Top 10 Games
1 Starsiege: Tribes
2 Castle of the Winds: A Question of Vengeance
3 Wild Metal Country
4 Warzone 2100
5 Descent
6 Fish Fillets
7 Lords of the Rising Sun
8 Hidden And Dangerous
9 Descent II
10 Fools Errand
Game sites
Now that it has been in general circulation for a while, Kotaku has a nice simple review of the good, the bad, and the ugly in the new Penny Arcade game, On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness. "When you've been making fun of the video game industry as long as Penny Arcade's Jerry 'Tycho' Holkins and Mike 'Gabe' Krahulik have been, deciding to create your own game is one ballsy move. You have to know that every review site you've ever trashed and every developer you've viciously sodomized with your barbed wit is watching your every move, desperate to see you stumble so they can get in a few licks."
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
AP - Late last year, when I was playing Valve's brilliant puzzle game "Portal," I felt a weird sensation: Laughter. I'm not sure when I first noticed it; perhaps it was when GLaDOS, the insane artificial intelligence that was tormenting me, promised "grief counseling and cake" after my ordeal. What really threw me was the idea that a video game could make me laugh out loud.
Reuters - Japanese superhero Ultraman vanquishes an
evil enemy during a live performance at a Tokyo games arcade.
But Ultraman's real battle is proving much harder -- enticing
customers back to the nation's arcades.
NewsFactor - Building on the success of its Wii game console, Nintendo has launched WiiWare, a software service for games. Wii owners who have their machines hooked up to an Internet connection will be able to download games from both large developers and small shops. As a game service, WiiWare competes with services on other consoles, such as Microsoft's Xbox Live Arcade and Sony's PlayStation Store.
The New York Times is running a story about Stern Pinball Inc., which they say is the last pinball factory left worldwide. The story describes working there as a "game geek's fantasy job." The company president, Gary Stern, acknowledges the lack of demand, but he plans on sticking around. He also expects the industry to rebound within the next 10 years. We've previously discussed a slightly smaller version of pinball. "Corner shops, pubs, arcades and bowling alleys stopped stocking pinball machines. A younger audience turned to video games. Men of a certain age, said [Pinball Hall of Fame operator Tim Arnold], who is 52, became the reliable audience. ("Chicks," he announced, "don't get it.") And so for Mr. Stern, the pinball buyer is shifting. In the United States, Mr. Stern said, half of his new machines, which cost about $5,000 and are bought through distributors, now go directly into people's homes and not a corner arcade."
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
AP - Purists who play the silver ball might say pinball should be enjoyed on full-sized machines, but few of us have the money or den space to house an arcade-size collection.
Reuters - If you ever thought it
would be cool to have an Xbox laptop, or wished those old Atari
games in your attic could be reborn on a retro handheld device,
you might want to talk to Benjamin Heckendorn.
Mark Graham writes "All this week, UK games development site Develop has been running a series of articles under its 'WiiWare Week' banner, analyzing developer's affections for, and the potential success of Nintendo's upcoming WiiWare digital distribution platform. Most revealing is the claim that Nintendo has been secretly 'waging war' on the likes of Sony and Microsoft by capitalizing on frustrations over cuts to the Xbox Live Arcade royalty rate (down from 70% to 35% for any game making under $4m in revenue) and talking up the service's access to a wide audience to win over development support. It features commentary from both established developers (such as David Braben, creator of Elite, and Scott Orr, creator of Madden) — and indie teams (developers of new WiiWare games Pop and Gravitronix) making launch games for the service."
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
NewsFactor - In the shoot-out between video-game consoles, Microsoft has drawn a new weapon -- a major price cut in Europe. Beginning March 14, the 20GB Xbox 360 with one wireless controller will cost 270 euros (US$414), 80 euros cheaper. The Elite, with a 120GB hard drive, will be 370 euros (US$568), down 80 euros. And the Arcade entry-level model, with no hard drive, will drop 80 euros to 200 euros (US$307).
GOLDSBORO, N.C. (December 13, 2007) - The Carolina Games Summit, formerly known as the Goldsboro Gaming Expo, will be held 10 a.m.-9 p.m. on Saturday, January 26, 2008 at Wayne Community College. Tickets are available to the public for $10 each and may be purchased online or at the door. The event includes industry speakers, video game tournaments, live music, exhibition booths and educational sessions. An exciting mix of fun, academic opportunities and career exploration has been created for students, aspiring game developers, educators and professionals alike. Last year's summit doubled in size over the inaugural year, attracting over 1,400 participants to compete in 18 tournaments and experience more than 20 speakers from a variety of game development firms and educational institutions. To build on this phenomenal growth, organizers have added bands such as Select Start to recreate theme songs from popular games using classical instruments. In addition, students and budding game developers will have the chance to display their work in the newly created student showcase room. Hands-on training sessions will also be a first at the next Carolina Games Summit, where seasoned game development professionals and college educators will lead tutorials on how to use game content creation tools including Adobe PhotoShop, Autodesk Maya and leading game engine software. A range of presenters including corporate executives, creative leaders and educators have committed to unveil business strategies, development techniques and more at the event. Distinguished speakers include: Alexander Macris, Co-Founder, President, CEO - Themis Group, Durham, NC Bruce Shankle, Senior Software Development Engineer, DirectX – Microsoft Game Studios, Redmond, WA David Sipple, President – Music Wizard Group, Longmont, CO Dana Cowley, Public Relations Manager - Epic Games, Cary, NC Joel Gonzales, Engineer - 1st Playable Productions, Troy, NY Attendees may participate in sponsored tournaments and enjoy unlimited free play on full-size classic arcades as well as the latest consoles and computer gaming systems. Outdoor attractions include the U.S. Army Mission Support Battalion’s "Adventure Van," a unique simulation system contained in an 18-wheel tractor-trailer, and the Panasonic Living in HD flagship truck, which includes the world’s largest plasma TV, all 103” of it. Visit the official web site, www.CarolinaGamesSummit.com, for a listing of events and additional details. Contact the event organizers, Phi Beta Lambda club advisors Michael Everett and Tracy Schmeltzer, at (919) 735-5151 or info@carolinagamessummit.com for more information on attending, exhibiting or speaking at the Carolina Games Summit. Wayne Community College Phi Beta Lambda is a chapter in the college division of FBLA-PBL Inc. and is a registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization. The mission of FBLA-PBL Inc. is to bring business and education together in a positive working relationship through innovative leadership and career development programs. Wayne Community College, located in Goldsboro, N.C., is a public, two-year college serving more than 14,000 individuals annually as well as business and industry, and other groups in its service area with quality, economical, convenient learning opportunities.
