Fun Games-Video Game-Favorite Game

'Fun game' results in a 2-2 tie for West Milford and DePaul

2009-12-28T20:44:00.000-08:00

Sunday, December 27, 2009
BY KEN SMITH
Suburban Trends
CORRESPONDENT

If the West Milford Highlander varsity hockey team could've chosen how to go into the county tournament, what happened Wednesday night would've been their second choice. After dominating for most of the game, the Highlanders needed a late goal by Josh McCann to tie DePaul and head into Christmas on a high note.
The theme of this game was physicality, as both teams started hitting each other from the opening whistle. West Milford would use this to their advantage on defense as it was very difficult for DePaul to sustain any attack because their puck carrier was swiftly crunched to the boards on every possession.
"These two teams love to face each other and they went out there to battle," said Coach Mark Pych. "The hitting was hard on both sides, there was some chippy stuff here and there and it was a fun game to watch."
On offense, West Milford followed their usual plan, looking for open ice where ever they can and manufacturing breakaways. DePaul's goaltender stood on his head for much of the game but when the Highlanders were able to string together a number of shots, they managed to find the twine. Collin MacDonald added another goal to his illustrious high school career in the second period when the puck bounced to him in the slot during a West Milford flurry.
Unfortunately for the Highlanders, a bad penalty and some mistakes left the team trailing late in the third period until they were saved by McCann during another flurry of shots as he crashed to the front of the net and the puck found it's way in. Also looking good for the Highlanders was Conrad Weiss, the other wing on the team's top line, who was creating tons of opportunities for his teammates and himself.
However, the most important thing that came out of this game for the Highlanders was between the pipes. Kyle Letsche, who has been inconsistent so far this year, was superb in net on Wednesday.
He kept his team in the game and, along with the great defensive performance from the Highlanders, frustrated the Spartans for much of the game. If Letsche can keep up his level of play, West Milford will be a serious contender in the tournament.
In fact, the team is very confident of it's chances and Kyle Browne, who was among the Highlanders throwing their weight around against DePaul, isn't afraid to hype his team. "It shows how we can keep up with the top of the conference. We're going to take it to the rest of the conference and show what we're made of."

HOW SOCIAL GAMES WORK

2009-12-12T20:57:00.001-08:00

Thousands of game applications tailored to Facebook, MySpace, hi5 and other social networks have been created by techies around the world.

The most popular of these games - such as "FarmVille," "Happy Aquarium" and "Mobsters" - have grown through what Web business mavens call a "viral" appeal, encouraging players to invite friends into the games. Players might also opt to "share" game updates on their stream of news to friends.

To play, a Facebook user, for example, would click on the icon for a particular game, which opens a large window to the field of play. Devotees say the games offer a fun diversion that is easily integrated with their online social activities. Play is free - unless players opt to use real money for "virtual goods."

Facebook games have Web surfers in their thrall

2009-12-12T20:56:00.000-08:00

SAN JOSE, Calif. - Facebook has grown into a Web medium that more than 350 million people use as an extension of their authentic selves, not their alter egos. Yet in recent months the world's biggest social networking site has been invaded by make-believe farmers, chefs and tropical fish collectors. You pretenders know who you are.

"It kind of just got me hooked," Melanie Earhart, a 46-year-old self-employed Los Gatos resident said of "FarmVille," the most popular game on Facebook with 69.3 million monthly users, on average, including 26.6 million who daily tend their virtual crops and maybe milk digital cows.

With Facebook and MySpace providing the wind beneath their wings, "FarmVille" maker Zynga leads a flock of online game startups that has soared as one of Silicon Valley's success stories during the recession, attracting hefty venture capital investments and generating strong revenue from ads and the sale of "virtual goods," even though most people play the games for free.

Devotees say they enjoy the casual aspect of games that become integrated into their multi-tasking online social life. The ease contrasts sharply with the deeper engagement of popular online role-playing destinations such as Second Life and World of Warcraft, as well as the graphically rich games favored by hard-core gamers on consoles such as PlayStation and Xbox.

In a telling shift of trends, Electronic Arts, the Redwood City, Calif.-based giant known for console games such as "Madden NFL," recently announced plans to terminate 1,500 employees even as it expanded online offerings by acquiring Playfish, a Zynga rival. The deal put Playfish's value as at least $300 million, and possibly $400 million, based on future performance.

Back-of-the-napkin estimates put the social gaming sector's value into the billions, largely because of its success in executing the so-called "freemium" revenue model. Most of the revenue is earned from ardent players like Earhart who are enticed to pay for enhancements such as more acreage to plow and plant.

Earhart, who says she's starting to "burn out" on "FarmVille," has also fallen hard for "Cafe World" and "Happy Aquarium," the second- and third-ranked games on Facebook. For her and many others, those feel-good games are a welcome alternative to the virtual mayhem that permeates many of the military, mobster and vampire titles that have been staples of the video game industry.

"It's like crack, I guess," said Chris Lion of San Jose, another "FarmVille" devotee. "It just sucks you in a little bit at a time."

Unlike actual farmers, "FarmVille" residents can build booming agribusinesses or opt to design lively, colorful properties without fear of drought, tornadoes or locusts. It's a "Pollyannish" place, Earhart explains, where untended crops may die but animals never do - and good Samaritan points can be earned for adopting a "lonely pink cow" or fertilizing a friend's crops.

Each game has a way to separate people from their money. A "Texas Hold 'Em" player, for example, could spend many hours trying to play his way up from the low-stakes table - or spend real money to match wits against rivals who have stacks' worth of virtual millions and, theoretically, take the game more seriously.

Typically, no more than 3 percent of online game players in the United States spend real money on virtual goods, with a fraction of those users providing the bulk of revenue, according to Zynga founder and CEO Mark Pincus. But he hopes to harvest a higher percentage over time.

One recent appeal on "FarmVille" was its "Sweet Seeds for Haiti" campaign, which Pincus said has raised $700,000 for two charities that serve the impoverished country. The 50-50 split means Zynga has earned $700,000 from the campaign as well.

Justin Smith, keeper of the blogs Inside Facebook and Inside Social Games, co-authored a market study that estimated that revenue from "virtual goods" would reach $1 billion this year - and up to $1.6 billion next year.

Apart from Zynga and Playfish, the top game makers on Facebook include CrowdStar, maker of "Happy Aquarium," and Serious Business, which makes "Sell Your Friends," a game that essentially turns Facebook personas into game pieces.

Playdom is the leader on MySpace, with Zynga also doing well. Two other well-funded startups, Slide and RockYou, branched into games after winning fans for other social networking applications. The social network hi5, meanwhile, is tailoring itself as a hub for gamers.

MySpace's younger demographic, it seems, still loves the mob, with Playdom's "Mobsters" and Zynga's "MafiaWars" ranked first and second in a recent report. A big part of the social game business might be called Copycat: Just about every startup offers its twist on popular themes. Zynga recently sued Playdom after it hired away employees who had access to what Pincus says is valuable intellectual property.

Not since "Scrabulous," the Scrabble knockoff that was shut down as lawsuits swirled, has an online game generated as much buzz as "FarmVille." The game's "growth exceeded our expectations," Pincus said. "But it hasn't exceeded our expectations for social games."

The most successful games, Pincus said, encourage social interaction, enable self-expression and help users feel that their investment of time is worthwhile. While male players are generally driven by building a booming agribusiness, Pincus said, female players are more likely to design colorful, vibrant, playful farms.

When not playing farmer, Lion is on the faculty support staff at Stanford University's Graduate School of Business. He proudly notes that, "as a matter of principle," he hasn't spent any real money on his fake farm, but acknowledges he is still under its spell.

There was that day Lion and a friend had made plans for an outing. "Then my friend said, 'Can we hold off for two hours? My artichokes are coming due.' I didn't bat an eye: 'Oh sure, we can wait.'

Tiger Woods’ woes inspired an online game

2009-12-12T20:54:00.001-08:00

Some enterprising people have come up with a Tiger Woods online game too, in which he is trying to run away with his mistress and his wife Elin is chasing him.

The game features an animation of the golfer Tiger Woods and another woman (his mistress) in his car Escalade, being chased by his golf-club wielding wife Elin, who is running after them. She has a very ferocious avatar and seems like a lady-on-a-mission.

The object of the game is to earn points and escape a very angry clubbing from Elin Nordegren by avoiding obstacles on the road such as fire hydrants, potholes, rocks and trees.

This online game is inspired by the infamous Tiger Woods accident on Thanksgiving weekend. Top-notch golfer Tiger Woods was injured in an accident with his SUV and according to reports, his wife had to smash a window to get him out from the vehicle. He was rushed to the hospital and was treated for his injuries and was later released in a good condition. The Florida Highway Patrol said that Tiger Woods’ vehicle hit a fire hydrant and a tree in his neighbor’s yard after he pulled out of his driveway at 2:25 am

Apparently it was later reported that Tiger Woods was trying to escape his furious wife Elin, who was angry at discovering his mistresses, when the accident happened.

Sony 250GB PS3 bundles for UK confirmed

2009-09-25T07:03:00.001-07:00

Sony has confirmed that it will be bringing a 250GB version of the new PS3 Slim out in the UK as part of a bundle offering.

Priced at around £285, there will be a range of different bundles on offer in the hope of enticing gamers to sign up with Sony rather than Microsoft's Xbox 360.

"Following the great success of the new, smaller, 120GB PS3, which sold over 1m units worldwide in its first three weeks on sale, the PS3 model with 250 HDD has the same hardware specifications as the current model, but with greater storage space, to offer consumers even more choice," Sony says.

Confirmed bundle titles include FIFA 10 and Need for Speed Shift.

According to gaming magazine CVG, From 1st October a choice of soft bundles containing either 2 x Platinum titles or inFamous will be available.

On 16 October, this range will be expanded to include an Uncharted 2 bundle while the 19 October will see a Blu-ray movie pack launched containing Wolverine, Batman The Dark Knight and a Blu Ray Remote.

Need for Speed: Shift - Xbox 360

2009-09-25T07:00:00.000-07:00

Need for Speed: Shift is the latest re-boot to the Need for Speed franchise. Since the days of Underground on the PlayStation 2, people have claimed that the franchise has slowly been going downhill with each title that has come out under the Need for Speed brand. Traditionally, the series has always been fairly arcade-y in the way the cars control and the missions you were tasked with. However, Need for Speed: Shift takes a complete U-turn as it aims for the more serious simulation-based racing fans.
As Need for Speed has taken a more simulation-based approach to racing with Shift, its most important feature is how the cars control: they’re meant to control like the real cars should. Unfortunately, that is something which Shift fails with at the very first hurdle. Imagine a handicapped horse which gets stuck half way over the hurdle – this is the feeling you get with the controls. Shift can’t decide whether it wants to be an arcade racer or a racing simulation, as the cars turn as if you are playing an old rally game, pivoting on a centre point and sliding round corners similar to Ridge Racer.

Even though the handling isn’t on par with previous racing simulation games, other important factors are spot on, such as the car models and the tracks you race on. The courses are realistic and the scenery gives you some serious eye-candy to stare at during those long and tedious races. Shift is not just the best looking racing game EA has put out, it’s one of the best looking games they’ve published in general – the amount of detail around scenery and car models, including cars like the legendary Bugatti Veyron 16.4, is astonishing – all of which can be damaged.

Each one of the 70+ cars are fully customisable with the money earned during the career mode. You can change the paint and the general visuals of a car as well as the internals, like the engine and brakes, as well as giving your car NOS and completely changing the cockpit view. This is possibly the first time the cockpit view is more-entertaining than the overhead view.

Imagine this: speeding past opponents at 180mph and them then becoming a blur in your rear view mirror, all this is happening while you are hearing the thunderous roar of both your engine and the person you just sped past. You then realise that in the process, you’re hurtling towards a tyre wall. You slam the brakes, and they screech as you slam into the wall. Everything becomes a blur, and you've been right in the driving seat the whole time. It's exhilarating.

The majority of the game's action takes place in its single player experience, the aim being to win the Need for Speed: Shift Live World Tour which involves you working your way up through five tiers, the fifth and final tier being the championship events. The only real similarity between Shift and past Need for Speed titles is the events to take part in. You get the usual race event, as well as time trials, drift events, car battles and manufacturer events.

Every time you finish a race you’ll receive a star rating depending on your performance and whether you've met certain criteria and progressing you through your career. Almost every race you take part in during the Shift career will have set challenges per match, such as earning a certain number of driver points, mastering every corner by hitting the driving line exactly, or hitting a specified speed. Either way, the game will try to mix up your driver skills and tries to get you to use different driving styles.

As well as the star rating being a major part of the game's single player experience, the driver level is another nice new addition to the series. How you drive in each race alters how much experience you receive. For example, hitting driving lines well and performing clean overtakes will get you more experience. If you're a precision-based driver, you'll rely on the cleanliness and preciseness of your race to raise your points score more. Aggressive drivers? You'll have to either work on your precision or rely on your speed and skill to earn more points. What's odd is that no matter which style you decide to take, everything goes into one big experience pool: it just seems that the game hurls experience at you for pretty much anything you do.

The game does include multiplayer as well as your single player, however, it is just a standard, run-of-the-mill multiplayer addition for a racer. Straight-up 8 player races, time trials or drifting events feature, all are judged by best score/best time. There is another addition in the form of "drivers duel" though, where you can take on an opponent in a one-on-one game mode.

The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings

2009-09-25T06:56:00.000-07:00

The recent release of a confidential, internal video from CD Projekt has confirmed that the company is working on a sequel to the popular action RPG, The Witcher. The new game, The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings, is currently being shopped around to publishers, which is how the video found its way onto the net.

The new video shows off a number of the technical improvements and a brand new engine, including better normal and parallax mapping and improved lighting elements. It also includes a new dialogue and camera system that, based on the video, shows a much more cinematic view of the interactions. Player behavior will have a significant impact this time around, both for good and for bad, and the NPCs will be driven by their own agendas which could make them for or against Geralt.

Combat now includes more dynamic and bloody finishing moves with loads of physics based action. The movie showed Geralt flinging enemies off a high plateau in a scene that reminds us a lot of great games like Jedi Knight.

Since the video's release the developers have come out and made a few official comments on it, explaining that the version shown in the video is a very early alpha which doesn't showcase all the technical improvements, include final voices and reveals none of the compelling story.

Since the game is so early in development and has, as yet, no confirmed publisher, CD Projekt declined to offer a release date. The company also cautioned gamers not to expect much in the way of further information or momentum saying that none of that will happen "very soon."

Ready to enjoy playing online games?

2009-08-27T19:29:00.000-07:00

All around the world, the focus of games has been moving from video games to arcade games and further towards online games. Currently, the online game market is growing steadily with an increasing number of users due to higher provision rates of broadband, enhanced console network functions, diversification of online game genres and an expansion of casual MMORPG (Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game).

According to Wireless World Forum report, revenue from online game globally was 7 billion dollar in 2007, which increased 24.7% from a year ago. And in 2008 it increased 29%, and the revenue was 9 billion dollar.

Get More! From Your Data Center: Rely on Liebert for System Availability and Integrity : Download nowAmong online games worldwide, the traditional MMORPG genre has a long life cycle and is consolidating a large user class, while the diversification of online game genres is expected to lead steady growth. Also, unlike existing offline games, one can actually play against another person online so that the number of users enjoying the beauty of bidirectional communication -- where the formation of various communities is possible -- is rapidly increasing.

Are you ready to join users worldwide who are already enjoying playing online games? Here are some good free online games that you can try for fun.

Zynga's FarmVille gets 11 million users

2009-08-27T19:23:00.001-07:00

Social gaming phenom Zynga’s new “FarmVille” game - in which players create and manage virtual farms - has attracted more than 11 million daily active users in nine weeks, the San Francisco company said Thursday.

“No other application has achieved what this game has in such a short amount of time. Who would have guessed that FarmVille is now the biggest online game in North America and quickly becoming the biggest online game in the world,” said Mark Pincus, founder and CEO of Zynga, the two year old juggernaut that is making money at a rate of more than $100 million a year.

Farm-themed games have been popular in Asia for years. When it was launched on June 19, industry bloggers remarked that FarmVille was an improved version of the popular “Farm Town” game, which is owned by a Florida developer called SlashKey. Already on the social network Facebook alone FarmVille has 30 million monthly unique visitors, while Farm Town has 17.8 million, according to the AppData.com website.

Zynga makes money on the game largely by selling virtual goods ranging from buildings to plants and animals.

“FarmVille’s growth is nothing short of spectacular and a clear indicator that we have a winning formula for giving players around the world a virtual farming experience that they truly enjoy,” said Mark Skaggs, vice president and general manager of Zynga’s Social RTS studio. “By combining the best elements of social gaming, with people’s instinct to nurture, we’ve created an incredibly fun, wholesome and rewarding experience.”

Zynga, the largest social gaming company, claims 27 million daily users and 93 million monthly users. Its games are available on Facebook, MySpace, Bebo, Hi5, Friendster, Tagged, Yahoo and the iPhone, and include FarmVille, Texas Hold’Em Poker, Mafia Wars, YoVille, Vampires, Street Racing, and Scramble.

Assassin's Creed II: Fun and Games

2009-08-27T19:22:00.001-07:00

A brand new gameplay style is revealed using 'toys'.

As part of Ubisoft's Cologne GamesCom showcase this year, the Montreal-based development team behind Assassin's Creed II finally laid a few of their cards on the table – addressing the first game's issues of lack of diversity and more. A new location was also revealed – the iconic city of Florence, Italy – home of the famous Santa Maria Novella church, which holds dark secrets within its cavernous catacombs.

As the demo begins, we join Ezio – the lead character and veiled assassin for this story – as he undertakes the third mission in this particular quest line, 'Caveat Emptor'. To succeed, Ezio must kill three rich targets without being seen. As you can see, with new conditions now surrounding the way targets must be executed, a new dimension is added to standard assassination missions – but the changes don't stop there. The 'Conditional Success' scenario is nothing new to gaming, but it adds a further degree of risk to the role of playing an assassin

StarCraft II: New Gallery and Logo

2009-08-18T00:56:00.001-07:00

Nearly 20 new screenshots plus a new logo from Blizzard's 2010 release.

GameSpy took a trip last month to Blizzard's headquarters in Irvine, California where we got to check out the recently delayed StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty. We'll be bringing you our full gameplay report later today, but in the meantime, cast your retinas over this collection of new screens, cutscene stills and the new logo from the first instalment in the trilogy.

As part of their second quarter earnings release, Activision announced that Starcraft II would be delayed until 2010.

No additional information has been announced as of press time, though the company’s conference call is happening in about 15 minutes, so we’ll let you know what we find out.

Xbox Arcade UK Price Hike?

2009-08-18T00:51:00.000-07:00

Basic 360 soon to cost more, says retailer.

UK retailers claim the Xbox 360 Arcade bundle and several accessories will soon see a bump in price, according to trade magazine MCV. An unnamed technology retailer says Microsoft has confirmed the price hike to them, which will see the Arcade Pack jump 30 quid from �129.99 to �159.99. Peripherals such as joypads and headsets are also set to get more expensive too, although exact pricing is yet to be confirmed.

The news follows rumours that the Pro pack will be phased out entirely and that the Elite, which comes with a 120GB hard drive, will drop �60 to take its place.

Is it all a load of rubbish? If we were betting men we'd place a wager that the basic machine will go up in price bearing in mind the currently economic climate and rumblings that the Wii will also become more expensive. Naturally, Microsoft is keeping schtum. By Alex Simmons

Earthworm Jim Comes Crawling Back

2009-08-18T00:47:00.000-07:00

Gameloft is dusting off the 16-bit hero.

Gameloft has announced it will be delivering the classic platformer Earthworm Jim to digital distribution platforms and mobile phones. Originally released on 16-bit systems back in 1994, Earthworm Jim stars the titular invertebrate who wears a super suit which grants him the power to fight the evil forces of Queen Slug-for-a-Butt (really). It's not clear, yet, whether this is an all-new game or a straight port of the original. As of this writing, Gameloft could not be reached for clarification.

"The game, with its humorous and edgy style, is a great fit for today's gamer who craves a fully immersive experience that is fun and easily accessible," said Gonzague de Vallois, senior vice president, Gameloft.

"Earthworm Jim resonates with millions of people worldwide and we are excited to have one of the best developers in the industry create this game for a new audience," said Herve Caen, CEO, Interplay.

Interestingly, SEGA announced last week that the original Earthworm Jim is a candidate for the next SEGA Classics release on Xbox Live Arcade (XBLA) and PlayStation Network.

Earthworm Jim will initially arrive on XBLA late this year and make its way to other platforms a month later. By Daemon Hatfield

What COMIC BOOK VIDEO GAME Are You Most Excited For?

2009-08-06T21:32:00.000-07:00

Comics have been a source for the movie, TV, and games industries for many years. It seems right now there's a fresh boom in video games inspired by comic books in particular. Let's do a quick rundown:

Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2: Activision's sequel to the hit action role playing game lets gamers take control of a large selection of heroes and villains from across the Marvel Universe, battling soldiers, other heroes and villains, and various assorted bad guys. This game will loosely follow the stories of Secret War and Civil War, two Marvel event comics that eventually pitted a faction led by Tony Stark, Iron Man against a faction led by Captain America.
Due in stores September 15, 2009

Batman: Arkham Asylum: Eidos and Warner Bros Interactive Entertainment had one goal in mind with this game: deliver an experience to make players feel like Batman. To that end, they opted to not use a movie license, instead having proven Batman: The Animated Series and Detective Comics, Streets of Gotham, and Gotham City Sirens scribe Paul Dini craft an all-new story. Then they got several voice actors from the celebrated 90s TV show, including Kevin Conroy as Batman, Mark Hamill as Joker, and Arleen Sorkin as Harley Quinn. Add in the dark, eerie atmosphere of Arkham Asylum and gameplay that makes you use Batman's martial arts, detective skills, gadgetry, and strategic planning, and you have the makings of a great Batman game.
Due in stores August 25th, 2009

DC Universe Online: This Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game (MMORPG) is a ways off, having not yet even entered Beta, and as of E3 2009 this past June, not even entered the Alpha testing phase. However, the game has showed promise as it slowly and steadily builds to release. Sony Online Entertainment and DC/WB are taking the game seriously, enlisting DC writer Geoff Johns, DC artist/Wildstorm head Jim Lee, and living legend writer Marv Wolfman to construct the look, feel, and stories of the virutal DC Universe gamers will play in. While gamers will not be able to control the well-known characters in the DC Stable, their created characters will fight alongside and against heroes and villains like Superman, Green Lantern, and Doomsday. The game will be played exclusively online, sending players alone or teamed up in their own Leagues, Legions, and Societies on various missions, some inspired by events from the comics themselves.
Projected in stores late 2010, early 2011

Champions Online: This one isn't a comic book game, techinically. This MMORPG uses superheroes and villains from the table-top RPG Champions. The game's deep and robust universe and customization have been translated into moving form, providing an action oriented overlay to the thinking man's game. Comic writer and editor John Layman is helping translate the story from book to game, and the original creators are involved as well. The game is in private beta now, and on track for its September release.
Due in stores September 4, 2009

Iron Man 2: There isn't a ton of information yet about this just-announced title. Sega is making it, and releasing it before the movie of the same name. This time, it won't really follow the story of the film, instead using a story by Invincible Iron Man the comic's writer, Matt Fraction. Fraction plans to use elements from both the movie universe and the comic universe, and the game is promised to have more mission variety (the first game was defeat x amount of enemies, fly to point b, defeat x amount of enemies, fly to point c, beat boss, repeat).
Due in stores April, 2010

Marvel Super Hero Squad: This game can kind of be described as Marvel Ultimate Alliance for kids. The game features the same re-imagined versions of Marvel's most popular characters as the upcoming animated series, battling their way in one or two player co-op action. It's absolutely adorable, and pretty funny to see a Wolverine with a big goofy grin hacking and slashing. For adults who want to crack into the game, there are unlockable costumes and a four player battle mode somewhat akin to Super Smash Bros.. It's truly a fun-for-the-family title, that plays especially well on the Wii, using a natural combination of motion and button controls.
Due in stores October 20, 2009

Marvel vs. Capcom 2: This one is already out on Xbox 360, but as it is still on the way for PS3, it deserves inclusion on this list. Capcom breathed a second life into the arcade/Dreamcast/PS2/Xbox classic that is notoriously hard to find by making it a downloadable title with online play. The same ridiculously large roster is back, with smoother graphics for your HD display, and you can play ONLINE. Really, that's probably 'nuff said. Now available on Xbox 360, available on PS3 August 13th

MusiGames Studio Presents 'Leds!'

2009-07-22T23:42:00.000-07:00

RECIFE, Brazil - MusiGames, a leading developer of games and edutainment software, today announced the release of Leds! for Apple iPhone, iPod Touch and Google Android smartphones. The puzzle game challenges players to find out which words are displayed in a broken LED panel.

"Everyone looks to LED panels, so we decided to make them even more fun in a game," said Americo Amorim, CEO of MusiGames Studio. "When we go to places such as the doctor or the post office, we usually have to face long waiting periods in lines. This is always boring! We keep looking at LED panels, hoping the waiting ends soon. Now, with the game Leds!, we can also play with them on our iPhone, iPod Touch and even Android smartphones."

Leds! challenges players to discover what is being shown on a panel with some broken Leds. The player has to figure out the letters and numbers that are scrolled along the LED panel, with only 3 columns of Leds! working. The game gets progressively more challenging with two and then one column of Leds.

During the game, the Leds are displayed in different environment such as airports, hospitals, food courts, schools, stadiums and highways. The game includes more than 700 words that are familiar to each location and range from commonly used to more exotic ones.

New 'Tiger Woods' game: All the fun without the divots

2009-07-14T21:57:00.000-07:00

Grade: B+

Video Game » Thanks to the more sensitive Wii MotionPlus add-on for the Nintendo controller, which better simulates real-world movement in games, you can be just as clumsy on the virtual links as the real ones in "Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10." Though it's on all the other gaming platforms, the Wii version allows players to swing the club like the real thing and play on 27 authentic courses.

Though it adds more realism to the swing, including fades and draws, the game is still more forgiving and not as frustrating as "Grand Slam Tennis," EA Sports' other title that uses the $20 MotionPlus add-on (and if you want to dial down the realism, you can play the game without the MotionPlus).

"Tiger Woods" on the Wii may not look as gorgeous or lush as the versions on other platforms, but it's the closest to simulating golf without tearing up the living-room carpet.

Oh no! The King of All Cosmos

2009-07-09T23:54:00.001-07:00

The King of All Cosmos accidentally destroyed all the stars in the sky. Your job, should you be crazy enough to accept it, is to create new ones by rolling a super sticky ball all over the place, collecting animal, vegetable and mineral as you go, until your once small sphere is large enough to suck up mountains, clouds, and even entire planets. Stylish, clever, and packed with one of the catchiest soundtracks ever, the original Katamari Damacy is as weird -- and cool -- as they come.

REVIEW: Punch-Out!!

2009-06-23T23:34:00.001-07:00

It's funny yet sad to know that there is an entire generation of gamers out there who've never experienced the thrill and challenge of a Punch-Out!! game. Although the Virtual Console has recently added the ability to take the ring in the classic Super Punch-Out!!, we haven't seen a new game in the series in over a decade and a half. Thankfully the wait is over in the form of Punch-Out!! for the Wii from Next Level Games. Now the opportunity is there for the new gaming generation to take on the likes of Glass Joe, King Hippo, and all the blatant stereotypes us repeat players have come to love over the years. But is Punch-Out!! just another cash-grab sequel or could it be the next TKO from Tokyo?

For those of you unfamiliar with the series, it's old-school gaming at its finest: Pattern recognition and reaction time. Through the course of three different boxing circuits, you'll take on over a dozen fighters each with their own blend of themed attacks, many reflective of the idiosyncrasies often associated with those of that culture. For instance, Glass Joe is portrayed as a weak and fearful Frenchman, whereas Super Macho Man is the attention-grabbing, egomaniacal Californian with punches that include poses for the camera. As outdated as some of these generalizations have become, the variety of colorful characters you'll meet add such a great mix to the game that Punch-Out!! would be lacking in its charm without them. It's something you really don't see in the Fight Night games of the world.

Although I'd have a hard time recommending this game to Grandma and Grandpa Casual Gamer, everyone else should give this game a try. Chances are if you're reading this review you probably aren't part of that casual market anyway. This is one of those rare occurrences where the relaunch of a cherished franchise is just as good as the original. The Wii, unfortunately, has had a lull in quality games for awhile now, so if you're looking for a reason to dust it off, Punch-Out!! is definitely worth picking up. If you're a fan of the series, there's even more incentive to do so. The game takes everything you loved from past entries in the series and brings it all into the current generation in a way that it feels both old and new.

Harold Ramis On Why It's Hard To Make Funny Video Games

2009-06-23T23:29:00.000-07:00

Compared to the number of funny movies, the number of funny games is quite low. Good comedy is hard!
Harold Ramis is a funny guy, and he's writer and/or directed a bunch of funny movies: Caddyshack, Ghostbusters and Groundhog Day. Why does he think are the challenges of making games funny?

You would think comedy dies with repetition. Once you've heard a joke, you're not going to laugh the second time. And yet people keep revisiting their favorite funny films that they see over and over again.

I hear this all the time, usually from unhappy wives who will tell me their husband has watched Caddyshack 100 times and they say it with a worried look on their face.

Why do people keep watching Ghostbusters or any comedy film? It's not for the surprise. It's something that tickles them deep down and makes them feel good... In video games, it seems like the attraction of playing any videogame is that it gives you control over a world that you have no other access to... Once you've mastered a game, you kind of lose interest. Repetition in a game, you're not only dealing with the repetition of the comedy, but you're dealing with the repetition of the gamers mastering the game, itself. To make a game so funny with so many comic alternatives, that would be like writing three hit movies. The scripts are impossibly long. That would be a considerable investment. And I was thinking if you wrote that much comedy, chances are you would put it in a feature film.

My son is addicted to a violent computer game

2009-06-17T02:19:00.000-07:00

Q: My son is 12 and is addicted to a computer game that is suitable for over-16s. It is violent and features shooting and killing. I got divorced two years ago on the grounds of my husband’s unreasonable behaviour and his drinking. My son has contact with him every weekend.
The problem started when my ex-husband encouraged my son to play this violent game. I went to his primary school, our GP and the school nurse, with little impact. Now my son is in secondary school and he is becoming angrier and angrier; he loses his temper very quickly. My ex-husband is oblivious to the situation and doesn’t want to do anything about it.

I am completely at a loss as to how I can help my child to overcome this addiction before it gets completely out of hand. He is at a very vulnerable and impressionable age. I am so worried about the impact it will have on his psychological health.

A: The issues that you raise reflect the concerns of many parents that I have spoken to since I began investigating potentially harmful aspects of the gaming world. Last year I published my independent report: The Byron Review — Safer Children in a Digital World, in which I explored this vast area and made recommendations to the Government.

We are an incredibly risk-averse culture: in 1971, 80 per cent of seven and eight-year-olds went to school on their own — by 1990 it was only 9 per cent. So it is ironic that we keep our children indoors because of our overblown fears of the “real world” but allow them to roam free in digital spaces. These risks can be through content, such as adult material; contact, when others pose as “friends” while being predators; or conduct, for example, cyber bullying. In addition, many of our “captive” children do not have a balanced lifestyle — they spend too much time indoors, online and playing video games. They become dependent on such activities, unable to tear themselves away. This behaviour is seen most often in boys.

The video games industry is often blamed for producing such content but this is placing responsibility in the wrong place. There are many excellent and exciting games for your son’s age group that encourage thinking and problem-solving. It is not gaming per se that is the problem.

Video “game” denotes some kind of benign influence, as in “it’s only a game”. This shows our ignorance and also our inability to say no. When an adult game very popular with kids was released recently, retailers observed that the long queues were made up mostly of mothers.
However, we must be very careful when we label a behaviour addictive. An addiction is very different to an obsession mixed with defiance. Your son is clearly very attached to this game — partly, it could be argued, because it is something he shares with his father and playing computer games together can be a bonding experience. However, for him to have an addiction to it, the need to play it would have to exert an all-pervasive influence, stopping him eating or sleeping normally.

There are some young people who become so obsessed that they become aggressive if challenged on the subject. Fundamentally, it comes down to understanding why a child is doing what he or she is doing. With your son I can see that there is a concern that his angry behaviour stems not only from his father’s encouragement, but also his father’s “unreasonable behaviour” traits.

You need to set some clear rules at home. These should include limits on the amount of time playing, and if he does not accept this, it may be useful for you to take the gaming consoles away until you can negotiate a compromise. You can also lock consoles so that certain age-rated games won’t play — call the manufacturer for advice.

If you are truly uncomfortable about the kind of contact that your son has with his father, that needs to be addressed either by having a conversation with your ex-husband or, if that is not possible, through a solicitor to highlight concerns that may lead to reduced access. You can also refer yourself to your local Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), although your GP should have done this for you. CAMHS can offer support with your son’s game-playing and also support you. They should offer an assessment within six weeks — check with your local primary care trust.

The video gaming industry also offers advice. It may be worth talking to your son’s school and seeing if it would be interested in addressing this issue with pupils and parents.

E3 2009: Sonic & Sega All-Star Racing (PS3)

2009-06-17T02:16:00.001-07:00

I may have played the Sonic & Sega All-Star Racing demo at E3 more than anyone else at the show. I played it three times. Sitting right across from the packed Bayonetta demo, Sonic just didn't get a lot of action. None of the demo units ever had much of a line, and by Day Two the first words out of any Sega Rep's mouth were "it's a lot like Mario Kart." Yet, I had a blast. Is this a problem with me, or is E3 just too glitzy for a game like this?

Granted, Sonic & Sega All-Star Racing is a clone of Mario Kart—That's undeniable. You drive around fantasy race courses as cartoon Sega characters and quickly find fun power-ups to shoot at each other along the way. The game mimics Mario Kart right down to its box-like item drops, crazy jumps, secret alternative routes, little beach crabs, and charging power-slides. Fortunately, I'm a big fan of Mario Kart; it's nice to see Sega (or any developer) try to rip off a Nintendo franchise and not fail miserably in execution. All-Star Racing's controls work, and the game is fun.

The demo I played had only four selectable characters, but I saw four others racing against me, and the "Blizzard Castle" course was from Billy Hatcher, so I presume there will be at least nine total characters, probably more. Sonic, Amy, Samba de Amigo, AiAi (from Monkey Ball), Dr. Eggman, Tails, Shadow, and Kit are the only characters I saw. Selecting your character is more like older versions of Kart, since there is no kart selection.

Each character has its own custom kart. Only two race courses were in the demo: "Seaside Hill" from Sonic, and "Blizzard Castle" from Billy Hatcher. Seaside Hill is a typical Sonic level, with a lot of jumps, loops, and shenanigans going on. Blizzard Castle is not as imaginative as you'd think coming from Billy Hatcher, a game about a boy in a chicken suit who rolls around giant eggs that hatch into magical creatures. It was a pretty bland trek through an icy castle. Pick some better levels from your games, Sega.

Power-ups are in plentiful supply. You find them in floating question mark boxes, like in Kart. The set of power-ups are all pretty standard, homing missiles, shields, speed boosters, etc. You can also perform tricks by pressing the shoulder triggers in mid-air. If you land a trick, you get a little speed bonus.

The Chaos Emerald super power-ups are the only items worth noting. Like in Mario Kart: Double Dash each character has its own Chaos Emerald power, which is kind of like a Power Star or Bullet Bill from Kart. Sonic ditches his car and turns into Super Sonic; AiAi gets his ball back; and Samba de Amigo entices everyone he passes to line up behind him and party. Chaos Emeralds are a lot of fun, though I wish the rest of the power-ups were as imaginative. Racing is fun, but my favorite part of these types of racers has always been the Battle Mode, where you blast each other instead of race.

I couldn't get a firm answer on if the game will have a Battle Mode, but several representatives I talked to said it is a possibility. Four-player splitscreen and eight-player online play is confirmed. There have been a lot of Mario Kart imitators over the years. It's practically pre-requisite spin-off for any popular cartoon-like franchise these days. Crash Bandicoot, Chocobo, Pac-Man, Kirby, Bomberman, Spongebob, The Sims, and even M&Ms have had kart games in the last decade. Sega had an older Sonic kart series called Sonic Drift on the Game Gear back in the 90s. None of them, except maybe Rare's Diddy Kong Racing, have been able to match the fun and replay value of the Mario Kart series. I don't think Sonic & Sega All-Star Racing is going to change this, but Sega isn't phoning it in.

This is probably the best 3D game featuring Sonic, without Mario characters, in quite some time.The build I played was for PS3, and had a few frame rate issues that I hope are ironed out. It will ship to all three consoles, including Wii, next March.

Interactive Video Games Offer Exercise Benefits

2009-06-10T01:00:00.000-07:00

FRIDAY, June 5 (HealthDay News) -- Couch potatoes beware: If you start playing a new generation of video games that require users to get up and move around, you may find yourself getting a bit more fit.

New research suggests that several exercise-based Nintendo Wii video games provide health benefits, in one case equal to that of light jogging.
And seniors in Florida managed to raise their heart rates by playing a video-game version of bowling. Many managed to have a good time and even engage in some "trash talk" about who was better, the researchers said.

Exercise-via-video-game might not replace the value of traditional methods of getting fit, said Elizabeth DiRico, an exercise physiologist who studied college students who played Wii athletic games. Still, "if you have an unfit individual, this would be a good way to transition them from being a couch potato into moving more," she said.

Playing a video game has traditionally been a sedentary activity, requiring users to do little more than stand or sit and manipulate a joystick. But many new video games require players to get up and move about, whether to dance or mimic the movements of real-life athletes.

In the Wii bowling game, for instance, players hold onto a controller device as if it were a bowling ball and try to hit the virtual pins at the end of a lane on the screen. The game doesn't require quite as much physical activity as real-life bowling -- for one, the "ball" doesn't weigh much -- but players do have to move around and perhaps get out of their chairs when it's their turn.
In one of the new studies, researchers asked 44 people in their 60s, 70s and 80s to play the Wii bowling game at a senior center in Pensacola, Fla. The researchers found that the game boosted the heart rate of the participants by about 40 percent, and many reported enjoying the game, said study co-author Lucas A. Willoughby, now a former graduate student at the University of West Florida.

The findings "let us know that the older adults felt more enthusiastic and rejuvenated, in better psychological shape than when they started," he said. "They even felt a little bit younger, like they were kids again."

Some of the seniors found it challenging at first to throw the bowling ball using the controller, but they figured it out, Willoughby said.

"Some were really getting into it. They were recruiting their friends and trying to play tournaments," Willoughby said. They also said things like "I got a strike and you got a gutter ball," he added. "They were trash-talking each other."

In the other study, DiRico and her colleagues monitored the bodies of 13 college students as they played one of three Wii games -- boxing, tennis or aerobics -- for 10 minutes after learning how to play.

The aerobics and tennis games provided light intensity exercise, which may not mean much, especially if a person was already fit, said DiRico, who works for a WellPoint health benefits company fitness center. But the boxing game provided more of an exercise boost, equivalent to a light jog, she said.

Players may find the games more fun and stimulating than other forms of exercise, DiRico said. But the games should be seen as the beginning of an exercise program, not the end point, she said.

The study results were presented last month at the American College of Sports Medicine annual meeting, in Seattle.

E3: New Super Mario Bros. more casual than ever

2009-06-10T00:56:00.000-07:00

If it's one thing that Nintendo has been able to prove with the Wii console, it's that there are more people out there that are discovering how much fun gaming can be without ever playing a video game before in their life. Wii Sports, the number one selling video game ever, is a prime example of how one game can appeal to an exremely large audience.

New Super Mario Bros. for the Wii returns Mario to the kind of gameplay experienced in the first Super Mario Bros., the second best selling video game of all time. The game returns to the basics, a 2-D side-scroller all about platforming, coin collecting and stomping enemies on the head.
The biggest upgrade to New Super Mario Bros. Wii is that up to 4 players will all be able to play the game simultaneously. This might not sound like a big deal but is a very difficult task to accomplish. When it comes to a side-scrolling game, it can be hard enough to make the gameplay accomidate just two players, let alone four.

One player might want to race through the level as fast as possible while a newer, less-experienced play might want to hang back and take their time. New Super Mario Bros. Wii takes into account the fact that there might be players with different skill levels playing the game and thus has included a feature to allow one player to pick up another player and carry them. So if grandma is playing as Luigi and having a hard time with one particular area, you can pick him up, carry him across the pitfall, and then set him back down afterwards. This eliminates the need to snatch the controller away from another player to get them past a difficult part to be able to continue.

There is genius in the game's simplicity and for fans of the original Super Mario Bros., there is very little to complain about. New Super Mario Bros. Wii will be on the store shelves by Christmas and is one of those rare games that just about everyone will enjoy.

Meet the Digital Beatles

2009-06-04T20:42:00.001-07:00

If Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr keep meeting like this, we’re going to have to start rumors of a Beatles reunion. In Los Angeles for the video game industry’s E3 Expo, our roving reporter Seth Schiesel sent us this report from an event Monday where the Fab Two and the widows of John Lennon and George Harrison were on hand to announce more details of their coming video game, The Beatles: Rock Band.

Mr. Schiesel writes:

Let it not be said that the widows and surviving members of the Beatles cannot make common cause when the price is right. Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Yoko Ono Lennon and Olivia Harrison each showed up on stage on Monday at Microsoft’s media briefing in advance of the E3 game convention here to show their support for The Beatles: Rock Band, the new music video game from MTV Games that is scheduled to be released in September. Mr. McCartney (“We love the game”) and Mr. Starr (“The game is good”) said little. Ms. Lennon and Ms. Harrison said less. The actual demonstration of the game, in which players sing, play drums or mock guitar or bass, was conducted by a “house band” from the game’s development studio. The companies announced 10 of the songs that will be included with the game, including “I Saw Her Standing There,” “Day Tripper,” “Taxman,” “Here Comes the Sun” and “Get Back.”

At the press conference, it was also announced that The Beatles: Rock Band, which will be released on Sept. 9 for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Nintendo Wii consoles, would include a total of 45 Beatles songs on disc. “All You Need Is Love” will be released that day as an exclusive Xbox 360 download, and the entire “Abbey Road” album will be released for download at a later date.

At Least Two Online Games Have Been Created Thanks To The Bush Shoe-Throwing Incident!

2009-06-04T20:39:00.000-07:00

People can be so creative. The latest online inventions gives you a chance to become the Bush shoe-thrower in that infamous incident in Iraq. What fun that will be for all the anti-Bush folks out there! Here’s more from the Sydney Morning Herald:

“In internet land, yesterday’s news is today’s viral web hit, especially when it involves a chance to poke fun at US President George Bush.

Within hours of the now infamous shoe-throwing incident – or “shoegate”, as it was inevitably labelled – online hoons began remixing the footage into funny animated images and at least two online games.

In the first game, created by mischief makers in France, players assume the role of Bush and earn points depending on how long they can dodge shoes, which fly at him at a rapidly increasing frequency.

In the second game, Bush’s Boot Camp, the shoe, so to speak, is on the other foot, with players taking the role of a gun-toting security agent who must shoot the flying shoes before they reach the President.”