News Archive

It may seem like common sense, but gamers have always assumed that they are free to sell, give away or chuck the video game titles that they no longer want out of the door once they are finished. Unfortunately, the video game industry disagrees. In a move that is sure to anger millions of consumers, Sony and Capcom are making major changes to the way in which gamers can access their titles. While Sony’s plans are still in development, Capcom has already made the first move. The company is now testing a feature that only gives gamers the option of utilizing one save slot. So, if you planned on playing ‘Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D’ online, you won’t be able to go back and play the same scenes again unless you start from the beginning.

Sony is taking things one step closer by issuing a password encryption feature that can only be utilized by one gamer. If a PlayStation 3 owner decides to sell off some older titles, the buyer won’t be able to unlock any online features if a pre-owned game is played. If the entire gaming industry follows suit, video game buyers will simply try to find a way to sidestep the technology. However, if other video game developers refuse to implement similar security measures, Sony might be hanging itself out to dry. So far, Sony hasn’t released any titles that include the PSN pass code restrictions, but gamers will have to start thinking carefully before they make future purchases.

Just as Sony has just managed to undue most of the damage done by hackers due to the PlayStation Network security breach, Sega Pass customers were hit, possibly by the same attackers. Sega Pass is an online portal that allows users to download popular video game titles. Now that both Sony and Sega have been hit within a few months of each other, users are beginning to wonder exactly how their personal information is stored. Normally, encryption will stop even sophisticated hackers from being able to make heads or tails of secure data, even if they are able to make it past firewalls and other security measures. Unfortunately, it seems that Sega failed to take adequate steps to securely store its customers vital information.

Like Sony, Sega delivered a heartfelt apology to customers, but many feel that it is too little, too late. Sony customers have been urged to change their passwords, especially if they used them on other websites. It appears that the hackers were not able to get to billing information, but a database with the up to date information of more than 1.3 million people could be just as valuable to unscrupulous characters. Identify theft is a real fear in this technologically advanced age, and having the complete contact information and names of such a large number of targets could cause many Sega customers to experience long-term difficulties. Anyone that has a Sega Pass account should go to the company’s official website and follow the instructions listed for securing their data.

The jury is still out on ‘Duke Nukem Forever,’ but fans have been waiting for this release for years. ‘Duke Nukem’ was one of the original first person shooters that segued seamlessly from the computer to an actual console. Of course, its games like this that have to maintain a delicate blend between preserving all of the elements that attracted fans to the title in the first place, and adding in new details that will make them fall in love all over again. For the most part, the main character, Duke, hasn’t changed one bit. He still likes to crank obnoxious jokes, but his cache of catch phrases is being to get dated.

As for weapons, you will have the chance to see how grenades look when they explode in this updated version of ‘Duke Nukem,’ however, there aren’t any new additions that are particularly exciting. The enemies look the same and the world, though new, is just a recreation of places seen in recently released action thrillers. ‘Duke Nukem Forever’ isn’t breaking any new ground, but it is great for avid fans.

What gamers will get with ‘Duke Nukem Forever’ is an updated version of a title that turned casual players into rabid virtual killing machines. After a few hours, you might start to get bored with the monotony of it all, but this is still a game worth popping in and playing for a little while every so often. Don’t get your hopes high, but do get your fingers ready for a good time.

The video game that Rockstar Games put on hold again and again to pump out new titles for its bestselling “Grand Theft Auto” franchise is finally getting its time in the spotlight. “L.A. Noir” has been described as a gritty crime thriller that relies heavily on a strong storyline and highly detailed animation sequences. Although the game is set in the 1940s, Rockstar still manages to make the characters easy to relate to.

The game’s main character, Cole Phelps, is a WWII vet turned detective. His exposure to the war has turned him into a no-nonsense super sleuth that does whatever he need to to break a case. Though “L.A. Noir” has plenty of the gore and excessive violence that gamers have come to expect from Rockstar Games, it is also thoughtful and methodical.

Much of the game play depends on the player’s ability to fine the clues left at crime scenes and interpret the cryptic messages uttered by distressed suspects. In between all of the slow paced but beautifully rendered animated scenes, gamers are treated to a menagerie of high speed car chases, back alley brawls and the ever present femme fatale.

The game’s slow pace may be the reason why many critics have failed to give it the full five star rating, but for gamers that want something different from the average first person shooter, “L.A. Noir” certainly won’t disappoint. Rockstar Games put “Grand Theft Auto” on hold just to put the finishes on “L.A. Noir” and the work definitely shows.

It is unclear whether John Brandon, a writer for Fox News, actually took the time to play ‘Bulletstorm,’ before he candidly referred to it as the ‘worst video game in the world.’ That’s a pretty strong statement to make about a video game that hast not yet been released and that has received strong reviews from respected game reviewers in the industry. Is ‘Bullstorm,’ violent? Absolutely. In all actuality the game is just another title in a long series of games that only seem to shock those that don’t actually take the time to play the games that they criticize at all.

In the entertainment industry there are plenty of movies with graphic language, images and themes. For the most part, these movies are meant to shock their viewers into actually thinking about their societies. ‘Bulletstorm,’ is no more violent than ‘Call of Duty: Black Ops,’ or any other first person shooter. Brandon then goes on to argue that young gamers will be damaged by playing ‘Bullstorm,’ unless retailers are penalized for selling these titles to anyone that is underage. There is no mention of how parenting comes into play, which is strange considering that the average nine year old at least has to get a ride from his or her parents to the mall. Real gamers will either love or hate ‘Bulletstorm’ because of its graphics, game play and storyline, but it is still unclear why Fox News decided to focus on a game that they couldn’t be bothered to play before reviewing.

This is certainly not the first time that video games have been blamed for violent attacks, but the striking similarities between, ‘Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2,’ and the recent violent attacks at Domodedovo International Airport are remarkable. Even so, researchers have already shown that people that demonstrate violent behavior are not further influenced by violent video games. Social background and financial status are both far more important factors when it comes to identifying those that may be more inclined towards violent behavior. In the aftermath of the infamous Columbine attacks, the media went on a modern day witch hunt and they were quick to blame certain music artists and video game makers. As time went on, people began to realize that the parents themselves were more responsible than any other outside influence.

All of these facts have not stopped politicians and the media in Russia from condemning the makers of, ‘Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.’ In fairness, the video game in question is far more realistic than most, and gamers have a number of choices to make within the game itself. The fact that a violent attack was essentially duplicated in the very same place that it was presented in a video game has led some to believe that there should be more restrictions on who can get access to them. Most countries already have laws and regulations for video game retailers, but ultimately parents are the ones that get to decide whether or not their children can play violent video games.

It is kind of surprising that Harmonix, the video game developer responsible for creating the ‘Rock Band’ franchise, has not been able to sell enough games to remain profitable. After all, ‘Guitar Hero’ may have started the music simulation craze taking place in gaming right now, but several other companies have been able to cash in as well. What is shocking that the company was sold to Columbus Nova for just $50. If you have never heard of Columbus Nova before, don’t worry. They are an investment firm based out of New York City, and they never had anything to do with the video gaming industry before purchasing Harmonix.

Although you can’t get a better deal for a game development company, Columbus Nova also had to take on all of Harmonix’s bad debts. Viacom owned Harmonix, and by selling the failing video game software company to Columbus Nova, they were able to receive over $150 in tax subsidies. After a series of bad decisions, including the ill fated ‘Rock Band: The Beatles’ video game. It was a bold move, especially since most fans of these types of video games are more interested in playing power ballads than old time classics. ‘Rock Band: The Beatles’ did go on to sell quite well, but at nowhere near the number of units that Viacom thought it would. Columbus Nova is expected to keep both the staff and overall structure of Harmonix the same, but they make make some changes depending on how sell the Rock Band franchise is received by audiences in the future.

Part of the appeal of purchasing a video game is the fact that consumers can trade them in as soon as they tire of them and get a big discount on the hottest new release. GameStop has been offering consumers perks in addition to their video game trade-in program. Amazon UK is launching efforts to come up with a similar program, which will allow consumers to send in used video games in exchange for Amazon account credits. The move will put them in direct competition of GameStop and other video game retailers, but consumers might not be as receptive as Amazon thinks they will be.

As gamers have been walking into GameStop for years with their arms filled with used video games, they might not be fond of the idea of putting their games in the mail instead. Even if Amazon provides consumers with pre-paid postage, customers may have to go the extra mail to get their packages insured and tracked. While Amazon is the largest online retailer, they also have an annoying habit of losing packages that are en route. If a gamer that is trying out Amazon’s new program has one bad experience, he or she will likely return to GameStop and never look back. One thing that Amazon could do to entice consumers is to give them a larger credit, but that also has its drawbacks. Many of the items listed on Amazon also requite customers to pay shipping, and gamers are notoriously impatient when it comes to getting the goods.

Even though the video game industry is still raking in a cool $1 billion a month, a 4% decline in the month of October has caused retailers to make a push to increase their revenue by the year’s end. This time last year, the video game sector was gaining about 10% more in profits than they are today, which is still pretty good considering the state of the world economy. All around, the leisure and recreational markets have taken a heavy hit as consumers don’t have the same amount of discretionary funds available now that they did in the past. Broken down by category, gaming console sales have plummeted in the last year. The only console still holding strong is the Xbox, but sales of the Wii and PlayStation 3 have fallen by almost 30%. By contrast, sales of the Xbox have increased at almost the same exact rate that PlayStation 3 and Wii rates have decreased.

Gaming platform developers for all three of the major consoles have managed to squeeze out an increase of approximately %5 in the last 12 months. This makes a lot of sense as consumers are much more willing to purchase new games for the consoles that they already own than they would to purchase a different one. The sales of used consoles, games and accessories were not included in reports, so there is chance that retailers are still gaining good profits from trade-in and game exchange programs. Recent game releases such as ‘Call Of Duty:Black Ops’ almost certainly gave retailers a boost, so there is a good chance that they will close out 2010 with a better profit margin.