above have release dates in 2025, or no release dates at all at the moment, the one to keep an eye on for now following Black Ops 6 is Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. Gamescom’s Opening Night Live revealed that Indy’s latest adventure will be available to play on December 9 for Xbox users, so there’s truly no better time to hop on the Game Pass bandwagon.

If you’re looking for even more savings on all things Xbox, have a look at our roundup of the best Xbox deals. There, we’ve highlighted all of the latest and greatest discounts on the platform, from incredible game deals to fantastic offers on high-quality headphones. Or, if you’d rather see what’s going on with other platforms, check out our roundups of the best PlayStation deals, the best Nintendo Switch deals, and our overall roundup of the best video game deals.

Hannah Hoolihan is a freelance writer who works with the Guides and Commerce teams here at IGN.

Pokémon TCG Pocket Battles Are Already Dominated by Two Decks in Particular

Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket battles are already being dominated by two decks in particular: the usual suspects of Charizard and Mewtwo.

The streamlined mobile version of the beloved TCG arrived in late October and its meta already appears formed, with most players bringing a Charizard ex or Mewtwo ex deck into the more competitive battle mode.

While the Pokémon TCG usually comes down to more than just raw power, both of these decks are admittedly about hitting hard. Charizard ex has a 200 damage attack, for example, which is enough to knock out any other Pokémon in the game, and Mewtwo has an also very strong 150 damage attack.

There is a downside to these, of course, as they each cost four energy and lose two energy per attack. This means, in theory, it takes two turns before the attack can be used again, but both of these decks also have reliable energy generation that allows players to speed that process up.

Charizard ex is a fire card, so this deck can also bring in Moltres ex. For just one energy, Moltres ex lets the player flip three coins and add a fire energy to a bench Pokémon for every heads, and its 140 hit points as a basic Pokémon allows it to stick around for a long time while charging up a Charmander, Charmeleon, and eventually Charizard on the bench.

This means that, by the time the opposing player forces Moltres ex out of the active Pokémon slot, there is often a Charizard ready to go with upwards of six energy attached, allowing it to essentially wipe out whatever is put across from it.

Mewtwo works in a similar way, though as a basic Pokémon itself, players will often put it directly into the active Pokémon slot. It also has a two energy, 50 damage attack and 150 hit points to keep it around and doing damage, meaning players have enough time to set up a Gardevoir on the bench.

This Stage 2 Pokémon takes some time to set up, with Ralts and Kirlia coming before it, but once it’s on the bench, players can use its Psy Shadow ability to add one energy to the active Pokémon. This again counters the discard two energy cost of Mewtwo’s 150 damage attack, as the standard energy joins the Gardevoir energy each turn to add two at a time.

It’s rare to see a deck that isn’t one of these two in the more competitive battle mode, though one led by Pikachu ex and another led by Starmie ex appear to be just a tier below these two. Both present quick ex Pokémon with high damage, low cost attacks, meaning if players can deploy them quick enough it’s hard for opponents to build a strong board.

Pokémon TCG Pocket arrived in October on iOS and Android as a digital version of the beloved trading card game. It lets players open packs, collect cards, build decks, and battle others, a simple formula that has already proved popular given it made $12 million in just four days.

It’s also hitting fast and hard with events, and players can perhaps test out these two heavy hitting decks in its latest. The Lapras ex Drop Event adds a new category in the Solo Battle menu that lets players take on four increasingly difficult Lapras decks with a chance of winning a special booster pack after each, which can include the brand new Lapras ex.

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He’ll talk about The Witcher all day.

Starship Troopers? Terminator? Warhammer 40,000? Helldivers 2 Creative Director Reveals His Dream Crossovers

Smash hit co-op shooter Helldivers 2 seems ripe for a crossover, but which franchises might it partner with? That’s a fun conversation players have been having ever since the game’s explosive launch earlier this year. Now, Helldivers 2’s creative director has had his say, revealing a number of intellectual properties he’d love to work with.

In a tweet, Arrowhead CCO and Helldivers 2 creative director Johan Pilestedt cautioned against doing too many crossovers, saying “it would dilute the IP and make it a ‘not Helldivers’ experience.” However, he also published an extended list of IPs he “really would love to do a take on!”

  • Aliens
  • Starship Troopers
  • Terminator
  • Predator
  • Star Wars
  • Fifth Element
  • Blade Runner
  • Warhammer 40k
  • Trench Crusade
  • Mutant Chronicles
  • Dropzone Commander

It’s easy to see how many of these franchises would work within Helldivers 2. Starship Troopers is the obvious choice, given Helldivers 2 riffs so heavily on the cult classic sci-fi flick. Terminator, too, seems an easy fit, given the Automaton alien enemy are basically Terminators themselves. Aliens, Predator, and Star Wars are fun to think about, but my favorite is Warhammer 40,000.

It would be amazing to drop down into a planet overrun by Tyranids or Necrons as an Imperial Guard soldier, complete with lore-accurate weapons, vehicles, and, of course, dialogue. Yes, Warhammer 40,000 fans have the wonderful and hugely successful Space Marine 2 to play right now, but that’s a Space Marine game. Helldivers 2 is near enough an Imperial Guard game already. I’d drop a dollar or 10 on an Imperial Guard crossover in a heartbeat.

Which brings us on to the next question: how might Helldivers 2 do crossovers if it ever came to it? In a subsequent tweet, Pilestedt suggested it could come in the form of a Warbond (Helldivers 2’s take on a battle pass) or even individual super store items.

“Having a full Starship Troopers Warbond with mobile infantry armor, voices and weapons would also be cool!” Pilestedt said, before stressing: “Nothing decided yet. Just musings :)”

Can Arrowhead do a deal for a crossover? Helldivers 2 has certainly done well enough to draw out some big hitters. Let’s not forget that Helldivers 2 is the fastest-selling PlayStation Studios game of all time, selling an incredible 12 million copies in just 12 weeks. And while player numbers on Steam aren’t what they once were, they’re still extremely healthy.

For now, though, crossover dreams remain just that. In the shorter term, Arrowhead continues to update Helldivers 2 with new Warbonds and patches, with the threat of a new alien faction looming over the galactic horizon.

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

Star Wars Outlaws’ New Creative Director Promises Big Changes After Disappointing Sales

Ubisoft has released its first developer update for Star Wars Outlaws, with new creative director Drew Rechner promising big changes after the open world adventure debuted to disappointing sales.

Rechner said in the update that Ubisoft had been “gathering and actioning players’ feedback” since launch and has identified key areas where it can “elevate the game experience to better meet” player expectations.

Sentiments such as these are often seen in the wake of disastrous game launches but Star Wars Outlaws debuted to positive reviews. Poor sales shook a struggling Ubisoft, however, and it is now working to improve the game ahead of what it hopes will be a sales bump alongside its Steam launch and the holiday period.

This will result in Star Wars Outlaws getting revamped combat, stealth, and controls. “The first key area of improvement to the game is combat where we see a real opportunity to add more depth and excitement to the experience, further rewarding your tactics and precision,” Rechner said.

“Our second key area is stealth, which is not only about improving the readability and consistency of enemy detection, but also providing choice in how you want to approach each encounter.

“Finally, our third key area of focus is centered around the character controls, which means improving the reliability of cover, increasing the responsiveness of climbing and crouching, and generally improving the consistency of the controls overall.”

These changes will be made when Update 1.4 arrives on November 21, the same day Star Wars Outlaws launches on Steam. Players can expect more information on the changes in the coming weeks.

Update 1.3 arrived in October and brought a handful of big changes of its own, including improvements to stealth. Players were given “more flexibility in how they approach situations” alongside upgraded enemy activity to make gameplay feel more realistic.

Rechner moves into the Star Wars Outlaws creative director role as previous creative director, Julian Gerighty, turns his attention to The Division 3 at Massive Entertainment.

Ubisoft as a whole continues to be embattled by rumors of a takeover and other issues. The French publisher delayed Assassin’s Creed Shadows into 2025, and has ditched Epic Games Store exclusivity for its PC games.

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He’ll talk about The Witcher all day.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Continues to Sell Millions, So Will Nintendo Release Mario Kart 9 for Switch 2?

Nintendo Switch exclusive Mario Kart 8 Deluxe continues to sell millions of copies even now, with the game seven-and-a-half years old.

In its latest financial report, Nintendo said Mario Kart 8 Deluxe sold another 2.31 million units from April to September, which means Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is now up to an incredible 64.27 million sold. In fact, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe sold almost as many copies as the brand new The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom so far this financial year, and more than either Pario Mario: The Thousand-Year Door or Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is comfortably the best-selling Nintendo Switch game, ahead of Animal Crossing: New Horizons (46.45 million) in second place. And its enduring popularity is easy to understand; not only is Mario Kart 8 Deluxe superb in its own right, but it’s an almost essential buy for any new Switch owner looking for a fun game to play with family and friends pretty much out of the box. Speaking of which, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe looks set to continue to sell well with Nintendo pushing the Switch ahead of the crucial holiday sales period.

The question now is, will Nintendo release a sequel, presumably Mario Kart 9, for the upcoming Switch 2, or continue Mario Kart 8 Deluxe’s dominance via backwards compatibility and a beefy next-gen update?

Nintendo has so far kept its cards close to its chest when it comes to Switch 2 information. All it’s said on the record is that an announcement will be made at some point during this financial year, which ends March 2025. Analysts are now saying it’s unlikely Nintendo will announce Switch 2 this year. A release for the console itself looks set for the next financial year, meaning April 2025 at the earliest.

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

Pokémon TCG Pocket Releases Lapras ex Through Limited Time Battle Event

The second timed event in Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket has now begun and gives players a chance to win a Lapras ex.

The Lapras ex Drop Event adds a new category in the Solo Battle menu that lets players take on four increasingly difficult Lapras decks with a chance of winning a special booster pack after each, the Promo Pack A Series Vol. 1.

This booster pack, available in the Gifts menu once obtained, contains one of five cards, including the Lapras ex and a brand new Mankey. The three remaining cards include alternative art versions of Pikachu, Butterfree, and Clefairy, and all five cards come stamped.

Players must persevere through some random chance encounters before they can pick up all five cards. The Lapras event introduces Chance Rewards, essentially giving players more incentive to repeat battles again and again, as these can drop after each win against a Lapras deck.

Players then have just a one-in-five chance of pulling the Lapras ex in the booster pack, though those looking to collect ’em all will be eager to pick up all five cards anyway. Grinding through the Lapras decks will be necessary to do so, but the Auto Battle feature is still available to speed things up.

Lapras ex itself is a Basic Pokémon with 140 hit points and an 80 damage attack at the cost of three energy: two water and one colorless. This Bubble Drain attack heals 20 damage from Lapras ex too.

Pokémon TCG Pocket arrived in October as a streamlined, digital version of the beloved trading card game. It lets players open packs, collect cards, build decks, and battle others, a simple formula that has already proved popular given it made $12 million in just four days.

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He’ll talk about The Witcher all day.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Players Rotate Between Wanting to Skip the Winner’s Circle and Liking It Because It Gives Them Time to Check Their Phone Between Matches

With Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 now a week old, fans of the Multiplayer portion of the game are having their say on the controversial — and unskippable — Winner’s Circle feature.

The Winner’s Circle shows the top three performing players from the winning team after the Play of the Game has run its course. Under normal circumstances it lets each player who does well enough to appear on the podium perform an emote, most of which are either toxic or hilarious depending on your point of view.

Black Ops 6 isn’t the first Call of Duty to feature The Winner’s Circle mechanic, as it’s appeared in the likes of Black Ops 3, Infinite Warfare, and WWII. But it’s impact feels particularly pronounced this year, and the debate around it was only exacerbated by the recent release of fan-favorite map Nuketown, which in addition to the Play of the Game and the Winner’s Circle, shows a short cutscene of the map getting nuked before players return to the lobby.

There are a number of issues players have brought up with Black Ops 6’s Winner’s Circle. The main one is the time it takes to view: players have to sit through the Winner’s Circle whether they make the cut or not, and the handful of seconds it lasts can feel like an age when all you want to do is get into another match or check your loadout. Because of this, some players have called on Treyarch to add a skip button or even pull the Winner’s Circle from the game entirely.

Then there’s the issue of toxicity, with some saying the ability to taunt your opponent after a victory discourages them from continuing to play having just lost a game. The slow camera zoom into the top player’s face doesn’t help matters.

They really thought they were cooking with this
byu/Difficult-Rest8524 inblackops6

Treyarch actually nerfed the Winner’s Circle following feedback from the Black Ops 6 beta so it had a shorter overall duration and “mitigated emote spam” for launch. During those preview weekends, players were able to spam emotes in the Winner’s Circle, which was certainly more frustrating to watch. Currently, you’re only able to trigger one emote. Or at least, you’re only supposed to be able to trigger one emote.

Players have worked out that they can still spam emotes here by quickly pausing and unpausing the game. Doing this, they’re able to fit in a few emotes into the Winner’s Circle before it closes, which, yeah, is pretty annoying to watch.

But! If you’re sick of watching the shenanigans that go on in the Winner’s Circle, players have worked out they can make the player avatars disappear by heading to the in-game social tab. This doesn’t make the Winner’s Circle go away any quicker, but it does get rid of the emotes, if you’re feeling particularly put out by them. It’s a bizarre glitch that Treyarch will probably patch out at some point.

Pro tip: you can close the winners circle by going to social
byu/Soggy-Pouch inblackops6

It’s been interesting to see how players have reacted to the Winner’s Circle since Black Ops 6’s explosive launch. Some have said they don’t mind it, given it provides them with a bit of time to check their phone before being thrust into the next match (modern gaming!). Others really, really hate it, and want to skip it at all costs. “Goofy” is a word I’ve seen tossed about by many in response to these emotes.

Despite the ongoing debate about Black Ops 6’s Winner’s Circle, it seems unlikely that Treyarch will strip it out of the game or even let players skip it. It provides an opportunity to show off players’ elaborate and often costly cosmetics, including premium emotes, to all players still in the lobby — and we all know how crucial cosmetics sales are to Activision’s bottom line.

If you’re jumping into Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 multiplayer, check out our Essential Multiplayer Tips and Tricks to help you get started. We’ve also got a full weapons list, a guide to all multiplayer maps and game modes, and details on how to unlock all Black Ops 6 operators.

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

As the World Waits for Nintendo to Announce Switch 2, Sales of the Switch Continue to Plummet

Nintendo has slashed its forecast for Switch sales this financial year amid growing anticipation for the announcement of the Switch 2.

Today, November 5, Nintendo cut its Switch sales projection for the financial year ending March 2025 from 13.5 million units to 12.5 million units, with the console now in its eighth year on sale.

Nintendo also cut its forecasts for sales (1.35 trillion yen down to 1.28 trillion yen) and operating profit (400 billion yen to 360 billion yen).

Nintendo has said it will announce the Switch successor at some point during the current financial year, which means fans can expect to hear more before April.

As for the second quarter of the current financial year (July to September 2024), Nintendo generated 276.7 billion yen ($1.8 billion) in revenue and a net profit of 27.7 billion yen ($182 million). That’s a 17% revenue drop and a whopping 69% profit drop versus the same quarter last financial year.

It’s worth noting that last year was a big one for Nintendo, with the release of the Super Mario Bros. Movie and The Legend of Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom breaking records. This year, however, has been notably lighter for the company.

Nintendo sold 4.72 million Switch units in the six months ending September 30, down from the 6.84 million sold during the same period last year. That’s a drop of 31%. Software unit sales were down nearly 28% year-on-year to 70.28 million.

“Unit sales of both hardware and software were extremely high for the first half of the previous fiscal year,” Nintendo said, pointing to the Mario movie’s positive impact on its video game business.

“There were no such special factors in the first half of this fiscal year, and with Nintendo Switch now in its eighth year since launch, unit sales of both hardware and software decreased significantly year-on-year,” Nintendo added.

Alongside the financials, Nintendo provided sales updates for its recently released games. Paper Mario Thousand-Year Door, released in May, sold 1.94 million units, Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD, released in June, sold 1.57 million units, and The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, released in September, “got off to a good start,” Nintendo said, with sales of 2.58 million units. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe continues to sell incredibly well, with another 2.31 million units. It’s now up to an eye-watering 64.27 million sold.

Looking to the future, Nintendo failed to say anything about the Switch 2, but did say it plans to continue to push the Switch.

“By continuing to convey the appeal of Nintendo Switch, we try to not only put one system in every home, but several in every home, or even one for every person,” Nintendo said. “Another objective is to continually release new offerings so more consumers keep playing Nintendo Switch even longer and we can maximize hardware sales.”

Upcoming Switch games include Mario & Luigi: Brothership later this week, and Donkey Kong Country Returns HD in January 2025.

Photo by Anusak Laowilas/NurPhoto via Getty Images.

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

Stardew Valley Creator Explains Why Chickens Are Disappearing in Patch 1.6 and Blames It on a Wild Coyote

Stardew Valley creator Eric “ConcernedApe” Barone finally brought update 1.6 to console and mobile devices today, but there’s one small issue – everyone’s chickens are going missing.

The developer warned players about the poultry disappearances in a post on X/Twitter. He says that those who start a new meadowlands farm and open their animal door on day one will find that their chickens are vanishing. It’s a public service announcement that let’s players know that there’s a small issue with update 1.6, and a fix is on the way. Until a follow-up patch arrives, ConcernedApe says players can blame their missing chickens on a sneaky coyote that only appears on day one.

It’s unclear when Stardew Valley will fix its missing chicken problem. In the meantime, update 1.6 brings a field of other changes and additions for those still digging into the massively popular, cozy farming sim. Following its arrival on PC this past March, the update dropped Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One today (you can see the full patch notes here), adding the ability to find lost items, use cheat commands on certain platforms, and more. ConcernedApe recommends players start a new farm to see everything update 1.6 has to offer, which is why it’s so important to make sure the word about that pesky coyote gets out there.

We gave Stardew Valley a 10/10 in our updated 2024 review, calling it a “modern classic with an endless list of enticing activities to complete and a deeply satisfying time management challenge to take on.” For more on ConcernedApe’s farming masterpiece, you can read about how the creator only just managed to nab the game’s hardest achievement last week.

Michael Cripe is a freelance contributor with IGN. He started writing in the industry in 2017 and is best known for his work at outlets such as The Pitch, The Escapist, OnlySP, and Gameranx.

Be sure to give him a follow on Twitter @MikeCripe.