GamersVue

snow

2009-12-27T16:54:00.001-05:00

bah humbug

wtf!?

2009-12-23T10:58:00.001-05:00

wtf could cause damage like this?

What if WW2 was an MMO?

2007-07-26T19:24:00.001-05:00

*Hitler[AoE] has joiined the game.*
*Eisenhower has joined the game.*
*paTTon has joined the game.*
*Churchill has joined the game.*
*benny-tow has joined the game.*
*T0J0 has joined the game.*
*Roosevelt has joined the game.*
*Stalin has joined the game.*
*deGaulle has joined the game.*
Roosevelt: hey sup
T0J0: y0
Stalin: hi
Churchill: hi
Hitler[AoE]: cool, i start with panzer tanks!
paTTon: lol more like panzy tanks
T0J0: lol
Roosevelt: o this fockin sucks i got a depression!
benny-tow: haha america sux
Stalin: hey hitler you dont fight me i dont fight u, cool?
Hitler[AoE]: sure whatever
Stalin: cool
deGaulle: **** Hitler rushed some1 help
Hitler[AoE]: lol byebye frenchy
Roosevelt: i dont got crap to help, sry
Churchill: wtf the luftwaffle is attacking me
Roosevelt: get antiair guns
Churchill: i cant afford them
benny-tow: u n00bs know what team talk is?
paTTon: stfu
Roosevelt: o yah hit the navajo button guys
deGaulle: Eisenhower ur worthless come help me quick
Eisenhower: i cant do **** til rosevelt gives me an army
paTTon: yah hurry the fock up
Churchill: d00d im gettin pounded
deGaulle: this is fockin weak u guys suck
*deGaulle has left the game.*
Roosevelt: im gonna attack the axis k?
benny-tow: with what? ur wheelchair?
benny-tow: lol did u mess up ur legs AND ur head?
Hitler[AoE]: ROFLMAO
T0J0: lol o no america im comin 4 u
Roosevelt: wtf! thats bullsh1t u fags im gunna kick ur asses
T0J0: not without ur harbors u wont! lol
Roosevelt: u little biotch ill get u
Hitler[AoE]: wtf
Hitler[AoE]: america hax, u had depression and now u got a huge fockin army
Hitler[AoE]: thats bullsh1t u hacker
Churchill: lol no more france for u hitler
Hitler[AoE]: tojo help me!
T0J0: wtf u want me to do, im on the other side of the world retard
Hitler[AoE]: fine ill clear you a path
Stalin: WTF u arsshoel! WE HAD A FoCKIN TRUCE
Hitler[AoE]: i changed my mind lol
benny-tow: haha
benny-tow: hey ur losing ur guys in africa im gonna need help in italy soon sum1
T0J0: o **** i cant help u i got my hands full
Hitler[AoE]: im 2 busy 2 help
Roosevelt: yah thats right biznitch im comin for ya
Stalin: church help me
Churchill: like u helped me before? sure ill just sit here
Stalin: dont be an arss
Churchill: dont be a commie. oops too late
Eisenhower: LOL
benny-tow: hahahh oh sh1t help
Hitler[AoE]: o man ur focked
paTTon: oh what now biotch
Roosevelt: whos the cripple now lol
*benny-tow has been eliminated.*
benny-tow: lame
Roosevelt: gj paTTon
paTTon: thnx
Hitler[AoE]: WTF Eisenhower hax hes killing all my sh1t
Hitler[AoE]: quit u hacker so u dont ruin my record
Eisenhower: Nuts!
benny-tow: wtf that mean?
Eisenhower: meant to say nutsack lol finger slipped
paTTon: coming to get u hitler u paper hanging hun cocksocker
Stalin: rofl
T0J0: HAHAHHAA
Hitler[AoE]: u guys are fockin gay
Hitler[AoE]: ur never getting in my city
*Hitler[AoE] has been eliminated.*
benny-tow: OMG u noob you killed yourself
Eisenhower: ROFLOLOLOL
Stalin: OMG LMAO!
Hitler[AoE]: WTF i didnt click there omg this game blows
*Hitler[AoE] has left the game*
paTTon: hahahhah
T0J0: WTF my teammates are n00bs
benny-tow: shut up noob
Roosevelt: haha wut a moron
paTTon: wtf am i gunna do now?
Eisenhower: yah me too
T0J0: why dont u attack me o thats right u dont got no ships lololol
Eisenhower: fock u
paTTon: lemme go thru ur base commie
Stalin: go to hell lol
paTTon: fock this sh1t im goin afk
Eisenhower: yah this is gay
*Roosevelt has left the game.*
Hitler[AoE]: wtf?
Eisenhower: sh1t now we need some1 to join
*tru_m4n has joined the game.*
tru_m4n: hi all
T0J0: hey
Stalin: sup
Churchill: hi
tru_m4n: OMG OMG OMG i got all his stuff!
tru_m4n: NUKES! HOLY **** I GOT NUKES
Stalin: d00d gimmie some plz
tru_m4n: no way i only got like a couple
Stalin: omg dont be gay gimmie nuculer secrets
T0J0: wtf is nukes?
T0J0: holy sh*tholysh*thoylshti!!!111
*T0J0 has been eliminated.*
*The Allied team has won the game!*
Eisenhower: awesome!
Churchill: gg noobs no re
T0J0: thats bullsh*t u fockin suck
*T0J0 has left the game.*
*Eisenhower has left the game.*
Stalin: next game im not going to be on ur team, u guys didnt help me for ****
Churchill: wutever, we didnt need ur help neway dumbarss
tru_m4n: l8r all
benny-tow: bye
Churchill: l8r
Stalin: fock u all
tru_m4n: shut up commie lol
*tru_m4n has left the game.*
benny-tow: lololol u commie
Churchill: ROFL
Churchill: bye commie
*Churchill has left the game.*
*benny-tow has left the game.*
Stalin: i hate u all fags
*Stalin has left the game.*
paTTon: lol no1 is left
paTTon: weeeee i got a jeep
*paTTon has been eliminated.*
paTTon: o sh1t!
*paTTon has left the game.*.

Sony lied?! Tell me it isn't so?!

2007-07-13T16:33:00.000-05:00

Kaz Hirai of Sony is quoted to have said:
"Well, again, just from a hardware perspective, the 499 dollar price adjustment that we did for the 60 GB version, for the american market, uh, we're no longer in production for that product, so uh once that product is gone from the retailer shelves, then we're back to the $599 SKU only, so it's not like we have a two price strategy here in the US"

[PROOF]
=============
So Sony is pulling another bait and switch tatic. They have SO many unsold POS3 60GB that they are lowering the price in order to get them off the shelves and to make the 80GB model look more reasonable. LOL!!!

Tretton Gets Grilled on the PS3 Price Drop

2007-07-10T20:46:00.000-05:00

Link

Ok, so it's been a while since I've posted. But I just saw this video (thanks Kotaku)

and felt compled to voice some things. So let's get some facts going on here.

These quotes where taken directly from the movie above:

1) The PS3 has been out for about 8 months.
Ok, this is good, it takes about this long to really figure out where the market

is an how well a system is going to do. By now you should be able to see how

the long term is going to be for the gaming system.

2) Sony is betting that the PS3 will be around for 10 years or, at least, support
it for ten years.

Ok, So the PS1 was released (in the US) on 9/1/1995 so it was dead in 2005.

So we don't need to 'worry' about that system.

The PS2 was released on 10/26/2000.. so it's got 3 years to go, and there are some
newish games coming out for it. But I don't believe many of the main developers are
even thinking of developing for the PS2 any longer. Without new games it's going to
be a slow, lingering death of the PS2. The PS3 was released 11/17/2007, so it's got a

while. But with out any real 'new' development for the PS2, or updates to the toolkit.

Who cares about the PS2?

3) Sony has a history of passing on savings to consumers as quickly as possible.

*Blink* What? Ok, that's marketing BS as we all should know. NO Company
'passes on the savings' as quickly as possible. Business are in business for ONE
reason.. to make money.

4) Current Sales:

So the current world sales figures show the following:

Nintendo Wii: 2.8 million

Microsoft Xbox 360: 5.6 million

Sony PS3: 1.4 million

So this shows that the PS3 isn't selling anywhere NEAR what said it should.

(or what they thought it should.. Jack should have read my blog)

5) Sony believes they will sell an additional 10 million PS2's this year.

(so.. 10 million units in 5 months) and plans to convert those customers
to PS3's.

6) "The PS3 is still dominant"

There's nothing I can really say here that wouldn't leave me giggleing like a

12 year old that just saw his first set of real boobs.

Ok, so now we have the 'facts' here what they are telling me.

1) The PS3 has been out for 8 months, and sucks in the market

it's over priced, the games (mostly) blow goats, but it's a cheap
Blu-ray player.

2) 10 years? When processor power doubles every 18 months?

in 10 years we'll be looking at the Xbox 720, and the Wii2 (?? Mii2 ??)

the PS3 will be falling WAY behind on the tech scale by that time.
Just like how the PS2 is in comparison to the PS3 today.

3) Well, I guess I did say something about that above didn't I?
but still, savings my ass. it's about 'saving my ass'

Sony screwed up with the PS3.. totally and completely.

From the pricing to the lackluster games, to the complete
rip offs of XBox Live and the Wiimote. From all the broken promises

to all the flat out lies.

4) as for the sales figures.. well I still need to add an 'I told you so'

most of those figures where morons standing out in line.. getting shot

getting mugged waiting to sell the 'bad boy' on Ebay and quite a few

of them lost money. Even IF the PS3 sells another .5 million, it will
still be trailing the Wii. You and I both know Nintendo will pull all
stops around Christmas and you won't be able to spit with out hitting a Wii.

5) So, let me get this stright. You are telling me that the PS2 is going to

OUTSALE the PS3 this year? And, better yet, sale MORE then the PS3

in the same time frame?! THAT fact alone makes me wonder what monkeys
Sony has in place in the upper floors of Sony HQ, and what drugs they are on.

6) *sigh* Dominant? What facts out there lead you to believe that the PS3 is
Dominant? I just just see the dust that's collecting on the boxs at my local Frys.

Bottom line, the Drop drop will help sales a little. Sony screwed up the first round by over pricing the POS3 in the first place. But not enough to make Nintendo or Microsoft sweat.

I'm more worried about the long term effects of the PS3 on Sony's bottom line.

Over priced machine that isn't selling well. Takeing MORE of a loss from each unit

because of the too early price drop. There's just not enough time to get more units

into the household before christmas. Which is what I blieve Sony is trying to do.

The more units in the home before christmas, the more profit to be made during the

holiday season.

on a side note.. Does it upset anyone else that Sony believes their customers will buy anything
just because it has a PS logo on it? Converting all the PS2 customers to PS3.. What a load of shit. First.. if you are buying a PS2 now, it's because you can't afford a Wii or a 360. So what would make you believe that can convert those customers? Beyond that, Sony already dropped the BC (Backwards compatibility) in some units in Europe with plans to release those 'upgraded' units here in the states. Now why would I want to buy a PS2 now.. build up a library of some pretty great games, NOT to be able to use them in the PS3?

MOVIE THEATERS FOR GAMING

2007-03-05T22:40:00.001-05:00

CINEGAMES: MOVIE THEATERS FOR GAMING

Screw the Toshiba headsets, this setup involves entire modified movie theaters in Spain (video is not in English, but it's worth it to see what this looks like). Enrique Martinez worked with Yelmo Cineplex in spending more than $390,000 to bring this projector paradise to life. Charging just four dollars for a ticket, 50 gamers each get to sit down and play video games with the following extra entertainment:

"Fog, low smoke, black light, flashing green lasers, high-definition digital projectors, vibrating seats, game pads and dozens of 17 inch, or 43 centimeter, screens attached to individual chairs. And naturally, there's buttered popcorn."

Basically, LAN party + rave = $$$. And it's slowly spreading - theaters in Germany and Toronto tested the concept recently, and with the help of TimePlay's theater network system, there are even plans to bring it to USA and "allow moviegoers to play 15 to 20 minutes of interactive, ad-sponsored games before the start of movies." No more shitty movie previews! Suddenly eight dollar movie tickets sound totally reasonable and I actually want to get to the show before it starts.

They're approaching the idea wisely though, they've prepared for all age audiences. Not only are games like Battlefield 1942 working already (you can see it in action in the video), but they're also bringing basic games like Bingo to the silver screen. Yelmo is even working on using the setup for educational and senior citizen projects, so hopefully in a few years they'll be able to take the world by cinematic storm. I honestly don't care though - give me Pac-Man with a room full of real A.I. ghosts chasing me, and I'll be pumping out Hamiltons all day like I was at the world's most expensive arcade. Happy Feet? More like happy hands, I haven't even played this yet and I'm addicted.

the ESRB understands...

2007-03-01T20:23:00.001-05:00

From Next-Gen:
Following up on online want ads, Entertainment Software Rating Board boss Patricia Vance tells Next-Gen that the ESRB is moving from part-time to full-time game raters, a switch that she says will help produce more consistent ratings.

Vance elaborated, “Having full-time raters will allow for each [rater] to have greater experience actually reviewing content and recommending ratings, given the increased amount of time each one would spend doing it. This would provide each rater with a greater sense of historical parity for ratings, not to mention helping them to be more attuned to pertinent content and how it should be considered from a ratings standpoint.”

You know what? I think it's fair to say that the ESRB has pulled its head out of its ass. In the last six months, they've partnered with some of their political opponents, they've partnered with the PTA, they've increased emphasis on point of purchase displays, and in general they've stopped saying that underage consumers buying inappropriate content is someone else's problem.

With this announcement, they've stopped pretending that the method being used to rate games wasn't a problem.

Look. Gaming in the U.S. was a 12.5 billion dollar business last year. It's big boy business now. You can't depend on volunteer raters playing a game for an hour, or totally rely on the people who made the game to tell you about all the "objectionable" content. That's just not a logically sound process. The new process may not be perfect, but it definitely sounds like an improvement.

Well done.

posted by Bill Harris;#;#

CompUSA has confirmed it will be closing about half of its U.S. stores

2007-03-01T20:09:00.001-05:00

CompUSA has confirmed it will be closing about half of its U.S. stores, 126 in total. The closings will happen over the next three months as inventory is shifted around to the best-situated and best-performing locations. CEO Roman Ross said:

Based on changing conditions in the consumer retail electronics markets, the company identified the need to close and sell stores with low performance or non-strategic, old store layouts and locations faced with market saturation.

Translation: "the fact that you can get just about anything we sell online, without having to deal with any of our condescending, less-than helpful staff members is rendering our physical locations obsolete, so we're closing them." I do feel for the folks that are going to be out of work, but the last time I was in a CompUSA, the sales drone asked me if I was looking for the Bed, Bath, and Beyond next door, so I can't say I'm all that sorry to see them go.

Closures Will Affect 50% of CompUSA Stores [Next-Gen]

Putting the game back in video game

2007-02-20T09:50:00.001-05:00

Steven Johnson has written up some thoughts on the Nintendo Wii. His fifth point is especially interesting and I can't help quoting almost the entire thing:

Wii Sports trades the onscreen complexity of goals and objectives and puzzles for the physical, haptic complexity of bodily movement. Since the days of Pong, games have been simplifying the intricacies of movement into unified codes of button pressing and joystick manipulation. What strikes you immediately playing Wii Sports -- and particularly Tennis -- is this feeling of fluidity, the feeling that subtle, organic shifts in your body's motion will lead to different results onscreen. My wife has a crosscourt slam she hits at the net that for the life of me I haven't been able to figure out; I have a topspin return of soft serves that I've half-perfected that's unhittable. We both got to those techniques through our own athletic experimentation with various gestures, and I'm not sure I could even fully explain what I'm doing with my killer topspin shot. In a traditional game, I'd know exactly what I was doing: hitting the B button, say, while holding down the right trigger. Instead, my expertise with the shot has evolved through the physical trial-and-error of swinging the controller, experimenting with different gestures and timings. And that's ultimately what's so amazing about the device. Games for years have borrowed the structures and rules -- as well as the imagery -- of athletic competition, but the Wii adds something genuinely new to the mix, something we'd ignored so long we stopped noticing that it was missing: athleticism itself.

He's not exactly right -- for example, drifting in Mario Kart is difficult to do until you develop a "touch" for it and is not easy to explain to others -- but the Wii does take it to a new level.

Source: Putting the game back in video game
Originally published on Tue, 13 Feb 2007 23:53:53 GMT

Playstation 3 Fanboys Strike Back: Losers? How Dare You Lynch!

2007-01-21T20:49:00.001-05:00

Playstation 3 Fanboys Strike Back

Losers? How Dare You Lynch!
Some people took umbrage at the use of the term "losers" to describe the various people involved with the PS3's launch (consumers, Sony, media, etc.). Some also accused ExtremeTech's editors of plotting to publish "flame-bait" in order to reap more traffic.

Ahmedfarazch writes:
I think it's you who is the biggest loser, writing such a lame article just to generate some traffic! I think ExtremeTech after all these years has become stagnant and lazy
Well here's some background on how my column actually took shape, Ahmed (nice to know that folks in Pakistan are reading ET). It never came about as a suggestion at an ET editorial meeting. Instead it popped into my head as I watched the PS3 media coverage on TV and read stories on the web. The more I found out, the more I considered the situation to be pretty much total lunacy. At that point I had some strong feelings.
The usual way I express those feelings is to sit down and write. So what readers got was a visceral reaction to what I'd seen happening during the PS3 launch. It was an honest and straightforward opinion piece that covered the gamut of my reaction to what I'd seen. Nobody at ET even knew I was planning to do it until I mentioned it. It basically evolved organically as most of my opinion pieces do.
Now could I have toned it down? Made it blander? Made it more...palatable...to those easily offended fanboy types? Sure, but then why bother to write it in the first place? Sometimes an emphatic response to certain things happens and that all came out in the writing of my column. While not every column or review I write contains such emotion, some do and I don't apologize for that at all. You'll see more of it from time to time.
Also, the fact that it was an opinion piece seems to have escaped a few people who claimed that we weren't publishing "objective" reviews, etc. Well an opinion piece is just that, it's not a review nor should it be considered as such. If a reader does make that kind of mistake, it's on him or her to realize that what they are reading actually is meant to be.
One last point, a couple of folks in the forum had a sense of humor and thought I might have written my column because I couldn't get a PS3 at launch. Heh, heh. Thanks for the thought guys but I wasn't in the market for one.
You're Not a Real Gamer Lynch So Shut Up

One of the misconceptions by some readers was that I'm not a gamer and had never played a console system before.

Dragonwarrioriv writes:
You don't understand how people could pay $500+ for a video game console eh? That's easily understood because, well, you aren't a gaming enthusiast. And, your opinion as a tech editor is severely tarnished in my opinion. Why? Because you're a non-gamer writing an article about games. Leave that to the grown-ups, Jim. Stick to the writing that you do best.

I've been gaming since Pong so, yes, I have played lots of different consoles and hundreds of different games in my life. Apparently though, one is not considered a real gamer unless one worships at the altar of Sony and accepts everything the company does as gospel.

Also, some of the fanboy geniuses found my profile in the story and assumed that it was completely up to date. Well sorry for the confusion guys but Tribes isn't my favorite game at this point, World of Warcraft is what I'm playing these days. The info in the profile is outdated and shame on us at ExtremeTech for not updating it earlier.
Blu-ray Uber Alles
Another point that some folks disagreed with me on was the inclusion of Blu-ray in the PS3. This has added around $150-$200 to the price of the PS3 console. Is it worth it? Not in my book, but some disagreed strenuously with me on that.
Masaville writes:
I am thoroughly enjoying the Blu-ray player in the PS3, which by the way is significantly cheaper than a stand-alone player. That alone justified the $500 price tag of the PS3.
Jimbonics writes:
The 200 dollar price difference between the 360 and P3 is easily justified by the inclusion of the Blu-ray. The 360's HD-DVD add-on is $199, so.....
I'm glad that folks are enjoying the PS3's Blu-ray drive but my feeling is that Blu-ray is still an unproven format and may succumb to the betamax syndrome as time goes by. It faces stiff competition by HD-DVD and it remains to be seen whether or not Blu-ray will even survive. So why should PS3 gamers be forced by Sony into coughing up more money to support a format that may go the way of the do-do? Why not make it an optional drive that not all PS3 gamers have to buy?
Wake up PS3 gamers. You are being used as pawns in the DVD format wars. Doesn't this bother you? You've been forced to pay a higher price for your game console solely to support Sony's bid for high resolution DVD supremacy. Shame on Sony and shame on the PS3 gamers for going along with it.

Ziff Davis: Part of the Media's PS3 Hype?

Some folks took me to task about the column because they felt that ExtremeTech and other Ziff Davis publications had hyped Blu-ray and the PS3 in the past.

Digit_F6 writes:
WHERE WERE YOU BEFORE ALL THE HYPE?! Last time I checked, you guys (at Ziff Davis) were all saying how great Blu-ray was and how the only way to get it "cheap" was with a PS3. However, you were also saying that the public should wait until the Blu-ray format was implemented and available with more movies. But guess what? SONY CONTROLS A LARGE PORTION OF THE EMTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY!!! Why wouldn't the idiots go out and buy a PS3, especially if the PS3 is the only thing that plays Blu-ray discs?
I put a small part of the blame on YOU JIM, and any other journalist for helping sustain the demand for this electronic dope if not outright helping create it (the demand, that is). Think about THAT at the upcoming CES show! You didn't say what an over priced piece of junk you thought the PS3 was THEN so in a small way you are guilty for the problems the marketing strategy created. You might even say the same for XBox, Nintendo and even "Pong." But because YOU (journalists and any one else of influence) didn't help LESSEN the demand you might as well have shot those people yourself

So how dare I write a column pointing out all the flaws and problems with the PS3 launch, eh Digit? Well I don't speak for anybody at Ziff except myself in my column and nobody else who writes for Ziff speaks directly for me in their columns. Each of us has a unique voice and we express it how and when we want to.
So you may very well have read a lot of what you thought was hype, written by other writers at Ziff Davis. Just remember that they speak for themselves and not for me (and vice versa). Whenever I feel compelled to write about something, I will do so regardless of what anybody else at Ziff Davis or any other company has already written about that topic.
Shortages? There Are No Shortages!
Another thing some folks took issue with was shortages of the PS3 (and other consoles at launch).
Mkozlows: "Fake shortages?" This is a ridiculous canard tossed out by people who want to seem sophisticated and cynical, but who are actually clueless. The reality is that the console makers can pretty much sell everything they can make at launch, and they would absolutely love to sell millions and millions of consoles— but they can't, because they can't manufacture them that fast. Sony in particular was nailed by manufacturing difficulties that caused them to scrub the worldwide launch, and even then massively underdeliver to the US and Japan. You don't piss off Europe and revise forecasts downward as part of a clever marketing ploy. The shortages are real.
Sorry Mkozlows but I have to disagree. All Sony and any other manufacturer would have to do to avoid a "shortage" is give themselves enough time to stockpile their products before launch. Since they don't do this and never have, it's clear that they are aiming to induce hysteria among the masses via media reports about fake shortages. It's an excellent marketing strategy but that doesn't make it any less of a lie.
We Hate You, You Jerk!!!!!

Although I got some very well written feedback, with detailed responses, I also got what can only be called fanboy gibberish. These folks went right off the deep end, without pausing or looking back.

Read the article that started this storm: PlayStation 3 Losers Need to Get a Life .
Here's some of the classier fanboy feedback (profanities are bleeped):
From Yulier:
You BLEEP. I hope you know you just insulted Millions of people. YOU PC NERD STOP PLAYING A GAME THATS 3 YEARS OLD ,TRIBES LOL WHAT AN OLD BLEEP BLEEP GAME.YOU BLEEP UP BLEEP

From Nathan:
You know BLEEP all rofl, it's a sad day in hell when losers like you start trying to think they know BLEEP about what's cool and what's not.
From Amandeep:
YOUR A PIECE OF BLEEP!! I HATE YOU!!! YOUR A BLEEPING BLEEP!!! YOU BLEEP BLEEP

From Graham:
What a stupid BLEEP you are...ignorant, brainless, BLEEP little BLEEP such as yourself.
From Justin:
Have a cry you stupid BLEEP.
Well what can I say to you guys? Your intelligent, thoughtful, and articulate emails have me reeling and reconsidering my position on why some PS3 gamers are losers. Not.
Nathan, Amandeep, Graham, Justin and Yulier weren't the worst emails I got. One actually included an alteration of a photo of me. The alteration involved Michael Jackson and a male body part. I can't get more specific than that or include it here as, I said above, we are a family-friendly site. Suffice to say that some folks were off their meds when they were emailing me. Fortunately, I've got a thick skin so none of it bothered me though I did find most of it amusing in a silly sort of way.
Thanks for all the email and feedback in the forum, guys. Glad you all liked the column, enjoy those over-priced PS3s.

Source: Playstation 3 Fanboys Strike Back: Losers? How Dare You Lynch!
==============================================

Yeah, this is a long post.. sorry, but it's been a while since something worth while was posted in the 'general' area of the news.
I, for one, have got to say that it's posts like this that really make me wonder how the human race has ever survived this long. I mean really. Going off like this only because you don't you are too stupid to see though the hype and had to have someone point it out to you.
.. Just liKe I've been doing since like March of '06 LOL :)

PS3 named among the Top 10 most overrated products of all time!

2007-01-20T13:03:00.001-05:00

Posted Jan 18th 2007 10:30PM by Ed Stasick

Those two-faced bastards over at PC Magazine -- who just last month rated the PS3 over the Wii as the new console to get -- have published a Top 10 list of the "Most Overrated Products of All Time!"

Rounding out the top 10 is our very own PS3. We think the PS3 is a bit young to join any "all time" lists just yet, but the list does have merit for its entertainment value. Here's the complete list of the losers:

Any version of MS Windows after Windows 95
:CueCat
Lotus 1-2-3
AOL
Apple iPod shuffle
Microsoft Bob
Google Video
Bose QuietComfort 2 Headphones
Microsoft PowerPoint
Sony PlayStation 3

You can see it all in print by picking up the Febrary 6th edition of the magazine.

Source: http://www.ps3fanboy.com/2007/01/18/ps3-named-among-most-overrated-products-of-all-time/

Feature: CES In Adventure Game Mode

2007-01-15T20:50:00.001-05:00

By: Michael McWhertor
I'd been to three E3s, but this was my first Consumer Electronics Show and my third time in Las Vegas. Having grown up regarding CES as the game show, I'd always been awestruck reading the write ups on the far off games Nintendo and Sega were showcasing at the CES. It seemed like a gaming orgy on a scale my pre-teen brain simply could not comprehend.
But after having stalked the halls of the Los Angeles Convention Center for my trio of E3 adventures, CES in its heyday paled by comparison. E3 was the end-all, be-all gaming event.
With E3 transformed from media freakshow, stuffed to capacity with millions of blinding lights, thousands of pimply-faced "industry professionals" and subwoofers blasting at molar loosening levels, to a series of meetings, I was hoping CES would fill the missing gap. Sure, we'll have PAX and E for All Expo, but CES brings in every consumer electronics company in the world, meaning at least a strong showing from Sony and Microsoft. And it's in Vegas, where freakshows are the norm.
After staying up on Saturday night until 3 AM treating my liver to the lion's share of $100 worth of overpriced booze at clubs Beauty Bar and Lure, I was rudely stirred at the ungodly hour of 8 AM by Crecente. He'd flown in at the last minute to sit in on a group interview with Bill Gates. "Let's meet up" he said. No, let me sleep and eat a breakfast buffet, I thought.
Begrudgingly, I made the three mile, thirty minute drive over to the convention center, snagged my press pass, and met up with Crecente, who spilled the beans on his interview with Gates. We sat in the near-empty international Cafe, planning coverage. The calm before the storm.
After news had leaked during the weekend that Microsoft was enabling the Xbox 360 to use the company's IPTV service, Microsoft officially announced it at the keynote that evening.
Other than that, Uno and Geometry Wars on Vista were the only thing most gamers really cared about. Underwhelming.
Sony's moment in the sun also focused a small portion on their gaming business, touting a million PlayStation 3s shipped to North America. I was thrilled not be live-blogging either of these keynotes.
I just assumed that CES would be on par with E3, maybe less so from a video gaming standpoint, but still full of the hustle and bustle. I was pretty wrong.
CES is a very different beast. For one thing, there's the layout. Lugging around a laptop and the collected swag seemed tough when walking from South Hall to West Hall in the LA Convention Center. That's nothing compared to the confusing layout of the LVCC, which has North, South and Central halls, with bus loops and golf carts to shuttle conventioneers from hall to hall. Add to this multiple press tents outside Central, as well as the Sands Expo Center, The Venetian, and the Las Vegas Hilton and you'll have to quickly become familiar with the layout, the bus schedules and the most efficient route to the press room. I finally understood the geography of CES around 2 PM on day four. Way too late.

On day one, I had two appointments scheduled, one with the Games for Windows group, one to discuss the Xbox 360. During the former we walked through the new features of Vista that impact gaming. From new ways to look at system requirements, to Uno on Live, we talked nothing but Vista. I eagerly awaited my playtime with Guitar Hero II which I could hear on the other side of the meeting room wall.
After finally enjoying the free pastry and coffee provided by MS, I met with Xbox's Peter Moore and Aaron Greenberg to discuss the Xbox 360, HD-DVD and the new IPTV service. This was my first time talking to both, and, yeah, I'll admit it, I was oddly "starstruck" when meeting Moore for the first time. Here was a guy I'd been reading about since his days with the Dreamcast. Talking to Moore about Crazy Taxi was more surreal than I thought it would be, partly due to the slow effectiveness of the courtesy coffee.
I decided to pick myself up with a little gaming just across the street at the spacious Microsoft booth, which held stations for Vista, Zune, IPTV, Xbox 360, Live Messenger and more. In the gaming area, the most space was given to Shadowrun and Halo 2 for Vista. It was clear that Microsoft was treating their booth like an E3 exhibitor. They had product managers and developers—like Flagship's Bill Roper—overseeing each demo unit, ready to answer questions.
The priority given to Xbox 360 games was a bit more unusual. While they smartly gave Guitar Hero II two kiosks, Fusion Frenzy 2 was given prime real estate, despite being largely ignored. Inversely, the never-seen-before Def Jam Icon was hidden away, nestled between a load-bearing column, making actually getting to the demo harder than necessary.
The wait to get on an Xbox 360 or a Windows machine was no more than five minutes. Far different from E3, where standing fifteen to twenty minutes watching someone else's game was not uncommon. In other words, playing games at CES was a breeze.
It was time to find Sony, get my hands on some Heavenly Sword, Lair, and whatever else SCEA was showing off. On the way, I took in the sights, the 100-plus inch televisions from Sharp, Panasonic, LG—they're the ones who were pimping their big HDTVs with Sonic the Hedgehog and Virtua Fighter 5.

At the Sony booth, the wait was a tad longer, but only four games were on display. No Warhawk, no Heavenly Sword. I left Gran Turismo HD and Resistance alone, concentrating on Lair and MotorStorm. It was regrettably clear that the PlayStation business wasn't being displayed with the same importance as the Games for Windows and Xbox business (my booth tour was scheduled, rescheduled, then ignored when I showed up for it). SCEA PR staff were on hand, tucked away behind a desk littered with PSPs.
Fortunately for Sony, the crowds gawking at the PS3s were considerably more impressive than what was at the Xbox 360 area. They even attracted one Sony superfan.

The following few days were spent playing tons of forthcoming Xbox Live Arcade releases, including Alien Hominid, Heavy Weapon, and Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. Since the number of Windows and 360 titles outnumbered everything else, that's where the majority of my gaming took place.
But there were other fringe-gaming moments at the show that kept my attention. A trip to the Sands Expo led me into the Kentia Hall of CES, clogged with random video game exhibitors. GameDaily was there. Tons of chairs with built in sound systems were available for the sitting. Games powered by exercise bikes. The single Wii title from Majesco, Cooking Mama, was behind closed doors, but still playable. After no more than an hour at the Sands, I had exhausted its gaming content.

From that point on, I looked high and low for games, played the Crysis demo thrice over, even watched Johnathan "Fatal1ty" Wendel do his usual Quake 4 schtick. Played a member of Team3D in Counter-Strike. I became a fixture at the Microsoft booth, playing Hellgate London, Def Jam ICON (until I "got it") and squeezing in as much Guitar Hero II as I could.
At one point, I helped what you'd call a non-gamer figure out how to play MLB 2K7. As he was initially holding the Xbox 360 game controller backwards, with the top facing him, it took quite some time to get him up to speed. It was the first time in a long time I'd seen anyone that green at gaming.
After four days, I was ready to get the hell out of Vegas. With only one formal party invite (half the reason I go to these things is for the booze, obviously!) and lots of solo coverage it was a less fun and games type of experience, more of a charting the Las Vegas Convention Center one. It was clear that video games were not anywhere near the highest priority at CES.
I was surprised by how much I liked Shadowrun, glad to have had time with some great Xbox Live Arcade titles. Also surprising was how disjointed the Sony global presence was and how disappointed I was with Lair (please fix!). That Nintendo has zero representation, save one third party cooking game, was disappointing.
We'll see how the rest of the year's gaming events shape up, but CES is no E3 replacement. That's for sure. With all those glossy gadgets, games just don't have the opportunity to shine. Michael McWhertor

Source: Feature: CES In Adventure Game Mode
Originally published on Tue, 16 Jan 2007 02:00:27 GMT

Five Hardcore Gamer Rooms

2007-01-15T20:45:00.001-05:00

Some of you like games, and some of you like games. Here are the dwellings of your brethren: Ahandful of game rooms that show cool gaming rooms are less about owning all the consoles, but more about cramming it full of stuff. Hit the jump for the rest. Brian Ashcraft

Gaming Rooms [Game Heya via Jyouhoya]

Source: Five Hardcore Gamer Rooms
Originally published on Mon, 15 Jan 2007 16:22:22 GMT

Gamer babies need hot accessories, too

2007-01-15T20:41:00.001-05:00

Filed under: Fan stuff
We have extreme amounts of love for anything game-related, the wackier the better, but even if we didn't, it would be hard not to coo over this Nintendo-themed baby blanket. Gotta hook 'em while they're young, after all, if we want to make them lifetime gamers.
We tend to think the best part of this particular blanket is that the mushroom is up top, at optimal gnawing range.

Source: Gamer babies need hot accessories, too
Originally published on Mon, 15 Jan 2007 17:15:00 GMT

Upcoming Releases: 1/14 - 1/27

2007-01-15T20:27:00.001-05:00

At long last, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney -- Justice for All [DS] and WarioWare: Smooth Moves [Wii] arrive in North America, only a few scant months after their Japanese release. Normally I'd be a bit worried they'd be overshadowed by Burning Crusade, the first World of Warcraft expansion set, but the pacing of each is just perfect for quick spurts between raids.
On the digitally distributed side of things, Nintendo's got three hitting Virtual Console (Moto Roader, R-Type III: The Third Lightning, Xevious), an enhanced version of PopCap's Heavy Weapon arrives on Xbox Live Arcade, and hey, there's a chance flOw may actually hit the PlayStation Store ...but let's not get our hopes up.
The full list of this week's releases, including a tentative glance at next week, after the jump.
The dates listed below are ship dates. Except in a few notable cases, titles generally arrive in stores the day after they ship. Digitally distributed titles (Xbox Live Arcade, PlayStation Store, Wii's Virtual Console and Channels, Steam, GameTap) are exempt from this delay and are immediately available for download on the day of their release.
This Week (1/14 - 1/20)
PlayStation 3:
Nothing.
Xbox 360:
Wednesday (1/17)

NCAA March Madness 07, Xbox Live Arcade: Heavy Weapon: Atomic Tank (800 MS Points)
Wii
Monday (1/15)

WarioWare: Smooth Moves, Virtual Console: Moto Roader [TG16] (600 Wii Points), R-Type III: The Third Lightning [SNES] (800 Wii Points), Xevious [NES] (500 Wii Points)
PlayStation 2
Wednesday (1/17)

NCAA March Madness 07
Game Boy Advance
Nothing.
DS
Monday (1/15)

Underground Pool
Tuesday (1/16)

Fossil League: Dino Tournament Championship, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney -- Justice For All
PSP
Keep playing those emulators.
PC
Monday (1/15)

Great Invasions: The Dark Ages "350-1066 AD"
Tuesday (1/16)

Close Quarters Conflict, Hexic Deluxe, The Shield: The Game, World of Warcraft: Burning Crusade, World of Warcraft: Burning Crusade Collector's Edition
Notes
1) World of Warcraft: Burning Crusade will be available in stores on Tuesday, January 16th thanks to Blizzard's traditional use of street dates. In fact, some stores are holding midnight launches, but of course, you already knew that.
2) No one knows what's going on with the PlayStation Store, Wii's Virtual Console or Xbox Live Arcade as specific details and dates are practically impossible to pin down until days, sometimes hours, before release. That said, here's a general idea of what's coming in the near future:
PlayStation Store: flOw, Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection
Wii's Virtual Console: ?

Xbox Live Arcade: Alien Hominid HD, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, Catan, Street Trace: NYC, Worms
Next Week (1/21 - 1/27) [Tentative]
PlayStation 3
Nothing.
Xbox 360
Nada (that's Spanish for nothing).
Wii
Sigh.
PlayStation 2
Next week's looking pretty barren, huh?
Game Boy Advance
Nothing here either, but the dying platform's final game (Final Fantasy VI Advance) hits 2/5.
DS
Monday (1/22)
Hotel Dusk: Room 215
Tuesday (1/23)
InuYasha: Secret of the Divine Jewel
PSP
Monday (1/22)
Sid Meier's Pirates!
Tuesday (1/23)
The Legend of Heroes III: Song of the Ocean
PC
Tuesday (1/23)
Europa Universalis III, The Poppit Show
Thursday (1/25)
Sam & Max Episode 3: The Mole, the Mob, and the Meatball (GameTap)

Source: Upcoming Releases: 1/14 - 1/27
Originally published on Mon, 15 Jan 2007 18:50:04 GMT

EA Still Top Publisher in UK

2007-01-15T20:25:00.001-05:00

Gamasutra reports that in terms of revenue, Electronic Arts' titles dominated the UK sales charts last year.
In fact the publisher's games made up nearly one-fifth of all game sales in the UK. Here's the full chart:
Pos. Publisher Percentage
1 Electronic Arts 19.8%
2 THQ 7.9%
3 Ubisoft 6.9%
4 Nintendo 6.8%
5 Microsoft 6.5%
6 Sony 5.7%
7 Take-Two 5.4%
8 Activision 5.0%
9 Sega 4.1%
10 Eidos 3.7%
Talk about dominance, you would have to add the top three (which includes Nintendo) to better Electronic Arts' percentages. Brian Crecente
EA UK's Top Publisher [Gamasutra]

Source: EA Still Top Publisher in UK
Originally published on Mon, 15 Jan 2007 19:00:31 GMT

The root of gaming addiction exposed?

2007-01-15T20:24:00.001-05:00

Filed under: Culture
Researchers are just now realizing that video games may fulfill psychological needs like autonomy, competence, and relatedness. University of Rochester and Immersyve Inc. investigators have determined that it's not just a shallow sense of fun that enables the so-called gaming addiction. Where have these guys been?
What seems obvious to us is still a mystery to many. As the industry grows, as gamer populations swell, we're bound to come under the microscope more and more. There is a great urge among the uninitiated to justify our passion for video games. If only they'd stop questioning and simply join the "fun" ... Conform!

Source: The root of gaming addiction exposed?
Originally published on Mon, 15 Jan 2007 19:16:00 GMT

This Day in Gaming, January 15th

2007-01-15T20:17:00.001-05:00

1998: SNK of America sues Atlus over (patent infringement?) of their photo stickers. How could we ever explain such a concept to a thawed caveman? He'd be like, "I survived the ice age for this shit?"

2003: EA releases Sim City 4 for PC in the US. I have a feeling that if The Sims never existed, we'd be on Sim City 25 by now. (Instead we are on The Sims 25: Rabid Pets And Children, Who Are Dating And Making Magic And By Magic We Mean Doing It With The Good Stuff Blurred Out). Mark Wilson
Have gaming history, trivia, or famous birthdays you'd like to see in TDIG? Drop us a line at tdig@kotaku.com

Source: This Day in Gaming, January 15th
Originally published on Mon, 15 Jan 2007 19:30:25 GMT

Woman Killed In Wii-Related Competition

2007-01-15T20:13:00.001-05:00

snuffin writes to tell us that a local radio competition to "hold your wee for a Wii" has ended with a Sacramento woman dead from water poisoning. From the article: "An Associated Press interview with another contestant, named James Ybarra, claimed that contestants were initially given eight ounce bottles of water to drink every fifteen minutes, with larger bottles being used once contestants began to drop out. According to Ybarra, 'They told us if you don't feel like you can do this, don't put your health at risk.' He described the victim as 'a nice lady' and that 'she was telling me about her family and her three kids and how she was doing it for her kids.'"

Source: Woman Killed In Wii-Related Competition
Originally published on Mon, 15 Jan 2007 19:45:00 GMT

1up’s top 10 WTF moments of 06

2007-01-15T20:06:00.001-05:00

1up has put together a list of what they consider to be the craziest moments for gaming in 2006. Three of the ten choices are Nintendo related. I will post one of them below, you’ll have to click over for the other two.
4. Wrist Straps Recalled
We’ve been throwing game controllers since about two seconds after we first got our hands on one, but for some reason slippery idiots flinging Wiimotes through their plasma screens became one of the big stories of the holiday season. To hear mainstream news reports, delivered with the kind of gravity that should be reserved for an Ebola outbreak, Wii controllers are part of an insidious oriental plot to murder your children with toys. One Fox outlet even included some images from our Wiinjuries feature, noting that they were “apparently” a parody. If these guys pass for journalists then I hereby abdicate any claim to the title. “Some asshole who plays videogames and writes about it” carries a lot more respectability at this point.
Read the full list here

Source: 1up’s top 10 WTF moments of 06
Originally published on Mon, 15 Jan 2007 20:55:46 GMT

Behold! The Commodore 64 PDA!

2007-01-15T19:59:00.001-05:00

For reasons that will elude all but the most brilliant of philosophers, some guy over at the Petscii Forums decided to find out what would happen if a Commodore 64 and a PDA had a babeh. The hack, which looks like it would do some serious damage were it to collide with your noggin, combines the screen from a PSOne, the keyboard from a Jornada PDA, and a joystick from an Atari keychain.
Unveling the Picodore 64! [Petscii Forums]

Source: Behold! The Commodore 64 PDA!
Originally published on Mon, 15 Jan 2007 21:55:41 GMT

Classic Commercials: Mario’s Got Milk

2007-01-15T19:52:00.001-05:00

So you’ve seen Mario’s room, now check out his preferred drink. Who remembers watching this on TV? Video after the jump.

Source: Classic Commercials: Mario’s Got Milk
Originally published on Tue, 16 Jan 2007 00:00:17 GMT

Seemingly The Wii Is Noisy?

2007-01-15T19:39:00.001-05:00

Our friends over at engadget have ran some tests to see which of the next gen consoles create the most noise during various actions. Have a look at the graph below and let me know what your views are.
Lastly, how can they say that the Hard Drive measured 50dB when the Wii uses flash memeory which is solid state. I am quite sceptical about these tests as my Xbox 360 is alot louder than the Wii when it’s on and when it’s reading media.
Source

Source: Seemingly The Wii Is Noisy?
Originally published on Mon, 15 Jan 2007 23:24:07 GMT

VIACOM: Editorial: Why MTV Won't Buy 1Up

2007-01-11T21:52:00.001-05:00

I'm just a simple country blogger, but despite recent rumors about Viacom buying out all or part of Ziff Davis Game Group, I just don't see it happening.
There are a number of reasons for this, chief among them is the fact that ZD has tied their print magazines to the deal. In other words, if you don't buy EGM and Games for Windows you can't buy 1Up.
This may seem like a negotiable point, but Ziff Davis isn't stupid and they know that they can't sell the magazines alone, especially in today's anti-print environment, so they are tying it to their very valuable 1Up property.
What that means is that any buyer who wants to cut a deal with Ziff Davis is going to have to do one of three things: Run the magazines, count on flipping them (which is very risky), or buy em up and then shut them down and take the loss on the chin.
So why can't Viacom do this?
Well they could, but they probably won't. They don't have any interest in print so why would they saddle themselves with some magazines? And they have this little issue called shareholders, who aren't going to sit quietly by while their money is sunk into something that is going to be torpedoed immediately or be hopefully sold off eventually.
If someone is going to jump at this deal, and I'm sure someone will, it will be someone in the publishing business already. So the next time you walk by a magazine rack, take a careful look, one of those magazines is about to get a couple of siblings. Brian Crecente

Source: VIACOM: Editorial: Why MTV Won't Buy 1Up
Originally published on Thu, 11 Jan 2007 23:00:33 GMT

December NPD data is in

2007-01-11T21:34:00.001-05:00

I just got off the plane from CES, and got an email with the December NPD data. It looks like the Xbox 360 outsold the PS3 and the Wii combined last month. In addition Xbox 360 grabbed 51% market share in the United States for December 2006. I also found out that Gears has sold 3–million copies. I also saw some new Xbox Live data: we have 5 million active members, two-million messages crossing the network each day, and we have three-billion game play hours logged to date.

Source: December NPD data is in
Originally published on Fri, 12 Jan 2007 01:54:33 GMT

Top 10 accessories - December

2007-01-11T21:33:00.003-05:00

360 WIRELESS CONTROLLER 823.8 k
WII REMOTE CONTROLLER 646.7 k
WII NUNCHUK CONTROLLER 497.1 k
PS2 8 MEG MEMORY CARD 474.8 k
PS3 SIXAXIS WIRELESS CONTROLLER 336.0 k
PS2 MEMORY CARD 8 MEG 286.0 k
PS2/PS DUAL SHOCK2 CONTL 263.4 k
PS2/PS BLUE DL SH2 CNTL 245.2 k
360 PLAY & CHARGE KIT 224.6 k
PS2 CORDLESS ACTION CNTLR 219.9 k
Link

Source: Top 10 accessories - December
Originally published on Fri, 12 Jan 2007 01:55:30 GMT

Top 10 software sales - December

2007-01-11T21:33:00.001-05:00

Top 10 Video Games - Annual 2006
PS2 MADDEN NFL 07 - ELECTRONIC ARTS: 2.8 mm (Includes Hall of Fame)
NDS NEW SUPER MARIO BROS - NINTENDO: 2.0 mm
360 GEARS OF WAR - MICROSOFT: 1.8 mm (Includes Collector’s Edition)
PS2 KINGDOM HEARTS II - SQUARE ENIX: 1.7 mm
PS2 GUITAR HERO 2 W/GUITAR - ACTIVISION: 1.3 mm (Includes stand-alone game)
PS2 FINAL FANTASY XII - SQUARE ENIX: 1.3 mm
NDS BRAIN AGE: TRAIN YOUR BRAIN - NINTENDO:1.1mm
360 MADDEN NFL 07 - ELECTRONIC ARTS: 1.1mm
360 TOM CLANCY’S GRAW - UBISOFT: 1.0 mm
PS2 NCAA FOOTBALL 07- ELECTRONIC ARTS: 1.0 mm
Top 10 Video Games - December 2006
360 GEARS OF WAR - MICROSOFT 815.7 K Includes Collector’s Edition
PS2 GUITAR HERO 2 W/GUITAR - ACTIVISION 805.2 K Includes stand-alone game
PS2 MADDEN NFL 07 - ELECTRONIC ARTS 737.1 K Includes Hall of Fame Edition
GCN LEGEND OF ZELDA: TWILIGHT PRINCESS - NINTENDO 532.9 K
WII LEGEND OF ZELDA: TWILIGHT PRINCESS - NINTENDO 519.2 K
PS2 WWE SMACKDOWN VS. RAW 2007 - THQ 484.5 K
NDS NEW SUPER MARIO BROS - NINTENDO 427.5 K
360 CALL OF DUTY 3 - ACTIVISION 410.8 K
NDS YOSHI’S ISLAND 2 - NINTENDO 407.2 K
PS2 CALL OF DUTY 3 - ACTIVISION 365.3 K
Top 10 Titles - December 2006 INCLUDES ALL PLATFORMS (consoles and portables)
Madden NFL 07 - Electronic Arts 1.9 mm
Call Of Duty 3 - Activision 1.1 mm
Cars - THQ 874.0 k
Need for Speed: Carbon - Electronic Arts 871.6 k
360 GEARS OF WAR - MICROSOFT 815.7 K Includes Collector’s Editon
PS2 GUITAR HERO 2 W/GUITAR - ACTIVISION 805.2 K Includes Bundle
Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy - LucasArts 792.3 K
WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2007 - THQ 731.6 K
Tony Hawk’s Project 8 - Activision 713.9 K
Marvel: Ultimate Alliance - Activision 642.9 K
Link

Source: Top 10 software sales - December
Originally published on Fri, 12 Jan 2007 01:59:15 GMT

Odd games

2007-01-11T18:28:00.001-05:00

Over the holidays, Mike Monteiro discovered there was a Nacho Libre game for the Nintendo DS. Thinking that an arbitrary choice for a movie tie-in game, he started the DS Tie-In Games I Wanna Play group on Flickr to showcase other possible odd media tie-ins for the DS. Some of my favorite submissions so far include: The Passion of the Christ, Birth of a Nation, Empire, Remains of the Day, My Dinner with Andre (Bon Mot controller sold separately), Super Mario Bros, Learning GNU Emacs, Requiem for a Dream, The Cremaster Cycle, and Getting Things Done.
Here's a couple of ones that I've done: Dancer in the Dark and The New Yorker Draw Your Own Cover Electronic Entertainment (with noncompulsory coöperative mode), pictured below.

If you join the group, there's a Photoshop kit you can download to join in the fun.

Source: Odd games
Originally published on Wed, 27 Dec 2006 15:42:34 GMT

The Ultimate Final Fantasy Fan Parody

2007-01-02T22:34:00.001-05:00

You've seen live-action Final Fantasy spoofs before, but nothing that matches the epic scale of Mark Leung's College Saga. Clocking in at over 42 minutes long across four episodes and remaining hilarious the whole way through, this is truly the ultimate in Final Fantasy fan parody.
Chocobo rides, repetitive NPCs, vending machine store menus, and multiple battle scenes, and that's just episode 1! Follow the link below for the further adventures of Mark, Jesús, and Maria as they do battle against the evil forces of Vegetarianism. Michael Fahey

The College Saga Website - Thanks Eric!

Source: The Ultimate Final Fantasy Fan Parody
Originally published on Tue, 02 Jan 2007 18:40:04 GMT

Rare Founders Leave Company

2007-01-02T22:32:00.001-05:00

1UP is reporting that Rare founders Chris and Tim Stamper have left the Microsoft owned development studio. The two have reportedly left to "pursue other opportunities", with the departure supposedly having nothing to do with the poor sales reception of Viva Pinata.
The two will be succeeded by current Rare employees who will hopefully do a better job justifying the dev house's $375 million price tag. My suggestion to the company responsible for Grabbed By The Ghoulies and Kameo? More blood splattering, muscle bound Killer Instincts, fewer soft and fluffy, Skittles-colored, E-rated adventures. Your fanbase will greatly appreciate it! Michael McWhertor
Rare Founders Leave to 'Pursue Other Opportunities' [1UP]

Source: Rare Founders Leave Company
Originally published on Wed, 03 Jan 2007 00:20:18 GMT

In-game ads put devs in control

2007-01-02T22:28:00.001-05:00

Speaking with GamesIndustry.biz, IGA Europe vice president Ed Bartlett explained how in-game advertisements could benefit the interests of PC-based independent developers. Barlett pointed to Nadeo, which was able to release TrackMania Nations as freeware through the use of in-game ads, in turn boosting its player base (recording over 6 million downloads) and increasing ad revenue. This business model is unique because it eliminates the need for a publisher and means developers can retain the rights to their IPs.
Ironically, it's the indie developers that have been most resistant to in-game ads; whereas triple-A title publishers, while unable to offset theirs games' costs with ads, have been much more receptive to the practice.
Read

Source: In-game ads put devs in control
Originally published on Tue, 02 Jan 2007 19:25:00 GMT

Geek Girl of the Month: Nikole

2007-01-02T22:25:00.001-05:00

Tuesday, Jan 2nd, 2007

“I love dressing like a schoolgirl, probably because I’ve been one since I was 4.”

— Nikole

NAME: Nikole

AGE: 19

LOCATION: Valencia, CA

MEASUREMENTS: 34-24-36

INTERESTS:

Star Trek, All things Nintendo, Zelda:OoT and TP, Pokemon…I even have Mew, Japanese, G4, wikipedia, digg.com, revision3, rubber ducks, Irish Spring soap, video games

[More]

Video game console shortage could linger into '07 (Reuters)

2006-12-23T12:11:00.001-05:00

Reuters - Shoppers are standing in lines to snap up Sony Corp's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo Co. Ltd.'s Wii video game consoles as they become available, and some analysts do not expect shortages to ease until March or later.

Source: Video game console shortage could linger into '07 (Reuters)
Originally published on Fri, 22 Dec 2006 22:00:40 GMT

Red Vs Blue Sees Green

2006-12-22T23:21:00.001-05:00

The creators of the cult comedy series turn their sights on the gaming business.
Author: forbes
Added: December 20, 2006

Source: Red Vs Blue Sees Green
Originally published on Wed, 20 Dec 2006 21:45:16 GMT

Mischa Barton in West Hollywood

2006-12-22T22:42:00.001-05:00

Source: Mischa Barton in West Hollywood
Originally published on Wed, 20 Dec 2006 14:51:00 GMT

360 vs. PS3 vs. Wii - The Designer's Perspective

2006-12-22T22:37:00.001-05:00

Gamasutra is running a piece today written by Ernest Adams, a frequent contributor to the site and an amusingly opinionated game designer. He writes to weigh in on the console war debate from the perspective of a game designer. He runs down the usual list of pros and cons for each machine, and then digs into the most creative aspects of each machine. Finally, lays out what he sees as the end result of this hardware generation: "So who, at the end of the day, will be the also-ran in this generation of consoles? On the global scale, I'd say it could well be neither the PS3 or the Wii, but the XBox 360. The PS3 will win over the hardcore gamers who have to have the fastest, most amazing machine available. The Wii will skim off the younger players and those who don't have as much money to spend. Both have the advantage of being made in Japan, so they'll crowd the XBox right out of that market. In the US and Europe, it's harder to say, but I see the XBox's early start as more of a liability than a benefit."

Source: 360 vs. PS3 vs. Wii - The Designer's Perspective
Originally published on Fri, 22 Dec 2006 19:08:00 GMT

=====================================================

I'm sorry Mr. Adams. I would like to know what you are smoking, and where might I get some? Do you not watch the Internet? Do you not see the marketing treads going on? Do you not have your pulse on the game?

"N64 was a strategic mistake"
Yes and no. Nintendo took a gamble that people wouldn't want to wait 2-3 minutes for a game to load. Does anyone remember the HORRIBLE load times on Battle Arena Toshiden?! Oh wait.. that really hasn't changed much has it. *cough* Ape Escape for the PSP.

The main problem the N64 had was the lack of titles up front, and Nintendo pulling the plug on the machine just a tad to early. Many great games where made for the N64 and sold more then most of the PS1 games. 007 and Perfect Dark, just to name a couple. The N64 controller is still thought as being one of the best controllers made for a home system. But really, the N64 just couldn't compete with Sony's one PS1 killer app. Final Fantasy 7.

"PS3, which is undoubtedly the most powerful game console ever built"

undoubtedly?! My ass. This is where I would like to know what you are smoking and where I might get some.The PS3 is a pile of crap produced by a company that using virus marketing and proven to flat out LIE to it's customers all for the sake of the mighty dollar. The Cell technology is unproven. It's not even RUNNING as a 'true' cell system (7 cores, not a true 8), there's been over heating problems, there has been problems with the system even reading Blu-Ray DVD's, you need to PATCH the firmware before you can even PLAY some games (out of the box) the system doesn't even include the cables needed to produce games in true HD and above and beyond that, have you seen the screen shots comparing games running in emulation mode on a PS3 VS PS2 native? They look horrid. The PS3 is a $600 Blu-Ray player that just happens to play games.

"good games alone cannot guarantee a console’s success"
Total bull shit. It's ALL about the games. Perfect example here is the PS1. Horrible graphics. Horrible Sound.. Yet sold millions. Why? Final Fantasy 7. SOLID game, and one of the best ever created. The Atari 2600. HORRIBLE graphics and sound again. But again, sold millions (and caused the great game crash of '83.. but that's another story) The Dreamcast STILL has a following, because of the games. Where as the PS1 is pretty much dead and gone.. why is that?

"(the Japanese are reputed to have ignored the first XBox because it was just too big and clunky for their apartments)"

Yet, the PS3 is bigger then the original XBox and has all the features that Sony stated didn't matter.. like a Hard drive.. OH wait..it's not doing very well either.. Perhaps you've got a point on the 'form factor'

"the PS3 is a programmer’s and a filmmaker’s dream."
HUH? what does a filmmaker have do to with the price of eggs in China? Programmers dream? what about costs of porting code from one platform to another? (Something you don't have a problem with between the PC and the XBox 360) What about all the programmers saying the PS3 is a female dog to code for and in some ways worst then the PS2 which has been stated more then once to be a very hard toolset to code with.

Besides things like: "inverse kinematics" and "physics" are done by the CPU, 9 times out of 10 the "visual effects" are done by the GPU.
two completely different systems, and I've seen demos on an old C64 with 48k of RAM blow away something done on a PC. It's all about code, HOW you code it, and how to use the hardware to the max.

Besides, at this stage, the advantage that the PS3 has over the 360 (or the PC for that matter) is TOTAL theory. Right now, most of the games that are ported between the PS3 and the 360 look better on the 360.

"the PS3 is evolutionary"
So taking other company's ideas and fusing them together is called evolutionary now? Huh.. I just thought it was stealing.

"[the Wii controller] takes away functionality found on other consoles."

Duh. That's because the Wii is being what it was designed to be. A Game console. Not a multi-media machine that happens to play games. That's the MAIN point of where the 360 and the PS3 and the Wii are divided. The Wii is a pure game console. The 360 is a game console that can act as a multi-media device, and the PS3 is a multi-media device that also happens to play games.

"they can’t save the Wii if the ordinary Wii Remote tanks with the consumer."
.. and the Wii is out selling the PS3 and has been since it was introduced. I don't think that's a problem.

"Sony’s most revolutionary gaming innovation was not the PS3, but the Eye Toy."
this is a joke.. come on..it's got to be a joke. what's the punch line? the PS3? HA!!! funny. Web cams have been around forever. The Tech. of the Eye Toy has also been around forever. I wouldn't call it revolutionary by a long shot. The Wii controller? THAT'S revolutionary. Hmm.. makes me wonder if Nintendo didn't take the idea for the Wii controller off the Eye toy.. *ponder*

"Now, longtime readers of this column will know that I’m not a big fan of hardware-driven game design."

Yet, you are going off about how wonderful the PS3 is?

"So who, at the end of the day, will be the also-ran in this generation of consoles? On the global scale, I’d say it could well be neither the PS3 or the Wii, but the XBox 360. The PS3 will win over the hardcore gamers who have to have the fastest, most amazing machine available. The Wii will skim off the younger players and those who don’t have as much money to spend. "

Dude.. friend.. you've got it all basakwards. You're making the mistake of trying to Compare next-Gen consoles with a Wii. They are in two separate categories. The Wii is selling better then the 360 did by a long shot. There's more support for the Wii. The 360 is still lacking on one HUGE area... The Games And the PS3 was released DOA. The 'huge' sales of the PS3 where due to people buying them up to sell on Ebay. Right now the Wii is selling better then the PS3. which is just funny.

SOOOooooo.. at the end of the day, who's winning the NEXT-Gen battle? the Xbox360. The PS3 won over the people that would buy a Sony even if it caused cancer, anyone that was in the know stayed WELL clear of that console, and even the number of hard-core Sony diehards looked at the PS3 after getting one saying "WTF?!"

"but I see the Xbox’s early start as more of a liability than a benefit. "
That's only if M$ doesn't kick someone's ass and get some freaking GAMES to the system. I'm talking real honest to God Console games. Not PC ports and 'Pac-man'. I doubt many people spent the money on a 360 just to play Pac-Man over LIVE! it's called MAME and a PC.. MUCH cheaper.

"but they can no longer claim to be the latest, greatest thing – especially as the PS3 plays Blu-Ray disks out of the box, but HD-DVD is only available for the XBox as an add-on. "

Duh? I assume you've not read any reviews about the piss-poor quality of the Blu-Ray format either? Even the $600 Blu-Ray player is a wash, due to slow load times. Slow response times, and worse yet, bad image and sound quality.

"The Dreamcast got an early start too, and look how that ended."
That ended because of the lack of marketing of Segas Part. After the whole "Genesis does what Nintendon't" series, Sega just kinda sat back and figured there name would carry the system. It also didn't help that Sega really didn't TELL anyone they where releasing the console.

A History of Game Consoles, As Seen on TV

2006-12-22T21:47:00.001-05:00

PC World is running a great retrospective on videogame consoles, looking all the way back to Atari's pong. The best part is, they're doing it via television ads for the systems. The article features highly entertaining blipverts for Pong, the Fairchild, the VCS, the 2600, the Intellivision, the Odyssey, Vectrex, Colecovision, the Atari 5200, and many, many more. From the article: "Gamers were tiring of PONG consoles, and Fairchild Instrument and Camera's Channel F console offered a fresh new alternative. It featured programmable 'videocarts' containing ROM chips and code, as opposed to the dedicated circuits that the Magnavox Odyssey's plug-in cards used. The cartridge concept emerged as an industry standard, and is still used in handheld gaming devices today."

Source: A History of Game Consoles, As Seen on TV
Originally published on Fri, 22 Dec 2006 20:38:00 GMT

The best video game blunders of 2006

2006-12-21T20:24:00.001-05:00

Have you been wondering what the biggest screwups in the video game industry were in 2006? Well, you can quit worrying and start reading. This is the sort of stuff we'd like to see covered at things like the Video Game Awards. For an industry that is so good at congratulating itself, they sure don't like to admit their mistakes. So, it's up to someone else to do it for them.
Check out this list of the top ten video game blunders, boners, mistakes and gaffes of 2006 from next-gen.biz, and laugh along at some of the highlights from the past year. The Gizmodo story should have totally been number one, though, as Stefan Eriksson has become the official poster-boy for video game idiocy in action after single-handedly killing a company. And a gorgeous Ferrari.
[Thanks, Joe]

Source: The best video game blunders of 2006
Originally published on Thu, 21 Dec 2006 19:55:00 GMT

Pac-Man moves from screens to highways

2006-12-21T20:23:00.001-05:00

We're not sure what's more impressive ... the artwork left behind, or the daring artists who braved highway traffic to grace the asphalt with their work. Either way, Highway 55 in Minnesota has some hot retro gaming traffic tips on the road.
The state painted large white dots on the roadway to instruct drivers about the dangers of tailgating, and someone came in and promptly dropped a painted Pac-Man on the road, chasing the dots. Kudos to you, highway bandit. Now if you could just fit the ghosts in there, you might be able to make a cross-country phenomenon.
Note: Joystiq doesn't want anyone to get run over while painting their highways, so please be responsible while being irresponsible.

Source: Pac-Man moves from screens to highways
Originally published on Thu, 21 Dec 2006 19:25:00 GMT

Mad Catz finally appoints new CFO

2006-12-21T20:22:00.001-05:00

Mad Catz has named journeyman financial exec Stewart Halpern as its newest CFO, replacing Cyril Talbot III who left the position nearly four months ago. Halpern will officially join the company on January 15.
Halpern leaves Rockstar, where he was head of finance, to join the peripheral maker. Previously, he was CFO for Def Jam's holding company Rush Communications. After posting a net loss of $6.7 million back in June, Mad Catz is looking to Halpern to turn things around in the New Year. Good luck with that.

Source: Mad Catz finally appoints new CFO
Originally published on Thu, 21 Dec 2006 17:25:00 GMT

Guitar Hero suit settled

2006-12-21T20:04:00.001-05:00

RedOctane, Activision, and The Ant Commandos bury the hatchet on legal dispute; peripheral manufacturer will continue to offer its own guitar controllers.

Source: Guitar Hero suit settled
Originally published on Thu, 21 Dec 2006 14:18:08 GMT

The Games of 2006 Awarded

2006-12-20T18:35:00.001-05:00

It's almost the end of the year, and various organizations are handing out awards for what has been a very busy year in gaming. The Associated Press handed the top honor to Oblivion, while Gamasutra's Quantum Leap awards gave Wii Sports the nod for bringing the whole family together. Gamespy and Gamespot are still in the midst of handing out the prizes, but you can already check out genre winners at Gamespy, and Gamespot's list of dubious honors for games that only deserve the faintest of praise.

Source: The Games of 2006 Awarded
Originally published on Wed, 20 Dec 2006 22:39:00 GMT

Where the $60 for new games goes

2006-12-20T18:33:00.001-05:00

Source: http://www.joystiq.com/2006/12/20/where-the-60-for...

With the 20% price hike in PS3 and Xbox 360 games, gamers wonder exactly where it all goes. We hear it is because of the increase in production costs, but we still would like to know the breakdown of where our triplet of $20 bills gets sent. Now, Forbes has given us the skinny on the whole deal, explaining why games like Gears of War are priced at $60.

According to Forbes, $27 of the $60 taking its leave from your wallet
goes toward the actual making of the game; $15 goes toward art and graphics while $12 goes toward gameplay mechanics. Other major
price aspects are the 25% retail markup ($12 from a wholesale $48 per
game) and console owner fee of $7 (Forbes says the PS3 is higher). All
in all, the parties involved (retail and publisher) only get $1 for every
game sold (publishers can boost it up to $3 per game if they sell advertising in the manual or as a pack-in pamphlet). This is, of
course, before all those costs are paid up; after that, they can still
make a nice profit at a $20 price point.

More @ source.

Source: Where the $60 for new gamesOriginally published on Wed, 20 Dec 2006 23:15:11 GMT

Litigations That Changed The Games Industry

2006-12-18T21:33:00.001-05:00

What does litigation mean in the games industry? How far back does it go? And is it necessary? Dr. S. Gregory Boyd returns to Gamasutra with a detailed feature on the history of litigation, as it pertains to games, with examples ranging from Pong to Duke Nukem 3D.

Source: Litigations That Changed The Games Industry
Originally published on Mon, 18 Dec 2006 17:00:00 GMT

New Tomb Raider Game and Movie On The Way

2006-12-18T21:27:00.001-05:00

According to Eidos exec Ian Livingstone OBE, there is a new Tomb Raider game in the works for next-gen consoles. Apparently, this game "is like watching television", and speaking of video, Livingstone also revealed that another big screen outing for Lara Croft is also in the works. The TR films have taken in about half a billion dollars worldwide since the first movie was released, and that is a ton of dough to give up without trying for a hat trick.

Source: New Tomb Raider Game and Movie On The Way
Originally published on Mon, 18 Dec 2006 20:42:14 GMT

TOCA Feels It

2006-12-15T23:00:00.001-05:00

Codemasters have signed a rather…interesting licensing agreement with Philips to use their amBX system, adding ambient lighting and even gusts of heated wind to, apparently, better replicate the act of driving a car.

Featuring explosive damage effects across a huge range of motor sport disciplines, TOCA Race Driver 3 delivers pure heart pounding racing for the PC. The scripted amBX effects delivered through the Philips amBX Peripherals will make the experience of playing the game even more immersive. Racers will feel the wind in their hair through the amBX fans and see the flash of lighting through tree lines, tunnels and landscapes via the amBX LED lights all in the real world around them.

Right. What's next, squirt guns firing at you for submarine games? It seems to me that behind a crash helmet and maybe a windscreen most racers aren't exactly feeling wind rustling through their hair (assuming they have any…hair that is).

Philips Announces amBX License Agreements With Codemasters and Introversion
PC Titles TOCA Race Driver 3, DEFCON and Darwinia Join A Growing List of amBX-enabled Games
New York – December 12, 2006 – Philips today announced that it has reached separate agreements with Codemasters and Introversion to amBX-enable their upcoming games. As a result of the partnerships, Philips will utilize a special scripting language in Codemasters and Introversion titles that will redefine the experience of playing games by extending the game world out of the screen and into the real world. The company will partner with Codemasters to amBX-enable the hugely popular TOCA Race Driver 3 and Introversion, the award-winning creator of Uplink, to amBX-enable the upcoming titles DEFCON and Darwinia. All titles will be available for the PC CD-ROM.
Codemasters and Introversion join an ever-increasing list of video game publishers and developers that have signed on to create amBX-enabled games, including THQ, Kuju Entertainment, Revolution Software and Sumo Digital. Previously announced games that will be specifically scripted to work in tandem with amBX peripherals include Broken Sword: The Angel of Death and Rail Simulator. Additional announcements are forthcoming as Philips is currently in the closing stages of agreements with a number of other high profile companies regarding amBX-enabling games in a variety of genres.
“Codemasters and Introversion are the cream of the UK-based game development community. They’ve recognized both the creative and commercial value that amBX can add, as well as showing that even back catalogue games can be amBX-enabled, extending product shelf life in the future,” said Jo Cooke, Chief Marketing Officer, Philips amBX. “These are three totally different titles that will use amBX in very different ways and, added to existing amBX-enabled adventure and simulation games, demonstrates how adaptable and striking amBX can really be across all genres of PC gaming.”
Featuring explosive damage effects across a huge range of motor sport disciplines, TOCA Race Driver 3 delivers pure heart pounding racing for the PC. The scripted amBX effects delivered through the Philips amBX Peripherals will make the experience of playing the game even more immersive. Racers will feel the wind in their hair through the amBX fans and see the flash of lighting through tree lines, tunnels and landscapes via the amBX LED lights all in the real world around them.
DEFCON is an online, multiplayer strategy game simulating global thermonuclear warfare. The game, inspired by the 1983 cult-classic film Wargames, superbly evokes the tension, paranoia and suspicion surrounding the Cold War era. Arming DEFCON with amBX will allow armchair generals to actually see the blinding light, as their intercontinental ballistic missiles land; feel the ground rumble through the amBX rumble pad as fallout rains down around them; and quite literally blow their enemy’s wigs off, through the force of the explosion entering the room via the desk fans.
Darwinia is a 2006 Best Game nominee at the Game Shadow Innovation in Games Awards and will immerse gamers into a virtual world populated by Darwinian life forms, who are under invasion. Darwinia will also take full advantage of the amBX LED light, desk fan and rumble peripherals to extend the game world out of the screen and into the player’s game room.
“As a small developer you don't have the time and resources to play around with content and photorealistic graphics, all your energy goes into creating a mood, an unforgettable experience,“ said Thomas Arundel, Commercial Director, Introversion. “With DEFCON we had tried to enhance the gameplay by concentrating on simple Wargames-inspired graphics and a very evocative audio soundtrack. Teaming up with amBX has given us an opportunity to take DEFCON to the next level, to really make you feel like you are the General conducting the whole messy business from your own bunker.”
"amBX is a really exciting prospect from a developer point of view, simply because it allows for an added field of creativity when making our games." commented Peter Chan, Business Development Manager, Codemasters, "The TOCA series has been one of our most successful franchises to date and we feel the immersive effects offered by amBX will help us make this year's iteration the most memorable yet."
About Philips amBX
Created by Philips, amBX™, a shorthand for ambient experiences, will drive the next generation of home entertainment through the use of a scripting language, a software engine and architecture. Through amBX, multiple peripheral devices in the room will function in harmony to deliver new content experiences: surround lighting, sound, vibration, air movements and other effects. Enabled devices will work in tandem with scripted amBX code embedded inside video games to extend the gaming world out of the screen and into the real world by barraging the senses with audio and visual queues tuned to the action on the screen. For more information visit: http://www.ambx.com/

Source: TOCA Feels It
Originally published on Fri, 15 Dec 2006 16:07:06 GMT by tim.stevens

Activision, CA

2006-12-14T13:40:00.001-05:00

We know this isn’t about the environment, or about new media, but we had the opportunity to go into Activision and we couldn’t pass it up. We hear that we were the first people ever to get in there like we did. Hope you enjoy it!

special guest appearance by Rob

Source: Activision, CA
Originally published on Thu, 09 Nov 2006 17:34:31 GMT by Mario Librandi

Jessica Biel...

2006-12-13T23:22:00.001-05:00

Now how can you go wrong there? =)

Spike TV's Video Game Awards winners announced

2006-12-13T22:42:00.001-05:00

Spike TV's Video Game Awards winners announced

Expect the expected: another year passes with Spike TV failing to be either daring or creative with the winners of their annual gaming awards.

Source: Spike TV's Video Game Awards winners announced
Originally published on Mon, 11 Dec 2006 19:53:00 GMT by bkuchera@arstechnica.com (Ben Kuchera)

Controversial Christian Game Under Fire

2006-12-13T22:23:00.001-05:00

Violent video games have long been the subject of concern, but now a religious title is stirring controversy. Left Behind: Eternal Forces, a T-rated PC real-time strategy game based on the popular Left Behind book series, has come under fire by online political groups.

Source: Controversial Christian Game Under Fire
Originally published on Wed, 13 Dec 2006 17:30:41 GMT

Violent end to PS3 shooting saga

2006-12-13T21:49:00.001-05:00

Violent end to PS3 shooting saga
from Game Addicts by Edwin
Nobody could claim that the PS3 launch was smooth to say the least, with plenty of jacked up prices, muggings, and even a shooting just to get Sony’s fabled next generation console. The shooting incident brought about a new low to the world of video gaming, and does not do justice for the majority of us peace-loving gamers. Apparently, a suspect of the November 17th armed robbery of a University of North Carolina Wilmington student was shot dead by a New Hanover County sheriff’s deputy.

18 year old Peyton Strickland gave up the ghost at his front door after both he and his pet dog, a German Shepherd, were shot. This happened after Peyton opened the door where subsequently a loud fight ensued that ended in the most ghastly manner possible. According to Strickland’s roommate who was at home at that time, Peyton was unarmed when he opened the door, which leaves plenty of questions left behind to be answered.
A full and thorough investigation has already been launched by Ben David, the New Hanover County District Attorney. He claims that he will leave no stone unturned in the investigation, and neither will he show favoritism to his deputy. It is amazing how something like the PlayStation 3 could result in such senseless bloodshed? Aren’t we all grown up enough to wait for the next console shipment if we can’t get our fix today? Is gaming really responsible for degenerating the society’s mind up to such a low level? You don’t see the same kind of madness surrounding the Nintendo Wii despite having shortage problems (albeit at a lesser scale) as well. What’s your take on this?

Update on Sony, EA and Nintendo - The Internet Got It Right

2006-12-08T19:43:00.001-05:00

Update on Sony, EA and Nintendo - The Internet Got It Right
Roger and Video Game Shopping
I thought you'd be interested to know that I did a little holiday shopping last night. I went into the Nintendo Store near Rockefeller Center to check out the wares. Yes, I am finally capitulating to the video game "thing," at least on some level, for my 9-year old son. I was on a mission to buy a shiny white DS Lite with some cool games he'd be psyched about. As I was standing near the cabinet looking at games for my son I saw it: the Wii. Four consoles were set up with people gaming away: one dude holding the controller behind his ear and bending his knees like he was at bat; two throwing some wicked curveballs at robo-batters; and another person knocking them down at the bowling alley. Wow! They were having a blast. I wanted to grab one of those controllers and step to the plate right then and there.
When I went to check out my friend Rob and I chatted up the cashier for some market intelligence. The conversation went like this:
Rob: Do you have any Wiis?
Cashier dude: No. They were all sold out first thing this morning.
Rob: How many did you have?
Cashier dude: 100.
Roger: When did you get those?
Cashier dude: This morning. We get 100 every morning. People start lining up at 1am to get them.
Roger: You're kidding me, right?
Cashier dude: No. And the Toys-r-Us in Times Square has the same situation. They get 100, people line up 3 hours before the store opens, and they're gone.
Roger: Thanks, man.
The Sony-Nintendo-EA Thesis Coming to Fruition - Wii Rock!
And so it goes. The Wii is a happening, plain and simple, and its fallout is being felt across the gaming landscape. I have written about Sony quite a bit in the past, and have also penned a post about EA, both of which ran on Wallstrip as well. The general take in my pieces is that Sony screwed up massively by mismanaging its supply chain as well as consumer expectations, particularly as it relates to the blue laser diodes required for both its PS3 and CD/DVD consoles and its ability to meet stated delivery targets. Further, I had articulated that EA was missing the boat by not placing more resources behind the Wii console, choosing to keep most of its bets along the PS2/PS3 and Microsoft Xbox 360 platforms. Well, what I had hypothesized about appears to being coming to fruition. And with more data behind my arguments now, I thought I'd provide my gamer and investment pals with a little update.
Sony PS3: Off to a bad start
The Science & Technology section of Playfuls.com had a good post chock-a-block with statistics for how the PS3 launched in Japan. And it isn't pretty.
Sales of the PlayStation 3 console during its first full week of availability in Japan were sharply lower than those during the two days immediately following its launch, according to estimates published this week.
We were in Osaka this morning to see the delivery of Nintendo's Wii to the world's greatest DS fans. Stores across Japan received a total of 400,000 Wii consoles. In Osaka, Japan's second city, 2,800 units were allocated to the Umeda branch of Yodobashi Camera alone, while Bic Camera in Nipponbashi received 650 systems. Both locations were sold out within an hour of opening.
In its first eight days of availability, Nintendo's Wii video game system sold through to more than 600,000 consumers in North America. According to Nintendo¹s calculations from just its own first-party software and accessory sales, Wii instantly has become a $190 million business for NOA.
During the seven days from Nov. 13 to Nov. 19, there were 43,378 of the consoles sold in Japan compared with 88,400 sold on Nov. 11 and Nov. 12, according to figures published by Enterbrain Inc. Friday. The company publishes local gaming magazine Famitsu and its figures are generally regarded in the industry as reliable.
The sharply lower number of consoles sold is likely due to tight supply of the machines. Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. has faced problems procuring blue-laser diodes for the PlayStation 3's Blu-ray Disc drive and was forced to cut-back on launch plans. It had originally planned to have 2 million consoles in Japanese, North American and European retailers for launch week but this was reduced to 500,000 units and the European launch was pushed back to March 2007.
As a result the consoles have been in high demand and fetching premium prices on Internet auction sites.
Software sales for the PlayStation 3 have also gotten off to a slow start.
Sales have been lower than expected in part because a large number of early buyers were getting the console to resell for a profit online. Enterbrain estimated that in Japan, less software than hardware was sold at launch, while in the U.S. retailer Gamestop said an average of 1.5 games were sold with each console. In comparison the retailer reported average software sales for the Nintendo Wii were three titles per console.
Ok, but consider this. In the old days of video game launches one might have been able to recover from this less-than-stellar coming out party. But Sony's real competitor isn't Microsoft - it's Nintendo. Japan, Sony's home turf, is clearly game crazy, and problems with launching your marquee platform in your home market is not a good sign. According to Media Create, 81,639 PS3 systems were sold in the 24 hours of its introduction in Japan. Not bad, but this weekend the Wii entered prime time in Japan. And here are the early reports.
Nintendo Wii: Flying off the shelves
According to the gaming site Joystiq, the Wii launch went somewhat more smoothly than the PS3:
We were in Osaka this morning to see the delivery of Nintendo's Wii to the world's greatest DS fans. Stores across Japan received a total of 400,000 Wii consoles. In Osaka, Japan's second city, 2,800 units were allocated to the Umeda branch of Yodobashi Camera alone, while Bic Camera in Nipponbashi received 650 systems. Both locations were sold out within an hour of opening.
Compared with last month's farcical PS3 launch, there were notably fewer auctioneers-in-the-making at today's Wii debut. Most people we met were genuinely looking forward to playing games with their new purchase. (There are Wii lots on Yahoo! Auctions, but the going rate is only marginally higher than the retail price: typically Y30,000 (US$260) via auction, compared with Y25,000 (US$217) in stores.)
If these sales figures are true, and if one just focuses on the 24-hour post-launch period in Japan, the Wii outsold the PS3 by a 4-to-1 margin. Having supply on hand comes in handy sometimes, right? It helps to have your demand forecasting and supply provisioning in synch, right? Anyway, if you think these figures are impressive, consider that in the first week of the Wii's North American launch over 600,000 consoles were snapped up. From DailyTech:
Nintendo Wiis sold at the rate of nearly one Wii sold per second continuously since the Nov. 19 launch.
In its first eight days of availability, Nintendo's Wii video game system sold through to more than 600,000 consumers in North America. According to Nintendo’s calculations from just its own first-party software and accessory sales, Wii instantly has become a $190 million business for NOA.
"Even with sales already in excess of 600,000 units, demand continues to exceed supply, as it's clear this is one of the 'gotta-have' products for the holiday season," says Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime. "We've shipped retailers several times the amount of hardware the other company was able to deliver for its launch around the same time -- and we still sold out. Given the inclusive nature of Wii game play, we're seeing this new form of video gaming is already a huge hit with gamers and newcomers alike. It continues to be a phenomenal launch."
After hearing about the massive number of Wiis that Nintendo was stockpiling for launch, many figured that finding the new console would be a walk in the park, especially compared to securing a PlayStation 3. What many are finding (or rather, not finding) is that Wiis are in rather short supply relative to demand. Nintendo is shipping a much greater supply of its consoles than Sony is of theirs, but that is not changing the availability situation. Wiis are selling out just as quickly as PS3s as soon as they hit store shelves.
According to GameStop’s data, attach rate for the Wii is around three games per console – better than the retailer expected and about double of that on PS3. It should come to nobody's surprise that The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess was attached to more than 75 percent of all Wii consoles sold, achieving sales of more than 454,000.
For a little context, if one assimilates the numbers above, it appears that Nintendo has sold at least 1 million units worldwide in less than 3 weeks. Wow! This represents 10% of the projected full-year shipments for Microsoft's Xbox 360. And Microsoft has had a year head start. Further, Nintendo's Reggie Fils-Aime says he is still on target to ship another million units by year-end in North America alone. From gamesindustry.biz:
Speaking to Reuters, Fils-Aime predicted that Nintendo will hit the target by early December, and go on to sell another million Wii units by the second week of January. He said that a life span of between four and six years for the console would be "just about right".
Fils-Aime also took the opportunity to echo comments made by other Nintendo execs regarding the profit potential of the Wii, compared to other consoles such as the PS3, which apparently cost more to produce than to buy.
"We think that's in part why the industry has become so insular - very expensive machines, machines that arguably do more than you need them to do," Fils-Aime said.
"We designed [Wii] from the get-go to be profitable, so it will be past this weekend and throughout its entire life. Because we're a gaming company, we have to be profitable in the gaming business. It's not like our competitors who can make profit in operating systems or TVs to offset their losses on the gaming side."
So what does this all mean for the Wii's demand profile into 2007? A lot. From Slashdot:
Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime hyped up the console launch, saying, 'Because of demand, we're urging shoppers not to get complacent. The level of demand we're seeing goes beyond the ordinary. Retailers are telling us a significant fraction of customers pre-ordering Wii are nontraditional gamers...' The company expects to ship 6 million Wii units globally by the end of March 2007, on par with Sony's worldwide shipment targets for PS3. Microsoft has sold 6 million Xbox 360 units to date since its launch in late November 2005, and hopes to sell 10 million by the end of the calendar year.
PS3 vs. Wii: Celebrity Death Match or is the opponent already dead?
So Sony has flexed its muscles and said "hey, we're gonna sell 6 million units by March." Nintendo has said the same thing but has actually demonstrated the market momentum (i.e., demand supported by supply - I might posit that market momentum = customer demand x product availability - are you listening, Sony?) to back up its projection. Do you believe Sony? Well... Let's check in on a little dialogue between Newsweek's N'Gai Croal and EA's Larry Probst dated November 29th and you make the call.
Croal: Here's my first question. PS3 is supply constrained and will likely remain so until early 2008. 360 demand is--
Probst: Whoa, whoa, whoa. Early 2008?
Croal: You don't think so?
Probst: I don't think they'll be supply constrained that long. You think all through 2007 they'll be supply constrained?
Croal: Well, looking back to the PS2 launch, Sony shipped a million units for the Japanese debut, most of which sold in the first 48 hours. But for the Japanese launch of PS3, they only shipped around 80,000 units, more than ten times fewer machines. So they're nowhere near meeting demand in Japan. In North America, Sony shipped just under 500,000 units for the PS2 launch, but only 200,000 units for the PS3 launch. So they don't have enough supply to meet demand here. Sony launched in Asia with less than 20,000 units. And early next year, they have to start stockpiling units for the European launch in March 2007--assuming that date doesn't slip. So we're looking at four territories where supply probably won't meet demand, and by the time Sony starts to catch up, it'll be holiday 2007, where the combination of big AAA games and gift-giving will increase demand even more.
Probst: So you're not believing their projection of 6 million units shipped by the end of March?
Croal: Even if they somehow get to that, will that be enough to satisfy the global demand?
Probst: I don't think that they would catch up in the first quarter of 2007, but at some point in calendar '07 I think they catch up to demand. I don't think it takes until the early part of 2008. It doesn't happen in early 2007, but it happens in that year.
Croal: But as long as PS3 remains supply constrained, and as long as Xbox 360 demand is falling short of Microsoft's projections, that leaves Nintendo's Wii as the only platform that has both high supply and high demand. Yet the bulk of EA's AAA titles are oriented towards the PS3 and the 360. How have you adjusted your development plans in light of where things stand right now?
Probst: We have two titles at launch for the Wii. We will have five or six in the market by the end of our fiscal year [March 31, 2007.] We have a number in the low to mid-teens planned for [the next] fiscal year. I think we're going to catch up pretty quickly in terms of a broader portfolio on that platform.
********************
Larry at EA seems a little freaked, doesn't he? Well, read on to see what he does to ease EA's incipient pain.
EA: "Wii're playing catch up - I should have listed to Information Arbitrage"
Uh, and why exactly does Larry think EA is going to catch up quickly? BECAUSE THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE TO OR GET THEIR FACE RIPPED OFF, i.e., miss earnings and revenue targets off the back of their dependence on the PS2/PS3/Xbox 360 platforms. So in the absence of a sound organic strategy what do we do - buy someone, of course! Here's what EA announced on December 1st, as described in the Salt Lake Tribune:
Utah's EA Salt Lake is focused only on Wii
The Bountiful-based Headgate, which Cook founded in 1992, became part of video gaming giant Electronic Arts (EA) earlier this week. Immediately, Headgate's 60-member work force was assigned to designing games for Nintendo's new Wii platform.
"That will be our focus, exclusive to Wii development," Cook said Friday. "We're excited about this. Wii comes with a new controller that is wireless and senses orientation and path motions like nothing else out there.
"Nintendo has come up with an entirely new gaming experience," he added.
"For tennis, baseball or golf games, for instance, it really senses the actual swing. It's really catching on; now we will have to catch up."
********************
Well, you've got to give EA credit for doing something quickly to ameliorate a profound product gap that could sharply impact their future growth.
Sony's PS3 prospects: What to do now?
Bottom line: if they can't ramp up production and get some demonstrable traction by March, the whole platform could be in deep, deep trouble. A small installed user base, high game development costs and a runaway competitive hit by their arch-rival Nintendo could create a gap simply too wide to overcome. A little perspective on game development costs from VIDEOGAMESBLOGGER.COM:
Namco Bandai, who are Japan¹s second-biggest maker of video games, must sell at least half a million copies of a game for Sony¹s PS3 to make a profit on the title, said President Takeo Takasu.
Graphics for the high-definition games cost about 1 billion yen ($8.6 million) to create, more than double that for Nintendo¹s Wii titles, Takasu said in a Tokyo interview with Bloomberg from November 28. This explains why Bandai Namco are developing 30 games for Wii, but just 10 for PS3 and Xbox 360.
********************
Not enough supply coupled with the high costs of game development are literally pushing Japan's #2 video game maker into Nintendo's hands. This is not what I would call a favorable competitive landscape. And we have clear validation that all is not well at Sony's gaming division, based upon some news that came out on December 1st concerning a management shake-up:
Sony switches leaders in gaming division
Plagued by problems with the launch of its new PlayStation 3 console, Sony is shaking up the management of its games division.
The company announced Wednesday night that it is promoting Kaz Hirai, president and CEO of its Foster City-based North American PlayStation business, to president and chief operating officer of its entire games division. Hirai will take over the day-to-day operations of Sony's games business from Ken Kutaragi.
Kutaragi, a legendary figure within the games industry as the father of the original PlayStation, will oversee the longer-term, strategic development of the company's global games operations as chairman and group CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment (SCEI).
'Clearly this is a smack in the face for Kutaragi. In essence, he's been demoted to CEO, which in this case is largely a face-saving title for him,'
Said Van Baker, an analyst with research group Gartner in San Jose. 'Kaz is an operations guy. . . . This is a recognition of the fact that operations is their problem area right now.'
How do the local Japanese analysts interpret this brutal demotion?
From the Tokyo AP via SiliconValley.com:
But Masayuki Otani, analyst at Maruwa Securities Co., was a bit skeptical about the news, noting that the gaming markets are extremely different in the U.S. and Japan.
”Sony is such an old-fashioned company. Success in the U.S. doesn't necessarily mean success elsewhere,'' he said. “The appointments could also signal a gradual farewell -- 'thank you for the hard work' -- for Mr. Kutaragi.''
From Kotaku.com:
Yuta Sakurai, an analyst at Nomura Holdings, Inc. has a gloomy outlook on Sony's hardware future.
" The appointment of Hirai could be the start of a shift from hardware to software. I cannot now imagine a PlayStation 4."
From GigaOM:
"The Father of the Playstation" and the "Gutenberg of Video Games", Ken Kutaragi, has just been nudged from his position as president of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. (SCEI), hereby replaced by Kaz Hirai of SCEI¹s US wing.
In one of those lovably surreal corporate moves, Kutaragi is actually being promoted, while losing day-to-day control over Playstation development.
And what do the bloggers think? Some comments on Joyqtiq's post related to Sony gaming's reshuffle:
2. Yep this is the big business equivalent of firing Ken from his current position. They can't just outright get rid of him 100%, as that would admit that he was doing a bad job, which would then reflect poorly on all of their big talk. They have to save face.
Basically, they've turned Ken into a high level consultant.
Posted at 10:50AM on Nov 30th 2006 by joey
6. This is Big news. For a japanese company to move a guy like Ken off the direct leadership team of the playstation is bad news for Ken. It can only be seen as a negative reflection inside sony on the launch of the PS3 and PSP. Might be a positive for sony and gamers to get some fresh leadership for the Playstation brand.
Posted at 11:06AM on Nov 30th 2006 by Dragon Warrior
10. #2 Hit the Nail on the head. Big Companies can't just outright fire their executives because it will send the common investor into a sell-off.
They'll leave him in his new position for a while and then give him severance with a news post saying he is leaving to "Spend more time with his family" or to "Pursue a new opportunity". Sony will never admit anyone did anything wrong, because that would imply the company made bad business decisions.
Posted at 11:09AM on Nov 30th 2006 by clo1_2000
19. Shuffling management so soon after launch is a sign. I think the recent publication that some vendors were waiting on Sony's direction so they could offer their titles exclusively to the PS3, but fell through when they didn't hear back from Sony in time, certainly hasn't helped matters. And now we're hearing about some vendors taking a wait and see approach and that sales have to be 500,000 to make a profit. If true, these are troubling revelations.
Posted at 11:47AM on Nov 30th 2006 by Robotic House Plant
Sony's in trouble, man. And it ain't just the PS3. This company is psychology broken. Morale absoutely sucks, which isn't really the environment you are are looking for to rapidly and decisively address a competitive threat. Check out this post on Gizmodo describing how a Sony executive actually said that the Wii is more fun than the PS3:
Even though he wasn't speaking for the entire Sony organization, did we just hear Sony Australia & New Zealand general manager Nic Foster say that the competing Nintendo Wii is more fun than Sony's PS3 gaming console? Well, just about:
"Wii is a core gaming device. It's a more fun, intuitive sort of product to pick up, where the PS3 is a broader entertainment solution; so you can have your fun, enjoyable gaming ... but then you have a whole suite of other applications ... such as Blu-ray media playback, the ability to access your music, access your photos and the interoperability with the PlayStation Portable."
Oops. What sounds like more fun, a "core gaming device" that's "intuitive" and costs $250, or a "broader entertainment solution" that'll clip you for $600? You decide.
Yikes. Not a comment to build morale, huh?
Conclusion
The internet conversation has been an incredibly good predictor of the actual outcomes for Nintendo, EA and Sony. While the game is certainly not over, it is pretty amazing to consider how directionally correct all of these online experts and users have been. While Wall Street analysts often have some good insights, they can't possibly replicate the global community brain shared by those who can tap into it efficiently. And this gets to the post I authored a few days ago about next generation search. But I'll keep you posted on the Sony-Nintendo-EA situation. It is sure to be a wild ride.
ADDENDUM
Check this out from Bloomberg this evening - Sony PlayStation 3 U.S. Sales Fall Short of Target (Update3). A little late to the party guys, aren't we?

CNET's James Kim and family missing -- have you seen them?

2006-12-01T08:11:00.001-05:00

CNET's James Kim and family missing -- have you seen them?
Posted Nov 30th 2006 8:45PM by Ryan BlockFiled under: Announcements
We've received word that a respected member of our tech community, James Kim (whom many of you may know as CNET's senior editor of digital audio), and his family have gone missing. As we understand it, last weekend James, his wife Kati (above right), and his very young girls Penelope (left) and Sabine (baby), drove from their home in the SF Bay Area to Seattle. They were expected back some time Sunday, but were last seen by a hotel clerk at 5:45 PM on Saturday in or between Gold Beach or Portland, Oregon. We sincerely do hope they are all safe, and our hearts go out to the Kim family.We'll have more information as we get it. If you have any information as to the Kim family's whereabouts, please contact the SFPD at 415-558-5508 during normal business hours, and 415-553-1071 after hours.

Chinese student makes US 1.3 million selling online RPG items

2006-11-24T23:07:00.001-05:00

Chinese student makes US 1.3 million selling online RPG itemsBy Alaric S. While Wang's earnings may sound unbelievable, MMORPGs can be very profitable to ... As early as two years ago, economists calculated MMORPGs have a gross economic ... With MMORPGs' popularity spreading like a mental disease in NYC, ...MMORPG - http://mmorpg.qj.net

Report: Asia Pacific Mobile Game Revenues to Hit $4.4 Billion in ...

2006-11-22T16:16:00.000-05:00

Report: Asia Pacific Mobile Game Revenues to Hit $4.4 Billion in ...

Digital Media Wire - Los Angeles,CA,USA... of the mobile gaming industry, revenue sharing issues, poor user experiences, competition from dedicated portable gaming devices, and game piracy are all ...

50 Cent & Method Man Present Callused Thumbs At Video Game Awards

2006-11-22T16:01:00.000-05:00

50 Cent & Method Man Present Callused Thumbs At Video Game Awards
SOHH Tue, 21 Nov 2006 11:30 PM PST

50 Cent and Method Man are slated to serve as presenters at Spike TV's fourth annual Video Game Awards next month. Visit SOHH.com for the complete story.

German School Shooter Played Counter-Strike

2006-11-22T15:57:00.001-05:00

German School Shooter Played Counter-StrikeBy lindsay As you have been informed by the mainstream media for quite some time now, video games are the root of all evil....(read more)

Students at BSC donate video game system to St. Alexius

2006-11-22T15:50:00.001-05:00

Students at BSC donate video game system to St. Alexius
Bismarck Tribune Wed, 22 Nov 2006 2:20 AM PST

The TV screen showed adoring fans, as the college students strummed a video guitar. His goal: Guitar hero. As he played the video game in the hallway of St. Alexius Medical Center, hospital administrators stood marveling, not at his video game skills, but his generosity.

Tattersall's and Macquarie to buy UK's Talarius

2006-11-22T15:48:00.001-05:00

Tattersall's and Macquarie to buy UK's Talarius
Reuters via Yahoo! Asia News Wed, 22 Nov 2006 3:28 AM PST LONDON, Nov 22 (Reuters) -

Australian gaming group Tattersall's and investment bank Macquarie have teamed up for an agreed 137 million pounds ($260 million) offer for British amusement arcade firm Talarius Plc .

EU probes "cultural" French video games

2006-11-22T15:27:00.001-05:00

EU probes "cultural" French video games
AFP via Yahoo! - Wed, 22 Nov 2006 11:04 AM PST

Regulators said they were opening an investigation into whether proposed tax breaks for the French video games industry constituted legal support for "genuine cultural projects."

Hey Don't Forget The Poor Souls Who Had To Wait Online For A Game Console Too

2006-11-22T15:17:00.001-05:00

Hey Don't Forget The Poor Souls Who Had To Wait Online For A Game Console Too

Tuesday November 21, 2006 5:06 PM EST
For all of the stories about the insanity of people waiting for days in line to get one of the hot new video gaming consoles, the NY Times wants to make sure you don't forget the struggles of folks who waited online as well . You see, sites like Amazon didn't give a precise time when they were going to sell the Nintendo Wii, and it wasn't clear how many they had either. So, people were forced to sit at their computers (in one case moving a laptop from a desk to a couch to bed) and keep...

DDR and Video Games: Not Quite Enough?

2006-11-22T15:09:00.001-05:00

DDR and Video Games: Not Quite Enough?
By Diet Blog Dance Dance Revolution is a very popular video game that exercises the whole body rather than just the fingers. Just how effective is it when it comes to weight loss?...

EMPIRE INTERACTIVE ACCEPTS ACQUISITION OFFER

2006-11-22T14:25:00.003-05:00

EMPIRE INTERACTIVE ACCEPTS ACQUISITION OFFER
Shareholders agree on Silverstar takeover deal...

EA SIGNS NEW DEAL WITH WARNER BROS.

2006-11-22T14:25:00.001-05:00

EA SIGNS NEW DEAL WITH WARNER BROS.
Fifth Harry Potter game down for July release...

Update: Tracking video game sales by console

2006-11-22T14:20:00.003-05:00

Update: Tracking video game sales by console
Seattle Post Intelligencer - USA... Keeping in mind the caveats mentioned in that original post, the numbers show Microsoft's consoles attracting a growing percentage of video game sales -- a 36 ...

The week in video game news

2006-11-22T14:20:00.001-05:00

The week in video game news
Columbus Ledger-Enquirer - Columbus,GA,USAAP. _ENJOY THE VIOLENCE: Video games are often criticized for violence, and even the industry's staunchest defenders had to be rattled by some of the mayhem ...

AMD Congratulates Nintendo on the Launch of Wii, A Revolution in Gaming

2006-11-21T07:35:00.000-05:00

AMD Congratulates Nintendo on the Launch of Wii, A Revolution in Gaming
Business Wire via Yahoo! Finance Tue, 21 Nov 2006 3:01 AM PST
SUNNYVALE, Calif.----AMD today congratulates Nintendo on the successful launch of the revolutionary Wii video gaming console. The AMD "Hollywood" graphics processor resulted in Nintendo delivering a brand new level of immersive gameplay and interaction for consumers in North America.

Infinity Ward site re-launches with new intel

2006-11-21T07:34:00.000-05:00

Infinity Ward site re-launches with new intel
Tuesday November 21, 2006 6:19 AM EST
Call of Duty 2 developer Infinity War has re-launched its website and now offers a bunch of new features.

Video game scarves

2006-11-17T17:55:00.003-05:00

Video game scarvesBits to die for has a great collection of knit scarves with video game pixel art. Makes a cute holiday gift for the video game lover. [ via ] Link. [Read this article] [Comment on this article]

The Political Game: It’s the Economy, Stupid

2006-11-17T17:55:00.001-05:00

The Political Game: It’s the Economy, StupidBy us The Canadian government is offering grants and a contest to support emerging game developers. The program is called the Great Canadian Video Game Competition, and ten small firms will receive funding. The best of their game projects ...

ELECTRONIC ARTS - Has jobs!

2006-11-15T22:32:00.001-05:00

ELECTRONIC ARTS

PLAYA VISTA CA

www.eala.com

SOUND DESIGNER

EA has an exciting opportunity for a Sound Designer who will work closely with the Audio Director on creating sound effects, dialog and music for a next-generation first person shooter game. You will be instrumental in designing audio elements for a high profile new intellectual property. Come join a talented, creative new team at EA Los Angeles—the studio that develops the critically-acclaimed Medal of Honor, Command & Conquer, and The Lord of the Rings, The Battle for Middle-earth franchises!

SUMMARY:

Responsible for designing and implementing sound effects, including sound effects design and editing, music integration, field recording, technology development and documentation. Employee will act as a liaison with multiple disciplines, including design, animation, VFX, art and engineering. Experience should include a strong understanding of consumer audio hardware and software, such as ProTools, Nuendo, and Sound Forge. Experience in EALA's proprietary tools, such as Uberdef and Unreal is a strong addition.

PRINCIPLE DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

* Assist the Audio Director relative to the creation of a sound environment that will enhance the quality of the game experience.

* Act as liaison between Sound and other disciplines.

* Head up the integration process, working with game engineering to insure the proper integration of sound assets.

* Look for opportunities to gather source material for sound design work.

* Assist Audio Director in coordination with outside developers of audio content.

EDUCATION, EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS REQUIRED:

* BA degree with emphasis in music theory and composition and/or electronic music, or equivalent professional experience, with 3 or more years of experience in audio including MIDI and sound tools applications. Master's degree preferred. Experience in the gaming industry desired.

* Experience with the following audio tools desired:

ProTools, Nuendo, Sound Forge, Uberdef, 3D modeling programs

* Creative, organized, self-motivated, detail-oriented team player.

* Excellent written, oral, and management skills.

PLEASE APPLY AT THE FOLLOWING LINK:

http://jobs.ea.com/pljb/ElectronicArts/United_States/applicant/jobClick.jsp?count=1&id=4380

Send Text Messages Directly From Your Game Controller

2006-11-15T22:26:00.001-05:00

Send Text Messages Directly From Your Game Controller
Business Wire via Yahoo! Finance Wed, 15 Nov 2006 9:28 AM PST
ORLANDO, Fla.----Blue Orb, Inc. announced today the launch of a family of products that bring new text messaging capabilities to online video gamers everywhere. Now for the first time, gamers can generate text messages directly from their game controller.

'Game On! The Unauthorized History of Video Games'

2006-11-15T22:15:00.001-05:00

'Game On! The Unauthorized History of Video Games'
By bookofjoe
For the most part, you either get video games or you don't. ... Narrated by CNBC anchor Bill Griffeth, "Game On!" pins the birth of video games to 1958, ... An engineer named Ralph Baer, considered the father of video games, ...

Funcom and NVIDIA Form Alliance

2006-11-15T22:11:00.000-05:00

Funcom and NVIDIA Form Alliance
ugo.com - New York,NY,USA
... The game, already touted as the most technologically advanced MMO in production, will be a showcase title for Microsoft Windows Vista as well as maximized for ...

'CAUSE I SAID SO -- The video game ad that haunts me

2006-11-15T22:02:00.001-05:00

'CAUSE I SAID SO -- The video game ad that haunts me
West Fargo Midweek - West Fargo,ND,USA
... disaster or the aftermath of a bombing in Baghdad. It's a TV commercial for a video game. I'm not a big video game fan -- it's not ...

PTA and ESRB Launch Nationwide Video Game Ratings Education Partnership

2006-11-15T21:53:00.000-05:00

PTA and ESRB Launch Nationwide Video Game Ratings Education Partnership
SYS-CON Media Wed, 15 Nov 2006 2:01 PM PST
Furthering their shared commitment toeducating parents about video games, the Parent Teacher Association (PTA)and Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) are launching a nationwidevideo game ratings education campaign that will distribute 1.3 millionbrochures to 26,000 PTAs nationwide. The campaign will encourage and enablestate and local PTAs to educate their community's parents about

Video Game Short List

2006-11-15T21:41:00.001-05:00

Video Game Short List
By Kirk Starr(Kirk Starr)
But the QotD today — What's on your Top 5 video games list? — is perfect because of the little known fact that I spent six years of my life working for Nintendo as a Game Play Counselor (GPC). So, as might be expected, I happen to have ...

Spore Interview

2006-11-14T18:18:00.001-05:00

Spore Interview
Tuesday November 14, 2006 2:24 PM EST
Joystiq posted a new Spore interview from the Montreal International Game Summit. They speak with Chaim Gingold and Chris Hecker of EA/Maxis speak about how the game has eveolved since it was first announced, and how life is when you work for EA.

Nonsense about Predatory Pricing of Video Game Consoles

2006-11-14T18:11:00.001-05:00

Nonsense about Predatory Pricing of Video Game Consoles
By athierer
Over on Business Week.com, Jason Brightman argues that video game retailers such as Game Stop are "forcing" consumers to commit to expensive product bundles in order to get their hands on a new PlayStation 3 or Nintendo Wii gaming ...

IBM galvanized by video game business

2006-11-10T20:12:00.003-05:00

IBM galvanized by video game businessAP via Yahoo! News Fri, 10 Nov 2006 9:26 AM PSTNo matter whether Nintendo Co., Microsoft Corp. or Sony Corp. wins the video game console war, there already is one huge victor: IBM Corp., which designed and makes the microprocessors for all three units.

Sonix to start shipping video controllers to Nintendo in December

2006-11-10T20:12:00.001-05:00

Sonix to start shipping video controllers to Nintendo in DecemberTG Daily Fri, 10 Nov 2006 7:12 AM PSTDespite monthly revenues slipping by 17% on month, Sonix's prospect in the fourth quarter should remain positive with its video controller ICs for Nintendo slated to start during year-end of 2006, according to industry sources.

AT&T enhances blue room site to lure in video game fanatics

2006-11-10T20:11:00.003-05:00

AT&T enhances blue room site to lure in video game fanaticsbizjournals.com via Yahoo! Finance Fri, 10 Nov 2006 4:14 PM PSTAT&T Inc. began offering additional entertainment content to its blue room site this week as a way to attract more visitors online.

TECHNOLOGY Rome mayor seeks ban on violent Japanese video game 'Rule of Rose'

2006-11-10T20:11:00.001-05:00

TECHNOLOGY Rome mayor seeks ban on violent Japanese video game 'Rule of Rose'Japan Today Fri, 10 Nov 2006 2:29 PM PSTROME — Rome Mayor Walter Veltroni on Friday vowed to seek an Italian ban on a controversial Japanese video game "Rule of Rose," the Italian news agency ANSA reported.

Uwe Boll will direct a sequel to BloodRayne 2, but Kristanna Loken's done a runner and will be replaced by Natassia Malthe of Elektra and Dead or Aliv

2006-11-09T22:12:00.001-05:00

Uwe Boll will direct a sequel to BloodRayne 2, but Kristanna Loken's done a runner and will be replaced by Natassia Malthe of Elektra and Dead or Alive, er, fame.
"The sequel takes place 100 years after the first film and is set in the Wild West," Boll told DreadCentral. "Rayne comes to America, deals with the Brimstone society, and ends up fighting Billy the Kid, who has been turned into a vampire." But apparently Loken "is booked for a whole year with the Sci-Fi Channel". She must be gutted.
Boll also says there's going to be a sequel to Alone in the Dark, which sounds like another excellent idea, but he's not going to direct it. Apparently both films will be direct-to-video and be made for US$ 10 million apiece.
Advertisement
DreadCentral also reports that Boll's adaptation of Postal doesn't look rubbish, but we'll believe that when it comes out, a year's passed and we're drunk enough to risk it.
=======================================================
[PogoWolf]
*sigh* Can NO ONE make a movie worthy of a game?!

Video game play day Saturday in Trabant

2006-11-09T21:49:00.002-05:00

Video game play day Saturday in Trabant
UDaily - Newark,DE,USA
3:42 pm, Nov. 9, 2006--Genshiken, UD's video game club, will hold its 2006 fall championships from 11 am-4 pm, Saturday, Nov. 11 ...

New Video Game Makes Triangle Gaming Hub

2006-11-09T21:49:00.001-05:00

New Video Game Makes Triangle Gaming Hub
NBC 17.com - Raleigh,NC,USA
... Adding to the area's video game resume, the I-Entertainment Network of Cary just got a big boost by releasing a world war one fighter plane game along with the ...

Cancer video game helps children understand their illness

2006-11-09T21:49:00.000-05:00

Cancer video game helps children understand their illness
WNDU-TV - South Bend,IN,USA
... A nice distraction came when David was able to test a new computer video game through a study at Washington University. ‘Roxxi ...

NCsoft Reports Lower Q3 Figures Top

2006-11-09T21:48:00.005-05:00

NCsoft Reports Lower Q3 Figures
Thursday November 9, 2006 2:39 PM EST
Guild Wars publisher NCsoft has reported lower year-over-year sales and profits for its third fiscal quarter, although numbers are up from Q2; projections increased.

Darwinia Creator Talks Indie Survival

2006-11-09T21:48:00.003-05:00

Darwinia Creator Talks Indie Survival
Thursday November 9, 2006 5:09 PM EST
In Montreal today, Introversion co-founder Tom Arundel advised how an indie developer can navigate in a world of mega-publishers.

Atari Turns Q2 Profit

2006-11-09T21:48:00.001-05:00

Atari Turns Q2 Profit
Thursday November 9, 2006 5:39 PM EST
Atari today reported a humble profit of $300,000 for its fiscal second quarter, much better than the $25.2 million net loss for the same period a year ago; sales still down.

SUAAB Video Game Contest

2006-11-08T19:52:00.000-05:00

SUAAB Video Game Contest
By The University of Texas at Dallas
Compete agaisnt your friends in our video game contest! Big screens, cool games, and cooler prizes!

Survey Discusses Game Banning, ESRB Familiarity

2006-11-08T19:48:00.000-05:00

Survey Discusses Game Banning, ESRB Familiarity
Gamasutra Wed, 08 Nov 2006 11:03 AM PST
Data analysis firm Evolution Research has released the findings of its latest online survey aimed at determining the perceptions surrounding video games and how they influence the behavior of those who play them. The survey, which polled 2,077 individuals, found that the majority of those questioned (60 percent) noted that video games represented a significant influence, even more so than cable

Konami Sales Up, Profits Down

2006-11-08T19:38:00.000-05:00

Konami Sales Up, Profits Down
Tuesday November 7, 2006 7:50 PM EST
Konami has posted higher sales and operating profit for the first half of its fiscal year, although net income is down.

Holiday Profile: RedOctane

2006-11-08T19:37:00.001-05:00

Holiday Profile: RedOctane
Wednesday November 8, 2006 1:06 AM EST
Next-Gen visits RedOctane in the week that its mega-sequel Guitar Hero II hits the streets. We talk to marketing boss Stacey Hirata.

Survey: Gamer Ethics

2006-11-08T19:37:00.000-05:00

Survey: Gamer Ethics
Wednesday November 8, 2006 9:39 AM EST
The majority of people think that playing Grand Theft Auto is more influential on behavior than watching a movie like Natural Born Killers--at least according to an extensive survey by Evolution Research. Click through for the firm's game ethics survey...

Atari Lands $15 mln Revolver

2006-11-08T19:36:00.000-05:00

Atari Lands $15 mln Revolver
Wednesday November 8, 2006 10:09 AM EST
In a further attempt to get back on track, Atari has secured a $15 million three-year secured revolving credit facility.

Japanese video game developer draws inspiration from Kurosawa ...

2006-11-08T19:31:00.003-05:00

Japanese video game developer draws inspiration from Kurosawa ...
Canada.com - Hamilton,Ontario,Canada
Japanese video game producer Tetsuya Mizuguchi is the brains behind such games as "Lumines," "Rez," "Ninety-Nine Nights," "Space Channel 5," "Manx TT Superbike ...

Analyst Initiates Video Game Publishers

2006-11-08T19:31:00.001-05:00

Analyst Initiates Video Game Publishers
Houston Chronicle - United States
NEW YORK — Bank of America analyst Michael L. Savner initiated coverage of four of the largest US video game publishers Wednesday, two of them with "Buy" and ...

Entertainment: Video Games Live 2006

2006-11-08T19:30:00.001-05:00

Entertainment: Video Games Live 2006
I wasn't able to attend the Video Games Live music show, but a friend did; he mailed out ... Tuesday, September 12, 2006: Video Games Live at Massey Hall ... The orchestra sounded great and the hosts / video game composers Jack Wall and ...

Canada to invest in local video-game business

2006-11-08T19:30:00.000-05:00

Canada to invest in local video-game business
GameDAILY BIZ - USA
Grabbing a piece of the $20 billion video game industry, the Canadian government on Wednesday said it would invest CAN$2 million ($1.76 million) to develop ...