Archive for May 8th, 2008
« Previous EntriesSuikoden Coming To PlayStation Store [Ps One Classics]
Thursday, May 8th, 2008
The latest batch of video game ratings by the ESRB reveals a listing for Konami's classic RPG Suikoden that may indicate the title is destined for a PlayStation Store re-release. Suikoden is rated as released—or to be released—for both the PlayStation 3 and PSP, as with other PSN releases. We don't know when it's coming—PS One Classic releases are few and far between in North America—but it's most likely coming. You may be able to secure a hard copy for the standard asking price in the meantime anyway, so act accordingly.
Mortal Kombat Team “Modifying” Fatalities For DC Crossover [Ed Boon]
Thursday, May 8th, 2008
When Midway announced at their recent Gamers Day event in Las Vegas that the Mortal Kombat franchise was going to get a boost from the superheros and superheroines of the DC universe, it made us wonder, "Why?!?" It also made us wonder, "Hey, what about those signature fatalities? Surely, Kano can't rip out the heart of Blue Beetle and get away with that." Given that Ed Boon says the game is locked in at a T-rating, that particular fatality is probably out. And Superman may be a dick, but he's not a murderer.
Just don't assume that fatalities are a thing of the past. Boon says they're simply "modifying" fatalities for Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe. "The names of these moves, and the level of violence we use, are to be determined," the MK co-creator said. "But it's certainly not a feature we plan on eliminating from the series." Just please, please make good use of Plastic Man, Ed. Maybe Elongated Man, too. They're begging for some fleshy Wile E. Coyote-style murderous contraption. Begging.
Mortal Kombat's Creator Talks [GameTap]
Vomit Elevator :( [Day Note]
Thursday, May 8th, 2008To: Bash
From: Crecente
Re: Riding the Vomit Elevator
Good lord that sounds disgusting. I'm surprised it didn't kick off a Monty Python-esque vomit train. Speaking of which, I better go lay down.
What you missed:
Lord of the Rings: Conquest Gallery
FTC: It's Increasingly Difficult for Children to Buy M-Rated Games
Rockstar Explains GTA IV Multiplayer
Street Fighter Film Writer Won't "Blatantly Sexualize" Chun-Li
Battle of the Bands Review: Musical Smackdown
What If Your Character Was Only As Fit As You Are
Activision Announces Record Billion-Dollar Growth In "Breakthrough" Fiscal 08
PandoraBoy Brings Streaming Radio to Your Desktop [Featured Mac Download]
Thursday, May 8th, 2008
Mac OS X only: Free, open source application PandoraBoy pulls the popular streaming internet radio site Pandora out of your browser and integrates it with your Mac desktop. With features like global hotkeys, support for your Apple Remote, and even integration with Growl, PandoraBoy looks to be the ultimate Pandora companion for OS X. PandoraBoy is free, Mac OS X only. Windows users looking for a similar solution, check out PandoraBrowse or our bevy of other ways to get more from Pandora.
PlayStation Store Update: Haze! [North America]
Thursday, May 8th, 2008
Remember the dark days? The PlayStation Store update Thursdays with nary a downloadable worth the background download? Long gone, we hope, forever! This week, there's plenty of stuff to slake your download thirst, with demos for Haze, GRID and The Bourne Conspiracy joining extra content for PixelJunk Monsters, Guitar Hero III and Rock Band. Some of the media released over the past couple weeks, including some from Sony's recent event in London can now be watched on The Big Screen, including that lovely looking Mirror's Edge trailer. The full list is post jump!
Games and Demos
Haze demo
The Bourne Conspiracy demo
GRID demo
SOCOM: Fireteam Bravo 2 demo for PSP
Add-ons and Expansions
PixelJunk Monsters Encore expansion ($5.99)
Guitar Hero III "Muse Track Pack" ($6.25) - "Exo-Politics", "Stockholm Syndrome" and "Supermassive Black Hole" by Muse
Rock Band tracks ($1.99 each) - "Date with the Night" by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, "It Hurts" by Angels & Airwaves and "This Ain't A Scene, It's An Arms Race" by Fall Out Boy
Rock Band "Scene Pack" ($5.49)
Game Videos
WipEout HD trailer
Mirror's Edge trailer
Mercenaries 2 "Payback" trailer
Overlord: Raising Hell trailer
The Wheelman trailer
TNA Impact! "Gamer's Day" trailer
PlayStation 3 "What You Need" video
Movie and Television Trailers
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull teaser trailer
The Love Guru trailer
Iron Man trailer
Wallpapers and Themes
PixelJunk Monsters wallpapers
PixelJunk Monsters theme
Sports theme
Identify Telemarketers at CallerComplaints [Telemarketers]
Thursday, May 8th, 2008
Next time you miss a call from an unknown number, check if it's a telemarketer on the CallerComplaints web site. CallerComplaints maintains a user-submitted database of telemarketer phone numbers and even rounds up the worst offenders. Registering with the Do Not Call list is your best defense against unsolicited calls, but for those telemarketers still pushing through, CallerComplaints could come in handy.
Xbox 360 Sponsors National Family Fitness Day [Fitness]
Thursday, May 8th, 2008
Microsoft is teaming up with the Boys & Girls Club of America to help kick-off the inaugural National Family Fitness Day on May 12.
The event will take place at the Children’s Aid Society’s Dunlevy Milbank Center Boys & Girls Club, New York and inclide a chance to play DanceDanceRevolution UNIVERSE 2 on the Xbox 360 for free. Supermodel Christie Brinkley and health expert and physician Dr. Carlon Colker will both be on hand to kick things off.
Boys & Girls Clubs in Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, New York and Seattle will also be hosting similar Family Fitness Day events, though none of them will be getting a super model on hand.
“Making sure that my children stay active and healthy is my top priority,” Brinkley said. “My children and I love to find new and exciting ways to get up and get moving, and playing games like ‘DanceDanceRevolution’ on Xbox 360 lets my kids have fun and get fit at the same time. And I have to admit, I have a blast playing it too.”
The event is happening the week before Wii Fit takes over a part of Central Park with their own fitness expert: Ashley Borden
Hit the jump for the full Microsoft release:
Xbox 360 and Boys & Girls Clubs of America Team Up for Inaugural National Family Fitness Day
Families nationwide encouraged to join the “DanceDanceRevolution” to promote healthy living.
REDMOND, Wash. — May 6, 2008 — Microsoft Corp.’s Xbox 360 is teaming up with Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) to celebrate the inaugural National Family Fitness Day on May 12. National Family Fitness Day is a free, fun-filled event designed to promote healthy and active lifestyles for children and families. The key fitness activity will be playing “DanceDanceRevolution UNIVERSE 2” on Xbox 360. To help encourage families to get involved, supermodel, health guru and mother of three Christie Brinkley and health expert and physician Dr. Carlon Colker will commence the activities at the Children’s Aid Society’s Dunlevy Milbank Center Boys & Girls Club, New York.
On National Family Fitness Day, select Boys & Girls Clubs will participate in this after-school event by playing “DanceDanceRevolution UNIVERSE 2” on Xbox 360. This activity, coupled with healthy tips provided by Dr. Colker, will showcase how families can connect with each other and exercise in a way that is fun. Also on this day will be a fun, collaborative competition among participating Boys & Girls Clubs aiming to reach the goal of 500 participants and 18,000 calories burned while playing “DanceDanceRevolution” on Xbox 360. Boys & Girls Clubs in Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, New York and Seattle will all join in to start a new revolution.
“We are proud to partner with Xbox 360 for National Family Fitness Day, which showcases the fact that getting fit can also mean having fun,” said Roxanne Spillett, president and CEO of BGCA. “Playing active games like ‘DanceDanceRevolution’ on Xbox 360 not only encourages kids to get in shape, but also helps bring families together and enhances Triple Play, our existing health and wellness program.”
“National Family Fitness Day is all about keeping kids and their parents active and healthy,” said Jeff Bell, corporate vice president of Global Marketing for the Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft. “Playing ‘DanceDanceRevolution’ on Xbox 360 is one of many ways families can get up off the couch and have fun together.”
“Making sure that my children stay active and healthy is my top priority,” Brinkley said. “My children and I love to find new and exciting ways to get up and get moving, and playing games like ‘DanceDanceRevolution’ on Xbox 360 lets my kids have fun and get fit at the same time. And I have to admit, I have a blast playing it too.”
Colker, who has trained top-tier professional athletes, recognizes the health benefits that “DanceDanceRevolution” on Xbox 360 can provide, and in addition, he offers the following health tips for families:
• Shop healthy and cook at home. Buy fresh, perishable and unpackaged foods whenever possible. If ingredient contents sound too complicated, it is probably not a healthy choice. Get the whole family involved in meal preparation. It can be fun time spent together, and it is certainly healthier than fast-food alternatives.
• Check out your local community center. Places such as Boys & Girls Clubs of America offer great physical activities for children, including soccer, baseball, swimming and physical video gaming such as “DanceDanceRevolution” on Xbox 360. The supervision is top-notch and the cost is reasonable.
• Keep tabs on your physical activities. Whether it is having a family activity list on the refrigerator, or even setting the Family Timer on your Xbox 360 so that you know when you have hit your activity goal, keep track of your activities and reward progress.
• Keep a structured bedtime. You cannot expect your kids to have an active lifestyle if they are tired all the time.
More about National Family Fitness Day, the great health benefits of playing “DanceDanceRevolution” on Xbox 360, additional healthy family tips from Dr. Colker, and information on the Xbox 360 Family Timer and parental controls can be found at http://www.Xbox.com/familyfitness.
Activision Announces Record Billion-Dollar Growth In “Breakthrough” Fiscal 08 [Record Growth]
Thursday, May 8th, 2008
Activision saw a record $2.90 billion in revenue for the fiscal year ending March 2008, the publisher announced today - $602.5 million was in the fourth quarter alone, as compared to $312.5 million during the same period last year.
Strong worldwide sales for Call of Duty 4, Guitar Hero III and Spider-Man 3 drove the considerable growth, supported by Transformers: The Game and Shrek The Third. NPD data also shows that GHIII was the year's best-selling game in the U.S. and Europe in dollars during the year, while CoD4 was the number two worldwide best-seller in Europe, and the number one highest-earning PC title worldwide. Both franchises have surpassed a billion dollars in sales since launch.
It was the most profitable fourth quarter ever for Activision, even though the publisher did not release any new titles during that period. With its overall growth outpacing the rest of the market by more than four times, the company is now the number one console and handheld software publisher in dollars, according to NPD Group data.
Activision also said that a thriving video game industry overall bolstered the $1.39 billion growth on the year and near-doubling on the quarter. On the company's call to investors, chairman and CEO Bobby Kotick said he expects the install base of next-gen consoles to continue growing by 60 percent over the coming year, and that current software price points should hold, though he said the company would "monitor prices closely and remain mindful of competitive practices."
Kotick also said the Guitar Hero franchise would "continue to expand, through more SKUs and more hardware innovations, including the first peripheral ever created for Nintendo DS."
Also upcoming on the company's release slate are Enemy Territory: Quake Wars for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3; Kung Fu Panda on the Xbox 360, PS3, PS2, Wii, Windows PC and DS; Guitar Hero: On Tour for DS, and Guitar Hero: Aerosmith for Xbox 360, PS3 and PS2.
Additionally, a game based on the upcoming James Bond: Quantum of Solace film will release concurrently in Q3, developed on the same engine as CoD4. Kotick also said that "we're reinventing Tony from the ground up," hinting at big announcements to come regarding innovation on the Tony Hawk: Pro Skater franchise. "This won't be your father's Tony Hawk," he promised.
Activision also announced today that it will release downloadable content "for certain key titles" at the end of 2008, an area in which the company says it sees "continued growth and emerging opportunities."
Primarily, the company looks ahead to the finalization of its merger with Vivendi Games (notably including Blizzard Entertainment and its market-leading World of Warcraft), which still requires stockholder approval and other closing procedures.
Through the partnership, the company is planning moves into the MMO business in both North America and Asia. Activision's September 2007 acquisition of Bizarre Creations also positions the company, it said, to enter the racing game genre.
Kotick said that the company's studio structure positions the company advantageously, as it "allows studios to maintain creative culture which gives edge in attracting talent and fostering creativity." He also said that Activision remains the only publisher not to delay a key title during the year thanks to its proficiency in next-gen console development and the strength of its studio structure.
"Fiscal 2008 marks the 6th consecutive year we have grown our business," Kotick. "This achievement would not have been possible without the creativity, hard work and dedication of our employees and our commitment as a company to deliver long-term shareholder value."
"Over the last two decades Activision has had many successful years. However, this fiscal year was a breakthrough year for the company."
Mechanical Dry Erase Board
Thursday, May 8th, 2008
This is a mechanical/computerized dry erase board that works almost exactly like an etch and sketch... although this prototype does not show the Z axis, I have instructions and a working demo to demonstrate how you can make a functional Z axis. (pen up and pen down)By using a joystick, some contr...
By: Romado12187
Advanced Run Opens Programs as Another User [Featured Windows Download]
Thursday, May 8th, 2008
Windows only: Freeware application Advanced Run is a replacement for the traditional Windows Run dialog that can run any program as another user without logging you out of your account. Aside from that, Advanced Run does all the same things your regular Run dialog does, and Advanced Run will launch in place of it whenever you hit Windows-R or Start -> Run. It also adds a Run As option to your right-click dialog, so you can launch any program on your desktop as another user. Advanced Run is freeware, Windows only (go to the Downloads tab to download).
What If Your Character Was Only As Fit As You Are [Cater To Us Dammit]
Thursday, May 8th, 2008
We've seen the theme before: Video games, forsaking all outdoor activity to play them, can lead to obesity. Recently someone sent me a video, which does a great job of getting that message across. It also reminds me of this idea I had last year for a game that would use over-the-counter heart rate monitors to track your running ability and then port it into a first-person shooter. Can you imagine, a game where your character can only run as fast as you can? A game that would get you to go to the gym to improve character stats. Yes, I know there are plenty of devices out there that try to port over your physicality in real time, but I think the best way to do this is to pop in your real-life stats, so you don't have to be screwing around with weird controllers.
Alright, I'm totally calling you out video game industry, I want someone to come up with a mode for Call of Duty or Half-Life or some PC shooter that makes this happen. Get to it.
Check out the video on the jump.