The Select and Start News Report: 08.20.07
Posted by Vincent Chiucchi on 08.20.2007
A new episode of "Price Cuts", how MMO's improve your social life, stock options, Dr.Phil having Thompson as a guest(?), and more
Welcome to the Select and Start News Report, quickly crashing through your veins and using you to fall back down again. BioShock is going to be released tomorrow and based on the reviews of several websites, it seems Bioshock really is that damn great of a game. On GameRankings it currently has a 99% ranking based on 8 reviews (so eventually it's going to drop). If this keeps up BioShock could not only be Game of the Year, but quite possibly the best game of this console generation. So yeah...if you've got a PC or Xbox 360, go get the game.
But there's more to the news this week then just BioShock! Well not really, but I've got to type up something. Let's see what's been going on.
Big News
And now, for another episode of the award winning series...
[credit: GameSpot]
The 60GB PS3 lowered it's price to $499, but now the price is going even lower...sort of. Sony is currently making an offer that if you apply and get approved for a Sony-branded credit card, you will get a $150 main-in rebate for anything you buy at the online Sony Style store, which includes the 60GB PS3. So technically, after you buy it and wait about 8-12 weeks, you can get a 60GB PS3 for $349! Hurry before the offer is too late!
In other price cut news, the Xbox 360 is now the same price as the Wii in Australia at A$399.95.
WANT A SOCIAL LIFE? PLAY AN MMORPG! [credit: GameDaily, Gamasutra]
A new study at the Nottingham Trent University in the UK shows that three quarteres of MMORPG players make good friends with the people they play with. Almost half of them wind up meeting in real life and about one in ten develop a physical relationship. Other findings included:
-30% find themselves attracted to another player
-40% would rather discuss sentitive issues with online friends rather then real friends
-One in five participants believed that MMORPGs had a negative effect on their relationships if their partner was not a player, while more than two-thirds felt they had a positive effect on their relationships with those who did play.
-Females were significantly more likely than males to be attracted to other players
-Females main reason for playing is "therapeutic refreshment", while males main reasons where "curiosity, astonishment and interest".
-About one third feel they can be "more themselves" in the game rather then in real life.
This study almost makes me want to start playing an MMO again. But then I remember about the asshole players, monthly fees, the unbalanced quests...and suddenly I hate MMORPGs all over again.
IT NEVER FUCKING ENDS! [credit: Gamasutra, GameDaily]
Officials from Take-Two Interactive have confirmed that the company has received a Wells notice from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), which indicates that the commission may file charges against Take-Two over its past stock option practices.
The Wells notice from SEC investigators indicates that they are seeking authority from the commission to file charges and pursue a civil monetary penalty. The Wells notice also provides Take-Two with an opportunity to petition against the SEC filing charges.
You know that even after all these freaking stock options news I still don't know what the hell stock options are? So instead of giving my opinion which could be summed up with the "von Karma Headbang", I'm going to look up the definition on Wikipedia:
An Employee stock option is a call option on a company's own stock issued as a form of non-cash compensation. Restrictions on the option (such as vesting and limited transferability) attempt to align the holder's interest with those of the business' shareholders. If the company's stock rises, holders of options experience a direct financial benefit. This gives employees an incentive to behave in ways that will boost the company's stock price.
DR.PHIL BACK WHERE HE DOESN'T BELONG [credit: Kotaku]
Ah, Dr.Phil. Last time I talked about him I called him a dick for blaming games for the VT Massacre. That and the incident with the Bumfights guy. Even though it seemed like a one time thing, he's back to talking about the effects of violent video games on his show. He recently taped an episode about this issue and the show is said to have a mysterious special guest labeled as a "game violence specialist."
That means in the worst case scenario, we're going to get Jack Thompson on Dr.Phil. Thompson, as we all by know, is to video games what the Westboro Baptist Church is to homosexuals. I'm pretty sure it's going to be like the Don Imus episodes of Oprah: a whole hour (maybe even 2) of worthless bullshitting.
Tidbit News
-MTV is investing $500 Million for it's games division through 2009, which includes Nickarcade.com, Neopets, Shockwave, AddictingGames, Harmonix, Xfire, and GameTrailers. They mean serious business. [credit: Gamasutra, GameDaily]
-In other Bioshock news, Thompson wrote an angry letter to Take-Two claiming they're marketing the game to kids because it aired druing an episode of Smackdown. So apparently, Jack Thompson likes to watch wrestling. I wonder if he's sent any angry letters to TNA. [credit: Destructoid]
-Charles Huang, cofounder and chief operating officer of RedOctane, is pretty "irked" that Rock Band is constantly being called an EA title even though the game is being developed by Harmonix and published by MTV. [credit: GameDaily]
-The latest stats in the format war shows that Blu-Ray has outsold HD-DVD 2-to-1 for the first half of 2007, with 1.6 million discs sold. This is mostly thanks to the PS3 and Blockbuster choosing Blu-Ray. [credit: GameDaily]
-According to a new report by Parks Associates, casual gaming is the number one online activity, with 34% of adult users playing games weekly compared to 29% using sites like YouTube and 19% using social networking sites like MySpace and Facebook. [credit: Gamasutra]
-The new company Blazing Lizard has announced their first downloadable game, entitled "Pirates vs. Ninjas Dodgeball". The game will feature five teams and...oh what does it matter? Pirates + Ninjas + Dodgeball = Instant Greatness![credit: GameDaily]
-Because Atari never got around to filing their 10-Q forms, they have been delisted from the NASDAQ. So when are they going out of business already? [credit: Gamespot]
-Organizers of the forthcoming 2008 Independent Games Festival, part of the yearly Game Developers Conference, have announced that finalists and winners of this year's festival will be awarded with free assistance and consultation with 'Game Attorney' Thomas H. Buscaglia. I wish I can a lawyer in a contest. [credit: Gamasutra]
-Sony is going to take the behavior of people playing on Home seriously, as Peter Edward, director of the Home Platform Group, says they will be banning abusive players from the network using the machines details, including where you live.[credit: GameSpot]
-Knibble.com has launched a Wii version of it's games site, where you can over 5000 play games such as Bejeweled and Solitaire through the internet channel. But what's the point if they don't have Throw Paper? [credit: GameDaily]
-Microsoft expects Halo 3's debut sales to reach $155 million. Maybe they can use that money to fund for the Halo movie. [credit: GameDaily]
-Rockstar Leeds founder Gordon Hall thinks the industry needs to get behind Manhunt 2, because having the game banned is an attack against the industry that games aren't art. Face it Gordon: You're either going to have to change the way the game is played or not have it released. [credit: GameDaily]
The Other Crap
OTHERLY GAME REVIEWS
Remember the trivia game You Don't Know Jack? I recently found out about the website where you can play the game for free.
The game is simple. Guy reads off the question, you pick one of four choices, you earn (fake) cash depending on how fast you answer. Question 7 is the "Jack Attack" round where you have to match two things together based on the category. The site has 23 different episodes to play and daily Dis or Dats. Since the episodes will always have the same questions, the daily Dis or Dats are the real reason to constantly visit the site. You can also buy the PC games on there as well.
WEEKLY SMASH BROS. ROUNDUP
The following Smash Bros. Update is brought to you by the New World Order:
Smash Bros. 4 Life
-Pokemon Trainer. Last time we got a new character it didn't seem so surprising seeing how so far, Ike almost seems like a Marth/Roy clone. But this time we're getting something completely different as Pokemon Trainer (yes, that's his name) joins the character line-up, and instead of him fighting, he stays in the background and calls out his team of Squirtle, Ivysaur, and Charizard. Besides the damage meter they'll also apparently have their own personal stamina meter that goes down if you leave them out too long or swap too much. I REALLY want to see a video of this!
-Devil. A character from a Japan-only game makes an appearance and moves the entire stage where he's pointing. Elimination hilarity is sure to ensue.
-Stickers. Since the trophies are now being used as items, you've got to have something else to collect. You can collect these and make screenshots of your work.
-Tether Recovery. Remember how Link used his claw shot to hold on to the edge of the stage? Now it seems many of the other characters will have abilities like that, though they only showed off Zero Suit Samus.
-Peach. Nothing new here.
RANDOM RANT
-Last time I talked about TNA, I gave the von Karma headbang. With the recent firings and hirings going around, here's my latest opinion on TNA:
GAMING CALENDAR
TOMORROW - BioShock is released
August 24th:
-Blue Dragon to be released
-Xbox 360 Elite Release Dated For Europe and Canada
The Microsoft RPG Blue Dragon has finally arrived. With the guys behind Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy involved, this has got to be good.
August 27th - Metroid Prime 3 to be released
August 31st
-Guild Wars: Eye of the North to be released
-Auto Assault to be shut down
September 20th - Slimlime PSP to launch in Japan
September 25th - Halo 3 to be released
October 9th - Half-Life 2: Episode 2 "orange box" to be released
NEW: October 9th - Fury to be released
October 11th - Microsoft to release Xbox 360 Elite in Japan
NEW: October 31st
-Hellgate: London to be released
-Dementium: The Ward to be released
November 2007 - Call of Duty 4 release date?
November 5th - Area 51: Blacksite to be released
November 12th - Super Mario Galaxy to be released
November 16th - Crysis to be releaseed
NEW: November 20th - Rock Band release date?
At least according to GameStop.
December 3rd - Smash Bros. Brawl to be released
March 1st, 2008 - Metal Gear Solid 4 to be released
