Africa

Benoît Sokal Goes Handheld With Last King Of Africa

One of the world's best PC adventure game creators is going handheld, as Focus Home Interactive and White Birds announce Benoît Sokal's Last King Of Africa for the Nintendo DS. While Sokal is probably best known for Syberia and Syberia 2, The Last King of Africa is a remake of the Ubisoft-published title Paradise, which tells the story of Ann Smith, the daughter of the king of a fictional African country who loses her memory in a plane crash en route to her seriously ill father's side.

The game has been reworked to take advantage of the DS's touch and microphone capabilities to solve puzzles, while the story has received tweaking to make it more coherent and enjoyable. Focus has also stripped the 3D action sequences from the game, making for a more traditional point and click adventure. Look for The Last King of Africa to be released to adventure-hungry portable gamers everywhere late this year.

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11:40 AM on Wed Jun 18 2008
By Mike Fahey
1,497 views, 27 comments

Latest by YUYU: Yes! That makes exactly 5 games in the history of gaming to star a black chick!!! more »

serious games

Play Game, Combat Malaria In Africa

While Ethan Allen makes mosquito nets look romantic, living in a country where mosquito nets are purely utilitarian and totally necessary (mine was a hideous blue color with an ugly flower pattern in the netting, and was rigged up to the ceiling with fishing line - no four poster beds to be found) will dash any romantic ideas post-haste. April 25th is World Malaria Day, and as part of the 'Nothing But Net' campaign to get mosquito nets to parts of Africa where malaria is a very real and very deadly problem, the UN has commissioned an easy little came called 'Deliver the Net':

The challenge: race the sun and hand out as many insecticide-treated bed nets as you can to African families. The more nets you deliver - before the mosquitoes come out - the more lives you save. Once you're done playing the game, sign up, confirm your email, and a life-saving bed net will be sent on your behalf!

They're releasing funds (up to $200,000) through 25 April. While I have yet to figure out why it's taken so long for the net idea to catch on (Japanese officials figured out nets dramatically slashed malaria rates in early 20th century Taiwan), it's an easy way to contribute to a worthy effort. Ian Bogost complains about the game's execution, but regardless of its status as a 'good serious game' or not, it's working towards a good cause (you can also skip the game and just send a net if you're so inclined).
Deliver the Net [Nothing But Nets via Water Cooler Games]

10:30 AM on Sat Apr 19 2008
By Maggie Greene
2,272 views, 19 comments

Latest by SpinWing: Some of these comments are very interesting as well as some being way off. There is another program (and game), being kicked off for Malaria Day here in South Africa but for now check out [www.kingsleyholgate.co.za] to see what one man more »

charity

Rockstar Games' Lunchbox for Charity

Poor Rockstar Games, constantly vilified and in some sort of trouble. People seem to take endless pleasure in posting every bit bad news that surrounds them but we never get to hear about any of the good things they do, so it is my pleasure to bring you this bit of Rockstar charity.

GamingAngels.com reports that Rockstar has entered a piece in the annual Lunchbox Auction to benefit the Food Bank For New York City and The Lunchbox Fund of South Africa. According to GA, Rockstar is the only game company to have donated to the auction that boasts lunchbox creations from celebrities including Joaquin Phoenix who's piece currently holds the highest bid at $3,500.00. The Rockstar piece is still going for a reasonable $180 with the auction closing on Dec. 21. Click through here to place your bid. It even comes with free replacement bulbs so how can you lose?

11:00 AM on Sat Dec 15 2007
By fdemarco
888 views, 13 comments

south africa

A Halo 3 Only Cargo Truckers See

Microsoft has lots and lots (and lots) of money. Shucks, Company CEO Steve Ballmer gargles with silver dollars and brushes his teeth with gold bricks every morning! So when it comes to promoting AAA Xbox 360 games like Halo 3, Microsoft does not fuck around. Microsoft doesn't even fuck around about fucking around. The company means business. Don't believe us? Reader Hendrik brings word from South Africa: More »

7:00 AM on Tue Oct 30 2007
By Brian Ashcraft
13,351 views, 25 comments

ps3

Hey Sony, No Lying In South Africa

No one will argue that the PLAYSTATION 3 is powerful. But more get up and go than a computer? A PS3 ad that appeared in South Africa stated: More »

7:00 AM on Tue Mar 27 2007
By Brian Ashcraft
6,312 views, 39 comments

donkey kong

Donkey Kong Jr. Spotted In South Africa

Kotakuite, Johan, spotted this gold on black Donkey Kong Jr. stencil job in the bathroom of his local hang out bar, Fiction in South Africa. Also featured in the bar are Pac-man mosaic and a Mario mushroom mosaic. You can check them out on Fiction's website. More »

5:39 PM on Sun Jan 28 2007
By fdemarco
491 views, 15 comments

africa

Not Afrika, But Africa

It's more than a "K" that separates that unfinished PS3 stunner from that MMO above—which features everything from elephants to werewolves and giant killer centipedes. I'll wait for a hands-on before passing judgement, but a move away from elves and dwarves is a breath of fresh air. Brian Ashcraft More »

7:22 AM on Wed Dec 6 2006
By Brian Ashcraft
242 views, 11 comments

playstation 3

Open Yer Wallets, Import PS3 Priced

Don't live in America or Japan? Want a PLAYSTATION 3? This post is for you. Gadget exporter Audio Cubes has opened the flood gates on pre-order for the 20GB Sony PS3. The unit will set customers back a cool US $699, which is at a $70 premium when compared to the European pricing for the same model. The site does not yet have pricing on the bells and whistles 60GB console. Expect it to be somewhere between expensive and expensive. (But probably better than anything on eBay.) Brian Ashcraft More »

5:22 AM on Thu Sep 14 2006
By Brian Ashcraft
1,246 views, 9 comments

Latest by mandarin: If you dont live in America, you will know that a lot of the stuff in American can be bought with a huge premium. Dont call people idiots because this is pretty much how international commerce goes. more »

gamejew

GameJew Visits Ghana

GameJew was in Africa, filming a documentary about an American dance troop heading to Ghana. The clip, he writes, features: More »

5:43 PM on Mon Aug 28 2006
By Brian Ashcraft
135 views, 5 comments

clips

Halo Director's Freshman Effort: Alive in Joburg

Alive in Joburg — the short film about extra-terrestrials landing in early-90's South Africa. Vaguely Haloesque, it landed Neill Blomkamp his job as the director of the upcoming Halo feature film. More »

5:00 AM on Thu Aug 10 2006
By brownlee
183 views, 13 comments

xbox 360

Xbox Targets Eastern Europe

While the Xbox 360 is rocking living rooms in the US and Europe, the console hasn't hit a good chunk of the globe. Microsoft is planning to change that by making their next-gen system by making it available in the Middle East, Eastern Europe and South Africa. More »

6:20 AM on Tue Apr 11 2006
By Brian Ashcraft
44 views, 2 comments

dig dug

The Genius of Handr, Not For The Squeamish

South African artist and deviantART member Handr de Jager has been making gory/creepy painted recreations of videogame scenarios for a while now, some that could pass for actual bad box art. I mean, remember the cover art for the original Mega Man? An insult to my eyes! But, Handr taps into something surreal, disturbing, and maybe just a bit hilarious in each of his paintings. Someone get this man a proper gallery show! More »

12:20 PM on Sun Mar 5 2006
By Michael McWhertor
641 views, 1 comment

Kotaku

Liveblogging Will Wright Discussing His Inner Otaku At Comic-Con

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