The Game Zone

Dungeons and Dragons Online Bonus Weekend

2007-06-19T14:41:00.000-05:00

I've been playing DDO for about a year and this past weekend they had a "bonus XP & +1 loot welcome back weekend" . Half the severs (and of course the one I play on) ended up being down for a nice chunk of the weekend so they extended the bonus weekend until midnight tonight.

Still - would have been really nice to get some game time in this past weekend instead of trying to pack it in at night at still make it to work the next morning.

Halo 3

2007-06-19T13:51:00.000-05:00

Never been much of a Halo fan but have to admit I'm looking forward to Halo 3. From what I've seen the graphics are sweet and the gameplay is supposed to be top notch.

Look for Halo 3 to hit the shelves in the US on 9/25/2007.

Game on gamers.

Physical video games boost kids' activity levels

2007-01-13T14:28:00.000-06:00

"With the so-called global obesity epidemic and the popularity of youth gaming as their backdrop, researchers at the Minnesota-based clinic took 12 boys and 13 girls between the ages of eight and 12 and put them to the virtual test.

The results - showing that children burn more energy while playing activity-required video games than traditional, sedentary ones - may seem "pretty obvious," conceded Lanningham-Foster. "

Source.

I'm surprised people are even bothering with this type of studies anymore. Physical activity boosts activity levels - who would have thought? Sheesh.

DDO Improvements Coming Soon

2006-07-06T15:37:00.000-05:00

Here's a huge list of improvements coming to DDO (Dungeons and Dragons) in the very near future. Check it out here.

The New Olympic Sport - Video Games?

2006-07-06T15:13:00.000-05:00

Ted Owens wants to bring video games and the Olympics together, and this gamer says why not. Look at some of these "sports" that are already part of the Olympics:

• Air sports
• Netball
• Bandy
• Orienteering
• Billiard sports
• Pelote Basque
• Boule
• Polo
• Bowling
• Powerboating
• Bridge
• Racquetball
• Chess
• Roller sports
• Dance sport
• Rugby
• Golf
• Squash
• Karate
• Surfing
• Korfball
• Sumo
• Life saving
• Tug-of-war
• Motorcycle racing
• Underwater sports
• Mountaineering and climbing
• Water skiing
• Wushu
Source: International Olympic Committee

Korfball? WTF is that? If Korfball can make it into the Olympics why not video games too?

Owens heads the Global Gaming League, a gaming culture and media company that has proposed including video-game playing, or "gaming," in the next summer Olympics as a demonstration sport. Demonstration sports have been presented in the past to promote sports native to the host country.

"The computer has penetrated our world so much, across every aspect," Owen said. "Why is it that people have real trouble seeing it as a 21st century tennis racket?"

It's not a guarantee that video games will ever make it to the Olympics though - as a matter of fact I would call it more of a longshot than anything else.

Ed Hula, editor of the Olympic business trade Web site AroundtheRings.com, said gaming has no chance at becoming a demonstration sport.

"There's an element of physicality that (the IOC has) said in the past is needed to be considered as an Olympic sport. That would make it tough for games, computer gaming to get far with the IOC today," Hula said.

Owen argued that the top gamers need excellent physical hand-eye coordination, and he noted that the Olympics already includes curling, which requires less physical stress than some other sports.

Sony PSP REVIEW

2006-04-30T14:18:00.000-05:00

Sony PSP REVIEW - I have had the opportunity to play with a PSP for two weeks now. It is amazing what these handhelds have turned in to. Remember the GameBoy? Seems like an eternity ago we were happy playing tetris.

The person I borrowed the PSP from has one main complaint about it and I have to agree. The sound level is very low. To the point where it is difficult to hear in noisy situations.

It is very slow loading games. At least Tiger Woods.... Not sure if it is the game or the PSP. Who knows! It is slow. The battery life isn't great while playing games or watching movies either.

The fact that Sony uses a proprietary format for the media (UMD) really sucks. Currently there is no such thing as a UMD burner. And you can't get blank media for it. The movies are pretty pricey for only being able to watch it on a PSP.
You can get large memory cards for it and copy ripped movies to that. The quality of the video will not be as good as the UMD disks and the conversion-copy process can be difficult for a beginner.

I do have to say that the picture quality is great on this thing. It is nice and bright. The only time I had an issues seeing the screen was out in direct sunlight with a glare on the screen.

If you have the money to burn, it is a neat little game – movie system. Hopefully the prices will come down for the movies and games. They are a bit high. We need another company to create some more competition in this space. Come on Microsoft…….. or any one for that matter.

My Xbox is Burning

2006-04-24T13:30:00.000-05:00

Xbox 360 owners will happy to know that Microsoft and Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing have announced that beginning in 2007 the Xbox 360 will get 65-nanometer (nm) Silicon-on-Insulator (SOI) semiconductor technology. The most noticeable benefit of the change should be reduced power consumption which will help decrease the amount of heat generated in the console. This could mean the common problem of crashes due to overheating could be a thing of the past.

My guess is that Microsoft won't be refunding or replacing all the current Xbox 360's in the market. Makes this writer happy that I've yet to jump in buy my 360. It's amazing how many problems can get worked out in the first year of a consoles existence.

PlayStation 2 Price Drop

2006-04-20T16:47:00.000-05:00

On Thursday Sony announced that they will drop the price of the PlayStation 2 to $129.99 USD in an effort to keep consumer demand high as it races to complete its next generation console.

Maybe I'm alone here...but who cares? I'll sell you a commodore 64 for $20 but that doesn't make it worth $20. Who wants to buy a system, for any price, that will be basically obsolete in a few months?

Latest reports still indicate that Sony plans to release the PlayStation 3 in November of this year. I'll just add my $129 to my PS3 fund and skip buying the soon-to-be obsolete PS2.

Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories coming to PS2

2006-04-19T15:50:00.000-05:00

As reported by PocketLint:

"Rockstar Games, the makers of the popular Grand Theft Auto Series has announced that gamers will soon be able to play Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories on PlayStation2.

Currently only available to PSP gamers the company has announced that the game will be available in North American stores on June 6th, 2006 and will hit European retail shelves on June 9th, 2006 for the UK."

The Grand Theft Auto series has always been one of my favorites...although I'm a PC / Xbox gamer. We'll see if the upcoming PS3 will change my habits.

Additional Payment Options for Dungeons & Dragons Online

2006-04-18T11:29:00.000-05:00

Don't like having your credit card billed for your DDO subscription? Try PayByCash.

It is now even easier to play Dungeons & Dragons Online: Stormreach. To better service its customers, Turbine is pleased to announce a deal with Internet Payment Solutions, Inc. (a/k/a PayByCash), an online alternative payment service that will enable players to subscribe to DDO without using a credit card. PayByCash is currently offering a 60-day game pass on their site for $33.19, a convenient option for players who prefer not to use a credit card for automatic billing.

That's great news as my Wizard's Visa is a few days away from expiring.

HD Movie Previews on Your Xbox 360

2006-04-17T10:35:00.000-05:00

Paramount Pictures is offering HD downloads for its upcoming films "Mission: Impossible III" and "Nacho Libre" through Microsoft's Xbox 360.

This effort reflects how eager entertainment companies are to reach a young, elusive audience whose attention is spread thinner with each passing day by television, computers, game consoles and cellular phones. It's also a great opportunity for Paramount to plug HD technology to this same audience.

"It hits the audience in a big way - the 12- to 34-year-old audience. That's the sweet spot of frequent moviegoers," said Gerry Rich, Paramount's president of worldwide marketing. "They're the early adopters. We think they impact and influence a lot of folks. They're gatekeepers of what's cool and what's not."

In terms of the broader plan...

"My guess is they want to sell high-definition discs. You want to get the high-definition monitor owners drooling," said Michael Pachter, an analyst with Wedbush Morgan Securities in Los Angeles. "It's clever marketing. It's a good, solid, high-income, early-adopter niche."

I'm all for cool new stuff on the Xbox 360 as long as the fast forward button works.

1 Million Xbox 360's a Month

2006-04-11T09:00:00.000-05:00

Xbox 360 chip makers in Taiwan have confirmed that Microsoft has asked local suppliers to double their output of several key chips for the Xbox 360 console during the second quarter of the year, according to the Commercial Times.

As a result Microsoft will be able to satisfy demand of up to three million Xbox 360 units in the second quarter, compared with 1.5 million in the first quarter, the paper reported.

I'm still waiting for the first big price drop;-)

Burger King Branded Xbox 360 Games

2006-04-10T12:25:00.000-05:00

Yea, Burger King is considering offering branded Xbox 360 games.

"Hamburger flipper Burger King is considering a promotion that offers 3 exclusive BK-branded games. Each would feature their own characters (in this case, the actual Burger King) in “popular” genres (fighting, action and racing). The action game is apparently similar to Halo, while the fighter combines Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat. Just tack on a “with hamburgers,” and you get the drift."

And

"Still in the conceptual stage apparently, the titles would go for US $4 and be compatible with both the original Xbox and the 360. This all makes sense as BK has already jumped into in-game advertising feet first."

Quotes above from here.

I hope and pray I never see a Burger King video game in my house. As if there food wasn't bad enough. Make a Hooters Xbox 360 game and I might be interested.

DDO - The Dragon's Vault

2006-04-10T09:42:00.000-05:00

The new Dragon’s Vault module is made up of 15 dungeons, all of which promise surprises and challenges for even the most advanced players. Turbine is offering The Dragon’s Vault module free to all current DDO subscribers. Subsequent modules will be released over time and will bring further improvements to the MMOG.

“The Dragon's Vault is a thrilling series of adventures, ending in an epic battle against the ultimate boss monster. We are offering this exciting new content free to our subscribers, in recognition of their enthusiasm Dungeons & Dragons Online.” announced Jeffrey Anderson, president and CEO of Turbine, Inc.

Having played a few of the new quests I'm pretty impressed. This game may take over my life:-)

MarioKart Arcade GP Cabinet

2005-12-19T11:02:00.000-06:00

These babies are COOL!

I've always been a Mario Kart junkie. I remember having friends come over and the game play would last for not hours, but DAYS.

Mario Kart was a game that really never got old. I mastered all levels, all cars, and all players and still found it quite entertaining.

The arcade cabinets are a side by side set that I must admit look to be as fun as it gets. They sit side by side so you are always right next to your challenger. The screens are also right next to each other and are independent so that you don't have any split screen actio, instead you are treated to a screen of your own allowing you to get a much wider view of the playing field.

We hear the cost is well over $17,000 so unless you have an extra $20 grand laying around you may not want to ask Santa for one of these this time around.

XBOX Faceplates Hitting the Market

2005-12-07T14:03:00.000-06:00

French fashion house Colette has taken the XBOX 360 design and feel to a new level, however, very few seem to be impressed.

With the release of a new series of XBOX 360 faceplates, the company hopes to be able to jump head first into the the tech-design realm.

The problem is, no one seems to want them.

After all it can be said that faceplates are a silly thing to begin with, and to make things worse these faceplates were created by fashion superstars Karl Lagerfeld and Sonya Rykiel.

Talk about going in the wrong direction!

I can't wait to see what else these companies will come up with in hopes of making a quick buck.

This Christmas season is already turning out to be a very intriguing time for the tech community.

I'm sure we will see much more to come.

$611 for an Xbox 360 box

2005-12-06T15:53:00.000-06:00

If you ever think that as a whole the world is getting smarter than take a look at this thread in the game forum.

It links to an eBay auction where some fool bid (and won) $611 for an Xbox 360 box. Read that closely - the idiot paid $611 for an Xbox 360 box.

Here's the text at the bottom of the auction page:

"Be among the first to own this season's #1 Holiday gift box!

This is the PREMIUM BUNDLE BOX only. It would include bonus accessories, if it were the actual PREMIUM XBOX 360! DOES NOT Come with 20GB Hard Drive, Console, HD Cables, Wireless Controller, Headset! In other words for those of you who do not understand, YES YOU ARE GETTING AN EMPTY BOX SO DO NOT ASK! Great for gags! DO NOT bid if you don't intend to buy! No excuses, I will not retract bids for you! You will be reported to eBay if you backout after winning the auction. I Cannot be more clear! This is not even a factory made xbox 360 box. I made it myself, just a few minutes ago. It does not contain an Xbox 360 console, just the Xbox 360 home-made box. this box is great hand made by me says XBOX right on it It doesn't look anything like the picture I included in the auction. It looks much better, in my opinion. "

There really is an idiot born every minute. My question is where do they get all their $?

Game on gamers.

PSP Talkman

2005-11-27T10:47:00.000-06:00

Have no ideas as to what it is?

Well, it is basically a PSP response to an idea to match Babelfish with a PSP, in turn allowing you to use your PSP to translate various languages to other various languages.

The PSP Talkman is a gadget that sounds cool, but you have to ask yourself “when would I actually use it?” I mean, it isn’t everyday that you find yourself needing to speak Chinese or Korean, but hey! Whatever works right!

Max, the bird who’ll guide you through your semantic adventures, uses a ScanSoft-built language interpreter and trainer to help you learn Chinese, Japanese, Korean, or English — or just help translate between you and someone else, if need be.

I suppose it could be used for travel. No?

Nokia cutting N-Gages until 2007

2005-11-27T10:25:00.000-06:00

Very few, if any, complaints or opposition came with the announcement by Nokia that N-Gage would be temporarily discontinued until 2007.

After all, N-Gage was by far our favorite gadget right?

Wrong.

N-Gage is a perfect example of jumping the gun in my opinion. With today’s technology, I don't think a company can launch an item that is bulky and lacking in innovation and expect it to instantly succeed. N-Gage hit the market with a buzz that lit up the world of gaming and caused drooling among much of the gaming community. However, once the true product was realized, sales seemed to have plummeted and the buzz has all but died.

Personally, I think this was a great decision. I mean, Nokia should have made sure that the technology was there that could properly power a dedicated gamephone that could easily market to today’s gamer and tech savvy geekaholic.

They seemed to have missed the boat by not understanding that we want smaller, more powerful, and more user friendly products than what we were previously offered.

Sadly, N-Gage simply wasn't that.

Hopefully 2007 will bring us much to look forward to, and hopefully Nokia will be a part of what we get excited about.

Widespread XBOX 360 Crashes Reported

2005-11-28T02:22:00.000-06:00

It is no longer a secret that the XBOX is sold out in stores everywhere and prices on eBay are going through the roof. It is no longer a guess as to whether or not it would sell out this quickly either. It is, however, a surprise that there are now widespread reports of serious system issues. Some reports are showing the console simply crashed in a manner that was fatal to the system itself.

Combine this with the variety of bad press such as this article found at Forbes and it suddenly appears as though Microsoft could be in some hot water with its fan base.

With this being a $400.00 console, we will definitely want to keep an eye on this as it unfolds.

I wonder if "re-call" will soon be echoed across the internet...

How to fix your overheating 360

2005-11-25T12:39:00.000-06:00

I like to try and share good gaming tips and tricks as often as I find them. This morning, I was watching the RSS feeds dump into my inbox and out of the overabundance of XBOX 360 news, an article about overheating 360's caught my eye.

This is a quote from our friends over at engadget:

"Sure, if your Xbox 360 is crashing you could call up Microsoft tech support and get your new toy repaired or replaced Â or you could take ~~design flaws~~ matters into your own hands and source out the root of the problem. And according to one Gamespot forumsgoer, apparently whatÂs causing these overheating Xbox 360 crashes isnÂt the Xbox itself, but rather that monstrous power supply. So whatÂs a gamer to do? Increase the airflow over the thing by getting it up off the floor, and suspending it in the air with string Â or if youÂre not feeling like making a trapeze act out out of the thing, stick it on an open box so it can better emanate heat. Apparently this has been doing some good, but hey, remember that if it canÂt sit on the ground as intended, itÂs defective, so make sure you call Âem up and get it sorted!"

Personally, I would have gone a bit further in expressing the importance of keeping everything, most importantly the power supply, from overheating.

Overall, just know that it is vital to keep everything cooled down.

Short, sweet and simple tip of the week!

Have a great weekend!

Mario Kart DS: Old School Stays New School

2005-11-25T12:25:00.000-06:00

Hi everyone!

I'm sorry about my not being able to post yesterday, I was torn between Blogging and eating turkey and the turkey won.

Anyway, let's get down to it.

Today I wanted to post about a game that has turned heads for years and years, and shows no signs of letting up.

For this game, we'll jump over to the Nintendo console.

Mario Kart:

I grew up with Mario Kart and remember the first days of play almost as if it were just last week.

I remember watching my friends move the control off to the left, then to the right, then down towards the floor, etc. I remember everyone gathered around to watch and find out who stays on the track the longest and who ends up with a cup after the races.

Even today I find myself wishing I could toss a banana in front of certain drivers on the road.

Those were the days.

Yet, those days are not only still here, they've improved by leaps and bounds.

Of all the Mario games, this is the only one that I personally find still worth playing.

The new versions have stuck to the old ideas, but have added high tech graphics and many more options for smooth and personalized game play.

Enter Mario Kart DS:

With Mario Kart DS, you get top notch online gaming. With online racing and eight different players going at each other on the track, this is a must for the Mario Kart fans.

Mario Kart DS is a classic old school game that has kept its flavor alive and thrives to this very day.

Now, I should get back to my game and leave you to do some shopping.

Xbox 360's Selling for $3000+

2005-11-23T11:21:00.000-06:00

Sheesh, what are people thinking. It's just an Xbox 360 game system, not a miracle cure for ignorance.

Xbox 360's are selling for much as $3,000 (at the time of this post) on eBay.

If you pay $3,000 or more for an Xbox 360, you my friend, are an idiot.

Have a great Thanksgiving everyone!

Mr Thompson loses Law License in 'Bama

2005-11-22T09:20:00.000-06:00

The following is a quote from a news source:

Anti-videogame campaigner Jack Thompson has accused a judge of violating the code of lethal ethics after being removed from the GTA lawsuit and having his license to practice law in Alabama revoked.

Until earlier this month Thompson was the lead attorney in the case of Strickland vs. Sony, which was filed by the families of two police officers and a police dispatcher who were killed by a man who played Grand Theft Auto. The families are seeking damages from publishers, including Sony and Rockstar, and game retailers.

Thompson withdrew from the case after defence lawyers accused him of turning the courtroom "into a circus" and requested that his legal license be revoked.

Now that request has been granted, according to US website Game Politics, after Judge James Moore issued an 18-page document condemning Thompson's recent actions and rejecting his attempt to remove himself from the case, withdrawing his license to carry out legal work in Alabama instead.

In the ruling, Judge Moore stated that Thompson's behaviour in court "suggests that he is unable to conduct himself in a manner befitting practice in this state." Moore added that he was referring the case to the Disciplinary Commission of the Alabama Bar in order that "appropriate action" could be taken.

In response, Thompson has contacted the Judicial Inquiry Commission to question Moore's decision, stating: "In my opinion, Judge Moore has violated... The Alabama Canons of Judicial Ethics by his unfortunate, improper, and prejudicial acts in this case, at the expense of three bereaved Alabama families."

I think we all knew this kind of thing was on its way. It was only a matter of time. All you have to do is follow the money and it will almost always end up in a place like this.

This guy should have watched his mouth but I guess that is something he simply could not do.

Hard to believe isn’t it?

The Matrix: Path Of Neo

2005-11-22T09:06:00.000-06:00

The Matrix: Path Of Neo will take a storyline that closely follows that of the blockbuster motion picture trilogy The Matrix, The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions.

The game brings a new element into the scene. In the past, you pretty much had a path or a “way” to follow throughout the game. In this new title, you will have the full freedom to choose what you do at any time. It almost plays similar to GTA in that you now have the freedom to make your own decisions.

I was watching some game play clips over at GameSpot this morning, the fighting scenes (well from what I saw) look good but there was one thing that bugged me... why or what on earth is all the flashing about? Don’t know what I’m talking about? Just give it a go and you’ll soon find out.

Each time Neo went for a punch/kick/block a diamond like flash effect appears as if flashbangs were goin off... hope they take them out I really do. Take a look at gamespot, seems the Xbox version has more footage though.... I would still rather have the PS2 version just because of the entire button combo's and stuff.