Brian The Gameaholic's Blog

Brazil Judge Bans Video Game 'Bully'

2008-04-12T19:13:00.001-04:00

I thought that this article was pretty interesting, seeing that Bully has been out for some time and now they are just banning it. Must have been the scholarship edition that came out not too long ago.

By TALES AZZONI
SAO PAULO, Brazil (AP) — "Bully" has taken a beating in Brazil, where a judge suspended sales of the video game on the grounds it is too violent for young children and teenagers, a prosecutor said Thursday.
Judge Flavio Rabello prohibited the game from being imported, distributed, sold or promoted on Web sites or in stores in Latin America's largest nation, said Rio Grande do Sul state prosecutor Alcindo Bastos. Companies have 30 days to comply with the judge's order.
Bastos said the judge found the game was inappropriate for children.
"The aggravating factor is that everything in the game takes place inside a school," Bastos said. "That is not acceptable."
Made by Rockstar Games and mainly distributed in Brazil by JPF Maggazine, the game lets players act out the life of a 15-year-old student and decide how to deal with teachers and cliques at a boarding school.
A local youth support center had requested the ban.
"We have not been notified of the judge's decision," JPF Maggazine's attorney Diogo Dias Teixeira said. "When we are, we will decide if we will appeal."
He said the company advised retailers not to sell the game to anyone under the age of 18.
A spokesman for Rockstar was unaware of the ban and could not immediately comment Thursday.
Rockstar, a unit of New York-based Take-Two Interactive Software Inc., is known for "Manhunt 2," in which players fight violently to escape from a psychiatric institution, and for the popular "Grand Theft Auto" game series, in which players can hijack cars and run down pedestrians.
Bully is rated "T" for teenagers age 13 and older in the U.S., not of "M" for mature players 17 and older. It launched in October 2006 in the U.S. for Sony Corp.'s PlayStation 2 gaming console. In March, it became available for Microsoft Corp.'s Xbox 360 and Nintendo Co.'s Wii, according to the Rockstar Web site for the game.

Drakengard 1 & 2.

2008-04-08T19:41:00.002-04:00

Do you love RPG games? Do you love collecting what seems like limitless amounts of new weapons, each with their own devastating attacks? Throw a dragon in there for good measure and you have the Drakengard series. This game is nothing less than amazing despite low review scores. Produced by Square Enix (Final Fantasy Series) Drakengard delivers hours upon brutal hours of gameplay. Even if you beat the game, there are more endings than one, adding to the overall replay value. This is one game that lets you take out aggression on hundreds of enemies, either Dynasty Warriors style or by riding a dragon. I have played through each of the two games, but even after finding most of the weapons and viewing all of the endings, I still want to play more. If you need a cheap (under $20) game that will last you a long time, pick up either of these copies and thank me in the morning. Later.

Timesplitters 2.

2008-04-04T16:47:00.002-04:00

There isn't much to say about the first Timesplitters: I doubt that anyone has even played it. In 2002, TS 2 came along, earning game of the year. I suggest that anyone who owns a PS2 or Xbox pick up this game if they love an amazing first person shooter with challenges and amazing multiplayer games. I picked it up for around eight dollars at Gamestop and there were more than a few copies of it for each system. I think I played the game about 20 hours since I got it last week and that is after doing homework and taking 18 credits of courses a week. yes, it is that addictive. Go and see for yourself, not like it is going to cost that much if you don't like it, which I highly doubt.

Dynasty Warriors Franchise.

2008-03-31T13:47:00.003-04:00

Back in the day, Dynasty Warriors was the most amazing game you could play to kill an entire weekend either alone or with a friend. Playing as a Chinese warlord and taking down literally hundreds of enemies with brutal attacks was where the fun was at. The graphics may not have been the best thing out on the market, but it was still fun. Skip forward some years and only make minor tweaks to the game. I don't know what they were thinking, but people aren't going to buy essentially the same copy of a game over and over. Maybe if you added some new element like Tekken 5 did (the mini games and such) and maybe people would put down 50 bucks to get the copy. I picked up Dynasty Warriors 4 for 12 dollars just because I read reviews and did some research and found that it was the best out of all the games in my opinion. What do you think about the series as a whole? Do you have a favorite game in the series?

<3 Baragin Bin.

2008-03-26T21:27:00.002-04:00

I know I have told you that I love buying discount games from the mall, but today I really hit the jackpot. I picked up Timesplitters 2 for the PlayStation 2 for around the area of seven bucks, and Soldier of Fortune Gold Edition for 4 dollars. They are both fun games in my opinion, and you really cannot beat the price. Buying something like Halo 3 for 60 dollars is both fun and an investment at the same time, so I try to get older, acclaimed games for a lot less cash. Maybe that is just me or all of you out there just like to spend money like it is going out of style. Later.

Condemned 2: Bloodshot: Buy It.

2008-03-24T19:57:00.003-04:00

Seriously, this game is great if you are into the whole horror genre. The first installment of Condemned is great, and for 17 dollars, you get a lot for your money. The second game (if you played it) changes a few gameplay components, all of which seem to be working just fine. Grabbing enemies and launching them through TV's is satisfying, along with the fun little "fight club" the game has to train you into becoming a better player. i don't play online much, but from what I have heard, it is nothing special. Monolith did a great job with this game; and playing with the volume up and the lights down is scary and fun at the same time. I recommend it if you like scary games that rely more on your brains then gunplay, and if you like having nightmares. Later.

Going home.

2008-03-14T13:52:00.002-04:00

Finally, Spring break is here in all it's glory. I'm sorry but I cannot talk for long since I still haven't packed yet. I'll be back in a week and let you know how Condemned 2: Bloodshot works out. Hopefully I won't be so scared as to sleep with the lights on. later.

Lost Passwords.

2008-03-12T21:22:00.004-04:00

I'm sure everyone who looks at this site was all angry that I haven't been posting for a while. Well, blame that on my poor memory since it forgot the password to my blog. I tried to request another, but the password never got to me. It took me until last night to discover that they were all in my junk box. Oh well. Anyways, I'm still playing Bioshock like a fiend, and Condemned 2: Bloodshot came out today, but I think I'll hold off on that until I give the first Condemned another run through to get back in the scared zone. Check out the other web page I'm writing for: www.thatvideogameblog.com I do a lot there as well. Later.

Snow Day.

2008-02-22T20:38:00.003-05:00

Thank god, I really didn't want 4 classes today. Besides, I got a great chance to get in some quality hours on Bioshock, which is probably my favorite 360 title to date. It has everything, humor, great gun fights, and awesome powers that let me do some crazy things. If you are looking for some cheap, old school games and don't want to pay an arm and a leg on Ebay, check out www.shopgoodwill.com. I have seen some deals on there that are just insane. Old NES and SNES games for under $15.00. They were even selling an Atari 2600 in the box. It is like going to goodwill and finding something great for a really good price. Besides finding these electronic treasures, it is also helping a good cause. Start looking! Later.

P.S. I am now on www.thatvideogameblog.com . Do me a favor and check that out as well.

Getting Phyched Up.

2008-02-20T19:40:00.002-05:00

I finished the Darkness today after much rushing and running. Why rush you ask? I have Bioshock and I don't want that thing getting too dusty before I play it for the rest of eternity. I have this habit of not being able to just put down the game I am currently playing for another. I have no idea why, but I cannot switch tasks when I have already invested time into something else. Sure I missed a few fetch missions, but I can always go back and play the game again. I am going to need to because i have to pay for next and FINAL semester of college (about $3,200) by July. I have researched Bioshock, downloaded all of the extra content on Live, even read the whole booklet. I think that I am ready to finally open the box and witness what everyone has been talking about. Game of the year? I'll just have to wait and find out. Lets all just hope and pray that I dont break my wrist playing the hell out of this game tonight. Later

Auction Time.

2008-02-18T19:49:00.001-05:00

Since I was at home for the better part of the President's Day weekend, I didn't update at all. A couple of weeks ago, one of my friends found an auction site that sells the same things as Ebay, but for a fraction of the price. Shopgoodwill.com is the name of the website, and do they have some deals. Take these listings as an example. Atari 2600 STILL in the box, $14.00. Sega Game Gear, $15.00. NES and SNES games that I could only imagine having are priced under 20 dollars for a set of six or seven. Check it out, you will not be disappointed.

2008-02-11T23:13:00.000-05:00

Valentine's day is coming up, and I thougnt to myself Oh crap, another box of candy...woo-hoo. Luckily, my girlfriend is awesome and took me to Gamestop for my gifts. It was great; I got to pick out whatever I wanted, so I decided on a copy of NHL Hitz '03 for PS2 and The Darkness for 360. I tested out both games last night, which to my delight seem like a good buy so far. I better kick the crap out of them quickly because Bioshock is just waiting for me at home. Sadly, working and class are taking up 60 hours a week WITHOUT homework or RA stuff, so I gotta find some time to play. Later.

Bioshock...Finally

2008-02-06T22:41:00.000-05:00

Yeah, I finally took the plunge and got a great deal on a copy of Bioshock for only 28 bucks. It was used, but only played for two hours. I think that it still qualifies as brand new. Hopefully, I can find some time in my schedule to actually play the thing. I did a stupid thing though and had it sent to my house, which means I have to go home next weekend and get it. Luckily, it is a 4 day weekend, so it isn't that bad. These 16 hour days are killing me, but I can only think of the 18 credits and hundreds of dollars I am making by working three jobs. Gotaa love being busy. Not. Later.

Only Another Month.

2008-02-02T00:42:00.000-05:00

I'm pretty excited that I only have to wait until the end of this month to get my hands on a copy of Condemned 2: Bloodshot. There was so much that was not covered in the first game, like why everyone in the city went insane and why birds just die and rot in the streets and subway. The first game scared the hell out of me, and the producer Monolith said that this installment is going to make me crap my pants. Lovely. Good thing I'm not paying for electricity because I might be sleeping with the lights on. Anyways, a kid in my class who works at Gamestop let me know that some guy dropped off a garbage bag of games, like Paper Boy, Crono Trigger, and Final Fantasy 1 still in the box. So brian might be getting a good deal on Chrono Trigger and a used copy of Bioshock. Sick. Anyways, I think I have to lay down because I haven't slept much this week. Later.

The Last Remnant.

2008-01-28T20:37:00.000-05:00

Hey, I'm back...sorta, and with a preview of the game Last remnant for Ps3 and Xbox 360 coming out this fall (oh why did they have to push it back?) Since I am in the middle of working 6 hours, and on duty, ANNNDDD took 4 classes today, I think that I will concede my awesomeness to Wikipedia for their words on this fantastic game that you should all reserve when that actually comes available.

And Wikipedia says...The Last Remnant will feature a brand new battle system labelled by Hiroshi Takai (director) as a "Turn-burst, command-based system using symbol encounters." There will be no random encounters. It will also contain quick time events, sequences where the player must press a combination of buttons with a correct timing to defeat enemies. This system has appeared in other video games before The Last Remnant, for instance in Shenmue, Kingdom Hearts II and Final Fantasy VIII.
In addition to the main character, the player's team (called a "Union") is composed of a number of soldiers whose skills vary according to different parameters. One parameter is the "morale" bar, which is affected by the events in battle and affects the way characters perform in battle. Battles can involve up to 70 enemies at once and will be at the core of the gameplay. Nobuyuki Ueda has commented on the battle system, claiming that it is "much deeper than the few seconds it received in the movie".Additionally, a high number of quests are expected.

The main protagonist is an 18 year old swordsman named Rush Sykes, who is designed primarily for fans of traditional Japanese role-playing games. He is trying to rescue his sister, Irina who is kidnapped by a mysterious man. The siblings hail from the peaceful Eulam Village, but soon Rush finds himself involved in a global conflict centering around the Remnants. Both characters were designed to appear as part of a "normal" family that is sucked accidentally into an adventure that is far from normal.
Accompanying Rush is a 19 year old David Nassau, the young, authoritative Marquis of Athlum. He aims to gain independence from a nation called Celapaleis. Despite being of royalty, he joins the battlefield alongside Gae Bolg, a devastating cannon-shaped Remnant. He is described as calm and collected and is known to have a deep relationship with a female character with silver hair.
Another character shown in the new trailer is a battle scarred woman with silver hair and blue schemed character designing. Not much information other than knowing David Nassau is known.
Another character is an older man with long silver hair and crimson clothes, known simply as The Conqueror, and is designed to appeal to Western gamers. Many screen shots of him show him with blood splattered all over him which is thought, allegedly, to be the "blood of his victims". The Conqueror is a collector of remnants ; he is also linked to Rush, although the nature of this link is unknown.
An English actor who appeared in James Cameron film Titanic, Emmett James, voices the character Wilfred Hermeien, a politician and chairman of the congress.
Yusuke Naora has stated that many main characters have yet to be revealed, some of whom will be playable. Naora did already reveal that the scar-faced/grey-haired woman, who is named Emma, has a deep relationship with David.

Week From Hell.

2008-01-24T21:26:00.001-05:00

Getting up at 7 in the morning sucks. A lot. Taking 18 credits and working another 18 for the next 15 weeks is even worse to think about. Sadly, with all of that and my computer taking a nose-dive into Spyware territory, I have not been able to sleep let alone play video games. I just don't feel right without them. Kinda going through withdrawals. Let's just pray that I can find some spare time during the weekend to write about something interesting on here. Later.

Rock Band Rules.

2008-01-21T00:56:00.000-05:00

Sorry that I haven't been updating recently, but getting up for RA training at 730 in the morning and no Internet to speak of, it was a little difficult. So my girlfriend and I decided to go down to my friend's room and try out his new game Rock Band. It is amazing to say the least. It has such great artists like weezer, Nine inch Nails, and about 60 others. There is also something for everyone when it comes to playing an instrument. Of course there is guitar and bass, but if you get bored with that, there is drums (which does get some getting used to) or vocals which really show that you cannot be a singer at all. So if you have the $160 or so to shell out for all of this, you better do it. Later.

The Legend Continues.

2008-01-12T23:36:00.000-05:00

I got Gauntlet Legends in the mail today, which was surprising because I was not expecting it to come so fast from Washington state since I ordered three other Nintendo 64 games a week earlier that still have not come in. I popped it in, and for four dollars and change, it was worth every penny to get it off of E-Bay. For the same price, I couldn't even afford the gas to get to the casino, which I doubt still has the console version, or pay the $1,100 to get the actual coin operated game delivered to my house. Mass Effect still has a pretty good effect on me, but after seeing a six minute video review for Bioshock, I wish that I had both of them. Oh well, since school starts for me on the 16th, I doubt I'll have any time to play anything, sadly. RA training is nothing but a pain that cuts into my Xbox/Ps2/N64/Snes/girlfriend time (not always in that order). Oh well, might as well enjoy God of War II when I can. Later.

Moving On.

2008-01-07T23:13:00.000-05:00

After nine and a half hours of gameplay (or something like that) of God of War, I decided to move right onto the next installment. I really could not think of much to improve the first game, even though it was made almost two years ago. Before I began to play God of War II, I decided to brush the dust off of my Xbox 360 and play a little bit of Mass Effect. I was at the point where I was just running around, trying to solve everyone else's problems. Not too much fun. Finally, lots of fighting, killing, and getting new weapons came about. I can't even put the game down for more then a few hours at a time. If you haven't gotten Mass Effect and like games like Star Wars: Knights of The Old Republic, then you should really invest your money in it. later.

I Need This.

2008-01-04T00:59:00.000-05:00

My friend and I were talking about the days when we used to go to the Mohegan Sun casino arcade and spend a ton of cash on some awesome arcade games. There was this one game that involved skateboarding but we couldn't figure out what the hell the name of it was. He told me to find it, and of course, I came through that same night. It was Top Skater, one of the best games for a dollar a play. I found it on this website that is actually a warehouse for these dinosauric beasts. I thought they were going to be expensive, and they really are. Top skater (with the 50 inch screen) is sold for around $2,400, which doesn't include another $300 for shipping. We both agreed, if we were rich, we would have an entire basement full of these things. If someone out there really wants to make my day, they will send some donations and send Top Skater to Sterling. Pronto. Or Gauntlet Legends, even though I just got it on E-Bay for Nintendo 64 for .99 cents. Later.

New Year, New Games.

2008-01-02T21:25:00.000-05:00

If you are anything like me, you took some of that hard-earned Xmas cash and blew it on games. I picked up Pilotwings 64, Turok 2, and Ready to Rumble Boxing for Nintendo 64 for about $20 total with shipping. Not a bad deal. I think tonight I'm going to get into God of War since the double disk God of War II came in today. In the meantime, check out gamestop.com for some great games that are coming out soon, like Kingdom Under Fire: Circle of Doom and MLB '08. Later

Merry Xmas.

2007-12-26T21:31:00.000-05:00

Yeah, I had one of those. Why? Because I got Mass Effect for Xbox 360 and then took all those Wal Mart cards I got and bought God of War II. Maybe I should start playing the first one since I wrecked Tiger Woods PGA '08 in less than a month of playing. Let me know what you got, because I'm going back to play right now. Later.

The Duke Is Coming To Town.

2007-12-19T23:12:00.001-05:00

Yeah, you heard me. Duke Nukem, one of my personal heroes, is fianlly coming back in the form of PC. Read this review I found on IGN, it's worth it for any die-hard fans of the series. Later.

June 1, 2001 - Gamers everywhere know the name Duke Nukem. The alien-killing, girl-getting, cigar-smoking bad-ass is perhaps the most recognizable digital hero in the business. He has starred in his own series of video games across the PC and home platforms. Duke Nukem Forever is the latest in the long-running first-person shooter series and will arrive, according to series developer 3D Realms, "when it's done." For PC owners, it's looking more and more likely to ship in mid- to late 2002.
So what can players expect of Duke's next big offering? More of just about everything, to be sure. It's bigger, badder and, according to 3D Realms, all-around better than any other Nukem offering before. That's certainly a bold claim, as many of the Duke titles have impressed. The 1996 first-person shooter improved upon id Software's Doom with larger, interactive environments, truly unique weapons and gadgets and a careful balance of B-movie humor. If everything goes as planned, DNF will bring it all to the next level.
FeaturesWhile concrete details about the PC version of Duke Nukem Forever are still somewhat scarce, we've been able to put together the following facts.
A 3D first-person shooter starring everyone's favorite bad-ass Duke Nukem
Duke travels to the city of Las Vegas, Nevada, and surrounding areas to kick some alien ass
The hero must save the City of Sin from an evil cyborg determined to turn regular citizens into flesh-eating zombies
Nukem can use an arsenal of weapons including a rocket launcher, a shotgun, a pistol, an automatic, a sniper rifle and his own feet
Players can travel through large 3D environments with various vehicles including a motorcycle, a "Hummer," a jet ski, a donkey, a mine cart, and a jet fighter of some sort, among others
The game features extremely interactive environments allowing Duke to eat foods from vending machines, shoot holes through walls and glass, break through barriers and generally blow stuff up
An advanced 3D engine allows for real-time lighting effects, a spectacular particle system, facial animations and lip-synched speech, and more
Plus, and perhaps most importantly to the Nukem faithful -- a whole lot of blood, guts, cussing, one-liners and yes, even strippers
The StoryThe setting is Area 51 -- the mysterious military base located on the outskirts of Nevada. Duke's old nemesis Dr. Proton, a muscle-bound cyborg who stands almost eight-feet tall, has nuked parts of Las Vegas, gained control of Area 51 and stolen an alien spacecraft. The evil foe uses the extraterrestrial ship to contact aliens from around the universe and align them in his new army. He has also killed and reanimated various soldiers guarding the top-secret base to make them do his bidding. It's up to Duke Nukem to swing into action, take back Las Vegas, dispose of the evil aliens and zombie military guards, save the women and ultimately restore order to Nevada.
GameplayThe Duke series has never been about storyline so much as it has raw action and funny one-liners, so it's no surprise that it's here Duke Nukem Forever looks to excel. Players control Nukem as he travels through the underworld of Las Vegas killing alien pig-military -- the only characters to return from the older shooter -- as well as zombies, and other still-unknown otherworldly baddies. Duke is out only for himself -- and the women, which of course has always been a trademark of the franchise, and what makes it so special.
The real difference between Duke Nukem Forever and its granddaddy is the sheer scale of the first-person shooter. A look at the footage of the game in action shows a fully realized Las Vegas, Nevada, complete with stretching skyscrapers, flashing lights, signage, cars, and life -- all as far as the eye can see. Duke can, as in other games, explore the city as he desires, going in and out of buildings, through the streets, into the desert, inside Area 51, and more. Already it looks incomparably huge, and as 3D Realms has often been quick to point out, it's not even finished. Other areas featured include, of course, Area 51, as well as the Grand Canyon, Hoover Dam, the Vegas strip and parts of Arizona.
Aiding Duke in his adventures are several vehicles that the hero can now pilot. Duke'll drive a Harley Davidson through the streets of Vegas, roll through the city in the back of gang-car, soar through the skies in a jet fighter, or hobble slowly into the desert on a donkey. Each "vehicle" -- be it animal or jet ski, reacts in a complete different, realistic manner, and allows Nukem access to areas of the game otherwise inaccessible, or too time-consuming to access in another fashion.
While the first thing players are likely to notice is the grand scale of the worlds in DNF, 3D Realms has stated repeatedly that is trying to create a living, breathing environment that is fully interactive for the game. To that effect Duke can blow holes into walls, shatter out windows, blow up building areas, destroy doors and video cameras, obliterate internal objects and more. Furthermore, in keeping with the realism of exploring such gargantuan environments, Duke can also play pinball machines he encounters, buy food from vending machines, and fool around with other contraptions.
Of course, in any Duke game weaponry is integral and DNF is no different. In this all-new adventure Duke can take out foes with a truckload of new weapons including, but not limited to a pistol, automatic, sniper-rifle, rocket launcher, shotgun, laser-gun and his foot -- he can stomp on smaller enemies and splatter their guts onto the floor. Developer 3D Realms is keeping much of the arsenal in the title secret still, but players can look forward to a whole cast of new weapons and such gadgets as a jet-pack and laser trip-wire too.
Graphics and TechnologyDuke Nukem Forever runs on a modified version of the Unreal engine, which any first-person shooter fanatic will swear by. This has allowed 3D Realms much more freedom to realize truly realistic looking 3D environments on a grand scale. The engine effortlessly spits out polygons to draw city blocks that seemingly stretch forever with no loss in texture detail. Characters come to life with picturesque facial animations that are synched perfectly with speech, hair that swings as they bob their heads, eyes that follow gazes, and more. The particle effects system, meanwhile, boasts impressive explosion effects with shimmering fire, shattered glass, and blood spilt in every direction -- just like Duke fans want it. Add in real-time lighting effects, interactive environments, and a variation in locales unequaled in any other first-person shooter and you begin to see and understand why Duke Nukem Forever has been one of the most hotly anticipated titles over the last couple of years.
OutlookDuke Nukem Forever has been in development forever. But when 3D Realms finally delivers the product unto PC owners, the wait will most likely have been worth it. The title brings the tight play mechanics and super-cool theme and style of the Nukem series into the next-generation of 3D first-person shooters. In addition to shooting everything in sight dead, Duke can fly jets, float jet skis, control cars, ride donkeys, shoot out environments, interact with realistic sidekicks and enemies, and all with a visual finesse that's sure to inspire drool upon FPS fans.
The game will almost certainly hit PC mid-to-late next year. You can look for more information as we get closer to the release date.
-- Matt Cassamassina
E3 2001 UpdateMay 18, 2001
The newest game in Duke Nukem franchise, Duke Nukem: Forever seems like it has been in development for eons. We've waited forever like a starving Survivor contestant being lured with a crumb of food for a look at how the game actually played. We expected this E3 would finally be the time it would happen.
We were wrong.
3D Realms, who continues to say the game will be out "when it's done," only released a new video of the game at the show. But even that impressed us enough to leave us wanting more -- and hoping it will come soon.
The video starts out by showing us that this is the 10th anniversary of Duke; the first game in the series, Duke Nukem came out in 1991. It then goes on to show the 1996 hit Duke Nukem 3D, which got us all hooked on the franchise.
Finally, it fades to a prominent 2001 and then to a breathtaking cityscape of Las Vegas, from the air. As the camera pans around the city, showing casino after casino, we're finally treated to a little bit of Duke-ness.
We see Duke sporting bazookas and sniper rifles, riding on motorcycles, Jet-skis, trucks and helicopters.
We also see gorgeous explosions and freaky monsters -- octobrains from Duke Nukem 3D are back, but in fully rendered glory, but there's also new aliens that look mean and nasty, including a terminator-like creature. We also see hot chicks talking to Duke. What would a Duke game be without hotties, after all?
Planes whiz by casinos in Las Vegas, unleashing missles on the buildings and creating massive explosions.
In addition, the same level of interactivity as we saw in Duke Nukem 3D looks to be included in the new game. We see Duke pushing keypads to open doors, buying snacks from vending machines, and playing pinball.
Of course, the story sound awesome, too: At one point in the trailer, a general says, "It appears they have the President." We can only assume it will be Duke's job to get him back safely.
Near the end of the trailer, a character asks, "What are you gonna do? Save the world by yourself?"
Why yes. Yes, we are.
-- Mike Morrissey

Turok.

2007-12-12T21:51:00.000-05:00

NTHGTHCRTDTRK- That was the code that I memorized back when Turok came out for the Nintendo 64. All these years later, I still remember the damn thing. Coming in February is another Turok, but sadly it is not going to lack a plot or just running around shooting things. This game will hopefully be different. I watched a few videos on IGN.com, and I had to say the game looked great. Grabbing a baby dinosaur and slitting its throat with a giant knife kind of took me by surprise; I didn't imagine how graphic this game was going to be, but I do enjoy it. This Spring, I know two games that I am going to be picking up; this one (upon good reviews) and Condemned: Bloodshot. I know Condemned is going to be great already, but Turok is on the fence right now for me because there is not much information to go on. Later.

Insane.

2007-12-10T01:19:00.000-05:00

Let me start off with thanking God that I got all of my Christmas shopping done last Thursday. One thing less that I don't have to do. Anyways, when I was at the mall, I had to check out Gamestop. I was looking around, not for anything in particular, when I came across two games that were priced at very good levels. They were The Darkness for $26 and Condemned: Criminal Origins for only $17. I knew the Darkness was good, so I called a friend of mine to get me the rating for both of the games on IGN.com. They usually have some fair reviews on there so I knew that I could trust them. Darkness got a 7.8 and Condemned received an 8.7. I went with the obvious choice here...condemned. Anyways, I know a few kids with the Darkness so I know I could still check it out. All the cashier told me was, "This is probably the scariest game I have ever played." So I thought that was awesome and went home. I didn't play it until today because I knew I would need a good 3 hour commitment, but it was worth the wait. The game kind of feels like F.E.A.R. crossed with survivor in an urban setting. A guy framed you for murder, you need to go find him. Homeless people and crackheads all amped up on something come out and try to kill you and you can only defend yourself with a few things. Guns only have one clip, and I found myself using pipes, fire axes, and rebar to fend off these freaks. You don't fight many people, but the environment makes you feel like you can never rest because there might be another encounter soon. When all you have is a flashlight and hear things in front of you getting smashed along with some lovely grunting, it makes the game a great play. It's not that long, like ten levels, but for the plot alone, i would have payed $20 more. Sega made the game and it came out in 2005, but if you need a cheap game for the holidays, consider this one. Besides, what other game awards you for finding dead birds and metal plates? There you go. later.

P.S. I think I erased my Bully save, so I might be playing that this winter along with Tiger Woods '08.

GH 3 And Rock Band.

2007-12-05T19:54:00.001-05:00

In response to the question posted yesterday, I don't even know really where to start so here goes. The article about Rock Band was not written by me because the Bulletin never asked me to do it. If they asked me, I would have graciously accepted if they would have payed for Rock band. With a price tag of $175.00, it is doubtful that they would. Maybe if they see this and start SENDING me games, I could keep people more informed. Anyways, that's just a pipe dream. Besides, I am really more into action/RPG/shooting/fighting games. It is true that I like to play Guitar Hero, but I never got into it as much as Gears of War or Halo 3 for example.

I'm not slacking, just really busy with getting everything wrapped up for the semester and living my life. Guitar Hero 3 did indeed come out recently (Oct 28th) and Rock Band came out on November 20th. I think that the company who produced both of these titles didn't want buyers without a game for a long period of time, so they released GH3 (got an 8.7) to keep them busy before they almost "upgraded" to Rock Band (9.2) by adding drums, vocals, etc. Don't get me wrong, GH3 stands by itself with awesome songs and boss battles, but Rock Band just takes being a "rockstar" a little further by adding different elements of gameplay as not everyone just wants to play with a guitar. The most likely reason there was a month in between is that people don't want two great things at one time because they think they have to choose between the two. One now and one a month later is an excellent marketing decision on their part. I doubt anyone who is a fan of the series would pass over GH3 and wait for Rock Band. Just a thought. If I had kids of my own, I would say "either you get one or the other; or just buy the one I don't get yourself." Luckily I don't have kids, so this won't come up for me.

The Three Best.

2007-11-29T21:22:00.001-05:00

Out of all the games that are releasing this holiday season, in my opinion, there are three that just cannot be missed. Those three are Bioshock, Mass Effect, and Assassin's Creed. I couldn't really tell you about the other systems because I do not play them nearly as much as the Xbox 360. After reading all three reviews on a few different websites, I have come to the conclusion that Bioshock had the highest overall rating, followed by Mass Effect, and then Assassin's Creed following close behind. IGN had some pretty harsh reviews, with Bioshock getting a 9.2 and Assassin's Creed left with only a 7.5. Game Informer game Bioshock a 10, Mass Effect a 9.25, and Assassin's Creed with a 9.25. It just goes to show you that it all depends on the arguments of the person reviewing the game because they could give it the worst rating, but with nothing to back it up, that person loses all credibility. Bioshock won because there was virtually nothing wrong with it, and the sound is supposed to be amazing and lifelike with good replay value. Mass Effect is more of a longer game, but has a few drawbacks with the gameplay and the "exploration" of planets. Assassin's Creed is amazing in the beginning, but falters soon after because of a twist in the first five minutes of the game and repetitive actions throughout the rest of the title. All of these games are amazing, but I think that Bioshock is the one to buy. I have to go to work. Later.

Mass Effect. Buy It.

2007-11-27T01:22:00.000-05:00

Ah yes, I am back, fresh from a turkey coma. As soon as I came back, I have done nothing then write a bunch of papers that almost killed me, played Tiger Woods '08 for about 10 trillion hours, and drolled over the trailers of Mass Effect. Team Xbox gave the thing a 9.6, which means that game is going to be in my system before the year is over. Well, that and probably Assassin's Creed as well. Anyways, Mass Effect looks to be the game that an Xbox 360 owner is going to want for Xmas.

These are the same guys who brought you Star Wars : KOTOR, another great game that I still enjoy whenever I can. Apparently, the plot lines and writing for this game are insane; every single world has it's own back story and different environments so the fun keeps coming. Just like the commercial says, there are rewards and consequences for every action. You play as Commander Shepard and can choose to go help out a planet or blow them off like a weird prom date. I love games like this because there is always a reason to go back to it; the different choices one must make throughout the game are amazing and keep the replay value really high. Take my word for it; I am going to get this game and I think that you should too, it's a given.

<3 My Credit Card.

2007-11-20T11:53:00.000-05:00

I was bored last night, so I figured that I would look at all the awesome things that Bank of America offers. Sure, $1 equals 1 point, but I had almost 7,000 of them. No, that isn't really a lot, since buying an xbox 360 costs about 45,000 points. Luckily though, they did offer video games. There was Madden '08 on all systems, Need for Speed, and then Tiger Woods '08. I redeemed my points for Woods since that is one of the best games on the planet, even if you don't like golf. Now the only problem is waiting for the thing to come in and trying to free up my ridiculous schedule to play it. Oh well. I'm late for class, later.

Playing Catch Up

2007-11-11T23:14:00.001-05:00

Well, let me recap the last two weeks or so. That shouldn't take more then a few sentences. After watching the Red Sox own the Rockies, I hurt my arm. Yeah, that sucked a lot. I took a lot of pills and have to get an MRI done to make sure I don't need video game ending surgery. I think I would have to kill someone; not to mention I would have my right arm in a cast. I play Oblivion any chance that I can, and if you still haven't played this game, you should because its like 20 dollars for about 200 hours of fun. I bought Bioshock, but the guy on Ebay isn't around so I haven't paid him yet. I got it for $38 and I wish that he would send the damn thing already. I also bought Silent Hill DVD which is one of the better titles that came from a video game. Can't say that I liked the game too much but the movie is good. I also watched Bug; only see that if you liked the weirdest movie on the planet. That or Fido. Anyways, look for some more updates from me. There are a lot of games coming out VERY soon, so check back often. Later.

Sweep It Up.

2007-10-28T20:15:00.001-04:00

Seems like I'm talking more about the Red Sox than video games. Well if they sweep tonight, I'll have a lot of free time for playing more video games then I am right now. I'm really only playing Oblivion in my spare time now, but in November, Assassin's Creed comes out so maybe I'll have to check that out. Later.

All About The Sox.

2007-10-24T21:17:00.000-04:00

Yeah. I haven't been playing much of video games, maybe a little bit of Oblivion because it is so addictive, but rather it really is all about the Sox. I think that you can forgive me for not updating because I've been too busy watching the games and tossing back a few....root beers. Anyways, the game is on right now and I'm going to get back to that. If you're reading this, you should stop and go watch the game. later.

Retro Day.

2007-10-18T00:17:00.000-04:00

After playing about an hour of Gears of War, I figured that I really needed to dumb down my gaming. I am not knocking Gears in the least bit but I figured after borrowing an A/V cable from a resident downstairs that the SNES needed to be fired up. I really missed it after playing for a few minutes. Well, I'm gonna get back to that. Later.

Rampage.

2007-10-16T00:12:00.000-04:00

No wonder why my credit card bill is so high. I bought Mike Tyson's boxing on NES, then Vegas Stakes on SNES, and George Foreman's boxing on NES, and LEGO Star Wars on PS2. Add in my girlfriend's birthday and you have a hefty bill. To combat this, I am selling my Sidekick 2 on E-Bay, so you can help the cause and bid on that. I am going to go back and play Ping-pong (wait, another game I bought) on 360. One word to describe it...amazing. Later.

So Pissed.

2007-10-11T23:50:00.000-04:00

I get into an old school pawn shop today and pick up a couple of good games. I got Vegas Stakes (SNES) and George Foreman KO Boxing (NES) George Foreman is a good, fun, simple game, but I wanted to play Vegas Stakes. for all of you who don't know, it is a game where you do into Vegas with $1000 and have to get 100,000,000 to win the game. Along the way, people try to steal yuor cash and you find lost wallets etc... it's a great game. I go hook up the system and BAM! no A/V cable. So I can either wait or buy one on E-bay....choices, choices. Later

Lose Some Weight, Fatty!

2007-10-10T23:24:00.000-04:00

Hey, that is what the game wants you to do. Look at this article while I wait for ping pong on the 360 and Total Recall to work on my NES. Later.

It's irony, contradiction, and a paradox all in one: the very thing often blamed for helping to promote obesity among our nation's children is now being used as a tool to help overweight kids.
"The Incredible Adventures of the Amazing Food Detective" is a free online computer video game developed by HMO giant Kaiser Permanente and Scholastic to teach kids how to make better health choices, from food to activity.
"We've got about nine-million young people right now in this country who are overweight; 75 percent of them are going to be obese adults and they are going to be at high risk for diabetes, cancer, heart attack stroke and other chronic diseases. We need to get to them while their behaviors are being shaped," Ray Baxter of Kaiser Permanente said.
"There are eight characters, you pick a character and the food detective opens the case file and explains what the problem is: this child doesn't get enough calcium, this child exercises but eats too much. You go to the case and you help solve the problem. So for example, you might move protein foods out of the refrigerator and off the stove onto the young person's plate, or you might zap the food to reduce the portion size. Once you solve the problem that way, you then go to a series of mini-games, and the mini-games relate to the problem. You can also go to printed activities like recipes for healthy foods or logs to chart your exercise," Baxter said.
Back to the whole paradox thing – I'm sure some of you are asking the same question I initially asked which is, "What if some of the kids this game is targeting end of liking this game so much that they play it for hours on end?" Developers are way ahead of you.
WATCH THE VIDEO
Nutrition gameA new video game hopes to combat obestity by making healthy eating a mystery.
"It's got an automatic shutoff," Baxter said. "And at 20 minutes, you're told, 'Stop, time to go outside, get active. Go do 100 pushups; you can come back in sixty minutes and start again."
In fact, some more irony, while you're playing the game, you have to help a kid stuck in front of his computer playing too many games.
This is not the first title designed to teach kids about living a healthier lifestyle, though developers claim it's the first that's free and also available in Spanish.
So far it's been distributed, along with supporting books and pamphlets, to 5,000 schools around the nation.

Wrestling Is Boring.

2007-10-09T22:18:00.000-04:00

Read this if you like wrestling...if not, read a previous post. Later.

ATLANTA, Oct. 8 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- TNA Entertainment and Midway Home Entertainment, a subsidiary of Midway Games Inc. , a leading interactive entertainment software publisher and developer, today announced the world premiere of the TNA iMPACT! video game as part of Midway's title sponsorship for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling(TM)'s "Bound for Glory," taking place next weekend in Atlanta, Oct. 13-14.
"'Bound for Glory' promises to be the biggest wrestling event of the year, and the 'Bound for Glory Fan Interaction' is the perfect place for Midway to unveil the TNA iMPACT! video game," said Steve Allison, Midway chief marketing officer. "TNA and their superstars have been closely involved in the game's development, and we can't wait to deliver the authentic and cutting-edge TNA style of wrestling to gamers next spring."
As part of 'Bound for Glory,' Midway and TNA will feature the world premiere of the TNA iMPACT! video game, scheduled for release in spring 2008 for the Xbox 360(TM) video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation(R)3 computer entertainment system, Nintendo Wii(TM) and PlayStation 2, during the "TNA Bound for Glory Fan Interaction" on October 13, which puts the stars of TNA up close and personal with fans for a once in a lifetime experience.
As title sponsor for 'Bound for Glory,' Midway has been heavily featured in all promotional materials, including print and radio advertisements, posters and guerilla marketing tactics. A 30-second teaser trailer for Midway's TNA iMPACT! video game is currently being shown on TNA Today and in many advertisements leading up to the world-premiere unveiling of the game during the 'Bound for Glory Fan Interaction.' A "first look" is also scheduled as part of the pay-per-view telecast, and ring skirts will feature the TNA iMPACT! video game logo during Sunday night's matches.
About "Bound for Glory Fan Interaction"
On the eve of "Bound For Glory," the biggest Pay-Per-View event in TNA history, fans can meet their favorite superstars at the "Bound For Glory Fan Interaction" on Saturday, October 13 at the Busbee Center at Gwinnett Technical College (5150 Sugarloaf Parkway, Lawrenceville, Ga.). More than 40 TNA stars will come together for over four hours to sign autographs, take pictures with fans and much more. Got something to say to the superstars of TNA? This is your chance to be heard.
Scheduled to appear are: TNA World Heavyweight Champion Kurt Angle, "The Samoan Submission Machine" Samoa Joe, "The Instant Classic" Christian Cage, The Steiner Brothers, Abyss, Team 3D, "The Phenomenal A.J. Styles," Triple X, Raven, "Black Machismo" Jay Lethal, Tomko, "Wildcat" Chris Harris, The Latin American Xchange, "Cowboy" James Storm, Kazarian, Judas Mesias with James Mitchell, "Showtime" Eric Young, Voodoo Kin Mafia, Robert Roode, Miss Brooks, Ron "The Truth" Killings, Lance Hoyt, "The Canadian Destroyer" Petey Williams, "The Guru" Sonjay Dutt, Black Reign, Gail Kim, Jackie Moore, Christy Hemme, So Cal Val and more! The talent lineup is subject to change without notice
Tickets are now available for $40 at www.ShopTNA.com or $50 at the door (if available). Doors will open at 11 a.m. for ticket pickup and merchandise sales. The autograph signing will begin at 12 p.m. and end at 4 p.m. For more information, visit www.tnawrestling.com Don't miss the most talked about pro wrestling event of 2007 and the biggest night in TNA history, as "Bound For Glory" will be held live at The Arena at Gwinnett Center in Atlanta on October 14, airing exclusively on pay-per-view. Tickets for "Bound For Glory" are on sale now at all Ticketmaster locations or online at www.ticketmaster.com
About TNA Wrestling
TNA Wrestling delivers a distinct brand of high-risk, athletic entertainment, featured weekly on "Thursday Night iMPACT!" at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Spike TV. TNA features the innovative six-sided ring and the high-flying "X Division," as well as concept matches such as "Ultimate X," "King of the Mountain," and "Six Sides of Steel." TNA Entertainment, LLC is a privately held company headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee. For more information, visit www.tnawrestling.com.
About Midway
Midway Games Inc. , headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, with offices throughout the world, is a leading developer and publisher of interactive entertainment software for major videogame systems and personal computers. More information about Midway and its products can be found at www.midway.com.
TNA, TOTAL NONSTOP ACTION, and other TNA indicia used on or in this product are trademarks, copyrighted designs and other forms of intellectual property of TNA Entertainment, LLC and may not be used in whole or in part, without the prior written consent of TNA Entertainment, LLC.(C) 2005 TNA Entertainment, LLC. All rights reserved."PlayStation" and the "PS" Family, "PLAYSTATION" are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Xbox 360 and Xbox Live are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. Nintendo Wii and Nintendo DS are trademarks of Nintendo. (C) 2001 Nintendo. Nintendo Wii and the Wii logo are trademarks of Nintendo. (C) 2006 Nintendo. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Midway has provided the www.shoptna.com, www.tnawrestling.com and www.ticketmaster.com links solely as a convenience for you. Information on these sites has been prepared by third parties, and Midway does not monitor, endorse or accept responsibility for the content on non-Midway sites.
"This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 concerning future business conditions and the outlook for Midway Games Inc. (the "Company") based on currently available information that involves risks and uncertainties. The Company's actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements as a result of these risks and uncertainties, including, without limitation, the financial strength of the interactive entertainment industry, dependence on new product introductions and the ability to maintain the scheduling of such introductions, the current console platform transition and other technological changes, dependence on major platform manufacturers and other risks more fully described under "Item 1. Business - Risk Factors" in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2006, and in any more recent filings made by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Each forward-looking statement, including, without limitation, financial guidance, speaks only as of the date on which it is made, and Midway undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after the date on which it is made or to reflect the occurrence of anticipated or unanticipated events or circumstances, except as required by law."

Been Sick.

2007-10-08T15:31:00.000-04:00

Last week has been a trip to say the least. For the last week, I've been deathly sick, went to Frightfest, worked homecoming for my College, watched the Red Sox sweep, and slept for what seemed like days. For this week, I am going to try and update every night this week. Hopefully that will work. Anyone beat Halo 3 yet? I am just about at the end of the game, and it has not been disappointing at all. Right now, I have to go into work and check my Ebay because I am bidding on the Xbox 360 game of Table Tennis for something in the area of 4 dollars and Final Fantasy on 360 for 4 dollars. I'll let you know how it goes, later.

Bleeding Eyes.

2007-09-30T21:18:00.000-04:00

I did sit in line, and I did get the game. Yes, I got Halo 3 and played the damn thing for 2 hours straight until it felt like my eyes were bleeding. Maybe I should try blinking. It was worth the time, the money, and the wait. Granted, without an HD television, it doesn't look as good at is can be, but the new gameplay is amazing. I love being on a turret and then ripping it off to chase down the aliens that are trying to get away. I could go on about this game for hours; Bungie really got everything right with this third installment. If i were to change anything about this game, it would be the ability to change from first person to third person perspective on the fly. On a crappier note, the Red Sox are also making my eyes bleed. It's the Twins, damnit! A team named after something you give birth to! Can you even name someone good on the Twins? Thought not. Later.

One More Day.

2007-09-24T00:59:00.000-04:00

Just one more day Until life for males aged 16-24 will come to an end. Yes, halo 3 is coming out on Monday night at 12:00A.M. I got a call from Gamestop saying to be there BY 9P.M. BY 9....no. I am not going to sit outside of a store for three hours in the cold when I could be laying around. I called the store, they got about 4352364563457457356 preorders, so I can just pick it up the next day sometime. Anyways, Oblivion is consuming my life because there is just too much to do. The game is like crack; I get in a horrible mood if I don't play. So with that, I'm off to sleep to store energy for Tuesday. Later.

Dead.

2007-09-17T00:28:00.001-04:00

That's how I've been feeling lately. Whenever I get a great new game (like Oblivion, NHL Hitz '02, and MLB '07 The Show) I seem to never have enough time to play them because of all the work and school and duty hours that I am currently engaged in. One day this week, I am just going to OD on games...hopefully. I suggest everyone take a day off on Sept. 25th like I am going to do, if you don't know why, you are NOT a gamer. later.

I Cannot Wait.

2007-09-09T19:39:00.000-04:00

Sorry for the recent absence...I've been busting my ass lately because school just started and has been taking up 99% of my time. Now I got my new copy of Game Informer, and I saw some previews for Resident Evil 5. I thought after 4 of the same thing they would be done, but this one looks to be the best one ever. Check it out. Later.

"Produced by series veteran Jun Takeuchi, this next-generation follow-up to the terrifying series introduces the theme of escape as its core survival instinct. As Chris Redfield (former S.T.A.R.S. member and now part of the BSAA unit), your life is in danger as you strive to complete your most dangerous mission yet in a sweltering desert colony where a new breed of evil has been unleashed. Swarms of marauding evil beings will charge at you when your pulse is racing at a heart-shattering pace. Environments will play a bigger factor than ever here, using the power of next-gen systems to create a world where terror might lurk in any alcove or shadow. Powerful lighting effects overwhelm the player with mirage movement and blinding brilliance, and even in the light of day, there is no safe haven in this Resident Evil."

Training.

2007-08-22T17:40:00.000-04:00

It is that time of year again where I am so busy and will be gone for the next 2 days at camp, so I am just letting all my loyal fans know that my posts will be a lot more sporadic over the next week. Hopefully, everyone saw the previews for Bioshock and reserved it. That's all for now. Later.

Jezzball.

2007-08-14T16:21:00.000-04:00

This has got to be one of the most addicting games on the face of the earth. Download or play Jezzball here. The game is really simple, and the story behind it is enough to make anyone laugh. I stole thi spart off a website.

"The game begins in a large capture chamber with two Jezz atoms bouncing around. With a click of the mouse, you can build a new chamber wall and trap the Jezz atoms in a smaller space. But be careful, if you don't build your wall completely across the chamber before it's hit by a Jezz atom, it won't withstand the impact.Be forewarned, JezzBall is not just challenging and great fun, but also strangely soothing and satisfying. Once you start trapping atoms, you won't want to stop! The object of JezzBall is to trap Jezz atoms in the smallest possible chambers. You make the chambers smaller with the wallbuilder. Watch the Jezz atoms closely. The challenge is to gauge enough time to anchor your wall on both sides of the chamber before it is struck by an atom. If only one side of your wall anchors before being hit by an atom, a partial wall is left behind but the cost is one chamber life.You advance to the next level when the walls you build reduce the chamber by at least 75 percent. If you reduce the chamber more than 75 percent, you are awarded extra points. Each time you advance a level, an additional Jezz atom is placed in the chamber. The more atoms you work with, the higher your points. If the atoms are moving too fast, you can slow them down, but you'll only earn half as many points."

See if you can beat my score of just over 130,000 and let me know, but believe me, it's pretty hard to do. Later.

Good Deal.

2007-08-10T21:54:00.000-04:00

I'll make this quick. I'm selling my PSP ( I never play the damn thing) So if you want it, bid on ebay here. If you send me a message that you saw it on this site, I'll waive the shipping cost. It's in really good condition and since there are rumors of a new style of PSP coming out, might as well sell it while I can. Later.

Sigma.

2007-08-09T02:42:00.000-04:00

Well, to play this game for what it really is, I'd have to invest a ton of cash. I'd need a grand just for a good enough TV (LCD or something...Samsung of course) the game (about $55-$60) and a PS3, (another $500). Ouch. It is worth it though, as people are rating it over a 9 out of 10. I was thinking about this game recently, and I can compare it to a really hot girl (just listen). Even though she may be hard to get (the last two installments I played were IMPOSSIBLE to beat) you can't be mad because of just how amazing she is (how good the game looks) With a bunch of bone-crushing moves, new weapons and and stunning moves, plus another playable character, Ninja Gaiden Sigma looks like the ultimate game to play if you are willing to spend the dough to play it as the developers intended. One of these days, when I can actually afford all of these components, I will play Sigma for at least a week straight, only taking breaks to sleep and occasionally eat, even though I can do that last one while playing the game. Later.

Beowulf: My Dreams Have Come True.

2007-08-06T01:11:00.000-04:00

Ever since I was in High School, I loved reading about the adventures of Beowulf, probably just because of how much ass he kicked in a poem. Now so many years later, I was sitting on the toilet reading a new copy of Game Informer, when suddenly there was a preview for Beowulf. I literally crapped myself. When I read the review, I learned a few things. There will be lots of fighting in this game. Also, lot of blood. That was all I needed to hear to instantly buy this game when it comes out in November of this year. Plus, there is a movie coming out at about the same time (starring Anthony Hopkins) which should also be good. If you haven't read the story, Beowulf is insane. All he does is kill things and barely says any words. Apparently this game goes all the way from when Beowulf was really young to when he becomes king of all the people. This should be really interesting how they make this game because it is supposed to be an RPG and not all hack 'n' slash. So look for this game on next-gen consoles in November and the movie coming out at the same time. I'll be counting down the days until they both release. Until then, check this out. Later.

Boo-Yeah, PS2.

2007-07-30T00:33:00.001-04:00

Sony's PlayStation 2 accounted for 42 percent of video game console usage during June, and PC gamers played World of Warcraft more than four times as much as any other PC game, Nielsen reported today as it launched Nielsen GamePlay Metrics, the first service of its kind to electronically track video game console usage and games played on PCs.
68.1 million individuals used a video game console in June, playing an average of 7.5 days during the month. On the days they played, Xbox 360 users logged an average of 2.2 sessions, with an average session length of 61 minutes. In contrast, PlayStation 3 users' logged an average of 1.9 sessions, with an average session length of 83 minutes, on the days they played.

Losing Some Dough.

2007-07-22T23:25:00.000-04:00

Microsoft is really taking a hit with this one, maybe they should fire a few people and this kind of crap wouldn't happen to them. Or they could not sell the 360 for so much. I would have posted earlier, but a virus is kicking my ass so I pulled this off Gamespot's website. Later.

Last July, Robbie Bach, president of Microsoft's Entertainment and Devices division, promised that his department would be profitable during the company's 2008 fiscal year. However, he also warned that, like the years before it, the EDD--as the department is referred to in Microsoft's financial documentation--would suffer a loss during the software giant's 2007 fiscal year, which ended June 30.
Given Bach's warning, today's announcement that the EDD is still in the red didn't surprise anyone. For the year, the division suffered a $1.89 billion operating loss, a 47 percent increase from the $1.28 billion hit the division took the prior year. The shortfall came despite $6.08 billion in annual revenue, 28 percent above the $4.76 billion it took in the year prior.
Microsoft shipped--not sold--6.6 million 360s during its fiscal 2007, up from 5 million FY2006--when it wasn't on sale for nearly half the year. Its current installed base stands 11.6 million strong, the most of any of the latest crop of consoles. However, the company only shipped 0.7 million units in the April-June quarter, versus 1.8 million during the same period in 2006.
Besides decreased Xbox 360 console sales, the EDD's fourth quarter suffered a catastrophic blow when then-Corporate Vice President Peter Moore announced a three-year extension of the Xbox 360 manufacturer's warranty. Today, the company confirmed it took a $1.06 billion charge as a result of the unprecedented move, causing operating losses for the quarter to tally a massive $1.2 billion--a staggering 183 percent year-on-year increase. The company said the loss was lessened somewhat by "decreased Xbox 360 console manufacturing costs" and "increased Xbox accessories and video game sales."
Among the grim financial figures were a few nuggets of interesting news. Apparently the EDD is beefing up its staff, since the company's report says that "headcount-related costs increased 15 percent [for the year], driven by a 9 percent increase in headcount and an increase in salaries and benefits for existing headcount, partially offset by a decrease in stock-based compensation expense." The company also said that for the year "Zune, consumer hardware and software, and TV platforms revenue increased $539 million, or 65 percent."
But while Microsoft's game-industry efforts proved costly, they were more than made up for by the company's other businesses. Despite the $1.06 billion 360 warranty charge, the company saw a $3.04 billion net income on $13.37 billion in revenue during its fourth fiscal quarter, 11 percent higher than the same period in 2006. For the full fiscal year, the company saw $14.7 billion of net income on revenues of $51.12 billion, a 15 percent increase over the prior fiscal year.

Drawbacks and Problems.

2007-07-19T23:12:00.000-04:00

That seems to be my life as of the last few weeks. I started getting really heavy into MLB '06 over a friend's house, and when I found it for 14 bucks, I decided to pick it up and play a whole season...every game. That sounds easy enough, but my PS2 had to be a bastard. Not just a normal bastard in the sense. It would play older games like Devil May Cry or MLB Slugfest '04, but not The Show. It froze the game, and then told me I had a disk read error. I tried it on my friend's PS2...worked fine. I then went to Gamestop, traded in '06 for The Show '07 for like 15 bucks. I was content, but the SAME DAY I bought it, my PS2 went mental and ripped the game APART. It literally scratched it so badly that the game could never be played again. I was furious. I went back to Gamestop today and returned the game, but there were no other used copies so I had to upgrade to a new game for like 9 bucks more. I wasn't too happy. I thought since I was there, I might as well get a new PS2 while I am at it. Score. I got a 99 dollar used slim PS2 and a year warranty. Plus, the thing was silver. Very Nice. So I am horribly in debt now since I'm not getting payed for a while because my bosses suck, but at least I can play The Show again. Later.

Knew It Was Coming.

2007-07-16T23:39:00.000-04:00

I don't know why, but after I heard about the PS3 losing money on every unit they sold, it was just a matter of time before Sony noticed and cut off production. Later.

SANTA MONICA, Calif.--Today, the E3 Media & Business Summit wound down in Santa Monica, with at least one exhibitor having already packed up and left the show floor at Barker Hangar. However, this morning saw the biggest controversy of the show heat up, with a maelstrom of confusion surrounding the $499 price drop of the 60GB PS3, which was just announced Monday.
Last night, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe CEO David Reeves told GameSpot that the discounting was merely a markdown of a model which had been discontinued. Just hours later, his statements appeared to be contradicted by a senior Sony Computer Entertainment America spokesperson, who said that quotes from Reeves in the press were "not accurate."
"As announced this week, SCEA's product offering in North America consists of an 80GB PS3 available in August at $599 and a 60GB PS3 available now for $499," SCEA senior director of corporate communications Dave Karraker told GameSpot. "We have will have ample supplies of both models to meet the needs of our consumers for the foreseeable future."
At almost the same time, a television interview with the global head of Sony Computer Entertainment settled the matter once and for all. Speaking to Norwegian game-news outlet VGTV, SCEI president and group CEO Kaz Hirai said in no uncertain terms that the 60GB PS3's days are numbered.
"From a hardware perspective, the $499 price adjustment we did for the 60GB version for the American market, we're no longer in production for that product," he said in an unedited on-camera interview. "Once that product is gone from the retailer shelves, then we're back to a $599 SKU only, so it's not like we have a two-price strategy in the US market. We found out very early on how consumers react to having just one SKU as opposed to two."
SCEA has subsequently confirmed the phase out, but emphasized that it would be gradual. "The 60GB PS3 will be available in North America for $499 until supplies of that unit are depleted," Karraker told GameSpot in a follow-up interview. "We have ample inventory to meet the immediate needs of consumers in this territory for several months to come."
Karraker also responded to criticism that loudly promoting the new $499 price point while quietly discontinuing its production amounted to a bait and switch. "This is absolutely not a bait and switch," he said. "We are offering a full featured PS3 for $100 lower than the original price and will do so for months to come, allowing consumers the opportunity to acquire this model at this adjusted price."

Overlord.

2007-07-12T16:46:00.000-04:00

I'm sorry I didn't get to post earlier, but so much of my time is taken up by work or sleep that I only get to play like one game of MLB the show '06 (I'd recommend it if you like realistic sports games and don't want to pay 40 for '07). Anyways, I found this sweet review of Overlord when I had to watch some of the kids in "computer skills" class, so here you go. I have to say, the part I used...very well written by Ryan Davis of Gamespot. Later.

As the titular overlord, you begin the game having just been resurrected by your minions, and your dark kingdom is in shambles. Your dark tower is a ruinous mess, you've got but a handful of subservient followers, and the local villagers are cowering in fear of forces other than yourself. This simply will not do. Powerful practitioner of might and magic that you are, you could go the hands-on route in rebuilding your tower and crushing the wills of the peasants; but then, what's the point of being the overlord if you've got to do everything yourself?
This is why you have minions, the scampering, mischievous little gremlins that are the heart and soul of Overlord. Though the game presents itself as a third-person action RPG where you control the overlord, it's more of a real-time strategy game. Either way, it's a very good-looking game, with the kinds of soft lighting and quaint high-fantasy settings that characterized Fable, though once you get past the aesthetics, it proves to have more in common with Nintendo's Pikmin games for the GameCube. Though you can perform some basic magic and melee attacks as the overlord, it's your minions that will be doing all your heavy lifting. The control scheme for Overlord is a little unusual, since you'll be controlling the overlord's movement as well as the minions'. The PC version offers both mouse-and-keyboard and dual-analog gamepad control schemes, and they're both totally useable, but they've both got their fair share of quirks.
Thankfully, the minions are generally pretty smart. They'll follow you around diligently, and if you take a route that they're unable to follow you on, they'll either stop in their tracks rather than commit hara-kiri, or find an alternate route. You can control your minions' movement directly by sweeping them around using either the right analog stick or the mouse, depending on which control scheme you've chosen. Alternately, you can lock onto certain objects, or simply point in a general direction, and your minions will head over there and perform the appropriate action. If the object can be smashed, they'll smash it. If it's an enemy, they'll attack it. If it's something they can use, such as a weapon or a piece of armor, they'll equip it. If it's gold, or a potion that restores health or mana, they'll bring it back to you. You'll also find lots of quest-specific items that require a team of minions to carry to specific locations, as well as various path-blocking obstacles. You can also command your minions to stay in a specific position, effectively guarding it.
Death doesn't even seem to bother them too much--nor should it, since they're pretty easy to replace. Every time you kill something in Overlord, be it man or beast, it leaves behind a little piece of life essence, which you can collect and store. For every piece of life essence you have, you can summon another minion, though there's a limit to the number of minions you can have at your command at one time. Simply watching the minions carry out your will can be fun, because you get the sense that they really love their job. They scream and cackle gleefully as they latch onto an enemy, and they beam with pride when they return to you with found treasure. Though you'll hear many of the same exclamations from your minions over and over again, the voice work brings a lot of personality to your swarming horde, and to the game in general. Watching your minions wreak havoc can be so satisfying that it makes up for a lot of the problems that the game develops.
Overlord starts out strong, and the first few hours offer some light and easy fun as you sweep your horde of minions across the countryside, slaughtering sheep and peasants and pillaging anything that appears even remotely pillageable. There are some RPG trappings to the game, in that you can upgrade or buy new weapons and armor, learn new spells, and increase your capacity for health and mana, as well as the number of minions that you can control at once. Still, the story is pretty linear. You might have more than one quest available to you at a time, but usually you'll find that one of those quests cannot actually be started until you finish another quest. As the shadow you cast over the land continues to grow, you'll face halflings, elves, bloodthirsty unicorns, an undead horde, dwarves, and more. In addition to the all-purpose brown minions you start off with, you'll earn the ability to summon more specialized types of minions. Red minions are fire adept, green minions are impervious to poison and have some minor stealth abilities, and blue minions can travel through water, are strong against magical enemies, and can revive fallen minions.
The game takes its time introducing the different types of minions, and you'll be several hours into the game before the strategy elements of the game start getting complicated. The tightly designed environments of Overlord are very deliberate in their layout, often requiring you to direct a single type of minion. It's not difficult to alternate between controlling one type of minion and another when you're not under the gun, but there are certainly moments where it'll feel like you're struggling against the controls as you're juggling multiple groups of minions and trying to issue a series of specific commands. Luckily it's not hard to toggle the camera from a behind-the-back third-person perspective to a pulled-back overhead perspective, both of which prove useful in different situations. It's certainly satisfying when you're able to get past one of the game's involved boss fights, even if it's partially out of relief that you won't have to deal with that again.

Shut Up.

2007-07-08T23:34:00.000-04:00

I'm sorry, it has been a while since I have updated, mostly because of having to wake up at 630 in the morning for work and not getting back to my room until about midnight every day. Don't worry, since I have gotten into the rhythm of things and my computer is not riddled with viruses anymore, there will be many more posts on the way. As for the title, read below and you will see what I am getting at. Later.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Most video games are "boring" or too complicated, and game makers need to do more to appeal to casual players, according to the head of the world's largest video game publisher, Electronic Arts Inc.
"We're boring people to death and making games that are harder and harder to play," EA Chief Executive John Riccitiello told the Wall Street Journal in a story posted on its Web site on Sunday.
Riccitiello became CEO at EA in April in his return to the game maker. EA's former chief operating officer had left the company in 2004 to help found Elevation Partners, a media and entertainment buyout firm.
The video game executive criticized the industry for rolling out sequels to new games that add little from the previous version.
"For the most part, the industry has been rinse-and-repeat," he was quoted as saying. "There's been lots of product that looked like last year's product, that looked a lot like the year before."
The comments were made as the $30 billion video game industry prepares for its annual gathering, the Electronic Entertainment Expo, or E3, in Santa Monica, California. Anticipation is running high that cheaper hardware and a host of keenly awaited new games will fuel the strongest sales in years.

Load Of Crap.

2007-06-26T22:04:00.000-04:00

This is absolute garbage, aka censorship. Since a few countries and large companies already are going to ban the sales of Manhunt 2, supposedly due out in July, it is pretty much saying "hey, change it to mature and CENSOR your game." I'm sorry that people are morons and have their kids kill after playing violent video games, maybe it is because of the bad parent that shouldn't have been allowed to breed in the first place. So yeah, I doubt that Manhunt is going to sell, if at all, anywhere. Another thing. I heard on the radio that "video game addiction" is as addictive as alcohol and drugs now. I know...stupid. I feel like blowing up America at this point because of all these hippy laws and playing the blame game. Since I'll be going back to school tomorrow, I won't be updating for a few more days. later.

Call of Duty 3...Finally.

2007-06-20T23:22:00.000-04:00

After writing a review of this game a while ago, I decided to get it when I found a copy on Ebay for a price I could not refuse. I have the original copy and the 2nd installment on PC, so I decided to see how capable the 360 was at creating a WW2 shooter. For the most part, the game lived up to what I expected it to be, a fast-paced, fluid game that I could really get into. I really enjoy the graphics when I FINALLY get to drive vehicles instead of usually being in the shooter's position like the previous versions. There were some parts of the game that I thought could be improved though. Some of the squad actually blocks you in from fighting because of how they are positioned. A few times it has happened to me on stairs and I could not advance any further and had to kill someone of my own team to move. Too bad that brings me back to the previous checkpoint. Other then that and a few awkward motions by the other teammates in the squad, this is one solid game. Also, since it has been out for a while, the price has dropped by quite a bit (I picked up my copy for 20 dollars). If you are looking for a shooter on the 360, I highly recommend this game. Later.

Go To Hell, Cold.

2007-06-12T22:48:00.000-04:00

Yeah I am still sick, and it is really becoming a pain in the ass. Always wiping my nose on numerous things and people is apparently not appreciated. Anyways, I'm up at Cape Cod this week hanging out with friends and playing Tekken 4, which I picked up for around 10 bucks. My buddy picked up MLB the Show '06, which isn't bad, but I still enjoy beating the crap out of each other in Slugfest. I'd be typing a whole lot more, but this computer isn't mine and I really don't feel like infecting it with my germs anymore then I have to. That's all for now, later.

Happy 21st.

2007-06-10T22:04:00.001-04:00

Yesterday was indeed my 21st birthday, and I was not even close to being in the right state of mind to type something here, so I'm happy that I didn't. Besides that, I am still very sick with some kind of flu or virus, so even staring at this screen is making me nauseous. Anyways, After reading the last 2 month's issues of Game Informer, I have seen that there are many great looking games coming out (the Darkness, Call of Duty 4, Mass Effect) So look for some info on those coming up as soon as my fever breaks. Later.

Orange Box.

2007-06-07T20:46:00.000-04:00

Later this year, another Half Life game is going to be released, and by the looks of it, it might even be better then Half Life 2 (if that is even possible. Here is a few lines from a review in Gamespot. Enjoy.

"An early scene in the episode has you (playing as Gordon) waking up in the middle of a train wreck, trapped inside one of the cars. Thankfully, your companion and ally Alyx Vance is outside and is able to free you with use of the trusty gravity gun, which is able to manipulate and throw around large, physical objects. As soon as you emerge from the wreckage, you realize that you're no longer in City 17, the setting of Half-Life 2 and Episode One. Instead, you're surrounded by wilderness and forest--specifically, the White Forest. With City 17 and its Citadel destroyed, a giant dimensional portal has begun to form over the ruins of the city. That portal links to the Combine's alien home, and if it opens, the Combine will rush reinforcements to Earth, dooming humanity. Thankfully, one of the things that Alyx stole from the Citadel in Episode One are important Combine portal codes--but to be useful they must be delivered to the scientists, led by Dr. Eli Vance and the new character, Dr. Magnusson, in their secret lab. And to do that, you've got to get through the White Forest with Combine forces in pursuit. "

Saw The Video Game

2007-06-05T17:16:00.000-04:00

Personally, I would like to see how the movie into video game "saw" should be. Since the movies were so interesting and different from what the norm of horror movies is today, I bet that it will be a game for every one's collection.

Variety reports today that Brash Entertainment, the private equity-backed game publisher co-founded by Thomas Tull, the executive producer of the movie "300," has raised $400 million and will focus exclusively on games developed from movie, TV and music licenses. Company has projects in the works based on movies from five studios and has multigame deals with several of them. It's already working on a dozen movie-based titles, including one based on Lionsgate's "Saw" franchise and another, sources confirmed, based on "300." First games will come out this holiday season. While Brash is remaining tight-lipped about its initial release slate, one title will almost certainly be tied to "Saw 3."

Catch Up.

2007-06-03T21:01:00.000-04:00

I haven't been around much in the past few days; mostly because I'm out catching up with friends and going out to the beach house in Cape Cod to work on my tan. Anyways, I bought Dead Rising a little while ago, and to tell you the truth, the game has been pissing me off nonstop. No points around to save, getting killed every 20 seconds, and my 360 not being able to read disks when it is upright have been the main points of my frustration. That's why I have come to love my PS2, I can play a game and keep the thing on for a while, unlike my 360 which I fear will catch on fire if I play it for more then 2 hours at a time. So pissed right now. Later.

You Have Got To Be Kidding Me.

2007-05-29T14:09:00.000-04:00

One word: Yuck. Read on and you will know why.

In celebration of the 20th anniversary of the film's release, a video game is in development for the romance movie.
By Emma Boyes, GameSpot UK
Posted May 29, 2007 9:46 am PT
The media of games and movies have long crossed over into each other's worlds, producing unlikely synergies like the recently announced The Sims movie, the Street Fighter movie, and Wayne's World: The Game.
The latest film set to be coming to the world of video games will perhaps come as a surprise--Dirty Dancing: The Video Game has been announced by Codemasters Online Gaming. The title is in development for the PC only, and it's due for release in time for the holiday season and the movie's 20th anniversary.
The game, being developed by Say Design, is described as a "premium action puzzler casual game," and gamers will take on the role of the film's main character, Baby, and learn dancing steps from dance instructors Johnny and Penny.
Dirty Dancing was originally released in 1987, starring then little-known actors Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey. It tells the tale of 17-year-old Frances Houseman--nicknamed Baby--who, while on a summer vacation with her family, falls in love with dance instructor Johnny Castle. The film became a massive hit, along with the soundtrack, and catapulted Swayze and Grey into stardom.

Halo Shows Some Ass.

2007-05-27T16:43:00.000-04:00

I found this on Gamespot's website, so I figured that I'd share it with you. Later.

What we heard: On May 8, the debut of Halo 2 on the PC was supposed to herald in a new age of Vista-enabled gaming on Windows Live. But then its launch was pushed back to May 22 and then again on May 24, when the game was officially--and suddenly--delayed to May 31.
Today, though, rumors began to spread like an unchecked rash that Halo 2's postponement had a fleshy origin. According to numerous online reports, the Master Chief's Windows Vista debut was delayed because the build shipped to retailers contained partial nudity.
The reports about the Halo 2 nudity were confirmed by an unlikely source--Microsoft itself. Famously recalcitrant when it comes to rumors about its games, the software giant flat-out admitted that Halo 2 contained risqué content. "An unfortunate, obscure content error which includes partial nudity was included in our initial production of Halo 2 for Windows Vista," the company told GameSpot.
One thing Microsoft would not comment on was a nonobscured photo attributed to Halo 2 that showed an error message displaying a young Caucasian male's rear end to the camera. Photos of said derriere surfaced on various sites, including popular blog Kotaku (WARNING: ADULT CONTENT), all of which said it came from the the PC game.
Microsoft declined to address the photo, saying only that the nude image in question in Halo 2 could not be seen by those simply playing the game. However, the ESRB had no such qualms about describing the game's interior posterior. "The content in question, although likely to be inaccessible to the vast majority of users, displays a photograph of an individual showing his bare backside to the user when a particular error occurs," an ESRB spokesperson said.
The inclusion of said nudity has caused Halo 2's M for Mature rating to be tweaked by the Entertainment Software Rating Board. Now, the game's label must include the words "partial nudity," and all boxed copies must be relabeled--hence the delay. "As a result of updates to retail packaging, Halo 2 for Windows Vista will now ship from manufacturers on May 31," Microsoft said before apologizing for said delay. Microsoft also released a Halo 2 patch that will make the nude content totally unviewable, and anyone wishing to play the game online must auto-update the game with said patch.
Bogus or not bogus?:

If I Only Could Afford It.

2007-05-25T23:37:00.000-04:00

If I had the $600 to get a PS3, I think that this would be pretty cool. Later.TOKYO -- A free download upgrade for the Sony PlayStation 3 enhances the image quality of movies and old video games and allows people to check out stored video, music files and digital photos through the Internet with the handheld PlayStation Portable.
The upgrade, available for download worldwide yesterday, will improve the visual quality of PlayStation 2 games, as well as original PlayStation games, although it won't be quite as dazzling as the quality of PS3 games, Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. officials said.
The software will also work to adjust the image quality of movies so they will look much better on the PS3, which is equipped to deliver higher image quality through next-generation Blu-ray disc technology.
Up to now, people could use the PlayStation Portable to watch content stored in their PS3 through a wireless local area network.
With the upgrade, users will be able to use PlayStation Portables to check out music, photos and video stored in their PS3 machines at home, on the go, even from abroad, wherever there's an Internet connection. But they won't be able to play PS3 games on their portable console.
The PlayStation 3 has been losing the battle of next-generation video game consoles to Nintendo Co.'s Wii, which has surprisingly won over the elderly and other newcomers with a wandlike remote-control that can be used for fishing, tennis and other easy-to-play games.
The PS3 went on sale in November in Japan and the U.S., and in March in Europe.
Tokyo-based Sony Corp. shipped 5.5 million PS3 machines in the fiscal year through March 31, fewer than the six million the company had targeted. Nintendo shipped 5.84 million Wii machines worldwide during the same period.

Burned.

2007-05-24T23:15:00.000-04:00

Even all day at the beach can't stop me from updating for this entire week straight. Let's just keep this short so I can get some sleep and freeze my burns on my back. Dead Rising is ridiculous to play, and that will probably be my summer right there. I'm still playing that and Blitz: The League at least once a day also. I also got 2 month's worth of Game Informer in the mail today, so I have some delightful reading on the crapper tomorrow. Later.

Rocking It 80's Style.

2007-05-23T17:39:00.000-04:00

Only a couple of weeks ago, RedOctane announced that there will be yet another Guitar Hero for the Playstation 2. Officially named Guitar Hero: Rocks the 80's. It is going to be released June 4th of this year, and I can say that the lineup is indeed awesome. One of the songs is "Holy Diver" by Dio, and I can honestly say that song is one of the only ones that I am really going to play because it rocks so unbelievably hard. No news that it is going to release for the 360 as well though. On the opposite end of the spectrum, Flock of Seagulls is going to have their hit song "I Ran" Oops, I just threw up in my mouth a little bit. Right now, there are 13 songs that have been named that are on the game; it looks like the other 17 are going to be a secret until launch. If you love Guitar Hero (and Dio) you should get this game. My birthday is coming up in a few weeks, perhaps a loyal reader could get me a present for my 21st? I don't count on it. Later.

Hell Week.

2007-05-22T22:26:00.000-04:00

Yes, this last week of finals and having to check out every resident in a 300+ person building has been most taxing on me. Sadly, I have not been able to update because of those damn children and trying to pack up all of my things to head home. Luckily though, I am going for a STRAIGHT WEEK of updates (this Today to next Tuesday) of very awesome things going on such as the new guitar hero, my run in with Dead Rising plus many more, so stay tuned, loyal readers. Later.

P.S. I got a surround sound for my PS2 for free...it is pretty awesome.

Smashy Smashy.

2007-05-15T12:50:00.000-04:00

So on Sunday, I got angry. My one and only final (math) was the next day and I thought playing NHL '07 would calm me down. Turns out that it only made me more pissed off. I was playing with my third controller, the first being broken from how old it was, the second I had smashed in less then a week from buying it. The new one was working very well; I bought it in black, unlike the blue one that seemed to shatter so easily. To make a long story short, my player scored a goal on his own team, pretty much giving Griff the win . I threw that bastard as hard as I could at the ground, pieces flying everywhere. I then picked it up and twisted the controller, breaking it in half. Cheap piece of crap. I thought for 30 dollars, I could get something a little more durable, since I had dropped it before, causing the back piece to become off-centered and pinch me everytime I squeezed it. So yesterday, I bought a new controller for the third time, and hopefully it will last me more then a week since finals are over and everyone is moving out (thank God). later.

All Over The Place.

2007-05-12T22:05:00.000-04:00

The last few days, it seems like I haven't been in my room nor near the computer at all. Lots of random things come up (Canada for example) and leaves me limited time to do this. During the course of this week though, I have come across a bunch of really cheap games. MLB Slugfest 2003 and 2004 are now in my possession for 4 dollars a piece, and NFL Blitz and Blitz the league for just about nothing as well. After this week is over, I should be home and away from school work for a while, so expect me to be updating just about every day instead of this whenever I find myself in my room kind of garbage. Later.

Neeson Comes To Regulate.

2007-05-08T19:04:00.000-04:00

Pulled this off of a random website, enjoy!

Liam Neeson, star of Schindler's List and Rob Roy, has been brought on to voice a major character in the new role-playing game, Fallout 3, to be published by Bethesda Softworks. The popular franchise will find Liam Neeson voicing the player's father and is expected to come out for PC and next-generation consoles. No specific platforms for Fallout 3 have been announced and no release date has been confirmed. Bethesda acquired the rights for Fallout 3 from Interplay.
According to Reuters, Fallout 3 will be set in a violent postapocalyptic world filled with mutants, radiation, and gang warfare. The Fallout games have been very popular PC games for years and had a version on Playstation 2 and XBox called Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel.
Bethesda has made headlines for the very successful Oblivion: The Elder Scrolls IV, a game that was huge on XBox 360 and PC since last fall and recently shipped for Playstation 3. That game, Oblivion: The Elder Scrolls IV, featured voice work from Patrick Stewart, Lynda Carter, Sean Bean, and Terence Stamp.
The Liam Neeson character in Fallout 3 isn't just a "for hire" gig because the character in the game was actually written with the actor in mind and, according to Reuters, provides the dramatic foundation for the entire Fallout 3 experience. Liam Neeson said, "It's been a pleasure bringing the father to life and working with the wonderfully talented people at Bethesda on Fallout 3. I hope the fans of the franchise and the game will be excited by the results."
This isn't the first time that Liam Neeson has worked on a game, going behind the mic for Electronic Arts and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment for his character in Batman Begins. That game featured the likeness of Liam Neeson and his voice acting, along with the majority of the cast from the Christopher Nolan film. Bethesda also recently worked with Johnny Depp on an original game that shipped last year called Pirates of the Caribbean: The Legend of Jack Sparrow.
Liam Neeson has been acting in film for three decades now, starring in Excalibur and Krull in his early career, but his breakthrough was Darkman in 1990. Since then, Liam Neeson has appeared in Under Suspicion, Husbands and Wives, Leap of Faith, Schindler's List. Nell, Rob Roy, Michael Collins, Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace, The Haunting, Gangs of New York, Love Actually, Kinsey, Kingdom of Heaven, Batman Begins, Seraphim Falls, and The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Liam Neeson is currently working on that smash film's follow-up, Prince Caspian, and Taken with Lost's Maggie Grace. Liam Neeson will then play the lead in Steven Spielberg's Lincoln.

Ratings Mean Nothing.

2007-05-05T20:46:00.000-04:00

Let's face it, the ratings given out by the ESRB really don't mean anything to a kid; they are going to get the game if it has a mature warning on it or not. It's not like E-bay checks these kinds of things, and with younger and younger kids having cell phones and bank accounts, no matter what congress does it is not going to take the games out of their hands. The most effective tactic is probably having adults watch their kids play and comment like "you know you can't really kill hookers in real life" or "if you did something like that, your ass would be in jail for a long time." Since I don't really plan on ever having kids, I doubt this really applies to me, but some parents are completely clueless. I leave you with this comment. While seeing that 60% of parents 'never' let their kids play mature rated video games, I just wonder why the word never is in quotations. Maybe it is because the other 40% of the parents let their kids play mature video games and they go over there to play them. Not like these stats are really accurate anyways. later.

NEW YORK, May 4 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- National research shows that parents are increasingly becoming more restrictive when it comes to limiting the video games their children play according to a study commissioned by the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB). The study found that 6 in 10 parents (60%) with children under 18 "never" allow their children to play games rated M for Mature, while 34% only do so "sometimes" -- one of several findings that is consistent with those reported recently by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC)(1). Moreover, parents of children under the age of 13 are twice as likely as those with children 13 and older to "never" allow them to play M-rated games. The ESRB study was conducted by Peter D. Hart Research Associates in early April, and surveyed over 500 parents who have purchased a computer or video game in the last six months and have children age 3 to 17 that play video games.
Nearly 90% of American parents with children who play video games are aware of the ESRB ratings, and 85% use them regularly when buying games for their families -- both of which increased from the same study conducted last year (see historical chart). In fact, 3 in 4 parents (73%) reported checking the ESRB rating "every time" before deciding whether to purchase or rent a game for their child, an increase of 10 percentage points over last year.
"It's extremely encouraging that the vast majority of parents are involved and informed when it comes to choosing which games are appropriate for their families," said ESRB president Patricia Vance. "The ratings continue to be a very important, if not the most important tool to help parents make an informed decision, and it's clear that parents are using and relying on them in growing numbers."
"Awareness and use of the ratings is clearly continuing to rise to considerably high levels, still showing steady growth from where they were just a few years ago," said Jay Campbell of Peter D. Hart Research Associates. "What is quite telling is that the number of parents who say they 'never' allow their children to play M-rated games rose as those who 'sometimes' do declined. This suggests that parents are becoming more assertive in using the ratings to set and enforce restrictions with respect to the games they allow their children to play." Among the study's other findings:
-- 87% of parents find it "very important" to be able to monitor and
regulate what their children watch, read and play
-- 90% of parents surveyed said that the ratings are "very" (55%) to
"somewhat" (35%) helpful in helping them buy and rent games they deem
appropriate for their children
-- 91% say the ESRB ratings are the "most important" (17%), a "very
important" (52%), or a "somewhat important" (22%) consideration when
selecting games
-- Other than ESRB ratings, parents turn to packaging (31%), other parents
(29%), or their children (21%) as the top three sources of information
about games
-- 83% said that they would consider parental control settings to be
"very" (53%) to "somewhat" (30%) helpful in allowing them to control
the games their kids play
The ESRB rating system includes six age-based rating categories: EC (Early Childhood) for ages 3+; E (Everyone) for ages 6+; E10+ (Everyone 10 and older); T (Teen) for ages 13+; M (Mature) for ages 17+; and AO (Adults Only) which indicates that the game should only be played by adults age 18 and older. The rating is found on the front of virtually every game sold at retail in the U.S. The rating system also includes over 30 content descriptors, found next to the rating on the back of game packages, which describe content in the game that may be of interest or concern to parents or may have triggered a rating category, including violence, sexual content, language, use or depiction of controlled substances, and gambling.
About Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB)
The ESRB is a non-profit, self-regulatory body established in 1994 by the Entertainment Software Association (ESA). ESRB independently assigns computer and video game content ratings, enforces advertising guidelines, and helps ensure responsible online privacy practices for the interactive entertainment software industry.

Spiderman 3

2007-05-03T12:18:00.000-04:00

I cannot say that I am a fan of this series, but this installment of Spiderman does indeed look promising. It is the same thing with the movie as well; crazy effects, and it seems like he does get the chick in the end.

I found this little article about having a midnight sale for the video game that is coming up very soon. Speaking of reserving games, I got my reservation for Halo 3 finally. Later.

GRAPEVINE, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--GameStop Corp. (NYSE:GME), the world's largest video game and entertainment software retailer, today announced that it will host midnight openings at over 300 of its U.S. GameStop and EB Games locations on May 4, 2007, to celebrate the much-anticipated release of Activision’s SPIDER-MAN 3 video game.
Spider-Man has been weaving his web throughout Manhattan for Spider-Man Week and now he will be landing at GameStop and EB Games stores nationwide. Based on the feature film, SPIDER-MAN 3, the newest game allows players to experience the actions of the heroic red-suit character and, for the first time ever, his mysterious black-suited persona.
Customers are encouraged to contact their local store to confirm participation.
To find a store near you, log on to http://www.gamestop.com/ or http://www.ebgames.com/, and search using the 'Store Locator' option.

I don't think so Shakespeare.

2007-04-29T13:18:00.000-04:00

After working for 12 hours yesterday at the front desk and another 4 today, I decided just to find something that I thought would be so stupid if it was put into a video game, so here you have it...Shakespeare. Let's keep the games away from school work, or there won't be any need to play them.

TORONTO - Children typically spend hours in front of a computer so a Canadian university has decided to introduce them to Shakespeare with a video game.
While zapping enemy spaceships players have to help recover the stolen text of Romeo and Juliet by memorizing lines from the famous play, learning facts about Shakespeare's life and devising synonyms and homonyms for parts of the text.
"The game is a way to capitalize on the time that kids spend on computers," said Professor Daniel Fischlin who headed the team at the University of Guelph in Ontario that developed the game called Speare.
"I don't know of another medium that has seven-year-olds spouting Shakespeare," Fischlin added in response to charges the game might trivialize learning.
The game was launched earlier this week to coincide with the anniversary of Shakespeare's death after two years and C$50,000 (NZ$60,000) spent developing it.
Fischlin, who tested it on more than 100 grade 6 students, plans to publish his findings in an academic journal. The game is currently available online from a company set up by the university.

Some Good And Bad.

2007-04-26T23:37:00.000-04:00

In the last few days, some good things have happened in my little world of video games, and some not so good. Last night, I found 2 PS@ games, NHL Hitz and MLB Slugfest both 2003, for $1.50 a piece on Ebay. What a steal. As Griffin, another Resident Assistant, and I were playing NHL '07, my left analog stick went a little insane and sticks off to one side now. To say the least, I was pissed because now I can't play any more Gran Turismo 4 (So close to getting my super licence). So there you have it, a little good and a little bad. Goodnight.

So Sorry.

2007-04-24T20:20:00.000-04:00

It has been one thing this week, insane. I have so much work all of a sudden that I find no time for sleep, let alone playing video games. Hopefully, I'll have something for you tomorrow. Until then, enjoy this picture.

Playing The Blame Game.

2007-04-20T19:36:00.000-04:00

I found this article very interesting, and the person who wrote this seems to have a good insight about video games and is NOT all about trying to blame someone or something for what happened at Virginia Tech.

The Video Game Violence Myth
by Josh Lovison, Friday, Apr 20, 2007 2:16 PM ET
This past Monday bore witness to a horrific event, when a Virginia Tech student killed more than 30 other students and professors. Such a massive and sudden loss of life in a setting intended to be one of safety and growth is absolutely worthy of personal reflection and sorrow. Unfortunately, this tragic event, like others in the past, has also been seen as a prime opportunity for politicization.
There are a number of reasons for this politicization. For some, it might be a desire to understand why such an event could have occurred. For others, it might be a desire to prevent such an event from occurring in the future. For still others, it might just be a desire to seek the spotlight. Or perhaps a combination of all three. Regardless of the motivations, the rhetoric seems to stay the same: a call for greater gun control; questions why the signs weren't caught before it was too late; an examination of the quality of parenting; and of course, claims that violent media -- specifically video games -- might have influenced the shooter.
The other issues I can't speak to, and they are better discussed in another forum. But I would like to take a moment to address the violent video game claim, and to better illustrate it, I will talk about moths. Moths are generally considered to be a bad thing. When I see moths, I always see them fluttering around light bulbs. Obviously, light bulbs cause moths, and as a result, we clearly need to enact legislation clamping down on the interior lighting industry if we want to curb the moth problem.
Hopefully the logical fallacy is clear, and no one will throw out their light bulbs. My point is that correlation does not equate cause. A far more likely scenario than playing video games causing mass killers is that someone so obsessed with violence and death would seek out any media that relates to it -- like a moth to a flame.
The problem is, millions of normal, well-adjusted individuals play and enjoy video games. They play when bored and when stressed; they even organize social events around games. And they really don't like being compared to individuals responsible for heinous acts, solely on a common form of recreation. In fact, according to an FBI report on school shooters, potential shooters focus not on enjoyment of the game itself, but primarily on a constant exposure to violent stimuli (page 20), whether video games, movies, literature, or torturing the neighborhood cat. It's also worth noting that in the entire 52-page report video games are mentioned exactly once.
Only hours after the events on Monday, before the identity of the shooter was even known, video games were being mentioned as the primary influencing factor behind the shootings. From Fox News, to Jack Thompson -- the systematic rabble rouser on the topic -- to Dr. Phil, all levied charges against video games. And I'd be willing to wager that in the near future there will be some government figure pointing a finger and pushing for a bill regulating this "threat."
On a final note, I find it interesting that mainstream news so willingly provides a pedestal for condemnation of video games as desensitizing agents, when so many games are firmly based in fantasy. In fact, there may be more common means of desensitization -- something like, oh, broadcasting a video of shots being fired and presumably ending the lives of college students, and then immediately staging "debates" over blame; or shoving mikes in the faces of shaken students who just walked out of a classroom where only 12% survived, and then intermixing between this "content" commercial messaging. Perhaps before being so quick to examine others, those in the mainstream should spend some time introspectively. Besides, it seems some quiet introspection is a more appropriate activity after these unfortunate events, anyhow.

Hockey Season.

2007-04-18T16:37:00.001-04:00

With the hockey season going into full swing because of the playoffs, I really got caught up in watching the sport, even if it isn't that exciting. One of my fellow Resident Assistants, Griffin, is a real hockey buff and has all the NHL games on PlayStation 2. We decided to sit down and play a few games. Of course I was killed because he is really good at the game, but it was certainly a lot of fun for someone who really has no background in the sport. I actually ended up beating him last night for the first time( He was the Blues, I was the Hurricanes) and fighting is probably one of the most fun things about this game. So here is one fun thing you can do. Go to Gamestop, pick up a copy of NHL '07 for 10 dollars, and play the playoffs with the teams that are playing right now and see if you can alter the future. Then we could all call you God for a second. Later.

Damn The Alarms.

2007-04-15T20:11:00.000-04:00

I was all set to write a post, but as soon as I started typing, the fire alarm went off. So I slept in and decided to write it today. I don't really remember what I was going to post about, but I knew it had something to do with how addicting Resident Evil 4 is. I would flip coins to see if I should go to class or play this game. I'm on 'separate ways' mission and almost complete. I can honestly say this has been one of the best games I have ever played on Playstation 2. Hopefully by week's end, I'll be deep into Gran Turismo 3 or 4 or Gungrave. I guess we'll just have to see if RE 4's grip is still as tight then as it is now. Later.

More Stats.

2007-04-12T16:02:00.000-04:00

Finally, they see how much $ is being brought in.

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) acknowledged the video game industry’s leadership in its self-regulatory programs that provide parents the tools they need to make the best video game purchasing and rental choices for their families the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) said today.
In its fifth report since 2000 on entertainment industry marketing and advertising practices, the FTC stated that the video game rating system is a “useful and important tool” for parents, retailers have made “substantial improvement” in limiting sales of Mature-rated games to minors, and its support for “private sector initiatives by [the video game] industry and individual companies.”
“We’re pleased that the FTC has acknowledged what we in the industry have long known: the best way to help parents are industry led, self-regulatory efforts that can provide them information they need,” said Carolyn Rauch, senior vice president of the ESA, the trade group that represents U.S. computer and video game publishers.
The video game industry’s work to help parents and caregivers has several important components. The first is the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB), which is an independent body that rates computer and video games. The FTC said today that the ESRB is a “useful and important tool that parents increasingly use to help them make informed decisions about games for their children.” Second, the industry also provides caregivers built-in, password-protected parental controls that limit which types of video games can be played in all new game consoles. Additionally, the industry also strongly encourages retailers to continue enforcement of policies against selling M-rated games to minors.
The FTC commented in its conclusion that it “will also continue to work with industry and others to encourage efforts to provide parents with the information they need to decide which products are appropriate for their children.” In response, the ESA’s Rauch said, “We share that goal and look forward to continuing our efforts to establish public/private partnerships that can aid parents.”
Other key FTC findings include:
-- Awareness levels of the ESRB system have risen significantly since the 2000 survey. Nearly nine in ten parents (87%) and 75% of children said they are aware that the game rating system exists (compared to 61% of parents and 73% of children reported in 2000). More than eight in ten parents say they are aware of and at least slightly familiar with the system.
-- Ninety-four percent of parents said the ESRB ratings are easy to understand, up from 77% in 2000, and 87% are either very or somewhat satisfied with the ESRB system, up from 76% in 2000.
-- Parental involvement with the purchase or rental of games is up to 89% from 84% in 2000.
-- The number of parents who restrict the games their children play is up to 85% from 69% in 2000.
-- “Video game retailers substantially improved their enforcement of policies prohibiting children under 17 from purchasing M-rated games without parental permission.” According to the FTC, this is “a statistically significant improvement” from the 2003 survey and is similar to the theater owners’ enforcement rate, which is considered the gold standard.
“It’s our hope that these positive findings on our industry’s self-regulatory practices are a reminder to legislators that the most effective way to protect children from mature content is not legislation that has been repeatedly declared unconstitutional by the courts,” continued Rauch. “We once again offer to work with any elected officials, as we have done across the country, in a collaborative way to maintain high levels of awareness and usage of not only the ESRB ratings but also parental controls,” she concluded.
The ESA is the U.S. association dedicated to serving the business and public affairs needs of the companies publishing interactive games for video game consoles, handheld devices, personal computers, and the Internet. ESA members collectively account for more than 90% of the $7 billion in entertainment software sales in the U.S. in 2006, and billions more in export sales of entertainment software. For more information about the ESA, please visit www.theESA.com .

Halo News.

2007-04-10T21:39:00.000-04:00

Sorry for not posting yesterday, but after a rough pain filled night of no sleep, I have some Halo news for you. Enjoy!

Just Doing My Thing.

2007-04-07T16:23:00.000-04:00

Today has been boring, for lack of a better word. Everyone is home for Easter break, while I am stuck here because I'm working the entire weekend. It isn't a really bad thing, there is just no one here. So in working from 10p.m. to 2.a.m, I decided to bring down Resident Evil 4 and just have some fun with that on the big screen television they have at the office. It was fun for 4 hours to be paid and play Playstation 2. I also picked up Gungrave, which didn't seem to receive high Marks because of how short it is. Like I care about that. All the readers gave it MUCH higher marks, so I guess I'll just have to see for myself. Later.

Hooked On The Evil.

2007-04-05T23:55:00.000-04:00

After finally beating Yakuza, I moved onto another game that has been sitting on my shelf for way too long. Resident Evil 4 is definitely a breath of fresh air; setting itself apart from the previous three. Right from the beginning, this game took me for a crazy roller coaster ride with so many twists and turns, I had no idea what to expect next. I have only beaten a little bit of it in 6 hours since I have this problem of going slow and trying to do everything at once. Everyone I talked to about this game called it amazing and every time I get a little further, the comments they made ring more true. If you haven't picked up this game, there might be something wrong with you. It's on the best seller's list, so it is cheap even brand new. I'll let you know how it turns out. Later.

360 Elite.

2007-04-03T22:02:00.000-04:00

Now I see that I caved in a little too early, because after talks of an Xbox 360 Elite, I really would have gladly given out a littlemore cash for this piece of hardware. These are some "facts"(the word being used lightly) that I managed to find, along with some pics.

The Elite will be limited quantities only; that may be as much or as little as a couple hundred thousand.
The case, controller, and Live headset will all be black. It will have all new packaging.
Elite will cost $479, and will be a 3rd SKU; it will be sold alongside Premium and Core packs.
Eventually Elite hardware (in white plastics) will take the role of the Xbox Premium. That is to say, after the Elite is launched and sold out, future Xbox Premiums will have 120GB / HDMI.
We do not yet know exactly when 120GB / HDMI will become the standard for Premium, but it is loosely estimated to be late summer or fall.
Elite models run cooler than normal 360s, but they are not yet confirmed to have 65nm chips.
Prices may remain the same with the 120GB / HDMI hardware upgrade in the Premium Xbox, but we may still see a price cut on the line when 65nm chips start shipping.
The HD DVD drive will not be internal or bundled -- Microsoft never did or nor does not currently have plans to put an HD DVD drive in the 360.
There are no current plans to integrate WiFi into the Elite or future Premiums (although that can always change).

Gone Divin'.

2007-04-01T22:23:00.000-04:00

I decided to go to the mall to see what new games there were for my 360. I really didn't see anything that is worth 50 dollars or so (mainly because I already have all the good ones) so I started hunting in the bargain bin (all those games that are like 10 dollars and under) I first found MDK 2: Armageddon, which I have for Dreamcast, and since it was only 3 dollars, I decided to pick it up. While looking for another few minutes, I came across Gran Turismo 4. For 12 dollars...I couldn't pass that up. GT 3 A Spec gave me so many hours of fun, I decided that instead of blowing a lot more money for something that might be as great, I went with a sure thing. Thankfully, I got a lot of my work done this weekend with little sleep, so this week is gonna include some hardcore gaming...hopefully. Later

New Maps.

2007-03-30T18:59:00.000-04:00

I KNOW I was supposed to post yesterday, but after a hellish day, it just slipped my mind. I did however find this little news blurb about new maps coming out for Halo 2 to hold those kids over who are dying to play Halo 3. Enjoy. Later.

New "Halo 2" video game maps coming
March 30, 2007
BY HEATHER NEWMAN
DIGITAL LIFE COLUMNIST
"Halo 2" players are in for a treat: two of their favorite multiplayer maps from the original "Halo" have been updated for online play in the newer game and will be posted for sale on Xbox Live as of April 17.

"Tombstone" is the new version of perhaps the most popular "Halo" environment of all time: "Hang 'Em High." The new version has, of course, new and better graphics, but also includes new features and some surprises, Microsoft says.
"Desolation" is a remake of "Derelict" from the original Halo, and is designed for deathmatches. The pair will sell for $4.
"Halo 2" is the most popular game on Xbox Live - players have logged more than 800 million hours so far. The next game in the series, "Halo 3," launches this fall.

So Stupid.

2007-03-27T20:39:00.000-04:00

Hey, let's make a game that resembles another big selling game, but instead of doing something cool, let's use BATMAN! Idiots. Warner Bros. seem to have the case of the hope-to-god-it-sells syndrome when they confirmed that there is going to be a Lego Batman game. Let's look at Batman's video game track record for a sec. Crap? You bet. I HIGHLY doubt this is going to turn around the entire series, and doubt even more that someone is going to risk their hard earned cash for a game that has such flaws in the past as this one. Hey, who knows though, maybe the Star Wars Lego games' luck will rub off on this same game but just with different characters. Still, I highly doubt it. Lego Batman and Robin are set to release sometime in 2008. Thank God for another year without this. Let the hype begin....OK no more. Later

You Go, Old People.

2007-03-25T11:09:00.000-04:00

Finally, people who lived during the great depression have found out how awesome video games really are. This just made me laugh.

Retirees take up wiing
03/25/2007
Ebert swung the Wiimote just like a tennis racquet and said playing the game reminded her of the feeling she had all those years ago. While she took the early on-court lead, the Wii beat her in the end.

Wii game console
Until two weeks ago, Ruth Ebert never had the slightest interest in the video games favored by her one and only granddaughter. "I'm 82 years old, so I missed that part of our culture. Soap operas, yes. Video games, no," chirped Ebert, who recently started playing a tennis game on Nintendo Co. Ltd.'s new Wii video game console at the Virginia retirement community she calls home.
"It was funny, because normally I would not be someone who would do that," said Ebert, who picked up the console's motion-sensing Wiimote and challenged the machine to a match. "I played tennis, if you can call it that, as a high school student. I had such fun doing it," she said.
Ebert swung the Wiimote just like a tennis racquet and said playing the game reminded her of the feeling she had all those years ago. While she took the early on-court lead, the Wii beat her in the end. Still, it hurt less than her real-world losses: "I didn't mind losing to a video game. It couldn't rub it in."

$ In The Bank.

2007-03-22T13:31:00.000-04:00

If you play any of those Online Massive Multiplayer Games, you should really consider how much money is being generated by these types of games. Thank goodness I never got involved with any of these; my bank account is dying as it is. Sorry I haven't really been around. It's my only week off and the laptop is just too far away to do any typing at night. I am playing Yakuza and Lost Planet, I'll keep you updated if I decide to break something else open. Later.

Analyst: Western MMOGs worth $1.5B by 2011
British media firm predicts that after reaching $875 million in '06, revenue from European and American massively multiplayer online games will nearly double in four years.
By Tor Thorsen, GameSpot
Posted Mar 21, 2007 4:31 pm PT
You don't have to be a game-news junkie to know that massively multiplayer online games are big business. With more than 8 million players, World of Warcraft has become such a phenomenon that it's been sent up on South Park. The Burning Crusade, the first expansion for the game, sold more than 2.4 million copies internationally in the 24 hours after its January 17 release. (It has since gone on to top 3.5 million units worldwide.)
According to a new report from media-research firm Screen Digest, MMOGs generated roughly $1 billion in revenue worldwide in 2006. Of that sum, $299 million came from Europe and $576 million came from North America. The British company estimates that around 87 percent of the "Western" MMOG market's $875 million of revenue--roughly $761 million--was from subscription fees, the genre's traditional source of income.
While $875 is a princely sum, Screen Digest predicts the Western MMOG market will nearly double in size in the next four years to $1.5 billion. The report's authors believe that the jump will be in part due to new revenue streams that are being introduced into MMOGs, including in-game advertising and selling virtual items for real cash.
"During the past few years the Western landscape for massively multiplayer online games has become increasingly fragmented following the introduction of new genres of games including social networking, virtual pet rearing and virtual world building titles," said report author Piers Harding-Rolls. "These new games and platforms have brought with them many new gamers and also new business models that are generating revenue that is largely incremental to the incumbent subscription business."
Screen Digest believes the most growth in the MMOG market will be in Europe in general, and in France specifically. However, it believes that Germany will remain the biggest market for the genre on the continent through 2011.

Last Few Days.

2007-03-18T22:41:00.000-04:00

In the last few days, I have seemed to do a million things that have not involved video games AT ALL. I drove home in that crazy snow storm (which was fun as hell), had to do all that garbage stuff as an R.A. and I finally got the chance to just relax. On the list for this week: Resident Evil 4, Lost Planet, Gears Of War, and Gran Turismo 3. wish me luck! Later.

Going Home.

2007-03-15T23:44:00.000-04:00

Oh thank the lord. After being stuck here from Jan. 13th, I am kind of glad to be able to go home and just play some video games and play Playstation 2 and Xbox 360 without any stupid interruptions (residents, class, homework). I'll be doing nothing but that, so expect some hardcore reviews and opinions. Just not right now, today and tomorrow are going to be hard to get through. Later.

Buying Them Up.

2007-03-14T02:56:00.001-04:00

In the past 3 days, I've bought Resident Evil 4 and Yakuza...better fire that Playstation 2 back up. ALL NIGHTER!

Two Worlds.

2007-03-11T22:10:00.000-04:00

Two Worlds, due out in the Spring for the 360 and PC, looks to be nothing less than an awesome RPG that will last for then just a few hours like most of the games being set out nowadays. There have been many comparisons to Elder Scrolls game, and with good reason. They are both open-ended games with millions of options of what to do. This game however, can have up to 8 players. All of the combat in Two Worlds is real time and the camera will apparently pull back as you watch all of the action unfold. Interesting to say the least. Weapons and spells are a given but what is really cool besides upgrading them is stacking and mixing spells to unleash a world of hurt on the enemy. There is also a horse, which kind of reminds me of Shadow of the Colossus where the character is always on one. The graphics look amazing, and with the elements of snow, this should be a game that looks as beautiful as it plays. Later.

China Knows What It's Talking About.

2007-03-09T23:35:00.000-05:00

This is direct from the China Post, so read and enjoy.

Ultra-realistic battle game Gears of War and sports simulation Wii Sports have been voted the best video games of the year at the Game Developers Conference, the video game industry's top annual summit that runs through Friday in San Francisco.
The awards are often considered the video game equivalent of the Oscars and can significantly boost game sales.

Gears of War, which was created by Epic Games and Microsoft Game Studios exclusively for Microsoft's X-Box 360 console, also won technology and visual arts awards. The game, which retails in the U.S. for US$60, has sold more than 3 million units since its November debut.
Wii Sports, which is included for free with Nintendo's revolutionary Wii console, won awards for game design and innovation. The game allows users to play video game versions of golf, tennis and bowling using Nintendo's motion-sensitive controllers. Wii designer Shigeru Miyamoto, whose creations include Mario Brothers, Donkey Kong and Legend of Zelda titles, received a lifetime achievement award.

Sony was shut out of the awards, in a further blow to the ailing Japanese giant's hopes for its powerful Playstation 3 console that has met with only lukewarm reaction since its launch late last year, amid complaints of high prices and lack of compelling games.

Taking Over the World

2007-03-07T21:37:00.000-05:00

According to one report, video game consoles are indeed everywhere.

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) — "The number of video game consoles in U.S. homes with televisions have rise more than 18% to nearly 46 million since the fourth quarter of 2004, Nielsen Wireless and Interactive Services said Monday.
At the end of 2005, there were 43 million at the close of 2005 and nearly 39 million the previous year.
The number of U.S. households with televisions rose less than 2% between the end of 2004 and the end of 2006, Nielsen said.
More than 148 million people had access to at least one video game console system at home at the end of 2006 — representing more than half of the total U.S. television population.
More than two-thirds of all men aged 18 to 34 had access to a console in their homes, while the percentage rose to 80% for boys aged 12 to 17."

Blech.

2007-03-06T12:24:00.000-05:00

So i'm very, very, VERY ill. Just looking at the computer screen bothers me...time to take my 5th nap of the day, I'll have something tomorrow.

Guessing Game Part 2.

2007-03-04T23:58:00.000-05:00

If you don't know what this game is, you're not an American. That is all.

Conan in '08

2007-03-02T22:22:00.000-05:00

Damnit, I have to wait almost another YEAR for this title? I know they need to hype it up ahead of time, but a fricken year or more ahead? GAWD. Anyways, Conan the Barbarian looks to be a title on both the PS3 and the 360 that will use the consoles to their full capacity since developers always need time to see what they can actually do. I see 20 weapons, and over 100 unique moves. It's always great to have a lot of combos, but could this be a little too much? I don't appreciate having to memorize that many different combinations to rip faces off, but if I have to, I GUESS I can manage. Take a nice little gander at these pictures and read the full preview at IGN.com. Later

Assassin's Creed For The PS3.

2007-02-28T20:24:00.000-05:00

This is the equivalent of Gears Of War on the 360; it simply brings the system to a whole new level and boosts up both sales of the game, but also the console. everyone is going to want this game as soon as it comes out. Since I am about to collapse, I took the following description from IGN because they are just so bad ass.

"From the team that brought the world Prince of Persia and Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell comes a sophisticated new franchise utilizing the power of next-gen technology for its complex action. The first game in the Assassin's Creed franchise is set in 1191 AD, when the Third Crusade was tearing the Holy Land apart. Shrouded in secrecy and feared for their ruthlessness, the Assassins intend to stop the hostilities by suppressing both sides of the conflict. Players, assuming the role of the main character Altair, will have the power to throw their immediate environment into chaos and to shape events during this pivotal moment in history." Later.

Depressing.

2007-02-27T23:15:00.000-05:00

I'm not going to post tonight, hopefully tomorrow though. Rest In Peace Matthew Crick.

Keep Your Kids Thin.

2007-02-25T20:25:00.000-05:00

From southpostoday.com comes this article about how games are FINALLY aiming at childhood obesity in something they love to do: game.

Video game aims at childhood obesity By JIM ELLIS ,
Obesity may be a global epidemic, but it's Obeez City that is spreading out of control in a new DVD game. The game, called "Body Mechanics," teaches youngsters how to avoid being overweight by joining forces with a team of superheroes who battle villains with names like Col Estorol and Betes II. The fighting takes place inside the body of Jack Decayd. If Obeez City is not contained, "Jack will die soon," says Neuro, the Yoda-like wise one who narrates the game's story line. "I remember how it started. A few snacks here, a soft drink there," Neuro speaking in an ominous tone says during the opening. "And before we knew it, the Evil Coalition of Harm and Disease was threatening us all. ... Only you can change how this story ends." "Body Mechanics" is the latest in a string of video games that promote more exercise and better eating habits, although this one doesn't actually get kids up and active. It's more of a teaching tool packaged with an animated movie and sold as a two-disc set. It became available in limited release this week in retail outlets including Target, Borders, Walgreens and CVS pharmacies. Viewed as sedentary pastimes, video games and their cousins, the TV and PC, are typically the object of parental finger-waving. And children are becoming gamers younger than ever — 2 years old, according to a survey conducted by NPD Group, a market research firm. With sales in the U.S. totaling $12.5 billion in 2006, the gaming industry's foothold is firmly planted in American culture — and so is childhood obesity. Roughly 17 percent of American youngsters are obese, and millions more are overweight, according to the government. But highly popular active video games like "Dance Dance Revolution" and gaming consoles such as Nintendo Co.'s Wii and now "Body Mechanics" may help counter the belief that video games enable teens to lie around and gain weight. Imagine Harry Potter, "Star Wars" and "Lord of the Rings" all mixed up inside the body and that's "Body Mechanics," said Tony Findlay, the game's Australian creator, who is based in Sydney. While on tour promoting a diet book, Findlay said, "Parents approached me and asked how they can teach their kids to eat better and exercise more." Video games like "Body Mechanics "have a difficult task, said Dr. Karen Cullen, an associate professor with the Children's Nutrition Research Center in Houston. "You can give someone an hour's worth of facts and you'll bore them to death," she said. "The games have to be entertaining to compete in the marketplace."

I Wanna Merc Something.

2007-02-23T18:07:00.000-05:00

From the minute that I played Mercenaries: Playground of Destruction, I was instantly hooked by the amount of blowing up random crap and air strikes. The game was flawless, letting you do whatever you wanted and the missions were both fun and challenging at the same time. The new installment, dubbed Mercenaries: World In Flames, looks to be even better then the first game. I knew that it was coming out on the Xbox 360 and the Playstation 3, but it is also now coming out on PC and Playstaton 2. Hey, they are going to make more money from those people who cannot afford the new consoles, so this is simply great for everyone.

Instead of being in the Koreas this time, the stage is set in Venezuela and dealings going on with oil (lovely that they use real world situations).

Ripped straight from IGN.com-"Mercenaries 2 features the latest and most dangerous in civilian and military tech, everything from shiny new sports cars, to the future-tech satellite-guided bunker-busting mini-nuke. Tanks, APCs, boats, luxury automobiles -- you name it, you can have it delivered to you in real time. And if you run out of cash you can always 'acquire' the gear you need in the field. You are not a soldier. You don't have to play by anyone's rules. You have your own code: you will fulfill the terms of the contract, no matter what." That sounds like a perfect 10 game to me. Check back for when I find out when this amazing game comes out. Later.