Yes, that is for real. There is such a thing as a peeing game. Ok, the name is not that crude (I apologize if I have offended some with the title) but the idea is basically that. Dubbed the Super Pii Pii Brothers (there isn’t much of a difference, is there?), the game involves putting on a belt harness and making sure that the neverending stream of urine goes straight where it should be – the toilet.

The guys at ThinkGeek played this game themselves and this is what they have to say:

The play mechanics are simple. Prepare yourself by strapping on the included belt harness and jacking in your Wiimote. A series of toilets are presented on screen and the challenge is to tilt your body to control a never-ending stream of pee. Get as much pee in the toilets as you can while spilling as little on the floor as possible. Sounds easy eh? Well the toilets open and close whack-a-mole style and occasionally the stray cat or other cute critter pops up. Spray a cat for extra points. Get too much pee on the ground and your game is over. With realistic fluid dynamics for the pee and over 100 different bathrooms from bars and palaces to automatic Japanese style toilets you’ll be entertained for hours. And wait until your friends see the multi-player mode with dueling pee streams…

According to the Japanese text on the box “Super Pii Pii Brothers promotes good bathroom skills and allows women to experience for the first time the pleasure of urinating while standing.” What we say is that virtual peeing is damn fun!

Uhhh…ok…

If you are wondering what the heck I am talking about, Burger Island is one of those casual games that has a lot of replay value. I think Burger Island was released a year or so ago but I still remember playing it nonstop. So why am I writing about it now, a year or so later?

Well, I found myself out of new casual games to play the other day and I was browsing my computer when I saw the icon for Burger Island. I was instantly transported to the past, with the imagined aroma of cooking burgers and French fries and the creamy flavor of milkshakes. I couldn’t help it – I had to play the game again.

Burger Island is one of the more difficult casual games I have ever played. The concept itself is fairly easy. You have to prepare customers’ orders before the time runs out. You have three major products – burgers, fries, and milkshakes. Each of these products have different variations which you can purchase as you go along and amass enough money. At the beginning, the combinations are fairly easy but do not be fooled, they get very complicated soon enough and a single mistake will make your food forfeit. Indeed, the first time I played this game, I found myself getting mad a lot of times because I had problems keeping up with the pace.

The graphics are very cute – the food looks real. Then you have the music, a funky beat that keeps you on your toes. Of course, we cannot forget Pierre, your French boss who has this endearing yet irritating attitude. You’ll see what I mean – play the game!

Video game lovers, here is another summit that you may want to be part of. However, I think that you have to be a game developer or programmer to participate in the East Coast Games Summit, which is to be held in November. This is actually part of a bigger event, the Video Game Expo. Worthplaying has this report:

Co-sponsored by GameJobs.com and GameRecruiter, the East Coast Games Summit is an industry conference that supports a range of programming and networking opportunities. Summit tracks include: “Scrum Deconstructed,” a hands-on workshop for game industry management and technologists; ‘Breaking In’ a single-track mini-conference for students and others interested in making a career out of games; ‘Pitch You Game Idea’ , a session for would-be game entrepreneurs to present their game concepts to game industry leaders; and a number of additional keynotes and panel sessions on hot topics in the game industry.

“The East Coast Games Summit helps the videogame industry grow not only on a management-process level, but on an education-outreach level as well,” stated Fiona Cherbak, Vice President of Marketing at GameRecruiter. “For people not already in the games industry, there is an opportunity to gain a lot of knowledge about the the games making process and also get your foot in the door for a possible career in videogames.”

I am sure that you have been fantasizing about a career in the video game industry. Well, here is your chance! Go visit the web site of VGXPO for more information.

The video game industry has really expanded these days, hasn’t it? With the revolutionary ways video game developers have introduced to the general public, this is not a surprise, really. Toddlers and grandparents alike have learned to love video games because of the Wii. Music lovers and musician wannabes have found their dream in games such as Guitar Hero and Rock Band. Even real life musicians have found a novel way to gain publicity through the same games.

And this time, another rock group is given the chance to breathe new life into their career. With the latest version of Rock Band, AC/DC is set to gain more new exposure than they have in the recent years. Dubbed “AC/DC Live: Rock Band Track Pack,” the game promises a peek into real life sets of the band. This expansion pack – mind you, it is not a full game – can be used with both Rock Band and Rock Band 2.

iStockAnalyst provides more insight:

“When MTV first launched in 1981, we promised that people would ‘never look at music the same way again’ and, with ‘Rock Band,’ we continue to fulfill this commitment,” Paul DeGooyer, MTV’s senior vice president of electronic games and music, said in a statement. “Being the first to present these revered songs in interactive form, exclusively on the ‘Rock Band’ platform is a true honor.” Among the songs included in the game are “Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap,” “Moneytalks,” “You Shook Me All Night Long,” “For Those About to Rock” and “Highway To Hell.”

AC/DC fans who do not have Rock Band will probably find their way to the video stores soon.

In 2006, there was a movie that captured the interest of movie lovers all over the world. It was epic. It was violent. The lines were memorable. The story is supposedly real. It was 300. And the man directing the scenes was Zack Snyder. And why are we talking about him? Well, he has signed up with EA to develop new games.

Can you just imagine what this EA can do with this man on their team? EA has had a long history of coming up with some of the best games made. With this new creative addition to their team, there is no doubt that they will come up with even better games.

So what is the deal all about? Reuters reports:

Snyder will lead the creative direction of the games and work with the production team at EA Los Angeles, the same studio currently collaborating with Spielberg on the game “Boom Blox” for Nintendo Co Ltd’s Wii.

EA will own the intellectual properties, and the game franchises will be developed, published and distributed worldwide by EA. The agreement includes efforts to extend the game franchises into theatrical motion pictures.

Though the financial details have not been released, I am sure that Snyder will be getting ample compensation for his work. What with EA is earning, it is only natural!

Another thing – games made into movies is something that is catching on. That is why I think it is really a big deal for EA to be getting this great director. As he designs games, he is already probably thinking of what it will be like on the big screen.

I have been hearing and reading about Spore for many weeks now but for some reason, I didn’t really get attracted to it. However, I did not really pay attention to the game – I didn’t even really bother to find out all about the idea behind the game play. I am starting to think that I might have been wrong in doing that. The game has only been recently released and it seems to be gaining a strong following. So I have decided to go against my inexplicable apathy towards the game and this is what I found out.

Wikipedia writes this about the game:

Spore is a multi-genre “massively single-player online game” developed by Maxis and designed by Will Wright. It allows a player to control the evolution of a species from its beginnings as a unicellular organism, through development as an intelligent and social creature, to interstellar exploration as a spacefaring culture. It has drawn wide attention for its massive scope, and its use of open-ended gameplay and procedural generation.

I was really NOT paying attention – I did not have the slightest clue that it Will Wright is behind Spore. If I had known that, I would have immediately taken a look. Will Wright is a legend on his own and I have always looked up to him and loved his games.

So how is Spore doing? Only a month into its release, it has already sold a million copies. Not bad, eh? Now I am a bit scared to get the game…scared because I might get caught up in it just like I got caught up in Will Wright’s other games.

Come on, admit it – don’t be shy. You have used video game cheats at least once, haven’t you? As complicated and difficult video game developers have made many of the video games, they always provide a way out – video game cheats. So are video game cheats any good? Is it ok for a gamer to use video game cheats?

Kenneth Elliott, in his article says:

On one hand, some of the recent games are so difficult that is would be very hard to get to certain levels. So, maybe it is good to provide codes so that everyone can experience the FULL game. But I say this is only a way for the game manufacturers to get the gamer to finish the game and focus them to go out and buy another game.

Video games have gotten so complex, since the days of Pong and PacMan, that the game authors have purposely thrown in some back doors and other shortcuts to aid the weary player. The problem is, most of these back doors are so well hidden that these same authors have to leak the game cheats or no one would ever find them on their own.

As you can see, the argument is that gamers need to have ways to finish the games as it is hard to do it on their own. Then again, I am pretty sure that there are lots of gamers there who can finish video games without cheats.

So are video game cheats necessary? I am not so sure. What about you?

Parties are always fun – whether they are for kids or adults. One thing that I noticed recently is that parties tend to have a theme. I guess having people dressed up as somebody else adds to the fun. Having activities revolving around a certain theme is also quite entertaining.

Yet have you ever thought of having a party where you can play video games? Just imagine how video game enthusiasts will react to that kind of party! Well, if the idea is to your liking and you have some cash to spare, this is a very good idea – and something that can be done as well. Read this:

Scott Novis, 42, founded The Game Truck two years ago in Tempe with idea of bringing arcades to birthday parties. So far, the company has done nearly 1,000 parties. Novis calls it “social video gaming.”

“The kids love it. Hanging out and play(ing) games with your friends has to be one of the greatest, most fun things you can do,” said Novis, a 10-year industry veteran. He had worked as vice president for Fall Line Studio, an interactive entertainment affiliate of the Walt Disney Company.

The 50-foot mobile video game theater, from truck to trailer, is outfitted with four 50-inch flat-screen televisions, sound systems and 15 to 20 game consoles. They’ve got Xbox 360s, Wiis, PlayStations and more than three dozen multiplayer games.

How much will this kind of service set you back? A nice sum of $275 for two hours and $95 for every additional hour. For that many consoles and other equipment, I think that it is not such a bad deal.

I just could not resist this. I might be biting off more than I can chew but after reading the entry titled “Would You Buy Your Kid a Video Game Console!?!” I knew I had to write my own thoughts. Here is what the blogger had to say:

I remember one time our neighbors were over and the topic of video games came up. They were unsure if they were going to treat their kids with a computer box of pointlessness. I immediately said “Don’t ever buy them or let them get a video game console”. WHY? Because after 14 years of playing video games I have learned NOTHING except for how to be a better video game player. If I could go back and erase any type of video game console from my life I honestly believe that I would become a smarter and more active person.

First it made me think. I have been playing video games for longer as this guy – on the PC and consoles combined. What have I learned? Faster and better reflexes? Interacting with other people? Strategy? Even simple math. Persistence perhaps.

I wouldn’t go as far as to say that I have learned NOTHING. Then again, he does have a point about being a more active person. I suppose it all boils down to how parents monitor and control the use of the video game consoles and computers. Just like anything else, moderation is the key.

How about you, would you buy your kids a video game console?

I know, I know, Guitar Hero has been around for a long time – the franchise has reached the third version. I have even featured it in this blog before. I didn’t really try it myself until this week, though, I guess that with all the games that I have been playing – on the PlayStation 3, the Wii, and the PC – plus the fact that I work day and night, I really don’t have much time to play everything.

In any case, we downloaded a demo of Guitar Hero, the Aerosmith edition from the PlayStation store the other day. Needless to say, I was instantly hooked. Perhaps one big factor is that I am a big Aerosmith fan. Listening to the songs while playing a video game is a different experience. Since I do not have any of the peripherals (instruments) used for Guitar Hero, I had to make do with the PS3 controller. It was still fun!

My thoughts on the game…the graphics are funky. I love Steven Tyler but I cannot deny the fact that he does not have the prettiest face in the music industry. Still, maybe they could have made his Guitar Hero persona a bit more aesthetically appealing? I guess that does not really matter much, though. I like how you can choose among 4 modes. I suck so bad that I can only do well on the Easy mode. I tried the harder modes for Dream On, Sweet Emotion, and Walk This Way but I could not even finish half of the songs!

I would really love to buy this game but $200 is a bit beyond me right now.