gaming

The 2007 Jaded Fanboy Awards

It's been a very good year for gamers, with AAA titles hitting nearly every console, and only about half of them were sequels. Crusades-era assassins, art deco genetic misfits, physics-bending lab rats and futuristic soldiers have stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the standard plumbers, elves, and bounty hunters we've seen every year, and these fresh faces have kept my consoles warm and spinning. I could just plop all of those games up on an ordered list and call it a day, but I'm taking a different tack in summarizing this year in gaming.

Welcome to the first Jaded Fanboy Awards. The JFAs are completely unofficial awards (read: I am completely making these up without any sort of procedure or votes or other such nonsense) that don't look at the best or worst games of the year, but instead unique or noteworthy in their own ways. These aren't "Best ofs," "Tops," or "Must-buys," but instead games that simply stick out.

And the winners are...… Read more

Video games are almost as dangerous to public health as cigarettes?

According to a new study that will be featured in the Journal of Adolescent Health, "Exposure to violent electronic media has a larger effect than all but one other well known threat to public health." And what exactly is that threat, you ask? "Cigarette smoking."

According to L. Rowell Huesmann of the University of Michigan, "The research clearly shows that exposure to virtual violence increases the risk that both children and adults will behave aggressively."

And yet, Mr. Huesmann and the gang only cite their proof from a collection of studies performed over the past 50 years. And while this may prove to be somewhat helpful in maintaining their fight against "violent" video games, I think it has everything to do with a fear of change. After all, movies and other forms of media were cited in his study, and yet Huesmann focused on video games.

Invariably, the fight against video games always comes down to a discussion on children and what the future of this world will look like if children stay in constant contact with interactive violence. But unfortunately for these anti-video game zealots, the numbers don't back up their arguments.

Simply put, these people have no clue.… Read more

Microsoft sued over 'Halo 3,' Xbox 360 problems

Some people take their games very seriously. Randy Nunez is seeking class-action status along with $5 million in damages plus costs and attorneys' fees because his version of Halo 3 wreaks havoc on his Xbox 360. Ever been tempted to sue Microsoft? You do the math.

Read the full story at Ars Technica.

Doof mixes up Flash Web games with just about everything

Doof is a new Flash games service that's attempting to give people single and multplayer Flash gaming in one spot with a creative spin. Doof takes a virtual desktop approach to managing a playspace, with floating windows the likes of some Web OS services we've looked at. You can have as many opened up as you'd like, and they can be minimized, organized, and tweaked to look any way you want. When actually playing a game, however, it'll take control of your screen, darkening everything else on your Webtop.

The smattering of games is what makes … Read more

First 'Rock Band'-related eviction threat issued

If you're going to have an all-night Rock Band session, make sure to invite your neighbors over for some of the fun. Or at least warn them before cranking it up.

According to the Rock Band message boards, two tenants of an apartment complex in Oregon were issued a 10-day notice to stop rocking so hard or move out.

Causational hypotheses on the message boards range from lame non-metal-loving neighbors, poor soundproofing in the ceiling, and good old-fashioned inconsideration.

The image of the notice that appears on the message boards is very blurry, perhaps due to the amount of … Read more

In an ever-changing galaxy, the action's starting to get intriguing

At a stage when most games have long since stagnated, "Eve" continues to grow, recently passing 200,000 subscribers.

Read the full story at The New York Times.

120-inch arcade center might eat your home

When it's not trying to bring back '70s-style game cabinets, Dream Arcades thinks big--as in systems with screens reaching 100-plus inches. And the strides made by display makers in the last year or two apparently have done nothing but encourage its mission.

The "Dreamcade Vision 120" isn't just a game system; it's an arcade center. In fact, Gizmowatch calls it "the world's largest multi-game home arcade," a grandiose claim that almost makes its $3,999 price tag seem reasonable. Almost.

Its projection screen is a full 120 inches of high-definition goodness and … Read more

'Halo' theme song coming to 'Guitar Hero III'

What do you get when you cross two of the most popular video game franchises in history, Halo and Guitar Hero?

According to the video game blog Joystiq, you get a free downloadable copy of the Halo theme song, available Thursday to owners of Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock.

Apparently, some people thought the Halo theme song would be included with Guitar Hero II, but they were wrong. And now, instead of coming included with the third iteration of the franchise, it's being offered as a free download.

We're talking about video game royalty here, folks. Many hundreds of … Read more

USB basketball, the ultimate in productivity

Finally, a USB gadget that's actually useful. We had pretty much given up on the one-time novel plug-and-play desktop devices until they became so common that practically anything that required electricity was being turned into a USB product. Thanko's recently released aromatherapy treatment was probably a new all-time low.

The "USB Hoops Basketball Game" is a undeniable exception to that trend, the first USB-worthy item in recent memory. Our only quibble is the obvious missed opportunity: The game keeps score on its own digital display, but the USB connection could have been used to create all … Read more