GTA: San Andreas Hitting Xbox next week

It seems like we’ve officially hit the holiday video game surge, and Microsoft isn’t taking that lightly. As if next week weren’t going to burn our wallets enough with games like Fable 2 and Far Cry 2, Xbox Live will be getting one old and one semi-old favorite added to the list of games. The most interesting of these is probably Portal: Still Alive, which is essentially a standalone version of the hit title bundled in Valve’s Orange Box, but with some added bonuses. The XBLA version will include the original game, plus 14 extra challenge maps and six advanced maps for your extended enjoyment. The game will become available for download on Wednesday, Oct. 22.

Before that though, Xbox Live subscribers will be treated to an old favorite that once turned the term “hot coffee” into a dirty sexual innuendo. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas will join the Xbox Originals to remind you what GTA was like before impressive physics and online multiplayer were introduced. It was a simpler time, when a man could get his character eat enough fast food to turn into a waddling mass of gangsta flesh; a time that Niko Bellic wouldn’t be able to replicate. Also, bicycles! GTA:SA will be hitting Xbox Live on Oct. 20.

Source: news.filefront.com

Films, video games to get ads before classification

VIDEO games and films will soon be allowed to be advertised before classification in an effort to help thwart piracy, the NSW government has announced.

In a bill to be introduced in state parliament today, the NSW Classification Enforcement Act will be amended in anticipation of new federal laws.

The laws will include a maximum $22,000 fine for failing to advise consumers to check classification, or advertising M and PG-rated films during a G-rated movie.

“The increased risk of piracy and rapid advances in technology has led to many products only being available for classification close to their release date, which makes marketing difficult,” NSW Attorney-General John Hatzistergos said in a statement.

“In response, the commonwealth government, states and territories agreed to new legislation to allow advertising of films and computer games prior to their classification, similar to what happens now with certain films released in cinemas.”

“The new advertising scheme will benefit industry, while still protecting the rights of consumers.”

The new scheme will not apply to X-rated or other restricted categories. Advertising of this material will continue to be prohibited.

Source : news.com

Blue Dragon Plus Coming in March 2009

Blue Dragon Plus, the hand-held spin-off of Mistwalker’s next-gen RPG, was first revealed about a year ago, and it is already out in Japan now. Thankfully, Ignition Entertainment have acquired the rights to release the Blue Dragon Plus in North America as well as Europe, and they will do that in March 2009.
Ignition president Ajay Chadha said about this new deal, “Out-of-the-box thinking and effective marketing are the cornerstones of our success, and this acquisition relays our standing commitment to that.”
Blue Dragon Plus also promises 30 hours of gameplay, impressive cutscenes, and customizable robot companions. watch thumbgods for further news as the North American launch comes closer.

Life With PlayStation Available On September 18

Finally the rumors have come true and it has been announced that Life With Playstation will be available simultaneously worldwide on September 18.
Kotaku reported that Live Channel will allow the playstation 3 owners to finally have what the Wii users have had for two ears now — live updates to news and weather. Unlike the Wii is the Live Channel’s cloud imagery, and live camera images of newarly 60 cities around the globe.
Folding@home will also receive an update with the Live Channel, allowing it to support more advanced simulation of protein folds. Therefore, when the next time you will update your PS3, you will not only be keeping an eye on the weather of New york, but will be doing even more to get further understanding of cancer.

Konami announces Suikoden: Tierkreis

Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. today announced that Suikoden: Tierkreis, the latest episode of the celebrated Suikoden series, will be exclusively for the Nintendo DS. Including a variety of different characters while exploring many exotic and beautiful locations and cultures across the game’s universe of different worlds, Suikoden: Tierkreis will expand the bounds of the handheld role playing games. Featuring the franchise’s established gameplay while maximizing the technological capabilities of the DS to provide all-new online elements, this epic RPG contains of many cinematic experiences that will drive the grand storyline of the 108 Stars of Destiny as they battle to thwart the powerful One King.
Read the full story on IGN.

Video Game Violence: The Scapegoat

In a country so based on Christian beliefs and ideals, it seems these days that most people are forgetting the definition for “Scapegoat”. As defined by the Merriam-Webster online dictionary, a “Scapegoat” is:

a goat upon whose head are symbolically placed the sins of the people after which he is sent into the wilderness in the biblical ceremony for Yom Kippur

Basically the goat has all the sins of the populace placed on him, and then is sent out to die. Traditionally with rocks, sticks, and curses thrown at him to drive him on. Such things have been common in all societies, such as dragging a lonely old woman out and burning her at the stake for a witch when some of the town’s populace came down with sickness or sinful acts, whether she had any blame or not.

It does my heart proud to see these age old traditions brought forth again today with Video Games. Games in general have been blamed for years, whether it was claiming that Dungeons and Dragons (a game in which you commonly destroy evil, fight demons, and protect the innocent) was at blame for Satanic rituals and domestic abuse, or claiming that all Renaissance Fair enthusiasts are degenerate drunken rapists. History shows that Americans don’t seem to have much of a love of the imagination, even if that was what our country was founded on.

While some of these claims, sadly, can prove true, it is completely besides the point. Video Games are being blamed for the bad actions of bad people. While inspiration may come from violent video games, it’s true, can it not also come from television, books, or possibly even the newspaper itself? Violent acts are not uncommon in history, and sadly neither is attempting to pass the blame.

Gears of War to become a movie.

The magazine “Variety” has reported that New Line Cinema has purchased the rights to a Gears of War film. Supposedly Stuart Beattie (Collateral, Pirates of the Caribbean I & II) will be writing the script. It will be produced by Wyck Godfrey (I,Robot, Eragon) and Marty Bowen (The Nativity Story).  No word yet on who will be taking the lead role.

WoW: Outland Interactive Map

“Beyond the Dark Portal lies the shattered realm of Outland, the broken remains of the orcs’ homeworld, Draenor. Among the ruins of this world, the survivors of the cataclysm are trying to rebuild, and in other parts of Outland, life continues to thrive. Those brave enough to make the journey through the Dark Portal will find new allies, new enemies, and limitless adventure beyond an untamed horizon.”

Aye, I’m a European player of World of Warcraft-or at least was, until very recently, since starting studying again has put a toll on my ability to be equipped with a computer actually able to handle the game. Anyway, for the interested ones, there on our official European website, I picked that nice interactive map of Outland. I have no idea when I’m able myself to discover it in game, and for the moment, the map can and will do. Isn’t it the same for everyone else, waiting as we are for Burning Crusade.

So here I go, clicking on the various areas of the map to discover new names, new zones, new information about this odd and still unknown land. Yes, perhaps my avatar in WoW will never set her digital feet there at all; right now, though, it can be interesting to try to imagine what all these areas will actually be like…

Wii, Wii…No, No

Nintendo has apparently gotten in on the joke that is the Wii. After recieving over 200,000 emails with let them know that their precious new console is being acquated to urine, it seems that it might be enough to get them to change this incredibly stupid name.

Will they? Hopefully it’s a resounding wii.

Detox Clinic For Gamers

Alchohol, cigarettes, drugs, even shopping are just a few things that people become addicted to and then there is also gambling but a little known fact that many do not know or understand is that for some people video games can be just as addicting as anything else and just as hard to stop.

A clinic has opened in Amsterdam for just this reason and described that patients go through withdrawals of shaking and sweating if they so much as see a computer screen.

Strange but true. I love my video games as much the next gamer but just not that much.

World of Warcraft: Blood Elves In Action

Every WoW player (or almost) must be awaiting the Burning Crusade expansion, and with reason: it seems to bring quite its lot of end-game content, lore, and the new races and profession.We still don’t know what the Alliance race will be–I very much doubt it’s going to be this–but just for your eyes’ pleasure, here’s a link to a video from the Blizzcon showing the soon-to-come Blood Elves in action.

The 360° every two jumps look a bit weird to me (well, alright, it looks really weird–at least the Kaldoreis’ sommersault seemed to fit better), but I must confess that it’s going to be interesting to try one once the expansion is finally out, just for the sake of seing on my screen something a little different from my own character.

No Mission Video Game In The Forseeable Future

Almost all the big blockbuster movies are having their own video games such as X3 and even The Da Vinci Code. However it doesn’t seem as though we will be seeing a 3d Tom Cruise/Ethan Hunt anytime soon.

There is no news about a video game coming out and no one is saying why. This is pretty weird since we know Hollywood will do anything for a buck and video games equals millions of those green rectangles.

Cross-Marketing to Gamers

There are millions of gamers in the US, so it’s no wonder that advertisers are itchy to market to gamers directly.

First we’ve got Paramount Pictures, which has just teamed up with Xbox to create Xbox Movie Showcase, which will “feature free, high-definition, downloadable content from two of the most highly anticipated films of the summer”: Mission: Impossible III and Nacho Libre.

The Xbox Movie Showcase content includes HD movie trailers, exclusive theme packs, and graphics allowing Xbox gamers to customize their gaming experiences, theming their Xbox Live experience to “M:i:III” and “Nacho Libre.”

Second, there’s GameTunes, which has started assembling new-music samplers that feature mostly hard-rock fare. They’ll be played in roughly 100 iGames-affiliated gaming centers. (”Gaming centers, almost completely dominated by independent operators, allow gamers to play popular videogames against one another.”)

In addition to listening parties and in-store play at the gaming centers, gamers will be offered coupons that could result in as much as $4 off at the Virgin Megastore chain.

Sources: GameInfoWire, Yahoo News

Women Gamers in the Home of Chrome

PC World’s Erika Ingvald reported today on women gamers, focusing on the highly successful, 7-member “girlz 0f destruction” team, which was formed in October, 2001.

Check this out:

Four team members recently moved into the first-ever dedicated eSports home, which is subsidized by Taipei-based team sponsor Via Technologies, a global supplier of high-end computer hardware. The house is situated right in the heart of the European gaming community, in the city of Sollentuna, some 10 miles north of Stockholm, Sweden.

There’s plenty of money in the gaming pot. All in all, the PC gaming industry estimates global sales of around $20 billion and U.S. sales of around $7 billion in 2005. The house, which cost Via about $250,000 this year, is named “Home of Chrome,” after Via’s and S3 Graphics’ Chrome brand and Chrome S27.

Moving far away from family and friends, even changing countries, has been one of the toughest issues, the “girlz” say. But it can be worth it. PC gaming is increasingly competitive, and tournament prizes are escalating. For instance, the Cyberathlete Professional League (CPL) in 2005 gave out a total of $1 million in prizes on its world tour.

To attract the best sparring partners, the “girlz 0f destruction” will host both amateur and professional gamers, as well as others interested in the eSports lifestyle. Already, guests from the professional gaming community are coming to play in the house.

And there is a lot of space. The LAN gaming room, equipped with the latest gaming gear from Via, is called the Kremlin, since it is a huge open space pretty much like Moscow’s Red Square. Add to that a veranda and a balcony for nice summer evenings, and a sunroom and sauna for relaxing after long hours of practicing.

PS3 Release Delayed

Sony has announced that the new Playstation 3 game console will not be released in Japan until November. The news was expected by still caused Sony stock to drop 1.8 percent on the day.

The machine was supposed to be on the street this spring. Still, Sony says it will produce 1 million consoles a month and have 6 million available by next March.

The console with have a 60 GB hard drive that will support Linux out of the box. It will be completely backward compatible with PS1 and 2 and will upscale old games into high definition.

The whole system is supported by Blu-ray anti-piracy technology, which is where the hangup is coming from that’s causing the delay in release.

Will the wait hurt Sony, which desperately needs a new hit? It will have been more than a year since the new X-Box came out, so one can only guess what the repercussions will be.

Conquer Online: Who Wants To Move From Kylin Server?

This is the latest announcement currently up on the Conquer Online website, and it may be of interest to anyone playing on the (overpopulated) Kylin server:

To ease the population of the Kylin server, we give the option for our players on Kylin server to move their characters to the new server named Saturn in Galaxy Group.

If you wish to participate, visit http://account.conqueronline.com/enzf/split/Kylin/ to learn the details and start the process!

After you submit your move decision, please remember to check your move status by selecting “I wish to check My Current Move Decision. Here is my Conquer account ID and password” at http://account.conqueronline.com/enzf/split/Kylin.

The new server will be named “Saturn”. Be aware, though, that you need to make your decision before Jan 17, 2006 9:59pm PST. After this date, the move won’t be possible anymore.

In the case of move, the characters’ guild, spouses, friends and enemies will be transferred along onto the new server. However, if the others players don’t follow this move and remain on Kylin, one won’t be able to meet them anymore, will find oneself in a guild without a leader, and so on. Better think the decision over, indeed!

(Source: MMORPG.com)

Gauntlet: Seven Sorrows - Review at Game Zone

For those who remember it, the original Gauntlet was an 80s arcade game, presenting the adventures a Warrior, an Elf, a Wizard and a Vakyrie, four champions of Good banding together against the forces of Evil–all in all, a classical storyline. The Xbox now welcomes its sequel, Gaunlet: Seven Sorrows, and the latest review about it is now up at Game Zone, which gives it a 7/10 mark.

Seven Sorrows is a tale told by the ghost of a fallen Emperor who, in his days, had the loyalty of the four immortal heroes that served him well. Yet even he admits that greed and other dark dealings had led him to commit unspeakable crimes, seven of them to be exact (hence the title), with one of them being the ultimate betrayal of his four champions. Tying them up and leaving them for dead in the Great Tree, he regrets his crimes and quickly frees them in hopes that they will put right all the evil he has unleashed on the Realm. Once again, the four heroes fight against monsters, spirits and other magical hordes that will put up quite a spectacular fight.

The game can either be played alone or up to four players. The gameplay itself seems to be close enough to the one of the original Gauntlet. Controls remain simplistic (we’re talking hack-and-slash here), and if the graphics aren’t anything breathtaking, the environments still stand out. If you like this “classic formula” of 80s games, this game may be (I quote) “a worthwhile experience”. In short: nice, but nothing new.

Me and My Katamari on PSP

2006 should see the release of Me and My Katamari on PSP, according to what’s been announced on Gamespot:

Today Namco confirmed that the growth is going to continue in the US and Europe in 2006 with the release of the newly named Me and My Katamari on the PSP.

For the third installment in the series, The King of All Cosmos and the royal family travel to a tropical paradise for vacation, only to be given the responsibility of rolling up yet more katamari to make new islands for homeless animals. As always, the king delegates his authority, and the prince and his cousins wind up doing all the grunt work.

The game was previously available in import only in Europe and the USA. No more precise date has been given, though, so a vague “2006″ it will be for the moment.

Burning Man vs. Xbox 360 Launch

Now I’ve heard everything. Corporate giants are out to copy an anti-corporate festival … The release of Xbox 360 is going to mimic Burning Man … I’m not sure how I feel about this. It’s actually quite disturbing. But for you gamers, I suppose it’ll be a rockin’ event.

http://www.joystiq.com/entry/1234000697067435/

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Burning Man meets E3 for Xbox 360 launch
Posted Nov 10, 2005, 8:27 AM ET by Vladimir Cole
Related entries: Culture, Nintendo Revolution, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360

Chris Di Cesare, director of Xbox marketing, spent a few minutes rappin’ with us about Microsoft’s plans for the Xbox 360 launch event out in the middle of the Mojave desert. Since we’ve already covered the basics (all you need to know is that event tickets are being given away throughout the day today at participating websites), we’ll spend a little more time deconstructing the event itself.

Chris noted that the event has been likened to the Burning Man festival that takes place annually in Black Rock desert, Nevada. That Microsoft acknowledges and even embraces the idea that this is “Burning Man meets E3” indicates that they’re shooting for a completely different vibe than the Times Square/Toys-R-Us location they chose to host the original Xbox launch on November 16, 2001.

With the Zero Hour event, the company is shooting for “overtones of being something that’s more of a festival or celebration…. We wanted to do something that was different, and something that was true to the audience that the box was designed for, and that’s the gaming audience,” said Chris.

This isn’t the first time that Chris has adopted (some would say usurped) a fringe cultural movement. First, it was the wildly successful I Love Bees campaign that brilliantly adopted the ARG (alternate reality gaming) genre for marketing purposes, a success that subsequent imitators have failed to achieve. Now, by openly evoking Burning Man (and we assume designing the actual event so that it feels like Burning Man), Microsoft (and Sony for that matter) have been tirelessly campaigning to reform gaming’s image in a larger version of the reinvention personified by Xbox architect and Microsoft VP J Allard (pictured below).

World of Warcraft: Expansion Pack

Several years have passed since the Burning Legion’s defeat at Mount Hyjal and the races of Azeroth have continued to rebuild their once shattered lives. With renewed strength, the heroes of the Horde and Alliance have begun to explore new lands and broken through the Dark Portal to investigate the realms beyond the known world. Will these heroes find friends or foes? What dangers and rewards lie in wait beyond the Dark Portal? And what will they do when they discover that the demons they thought vanquished have returned to renew their terrible Burning Crusade?

World of Warcraft’s first expansion pack, titled The Burning Crusade, has now been officially announced. Players won’t have to get it to enjoy all of its features, but for some of them, such as the new races, it will obviously be a necessity.

Here are some of the new features and add-ons you’ll find in it:

• Two new playable races, including the magical Blood Elves
• The entire new continent of Outland, reachable through the Dark Portal
• Many new high-level dungeons to explore in Azeroth, Outland, and elsewhere
• New flying mounts in Outland
• New quests and items
• A new profession: Jewelcrafting

A Force More Powerful

Ever thought of learning the ropes and strategy of nonviolent conflict? If the answer is “yes”, then A Force More Powerful may be something you’d wish to keep your eyes upon. Wired News has an interesting article about this upcoming game, the child of Ivan marovic who, along with the Otpor resistance group, helped remove former Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic from power.

Created by BreakAway Games, the game leads players through simulations of real-life events, such as Gandhi’s struggle for Indian independence, the civil rights movement in the American South, and Otpor’s protests in Serbia.

“Young people grew up with video games,” said Marovic, “and they take the medium seriously.”

The game doesn’t require an itchy trigger finger or keen hand-to-eye coordination; rather, it relies entirely on strategy. As well as historical recreations, players can set up their own scenarios, based on their own situation on the ground, and experiment with different nonviolent strategies. The game’s artificial intelligence calculates the results.

Again, this is all about nonviolent strategy (this time, there’s no way the old smelly “video games turn our children into violent beasts” argument can hold water), and it seems to me, from the way the article summarizes the game, that it can be not only interesting and captivating, but also a good lesson in strategy at all, as well as a voice whenever and wherever such tactics could be needed for the good of all.

The game is planned to be sold in the United States, and distributed for free to international groups.

Game Developer Lists Top 20 Publishers

For the third year in a row, Electronic Arts has taken top honors in Game Developer magazine’s list of the top 20 game publishers, according to a news release. EA reached revenue of more than $3 billion this year.

Activision, Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony rounded out the top five. Microsoft slipped from No. 2 last year, but hopes the release of XBox 360 will improve the company’s revenues as well as its stature among game publishers. Activision jumped up from No. 7, thanks in part to popular titles such as X-Men Legends and the Tony Hawk’s Underground series.

Atari slipped to No. 13, while a strong year for Bandai, LucasArts and Capcom have helped the companies secure spots on the list, knocking Koei and Empire of the list.

The guide will be available on newsstands through Nov. 14, or check it out on Game Developer’s website.

Special Offer on Irth Online

The game itself looks interesting for some of its announced features (non-instanced player housing, open skill system not involving levels…), even though it seems to me like one of the “calssical fantasy-types MMORPGs” out there, but one thing is certain: it never harms when one can subscribe to a MMORPG while benefitting from a few discounts.

Therefore, for anyone who would be interested in subscribing to Irth Online when it goes live on November 1st, Magic Hat Software, its conceptor, has announced a pre-launch special offer going from October 15th to October 31st:

The Pre-Launch Special Offer allows gamers to purchase Irth Online for $19.95, a 33% discount off the at-launch price of $29.95. The pre-order subscription fee will be $9.95 per month for the first six months, representing a 30% savings over the at-launch fee of $13.95 per month. Pre-Launch Special Offer orders may be placed online only at www.irthonline.com which explains the ordering procedure and payment options.
[…]
If those who pre-order Irth Online choose the option of paying in advance for three months of subscription fees, they will receive an additional, fourth month for free. This offer will not be available after Irth Online is launched.

The offer is valid for the three types of distribution (download, CD and DVD), but won’t be anymore, of course, once the game is officially launched.

If you’re among those who would’ve subscribed anyway from the start, it looks like something to keep tabs on.

ROSE Online: Q&A

Stratics presents today a series of Q&A with Gravity, makers of the famous Ragnarok Online, about ROSE Online, their upcoming MMOG. This one seems to be targeting a younger audience (namely “Teens and Tweens”), yet can probably be of interest to older players as well (after all, it looks like there is a deeper, evolving storyline happening behind).

Here’s a short excerpt of the Q&A in question:

Stratics: Why did ROSE Online choose to target the teen and tween market?

Gravity: Well ROSE is meant to be a game that people of all ages can enjoy. It’s just that there are so many games out there that are designed strictly for an older audience. We wanted to create an online game that youngsters would also like. The challenge was to create an experience that would be fun for MMO players already used to certain “MMO features� and yet palatable to the sensibilities of a tween or teen audience.

Stratics: How has ROSE Online achieved this? What features in particular are you proud of that achieve this?

Gravity: ROSE has apparent qualities like its cute, cartoon graphics and playful music that kids would like. At the same time, it has an evolving storyline of galactic struggle and adventure that more mature audiences might get into more so than kids. At any rate, the very nature of self-discovery that a player goes through as he levels his character and ventures throughout the game world is something that, I think, both the hardcore MMO player and youngster can understand and appreciate. We just tried to make it so that the game struck a chord with a child or person’s inner child.

This is only the first part, and more is likely to follow (soon?). Note that if you’re interested in taking part to the beta, you can apply here on the official website.

Phoenix Wright Retails In America

“Courtroom drama”: this is how Gamespot qualified Capcom’s Phoenix Wright. Until now, the game wasn’t available in the USA before, but soon this won’t be a problem anymore: Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney now retails for $29.99 on PS 2.

According to a previous review written about it, the game is pretty much heavily text-driven, but this isn’t a problem in my eyes, as long as it remains interesting to play it, which it seems to do. Actually, this simple paragraph from the review is what caught my interest:

The game has you controlling Phoenix Wright, a lawyer fresh off the bar who is, initially, more than a little nervous. The first case you take on, a murder trial in defense of Phoenix’s dopey best friend, Larry Butz, serves as a tutorial in which law firm chief Mia Fey guides you through the ins and outs of courtroom procedure. Each of the game’s five cases begins in the same way, as you’re treated to a brief cinematic that shows the events of the murder, during which you’ll usually get to view the killer. In Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, discovering the killer is not the surprise; instead, it’s the way in which you bring him or her to justice. The events surrounding the murder always end up leading to the false accusations of innocent witnesses, and as a defense attorney, it’s Phoenix’s job to get a verdict of “not guilty,” despite the lying witnesses, shady prosecutors, and a judge who sometimes forgets the letter of the law.

Intriguing? I have to say that it sure looks worth a try.

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