Hey all,
we're done with GDC and have a podcast (shorty) from tuesday going up tommorow along with some general impressions and in-depth commentary of the event this weekend.   I was only able to attend for two days, and have been busting my hump catching up on work for the rest of the week, so sorry if this is a bit late

In the meantime, heres the video of me being kinda a jerk at the Microsoft Blogger Breakfast.    I tried my hardest to ask tough questions, and I think that this was a huge improvement for me personally (from a journalistic "being an asshat" standpoint) over last year.   What do you think?

I'm the guy in the knit cap.

Video: GDC 2007 Microsoft Blogger Breakfast

Morning All,
Andy here at early-o'clock preparing to leave for our first day of GDC.   Edie and Kevin will be attending the next four days of the event (assuming there are things worth spending four days seeing) and so we'll be tossing up stories as we deem the relevent.   Today we're mostly booked seeing upcoming games on the PC and XBox360 since (as usual) Microsoft is the only of the console manufacturers who bothered returning our many phone calls.

On the agenda for today, we're attending talks, demos and hands-ons re:

Bioware: Mass Effect
Hironobu Sakaguchi: Blue Dragon
Peter Molyneux: Fable 2 (we assume)
Turn 10- Forza 2
Funcom - Age of Conan
XBLA and Casual Games
XNA Team
MSGS: Halo 2 for Vista

Additionally, I'll be sneaking in to a round-table discussion on next-gen RPG's.

Beyond that, we had hoped to gather some of the press and industry luminaries at the event for a podcast giving impressions on the events of the day, but unless we can convince someone to give us a couple of chairs (From what I'm told, a commodity more valuable than gold pressed latinum
Should we fail, we may retreat to a restaurant and bust our proverbial move  in the grand ol' style of Roscoe's Chicken an' Waffles.    Engineer Kev is with us for the day, so fear not chappies - the quality will be uber.   Joining us on tonights cast will be (potentially others) the infamous Joe from SPOnG, who was previously on episode 14 of GAL.   Thats right.  The one that never aired.

So buck up brave reader - And if there are any spots ya'll want us to stop by this week to give you some personalized reporting, hit me up at andy@gamerandy.com

What is it about parents' media watchdog groups?

They seem to see porn around every corner. And you know what, it only makes them look crazy -- which sucks because if anything, they should be a calm voice of reason and education for parents overwhelmed by emergent technology.

But they know as well as the Mitchell Brothers did that smut sells -- even if you're the ones who purportedly are trying to stop it.

Recently, a parents' website, PornTalk.com, sent out this missive to its readers warning them of the pus-covered, seeping disease that they could be inadvertenly letting into their homes by purchasing a Nintendo Wii:

Alright parents now listen up. We wanted to let you know that Nintendo's Wii Gaming Console can access pornography. This highly popular and very fun gaming console is one of the hottest items out there and is a blast to play. But because the device is a Wi-Fi (wireless internet) console able to access the internet, this means that you can surf the net pretty easily.

Gawd. This just makes me sick. Not because PornTalk isn't providing a necessary educational service to parents too busy to read the Nintendo's users manual. It actually is.

In fact, something that neither Kotaku nor Gizmodo (who broke this item) mentioned in their predictably snotty reports was that the post actually provides very good information for the parental owner of a new Wii. It goes into detail about parental controls the Wii offers and it shows how you can set up the system so that it cannot recieve or send messages -- both handy tools for a parent who's worried about the evils of the world coming to give their little angels herpes and sell their organs.

But of course, this couldn't be written starting with something like, "Wow. Nintendo has done a great job of providing us concerned parents a way to block inappropriate websites and keep pedophiles from contacting our kids. Hooray for Nintendo!"

Nope. That wouldn't sell eyes, now would it?

Of couse, they felt the need to grab their hair, put on their best Macauley Culken face and scream, "OH MY GOD, PEOPLE!!! YOU COULD ... concievably... GET PORN ON YOUR WII!!!!!!!!!! SAVE YOURSELVES!!! SAVE THE CHILDREN!! GOOD LORD, THIS IS AMERICA!!! HOW COULD THIS HAPPEN?!?!?!"

Of course, followed much later with handy details on how Nintendo has parental controls.

I'm sorry, but in an age when digital gaming entertainment is already suffered many slings and arrows from technological Ludites who are more interested in getting their names in the news than actually working to protect children (rhymes with "hack"), the last thing parents need is one more hysterical voice added to the chorus.

Especially a hysterical voice that obviously has done a little research and knows that the potential danger has already been taken care of.

So boo on you, you uptight, fear-mongering freaks at PornTalk. If you're going to offer desperately needed information to protect children, you have an obligation not to incite unnecessary parental panic in order to get a few hits. Stop using porn and fear as your selling tool. It makes you no better than the pornographers you supposedly are trying to stop.

Gimme a D and a Y!

What's that spell? Actually, what's that MIS-spell? Indie!

While GamerAndy is currently working out who we will meet and when at the upcoming GDC, I've been soaking in as much information as I possibly can about the stuff that won't be covered by Everybody and His Kid Brother -- or EHKB (tm).

Of course, the epitome of EHBK media, Joystiq, finds what I was looking for and probably one of the most intriguing inclusions to GDC this year: GameTap's Indies Program.

In an effort to break out the next greatest game developer while launching a new subscription service, GameTap will spotlight three new titles by independent developers at GDC. One will recieve $10,000 and a 5-year contract with GameTap to distribute the game and the other two snag $5,000 each.

I for one am really interested in what exactly these games are and will certainly be giving them a long, hard look. Indy gaming has been long promised from the industry, and we thought that XBLA was the answer. But alas, those tacit promises and potentialities have yet to be realized.

And I guess I'm not surprised. I mean, did we really think that an industry that's enjoyed a virtual monopoly on a multibilliondollar market for oh so many years was REALLY going to open its arms all wide and friendly to a bunch of lean, independent companies who can do what they do better, faster and cheaper?

So, we'll see what GameTap's new program has to offer? I'm skeptical, but not without hope.

Giving us the final proof that videogaming is truly a deep, scary and toy-obsessed hobby, Konami have released some details of japanese toy company Medicom's forthcoming Solid Snake toy. And my word is it just a little too odd.

What scares me more than the grotesquely muscly physique is the mustache.
It haunts my dreams, with it's colourless, slug-like glory

Some of the readers from the UK (there has to be one other than me), and even some from across the pond, may have heard of MP Keith Vaz, outspoken critic of violent video-games, and, crucially, politician. He is essentially the UK's Tank Flompson, minus the outright lunacy, and plus the traits that usually come with politicians.

MP Keith Vaz's name will now be humorously changed to prevent him gaining any ill-deserved credibility

MCV has 'obtained details' from a meeting that the Rt Hon Vazmobile has had the displeasure of sitting through, regarding game legislation, and how bleeding well the industry is regulating itself within the (rather loose) confines of the UK's PEGI ratings system.

It has long been the opinion of Sir Keith Vazbury III that the ratings system over here don't do enough to "protect children". You have to keep in mind that it is illegal to sell somebody underaged an 18 (or 15, or even 12) rated game, punishable by the full force of the law, and that finding out this helpful nugget of information would have taken little more than a click of the mouse (or in the case of His Majesty Pope Vazzington IV, a click of the fingers to hail a researcher) to the PEGI's website, this one right here.

In the meeting, both the Minister for Trade and the Minister for Creative Industry, Margret Hodge and Shaun Woodward respectively, stated that they "respected the steps the industry and PEGI had already made", and that "the games industry had been very successful on the matter".

In what may have been the final, crushing blow to Vazwang, President of Sealand, a spokesperson is reported to have said "that a change in Government policy couldn’t come about because of one MP’s concerns". Having studied British Government and Politics for just 9 months, I'm almost afraid to say that this would be a little obvious, and for King Vazpin, an embarrasing wake-up call.

In all, it was a remarkable step in the right direction for British government, which for all too long has been stuck in the Mary Whitehouse, BAN THIS SICK FILTH, Sensationalist phase.

So much stuff.

Weeks like this, the hardest part isn't finding the news, it's elevating the cool from the merely exciting.  Major announcements left and right, gargantuan displays of corporate might, spectacular screwups.

More after the break...

Continue reading "Josh Talks The News"

Here’s a list of the more prominent titles shown at the Vista-centric Games For Windows event that took place in San Francisco this Monday.

Age of Conan
Shadowrun
Supreme Commander
World In Conflict
Hellgate: London
Crysis

I’m not mentioning the others, mostly because they are already released or alternatively, are minor puzzle games.  Browser entertainment stuff for the most part, like the new Vista version of Geometry Wars.  And of course, there were some systems just running Vista on its own, inviting users to take a few minutes to examine some of the new non-gaming features.

Continue reading "Let the Death Threats Begin: Josh Sees Vista Gaming, And Aint Much Impressed"

I'm beggining to become worried about Capcom. More and more this year, they have made choices which benefit their financial branch, and not their We will stay in the corner whilst you pummel us with another Street Fighter remake crowd. First Clover, creator of Capcom gems such as Viewtiful Joe and Okami, goes under the unscrupulous knife of fiscal surgery, now the games we know and love are preparing for ritual abuse at the hands of a film studio. Notably Sony Pictures. Whose second most popular franchise is the critically derided Resident Evil. Which, coincidentally, is a Capcom game.

The Cinematical article, while confusing in it's treating of Hollywood as some mythical, all-encompassing Film God ("Capcom has also hired a full-time liaison who will work closely with Hollywood and seek to develop as many ways to license, promote and exploit Capcom titles as possible" - Hollywood, Norse God of Cellulite), does lay some real information down. For instance, somebody liked the Resi films.

Rumoured are film translations of Devil May Cry, Dead Rising, Lost Planet (odd, considering it has been around for, ooh, 2 months?), and Onimusha. Intresting here, though, is not the game, but the film. These will be the first films produced by the company who designed the games (albeit in the loosest possible definition). it does lend some credibility to the upcoming Street Fighter film. Not starring a Van Damme man. Thank FSM.

Welcome to another edition of Game Randy: Dubious News, presenting you with the finest in exclusive, breaking stories that might be true but probably aren’t.

Nintendo General Design Manager Shigeru Miyamoto announced last week his mid-term goal of beheading Sony and taking its women.  The Zelda creator announced Thursday that his enemies’ fates “have long been sealed” and that the punishment and torment that awaits them is both “swift and divine.”

“The very least I will take is their heads,” Miyamoto said of Sony in an interview with Famitsu over the weekend.  “From their bloodied and worthless countenances I will have claimed their dignity, and from their crippled barbarian dwellings, so too shall I claim their women.”  Miyamoto pantomimed swinging a sword, laughing lightheartedly, and made a sort of ‘scary-face.’

As reported, Miyamoto led his interviewer through a torch-lit walkway meticulously hewn from the local stratum, gesturing comically at many of the attractions.  In a sort of paternal expression, he put his arm around a classic Donkey Kong cabinet and patted it lightly.  Also on display was the gold-finished original Zelda cartridge, an enshrined beta copy of Super Mario 64, and a severed human foot in a mason jar marked by a dymo label reading “Ken Kutaragi.”

“I should hope the fool is grateful I only got away with this much.”  He held the blood-spattered container alongside his own head, and commented, “When next we cross paths, I will need a bigger jar!  Ha ha ha!”  He then set the jar back on its undignified dusty shelf, laughing heartily with both the dignity of a contemporary genius and the enthusiasm of an exuberant child.

Despite his candor, the designer was tight-lipped about his upcoming projects, only illustrating small aspects of development and creative processes.  “As you may recall, my interest in gardening in recent years served as the inspiration for Pikmin, in which the game conveys that attachment for the things you ‘grow’ and take pride in.  Super Mario Sunshine took classic principles of platforming adventure along with a child-like appreciation of water as both a tool and a plaything.  Now, with the Wii Remote, I have the opportunity to create all new ways of interacting with the subjects of my games.  I’m hoping to use the controller speaker, rumble, and motion tracking to full effect and faithfully reproduce the joy and immersion I found in killing a man just to watch him die.  You’ll find it is an amazing experience.”

On the subject of Nintendo versus its competitors, Miyamoto was outspoken and adamant about their place in the industry.  “It is not accurate to say we are competing.  While we seek to enrich and uplift a person with our arts, Sony’s soulless minions simply mine the medium for profit.  They chase out and drag back the same ideas and titles, like a dog fetching a stick.”  He chuckled and made an exaggerated pawing gesture and barking sound, adding, “How fitting, too, that they live like dogs.  Soon, they will die like them.”  Laughing, he made a prancing movement and a sad howling sound, then drove a jewel-encrusted dagger through his own hand for effect.

When asked his opinion on the recent turbulence in Sony structure, including the demotion of former President Ken Kutaragi, the father of Mario shared a last friendly guffaw; “Wherever Ken stepped down to, I hope it is ground-floor,” he said.  “Fucker’s not so good with stairs no more.”

Contrary to rumors that surfaced over the weekend, Konami has stated that it has "No plans to Bring Metal Gear Solid 4 to the PS3 at this time," in a press release with Computer and Videogames Magazine.

Frankly, I'm suprised this even became an issue. If there's one title that Sony will do just about anything to keep exclusive, it's MGS4. And more importantly, the originators of this rumor --Noos.com - -has the delightful track record of such gems as "Time Crisis 4 to be released exclusively for PS3 at launch." I recognize the potential profit motive behind any future MGS4 port, but it was pretty obvious that this site, if none other, has little in the way of credibility when it comes to this claim.

Goddamn man, BRAIN NUMBERS will never get old.

I especially love how he neglects to mention that his "joke" stiffed charity $10,000.   Hack Bompson really is a classy lady.

In the red corner, wearing aquamarine and white, the Wii.

In the blue corner, wearing black and.. uh, sometimes silver or occasionally white... and horfing down fistfulls of sour grapes, the PS3.

Actually, the fight is already over. Gaming site Spong noted this afternoon that the Wii has officially become the UK's fastest selling gaming console in history, with 100,000 units finding new homes over launch weekend.

This beats out the previous record holder, Microsoft, which sold 70,000 XBox 360 in its debut last year. And Sony with the amazing, phenominal, earth-shattering, mind-blowing, all-powerful PS3?

(Cue: The sound of crickets)

But why is this fight between Wii and the PS3?

Because despite the fact that the Wii is handing Sony a can of retail whoop-ass by selling nearly two times as many consoles in Europe than Sony, that Wiis are actually increasing in price on EBay, and that some PS3 owners on Craigslist saying they'll gladly trade their unopened PS3s for Wiis, Sony execs say they're not worried about Nintendo.

Why? Because the Wii -- according to Sony spokesman Dave Karraker -- is not a serious gaming console.

"We feel very confident that the PlayStation fan is going to wait until they can get a PlayStation 3...If they do pick up a Wii, it's as more of a novelty."

Wow. Does Sony provide the wheelbarrows necessary for its spokespeople to carry around their massive balls or do they have to buy their own?

Normally, if a huge, multi-national electronics firm offered such a passive-agressive statement about a smaller competing firm, I might consider it a sign of confidence.

But fact is -- Sony's getting its ass handed to them by this "novelty." Which means that isn't confidence that's talking: It's either abject fear or supreme ignorance.

Is Sony trying to act like the fat chick in that Apple spoof video or is it just a weird coincidence?

I'm not sure.

What do you think?

You probably all know this, since it came down the pipes while the site was inoperable.

But late last week Nintendo got its first reported lawsuit over the Wii controller.

You knew it was going to happen. But I figured it would be for "personal injury" and not "patent infringment."

According to Kotaku, Interlink Electronics of California filed suit against Nintendo for allegedly ripping off its trigger.

Yeah, you read that right. See, Interlink says it invented a "trigger" for handheld interface devices for business uses, like PowerPoint presentations and remotely beating the Oompa-Loompas back into their cages at night.

I may have made that second part up.

Anyway, one of Internlink's patents includes a trigger -- a trigger suspiciously trigger shaped and postitioned in the front of a controller so that your finger may "pull" it.

Pretty damn revolutionary, I'd say.

And the Wii just so happens to have... wait for it... A TRIGGER!! That's right, ladies and gentlement, the papers filed in the state of Delaware so far have noted that Internlink Electronics is devastated -- nay, on the verge of bankruptcy -- because Nintento used a TRIGGER!!

Why may this not be as straightforward as it sounds? Why shouldn't you be worried about the Wii?

After the jump...

Continue reading "Nintendo Slammed for Patent Infringement"

How funny that these two stories should come across the wires on the same day.

First, on the homefront (of GamerAndy if not you), two of the most vocal and politically powerful critics of the game industry have finally removed their heads from their backsides and allowed oxygen to their brains.

According to GamePolitics.com, at 3 p.m. ET today, Sens. Hillary Rodham-Clinton and Joseph Lieberman will join with ESA president Doug Lowenstein and ESRB president Patricia Vance to launch a new informational campaign for parents. Their message: Read the ratings on your kids' video games.

This is a welcome moment of detente after both Rodham-Clinton and Lieberman have spent the last couple years blaming the video-game industry for everything from Columbine to West Nile virus.

But even as these two legislators are recovering from AssHat disease, the entire nation of Germany has started showing early signs it has caught the bug.

A hilarious rollick into the minds of insane Germans after the jump...

Continue reading "Germans Catch "AssHat" Disease, U.S. Recovering"

If tech-types have a national pasttime, forgoing activities like football and baseball that take us away from our screens, it's speculating on what Apple might do next.

So it's no surprise that, given the intense attention being given to game consoles, someone would opine that the House that Steve Jobs Built might be thinking about throwing its hat into the gaming ring.

Prudential Financial analyst Jesse Tortora did just that Monday, according to an article reported at AppleInsider.com.

Tortora says he believes Apple is already working its busy little noggins on how to capture some of the gaming market, given that the company has recently announced that it will make video games available on iPods via the iTunes Store.

From the article:

"The game console device could be morphed out of some combination of the MacMini and iTV, while the handheld player could be developed as an enhancement to a future version of the widescreen iPod," the analyst explained.

Question is whether the market is already oversaturated. If a handheld device, Apple would have a hard time wresting the market share from the Nintendo DS. If a home console, its arch-rival Microsoft pretty much owns that game, with Sony and Nintendo already biting at its heels.

The pervasiveness of the iTunes Store and Apple's history of slick, efficient electronic devices does give Apple a distinct advantage over any other new contender thinking of entering the field, but would it be enough?

Of course, this is all speculation by one analyst. It also could be a crock of bull.

[From AppleInsider]

We've been keeping tabs on this story, as James Kim is one of us.

He's a geek. He's a gamer. He's a face we grew to know when he used to be on Tech TV (back when Tech TV was cool).

When he and his family disappered, something in us knew they were safe. He's a smart guy. He just pulled a "Stolpa" and was going to take a barrelful of jokes at his expense once he was back.

When his family was found in their disabled Saab seven days later, we all began to worry a whole lot more. He has struck out from the car to find help across the snowbound Oregon wilderness.

But there was hope we would all be making some good-natured fun at his expense in the near future.

So it is with heavy hearts that we at GamerAndy report that the body of James Kim was found this morning in a canyon in the Southern Oregon mountains.

From reports:

A helicopter crew located Kim, 35, in a steep canyon known as the Big Windy Creek drainage, within a half a mile of where the creek meets the Rogue River. Searchers had been focusing their efforts in the five-mile canyon for the past several days after following Kim's tracks there.

Our sympathies and prayers go out to his wife, Kati; his daughters, Penelope and Sabine; his friends and his co-workers at CNet. When we lose a member of the geek community, we all grieve.

CNet editor James Kim and his family disappeared after November 25. On December 4, the family was found alive with the vehicle near the Rogue River in the area of Bear Camp Viewpoint off Bear Camp Road, according to a statement from Oregon State Police.

Unfortunately, James Kim is still missing. He supposedly left the family in order to search for help.

If you have any information or have spotted James Kim, please notify the SFPD at 415-558-5508 during normal business hours and at 415-553-1071 after hours.

Gaming appears to be going mainstream faster than we thought.

GameDaily BIZ reported today that television network CBS will be bringing video-game tournament coverage to is airwaves. Beginning December 30, CBS will kick-off its coverage of the first World Series of Video Games Finals with "They Got Game, Stars of the World Series of Video Games presented by Intel."

Coverage will include in-depth pieces on five rising stars of the professional gaming world, including Johnathan "Fatal1ty" Wendel. Further coverage will be broadcast on CBS's subsidiary, College Sports Television, for an additional five weeks on Sundays at 9 p.m. ET.

Will it fly, Wilbur? Only way to find out is to try.

"They Got Game" will broadcast on December 30 at 3 p.m. ET.

[From GameDaily BIZ]

UPDATE:As of Monday afternoon, Kim's wife, children, and car were found after they flagged down a search helicopter. The family is recovering in an area hospital after being stranded for nine days in a vehicle disabled in an auto accident. That's the good news. The bad news is that two days ago, on Friday or Saturday, James Kim had made the decision to attempt to go get help. He walked into the rugged and snow-covered terrain on foot and showshoes.

Although his family is safe, James Kim is still missing and is in serious danger. If you live in the area, please keep a lookout for him as he's in serious peril and without sufficient clothing, food or shelter.

I realize that this news has been quietly showing up everywhere, but if you've already seen it I hope you'll forgive me informing our other readers, especially those on the West Coast who may be able to help.

CNet senior editor James Kim and his family are missing after taking a planned vacation last weekend and should have returned home November 27. As of yet, no one knows what may have happened to them after Saturday evening, when they were spotted in Roseberg, Oregon (a short drive from the Springfield, Oregon). Their last known destination was Gold Beach, a small town off Interstate Highway 101 about 30 miles north of the Oregon-California border.

Mr. Kim is traveling with his wife, Kati, and daughters Penelope and Sabine (aged 4 years and seven months old, respectively). They were last seen driving a 2005 silver Saab station wagon, (likely either the 9-2x or 9-5 models that Saab produced that year) with personalized California license plate "DOESF."

If any Gamer Andy readers might know where Mr. Kim is or have seen his family or their vehicle as of Nov. 25, please contact the San Francisco Police Department with any relevant information you can provide. Their missing person's report is available here.

We said this would happen. We warned that attempting to pursue "feel good" yet "patently unconstitutional" legislation by certain states around the country was not only folly but potentially costly.

And lo, it came down today that a judge has ordered the state of Michigan to reimburse the Entertainment Software Association $182,349 for expenses it incurred fighting Michigan's failed anti-violent gaming law.

Despite clear warnings that the law was unconstitutional at the time, a judge in April said the law violated the First Amendment and threw it out. That opened the door to the ESA to pursue recoving their costs for fighting it.

This comes a day after the ESA announced it would also sue for legal fees against the state of Louisiana, which similarly passed anti-gaming legislation and was also ruled uncontstitutional.

Right now, the ESA has collected or owed about $1.5 million in such fees.

I'd like to offer condolences to the state of Michigan et al, but to be honest, I can't feel sorry for stupidity. This was the ultimate and very predictable end of the path that misguided legislators decided to run, headlong and with arms flailing like an epileptic playing Wii.

Who I will offer my sorrow for is the taxpayers of these states, which were irresponsibly taken on this ride and who will ultimately foot the bill. This is, was, and always will be a waste of precious public funds that are much better served for doing important things, like funding libraries and schools and filling potholes.

Instead, it was pissed away in a fool's folly and doomed effort at "do-goodiness."

So gratz to the ESA for fighting for our rights to paaar-taaay and a big, fat Bronx cheer to stupid lawmakers for wasting a stupid amount of money on a stupid -- and expensive -- Quixotic session of windmill tilting.

[From Gamesutra]

Bloomberg is reporting of some new developments within the house that Sony built.

---

Nov. 30 (Bloomberg) -- Ken Kutaragi, the developer of Sony Corp.'s PlayStation game console, stepped aside from day-to-day management of the unit after production delays forced the company to slash shipment targets.

Kaz Hirai, head of the U.S. game division, will take over as president of Sony Computer Entertainment, the Tokyo-based company said in a statement today. Kutaragi, 56, will become chairman of the unit. Jack Tretton, now co-chief operating officer of the U.S. division, will replace Hirai.

Source (Bloomberg)

---

I would question promoting Jack Tretton (everybody remember his explanation of the creepy-crying-baby-doll-PS3-ad?) to anything beyond marketing lackey. However, if this means that we'll hear either less arrogant bullshit out of Sony -- or less in general (and therefore less bullshit) -- I'm all for it.

That headline is admittedly harsh, but it's the best way to put the recent news that at least one parental group has evolved enough to realize that "child safety" isn't a decent rationale for gutting the First Amendment.

News came down tonight via the Associated Press that at least one video-game watchdog group has finally figured out who exactly should be controlling children when it comes to video-game violence.

National Institute on Media and the Family issued its list of the video games that children shouldn't get in their Christmas stockings this year.

But instead of warning about the mature nature of these games while simultaneously bashing the industry for publishing them, spokesperson Senator Joe Liberman (D-Conn) said, "It's really time to focus on the parents and urge parents to pay attention."

Did I read that right? A parental watchdog group says it's parents' responsiblity to monitor what their kids are playing? That they should pay closer attention to that little ESRB thingy on the back of the box?

David Walsh, president of the organization said revolutionary words that brings glad tidings to my heart:

Educating parents on how to use the controls and to spend time with their children to learn about the games they are playing is vital, Walsh said. A good start is to limit game time for kids and to keep them away from M-rated games, he added.

"We have to put our kids on a media diet," Walsh said.

We here at GamerAndy and other gaming websites have been pretty hard on these types of groups for blaming the industry. We've mocked them and derided them. We've called them nasty names.

Now at least one has seen the light, and took a senior Washigton legislator with it.

And I want to be the first gaming writer to give a huge hats off to Walsh, Liberman and the institute for finally coming to the conclusion that you cannot legislate free speech but you can ask parents to act like parents once in while. This level of logic has, up to now, been unknown territory for most of these groups.

So I want to be as gracious as possible. I am sorry I called you names. I'm sorry I questioned your ethics, your intelligence and your sobriety. Inasmuch as you have evolved to a greater level of understanding of us, I will endeavor in the future to attaing a greater sense of understanding of you.

It will be nice to finally work with the institute rather than against it to make sure than mature-rated games stay in the hands of mature adults.

[From Associated Press]

This story hasn't made much of the general news, yet.

I say "yet" because it's only a matter of time until it gets turned into a set of brass knuckes with which the gaming industry will be pummelled by the anti-gaming lobby.

Researchers at Indiana University School of Medicine in Indianapolis recently undertook a study wherein they hooked up 44 adolescents ranging in age from 13 to 17 to a magnetic brain imaging system. They were then put in separate groups: Some played the teen-rated shooter Medal of Honor: Frontline and others played driving game Need for Speed: Underground.

What did they find? How will it become the new ammo for the anti-gaming lobby?

I'll tell ya after the jump...

Continue reading "Anti-Gaming Lobby Gets New Ammo"

Since the release of the Nintendo Wii a few weeks (wii-ks?) ago, there are plenty of people who have had problems with the console wounding them. We've all heard the stories of errant Wii-motes coming unseated from over-enthuastic or overly sweaty-palmed gamers and finding a new nesting place in the depths of LCD screens, but how big is the problem, really?

You're in luck, fair wanderer! Wii've got your back.

Okay, swear to god that was my last Wii pun.

WiiHaveAProblem.com is here to track your Wii-related mishaps, and from its current damage total (brand new blog keep in mind) there have already been two TVs, a window, and a ceiling fan that have fallen prey to this insiduous creation (just joking, Nintendo)

So yeah, check it out! And if you don't, it's going on my RSS list so I'll be bringing you entertaining news as it happens.

I got down to GameStop at 6:45 a.m. sharp this morning. There was already a crowd of a dozen to 20 people waiting in a semi-organized line, talking among each other and checking their watches. I proceeded to walk right past the line and peereded right in through the door. I caught sight of the manager and tapped the glass.

It was at this moment that I realized it was dead silent all around me, as at least 14 people had ceased all conversation and were staring at me.

"I work here," I said.

Three little words. I do believe they saved my life. 

I had never worked a retail "Black Friday" before today; working in food and bakeries I was used to the less-mentioned Black Wednesday. It would astound you how many obscenities a human being can muster in the process of demanding an eleventh-hour pumpkin pie.

Now I am a GameStop employee, and have seen this eventful day up close.  With the rush over and finally being able to rest, I would like to inform you all of the general view of retail with the morning finally out of the way. While I am, of course, a GA writer, I am a paid GameStop employee and value (and certainly enjoy) my job; I have no intention of spilling corporate numbers or particulars, just some first-hand impressions from my bustling shop in mid-Michigan.

I'll cut right to the chase. In the blur of Blu-Ray, high-definition, motion control, and all the horrors of economics and technology that surround us, the winner of the next-gen console war shined through this morning. The overpowering, triumphant console of this season is clearly...

...the Nintendo DS.

Well, sorta. Honestly, people, DS Lites and DS games kept going at a very steady pace today. Despite all the specials and deals on regular consoles, the DS was on wishlist after wishlist. The little system is going very strong.

Budget-priced PS2 games did very respectably, as well as new slimline consoles. It's racing against the original Xbox to be the cheapest home console to still have support, and it seems to be doing well.

Xbox and Xbox 360 seemed unusually slow despite the rush. This seems inexplicable, especially in an area where 360 seems fairly commonplace. We see plenty of 360 owners around here, so I'm not sure what to say about this. Both systems seemed brushed aside from the wave of DS and PS2 customers.

Now, real next-gen. That's what people want to hear, yes?

Well, the obvious part is that any Wiis or PS3s in stock moved instantly. Duh. The real points of fascination are the murmurs afterward. We had consistently more customers, kids, and parents asking about the Wii throughout the day than the PS3. It was definitely the hotter topic. There were already more Wii hopefuls lining up than those hungry for PS3s, and Wii-hunters kept showing up throughout the course of the day.

Furthermore, people want nunchuks. Everybody wants nunchuks, and nobody can find them. This has been confirmed as a national trend.

Lastly, but most awesomely, several stores in my area received the finest object ever to grace this industry: The Reggie Shirt. We didn't get these for anything earlier, but we got a handful of them to give out with purchases of multiple new DS games. I don't know if those rules applied in other districts, but it seems that GameStops that didn't get these shirts for Wii launch may have them now. Ask! Ask, and sate your precious lust!

I can't decide if I like Boston mayor Thomas Menino or not.

For those of you woefully uninformed, last week he warmed the cockles of my heart by holding Sony responsible for the riot caused outside one of their first party retailers.

PIcture it -- hundreds of people waiting in line, in the rain, all night long (and when I say line, I more mean an alley packed wall-to-wall with prospective purchasers) and nobody knowing how many consoles the store would be getting. Needless to say, when at 6 a.m. the crowd discovered that the Sony Store had let a measley 20 people into the store and locked the door behind them, things got violent. The police were dispatched, and line-sitters got hurt by the rampaging mob.

I think Thomas Menino is right to send Sony a bill, and for that I like him.

That said, it appears he's using his new-found fame for neither good nor awesome. In a recent press release he's called for the removal of ads for GTA in the subway.

WTF? Let's all agree right now that GTA shouldn't be marketed to children, but his stated rationale for the move seems to fall into the same shaky ground of First Amendment rights. Full story at GamePolitics.com,

I'm mostly just wondering what you guys think? Is Thomas Menino getting an undeserved bad rap, or is he really just a dick?

So, by now you've heard about our big movement to get some form of response from Epic on their broken ranked multiplayer system in the blockbuster hit of the season, Gears of War.

Early next week (following the holidays), I'm going to start sending daily emails to Epic in hope that I'll just get annoying enough for it to respond. In the meantime, however, I think there are still some people out there who actually buy into this post made by a Gears of War developer, Joe Graf, who essentially says, "It's Microsoft's fault, talk to them."

I, like many of you, was willing to buy into that excuse (despite Saints Row's lobby-based system that apparently "slipped through the cracks"). But no longer.

In an interview with several Bungie (Halo 3) developers published yesterday on 1up.com, Luke Smith brought up Epic's recent accusations (though not in so many words):

1UP: Recent Xbox Live games have made it difficult to party with your friends for ranked games, the reasons have been cited as Microsoft's certification and TrueSkill system. Will players be able to enter ranked games as a party in Halo 3?

Allen Murray, producer: Of course! Core features from Halo 2, such as the Party System, will remain intact and are being improved upon. You will most definitely be able to create a party with your friends and enter into ranked matchmaking -- that's where the fun is! The Xbox certification process and TrueSkill system do not prevent games from having a feature that allows parties of friends to enter into ranked matchmaking as a team -- but they also do not provide that feature as part of the core set of matchmaking services. This system is something that Bungie has built into our game that is uniquely ours and a key ingredient in our special sauce.

Full Story

Unfortunately, since it's Thanksgiving and I'm at my folks house on dialup, I'm unable to put up a picture or even stay to comment further on this rather revealing comment. I encourage YOU though to post your thoughts. Anybody think that GA and the Gears community is unfairly dealing with Epic? Does this latest comment from Bungie entirely invalidate Epic's excuses and reveal this missing funcitonality to be, in fact, due to a rushed game?
Either way though,

HAPPY THANKSGIVING FROM GAMERANDY.COM!!

The Consumerist has commented on a YouTube video that just started making the rounds: A customer reserving a Wii console at a Virginia FYE store was told he had to buy a full bundle or his console reservation was useless. Angry with these antics (and the questionable legality of it), he made a low-fi YouTube video of protest.

"I would be REQUIRED to buy a bundle for $400. There was never any mention of this back in June," the video explains.

When he received a phone call earlier in the week reminding him that Wii launch was proceeding on schedule, it mentioned the bundle arrangement.

"On November 17th, I visited the FYE to find out exactly what this 'bundle' was. With the bundle, you had to buy two games. Fair enough, I was going to buy Zelda and Excitetruck anyway. I was told that Zelda and Excitetruck weren't going to be available on launch day."

The fascinating arrangement didn't end there.

"Also, I'd be REQUIRED to buy a $25 FYE discount card. I cancelled my preorder. I was told by the manager, 'You're just one person, it won't make a difference.'"

He intends to take legal action, and claims he is contacting the State Attorney's Office.

If the situation he describes is true, this is definitely a case of bait-and-switch in business practice, and with a large chain like FYE and a big release like the Wii, there's a shot something might come of this. One thousand-plus Diggs so far can't hurt either.

Bundle deals can be useful, especially for parents and gift-shoppers looking for a big set. I remember a friend getting a particularly nice Dreamcast bundle for Christmas back in '99: VMU, extra controller, Sonic Adventure and Soul Calibur. That was a sweet-ass setup. This guy getting a Wii, two C-list titles, and an overpriced membership to something he dislikes anyways? Erm.

If you love the notion of flinging your arms around to play Rampage, then this is the deal for you. Otherwise this is your typical bundle bullshit, with a few extra bits of jerkage. This is poor form on this store's part, and if that manager said ANYTHING like that quote, there's going to be a fuss.

The YouTube video is here.  The fellow who made it is kind enough to list numbers for that manager and the extension for the district manager. Not that I'm advocating anything. Advocating things would be wrong. Getting that manager's input would be funny. Not that I'm advocating anything.

The Consumerist: FYE Bait and Switches Buyer, Gamer Calls for Boycott
Street cred to Kotaku for passing it along!

The Friday front page of the UK Times jumped on the anti-Rule of Rose bandwagon with the scare-rific headline of Violent children’s game investigated by Europe.

…Children’s game.  I see.  Because a game rated ages 17+ in the US and 16+ in the UK for violence and intensely disturbing imagery is totally meant for your UK-Times-readin’ youngin’s.  Because the photograph below the headline shows the innocuous and adorable visage of a terrified girl in a dank bathroom clutching a handgun.  That’s child’s play, right there. 

Beg pardon, UK Times, but your standards confound me.  If this is a "children's game," can I assume that if I strapped a Howitzer to Strawberry Shortcake’s forehead and had her blast her way out of hell to rescue her fellow marines, that would be rated "toddler/remedial"?  Is anything recreational with objectives and numbers and a visible light/color spectrum meant for children? 

We’re not even talking something that LOOKS safe for children, for God’s sake here.  That game is f’ing creepy.  I’m [arguably] a grown man, here.  That thing is dark and bloody and MEANT TO BE.  What are "children's movies?" Hell, UK Times, enlighten me about board games.  Those are all ‘games,’ so surely you can’t go wrong with any, yes?

Stay tuned next week, when the UK Times exposes questionable content found in the children’s game Chutes & Ladders & Sodomy.

From Kotaku: Rule of Rose Faces Opposition in Europe

Grand Theft Auto is a rock-solid cash cow for Take Two Interactive, and, obviously, other publishers are in a hurry to get on the bandwagon.  THQ has gotten onto the T2-style fast-track with their well-received GTA clone, Saint’s Row, and Microsoft is pushing to further emulate Rockstar’s publishers with the sandbox title Crackdown.

Activision is not one to be left out, however!  They’ve shrewdly bypassed the entire ‘video game’ aspect of the equation and are going straight for Take Two’s business model by being threatened with NASDAQ delisting just like the GTA publisher.

Activision, just like Take Two Interactive, has been slow to file its quarterly reports and is investigating its options as we speak. 

Apparently it isn’t a serious hazard at the moment.  Activision as a company is in good standing overall and is unlikely to really face delisting.  Take Two, always the bad boy, is not so fortunate.

Gamasutra: Activision Faces NASDAQ Delisting Warning

With precious few hours left for people to get their PS3s (precious many months for myself), SCEA is trying their little hearts out to make you feel. Feel anything at all, rather than the numb rage that many of us have been feeling in the recent months.
Its latest advertising stunt involves allowing you to watch a crying baby, and speaking to NewsWeek, senior VP of marketing at SCEA, Peter Dille, feels that whatever you feel, "those answers are true, if that's what it means to you." What?
Is he trying to say that what I feel about a baby, desperately in need of something, is at all similar to what I feel about the PS3? If I feel that the baby needs care and attention, it doesn't necessarily mean I want to give a PS3 a home. Man alive, PS3s are more expensive than children!
Mr. Dille goes on to criticize the blogging community surrounding the Xbox 360 (at least there is one), as well as the drip-feeding of demos to gold members and then silver members. They can start complaining when they stop drip-feeding Europeans PS3s.

It hasn't been too long since the furor over EA hijacking people's most intimate knowledge after a few games of Xbox Live (credit card details, house address, former lovers), and already people have forgotten about it. Now, however, it has reemerged, much like the fiends that pop out on GoW. After some (oddly thorough) rechecking of the EA's terms of use agreement by JeffxPx (thanks, by the way), it has become apparent that some lawyer at EA physically cannot write English. I shall call him Pablo Esquavez, Lawyer at Law.

Continue reading "EA: We Wroted It Wrong!"

So, of the 37 people I know who acquired a PS3 today (in some form or another), only three of them purchased with the intention of keeping them.

Where do the rest go? Ebay.

At the time of this writing, there were 13,490 new PS3 auctions currently up (and 23 used), and that number is going up by the minute

I'll admit it, I had a PS3 preorder that I've since picked up and tossed onto the EBay stack, and in doing that I gotta tell ya -- I wonder if there enough demand to support this insanity.

Even more odd, the image I've attached with this post was pulled from EBay almost immediately after I grabbed it to be replaced with a faux-gold cell phone. Does EBay know something we don't?

And here's the real question: With the majority of Playstation launch titles getting rated as "meh" or lower (the notable exception being Resistance, which is getting nines), and with the supply the way it is, do we really think there are 15,000 people out there who WANT a PS3 and don't already have it?

I really don't know.

Many of our readers in the North West of England (myself included) may be aware of the free METRO newspaper distributed in trams and buses across the region. What you may not now, however, is the fact that companies are spending inordinate amounts of money to advertise on said newspaper.
Microsoft alone is spending £500,000 on ads in the free paper leading up to the christmas season. These papers do get a lot of reading; my college alone gets at least 5 or 6 people bringing them in, and hundreds reading copies left about.
One particular quote from the GamesIndustry.biz article that I like is that metro readers are "young affluent communters with disposable income they're willing to spend". Now I feel priveledged to ride the bus into Manchester.

Over at The Escapist is an interview the online mag conducts with some well known individuals in the game journalism industry including Chris Kohler (from game|life) and Brian Crecente (from Kotaku). They cover what it means to be a game journalist, the state of game journalism, and problems with that industry.

My favorite part of the article goes like this:

The Escapist: Briefly, what do you think it means to be a game journalist?
Chris Kohler: It means you somehow managed to scam one of the best jobs ever.

So what is a game journalist and what is game journalism?

Continue reading "The Escapist on Game Journalism"

I've been keeping an eye on this since I came across it about a year ago.  Indie MMO space sim Infinity: Quest For Earth aims to take back the crown from MMOs like EVE Online and World of Warcraft by offering a space sim in the vein of titles like Wing Commander, Freespace, and X.  Allowing players to create and fly their own ship in a fully simulated universe goverened by a powerful newtonian physics engine, Flavien Brebion is hoping millions of players will pour in to fill it out.

And very soon, you'll get a chance to take a small taste.  Based loosely on his previous combat prototype, a new version of the small pre-alpha build to test netcode and game engine development should be made available to the public at any time now.  But where his previous release allowed only direct 8 vs. 8 play on two servers in European and the US with a barely there (though incredibly fun) selection of ships and arenas, this release seems much more ambitious featuring mining craft, AI enemies and allies, fully textured ships, 3D nebulae, and the same kill-the-enemy-flagship that made the pervious version so thrilling.  Were this some major developer, we could have expected this to encompass the full beradth of the game.

 

More (and screenshots) after the Jump

Continue reading "New space MMO could change the indie game development landscape"

EA has entered the Whaaaambulance. Speaking at the Montreal Games Summit, Chief Visual and Technical Officer and senior VP for EA Glenn Entis was reported to say that

As the graphics are getting better, it introduces a lot of new problems that the games industry is just starting to come to grips with.

Oh, it's like a barrel of monkeys infested his brain and mutinied against common sense (I've been playing Monkey Island).

Continue reading "Graphics Are Hard!"

Kotaku is currently running a letter written by an American, Dirk Benedict, living in Japan who was on-hand for the PS3 launch and witness to some rather incredible events...  One of the most eye-opening personal accounts i've ever read and very much worth your time.

From the article:

No commentary from me on this one, I'm still reeling from the implications.   Let me add the link a third time, the whole article desperately needs to be read

To many, it was obvious; Dead or Alive creator (and apparent lech) Tomonobu Itagaki, famed 'god' of Dead or Alive and Ninja Gaiden, had an ulterior motive when creating the much-publicised "Jiggle Tech" used in DOAXBV2 (Long list o' letters there): To stare at women.
He was formally charged yesterday for sexual harrasment in a Japanese court by a former employee and romantic interest. The grand total of the damage is, according to Gamebrink, 10 million yen. At the latest check, XE.com says that 10 million yen is equal to £44,591, or $84,845.
According to the woman involved, she and Mr. Itagaki were romantically involved for 2 years, during which time all acts were consentual, up until 10th September of this year, when she left Team Ninja.
Apparently, Mr. Itagaki has been demoted from his position - adding insult to injury, perhaps? So who's next? Is lovable Shiggy next? Are Ken Kuturagi's loins unsatiated by Ridge Racer love? Is Peter Moor hiding tatoos that he may not be so able to show to the public?

(Updated with Pricing after the Jump - Thanks to Tipsy McFragger from the forums)
Hey all,
Just got a call from Morgon (MyGamerCard.net) who is on-scene at the Xbox Showcase in New York right now where they just made a big announcement concerning the future of video content on XBL Marketplace

From the GamerScoreBlog article:

Wow, I honestly didn't see this one coming.... I'll post the full list of content (thats been revealed) after the jump, but the titles that really jump right out at me on the list are Robot Chicken, CSI and Southpark.... Mmm.....    

Full list and commentary after the jump

Continue reading "TV and Movie Coming to Xbox Live! (Updated)"

So, It looked like EA was out of the woods for a while.    If you're a reader of GA then you of course know about the whole "Hey you Gamer! come here!  See, I like you so much, i"m gonna sell you Need for Speed Carbon for the price of two games!  Great deal, eh?" debacle.   EA of course, sat through it all with the smug "I know you hate me, now go buy the game little zombie" look that gets them through incidents like this every day.

Microsoft on the other hand, chose to respond with their standard "If you don't like overpriced content, then don't buy it" stance.

Xbox.com's Trixie wrote in an article posted and then quickly pulled today the following words that make my heart both soar and cackle at the same time.

That is a DIRECT QUOTE off of xbox.com.... That was there for about an hour, and then promptly pulled.

While i'm sure Trixie is in a world of shit right now, I just want to emphasize that all of us here at GA are behind her and I personally applaud her honesty about how poorly EA is handling downloadable content.

Credit goes to Aeropause for catching this one