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Teens Copy GTA in Crime Spree
A group of teenagers apparently emulated Grand Theft Auto in a crime spree that involved baseball bats and crow bars according to the AP video below. The teens themselves are blaming the game according to Kotaku but this is not likely to help them get a lesser defense. The crime spree will no doubt be used by advocates to get the game pulled from store shelves.
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NVIDIA's Medusa DX10 Demo
The following trailer is NVIDIA's Medusa DX10 Demo to show off graphic capability. It's a very cool demo and an interesting twist on Medusa. It is unfortunate that you can't play this as a game. Also check out the realistic rain demo here.
Nintendo has focused on fitness with Wii Fit but this is for home use. A company named iTech Fitness Inc. is setting up arcades called XRKades that feature fitness gaming equipment. They recently announced the 50th XRKade location in North America with the Atlanta YMCA Association at the Northwest Cobb branch. They claim to be the largest exergaming club in the U.S.
Mike Hansen, President & CEO of iTech Fitness, said, "We have experienced a significant amount of growth over the last year which is a direct result of our 'Brand Xperience' business model, our knowledgeable team, and our strategic partnerships. We are on par to break the century mark in XRKades and plan to capitalize on this by releasing a mixture of new products and services that will enhance the overall brand experience for all users."
The company also recently announced expansion plans into the international markets by signing a partnership in South Korea for 26 locations over the next 4 years. The company also sells exergaming and interactive fitness products.
Play Space Invaders While You Pee
Are you tired of using non-interactive urinals? Well now you can play space invaders while you pee thanks to two Belgian beer drinkers who have created interactive toilets. The toilets are called a Place to Pee and they allow toilet users to play several video games including space invaders and skiing game. Peers can also compete against one another. This could quickly get annoying if it leads to long bathroom queues. (via pmb)
"Our goal was to hit 10 million (Xbox Live users) in a year's time," Greenberg said, "and we've doubled it in less time. The majority of Xbox owners on a global basis are connecting to Xbox Live."
Another milestone the Xbox recently reached, Greenberg said, was that with more than 1 million copies of Rockstar Games' monster hit, Grand Theft Auto IV, having already sold on Xbox 360, the console has now reached 16 different titles with 1 million sales or more in the U.S.
By comparison, he pointed out, that's twice the number of million-plus titles that have sold for the Wii in the U.S. The PlayStation 3 has had just two, he said.
While the 10 million total Xboxes sold in the United States is certainly notable, it also must be noted that the console had a full year's head start on its competition.
They have also sold a total of 19 million Xbox units worldwide. The Wii appears to be ahead of them with a total of 25 million units sold worlwide. Big game releases like GTA IV continue to drive the console market for the Xbox and PS3 while the Wii thrives on playability and its unique sports games. The fact that so many people now own an Xbox 360 also drives the concept of marketing big games in the same way big blockbuster movies are marketed. Any game developer releasing a game for the Xbox 360 in the United States has huge sales potential with 10 million Xbox users out there that might purchase their game.
The answer could come this weekend when video game enthusiasts find out whether "Grand Theft Auto IV," expected to set sales records in the gaming world this week, will steal glory and revenue from a different entertainment empire: the movies.
As the hype for "GTA IV" continues to grow and reviews scream perfection, some speculate that the game will put a dent in Marvel Studios' opening weekend box office for "Iron Man."
"GTA IV" is the ninth incarnation of a video game in which the user acts as a criminal roaming a city. The series has faced criticism for being too violent, because users are allowed to beat, stab, shoot and kill citizens and police officers. "Iron Man" is a movie based on the Marvel comic book superhero who creates an impressive suit of armor to save his life and help save the world.
"GTA IV" was released Tuesday at midnight and is expected to gross about $400 million in the first week.
Surely GTA IV gamers will take a break to see Iron Man? Reviewers are applauding the game and gamers are engaging in hours-long GTA IV play but not everyone is pleased with the new game. MADD has already come out against the game. They are angry about a drunk driving scene in the game.
Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) is the latest group to join the fray, criticizing a sequence in the game that allows players to drive drunk. The group has asked the Entertainment Software Ratings Board (ESRB), which sets the ratings for video games, to change the rating from M for "Mature" to AO for "Adults Only." An AO rating is generally considered a kiss of death for games, as major electronics retailers refuse to carry AO-rated games.
"Drunk driving is not a game and it is not a joke," MADD said in a statement this week. "Drunk driving is a choice, a violent crime and it is also 100 percent preventable."
MADD likely won't the last organization to complain about the game and call for an AO ratings upgrade. GTA IV thrives on controversy and hype so while MADD has a valid concern this will probably only help sales of game. The hype is huge enough that even The Daily Showweighed in. The only thing that might hurt sales is how annoying and widespread these reported glitches turn out to be.
Sega landed the licensing deal to create the official video game of the Beijing 2008 Olympics. They are calling the official game Beijing 2008. It will be available for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and the PC sometime this summer. Sega has announced that U.S. gold medal contenders Amanda Beard, Tyson Gay, Nastia Liukin and Reese Hoffa will be on the box cover for the video game.
Amanda Beard, a seven time Olympic medalist, is expected to continue her success as she prepares for her fourth Olympic Games this year in Beijing, China. She has competed in the Atlanta 1996 Games, Sydney 2000 Games and Athens 2004 Games, making her one of the most prolific Olympic athletes ever. Amanda became the second youngest gold-medal swimmer in USA swimming history when she won her first gold medal at the Atlanta Games at the age of 14. She currently holds the Olympic Record in the 200m breaststroke and the American record in the 100m breaststroke, 200m breaststroke and 200m individual medley.
Tyson Gay will be sprinting for the title of "Fastest Man on Earth" as he makes his bid to win gold and shatter Olympic Records this year at the Beijing 2008 Games. Last summer, he became a double World Champion at 100m and 200m, and topped that off by winning gold as part of the U.S. 4x100m relay team. Tyson was selected as the IAAF (International Association of Athletics Federations) male World Athlete of the Year for 2007 and is currently ranked #1 in the world.
Nastia Liukin is a Senior International Elite gymnast and is expected to be one of the top contenders on the U.S. Women's Gymnastic Olympic Team. Specializing in uneven bars and balance beam events, she is a two-time world champion, a six-time world medalist, a four-time U.S. National Champion and has won the American Cup titles in 2006 and 2008. Tied for the most ever, Nastia is a nine-time World Championship medalist and is widely considered to be the most graceful and artistic gymnast in the world today.
Reese Hoffa is poised to take home gold in men's shot put, when he makes his second Olympic Games appearance of his career this summer in Beijing. A member of the U.S. Olympic Team in the Athens 2004 Games, he has earned a number of prestigious titles in his shot putting career including 2007 USA outdoor champion, 2006 world indoor champion, 2004 world indoor silver medalist and 2003 Pan American Games gold medalist. Reese is the reigning world champion in shot put and currently ranks 11th on the world all-time list for the sport.
Hopefully this won't cause any added pressure for these athletes :-) Sega also has a Mario and Sonic Olympics video game coming out this summer. You can find information about both of the games here.
Mario to Play Wii Baseball Nintendo has revealed plans for Mario Super Sluggers for Wii. The game features Mario
"Mario is truly a one-of-a-kind character; clearly fans can't get enough of him and his friends," said Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America's executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. "We're giving Wii users brilliant new ways to enjoy him while expanding our series of active-play games."
In the same spirit as other sports-themed Mario games on Wii like Mario Strikers Charged and Mario Kart Wii, Mario Super Sluggers blends richly interactive baseball action with eccentric characters and elements from across the popular Mario universe. Players can swing the wireless Wii Remote just like a real bat or wave it toward the plate to deliver a masterful pitch, enjoying the same intuitive, easy-to-learn controls that helped make Wii Sports a living room hit. With Mario and his unpredictable pals filling out the roster, imagination and active-play innovation are sure to dominate the diamond in this lively title, scheduled for release later this year.
It was just a matter of time before game makers combined sports games with the popular series stars. Most adults prefer the serious games populated with "real" baseball stars but kids are happy to have the lovable Mario and friends around. Wikipedia has a list of the Mario characters that will appear in the baseball game.
Quake 3 on the iPod Touch
Here is a short video of Quake 3 running on the iPod Touch via 9to5mac.com. Fortune's Apple 2.0 blog says the iPod Touch/iPhone version of Quake 3 comes from HermitWorks Entertainment, a casual game developer based in Grande Prairie, Alberta.
Jumble.com is the new flagship site for "everything Jumble." The site also offers a Jumble shopping experience where fans can buy books, board games and other puzzle and game products. Later this spring, Jumble.com will feature a Jumble "Player's Forum" and a blog where Jumble creators David Hoyt, Mike Argirion and Jeff Knurek discuss classic and new Jumble games in print, online, and on mobile.
"Jumble.com offers Jumble fans a destination for all things Jumble," said Steve Tippie, VP Licensing at Tribune Media Services (TMS), which owns the brand and licenses Jumble products. "Jumble has been the most popular and most syndicated word puzzle in newspapers for more than fifty years and has a fanatical player base in print. In the last ten months, TMS and our game development and publishing partners uClick have created interactive and mobile versions of the popular newspaper puzzles-Daily Jumble, Jumble for Kids and Jumble Crosswords -- and five all-new Jumble-themed games, with more to come."
The site also has printable games for those who liked to work them with a pen or pencil.
The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) has announced the launch of its new space, IFAW Island, in Second Life. IFAW Island will serve as a virtual meeting ground for those interested in animal welfare issues.
"IFAW is constantly seeking ways to connect with individuals through their preferred means. We are very pleased to be offering this virtual resource to our supporters and to those who may not be as familiar with the International Fund for Animal Welfare's activities across the physical world," said Cassandra Koenen, IFAW's Director of Online Campaigns and Marketing.
IFAW Island offers visitors a virtual African savannah space with species information on elephant populations and background on poaching, illegal trade and migration. Additionally there is a theater presentation space for multimedia campaign updates, a skybox with photo galleries, trade maps and donation tools.
Second Lifers can visit the space by searching "IFAW Island" in the Map tool. The SLURL is http://slurl.com/secondlife/IFAW%20Island/111/179/37
Avnet has recreated its technology museum inside Second Life. The virtual museum allows people to closely examine items down the minutest detail. The idea originated with the museum's curator according to a press release from Avnet.
As traffic in the real-world museum is somewhat limited, the museum's curator, Avnet's Director of Multimedia Services, Bryan Carter, suggested an experiment with recreating the museum experience, down to the minutest detail, in the virtual world to bring it to more people, or avatars, as they're called in Second Life. "The result is a real geek-fest," according to Carter. "Visitors to Avnet's space in Second Life tell us they're fascinated with the in-world freebies on our giveaway table, with the ability to zoom in on objects in the museum and with the speedboat trips they can make around the Avnet island."
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Nintendo has revealed plans for Mario Super Sluggers for Wii. The game features Mario
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