Frankenreview, Super Mario Galaxy (Wii)

The time has come. No more bullshit, no more trailers, no more promises. Next-gen is officially now-gen, as all the long-lusted, near-fabled releases are finally upon us. Since the Wii's launch, we've been treated to a few classic Nintendo franchises. But things just didn't feel right before the pudgy-but-steadfast plumber showed up and started kicking some ass...like he did in today's Frankenreview. So hit the jump to see why the critics loved Super Mario Galaxy so much, and what makes it so much more than another 3D platformer.

GameSpy

Super Mario Galaxy's graphics are out of this world. We've not seen such a beautifully vibrant game on the Wii. The strong use of bold colors married with the better-than-expected texturing makes for a great-looking game. It runs, as expected, very well at 480p in a 16:9 apsect ratio, and while a small part of us aches for a 720/1080p version of the game, we'll take what we can get. There's nothing else on the system that looks this good...

NintendoWorldReport

...the pseudo-linearity, aided by the automatic camera, makes it possible for the game to go back to its 2-D platforming roots rather than the wide-open, but less interesting seek-and-find nature of prior games. Occasionally, a handful of Star Shards must be collected to progress, but there is nothing approaching the tediousness of the blue coin collecting in Super Mario Sunshine. Players will absolutely want to collect all of the Power Stars.

GameSpot

It helps that practically every stage in the game has a great deal of replayability purely on its own merits. These levels are just inherently fun to go back to again and again...comets will enter orbit in some of these galaxies, and thus change the way you play in some bizarre way. Whether it's speeding up all the enemies in an area, putting you on a timed run, or having you race against a doppelganger Mario, there's a nice variety of change-ups to experience.

CVG

Galaxy also plays around with gravity and physics like no Mario game before it. You'll flip gravity to navigate giant block mazes, use a planet's gravity to propel yourself to a new platform and shoot into the stars...no matter where you run or jump gravity will twist and pull you towards the planet, allowing you to run all the way around it and even jump to other planets by hopping into their gravitational pull... It's not as revolutionary as Mario 64, but it certainly re-defines what we expect from a 3D platformer.

Eurogamer

It's simply an explosion of inventiveness - a total rejection of the cookie-cutter. There's almost no way of knowing when you go into a level what it's going to look like, what you'll need to do, or how long it will take. One star will be a cheeky diversion, the next a five-stage epic of delight and adventure.

Hmm... what can you say to all these near perfect reviews? Something cheesy. Like, Houston, your Mario Galaxy has landed on the Wii. No, actually that's horrible. But we'll leave it up as an example of what never to say when talking about the game.

Nintendo warns of Wii shortages

A chronic shortage of Nintendo's popular Wii console could mean disappointment for those putting it at the top of their Christmas list. The BBC has learned that high street retailers are struggling to keep up with demand for the console, which has been in short supply for months.

Websites such as Wii-consoles.co.uk have been set up to help shoppers find out when stock becomes available.

Nintendo said it was "doing everything possible" to keep up with demand.

Its push to fill the shelves in time for Christmas will see it ship an extra 3.5 million consoles globally. It is not known how many extra consoles will make it to UK shelves.

In April Nintendo estimated a yearly shipment of 14m units, but that has now been raised to 17.5m.

Despite this, the gaming giant admitted that not everyone who wants one is guaranteed a Wii this Christmas.

"The demand for Wii hardware globally has been unprecedented and higher than Nintendo could ever have anticipated," said a spokeswoman.

"Nintendo is now in a position in which seasonality demand trends are being broken, therefore the demand for Wii hardware is constant throughout the whole year globally. Due to this phenomenon it is possible that the demand for Wii hardware may outstrip supply," she said.

Slow trickle

From the high street, the message is very similar.

"Although we're receiving regular deliveries from Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft and getting the products onto the shelves as fast as we can - it's possible that demand will outstrip supplies on some products, for example the Nintendo Wii, which has been hugely popular all through the year," read a statement from high street gaming specialist Game.

"We're posting daily updates on our website at www.game.co.uk/stock to give customers the latest news on availability, and will continue to do everything possible to help our customers find the consoles they want."

Woolworths said that it was receiving a "slow trickle of stock every week" and also advised customers to keep an eye on their website.

"The Nintendo Wii consoles have proved extremely popular with our customers and have been flying off the shelves whenever we get new stock in," said a spokeswoman.

Source: BBC

See this post - I just bought one from Amazon Germany Wii are well pleased

NEW PAINT BY DS ARTWORK AND VIDEO RELEASE

See the professional's artwork before you try it yourself in Paint by DS

Mercury Games today released new artwork from the Paint by DS game and a new video showing the game in action.

Paint by DS is a digital colouring book which enables the player to recreate masterpieces by renowned artists such as Hokusai, Cezanne and Van Gogh, in their own artistic style. The player uses the DS stylus to mix oil and water-based paints to create colours and consistencies and then paint the artwork.

The game is published by Mercury Games and distributed by Atari in the UK. The game will be released in December 2007, priced at £19.99/€24.99.

THE SIMS 2 TEEN STYLE STUFF INTRODUCES MUST-HAVE STUFF FOR YOUR TEEN SIMS

EA Launches First-Ever Stuff Pack Expressly for Teen Sims Introducing New Fashions, Furniture, Gadgets, and Décor Items

For the first time, Electronic Arts has brought The Sims players a stuff pack with the exclusive intent of giving their teen Sims everything they need to express their unique style! The Sims 2 Teen Style Stuff*, now on store shelves, lets your teen Sims define their own space while showing some attitude with all-new, unique furniture, décor items, fashions and more! Whether your teen Sims identify as “Goth,” “Thrasher” or “Socialite,” there are plenty of new ways for them for them to express their true selves by the way they dress or the way they decorate their rooms inside The Sims 2 Teen Style Stuff!

With The Sims 2 Teen Style Stuff, players can give their teen Sims a new stereo, TV, and other gadgets to keep them up to date and in touch with their friends. Make sure your Sims are always sporting the latest teen fashions including track suits, designer jeans, and yoga outfits. Let your young Sims express themselves in ways only teenagers can! In addition, The Sims 2 Teen Style Stuff is the first stuff pack to feature a The Sims contest winner! A fan with the username Nessabop was the grand prize winner of The Sims 2 Seasons Simlish Karaoke Contest, which pitted fans of The Sims 2 and The Sims On Stage against each other in an online karaoke contest. The challenge was to sing the song ‘Smile’, originally recorded by Capitol Records artist Lily Allen. The top two finalists were chosen by Lily Allen herself. The grand prize winner was given the opportunity to record The Sims 2 song ‘Chocolate’ at EA Headquarters! Nessabop’s version of ‘Chocolate’ is featured in The Sims 2 Teen Style Stuff and is available for download at TheSims2.com!

KEY FEATURES


Dress to Express: Give your teen Sims new outfits that truly express their personalities, from activewear for the skateboarding, surfing “thrasher” to the latest trends for the “socialite” or some more unique wear for the “goth” of the family!

Private Spaces or Party Spaces: All teens want their own room that is a place where they can be happy when they want to get away from it all, or a place where all of their friends can hang out. From elite furniture like a “Fit for Royalty” bed to the more laid-back look of a cool “Fluffy Rocker” to a “Tall and Terrible” armoire for a darker dominion, there’s something here to make everyone feel right at home.

Tech-Savvy Teens: Teens today spend their time playing with technology, and your teen Sims should be no different, so here you can find computers, music players and all types of gadgets and electronics for your Sims to stay as current as you do!

Product Specifications
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Developer: Electronic Arts Redwood Shores
Ship Date: Europe: November 9, 2007
Format: PC
Category: Simulation/Strategy
PEGI Rating: 12+

Requires The Sims 2, The Sims 2 Special DVD Edition , The Sims 2 Holiday Edition or The Sims 2 Deluxe for PC to play.

About The Sims
The Sims franchise celebrated its seventh anniversary in February. The game skyrocketed to the top of the charts when it began shipping to stores in February 2000 and quickly became a gaming and cultural phenomenon. The Sims PC based product and expansion packs were the best selling PC games of 2000, 2001, 2002, and 2003. Translated into 22 different languages, The Sims has inspired seven top selling expansion packs. please confirm accuracy of this statement. They include: The Sims Livin' Large, The Sims House Party, The Sims Hot Date, The Sims Vacation, The Sims Unleashed, The Sims Superstar and The Sims Makin' Magic. The Sims 2 shipped in September 2004 with sales already topping 13M units worldwide, it was the best selling PC game of 2004. The Sims 2 University shipped in March 2005, The Sims 2 Nightlife shipped in September 2005, The Sims 2 Open for Business shipped in February 2006, The Sims 2 Pets shipped in October 2006 and The Sims 2 Seasons shipped in February 2007. Combined sales for the franchise are approximately 90M units life-to-date. For more information on The Sims 2, visit http://www.thesims2.com and for more information on The Sims franchise titles, visit http://www.thesims.com

Jumper

STORYLINE

Jumpers, people with a genetic anomaly that enables them to teleport themselves instantaneously to anywhere on the globe, have existed for centuries. An age-old battle rages between the Jumpers and the Paladins, a clandestine organization set on eliminating them from the planet. The Jumper game extends the film’s storyline, following Griffin, a battle-hardened Jumper determined to avenge the death of his parents at the hands of the Paladins. Griffin’s quest to find the killer spans exotic locales around the world.

KEY GAME FEATURES

• Jump Ability - Use your teleportation skills to “Jump” within hand-to-hand combat range of an enemy to start dishing out devastating blows.
• Combos - Exciting and intense layered combo fighting system
• Finishing Moves - Instantly teleport enemies to exotic perilous locations to finish them.
• Enemy classes - Deeply ranked hierarchy of Paladin enemy types.
• Exotic Locales - 5 combat arenas set all around the world – Colosseum, Griffin’s Desert Lair, Nepal, Tokyo Streets and Experimental Lab Facility
• Unlockable abilities - Unlockable skills and combos through gameplay.
• Available February 12th – releasing the same week as the theatrical release
• Available for the X360, Wii, and PS2 platforms


GAME RELEASE DATE: February 12th, 2008 (NA)
FILM RELEASE DATE: February 15th, 2008 (NA)
GENRE: 3rd Person Action Fighting Game
PLATFORMS: Xbox 360, Wii, & PS2
DEVELOPER: Brash Entertainment & Red Tribe & Collision
PUBLISHER: Brash Entertainment

AVENCAST: Rise of the Mage New Trailer

Leading publisher Lighthouse Interactive and developer ClockStone Software are happy to announce that their fantasy-based Action RPG, AVENCAST: Rise of the Mage is now available in major retail stores across North America and Europe. To accompany the highly anticipated release of this Windows® game on PC DVD-ROM, a new trailer is now available. AVENCAST is also Windows® Vista™ compatible.

Erik Schreuder, CEO of Lighthouse Interactive said, “We are extremely proud that AVENCAST: Rise of the Mage has hit store shelves. AVENCAST is a game that can be thoroughly enjoyed by Action and RPG fans alike. Its combat system is unique to the RPG genre. Players will have fun casting spells and defeating hordes of demonic enemies as they take on each new quest.”

AVENCAST: Rise of the Mage has a complete package of exciting features such as intense, action-packed combat sequences, mighty spells that are graphically stunning, and a multitude of perilous quests to conquer. AVENCAST combines role-playing with a fluid combat system found in beat-em-up games, which is unique to the RPG genre. It is accessible to novice RPG game players, but it will also challenge core RPG and Action fans. Both combat and non-combat interactions create a perfect balance between brains and brawn. By requiring players to bring their own combat and strategic skills to the forefront, they will have the excitement of crafting a powerful character unleashing their hero’s potential. Players who enjoy mastering spells, uncovering countless items, exploring exotic environments, and battling malicious foes will certainly enjoy the world of AVENCAST!


GAME SUMMARY:

As the sun rises over Avencast, the renowned academy of magic; a young adept begins his perilous journey. In a world of wizardry, wonder and untold mystery, you must undertake some of the most diverse quests to hone your abilities in spell casting, weaponry and melee combat. Your martial skills are soon put to the test as demonic monsters of unknown ancient origin descend upon Avencast turning the academy into a horrific state of chaos and destruction.

Armed with over 50 combat moves and spells, and a vast arsenal of equipment items, you must uncover the source of these ominous happenings while vanquishing an onslaught of fiendish enemies. Treachery and deceit reveal themselves as the vicious army of adversaries beleaguers your frail haven threatening Avencast’s very existence. Amidst the mayhem, an astonishing truth unfolds which will forever change the battle scarred Wizard.


FEATURES:

• Cast Lethal Spells from Different Skill Trees – Surrounded by vicious foes, unleash a mighty soul magic spell. The pure agglomeration of energy alone produces a warp in the surrounding atmosphere before the catastrophic nova demolishes your enemies. Blood Magic (elementally charged blows with varying speeds, ranges, and damage properties) and Soul Magic (covers all kinds of ranged magic spells allowing better area control) – both allow players to summon reinforcements during combat.
• Perilous Quests – While brawn and agility will win most battles, acumen and strategic thinking are necessary to survive challenging quests.
• Fluid Combat System – Chain together spells and easily execute lethal attacks using an innovative system that favors skillful gameplay over dull mouse clicking. Unleash your hero’s potential as you bring your own player skills to each intense battle.
• Strong Player Personification & Character Development - Acquire new equipment, armor, weapons and spell casting skills to craft a powerful character.
• Over 30 Nightmarish Monsters with Advanced AI – Each with versatile combat strategies, attacks, and defensive moves dependant upon the player’s behavior and attack strategy.
• State-of-the-art 3D Engine – Stunning graphics enhanced with advanced visual effects make for an impressive display of devastating spell casting.
• Many Hours of Exciting Gameplay – Set in diverse worlds with both indoor and outdoor environments to explore.
• Attractive to a Broad Range of Players – An Action RPG at its core, but dynamic gameplay and adventure-like quests make AVENCAST attractive to a broad range of game players.

MINIMUM SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS:

OS: Windows XP / Vista™
CPU: 2.2 GHz Intel Pentium or 2200+ AMD Athlon processor RAM: 512 MB (1 GB recommended for Windows Vista)
Video: nVidia GeForce FX 5700 or better / ATI Radeon 9700 or better
PC DVD-ROM: 4x
Sound: DirectSound compatible (Sound Blaster X-Fi series sound card recommended)
Available Hard Disk Space: 4.4 GB
DirectX: 9.0c
Other: Mouse, Keyboard and Speakers

To download the new trailer, visit: www.lighthouse-interactive.com

Gordon Brown And Paris Hilton Meet In Serious Policy Computer Game

Where democracy is getting your voice heard...

Gordon Brown joins a virtual Paris Hilton, Alistair Darling and Keira Knightley as 3D characters in the downloadable SeriousPolicy Game ( http://www.seriouspolicy.com ). Developed by educational simulation specialist, PlayGen, the computer game sees the player on a mission to win Treasury funding for a new policy.

But this isn’t satire. SeriousPolicy is designed as an example of how computer games can be put to use for both citizen engagement and education. With its clever blend of fun and seriousness, it encourages flagging public engagement in political processes and is an ideal tool for winning over Britain's younger voters - especially with Ms Hilton in situ.

PlayGen’s MD and head developer, Kam Memarzia, says: “Young people are largely disengaged from politics these days. We’re showing how to engage audiences with new ideas through a medium they’re comfortable with – i.e. computer games. Young people have a fundamental expectation of interactivity and we can use that to deliver educational value, and enjoyment too.”

He adds: “We can develop games that involve people in policy development or feed into actual public consultations. And the decisions players make can be used to measure real world attitudes". Accordingly, the game runs with the strapline, ‘democracy is getting your voice heard’.

In SeriousPolicy, the player can receive advice from Tony Blair and David Cameron, annoy Alistair Darling or be congratulated by the PM. Along the way, the player wanders through a virtual Members’ Lobby at the Houses of Parliament, pops over to a simulated HM Treasury, and is summoned to a stunningly realistic digital Number 10. Meanwhile, a Paris Hilton lookalike provides light relief and the MC bears more than a passing resemblance to Keira Knightley.

At the ‘Virtual Worlds Forum Europe 2007’, held in London last month, Lord Puttman called for virtual worlds to "encourage [young people] to exercise those same values and skills we wish to see them exercise in the real world”.

Companies such as Sun, IBM and BP are increasingly adapting 3D virtual world technology for internal corporate use. The United Nations recently launched ‘Food Force’, a game that helps people understand the difficulties of dispensing aid to war zones. And, in the US , police have collaborated with designers to produce ‘Booze Cruise’, an educational game about the dangers of drink driving.

“Serious games are ideal for illustrating complex situations,” says Memarzia. “And they can reach huge audiences. ‘Food Force’ has been downloaded by four million players, a number to rival commercial gaming hits such as ‘Grand Theft Auto’.”

The SeriousPolicy Game can be downloaded from www.seriouspolicy.com. It was developed to demonstrate how political processes and decision-making can be brought to life in an entertaining and interesting way through a virtual world; and also to highlight to players - whether citizens or officials - the importance of public engagement in the decision-making process.


View a selection of high res screenshots from the Serious Policy game here

The way Speedball 2 is meant to be played

To maximise the impact of its latest title, Speedball 2 – Tournament, from the outset, FIP Publishing has announced its partnership with NVIDIA. As part of NVIDIA’s The Way It’s Meant to be Played programme, Speedball 2 – Tournament will bring gamers a stunning experience of its blend of sports action and combat. Developer Kylotonn Entertainment has worked with NVIDIA to enrich the game with technical features including SLI multi-graphics processing unit (GPU) support and Coverage Sampling Antialiasing (CSAA) to enhance performance and image quality.

In addition, NVIDIA will promote Speedball 2 – Tournament for one month on its nzone.com website, and host a permanent microsite for the PC game in English, French, German, Spanish, Italian and Russian language versions. NVIDIA will also incorporate the game into its ongoing PR activities. Gamers can look for the distinctive NVIDIA logo in the game’s packaging, manual and introduction sequence.

“As part of NVIDIA’s The Way It’s Meant to be Played programme, our engineers have helped FIP Publishing to ensure that Speedball 2 – Tournament takes advantage of the latest graphics technology,” explains Phil Wright, Head of Content Business Development in EMEA and India for NVIDIA. “We’re very pleased that their development studio Kylotonn has worked with us to optimise the game for the PC and make sure gamers can look forward to compatibility, stability and reliability when playing Speedball 2 – Tournament on their NVIDIA hardware.”

Total PC Gaming hits the shelves at just £3.99

Ambitous technology publisher launches first new PC games magazine in ten years, with a focus on online gaming and hardware

Imagine Publishing is proud to announce the launch of Total PC Gaming, a new magazine aimed at capturing the excitement of the burgeoning PC gaming, modding, retro, and MMO scene worldwide. Hitting the newsstand today, and priced at just £3.99, the new magazine features 148 glossy pages of the latest PC games news, previews, reviews, hardware group tests, retro classics and features.

Every issue of Total PC Gaming comes free with the 20-page mini-magazine, MMO Worlds, dedicated to the globally successful Massively Multiplayer Online gaming phenomenon, including hits like World Of Warcraft, which boasts over 9 million players. Total PC Gaming’s extensive MMO coverage is unique in the market and a crucial part of the magazine’s remit to deliver a comprehensive guide to PC gaming.

www.totalpcgaming.com goes live on the same day as the magazine and offers its users access to the latest PC games demos, the team’s top ten lists, exclusive preview screenshots, plus a database of reviews. The website is especially important for Total PC Gaming, because the magazine does not boast a covermounted DVD and is therefore priced competitively at just £3.99, making it better value than its rivals, which in some cases are up to £2 more per issue.

Editor in Chief, Dave Harfield who launched Total PC Gaming said: “Imagine Publishing is known for its innovation and quality and Total PC Gaming is yet another example of those founding principals being applied to a new magazine market.”
“I hope all PC games publishers and hardware manufacturers support this new magazine to help to break the current monopoly situation and encourage the competition that has been sorely lacking for many years.”

Imagine Publishing is one of the UK’s fastest growing consumer specialist publishers. Formed in May 2005, it now publishes 20 magazines and 20 websites in the videogames, computing, entertainment and photography markets. An Imagine magazine is purchased every ten seconds.

Name: Total PC Gaming
Price: £3.99
148 pages
Launch: 8 November 2007
Website: www.totalpcgaming.com

As Xbox LIVE Turns Five, Microsoft Announces Next Wave Of Social Fun

Xbox LIVE Membership Soars Past Eight Million Mark, Microsoft Unveils New Download Service for Full Xbox Games Direct to Your Living Room

On 15th November, Microsoft Corp. will celebrate the fifth anniversary of Xbox LIVE. In addition, the company notes that the latest membership figures show more than eight-million members are now actively engaged in the largest social entertainment network on TV. Xbox LIVE has grown from a small community of gamers in two countries, playing a handful of games online with their friends, to a worldwide social entertainment network offering online access to gaming, music and video entertainment. As friends across 26 countries and nine languages have connected on Xbox LIVE, it is their feedback and active participation that has guided the service to become what Wired magazine recently called “The king of the online arena.” As a gesture of thanks to the community, all eight-million members will have the opportunity to download a free Xbox LIVE Arcade game, between 08:01 a.m. on 15th November 15 and 7:59 a.m. on 17th November. In addition to this, every active Gold member who joined the service at launch will receive 500 MS Points for free.

Starting on 4th December, all Xbox LIVE members will receive a free system update with a host of new features and enhancements. Included in this update will be the launch of the “Xbox Originals,” which, for the first time ever, will enable consumers to download and own full Xbox games such as Halo®, Psychonauts™, Crimson Skies®: High Road to Revenge™ and Fable® among others directly to their Xbox 360. This new service will launch with an array of blockbuster titles spanning the most popular genres from action-adventure to classic role-playing games.

With no disc necessary, and at just 1200 Microsoft Points per game, Xbox LIVE members can easily rediscover these hit titles, or check out a game they missed the first time around. This launch line-up is only the beginning as Xbox 360 owners can expect to see a growing catalogue of Xbox games for download to own over the coming year.

“In just five short years Xbox LIVE has revolutionised the way friends and family have fun in the living room across the world,” said Mike Newey, EMEA Group Product Marketing Manager, Microsoft Entertainment and Devices Division. “Xbox LIVE truly is the place for hanging out with friends and now they can enjoy full downloadable Xbox games on demand.”

For more information about the downloadable games available on Xbox LIVE, the evolution of Xbox LIVE or the “Xbox LIVE is 5IVE” member rewards, visit www.Xbox.com.

Game Design Expo 2008 Announces Keynote Speakers

Makers of Hit Game Halo 3 Headlining 2008 Event
Game Design Expo is thrilled to name its keynote speakers for 2008: Jay Weinland and CJ Cowan, two of the team leads behind Bungie Studios' blockbuster Halo 3, the fastest selling video game of all time.

The keynote will headline Game Design Expo 2008, which runs January 19th and 20th, 2008, in Vancouver, BC. The event is hosted by Vancouver Film School (VFS) in association with Event Partners G4TechTV, EA, CAEAA, Annex Pro, Crystal Dynamics, Radical Entertainment, Big Fish Games, Metropolitan Hotel, and The Province.

The two-day event will also feature lectures and panels by the designers, producers, and CEOs from top companies like Activision, BioWare, Eidos, EA, and Stormfront Studios, presenting topics ranging from the Console Wars to Digital Acting & Interactive Narrative to Game Audio. In conjunction with Game Design Expo 2008, the Game Design program at VFS will hold a free day-long Open House on January 20th, with workshop classes and hands-on game demos.

In their keynote address, Bungie's Weinland (Audio Lead) and Cowan (Director of Cinematics) will discuss the tools and processes that helped create the sound and visuals for Halo 3, which was released in September to rave reviews and first-day sales in the U.S. that reached a record-breaking $170 million.

General ticket sales for Game Design Expo 2008 begin on November 21st, 2007. Check gamedesignexpo.com for detailed information, schedules, and up-to-the-minute news.

Game Design Industry Expo VFS Game
Design Open House

Saturday, January 19th, 9:00am - 7:30pm Sunday, January
20th, 12:00pm - 4:00pm

Vancity Theatre, 1181 Seymour St. Vancouver
Film School, 390 West Hastings St.

Sunday, January 20th, 10:30am - 4:00pm

Vancouver Film School, 420 Homer St.

Vancouver Film School, founded in 1987, offers a proven education for everything in the entertainment industry. With 14 production-oriented programs and a unique one-year educational model, VFS prepares students to join the creative economy. Under the guidance of industry professionals, students in the Game Design, Animation & Visual Effects, Digital Design, and Sound Design for Visual Media programs develop the knowledge, experience, and portfolios and reels that enable them to step right into the video game industry.

Buy Bioshock, Get The Darkness Free

Here's a pretty good deal from Amazon. Buy Bioshock for $50 and get The Darkness for free. "But the shipping," you say. "But the tax," you say. "I cannot afford such things," you say. "I'm saving for a new KitchenAid mixer to make game cakes," you say.

Amazon gives free shipping on orders over $25, and there's no tax in most states. For those interested, hit the link and scroll down to the "Best Value" option. That's where the hot savings are.

Atari restructure

Atari, Inc. to Realign Cost Structure - - Atari, Inc. to Grant the Test Drive License to Infogrames for Future Development
Atari, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATAR), an interactive entertainment company, today announced the company will re-focus its operations on publishing and distribution in North America, completing its withdrawal from the production business. Atari also announced that it has licensed its Test Drive franchise to Infogrames Entertainment, S.A. ("IESA") under an agreement which includes a $5 million advance royalty.

Restructuring Initiative

Atari has determined to focus its resources on the publishing and distribution segments of the rapidly growing video game business. The Company's operations will involve title acquisition, sales and marketing, and physical distribution of products from IESA, its 51% shareholder, and other selected partners.

In line with that goal, Atari has agreed in principle with IESA to terminate its Production Services Agreement in the near future. As a result, Atari will no longer provide production and quality assurances services to IESA. Rather, Atari plans to transfer certain employees and contract other staff on a project basis for a limited period of time.

As part of the company restructuring, Atari, Inc. will reduce its current workforce in order to re-align the Company's cost structure with its on-going business base.

Atari Announces Departure of Chief Executive Officer
Atari, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATAR), an interactive entertainment company, today announced that David Pierce has resigned his position as Atari's Chief Executive Officer under the terms of his employment agreement. Curtis G. Solsvig III, Chief Restructuring Officer, will assume Mr. Pierce's responsibilities on an interim basis. An executive search has been initiated to find Mr. Pierce's successor.

"We appreciate David's support and commitment through a difficult period in the Company's history and wish him well in his future endeavors." said Gene Davis, Chairman of the Board of Directors.

High Velocity Bowling

FACT SHEET

Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. (SCEA)
Studio: SCEA San Diego Studio
Platform: Exclusively on PLAYSTATION 3 (PS3) via PLAYSTATION Network
Players: 1-4 Players
Genre: Sports
Rating: E10+

OVERVIEW

Meet the High Velocity Bowlers, each with a unique personality, skill-set, and comedic attributes. Using the SIXAXIS™ wireless controller to simulate a real bowling swing with lifelike lane environments, High Velocity Bowling™ provides a social and interactive bowling game for all ages and skill levels. In challenge mode, players will compete to unlock ten distinctive characters and progress through ten themed alleys on their way to collecting trophies, awards and most importantly, bowling domination. Up to four players can bowl in multiplayer mode. Complete with leaderboards and stats,
High Velocity Bowling is all the fun and comedy of bowling . . . . minus the rental shoes.

KEY FEATURES

• High Velocity Bowling supports 1-4 players at a time. Play alone or with friends/enemies
• 8 unique characters available, each with their own themed alley to unlock through successful game play.
• SIXAXIS™ Wireless Controller - Fully controlled by the SIXAXIS motion sensors to simulate a real bowling swing. Fun to pick up and play!
• Challenge Mode - Progress through a series of tournaments, matches, and trick shot showmanship to unlock hidden characters and lanes.
• Trophy Room – View all the trophies, rings, and patches you have accumulated through successful bowling.

The Most Expensive Video Games...

We've linked to rare game auction crazies Gamesniped.com before, but a recent feature from them rounds up 'The World's Most Expensive Video Games' in relatively reasonable, accurate form - and is therefore well worth checking out.

As is explained in the intro: "Keep in mind however, that there are more rare items than what is on this list. Prototypes and Betas are by nature, one of a kind. However, the demand aren’t there for them like the games on this list. This list is a combination of rarity, price and demand." So they've tried to keep to actual production copies of games - which is a good way to do it.

Mind you, some of the production numbers are stupidly tiny - the top game listed, '1990 Nintendo World Championships: Gold Edition', has a known run of just 26 copies, and it's revealed that "...there’s at least six of these in collectors hands that I can confirm." Personally, I like 'Ultima: Escape from Mt. Drash' on the VIC-20, because it's on cassette tape, which is adorably old school - and it has an interesting history, being published in obscurity without Richard Garriott's permission back in 1983 or so.

Super Mario Galaxy

Mario, who was created by Japanese Nintendo game-designer Shigeru Miyamoto, is more than just a video game character; he is a cultural phenomenon.

Even if you've never played a video game, have no clue what a joystick is, and the term "duck hunt" means little more to you than men in cammo, you know who Mario is. And whether you'll admit it or not, you probably even know his theme song.

For more than 25 years, this little overall-clad Italian plumber and his brother, Luigi, have graced the screens of arcade machines, living room televisions and portable hand-held game sets throughout the world, bounding through sewer systems, jungles, and now, with this week's release of the newest version for the Nintendo Wii -- Super Mario Galaxy -- outer space.
Mario, who was created by Japanese Nintendo game-designer Shigeru Miyamoto, is more than just a video game character; he is a cultural phenomenon.

In 1981, when Mario first hopped on to the screen at your local arcade, he was known as Jumpman because, well, that's how he got around. The game centered on an enormous angry ape called Donkey Kong, with whom Jumpman shared the video game's storyline.

His mission was to rescue a girl who was taken hostage by Donkey Kong. The game went on to become the third most popular game of the decade and is regarded as the most difficult video game in history. Popular as Donkey Kong was, bigger things were on the horizon for Mario.

In 1982, Jumpman was renamed Mario and appeared in the sequel to Donkey Kong, Donkey Kong Jr. And in 1983, Mario was given his own game, "Mario Brothers."

Initially, the game met with little fanfare. By the mid 1980s, the once indestructible arcade revolution that had generated billions of dollars had reached its peak, and looked as if it was headed toward an inevitable "Game Over," taking Mario along with it.

But that all changed in 1985, when the first Nintendo Entertainment System was released. This new magic box brought the power and graphics of upright arcade games into living rooms and bedrooms across the world. And the game that came with every Nintendo was "Super Mario Brothers." While its "hero saves damsel" storyline was nothing new, "Super Mario Brothers" single-handedly revolutionized video games, breaking all sales records with more than 40 million copies. "Super Mario Brothers" was so popular that it still holds the title of the top-selling game of all time.

Parents Avoid Video Games With Kids

Jesse Lackman says his son spends a dozen hours a week waging medieval combat across the dreary dreamscapes of computer games. Just don't expect to find Lackman sitting beside him battling ogres and dragons.

"It's just such a waste of tim2e," said Lackman, 47, a power plant operator from Center, N.D. "I tell him, 'Do something that has some lasting value.'"

Lackman's avoidance of the digital diversions that captivate his 15-year-old son, Tyrus, is shared by many parents. More than four in 10, or 43 percent, of those whose young children play video or computer games never play along with them, according to an Associated Press-AOL Games poll released Monday.

While experts debate whether electronic gaming is bad news or a blessing for children and their families, many parents are voicing their preference by never — or seldom — joining their kids when it's time to slay cyber scoundrels.

Besides those who simply don't play the games with their children, another 30 percent say they spend less than an hour a week doing so. All told, about three in four parents of young gamers never or hardly ever touch the stuff.

"I don't think it's good for them, the violence, the obsession," said Karen Kimball, 55, of Hale, Minn., another nonplayer who estimates her 17-year-old son plays 25 hours weekly. "No longer is it, 'Let's go out and throw a football.'"

Those who game with their children are likelier to be younger, single and part-time workers than those who don't, the poll showed.

Among them is stay-at-home dad Marvin Paup, 33, of Golden Valley, Ariz., who says he plays 30 hours a week with his son and dozens more on his own.

Their current favorite is "Halo 3," a shooter game played online by thousands of players at a time. His state-of-the-art equipment includes an Xbox 360 console, surround-sound turned up "really, really loud" and a 65-inch wide-screen television, he said.

"That game has bonded me with him," he said of his 10-year-old son Allen. "It's like a whole new reality with me and him."
Overall, the survey highlighted how pervasive — yet age-related — interest in electronic gaming is today.

According to the poll, in which only adults were questioned, 81 percent of children age four to 17 play computer or video games at least occasionally, compared with 38 percent of adults. Typically, both adult and child gamers play two hours weekly — half play more and half less — including about three in 10 who play five hours or more each week.

Reflecting the technology's relatively recent introduction, 59 percent of those age 18 to 29 play at least sometimes, double the rate for people age 50 to 64. There is little difference among users by race or region, with middle-income earners likeliest to indulge.

"It's something to take your mind off business and everything else," said Todd Williams, 33, a salesman from Lexington, Ky., who estimates he plays 10 hours weekly, especially interactive adventure games. "I guess it's the time, which is seldom, that I spend alone."

Sales of games and gaming hardware are rising steadily, said David Riley, marketing director of the NPD Group, a market research firm. He estimates that video and computer game sales this year will total $19 billion in the U.S., up from $13.5 billion last year.

Even so — and despite the publicity given to newer game consoles like the Nintendo Wii, Sony's PlayStation 3 and Microsoft's Xbox 360 — the proportion of adults saying they play electronic games was virtually unchanged from April 2006, when an AP-AOL poll asked the same question.

Casual games like card or board games were the favorite of 31 percent of gamers, about twice the number who like action games, the next most popular alternative. About half of women cited casual games as their favorites, triple the number of men who did so, while twice as many males than females preferred action games.

Adventure, strategy and sports games were also among the most popular.

The poll also found that among gamers:
_44 percent said they play over the Internet;
_26 percent said they spent nothing on the pastime last year, another 46 percent spent up to $200 and 12 percent spent $500 or more, with men usually the bigger spenders;
_Price is the chief factor for people purchasing a gaming console, followed by the availability of games.

The poll involved telephone interviews with 2,016 adults conducted Oct. 9-11 and 16-18, and had a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 2.2 percentage points. Included were 770 people who said they play computer or video games, for whom the margin of sampling error was plus or minus 3.5 points.

Video game educates diabetics

Pricking his finger to check blood glucose levels used to be a pain, but these days Luca Cusmano is too busy fighting baddies to worry about it.
The young Sydney boy is one of the first diabetics in the world to get his hands on a new video game pre-programmed to reward him for checking his glucose levels regularly.

"It's cool fun," said Luca, nine, who was first diagnosed with type one diabetes in April, joining about 8,000 other young Australians.

"I didn't like all the tests, but now I just get to play games and get points, so I don't think about it really."

The US invention, designed by the father of a diabetic, is being launched for the first time in the world in Australia to mark World Diabetes Day.

The NSW branch of Diabetes Australia is heralding the new toy as an innovative way to get children to comply with their glucose checks, carried out up to six times a day.

The device, which costs $299, works by slotting into a portable video game.

Kids who test regularly for healthy levels of blood glucose are awarded extra points to unlock new characters and secret game levels.

Characters in the five specially-designed games include a galaxy-hopping maverick who fights his way through a planet of aliens to rescue the admiral's daughter, and a regular boy called Hunter who takes on Carnie Cal and his evil clowns.

"It's a good idea, just brilliant, particularly for boys who are not so good at doing their blood glucose testing," said Dr Neville Howard, president of Diabetes Australia-NSW.

"Now they've got an incentive.

"The parents might not be so happy because the kids play with it all the time, but from what we've seen it really works.

"The kids love it and they don't feel so strange having to test anymore."

The device was invented by an American businessman Paul Wessel, funded by an Australian investment bank and jointly marketed by Diabetes Australia-NSW.

"I stumbled across the idea really," said Mr Wessel, an entrepreneur from Minnesota.

"My son Luke is diabetic and he kept deliberately losing his blood glucose meter because he hated testing, so this was a solution."

Professor Paul Zimmet, director of the International Diabetes Institute in Melbourne, said the device could improve diabetes management considerably in families that could afford to purchase it.

"Anything that encourages young people to stick to the strict regimen of testing that diabetes demands has to be welcomed," Prof Zimmet said.

Ford Dealers Tap Into Video Game Advertising

FORD'S NORTHERN CALIFORNIA DEALERS ADVERTISING Association is pitching male consumers with an online video game advertising campaign. The program was developed by Engage In-Game Advertising, and touts the Fusion Sport Model with new Sync voice-activated in-vehicle communication system.
The effort, launching Thursday, offers a lease incentive of $269 a month for 36 months with no security deposit, no first month's payment and no cash due at signing.

The campaign will place 15-second Fusion ads in a raft of action, driving, sports and card games. The effort includes Ford Fusion "billboards" on game information pages and banners inside game session windows.

The campaign elements link to the Ford Fusion promotional offer.