It was a day of gaming, good times, and charity, filled with multiplayer sessions of Global Agenda, a charity raffle that I actually won something from, and a guest spot for me on AllGames.com's Bobby Blackwolf Show during which I embarrassed just about everyone alive. Hit the jump for details on the event.

The Location
The event took place at Computer Arena, a lovely little gaming cafe located off of Alpharetta Highway in Roswell Georgia, that I didn't technically know existed. It's literally right down the street from me, but there's a giant Hi-Fi Buys sign obscuring their sign, a problem that is soon to be solved by the economy. Computer Arena not only features multiple computer stations, a slew of Xbox 360 stations, beer, snacks, and soda, but it also features a learning center that holds classes, and more recently CC Gaming, a vintage game shop in the back that buys and sells titles from every era. It's definitely a place I shall be spending more time at in the future.

The Participants
It was hard to tell who all was with Hi-Rez Studios and who wasn't, seeing as all the employees of Computer Arena, CC Gaming, and Hi-Rez were all wearing the company's logo on their t-shirts. Along with the staff of the establishment and the developers, appearance were also made by representatives of the Georgia chapter of the Entertainment Consumer's Association (ECA) and Asante Bradford from Georgia's Department of Economic Development's Film, Music and Digital Entertainment Office. You know, the guys who give tax breaks for developers willing to put peaches in their games. Yes, Global Agenda will have a Georgia peach splash screen. It's a further 10% tax break on top of Georgia's already generous 20%, so I can't say I blame them.

The Game
Global Agenda is coming along quite nicely. Levels and assets had changed from when I last played the title, giving the MMO a much more polished feel to it. Still no word on the more persistent world elements of their persistent world game, but the event wasn't about that. It was once again all about combat. There was a Noobville area where new players could create accounts and learn the basics, but the real action was in the PVP area, where players could take on each other in multiplayer rounds, culminating in a best of the best competition towards the end of the day that I really had no reason to stay for, seeing as I am nowhere near the best, much less the best of them.

In fact, I had the misfortune to sit next to one of the game's best players during my PVP session, who was on the opposing team. I had found a lovely spot to snipe from and was minding my own business when bam, there he is, taking me out and keeping me separated. I swear he was a dirty screen-peeker.

The Broadcast
Bobby Blackwolf and I have been meaning to get together on a broadcast for a good year now at least, but never had the chance to. Perhaps we were better off. What was meant to be a quick stop by wound up being several quick stop bys as I tried to help Bobby fill the downtime between interviews with representatives from the ECA, Hi-Rez, and the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. You can find the broadcast over at AllGames.com. If I actually offended anyone, it wasn't me. I blame Pandalicious.

The Spoils
Towards the end of the day there was a raffle held, for which I bought several tickets at $5 a pop, thinking of nothing more than supporting a good cause. Certainly I wasn't thinking of the boxed NES and N64 systems they had in the auction, courtesy of CC Gaming. No, my intentions were merely philanthropic.

I did manage to win something, however. I am now the proud owner of a 4MB Creative Zen MP3 player, which they gave out immediately following the iPod Nano as sort of a consolation prize. Thank you, charity raffle. You just made Christmas shopping for my nephew so very much easier.

The Results
Not only was the event highly enjoyable, it was also highly successful. All in all nearly 300 folks passed through the doors during the event, raising a grand total of more than $4,700 for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Not only that, but it also helped raise awareness of the game development industry as it stands in Georgia, which is growing, but far too slowly for my tastes.

On a more personal level, the event made me aware of the fact that I should never, ever do live radio, and that there's a really cool retro gaming store right down the street from my house which I will from here on out be loitering at on a regular basis.

Thanks go out to the folks at Hi-Rez for putting on an excellent event, as well as the guys at the Computer Arena, even if the owner did think I was 45 years old.

Special thanks go out to Hi-Rez's incredibly persistent Michal Adam (above left) for making sure I didn't sleep through the whole thing and providing me these lovely photos from the event.

GEORGIA VIDEO GAMING COMMUNITY TO CANCER: "PWNED"

Charity event features sneak preview of Hi-Rez Studios' action online game Global Agenda™

ATLANTA, Georgia– November 11, 2008 - Hi-Rez Studios, an independent developer of online games, previewed
its action massively multiplayer online game Global Agenda to a crowd of nearly 300 attendees at the Computer
Arena in Roswell, GA on Saturday, November 8th. Dubbed "MISSION: Pwning for a Cure", the all-day
community-oriented event raised over $4,700 for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. The event is part of a multi-
year Hi-Rez Studios fund raising campaign toward blood cancer research.

The free event allowed game enthusiasts an early preview of the game Global Agenda, currently in closed alpha
testing. Attendees created agent characters within the virtual world of Global Agenda, experienced solo and
cooperative training missions, and engaged in immersive, objective based, multi-player combat.

In support of the budding video game industry in Georgia, the event also included art and animation training
seminars conducted by the Hi-Rez Studios development team. The well-attended, interactive sessions demonstrated
the sophistication of the technology, tools, and talent involved in the development of a modern computer game.

"One of the downsides of covering the gaming industry from Georgia is that one often has to travel across the
country to do the job", says Bobby 'Backwolf' Tamburrino, host of the Bobby Blackwolf Show on All Games Radio.
"But that's changing. The ability to literally go down the street from my home to attend Pwning For A Cure was a
welcome change. Several listeners to our live coverage mentioned that they wished an event like this was in their
neck of the wood. That bodes very well for the future of gaming in Georgia"

About Hi-Rez Studios
Hi-Rez Studios, Inc. was established in 2005 to create exceptional online interactive entertainment and is located
just outside of Atlanta, Georgia. For more information, visit www.hirezstudios.com.

Child's Play 2008 [Penny Arcade]

Yes, I will be there for the better part of the day, so if you see a tall guy with Final Fantasy characters tattooed on his arms, that's probably me. The event kicks off at noon and runs til 5PM. It's a damn fine reason to get up off your ass for a good cause. Hit the jump for full details, and maybe I will see you there!

HI-REZ STUDIOS AND THE LEUKEMIA & LYMPHOMA SOCIETY ANNOUNCE DETAILS FOR MISSION: PWNING FOR A CURE
All-day charity event unites video gamers to defeat blood cancers.

("Pwn" is video gamer slang for defeating an opponent, a colloquialism based on the misspelling of "own," usually issued as a boast after a particularly heated and/or public virtual contest.)

ATLANTA, Georgia – October 28, 2008 - Hi-Rez Studios, an independent developer of online entertainment, today announced additional community partners and a full game-development seminar schedule for MISSION: Pwning for a Cure, Hi-Rez's upcoming charity event held in concert with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

The event, co-sponsored by the Georgia Department of Economic Development's Film, Music & Digital Entertainment Office, will be held at the Computer Arena in Roswell, Ga., on Saturday, November 8th from noon to 5 p.m. The day, targeted toward the gaming enthusiast, includes seminars on video game development, a chance to play games with your friends, a silent auction, raffle, prizes, music and food. It also features the first public preview of Global Agenda, the upcoming debut title from Hi-Rez Studios. Attendees can play both solo and player-vs-player missions inside the virtual world of Global Agenda, being among the first to experience the game's fast-action, immersive play style. All-access admission into the event is free to the public. Donations to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society are encouraged and greatly appreciated.

Additional community sponsors of the event include the Art Institute of Atlanta, Rickwood Music, a provider of music for media, the Entertainment Consumer Association's (ECA) Atlanta Chapter, a non-profit membership advocacy organization for consumers of interactive entertainment, and Habif, Arogetti & Wynne, LLP, Certified Public Accountants and business advisers.

A charity raffle and auction will include limited 1st Edition Global Agenda collectibles, a Sony PlayStation Portable, iPod Nano, and more. Items have been donated by TotalTek/Hewlett Packard, Gamer Fitness Guide, and Digital Direct, an extreme data storage provider, among others. Global Agenda merchandise will also be on sale, with all merchandise proceeds benefiting the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

The event will conclude with an All-Star battle featuring the games' best players. The All-Star battle will be broadcast through a live audio stream on Allgames.com with color commentary from Georgia's own Bobby Blackwolf. Hi-Fi Buys is contributing state-of-the-art high definition televisions through which attendees can be immersed in the battle.

For the media, a press conference featuring Todd Harris, Executive Producer of Global Agenda, and Asante Bradford from Georgia's Department of Economic Development's Film, Music and Digital Entertainment Office, will be held starting at 3:30 p.m.

Game Development Seminars

Hands-on game development seminars, taught by the developers of Global Agenda, will be held in dual sessions from 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Seats will be made available on a first come, first served basis, so attendees are encouraged to come early to reserve a spot.

Eric Hartz, lead environment artist for Global Agenda, will lead a session on Environment Art Development using the Unreal 3 Engine. Eric will walk participants through the artistic development of a simple level all the way through the lighting process. The session will examine assets created in 3D Studio Max and textures made in Photoshop, showing how each element is assembled for the final assets seen in-game.

CHUK Vinson, Art Director, and Sean McBride, Senior Character Artist, will lead "Character Creation in Global Agenda". The session will discuss how to create engaging character concepts that capture the imagination and inspire the player while still conforming to the necessarily rigid constraints of game design. The presentation will cover the modeling techniques and speed enhancement tricks used at Hi-Rez to create high-fidelity multiple character ranks and sexes from one base model in weeks.

Lead animator Daniel Lilleberg and lead technical artist Mick Larkins will discuss the process, practices, and philosophies of the Global Agenda character animation pipeline. Their presentation demonstrates the specific tools and methods for creating character animations, rigid-body physics, skeletal controls, audio, and special effects. While the presentation revolves around the specific Global Agenda, 3D Studio Max, and Unreal Engine 3 procedures, the approaches can be applied to a variety of games.

About Hi-Rez Studios

Hi-Rez Studios, Inc. was established in 2005 to create exceptional online interactive entertainment and is located just outside of Atlanta, Georgia. For more information, visit www.hirezstudios.com.

GLOBAL AGENDA, Hi-Rez's debut title, is a fast-paced action massive multiplayer online game set in Earth's near future, a spy-fi world of advanced technology and player-driven conflict. To learn more, visit www.globalagendagame.com.

About Computer ArenA

Computer Arena, the Southeast's largest gaming facility, offers more than 50 PC and console LAN gaming stations, computer education classrooms, sales and services, and the Good Times Café. The ArenA is located at 10895 Alpharetta Highway in Roswell, GA, 30076, near the intersection of Route 9 and Mansell Road.

About Leukemia & Lymphoma Society

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society®, headquartered in White Plains, NY, with 68 chapters in the United States and Canada, is the world's largest voluntary health organization dedicated to funding blood cancer research and providing education and patient services. The LLS mission: Cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease and myeloma, and improve the quality of life of patients and their families. Since its founding in 1949, LLS has invested more than $600 million in research specifically targeting leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma. Last year alone, LLS made 6.3 million contacts with patients, caregivers and healthcare professionals.

For more information about blood cancer, visit www.LLS.org or call the LLS Information Resource Center (IRC), a call center staffed by master's level social workers, nurses and health educators who provide information, support and resources to patients and their families and caregivers. IRC information specialists are available at (800) 955-4572, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET.

Activision Supports The USO, Gives Guitar Hero to The Troops [Shacknews]

“The video game industry’s commitment to giving back is stronger than ever,” said ESA president and CEO Michael Gallagher. “For ten years now, Nite to Unite has been the premiere industry event dedicated to children’s causes and honoring its creative visionaries. I’m honored that so many distinguished individuals and organizations attended.”
This year’s black-tie optional dinner and auction’s co-chairs were Brian Farrell, president and CEO of THQ, Graham Hopper, executive vice president and general manager of Disney Interactive Studios and John Riccitiello, CEO of Electronic Arts.

Over the past ten years the ESA Foundation has raised more than $10 million.

ESA Foundation

I'm still hammering out the specifics but this is what I can tell you so far. The event will be on Dec. 10 and will likely run from 7 p.m. until 11 p.m. (though I might tweak the hours when it gets closer). The cover will be a $10 minimum donation and that will get you a ticket for a chance to win some of the awesome schwag I'll be bringing down with me.

One of the reasons I decided to switch locations from The Walnut room, where we held it last year, is because that venue only had room for 150 or so people. The Mercury Cafe can hold 300 or so. Better still they will have a full bar, some tables and even the ability to order food if you want it.

The best news? Because of the license The Mercury Cafe has, the age limit this time around will be 18 and older. To buy drinks you'll just have show your ID at the bar.

So if you want to show up to play some Rock Band 2, Guitar Hero World Tour (maybe even Rock Revolution) for a good cause pencil December 10th in your calendar. I'll make sure to update you more as we nail down the specific time. I'll also be posting a blow-out picture of all of the goodies we'll be giving away, directions, parking, and all that good stuff.

The celebration continues into the week, with a contest to see which guild can build New York City landmarks the fastest and a charity event called "Food for Friends", in which guilds will produce food items in-game, with the total amount created translated into cash donations made by Sanrio Digital to UNICEF and the Asian Youth Orchestra.

Man, I didn't realize she was 34. I feel much better about sleeping with my Hello Kitty pillow now that I know she's completely legal.

Hello Kitty’s birthday to be held in MMORPG Celebrations, events, charity in Hello Kitty Online begin November 1st, 2008

Hong Kong – October 31, 2008: Hello Kitty turns 34 on November 1, 2008. To celebrate the occasion, Sanrio Digital (www.sanriodigital.com) today announced a birthday party for Hello Kitty that will be held inside Hello Kitty Online (www.hellokittyonline.com), the eagerly anticipated MMORPG. The celebration begins on Saturday November 1st, and will include a birthday party lasting through the week-end, a week-long series of in-game quests and events, and a charity event that lets players convert effort they spend inside the game into real cash donations to charity.

Hello Kitty Online is a MMORPG (Massively Multiplayer Role-Playing Game) based on the popular Sanrio characters. The game transports players into the cute and cuddly world of Sanrio Land and is fully integrated with official Sanrio portal SanrioTown.com, which utilizes blogs, email, video sharing, games and more to create a digital and social experience accessible at any time, even in-game. The game is currently in Founders’ Beta phase. The present version of Hello Kitty Online will shut down on November 8, 2008, to allow the development team to continue work on the game and prepare for Open Beta. Current players, however, will retain their characters and certain benefits in future versions of the game.

There are a range of exciting events and activities planned for Hello Kitty’s birthday and the final week of the Founders’ Beta.

1) Hello Kitty’s Birthday Party - November 1-2 Hello Kitty, real name Kitty White, was introduced to the world on November 1, 1974, and was the creation of a young artist named Yuko Shimizu. Today Hello Kitty is one of the most-loved and recognized images in the world, and was awarded the exclusive title of Special Friend of Children by UNICEF. To celebrate her birthday, Hello Kitty will make special appearances in Hello Kitty Online on November 1st and 2nd. In addition, players can expect special mini-events and even gifts to celebrate this special day.

2) Guild Competition: Build New York - November 1-6 It's time to build New York! The guilds of Hello Kitty Online will be competing in a race to build two of New York City's most famous landmarks: The Statue of Liberty and The Empire State Building. Representatives of the participating guilds will be called to trade in their Empire Keys and Liberty Keys for special Empire State and Liberty land certificates. The first guilds to complete building these landmarks will receive formal recognition in the new zone and will be awarded special items in the next version of the game.

3) “Food for Friends” Charity Event – November 1-6 Remembering children who are less fortunate, Hello Kitty Online will host an in-game guild contest called “Food for Friends”, in which the efforts of guilds will be translated into donations to charity. Guilds interested in participating will produce raw materials on their farms and craft them into specific food items. Guilds will submit prepared food items to a Game Master. The guilds with the highest contributions will be declared winners. The winning guilds will receive a permanent page on www.hellokittyonline.com, special guild privileges for open beta, and a small feature on their guild including an interview with the guild representative(s) to be posted on official blog and press releases. Based on the total prepared food donated by all guilds, Sanrio Digital will then make cash donations to UNICEF (www.unicef.org) and the Asian Youth Orchestra (www.asianyouthorchestra.com).

Please refer to http://www.hellokittyonline.com/us/index.php?c=misc&s=foodForFriends for information on the “Food For Friends” event.

The game plays like a standard realtime strategy title, albeit on were the goal is to heal rather than destroy. You have medical and transport resources to manages, shelters to build and refugees to transport.

You can play two demo levels via the site, and buy the full eleven-mission game for just $19.99.

ERU [Red Cross: The Game]

It's actually a pretty sweet thing they're doing here, so if you're planning on attending E For All, bring along some canned food, and not the generic crap. It's for the holidays, dammit. Hit the jump for more info.

The League of Legendary Gamers

For perhaps the only time in history, 5 of the Nations most recognized gamers come together for one common cause, “Feed the hungry”. In an attempt to do what matters most and fulfill an obligation as productive citizens of the United States of America; Johnathan “Fatal1ty” Wendel, Billy Mitchell, Justin Wong, Todd Rogers and TriForce will work with E For All Expo in a joint effort to collect food for the Los Angeles Food Bank for the upcoming holiday. The 5 Kings of gaming will use their prolific gaming ability to raise food for the hungry at the E For All expo.

A League like no other

Attendees will be able to challenge The 5 Kings in gaming on the E for All Gamers Stage. Challenges will be set by each of the 5 gamers in their respective game. In order to participate in the challenge, attendees will need at least 1 perishable food good as entry fee to the challenge. Each participant will receive a raffle ticket which will be raffled on Sunday October 5th 2008 at 3pm to win a Nintendo Wii sponsored by GameExpress.com and autographed by all 5 gamers in the League of Legendary Gamers.

Challenge the Masters and their Games

* · Fatal1ty: Doom 4
* · TriForce: Tetris DS
* · Billy Mitchell: Donkey Kong
* · Todd Rogers: Gorf
* · Justin Wong: Marvel Vs. Capcom 2

Background of Featured Gamers

Billy Mitchell: Originally from Holyoke, Massachusetts, Billy Mitchell grew up in South Florida and began playing games at the age of sixteen. In 1982 the name Billy Mitchell has resonated throughout the classic arcade scene. As the gaming pioneer for the competitive elite, Billy has since become the ambassador for gaming world wide.

Justin Wong: Hailing from the Empire State, New York City; at age 22, Justin “Marvelous” Wong has competed in numerous fighting game tournaments, both domestically and internationally. His road to becoming the King of Fighters began at Double Perfect Productions LLC: “SRK” Evolution International Fighting Game Series originally called the B-series, where he subsequently went on a (8) year reign as the (6) time Marvel vs. Capcom2 world Champion. This established the young gamers rise to supremacy in the fighting game genre.

TriForce: Hailing from the Empire State, New York City; at the tender age of 4, TriForce has played videogames because of his love for adventure such as the Legend of Zelda. TriForce has always sought out new ways to master the games in which he plays. TriForce holds 30 plus world records in gaming, a 2 time Guinness World Record holder and also the first gamer to receive the Nintendo Wii from President of Nintendo of America Reggie Fils-Amie who autographed his Wii.

Fatal1ty: Originally from Houston Texas, Johnathan “Fatal1ty” Wendel is the most accomplished, professional PC gamer in history. As the world’s most famous PC gamer he spreads interest in PC gaming wherever he goes and, in the process, has become the sport’s worldwide ambassador. He presently reigns as the holder of 10 major championships, winning titles in 5 different games, a feat never before accomplished.
Todd Rogers: Has been setting world record high score since 1980. With the wide variety of system consoles that are out today you can only imagine what Todd is hard at work doing. Todd Rogers as a member of "The U.S. National Video Game Team" history's first team of professional video game players back in the mid 80's. Originally from Chicago now residing in Brooksville Florida, Todd Rogers who was crowned "The King of Video Games" by most media, and recognized world wide for his vast video gaming championship titles is featured in the 2007 Guinness Book of World Records on page 155.

“Miyamoto-san truly has defined video games as we know them today,” said Michael D. Gallagher, president and CEO of the ESA, which represents U.S. computer and video game publishers. “With his remarkable creativity and passion for fun, family entertainment, Miyamoto-san and his team at Nintendo have produced many iconic games that appeal to audiences of all ages.”

A gala dinner and silent auction will be held on Wednesday, October 22nd at the Westin St. Francis in San Francisco, with tickets running $500 per person. A little pricey, but for a good cause honoring a pretty great guy. Hit the jump for details.

Shigeru Miyamoto Named 2008 “Nite to Unite for Kids” Honoree

Annual Black-Tie Event Continues to Raise Millions for Children’s Charities

September 18, 2008 – Washington, DC – Shigeru Miyamoto, senior managing director of Nintendo Co., Ltd., will be receiving the 2009 ESA Champion Award at the annual “Nite to Unite for Kids” dinner, sponsored by the ESA Foundation, the Entertainment Software Association’s charitable arm. “Nite to Unite for Kids” is the computer and video game industry’s premiere fundraising event, benefiting children’s charities across America.

“Miyamoto-san truly has defined video games as we know them today,” said Michael D. Gallagher, president and CEO of the ESA, which represents U.S. computer and video game publishers. “With his remarkable creativity and passion for fun, family entertainment, Miyamoto-san and his team at Nintendo have produced many iconic games that appeal to audiences of all ages.”

Labeled the “father of modern video gaming” and the “Walt Disney of electronic gaming,” by TIME magazine, Miyamoto, a Kyoto, Japan native, began his career at Nintendo as a staff artist in 1977. Over his 30 year career, he has developed over 100 games, including the beloved Mario™, Donkey Kong™, and Zelda™ series. Most recently, he oversaw the design of the Wii™ console and accompanying games such as Wii Fit™.

“Nite to Unite for Kids,” presented by the ESA and hosted by the ESA Foundation, has raised over $11 million for children’s charities since its inception in 1999. This year’s event, which includes a black-tie optional dinner and a live and silent auction, will take place on Wednesday, October 22, at the Westin St. Francis Hotel in San Francisco. The co-chairs for the 2008 event are Brian Farrell, president & CEO, THQ Inc.; Graham Hopper, executive vice president/GM, Disney Interactive Studios; and John Riccitiello, CEO, Electronic Arts.

Past Champion Honorees include: George Lucas, famed director and founder of LucasArts; GameStop’s Dan DeMatteo; Electronic Arts’ Bing Gordon; Toys ‘R Us’ Michael Goldstein; Nintendo's Howard Lincoln; Sega's Isao Ogawa; Sony Computer Entertainment’s Ken Kutaragi and Electronic Boutique’s Jeffery Griffiths.

The gala event is open to both individuals and companies. Tickets are $500 for individuals, and table sponsorships are available. For ticket information, please contact Leslie Price at 800-949-3660

The ESA Foundation was created by the American interactive entertainment software industry to support and provide opportunities that can make a difference in the lives of America’s youth. The Foundation is fully supported by proceeds from sales of its limited edition charity game pack and "Nite to Unite for Kids," which has raised more than $11 million in the last 10 years. For more information about the ESA Foundation, please visit www.theESA.com/foundation.

With the help of Xbox 360, they have come up with a custom painted Halo 3 Xbox 360 — one of only two in existence — that has been signed by the entire Halo 3 development team. This console is being auctioned on eBay, with all proceeds going to Make-A-Wish.

Bidding starts at $5000, and the auction will run though until September 22nd.

If you have $5K -plus burning a hole in your pocket, check out the link below. Come on, it's not that steep - you do get five games thrown in!

Microsoft Xbox 360 Premium Edition System, Game Console [eBay]

Two weeks ago saw an extraordinarily successful, more-than-72 hour Super Mario Marathon that raised more than $11,000 for a gamers' charity for kids. This week, four Mega Man enthusiasts are finding out how hard of an act that is to follow — as a fund drive anyway. A new web site indicates that game marathons are a mushrooming craze, capitalizing partly on gamers who enjoy watching others fail at classic console titles. The question is, how long will it last?

The Megamanathon was hatched "about five minutes after we started watching the Mario Marathon," said Alex Willingham, one of the four gamers taking a tour of the Mega Man Series. Three hours into their marathon, which began 9 pm EDT Friday in Nyack, N.Y., they'd raised $210 for Child's Play, the same beneficiary of the Mario endeavor. As of noon Saturday, they'd upped that to $230.

They're still having fun, of course. But the Super Mario Marathon logged more than 100,000 unique viewers and 120,000 viewing hours, and it sounds like a lot of others got the same idea from watching it. A site, Gamemarathons, went online shortly after the Mario Marathon and is trying to be the go-to place for coordinating these contests, to cut down on overlap and redundancy. There's a Speed Gamers Marathon going on right now; a Rare Marathon that just finished, and Guitar Hero and Metroid coming up next week.

"Every marathon right now will find the Mario Marathon tough to follow," said Matt Hayden, who launched Gamemarathons.com. He estimates 85 percent of the marathons listed there so far are being done for charity. Those that are gaming for a cause are clearly differentiated from those that aren't.

"[The Mario Marathon] was so wildly successful and well advertised that no marathon can hope to achieve the numbers they did in terms of viewers and money," Hayden said. "But then again, the marathons should never really be about competition or one-upping the one before. Each one is uinique, and even if it raises $5, that's $5 a charity didn't have before, and it was a weekend of entertainment for at least a handful of people."

Willingham agrees, seeing more potential in the casual, drop-in entertainment value of a marathon. "As far as fundraising goes, it may be an idea beaten to death," Willingham said. "As recreational marathoning entertainment, it'll last as long as there are games to play."

He and his cohorts — Cory Hunt, Charlie Basler and Damon Amador, all college-age guys — had the itch to do a marathon, cause or charity regardless. But Willingham also thinks the marathon has some entertainment potential for viewers. "It's like a television show for geeks," he said. "You log on each weekend, and watch more dorks fail."

Hayden sees it a little differently. "Boring people who don't interact will break a marathon and bore the viewers no matter what game they're playing," he said. "Fun people will bring in viewers and retain them. People didn't watch [the Mario Marathon] for hours on end to see Mario games. They watched to see the guys, and became so enamored of them they were given nicknames. Brian [TK's] dog and wife became the most popular characters."

The Megamanathon, even if it hasn't raised as much as the Mario Marathon, poured out the same kind of effort and has developed its own following. hey've earned afan art gallery (including tributes to "Bagel Girl," the only female on the scene.) All the participants have gotten nicknames from those dropping in to watch. A PR effort got our attention, and local news as well.

But at this point, barring any flood of donations, the marathon's biggest success will likely be its completion, rather than the amount raised. The Mega Man gamers have the will to finish out the series, but others might not.

"I'm worried that upcoming marathons, especially the hastily prepared ones, will peter out once the inspiration from the Mario Marathon has worn off," Hayden said. "Just about every one that's planned for the next 2 months admit they were directly inspired by it. But that's why I created GameMarathons. I wanted the phenomenon to be more organized and be more widely accessible by everyone on the Internet, not just those who have to rely on word of mouth or a lucky mention on a popular site."

The Megamanathon will likely last into Sunday, Willingham said. They started with original Mega Man, and have been drawing titles out of a hat at random. They're playing the Mega Man Anniversary Collection and Mega Man X Collection on a Wii, using a HORI Digital GameCube pad. You can follow their progress on their site.

Gamemarathons [Site]
Megamanathon [Site]
Super Mario Marathon [Site]

Thugs steal disabled boy's PlayStation 3 [Daily Telegraph]

The Fun Centers will contain Sharp Aquos flatscreen TVs, Wiis and family-friendly titles like Super Mario Galaxy, Wii Sports and Mario Party 8. On June 25th, Nintendo will kick things of by donating two units to Childrens Hospital Los Angeles at a Galaxy-themed launch event.

Nintendo has partnered with the Foundation for some 16 years now, and had GameCubes in previous versions of the Fun Center. The company says doctors, family and hospital staff praise the Fun Centers for their ability to "brighten moods, boost morale and reduce feelings of isolation among ailing children."

If I may get a little personal for a sec, I had a hospital stay when I was a kid, and I remember playing Super Nintendo there with a lot of other kids, many of whom were much younger than me and much worse off - I can vouch for it brightening the days, for sure. Full announcement follows the jump.

Nintendo and Starlight’s New Fun Centers Featuring Wii Give Sick Children a Boost
Partnership with Starlight Starbright Children’s Foundation Brings Fun Centers with Wii Consoles to Hospitals Nationwide

REDMOND, Wash.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Determined to help lift the spirits of seriously ill children and their families, Nintendo of America Inc. and Starlight Starbright Children’s Foundation have committed to placing hundreds of popular Fun Centers, now featuring Wii™ game systems, in hospitals across the United States and Canada this year. Nintendo of America is manufacturing 1,250 new Fun Centers in their first run, and Starlight expects to have about 500 of them placed in hospitals by the end of the year. In a continuation of the organizations’ 16-year partnership, the portable Fun Centers with the new Wii technology will be enjoyed by thousands of hospitalized kids.

The new Fun Centers feature a Sharp AQUOS™ flat-screen television, a DVD player, a Wii system and a selection of family-friendly Wii games like Super Mario Galaxy™, Wii Sports™ and Mario Party® 8. The Fun Centers were created specifically to offer children an entertaining respite during difficult hospital stays.

To help mark the introduction of the new Fun Centers, two units, donated by Nintendo, will be presented to Childrens Hospital Los Angeles at a special Super Mario Galaxy-themed launch event on June 25. Child star Allen Alvarado, of Discovery Kids’ Flight 29 Down, and video game icon Mario™ will be in attendance. Allen has had personal experience with Fun Centers, which kept him company and aided in his recovery when he was hospitalized for several weeks at Childrens Hospital after an automobile accident last fall.

Previous versions of the Fun Center, most recently featuring Nintendo GameCube™ video game systems, earned praise from families, doctors and hospital staffers alike for their ability to brighten moods, boost morale and reduce feelings of isolation among ailing children. Since the first model was created in 1992, more than 5,000 units have been distributed to over 1,000 hospitals across North America. The new Fun Center offers an enhanced entertainment experience by incorporating the Wii console’s distinctive motion-sensing controls and an array of popular games.

“We’re extremely proud to make Fun Centers a part of our collaboration with Starlight,” said Don James, Nintendo of America’s executive vice president of Operations. “The inclusive fun of Wii is especially valuable for families in need of a tension reliever while dealing with serious pediatric illness. We hope the new Fun Centers will give kids and their loved ones an opportunity to play, laugh and connect with each other amid trying circumstances.”

“Our patients at Childrens Hospital benefit greatly from the Fun Centers,” said Linda Garcia, Manager, Child Development Services, for Childrens Hospital Los Angeles. “The Fun Centers serve as a diversional tool for Child Life Specialists to provide to patients and families in the playrooms, at bedside and throughout the hospital, including medical units, clinics and waiting rooms. The Fun Centers promote socialization, mastery and fun. Through this play, children learn about cooperation, positive thinking and problem-solving skills. The Fun Centers also provide opportunities for hand strengthening and finger dexterity, an important therapeutic value for our patients undergoing physical rehabilitation.”

“Everyone who has spent time in a hospital knows how scary and lonely it can be,” said Paula Van Ness, CEO of Starlight. “Our Fun Centers transform the hospital experience for children, bringing enjoyment and laughter to an otherwise daunting experience. And as an added benefit of this new Fun Center model, the Wii technology can be used to encourage children to do physical therapy and motor coordination exercises.”

People who want to help support the mission of Nintendo and Starlight Starbright Children’s Foundation can visit Starlight’s Site of a Million Stars at www.millionstars.org. Click on Mario’s star to place a star in Nintendo of America’s Galaxy. Starlight’s goal is to unite 1 million caring people and organizations to bring seriously ill children and their families out of the dark. Placing a star in Nintendo of America’s Galaxy is free and includes space for a message about the nature of your support and a link to your favorite Web site. You can also choose to add special features to your star or upgrade to a constellation for a tax-deductible donation of $5 to $100.

For more information about Fun Centers, visit www.starlight.org/funcenters.

About Nintendo: The worldwide innovator in the creation of interactive entertainment, Nintendo Co., Ltd., of Kyoto, Japan, manufactures and markets hardware and software for its Wii™, Nintendo DS™, Game Boy® Advance and Nintendo GameCube™ systems. Since 1983, Nintendo has sold more than 2.7 billion video games and more than 460 million hardware units globally, and has created industry icons like Mario™, Donkey Kong®, Metroid®, Zelda™ and Pokémon®. A wholly owned subsidiary, Nintendo of America Inc., based in Redmond, Wash., serves as headquarters for Nintendo’s operations in the Western Hemisphere. For more information about Nintendo, visit the company’s Web site at www.nintendo.com.

About Starlight: When a child or teenager has a serious medical condition, everyone in the family is affected. For 25 years, Starlight Starbright Children’s Foundation has dedicated itself to helping seriously ill children and their families cope with their pain, fear and isolation through entertainment, education and family activities. Starlight’s programs have been proven to distract children from their pain, help them better understand and manage their illnesses, and connect families facing similar challenges so that no one feels alone. Through a network of offices, Starlight provides ongoing support to children, parents and siblings in all U.S. states and Canadian provinces with an array of outpatient, hospital-based and Web offerings. Programs are also delivered internationally through affiliates in Australia, Japan and the United Kingdom. To learn more visit www.starlight.org.

About Childrens Hospital Los Angeles: Founded in 1901, Childrens Hospital Los Angeles has been treating the most seriously ill and injured children in Los Angeles for more than a century, and it is acknowledged throughout the United States and around the world for its leadership in pediatric and adolescent health. Childrens Hospital is one of America’s premier teaching hospitals, affiliated with the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California since 1932. It is a national leader in pediatric research. Since 1990, U.S. News & World Report and its panel of board-certified pediatricians have named Childrens Hospital Los Angeles one of the top pediatric facilities in the nation. Visit our website: www.ChildrensHospitalLA.org

Hong Kong (PRWEB) June 4, 2008 — Renchi.com, a leading import video games, consoles and game gear retailer, is driving a campaign to help China's earthquake victims.

On May 12, 2008, an earthquake measuring 7.8 on the Richter scale struck the province of Sichuan, China. As of today, over 68,000 dead, 20,000 still missing, over 350,000 injured and widespread destruction is reported. More than 5,000,000 people have become homeless.

This Father's Day, you can help these children rebuild their schools and help families rebuild their homes by simply placing an order from our site. From now until June 20th, 2008, 10% of your order amount will be donated (*excluding shipping) to the Hong Kong World Vision Sichuan Earthquake Relief (Hong Kong World Vision). The World Vision is chosen because they have pledged to allocate 100% of donations for the relief work.

Please use coupon code KSCSVNBB when you check out, and 10% of your purchase amount will be donate to the Hong Kong World Vision.

Act now. Get something for your loved ones and help these children and families at the same time. See how your purchase can help these families now.

Every order helps. Your order counts! Place your order at Renchi.com now!

Mayor Tom Leppert, 53, made sweet sweet love to his main axe with "Hit Me With Your Best Shot," craning the guitar neck up and grimacing dramatically. Sure he handed it off to his 11-year-old "personal Guitar Hero coach" Aaron Blackmon mid-song. But Leppert got it back to drop to his knees for the big finish.

"I might not have hit the keys, but boy I sure got the style points," Leppert said. Aaron says the mayor is "good for his level," (ouch) but that he shouldn't play Guitar Hero as a career.

"The heck with this mayor stuff," Leppert replied.

Leppert was matched against Blockbuster CEO Jim Keyes, whom Leppert accused of practicing for "hours and hours" to get "School's Out" right. When Keyes started his licks, Leppert stuffed $5 bills in his guitar strap and half-heartedly interfered with the guitar's signal back to the console.

The fund-raiser hopes to raise $625,000 for the mayor's "Igniting Opportunity for the Children of Dallas Campaign." This is part of leadership, too — having fun at an event that's supposed to be fun. Good on Mayor Leppert.

Dallas Mayor Leppert Jams at Blockbuster Charity Event [Dallas Morning News, via GamePolitics]

Each kiosk will include an Xbox 360 packed with select games, movies and television content as well asaccess to a private network that allows hospitalized children to play games and chat with one another across the country over Live.

The first kiosks will be showing up today at Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital of New York-Presbyterian, Children's Hospital & Regional Medical Center of Seattle and the Children's Hospital of Orange County in California. Robbie Bach, president of the Entertainment and Devices Division at Microsoft, will even be on hand in Seattle to kick off the giveaway... and perhaps pwn some sick kids at Halo 3?

I kid because I care, seriously. As I've said before, I spent a chunk of one childhood summer in a children's hospital in Baltimore, so I know first hand how important it is to have toys and distractions when your hospitalized for long stretches of time.

Good for you Microsoft.

Xbox 360 Kiosks Bring Games and Entertainment to Children's Hospitals

Microsoft partners with Companions in Courage to give young patients an outlet for games and chat via private Xbox LIVE network.

REDMOND, Wash. — April 23, 2008 — Microsoft Corp. today announced a new partnership with the Companions in Courage Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting children and families who are overcoming life-threatening obstacles. As part of its commitment to providing fun, interactive entertainment for children, Microsoft is supplying hundreds of Xbox 360 game kiosks to playrooms in children's hospitals across the United States, intended to provide a respite for young patients and be a catalyst for fun. In addition to select games, movies and television content, the Xbox 360 kiosks will provide access to a private network that allows hospitalized children across the country to play games and chat in a safety-enhanced environment over Xbox LIVE, the world's largest social network connected to television.

Microsoft is celebrating this partnership and the installation of the first wave of kiosks with three simultaneous events today at Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital of New York-Presbyterian, Children's Hospital & Regional Medical Center of Seattle and the Children's Hospital of Orange County in California. Robbie Bach, president of the Entertainment and Devices Division at Microsoft, will attend the Seattle event to commemorate the first group of Xbox 360 kiosks and the launch of the special Xbox LIVE network.

"Microsoft is committed to keeping kids entertained in a variety of ways within a safer gaming environment, so partnering with Companions in Courage to offer children in hospitals a way to connect through something as universal as games is a natural fit for the work we do," Bach said. "The goal for this program is to give these kids a chance to have some fun and just be kids."

Companions in Courage founder and National Hockey League Hall of Famer Pat LaFontaine said, "Entertainment, creativity and personal connections can be important factors in alleviating some of the isolation and discomfort these children experience each day. Xbox 360 offers young patients a fun escape through games, TV shows, movies and positive interactions with others over the Xbox LIVE network. These gaming stations are a perfect complement to the interactive playrooms."

The customized and hospital-friendly Xbox 360 kiosks are pre-loaded with a variety of Y-rated TV programs, G-rated movies, games rated E and E10+, as well as Xbox 360 Headset and Xbox LIVE Vision Camera capabilities, which enable patients to communicate over a dedicated Xbox LIVE network. This network, created just for Xbox 360 kiosks and consoles in children's hospitals, allows patients to play games over Xbox LIVE, but limits chat via voice, text and video to only those children playing from select hospitals across the country. The industry-leading parental controls on Xbox 360, known as Family Settings, will be used to help restrict access to content outside ratings parameters, as well as the times during which patients can use the kiosks or consoles.

"It's extremely gratifying to witness the joy and excitement of these children and teens when they have a chance to break away from the normal hospital routine, and make new friends while playing video games," said Cynthia Sparer, executive director of Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital of New York-Presbyterian. "We are grateful that our partnership with Companions in Courage helps us meet the needs of our patients and allows kids to be kids even when they're sick."

To help bring even more Xbox 360 kiosks to children's hospitals across the country, individuals can visit the Companions in Courage Web site at http://cic16.org to make a donation.

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!

Games For Heroes [Official Site]

If Bungie really loved children they'd throw in a steak dinner with Luke Smith.

Signed Halo Mountain Dew Vending Machine! [eBay]

Badges of Honour [Xbox Canada]

Play Halo 3, Help Beenie Get a New Kidney [Hawty McBloggy]

Our team and the community as a whole is rallying to help fix this unfortunate situation. It's been awesome to see such an outpouring of sympathy and support from our community. We can't replace the exact item that was lost but, but we should come very close.

"A Glupod gamer has a real purpose and a human mission," says Ioannis, managing director and co-founder of Something Inc. "Glupod is more than a game. It's a simple, fun way to do good that anyone with a computer and access to the Internet can participate in."

What an excellent idea! stirring the competitive nature of gamers - even casual gamers - and applying it to real-world issues. I approve wholeheartedly. I tried to find more details on how the actual financial transaction works, but I've yet to find anything concrete. The money has to come from somewhere though, and I am assuming there will be some way to charge your glucs to a credit card or some such.

You can head over to Glupod.com right now and sign up for the newsletter, which grants you a free glupod upon the game's official launch. Not sure what the actual game bit entails, but I'm sure it'll be something simple and casual. Let's just hope they have a backup plan in case the player sucks. "Sorry little Naboo, your player lost. We're going to need that food back."

Yes, my imaginary sponsored child is named after a Star Wars planet.

Glupod: Online Game Lets Players Save Real Lives

ATHENS, Greece, February 25/PRNewswire/ — If you could help end world hunger, save endangered species or reverse global warming by having fun playing a game online, would you do it? Beginning this summer, you can.

A small group of socially conscious people from three continents have developed an online game designed to help the environment and fight poverty in the real world by turning game rewards into real-life help for social and environmental causes.

The game, called Glupod, will debut worldwide on May 30. It's the brainchild of Ioannis Tsiokos of Athens and a small band of colleagues at Something, Inc. who collaborate online from Greece, India, the United States and the United Kingdom.

Glupod players will be able to provide food for a starving child in Africa, protection for a whale species going extinct or offset carbon emissions and help fight global warming - all by playing Glupod, the first Video Game to deliver direct emotional fulfillment to the player.

In a nutshell, Glupod gives gamers a variety of real-world causes to choose from and enables them to convert their in-game winnings into actual help for that cause.

"Being a casual game at its core, Glupod is a simple and emotional online experience that both children and adults can enjoy in their free time" says George Rokas, an angel investor in Something Inc. "Glupod fosters human fulfillment by enabling players to make substantial difference in the world in small chunks of time. Giving back has never been so much fun."

Sony adds more smiles to the Children's Hospital in New Orleans [New York Post]
[Thanks Al]

The four friends have been going since 5pm Friday and according to their latest update, they have completed Ocarina, but hit a snag at the end of Majora's Mask due to multiple console freezes right on the last dungeon. They decided to skip the end of MM and moved on to Wind Waker in which they are currently immersed. The plan is to finish WW, complete Twilight Princess and then loop back around to complete the end of Majora's Mask.

With less than 12 hours to go, will they be able to make their goal? Whether they make it or not, it was a herculean effort that will be rewarded by a nice donation to Child's Play. So far they have raised over a thousand dollars for the charity. You can catch up on all their antics as they race to the finish at 5pm tonight at cameronbanga.com. Good luck, guys. The eyes of the internets are upon you!

What is suspect, however, is whether you actually get the signed copy of the game for your four large, seemingly the entire point of dropping this much cash on a used PS2 game. The eBay listing comes with the unclear note "Please note: I do not actually want to sell this. I am just listing it for show and to hopefully win a contest. However, if you want to spend $4000 on this then I will donate 100% of the proceeds to Child's Play Charity." The seller does have a 99.9% positive rating, so I wager you'll be satisfied. If you do decide to give up the cash, let us know when (and if) you get it.

Grand Theft Auto III Signed By Jack Thompson (PS2) [eBay - thanks, Rick!]

Ru Weerasuriya, Ready at Dawn co-founder, dropped me a line to let me know that his studio has put two eBay auctions up to hlp raise money for Child's Play.

The studio managed to get their hand on one of the last Daxter PSP Entertainment packs around and then had everyone at Ready at Dawn Studios. As if the cool autographed, hard-t0-find PSP weren't enough, the Ready at Dawn folks are throwing in an autographed piece of original production art from the game.

All proceeds go to Child's Play. Hit up the link for the U.S. auction, and check out Ready at Dawn's other auction if you live in Europe.

Ready at Dawn eBay Auction

The folks over at NCSoft have amassed quite an interesting collection of eBay auctions for Child's Play this year. The auctions, which will donate 100 percent of the proceeds to Child's Play, includes signed copies of games and posters, rare finds and, the best one, having a Tabula Rasa NPC named after you.

City of Heroes Poster Signed by Dev Team Signed City of Villains Collectors Edition City of Villains Lord Recluse Statue Tabula Rasa Signed Game & Bonuses Tabula Rasa Signed Game & Bonuses Tabula Rasa NPC Named After You!

So far the auctions are up to more than $2500, but NCSoft is hopping to hit twice that figure, so get to the link below to find the auction of your choice and get to bidding/donating.

Help Child's Play [NCSoft]

Two years ago Joel Johnson emailed me to tell me he was going to start a local fund raiser in Brooklyn for Child's Play. It was going to be at Barcade and he was, among other things, bringing along a copy of Guitar Hero for people to play. I tried to help by promoting the event on Kotaku. He ended up raising about $1,500.

The next year I was able to pitch in about 50 pounds of schwag for Joel to give away at what had become an annual event in Brooklyn. This year, finally, I was able to ask Joel if I could host my own Fünde Razor here in Denver. I won't say it wasn't frustrating at times to arrange, or stressful to kick-off, but the tremendous showing made it more than worth it and we managed to raise a spectacular $1,839, almost twice what I had expected from a first-time event.

Meanwhile Joel's Brooklyn Fünde Razor hit an all time hight raising $5,161 (including the eBay auction), bringing the grand total raised for Child's Play to $7,000. Wow... just wow. (I dropped in a little cash to make it an even $7,000 because I apparently have OCD)

A very special thanks to NetDevil, LEGO, Bond Street, Dawdle and Neuros for their donations as well as Scott Alexander, Mark Wilson, Robert Workman and all the people who showed up to have fun for charity.

So, what do you think? Should I host another Denver Funde Razor next year?

Fünde Razor

To everyone who wrote in with offers of systems and games, etc: I received so many responses that it would have been impossible to write everyone back personally, so I'll take this opportunity to tell everyone thank you. Due to the huge response they will be well taken care of on the games front. But if you still want to help out this holiday (or any time for that matter), please consider donating to Child's Play or another of the many well deserving charities out there.

I spoke with Rachel (the waitress) personally this morning and she wanted me to thank everyone for all their kindness and well wishes. She said she will be sending some pictures from Christmas morning that I will be sure to post as soon as I get them.

Happy Holidays, all!

A Highlands Ranch, Colorado retirement community recently banded together to track down a Wii for a 13-year-old girl and her father, the recent victim of a stroke.

Breanna Splawn, 13, spends most of her time at home taking care of her dad. Recently a physical therapist told her that playing Wii was great exercise for stroke patients, so she's been trying to find one, unsuccessfully. Breanna and her class recently visited Wind Crest, a Wiii-loving Erickson retirement community that happens to be less than a mile from my house, where she discovered that some of the folks living their like to play Wii.

"When we started talking about the Wii, Breanna told me her story," says Sharon Prouse, community resources manager at Wind Crest, "and I promised I'd find a Wii for her somehow."

Prouse ended up standing in line on Black Friday at the local Sam's Club for two hours and was the last person to land a Wii, which she presented to Breanna and her family earlier this week.

I love these stories.

Charity Gives Children Something To Play [CBS 46]

More pics after the jump

Even more pices here: Funde Razor 2007 @ Brooklyn Barcade [Game Grump]

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?