May 2013
November 2007
Celebrating 5 years of Xbox Live →
In recognition of Xbox Live’s 5th anniversary, Microsoft has announced a pair of giveaways and a new download service
Download Xbox games via Xbox Live →
The Official Xbox Magazine is reporting that the next Xbox 360 dashboard update will allow owners to download original Xbox games
TimeShift Multiplayer Demo Tomorrow [Xbox Live] →
Tomorrow Xbox 360 owners will get a chance to experience TimeShift’s unique multiplayer experience without the hassle of actually having to go out and buy TimeShift. Sierra has announced that a multiplayer demo of their time-twisting title will be up on Xbox Live tomorrow. I’ve tooled around a bit with TimeShift’s multiplayer, though I have to say I was less than impressed. The...
New Anthology on Player Experiences [] →
As I promised yesterday, during my run as Bizarro Brian I want to share some recent activity in the field of game studies. Videogame, Player, Text is a new anthology with articles focused on player experiences in games. Barry Atkins and Tanya Krzywinska are the editors, and contributors include Marie-Laure Ryan, Matteo Bittanti, Henry Lowood, Jesper Juul, and others. These are some of the names...
DivX support coming to consoles →
DivX Inc. has announced that its video technology will be integrated into the PlayStation 3 via a future firmware update
WoW Patches To 2.3, Fixes Dustwallow [Patch Day] →
World of Warcraft players rejoice - Dustwallow Marsh doesn’t suck as much anymore! Oh sure, you might be more excited about the other changes going live today with patch 2.3, such as the introduction of guild banks so we can free up those bank character slots, or the new 10-man level 70 dungeon of Zul’Aman in the Ghostlands. They’ve made it easier to level from 20 to 60, which...
Vivox obtains $7.8 million funding →
Vivox, a provider of voice services for online games and virtual worlds, has secured USD 7.8 million in a second round of equity financing
Aion's Space Angel Battle Trailer [Clips] →
newVideoPlayer("aion_g_gawker.flv", 265, );Here’s NCsoft’s GameStar 2007 trailer for their forthcoming MMO Aion: The Tower Of Eternity, featuring the Elyos and Asmodian races locked in battle somewhere deep in the Abyss. For me it brings to mind pre-release trailers for games like Codemasters’ RF Online and NC’s own Lineage II. Not only is the look similar - Aion could very...
Wii Photo Channel gets better, worse in December →
Filed under: Nintendo Wii
While most Wii owners are too busy playing Super Mario Galaxy or checking out Miis to care, Nintendo has announced through their web site some pending updates to the Wii’s Photo Channel. Call it a bad news sandwich on good news bread. The good news: After the update you’ll be able to choose a favorite picture as the channel’s Wii menu icon. The bad...
Readers pick best webcomic: The Littlest... →
Filed under: Culture, Online, Polls
Curses, Tycho and Gabe, now we really wish Assassin’s Crossing was real. It would be so much fun. The duo’s Penny Arcade strip from last week, “The Littlest Hashshashin” took top honors in this week’s webcomic wrapup, likely for the second frame alone. (We’re not going to spoil it, just click the link yourself and find out.)...
New Lego Batman details released →
The new franchise to follow Traveller’s Tales successful Lego Star Wars games, which was hinted at over a year ago, and finally confirmed earlier this year, will be published on all platforms in Europe in 2008.
Fable 2, Alan Wake not cancelled either →
Filed under: Microsoft Xbox 360, Action, Adventure, RPGs
EGM’s Shane Bettenhausen has caused quite a ruckus as of late by suggesting in the latest 1UP Yours podcast that a high-profile first-party Microsoft game has been canceled. The first game confirmed to be alive was Banjo-Kazooie 3. Now, the developers of Fable 2 and Alan Wake have both chimed in to say their games are also still...
Konami and Hudson extend deal into Europe →
Konami Digital Entertainment GmbH has agreed a deal with Hudson Soft to distribute its titles throughout Europe, beginning in 2008.
Supreme Commander Confirmed For 360 [Supreme... →
Been a few weeks now since Chris Taylor lost control and spilled the beans that Supreme Commander would be turning up on a console. Thing is, back then, we didn’t know which console. Do now. It’ll be appearing on the 360 sometime early next year, and will feature a new HUD and control scheme, new units, “updated” maps and a whole boatload of multiplayer options for XBL...
Some LEGO Batman details to whet your appetite for... →
Filed under: Nintendo DS, PC, Sony PlayStation 3, Sony PSP, Nintendo Wii, Microsoft Xbox 360, Action
Was that super-quick teaser trailer not enough to satisfy your need for all-things LEGO Batman? Well, like the Dark Knight himself, GamesIndustry.biz has swooped in to provide a few concrete facts about the fearsome superhero’s adorable LEGO-themed title. Using the same optional...
Blizzard Patches Up WoW to V2.3 →
World of Warcraft (PC) Just when we thought we were out
Tiga announces 3rd Playing for Keeps seminar →
The third event in Tiga’s Playing for Keeps series has been unveiled - a panel discussion and workshop on the topic of commercial models.
Shokotan Looks For Akiba's King Nerd [Clip] →
That’s admitted cat-head-swallower-turned-mainstream-idol Shoko Nakagawa finding bigger nerds than her! She encounters some dude playing Taiko no Tatsujin blindfolded, nerd group dancers and another dude (with no teeth) cosplaying as anime character Haruhi Suzumiya. She then dresses up as a life-sized Evangelion figurine. None of the passer-byers think that, you know, a real human being...
Final Doom - Comparison FAQ →
Final Doom (PC) Final Doom, PC
NBC's 'Life' investigates Prince of Persia →
Filed under: Culture, Microsoft Xbox, Video
Writers — the unsung heroes of television detective work! Sprinkling logic crumbs throughout the investigation and frequently bending reality to ensure those pesky crooks get captured, the behind-the-scenes scribes are the ones doing the real dirty work. Witness the investigative team of NBC “Life” being given a bona fide boon in the...
Konami Says This Gen Will be Totally Fair [Mgs4] →
Last generation was all about the PlayStation 2. (This generation is only sorta about the PS2, but w/e.) Sony isn’t dominating like in year’s past. Nintendo’s come back from the dead and is posting very strong, early numbers. Meanwhile, Microsoft keeps forging ahead. Is it too early to call this gen’s winner? Has the playing field leveled? Whenever I have questions like...
Assassin's Creed Video Review →
Assassin’s Creed (X360) Can Ubisoft’s new epic adventure live up to the hype?
CGS announces finals details →
The Championship Gaming Series has announced details of the breakdown of prizes that will see over USD 1 million distributed to gamers in the finals event in Los Angeles in December.
Conservatives Avoid Gaming, But Everyone Loves... →
A new Zogby poll surveying the political/entertainment preferences of about 4,000 adult Americans has called it.
Conservatives:
…don’t play a lot of video games, but when they do, Madden NFL and Mario are their favorites.
Liberals:
…play video games a lot more than other people - Mario and The Sims are favorites.
So what about the moderates?
Moderates:
Their favorite video...
Lovely Mario Painting [Art] →
You hear Nintendo fans speak in reverent tones of Mario’s transition from 2D to 3D. Hushed tones, even. But while Mario 64 is great - a classic, even - it’s not beautiful. Not like this. Portrait Of A Plumber Entering The Third Dimension [Rob’s Sketchbook, thanks Matt!]
Jumper Game Announced →
Get ready to teleport early next year.
Phantasy Star Universe: Ambition of the Illuminus... →
Phantasy Star Universe: Ambition of the Illuminus (X360) Illuminate your ambitions.
Here's How It's Gonna Go Down... [Contest] →
The contest is closed to entries. All that’s left is to pick some finalists and have them battle it out in a bloody quick draw death match. Should be fun! Right up there, that’s the semi-finalists. There were a lot of entries in the contest and not every one was correct. Here’s how it’s going to go down: Mini-Bash is going to select 13 finalists from that Spider-Man bowl....
Geometry Wars XBLA Sequel Not Coming Yet, Galaxies... →
With Xbox LIVE turning five, many of us were hoping for a new Geometry Wars title. And while it would have been an excellent way to commemorate the service, Bizarre Creations community and web lead Ben Ward has squashed our dreams of a last second, surprise announcement:
Not true I’m afraid. We are working on more Geometry Wars fun… but you won’t be seeing it next week.
Oh well,...
Our Computer Contest Answers (Bring the Hate!)... →
Some of you might have found this contest “easy.” It’s only easy if you don’t take into consideration that you’re playing for a pricey computer. If you think about that, then you realize: This contest was very hard. Remember at the beginning of this contest, when we said this was “sadistic”? We weren’t joking. Heck, anyone who entered our PS3...
Original Xbox Games Come to 360 →
Microsoft celebrates five years of Xbox Live.
Lee Takes On Lara, Re\Visioned Takes On Activision... →
The final episode of the first season of GameTap’s Re\Visioned animation series is upon us, featuring comic book legend Jim Lee’s take on Lara Croft in “A Complicated Woman.” Over the past season some of the top names in comics and animation have taken turns with Lara, as voiced by Minnie Driver, producing some truly amazing animation. With the success of this first season,...
Marvel Offers Comics Online [Superheroes] →
Marvel Ultimate Alliance, X-Men Legends, Marvel VS. Capcom - you’ve played the games - now read the comics - online! Marvel Comics has launched a new subscription service called Marvel Digital Comics Unlimited, which allows you to traipse through their back-issues via a web-based browser. $9.99 a month ($4.99 yearly) gets you unlimited access to around 2,500 comics available now, with 20...
Xbox LIVE Turns Five, Gives Away Carcassonne... →
We’ve long been waiting to hear what Xbox LIVE would be pulling out for their fifth anniversary. Now we know. Carcassonne, an already released XBLA board game, will be available for free download between 12:01 a.m. PST on Nov. 15 and 11:59 p.m. PST on Nov. 16. In addition, members of LIVE who’ve been faithful since 2002 will be gifted 500 points.
Also, our new press release has...
NVIDIA to sponsor World Cup →
Games-Services has announced that it has concluded a deal with NVIDIA for the graphics card company to be worldwide and main partner to the 2008 Electronic Sports World Cup.
The Office game is better than you'd think →
Filed under: PC, Casual
When thinking of TV shows to transform into games, The Office isn’t the first on the list. The show is light on the sort of sophomoric hijinx that usually passes for humor in games and pretty heavy on the talking. That said, the casual game version of NBC’s hit show actual fares a bit better than one might expect, earning a four-star review from Gamezebo. If...
Colorado Students Create Balanced Look at Video... →
Given the amount of rhetoric on both sides of the video game violence issue, it’s great to see young people approach the topic with an open mind.
And that’s exactly what Jake Lackner, Katie Aldworth and Maxine Gallegos have done. The trio, students at the Denver School of the Arts, recently interviewed a mixed bag of researchers, activists and media types (including GP) about game violence. The...
PS3 Pro Evo Busted, Konami Offering Advice [Pro... →
I’ve played Pro Evo 2008 on both 360 and PS3. On 360? Sports game of the year. It’s seven-and-a-half shades of fantastic. On PS3? Argh. Ungh. Argh! Awful. The game locks up. The framerate at times crawls into single-digits. Online play is busted. In short, it’s a piece of crap. Konami surely knew this before it shipped, and are now being forced to address it after it’s...
Amazon Delaying Super Mario Galaxy Pre-Orders?... →
This isn’t good. From our faithful reader Ben, it looks like at least some Amazon pre-orders of Super Mario Galaxy are going to see a delay of one whole week.
I pre-ordered Super Mario Galaxy 2 weeks ago from Amazon.com. Today I received this in my inbox:
“We wanted to let you know that there is an unexpected delay with your video game order (Order# ###-#######-#######) you placed on...
Price key to DS success, says InLight →
Developer InLight Entertainment believes that being a fun and affordable platform is key to the DS’ success.
Liberals, Conservatives Game Differently, Says New... →
Conservatives don’t play very many video games but favor Madden and Mario when they do.
So says a new Zogby poll which surveyed the political and entertainment preferences of nearly 4,000 adult Americans. For reporting purposes, Zogby termed the conservatives (37%) “red,” liberals (39%) “blue,” and moderates (24%) “purple.”
Regarding the reds, Zogby writes:
People with a “red” entertainment...
Alone in the Dark confirmed for Wii, PS2 →
Filed under: Sony PlayStation 2, Nintendo Wii, Action, Adventure
What with its lingering financial worries and loss of licenses, Atari is a lot like a three-legged dog seen limping pitifully to the side of the road. We want to help, we do, but we’ve already got a perfectly good dog at home with all four legs intact. With so much hardship, it’s evident that much of Atari’s...
Fall Update Announced: Download Old Xbox Games... →
Some of the contents of Microsoft’s Fall Update for the 360 are now public knowledge, courtesy of the Official Xbox Mag. Highlight? The 360 gets its very own Virtual Console, with original Xbox games to be added to the Marketplace. The first available games include Halo, Fahrenheit, Fable, Crimson Skies (wonderful!), Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath Of Cortex and Burnout 3. Each of those will set...
Trilogy Logistics contracts with 505 Games →
Trilogy Logistics, an independent logistics provider to the UK entertainment market, has secured a contract as primary service provider to 505 Games
Hey Kids! Exercise With Your DS [Japan] →
Boy, the Japanese game industry is smart. Feed them games to fatten them up and then feed them games to slim them down. In Japan, the DS has already seen it’s fair share of exercise titles with walking and yoga games. Now, Japanese kids and parents can exercise together with Hiromichi Oniichan no Oyako Taisou Navi. The title is fronted by kiddie exercise guru Hiromichi Sato. He’s...
Heel, Rogue Ron Paul Supporters! [Politics] →
A few months ago, my studio Persuasive Games made a simple newsgame for CNN, which they published as Presidential Pong. For those of you unfamiliar with the genre, newsgames are a simple type of political game akin to the editorial cartoon. Presidential Pong wasn’t the best newsgame we’ve ever done (that one was probably Airport Security, a game about the arbitrary nature of TSA...
Singapore Pol Complains that Her Nephew is... →
A member of Singapore’s Parliament has begun an inquiry into online video game addiction after revealing that her 12-year-old nephew is game-obsessed.
As reported by Today Online MP Ellen Lee (left) has raised the issue with three separate government ministries. Lee said that her nephew had incurred debts because of his game addiction and demanded to know what the government was doing about the...
Super Smash Bros. Brawl Screens →
Super Smash Bros. Brawl (Wii) Three different taunts let you trash-talk your opponents.
PS2 And Wii Get Alone In The Dark [Game... →
The title of this post sounds like a recipe for some hot console lovins, and it might not be too far from the truth. Ever cheerful in the face of impending doom, Atari has announced that the next game in the Alone in the Dark series is heading to the PlayStation 2 and Wii, along with the previously announced PC, Xbox 360, and PS3 versions. Hydravision is handling development on the two consoles,...
