Gaming Blog

News

Tons Of Video Games For The Apple iPad

By

Remember my post about the Apple iPad being a potential catalyst in the world of mobile gaming? Back then, the iPad was recently launched, and people were already pondering on the implications. A couple of months have passed, and the pondering is quickly changing into anticipation.

Now that people have gotten their hands on the iPad, reviews are mixed – no surprise there, really. What is quite exciting is the fact that almost a thousand video games have already been developed for the iPad! For a mobile computing device, it is saying a lot that video game developers are already jumping to create various products.

If you think about it, the iPad is primarily meant to serve as a cross between a smartphone and a mobile computer. With the amount of attention being given to it by the video game sector, however, it seems that it is being seen more as a mobile gaming machine!

What is in store for the mobile gamer? Reuters reports:

With seven iPad games available at launch, ngmoco is taking advantage of the multi-touch screen by allowing players of games like “Godfinger” and “We Rule” to multitask by literally sliding small game windows aside so they can focus on the bigger playing field and then read the story progression or check out friends’ castles in between.

Johnny Coghlan, head of publishing for Chillingo, which has 14 iPad games available, said the Wi-Fi and 3G capabilities allows for all of its games, including “Super Shock Football HD” and puzzle game “Quantz HD,” to incorporate Crystal integration. This is the company’s social gaming network that enables players to compete against one another and tout high scores.

Then there’s Uno, Flight Control HD, and Tetris. Now who wants to play?

Legends of Zork Launched

By

Ever heard of Legends of Zork? If not, then it’s about time that you did. GameStop recently launched its new online game – which, by the way, is FREE TO PLAY – and it is called Legends of Zork. The well known name in the gaming world has teamed up with Jolt Online (another upcoming name in gaming) to provide access to Legends of Zork.

In line with the launch of the online game, GameStop is also running a promo contest. Basically, what you have to do is go to any GameStop location in the United States and ask for a promotional card. Yes, believe it or not, it is also FREE.

You then have to register online at www.LegendsOfZork.com using the code found in the card. Upon doing this, you are qualified to join their sweepstakes. Here’s the great thing: the prize is one year’s worth of FREE video games. Now who wouldn’t want to win that???

I have to tell you, though, that you need to head on over to the nearest GameStop location NOW. The cards are free but they are being given away on a first come first served basis. With this kind of prize at stake, I will not be a bit surprised if the promotional cards run out.

Going back to the new game, I haven’t tried it; but, I think that I will at least give it a try. I like the name Zork and there are no download requirements for the game. Let me know if you get around to playing.

Stadium Events Breaks Records

By

What is the most expensive video game ever sold? No, it’s not an Xbox 360 game. Neither is it a PlayStation 3 game. Up till last year, the record holder is a cartridge of Nintendo Game Challenge, which was sold for $21,100. Just the other day, though, someone sold a sealed copy – the only one thought to be in existence – of the NTSC version of Stadium Events.

Guess how much it went for? A whopping $41,300!!! Now why would anyone pay that much for a game that you probably won’t be able to play today? Zergwatch tells us more:

There is a new Holy Grail of Rare Video Games, and it is Stadium Events. The auction on a factory-sealed NTSC version closed just minutes ago , and it was sold for $41,300, almost double the old record. Three days into the bidding the high offer had already eclipsed the record price ever paid for a rare game – $20,100 for a Nintendo Campus Challenge cartridge sold last fall by Denver entrepreneur J.J. Hendricks , who earlier in 2009 also paid $17,500 for a gold Nintendo World Championships cart. “I was pretty amazed at the price,” Hendricks told Kotaku. “This Stadium Events auction destroys the previous record and I think is a surprise to everyone in game collecting community. I just wish there was such a thing as a sealed Nintendo World Championships Gold.” Hendricks said he did not bid on the sealed Stadium Events box. “I thought about it briefly but the bidding quickly went beyond what I was willing to pay,” he said. “I’m not that into sealed game collecting.” Bidding surged in the final 18 hours of the Stadium Events auction, nearly doubling the price from $22,500 to its final amount. Much of that was attributable to a single user bidding it up unopposed 35 times in a 10-minute span early this morning – from $22,700 to $39,800 – before leaving the auction. In all, more than 100 bids were placed on the item.

If you’re shaking your head and saying it’s crazy, I am with you! It is crazy. But hey, you can’t put a price on some things, can you?

Sony Working On Universal Game Controller

By

Anyone who has had at two or three gaming consoles at the same time will know how irritating it can be to have to deal with all the wires associated with these toys. You also have to consider the game controllers. While the new gaming consoles have wireless controllers, the mere idea of having to buy different controllers for different consoles is not that attractive. We have no choice at the moment, however.

If Sony’s patent application is going to become a reality, though, we just might be able to use one gadget to play games using various consoles. Think PlayStation, Xbox, and the Wii. I think that they’ve also mentioned compatibility with Atari and Sega!

How is this going to work? According to the patent application, the controller will make use of an LCD screen – touch sensitive of course. This screen will display the various buttons and controls that we currently find in game controllers. Obviously, this means that the experience will not be tactile at all. It’s much like the touch screen phones and tablets in the market today. The controller will be able to store 3 different controller configurations but will display only one configuration at a time.

I can easily see how advantageous one controller for all consoles can be. However, I am not so sure about the disappearance of buttons that you can actually feel. I think the tactile experience is part of gaming, and the touch screen idea might not be well-received. Then again, that’s what many said about the iPhone.

Brain Size DOES Matter

By

brainWell, at least when it comes to becoming successful at gaming. That’s what some researchers are saying now; so if, for example, you find yourself struggling with certain kinds of video games, it may be your brain size that is to blame.

According to the findings published in the journal Cerebral Cortex, certain parts of the brain may be larger than the others; so much so that the proportions are totally out of whack. This disproportion may explain why some individuals are better at certain tasks than others.

More on the research and the findings from BBC:

MRI scans showed participants with a larger nucleus accumbens, which is part of the brain’s reward centre, outperformed others in the first few hours, perhaps due to the “sense of achievement and the emotional reward” accompanying achievement in the earliest stages of learning, the team speculated.

But those players who ultimately performed best on the game in which priorities changed had larger sections deep in the centre of the brain, known as the caudate and putamen.

So it’s not just gaming overall that is affected. It is also the kind of task that you have to achieve throughout the game!

If you’re tempted to be fatalistic and give up on gaming, don’t be. The researchers say that the brain is “fairly plastic,” meaning that it can be trained to change and perform much better. More so, they say that at the end of the day, it is what you do with your brain that counts. Yep, brain size is a factor but it is something that can always be overcome!

Sims 3: Best-Selling PC Game Of 2009

By

sims-3I think that everyone knows this in the back of their minds, although confirmation from those who actually crunch the numbers is always appreciated. According to EA, this simulation game that some people look down on (yep, I can name a few friends who would never lift a finger to buy this game) has sold more copies last year than big games such as Modern Warfare 2, Left 4 Dead 2, and World of Warcraft. Can you believe that? I sure can!

Will Wright, the genius behind The Sims franchise, must be ecstatic right now; and he should very well be! With all the copies that his games (from the very first Sims to the latest), he should be all set for the rest of his life. Not only that, his name will forever be remembered by the countless gamers he has made happy!

So just how many copies were sold in 2009? You might not believe this, but The Sims 3 sold 1.4 million copies in its first week alone. By the end of June 2009, this figure had risen to 3.7 million. Unfortunately, EA has not released the exact figures for the whole year. That makes me wonder, but let’s just give them the benefit of a doubt, shall we? After all, this is not the first time that a Sims game has been proclaimed the best-selling PC game for the year. In fact, this is the sixth time in 10 years that this has happened.

If you haven’t tried The Sims 3 yet, I suggest you go buy one now.

Unreal Engine 3 For iPhone 3GS

By

IMG_0022
Looks like the iPhone 3GS and the iPod Touch (3rd generation) are seriously jumping into the gaming fray. The news is that the Unreal Engine 3 is available for two of the most popular gadgets in the market today. What people are seeing are just demos, but the reviews are pretty good.

Anand Lal Shimpi shares his experience:

I got together with Mark Rein last week and he showed me an Unreal Engine 3 tech demo running on a 3rd generation iPod Touch. The same Unreal Engine 3 that powers Gears of War 2, running on an iPod Touch. The engine also works on the iPhone 3GS, and Mark tells me that we’ll see it on another mobile platform at CES (hmm…).

The demo is both playable and has a flythrough. It’s using a modified Unreal Tournament level previously shown off at GDC. A virtual thumbstick on the left side of the screen controls your movement, while tracking your thumb in the lower right corner of the screen controls the camera. Just tap the screen to shoot. Mark said this is a tech test bed and they’re experimenting with several different control schemes including ones with tilt.

So what does this mean for us, the users? Simple: BETTER games for these gadgets in the near future! The iPhone and iPod Touch are already being sought after because of the plethora of apps available. With the addition of the Unreal Engine, more serious gamers will take notice and we can enjoy a much better gaming experience on the go.

ALA Promotes Video Gaming

By

24videogames.cityroom.1It has been going on for quite some time now – libraries across the country have been stocking up on quality video games and encouraging their patrons to come to the library to play them. One might be surprised at this turn of events, especially those who have always associated libraries with being stuffy and full of nothing but old books. Some people know better though – and I would like to think that I am one of them! 😉

The American Library Association actually is actively promoting video gaming in libraries these days. If you don’t believe me, check out events such as the one at the Bluffton Library. They are going to celebrate National Gaming Day @ Your Library on Saturday. The event will be held from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. I am sure that other libraries across the country will be holding similar events – check out your local library to see if you can find something that interests you.

Anyhow, why is the library turning to video games now? Libraries are the repositories of information in all formats. We all know that in today’s world, electronic formats are fast becoming the choice for the average person, and the library is quickly changing things to adapt to trends, while keeping their original aim in mind. Hence, video games and other content in electronic format are part of their collection.

I think that this is a great way to encourage people to go back to libraries, which hold so much in terms of tools for lifelong learning and interaction with other people. Perhaps video games is the best tool to attract people for now.

Photo courtesy of the New York Times

Nintendo Wii Fit Plus: Thumbs Up From UK Government

By

wii-fit-plus-20090602041004064_640wWhen the Nintendo Wii first came out, it became an instant hit because of the novelty it brought to the video game industry. People immediately saw the potential of Wii Sports. Then Wii Fit came out. Now we have Wii Fit Plus.

Countless people have been enticed to purchase these games in order to make their exercise routines more fun and positive. Even celebrities have been attesting to the effectiveness of the Wii Fit. Hardcore gamers, quite understandably, have turned up their noses at this. After all, you play video games because you want to have fun, not to lose weight, right?

Then again, we have a new generation of gamers – age does not matter and the whole gaming experience is taking on a change. Enter Wii Fit Plus yet again – lose weight while having fun!

And after a lot of flak and “investigation,” it seems that Nintendo has scored big. The UK government has released a statement to the effect that the Wii Fit Plus is a good way to get your blood moving. In fact, the game is now authorized to carry logos from the Change4Life campaign. A health department spokesperson stated that “active video games, where kids need to jump up and down or dance about as part of the game, are a great way to get kids moving more. Little bits of activity like this throughout the day can easily add up to the 60 active minutes kids need.”

How about adults? I suppose it should work the same way. Anything to get people moving is good, huh?

Photo courtesy of Gamespy

Beatlemania Reborn?

By

beatles-rock-bandMany – if not all – of us were not alive when the Beatles first got together and took the world by storm, but no one can ignore the fact that they are one of the greatest bands of all time. Beatlemania spread across the world and caught our parents, and even grandparents, by surprise; and it seems that it is about to catch on fire yet again.

About four decades after the band skyrocketed to fame, a whole new generation of people are being exposed to their talent: through the release of the new installment of Rock Band. Beatles Rock Band has been hyped up ever since its inception, and now that it is out, people are flocking to their favorite video stores to get their own copy.

I visited my own local video game store yesterday, only to find out that all the copies they had were already sold or reserved. I should have pre-ordered, as I was originally planning to do!

Anyhow, while I wait for my copy to arrive, I have to content myself with what other people are saying; and so far, all I have been reading is good! Video game retailers from all over the US are saying that they are welcoming a whole new group of customers wanting to buy the game. There is no doubt about it – it is because it’s The Beatles. After all, how else can you play your favorite songs without learning how to play an instrument? I really can’t wait to get my copy!

Have you gotten yours? Tell us about your experience!