Street Fighter IV Madcat Controller Issues… Told Ya!
by vipeness on February 16th, 2009
On Jan 14th, 2009; I blogged about going to the official tournament for Street Fighter IV with PS3 and Capcom; and I reported that there was an issue with the controller when I was playing… check out this breaking news:
http://www.joystiq.com/2009/02/16/owners-report-mad-catz-sfiv-fightstick-defects/
Other users are reporting that the controller may fail to register certain directions on the stick or certain button presses, with at least one user reporting that the stick stopped registering all inputs entirely. Certain users have attributed the stuck joystick inputs to a metal washer that actually grinds away at the inner workings of the stick while in use.
You know, sometimes, there are issues, and I’ve always been very honest on any reviews or anything that I do when I blog on this site. I experienced the same issue a month and 4 days ago! I think there is a problem and it needs to be fixed.
Original Story:
http://www.thegamershow.com/blog/?p=1068
Full Video of the Tournament
http://www.thegamershow.com/blog/?p=1077
Link to New Post on gametrailers.com
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PlayStation Home Coming Oct-Dec 2008
by AJ on May 26th, 2008
According to the official PlayStation Home page over at uk.playstation.com, PlayStation Home is set for at the earliest an October release re-affirming the statements made by Kaz Hirai at PlayStation Day that Sony "Firmly believe they can deliver by this date".
PlayStation Home will enter Open beta stage around the end of June possibly early July for PlayStation users, we have no word on whether this is global or localised to a specific area.
Home was recently updated to version 0.8.3 and features more customisation features for your avatar within the world, along with an expansion to the environment in the form of an "Outside Space" moving away from the completely enclosed environment that Sony first showed us at GDC.
Home is certainly shaping up to be the first of many killer apps for PlayStation 3, if it launches alongside LittleBigPlanet i think it will push PlayStation 3 hardware sales way ahead of the Xbox 360.
If Sony fail to deliver Home, and announce another delay, they will lose much needed credibility within the PlayStation sector, something at this stage they simply cannot afford.
Strange Counter appears on Official Res Evil Website
by AJ on May 26th, 2008
A strange countdown timer has appeared on the Resident Evil website, at the moment its simply a video feed from a downed video camera.
Im presuming the owner of the camera was made into Zombie food.
The bottom of the two counters is going down steadily, no one knows what it is referring too, if anything at all.
Stay tuned for more information!
Site : http://www.residentevil.com/
Revolutionary: Mario Kart Training Wheel
by obsoletepower on May 22nd, 2008
The Wii Wheel was supposed to make racing easy enough for anyone to jump right into a session of Mario Kart Wii with no prior experience with either traditional game controllers or the Wii Remote. When used properly, it works as expected. The trouble is that it’s not always used properly. Watching your parents try to get through Wario’s Gold Mine, you’ll notice that they’re sometimes holding the Wheel the wrong way, and it’s making them drive off the track into chasms of eternity. This observation led me to examine how Mario Kart Wii’s steering works and come up with a solution for keeping n00bs on track.
When I was writing the GlovePIE script for MotoGP 2, I wanted to be able to twist the Wii Remote for throttle, while tilting it to steer. I found a simple way to do that when I discovered that the Wiimote’s accelerometer is able to register linear changes on the Pitch axis while simultaneously being rotated on the Roll axis. I was curious if actual Wii games would use the flexibility of pitch sensing for steering in games, and found out that they do. Essentially, that means you can steer in Mario Kart Wii with the buttons facing skyward like Excite Truck, or play Excite Truck with the buttons facing your body, Mario Kart Wii-style.
The problem that the Wii Wheel introduces is it makes you want to rotate it around the same imaginary pivot point, even when you aren’t holding it in the correct, upright position. If you relax your arms and start trying to steer like a bus driver, it won’t work, because the Wii Remote’s accelerometer cannot sense motion on the Yaw axis. You could remove the mental block by taking the Wiimote out of it’s Wheel shell, but the Wiimote’s B button isn’t as easily accessible as the Wheel’s B button.
Another issue is that Wii novices generally don’t realize that they can make subtle movements to control games. Mario Karts steer more like real cars than carnival bumper cars, but you wouldn’t know it from the way your aunt tries to play. So perhaps, in addition to keeping the Wheel upright, a little restraining tension may help.
I went to Wal-mart and picked up a couple of 36-inch bungie cords and a plastic crate for less than $10 total.
The Mario Kart DS lanyard is optional
Threading the bungie cords between the spokes of the Wheel and hooking it in place in the center of the crate’s open end gives you something that looks too nerdy for words, but it works as intended, keeping the Wheel pivoting on its proper axis and registering your intentions to steer your kart.
Too loose and it won’t hold in place; Too tight and it won’t pivot
I placed it on a table to get a good shot with the camera, but it’s light enough to sit comfortably on your lap.
Take care not to put your bungies on your buttons (like I’ve done here)
I did find it was too bulky for the quick flipping motions required to do aerial tricks, but the purpose of this rig is too train novices in Wii driving. Once they’ve got a handle on the basics of control, you can pull them out of it and give them the freedom to do those Wheel flips.
Subtle movements for the win!
I really thought I had Wii driving down before I began this project, but yesterday I loaded up Excite Truck for the first time in months and I was easily beating my old scores and times by large margins. Excite Truck was the first game I ever played on the Wii, and I thought I was pretty good at it, but a little training (in minutes a day) did wonders for me.
Source: NintendoWiiFanboy.com
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Microsoft Explains "Gaywood" Ban
by obsoletepower on May 22nd, 2008
Late last night, we learned the story of Richard Gaywood, the not-so-happy Xbox Live user whose gamertag was banned. Since "RichardGaywood" was both the user’s gamertag as well as his legal, honest-to-goodness given name, Kotaku contacted Microsoft to learn the reason behind the ban.
Hit the jump for their response:
"We want the Xbox LIVE community to have the freedom to express themselves, but we also have a responsibility to create an inclusive, safe environment," said Microsoft’s Stephen Toulouse. "While it may be clear to some that Gaywood is a legitimate surname, it may not be obvious to other Xbox LIVE members. In this case, a complaint was filed by a member of the community, requiring the Xbox LIVE team to examine the gamertag within the context of the Xbox LIVE Terms of Use. Based on the these guidelines, it was necessary for the gamertag to change."
Recall Toulose also referred to the XBL Terms of Use in explaining why user "TheGAYERGamer" received a ban, stating, "Gamertags are visible to everyone and it would be hard for me to defend to a parent of a young child who saw it that the name did not contain content of a sexual nature."
Finally, Microsoft confirmed to us that Mr. Gaywood’s gamertag, like any other found to be in violation of the Terms of Use, will not be reinstated. Hope no other XBL users have legal names that might have the ill fortune to appear "sexual."
Source: Kotaku.com
Jack Thompson Found Guilty!
by obsoletepower on May 22nd, 2008
The judge who presided over Jack Thompson’s Florida Bar trial late last year has recommended that the controversial attorney be found guilty on 27 of 31 professional misconduct charges. The Florida Supreme Court must now rule on those recommendations.
In a report issued last week, Judge Dava Tunis writes:
After considering the arguments presented by the Florida Bar and the Respondent (Thompson), observing the Respondent’s demeanor during the nine-day trial proceedings, and carefully reviewing the record consisting of four volumes of exhibits totaling 1700 pages and approximately 2400 pages of transcribed testimony, the Court finds that the facts, circumstances and evidence presented regarding the Respondent’s conduct, supports a finding of guilt as to certain Florida Bar rules…
Tunis made 21 recommendations of guilt in relation to Thompson’s participation in Strickland vs. Sony, an Alabama case in which the anti-game attorney represented the families of two police officers and a police dispatcher slain by 18-year-old Grand Theft Auto player Devin Moore.
Tunis also recommended that Thompson be found guilty on four out of five counts relating to his 2006 attempt to have Rockstar’s Bully declared a public nuisance in a case before Miami Judge Ronald Friedman. An additional two guilty counts stemmed from a non-video game matter.
Among the Florida Bar offenses for which Judge Tunis has recommended a guilty verdict:
- Knowingly making a false statement of material fact or law to a tribunal
- Knowingly disobeying an obligation under the rules of a tribunal
- Communicating the merits of the case with a judge before whom the proceeding is pending
- Using means that have no purpose other than to embarrass, delay or burden a third person
- Engaging in conduct involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit or misrepresentation
- Engaging in conduct in connection with the practice of law that is prejudicial to the administration of justice, including to knowingly or through callous indifference disparage or humiliate litigants or other lawyers
- Making statements that the lawyer knows to be false or with reckless disregard as to the truth or falsity concerning the qualifications or integrity of a judge
Judge Tunis’s full report to the Florida Supreme Court is due on September 2nd. In the meantime, a disciplinary hearing regarding possible sanctions against Thompson will be held before Judge Tunis on June 4th.
For his part, Thompson has made a number of allegations concerning Judge Tunis, including a complaint that state-mandated loyalty oaths were either not signed by the judge or were signed by others. Thompson also has filed federal lawsuits against the Florida Bar and Florida Supreme Court in relation to the Bar charges and other sanctions.
For all coverage of the Bar Trial of Jack Thompson, including transcripts, click here.
Source: GamePolitics.com
BioShock Confirmed for PS3 (Holidays 2008)
by obsoletepower on May 22nd, 2008
Cue the I-told-you-so’s — the everlasting rumor about last year’s Xbox 360 hit BioShock popping up on the PS3 turns out to be true. According to the July issue of EGM, publisher 2K Games has confirmed that the underwater shooter is making the transition to Sony’s shores.
Still don’t believe us? Well, if you catch yourself a copy of the July issue (hitting subscribers as we speak, and on newsstands on June 3), you’ll get the full scoop on how the Xbox 360 will translate (including some potential graphical improvements) in time for the 2008 holiday season.
Along with a chat with BioShock’s new creative director Jordan Thomas (taking over the sunken series from creator Ken Levine), EGM has the first screens and info, including some fishy details about the future of Rapture
Source: 1up.com
Activision’s Cabela’s Legendary Adventures to Bring Hunting’s Greatest Tales to Life
by vipeness on May 15th, 2008
Activision’s Cabela’s Legendary Adventures to Bring Hunting’s Greatest Tales to Life
SANTA MONICA, Calif., May 14, 2008: Activision, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI) announced today the upcoming release of Cabela’s Legendary Adventures for PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system, and WiiTM. The latest title in the best-selling Cabela’s franchise will allow players to relive the greatest hunting stories ever told. The game will hit shelves in Fall 2008.
"In Cabela’s Legendary Adventures the missions are based on encounters with some of the most famous animals ever hunted in the wild," said Dave Oxford, Activision Publishing. "Focusing on these amazing once-in-a-lifetime stories has really allowed us to capture the essence of what hunting is all about - a quest for a legendary experience."
Players will hunt in different eras in search of trophies such as white-tailed deer, Yukon moose, Alaskan brown bear and Roosevelt elk in over ten of North America’s top hunting locations, including Kodiak Island, the Yukon and the Rocky Mountains. Each location in Cabela’s Legendary Adventures is a visually stunning open outdoor environment that encourages exploration and tactical variation. Shooting mechanics have been developed to reflect modern as well as historical hunting technology, so players relive the hunts complete with detail from specific time periods.
Under Cabela’s guidance, the firearms, tactics and gear in Cabela’s Legendary Adventures are as true to real life as a game will allow. The title will also include a large variety of additional hunts featuring over 30 species of other big game, small game, waterfowl, upland birds and turkey.
Cabela’s Legendary Adventures is scheduled for release in Fall 2008. For more information visit www.activision.com.
Indiana Jones LEGO DEMO date revealed??
by vipeness on May 11th, 2008
While browsing the net looking for the Blu-Ray version of the Indiana Jones movie collections, which they are re-releasing on DVD, but not Blu-Ray comes out on Tuesday, May 13th 2008. Along with the set, someone in the review comments is mentioning that there are game demos included in the packaging for the Special Edition. Does that mean we will see a game demo available for download on the the Xbox Live service and on the PSN Network on Tuesday? We’ll have to hold out and wait 2 days to find out…
Here is a link to where the user states the demos on the disks..
AMAZON LINK
Here is a permalink if there are more reviews so you can see the comment… PERMA LINK CLICK HERE
Anti-GTA Video: Time to get the bull**** boots!
by obsoletepower on May 3rd, 2008
Okay, I get the fact that people are concerned about the future leaders of our countries but damn it man, politicians have got to stop blaming video games for our government’s gross incompetence in their ability to provide our kids with a good educations system and more!
Get this guy, if I heard correctly when he mentioned "Your son, husband, boyfriend, whatever," he only named people of the male gender so his head just oozes stereotype and mass-media influence!
For the last time! It is not the world’s responsibility to censor everything because sexually-active 16 year olds that can’t keep their genitals in their pants long enough to not have children are not able to properly take care of their offspring because they aren’t even old enough to care for themselves!
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GTA IV Lockup Solution: Disabling PSN?
by obsoletepower on May 3rd, 2008
Reader Captain Duck spotted a possible fix in the Something Awful forums: Disable your access to the Playstation Network. SA Goons (an accredited rank in GTA: Vice City) surmise that the game is looking for multiplayer connections "every two minutes or so," and if something is wrong there, voila, lockups.
Kotaku doesn’t vouch for the efficacy of this measure on all consoles but the SA commenters sure do:
"THIS TOTALLY Works."
"Yep, until they patch it, disabling internet access on the PS3 seems to do the job. It has worked fine for me, helped with a lot of the frustration I was having. Thanks guys"
Forums at GameFAQs and GameSpot seem to back it up too.
Looking at the date stamps to the comments, I realize this is about three days late, and I hope I’m not advertising something everyone already knows as breaking news. If you guys already figured this out in the comments, good on ya.
But … in the interest of useful info, there you go. Also, if anyone has different freeze problems or solutions, hit up the comments.
Freezes - in two flavours, "intro scene" berry and "random" bananarama [Something Awful forums]
Note: You’ll need a full account to see more than the first page.
Source: Kotaku.com
GTA IV Message for PS3 Users or Firehouse Pride?
by obsoletepower on May 2nd, 2008
Well after Marc finally explained to this idiot how to find it, I did. I must agree this looks very odd. Sure, it’s on the firehouse, so it is supposed to stand for Fire Department of Liberty City. Right? No harm in that.
However, Rockstar and GTA developers are not morons. Something this big and prominent can’t just be a “accident”.
The big question is, and i can’t confirm it, is does this look the same on the 360 version? If so, then maybe, just maybe it is just an unfortunate similarity.
So is this just firehouse pride or is it a secret message to PS3 users about the bonus content the 360 is getting.
Here is the pic, you decide.
Source: Gaming Guru
Crytek: No more PC exclusive titles due to piracy
by obsoletepower on May 2nd, 2008
Piracy hit new highs with the release of the PC shooter Crysis, Frankfurt, Germany-based developer Crytek told Next-Gen on Wednesday.
November’s Crysis sold 1 million copies worldwide as of February this year, but Crytek is nevertheless struck by how many illegitimate copies are circulating.
Crytek engine business manager Harald Seeley said that he could not reveal specific internal figures pertaining to piracy of Crysis, but he added, "I can say the level of piracy was the highest of any I’ve experienced on a project."
This week, Crytek president Cevat Yerli said that piracy was so bad on the PC-exclusive Crysis, that the studio would no longer be making PC-exclusive titles.
“I believe that’s the core problem of PC Gaming, piracy… PC gamers that pirate games inherently destroy the platform. Similar games on consoles sell factors of 4-5 more," he said in an interview with PC Play. "It was a big lesson for us and I believe we won’t have PC exclusives as we did with Crysis in future. We are going to support PC, but not exclusive anymore.”
The question is how to curb piracy. Certain initiatives are happening in the PC games industry that are aimed at combating the piracy issue, but neither Crytek nor the recently-formed multi-company PC Gaming Alliance are talking specifics.
When asked how PC developers are going to solve to piracy issue, or if digital distribution is the answer, Seeley said he couldn’t answer the question "due to various NDAs."
"…There are multiple possible solutions to the problem but I can’t discuss any of them at this time, or even guess when or if these solutions will become public."
PCGA president and Intel gaming director Randy Stude said in an e-mail regarding piracy of Crysis and piracy in general, "The PCGA is not yet prepared to make an official comment on PC game piracy. Over the next several months we will be determining our position on this important topic."
Source: Next-Gen.biz
Xbox 360 Blu-ray console shipping by September?
by obsoletepower on May 2nd, 2008
For all of Microsoft’s denial, the Xbox 360 Blu-ray console rumors just will not die. In fact, they are getting more and more specific. The Chinese language Economic Daily News is reporting that Pegatron, an OEM subsidiary of ASUS, has won the order from Microsoft to assemble the Xbox 360 with Blu-ray Disc ROM drive — shipments are expected to being in Q3 of this year. Now come on Microsoft, just come clean on the matter, we won’t tell anyone.
Source: Digitimes.com
Grand Theft Auto IV: The 6.24% Review
by obsoletepower on May 2nd, 2008
Grand Theft Auto IV has been in my possession since midnight Monday in a Los Angeles mini-mall. Because the game is rated M for Mature, there were a few eager teens milling around in the parking lot, trying to bribe cool adults to get them a copy. What’s worse? Buying teens cheap vodka or immersive sociopathic sandbox crime simulators?
With about 20 hours of gameplay (6.24% of the story and a lot of multiplayer) under my belt, here are some first impressions:
If you like endless cut scenes and game chatter spoken in grating Serbian accents, this is the game for you. (Also, The Rockstar creative team’s love affair with the number 69 is unabated.)
Unless I’m mistaken, when you kill someone, you can no longer leave cute little red footprint trails of victim blood behind you. However, when you run people over, less cute super-realistic blood stains appear on your windshield. (Exactly one stain per victim.)
For a game whose overall benefit to society is always in debate, there is a drunk driving simulator that’s truly terrifying. Perhaps terrifying enough to make the teens who bribed cool adults to buy them both M for Mature video games and cheap vodka think twice before getting behind the real-life wheel. (Kids, try getting actually drunk, then driving drunk in the game, and see what happens.)
There seems to be a lot of time in the game allocated to text messaging, going on the Internet, and online activities. I wasted my life in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas pretending to work out; now I’m wasting my life in GTA: IV pretending to surf the web.
The online multiplayer experience is outstanding. Exciting, chilling, and oh-I-just-got-run-over-by-a-garbage-truck messed up. Racing, sniping, exploding, hiding — the diversity of attack strategies available allows for a ride that will never get boring. Ultimately, the multiplayer for GTA: IV is so engaging it might actually overshadow the story. When I wake up in the morning, exhausted and sick with self-loathing from playing till three in the morning the night before, multiplayer is what calls me back. It’s so good, I may never get to 7%.
Source: TIME.com
GTA IV Experience Continues During Sleep
by obsoletepower on May 1st, 2008
So, we hope everyone got a good sleep to refresh from Tuesday’s crazy day full of launch parties, multiplayer problems, system lock-ups and vast amounts of phone calls to Rockstar support line! Some of us had such an experience yesterday that our Grand Theft Auto IV experience carried right into "dreamland" as we have continued experiencing GTA even in our sleep.
VipeNess and I are just 2 of those lucky few who did not annoyingly have to take a break from GTA IV when going to bed. We dreamt of scenery and races and being Niko Belic for 8 hours in which time we got to meet some of his friends like Roman, Michelle and Little Jacob but also some of his enemies such as Vlad and other bosses that wanted our head! I am really mad that Funland was still closed in my dream….oh how I would have wanted to ride that Ferris Wheel…..sigh.
We have decided that it would be a shame if we didn’t have a way of sharing our unique first-hand experiences actually being inside the game, if we didn’t have some sort of way of collecting all that and neatly organizing it for you guys. You can leave comments about your own GTA IV dreamland experience and at the end we will pick the best one which will be featured in one of our episodes. You guys can vote on your post-GTA IV launch party experience at the link below.
GTA 4 Sells ~2.5 million in the Americas on Day 1
by obsoletepower on May 1st, 2008
VG Chartz announced that according to their early sell-through data, Grand Theft Auto 4 has sold a record 2.5 million units in its first day of sales. GTA IV has been universally acclaimed upon release and the titles day 1 sales places the title in the upper echelon of industry hits - those that are universally loved by both critics and by casual gamers.
Data for the first day of GTA IV sales shows that the game sold roughly at a 6:4 ratio in favor of Xbox 360 to PS3 in the Americas. While that means the game sold better on Xbox 360, it had a higher attach rate on PS3 - the same story was the case in the UK according to an earlier report by Chart Track.
At $60 per unit for the standard game and $90 for the special edition and around 1/4 of all games bought being at the higher price, Rockstar is looking at around $170 million in day one Americas revenue. For comparison, Microsoft stated that Halo 3 saw $170 million in sales revenue day one so it seems at this point the combined Xbox 360 and PS3 sales for GTA IV are about on par with Halo 3.
Super Smash Brothers Brawl recently sold over 900,000 units in the Americas day one and went on to sell almost 1.6 million units week one. A similar pattern for GTA IV would push the title to over 4 million units in the Americas for week one - we expect the title to have a drop off rate more akin to Smash Brothers Brawl than Halo 3.
Sales have also been brisk in Europe, along with Chart Tracks report of 600,000 copies sold in the UK in one day, VG Chartz estimates that around 1.7 million units were sold across Europe and others on day one - the format split is roughly a mirror image of the Americas, with around 60% of all European sales being on PS3.
Day one sales for Europe and the Americas combined bring GTA IV to 4.2 million units worldwide, a staggering number, both in units and in revenue.
Stay tuned for more sales updates as the week progresses.
Source: VGChartz.com
Team Fortress 2 Free Weekend
by obsoletepower on May 1st, 2008
From May 2 - 4 play the FULL GAME for free!
1. Install Steam > 2. Create an account > 3. Play TF2 for free
Stand near the cart, it moves forward.
Move it past all the capture points to win.
Gold Rush is an entirely new level featuring a new gameplay style called Payload. The level is split into three separate areas with intermediate capture zones inside of each major chapter. The teams are split between offense (Blu) and defense (Red) similar to Dustbowl. The goal for the Blu team is to push the bomb payload through the level until it reaches the next capture point, eventually destroying all three of Red’s major bases. Blu pushes the cart through the level by standing near it, with the cart moving faster when more people are close by. If no one has pushed the cart forward after 30 seconds, the cart will begin to move backward until it is pushed forward again.
Gold Rush is a map that specifically focuses on pacing so that the player feels like they are part of an overall campaign by the team. Each member of the team needs to focus on both the overall goal of either stopping or advancing the payload and also deal with local threats. As the payload moves through the map both teams need to be able to adjust their strategy depending on what approach the other is taking. Gold Rush has been designed taking all nine classes and their abilities in Team Fortress 2 into account, which means there is a spot for everyone and their favorite class to be useful.
For long-time Team Fortress fans it should evoke feelings of both Dustbowl, in terms of layout and team goals, and Hunted, as it has a central objective that forces the battlefield to move through the map dynamically.
When you’ve acquired a new item, you’ll get a message like this one. You can then go to the loadout screens to equip your new stuff.
This update will also mark the beginning of the most significant change we’ll be making to Team Fortress 2 over the next year. Beginning first with the medic, players will be able to earn three unique items by earning some or all of the new Medic achievements coming in this update. These three unique items will allow players to have new choices as to how they play the class, as well as have a new impact and benefit to the team they play on. After this initial release we’ll be quickly adding unique items for the remaining eight classes.
For players that earn one third of the 36 new medic achievements, they will be given a new syringe gun, called “The Blutsauger”. This new weapon no longer has the ability to score critical hits against an opponent, instead it will draw health from enemies each time a syringe hits — making it especially useful as a weapon to retreat away from the fight while staying alive. Once a medic has earned two thirds of the achievements, they will be granted “The Kritzkrieg” This new medigun uses its Ubercharge not for invulnerability, but to give its recipient 100% chance to fire critical ordinance. Medics and the player they are charging need to be careful though, because as much fun as it is to fire critical rockets as fast as you can, the other team will see what you’re up to and try to put a quick stop to your plan.
For the determined medic that has earned all 36 of the new achievements, they will find themselves the proud owner of “The Ubersaw” which will take damage dealt through melee attacks and convert it directly to Ubercharge. Four hits with this new weapon will fully charge whatever medigun the Medic has equipped.
Source: Steampowered.com
Study Shows Games Help to Reduce Stress
by obsoletepower on April 29th, 2008
If you’re feeling stressed, forget about “calm blue ocean” mantras and squishy toys to squeeze. Instead, a new study from East Carolina University says you should fire up a casual game. And since gaming company PopCap underwrote the research, scientists recommend the beneficial effects of the company’s Bejeweled 2, Peggle and Bookworm Adventures titles. Subjects’ moods were broken out into six categories: psychological tension, anger, depression, vigor, fatigue and confusion. The study found that:
Peggle had the greatest affect, improving mood by 573% across all study subjects - with Bejeweled 2 at 435% and Bookworm Adventures at 303%.
Normally, I’d be dubious about these results, since PopCap paid for the study. But I can tell you from first-hand knowledge that Peggle in the office = fun (except for that stupid car level). We used to hold Peggle tournaments when I worked at Shockwave.com, and that was the happiest place on Earth.
OK, I’m exaggerating a bit. But Peggle is actually a great spectator “sport” and this research reinforces the theory put forth by Adrian Gostick and Scott Christopher in their book “The Levity Effect: Why it Pays to Lighten Up.” You can listen to the authors talk about their findings over at Marketplace.org.
Are for those Peggle faithful, check out this 13,000,000+ (yup, that many zeros) point shot:
Young man stabbed queueing for midnight launch of ultra-violent video game Grand Theft Auto IV
by obsoletepower on April 29th, 2008
The launch of the ultra-violent Grand Theft Auto IV video game descended into real-life horror when a man was stabbed repeatedly in a queue of fans waiting to buy it.
Shoppers thought they were witnessing a promotional stunt for the launch when the blood-soaked victim staggered among them.
They realised the attack was genuine only when police arrived.
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The GameStation shop in George Street, Croydon, where a 23- year-old man was stabbed last night
It took place outside the Gamestation store in Croydon, South London, one of 40 stores which opened at midnight to sell the new game.
Elsewhere, two muggers shattered the jaw and nose of an 18-year-old boy to steal his copy of the game just 30 minutes after he bought it in Leyland, Lancashire.
The violence intensified a chorus of criticism aimed at the British-designed game, the latest in a hugely controversial series.
Massive industry hype has surrounded its technological advances and stunning graphics and it is forecast to break records by selling six million copies in its first week.
But the content is unadulterated violence. Players assume the identity of Niko Bellic, a shaven-headed veteran of the Bosnian conflict who arrives in ‘Liberty City’ as a gangland novice.
He makes progress by killing people to order, robbing banks and dealing drugs with the help of an almost inexhaustible arsenal.
The game has been give an 18 certification from the British Board of Film Classification but critics fear it will inevitably be played by much younger people.
The series has sold an estimated 70million copies since its launch in 1997, but has been shrouded in controversy.
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Popular: Gamers queue in Southend-on-Sea, in Essex, all night to get their hands on Grand Theft Auto IV
Last year teenager Ezekiel Maxwell butchered a grandmother after hearing "gangster voices" in his head from an earlier version of the game telling him to stab a woman.
Yesterday, as police issued an appeal to find the Croydon attacker, witnesses described what happened.
Eagerly awaited: The Grand Theft Auto IV game went on sale at midnight
Malcolm Critchell, queueing with his nephew Jordan, said: "The victim was covered from shoulder to belly in blood. Everyone thought it was a show to promote the game."
Despite his wounds, the 23-year-old victim is believed to have gone home to arm himself with a kitchen knife to seek revenge, but police intercepted him.
He was treated in hospital for several stab wounds.
Another queuer, Marcus Henderson, 24, said: "It was a scene straight from the game itself. In Grand Theft Auto, when you attack someone but don’t finish them off they’ll come and get you. We thought it was a stunt put on by the makers of the game."
MP Keith Vaz said of the video game: "This kind of violence should be deplored. It’s highly likely that younger children are going to get access to this game.
"A young person’s mind is impressionable and the interactive violence of Grand Theft Auto is going to have an impact on them."