US video helps parents choose video games for children...

Virtual Playground v Danger Zone Flash Video

A 20-minute video created by the state and available online attempts to help parents know more about video games their children might want to play.

Created by the state Division of Criminal Justice Services, the video explores research on violent video games and details possible risks. Also included are tips designed to help parents when buying video games.

Entitled "Video Games and Children: Virtual Playground vs. Danger Zone," the video can be found on the Division of Criminal Justice Services Web site at www.criminaljustice.state.ny.us.

"With more than 5,000 game titles available, some of which contain graphic violence, sexual themes and adult content, parents should be cautious and remain vigilant when selecting video games, said Denise E. O'Donnell, commissioner of the Division of Criminal Justice Services, in a statement.. "This presentation provides parents with guidance, resources and tips in choosing age-appropriate games for their children."

DCJS' Missing and Exploited Children Clearinghouse (MECC) created the 20-minute presentation. MECC was established in 1987 and provides investigative support services and training for law enforcement, assistance to family members of missing children and free community education programs for parents, educators, schools and civic organizations, according to DCJS.

"Recently released studies and statistics serve as a reminder to parents that video games have shifted from themes of saving princesses to the arena of violence," Mindy Bockstein, executive director of the New York State Consumer Protection Board said in a statement in which she encouraged consumers to watch the video.

US Army shapes video game - America's Army: True Soldiers

The virtual fantasy worlds of gaming and the real world of war intersect in "America's Army: True Soldiers," the latest version of a video game that in many ways could be viewed as a recruiting tool for the nation's armed forces.

While there are plenty of military-themed first-person shooter games, half of this game's development team comes from the U.S. Army. Its combat scenarios may be set in fictional locations, but the game features authentic state-of-the-art weapons and technology used in current military operations, as well as life-like situations.

The game has been commended by soldiers for its accuracy and attention to detail. "Our soldiers have provided the specs, information and details about weapons, training, vehicles and battle scenarios," says Maj. Mike Marty, operations officer for the "America's Army" game project. The soldiers also "make sure that Army values are being accurately portrayed in the game."

By using a pop culture medium, this and earlier versions of the "America's Army" series have proved to be an effective way to communicate a message to a large audience. Col. E. Casey Wardynski came up with the concept for an Army-based video game in 1999, and three years later, the first edition of "America's Army" -- "Operations RECON" -- was launched. The game went on to become one of the most popular online multiplayer games.

The goal was to simulate what the military experience is really like. But the Army wanted the game to be more than about how to shoot straight. It also tries to communicate the military code of values. Scoring is tied to mission accomplishment, teamwork and leadership. Players earn points for honorable actions and for teamwork when playing with others through Xbox Live.

"True Soldiers," the latest "America's Army" release, debuted exclusively for Xbox 360, so players will notice sharper next-generation graphics than in previous editions. The game, developed by Red Storm Entertainment and the Army, was published by Ubisoft.

The soldier pictured on the game case cover is a real person -- Sgt. Tommy Rieman. In December 2003, while on a reconnaissance mission south of Baghdad, he and his team were attacked. Rieman used his body as a shield to protect a fellow gunner and suffered multiple shrapnel wounds. He was awarded a Silver Star and Purple Heart for courage under fire. Rieman served as a creative consultant on the Real Heroes game and appears as a character in the game.

"America's Army" has released a companion set of Real Heroes action figures of Rieman and three others who have been honored for distinguished service: Sgt. Matthew Zedwick, Major Jason Amerine and Sgt. 1st Class Gerald Wolford. Their likenesses are also used as characters in the "True Soldiers" game.

"The mission of the 'America's Army' Real Heroes program is to inspire young adults and the American public to explore the U.S. Army's values, as well as soldier's attributes of teamwork and personal courage, by telling heroic and personal soldier stories through the 'America's Army' brand, which includes the PC game, Web sites and a line of action figures," Marty says. "Young people can look up to these soldiers and see how values such as such as loyalty, personal courage, integrity have not only helped these individuals succeed in the Army, but in their personal lives as well."

The game has a Teen rating (ages 13 and up), with an ESRB content rating for blood and violence.

Parental controls allow parents to set the game play action at a level they feel is appropriate. "The parental control features allow parents to customize the experience that is comfortable for their family," Marty says. "It makes the game more like paintball, so players won't be taking a virtual life, but learning more about the strategy and teamwork elements."

Another new military-themed game in the first-person shooter category is Electronic Arts' "Medal of Honor Heroes 2" for Wii and PSP. This one takes players back to World War II, where players can go on eight missions, from Normandy to a secret Nazi base.

It has an arcade mode, which works for players of all skill levels, and a multiplayer mode. The game features classic World War II weapons -- among them, the Thompson machine gun, MP40 and bazooka. It also has a Teen rating.

Source: Post-Gazette

The High Flying Video Game Companies of 2007

Report on the Gamasutra website on the performance of the main video games companies in 2007...

In a new report from DFC Intelligence, the analyst group has given its look back at the games industry's stock performance, noting Asia's stagnation compared to the U.S., and adding that the newly merged Activision Blizzard will become "a gauge for industry growth."

The full text of the report is here...

Nintendo DS - Flash Focus Eye exercise - worth a look?

The latest self-improvement game for the Nintendo DS focuses on vision.
Flash Focus: Vision Training in Minutes a Day promises to improve your hand-eye coordination, expand your peripheral vision and enhance your "dynamic visual acuity."

But don't throw away those glasses or contacts just yet, because a closer look reveals that your vision won't actually improve.

Instead, you'll learn your "eye age" while playing games in which you track boxes, tap on a boxing opponent or watch flashing numbers, among other challenges.

At first glance, the game looks like about as much fun as a visit to the optometrist, but the real eye-opener is how quickly you'll become addicted to the exercises.

In one test, a player tries to track three boxes as they are shuffled -- as with a carnival-style shell game. In others, letters or numbers flash on the screen as the player tries to recall them. A few sports-themed games test reflexes as well.

Initially, only a few games are available. But as you progress, more challenges are revealed.

Flash Focus tracks a player's progress and issues an eye age depending on the score. You should plan, at first, on having an eye age several decades older than your real age. With daily practice, however, the number will drop.

As many as four players can record their ages, so it's easy to tell whether you are falling behind your friends.

If all this eye-popping exercise sounds like too much work, the game provides a relaxation mode to rest the eyes. Relaxing requires a lot of neck and eye rolls, though, so don't plan on doing this in public.

Flash Focus joins the growing list of Nintendo games designed to train the body and mind. Big Brain Academy, Brain Age and the upcoming Wii Fit all aim to make players smarter and stronger. Self-improvement might not be easy, but at least Nintendo is trying to make it fun.

This latest entry isn't the best in the series, lacking the charm and novelty of Brain Age. It's also difficult to believe that it will actually improve your sight and reflexes better than any other game.

Source: Columbus Dispatch

NEED FOR SPEED PROSTREET - Video game review for XBox 360 and PlayStation 3

Reviewed for: Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3

Also available for: Nintendo Wii, PC, PlayStation 2, PSP, Nintendo DS

From: EA

ESRB Rating: Everyone 10+ (suggestive themes)

Sometime in the last year, “Need for Speed” decided to cut its hair, shave its face, buy a nice suit and start acting like an adult. The result is “Need for Speed ProStreet,” which takes a franchise known for cop chases and street culture and wedges it into a world of sanctioned, legit racing that’s scarcely more rebellious than a NASCAR event on network television.

The shock doesn’t end there. The open-world approach of recent games is gone, replaced by a pedestrian tree of racing events at different locales. And while past “NFS” games looked the other way where car damage was concerned, “ProStreet” makes you pay even for bending your fender. Repair costs will take a huge hit on your race winnings, and accrued damage carries over even if you restart a race you don’t finish. The era of ruthlessly bouncing off opposing racers and guardrails is long gone.

Why EA so drastically altered such a successful racing franchise isn’t exactly clear. “NFS” was the best of its breed, and the “ProStreet” effect transforms it into just another good track racer in a field already saturated with them. The speed of the game has slowed only a touch, but it’s a noticeable touch. The track designs have no choice but to be less interesting and diverse. And the limitations in track design lead to a reduction in event styles, which leads to an even higher concentration of the drag and drift events that bogged down past “NFS” games.

All that said, “ProStreet” never is bad. Makeover aside, many of the series’ hallmarks return. The mix of simulation and arcade physics is still there despite the reduced speed and newfound emphasis on safe driving, and “ProStreet’s” career mode still comes loaded with content despite the more straightforward structure.

You still can manage your garage and customize cars to an intimidating degree, and your creations still look sharp even when they’re cruising down some pretty bland track. Online play benefits from your creativity: In addition to the usual race modes, you can share vehicles, photos and customized race events with other players.

It’s enough to keep “NFS” fans mostly happy — at least until next year. With respect to “ProStreet’s” approach, it’s not built for the long haul. Unless EA refines it in a big way for next year’s edition, it’s best enjoyed as an experimental detour on the u-turn to rebellion.

Source: Tuscaloosa News

Nintendo DS breaks UK hardware record… two times and Nintendo Wii overtakes Microsoft XBox 360...

Wii also overtakes 360 install base, sells 100,000 last week

All the predictions of a bumper Christmas for Nintendo in the UK seem to be proving accurate, with news that its consoles are selling in record numbers.

The DS has now broken the previous UK weekly hardware sales figure twice this month, shifting 185,000 in the first week and over 200,000 last week.

Meanwhile the Wii also sold over 100,000 units last week, demonstrating a decent supply of stock even if there's still not enough to satisfy demand.

Additionally the Wii is thought to have surpassed the Xbox 360's installed base in the UK this month.

Source: Games Industry

PlayStation network cards for North American say Sony

Alternative to credit card transactions already live in Japan

Sony has confirmed it will be releasing PlayStation Network cards in North America early next year, following a successful roll-out in Japan.

The cards are an alternative to using credit cards to purchase downloadable content from the PlayStation Store for the PS3 and PSP.

"PlayStation Network Cards are coming, and should start appearing at retailers in early '08," confirmed Eric Lempel, director of PSN operations.

"The cards will be redeemable via the PlayStation Store for PC, and on the PlayStation 3 to supply the wallet with funds to spend on games, add-ons, and other paid content."

Cards in Japan retail for JPY 3000 and JPY 5000 and were launched the same day as the release of Gran Turismo 5 Prologue.

Source: Games Industry

Major Update to Popular Soccer Game Power Football - download now

Upgrades and Enhancements in Power Soccer Raise the Bar for Online Sports Games

Power Challenge, creator of the popular international browser-based soccer game Power Football, has updated their game with rich new community tools, improved graphics and a brand new name: Power Soccer is now the ultimate worldwide multiplayer experience.

Substantial upgrades promote a more ample community environment, including two-sided customizable trading cards for every player, opponent ratings and active forum support to aid new and veteran players and the only online game to offer saved personal game highlights. The new release further improves the community experience by allowing participants to play within their own region, play in a level-based official Power Tour Cup or challenge other competitors from different countries!

“We are very excited about the upgrades and additions we have included in Power Soccer for this major update,” said Johan Christenson, CEO of Power Challenge. “We have created a unique platform that merges the best elements of console play into the deep community involvement of web-based gaming. With a worldwide player base our goal was to make the game more enjoyable and allow anyone to play anywhere there is an internet connection. The new user interface gives players the ability to create a personalized team in minutes, and to be ready to play a head-to-head, full-screen 3D matchup in 30 seconds or less.”

Power Soccer is currently running 50,000 one-on-one matches per day, with a projected 1 million matches daily by December 2008. With this kind of growth Power Challenge has implemented several key improvements that will help to encompass the needs of such a large audience. These upgrades include increased player detail and additional models, gamepad support for console veterans, instant rematches and live system administrators to better address unsportsmanlike conduct. For more information visit www.powerchallenge.com.

Peggle video game download for Apple iPod 50% off or Try Free

For 50% OFF go now to http://www.popcap.com/ - Limited Offer

Front-Runner for Casual Game of the Year Available on iTunes Today in Six Languages

PopCap Games, the leading developer and publisher of casual games, announced that beginning today Peggle™ is available for play on the iPod. Casual gamers can download Peggle from the iTunes store for US$4.99, and the game is available in English, French, German, Italian, Japanese and Spanish. Peggle has been downloaded more than 10 million times on the Web since its introduction in March 2007, and this enormous success prompted PopCap to accelerate development of the iPod version.

Peggle utilizes the iPod’s clickwheel and sharp high-resolution display. Another special feature of the iPod-optimized version of Peggle is the ability to listen to your own personal music playlists while enjoying the game. The iPod version of Peggle includes all 55 levels, 10 magical powers and 75 Grand Master challenges, as well as the two-player Duel Mode, of the PC and Macintosh original.

“The clickwheel input of the iPod is a natural fit for controlling Peggle, so we knew this adaptation of the game would be amazing,” said Jason Kapalka, co-founder and Chief Creative Officer of PopCap. “And with the Duel Mode included, two players can pass the iPod back and forth while battling their way to Extreme Fever!”

In Peggle, players fire a metallic silver ball from the top of the screen, relying on gravity to propel the ball downwards while it ricochets off orange and blue “pegs”. The goal is to clear all the orange pegs from the screen before running out of balls. A moving “bucket” at the bottom of the screen offers free balls, while green power-up pegs give the player one of ten different abilities courtesy of the ten “Peggle Masters” who guide players through the game. These power-ups include explosive area-clearing blasts, lobster claws which serve as pinball-type flippers, and “fireballs” that cut through all pegs in their path. “But nobody can really be told what Peggle is like,” said Kapalka, “you just have to play it for yourself.” Available on retail store shelves, on the Web and now on iPod, Peggle is the must-have game of 2007.

Illuminate Labs Joins Epic Games' Unreal Engine 3 Integrated Partners

World’s leading game engine to offer unrivaled lighting solutions

Illuminate Labs, creators of rendering and lighting technology for next-generation games, and Epic Games, Inc. today announced a licensing agreement to incorporate Illuminate Labs' global illumination system, Beast, into Epic's Unreal Engine 3 (UE3), the industry's most popular game engine. Under the terms of the agreement, Illuminate Labs will join Epic's prestigious Integrated Partners Program (IPP), and its technology will be immediately available to any publishers or developers that license UE3.

By incorporating Illuminate Labs’ Beast lighting solution into UE3, the two companies have enabled artists to seamlessly add global illumination to development environments using the renowned Unreal Editor. Beast is also a fully platform-independent baker that utilizes the open-standard FBX file format, which allows users to easily add extremely complex baking functionality to 3D asset creation tools. UE3 licensees can instantly start taking advantage of Beast’s features that are new to the engine, which include:

• Global Illumination baking
• Skylights from HDR images
• Baked soft shadows with transparency

Future feature sets developed by Illuminate Labs will be incorporated into UE3 per the partnership.

“We are very proud to be part of Epic’s Integrated Partners Program,” said Magnus Wennerholm, chief executive officer of Illuminate Labs. “Visual quality and cost effectiveness in the production process are key issues to all games studios, and with this partnership UE3 customers will benefit from easy access to our advanced lighting technology.”

“We are very pleased to give our licensees access to one of the most advanced lighting technologies available through this partnership,” said Dr. Michael Capps, president of Epic Games. “Integrating Beast into UE3 will help our licensees more easily create games utilizing best-of-breed global illumination techniques. We welcome Illuminate Labs into the partners program and look forward to empowering more developers through this relationship.”

Epic Games' Integrated Partners Program (IPP) establishes a formal business relationship with exceptional companies making cross-platform technologies which integrate with, and are complementary to, UE3. Under the IPP, Epic provides continuous UE3 source code access and full technical support to IPP members. Companies who join the IPP agree to provide a high level of technical support for UE3 licensees through Epic's established support channels, keep their implementations up-to-date with the latest engine versions and collaborate with Epic on potential promotional and co-marketing efforts.

Developers utilizing the UE3 and Beast technology integration include Gearbox Software, creators of the celebrated Brothers in Arms franchise, the upcoming first-person shooter based on the Aliens motion picture and Borderlands for PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

“Gearbox Software likes to stay on the cutting edge of video game technology,” said Randy Pitchford, president of Gearbox Software. “Gearbox licensed new technology from Illuminate Labs for several of its upcoming games. This new arrangement with Illuminate Labs and Epic Games will ensure that the technology is supported at the source and will help Gearbox Software continue to make the most technologically advanced and graphically impressive video games as a licensee of Unreal Engine 3.”