Release date set for Batman: Arkham City

Batman: Arkham City is set to be released for PS3 and Xbox 360 videogame consoles and PC in autumn 2011, according to new details from Warner Bros.

This sequel to the 2009 blockbuster Batman: Arkham Asylum once again pits the Dark Knight against the Joker. But instead of taking place in a grim island prison, this new title introduces players to "Arkham City", a "heavily fortified" zone of Gotham City.

The name of the newly announced game is not a total surprise. Publisher Warner Bros registered a huge amount of new domain names in July. Among the 15 websites were ArkhamCity.com, BatmanArkhamCity.com, and CityOfArkham.com CloseArkhamCity.com.

Anything other than what is detailed above is pure speculation. Developer Rocksteady Studios, who were relatively unknown until the wildly successful release of Arkham Asylum, has kept quiet about the project. But that is to be expected since the game is still just over a year from release.

Restless fans may glean more details from the teaser trailer below, and look for the September issue of Game Informer which features a badly beaten Batman and leather clad Catwoman. Meow, indeed!


Batman Arkham Asylum 2 World Premiere Trailer [HD]

Former NFL players sue EA

Former Bengals running back Tony Davis has filed a class action against EA on behalf of 6,000 retired NFL professionals about the use of the players likenesses in Madden NFL 09, reports IGN.

The plaintiffs claim that EA never compensated for thousands of retired players whose likeness were used to populate the lists for the teams history of the game. The lawsuit alleges that EA "knowingly and intentionally" included statistics, positions, and height and weight of the retired players, but removed the names of players and even their numbers to avoid paying anyone.

"The only significant detail that EA changes from the real-life retired NFL players is their jersey number," the suit reads. "Despite EA's 'scrambling' of the retired NFL players' numbers, the games are designed so that consumers of the Madden NFL video game franchise will have no difficulty identifying who the 'historic' players are."

Furthermore, the suit insists that "EA was fully aware that its use of the retired players’ likenesses was without [authorization] and that a license fee was needed." The claim seeks actual, punitive, and statutory damages.

History is not on the side of plaintiffs. A similar lawsuit against EA in 2008 by Hall of Fame running back Jim Brown was recently dismissed, though Brown is appealing the decision.

The latest game of the franchise, Madden NFL 11 hits stores next week.


Watch the Madden NFL 2011 Debut Trailer [HD]

At long last - StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty

StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty is a game of military science fiction real-time video strategy developed by Blizzard Entertainment as a sequel to the award-winning 1998 video game StarCraft. Released July 27, 2010, the game was developed for simultaneous release on Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X. Starcraft II will be divided into three parts: the base of the game subtitled Wings of Liberty, and two expansion packs, Heart of the Swarm and Legacy of the Void.

Set in the 26th century in a distant part of the Milky Way, the game is based on three species: the Terrans, humans exiled from Earth, the Zerg, a race of insectoid assimilatory gene, and the Protoss, a species with great psionic power. Wings of Liberty focuses on the Terrans, while the expansions of the Heart of the Swarm and Legacy of the Void will focus on the Zerg and Protoss, respectively. The game takes place four years after the events of StarCraft: Brood War, and follows the adventures of Jim Raynor as he leads a group of insurgents against the autocratic Terran Dominion. The game includes old and new characters and locations from the original game.

Reviews
After its release, StarCraft II was met with a positive reception, with an average score of 96/100 on Metacritic critical, and 95.5% on Game Rankings.

The game was particularly praised keeping the popular RTS gameplay, introducing new features and better story telling. GamesRadar found that "In many ways, StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty StarCraft 2.0 feels like - and that's a good thing," saying it "delivers on all fronts." NZGamer.com said the game was "the best RTS game released in the year and one of the best PC games." Regarding its history, Game Trailers said: "If anything immediately apparent wing of the history of freedom, is that the structure of the series' narrative has evolved far beyond the original sparse intervals-sortie", calling it "a story epic and entertainingly told yarns', while X-Play praised what he considered to be "perfectly in fact - is to integrate the story with the gameplay." Giant Bomb echoed that view while watching the part Hyperion between missions, thinking that he has "more depth of character, pathos, more credible, more twists surprise - I sincerely hoped out of history." Joystiq has been very positive towards improving the multiplayer matchmaking service, calling it "similar to Xbox Live and PSN, which is a welcome change to the Archaic matchmaking Battle.net Blizzard's previous games. John Meyer of Wired praised improved graphics engine, saying that "shows decades of polish" and a "slick new presentation."

Matt Peckham PC World however, that some buyers expressed dissatisfaction with the lack of LAN-based gameplay, the lack of cross-domain game and the campaign being limited to race Terran.

Ars Technica gave the game an overall verdict of "Buy" and especially praised the single player campaign as "Fun as hell." They were also very impressed with the game modding tools that allow users to create their own content and distribute it to other fans. The two "Ugly" problems they identified with the game were the lack of LAN play and the decision to divide the regions. They suggest that these decisions were influenced by Activision, not the game designers at Blizzard and feel this will turn many people off the game and make things difficult for people who have international friends. In a separate article Ars Technica StarCraft II vigorously supported a reaction against the large customer designed to give the game a rating of 1 star on Amazon.com. They argue in favor of Blizzard against accusations that he was "not a complete game, because only the Terran campaign was launched, but they suggest that customer complaints about lack of LAN play and cross-region were legitimate.

Video Games Trade-In

Last week, I went to the local used game store to unload some old games I wasn't likely to play again. Long story short, I ended up keeping my games, because they didn't have anything I was interested in.

Lucky for me (and you too if you have any old games you're looking to trade in) Amazon has just beta launched Amazon Video Games Trade-In - a new service that allows the trade in of used games for an Amazon Gift Card.

The video game trade-in process is easy. Go to Amazon Video Games Trade-In and find the games you want to trade in among the 1,500+ titles. Once you find your game, print off a pre-paid label (no cost to you), drop it in the mail, and you're done. Since games are received and checked by the dealer, an Amazon Gift Card will be deposited into your Amazon account. You can use your Amazon Gift Card for the purchase of millions of eligible items at Amazon.

As a bonus to try Amazon's new trade in program for the first two weeks of the beta, they are offering 10% discount on future purchase of any game or accessory in Amazon's video games store.

PlayNC 60 Day Game Time Card

I was going to write a post about the latest update to City of Heroes when I stumbled across this little item. It's a pre-paid card for 60 days of game time for these great games from PlayNC.

City of Heroes is a new kind of massive online multiplayer game. If you always wanted to defend your city from evildoers as a mighty hero, now is your chance. Choose your power, join a team and go to tremendous online role-playing action. You also have to watch your Fame meters - the largest is its reputation, more prizes and awards you receive. Team up with other players online, to form new superhero groups and take down the criminals more effectively.

City of Villains is the standalone sequel to critically acclaimed MMORPG City of Heroes. Using an amazing variety of new skills, abilities and customization options, players can now experience sinister game of the other side of the mask. With diabolical craft and guile, players forge new super-powered villain characters in an attempt to dominate the world. Heroes and authorities of Paragon City will do everything in their power to thwart these evil plans of destruction. It will take a supreme effort for true domination.

Lineage is a medieval setting of fantasy. The hero, a member of the real line, the heads of their homeland - the Kingdom of Aden - with your tutor knights, determined to avenge the death of his father and regain his kingdom. The game is based on the comic scene Lineage by Shin Il-sook, but the story has been expanded over the years, focusing first on the development of the promises given to the prince or princess of their choice, and now the rebellion that King is planning a suitor with dark elves. The game is full of detail and great care is taken to leave the game in the medieval feel intact.

Lineage II: The Chaotic Throne is an immersive and dramatic fantasy world known for its unique political and economic systems. Engage in regular castle sieges, exciting monster encounters, and epic clan vs. clan warfare. You'll need tenacity, cunning and strategy to survive! Lineage II offers the world's elite MMO players a hardcore Player vs. Player experience.

Lineage The Blood Pledge is an Epic Sci-Fi RPG. Explore lush forest planets, volcanic moons and exotic alien civilizations. Face off against powerful xenophobe soldiers, armored and mechaoids vicious predators. Use a wide range of weapons and unique magical alien powers to help the Allied Free Sentients (AFS) in his desperate fight against extinction. Tabula Rasa combines a vast, persistent game world & ongoing storyline w / a fast-paced action, resulting in a surprising new approach to the design of multi-player online games. Richard Garriott presents and epic sci-fi RPG - Tabula Rasa Tabula Rasa combines a vast, persistent game world with the ongoing storyline and fast paced action, resulting in several games for the fast paced battle! Face off against powerful xenophobe soldiers, armored mechanoids, and vicious Use Mystical "Logos" language and powers to seize power of the cosmos for healing and attack in both PVP and PVE play styles.

Dungeon Runners
- Something moves in the dark. An odor wafts above the earth hot dank depths. Nails scratch against limestone, dripping water echoes off cavern walls, ancient chains rattle in stagnant air?. What is the mysterious depths below? Dungeon Runners is an online role-playing game. As a brave hero, you'll explore dangerous dungeons, battle ferocious monsters and discover incredible weapons, artifacts and loot. Choose to play as Fighter, Mage or Ranger in a realm of terror, magic and adventure. Unlock powerful new skills as you gain experience in their journey into the unknown. Whether fighting evil hordes as a lone warrior or group with online friends to carve a path of destruction through your foe, Dungeon Runners will kill your deepest dungeon-crawling thirst. Dungeon Runners is continually expanding to include new maps, new monsters, new powers and new features.

CoH and CoV can be played under the same account, but if you play (or want to) any of these other games, then you really can't beat this deal for under $30.

101 DS games in 1

101 games in 1 cartridge ... Less than 20 cents each! 101-In-1 Explosive Megamix is the perfect game to take the road because the players can play a game whenever they have free time. Moreover, 101-in-1 Explosive Megamix takes full advantage of the unique capabilities of Nintendo DS, allowing you to easily use the dual screen using the intuitive touch screen controls. In addition, players can challenge a friend in multiplayer competition via multi-card local wireless play, 101-in-1 Explosive Megamix on Nintendo DS offers endless entertainment and excitement! Follow the link for a sample video of some of the 101 games that come on this single cartridge for under $20.

I played this game often, and I really like. I really like how you collect the gold by setting high scores that you can use to buy or unlock new games. The selection of games you start with at the very beginning is good, about 10 in total. After playing each once, I was able to use my points to unlock new games. However, the more you spend the greater is the cost of each game.

The difficulty of each game varies, some games I was able to complete the first attempt, since a minimum score of each game is needed for it to be classified as cleared. However, if you delete a game, you can always go back and play and win coins for the results you get. Also, if you can not get the score needed to clear the game, you still have pieces to the score you have achieved. Moreover, some games I tried several times and have not yet achieved the score.

I have played so far about 25 games, and for them everything I had to use the stylus, then I am assuming it is a mostly stylus based game. For each of the games I played, there are instructions before playing, which is very useful. The instructions were nice, clear and obvious.

The graphics of the game is very well established. Furthermore, the game offers 6 languages: German, Spanish, Italian, French and Dutch. If you like short games, you are probably going to love this as each game is about 2 minutes. Fun for both kids and adults.

Nintendo Wii Bargain Deals

The Nintendo Wii is just over 2 years old, and now there are some truly remarkable deals for this amazing gaming console. If you're a gamer and don't have this game console yet, I suggest getting it now at a reduced price.

Nintendo's Wii video game system (pronounced "we") brings people of all ages and video game experience of playing together. This simple yet ground breaking is expressed not only the system, although the name suggests, which is easily pronounced in a variety of languages, and suggests two players side by side, but also through its innovative list of features and extensive list of playable titles.

A small box with plenty of power
As with all consoles, much of the buzz surrounds the specs. The Wii has 512 MB of internal flash memory, two USB 2.0 ports and a slot for SD memory expansion. The system's technological heart - a processing chip developed with IBM and code-named "Broadway" and a graphics chipset from ATI code-named "Hollywood" - deliver stunning performance. And instead of a tray, Wii USA a single, self-loading media bay that plays both 12 cm optical discs used for the new system, as well as Nintendo GameCube discs.

Revolutionary Control
No bigger than a small traditional remote control, the wireless Wii Remote is a truly multi functional device. The magic of the Wii Remote's design lies within; acellerometers inside the controller measure movement in all directions and at all speeds. In a tennis game, it serves as your racket as you swing away. In driving games it serves as a steering wheel, allowing you to swerve to avoid obstacles or pickup power-ups. In first-person shooters, it acts as a firearm that you can point directly at an enemy on the screen. The controller also has a force feedback "Rumble" feature and an expansion port for use with accessories, such as the Nunchuck, which adds an analog thumbstick and trigger buttons. The system allows up to four controllers to be connected to a time and utilizes standard Bluetooth wireless technology. For those who prefer the feel of a traditional controller an adapter is available that fits over the Wii's remote.

A channel for all
More than just a game machine, Wii also provides information and entertainment suitable for every family member. Some of the channels available include:

• Mii Channel - Miis are cute little caricatures you create to use as characters in a variety of Wii software. Store Miis on your Wii or load them to your Wii Remote and take them to a friend's house to use on their Wii.
• Everybody Votes Channel - The Everybody Votes Channel is packed with national and global research. Answer interesting questions and give their views. Up to six members of your family can vote. Just choose an answer and check in later to see the results.
• News Channel - Wii might be great for games, but you can also use it to get updates on the latest news from across the Internet organized into easy to navigate categories.
• Forecast Channel - Your Wii can automatically update you on the weather around the world.
• Wii Shop Channel - Download the Opera web browser and access games from classic consoles from the past. All you need is a Wii Points account.
• Virtual Console - Every Virtual Console game you download from the Wii Shop Channel appears in the Wii Menu as a separate Channel ready to select and play any time you like.
• Wii Message Board - Leave or receive messages from other family members on the calendar-based message board or use WiiConnect24 to send messages to people outside your home.
• Internet Channel - Just download the Opera browser for 500 Wii Points and within minutes you'll be a professional sofa surfer, pointing-and-click their way across the web with the Wii Remote.
• Photo Channel - Show off all your digital photos on your TV. Simply insert an SD memory card to your Wii and away you go.
• Disc Channel - The Disc Channel is backwards compatible with Nintendo GameCube, so you can play all your new Wii discs, along with all the classic Nintendo GameCube discs too!

Wii Sports is Included
This is what video games should be: fun for all. Wii Sports offers five distinct sports experiences, each using the Wii Remote controller to provide a natural, intuitive and realistic feel. To play a Wii Sports game, all you need do is pick up a controller and get ready for the step, or that are right hook. If you've played any of these sports before, you're ready for fun!

The depth of the Nintendo Game Catalog
Each Wii comes with a game compilation called "Wii Sports," including tennis, golf, baseball and bowling games, showing that the console's intuitive new controller, but Wii also plays games developed specifically for it, as well as fan-favorite games Nintendo's 20-year-old library. Its drive is compatible with GameCube discs, and select Nintendo titles from the NES original 1980's all the way through the Nintendo 64 are available for download through the "Virtual Console" for $ 5 and $ 10 respectively. To support this backwards compatibility the Wii includes four ports for classic Nintendo GameCube controllers and two slots for Nintendo GameCube Memory Cards. As if that were not enough, the Virtual Console will also make available some titles from SNES console contemporaries, Sega Genesis and TurboGrafx 16.

Also, Wii utilizes Nintendo's newly announced wireless feature, WiiConnect24. This feature allows players to receive content globally as Wii Message Board messages sent from other Wii consoles, Miis, e-mails, updated channel and game content, and notification of software updates even when the console is in a state of vigil, keeping the fun going even when you're not online.

What's in the Box:

• Wii Game Console
• One (1) with the Wii Remote Controller Wii Remote Jacket
• One (1) Nunchuk controller
• Wii Sports
• Sensor Bar
• The power cord
• Standard composite cable
• Stand

* Access to some channels may require your Wii should be set up with WiiConnect24.

Okay, it has been a good while, so pretty much everyone has come to grips with the fact that Star Wars: The Force Unleashed didn't even come close to what was expected of it. So, now that your wounds are well on their way to healing, you are asked to take another leap of faith, although this one may not be near as hard as you might think since we are talking the BioWare/LucasArts joint venture, Star Wars: The Old Republic.

The first journey into the world of PC-based MMOs, TOR is set thousands of years before the birth of Anakin Skywalker and about 300-years after the events of the BioWare classic Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. During this period neither the Galactic Republic, guarded by the Jedi, or the resurgent Sith Empire have gained the upper hand. Players can choose to play as a representative of either side of the force, or as any number of other species/classes from the Star Wars universe. There are loads of details that have yet to be released about this title: price to play, release date, Mac support, total character classes, etc., etc. For now though all that is really know is that it will be on the PC and introduce a heavy story component to the MMO standard pillars of: Exploration, Combat and Progression. With all the movies, books and previous games how could it not. To keep up on breaking info on TOR feel free to join the games online community.

So far it sounds, and judging by the video below, looks fantastic. And uh-oh, another must-play MMO. Look out underclassmen. Just when you think you are out, they pull you back in!

--Hobson's Choice

More gaming articles, reviews, and deals at the GAMING CORNER.

So, it was just after last New Years and I'm sitting in a room with some of the guys from Rockstar NYC. They had just finished limping through a demo of the radio station functionality in GTA IV and I ask them about Midnight Club Los Angeles, mostly why its release was being pushed. I pretty much heard "bla, bla, bla...but it's gonna be so much bigger and better than Burnout Paradase. It's gonna have real parts of LA in it..." Yup, Burnout Paradise had just released and understandably everyone was pretty high on it.

Months later as MCLA is about ready to roll out some South Central specific DLC maps for both the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions, I gotta say I think they were right, at least in the reality department. Being from LA myself, it is pretty cool that they were keen on inserting some of iconic LA kitsch scenery into the game. The only thing better would be the hotdog stand, downtown by the courthouses that gives out legal advice. Following suit, I think it is/was shaped like a hotdog as well, but that could just be the remnants of the subpoena talking. Anyway, joints like these that have been around since the 50s or earlier, and it looks like the image below may be of the Randy's Doughnuts in Inglewood or is it Compton? Regardless, well done Rockstar on making an old Angeleno transplant happy.

Aside from my own personal jollies, I think that what Rockstar has done here could be a good business move that should be applied to other games as doable. Video games get stale awful quick, so by
monetizing DLC that can feasibly be generated to cover several metro areas where the game will probably sell well, publishers and developers can
keep the register working long after it might otherwise be time to
close up shop or have a fire sale. In the case of Midnight Club Los Angeles, that
time looks to be a good ways off yet. Beyond actual LA environs the DLC will contain
new character competitions, races, cars and more. As far as I know, no exact date beyond early '09 has been set for its release and pricing has not been noted either. You can read more about this DLC and hopefully others at the Rockstar's Midnight Club Los Angeles page. One question for Rockstar though. Where is the DLC love for East LA? Come on, just take the 10 east to the 60. You can't miss it.

--Hobson's Choice

More gaming articles, reviews, and deals at the GAMING CORNER.

Okay first things first. The connection to video games here is tenuous at best, and technically we are talking more of a 'musical happening,' rather than a Broadway song & dance extravaganza, but that's just nitpicking now isn't it. According to a story on the BBC's site, next year London's O2 arena will play host to the debut of Star Wars: A Musical Journey. A joint project by LucasFilm and composer John Williams, Star Wars: A Musical Journey is a live take on the 2005 DVD of the same name. In it the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra will play a live score as excerpts from the six films are shown on a mega screen.
Tying the visual parts and pieces together will be a series of live narrators, and uhm, maybe a few lightsaber duels and Force blasts as well? Mmmmm, difficult to see.

In the digital age where electronic and thin are in, this sort of larger than life, acoustic affair isn't necessarily up everyone's alley, and frankly that's a shame. This program reminds me of two things, the glory days of the modern blockbuster, during which the original Star Wars movies, along with other musically impressive 70's titans like Rocky and Jaws were king, and marching band. Yup, there was a time when high school music directors, anxious to own halftime and field competitions, couldn't lay off trying their hands, and those of their students at replicating, in musical sense, the events of that galaxy, far, far away. That time has apparently come again, only this time around I'm quite certain that a better-trained padawan than myself will be on spit valve duty.

The show starts in early April '09 in London and will almost certainly tour as well. Will this Journey make it to the farthest reaches of the outer rim that you call home? Patience. Time will tell. All I know is that my Mother-in-law has symphony tickets and I'm feeling pretty good about my chances.

--Hobson's Choice

More gaming articles, reviews, and deals at the GAMING CORNER.

I admit that I'm not normally in favor of an even playing field when it comes to positioning myself for freebies, but in the case of the 7,000 free downloadable game codes that Spike TV is giving away this weekend, I'll make an exception since the odds seem more or less pretty good.

The occasion is the 2008 Video Game Awards. I've no idea when the awards are, but I do know that Spike TV will be giving away 7,000 free download codes that most console and PC gamers will probably have some interest in. The games are Braid (XBLA), PixelJunk Eden (PSN), World of Goo (WiiWare) or AudioSurf (Steam). Of course you will need the appropriate console/PC and connectivity to the Web to take advantage of the game if you are chosen. And you must provide an email address so Spike can spam you with all sorts of Viacom related chafe until the second coming, but there is a minimal opt-out option and of course the old delete key. Entry to the giveaway is open until tomorrow, Sunday December 14th at 9pm EST, and just so you know, these freebies have nothing to do with Amazon.com. Good luck, but keep your hands off my game code.

--Hobson's Choice

More gaming articles, reviews, and deals at the GAMING CORNER.

I can't say that I watched Spike TV's Video Game Award show this weekend or that there was was really much of a reason to do so. Oh, actually, there were all the trailers that they played for the first time. Then again, you can see all those here as well, not in as good a quality, but you can still see them. There are six of them. Check them out.

Watchmen: The End is Nigh
Most, but not necessarily all fans will be cheering this prequel to the events of the famous graphic novel. There is of course also an upcoming movie, but an article in this month's EGM seems to make it clear that game developer, Deadline Games, is making a huge effort to make the game stand out as an entirely different event from both the comics and the movie. The fact that in the game we'll be seeing Watchmen characters in their youth, versus the past-their-prime portrayl in the comic, is a good sign of this if just for the play value. The game will be download only and serialized, with the first episode releasing on PlayStation 3 on PSN, Xbox 360 on XBL and for PC on Steam in March '09, at the same time as the movie.

God of War III
Sony's Olympian rage-fest continues and it will almost certainly be the last go round if you can take Kratos at his own word (watch the video). Also, although the box art for this game remains in flux, one aspect of this has remained the omega symbol. The last symbol in the Greek alphabet, that is a tip off you can't miss. Like all other GoW games, this will a be a PlayStation exclusive and may be timed to coincide with the rumored God of War Movie, although that will probably not be out until 2010 and so seems pretty far away.


GTA IV: The Lost and the Damned (Downloabable Content)
Yes, the first of two episodes of Grand Theft Auto IV's DLC will be here soon, at least for Xbox 360 players. It will be available for now exclusively through Xbox LIVE and be available on February 17th if all goes well. It will feature a new main character, plot, missions, vehicles, weapons, music etc... Here is more info direct from Rockstar Games.


Dante's Inferno
EA takes on the first part of the allegorical Medieval poem, The Divine Comedy. Its nine circles of hell and first-person perspective have video game written all over it. Hopefully it won't be screwed up though, since Alighieri's works is a world classic, the pillar of post-Roman Italian literature and only the first part of a three-part piece. So, with this much material to work with, I'm hoping for a non-Constantine affair. EA wouldn't want to lose out on follow-up Next-Gen hits like, Purgatory: Stuck in the Middle Again, or Paradise: You Can't Get There From Here. No idea when this is releasing in '09.


Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
Part 2 of the PS3's Uncharted franchise will look to have game hero Drake and players kissing the tropics goodbye for a trip to the snows of the northland. There are not too many no hard details are available yet, but there certainly will as we get closer to the title's Fall '09 release date.


Brutal Legend
Yup, Jack Black is getting a rock 'n roll inspired game. All in all I think I would have preferred Spinal Tap: the Game, but Brutal Legend is rumored to feature voice talent by Lemmy (Motorhead), Rob Halford (Judas Priest) and Ronnie Games Dio (all things Dio!), so it couldn't be all bad. It will publish on Xbox 360 and PS3 in fall '09.


--Hobson's Choice

More gaming articles, reviews, and deals at the GAMING CORNER.

Nintendo fanboys clamoring to cash in on their collection of DS and Wii hardware and games through Club Nintendo may have to wait a little while longer, or at least take a little time to figure out what they have bopping around in the old game box that qualifies.

The North American version of Club Nintendo launched yesterday and is designed to offer Nintendo-themed freebies to Wii and DS players who take the time to register their consoles and Nintendo-published games, indicate their interest in upcoming games and take surveys. In doing these things members earn 'coins,' which in turn are redeemed for rewards, aka freebies. Seems like a goldmine of Nintendo shwag for the faithful, but there have been some issues. Shortly after the site went up yesterday it came down again, probably due to traffic, which is understandable. It was noted in various places last night that it was back up. This is true. I went there myself and since I was already registered with Nintendo was able to migrate that info over easily to my Club Nintendo account. Unfortunately there is still a fairly severe loading time on many of the pages, a tendency for the system to log you out when changing pages and a problem with the functionality that lets you indicate your buying interest in titles. Also, for Nintendo fans with their own back catalog in 'the box' I mentioned, there is the limited number of past DS, Wii and Wii Shopping Channel games that can be registered for coins and the delay on seeing the points appear in their account. I'm sure the fanboys in the house can live with the list of nearly 90 titles on the list. This is actually not too bad, unless you have been very heavy in your old school virtual console purchases. Either way you may want to wait until the site is fully operational before doing any registering of games in order to maximize the number of coins you walk away with.

--Hobson's Choice

More gaming articles, reviews, and deals at the GAMING CORNER.

Most gamers with fond memories of the arcades, bowling alleys and convenience stores of their childhood, have probably heard of, and/or seen the King of Kong. What many might not know though is that KoK was not the only arcade related documentary that came out in 2007. There was also Chasing Ghosts: Beyond the Arcade.

Even though it got a fair send off via a screening at the 2007 Sundance film festival, it could be that the thinking was that there just wasn't enough room in 2008 for two old school upright arcade flicks, so not many people saw it. 2008 is almost over though and it looks like Chasing Ghosts is getting another shot, this time on Showtime throughout December. The film flashes back to the glory days of several top players and others from the heyday of the arcade craze in the US and Canada, juxtaposing this against their current lives. I haven't seen it myself but it is queued on the DVR. Check it out, if just to get another look at the king of cheese, Billy Mitchell.

--Hobson's Choice

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By this time everyone who hasn't been living in a cave knows about the infamous boot tossing at President Bush by an Iraqi journalist the other day. However you feel about the President and how the country was run under his administration, one thing you have to say for Mr. Bush, he's got great reflexes

Totally unconnected to the specifics of the incident, what I find interesting in its fallout is the way web-based flash games continue to take over the satirical role that political cartoons once filled. (see the games of the '08 presidential elections post). Our country has a rich and scathing history of political satire in cartoon form in newspapers and magazines and anyone who noticed how fast the Bush's Boot Camp flash game, as well as others like Sock and Awe, Flying Babush and Can You Throw a Show at Bush popped up on the Web after the footwear was flung on Monday, should be able to acknowledge the potential for this in flash technology. The games are certainly is no works of art, but they were not designed to be awe inspiring. They were instead designed to capture the moment, and immortalize it from a particular point of view that people in this particular time can appreciate, or at least recognize. In a hundred years will anyone sitting where we are now really know why the United States was in Iraq, much less why in the last days of his administration the sitting president of the US was a target for a shoe two shoes? Terrorism, freedom, oil, post Cold War posturing, bad decision making, unacceptable collateral damage, all of these, none of these? Who knows. By that time seemingly mortal wounds will have healed and there will have been so many other crisises around the world that the actual history of our entire period will have been skewed to fit within a few paragraphs in a high school text book. What will remain though for those willing to look a little deeper will be a series of quaint bits of code that historians and/or game nerds of the day will explain were what the people of our time referred to as, 'flash games.' On figuring a way to duplicate our primitive input methods, nobody in these future days will understand why they were called flash games, since by then they will certainly seem the antithesis of that. They will be equally puzzled by this whole shoe tossing bit. But again, just like the satirical editorial comics of our own past, these snippets of code will offer a window into the past and individually conceived past moments that it consists of. Somehow I find it comforting to be reminded that for all the self-gratifying next-gen, core duo, bla-bidy-bla, that our little gaming habit tends to revolve around, that it is all just part of a media continuum that stretches forward and back further than we know.

Don't believe me on this whole continuum thing? Take a look at this image of a political cartoon from an 1861 issue of Vanity Fair. At first glance can you identify what pressing issues of the day and our own are being referenced? It seems nonsensical at first, but with a little digging, a fairly clear picture of what is being editorialized, and in what context, can be guessed at. Like I said, some day someone will be doing the same with these shoe flash games, so backup your files and game on! Hit this link and scroll down just a bit for some brief info on this political cartoon.

--Hobson's Choice

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Honestly, it has been a good long while since I've played any StarCraft, but seeing as StarCraft II is on the horizon, I've been meaning to polish up my real-time strategy (RTS) chops in the hopes of not getting massacred on day one of its arrival at Battle.net. So, needless to say I wasn't terribly upset when the 2008 release date for the initial StarCraft II release was pushed (there will also be two expansions). It's just more time for me to get ready. Right now, I think that a reasonable expected release date is late February '09.

Also, and to the real point of this post, Blizzard today released the first of several StarCarft II Battle Reports. These video reports are designed to demonstrate both for players new to the RTS genre and StarCraft, as well as hardened veterans, what StarCraft II gameplay is all about. This first report features a match between Matt Cooper and David Kim, two of Blizzard's StarCraft II game balance designers. It is a little long, but gives some nice detail on battlefield tactics, units and strategy. Its pacing is a little fast, since that is the nature of the game, so those not overly familiar with the StarCraft universe should probably check out the StarCraft site to get a look at the game features, playable races, units, etc. Looks like this is going to be a good one, so stay tuned.

--Hobson's Choice

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As dominant as the Wii has been since its launch, a consistent knock on the system, as well as a soapbox for some who have called it a fad, is that it doesn't feature video functionality. Of course this isn't necessary for the Wii to succeed as a gaming device. It has done that and more. But with the Xbox 360, and to a lesser extent the PS3, attracting non-gamers with their video on-demand options, Nintendo will be offering a streaming video option in 2009. This Nintendo specific service will apparently be separate from the anime downloads that will also be available to Wii owners in Japan via Fuji Soft's 'Everyone's Theater Wii service.'

The catch to the Nintendo specific video option is that like all things Nintendo, the service will launch first in Japan and no releases information has been made available for the rest of the world. No problem. It will get to the masses eventually and it looks like it will be a VERY stripped down version of what, for example Xbox 360 owners enjoy both via download on LIVE Marketplace and via streaming video through Netflix. Nintendo is partnering with Japanese ad firm Dentsu Inc. to develop the functionality, which will feature original Nintendo programming, possibly with advertising, priced anywhere from free to a few hundred points. So, that said we are almost certainly looking at an entirely gaming centric offering here, versus diversification into movies, TV and the like that is available on the other consoles. Sorry middle America, but you might want to put down those popcorn bowls because that sounds very different from video on-demand.

It could be that Everyone's Theater Wii Service could fill this niche to some extent, but if not, is Nintendo shooting itself in the foot by not taking the leap? Not at all. A quick peek at November '08 sales confirms that the Wii continues to dominate the console gaming roost, and will almost certainly continue to do so for some time to come. The PS3 seems to be lagging in sales as the new year closes in, leaving very manageable competition from Xbox 360. Even if this functionality ends up being little more than a new and improved version of the existing Nintendo Channel, Nintendo may be fine with that. They are a gaming company and figure that they are safe sticking with what works. It would seem that they are right.

--Hobson's Choice

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I admit that I'm not normally in favor of an even playing field when it comes to positioning myself for freebies, but in the case of the 7,000 free downloadable game codes that Spike TV is giving away this weekend, I'll make an exception since the odds seem more or less pretty good.

The occasion is the 2008 Video Game Awards. I've no idea when the awards are, but I do know that Spike TV will be giving away 7,000 free download codes that most console and PC gamers will probably have some interest in. The games are Braid (XBLA), PixelJunk Eden (PSN), World of Goo (WiiWare) or AudioSurf (Steam). Of course you will need the appropriate console/PC and connectivity to the Web to take advantage of the game if you are chosen. And you must provide an email address so Spike can spam you with all sorts of Viacom related chafe until the second coming, but there is a minimal opt-out option and of course the old delete key. Entry to the giveaway is open until tomorrow, Sunday December 14th at 9pm EST, and just so you know, these freebies have nothing to do with Amazon.com. Good luck, but keep your hands off my game code.

--Hobson's Choice

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Most gamers with fond memories of the arcades, bowling alleys and convenience stores of their childhood, have probably heard of, and/or seen the King of Kong. What many might not know though is that KoK was not the only arcade related documentary that came out in 2007. There was also Chasing Ghosts: Beyond the Arcade.

Even though it got a fair send off via a screening at the 2007 Sundance film festival, it could be that the thinking was that there just wasn't enough room in 2008 for two old school upright arcade flicks, so not many people saw it. 2008 is almost over though and it looks like Chasing Ghosts is getting another shot, this time on Showtime throughout December. The film flashes back to the glory days of several top players and others from the heyday of the arcade craze in the US and Canada, juxtaposing this against their current lives. I haven't seen it myself but it is queued on the DVR. Check it out, if just to get another look at the king of cheese, Billy Mitchell.

--Hobson's Choice

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Truth be told, that headline should read Wrath of the Lich King Expansion Pack & World of Warcraft news. Anyway, as most people easily guessed, the Lich King expansion to the World of Warcraft has been huge. 2.8 million sold worldwide in the first 24 hours qualifies. I wonder how many were pre-orders? Also, within 24 hours came the first media frenzy around gaming addiction as a kid in Sweden collapsed after going on a 15-hour bender. He won't be the last I'm sure. Anyway, all are signs of success, especially that 2.8 million number, since the other 8 million+ paying subscribers who are currently playing will want their copies sooner or later. So, on to the Blizzard PR machine. They've done well in the past with their video campaign (remember Mr. T, the Simpsonesque Stephen Hawking, Shatner...) and so they've ramped that up again, this time apparently targeting the less geeky among us with one from Ozzy and one from the not so little any more Stevie Van Zandt.

And what could be next for WoW? Apparently Blizzard recently opened up servers in Russia and Latin America, so I think what will be next will be more subscribers in the near future. According to Blizzard CEO Mike Morhaime, there will be another expansion in about a year and subscription costs will remain as is. Also, it would seem that a WoW movie is becoming more and more likely. Legendary Pictures, is looking for scripts and directorial talent as we speak. I keep threatening to make millions out of nowhere. I had better get on this one before someone beats me to it. Then again something tells me that the WoW party train will be chugging along for sometime and churning out expansion after expansion. So, maybe I'll wait until they need an After School Special written, or better yet, Diablo: The Musical. Yeah, I'll get right on those.

--Hobson's Choice

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