Daily Wrap-Up 4.16.08
Posted by Stephen Johnson - Wednesday, April 16, 2008 5:58 PM
Here's what happened today in the world of videogames, popular culture and technology.
- EA announced this morning that The Sims series has sold over 100 million copies.
- According to Variety Magazine' Grand Theft Auto 4's opening weekend will outstrip even Master Chief's.
- Soulcalibur 4, the 360 and PlayStation 3 fighting game everyone is looking forward to, is set for a July 29th release date.
- Majesco is releasing Air Traffic Chaos for the Nintendo DS.
- NCsoft is rolling NCcoin, a micro-transaction system for their multi-player games.
- DC Comics and Sierra Entertainment have made a deal that will bring a new comic based on the upcoming videogame Prototype.
- The Legendary Map Pack dropped yesterday and we booted it up at the office.
- A mere 3 months after the retail release of Pirates of the Burning Sea, some of the servers that house the universe are shutting down.
- Divorce by youtube will (hopefully) become the newest trend on the internet.
- Valve is bringing 36 new achievements to Team Fortress 2 and new guns!
--Read More--
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TAGS: Daily Wrap-Up, Videos
AOTS Remix: Kevin's Blue Ball
Posted by Ty Colfax - Wednesday, April 16, 2008 5:09 PM
Sometimes something happens that's so perfect, so in the moment, so Pereiriffic that it must be remixed and set to calliope music. On Tuesday, that kind of thing happened.
Take a look at Kevin missing the mark and eating some floor:
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TAGS: G4, Other People's Misfortune, TV
Sessler's Soapbox: Resident Uncomfortable
Posted by Jonathan Hunt - Wednesday, April 16, 2008 4:49 PM
No doubt some of you read about the recent controversy regarding Newsweek columnist N'Gai Croal's statements regarding the trailer for Resident Evil 5. Well, in this week's Sessler's Soapbox, Adam's got something to say on the issue. What do you guys think? Has Capcom been insensitive to its audience, or are people overreacting? Check out the video and let us know what you think or share your thoughts on our forums.
To see where this all got started, check out the full interview with N'Gai Croal here.
Subscribe to G4's Sessler's Soapbox Podcast by clicking your preferred service:
    
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TAGS: G4, Sessler's Soapbox, Videogames
VideoGames Saved My Life!
Posted by Stephen Johnson - Wednesday, April 16, 2008 4:02 PM
Have videogames ever saved your life?
That's the question Games Radar answered recently with an inspiring article giving tons of real life examples of gaming having saved lives--A WOW player feigned death in front of a raving, real life moose, in game first-aid technique used on a real patient, etc.
Here's my own (admittedly not-too-dramatic) story:
On a camping trip, I was driving a car loaded with friends and family, and pulling out of a driveway onto a curve in the road. There was no way to see if anything was coming in either direction, and we were in the middle of nowhere, so I pulled out and immediately heard the blaaat of a truck horn. I slammed on the gas and we just missed being crunched by a logging truck. Literally, it was inches from us. I credit my heightened, videogame reflexes (and the V8 engine in the car I was driving.)
Add your story below if you wanna.
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TAGS: Videogames
'X-Files 2' Gets Name: 'I Want To Believe'
Posted by Stephen Johnson - Wednesday, April 16, 2008 3:42 PM
The sequel to The X-Files movie has a name: X-Files 2: I Want To Believe.
What do you think: Better than "Fight the Future?" Or is it super-double-plus lame? Maybe you don't care at all? Let us know below.
Wired: X-Files Sequel Gets Lame Name at Last
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TAGS: Movies, TV
'Halo 3' Legendary Maps: Avalanche
Posted by Brian Leahy - Wednesday, April 16, 2008 3:30 PM
The second map in the Halo 3 Legendary Map Pack is "Avalanche". This vehicle-heavy map is great for Big-Team objective game types like Capture the Flag and Bomb.
Control of the laser at the back end of the map is key and you'll need teamwork to get the flag back to your base.
Check out this Multi-Flag Battle Rifle CTF match where I didn't die. I also managed to snag two flag captures. Nice!
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TAGS: G4 Web Exclusive, Halo 3, Videogames
'Resistance 2' Testing 60 Player Games
Posted by Stephen Johnson - Wednesday, April 16, 2008 3:03 PM
Do more players make for a more fun game? That's the question Resistance 2 may answer.
Reportedly, the team behind the upcoming PS3 first-person-shooter is working on 60-player multiplayer.
James Stevenson from Insomniac Games, said:
We've been working hard getting Resistance 2 ready for its fall release. Right now we're play-testing 60-player multiplayer and eight-player co-op daily, while tweaking sections of our single-player levels."
"Needless to say, the game is rapidly progressing and every time we play there are new assets and tech going in," teases Stevenson, who refuses to reveal any specifics. "We're not quite ready to take the lid off the new stuff we're developing", he adds. "There's quite a lot!"
Computerandvideogames: Resistance 2: 60-player online in testing
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TAGS: PlayStation 3, Videogames
'Iron Man' Comic-Con Trailer
Posted by Stephen Johnson - Wednesday, April 16, 2008 2:55 PM
Okay, if the movie tie-in game Iron Man comes out and is really bad, I'm going to look stupid, but still: Check out this blazin' trailer scheduled to be shown at Comic-Con this year.
Hot, right?
The game comes out cross-platform on May 2.
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TAGS: Nintendo DS, PC Gaming, PlayStation 3
Video: Gran Turismo Vs. Thin Lizzy
Posted by Stephen Johnson - Wednesday, April 16, 2008 2:52 PM
Gran Turismo 5: Prologue and Thin Lizzy are together at last, baby.
Check it out:
The game will be available tomorrow for the PS3.
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TAGS: Cars, Music, PlayStation 3
NPR: Games Lack Depth
Posted by Stephen Johnson - Wednesday, April 16, 2008 2:41 PM
The latte-swilling liberals over at National Public Radio recently turned their gaze on videogames.
The radio report, aired yesterday on All Things Considered, examines whether games are socially responsible enough, concluding games are shying away from "issues" they should be addressing, categorized on their site as "teen pregnancy and the War in Iraq."
Ian Bogust, a professor of game design at Virginia Tech, says the game industry should be made to address these issues. He gives Black Site and its rumination on loyalty among soldiers, as a good example of a socially aware game (without addressing the fact that it's a generic FPS that wasn't all that fun.)
While we understand a four minute radio report can't sum up such a complicated idea as social commentary in gaming, NPR's maddening report ignores the fact that some of the most popular titles in gaming history are among the most "socially relevant" ever producer--if you play Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas and don't notice it's an intelligent, biting critique of popular culture and American society, you're not paying very close attention. And what about Metal Gear? And how about the Universal themes explored in Halo? Or God of War? Etc., etc.
The fact that videogame makers can't (or rather shouldn't) lead players along by the nose toward certain facile observations (IE: War is bad), doesn't mean game makers are eschewing some "responsibility" that hand-wringers want them to have. It just means game like that aren't fun, so no one will play them.
Listen yourself, but don't blame me if it makes you angry.
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TAGS: Videogames
Shyamalan's Making 'Airbender'
Posted by Stephen Johnson - Wednesday, April 16, 2008 1:58 PM
Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon Movies will release M. Night Shyamalan's live-action bigscreen adaptation of the popular animated TV series "Avatar: The Last Airbender" on July 2, 2010.
There is no twist to the story.
According to Variety:
"The creators of the Nick TV series were heavily influenced by Japanese anime filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki. Storyline revolves around a young hero who has the ability to manipulate the elements and stop a ruthless nation from destroying the three other nations."
Variety.com: Nickelodeon, Par team for 'Airbender'
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TAGS: Movies, Videogames
Lawmaker: Google "Gamed" 700Mhz Auction
Posted by Brian Leahy - Wednesday, April 16, 2008 1:51 PM
 Fred Upton, a Michigan Congressman, is claiming that Google "gamed" the 700MHz auction by triggering the open access clause by bidding $4.6 billion.
He said, "Google was successful in gaming the system." He points to Google bid and the open network clause preventing more companies from bidding and the number going even higher. He would have preferred a closed network that companies would pay more for.
The FCC Chairman, Kevin Martin, doesn't think so saying, "My goal was to make sure that whoever won the C-block had an open platform."
We're going to go ahead and side with Mr. Martin on this one.
Bloomberg: Google 'Gamed' Airwave Sale, Republican Lawmakers Say
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TAGS: Internets Culture, Tech
Yahtzee On 'Condemned 2'
Posted by Stephen Johnson - Wednesday, April 16, 2008 1:38 PM
In case you missed last night's preview on X-Play, here's the latest Zero Punctuation, where Yahtzee, the wittiest/complainiest videogame reviewer ever, takes on Condemned 2: Bloodshot. Spoiler: he's snarky about it!
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TAGS: Videogames
Man Saved By Twitter!
Posted by Brian Leahy - Wednesday, April 16, 2008 1:16 PM
A UC Berkeley graduate student was on a trip in Egypt where he was arrested for photographing a demonstration. He was held without being charged, but was able to text his Twitter account with the message: "Arrested."
Twitter, one of the newer social networking sites, focuses on status updates and allows users to update their page by web, IM, or text message.
His friends saw his message and contact the US Embassy. He got the help he needed, but remains in jail. Looks like his Twitter update saved the day.
Kudos to his friends for actually believing the message enough to call someone for help.
TechCrunch: Twitter Saves Man From Egyptian Justice
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TAGS: Internets Culture, Other People's Misfortune, Tech
Rumor: 'GTA 4's' Censored Content Revealed
Posted by Stephen Johnson - Wednesday, April 16, 2008 1:15 PM
It's time again, folks, to try to determine the truth or falsity of an internet rumor! Ready? Here goes:
We know Grand Theft Auto IV is edited in Australia, although no word on what, specifically, has been excised from the game. Then, kotaku posted the following description from an internet source of a phone call with Take-Two, the game's publisher:
"In regards to what Rockstar have removed for the Australian release, as far as we're aware there was only one sexually violent cut-scene which Rockstar felt would cause the game to be Refused Classification. Unfortunately we're not able to go into specifics until after the game has been released but I can tell you that the scene involves a weapon being inserted into an enemies private area during a mission where Niko is taking revenge after one of his close friends was forced into sexual intercourse during his stay in prison."
Hmmm... I guess we'll have to wait until the game is released to see if this one pans out, eh?
Kotaku: Rumour: Here's What Rockstar Removed From Australian/NZ GTA IV
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TAGS: Grand Theft Auto IV, PlayStation 3, Videogames
Music Biz Trying To Screw You?
Posted by Frank Meyer - Wednesday, April 16, 2008 12:02 PM
Guess what!?!?!
The music industry is trying to try to squeeze more money out of you, the American public, by telling the government that because they are now willing to let people transfer the music they legally purchased between their various music-listening devices, they deserve extra money!
…or so says music conspiracy theorist William Patry of Techdirt.com.
Patry says that there's obvious value in being able to transfer music around, otherwise why would people want that ability.
It all goes back to the psychological explanation for why the music biz keeps getting into trouble: “They assume that all of the value needs to be captured by them, and not anyone else. In economics, this is effectively an industry telling the government that it needs to be compensated for all of the positive externalities it created -- even if it's better off at an absolute level.
--Read More--
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TAGS: Internets Culture, Music
3-D 'Ghost In The Shell' Film?
Posted by Frank Meyer - Wednesday, April 16, 2008 11:53 AM
DreamWorks has acquired rights to the Japanese manga Ghost in the Shell and are planning on making it a 3-D live-action feature (‘cause we all know how well those do!).
"Ghost in the Shell is one of my favorite stories," DreamWorks head honcho Steven Spielberg said. "It's a genre that has arrived, and we enthusiastically welcome it to DreamWorks."
They story centers around the adventures of a Japanese covert ops unit that specializes in fighting technology-related crime. Avi Arad, Ari Arad and Steven Paul of Seaside Entertainment (X-Men and Fantastic Four flicks) will produce, while Jamie Moss (Street Kings) will pen the adaptation.
--Read More--
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TAGS: Movies, Tech
Around The Net 4.16.08
Posted by Eugene Morton - Wednesday, April 16, 2008 11:00 AM
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TAGS: Videos
Five Worst Trends In Gaming
Posted by Stephen Johnson - Wednesday, April 16, 2008 10:56 AM
In case you missed X-Play last night, please enjoy the Five Worst Trends in Gaming--and feel free to add numbers 6, 7 and 8 in our comments section.
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TAGS: Other People's Misfortune, Videogames
Konami Blocks Fake Japanese 'MGO' Accounts
Posted by Brian Leahy - Wednesday, April 16, 2008 10:53 AM
Those of you hoping to scam Konami by creating a Japanese Konami ID and downloading the open beta version of the Metal Gear Online beta are out of luck.
Seems like Konami has figured out they were getting hit with a lot of fake accounts and have shut it down. Looks like your only option is the MGS4 pre-order bonus disc that comes with a key.
Remember, downloads start tomorrow to pre-load for Monday's beta.
Kotaku: Konami blocking Metal Gear Online Beta
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TAGS: PlayStation 3, Videogames
"LoveChina" Wave sweeps Chinese Internet
Posted by Ty Colfax - Wednesday, April 16, 2008 10:51 AM
 There's a sweeping online movement that Chinese instant messengers are picking up on and running with. They're adding a heart icon and "LoveChina" to their screennames in response to the recent Western protests levied on the Olympic torch as it travels through Europe and the US.
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