Monday, August 16, 2010
Scott Pilgrim vs. The World
I ended my Sunday night by watching Scott pilgrim vs. the world, and i have to say it was a good movie.. it was different and i will admit i didn't want to see it at all i went with my boyfriend, and i didn't hate it at all like i said it was different but it was entertaining.. funny and creative. Here's a movie review. go see for yourself.
After spending what seems like hours trying to come up with a clever way to sell “Scott Pilgrim vs. The World,” there’s really only one way to do it — GO SEE THIS MOVIE!
It’s rare in today’s cinema that a movie exceeds expectations, but as I left theatre Friday night I could help but be a giddy over director Edgar Wright’s (Shaun of the Dead) latest creation.
“Scott Pilgrim” is the story of a slacker in his 20s watching life pass him by. Scott is played masterfully by Michael Cera (Arrested Development, Superbad). Scott is dating a high schooler, plays in a floundering rock band and lives with a super-cool gay roommate played by Kieran Culkin (Igby Goes Down).
Scott soon meets the girls of his dreams, Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Live Free or Die Hard). Dating Ramona, however, comes with a price. In order to win — and keep — her affection, Scott must defeat her seven evil ex’s.
I first saw the trailer late last spring, and was hooked by the video game references and comic book-inspired visuals. As the trailers, exclusive clips and featurettes rolled in, my excitement for the movie only grew. But as any movie goer knows, heightened expectations almost always end in disappointment (see, The Hangover).
I’m ecstatic to say that “Scott Pilgrim” was a once-a-year movie that sticks with you days after seeing it. Loaded with subtle humor and nearly flawless comedic timing, I still smile while recalling certain scenes. Wright brings such a unique and original take to a familiar formula that I felt like I was watching something I had never seen before.
This movie is a film that deserves the public’s attention. No, it’s not “Inception” or “Toy Story 3″ but it’s a summer action flick with substance. A movie that makes you feel good inside, and reminds you why we go to the movies in the first place.
So do yourself a favor — GO SEE THIS MOVIE!
Original Article.
BAYHO.com
Monday, August 9, 2010
One month from release, Halo: Reach goes gold
Halo: Reach is a little more than a month away from its September 14 release and Bungie has announced that the Xbox 360 game has gone "gold" which means it is complete and they can begin printing disks.
Halo: Reach is shaping up to be one of the biggest game releases of the year as the game follows the actions of Noble Team on a distant planet named Reach that is being invaded by the Covenant just before the events in the original Halo game. Players jump in as the newest recruit to the team dubbed, Noble 6.
This is Bungie's final round of creating a game in the Halo universe as they and Microsoft have parted ways. They are going all out though as Reach not only includes a new engine that allows for a much larger single-player campaign and 4-player co-op but they've also greatly enhanced the multiplayer experience with an expanded and customizeable Firefight, new multiplayer options and mode, as well as Forge World. Forge World may be the greatest addition to the game as it provides a massive sandbox for creative gamers to create their own levels, maps and game types and share it with friends.
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original article.
BAYHO.com
Monday, August 2, 2010
UK Video Game Chart: StarCraft II takes No.1
GfK ChartTrack reports that Blizzard's StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty has entered the All Formats All Prices UK video game chart at No.1, becoming the first PC exclusive to hit the No.1 spot this year.
The highly anticipated sequel sold more in its first week than the original game has in its lifetime (boxed product only).
There are no other new entries this week so it's all pretty much as we were, just shifted down a place.
The summer draught looks set to continue next week too, with only movie tie-in, The Last Airbender, likely to have any chance of a Top 20 place.
Leisure software charts compiled by Chart Track, (C)2001 ELSPA Ltd Entertainment Software (All Prices) Week 30, 2010
1. STARCRAFT II: WINGS OF LIBERTY
2. TOY STORY 3
3. RED DEAD REDEMPTION
4. DANCE ON BROADWAY
5. LEGO HARRY POTTER: YEARS 1-4
6. JUST DANCE
7. DRAGON QUEST IX: SENTINELS STARRY SKIES
8. CALL OF DUTY: MODERN WARFARE 2
9. SUPER MARIO GALAXY 2
10. BATTLEFIELD: BAD COMPANY 2
11. TIGER WOODS PGA TOUR 11
12. FIFA 10
13. 2010 FIFA WORLD CUP SOUTH AFRICA
14. PRINCE OF PERSIA: THE FORGOTTEN SANDS
15. BIOSHOCK 2
16. WII SPORTS RESORT
17. WII FIT PLUS
18. CRACKDOWN 2
19. TOM CLANCY'S SPLINTER CELL: CONVICTION
20. SNIPER: GHOST WARRIOR
original article.
BAYHO.com
Monday, July 19, 2010
Toy Story 3 video game review
My favourite pastime in Toy Story 3 is drop-kicking a Pizza Planet alien into a tailors and dressing him up in an Elvis suit. Or a lumberjack outfit. Or maybe a skirt and a beard. The kind of cheerfully goofy act that makes all the sense in the world during playtime. Not just for video games, but for real toys too. Like the time I adorned Luke Skywalker with a fetching bonnet from the Sylvanian Families’ wardrobe before doing battle with Mumm-ra in a tutu. Whereas games and TV can fuel a child’s imagination, toys allow it to go off-road, free from the restraints of structure or logic.
Toy Story 3: a weepie to remember Toy Story 3 – fittingly for a game of the film about toys – understands this essence of play better than most children’s games. Its ‘Toybox’ mode is a free-roaming expanse of dust land based on Woody’s Roundup, the fictional cowboy town seen in the films. As Woody, Buzz Lightyear or cowgirl Jessie, you take on the job of sheriff, helping out Mayor Hamm and the townsfolk while expanding the settlement; building schools, barbers and banks. There is a semblance of structure, of course, with hundreds of missions and distractions to take part in, but they’re all built to compliment the game’s focus of creativity, exploration and good old-fashioned mucking about.
It’s all simplistic stuff, as well it should be, though hampered slightly by fussy controls and an intermittently dodgy camera. But it’s a breezy pleasure for the most part; parachuting Army Men onto a painted target, chasing down bank robbers and literally throwing (or drop-kicking) them into jail, protecting a vegetable patch from pesky moles by throwing brightly-coloured plastic balls at them. Each successful mission is greeted by a hearty jingle and an explosion of fireworks and ticker-tape, the kind of celebratory visual flourish that makes everything seem important and exciting, even if it’s just for sorting out a citizen with a new T-shirt.
There’s an overwhelming amount of tasks scattered around the area, and much of the fun in Toy Story 3 is had just seeking them out; exploring the toytown Wild West on the back of Bullseye (Woody’s trusty steed), hurtling around in a sports car or just clambering up cliff sides to find a train track you can skate on. Much like in Lego Harry Potter, the genius of Toy Story 3's exploration is that there’s always something shiny in the distance to catch your eye; a toy capsule that unlocks an item in Al’s Toy Barn, a gold mine that can be whacked with a pickaxe for coins or just a citizen in need.
It’s easy to lose hours just pottering around Woody’s Roundup, racking up coins and capsules. But the game’s greatest pleasure comes in creative customisation and expansion. Every building in Woody’s Roundup can be painted and adorned with trinkets. Just wander up to your chosen building and a menu will appear, allowing you to decorate in any way you see fit. Want the walls of your bank to be made of golden stones? Sure thing. Want the decking of your jail to be a bright turquoise? Go right ahead. Want to fit Finding Nemo fins to the side of the town hall? Well why not? It’s your town after all.
Exactly. It’s your town. And watching it grow from a ramshackle collection of grimy, brown buildings to a vibrant, bustling city is a genuine delight. Expanding the town is as simple as ordering a new citizen, building or hairstyle from an Al’s Toy Barn vending machine. When they arrive, more missions are unlocked. So when you build a school, you have a whole sports day to take part in. The game cheerfully rewards you for your enterprise and creativity. The toybox mode is perhaps best summed up by the ‘Pictomatic’ tasks, where the game provides you with a photograph and you have to go and recreate it. So, for instance, you have to dress up three citizens with ponchos, guitars and Mexican hats to create a Mariachi band. Or there’s one where you have to find a cactus shaped like goalposts and drop kick a citizen through for a field goal. It’s silly, fun, imagination-firing stuff that celebrates the simple art of play.
There are niggles, however, mostly technical. The controls are overly complex, with a lot of actions crammed on the pad. And moving around isn’t as tight as you would like. Barrelling around the world in free play is fine, but during a harshly time-limited race the stodgy movement arcs can be frustrating. While the character models are beautifully rendered, embellished with animation faithful to the film, environments can lack texture. Throw in a handful of visual and audio glitches and you have some rough edges that perhaps betray the curse of the movie tie-in: a short development cycle.
Either that or Avalanche wasted the time they could have spent polishing on a perfunctory story mode that follows the events of the film. This is more the kind of by-the-numbers stuff you would expect from a game of this type. It’s not awful by any means – in fact there are some excellent ideas at play on occasion – but it’s scrappy and half-baked. It’s almost as if the development team built Woody’s Roundup and were then told to throw in some arcade levels based on the movie. It starts off well enough, with Woody and Bullseye racing against a train hijacked by the evil Doctor Porkchop. There’s some neat co-op puzzling in the next level with Woody, Buzz and Jessie having to work together to negotiate their owner’s bedroom. But then it falls apart somewhat with a recreation of the Buzz Lightyear video game scene in Toy Story 2. It just feels rushed, with repetitive tasks and fiddly controls. By the time you’re performing some naff mini-games in a nursery, you’ll just want to get back to Woody’s Roundup.
And quite right too. The mode is the perfect use of the Toy Story license, peppering the free-roaming area with recognisable characters and allowing you to interact with them in the way they should: as toys. Toys that can talk and set you fun tasks, of course, but toys nonetheless. All set in a world where common sense isn’t important, and the evil Emperor Zurg can set up a space station next to a Western saloon painted like a rainbow fish. A world with a sense of humour and fun that will appeal to children and adults alike. A bit like a Pixar film, then. How about that?
original article.
category: ElectronicFeatured Product on Bayho: Video Cards
Monday, July 12, 2010
New Video Game Releases for the Week of July 12, 2010 (Xbox 360 / PS3 / Wii / DS / PC / PSP)
As I have said before in the past I'm not much of a video game person, but after hanging out with a group of guys for about two years you start to hear the names of certain games , and they grow on you, well i know of madden and I'm sure one of my friend will be interested in this new release. just trying to keep all the latest video game news updated on the blog. I'm always open for suggestions!
Welcome to New Releases for the Week!
Video game release highlights include NCAA Football 11 (PS3/Xbox 360), Wii Calvin Tucker's Redneck Racing (Nintendo Wii), Chuck E. Cheese Party Games (Nintendo DS), plus a few more gems...
Our recommended new release of the week will go to NCAA Football 11 (PS3/Xbox 360).
NCAA Football 11, the highly anticipated 2010 release in the NCAA Football franchise, returns with a focus on authenticity, innovation, and core experience. College football fans can rejoice.
NCAA Football 11 delivers unique game play and traditions for each of the 120 schools through the TruSchool system, which blends offensive styles, coaching tendencies, areas of talent, stadiums and traditions to bring the pageantry and rivalry of college football to life like never before.
Deals on this week's releases include:
•Amazon - NCAA Football 11 - Free $10 Credit
Check out the full list of new video game releases (USA) for the week of July 12, 2010 on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Nintendo Wii, Sony PSP, Nintendo DS, and PC! As always, release dates are subject to change, slip, slide, and be fairly unpredictable.
original article.
category: Electronic
Featured Product on Bayho:Video Splitters
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Do Video games cause attention problems in kids
Is your child having trouble paying attention in school? You may want to cut back on video games.
A new study suggests that video games are just as harmful to kids’ attention spans as watching TV, according to CNN/Health.com.
In fact, elementary school children who play video games more than two hours a day are 67 percent more likely than their fellow students to have more-than-average attention problems, according to the study, which was published in the journal Pediatrics.
Video games were “at least as strong as television at predicting attention problems,” says the lead author of the study, Edward Swing, a doctoral candidate in the department of psychology at Iowa State University.
But does that mean that video games cause attention problems? Or are kids with attention problems more likely to be drawn to video games and TV? Either scenario is possible, but unfortunately, the study didn’t answer that question.
”It wouldn’t surprise me if children who have attention problems are attracted to these media, and that these media increase the attention problems,” said Swing. He and his colleague tracked over 1,300 children in the third, fourth, and fifth grades for a little over a year. They measured the amount of time the kids spent watching TV and playing video games and then assessed their attention spans by interviewing their teachers.
Earlier studies have studied the effect of TV or video games on attention problems, but not both. The researchers concluded that the two activities have a similar relationship to attention problems.
The obvious question is: why are some kids able to pay attention to video games and TV, but not school?
Some experts have suggested that fast-paced TV shows and video games make reading and arithmetic seem boring by comparison. Have we created a generation of adrenaline-junkies who expect instant gratification?
Swing and his colleagues didn’t differentiate among the types of games the kids were playing, so it’s unclear if that might make a difference when it comes to attention. Either way, Swing said, “there are implications that would lead us to want to reduce television and video games in childhood.”
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that parents limit all “screen time” (including video and computer games) to less than two hours per day.
But, in some cases, video games can actually help kids learn. Heather Chaplin recently reported about Quest to Learn, a game-based learning program, for NPR. One public school in New York City “has taken the video game as its model for how to teach,” according to Chaplin. ”Students use video games and design them as part of their classes.” The program is based on the idea that game-based learning is a significant element of modern literacy.
original article.
category: Electronic
Featured Product on Bayho:TI Teach Timer
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
New developer permissions roll out on Facebook
Facebook announced Wednesday that it's beginning to institute a new interface that will pop up when users connect their Facebook accounts to third-party services--one which the social-networking company says will bring more "transparency" (yes, that word again) to how much information its nearly 500 million users are sharing across the Web.
Consequently, when a third-party application that connects to Facebook asks a user for permission to do so, it has to stipulate exactly what parts of a user profile it'll be accessing: photos, friend list data, basic public information, and so forth. This is something that the company initially announced last year following criticism on behalf of privacy officials in Canada and expanded upon at its F8 developer conference this spring in San Francisco.
"In order for these applications and websites to provide social and customized experiences, they need to know a little bit about you," a post on the Facebook blog by chief technology officer Bret Taylor read. "We understand, however, that it's important you also have control over what you're sharing. With this new authorization process, when you log into an application with your Facebook account, the application will only be able to access the public parts of your profile by default. To access the private parts of your profile, the application has to explicitly ask for your permission."
The flip side to this is that also at F8, Facebook made more of a user's profile public by default, igniting harsh words from the press and privacy advocates who painted the social network as repeatedly toying with users' privacy settings so that they had ultimately morphed into something far different from what they agreed to in the first place.
In tandem, Facebook also announced that third-party services are no longer subject to a policy in which third parties connecting to its servers could only store user data for 24 hours, something which the social network said will speed up and streamline applications as well as make the whole experience easier for users and developers alike. But privacy advocates took issue with this, too.
original article.
category: Blu-Ray Drives
Featured Product on Bayho: Blu-Ray Disc Drive w/E-Green
Monday, June 21, 2010
Hands On: NIntendo 3DS Demos, From star Fox to Zelda
Good Morning. hope everyone had a great fathers day weekend. I'm extremely sunburned but I'm waiting for it to turn in to some nice color. lol we'll see how long that can take. anyways enjoy this article found it on google news and its a little longer then usual.
LOS ANGELES — Although it won’t hit stores for some time, the stunning Nintendo 3DS already boasts a healthy software lineup that will take advantage of the groundbreaking device’s capabilities.
Games and proof-of-concept demos on display at the Electronic Entertainment Expo last week showed off the massive potential of the upcoming 3-D handheld gaming system.
In the hands of the right developers, the device’s promising 3-D camera and motion controls can combine to form a whole range of unique experiences.
Nintendo’s massive E3 display here housed dozens of new demos, and Wired.com conducted a whirlwind tour of the area. To keep the huge line of gamers that snaked around the company’s booth moving quickly through, all the demos were very short or non-interactive.
Read first impressions of Nintendo 3DS games like Paper Mario, Star Fox and a remake of the classic Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time below.
Kingdom Hearts 3D
Square Enix is about to launch a new game in its Disney crossover Kingdom Hearts series on the PSP, and announced another game for the current Nintendo DS platform at E3. But that’s not enough, apparently, and a separate Kingdom Hearts is on the way for 3DS.
A brief, unplayable demo shown at the Nintendo booth featured scenes we’ve seen in earlier games, which would seem to indicate this is a remake of an existing title. But series director Tetsuya Nomura told Siliconera at E3 that it’ll be a new Kingdom Hearts title, “probably” developed by the PSP team.
That “probably” would be your indication that this is vaporware, if it doesn’t even have a proper development team yet. Don’t hold your breath!
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D
This game, a remake of the beloved 1998 Nintendo 64 adventure, was not on the E3 show floor. Instead, Nintendo showed it at a private roundtable event Tuesday evening.
Ocarina of Time is considered by many to be the finest Zelda ever, and producer Eiji Aonuma assured the crowd that the infamous Water Temple — the most aggravating part of the original — will be less frustrating in this remake.
The non-interactive demo of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D showed Link riding his horse, Epona, over Hyrule Field. (Zelda creator Shigeru Miyamoto said he wanted to remake this game on 3DS because he thought the wide-open plains of Hyrule would look beautiful in three dimensions.)
Paper Mario
The Paper Mario series of friendly, accessible role-playing games fits the 3DS perfectly, since the paper-thin cutout graphic style can easily be rendered with crisp depth definitions, like a shoebox diorama.
The non-interactive demo of the 3DS version at E3 showed a variety of scenes, battles and exploration, illustrating that the game is quite far along in development. The console versions have been uniformly excellent, so we’ve got high hopes for this one.
Star Fox 64 3D
Hey, a game that was actually playable! The first Star Fox was, for millions of gamers, the first polygonal 3-D game they’d ever experienced. It’s fitting, then, that a remake of Star Fox 64 would be one of the first 3DS titles.
Star Fox 64 3D fits the 3DS like a glove. The device’s analog stick is great for controlling your ship. Most of the game’s levels involve flying straight ahead at automatic speed, making Star Fox 64 3D well-suited for portable gameplay. And since the graphic display is all about objects rushing from the background into the foreground, it’ll be a great way for early adopters to show off the system’s capabilities.
Pilotwings Resort
Here’s an odd smash-up of franchises. Pilotwings, a fun flight-sim series last heard from as a Nintendo 64 launch title in 1996, has been crossed with Wii Sports Resort.
Pilotwings Resort takes place on Wii Sports Resort’s tropical island, and uses Mii characters. Two styles of flight gameplay were shown at the E3 booth: Piloting an airplane through a series of rings, and flying a jetpack through the city while bursting giant balloons. This should be fun: Much like Star Fox, the gameplay lends itself well to the 3DS hardware.
Professor Layton and the Mask of Miracle
Note that Professor Layton and the Mask of Miracle is not the next game coming to the United States in the acclaimed puzzle series. That would be Professor Layton and the Unwound Future, which will be released for the current DS this September. No, Mask of Miracle is the fifth game in the series — it’ll be a while before we’re playing it on these shores.
Mask of Miracle will be published by the new U.S. office of its creator, Level-5, rather than by Nintendo. That’s why it showed up at E3 with this less-than-perfect translation, I’m guessing. The poorly constructed prose seen in this screengrab is one of the better passages in the demo. I hope Level-5 can polish the writing as well as Nintendo has in previous imports.
After four Layton games, fatigue is starting to set in, which is why I’m glad the series is moving to 3DS. Hopefully the upgraded graphics and functionality of the system will help the game design evolve. We got a very brief hands-on glimpse of how that might happen: Unlike previous games, you don’t click directly on the screen — you drag the stylus around the touchscreen, but the cursor appears on the top screen. As the magnifying-glass cursor is dragged around, the perspective on the 3-D town screen changes.
The one puzzle that was shown illustrated how the touchscreen and 3-D screen will be used together. In the demo, you had to assemble a robot on the lower screen, then watch the parts come together in 3-D on the top screen. (It wasn’t a very good puzzle.)
DJ Hero 3D
Activision’s abstract DJ Hero series makes a lot more sense for portable platforms than Guitar Hero, with its goofy guitar and drum controllers.
In DJ Hero 3D, you just tap and scratch the touchscreen, which works well to mimic the feel of scratching on a turntable.
That said, there wasn’t much going on here that wouldn’t work on the current DS.
Various Tech Demos
In addition to the officially announced games in Nintendo’s E3 booth, the company showed a variety of tech demos. These could be expanded into full game concepts, released as downloadable 3DSWare games or shelved forever. I’m assuming we’ll see a few of them, as they were some of the more interesting projects on the floor.
The best ones employed augmented reality, using the 3DS’ outward-facing 3-D camera to capture the real world around you and transform it into a backdrop for the game you’re playing. One game took a picture of your face, then turned you into a 3-D enemy character. Faces flew all around, and you had to move the 3DS around to aim and shoot at them. Another game used a paper card laid on a table, then made a monster appear on top of it on the 3DS’ camera image.
Other proof-of-concept demos showed how stereoscopy could affect gameplay. A demo called 3D Jumper showed how depth perception made a simple platforming game much easier to play. 3D Challenge asked players to identify which of two images was 3-D and which was flat.
It was clear Nintendo was attempting to keep the 3DS demos as brief as possible, either by whittling them down to minute-long gameplay experiences or by making them non-interactive. The point was to wow gamers with the technology while providing as few details as possible about the state of the product.
Missions accomplished. Now let’s see the full games.
Read More http://www.wired.com/gamelife/2010/06/nintendo-3ds-hands-on/#ixzz0rVwiY1uw
original article.
category: Electronic
Featured Product on Bayho: Video Specialty Products
Monday, June 14, 2010
Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 11 offers video game realism at its best
It used to be that Tiger Woods and John Madden perennially boasted some of the highest Q scores, which measure the brand familiarity and likeability of athletes and sports personalities. Madden, despite retiring from sportscasting last year at age 73, is still running a close second behind Michael Jordan.
Woods, meanwhile, has plummeted from being the most likeable athlete in America to a mediocre 25th on the list -- surpassed this year by winter Olympians and retired golfers Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus. His negative perception, according to Marketing Evaluations, Inc., has increased about 160 percent in the past year.
Indeed, it would seem that Woods and Madden have little in common at this point, but each has an EA Sports video game title that bears his namesake. And these aren't just any video game titles. The Tiger Woods PGA TOUR franchise and the Madden NFL franchise are the most successful of all time in their respective sports. Last year, Tiger's title surpassed $500 million in sales since the first edition -- Tiger Woods '99 -- was released.
Of course, Woods' free fall in popularity is directly attributed to the highly publicized sex scandal that began with a car wreck on Thanksgiving Day 2009 and continues with never-ending tabloid speculation about his likely forthcoming divorce. The change in public perception has far less to do with the fact that he missed the cut at Quail Hollow, pulled out of The Players Championship with an injury and finished in the middle of the pack at the Memorial in his latest outings.
When Madden announced his retirement, EA Sports said it had no intention of changing the name of the game that has given so many would-be athletes hours of joy and ensuing tendonitis. And when it was revealed that Tiger had cheated on his wife again and again ... and again and again ... (et al.), EA said it would stick with him for Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 11, which hit the shelves last week. EA made this announcement at a time when AT&T, Gatorade and Accenture had all dumped Woods as spokesman.
Sure, EA added wunderkind Rory McIlroy to this year's cover, but we all know it's still Tiger's game. McIlroy, who thrilled golf fans in May when he celebrated his 21st birthday with a record-setting win at Quail Hollow, leads a pack of exciting newcomers to the Tour who look to challenge Woods in his bid to return to dominance. It's not likely he'll take over as the face of the franchise, but it sets a new precedent -- perhaps EA's recognition that Tiger is no longer the only exciting name on Tour. It also opens the door for other young stars to become more involved in the marketing of the game's future.
In terms of gameplay, PGA TOUR 11 is, hands down, the most innovative and intricately detailed golf game ever made -- just as Madden fits that bill for football titles. And like the Madden franchise, each successive year has seen either vast improvements or minor tweaks, all to correspond with emerging gaming technology.
At this point, EA could rest on its laurels, say, "We have a virtual monopoly on golf games and we no longer need to try." Instead, they strive each year to bolster the gameplay, make the courses more realistic and provide exactly the types of interactive online features gamers crave.
It'll be interesting to see how Tiger's misadventures will affect the sales of PGA TOUR 11. Those who purchased the game because of the name recognition may shy away, but those who play it because it's an unrivaled golf gaming experience will be back no matter what face they smack on the front cover.
EA's PGA video game franchise will survive and continue to thrive just as the Madden titles will continue to shatter sales records for the simple reason that EA is the hands-down leader in video game realism. This game doesn't need Tiger Woods to keep you engaged or give you a reasonable facsimile of what it's like to tee off on the seventh hole at Pebble Beach.
It's more than possible that Tiger Woods PGA TOUR will one day be called something else and another Tour pro will be doing the bulk of the promoting. But as long as improvements keep coming to this already-strong title, that shouldn't be a difficult job.
original article.
category: Video Specialty Products
Featured Product on Bayho:External IR receiver & remote
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
GameStop shares climb after upgrade
(AP) – 5 days ago
NEW YORK — Shares of GameStop Corp. climbed Thursday after a Janney Capital Markets analyst upgraded the world's largest video game retailer saying its launch of new loyalty programs could improve its position in the evolving games landscape.
THE SPARK: In a rare step for brick-and-mortar retailers, GameStop is making a push into selling digitally downloadable video game content in its stores. The company said after its earnings announcement last week it will start selling the downloads in a group of test stores starting at the end of May. The company is also launching a loyalty program
THE BIG PICTURE: Downloads of video game content are an increasingly important revenue source for game companies because they help extend the life of and revenue from big-budget packaged titles.
THE ANALYSIS: GameStop stands to benefit from these programs, and the looming launch of new gaming technologies, such as new motion controllers from Sony and Microsoft and 3D gaming, should also boost results, according to Janney analyst Tony Wible. He upgraded GameStop to "Buy" from "Neutral."
SHARE ACTION: Shares rose $1.23, or 5.7 percent, to $22.89 in afternoon trading. The stock has traded in the 52-week range of $17.12 and $28.62.
original article.
category:Trackballs Gamepads Keypads
Featured Product on Bayho:SlimBlade Trackball Mouse
Monday, May 24, 2010
Google Pac Man Game Permanently Available on Google.com/pacman
YAY! for those of us who were addicted to the google pacman.! its now going to be there all the time!which is good when you have nothing to do or when we just miss the classic game!
short sweet and simple article!
The 30th anniversary of the Pac Man computer game was celebrated by Google in style: The complete Google logo had been turned into a Pac Mac application. This game was played by so many users, that Google decided to give it a permanent home: www.google.com/pacman
original article.
category: Electronic
Featured Product on Bayho: Software
Monday, May 17, 2010
Global mobile gaming revenue to reach $11.4 bn by 2014
MORRRINNINGG! it amazes me how video games are still the number one thing on the web/seller.and now on phones. but hey they make it work and if it works well it sells.
NEW DELHI: Worldwide mobile gaming end-user revenue is expected to reach USD 11.4 billion by 2014, research firm Gartner today said.
According to Gartner, global mobile gaming end-user revenue is expected to increase by 19 per cent to surpass USD 5.6 billion in 2010 from USD 4.7 billion in 2009.
The market will continue to see steady growth through 2014, when it is projected to reach USD 11.4 billion, Gartner said in a statement.
"The hype around mobile application stores has opened this market up to numerous publishers and developers -- further expanding revenue potential and competition in this industry," Gartner Principal Research Analyst Tuong Nguyen said.
"Although we expect most mobile gamers to continue to gravitate toward 'free' games, we do not expect the ad-supported model to take off within the next three years, despite the success we have seen with this approach in the Japanese market," Nguyen added.
Gartner estimates 70-80 per cent of all mobile consumer applications downloaded are mobile games. Moreover, 60-70 per cent of these downloaded games are "free".
This trend is expected to continue for the next 2-3 years, it said.
Other factors boosting the global popularity of mobile gaming include increasing accessibility of mobile games in emerging markets and growing availability of micropayments for mobile gamers.
original article.
category: Wii
Featured Product on Bayho:Wii Console
Monday, May 10, 2010
Video Games Don’t Cause Children to be Violent
Proposals like this are a solution in search of a problem.
By Michael D. Gallagher
Posted May 10, 2010
Michael D. Gallagher is the president and CEO of the Entertainment Software Association.
The Supreme Court recently decided to review a California law that would regulate the sale and rental of computer and video games to minors. We can all agree that parents are the best arbiters of determining what is right for their children. The issue at hand though is how best to support those parents. We believe that with parental controls, ratings awareness and retailer support, proposals like this are a solution in search of a problem. In addition, there are numerous legal reasons why 12 courts have already rejected proposals similar to this one, and we believe there are sound constitutional reasons why we hope the Supreme Court will concur.
A few facts to consider: The average video game player is 35 years old and has been playing for 12 years. Forty percent of gamers are women, and one out of every four gamers is over age 50. Video games are a mass medium form of entertainment that are enjoyed today in a majority of homes by players of all ages.
The myth that video games cause violent behavior is undermined by scientific research and common sense. According to FBI statistics, youth violence has declined in recent years as computer and video game popularity soared. We do not claim that the increased popularity of games caused the decline, but the evidence makes a mockery of the suggestion that video games cause violent behavior. Indeed, as the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals declared: “The state has not produced substantial evidence that … violent video games cause psychological or neurological harm to minors.”
In fact, addressing critics’ claims that games are somehow different than other forms of art, the Hon. Robin Cauthron of the United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma wrote in a permanent injunction against that state’s attempt to regulate the sale of games to minors that, “the presence of increased viewer control and interactivity does not remove these games from the release of the First Amendment protection.”
The industry also has an independent rating system, similar to the movie rating system, that informs and empowers parents. Watchdog groups and government agencies, like the Federal Trade Commission, praise it as a system that works. A 2009 study by the FTC found that 87 percent of parents were satisfied with the computer and video game ratings. Last year, the FTC said the computer and video game industry “outpaces” other entertainment industries in restricting marketing of mature-rated products to children, clearly and prominently displaying rating information and restricting children’s access to mature-rated products.
Retailers are supportive of the ratings system and are playing a critical role in keeping mature-themed video games out of the wrong hands. Virtually all major U.S. retailers are working to help parents keep control of the games children play by enforcing age restrictions.
Parental controls are also built into all current-generation game consoles, enabling parents to block video games they do not want their children to play. This ensures that parents’ standards are enforced, even when they are not at home.
As a medium, computer and video games are entitled to the same protections as the best of literature, music, movies, and art. In the end, Americans’ rights to speech and expression are sacred and inviolate—and millions across the political spectrum agree with us.
Read why violent video games should not be sold to kids without a parent or guardian, by Timothy F. Winter, president of the Parents Television
Council.
original article.
category: Videogame Hardware
Featured Product on Bayho: DSi- Pink
Monday, May 3, 2010
The Games Industry Is Selling You Youth
Good morning. its may! wow this year has gone by sooo fast its not even funny. anyways i always enjoyed playing super mario brothers so i had to of course post this article. hope everyone had a great weekend.
Mario may have a million 1UPs in his pocket, but the rest of us only get one life each - and that means one childhood, and only one. How many of us wish that we could not just replay our favorite games from our youth, but unplay them entirely? To experience them for the first time all over again? That sense of rose-colored nostalgia, an attempt to recapture days gone by, is something that drives many of us in our gaming habits - as Brendan Main argues in Issue 251 of The Escapist:
In a lot of ways, today's gamers have access to the games of their youth like never before. Nowadays, we have the trappings of childhood at our fingertips. Classic older games remain accessible through re-releases, ports and emulation, or are made new through reboots and remakes. Vintage games can often be found online, making even the rarest titles accessible to anyone interested enough to track them down. There are projects that take this dedication to the past a step further. Consider the growing number of "demakes" that reproduce popular games through the formalistic conventions of earlier systems, such as the 8-bit Shadow of the Colossus found in Hold Me Closer, Giant Dancer, and Team Fortress' pixelated reinvention as Gang Garrison 2. Similarly, painstakingly "retro" enhanced remakes like Konami's Castlevania: Rebirth and Capcom's Bionic Commando: Rearmed maintain the art, music and graphic conventions of earlier titles, but tidy them up for a new audience.
All of these games are oriented against the past in one way or another, either by giving players access to the games they played in their youth, or by extending that past to include games that did not or could not exist at the time. Instead of growing out of youth, we remix and re-master it. Rather than resembling that old quote about how growing old meant "putting away childish things," today's gaming landscape exhibits an eternal childhood that grows with us, with no signs of going away.
original article.
category: Video Specialty Products
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Monday, April 26, 2010
Supreme Court to decide if states can regulate video game sales
The Supreme Court said today it will hear a challenge to a California law that makes it illegal to sell violent video games to minors.
The law was blocked by a federal judge before it could take effect, but this is the first time the highest court has agreed to render a verdict on the issue:
The California law now in question prohibits the sale of video games to minors under 18 "where a reasonable person would find that the violent content appeals to a deviant or morbid interest of minors."
As with laws governing obscenity, the state statute exempts games that have "serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value."
At least nine other states and localities have enacted similar restrictions, including Washington, Minnesota and Illinois. In California, retailers are subject to $1,000 fines for each violation.
In every other case, though, the legislation has been defeated in court as a violation of the First Amendment.
The Supremes now have a chance to settle this question once and for all.
In all likelihood, the California law will also be ruled unconstitutional and overturned (as the Entertainment Software Association predicts) and this will end the legal debate over whether states have the power to manage video game sales in the same way they do tobacco and alcohol sales.
Of course, Congress could step in and enact legislation (presumably it would have to be an amendment to the constitution) allowing states to regulate game sales to minors.
I would be very surprised if that happened, though
original article.
category: Videogame Accessories
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Monday, April 19, 2010
7-Eleven to Begin Selling Used Games
In a partnership with Game Trading Technologies, convenience store chain 7-Eleven will soon begin selling used games in its stores. Games will be priced under $20 -- hence the promotion's name "Great Games Under $20" -- and will be available in about half of 7-Eleven stores in the United States, which works out to around 3,000 stores.
"What this means to consumers is that they will have many convenient locations, most open 24/7, to buy value-priced video games," said Game Trading Technologies president and CEO Todd Hays. "The program is available to all 7-Eleven US franchisees, and we hope to have most US stores on board by September."
"We partnered with GTT because of their experience and expertise as a third-party provider of video games and the terrific selection they'll offer to our customers," said Michael Jester, 7-Eleven category manager for gaming and electronics. "More than 60 percent of U.S. households now have at least one video game console, and consumers are searching for convenient ways to stretch their entertainment dollar in this challenging economy."
7-Eleven permanently added videogames to their inventory in late 2008 following a trial run with big name games like Madden and World of Warcraft. Though they initially had some issues with breaking street dates (namely, with Wrath of the Lich King), the company refocused its efforts on ensuring that it wouldn't happen anymore.
As Hays noted, having stores that are generally open 24 hours a day is a pretty nice perk, though it's unclear how many sales of used games they'll really be making at 3 in the morning. But maybe that will be the key to succeeding where other retailers, such as Best Buy, have failed to make much of a mark in the used games business.
original article.
category: DVD Comedy
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Monday, April 12, 2010
Blockbuster planning on movie, game mail rental service
gamers! morning.
sorry if this is a boring article but like i said all the ones on google news on this category. soo hpefully this isnt something that is going to bore you to sleep haha.
have a great week!
Blockbuster is currently performing a trial service in Cleveland for a by-mail rental service that would allow customers to rent both games and movies, with plans to expand nationwide later in the year.
Blockbuster has begun testing its "Games by Mail" service in Cleveland, Ohio, with "plans to expand nationwide before the end of the year." According to the terms of the trial (which can be viewed here), customers will be able to add unlimited "one at a time" video game rentals to their traditional plans for $8 more a month. The game will count against the rental amounts, and the charge will only be levied during months in which games are shipped, and customers will not be able to switch out games at the Blockbuster retail stores like they can with movies.
Paravirtualization Case Study with Buyken Metal Products: Download nowBy combining the additional charge to the standard two-or-three-DVD a month rental plans, customers will be able to have movies and games sent to them from the same service. Currently, most of the major nationwide by-mail rental services only send one type of media--movies (Netflix) or games (GameFly).
original article.
category: DVD Documentary
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Monday, March 29, 2010
EA’S Battlefield 1943 Sells 1M Units on Xbox LIVE Arcade
DICE, an Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) studio, today announced that Battlefield 1943™ is the fastest game to reach 1M units sold on Xbox LIVE® Arcade for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft. Battlefield 1943 is a critically acclaimed First-Person Shooter multiplayer game that IGN says “…is an impressive package that sets a new standard for digital titles.”
“The reception of Battlefield 1943 continues to amaze us, even months after the game was released,” says Gordon Van Dyke, Producer on Battlefield 1943. “Being the fastest game to reach this milestone is an incredible achievement. The game has set a new standard for what can be done in the downloadable games category. It’s fantastic to see how gamers have recognized the value that the game delivers for just $15. It is another great entry point into the Battlefield franchise.”
Originally released in July 2009, Battlefield 1943 has won over 4 game critic awards and is the most popular download-only multiplayer action game. The game brings DICE’s first-class WWII action to gamers where 24 players can compete across four classic WWII Battlefield maps: Wake Island, Guadalcanal, Iwo Jima and Coral Sea. These maps are inspired by the award winning Battlefield 1942™ game, and have been redesigned and reengineered from the ground up using the DICE Frostbite™ engine allowing players to wreak havoc and destruction via land, sea or air.
Battlefield 1943 is now available on Xbox LIVE Arcade for 1200 MS Points or on PlayStation®Network for $15. The game will soon also be available for PC.
DICE, an Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) studio, today announced that Battlefield 1943™ is the fastest game to reach 1M units sold on Xbox LIVE® Arcade for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft. Battlefield 1943 is a critically acclaimed First-Person Shooter multiplayer game that IGN says “…is an impressive package that sets a new standard for digital titles.”
“The reception of Battlefield 1943 continues to amaze us, even months after the game was released,” says Gordon Van Dyke, Producer on Battlefield 1943. “Being the fastest game to reach this milestone is an incredible achievement. The game has set a new standard for what can be done in the downloadable games category. It’s fantastic to see how gamers have recognized the value that the game delivers for just $15. It is another great entry point into the Battlefield franchise.”
Originally released in July 2009, Battlefield 1943 has won over 4 game critic awards and is the most popular download-only multiplayer action game. The game brings DICE’s first-class WWII action to gamers where 24 players can compete across four classic WWII Battlefield maps: Wake Island, Guadalcanal, Iwo Jima and Coral Sea. These maps are inspired by the award winning Battlefield 1942™ game, and have been redesigned and reengineered from the ground up using the DICE Frostbite™ engine allowing players to wreak havoc and destruction via land, sea or air.
Battlefield 1943 is now available on Xbox LIVE Arcade for 1200 MS Points or on PlayStation®Network for $15. The game will soon also be available for PC.
original article.
category: DVD Sports Instructional
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Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Nintendo to unveil 3-D gaming console
hello :D
well i just came back from a wonderful vacation and now its back to work and school. It cant last for ever haha anyways.. i checked google and lost happening since we last posted.. again still something that might not be as entertaining to some. but yeah. kinda long.. but i really like the DS' so hopefully this new game console is something that interest me as well. hope everyone had a great weekend.
Nintendo to unveil 3-D gaming console
CNN) -- The 3-D entertainment craze continues to spread to video games. Nintendo announced Tuesday it will introduce a handheld console that plays games in 3-D without the use of special glasses.
The handheld device will be called the 3DS, succeeding Nintendo's DS series of portable gaming consoles. A brief press release issued by Nintendo did not specifically state how the 3-D effect would work on the device.
The console won't go on sale until June at the earliest. Nintendo said it will announce more details at the E3 trade show, to be held June 15-17 in Los Angeles, California.
Tuesday's announcement marks a new direction for the Japanese-based company, which had previously been dismissive of 3-D gaming. Earlier this year, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata said, ''I have doubts whether people will be wearing glasses to play games at home. How is that going to look to other people?"
The new 3DS device is expected to be backwards compatible, allowing it to play DS and DSi games. The 3DS name itself is a temporary name until the official name is revealed at the E3 convention.
Gaming blogs were buzzing Tuesday with speculation about how Nintendo will achieve the 3-D affect without specialized glasses.
Kotaku suggests that it may work similarly to a Japan-only game called "3D Hidden Puzzle," which uses the DSi's camera to track the movement of the player and adjust the image accordingly to make it appear 3-D.
Nintendo said the 3DS will go on sale before the company's next fiscal year ends, on March 31, 2011.
Earlier this year, Sony announced a software improvement that will allow 3-D gaming on its PlayStation 3 console. And some game developers are working on techniques to show their games in 3-D on Microsoft's Xbox 360 device and on PCs. All those systems will require the use of special glasses to achieve the 3-D effect
original article.
category: DVD Television On DVD
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Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker delayed to June 8, PSP Pack unveiled
hello! well.. how was every ones weekend, I'm looking forward to spring / summer! ahh i cant wait for it to start getting hot.. which it is a nice day today soo so far so good.. anyways found this on google. and like always I'll post the original post so you can read the original article.
Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker delayed to June 8, PSP Pack unveiled
In keeping with its peripatetic title, the upcoming Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker isn't in a hurry to get to stores. Sony today announced that the Konami-published stealth-action game won't arrive until June 8. Previously it had been dated for May 25.
A green PSP was announced the same week as St Patrick's Day. Coincidence?
The news came from Sony as the electronics giant announced a limited edition PSP hardware bundle for the game set to arrive June 8, "day and date with stand-alone game." The bundle includes a "Spirited Green" version of the handheld, a UMD copy of Peace Walker, a 2GB memory stick, and a voucher for a downloadable movie to-be-announced (movie for US residents only). Those who pick up the bundle will also get access to a pair of unlockable in-game goodies in the form of a Fox-branded camoflauge uniform and stealth gun feature.
A sequel to Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater and previous PSP entry Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops, Peace Walker puts players in the role of Naked Snake/Big Boss once more and gives them a look at the earliest stages of his Outer Heaven mercenary group. Series creator Hideo Kojima and Konami are emphasizing Peace Walker as a "full-scale sequel" in the Metal Gear series and not a spin-off or side project.
One of the big new additions to Peace Walker is cooperative multiplayer action for up to four players. Gamers can pick from one of four versions of Snake, each with its own equipment and focus on stealth, combat, or a mix of the two.
Peace Walker also plays with the standard structure of past Metal Gear games. Players will be able to revisit previously completed missions, and Konami is borrowing a page from its recent Metroid-inspired Castlevania titles to give them a reason to. Snake will earn new abilities as he progresses through the game, enabling him to reach secret areas from earlier levels on a repeat visit.
original article.
category: DVD-Recorders Internal
Featured Product on Bayho: 22X DVD-writer EIDE BULK
Monday, March 8, 2010
Gof Of War 3
hi bloggers!
well this weekend was very relaxing for me, took some time to relax and sleep in haha but yeah hopefully your guys had a great weekend as well! anyways back to business.. as i have said time after time i hardly know about video games i only know what i hear from friends and what read about on google. or yahoo. so like always tips on news or certain games would be extremely helpful!
until then here's an article i found on god of war. sounds familiar so i might have already posted.. sorry if i have. other then that i don't know any other information on the game haha.
Kratos wants to do one thing: kill Zeus. It's the only goal that the "Ghost of Sparta" has in the entirety of God of War 3, and everything from the epic beginning moments to the final credits serves to make that happen. If you haven't played the first two games and you have a PlayStation 3, it's worth your time to pick them up and get up to speed on how our "hero" became what he is today. Also, don't skip on the PSP adventure Chains of Olympus.
You can't respect how something ends before you know how it began.
God of War 3 is the first game in the series built from the ground up for the PlayStation 3, and the team behind the title spared no detail; the game feels like it has been painted on your screen. Even the flashback sequences, using more traditional animation and a hyper-stylized look, add much to the game. It's a clever way of showing what came before without dealing with the graphics of the past.
This is one of the most anticipated titles in the history of the PlayStation 3. We've beaten it, and have had some time to think it over. Does the game live up to the hype?
Title God of War 3
Developer Santa Monica Studio
Publisher Sony
Price $59.99 Shop.ars
Platform PlayStation 3
The gameplay
God of War is a third-person action game with some light platforming; you view the action through a fixed camera. Not being able to adjust the view may continue to rub some gamers the wrong way, but it allows the director to set up the action in a way that wouldn't be possible with a player-controlled camera, and some puzzles and secrets depend on you looking in a certain direction at a certain time.
The weapons will also be familiar to fans of the previous games, although the specifics are new. Your blades slice and fly through the air, cutting down enemies as you collect the red orbs they drop to power up your attacks. You can chain attacks together into epic combos, which is the heart of the God of War series. Combat is a flowing, balletic dance of blood and destruction. Weaken enemies enough, and you can grab them and end their lives with a few predetermined button presses in a quick-time event. These finishing moves are always over the top and violent: expect to see heads ripped off, entrails spilled, and creatures killed with things that used to be attached to them.
Describing the game mechanics in these dry terms doesn't do much to communicate how playing this game feels. Kratos doesn't care about anything except exterminating the gods. Innocents are introduced in the game as nothing more than obstacles for you to do with what you will. Ignore them? Slaughter them? It's utterly meaningless. We're supposed to be on the side of Kratos, but rarely has gaming dealt with a hero so thoroughly dead inside.
At one point Kratos "rescues" a topless maiden, and rather brutally uses her to advance to the next section of the game. It's not that he does it, or how he does it, that's important: it's that there is absolutely no empathy or mercy left in his heart.
This is as hard as M-ratings get
The game is rated Mature, meaning it's aimed at gamers above the age of 17, and the back of the box lists the expected warnings about nudity and graphic violence. Still, those are just words on the back of a box on a store shelf. Sure, the game is violent, but how bad can it be?
If violence makes you queasy, or if you're a parent, be advised: this game is out there.
The camera doesn't blink when Kratos does his terrible things, and early in the game you'll watch a brutal beating in first person, getting a feel for what it's like to be bashed to death by someone's bare hands. The sequence ends... well, you know if you read our previous coverage. If you're trying to avoid spoilers, I'll leave it out of the review.
In another scene Kratos simply slams a new weapon into someone's head until it (the head, that is) looks like raw hamburger. The scene is simple, almost matter-of-fact: you're just watching someone get murdered. This is one of the rare games with sequences where I was tempted to turn away.
In other scenes, the game does a good job of having the player act out the process of slicing limbs off characters or forcibly removing their heads, leaving bloody stumps and viscera pooling on the ground. You're not just watching this; you're taking part in it. The new quick-time event system that puts the button prompt on the side of the screen makes it easier to follow the action... but you may not want to.
And this isn't even discussing the sexual content. We've passed the point where naked breasts in a game are shocking. God of War 3 doesn't shy away from nudity, and the sexual minigame included in this title... well, it goes a little further than we're used to from the past two games. There are M ratings, and then there are M ratings.
Even if you let your children play other Mature-rated games, this may be one you want to sit down and play with them, or wait a few years.
I talked with some friends about the level of violence in the game, and they agreed that the only issue here is that video gaming is a visual medium. The mythology of every culture is filled with violence and sex—you don't have to look past the Bible or Greek myth to find some pretty scary stuff. But in God of War, you aren't reading about these things, you're seeing them. In fact, the game goes out of its way to make it feel like you are doing them to your victims.
The goal of all this violence? It's not "saving the world for democracy" or rescuing a fair maiden or a lost child; it's sheer vengeful nihilism. While this attitude fits the setting and is there to tell a very specific story, it will turn off some gamers. Let that be a warning... or possibly an invitation.
original article.
category: Videogame Accessories
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Monday, March 1, 2010
Top 10 March video games that aren’t God of War III
Morning all! hope everyone had a wonderful weekend, if not.. well then I'm sorry and maybe you'll have more luck next weekend :D haha. well i haven't hear of any major games coming out like i did when COD came out. so if the articles get boring feel free to tune out .
Despite normally being a time reserved for catching up on all the games released during the holiday season, February was a surprisingly busy month for gamers. There was the cinematic Heavy Rain, the frenetic sci-fi shooter Aliens vs Predator, hack-and-slash Dante’s Inferno and many more.
Lest you think that the start of spring finally gives customers a much-needed break from the onslaught of high-caliber titles, publishers are looking to make March another huge month for gaming.
Leading the pack is, of course, Sony’s highly anticipated PlayStation 3 exclusive God of War III, the last in a trilogy of action-adventure games inspired by Greek mythology. The thing is, there’s really no point in going on about how amazing the graphics look, or fun it probably is going to be. Everyone with a pair of working eyes and an awareness of the obvious knows this already.
If you don’t, go watch the trailer, change your pants and then come back. We’ll wait.
Back? OK, good. We’re now going to focus ten of the biggest, most anticipated, upcoming games in March that aren’t God of War III.
10. Metro 2033 (03.16.10)
Platforms: Xbox 360, PC
In the wake of Borderlands, Fallout 3 and S.T.A.L.K.E.R: Call of Pripyat, post-apocalyptic first-person shooters (FPS) are quickly becoming the next cliché in video games. Nonetheless, developers THQ and 4A Games are looking to buck that perception with the narrative-driven, survival horror FPS Metro 2033
Based on the Dmitry Glukhovsky novel of the same name, Metro 2033 has gamers scavenging for guns, ammunition and various other items in the mutant-infested metro tunnels running underneath the ruins of a (naturally) post-apocalyptic Moscow. The game forgoes a head-up display in order to immerse gamers in its gritty world. In other words, you’ll have to rely on visual cues like blood splatters to gauge your health.
Despite a strong premise, there are a lot of question marks surrounding this game. The trailer showed promise, but was not fantastic, and, despite having worked on S.T.A.L.K.E.R: Shadow of Chernobyl, this is still technically 4A Games’ first console project.
Metro 2033 could easily be as good as S.T.A.L.K.E.R, but it could also be a forgettable, generic FPS. Regardless, be sure to keep your eye on this one–gamers could be in for a big surprise.
9. Resonance of Fate (03.16.10)
Platforms: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3
What would happen if a Japanese role-playing game (RPG) gave its mandatory cast of teenage heroes guns, instead of the typical swords, bows and arrows? You’d probably get the Persona series. Now, pretend like they use these guns to fight killer robots and diabolical bad guys, instead of shooting themselves in the head, and you should get Resonance of Fate, tri-Ace and Sega’s latest RPG.
The story sounds a little trite (complete with Byronic, teenage mercenaries), but developers tri-Ace has proven time and time again that they’re exceptional at crafting exciting, action-packed battle systems. Coming off Star Ocean: The Last Hope, there’s no reason to doubt that the veteran RPG developer will strike gold again with Resonance of Fate.
8. MLB 10: The Show / MLB 2K10 (03.02.10)
Platforms: PlayStation 3 / PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
Sony’s MLB 10: The Show series is a lot like the Chicago Cubs if the Chicago Cubs were consistently awesome instead of sucking and breaking my heart into a million pieces each and every year. The last several installments in Sony’s exclusive baseball franchise have been stellar, so it’s likely that MLB 10: The Show will probably be just as good.
MLB 2K10, on the other hand, has a whole lot to prove. After the incredibly disappointing, bug-infested MLB 2K9, developers Visual Concepts have learned their lesson, making some substantial improvements to ensure this year’s addition remains a viable contender in the marketplace.
Batting and pitching has been revamped to allow for great control and precision, and a number of new features, like the highly anticipated “My Player” mode, have been added to bolster the game’s robust selection of gameplay modes. After whiffing with the last title, expect MLB 2K10 to put the series back on the board.
7. Pokemon Heart Gold / Silver (03.14.10)
Platforms: Nintendo DS
Though the whole entire Pokemon craze has lasted a bizarrely long time (well, for a video game franchise that revolves around enslaving and conscripting cute monsters into gladiatorial events), the gaming franchise really hit its pinnacle with Pokemon Gold and Silver for the Game Boy Color.
More than a decade later after that success, Nintendo is revisiting its roots with the enhanced remake, Pokemon Heart.
With upgraded visuals, touch-screen support and new mini-games, Pokemon Heart should rekindle fond memories of raising your Pokemon into a formidable team so you could beat up your friends at school and become the number one trainer around. You caught them all before. Now, you get the chance to do it all over again.
6. Just Cause 2 (03.23.10)
Platforms: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PC
Just when you thought running amok in a sandbox-style world, sowing anarchy and causing enough explosions to sexually arouse Michael Bay, was getting old, Eidos and Avalanche Studios serves up the highly-anticipated sequel to 2006’s Just Cause.
In Just Cause 2, there’s an evil dictator in need of toppling, and it’s up to CIA agent Rico Rodriguez to usher in democracy the American way–by blowing everything up, of course.
Rodriguez has a bristling arsenal of weapons, stunt parachutes, grappling hooks, cars, helicopters and even jets at his disposal. While Rico’s campaign of violence may not earn the love the locals, destroying foreign countries one precariously placed gasoline tank at a time never gets old. Ever.
5. Lunar: Silver Star Harmony (03.02.10)
Platforms: PSP
Nearly12 years ago, Game Arts and Working Designs remade the classic Sega CD role-playing game Lunar: The Silver Star for the PlayStation. It used simple 16-bit graphics that looked archaic in comparison to other RPG’s like Final Fantasy VII, but what was lacking visually-speaking was made up for with a innovative battle system, charming characters, and one of the best localization jobs in video game history.
In the PSP remake, Silver Star Harmony, the adventures of Alex and his friends receives a graphical face lift and a few new gameplay features. More importantly, gamers will finally get the chance to play one of the most defining RPG’s of the 1990s without having to pay through the nose on eBay.
4. Red Steel 2 (03.23.10)
Platforms: Nintendo Wii
The first FPS to utilize the Nintendo Wii’s motion-based controls, 2006’s Red Steel was ambitious and fun, but received mixed reviews from critics. With the sequel, developers Ubisoft have taken the franchise in a brand new direction, complete with an aesthetically flashy, cel-shaded look.
A creative hybrid of Japanese samurai culture and the lawless archetypes of the Wild West, Red Steel 2 follows the story of a mute protagonist, The Swordsman, as he seeks revenge against an enemy clan called The Jackals. Red Steel 2 uses the Wii Motion Plus, allowing gamers to manually wield katanas and shoot guns with an unprecedented degree of precision and accuracy.
Granted, you’ll probably look silly as hell waving around your Wii remote and making growling noises, but it’s a small price to pay for being able to finally live out your repressed fantasies of being a badass samurai.
3. Fragile Dreams: Farewell Ruins of the Moon (03.16.10)
Platforms: Nintendo Wii
tri-Crescendo and Namco’s gorgeous, post-apocalyptic role-playing game (again?) is finally arriving in North America after being stuck almost a year in localization. Rest assured, though, the wait will be well worth it.
Set in the ruins of a decaying planet, Fragile Dreams has you playing as a young boy named Seto who is searching the world for survivors. The gameplay is comprised mostly of exploring deserted cities, then fighting off roaming ghosts and marauding demons, but Fragile Dream’s real highlight is its fascinating story and breathtaking, anime-inspired visuals.
Already praised by big name critics, including Japan’s Game Famitsu, expect Fragile Dreams to be one of this year’s biggest sleeper hits.
2. Battlefield Bad Company 2 (03.02.10)
Platforms: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PC
Get ready to drive tanks, fly helicopters and snipe your friends in the face with Electronic Arts and DICE’s action-packed, destructible military shooter. Based on the beta, the graphics look better than ever, more guns and vehicles have been added, and countless tweaks have been made to the gameplay to create a more authentic, balanced experience.
The single-player campaign also promises to rival Bad Company 2’s top competitor, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. If the current demo is any indication, the expansive multiplayer mode is already guaranteed to keep hardcore FPS gamers addicted to its unique brand of chaos, strategy and frenetic violence.
1. Final Fantasy XIII (03.09.10)
Platforms: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
Square Enix’s Final Fantasy XIII is a huge departure from the normal conventions associated with past Final Fantasy video games. Its gameplay has been streamlined to make progression more linear, the combat system features a heavily revamped version of the traditional Active Time Battle. Final Fantasy XIII also marks the first time a single-player, numbered Final Fantasy adventure has appeared on multiple consoles.
Whether all these changes will be for the better remains to be seen, but considering the stellar reviews it has been receiving overseas, it’s a safe bet that Final Fantasy XIII continues Square-Enix’s reputation for delivering unparalleled excellence.
Other Games You’d be Stupid Not to Check Out:
Mega Man 10 (Wii Ware, XBLA, PSN), Perfect Dark (XBLA), Command and Conquer 4 (PC), Supreme Commander 2 (PC), Yakuza 3 (PlayStation 3)
Monday, February 22, 2010
World Game Championship kicks off at Dubai Mall
Its Monday morning! and woo. i don't think anyone has ever been happy for a Monday. considering the fact that it ends your weekend and starts your weekday. you would think if you have done something for almost two years now everyday waking up at the same time it would get easier.. but no not for me its always a struggle to drag myself out of bed.
anyway googled" cyber games" on google news.. and got this article.
The World Game Championship (WGC) is part of the Dubai World Game Expo and involves three different tournaments - the World Cyber Games National finals (exclusive to Emiratis), along with the Open Championship and Inter-collegiate Games that are both open to all nationalities.
More than AED 100,000 in prizes are up for grabs with opening games covering Pro Evolution Soccer 2010, Street Fighter 4 and Counter Strike 1.6. Additionally, the winners of the World Cyber Games National tournament will go on represent the country in the finals taking place in Los Angeles, California this September.
"Our ultimate objective is to see Emirati gamers rise and become professional cyber athletes. After successfully staging the WGC 2008 and 2009, we are expecting that 2010 will bring the best gamers in the region, a higher level of competition and ultimate gaming experience for both players and spectators." said Engineer Anas Al Madani, VP of Index Holding.
Madani added that they expect to attract more than 10,000 gamers overall with more universities taking part in the inter-collegiate tournament this year. In 2009 about 7,000 gamers took part, which also included students from 32 different universities.
Related ArticlesUAE bans acclaimed video game Asus unveils stealth-fighter inspired notebook Sony crowns SingStar champions in Dubai Let's talk about ♥ 450,000 PlayStation 3 consoles sold in ME Nilesh Khalkho, CEO of Sharaf DG who are sponsors of the event, stated that the WGC differs from other gaming competitions because of it features the world's fastest computer by YoYoTech. Khalko calls the gaming machine "the future of gaming after consoles".
The games kicked off today at the Dubai mall and will tour through the different cities in the UAE. The second round will take place in April in Bawadi Mall Al Ain, while the third round will take place in Al Wahda mall in Abu Dhabi.
The final two rounds of the games will take place in the Mall of Emirates in October and the Dubai World Trade Center in November. More details are available at www.worldgamechampionship.com.
original article.
category: Wii
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Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Top 10 kids’ toys for 2010
Pretty boring i will admit.. but hey i have to do one for this seemed to be the top search for " games" on google.
anyways its seems long but its just a list of toys and their pictures which will not be on here so as usual i will post the original article.
1.Guitar, Drum and Amp by Paper Jamz
Suggested retail: $19.99-$24.99
Age: 5 and up
Available: June 2010
Paper Jamz are amazingly innovative, affordable instruments featuring Active Graphics TechnologyTM. This technology makes it possible for our children to rock out by touching the circuit-embedded paper surface on the Paper Jamz Guitar and Drums. Jam on the guitar or the drums in three modes, playing along to hit songs or creating your own music. The instruments have built-in speakers with volume control and a line out for kids to use their own earphones or speaker accessories. They have a rocking amp to blast out the jams as well.
2. LEGO games
Suggested retail: $14.99-$34.99
Age: 6 to 8 and up
Available: March 2010
LEGO is introducing 10 new LEGO games in 2010. My kids and I are love building the dice, the game boards and even some of the characters for the buildable LEGO games. The game play, continuous building, strategy and reconstruction are a blast. Check out LEGO Minotaurus, where, after children build the game board, they work to get their heroes to the secret temple while attempting to avoid LEGO walls and the evil Minotaur. Also try LEGO Creationary, where children roll the LEGO dice, select one of four exciting building categories and test their building and guessing skills. Finally, don’t miss Lava Dragon, where your children will race to be the first knight to climb to the top of the volcano while trying to avoid the lava and summon the dragon.
3. Sing-a-ma-jigs!
Suggested retail: $12.99
Age: 3 and up
Available: May 2010
Sing-a-ma-jigs! are adorable plush characters that treat us to sweet musical fun and silly chatter sounds with an easy squeeze of their bellies. As soon as your little one squeezes the Sing-a-ma-jigs! belly they will giggle endlessly at the sight of their mouths opening, revealing their cute little teeth. Play with one Sing-a-ma-jig at a time or play with them all together to hear them sing together in harmony. The first four Sing-a-ma-jigs! will be out in May and each one will be a different color and sing its own song. The Sing-a-ma-jigs! are simply irresistible.
4. Spy Net Video Spy Watch
Suggested retail: $49.99-$54.99
Age: 8 and up
Available: Fall 2010
The Spy Net Video Watch is real working spy gear that is finally available in the toy aisle. This watch will record video with its built-in camera and microphone and play back video on its built-in 1-4” screen. Our children will be able to upload their video and audio files onto Spy Net, the cool supporting Web site. Our children can also download missions from the Spy Net HQ and receive those missions directly on their watches for more spy fun. This product will be one out of a whole series of cool spy products that will interact with one another, brought to us by Spy Net, so keep your eyes open and your guard up.
5. Toy Story Mania!
Suggested retail: $49.99-$54.99
Age: 8 and up
Availability date: Fall 2010
Toy Story Mania! is an adventure-filled TV video game that simulates the new Toy Story Mania! attraction at the Disney theme parks. Once our children see the much-anticipated “Toy Story 3” movie this coming June 2010, they will be searching for ways to interact with their favorite characters. The Toy Story Mania! game plugs directly into the TV and doesn’t require an additional gaming console so our kids can just plug it into the TV and play. The Motion TV Games Technology in this game makes it a blast, because to move in the game our kids have to grab the control and get moving in real life.
6. Air Hogs Vectron Wave
Suggested retail price: $24.99
Age: 8 and up
Available: Now
The Air Hogs Vectron Wave is a UFO about the size of a hand that has a built-in sensor allowing it to detect objects below and adjust its height accordingly to float in the air above them. The Vectron Wave’s flight is guided by a wave of your hand. My kids and I marveled at the Vectron Wave because we had never seen a flying toy that we could interact with that didn’t have a remote control.
7. Tonka Garage Ricochet RC Vehicle
Suggested retail: $79.99
Age: 8 and up
Available: Fall 2010
The Tonka Garage Ricochet RC Vehicle is an amazing double-sided stunt vehicle that is designed to tackle nearly every type of terrain. It drives, and if it flips over, no problem — it keeps on trucking. I was wowed by the machine's Monsterlift Suspension Technology, which lifts the vehicle into a tough-looking monster truck. The RC vehicle comes with a three-channel remote for excellent steering control.
8. AVATAR vehicles and action figures
Suggested retail: $8.99 and $26.99
Age: 6 and up
Available: Now and new items will arrive in the Spring
“Avatar” the movie is a box office smash hit! My son, his best friend and I loved the movie. Kids are already clamoring for these great toys, and collectors are standing in the toy store right next to the kids, grabbing everything they see. The Avatar toy collection includes Avatar vehicles like the AMP Suit, RDA Grinder and Scorpion Gunship. The collection also has a wide variety of highly detailed and articulated action figures and creatures, all created to the scale of their likeness in the film. Each Avatar toy comes with its own unique i-TAG, which will create a 3-D, augmented-reality image of the toy on a computer screen when held up to a webcam. The animated 3-D image will then “come alive.” To download i-TAG software and find out more information, visit www.avataritag.com.
9. Diary of a Wimpy Kid Cheese Touch Game
Suggested retail: $24.99
Ages: 7 and up
Retail availability: Fall 2010
If you have a reading-age child, you have surely read or heard of Jeff Kinney’s “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” book series. I have loved reading these books along with my kids, and we are counting down the days until the 20th Century Fox movie based on the series makes its debut in Spring 2010. This year our children will be able to play along with their favorite characters from the “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” books in its first board game, which encourages creativity and social interaction. Players move their game pieces, including Greg, Rowley, Fregly and Manny, around the game board, facing different challenges and measuring how well they know each other. Correct answers move them closer to finish. Wrong answers can give a player the cheese, and if you have read the books, you know how hard it is to get rid of the Cheese Touch!
10. Kung Zhu
Suggested retail: $7.99-$24.99
Age: 6 and up
Available: June 2010
Kung Zhu is the next generation of 2009’s hottest toy, the Zhu Zhu Pets. The Zhu Zhu Pets now have their own special forces to help keep everything happy and peaceful in the Zhu-niverse, the land where the Zhu Zhus live. Check out the new good and bad Zhu Zhus in the Kung Zhu line. You will love the Ninja Hamsters, the Delta Forces, the Rangers and the Dragon Tribe, and may need to scatter away from the Bad Skull Tribe. The accessories are absolutely hysterical and add loads to the play of these furry warriors.
original article.
category: Media- Blank
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