| Fears of copycat shootings fan German games ban call | | Posted Saturday, December 30, 2006 2:50:38 PM by Blog57 Team | | A classroom shooting followed by a series of copycat threats placed schools in parts of Germany on high alert this month and fanned calls for lawmakers to draft a ban on the violent computer games they hold responsible. Online role-playing games have been blamed for encouraging 18-year-old Bastian Bosse to storm his former secondary school last month and shoot at 27 people, before killing himself. A 21-year-old Munich man who expressed sympathy for the school .... | |
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| | | Video games develop a conscience | | Posted Sunday, November 12, 2006 6:51:16 PM by Blog57 Team | | If you're a video game player whose social conscience isn't fulfilled by shooting villains or scoring points, your options are expanding: You can broker a Middle East peace deal, run a drought-stricken African farm or pick fruit as a migrant worker. Game developers increasingly are using their products to bring attention to and solve vexing real-world problems. People who study the "serious games" industry say the designers are keen on showing the public that interactive games offer more than entertainment. "People who grew up with games are saying, 'Why should we not use this technology . . . to try to change this environment that I'm in?' " said Henry Jenkins, director of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's comparative media studies program and author of 11 books on media and society.... | |
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| | | Stress Relief From an Unlikely Source: 'Casual' Computer and Videogames | | Posted Thursday, November 09, 2006 2:56:15 PM by Blog57 Team | | Millions of people struggle with increased stress during the holiday season. At first blush, playing a computer or video game would not be seen as a way to reduce stress. But it can happen, as long as you keep it casual. These are not your children's games, which are more likely to increase adrenaline levels due to their frenetic, competitive nature and "in-your-face" imagery. These are "casual" games: family-friendly word, puzzle, trivia and simple action games, such as Bejeweled and Talismania. An August 2006 survey of casual game players conducted by PopCap Games found that fully 88% of players derive stress relief from playing such games. "Casual word and puzzle computer games can help people develop new cellular brain connections thereby helping to keep the healthy brain active and vital," says Dr.... | |
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| | | New portal to download games | | Posted Monday, November 06, 2006 2:52:44 AM by Blog57 Team | | Electronic Arts Inc. is taking the wraps off a major overhaul to its download service for computer games, signaling the largest video game publisher's commitment to the growing trend of online distribution. The Redwood City, Calif.-based company said it plans to officially announce the new portal, EA Link, today, though the retooled service has been running since Wednesday. It replaces an earlier service called EA Downloader, the company's admittedly clunky year-old effort at offering downloadable content for its PC games. With EA Link, users can download materials faster, search for products in a more organized fashion, launch purchased games directly and have their payment information, including a new online payment option through PayPal, linked to their accounts. The site has 16 PC game titles available for download.... | |
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| | | Intel, Verizon to Bring PC Games to TV | | Posted Thursday, November 02, 2006 10:54:53 PM by Blog57 Team | | Verizon and Intel announced a partnership Thursday that would bring the telecommunications company's games on demand service to television via Viiv-enabled PCs. Included with the new application would be PlayLinc, a service aimed at enhancing multiplayer games through chats and the creation of private servers. The telecommunications company previously acquired a stake in Super Computer International, which created the PlayLinc service. Verizon says moves like this are intended to help the company find new ways to generate revenue, as its traditional landline phone business continues to struggle. .... | |
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| | | Playing (computer) games on Wisteria Lane | | Posted Wednesday, November 01, 2006 12:55:15 PM by Blog57 Team | | But this one breaks the mold for provocative games because it's targeted to women, not men, and based on a pop-culture phenomenon with wild appeal to that audience -- the "Desperate Housewives" television show. In the case of "Desperate Housewives: The Game," made for personal computers and new in stores, some of the byplay between characters features the option of smacking people on impulse. And the sex, while visually tame, is embellished with the kind of racy dialogue that propels the TV show. For the video-game industry, "Desperate Housewives" represents the latest gambit to attract women buyers who have little history of playing anything on a PC besides solitaire or short puzzle games. Enticing more women to be serious gamers, especially in the coveted 18-to-49 age range, remains one of the most elusive goals for developers and publishers.... | |
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| | | Clubhouse Games | | Posted Monday, October 30, 2006 10:53:27 AM by Blog57 Team | | Nintendo has enjoyed great success this year getting the DS into the hands of gaming virgins thanks to its Nintendogs and Brain Training titles. Clubhouse, a collection of more than 40 classic card, board and parlour games, should also help widen the handheld system's demographic. Most of the games will be instantly familiar, and there is certainly something for everyone. Card games are well suited to the DS console's touch-screen controls. There are basic card games, such as old maid, pig and memory, and more complex challenges, such as blackjack, hearts, rummy and bridge. Card sharks will also enjoy five-card draw poker, Texas hold 'em poker, spades and the classic solitaire. The selection of board games includes checkers, backgammon, chess and clones of Stratego, Othello and Battleship.... | |
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| | | NBC's The Office Games Get Flash Make-Over | | Posted Friday, October 27, 2006 6:51:01 AM by Blog57 Team | | Mobile games are closing the gap to traditional computer games with the launch of a new technology that enables richer mobile experience. NBC's The Office Games has produced a flash-enhanced game for its series of six mini-games, based on Verizon Wireless' new Flash Lite for BREW(TM) technology. The new The Office Games feature cleaner graphics, enhanced sound and quicker relay times and can be played on select Get It Now(R)-enabled phones. Indiagames developed NBC's The Office Games to be played at the office or at home. With shorter play times, Verizon Wireless customers will find the intuitive array of games easy to navigate and simple to play -- perfect for a break, after a stressful meeting or on an awkward phone call. The games feature the well-loved characters from the Emmy(R) Award winning television series participating in a selection of cubical game-play including Wasteketball, Paper-Football (Hateball), Table-Top Golf, Office Paper War, Chair-Racing and more -- everything Michael Scott would not approve of! "We're proud to bring the comedy of 'The Office' to Verizon Wireless using the incredible Flash Lite technology.... | |
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| | | PCHS Foundation Raises $20,000 for Auditorium and Computer Lab | | Posted Tuesday, October 24, 2006 2:50:13 AM by Blog57 Team | | They're almost halfway there. The PCHS Education Foundation, Inc., has raised around $20,000 toward two projects aimed at updating Pinckneyville Community High School's computer lab as well as the third-floor auditorium.Foundation president Bob Keith said on Wednesday that the group is pushing forward to garner dollars through tax-deductible contributions from PCHS alumni and community members."We're mailed approximately 3,00 letters to alumni--that's where the bulk of the money was earned so far," Keith said. "we'll probably do another mailing in late November to let people know where we stand and how much money we need to raise."Together, the projects will cost around $50,000, with early estimates showing the price tag for the computer lab upgrade and the auditorium remodeling to run at $25,000 each.Keith said the foundation will staff an information table at the alumni tent sponsored by First National Bank in Pinckneyville at the Mardi Gras celebration on Oct.... | |
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| | | EA Announces 30 Games for the PS3 | | Posted Friday, October 20, 2006 6:51:00 PM by Blog57 Team | | October 19, 2006 - EA fired over word that it is currently working on no-less than thirty games for the Playstation 3. Electronic Arts today announced more than 30 games in development for the PLAYSTATION computer entertainment system. When the system launches in November, EA will deliver some of the world's most popular game franchises including Madden NFL 07, Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 07 and Need for Speed Carbon. EA will release eight to ten games on the PLAYSTATION3 by late March including EA SPORTS Fight Night Round 3 and Def Jam: ICON. Paul Lee, President of EA Studios commented on the launch of the PLAYSTATION3, " Each game has been custom designed to leverage the hardware power of the PlayStation 3 and serve as a launch pad for EA's next generation of HD gaming. This is only the beginning.... | |
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