Amazon.com has launched a video game accessories store. To kick-off the new store they are offering 10% off all top accessories and up to 25% off select accessories. The promotion runs from December 25 to January 16, 2010.
Space Ace and Dragon's Lair are now both available for the iPhone and iPod Touch. Dragon's Lair was once a very popular arcade game. It had breakthrough graphics at the time. Joystiq says the iPhone version lets you play the arcade version and a different version that has unseen screens. CNET says movements are controlled by an onscreen d-pad.
Movement is controlled, like Space Ace, with an onscreen d-pad that lights up with the direction you need to choose before triggering a death sequence. There's also a sword button for fight instances; while the gameplay is basically a reflex-tester, it's the precursor to instant button-pressing fight moments that made a big comeback in PS2 games like God of War.
You can find links to download both of the games here on digitalleisure.com.
Laser Projected Pong
This is a cool version of pong. It is laser projected on to the ground and people play by kicking the "ball" with their feet. The only equipment required is a "stick" that players wear on their feet. You can see some Flickr photos here and find the official website here.
This is a great interpretation of what Space Invaders might actually look like. The design is from a t-shirt available on Threadless. You can buy the t-shirt here.
I wanted to let you know we'll soon be looking for beta testers to help us develop a unique new way to play Civilization. Ever since we finished Civilization Revolution last year, I've been looking at ways of expanding the Civ gameplay experience to include solo, competitive and cooperative play to take advantage of the uniqueness of social networks. We're calling this project Civilization Network and the full game will be available next year on Facebook. Civilization Network will allow you to join together with your friends to create the world's most powerful, richest, smartest, or just plain coolest civilization. You can coordinate your strategy to win great battles, share your technology to jump ahead of your rivals, lobby your family and friends to form your own government and win vital elections, manage and grow your cities to maximize production and happiness, spy on your enemies, and work with your friends to create the great Wonders of the World. The game will offer everything you enjoy in Civ in a fully persistent environment - you can play as much as you like, whenever you like, and it'll be free to play.
We'll offer a closed beta of the game soon, so stay tuned for details on how you can sign-up to participate. The full game will launch in 2010. For more information about Civilization Network, including development updates and behind-the-scenes posts from me and the Firaxis team, join our Facebook fanpage here.
The Facebook plan is interesting but maybe it would be smarter to have an open online game with a Facebook app. There's no guarantee that Facebook is going to remain popular. The Civilization Network also has a Twitter account, @civnetwork. Information about Civilization Revolution can be found here.
When the Beatles Rock Band video game hit stores last month there was high hopes it would boost game sales. The game was thought to be one of the few titles with universal appeal that can appeal to different generations. However, the sales for the game turned out to be not so fab says Arts Beat.
Though it was promoted here, there and everywhere, a video game featuring the music and the likenesses of the Beatles posted only moderate sales in its first month of release. The Beatles: Rock Band, which was released by MTV Games and Electronic Arts, sold about 595,000 copies, according to a report from NPD Group, a market research company.
The game did turn up twice in a list of September's top selling games. There is still a chance the holidays could give sales of the game a boost.
The objective of the SurfaceScapes project is to create a proof-of-concept for playing tabletop role-playing games on the Microsoft Surface Table. We will be using Dungeons and Dragons as a basis for our prototype, with the option for future expansion to other role-playing games. SurfaceScapes will provide Game Masters and players with a set of features to enhance the combat and role-playing aspects of tabletop games. This will include the ability to interact with the digital environment using real objects such as miniatures and provide automated calculations and visual and audio feedback for actions performed by the player and non-player characters. We are taking traditional tabletop role-playing games to the next level, adding a new layer of immersive and intuitive gaming to the Microsoft Surface Table and assisting both GMs and players in enjoying exciting and engaging adventures.
Microsoft Surface seems perfect for role-playing and strategy type games. Here's a walkthrough of the SurfaceScapes game.
Spore Moive in the Works Varietyreports that 20th Century Fox and Electronic Arts have partnered to develop a movie based on Spore. Chris Wedge (Ice Age) is slated to direct Spore. It will be an animated film.
Greg Erb and Jason Oremland, who penned Disney's upcoming "The Princess and the Frog" and Ben Stiller pic "The Return of King Doug" at Paramount, will write the script for the "Spore" movie. It will be produced as a CG-animated toon by EA and Blue Sky Studios, which is behind the studio's "Ice Age" pics, "Robots" and its next effort, "Rio."
In the game, which was released in September 2008, players create their own creatures and the worlds they live in and share them with other gamers to create an overall universe.
"I'm always looking for unique worlds to go to in animation," Wedge said. "From every perspective -- visually, thematically and comedically -- the world of 'Spore' provides the potential to put something truly original on the screen."
Variety says Spore has sold 3.2 million units and it is has an awareness beyond that number. The script is going to have to be really good for this to work.
This arcade version of putt putt uses a real miniature golf club and ball and combines it with a digital game. The game's computer detects the golf ball and turns into a digital version.
Up to four competitors can play on two virtual courses using a real putter and real balls--you can explore the casino-themed Las Vegas course or the tiki torch-themed Paradise Island course on the large, high-definition 32" LCD. Just like real courses, you can shoot your ball through obstacles, such as a secret door at the base of an Egyptian pyramid for a one-way route directly to the hole... if you can time it correctly before it closes. Shot controls allow you to adjust your view left or right, providing overhead or ball view to plan the optimal path to the hole. The putting green allows left- and right-handers to play easily. Simply putt your ball at the base of the video screen; when the ball is detected by the game's computer, the virtual world takes over, calculating both the direction and speed of the ball, "shooting" it toward the hole; balls return automatically.
The putt putt game can be purchased here on Hammacher.com. It will set you back a mere $6,900.
Red Ball, the King of Monarchy of the Balls has lost his crown. It was blown off his head by a strong gust of wind. How can he be king now? He cannot without his crown. This is tragic. You must help poor Red Ball regain his crown. You can play the game here.
However, a lot has been going on behind the scenes, particularly in getting developers to build games that can take advantage of the technology, which lets a player control a game with their body as opposed to a joystick. In an announcement at the Tokyo Game Show on Thursday, Microsoft noted that nearly all of the big names in video games are working on Natal titles.
Sid Meier's Civilization game is coming to Facebook. The Facebook version will be called Civilization Network. It will be available on Facebook in 2010 according to the 
Variety 
