Los Angeles, CA, December 22, 2007 –(PR.com)– UnderstandMedia.com, the online media literacy portal, has officially released the annual “Best Usage of Media” ranking for 2007.
According to Nick Pernisco, founder …
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With news beginning to slow down for the holidays, I thought it was time for another Niwifi contest. When the Wii gift giving capability was launched in the Wii shop …
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Folks – The ABA statement is from me and I would appreciate you taking the time to understand the context of our statement and the point we were making about the mayor’s ridiculous plan (which is getting lambasted in the national media, by the way).Bottom line is that weren’t bashing video games, but saying it is just as silly to tax retailers who sell soda as it would be to tax high tech companies who make video games, computers and search engines — all important industries in SF area. If you read our full statement, it attacks the mayor’s flawed strategy and logic of singling out one food or beverage as the cause for a complex problem of childhood obesity – thus deserving of unique taxation. Our point is that it would be equally flawed to single out video games as a driving source for obesity. (And if you aren’t aware – there are advocacy groups that do blame video games and computers as much as soda for childhood obesity and think they should be regulated in ways similar to foods and beverages to discourage “screen time” by kids and teens.)
Here’s what our statement said: “We certainly hope the mayor doesn’t pursue the flawed strategy of taxing retailers who sell soft drinks. Not only would it have no impact on childhood obesity, it would highlight a significant lack of understanding about the complexity of this problem by government leaders. It makes no sense to single out one food or beverage product to address an issue created by a lack of balance between calories consumed and calories burned. If one were to follow this FLAWED LOGIC (emphasis added here for purpose of this blog entry), the mayor also should tax all the high-tech companies in San Francisco for their culpability in contributing to childhood obesity through their video games, computer games, and Internet search engines that keep kids glued to their chairs instead of outside playing and burning calories.” It goes onto to talk about balanced lifestyles as the most effective way to address childhood obesity.
October NPD
Nintendo DS 60k PS2 20k GBA 5k Xbox 360 39k Wii 55k PSP 21k PS3 22k
Top 10 Video Games – Oct 2007
NDS LEGEND OF ZELDA: …
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With news beginning to slow down for the holidays, I thought it was time for another Niwifi contest. When the Wii gift giving capability was launched in the Wii shop …
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The last and final part of the Discovery Channel’s “Rise Of Video Games” airs tonight. You will be able to catch it twice, once at 8 pm and then again …
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MCV asked a few people form the Gameing industry what they wanted for Christmas. These are their answers:
Doug Bone, Square Enix
1) Gamers to inherit the Earth back (from Nicole Kidman, Patrick Stewart, Julie Walters and their chums).
2) A publisher merger/acquisition to take place, but without all of their rivals instantly pretending to “welcome the challenge”, whilst secretly running to the toilet every ten minutes.
3) Larry Sparks to get through a meeting without reminding me how successful Tomb Raider was.
Andy Payne, Mastertronic/ELSPA
1) For Garry Williams to stop quoting the Treaty of Rome, referring to ‘Long Tails’, ‘slicing of the salami’, ‘pocket money prices’, ‘delaystation’ and other meaningless jargon in our new office.
2) For Garry Williams to read his incoming emails and actually understand them before jumping to conclusions, and to cease and desist from providing a Les Dawson-style version of assorted Pussy Cat Dolls tracks every time a female member of staff walks into the office.
3) Thus leading to Garry Williams reading his outward bound emails and ensuring that they are focused, to the point and free of double line spacing, rants and quadruple dots. Oh yes, and for said mails to refer to the sender’s subject matter as opposed to resembling the ramblings of James Joyce on a bad day with piles. If Jesus and/or Mohammed can deliver these, then I will convert to their religions toute suite!
Landmark Agreement Marks the Launch of Jerry Bruckheimer Game Studio with MTV Games
NEW YORK, December 19, 2007 – MTV Games, a division of Viacom Inc.’s (NYSE: VIA and VIA.B) MTV Networks, today announced an exclusive deal with internationally renowned motion picture and television producer Jerry Bruckheimer to develop and create new and original video games, marking his first official foray into the gaming world. As part of this landmark agreement, Bruckheimer will build a game incubation studio with MTV Games, where a team of experienced video game experts, artists and storytellers will seek out and deliver new game concepts and intellectual property.
By joining MTV Games with Bruckheimer’s blockbuster track record for creating successful entertainment properties in film and television, both new and experienced gamers can expect what promises to be some of the most entertaining, challenging, and unique games.
“Video games represent a new and innovative medium for what we’ve always tried to do, which is to tell great stories. But this medium is unique in that it gives the player control over how those stories unfold,” said Jerry Bruckheimer. “I look forward to working with MTV Games to create new original game stories, always looking for ways to innovate the medium.”
VANCOUVER — In pain? Skip the morphine, and try a video game.
A Simon Fraser University professor is trying to understand why experiments consistently show people who suffer serious pain …
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Results indicate that 2D electronic games are easier than 3D electronic games for both females and males, and the majority of females would rather play games that are “easy” while …
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Wired has put together an interesting list of the top five Santa’s appearances in video games:
5. Santa Claus Saves the Earth (PS)–Santa is trapped in the world of Nilam …
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Just a little note; Check out the last Award, MOST FRUSTRATING DELAYS. What is missing?
—— BEST GAME: “BioShock.” A first-person shooter turned morality play, a thinking person’s action game, a piece of electronic fiction with a soul. There are many positive ways to describe this gripping game and they’re all true. There’s just nothing else like this eerie vision of an undersea social experiment gone horribly wrong. Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Windows PC, $59.99, Rated M.
—— BEST DEAL: The Orange Box. For $59.99, the innovators at Valve Corp. have provided one of the best bargains in 2007. You get five games, and all of them are excellent. “Portal,” in particular, seems destined for legendary status, having spawned a cottage industry for plush companion cubes. (If you don’t know what that means, you’re really missing out). Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Windows PC, $59.99, Rated T through M.
—— BEST GAME THAT INVOLVES GETTING OFF THE SOFA: “Rock Band.” Close the windows, lock the doors and warn the neighbors before you blare the volume. “Rock Band” elevates music rhythm games to arena-filling levels in a game that gets better the more people there are. For a true rocking experience you’ll at least need two guitars — lead and bass — plus a drummer and a singer to belt out the dozens of tunes. Groupies are optional.
—— WORST TREND: The annual holiday video game deluge. Please, video game makers, you’re only hurting your most loyal fans here. We spend all year with hardly anything new to play, then October rolls around and it’s like an avalanche. Suddenly, we’re faced with tough decisions about which of the dozens of good games we can actually afford to buy. Why not release more of these gems in the winter, spring or summer doldrums, when we’re really looking for — and more able to afford — something new?
—— MOST TIRING CONTROVERSY. “Manhunt 2.” OK people, it seems pretty obvious that “Manhunt 2” is not a game for the kiddies. So why all the uproar? Ratings issues aside, if a game that lets you perform execution moves is a turnoff, change the channel. Parents have a tough job keeping content like this away from their children, but it’s ultimately part of the responsibility. And this game is no more graphic than any number of R-rated movies I’ve seen — except they aren’t being altered to appeal to industry ratings groups.
Stourbridge, England – December 14th, 2007 – Video games publisher and games developer Data Design Interactive are pleased to announce that its Nintendo Wii development team working on DDI’s ‘Arcade …
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This is slightly odd! According to a UK bookie, Paddy Power, betting on Video games is on the rise. In 2003 they only had 60 bets this year they reached …
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The sample included 5,039 members of the NPD Group’s online consumer panel, and the majority of the respondents said that games were a good way to alleviate stress and unwind. …
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I learned the truth about video games the hard way, and so this is the lesson I offer for free: Don’t play video games. Don’t own them. And for …
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Stourbridge, England – December 13, 2007 – Video games publisher and games developer Data Design Interactive are pleased to announce that its Nintendo Wii development team, working on the popular …
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