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Diagnosis on vidgame addiction
2007-06-21 22:59:00
As someone who's played plenty of them myself, I can certainly say that there is such a thing as video game addiction in ways somewhat similar to alcohol addiction, and it certainly isn't good to go gaming that way. Here's a look at how game addiction can affect many teenagers:CHICAGO (AP) - The telltale signs are ominous: teens holing up in their rooms, ignoring friends, family, even food and a shower, while grades plummet and belligerence soars.The culprit isn't alcohol or drugs. It's video games, which for certain kids can be as powerfully addictive as heroin, some doctors contend.A leading council of the nation's largest doctors' group wants to have this behavior officially classified as a psychiatric disorder, to raise awareness and enable sufferers to get insurance coverage for treatment.In a report prepared for the American Medical Association's annual policy meeting starting Saturday in Chicago, the council asks the group to lobby for the disorder to be included in a...
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The Ninja Turtles arcade game
2007-06-21 09:40:00
Ah, now here's an amusing game I remember from when I was a teen, based on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles , which became an overnight success when Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird's comic first appeared in 1984, and went on to acquire many great merchandise items, like this one!Konami first made a game based on the TMNT back in 1987, but that was for home systems. This game was made when, during 1989-92, they took to making quite a few games based on licensed products, and it was a success. Some of the things you need to try and be careful of here include falling momentarily into manholes, though this does have a funny comment to accompany it: "who put the lights out?"The recording I found had been uploaded in fast-forwarded format, but at least it does still feature plenty of great stuff, including the Ninja Turtles on skateboards! Cowabunga, everyone!
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Britain is banning sales of "Manhunt 2". Good
2007-06-20 09:35:00
Since game in question is published by the same company that puts out Grand Theft Auto and Bully, I'd say that's why it's just as well that Britain is now banning it from sales there:An upcoming video game from the maker of the "Grand Theft Auto" series came under fire Tuesday in United States and Britain, where the government's ratings board banned sales for what it called an "unremitting bleakness and callousness of tone."Rockstar Games'"Manhunt 2" was scheduled for a July 10 release on Nintendo Co.'s Wii and Sony Corp.'s PlayStation 2 consoles.Players of "Manhunt 2 " assume the role of an escaped mental institution patient who goes on a killing spree as he fights his way to freedom. It includes special death moves players can perform by moving the Wii's wireless, motion-sensitive controller at just the right moment.Wow, just what the world needs, another game where players assume the role of a crazy villain. What next, will they be asked to assume the role of Hannibal the ...
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And now, Kutaragi steps down
2007-06-20 09:34:00
The Playstation developer is now retiring:TOKYO (AP) - The chief architect of Sony's PlayStation game console stepped down Tuesday as the Japanese company struggles to defend its dominance in the video game industry and revive its reputation as an electronics pioneer.Ken Kutaragi, 56, retired as Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.'s chairman and group chief executive, the gaming unit said Tuesday. The unit is now headed by Kazuo Hirai, SCE's former president and chief operating officer.Kutaragi had already been relieved of day-to-day responsibilities as president last year but stayed on as chief executive and chairman. In April, he announced his intention to retire from those positions this month.Though no longer a board member, Kutaragi will hold an advisory post at the gaming unit, according to SCE official Sayoka Henmi.The departure of Kutaragi, an icon among gamers, marks the end of an era at Sony Corp. (SNE) that saw the company dominate the video game industry with its flagshi...
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The Quadruple-company
2007-06-19 09:46:00
Electronic Arts is going to form four special business units: SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Electronic Arts Inc. said it will reorganize the world's biggest video game publisher into four units, in an efficiency drive by its new chief executive.Under the plan by CEO John Riccitiello, announced on Friday. EA will consist of units that focus on sports, casual games, its "Sims" virtual dollhouse franchise, and other games.EA said the changes, which will not involve job losses, should help it save money at a time when the cost of developing a top-tier game can run up to $20 million."It makes a lot of sense. It streamlines the company," said Todd Greenwald, an analyst with Nollenberger Capital Partners."It goes with Riccitiello's desire to make people more accountable. When a game misses a deadline, when the quality is bad, he wants one person to explain why," Greenwald said.Riccitiello, the company's former chief operating officer who left in 2004 and rejoined in April, said last month t...
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Cobra Command
2007-06-18 04:59:00
I first saw this game many years ago in an airport. Firepower and power-ups include ability to shoot in upwards and downwards angles (diagonally at that), and each area you battle through here seems to have three parts: two in an outdoor scenario, and one that takes place in an underground cavern. My my, the enemies running those shady operations you take on in this game sure do know where to hide their artillery!
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Family video-gaming
2007-06-18 04:28:00
Now for an article about family get togethers:When Will Nickelson and his daughter want to spend some quality time together, they fire up Nintendo Co.'s Wii and play a few rounds of "Wii Sports" or "Mario Party 8.""It's kind of difficult picking a game for a 7-year-old girl, but she really likes to beat her dad at bowling," says Nickelson, 30, a stay-at-home dad from Huntsville, Ala.He's certainly not alone.The generation that grew up with "Pac-Man" and "Pong" are now having children of their own. And across the nation, fathers and their kids are finding the virtual worlds of video games a popular place to bond.Many fathers say the games bring them closer to their kids by providing a safe, convenient way to stay in touch and talk to their children on their own terms.A national survey released last year by the Entertainment Software Association, a video game industry group, found that 35 percent of parents play video games, of which 80 percent play with their children. Mothers, to...
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NARC: first game to use digital graphics
2007-06-17 06:40:00
Here's a recording of NARC, the first game to use digital graphics, and a very violent game to boot:Just look at what this game's got, drug dealers, shotgun and pistol wielding thugs who carry them under their coats, psychos in clown costumes, drug bags, money, prostitutes, cars, attack dogs, and of course, the gang's godfather, Mr. Big. You can even arrest some of the enemies here by standing next to them, whereupon they'll put their hands up, and then the screen says "busted". Arresting up to approximately 50 can get you extra lives. Not all the enemies can be busted, and those that can't must simply be blown away like the scum they are.Quite a startling game of its sort, eh?
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Sony now apologizes for offending the Church of England
2007-06-16 23:27:00
Well it looks like Sony has decided to offer an apology over the awful game they produced:LONDON - Sony Corp. apologized Friday to the Church of England for a violent computer game that features a bloody shootout inside an Anglican cathedral.The church had demanded withdrawal of the game "Resistance: Fall of Man," which includes a gunbattle between an American soldier and aliens inside a building that resembles Manchester Cathedral in northwest England.The cathedral's dean, the Very Rev. Rogers Govender, said he had received a letter from Sony."It was not our intention to cause offense by using a representation of Manchester Cathedral in chapter eight of the work," the letter said. "If we have done so, we sincerely apologize."A Sony spokesman confirmed the letter was genuine and said it included the offer of a meeting between Sony representatives and church officials. Govender said the cathedral would accept the offer. He thanked Sony for the apology, but underlined the church's o...
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PS3 should have a big reduction in price
2007-06-15 09:55:00
Sony is now trying to decide by how much to bring down the price:TOKYO (AFP) - Sony is trying to decide by how much it will cut the price of its PlayStation 3 console as consumers want it reduced, its chief executive said in an interview published Friday."That (price cuts) is what we are studying at the moment. That's what we are trying to refine," Howard Stringer told the London-based Financial Times.He admitted that Sony faced tough competition from rival Nintendo's Wii video game console, which is enjoying stronger sales than the PS3 and has a lower price."Nintendo Wii has been a successful enterprise, and a very good business model, compared with ours ... because it's cheaper," he said, adding there was "no question" consumers wanted a lower price.Sony slashed the price of the PS3 by 20 percent in Japan ahead of its launch here last November as it prepared for a fierce fight against cheaper games consoles from rivals Microsoft and Nintendo.Even after the price reduction, howe...
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Konami provides health services
2007-06-14 21:03:00
Amazing news, that Konami , of all companies, is going to sell special software products to go with Nintendo 's DS, including guides for girl players!TOKYO (Reuters) - A Japanese software maker plans to launch a skincare guide for use on Nintendo Co. Ltd.'s hot-selling portable game gear DS, giving beauty tips based on users' basal body temperature and hormone balance.Konami Corp., known for such sports titles as "Pro Evolution Soccer," said that by marking a target date such as a wedding in the software, DS users can get customized, daily skincare instructions in the runup to the big day."We have developed the software under the concept of getting pretty while having fun," Konami Digital Entertainment Corporate Officer Naoyuki Notsu told a news conference.Konami Digital Entertainment is Konami's game software unit.The DS has two screens, opens like a book and allows gamers to control play with a stylus, instead of manipulating a keypad.Its intuitive playing style coupled with sof...
More About: Health , Services , Vice

Take Two takes more losses in their stocks
2007-06-14 04:31:00
Heh heh heh, it looks like Take Two is still facing losses, and took 'em too!LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - New management of Take-Two Interactive Software Inc. said it would cut jobs and costs as the publisher of the popular "Grand Theft Auto" video games on Monday posted its sixth quarterly loss in a row.Shares rose 1.5 percent following the announcement, which will increase centralization at the company whose management was replaced by dissident investors in March. Take Two said it expects to cut costs $25 million a year by the end of next fiscal year.The company also named Lainie Goldstein as its chief financial officer. Goldstein had been serving as interim CFO since her predecessor, Karl Winters, resigned in April. She was previously senior vice president of finance.The fiscal second-quarter net loss was $51.2 million, or 71 cents per share, compared with a loss of $50.4 million, or 71 cents, a year ago. Excluding restructuring costs, the company posted a loss of 41 cents a share.Re...
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Sony's new musical "iphone"
2007-06-13 04:25:00
Sony's new "gaming phone" ain't ready yet:NEW YORK (Reuters) - Sony Ericsson has filed a U.S. patent application for a mobile device with video game features, but said on Monday it is not poised to launch a phone based on its PlayStation Portable (PSP) video game brand.Sony Ericsson, a venture of Sony Corp. and Ericsson, filed a patent application dated May 31 with the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office related to a mobile device with gaming functionality that originated from employees in Japan.The fourth-biggest cell phone maker did not rule out the development of a device combining its phone technology with Sony's portable video game technology, but said it was not ready to announce any products."We're continually evaluating other propositions but they have to be credible propositions. We're not interested in sticking parts on phones that destroy the brand equity that's been built up by Sony," Sony Ericsson spokeswoman Merran Wrigley said by phone on Monday.The comments came...
More About: Musical , Iphone

Activision falls on hard times
2007-06-10 17:56:00
The first third-party game developer and number two in the business today now has problems with corruption in the stock market:NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. regulators have begun a formal probe into stock option practices at Activision Inc., the No. 2 U.S. video game publisher, according to a company filing.Activision, whose hit titles includes "Guitar Hero 2" and "Spider-Man 3," learned this month that the Securities and Exchange Commission had issued a formal order of nonpublic investigation, which allows the agency to subpoena witnesses and require the production of documents, according to the filing on Thursday.The Santa Monica, California-based company said it was cooperating with the investigation, and its representatives had met with SEC staff on several occasions.A representative of the U.S. Department of Justice has attended some of these meetings and requested copies of documents, Activision said.Activision shares were up 14 cents at $18.60 in early trade on Nasdaq.Last month,...
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Some history on Double Dragon
2007-06-10 04:53:00
And now, let's take a little look at the history of Double Dragon , what really started off the trend of action games of its sort. We'll start with a five part recording that I found right here:DD was a fairly simple game in its time, with just four stages to go through (these days, when making a game like that, they'd want to do at least six), but, it was pretty good for its time. One drawback to the game, not one that I'm personally bothered by, was that it slowed down when more than 3-4 sprites were on the screen at the same time. Other than that, it wasn't too hard to handle, and the interesting thing about it was that, if two were playing, then at the end of the game, there was the challenge of fighting each other for who would win Marian.So, DD was certainly a classic in its time. However, I'll have to say that when Technos got around to making some sequels, they really fouled up on the second one, which was more like a remake, Double Dragon II: The Revenge, which can be ...
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"Resistance: Fall of Man" features slaughter of innocent bystanders
2007-06-09 20:10:00
Can disrepect for religion have any presence in the game industry, just like it does in the movie industry? Well, if one of Sony's recent releases on the Playstation is any indication, maybe there is. The Church of England has sounded off about it:LONDON (AP) - The Church of England accused Sony Corp. on Saturday of using an English cathedral as the backdrop to a violent computer game and said it should be withdrawn from shop shelves.The church said Sony did not ask for permission to use Manchester cathedral and demanded an apology.The popular new PlayStation 3 game, "Resistance : Fall of Man," shows a virtual shootout between rival gunmen with hundreds of people killed inside the cathedral. Church officials described Sony's alleged use of the building as "sick" and sacrilegious.A spokesman for the Church of England said a letter will be sent to Sony on Monday. If the church's request for an apology and withdrawal of the game is not met, the church will consider legal action, the ...
More About: Features , Innocent , Stand

Phoenix: first game to feature a boss
2007-06-08 17:30:00
One of the most classic games of the golden age of gaming was Phoenix , and here's a recording of it here:There are about five stages to go through here. This was the first game to feature something like a boss character. You also have a shield to use here, whether for momentary defense against enemy fire, or against enemies themselves. The galactic birds here can dive towards you in a way similar to how the aliens in Galaxian/Galaga can. This was quite a popular game in its time, and helped lead to only so many imitations in the years to follow.
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Video game elbow
2007-06-08 15:59:00
A case of some people who suffer from sores caused by playing games and pushing buttons a little too much:BOSTON (Reuters) - When Dr. Julio Bonis awoke one Sunday morning with a sore shoulder, he could not figure out what he had done. It felt like a sports injury, but he had been a bit of a couch potato lately.Then he remembered his new Wii.Bonis, 29, had spent hours playing Nintendo Co.'s new video game in which players simulate real movements. Bonis had been playing simulated tennis.It was not quite tennis elbow, he decided."The variant in this patient can be labeled more specifically as 'Wiiitis,"' Bonis, a family practice physician, wrote in a letter to the New England Journal of Medicine."The treatment consisted of ibuprofen for one week, as well as complete abstinence from playing Wii video games. The patient recovered fully."Wiiitis -- pronounced "wee-eye-tis" -- is the latest ailment to develop from the video game era, beginning with Space Invaders' wrist in 1981, which ...
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Sony's US unit reduces jobs
2007-06-07 15:24:00
Sony still isn't doing as well as they could with their PS3 sales:TOKYO (AP) - Sony's U.S. video-game unit is cutting jobs to become more competitive, the company said Thursday, as the PlayStation 3 machine struggles against rival offerings from Microsoft and Nintendo.Numbers and other details aren't being disclosed about the employee reductions at Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. in the U.S., which began Wednesday, said spokeswoman Sayoka Henmi in Tokyo.The job cuts in the U.S. follow those in Europe in April, but no cuts are planned for Japan, she said."The goal is to reform the organization," she said.Sony Corp. officials have said that changes are in order to adjust to the needs of the industry, as people increasingly use their machines for linking to the Internet, watching video, listening to music or looking at photos, not just playing games.The PlayStation 3, which competes against Microsoft Corp.'s Xbox 360 and Nintendo Co.'s Wii, went on sale in November in Japan and t...
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Games and art, as discussed by Tips & Tricks
2007-06-07 15:16:00
Here's a video interview with Abbie Heppe, the editor for Tips and Tricks magazine, in which she talks about the relations between video games and other arts.VideoJug: Video Games And ArtI think it's a pretty good job here, how Heppe explains what the similarities and differences are.
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And now, here's the news on Pac-Man's Xbox venture as well
2007-06-07 05:54:00
Here's some more news now on the new Pac-Man Championship Edition now available for the Xbox :SEATTLE (AP) - Get those ghosts!Pac-Man, the 1980s arcade game sensation, now can be played on Microsoft Corp. (MSFT)'s Xbox 360 home console. Blinky, Clyde and other Pac-Man hallmarks are there, but this is an updated version - made by Pac-Man's original creator, Toru Iwatani.Iwatani designed the revamped "Championship Edition," which was unveiled at the Pac-Man World Championship in New York on Tuesday. Iwatani, who is now a video game professor at Tokyo Polytechnic University, also crowned the winner of the Microsoft-sponsored competition, Carlos Daniel Borrego from Pachuca, Mexico.The Pac-Man makeover includes mazes that change shape as the game is played, new soundtracks and high-definition graphics, though the game retains the kitschy, arcade-inspired look. There are six new timed game modes, including the "Manhattan" mode, inspired by New York streets.It appears the new Pac-Man mar...
More About: News , Venture , The News , Namco

Pac-Man creator retiring from business after designing Championship Edition
2007-06-06 09:22:00
Toru Iwatani, the Namco game designer who created the legendary Pac-Man in 1980, one of gamedom's most famous and durable characters, is going to retire following his work on Pac-Man Championship Edition for the Xbox: NEW YORK (Reuters) - Pac Man will be reborn on Microsoft Corp.'s Xbox Live online service on Wednesday as a final tribute for designer Toru Iwatani, who is retiring from the $30 billion games industry he helped ignite.The new version of the iconic arcade game is a faithful interpretation of the addictive 27-year-old original, where players wrenched joystick controllers to race a character -- resembling a yellow pizza missing a slice -- around a digital maze to chomp white pellets and chase multicolored "ghosts."The new game, "Pac Man Championship Edition," is the second and final version Iwatani personally designed, and was created for the final round of the Xbox 360 Pac-Man World Championship in New York, when nine finalists played it for the first time.Iwatani, 52,...
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Renegade recording
2007-06-06 06:07:00
A year prior to Technos' producing the famous Double Dragon game that helped lead to plenty of other actions games of its sort, the company produced Rene gade, a one-player game that starred a vigilante cleaning up the crime in the city, in the Japanese version to impress his brother, and in the US version to impress his girlfriend. Here's a recording of that right here:I'll have to say though that a few of the sound effects here are pretty weak when heard back upon today. Other than that, not bad, but Double Dragon did do a better job in the sound effects, mostly by making them simpler.
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A company for film licences. How unoriginal
2007-06-05 05:21:00
Not that I'm really asking for originality these days, but I fail to see much to be impressed by with this news about a new company that's working on film licenses:SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - A group of video game and film industry executives said on Monday they have formed a new video game company with $400 million in backing from investors led by private equity firm ABRY Partners.Brash Entertainment will focus on creating games based on film licenses, with one of its first titles linked to Lions Gate Entertainment Corp.'s "Saw" horror series.Oops, big mistake. If they're going to base their licensed games on crap like that, I really have no time for them then.Other games will be based on upcoming animated and action movies, the company said, without elaborating.Brash is headed by Mitch Davis, who previously ran in-game advertising company Massive Inc., which Microsoft Corp. bought last year in a deal thought to have been worth at least $200 million."It still surprises some peopl...
More About: Film , Company , Compa , Licence , Origin

Review of Tomb Raider Anniversary
2007-06-04 22:41:00
Gaming Moments reviews the latest of Lara Croft's adventures in Tomb Raider Anniversary . I think it's the eleventh now, but that depends on whether it first debuted in 1996 or 1997. Already, it's too long ago to really figure out properly.
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Short video of Elevator Action
2007-06-03 20:45:00
Here's a brief recording of Taito's famous video game, Elevator Action , which they first made in 1983, and even made an updated version of in 2002:The idea is that you're a spy who's got to collect info within a building that's packed with enemy agents who're out to stop you, and to avoid their gunfire as you make your way to the bottom floor, where you clear the stage.Overall, pretty good for a game of its sort.
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Interview with Final Fantasy creator
2007-06-03 13:51:00
The Toronto Star's Evergeek section interviews Hironobu Sakaguchi, the creator of the long running Final Fantasy franchise. It's not as lengthy as it could be, but it's interesting.
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Under Fire: very violent shooter
2007-06-03 06:18:00
If you thought Konami's Lethal Enforcers was a violent game, wait'll you see Taito's Under Fire , which really ups the ante:Boy, now this really pulls out all the stops, especially when you hear some of the enemies yelling out "go to hell!" Or maybe it's just the very liberal way this particular recording was played to begin with, I don't know. You can shoot at many objects here, not just for points but for extra items as well, such as badges, shotgun cartridges, and full fire icons. Unlike Lethal Enforcers, this game has a bomb-shooting feature, that being the shotgun gauge, where you press a button on the side of the gun to fire it.Overall, quite a startler of a production, isn't it?
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Review of Forza Motorsport 2
2007-06-03 05:30:00
USA Today looks at Forza Motorsport 2 for the Xbox, one of the latest in 3-D racing games. It sure does seem to have very impressive graphics in the photorealistic mode.
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Games for the summer
2007-06-01 09:32:00
An article on upcoming games with which to weather the summer this year:SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - The summer video game doldrums are almost here, but a small flurry of new titles over the next couple of weeks may help tide gamers over until the fall bounty.Microsoft Corp. is making the biggest splash with three games this week.The software giant's Xbox 360 console gets the long-awaited racing simulator "Forza Motorsport 2," as well as "Shadowrun," a shooter that mixes swords and sorcery with modern firepower such as rocket launchers and sniper rifles.PC purists who sniff at the idea of playing a shooter on a console will finally get their hands on a Windows version of "Halo 2," Microsoft's blockbuster sci-fi title for the original Xbox that came out nearly three years ago."Shadowrun" is also for sale in a PC version, and Microsoft is bridging the gap between PCs and consoles by letting players of the different versions combat each other over the company's Live online service."For...
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