Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Console Wars 2008

Now that the holiday season is wrapping up (no pun intended), the big three in the gaming industry, (Xbox 360, Playstation 3 and Nintendo Wii) find out which has sold the most consoles in 2008.

And this year's top selling console and hand-held both go to Nintendo.

Nintendo sold over 2 million Wii consoles in the month of November. Their closest competitor was Miscrosoft which sold 836,000 Xbox 360s.

"And at over 1.5 million DS systems sold, Nintendo tripled the output of Sony's PSP 421,000," according to an article on yahoo's website (click the link to read the full article).

While those numbers represent the final year end totals, the order of most sales through out the year still is:
  1. Nintendo - Wii
  2. Microsoft - Xbox 360
  3. Sony - Playstation 3
Most had predicted that this year would be Sony's comeback year but unfortunately that was not the case. But what they lacked in console sales they made up with winning games.

Both Xbox and Playstation both released many highly anticipated games, which sold millions of copies, such as; Grand Theft Auto 4, Fall Out 3, Fable 2, Little Big Planet and many more. While Nintendo's big selling games were limited to: Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Mario Kart Wii and Wii Fit, which all sold millions of copies but don't come as close to matching sales of their competitors. And Nintendo's predicted big hit, Wii Music has recieved poor ratings and lack luster sales.

So as this year is ending, here is looking forward to 2009, and all the new games that are promised to make it an even better year than the last. (Oh and lets cross our fingers for the release of Starcraft 2 in 2009!)
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Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Super low holiday prices

Black Friday has come and gone, but that doesn't mean that you missed out on the the great sales. Most stores, like Circuit City are continually offering great deals on their consoles and games.

Circuit City Sunday Ad

They are offering select PC games for 50% off and a $10 gift card when you purchase one of the advertised games.


Best Buy is advertising the Xbox 360 Pro, with two games, for $299.99 and they are offering $10 gift card with the purchase of Animal Crossing: City Folk for the Nintendo Wii.

[Click on the link to see Best Buy's online ad]




Target is advertising several new games priced at $44. Games like Mirrors Edge, Saints Row 2 and Rock Band 2.

[click on the link to see Target's online Sunday ad]




So if you still want to get the low prices that you saw on Black Friday but were unwilling to get up before the sun came up to wait in line for them, then just watch the Sunday ads and keep checking their websites for special one day online deals.
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Wednesday, November 12, 2008

First ever Gaming Day at your local library

Libraries all around the country will be hosting the first-ever National Gaming Day on November 15, 2008. Hundreds of libraries are working with the American Library Association (ALA) to celebrate the popularity and educational value of video and board games in this event.


National Gaming Day will include:
  • An attempt to establish a record for the most number of people playing the board game "Pictureka!" on the same day at the library.
  • A national video game tournament via the web. Gamers of all ages will be able to compare their ranking on a local, regional and national level.
  • Libraries will offer a variety of role playing games, including Dungeons and Dragons and Magic the Gathering.
The creation of this day is being used to evaluate the potential video games have on improving word problem and literacy skills, in the hopes that in the near future video games can be implemented as learning utensils in schools.


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New Obama video game... Well kind of

It's being called Obamania and it is every where. From T-shirts to TV and now even a ROM game that an independent programmer made.

The game designer basically took the Mario World game, and used that to model Super Obama World. The levels are slightly different instead of gold coins there are golden American flags and a Mario character with an Obama head runs through the levels.

"The Super Obama World video game comes as another sign that the technology [world] embraced Obama just as his presidential campaign embraced technology," as explained on eFlux Media's website.

Super Obama World is fun, addicting and sure to at least make you smile.
Click on the Super Obama World link to try it for yourself.
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A controversial new video game: BoneTown


BoneTown is a controversial new game that will include adult themes and humor mixed with action. The game is being developed by D-Dub Software, which is an independent video game studio.

BoneTown is all about "sticking it to the man" and allows the gamer to roam the wide maps freely. There really doesn't seem to be a very important story line, the game really focuses on how many times a character can use profane language, make sexual references and use fart attacks. All in all the game doesn't appear to have much of anything going for it unless you want a quick laugh or enjoy being grossed out.

Here is the trailer for BoneTown
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Gears of War 2, not your typical war game

Gears of War 2 was released for only the Xbox 360 on November 7, 2008. The game is one of Xbox's holiday titles that they were banking on making a profit and that it did.

With over 2 million copies already sold around the world in the first weekend of its release, it's already surpassed the first Gears of War.

Gears of War 2 is a shooter game and is the sequel to Gears of War, one of the most popular titles for the Xbox 360. The original Gears sold more than 5 million copies worldwide, but it looks like Gears 2, could double that.

"The original Gears of War became an action genre classic thanks to its incredible graphics, cinematic presentation, and solid cover system. The sequel repeats this formula, and though it introduces new weapons, enemies, and environments, it remains an incredible yet familiar experience," as explained on GameSpot's website.

Gears of War 2 offers:
  • A 10 hour campaign mode
  • An upgraded multiplayer function that now has four new modes, that can support up to 10 players instead of eight
  • 10 new maps for the multiplayer mode
  • A story that picks up right where the first game left off
  • A more intense difficulty that promises to add a welcome longevity to the game
Visit GameSpot's website for more details about Gears 2

Here is the trailer for Gears 2 (intense)
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World of Warcraft expansion has fans lining up for a copy

Fans of the World of Warcraft series lined up outside their local video game stores in hopes of purchasing the new expansion pack, Wrath of the Lich King on release day.

World of Warcraft (known as WoW) is one of the most popular massively multiplayer online role playing game (known as a MMORPG).

"With more than 11 million monthly subscribers,World of Warcraft is currently the world's largest MMORPG in those terms, and holds the Guinness World Record for the most popular MMORPG. In April 2008, World of Warcraft was estimated to hold 62% of the massively multiplayer online game (MMOG) market," as explained on Wikipedia's website.

Wrath of the Lich King is only the second expansion pack for the popular series and even before playing the game the fans are ready and willing to wait hours outside in the cold to make sure they get a copy on release day.
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Categories and nominees annouced for 6th annual Video Game Awards

The annual Video Game Awards premiers on December 14 on Spike TV and will include:
  • The honoring of legendary game designer Will Wright with the Gamer God Award
  • Exclusive premiere footage from the industry's most highly anticipated releases
  • An exclusive performance by hip-hop star 50 Cent
  • The bringing together of megastars from the worlds of video games, Hollywood, music, sports and more to honor the achievements within the video game industry over the past year.
There are 26 categories ranging from: Game of the year, Best PC game, Best music game and so on.

"Leading the way with nine nominations, including a nod for Game of the Year, is Rockstar Games' Grand Theft Auto IV, while LittleBigPlanet, Fallout 3 and Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots all notched seven nominations," as explained on the Market Watch website.
(click the link to read the full article)

Count down clock
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For more information on VGA2008 visit Spike TV's website.
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Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Xbox live has a new look

Xbox live is a service provided by Microsoft that Xbox 360 owners use to get connected to the internet. Xbox live is not a free service, you have to pay for a subscription.

There are three subscriptions:
  • $7.99 for one month
  • $19.99 for three months
  • $49.99 for 12 months
So what's different with this "new" Xbox live?
  • A new interface that appeals to a more general audience
  • A customizable avatar, an animated graphical representation of a person.
  • Brighter color scheme
  • The ability to try out new games more easily
  • The ability to discover and navigate through a library of 30,000 movies, TV shows and video clips.
New Xbox live











Old Xbox live
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New SAT prep game for the Nintendo DS

No more SAT For Dummies books for high school kids any more, now they can just go to their local GameStop store and pick up a copy of FutureU for the Nintendo DS.

"FutureU promises to sharpen students' critical thinking skills and build relevant knowledge with a collection of interactive games focused on math, reading, and writing. There's also a section that teaches the test-taking and time management skills necessary for taking the big exam," as explained on the Cnet news website.

This is an excellent game that should appeal to parents that have children that play video games. Educational games are on the rise and it's not just the parents that are buying them.

For example there is the hit Nintendo DS game Professor Layton and the Curious Village, which is nothing more than SAT questions neatly hidden throughout the story of the mysterious village.

Gamers are diverse, they don't just play hack and slash kind of games, they too like to play something that challenges their intellect and that's what FutureU promises to offer.
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Game publisher THQ partners with CoverGirl


THQ a leading video game publisher, responsible for such games as Saints Row 2, Star Wars the Force Unleashed and Viva Piñata: Pocket Paradise, is now working with CoverGirl on a cheerleader game.

"THQ announced a collaboration with CoverGirl® for the recently released All Star Cheer Squad™ video game for Wii™, as well as the upcoming Nintendo DS™ version expected to be available next month," as explained in a press release on Oct. 29.

The agreement includes:
  • CoverGirl logos on the performance stages
  • Billboards and banners seen throughout the game
  • CoverGirl branded uniforms with matching makeup, found in the "Create a Cheerleader" mode
  • Voice overs by CoverGirl spokespeople Drew Barrymore and Rihanna
The game is a full cardio experience, meaning the gamer will be using the Wii balance board for foot movements and the nunchuck for hand movements. The end result is to make the gamer feel like they are really putting the cheers together and really participating at a cheerleading competition.

Here is a trailer for All Star Cheer Squad for the Wii
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Obama ads to be featured in nine video games

You see the ads in newspapers, on television and now you will be seeing the vote for Obama ads in nine games that are being released this holiday season.

"Obama is the first presidential candidate to buy space [in video games], according to Holly Rockwood, a spokeswoman for Electronic Arts, whose company is featuring the Obama ads in nine of its games," as explained on the London Free Press's website.

Candidates are known to try everything to reach every audience and some feel that this is an uninformed or hard to reach audience. Electronic Arts allowed the ad space to be bought and used for the campaign to help inform this audience.

"As a gamer this is too much, I hear it enough on the radio and on TV I don't need to be 'informed' again while playing my video game," said Daniel Beach, 22, who has been playing video games since he was four-years-old.

The ads will be featured in such popular games as Madden NFL 09 and Guitar Hero 3 and will be using this new temporary ad function that has only been in use for the past 18 months. The ads appear on billboards in a racing game or stadium banner ads in the football game and so on.

Here is a video of the actual ad in the Madden NFL 09 game.


"I think it's annoying, you don't feel like we have seen your face enough so now you buy space in our games, that's just lame," said Billy Jones, 22, who has been a gamer since he was seven-years-old.

Here is a video of MSNBC explaining the new Obama ads.
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Video game addiction is blamed for missing teen

Brandon Crisp, a 15-year-old Ontario teenager ran away after having an argument with his parents about his Xbox console being taken away.

The parents of the boy say he ran away because he had a "video game addiction."

What is this video game addiction? Is it real?

The addiction to video games is believed to be just like most other addictions. An addiction is, "The state of being enslaved to a habit or practice or to something that is psychologically or physically habit-forming, as narcotics, to such an extent that its cessation causes severe trauma," as explained on Dictionary.com.

American Medical Association (AMA) council members believe that video game addiction involves psychological habit forming but as of right now they can not fully prove that.

"The percentage of players affected by video game overuse varies. Many researchers believe that video game addiction occurs only in a small minority of players, while others disagree... there is currently insufficient research to definitively conclude that video game overuse is an addiction," as explained on AMA's website.

This fight to get this supposed condition validated is not going to be easy or something that happens over night. The main reason for that is because, "Video game makers scoff at the notion that their products can cause a psychiatric disorder," as expressed on MSNBC's website.

In my opinion I would have to agree with the game developers. I believe that it all depends on the person and their background before playing video games. I don't believe that a video game is going to cause you to be addicted to it, the addiction is something you already have with you before even playing the game.
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Guitar Hero World Tour risks high price for holiday season

The holiday season is fast approaching and for game developers that means massive releases and dollar signs.

One of the most anticipated holiday titles this year is Guitar Hero World Tour. The game was released on Oct. 26 for each of the consoles and priced at $189.99, for the bundle pack. The bundle includes a guitar, a drum kit, a microphone and a copy of the game. To date it is one of the most expensive games that Activision Blizzard Inc. has ever released.
(Click on the link to learn more about Activision Blizzard Inc. on their website)

Most gamers expect a new game to not be cheap, but during this economic crisis that most consumers are facing right now, is that price too high?

ABI expects a profit from the game, predicting that it will bring in $1.4 billion in sales this year. They are anticipating the people that have played the games' predecessors, Guitar Hero 1, 2, 3 and Aerosmith, to add this new installment to their collection and the addition of the drum set and microphone is expected to attract new gamers to the title. ABI will soon find out if their prediction was in fact correct after the holiday season.

Check out the trailor for GHWT
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