Fly in my eyE

Lego Mario

2006-12-08T10:13:00.000-05:00

Lego Mini-Fig Star Wars costumes!

2006-10-25T10:25:00.000-04:00

Video game art: Super Mario Bros

2006-09-11T15:39:00.000-04:00

Pic of the day: Real life Donkey Kong

2006-08-09T12:08:00.000-04:00

Found HERE

Pics of the day: Pink Vader!

2006-08-01T16:23:00.000-04:00

Pic of the day: Princess Leia statue

2006-07-26T10:47:00.000-04:00

GTA: Vice City Stories box-art released

2006-07-25T10:33:00.000-04:00

And boy does it look swanky! GTA fans will notice a few familiar faces... The moustachioed fella on the left appears to be Umberto Robina, the cuban gangster who had Tony wipe out the Haitians in Vice City. Also, it looks like the guy in the top left riding the motorcycle could be 'Big' Mitch Baker who was voiced by Lee Majors in VC. He seems a little younger, and judging by the clothes and vehilces (is that an Infernus I see beside Loni Anderson over there?) I’d guess that this is pre-dating Vice City, which was set in 1986. So maybe early 80’s or late 70’s? I’m gonna lay my cards on the table now and guess 1982. Also, GTANet is reporting that those dudes on the boat in the bottom right could be Colonel Cortez and his right hand man who was killed in VC, supoorting the idea that this game pre-dates VC in the GTA timeline.

Stormtrooper Elvis is back!

2006-07-21T15:14:00.000-04:00

The PS3 has an official site

2006-06-28T15:47:00.000-04:00

The PS3: Reality redefined using the cheesy Spiderman movie font

Click HERE for more information about "a console that screams digital carpe diem and will redefine reality as you know it."

www.us.playstation.com/PS3

Take-Two Receives Subpoenas Over Hot Coffee

2006-06-27T13:39:00.000-04:00

Hot coffee: it will never go away

Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. today announced that on June 19, 2006, the Company received grand jury subpoenas issued by the District Attorney of the County of New York requesting production of documents, covering various periods beginning on October 1, 2001, including those relating to: the knowledge of the Company's officers and directors regarding the creation, inclusion and programming of hidden scenes (commonly referred to as "hot coffee") in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, the submission of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas to the Entertainment Software Rating Board for a rating, and the Company's disclosures regarding hot coffee; disclosures and presentations by the Company of certain events, including acquisitions, partnering arrangements and earnings results; invoices from, payments to, and termination of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP and retention of Ernst & Young LLP; acquisitions by the Company in 2005; certain compensation and human resources documents with respect to the Company and certain of its current and former officers and directors; and documents concerning the activities of the Company's Board of Directors and Committees thereof.

The Company has not been advised that it or any specific individual is presently a target of the investigation.

The Company is fully cooperating and providing the requested documents.

Pic of the day: Next gen grill

2006-06-27T12:25:00.000-04:00

Pic of the day: 1960's SEGA slot machine

2006-06-21T11:13:00.000-04:00

UFO hacker interviewed

2006-06-21T10:15:00.000-04:00

WIRED has an interview up with Gary McKinnon, the UFO Hacker:

WN: Did you find anything in your search for evidence of UFOs?

McKinnon: A NASA photographic expert said that there was a Building 8 at Johnson Space Center where they regularly airbrushed out images of UFOs from the high-resolution satellite imaging. I logged on to NASA and was able to access this department. They had huge, high-resolution images stored in their picture files. They had filtered and unfiltered, or processed and unprocessed, files.

My dialup 56K connection was very slow trying to download one of these picture files. As this was happening, I had remote control of their desktop, and by adjusting it to 4-bit color and low screen resolution, I was able to briefly see one of these pictures. It was a silvery, cigar-shaped object with geodesic spheres on either side. There were no visible seams or riveting. There was no reference to the size of the object and the picture was taken presumably by a satellite looking down on it. The object didn't look manmade or anything like what we have created. Because I was using a Java application, I could only get a screenshot of the picture -- it did not go into my temporary internet files. At my crowning moment, someone at NASA discovered what I was doing and I was disconnected.

Pic of the day: SERECT

2006-06-15T11:40:00.000-04:00

Way to go Sony:

New wallpaper - Mushroom Kingdom

2006-06-15T11:16:00.000-04:00

Nintendo has made their press room public for this week, and I grabbed some high resolution assests. Here are 2 new custom FlyinmyeyE wallpapers:

7 genrations of game consoles

2006-06-15T10:13:00.000-04:00

Thumbgods has a great breakdown of every console from 1972 to present day, minus the handhelds.

GTA IV Graphics Engine Confirmed

2006-06-14T15:46:00.000-04:00

Table Tennis uses the Rockstar Advanced Game Engine (RAGE)

MTV has a fluff piece up about Rockstar Table Tennis, with this juicy little nugget:

"[In a recent interview about Table Tennis, a new game from Rockstar,] the Rockstar reps explained that the game was running on RAGE, the Rockstar Advanced Game Engine. This is the graphics technology gamers are to expect from future Rockstar games, including the next GTA."

Pic of the day: Shatner and stormtroopers

2006-06-14T11:24:00.000-04:00

Pic of the day: The average Japanese PSP player

2006-06-14T10:28:00.000-04:00

DOA Golf game for Nintendo Wii?

2006-06-12T15:17:00.000-04:00

Wacky!

Robot Safety

2006-06-12T11:12:00.000-04:00

From The Economist:

“IN 1981 Kenji Urada, a 37-year-old Japanese factory worker, climbed over a safety fence at a Kawasaki plant to carry out some maintenance work on a robot. In his haste, he failed to switch the robot off properly. Unable to sense him, the robot's powerful hydraulic arm kept on working and accidentally pushed the engineer into a grinding machine. His death made Urada the first recorded victim to die at the hands of a robot. This gruesome industrial accident would not have happened in a world in which robot behaviour was governed by the Three Laws of Robotics drawn up by Isaac Asimov, a science-fiction writer.”

GTA:LCS Review Round-up

2006-06-09T12:00:00.000-04:00

GTA: Liberty City Stories was released last Tuesday for the PS2. While the game was a landmark for portable gaming on the PSP, the translation back to the PS2 has left some people feeling a little cold. I'd suggest that anyone who has played the PSP version needn’t bother with the PS2 version, but GTA fans who want something to tide them over until October 2007 when GTA 4 hits will find it is worth it’s low price tag of $20 if they lower their expectations a little and basically look at it as it it were a GTA 3 mission pack—because that’s essentialy what it is. I personaly really dug the radio stations (alot of the reviews out there singled them out as the one of the game’s short comings) and I welcomed the return to a mafia focused plot. Plus you can drive PCJ600’s in Liberty. Thats fucking cool dude! The graphics look pretty shity, but I havent touched a PS2 game in months, and my eyes are used to games on the 360 now.... so basically any PS2 game looks like shit to me. (Update: Over the weekend I fired up all 3 previous GTA’s on the PS2 and there is a definite difference between LCS’s graphics and GTA 3’s. The textures are less detailed, the lighting isn’t as nice, the car models are blocky and less detailed, and overall the graphics look muddy compared to the ‘real’ GTA games.) A big problem I had with the PSP version was the control as the PSP only has 1 analog nub. The PS2 version addresses this and now we have a targeting system thats a hybrid between the targeting in Vice and San Andreas. You can also use the right analogue as a free camera on foot and in a vehicle like in San Andreas. This alone makes the game more fun to play than the PSP version in my opinion. I give the PSP version a 9/10, and the PS2 version a 7/10.

The game has an 80% ranking on gameranking.com. Here’s what the press are saying:

“I've spent an unnatural amount of time clawing away at LCS over the past three days, and if Liberty City's the star then the pass-the-parcel approach to game design is the man behind the curtain. The vehicles, for example, grow from a simple affection for Stallions, Sentinels and PCJ-600 bikes with a craving for roadsters to a bedrock of Humvees and sports cars, with greater treats teased by missions and familiar fare five hours later. Weapons are the same - with a delight for uzis soon replaced by a lust for rocket launchers and sniper rifles. The pattern of revelation is a familiar one, but as hooks go it's resilient” — Eurogamer, 8/10

“...for those who neither own a PSP, nor ever plan to buy one, Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories is by no means a terrible game. It's just a very slapped-together title that shows that direct ports of handheld games to PS2 probably aren't a great idea. Granted, there are worse things people could buy for $20, but PSP owners won't find anything new here. And if you haven't played any of the other GTA games, then pick those up before you grab this one. Otherwise, for Grand Theft Auto fans who've mauled the other games, don't own a PSP, and want something to occupy their hot summer nights, this is definitely a good buy for the money.” —Gamespy, 4/5

“The console version of LCS aims for those gamers who couldn’t play the handheld version. With nothing added and multiplayer stripped completely, there’s no reason to buy this game if you’ve already played the original. Still, it nevertheless provides a unique, satisfying experience that fans of the franchise will want to see. It's still a GTA game, after all. Plus, at less than 20 dollars, it’s certainly a lot of game for your dollar.” —IGN, 8/10

“On PSP, the title shined as it marked the first time we got to play a 3D Grand Theft Auto game on the go. It was amazing how accurate it was to the console versions. Now, ported to PS2, Liberty City Stories' main accomplishment is null and void, and what we're left with is a substandard entry in gaming's greatest franchise. It also removed the PSP version's multiplayer component -- which is sad, though not altogether surprising due to the differences between PSP wi-fi and PS2 Internet play.” — Yahoo Games, 3.5/5

FTC: Take-Two, Rockstar were 'Deceptive'

2006-06-08T12:08:00.000-04:00

Next Generation has the full story:

The Federal Trade Commission today has deemed Take Two and Rockstar "deceptive" for their nondisclosure of "hot coffee" content in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.

ImageThe FTC and the two companies have reached a settlement agreement, which requires Take Two and Rockstar to "establish, implement, and maintain a comprehensive system reasonably designed to ensure that all content in an electronic game is considered and reviewed in preparing submissions to a rating authority."

The companies are also required to "clearly disclose" any content relative to the ESRB rating on all packaging, and they are restricted from misinterpreting games' ratings or content descriptors--demands that are surely expected from all publishers.

While no fines were dealt out this time around, if the companies violate the aforementioned guidelines of the settlement after the terms are finalized, Rockstar and Take Two would be "subject to civil penalties of up to $11,000 per violation if they violate the order."

When Take Two recalled Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas at the height of the fiasco, it incurred $24.5 million in related costs.

“Parents have the right to rely on the accuracy of the entertainment rating system,” said Lydia Parnes, director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. “We allege that Take-Two and Rockstar’s actions undermined the industry’s own rating system and deceived consumers. This is a matter of serious concern to the Commission, and if they violate this order, they can be heavily fined.”

When the FTC voted on the terms, they were met with a 5-0 vote in favor. The Commission will decide to make the measures final sometime after July 10.

Take Two is expected to release its Q2 fiscal results this afternoon.

2006-06-05T11:28:00.000-04:00

Brittish Gaming Blog has an interview with the creator of the original GTA and Lemmings, Mike Daily.

What do you think of the massive popularity of the GTA games? And do you think they stick too what you wanted GTA to be?

No, I think “my” GTA wouldn’t have been quite so “mass-market”, which is good and bad. I think mine might have been a little more fun, but would never have sold the way GTA3 and the rest of them had. After GTA2, I’d envisaged a top down “blade runner”, glowing signs, but full 3D this time, with lots of effects and destruction. But I think they made the right choice as its helped open gaming to a whole new breed. However, I do get a bit fed up with everyone assuming that games HAVE to be full 3D, its simply not true.

Read the rest of the interview HERE

Review: Rockstar Presents Table Tennis

2006-05-25T16:28:00.000-04:00

This game is Pong with fucking awesome graphics and control.

All this game is is get the ball past yr opponent, make sure you hit the ball when its coming at you. You can apply 4 types of spin (top, back, left, right) and you can hit the ball with degrees of strength. It's super simple and partly because of that you won't ever be playing the single player game unless you want to practise your game, unlock a character or unlock some new some some new outfits.

The real fun here is the multiplayer game, and R* did a fine job with that. I played online once I finished a match or 2 against the 360. The first match I played was intense. We had a few 50-60 hit rallies going, and it just gets insane when yr up that high and you shoot the ball past yr opponent (even more insane when the opposite happens.) A real sense of victory. The thing I really dig the most is I never felt I was losing or fucking up because the game somehow prevented me from doing what I wanted to do... I always felt complete control withing the game universe, and if I fucked up it was my fault. TT actually reminds me more of fighting games than Pong in some ways... it's a very visceral 1-on-1 experience, where you completely focus on the very simple goal of defeating your opponent. Very PURE.

The graphics? Shit bitch, my new next gen HD showcase game is this. When yr playing the actual game the graphics might as well be Pong as you barely see anything but the ball. But man, once you take a breather and check out those instant replays in slow motion, or view the character models and really zoom in.... WOW. Also some incredible realistic clothing animation.

So, R*'s first foray into the next-gen arena is pretty damn good. The game probably isn’t for everyone, and the single player experience is a little slim, but get a few people together either online or off and you’ll appreciate what R* was trying to accomplish with this game.
8/10

Dr. Alexander Shulgin, groundbreaking scientist and explorer of the human mind

2006-05-23T13:11:00.000-04:00

From The Sunday Herald:

This man has invented more than 80% of the world’s known hallucinogenic drugs, has had more than 4000 psychedelic experiences, and in 1967 created the drug ecstasy. Meet Dr Alexander Shulgin, groundbreaking scientist and explorer of the human mind. It seems rather appropriate to meet Doctor Alexander Shulgin, a man who has spent most of his life creating and consuming hallucinogenic drugs, high on a mountain.

Shulgin, whom Timothy Leary called “one of the most important scientists of his generation”, lives with his Antipodean wife, Ann, on a steep Californian hillside a few miles from San Francisco, that former bastion of free love, acid trips and tie-dye T-shirts.

In his lifetime, Shulgin, now 81, has been canonised by chemists and chastised by the police, invented a groundbreaking insecticide, written two groundbreaking books, invented more than 80% of the known hallucinogenic drugs in the world and, by his own admission, had more than 4000 psychedelic experiences.

Review: New Super Mario Bros. (Nintendo DS)

2006-05-18T11:50:00.000-04:00

The giant mushroom power-up makes you feel like a big man.

So, New Super Mario Bros. This is how retro gaming should be done. Midway might want to take a note here, as they seem to be the biggest retro whores out there with their re-packaged collections of Space Invaders and Pole Position. Essentially NSMB is classic side scrolling Mario game (executed extremely well), but updated with modern graphics. The result is a very familiar game for those who cut their teeth on SMB and SMB 3 for NES (SMB 2 doesn't count.... that was just Doki Doki panic re-skinned) and SMW for SNES.

Me, I've played the originals to the point where I can probably recall every level in detail the way some dorks know every line of dialogue from Empire Strikes Back (and that would still be me). This means that the only real drawback for me with NSMB is that it feels a little too familiar sometimes. The novelty of a new 2D (but with 3D) sidescroller just doesn't have the same allure it did back in '86-'90. That aside, the game still rocks, and had me glued to my DS, even on the streetcar with teenagers pointing and laughing at me. It’s pretty damn fun. And the level design? Shiggy PLEASE! Fuck Japan just owns that genre. The characters are beautifully rendered and animated. It's really fun to make Mario just run around.

Downers? The multiplayer is not online. Ah vell... they got that covered with Mario Kart and Metroid I guess, but still. There is some nice wireless mutliplayer fun to be had, but you need a friend with a DS.

Other than that I can't recommend this game enough to hardcore Nintendo fans who want a taste of nostalgia coated with 2006 graphical hot sauce, as well any platformer fan who can appreciate the genre but aren't as schooled in Mario's past.

8/10

Tomonobu Itagaki: Dead or Alive Xtreme 2 Interview

2006-05-16T15:52:00.000-04:00

Katsumi loves you.

Teamxbox.com chats with Tomonobu Otagaki about his new waterslide, jetski, soft porn beach volleyball game which I'll be buying the day it comes out.

Life After the Video Game Crash

2006-05-15T16:32:00.000-04:00

This is probably the most clever/funniest/ post-E3 analysis I've read yet...

Life After the Video Game Crash

Pic of the day: Mario shaved!

2006-05-15T11:40:00.000-04:00

Microsoft turned down GTA 3

2006-05-15T11:19:00.000-04:00

A new feature story about the Xbox 360 Uncloaked book posted on 1UP today reveals that Microsoft could have had Grand Theft Auto exclusively on the Xbox but passed on it.:

Fries won one internal battle. Bach decided that Allard should focus on technology and the next Xbox, so he relieved Allard of control of third-party publishing and gave that to Fries at the close of 2002. That wasn't such a bad move. Under Allard, the third-party division had failed to spot Grand Theft Auto III as the killer application. Allard had organized a group of game managers to evaluate proposals for games. They asked questions of developers, such as, "What would a gamer do in 60 seconds of game play?" The process was secretive, and it had been nicknamed "The Star Chamber," after a 1980s Michael Douglas movie where a group of judges meted out street justice in secrecy. (The movie itself was named after a secret medieval society of judges who vindictively abused the powers of the courts). Unfortunately for Microsoft, the Star Chamber turned down the proposal from RockStar games for Grand Theft Auto III. The Star Chamber members sent the proposal back to RockStar Games with the suggestion to beef up the game. When RockStar later cut a deal with Take-Two Interactive to create an exclusive for the PlayStation 2, Microsoft didn't even get a last-minute chance to bid for the deal itself. It wasn't Microsoft's kind of game, since it was a gritty crime game with foul language, abusive treatment of women, and cop killing. Microsoft had a corporate image to maintain and, like Electronic Arts, it avoided that category. Gamers, however, increasingly loved the anti-establishment themes in the games and the ability to roam free without any rules. The game became the runaway hit of the PS2, and it proved the ineffectiveness of the Star Chamber.

Sony sold alot of PS2s on the strength of GTA (and not just 3—Vice and San Andreas had that same exclusivity). The outcome of the previous generation could have been drasticly different if Allard had a bit more foresight. —1138

Feds Want Hacker's Genetic Code

2006-05-11T16:10:00.000-04:00

Hacker Adrian Lamo is in trouble again, this time for failing to give the federal government his DNA. On Tuesday, federal probation officer Michael Sipe filed a notice of violation in a Northern California court accusing Lamo of refusing to submit a blood sample, in violation of Sipe's instructions and a 2-year-old federal law.

"He reported to the probation office as instructed; however, he refused to provide a blood sample for DNA testing, in violation of the general condition of supervision requiring compliance with federal law," the filing reads.

Lamo is nearly 18 months into a two-year probation sentence for hacking The New York Times in 2002.

According to his attorney, Lamo's refusal is based on a religious objection to giving blood, and he's willing to provide his DNA in another form. "He went in there with fingernail clippings and hair, and they refused to accept it, because they will only accept blood," says federal public defender Mary French. "Which is, you know, kind of in the Dark Ages."

French says she'll be filing a motion to dismiss the case. She declined to identify Lamo's religion. In prior court cases, members of the Jehovah's Witnesses have registered opposition to blood tests for alcohol content, based on certain passages in the Bible.

The Most Realistic Virtual Reality Room In The World

2006-05-11T13:22:00.000-04:00

More than $4 million in equipment upgrades will shine 100 million pixels on Iowa State University’s six-sided virtual reality room.

That’s twice the number of pixels lighting up any virtual reality room in the world and 16 times the pixels now projected on Iowa State’s C6, a 10-foot by 10-foot virtual reality room that surrounds users with computer-generated 3-D images. That means the C6 will produce virtual reality at the world’s highest resolution.

Iowa State’s C6 opened in June 2000 as the country’s first six-sided virtual reality room designed to immerse users in images and sound. The graphics and projection technology that made such immersion possible hasn’t been updated since the C6 opened.

The difference between the equipment currently in the C6 and the updated technology to be installed this summer, “is like putting on your glasses in the morning,” said James Oliver, the director of Iowa State’s Virtual Reality Applications Center and a professor of mechanical engineering.

The new equipment – a Hewlett-Packard computer featuring 96 graphics processing units, 24 Sony digital projectors, an eight-channel audio system and ultrasonic motion tracking technology – will be installed by Fakespace Systems Inc. of Marshalltown. The project is supported by a U.S. Department of Defense appropriation through the Air Force Office of Scientific Research.

So, where's teh pr0nz? —1138

Peter Moore pwn3z Sony

2006-05-11T11:44:00.000-04:00

This is a great interview by the way. Moore just pisses all over Sony's face, then takes a dump on the floor and makes Sony eat it while flies swarm around Sony's shit caked lips. Then he has his german sheppard ass rape Sony, and when the dog gizz drops out of Sony's gapping anus, he mixes that in with the leftover shit from before, and makes Sony eat that too.

Read the whole thing over at gamesindustry.biz

GTA: Vice City Stories Confirmed!

2006-05-10T14:58:00.000-04:00

Rockstar Games, the universally-renowned publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO), is proud to announce Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories. Developed by Rockstar Leeds in conjunction with series creators Rockstar North, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories will be available exclusively on the PSP system in North America on October 17th, 2006 and Europe on October 20th, 2006.

"The success of Liberty City Stories on the PSP system was nothing short of spectacular," said Sam Houser, Founder of Rockstar Games and Executive Producer. "The incredible PSP system technology allowed us to do things we never thought possible on a handheld system and we are excited to once again give our audience a fresh experience in one of their favorite locales in the Grand Theft Auto series, Vice City. With Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories we look to once again smash expectations of portable gaming, bringing an all new story and exciting new gameplay elements to this classic setting."

"Our collaboration with Rockstar Leeds has been a tremendous experience," said Leslie Benzies, President of Rockstar North. "Together we have been able to create uncompromising experiences on the PSP system that not only stay true to our initial vision for the series but that surpasses our own goals of what could be done on a handheld. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories will thrill longtime fans and excite new PSP system gamers like never before."

"We are proud of what we were able to achieve with Rockstar North on Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories," said Gordon Hall, President of Rockstar Leeds. "By staying true to the high standards of the series and surpassing fans’ expectations for a Grand Theft Auto title on a portable machine we feel confident that Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories will redefine what handheld gaming is capable of with the most intense PSP system experience yet."

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories is a new game in the Grand Theft Auto series with an entirely new storyline, new missions and gameplay that brings an unprecedented experience to mobile gaming. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories features the interactive, open environment of Vice City with professional voice talent, a diverse soundtrack and high production values that have become trademarks of this landmark series.

GTA: Vice City pictured

Xbox-portable-boy?

2006-05-10T14:48:00.000-04:00

Probably a fake....

PS3 E3 images

2006-05-10T10:53:00.000-04:00

Is it me or does this thing look ugly from the side? I can't decide if it looks more like football or a George Foreman grill! I'm assuming Sony wants the PS3 to sit at the top of the pile as there's no way yr going to be able to stack another console on top of it. Way to go Sony. Also, someone might want to let Sony's product designers know that the Spiderman movie font is old and tired.

The PS3 comes out in North America on November 17th, 2006 and will cost US$599

Korea Unveils World's Second Android

2006-05-10T10:21:00.000-04:00

Korea has developed its own android capable of facial expressions on its humanoid face, the second such machine to be developed after one from Japan. The Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Energy invited some 60 children to the Kyoyuk Munhwa Hoekwan in Seoul to introduce Ever-1 to the public. The name combines the first human name found in the Bible, Eve, with the "r" in robot.

The Korean Institute for Industrial Technology (KITECH) said the android, which has the face and body of a woman in her 20s, is 160 cm tall and weighs 50 kg. Ever-1 can move its upper body and "express" happiness, anger, sadness and pleasure. But the robot is still incapable of moving its lower half. Ever-1's skin is made from a silicon jelly that feels similar to human skin. The face is a composite of two stars, and its torso on a singer.

The 15 monitors in the robotic face allow it to interpret the face of an interlocutor and look back at whoever stands near it. Ever-1 also recognizes 400 words and can hold a basic verbal exchange.

"The robot can serve to provide information in department stores and museums or read stories to children; it's capable of both education and entertainment functions," said KITECH scientist Baeg Moon-hong, part of the team that created the robot. "The Ever-2, which will have improved vision and ability to express emotions and can sit or stand, will be debuted towards the end of the year."

GTA4 !!!!

2006-05-09T15:57:00.000-04:00

rockstargames.com/grandtheftauto4/

Here's some of Joystiq's live coverage of the 360 speech:

"Moore: "The Xbox 360 HD DVD player. The intial run of Toshiba players sold out within a few days. I'd like to announce that today, the Xbox 360 player will be available this holiday. I've got to take my jacket off ... Some of you may remember this ... It's no big secret that I saved the big guns for the bog guns! Some guys do rubber ducks, so guys do tattoos. Moore takes off his jacket -- to show off his Halo 2 tattoo. The other arm has a Grand Theft Auto IV tattoo! October 16, 2006 in North America, October 19 in Europe.

...Microsoft and Rockstar games have entered into an exclusive partnership to provide exclusive episodic content through Xbox Live. Moore is interrupted by applause after this announcement. The crowd was not expecting this, and is pumped to hear it."

Revolution renamed: Nintendo Wii

2006-04-28T11:15:00.000-04:00

That's pronounced "We."

Official site here

Pic of the day: Yellow pants

2006-04-26T18:26:00.000-04:00

T-Shirt of the bday

2006-04-20T11:58:00.000-04:00

The Culture War

2006-04-17T12:32:00.000-04:00

From WIRED:

How new media keeps corrupting our children.
By Tom Standage

US senator Charles Schumer says some videogames aimed at kids "desensitize them to death and destruction." But dire pronouncements about new forms of entertainment are old hat. It goes like this: Young people embrace an activity. Adults condemn it. The kids grow up, no better or worse than their elders, and the moral panic subsides. Then the whole cycle starts over. Here's how the establishment has greeted past scourges.

Novels
"The free access which many young people have to romances, novels, and plays has poisoned the mind and corrupted the morals of many a promising youth; and prevented others from improving their minds in useful knowledge. Parents take care to feed their children with wholesome diet; and yet how unconcerned about the provision for the mind, whether they are furnished with salutary food, or with trash, chaff, or poison?"
- Reverend Enos Hitchcock, Memoirs of the Bloomsgrove Family, 1790

The Waltz
"The indecent foreign dance called the Waltz was introduced ... at the English Court on Friday last ... It is quite sufficient to cast one's eyes on the voluptuous interˇtwining of the limbs, and close comˇpressure of the bodies ... to see that it is far indeed removed from the modest reserve which has hitherto been considered distinctive of English females. So long as this obscene display was conˇfined to prostitutes and adulteresses, we did not think it deserving of notice; but now that it is ... forced on the respectable classes of society by the evil example of their superiors, we feel it a duty to warn every parent against exposing his daughter to so fatal a contagion."
- The Times of London, 1816

Movies
"This new form of entertainment has gone far to blast maidenhood ... Depraved adults with candies and pennies beguile children with the inevitable result. The Society has prosecuted many for leading girls astray through these picture shows, but GOD alone knows how many are leading dissolute lives begun at the 'moving pictures.'"
- The Annual Report of the New York Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, 1909

The Telephone
"Does the telephone make men more active or more lazy? Does [it] break up home life and the old practice of visiting friends?"
- Survey conducted by the Knights of Columbus Adult Education Committee, San Francisco Bay Area, 1926

Comic Books
"Many adults think that the crimes described in comic books are so far removed from the child's life that for children they are merely something imaginative or fantastic. But we have found this to be a great error. Comic books and life are connected. A bank robbery is easily translated into the rifling of a candy store. Delinquencies formerly restricted to adults are increasingly committed by young people and children ... All child drug addicts, and all children drawn into the narcotics traffic as messengers, with whom we have had contact, were inveterate comic-book readers This kind of thing is not good mental nourishment for children!"
- Fredric Wertham, Seduction of the Innocent, 1954

Rock and Roll
"The effect of rock and roll on young people, is to turn them into devil worshippers; to stimulate self-expression through sex; to provoke lawlessness; impair nervous stability and destroy the sanctity of marriage. It is an evil influence on the youth of our country."
- Minister Albert Carter, 1956

Videogames
"The disturbing material in Grand Theft Auto and other games like it is stealing the innocence of our children and it's making the difficult job of being a parent even harder ... I believe that the ability of our children to access pornographic and outrageously violent material on video games rated for adults is spiraling out of control."
- US senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, 2005

Tom Standage (tomtom@pobox.com) is technology editor at The Economist and author of The Victorian Internet and A History of the World in Six Glasses.

Bizarre baby born in Dolakha

2006-04-05T15:08:00.000-04:00

Charikot, Dolakha, March 29 - The birth of a bizarre-looking baby in Charikot, the headquarters of Dolakha district, on Wednesday, drew a huge number of onlookers to witness the astonishing sight.

The neck-less baby with its head almost totally sunk into the upper part of the body and with extraordinarily large eyeballs literally popping out of the eye-sockets, was born to Nir Bahadur Karki and Suntali Karki at the Gaurishnkar Hospital in Charikot.

The Karki couple is a permanent resident of Dolakha’s Bhirkot VDC.

The bizarre baby, however, died after half an hour of its birth, Suntali, the mother, informed. It was taken to the hospital after its death.

Pic of the day: Meat Cyborg

2006-04-05T13:49:00.000-04:00

The link.

Ontario budget boosts credits for video game production

2006-03-28T16:54:00.000-05:00

From the CBC:

The Ontario interactive digital media tax credit available to small digital media businesses will increase to 30 per cent from the current 20 per cent, the province's finance minister, Dwight Duncan, announced in his budget speech Thursday afternoon.

The move is likely to attract video game studios to Ontario, a quest provinces such as B.C. and Quebec have already had some success with.

The global market for video and computer games is predicted to be one of the fastest growing sectors within the entertainment industry over the next four years, according to a report published by PricewaterhouseCoopers in June 2005.

Rockstar's Pong

2006-03-28T10:33:00.000-05:00

IGN has a preview up for Rockstar's Table Tennis:

"...It doesn't instantly suck you in with blazing guns and sci-fi themes. Instead, you pick up and play, and a few minutes later you're familiar with the controls and the experimentation begins. Then, something interesting happens. The more you play, the deeper and deeper you'll dive into it. I went through a phase, in just one night, where I was slamming it with just the hard button over and over again. Later on, I switched players and found the spin game to be totally enthralling. Table Tennis is a little like Virtua Tennis in its intensity and easy-to-handle controls, but it's also a precision game that's compressed into a faster, more rhythmic pace. Jon Miller and I got into several serious rallies that lasted what seemed like minutes, and each one required our full attention and concentration. I know, I know, it's still table tennis, but Rockstar has made this work. In its own way, it's just as immediate as any fast-paced first-person shooter."

No, this isn't CJ busting some moves in a GTA4 mini game.

Lucas urges global care

2006-03-26T12:06:00.000-05:00

From BBC News:

"As long as there has been a talking Hollywood, Hollywood has had a huge impact on the rest of the world.

"It shows all the morality we espouse in this country, good and bad."

The 62-year-old director said television was equally as influential, adding that people watch shows such as Dallas - about a wealthy Texas oil family - and decide they want the grand lifestyles portrayed.

"I hate to say it, but television is one of the most popular exports," he said.

"They say that is what I want to be. That destabilises a lot of the world."

"There has been a conflict going on for thousands of years between the haves and the have-nots, and now we are in a position for the first time to show the have-nots what they do not have."

The rest of the article HERE.

Pic of the day: Hairpod

2006-03-23T16:19:00.000-05:00

Hairpod ... an employee of a Japanese health-care company demonstrates a new hair restoration device that stimulates the user's scalp with low frequency electric current.

Interview with Shiggy

2006-03-17T11:46:00.000-05:00

From Guardian Unlimited:

Sony and Microsoft are focussing on the technical capabilities of their consoles, such as power and graphics. Nintendo's focus seems to be away from this now. Can you explain the thinking behind this?
In the very beginning we were confined by the technology and it restricted how we could express ourselves. That has changed now, but we think that games can't be improved by just focussing on the graphics which is the direction that most of the industry has been heading. Nintendo is very unique, we are an entertainment company. For a long time now we have been concerned by the direction of the industry. Our competitors are talking about beefed-up graphics and better technology. We could fight in that area but we think it is not necessary and we would rather focus on what Nintendo can do uniquely. We want to get a balance between powerful CPU's or beautiful graphics and making the technology comfortable and appealing. We created the DS and Revolution with this philosophy and concept in mind.

2005 was a poor year for game sales generally. Do you think consumers are bored with sequels and the same-old titles?
It's not necessarily that people are getting tired of videogames per se but the problem the industry faces is that it is creating titles that are similar to other ones. Platform holders usually say we have this great number of titles available but what really matters is variety of titles. Customers are more interested in variety and quality then straight quantity. Too many game creators listen to requests from existing gamers who simply want beefed-up versions of existing games. Also, shareholders may be worried about financing games that are different as they are seen as too risky. A lot of creators have lost the ability to create something new. But at Nintendo we are unique as we create new and innovative hardware. You don't always need big budgets. Look at Brain Training, which has been a great success and didn't cost much to create. One of my aims is to let game creators know that they shouldn't feel constricted by budget. If you have a good idea, we have the money.

Read the rest HERE.

Sony to delay launch of PlayStation 3 until November

2006-03-15T09:48:00.000-05:00

TOKYO, March 15 (Reuters) - Sony Corp. (6758.T: Quote, Profile, Research) will delay the release of its new PlayStation 3 video game console until early November, the president of its game unit said on Wednesday.

Ken Kutaragi, the president of Sony Computer Entertainment, the company's game division, made the announcement at the firm's annual PlayStation business briefing to software licencees.

It will launch the new consoles simultaneously in the United States, Japan and Europe, the company said.

Japanese newspapers reported earlier that the company would delay the launch of the PS3 because consumer electronics makers and movie companies were unable to reach an agreement on the development of the copy protection technology for the Blu-ray Disc drive, which is used in the console.

The PS3 launch has been the subject of heavy speculation in the industry as expectations are high for the powerful machine, which will feature cutting-edge technology in its DVD player, processors and graphics.

Other info from the conference report:

1. Kutaragi stated that Sony expects to sell to manufacture 6 million PlayStation 3 units by the end of fiscal 2006, ending March 31, 2007. That's less than 6 months after launch.

2. As reported, the PSP will soon support an emulator to play original PlayStation games. The games will be stored on memory sticks via e-distribution.

3. The PS3's online service, dubbed "PlayStation Network Platform", will sport voice chat, matchmaking lobbies and Marketplace-type features that allow users to download content, including software, implying some sort of digital distribution for games. The online service will be available at launch. As reported, the service will be free.

4. PS3 will allegedly be backwards compatible to all PS1 and PS2 games. The new console will also support high-definition resolutions for previous generations.

5. Finalized PS3 dev kits will be shipping to developers in June.

6. The PS2 will remain at its $149 price tag for the foreseeable future.

7. Kutaragi said that that the PS3 will require a hard drive, which will have a 60 GB capacity and support Linux OS. No word on if it will be included.

8. A hard drive-equipped PS3 is intended to be a sort of a central server for the home, allowing users to upload media from one peripheral and view it on another.

9. Sony will release a new firmware upgrade for PSP which will support Flash in its Web browser.

10. PS3 games will be featured exclusively on Blu-ray discs to protect against piracy.

Take-Two's $25M Deal to Secure GTA Future

2006-03-14T11:09:00.000-05:00

From Next-Gen:

Take-Two has signed a three-year $25 million employment agreement with "key Rockstar personnel" in an effort to safeguard the creative engine behind its most valuable franchise, Grand Theft Auto.

The agreement, outlined in a 10-Q filing yesterday, is for a three-year term, and provides for the payment of $25 million in restricted stock, plus unspecified internal royalties.

The 10-Q explores the value of Rockstar's creative heads, and the risk to the company of any failure to offer a decent package to GTA's bosses. It states, "We rely on our management and other key personnel for the successful operation of our business. In particular, we are highly dependent on the expertise, skills and knowledge of certain of our Rockstar employees responsible for content creation and development of Grand Theft Auto and other titles."

Pic of the day: iPod Nano MAME

2006-03-10T10:26:00.000-05:00

Review: Burnout Revenge (Xbox360)

2006-03-09T10:34:00.000-05:00

Some one tell me what kind of awesome sparks rendering engine the PS2 has, because the sparks still look better on the PS2 version than the 360 version.

• The 360 is a funny console for these reasons: I'm playing a great game, with great graphics and sound, fantastic gameplay, yet I am disappointed. First reason is of course that the game is a port (and I've played it already), and the 2nd reason is that the game just doesn't feel next gen. It feels somewhere in between the previous generation and what I feel the next-gen should be. The 360 has it's work cut out for it if it wants to shed the image of being "xbox 1.5" because games like Burnout just SCREAM Xbox 1.5.

• The people who own high def teevee's will probably appreciate the SLIGHT cosmetic upgrades more than people rocking CRTs, but I found it hard to find any real differences between the 360 and OG xbox versions. Yes it looks great, and yes the original looked great too. I did notice some gameplay enhancements. Something about it just felt better, and the increased draw distance lets you see cars wayyyyyyyy down the road. This was nice.

• The online aspect rocks. I'd almost buy this just for online racing as Burnout is my kind of racer. It has a great responsive feel to it, and the sense of speed is unparalleled, especially online. I never played the OG xbox version online (cough * modded xbox * cough) so maybe its the same deal. Either way, the first race I played I came in first, playing against a dude who was ranked 26 in the fucking WORLD. It felt good to hear him scream in his semi-literate midwestern accent. I am now ranked 446 thank you very much.

• This game is so fucking cheap with achievement points I cant even tell you. Suffice to say that no one will be replaying this game just to pad their GS (not that I was thinking of doing such a thing... oh no.... not me)

• Remember when they were hyping BLACK as Burnout but with guns? The more I think of it they should just give Burnout guns. OR, make a FPS where you run REALLY REALLY FAST while shooting stuff. THAT would be Burnout with guns. Fuck FPSs that make you walk. I've done the walking thing. The next 'next-gen' FPS I want to play will let me run as fast as you can drive in Burout Revenge.

• They got rid of the golf meter thing in crashmode. Why they put it in there is anyone’s guess, but now its gone. Either way, Burnout 3 still rules for crashmode.

9/10 if it was fresh, 7/10 because it's a port.

Rockstar's next game: Table Tennis

2006-03-03T16:44:00.000-05:00

IGN has the full story HERE.

"...we absolutely love table tennis and wanted to try and make something that could show the audience what could be possible -- on a relatively focused level -- in the next generation of videogames. Our mission brief at Rockstar has been clear to us from when we founded the company -- to make titles with innovative game play about subject matters we were interested in. We have always been a company that likes to take risks, and do things differently from everyone else. For us this does not just mean gangster films, or car chases or westerns (much as we still love them), but anything that we think is interesting and has not been successfully handled elsewhere in a videogame. From our perspective, table tennis fitted the bill perfectly -- especially as games with a very strong two-player component are very fun to make -- and play! Above all, Table Tennis allows us to showcase what we believe the key characteristics of the high definition era of console gaming will be. These are not just higher resolution graphics, but using higher resolution graphics and hugely advanced animation systems to impart physical and emotional information to the player, so that the control and tactics of the game are more real and more diverse than on current-generation titles. "

CG DOA babes

2006-02-27T10:51:00.000-05:00

Some nice CG renderings of Kasumi and company from DOA HERE.

Spiderman 3 teaser poster

2006-02-24T15:08:00.000-05:00

Pic of the day: Evolution of Link

2006-02-24T14:29:00.000-05:00

MPAA Files Lawsuits Targeting Major Torrent Sites

2006-02-24T13:58:00.000-05:00

“Website operators who abuse technology to facilitate infringements of copyrighted works by millions of people are not anonymous – they can and will be stopped,” said John G. Malcolm, Executive Vice President and Director of Worldwide Anti-Piracy Operations for the MPAA. “Disabling these powerful networks of illegal file distribution is a significant step in stemming the tide of piracy on the Internet.”

In all, nine indexing sites have been targeted (Isohunt.com, BTHub.com and TorrentBox.com all owned by one individual.) BitTorrent: ISOHunt, TorrentSpy, NiteShadow.com, BTHub.com and TorrentBox.com; eDonkey2000: Ed2k-It.com; Newsgroups: NZB-Zone.com, BinNews.com and DVDRs.net.

The operators of these indexing sites appear surprised at the MPAA’s decision to sue, as they have yet to receive any notification.

“Funny, they didn't email me,” Gary from ISOHunt said. “I'm not too concerned because we deal with copyright requests everyday, some of them from studios MPAA represents.”

“Justin” from TorrentSpy echoed Gary’s skepticism. “I guess I will learn more when I see what they have filed exactly. [I’m] not sure why they are suing when we comply with DMCA requests but I guess we will learn more down the road.”

A point to consider is TorrentSpy and ISOHunt are search engines - not trackers. Their role in the BitTorrent community is considerably different from previous lawsuit recipients such as the trackers EliteTorrents and LokiTorrent.

Trackers are responsible for directing the traffic of the BitTorrent community by hosting the actual torrent file. Conversely, indexing sites operate in a fashion similar to Google or Yahoo! and only search a tracker's database. They host no actual torrent files. Fred Von Lohmann, staff attorney for the EFF (Electronic Frontier Foundation), told News.com no court has ruled on the legality of this issue.

Spam Poetry Vol.5

2006-02-22T16:51:00.000-05:00

Dreama Buena

Reply happened happened we? leader not carefully? appearance social evening mentioned mischievous different?
Suddenly fascinate anything yours across wanted, light or wanted beautiful speaking.
Sandwich he supposedto find reading. here thus appearance a money, thats reply fire fascinate?
Pretty explain explain latter purpose.

Top 10 Worst Game Controllers

2006-02-22T12:03:00.000-05:00

IGN has a great feature up on the top 10 worst controllers.

7. Power Glove

One of the stupidest controllers is also considered one of the most classic simply due to brilliant marketing known as "product placement." The Wizard, starring Fred Savage, was a 90 minute Nintendo commercial for Mattel's Power Glove and Super Mario Bros. 3, even so far as using both items in the movie trailer. So even if you didn't pay your six bucks for a movie ticket, you were still assaulted with the branding. Oh, and you won't look as cool as this kid when you strap it on, so don't bother.

PSP v2?

2006-02-22T11:56:00.000-05:00

From The Digitimes:

According to market sources, Sony plans to release a version of its PSP (PlayStation Portable) using NAND flash from Samsung Electronics in the second half of this year.

The PSP will feature 8GB of NAND flash, the sources stated.

Although recent reports stated that Sony would opt not to use NAND flash in the next version of its PSP, and would instead use a microdrive, the sources indicated that Sony was stalling to negotiate better pricing from Samsung.

Pic of the day: Phantom

2006-02-21T21:15:00.000-05:00

Happy 20th B-Day Link!

2006-02-21T11:51:00.000-05:00

4 color rebellion is pointing out that today mark's the 20th anniversary of the Zelda franchise. The Legend of Zelda was first released on the Famicon in Japan on February 21st, 1986, twenty years ago today.

Predators 'drove human evolution'

2006-02-21T11:06:00.000-05:00

From BBC News:

The popular view of our ancient ancestors as hunters who conquered all in their way is wrong, researchers have told a major US science conference.

Instead, they argue, early humans were on the menu for predatory beasts.

This may have driven humans to evolve increased levels of co-operation, according to their theory.

Despite humankind's considerable capacity for war and violence, we are highly sociable animals, according to anthropologists.

Spam Poetry Vol.4

2006-02-21T09:43:00.000-05:00

benefit Meds at L0W

appearance he latter hard shining. back sandwich side. black you leader drew respect. next miserable back purpose force, different love he is. drew yours bought studied? steps companion explain. whom here supposedto whom thats. happened money across mentioned how off.

Spam Poetry Vol.3

2006-02-19T12:37:00.000-05:00

THIN D11CK beautiful

music whom wife anything yours next.
profession wanted here.
how arms steps purpose love not. nothing off being.
arms fire motor. suddenly respect tying evening, bought use different? raise arms whom a wrong am.

Pic of the day: PS2 inspired architecture?

2006-02-17T16:00:00.000-05:00

Spam Poetry Vol.2

2006-02-16T16:44:00.000-05:00

UPSET BCOZ OF UR SHORT DlCK? LONGER 2" WITH THIS side

reading carefully added a taught reply wanted fire goes.

out human friends principle. motor he rich allow immediate.

window allow next different pretty nothing. love wrong leader very. she sandwich human corner supposed to?

mischievous parents is companion use few.

Spam Poetry Vol.1

2006-02-16T16:39:00.000-05:00

Valentine Annmarie

<nel20oz@blueneptune.com>to xxxxxxxx

she similar commit being arms being. friends black use fire my motor.

drew bad raise wife black thus, human or did drew companion.

mentioned reading happened end whom? corner motor tying. young drew black being, steps night explain a next teach?

anybody sandwich reference, reply miserable evening commit black drew?

Pic of the day: Gary Coleman Strikes back

2006-02-15T13:57:00.000-05:00

The Opera Browser for Nintendo DS

2006-02-15T11:57:00.000-05:00

In Opera's agreement with Nintendo, Nintendo DS users will now be able to surf the full Internet from their systems using the Opera browser. The Opera browser for Nintendo DS will be sold as a DS card. Users simply insert the card into the Wi- Fi enabled Nintendo DS, connect to a network, and begin browsing on two screens.

Earlier this year, Nintendo reported that 13 million Nintendo DS systems were sold to consumers around the world within just 13 months of its debut in November 2004. Nintendo DS combines unique dual screens, touch screen, voice recognition and wireless and Wi-Fi communications capabilities. According to an independent market research company in Japan, Nintendo DS has become the fastest selling video games machine to top the six million sales mark in Japan in just over 14 months since its Japanese debut, breaking the old record held by Nintendo's Game Boy Advance.

"The incredibly popular Nintendo DS is already Wi-Fi enabled to support real time gaming, so adding Web browsing capabilities was a natural evolution for this device," says Scott Hedrick, Executive Vice President, Opera Software. "Gaming devices are growing more advanced and a great Web experience is becoming a product differentiator for gaming manufacturers. Opera is excited to work with Nintendo to deliver a unique dual screen, full Internet experience on Nintendo DS."

With an on-screen keypad and stylus, users can easily navigate the Web from their Nintendo DS with PDA-like functionality. Based on the same core as the Opera desktop browser, Opera delivers superior speed and rendering of Web pages on the Nintendo DS.

PS3 HUB; September Launch

2006-02-15T11:41:00.000-05:00

From Next-Gen:

According to well-placed industry sources, PlayStation HUB will offer PlayStation 3 owners much the same services as Xbox Live, including chat, downloadable demos, independent games and online play. The service is also designed to support PSP online play as well as PS3. It's a departure from PlayStation 2's online strategy, widely regarded as vastly inferior to Microsoft's.

PlayStation HUB is being described to developers as a 'subscriber service' suggesting a monthly charge. We understand the service is being created by Sony Computer Entertainment Europe, although this is unconfirmed.
Sony boss Howard Stringer is pushing for all media content to be available for distribution over PlayStation HUB, such as music and movies, thus opening up a powerful iTunes-like distribution network for Sony.

Developer sources are also suggesting that PlayStation 3 is currently scheduled to launch in September. A launch games release schedule seen by our sources states a September launch. Although the schedule does not explicitly state a hardware launch date, nor a launch territory, we understand Japan and U.S will both see the machine in September.

Phil Brown Remembered

2006-02-13T10:20:00.000-05:00

From Star Wars.com:

Veteran actor Phil Brown, best known to Star Wars fans as Luke Skywalker's Uncle Owen Lars from A New Hope, died yesterday after a lengthy illness. The 1977 role of Owen Lars introduced Brown to a whole new audience of young film fans, though it was only a small part in comparison to his lengthy acting history.

Brown was a member of the famous Group Theater in New York in 1938, shortly after his graduation from Stanford University. After appearances on the Broadway stage, Brown and other members of the Group moved to Hollywood in the 1940s. Brown appeared in supporting roles in a variety of films, and served as a board member and producer for the Actor's Laboratory, a renowned stage theatre in Hollywood.

His career as a director was cut short after only one film, The Harlem Globetrotters, when the anti-communist McCarthyism hysteria took a hold of Hollywood. Though never a member of the Communist Party, Brown was nonetheless blacklisted in 1952 and could not find work in America. He instead went to London, where he continued his work as an actor and director, on stage, television and feature films.

In recent years, Brown had made a number of convention and event appearances celebrating his role as Owen Lars, where he had the opportunity to meet many Star Wars fans in person. He is survived by his wife Ginny, who was also well known to fans since she accompanied her husband to most fan conventions.

Better living through video games?

2006-02-09T12:47:00.000-05:00

From The Globe and Mail:

Before you assume gadgets and video games fry the minds of the future, consider this: Canadian researchers are finding evidence that the high-speed, multitasking of the young and wireless can help protect their brains from aging.

A body of research suggests that playing video games provides benefits similar to bilingualism in exercising the mind. Just as people fluent in two languages learn to suppress one language while speaking the other, so too are gamers adept at shutting out distractions to swiftly switch attention between different tasks.

A new study of 100 university undergraduates in Toronto has found that video gamers consistently outperform their non-playing peers in a series of tricky mental tests. If they also happened to be bilingual, they were unbeatable.

"The people who were video game players were better and faster performers," said psychologist Ellen Bialystok, a research professor at York University. "Those who were bilingual and video game addicts scored best -- particularly at the most difficult tasks."

Review: Need for Speed Most Wanted (Xbox360)

2006-02-06T12:17:00.000-05:00

So NFS:MW is a decent racing game. So far I've defeated 4 people on the list, won a few cars, and have 2 in my garage and have had quite a few police chases. I have not played it online.

The graphics are pretty easy on the eyes, and I imagine in high def they must really shine, BUT, lets get serious for a moment here, there's some pretty serious hiccups and frame rate issues. And this is at TV resolution. I wonder if the problems multiply at 720p? Seems its not just me as even Gamespot takes issue with this.

Also, while a very pretty game, it's missing some key elements that it's current generation colleagues pull off just fine. For example, in Midnight Club 3, the open city theme is handled with much more detail and realism. NFS:MW has no pedestrians, and very little (almost non-existent in some cases) non-player traffic. Also, while MC3 uses a beam of light marker system to let you know where the next check-point is (and thus leaving it up to you the driver which path to take), NFS:MW just closes off all the possible paths you can take to give you a linear race. Its a bit unrealistic to assume that underground street racers have giant bullet proof plexiglass walls with flashing arrows to prevent anyone from straying off course during a race.

The cars do look very shiny, especially when you unlock the custom paint jobs... but again, points go to the old gen classics. Where is my right thumbstick operated camera? I want to see what my car looks like outside of the garage. Did anyone on this project even play MC3? It really is a better game. Sure the cars aren't as shiny, but really, what's better in NFS:MW other than cars that reflect their environments slightly more than last year?

7/10 on it's own, 6/10 considering it costs an extra $10 to roll with a next-gen disc.

Game tattoos

2006-02-03T14:23:00.000-05:00

Gotta love that Pac Man ass tattoo.

Quote of the day

2006-02-03T08:35:00.000-05:00

"The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs. There's also a negative side."

- Hunter S. Thompson

Carmak on the 360: It’s a really sweet development system

2006-01-31T12:38:00.000-05:00

Next Gen has this interview up with John Carmack:

On a new rendering engine

"For the last year I’ve been working on new rendering technologies. It comes in fits and starts. Our internal project that’ll incorporate it hasn’t been publicly announced. We’re doing simultaneous development on Xbox 360 and PC, and we intend to release on PlayStation 3 simultaneously as well, but it’s not a mature enough platform right now for us to be doing much work on."

Consoles vs. PC

"The difference between theoretical performance and real-world performance on the CPU level is growing fast. On, say, a regular Xbox, you can get very large fractions of theoretical performance with not a whole lot of effort. The PlayStation 2 was always a mess with the multiple processors on there, but the new generations, with Cell or the Xbox 360, make it much, much worse. They can quote these incredibly high numbers of giga-flops or tera-flops or whatever, but in reality, when you do a straightforward development process on them, they’re significantly slower than a modern high-end PC."

"...The graphics systems are much better than that, though. Graphics have an inherent natural parallelism. The capabilities of the Xbox 360 and PS3 are really good on the graphics side — although, not head or shoulders above any PC stuff that you can buy at a higher price-point."

Xbox 360: 'A really sweet develoment system''

"The Xbox 360 will probably will be id's primary development platform. As it is right now, we would get the game up on the 360. When I would do major hack-and-slash architectural changes it was back on the PC, but it’s looking like the Xbox 360 will be our target. All of our tools are on the PC, and we’re maintaining the game running on the PC, but probably all of our gameplay development and testing will be done on the Xbox 360. It’s a really sweet development system."

Elroy 1998-2006

2006-01-29T11:20:00.000-05:00

We'll miss you buddy.

My new toy!!

2006-01-27T13:40:00.000-05:00

Thoughts and opinions to come...

Revenge of the law falls on 'Star Wars' film pirates

2006-01-26T13:59:00.000-05:00

After going over to the dark side by getting their hands on copies of "Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith" before its theatrical release, six men and one woman have pleaded guilty to federal piracy charges, U.S. prosecutors said Wednesday.

Prosecutors believe the seven defendants, all from Los Angeles County, were not part of an organized piracy ring and only used copies of the movie for their own viewing.

But after copies passed among them, the epic film ended up in the hands of an eighth person who put it on the Internet the night before its record-grossing theatrical release.

That person, Marc Hoaglin, 28, of Huntington Beach pleaded guilty in December to a felony count of uploading a pre-release copyrighted work onto the Internet. The seven other defendants - one of them a 27-year-old La Crescenta man - pleaded guilty Tuesday to misdemeanor charges.

"If they'd done it for financial gain or profit, then that could have become a felony, but ... that wasn't the case for these folks," said Brian Hoffstadt, assistant U.S. attorney.

The illegal distribution of "Sith" started during the week before its May 19 release, when Albert Valente, 28, of Lakewood took a DVD copy of the film from a post-production facility where he worked. The firm was hired by the studio for the post-production work, Hoffstadt said.

Valente lent the DVD to his friend Jessie Lumada, 28, of Long Beach, who gave it to another friend, Ramon Valdez, 30, also of Long Beach. Valdez took "Sith" to the cable company where he worked and allowed co-worker Michael Fousse, 42, of Monrovia to upload it onto the company's internal network.

Dwight Wayne Sityar, 27, of La Crescenta, who also worked at the cable company, then burned the movie onto three CDs and gave them to co-worker Stephani Gima, 25, of Los Angeles. Gima gave the movie to her brother-in-law, Joel De Sagun Dimaano, 33, of Los Angeles, who brought it to his work at MGM Studios and lent it to Hoaglin, his co-worker. Hoaglin uploaded the movie onto the Internet the night before it opened.

Rumble Roses XX screenshots

2006-01-26T11:36:00.000-05:00

Worthplaying has some new Rumble Roses XX screenshots, coming soon to a 360 near you.... Next-Gen indeed.

New Nintendo DS Lite

2006-01-26T10:48:00.000-05:00

Straight from Nintendo of Japan:

Details:
Release Date: 2006-03-02
Price: 16800 Yen
Feature: 4 adjustable levels of brightness
Old DS Size: 149 x 85 x 29 = 275g
New DS Size: 133 x 74 x 22 = 218g

Deadly Driving

2006-01-25T18:44:00.000-05:00

From Pulse24:

It appears to be a tragic case of life imitating art – or in this case, a video game.

A cab driver is dead following a horrifying accident that’s believed to have been caused by a street race. Police say the taxi was driving south on Mt. Pleasant Rd., near St. Clair Ave., waiting to make a left turn at about 10:30pm Tuesday. Meanwhile, two Mercedes-Benzes were travelling north, and investigators have suggested they were speeding.

One of the cars reportedly then collided with the cab at the intersection of Mt. Pleasant and Whitehall Rd., sending it hurtling into a steel pole. The vehicle was crushed, and the 46-year-old driver, Tahir Khan, was trapped inside. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

The car that hit the cab was damaged, while the second car apparently fled the scene. The two 18-year-old drivers were rounded up and arrested, however. One of them was injured, but not seriously. Alexander Ryazanov has been charged with criminal negligence causing death. Wang−Piao Dumani Ross is facing a similar charge, along with allegations he failed to stop after the accident.

The street racing video game Need For Speed was apparently found in one of the luxury cars, which belonged to the teens’ parents.

Gubernatorial candidate favors 50% tax on 'violent games'

2006-01-25T10:47:00.000-05:00

"The Amarillo Globe News is reporting that Republican gubernatorial candidate Star Locke wants to scrap Texas' current property tax system. Instead, Locke would institute new taxes on abortion providers, soft drinks, and violent video games to fund the state's government. Locke, a rancher and builder from Corpus Christi, favors a 50% tax on violent games, as well as a $10,000 tax per abortion and a 10% levy on sweetened soft drinks."

Multi Theft Auto: San Andreas Released

2006-01-23T13:55:00.000-05:00

The MultiTheftAuto team released their popular Grand Theft Auto multiplayer mod, MTA: San Andreas. The initial release includes therace mod which allows up to 32 players to go heads-up in pre-made and custom user-created maps. MTA:SA includes a full-featured in-game map editor allowing users to create exciting new content by altering the GTA:SA world.

MTA:SA downloads here:

MTA:SA Client Release One

MTA:SA Server 1.0 for Windows

MTA:SA Server 1.0 for Linux GCC 3.3

MTA:SA Server 1.0 for Linux GCC 4.0

Q&A: Reggie Fils-Aime's Revolution resolutions

2006-01-19T11:31:00.000-05:00

Gamespot has an interview up with Nintendo's Reggie Fils-Aime.

Some highlights:

"...I have five resolutions for the industry heading into 2006. The first is keeping our eyes on the prize. This industry is about entertainment, and in the end, he with the best games wins. So at Nintendo, we're focused on putting the most-entertaining products into the marketplace. The second resolution is keeping the "mass" in the mass audience. The world is fragmenting all around us, and many companies are making their products too exclusive and expensive for the general consumer. For example, for American consumers to get into the Xbox 360 franchise, with games and extra controllers, they had to spend more than $700, not including an HDTV, which is really the only way to positively experience 360. We resolve at Nintendo to remain within reach for the vast majority of our consumers."

"...This industry has become more and more focused on the niche, and at Nintendo, we've opened our systems to a wide range of consumers. Whether it's consumers older than 35 or female gamers, we've attracted them with Nintendogs and Animal Crossing, so we've resolved to bring as many new consumers into this industry as possible."

"...It is to turn game development into a democracy of great ideas. Just as the cost of systems seems to be getting out of reach for everyday consumers, the cost of game development is getting out of reach for game publishers. The Revolution will be more affordable for game developers to create for, and that will result in fantastically innovative content."

Grand Theft Auto 4 in 2006?

2006-01-19T10:16:00.000-05:00

While we've had GTS: Vice City and GTA: San Andreas in the past few years, we haven't had a full on sequel yet. That's apparently going to change, according to PSM. In a recent article in their magazine, they state that a Rockstar representative has revealed to them that the next generation of GTA will be unveiled at E3.

Specific details on the game may be slim, but PSM states that the game will be set in Europe with a total of 6 cities. Thats twice the size of GTA: San Andreas. While this is still technically rumor, it could mean we can look forward to a new Grand Theft Auto this year if there is truth to the rumor.

However, if we do see it this year, it probably won't be with the launch of the Playstation 3.

No news on wether or not GTA4 will ever seen itself on the Xbox 360, but if they follow the trends of the last generations of GTA, we will most likely see it.

China beat Columbus to it

2006-01-16T10:57:00.000-05:00

THE brave seamen whose great voyages of exploration opened up the world are iconic figures in European history. Columbus found the New World in 1492; Dias discovered the Cape of Good Hope in 1488; and Magellan set off to circumnavigate the world in 1519. However, there is one difficulty with this confident assertion of European mastery: it may not be true.

It seems more likely that the world and all its continents were discovered by a Chinese admiral named Zheng He, whose fleets roamed the oceans between 1405 and 1435. His exploits, which are well documented in Chinese historical records, were written about in a book which appeared in China around 1418 called “The Marvellous Visions of the Star Raft”.

Next week, in Beijing and London, fresh and dramatic evidence is to be revealed to bolster Zheng He's case. It is a copy, made in 1763, of a map, dated 1418, which contains notes that substantially match the descriptions in the book. “It will revolutionise our thinking about 15th-century world history,” says Gunnar Thompson, a student of ancient maps and early explorers.

The map (shown above) will be unveiled in Beijing on January 16th and at the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich a day later. Six Chinese characters in the upper right-hand corner of the map say this is a “general chart of the integrated world”. In the lower left-hand corner is a note that says the chart was drawn by Mo Yi Tong, imitating a world chart made in 1418 which showed the barbarians paying tribute to the Ming emperor, Zhu Di. The copyist distinguishes what he took from the original from what he added himself.

Swedish pirates found political party

2006-01-09T14:03:00.000-05:00

A new Swedish party has been founded by software pirates with the aim of abolishing copyrights, patens and trademarks. They founders want to be in the next election for the Riksdag (Swedish parliament, ed.) which is scheduled for September 24th and the party is a reaction to the stricter legislation against piracy introduced by the current Swedish government. Fittingly this new party has been christened ‘Piratpartiet’ – the Pirate Party.

Should the Pirate Party gain the majority of votes in the election, its first move will be to remove all copyright according to the Party’s programme. This will be done without any delays or studies. The party also wants Sweden to declare to the UN that the country no longer will accept international treaties on the matter.

The party is currently looking for people who want to run for a parliamentary seat, of course they need to be software pirates.

In order to be able to be listed as a party in the upcoming elections the pirates needed 1.500 signatures. After they opened a website on January 1st they got nearly 5.000 electronic signatures, which now have to be verified. However, in order to gain the first seat in the Riksdag, they need 225.000 votes. But the pirates aren’t worried about that, according to their own estimates, 800.000 Swedes use pirate software/games/media.

GTA Liberty City Stories for PS2

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

....and an all-new GTA for the PSP! From Take2's quarterly report:

"...Additional products expected for fiscal 2006 include the newly announced Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories for PlayStation 2, tentatively planned for release in the second quarter, Bully for PlayStation 2 and Xbox, two new titles for the PSP handheld system, including an all-new Grand Theft Auto, a title based on a new brand for the Xbox 360 and a sequel of a Rockstar brand, all from Rockstar Games; The Da Vinci Code, Prey, and 24: The Game from 2K Games; various other sports titles including NBA 2K7 from 2K Sports; and Family Feud for multiple platforms from Global Star."

Awesome! Let's hope the new PSP GTA will feature a new city, and not just a rehash of Vice City as is rumored. Don't get me wrong: I'd be pretty damn happy with Vice on my PSP, but a new city would kick ass.

Next-gen DVD products shown at tech show

2006-01-05T10:31:00.000-05:00

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Warring factions in a battle for control of next-generation DVDs on Wednesday unveiled products at wildly varying prices, reflecting their views on what it takes to jump-start an multibillion dollar industry.

One camp, known as HD DVD and championed by Toshiba Corp holds the view that consumers will buy high-definition DVDs and players, but only at the right price.

In keeping with that position, Toshiba at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas on Wednesday said it would offer the first high-definition players in March, priced at $799 and $499.

Those prices are below what a member of the rival camp, known as Blu-ray and led by Sony Corp., is asking. Blu-ray member Pioneer said it planned to offer a Blu-ray player in May, priced at $1,800.

Failure of the two factions to reach a unified standard has set the stage for a formats war akin to the VCR vs. Betamax battle of the 1980s. Each side hopes to reignite the sagging $24 billion home video market with new players and discs that offer greater capacity and interactive features.

"We have philosophical differences. We think the new products are targeted at early adaptors, focused on performance and not price. This is an elite model," said Andy Parsons, a spokesman for Blu-ray and a senior vice president at Pioneer Electronics, a unit of Pioneer Corp <6.

Iwata's Nintendo Sells 10M Handheld Systems Worldwide

2006-01-04T16:19:00.000-05:00

LONDON - A game of two halves. At Nintendo, the left hand definitely knows what the right hand is doing: Though there's a smattering of analysts queuing up to lay a glove on Nintendo's efforts in the next-generation console war, the Japanese company continues to dominate the handheld gaming market.

It said Tuesday it had sold about 10 million of its DS--an acronym that denotes "dual screen" or "developer's system" if you believe the company's geeky promotional blurb--handheld game systems across the globe, including about four million in North America and over five million in Japan. Perrin Kaplan, vice president for marketing at Nintendo's (other-otc: NTDOY.PK - news - people ) U.S. headquarters, said the company sold about three million of the handheld gaming gadgets--distinguished by its two displays, one of which is a touch screen that users can tap to play with a stylus or their fingers--to North American consumers in 2005. This is in addition to the 1.2 million devices sold to North American gamers in 2004, when the horizontal clamshells were launched in late November. Mark that Satoru Iwata's Nintendo also notched up 4.6 million sales of its Game Boy Advance in North America in 2005, helping to give it 78% of the portable game market, according to the firm.

"At a time when some sectors of the video game industry are softening, Nintendo DS and the Game Boy Advance line remain shining stars because of their fun experiences and innovative game play," said Nintendo's Vice President of sales Reggie Fils-Aime.

Revenge of the Sith Tops 2005 Movie Internationally

2006-01-04T16:07:00.000-05:00

HOLLYWOOD - Star Wars Episode III - Revenge of the Sith was the most successful movie of 2005 across the globe, beating out competition from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. According to UK trade publication Screen International, the final Star Wars movie took a total of $848.5 million.

However, international box office figures which exclude the North American marketplace have the fourth Harry Potter installment as the top grossing film.

Across the world both movies took more than $800 million, while no other single film took more than $600 million.

Makers of South Park turn to Apple for new storage setup

2006-01-04T11:27:00.000-05:00

JANUARY 02, 2006 (COMPUTERWORLD) - While South Park may appear technologically amateurish with its character cutouts, over the past nine seasons the cartoon series has added a great deal of storage-consuming detail, including backgrounds and crowd shots that can take up to 100MB of memory each. And that’s on top of a show that still produces all of its content in-house, where more than 30 artists work right up until deadline, making frequent changes to each episode of the weekly TV series.

To handle its growing storage needs, the makers of South Park this past season began moving away from a direct-attached disk backup and tape library that often took more than a day to back up data. Instead, the show’s producers are changing over to a faster tape library system and disk systems that later this month will blossom into a full storage-area network (SAN).

J.J. Franzen, technology supervisor at South Park Studios in Los Angeles, said the show was simply running out of storage space on its digital linear tape (DLT) library and direct-attached disk storage from Plymouth, Minn.-based Ciprico Inc. So in May, a new linear tape open (LTO)-2 tape library from Exabyte Corp. in Boulder, Colo., and three Xserve RAID disk arrays from Apple Computer Inc. were installed.

Will Microsoft Announce a HD DVD Xbox 360 at CES?

2006-01-04T08:13:00.000-05:00

Richard Doherty, an analyst from research firm Envisioneering Group, predicts that tomorrow Bill Gates’ main message at his CES keynote will focus Windows Vista, the next-generation Windows, but Doherty also thinks Gates will talk about HD DVD as part of the Xbox 360.

Microsoft has denied in several opportunities that it is planning a HD DVD upgrade for the Xbox 360, but last year Bill Gates said that the Xbox 360 video may incorporate in the future the next-generation DVD format developed by Toshiba.

“The initial shipments of Xbox 360 will be based on today's DVD format,” Gates said at a joint news conference with Toshiba. “We are looking at whether future versions of Xbox 360 will incorporate an additional capability of an HD DVD player or something else.”

Bill Gates’ CES keynote is only 24 hours away so tomorrow we’ll know if the analyst was right or if it was pure speculation based on the recent HD DVD, Blu-ray Disc war hype.

We’ll have more on HD DVD for the Xbox 360 as it develops.

Is Google Prepping a Low-Cost PC?

2006-01-04T08:08:00.000-05:00

Google and Wal-Mart Stores may be preparing a low-cost PC that runs an operating system created by Google and could be announced as early as Friday at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, according to a report in the Los Angeles Times.

The newspaper, citing unnamed analyst sources, reported Sunday that such a Google PC could cost as little as a couple of hundred dollars, or less than the $430 a single share of Google stock is worth today--because it would avoid the need to install Microsoft's Windows operating system.

Larry Page, Google's cofounder and president of products, will give a keynote address on Friday at the annual CES, where many consumer products for the year ahead are introduced. The newspaper said that analysts "suspect" Page will use the high-profile forum to "show off a Google computing device or announce a partnership with a big retailer to sell such a machine."

iTradeVideoGames.com

2006-01-02T09:31:00.000-05:00

iTradevideogames keeps the playing field level by allowing you to trade your video games at a fair market value. Therefore, if you pick up a newly released game and want to try something new a week later, you don't lose all the hard earned equity in the game by trading it in to one of the major retailers; you trade it along to another gamer, just like yourself, who is looking for the exact game you have.

iTradevideogames uses an internal currency called the iBuck to process trades between all of its members. The price for each game is based on the current market value (based on sophisticated reporting methods) and is geared to give a fair trading advantage for your hard earned dollars.

The concept itself is based off of an easy to use message system, not unlike email, that allows you to communicate with your fellow gamers, become friends with them and ultimately develop a trading community of like-minded gamers who you can continuously perform trades with, all for the low cost of one dollar per trade.