Even if you know all about Chike — iamchris4life — put down your urge to dismiss his fame and read the story. It is a very, very positive portrayal of a young video gamer, something we rarely see in mainstream media, much less The New York Times. The best we usually get are condescending features on local news, read over by with-it reporters faking lingo. Writer Dave Itzkoff goes to Rochester, Minn. to get the full story, and then expands on the future and potential opportunities for super-expert or professional gamers.

Chris Chike is Guitar Hero's Hero [The New York Times, thanks Yeliab]

Call it nerd rage. Like loyalists of a once-partisan politician who tacks toward the center later in an election cycle, old-school gamers are coming to terms with the ramifications of their favorite’s newfound popularity. Though they have long craved mainstream respectability for video games, players sometimes resent the concessions their champion must make to attract mainstream adherents.

I think we all get why the industry is doing this; I think we all understand that we're talking about publicly traded corporations, who must show growth and not just profitability; I think we can see how it ties into the survival of the consoles and publishers we patronize, and how it affects their ability to give us what we really want. And I think we can all agree we wouldn't be caught dead playing candy-coated shit like Wii Music. In lawyer's parlance, we can stipulate to all of that.

But there's one description of "me" to which I won't:

"In the popular imagination, a gamer is a caffeine-fueled 26-year-old with a paunch, the local pizza place on speed dial and a hard drive full of Internet pornography."

They only got me on three of those. Plus my hard drive isn't full (duh) so really, two out of six.

As Game Studios Court the Mainstream, Old Customers Feel Marooned [The New York Times, Thanks reader Douginator]

When it comes time to script this new game, we hope the developers will notice that the Beatles’ two early movies, “A Hard Day’s Night” (1964) and “Help!” (1965), came as close to being video games as they could in an era before video games had even been thought of. Those movies embed the band’s music in action that’s nearly as frenetic and sweetly fun as anything a frenetic kid with a game controller could ask for. We would like to hope that it might also be about the extraordinary musical chemistry of Lennon and McCartney, those long, long hours at Abbey Road and the unreal sense of discovery and freshness that came out of that studio.

Game Informer? Reader's Digest? Answer:

It was the New York Times editorial board, who also admit to "a certain sense of loss" when they consider the idea of a video game about The Beatles. A game about the musical chemistry between Lennon and McCartney? Yeah sure. And how about a Beatles version of Ico scored to "I Want To Hold Your Hand"?

Editorial: Let It Be [New York Times]

[Pic]

The New York Times tackles MGS 4 in brief — discussing both the story ('What does it mean?') and people's reactions to the game, including a couple of choice quotes from our very own Leigh Alexander. Several other game writers weigh in on MGS 4's story and execution:

Even as gamers ponder what this symbolism means (an allegory of war in the era of Blackwater Worldwide and stateless enemy combatants?), they are also debating whether the story of Metal Gear Solid 4 is a satisfying one, and if its storytelling techniques are used effectively.

“You get so caught up in just figuring out, Does this story need to be here?” said Stephen Totilo, an MTV News reporter who covers video games. “That’s not a question you wind up asking yourself when you’re reading a novel. Of course the story needs to be there! Otherwise you don’t have a novel.”

Players like Shawn Elliott, the senior executive editor of the gaming Web site 1up.com, have criticized the game for its preachiness, and for its reliance on lengthy cinematic interludes that can run 30 minutes or longer.

“It can basically become a movie for long stretches,” Mr. Elliott said. “It’s not necessarily a game catching up with movies, but a game kind of cheating and using a language that isn’t native to its own medium.”

Leigh is even described as an "unrepentant fan." Since the article is mostly taken up with quotes from people who know what they're talking about, it's not as eye rollingly bad as many NYT gaming-related articles can be ...

The Shootout Over Hidden Meanings in a Video Game [NYT]

Wow, it hasn't been a good week for the New York Times.

Turns out that New York Times story didn't just mix up the DS and PSP's features, oh and misspell Reggie's name twice, it also screwed up what exactly was downloadable to the Wii as a full-blown game and what was just for demos.

That's right, according to Nintendo, the Wii will NOT be able to transmit or download full DS games. Apparently the New York Times confused DS demos with WiiWare titles. So you can download full on Wii games (which we knew), but only wireless DS demo games (which we also knew).

From Nintendo:

An article about the Nintendo DS video game system in the Dec. 31 Business Day section of the New York Times incorrectly referred to future capabilities of the device. The statement that complete Nintendo DS games will eventually be able to be downloaded into the device via a wireless connection with the company's Wii game console is incorrect. Users can download games to play on Wii, and, in the future, the Nintendo DS will be able to receive demo versions of some DS games from Wii, but not the entire game. The demo will be erased once the Nintendo DS is turned off.

Good lord, that's four mistakes in one story, five if you include the correction to the correction they had to run. A new record?

See Correction Number 3 [NYT]

When the New York Times' Seth Schiesel delivered this year's video game awards in the paper, they arrived on the back of his hand. While some of the awards, like best newcomer for BioShock and Best Adaptation of an Adored Intellectual Property for The Lord of the Rings Online, are pretty straight forward and complimentary, most of them come with more than a little slap down.

Take for instance the Best Unambitious Representations of the State of the Art, awarded to Halo 3 and Super Mario Galaxy. While both receive an "award", Schiesel uses it as an excuse to point out their flaws. Halo 3 is called a polished gem, but one that merely relies on the "time-tested Halo formula rather than a daring attempt to provide a new sort of experience."

Super Mario Galaxy too gets a bit of a poke, with Schiesel calling it a "reinvention of classic play modes" and not something genuinely new.

Hit the jump for the full list of awards and the New York Times to read all of the "compliments."

BEST NEWCOMER: BIOSHOCK
MOST DIFFICULT DELIVERY: THE NEW E3
BEST ADAPTATION OF AN ADORED INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY: THE LORD OF THE RINGS ONLINE
BEST UNAMBITIOUS REPRESENTATIONS OF THE STATE OF THE ART: HALO 3 AND SUPER MARIO GALAXY
BEST SINGLE-HANDED RESCUE OF A MAJOR GAME SYSTEM: RATCHET & CLANK: TOOLS OF DESTRUCTION
GAME OF THE YEAR: MASS EFFECT

High Scores for the Games of 2007 [NYT]

The NYT makes mention of the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 both being powered by the Cell processor, with the latter listing for as low as $299. Furthermore, the paper refers to Gran Turismo 5 as "a hyper-realistic, high-speed journey, is one of the [PlayStation 3's] best sellers." At least they know that Halo 3 is the third episode in the series, a game that Dan Strack, a trader for a Wall Street bank, is quoted as calling the "latest and greatest game that people are walking on water over."

While this edition of the New York Times may be forgiven, as it may have come from the future, we can't excuse Strack's sloppy metaphor. Halo 3 doesn't make you Jesus.

Some Essential Hardware (Even Away From the Street) [New York Times - thanks, Aaron]

With decreasing revenues and circulation rates—PC Gamer is down some 90,000 copies over the past four years—the only way to survive is to adapt. Conscious focus on more in-depth content in magazines and pushing the symbiotic relationship of online and offline media might just keep EGM and other Ziff Davis properties from death's door.

As a longtime fan of print publications, I still subscribe to EGM. I've also recently signed on for the Official Xbox Magazine, Games For Windows and the Official PlayStation Magazine. Despite the flood of online content, there are still worthwhile publications worth reading on a monthly basis, even if the news content they provide is often outdated.

Anyone else out there with a healthy daily intake of print and electronic video game news?

Game News in a Duel of Print and Online [New York Times]

In humans, exercise improves what scientists call "executive function," the set of abilities that allows you to select behavior that's appropriate to the situation, inhibit inappropriate behavior and focus on the job at hand in spite of distractions. Executive function includes basic functions like processing speed, response speed and working memory, the type used to remember a house number while walking from the car to a party.

Best quote? Barnett's conclusion that "steak knives and swimming pools pose a greater threat to children, but nobody is trying to restrict adult access to those tools." Simply a nice, articulate response that attempts to address a "grossly outdated" American view on the evils of gaming.

Way Beyond Pong [New York Times]

The NYT and Persuasive Games have a new relationship, and Times Select subscribers can now get access to 'newsgames' via NYT's editorial pages. While several newsgames have been getting press in recent months, this marks a first for newsgames really going mainstream. The first game published is called "Food Import Folly," with obvious ties to the current tainted imported Chinese goods headlines.

Ian Bogost, founding partner of Persuasive Games, says, "This is unprecedented, and at the risk of tooting my own horn, I think it represents another important shift in videogames as a medium. This is news/editorial in videogame form, rather than videogames trying to make news fun." Maggie Greene

The New York Times Publishes Our Newsgames [Water Cooler Games]

It's a mixed bag of titles this week. We have a movie franchise game, a new RPG, the re-emergence of a classic, a comic card game, mechs, a high school sim and even the simple crossword puzzle. Not a whole lot that's of too much interest to me although I kind of want to see the Pirates game just because those character models are stunning. Anything here you'll be picking up? Flynn De Marco

• Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (X360, PC, PS2, WII, PS3, DS, PSP) Set sail with Capt. Jack Sparrow and grab yourself some booty.
• Halo 2 (PC)
  The long awaited Vista version finally arrives
• Odin Sphere (PS2)
  Take a pretty RPG, throw in a little brawling and you've got Odin sphere.
• Dawn of Mana (PS2)
  The popular Mana series finally gets a follow up.
• Naruto: Ninja Council 3 (DS)
  More Naruto for your DS
• WarTech: Senko no Ronde (X360)
  Major mech madness.
• Brooktown High: Senior Year (PSP)
  Relive the horror of High School all over again.
• Death, Jr. and the Science Fair of Doom (DS)
  La Petite mort.
• Marvel Trading Card Game (DS)
  Think, Marvel:The Gathering.
• The New York Times Crosswords (DS)
  Why wait till Sunday?

The New York Times is reporting that the Nintendo Wii has "upset the order of the video game world" leading them to claim that the only console seaworthy of navigating the Blue Ocean is leading the PLAYSTATION 3 in buzz and sales. Even moms love it!

"You're up and you're moving, and it makes you feel more involved," said Tracy Ciardiello, 28, a stay-at-home mother [...] "After an hour, a thing pops on the screen that says, 'Why not take a rest?' That just made me laugh."

Sony Computer Entertainment America's David Karraker, on the other hand, isn't showing Wii quite the same love, claiming that it may be "considered an impulse buy more than anything else." SCEA couldn't be more right. I've been witness to no less than thirty people on three separate occasions just impulsively snapping up Wiis after waiting for hours outside my local Best Buy. My assumption was always that they were getting up early to hoard additional copies of Mobile Suit Gundam: Target In Sight and thought "Maybe I'll grab a Wii since I'm out of bed at 6 AM on a Sunday!" Michael McWhertor

Nintendo's Wii, Radiating Fun, Is Eclipsing Sony Machine [NYT]

Majesco announced today that The New York Times Crosswords, a game that will feature, wait for it, the New York Times Crosswords. Clever title, huh?

The game, which ships this spring, will feature more than 1,000 crossword puzzles and the ability to handwrite in answers with the stylus. It will also include several modes such as Puzzle Me Quick, Puzzle Week and Challenge Mode. Finally, the game will have some coop and competitive two-player modes.

Unfortunately, it doesn't look like it will support any sort of ability to update with new puzzles. That would kick ass. Imagine a NYT Crossword game that actually updated with the current, in-paper, puzzles. Oh, well. We all know that Nintendo and online just don't like to mix. Brian Crecente

EDISON, N.J., Jan. 31 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Crossword puzzle aficionados will soon have a new outlet as Majesco Entertainment Company (Nasdaq: COOL - News), an innovative provider of digital entertainment products and content, today announced The New York Times Crosswords for the Nintendo DS(TM). Developed by Budcat Creations, The New York Times Crosswords will challenge even the most savvy wordplay enthusiasts when it ships this spring.

"The challenging fun of The New York Times crossword puzzles combined with the stylus-based functionality of the Nintendo DS is a perfect pairing from our perspective," said Ken Gold, vice president of Marketing, Majesco. "Handwriting recognition lends authenticity to gameplay while wireless multiplayer offers social players a means to enjoy the game with other fans on the go. The New York Times Crosswords really is the ultimate game for passionate crossword puzzle lovers."

The New York Times Crosswords features more than 1,000 real crossword puzzles and the unique ability to write in answers with the stylus or use a Touch Screen keyboard to enter letters. Various modes of play include Puzzle Me Quick for a fast word fix; Puzzle Week for extended play with progressive difficulty; or Challenge mode with adjustable time and difficulty settings. In addition, the game includes both cooperative and competitive 2-player play so puzzle fanatics can work together or face off in wireless challenges.

For more information about Majesco's exciting line of products please visit www.majescoentertainment.com.

For now, Microsoft! Don't get too cocky. It's no secret that the New York Times is not a huge fan of Sony's monolith of a console, the PlayStation 3, but the NYT is breaking it down for the vacillating console crowd why they should pick up an Xbox 360 this holiday season.

Writer Seth Scheisel breaks it down feature by feature, comparing each console's online feature set, graphical capabilities, movie playback skills and more. His conclusion?

Right now there is basically no rational reason to buy a PlayStation 3 instead of an Xbox 360.

Damn! Since I fall into the irrational segment, I'll reserve comment. It will probably just sound insane.

While reading the now-gen roundup, see if you can spot the throwaway mention of the Nintendo Wii, some console that you swing at people or something. Michael McWhertor

Duking It Out for a Houseful of Smiles [The New York Times]
The New York Times Hates PS3, Too [Kotaku]

While Sony fanboys and eBay scalpers are in L-U-V-love with their shiny piano black PlayStation 3's, it seems the New York Times just isn't feelin' it.

Mostly kvetching about the software services side of things, the Times dogs Sony for their inability to meet Microsoft's simple Xbox 360 set up and library-wide feature support (standard custom soundtracks, unified friends list). Sony also gets taken to task for hardware flubs like having to wire your SIXAXIS on a PS3 to get it recognized and failing to include component cables.

All valid complaints, but will gamers care? PS3 online is currently a no cost affair and free goes a long way. Plus, many folks will never know better about the Times' hardware complaints.

Will Sony's slick looking but spotty (read: kinda shitty) services design turn off the masses or does the PlayStation brand (and hype) carry enough weight to land them a pass? Michael McWhertor

A Weekend Full of Quality Time With PlayStation 3 [NYT]

Then he goes on to claim that a game no one has played yet — designed by a man who makes games that both Eliza and I find excruciatingly dull and published by the most evil gaming conglomerate on Earth — is going to be our generation's most defining work, and Will Wright? Our Da Vinci. EA? The Medicis. And that's when I wanted to cosh Steven Johnson over the head with my big rubbery one.

Otherwise, though, it's a well-written, in-depth look at the same Spore shit we've been hearing about for ages, aimed more at the New York Times' sophisticate of pretentious snobs than down-to-earth gamers without airs and graces like toi and moi. Florian Eckhardt

The Long Zoom [NY Times]

I admit it, I have a bit of a man-crush on Clive Thompson. But who wouldn't? He gets to write about video games for the likes of Wired Magazine and the Grey Lady and also churns out thoughtful introspective gaming pieces on his personal blog. He's like the Lester Bangs of video gaming.

His latest piece looks at the state of "serious games", aka persuasive games, aka agenda games. In it he touches on a number of our favorite thinking titles like Peacemaker, Madrid and Super Columbine Massacre RPG!
While the story does an excellent job of framing the questions (Can video games be art? Can they grapple with disturbing issues, or does the act of playing a game inherently trivialize things?) it doesn't really get around to answering them.

It's still worth a read, especially because it quotes Kotaku. Clive, who loves ya baby? Brian Crecente

Saving the World, One Video Game at a Time

Or alternately, "New York Times Finally Hits 21st Century".

Tipper Adam sent this in (along with the above quip) and after being dragged through the NYT's registration gauntlet, I was fially allowed to read their out-of-touch folderol:

But as popular as PC gaming is and has been, the general public has never really thought of the home computer as a primary game system. [...] Well, here come the dragons.

After years of treating games, game players and game makers as the vaguely disreputable loons of the PC family, Microsoft is making a major strategic shift. Just as games are becoming a core part of mainstream entertainment, Microsoft is beginning to embrace gaming as a core part of using a computer.

Aside from an unhealthy fascination with dragons, the article has this sort of patronizing, explaining-things-to-grandma tone throughout.

Although, explaining to grandma is exactly what the quoted Microsoft representative sounds like he is doing, so perhaps there are multiple factors combining here to make this article so irritating. Eliza gauger

Full article here (registration required) [New York Times]

This New York Times fluff piece on The Sims (not The Sims 2) is a lot like that, only you're the elitist who gets to do the contemptuous sneering. It's always cute when the mass media jumps upon the threadbare coattails of a five year old game's popularity, especially when they go around asking psychologists to explain a cultural phenomenon that gamers have understood since the beginning: The Sims is a virtual doll house, except your tiny pixellated homunculii can eat, screw and crap themselves

It is worth a read, if only for brilliant quotes from clever cats who just don't get the faggery: "I've never quite understood what the pleasure is of constantly monitoring the characters' various emotional and financial thermometers to make sure they're getting enough food and happiness to keep your characters buzzing around."

Welcome to the New Dollhouse [New York Times]

The New York Times looks at the LucasArts revival in a technology story that ran today. Laura M. Holson writes that George Lucas decided in 2004 to reinvigorate their ailing game development arm and strive to make that branch one of the top five game developers in the world.

Don't be so quick to laugh, according to the article LucasArts has jumped from number 13 to number 8 in game sales and they've got some interesting things up their sleeves.

Some interesting bits and pieces from the article:

On creating new franchises:

"We are not the 'Star Wars' game company," said Micheline Chau, president of Lucasfilm. "And Jim knows what he has to do."

While the games division makes up about 25 percent of overall revenue for Lucasfilm, Ms. Chau said, it accounts for only 10 percent of the company's operating profit. This is why one of Mr. Ward's main goals is to create original franchises.

"The 'Star Wars' brand is a massive advantage, but they are going to have to market new innovation," said John Riccitiello, a partner at the video game investor Elevation Partners, who has known Mr. Ward for several years. "It's early. It may take another five years for their story to develop, but it is going to be interesting."

On game delays:

Mr. Ward took a different approach to video game advertising. For example, he participated last November in "The Apprentice" to promote not only the DVD release of "Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge of the Sith" but the Star Wars Battlefront II game as well.

And he is openly critical of Electronic Arts, a competitor, for not being able to deliver its Godfather video game to consumers on time. "It is absolutely a sin," he proclaimed.

(Jeff Brown, a spokesman for Electronic Arts, said, "Delaying the Godfather wasn't an easy decision, but getting it right was crucial to the future of the franchise.")

On a new Star Wars game (I thought they weren't the Star Wars game company?)

Their excitement was palpable on a recent afternoon, when Mr. Ward, Mr. Hirschmann and Haden Blackman, the project leader of a forthcoming "Star Wars" game, reviewed all of the company's recent projects. Mr. Blackman outlined a new storyline that delved deeper into Darth Vader's history.

Mr. Hirschmann later demonstrated a test game, shouting and jumping each time a storm trooper tumbled onscreen, the character barely catching his fingers on the pixel ledge. And he gleefully explained how researchers had tracked down images of San Francisco buildings from 1915 for the future Indiana Jones game.

At LucasArts, No Playing Around in Quest to Be No. 1
[New York Times, thanks David]

The article reminds us that not every game has to be online or massive or both to be fun.

Nice quote after the jump.

...imagine if only one theater company in the world still focused on producing old plays. Then imagine the pressure and anticipation from the few remaining fans if that one group of Shakespeareans put on a new show only every four years or so.

If you can imagine that, you can understand Oblivion's place in the game world and why for thousands of gamers of a certain generation, men and women in their late 20's and 30's who grew up on big medieval fantasy epics, Oblivion has been such a rush. Since its release for PC's and the Xbox 360 last week, the game has sold out in stores across the country and appears to be supplying the first noticeable competition to World of Warcraft, the "American Idol" of games, for the hearts and minds of many old-school players.

Two decades ago, games played by one person at a time, in which the player's character navigates a high-fantasy world of goblins and elves, constituted the best-selling state of the art. But today, fantasy role-playing games that can be played by hundreds, thousands, or even millions of players at once, all meeting in cyberspace and navigating the world they collectively inhabit, have become vastly more popular. And in the process, single-player fantasy swashbucklers have been relegated to dustbin status, an afterthought, if any thought, for most game makers.

Yet for Todd Howard, 35, and the rest of the Elder Scrolls team at Bethesda Softworks in Rockville, Md., harnessing the latest technologies in the service of old-style fantasy epics is like using modern tools to create the toys you always dreamed of as a child.

Here are the links and ledes:

Rocky Mountain News
PlayStation 3's followers tire of the waiting game: Sony's announcement of a delayed street date for its PlayStation 3 may be too little, too late.

Mercury News
Sony's PS 3 delay likely means tumultuous year for video game industry: Sony's decision to delay the PlayStation 3 video game console — although not unexpected — will likely make 2006 a rocky year for the video game industry.

Wall Street Journal
Sony Delays PlayStation 3 to Fall: TOKYO — Sony Corp. said it will delay the launch of its next-generation video game console until November from the spring, even as competition is intensifying with advanced devices from rivals.

New York Times
Gamers Voice Some Annoyance With Sony: Those who invest or work in the video game industry expressed little surprise yesterday at Sony's announcement that it would delay its next PlayStation console until November. The shock appeared limited to the industry's customers: everyday gamers. And the beneficiary seemed to be Microsoft.

Associated Press
Sony does the expected and delays PlayStation 3 release: SAN JOSE, Calif. - When Sony Corp. hiccups, everyone else in the video game industry feels it.

The Warriors hit the streets today and The New York Times has an interview with the brothers behind Rockstar to talk about it. The Houser brothers describe the game's brawls as Double Dragon with more power and tout the game's ability to have mass rumbles that you can interact with. For Seth Schiesel's part, he seems impressed, saying that the game manages to be both simple to pick up and deep enough to keep you around playing. The story goes on to touch on the brother's background, how they came to found Rockstar and why they are so good at turning American culture into gaming mayhem.

The Gangs of New York [NYT]