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Avid Gamer: Grid Demo Impressions

Thu, 08 May 2008 13:14:20 -0700

Avid Gamer sit down with the demo for Race Driver: Grid and are pleasantly surprised. After a run of poor titles from Codemasters, are they finally getting something right?

Doom 4 Officially In Development

Thu, 08 May 2008 11:44:40 -0700

id Software announce the fact that Doom 4 is being made.

ID, please: Bill would mandate carding for M-rated game buys

Thu, 08 May 2008 11:43:33 -0700

With the prerelease controversy, release, and success of Grand Theft Auto IV, the issue of video game ratings and their enforcement is once again at the forefront of the public consciousness. Yesterday, Rep. Lee Terry (R-NE) and Jim Matheson (D-UT) introduced the Video Games Ratings Enforcement Act into the House of Representatives to try to force retailers into checking identification when selling M-rated games. Retailers caught selling M-rated titles to minors will be subjected to a $5,000 fine from the Federal Trade Commission. Related Stories * Massachusetts lawmakers debate ill-advised video game law * Gamers get political action group * Appeals court upholds unconstitutionality of Illinois video game law * Media Coalition joins fight against California videogame law The language and statements released by the bipartisan pair are unsurprisingly out of touch with the reality of most games. "The images and themes in some video games are shocking and troublesome. In some games high scores are often earned by players who commit 'virtual ' murder, assault and rape. Many young children are walking into stores and are able to buy or rent these games without their parents even knowing about it," said Rep. Terry. "This bill requires an ID check before certain games are sold to an individual. This ensures that children can only access age appropriate content without parental permission. Families and children everywhere deserve the protection this legislation will provide."

Zero Punctuation: Mailbag Showdown

Thu, 08 May 2008 11:37:09 -0700

This week Yahtzee turns the angry, yellow eye on you, the viewer. Particularly those of you who have sent him email crying about the Super Smash Bros. Brawl review.

Congressman: Ban "Second Life" in Schools, Libraries

Thu, 08 May 2008 11:35:57 -0700

Congressman Mark Kirk (R-Ill.), who has already sponsored legislation to ban access to social-networking Web sites such as MySpace and Facebook in schools and libraries, has added the virtual world "Second Life" to his list of targets. On Monday Kirk held a press conference regarding the issue. He also issued a press release and sent a letter to the FTC (available at the press release link above), which said, in part: Using the search tool, minors have the ability to teleport to locations where there are brothels, rape rooms, sex clubs and bondage stores. The images and language in these parts of Second Life are graphic and inappropriate for children. Not only does Second Life contain explicit material but it also can pose as a "virtual hunting ground" for pedophiles to prey on young children using the anonymity of the Internet.

Blizzard attempt to kill WoW bot bad news for copyright law

Thu, 08 May 2008 11:29:56 -0700

World of WarCraft is a game made of many parts: resource gathering, combat, item-creation... and some of those parts are more fun than others. A company called MDY wanted to help with the dull bits of the game, and maybe assist gold farmers a little bit, by releasing a program called Glider that allows your character to continue collecting gold and leveling while you 're not at your computer. In 2006, Blizzard and Vivendi showed up at an MDY employee 's home and threatened legal action against the company, claiming Glider violates the Terms of Service of World of Warcraft as well as the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. MDY then sued to establish its right to sell its software, causing Blizzard to file its own suit to stop MDY from selling the program. The issue is whether or not Glider is breaking any laws, and Blizzard is hoping that by stretching the boundaries of what constitutes copyright infringement, it can get MDY shut down. If Blizzard succeeds, it could set a very dangerous precedent.

New Warhammer: Battle March Unit Screenshots

Thu, 08 May 2008 06:30:01 -0700

Koch Media have just released four new screenshots for the upcoming RTS Warhammer: Battle March on PC.

Doom 4 in production | Gaming News Link

Wed, 07 May 2008 22:19:08 -0700

According to ID software CEO, Todd Hollenshead, as of today Doom 4 has started production. Theres no telling what game engine Doom 4 might use or if thy will be recycling the old Doom 3 engine, but one thing 's for sure; id software is hiring developers that can develop Doom 4 in PC and console platforms as well.

Sales of 'Grand Theft Auto IV' video game top $500 million in 1st week

Wed, 07 May 2008 15:57:18 -0700

"Grand Theft Auto IV" raked in more than $500 million (324.04 million) in its first week in stores, selling more than 6 million units worldwide, the video game 's publisher said Wednesday. The highly anticipated title from Take-Two Interactive Software Inc. has received stellar ratings along with criticism for its violent content. The game follows Eastern European immigrant-turned-gangster Niko Bellic on crime missions around a fictional Liberty City. The title sold about 3.6 million units on April 29, its opening day, bringing in roughly $310 million (200.91 million). This is $10 million (6.48 million) more than what Microsoft Corp. 's "Halo 3," another blockbuster game, took in during its first week last fall. The game has also lifted sales of Microsoft 's Xbox 360 and Sony Corp. 's PlayStation 3, the two consoles for which it is available. Without giving numbers, Microsoft said Xbox 360 sales jumped 54 percent in the week following the title 's launch, compared with the prior week, and more than 2.3 million people played it on its Xbox Live online service.

Tetris, the Bottles Blowing Edition

Wed, 07 May 2008 15:52:44 -0700

Our obsession with Tetris is probably only matched by LEGO, Star Wars, and Futurama. However, this video of three synchronized bottle-blowers interpreting Korobeiniki—the famous Tetris theme song—shows that a) our fetishes are really not that bad, b) we are too lazy, c) we don 't have as much free time as we would like to do silly things like these (and others), or d) all of the above. Seriously, these guys are so good that we want to take them out for drinks. And use the bottle to blow the Mario theme.

PS3 ad banned for touting backwards compatibility

Wed, 07 May 2008 15:33:12 -0700

A television advertisement created by UK retailer PC World promoting the PS3 has been yanked from the airwaves. GI.biz reports the Advertising Standards Authority found the ad "misleading" because it claimed the PS3 could play all PS2 games. PC World retorted that the system can play a significant amount of PS2 titles -- and lost.

THQ 'axing' 200 employees to leave

Wed, 07 May 2008 15:31:56 -0700

With THQ announcing a $35.3 million dollar loss this past fiscal year, it 's time for some people to get the ax. Not executives, mind you, but the little people. Gamasutra reports that CEO Brian Farrell stated 200 people will lose their jobs, but that most of them are employees working on "last gen" platforms like the PS2. On the bright side, the company plans to add about 300 new employees this fiscal year to "key studios" working on "key products."

New Pics of 2009 Street Fighter Flick

Wed, 07 May 2008 15:27:57 -0700

Capcom has started up a blog with images, storyboards, and info from the upcoming movie Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li.

EA Introduces New Casual Sports Brand

Wed, 07 May 2008 15:26:19 -0700

"EA Sports Freestyle will be a perfect complement to our core portfolio of games that our loyal fans are deeply passionate about, and will provide compelling opportunities for new audiences looking for a lighter gaming experience and an easier entry point into EA Sports," said Peter Moore, president of the company 's sports division

First Screens: Rubik's World on Wii

Wed, 07 May 2008 15:24:25 -0700

First screens of Rubik 's World, a game based on the classic puzzle that will be released on Wii and Nintendo DS later this year.