Posts tagged Video games at Switched

Truck of PlayStation 3 Games Stolen, Recovered, Stolen Again

by Tim Stevens, posted Sep 29th 2008 at 4:34PM

Truck of PS3 Games Stolen, Recovered, Stolen Again

If you think that headline sounds as though it should have come out of a 'Police Academy' movie, then check this out: According to Britain's Daily Telegraph, thousands of Playstation 3 games -- cumulatively worth over a million dollars -- were stolen over the weekend from the back of a truck in Northhampton, England. The truck and its contents were recovered, but amazingly the games were stolen again, right out of a police impound area before anyone had managed to dust it for fingerprints.

The truck contained 17,000 copies of 'Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway' and an undisclosed number of copies of the game everyone loves to hate, 'Grand Theft Auto.' Details of exactly how the crooks managed to get away with it all a second time weren't disclosed, but the truck at least was found -- minus the valuable contents, naturally. Police are now on the lookout for a conspicuous number of the games showing up on eBay and other online auction sites, but after this bungle, we aren't expecting much. [From: The Telegraph]

Ex Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor Designing Video Game

by Tim Stevens, posted Jun 5th 2008 at 1:56PM

Former Justice Sandra Day O'Connor Designing Video Game

When former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor stepped down from the highest bench in the nation and went into retirement in 2005, she was all but guaranteed a raft of speaking engagements, thanks to her years as one of the most influential people in the nation. Few would have pegged her as a future video game designer, however. But video games are exactly what she's working on now: O'Connor is currently spearheading a project to create an educational game about America's justice system.

The game, due out September of next year, will be called 'Our Courts' and is being developed with James Paul Gee, a professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. According to O'Connor, the game will enable kids to "step into the shoes of a judge, a legislator, an executive -- teach them how to think through and analyze problems, take action and voice opinions to their elected representatives."

All this sounds nice and educational, but we're not sure exactly where the "game" (a.k.a. "fun") part comes in, and it's hard to imagine kids learning much more here than they would through a book. But, hey, we won't judge a game by its packaging entirely -- we're hoping that learning the important lessons about the US justice system turn out to be a ball! American sorely needs it. [Source: Wired Life]

GTA IV Voice Actor Gets No Cut of Rockstar's Take

by Tim Stevens, posted May 28th 2008 at 4:33PM

By now, the thick accent of 'Grand Theft Auto IV' main character Niko Bellic is ingrained in the minds of millions of gamers worldwide, having listened to him preach, threaten, and complain for hours on end. The game sold $500-million in its first week alone and another $100-million in its second, but would you believe voice actor Michael Hollick, the voice of Bellic, gets no share of that? He earned a (relatively) measly $100,000 for his 15-month stint in a recording studio, and no matter how much more the game sells, won't see another dime.

Hollick's union, the Screen Actor's Guild, has no special rules for rates regarding video game voice-over work, so he got paid the standard wages for a day's recording, roughly $730. If he had instead been doing work in an animated movie he would have also gotten a cut of residuals, meaning a small chunk of that $600-million would have been his. Hollick is pushing for updated rules regarding payments for video game-related work, though hopefully they won't have to strike to get it. [Source: Yahoo! Games]

Trade In an Old Video Game for a New Tent

by Tim Stevens, posted May 12th 2008 at 10:48AM

Kids who play video games are fat, anti-social, and overly violent, right? Not necessarily, but that's what many people think, so outdoor "sporting" equipment retailer Bass Pro Shops is capitalizing on this misperception for a sales event happening next week.

Bring in an old video game, any old thing you like, and get 15-percent off of your purchase at the store. The idea is, of course, to get kids outside instead of holing up on the couch on a beautiful summer day, but if you were already looking to make a purchase there, this is a great way to save some money. Just stop at your local video game retailer and buy the cheapest used game you can find. Instant discount, and the sort of lazy frugality that would make any gamer proud. [Source: Bass Pro Shops via Newsvine]

'Fallout 3' - 100 Hours Long, 200 Endings

by Terrence O'Brien, posted Apr 7th 2008 at 5:17AM

We've seen some truly massive games in our time, but the newest installment in the post-apocalyptic RPG series 'Fallout' is a truly unique beast. 'Fallout 3' is due out this fall and is sure put an end to what little social life any hardcore gamers may have. The main quest and story line take 40 hours to complete, to accomplish all the side quests will take upwards of 100 hours. And that's if you're able to breeze through with out any delay.

But the most frustrating part for a complete run-throught will be the 200 different endings. Yes 200 distinct conclusions to the game. Will many of the 200 endings be only slightly different? We'd assume as such, since 200 completely different and unrelated endings would be not only absurd, but almost impossible without throwing plot out the door.

According to developer Bethesda, the game is completed, and just needs some polish, so 'Fallout' fans have some time to get there lives in order before surrendering to the maddeningly long 'Fallout 3.'

From Joystiq

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Video Game Sales Up Despite Struggling Economy

by Terrence O'Brien, posted Mar 14th 2008 at 1:42PM

Video Game Sales Still Strong, Despite Struggling Economy

While the rest of the economy struggles through what is almost certainly a recession, the video game industry is not only surviving, but thriving. Sales of games and consoles are up 34 percent from last February, and even the eight-year-old PlayStation 2 is selling almost 20 percent more units than last year.

February's sales reports are particularly good for Sony whose PlayStation 3, though still trailing the Wii in sales, beat out the Xbox 360 for the second month in a row.

With several big name titles still to come this year, such as the highly anticipated 'Grand Theft Auto 4,' sales are only expected to increase. 2008 is shaping up to be yet another record breaking year for the video game industry.

From Reuters

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Games Coming to Microsoft's Zune Player

by Tim Stevens, posted Feb 21st 2008 at 2:17PM

iPod May Own the Market, but Zune Has Games!

Microsoft's Zune just can't get any respect. With the recent launch of the new models, the players finally took shapes and sizes (and colors) that people liked. It certainly has the iPod beat in terms of functionality, with its song-sharing capabilities and compatibility with music stored in a number of file formats, but still nobody seems to care. Gamers might just start to take notice, though, with the announcement of games for Zune.

Microsoft's music player is now a game player, too, or at least will be later this year when titles start to see release. Right now, there's only one game, a space-shooter called 'Zauri,' and it's more of a demo than anything. The plan is for the Zune to receive games downloaded through Microsoft's online Marketplace. Games themselves will be developed through XNA, the company's game development platform that also supports the PC and the Xbox 360.

Details beyond that are slim, except that wireless multiplayer capability will be included. No mention of anticipated cost for games, or the specific availability for any, but we wouldn't expect to do much Zunepad gaming until the latter-half of this year at the earliest.

From Engadget

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Video Game Victory Call Leads to Gamer's Arrest

by Tim Stevens, posted Feb 19th 2008 at 10:38AM

Video Game Victory Cry Results in Arrest

Its easy to get excited about video games, especially when playing online. After a long, difficult match against tough opponents sometimes you just want to jump up and proclaim your success to your friends. But, if you do that, be careful how you phrase that statement of greatness or you might find yourself in a very real jail.

29-year-old Thomas Ballard of Delhi, Louisiana had just ended a marathon gaming session victoriously and called a friend a little after midnight to gloat. He told his friend "I have killed them all" and, apparently, not much else. His simple statement scared the friend enough to call the police who, using caller ID, determined who had made the call and went to investigate. Ballard explained that he was just talking about a video game.

Here's where the story gets even more interesting: In the process of checking out the scene, the officers determined that he was wanted on a 5-year-old warrant due to cocaine possession. He was promptly taken into custody.

So, game as hard as you like and feel free to celebrate, just watch who you share those celebrations with -- especially if you're on the run from the law.

From The News Star

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Internet, Video Games Blamed for Drop In Camping

by Will Safer, posted Feb 6th 2008 at 5:50PM

Research sponsored by The Nature Conservancy has determined that as people spend more time surfing the Web and playing video games indoors, they are less interested in experiencing the outdoors and less caring about what happens to the environment.

The study was conducted in the United States and Japan and tracks the rise of video game play in the early 1980s along with a decline in visits to national parks, camping, fishing and other outdoor recreation. Declines of 18 to 25 percent were reported.

According to a statement by the researchers, "Video games, home movie rentals, going out to movies, Internet use, and rising fuel prices explained almost 98 percent of the decline in people visiting national parks."

The consequences, they determined, are not just a general decline in people's health but also a decline in their interest in biodiversity and conservation efforts.

So, stop reading and go take a walk in the park. Just bring your cell phone in case we need to reach you.

From The Associated Press via Wired.

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New Mexico Considering Video Game Tax

by Terrence O'Brien, posted Jan 23rd 2008 at 1:21PM

A tax called 'No Child Left Inside' has been backed by New Mexico's Sierra Club, an environmental and outdoor preservation group. The proposed one-percent sales tax on video games and televisions is aimed at funding outdoor classroom initiatives and encouraging New Mexico's increasingly obese and diabetic youth to get off the couch and explore the great outdoors.

According to New Mexico's State Parks Division, 80 percent of the state's youth live within a half hour of a state park, but only about 10 percent have ever actually set foot in one. We think that video games and central air might have a particular attraction to the youth in a state where temperatures can reach well over a hundred degrees.

From Engadget

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Man Drives 40 Hours to Stalk 15 Year-Old Girl He Met Online in Halo

by Terrence O'Brien, posted Jan 4th 2008 at 11:32AM

Religious Nut Stalks and Threatens 15 Year Old Halo Companion

We joke about how gaming, especially online first person shooters (in this case 'Halo'), are the domain of basement dwelling uber-dorks and sociopaths. Sadly every once in a while someone has to go and do something that gives the entire online gaming community a bad name.

The emotionally unbalanced loon in question this time is Joshua Stetar. Stetar, 20, was arrested last week in Spokane, Washington, for stalking and harassing a 15 year-old girl and her 6 year-old sister he met online playing 'Halo'. Stetar drove 40 hours, nonstop, across country from his home in Granville, New York, to sit outside the young girls' house and threatened, via text message, to rape her and her sister.

Terrifyingly enough, this was not the first encounter with Stetar that clearly crossed the line. Stetar sent flowers to the jailbait gamer several times over a one-year period and flooded her cell phone with hundreds of text messages. Stetar even flew to Spokane in October to stake out her house.

Apparently Stetar, whose MySpace page is packed to the brim with Bible quotes and homophobic rants, missed the lesson in Sunday school where they explained that stalking, harassing, and raping little girls would not be considered the right thing to do.

The other question here, however, is how Stetar acquired the girl's address and cell phone number. We have to guess she gave that info to him before she knew he was a little less-than stable, but this all proves one thing: Watch who your kids are gaming with online.

From the Times Union

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Sonic the Hedgehog Coming to the iPod

by Terrence O'Brien, posted Dec 18th 2007 at 4:24PM

Sonic the Hedgehog Coming to an iPod Near You

The iPod has hardly taken off as a gaming platform. Sure, there have been some ports of classic puzzle games, and a 'Guitar Hero' rip off, but nothing truly exhilarating. But there is proof now that Apple takes the iPod seriously as a gaming platform.

Sega has ported over arguably its most classic game and character, Sonic the Hedgehog, to the iPod. Sure the idea of controlling this little blue speed demon with a scroll wheel sounds daunting, but we have faith that Sega wouldn't have released it if it wasn't playable.

Sonic is available now for $4.99 from the iTunes store.

From GameDaily

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Army Creates Office Dedicated to Video Games

by Terrence O'Brien, posted Dec 13th 2007 at 2:33PM

The military loves its video games. Whether it is at the forefront of simulator technology, modding off-the-shelf games like 'Doom', or creating its own first-person shooter from the ground up like 'America's Army', the United States Army is no stranger to game development as a way to train and recruit soldiers.

No branch of the military has embraced the world of video games as much as the Army is about to. The Army has just created the Training and Doctrine Command's Project Office for Gaming (or TPO Gaming), an office dedicated completely to building and deploying video games.

TPO Gaming is specifically looking into developing a toolkit that will allow soldiers to build their own training scenarios. But sadly, like many other US Military projects that can take a while, don't expect to see this toolkit until around 2015.

From Slashdot and Wired

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PlayStation 3 Out-sells Nintendo Wii in Japan

by Terrence O'Brien, posted Dec 2nd 2007 at 10:44AM

For the first time ever, Sony's PlayStation 3 outsold the Nintendo Wii over a four-week period in Japan. Fanboys, start your engines, because in November the PS3 sold 183,217 units, topping the Wii's 159,193.

The PS3 has struggled since its launch to make a significant dent in the home console market. After being a market leader with the PlayStation and PlayStation 2, Sony has taken a somewhat distant third behind the Wii and Xbox 360 this generation.

A new influx of games, a hefty price drop, and the introduction of a new midrange model with a 40 Gigabyte hard drive have finally brought some life to the Sony system. Only time will tell if this is a fluke or if the trend is sustainable. The real test will be this holiday season. If Sony can post comparable numbers to the Wii and Xbox Sony, execs will likely declare a victory and we're pretty sure you'll be hearing about it.

From Reuters

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Atari Classics Now on Xbox Live Arcade

by Terrence O'Brien, posted Nov 29th 2007 at 4:57PM

If you signed on to your Xbox Live Arcade account today, you may have noticed two new games waiting there for you to play: 'Asteroids' and 'Asteroids: Deluxe' (pictured above).

These two classic Atari titles won't be alone for long. Microsoft has promised that others are on the way. 'Battlezone', 'Tempest', and 'Warlords' will be available sometime after the holiday season. Personally, we can't wait for 'Yar's Revenge.'

All the games are true to the originals, including the prehistoric graphics. The only tweaks made have allowed online multi-player support and widescreen aspect ratios for HDTVs.

Gallery: Classic Atari Arcade Games

From TG Daily

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