SEGA Superstars Tennis


The Xbox 360 family game of the month is SEGA Superstars Tennis. This title is rated E 10+, for ages 10 and up, and according to Xbox.com, includes several mini-games that can be played on ten-brilliantly themed tennis courts.

Additionally, Sega Superstars Tennis also features four tournaments that can be played by up to four people simultaneously either locally or on Xbox Live. Shawdow, Sonic and Tails from the Sonic the Hedgehog series, AiAi from Super Monkey Ball, and Alex Kidd – SEGA’s unofficial mascot of the late 1980’s, are just a few of the familiar characters from which children can choose, and there are a total of 16 playable characters in each game.

Parents can download a demo of Sega Superstars Tennis from the Xbox Live Marketplace, or view a trailer for the game here. However, this game is not limited to just the 360; it can also be played on the Wii, Nintendo DS, Playstation 2 and Playstation 3.

- Mommy DX

Too Human Brings Da’ Norse August 19th


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Silicon Knights and Microsoft Game Studios have announced that the third-person Norse action game, Too Human will raise all Ragnarok on August 19th in North America and later in August for Europe.  Too Human is a modern re-imaging of Norse mythology wrapped in a promised deep RPG (role playing game) storyline.  You play as Baldur  who must defending humanity from a monstrous threat.  Using melee and firearms you must thwart this great evil either alone or co-operatively via Xbox Live.  As you progress through the game you can customize Baldur’s skills and weapons to combat the deadly war machine.  Too Human is rated T for Teen.

 

Kelly Brown

The Rise of the Video Game


The Discovery/Science channel is broadcasting their ‘Level Five’ installment of a series called, ‘The Rise of the Video Game’ this week. According to the Discovery Channel, this episode features the rise of Internet gaming and how it has evolved from the MUD’s of the 1960’s to the MMO’s of today.

Also in this episode, gamers and game creators discuss how their lives are split between ‘Internet life’ and ‘real life,’ and address the phenomenon of how some gamers are spending less time in the ‘real world,’ and more time in a virtual one.

Be sure to check out the Discovery Channel to see previews of this fascinating series, vote on your favorite video games, and leave feedback of the show.

- Mommy DX

Starting Today, Your WiiWare(s) It Well


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Today, Nintendo launched WiiWare for North American consoles.  Wii owners with an internet connection will be able to download new games by a wide variety of publishers.  Nintendo is marketing WiiWare as sort of independent gaming available to internet connect Wii owners.  Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America’s executive Vice-President of Sales & Marketing remarked that, "WiiWare is to the video game industry what independent films are to Hollywood. WiiWare lets developers experiment with new ideas and experiences. Combined with our collection of classic Virtual Console games, Wii provides one-stop shopping for the greatest games of the past - and the future."

To download WiiWare games, just head WiiWare section of the Wii Shop Channel.  From there you can browse the various games, download Wii points, and start downloading.  Nintendo has said that every Monday there will be new content added to WiiWare.  So in addition to stocking up on Wii points, it may be time to find a bigger SDK memory card. 

 

Today’s WiiWare launch titles include:

* Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life As A King from Square Enix.  This single player game is rated E for Everyone and is available for 1,500 Wii points.

* LostWinds from Frontier Development is a one or two player game.  It is rated E for Everyone and is available for 1,000 Wii points.

* Defend Your Castle from XGen Studios can have up to 4 players and is rated E for Everyone.  The game is available for 500 Wii points.

* Pop from Nnooo can have up to 4 players and is rated E for Everyone.  The game is available for 700 Wii points.

* V.I.P. Casino: Blackjack from High Voltage Software Inc. can have up to 4 players and is rated T for Teen.  The game is available for 700 Wii points.

* TV Show King from Gameloft can have up to 4 players and is rated E for Everyone.  The game is available for 1,000 Wii points.

 

-Chris "Lefty" Brown

Wii, WiiWare | May 12

TMG-040 That’s Drunken Gamers with a Z


Show notes: This episode does contain some explicit language, so consider your sensitive ears warned. Our very special guests are John, Moe, and Hilden, the Drunken Gamers from Team Fremont Live. We are excited to have our favorite podcasters on so this episode is more or less an extended interview with them. Join us as we talk about retro games, why the Wii rocks, what everyone is currently playing, and our For Better of For Worse for the week.

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TMG Podcast | May 11

Gears of War 2 Gameplay Trailer Released


Gears of War BulletEpic has released an HD gameplay trailer for Gears of War 2. It’s pretty impressive, showing some new features of the game. You will now be able to grab an enemy and use him as a meat shield, execute the meat shield at any time, flip your lancer over and deliver a chainsaw killing blow (similar to what was seen in the initial teaser trailer), and engage in a chainsaw battle (a button-mashing exercise). You’ll also see some of the new enemies and vehicles. I don’t usually get too excited about upcoming games, but this one looks hawt! Introduction by Cliffy B.

Spiral’s Soapbox: Movies & Music Bigger Problem than Games


figure-1.gifThe Federal Trade Commission recently released the results of a nationwide survey of 13- to 16-year-old undercover shoppers. The research was aimed at determining how often retailers sold or rented the following without asking for proof of age identification:

  • R-Rated Movie Tickets
  • R-Rated DVDs
  • Unrated DVDs
  • Music containing a Parental Advisory Label
  • M-Rated Video Games

…read full article…

Go, Speed Racer!


By: Mommy DX

The movie Speed Racer is coming out in theatres this weekend and CandyTracks.com has created five, new Speed Racer games just for kids. Children can immediately play in demo mode, where they can choose a car and speed down their choice of five different tracks. Alternatively, if parents set up an account, children can compete for prizes that include a Speed Racer game for the Wii, or a trip for four to the Bank of America 500 race in Charlotte, NC.

Skate


By: Mommy DX

Birthday’s are a time for celebration, growing older, and eating cake for most families. However, if you are a gaming family, then birthdays probably include new game titles and/or gaming equipment.

Incidentally, my son Knucklehead turned 8 last week, and it literally took seconds for him to feel the intense magnetic pull of the local game store down the street. Now, if you don’t know what this phenomena looks or sounds like, then just imagine Captain Kirk and his staccato commands channeling through your child:

‘Have.Money.In.Pocket…Must…Get.To.Gamestop.NOW!’

Needless to say, we ended up at the above game store, and after much deliberation, we purchased the game ‘Skate.’ Skate is an EA game that is rated ‘T’ for ‘Teen,’ and was actually nominated for E3’s ‘Best Sport’s Game’ at last year’s conference. And although Knucklehead had just turned 8, I allowed him to purchase this game, with the understanding that I got to watch (and play) the title with him.

Incidentally, it didn’t take long for the mommy-radar to go off, because the game began with a semi-gory hospital scene of an injured skater being prepped for surgery. Now, I understand that skaters get hurt, and get hurt quite often, but I found these scenes to be completely unecessary and slightly annoying. Let’s just say that close-up’s of bloody surgery scenes aren’t my idea of a good time.

Fortunately, once we moved past the movie scenes and into the tutorial, I found the new ‘Flickit‘ control technology to be quite fun, and we were able to master the skating moves quite easily. However, there were several things that bothered me about this game that I just couldn’t shrug away; there were no female skaters from which to choose, there were only two challenges that could be multi-played locally, and just as the ESRB rating promised - there was language, smoking references, and other behavior that definitely made this a TRUE ‘T’ for ‘Teen’ game.

Overall, Skate is a very nice-looking game, and it is probably a whole lot of fun for the Teen set. However, for parents wondering if this game is o.k. for your pre-teen to play - I suggest you proceed with caution, as this will be the first time we’ll be using Gamestop’s 7-day satisfaction return policy.

Rock Band Keeps the Rock Coming to the Wii and PS2


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Thinking about picking up Rock Band for the Wii, but we’re afraid of not having your fill of downloadable content?  You can continue your journey to Rock God stardom long past the initial Rock Band tracks on a series of Rock Band Track Pack Discs.  Harmonix and MTV Games announced that "Rock Band Track Pack Volume 1" will be touring store shelves on July 15th, for the Nintendo Wii and Sony Playstation 2.  Volume 1 will include 20 master tracks that have been found as downloadable content on the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3. The game disc will retail for $29.99.  If you downloaded the songs on competing consoles, you would have spent around $38 comparably.  The "Rock Band Track Pack Volume 1" includes:

 

30 Seconds to Mars The Kill
All American Rejects Move Along
Blink – 182 All the Small Things
Boston More Than a Feeling
David Bowie Moonage Daydream
Faith No More We Care A Lot
Grateful Dead Truckin’
The Hives Die, All Right!
KISS Calling Dr. Love
Lynyrd Skynyrd Gimme’ Three Steps
Nine Inch Nails March of the Pigs
Oasis Live Forever
Paramore Crushcrushcrush
The Police Synchronicity II
Queens of the Stone Age Little Sister
Ramones Teenage Lobotomy
Smashing Pumpkins Siva
Stone Temple Pilots Interstate Love Song
Weezer Buddy Holly
Wolfmother Joker & the Thief

 

No word how frequently future volumes of these track pack discs will be produced, or if the price will be standard or flexible depending on number of tracks.

Rock Band is rated "T for Teen"

 

-Chris "Lefty" Brown

Wii, Rock Band | May 6

This Week In Rock Band: The Scene Pack -Fall Out Boy, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Angels & Airwaves


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Now available on the Xbox 360 Xbox Live Marketplace and Thursday on the Playstation Store is the Scene Pack which includes "This Ain’t A Scene, It’s An Arms Race" by Fall Out Boy, "Date with the Night" by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and "It Hurts" by Angels & Airwaves.  The pack will set all the starving video game rock stars back 440 Microsoft Points or $5.49.

-Chris "Lefty" Brown

Rock Band | May 6

Wii Virtual Console Monday: Pokémon Puzzle League & Renegade


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Today’s Virtual Console games for the Nintendo Wii are Pokémon Puzzle League and Renegade. 

Pokémon Puzzle League was originally on the Nintendo 64, and is available on the Wii Shop Channel for 1000 Wii Point.  Pokémon Puzzle League features six different play modes as you compete for the title of Pokémon Puzzle Master.  The game can have up to two players. 

The other addition to the Virtual Console library is the classic beat ‘em up, Renegade.  Renegade was originally on the NES game system.  You play a vigilante who must fight different gangs to bring peace to the city.  Renegade is available on the Wii Shop Channel for 500 Wii points. The game can have up to two players. 

-Chris "Lefty" Brown

Spiral’s Soapbox: GTA IV Controversy… Say It Ain’t So


gta-childhood.jpgWith the release of GTA IV the nutcases are coming out of the woodwork. If for some reason you’d like to raise your blood pressure, you can see JT’s appearance on the Glenn Beck show where he tosses around his favorite term (”murder simulator”) a few times. While he rails about how we must protect the chillun he of course manages to ignore the fact that the game is rated M and it really should be the responsibility of the parents to ensure their kids aren’t playing it in the first place.

In an interesting turn of events, the authors of Grand Theft Childhood are going to be on Beck’s show tonight. It should be interesting to see how a more objective point of view is portrayed. I just hope it doesn’t end up like Geoff Keighley’s appearance a while back.

-SpiralGray

TMG-039 Women Are From Venus, Men Are From Liberty City


Show notes: Our special guests are Alfred, Scott, Sam, and Allen from Gamer Husbands Radio. Our main topic is how to get along with your non-gaming partner. This episode we discuss also casual games and their possible beneficial abilities, and Aerosmith being exclusive to Guitar Hero and what that may mean in the future. Our regular features include our currently playing, listener mailbag, our Weekly Challange, and our For Better of For Worse for the week.

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TMG Podcast | May 4

Penny Arcade Adventures Goes Gold


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The adventures of Gabe and Tycho are one step closer to your Windows, Mac, and Linux PC.  Hothead Games announced today that episodic RPG adventure game, Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness, Episode One has gone gold, meaning it has reached the final build.  The game will be available later this quarter for digital release via the digital download service Greenhouse.  There is no word yet for the impending release via the Xbox Live Marketplace. 

Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness, Episode One is the first video game of the popular comic strip.  Hothead Games developed the game in collaboration with Penny Arcade’s creator’s Mike "Gabe" Krahulik and Jerry "Tycho" Holkins.  The game is set in the 1920s universe of New Arcadia in which Gabe and Tycho are crime-solving detectives.

Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness, Episode One is priced at $19.95 for all three PC versions and also at 1600 Microsoft Points for its eventual release on the Xbox Live Marketplace.  The game is rated M for Mature.

 

-Chris "Lefty" Brown

This Summer Dive Into Sea Life Safari on XBLA


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This Summer players can ’swim with da fishes’ in a good natured game the whole family can enjoy.  Sierra Online announced that Sea Life Safari will be coming to the Xbox Live Arcade.  In Sea Life Safari, gamers will find gainful employment as an underwater photographer trying to capture the aquatic wildlife from clownfish to the mythical Kraken sea monster.  You must entice your subject and try to take that perfect picture for high scores.  Player’s photos are judged by size, orientation, centering, and interaction with various fish.  Sea Life Safari will feature 60 animated creatures in 5 different underwater environments.

Sea Life Safari is rated E for Everyone

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-Chris “Lefty” Brown

Bandicoot Crashes Onto All Consoles This Fall


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This Fall Sierra Entertainment will unleash the popular marsupial Crash Bandicoot and his sister Coco on multiple consoles.  Crash Bandicoot: Mind Over Mutant will find its way onto the Wii, Xbox 360, Playstation 3, Nintendo DS, and the PSP.  This new installment will features new abilities including a Roll and Counter Combat System, the ability to dig and climb.  In addition players will be able to play as Crash’s sister, Coco in a cooperative mode.  The game also promises new features like being able to store enemies that Crash "jacks" in his pocket.

The story once again has Neo Cortex trying to take over the world, this time using a text-messaging, do-anything device which controls mutant and bindicoot minds.  Crash with his sister Coco will once again step into the fray to save the day.

-Chris “Lefty” Brown

This Week in Rock Band: Mother Hips 2 - Smashing Pumpkins Zero


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No song pack this week for Rock Band players, but they can pick up two master tracks by The Mother Hips and one master track by the Smashing Pumpkins.  Available for download now on the Xbox Live Marketplace and Thursday for the Playstation Store are the following tracks:

"Red Tandy" by The Mother Hips

"Time-Sick Son of a Grizzly Bear" by the Mother Hips

"Zero" by Smashing Pumpkins

The individual tracks are available for $1.99 on the Playstation Store or 160 Microsoft Points on Xbox Live Marketplace.

 

-Chris "Lefty" Brown

Rock Band | Apr 29

The Fresh(er) Prince of Persia


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Today, Ubisoft announced that they will be releasing an all-new Prince of Persia game for the Playstation 3, Xbox 360, and the PC.  While the title of the forthcoming Prince of Persia game hasn’t been announced, the game will hit store shelves this Fall.  The award-winning Ubisoft Montreal are promising that the game will feature "a new breed of gameplay".  This will be the first Prince of Persia game for the Next-Gen gaming consoles.  Ubisoft also announced that they will be releasing a specially designed Prince of Persia game for the Nintendo DS which will have a different storyline and feature new characters.

Check out the official Prince of Persia website for future updates.

 

-Chris "Lefty" Brown

Wii Virtual Console Monday: Double Dragon


 

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There is only one Virtual Console release this Monday, but it’s an NES classic.  Double Dragon is now available on the Wii Shop Channel for 500 Wii Points.  The side-scroller classic is 1 or 2 players.   Help Billy rescue his girlfriend , Marian, from the nefarious gang the Black Warriors.  Double Dragon is rated E for Everyone.

 

-Chris "Lefty"Brown

TMG-038 Europa, sind Sie bereit zu schaukein?


Europe, are you ready to rock?

Show notes: Our special guest is Toz from Cranky Gamers UK. Join us as we discuss Rock Band coming to Europe. We also dip into our mailbag, discuss DLC for Burnout Paradise, original video content for the Xbox 360, Microsoft donating Xbox 360 kiosks to Children’s Hospitals, and give our For Better of For Worse.

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TMG Podcast | Apr 27

If Loving You is Wrong…


…I don’t want to be right!

Mommy DX here - fresh from a week long Disney ‘vacation.’ I say ‘vacation’, because I hardly call walking a kajillion miles, waiting on line for hours, and weaving through hordes of crowds a REAL vacation. However, even with the Grizwold-esque events of the past week, we still managed to get in a little sun and have a ton of fun.

Surprisingly, I thought it would be nice to get away from the gaming for a while, but something shocking and completely unexpected happened. And please - don’t tell my 360, but I actually experienced another gaming device.

Oh yes - Daddio DX, my husband, borrowed a Playstation Portable (PSP) for our son, Knucklehead, to enjoy on the car ride down. Now, I have to admit, I totally balked at the idea of having a gaming device in the car. Call me old-fashioned, but I used to do trips in the family truckster without any form of electronic entertainment, so I knew he could also do without.

However, after I saw that slick, solid device switch on before me - I saw stars AND heard angels from Heaven above. Oh, yes - that PSP is AWESOME.

First of all, the device itself is very heavy duty. For the PSP being a handheld, it is totally solid and doesn’t feel like it’s going to break the first time it gets dropped, or…sat on…or covered in kool-aid. (Not that i’d recommend doing that, of course.) The glossy finish is beautiful and the flat, wide LCD screen make graphics look so crisp, so fresh, and so clean, it pulls you straight into the game and makes you never want to come back.

What’s even more incredible about the PSP, is that this little booger does all kinds of wicked stuff, like play music and movies, hook up with other players online, surf the .Net, stores photos, even talks to your Tivo, so you can catch up on all those shows you’ve been missing while gaming. How cool is that?

Now, don’t worry - I am still an Xbox’er at heart, but there’s something that Playstation has that Microsoft does not: Daxter. Knucklehead <3’s that little guy! Before the 360 stole us away from the PS2, our family was a HUGE fan of the Jak and Daxter series. In fact, Knucklehead reminisces quite often about the days that Naughty Dog ruled our gaming world and the PS2 was the only console being played in our household. Those good ‘ol days may be gone, but just being able to see the funnier (and fuzzier) half of the J & D duo made us very, very happy.

Now, is the PSP worth the $199-ish price tag? With the amount of stuff this handheld piece of Godliness can do? I think so, and with Daxter included in the package, that’s one shopping trip I may have to take.

Family Gaming | Apr 24

TMG-037 We Heart Gaming!


Show notes: Our special guest is Ooopy from The Blue Skittle. Jon us as we discuss the love for gaming. We also dip into our mailbag, our the Weekly Challenge, and give our For Better of For Worse.

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TMG Podcast | Apr 20

Rock Band Brings the Metal with Judas Priest "Screaming For Vengeance"


by Chris Brown

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Next week, Harmonix and MTV Games will release their first full album downloadable content…and it’s not what anyone expected!  Judas Priest’s 1982 classic metal album, "Screaming for Vengeance" will be released Tuesday, April 22nd,  on the Xbox Live Marketplace and Thursday, April 24th, on the Playstation Store.  The whole album, featuring all 10 Master Tracks, will be available for $14.99 (1200 MSP for Xbox Live).  Gamers can download individual tracks for $1.99 a track (160 MSP for Xbox Live)

Tracks for Judas Priest’s "Screaming for Vengeance" include:

“The Hellion”
“Electric Eye”
“Riding on the Wind”
“Bloodstone”
“(Take These) Chains”
“Pain and Pleasure”
“Screaming for Vengeance”
“You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’”
“Fever”
“Devil’s Child”

No word yet on when the long rumored "Who’s Next" by The Who, and Nirvana’s "Nevermind" will be available.  In May, Harmonix and MTV Games will release the self-titled first album by The Cars, followed by in June by "Doolittle" by The Pixies.

Rock Band | Apr 18

D2C Brings SPOGS Racing to WiiWare in May


by Chris Brown

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Developed by Pronto Games and published by D2C Games, SPOGS Racing is coming to the Wii as a WiiWare downloadable title.  SPOGS Racing features classic arcade racing, pick-up-and-play controls, all-new racing vehicles and Crash N’ Grab™ battling action.  Players can customize their SPOG racer modifying their unique images and vehicle parts.  Race over 12 different tracks filled with loops, jumps, weapons and power ups. Battle it out in head-to-head split screen action. Or challenge yourself in Season Mode and race to be the best.

SPOGS Racing also features a mode called Crash N’ Grab in which racers battle it out to steal each other’s parts they can use to upgrade their personal racer.  In Crash N’ Grab players can crash into their opponents, take them out and grab their parts on-the-fly. 

D2C Games, SPOGS Racing is scheduled for release in May 2008.  SPOGS stands for Sport Player Object Gyros.

 

…read full article…

Wii, WiiWare | Apr 17

How to Fix the Achievement System


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Most of you are probably thinking, “What do you mean fix the achievement system? It’s not broken.”

After the constant hoopla I read about how great achievements are, it’s interesting to read an article that takes some off the rose-colored glasses. A recently article on Gametap, Sin & Resolution: Xbox Achievements, takes a stab at identifying some of the shortcomings of the achievement system and how to fix them.
…read full article…

Gaming News | Apr 16

DC & Sierra to Publish Prototype Comic


WildstormDC Comics and Sierra are going to team up to produce a comic book based on the up-coming game Prototype. Prototype will be an open-world action game featuring Alex Mercer – a genetically mutated shape-shifter with no memory of his past hell-bent on solving the mystery of his existence.

“We’re blown away with what Sierra and developer Radical Entertainment have shown us of PROTOTYPE, and know with absolute certainty that this will make for a terrific comic book,” said Hank Kanalz, VP & General Manager, WildStorm. “PROTOTYPE’s back-story, visuals and gameplay are stunning, and we have every intention of bringing those core pillars to our book because this is a great opportunity to expand on the world they’ve created, and build something new and interesting for comics fans.”

The series will begin publication this August under DC’s Wildstorm imprint. You can read the full press release here.

Gaming News | Apr 16

TMG-036 Hardcore Arcade Gamers Unite!


Show notes: Lefty reviews Super Smash Brothers Brawl for the Wii. What games need to be brought into the Next Gen? We discuss news on our radar, what we are playing, dip into our mailbag, and of course the Weekly Challenge.

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TMG Podcast | Apr 14

Amazon & Wal-Mart to Compensate HD-DVD Purchasers


hd-dvd-logo.jpgThis isn’t exactly breaking news as it was officially announced a few days ago, but just in case you haven’t stumbled on it already…

Amazon.com is offering a $50 credit to those who purchased an HD-DVD player from them prior to February 23rd, 2008. If you qualify you should have received an email from Amazon with a code you can use at checkout to get your $50 credit on your next purchase. There are some limitation, follow the link for the details.

Wal-Mart is offering a full refund to anyone who purchased a player between November 1st, 2007 and today. You don’t need the box, but you will need your receipt. You’d better hurry though, this deal is only good until April 30th.

Spiral’s Soapbox: Parents Prefer Severed Heads to Sex


After several weeks of there being nothing to offend me, this has really been a breakthrough week.

The most recent incident is the results of a poll conducted at WhatTheyPlay.com. This is a site that bills itself as “the parents guide to video games”, so one can make a reasonable assumption that most of the poll respondents are parents. Before getting to the point of this article, one should always take internet polls with a grain of salt because we don’t know if a bunch of people ganged up to ‘game’ the results a certain way, or whether the respondents truly were parents or just a bunch of kids trying to have fun.
…read full article…

Spring Break Savers, Part III


By: Mommy DX

Choosing video games that are age-appropriate for children is not always easy. If your child is an avid gamer, you may have your game-choosing criteria all figured out, but what do you do if you have to make game choices for other people’s children?

Usually, Spring Break means a house full of friends and classmates, both ranging in age and maturity. And if you have forgotten to ask the parents what games are acceptable for their kids to play, then you are often left to make the choice alone.

Of course, the no-brainer is to stick with titles that are ESRB rated ‘E’ for Everyone. However, the majority of these games are single-players, which means children will have to share a console, and that almost always ends up something breaking, or someone getting hurt.

Incidentally, a great way to avoid the next Wrestlemania being held in your living room, is to let the children play in the Xbox Live Arcade. (XBLA) There are so many great, multiplayer games to choose from, that are not only fun, but challenging and youth-friendly. Most games will cost a few Microsoft Points, or about $5.00, (Microsoft Point Converter), which can be purchased right from the Xbox 360 console, or with a pre-paid card from the local game store. Some of the titles that are sure to be kid-favorites are Bomberman Live, Feeding Frenzy, Boogie Bunnies, and one of XBLA’s newest releases, Mr. Driller Online. However, there are many more titles from which one may choose.

Additionally, one of XBLA’s greatest features are the game demos. Parents can easily preview most game content, and children can play a sample of each title before buying, which is great if you want to make sure the game will hold your child’s interest. And if you’re very fortunate, the demos might actually keep the kiddies entertained a while for free.

Overall, XBLA is a huge resource of family-friendly entertainment, and the next time you have a houseful, spread out the controllers, select the Xbox Live Arcade, and enjoy a little fun gaming between friends.

Family Gaming | Apr 11

The Gameplay Network Game Night, April 11th.


 

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On Friday, April 11th, the Gameplay Network will be hosting a community game night. The festivities would start around 8:00pm Eastern time which is 5:00pm Pacific or 1:00am GMT-1. Everybody is invited, everybody who listens to the shows, posts and/or lurks on their respective forums, everybody who enjoys gaming.

We will have servers on Rainbow Six Vegas 2, Halo 3, Call of Duty 4, etc and everybody is welcome to jump from game to game. If you would like to host a room for an Xbox 360 _title_, send an Xbox Live friend request to GameplayNetwork. If you want to open a room for a game that is on the PS3 or Nintendo Wii, send Death Vanquished an email at iankylewallace@gmail.com.This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Since there will be five communities coming together for this game night, here are some simple rules/guidelines that you should follow to guarantee a good experience.
1. Be civil. – No racial slurs, no gay bashing, etc.
2. Keep Cussing to a Minimum. – If you do yell an obscenity, make sure that it is NOT towards anybody.
3. No Boosting – We are not here to get you achievements, do that on your own time.
4. No Random Kicks – If you are hosting, do not kick somebody so that a friend can enter the room, have them go to another room instead.
5. Casual Matches Only – This is a game night with everybody on the Gameplay Network, it is not The Gameplay Network vs. the world.
6. No Glitching – This goes to the people who stand next to a wall for 5 minutes, trying to leave a level.
7. No Cheating – I don’t know why anybody would stand-by in a casual match, but just in case you do, you will be breaking a rule.

 

To join in on the Xbox 360 fun, send a Friend Request to GameplayNetwork and choose the game you want to play.

XBL Uses Heavy Weapon to Turn Silver Into Gold


by Chris "Lefty" Brown

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The latest Xbox Live Marketplace Newsletter reveals that new 12 month Gold subscribers from now until April 25 can get a copy of the Xbox Live Arcade game, Heavy Weapon: Atomic Tank for free.  New Gold members must register to get the free game.  Full details can be found a Xbox.com

Spring Break Savers, Continued


By: Mommy DX

Welcome to the second installment of Spring Break Savers. Today, we’re showing you another place where your child can have a little kid-friendly and parent-worry free fun on the Web.

Webkinz

Webkinz - The Webkinz phenomenon began in 2005, yet three years later, their website is still a hot spot for elementary-age children who love computer games. These cute, little critters are not your average stuffed animal - each one comes with their own secret Internet code that can be used to unlock a website full of virtual goodies.

At the Webkinz website, children can name their animal, print an adoption certificate, and are given their own virtual room. There, children can earn ’Kinzcash’ by performing ‘jobs,’ which are simply games that include delivering mail, or completing other virtual challenges. There’s also an arcade, a grocery store and a clothes boutique where children can dress and feed their virtual pets, as well as decorate their own, personal room with a myriad of housewares.

Additionally, each Webkinz character has a meter that shows when it’s happy, healthy, or hungry, so children know when their virtual pet needs feeding, or when it needs to see Webkinz’ resident medical professional, ‘Dr. Quack.’ And as with many online games, there is an option to chat and ‘buddy-up’ with other Webkinz friends online. However, the feature is completely parent-controlled and the folks at Webkinz even have an area just for parents, in case they have questions about site safety.

Incidentally, Webkinz run at about $10.00 ea. and can be found at most Toys R Us stores, or at Toys R Us.com. However, each Webkinz code is equal to a year’s paid membership, and with all the Webkinz site has to offer, children get a lot of online game play with the purchase of one, little critter.

Gaming in the Guiness Book of World Record


Guinness World RecordsWith the (somewhat) recent release of the Guinness World Records Gamer’s Edition 2008, the folks over at Next Generation have pulled together an article of Gaming’s 50 Greatest Guinness World Records.

This isn’t just an article of who got the highest scores in Donkey Kong and Pac-man. It’s a potpourri of records covering all aspects and platforms. Do you know what gaming console was the largest? How about the first console in a nuclear weapons conspiracy? Or the longest prison sentence for playing a video game?

If you can’t answer those questions, head over and check out the article.

Gaming News | Apr 8

Spiral’s Soapbox: Arizona’s Scary Bill, Part II


Yesterday I wrote about a bill that had been passed by the Arizona House of Representatives last month that would have made creators of material financially responsible if someone committed a felony or act of terrorism because of it.

It looks like the Senate Judiciary Committee of Arizona has more common sense than the Arizona State House. They struck down the bill by a vote of 4-2. The only reason it got two votes was because at the last minute an amendment was tacked onto the bill that would have restricted it to obscene materials.

According to one news report:

The bill’s sponsor said the proposal was designed to punish those who publish, produce or disseminate underground pornography that depicts actual rape.

Then why didn’t he write the bill that way, instead of with the extremely broad brush strokes he used?

Read more:
The Arizona Daily Star
The Arizona Republic

Spiral’s Soapbox: Arizona’s Scary Bill


I’ve ranted about this before, but a recent story on GamePolitics.com just set me off again.

Arizona is trying to pass a bill that would make content publishers, distributors, and producers liable for monetary damages if someone claims they were inspired by their work to commit a felony or act of terrorism. You can read the full definition of the bill here, but the guts of it read:
…read full article…

Can Online Gaming Idiocy Be Fixed?


Before you follow the link to this article, be aware that the f-word appears a few times. If that offends you, or you are in a location where someone else might see (e.g. work), please don’t follow the link.

In a recent article posted on Gamasutra, Bill Fulton discusses why some people behave like such idiots online and potentially what the game designers can do about it. Fulton was responsible for the online matchmaking system, UI and the social aspects of play on Shadowrun.

One thing that is interesting about the article is that he is really calling on the gaming industry to make games more socially acceptable. Why? Because it hurts sales and the overall health of the industry if every new player is scared off online gaming due to the idiots.
…read full article…

Gaming News | Apr 7

TMG Review: Rocketmen: Axis of Evil


by Chris Brown

 

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Rocketmen: Axis of Evil is a top-down adventure shooter from Capcom, and is available on the Playstation Network and Xbox Live Arcade.  The basic premise is your are an rookie alien fighting for the Alliance of Free Planets, who is charged with saving teammates, battling invading Martians, protecting the Solar System and pushing the A button a lot.  The story is told through a series of comic book styled story boards which combines a smug sense humor with poorly drawn characters. The game has ten chapters, some a long chapters while a couple are very short.  After every chapter you can spend the trinkets you picked up and the XP you gained on weapon and character upgrades.  I found this upgrading to be fun and it was cool seeing my powered up weapons. 

The main and frankly huge problem with this otherwise fun shooter is the very slow screen crawl.  As you make your way through the levels you have to trigger the screen to move so you can progress to the end of the chapter.  However this screen crawl puts your character in unfair harm, because the game mechanics require you to move the the very edge of the direction you must proceed in.  You can’t see the enemies in the next screen, but evidently they can see you.  So as you wait for the screen to move, this unseen enemies are firing quite effectively their weapons at you.  This defect can be quite the game-killer for some.  I can’t emphasize enough how incredibly frustrating this is.  Adding to this frustration is that this slow screen crawl also hinders your ability to open various "treasure chests" and objections that always require the button-mashing use of the "A" button.

…read full article…

TMG-035 The Kids Got Game


Show notes: Our special guest Pherlonzo joins Mrs Leftybrown and Leftybrown as we discuss Kids and Gaming. Lefty reviews Rocketman: Axis of Evil from Capcom for the XBLA and Playstation Network. We discuss Madden 09 MIA from PC, Ubisoft gets Steamed, and a boycott of Battlefield Bad Company. We announce our winner of the Halo 3 picture contest. As always we dip into our mailbag, and discuss next week’s Weekly Challenge.

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TMG Podcast | Apr 6

DUALSHOCK 3 reaches the US shores this week!


By: Ryan Williams (UpandBahz)

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PlayStation 3 owners have a reason to rejoice this week. It has been announced on the PlayStation blog that the eagerly anticipated DualShock 3 wireless controller for the PlayStation 3 has been shipped and is expected to reach US store shelves this week. The DualShock 3 Controller offers the same Bluetooth and motion control that was available in the PlayStation 3’s original Sixaxis controller. The DualShock 3 features pressure sensors that not only adds a few ounces to the controller but also adds the rumbling sensation that gamers have learned to love.

Many PlayStation 3 titles have already been reworked to take advantage of the DualShock 3’s rumble feature. For a complete list of compatible games, visit the PlayStation website by clicking here.

The DualShock 3 will retail for $54.99 and has been spotted in three different colors; Black, White and Silver.