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FCC Report Praises Video Game Ratings
Remember how news about a week ago that the FCC was looking into a universal ratings system spooked the video game sector? Relax. A report delivered to Congress expresses a rather high opinion of how games are self-regulated. Quoting the Progress and Freedom Foundation, the report, published Aug. 31, says ESRB ratings are “in many…
By Owen Good -
The Secret World: Which Side Are You On?
Along with the second teaser trailer we talked about on Thursday, Funcom has released a slew of new images depicting the Dragon, the Illuminati, and the Templars, the three factions of The Secret World. I spent a bit of time this weekend discussing The Secret World with Funcom, but I can’t tell you about it…
By Mike Fahey -
Why Is Klei’s CEO Playing With Dolls?
This is what greeted me when I arrived at the Sheraton down the street from PAX to meet with Klei Entertainment CEO Jamie Cheng regarding the company’s latest game, Shank. So what do spooky dolls and an even spookier CEO have to do with a cartoonish beat-em up that could wind up being my game…
By Mike Fahey -
The Triumphant Return Of My Sega Nomad
At the retro game shop towards the back of the main show floor at PAX 09 I was finally reunited with a long-lost friend of mine – the Sega Nomad. Back in 1999 I had found a Sega Nomad – a portable Sega Genesis that eats batteries like they were crack and it was one…
By Mike Fahey -
Game Boy Houses 80 GB “Super Hard Drive”
From the just-because-I-can department: This modder stuffed an 80 GB drive inside a Game Boy, USB-enabled the case and then, for good measure, printed out that screen design and stuck it to the glass. He even went so far as to match up the drive’s LED indicator with the Game Boy’s battery indicator. It’s fooled…
By Owen Good -
MAG Hands-On: Army Of Me And A Fierce Pancake
The only thing more exciting than playing in a massive, 256-player battle in MAG? Teaming up with another player who has no idea you have formed a bond with him that will last a lifetime. If you caught my preview of Sony’s MAG (Massive Action Game) from E3 earlier this year, it neatly sums up…
By Mike Fahey -
XBL Avatar Golf Game is Now Available
Hey, remember the “leaked footage” of the Xbox Live avatar golf game? Mystery solved. It’s available on the Marketplace in the Indie Games channel. Avatar Golf is its name, because, well, it’s golfing with your avatar. It’s definitely a character-swap game for Easy Golf, as some guessed when the footage was released. The good news…
By Owen Good -
Chinese Gamers, PO’d at MMO, Shut it Down
Hot Blooded Legend is not the name of a skinflick, but rather, one of the most beloved online games in China. Last week, its publisher released a “nostalgia edition” of the game, and players revolted against the make-a-buck rehash. On Aug. 28, hundreds of them, feeling that publisher Shanda used “false advertising” to “take advantage…
By Owen Good -
Playing Games as a Form of Travel
In light of the fact this is a holiday weekend, here’s a lighter look at how video games are a context for our cultural experiences, and may one day be a substantial basis for them. Confronted with his ex-girlfriend’s rather facile reduction of two experiences – travel and video games -to somewhat common traits, writer…
By Owen Good -
Study Manages to Make Game Ads Even More Obnoxious
Hey you got your video game violence in my in-game ads! You got your in-game ads in my video game violence! Two great trends go great together in a study that says blood-spattered brands are more memorable. Well, duh. A team of U.S. and European researchers found that, even though players spent less time looking…
By Owen Good -
Live From PAX 09: SeanBad And His Magical Gameboy
It’s just not PAX without an improptu chiptune performance on the stairs outside the Seattle Center. The artist is SeanBad, the music is pretty damn amazing, and the crowd is slightly nuts. In some cases extremely nuts. Questionable crowd quality aside, SeanBad’s performance completely made my night. Be sure to check out his MySpace, where…
By Mike Fahey -
In the Preseason, 2K Sports Reports First
The preseason may not matter in the standings. But look at the NFL’s, look at baseball’s spring training. It matters to those sports, and to their bottom lines. And it’s starting to matter to video games. NBA 2K10’s Draft Combine released Thursday for the PS3, a week after it went out to Xbox Live. The…
By Owen Good -
Scenes And Screens From Ron Gilbert’s DeathSpank
Behold screenshots and a trailer for Ron Gilbert‘s DeathSpank, due out 2010-ish for too many platforms to mention. DeathSpank is a 3D action RPG from Ron Gilbert, the man behind classic PC games like The Secret of Monkey Island and Maniac Mansion. With that sort of pedigree, you can expect a game that’s at the…
By Mike Fahey