Headlines, Politics, Press Releases
ESRB Finally Plays the Games They Rate
Have you ever looked at the ESRB label on the back of a game only to ask yourself, “What the hell does that mean?” Vague descriptions such as “Comic Mischief” and “Mild Violence” (as opposed to “spicy violence”?) have plagued the ESRB’s rating system for years, potentially confusing parents trying to decide whether or not Conker’s Bad Fur Day would be a worthwhile purchase for the kiddies. Yet, as of November 12, in an attempt to help clarify what content can be found in each game, the ESRB has added “rating summaries” for games on their website.
In a somewhat surprising move to most of the gaming community, EA has decided to get rid of its casual gaming label. This comes as an attempt to recover from a financially disastrous quarter, in which they lost a net of $310 million. The Casual division, formed just over a year ago, barely had a chance to stretch its non-hardcore legs.
Oh, BioShock. Is there really a way to fully enumerate how wonderful an experience you are? Maybe it’s the incredibly unique setting, the idea of genetic amplification, or simply the recurring nightmares I have about freaky little mutated girls drawing fluid from me with giant syringes that makes this game so memorable. Originally released only for Xbox 360 and Windows, the world of Rapture finally came to the PlayStation 3 last month, and Sony stalwarts are getting some bonuses for their patience: namely, PS3-exclusive downloadable content. Details on the DLC, due out November 20th, have recently been revealed.
You’d think that prison inmates would warmly welcome ways to pass time behind bars that didn’t involve shoveling escape routes with spoons or lifting weights. It’s hard to believe, but I guess even porn and prison tattoos lose their appeal after a while, and eventually inmates turn to other means of entertainment. Strangely enough, however, one inmate is holding a grudge like nobody’s business against the world’s greatest time killer: World of Warcraft. I’d reckon that being an orc would probably be better than being your cellmate’s “bitch,” but maybe I’m mistaken. 
With the American economy’s schizophrenic behavior over the past few months, gamers have been doing whatever they can to cut the costs for new games. One of the easiest ways to shave off a few dollars is, of course, buying a used game from places like GameStop or eBay. The unfortunate part about doing this, however, is that the game developers make no money when their products are bought second hand. Now that used game sales are more profitable than ever (used games made up 49% of GameStop’s $1.8 billion in sales during 2008’s first quarter), members of the industry are speaking out against skimping on retail game purchases.
Way back in 1972 when Pong, the world’s first successful video game, hit the market, no one could’ve imagined how huge this medium would become. The industry has evolved from its humble digital-table-tennis roots to raking in money comparable to the film industry. It has become so large, both financially and culturally, that people have started taking steps to ensure the preservation of the medium’s history. On September 19th, Nottingham Trent University (NTU) announced the creation of the UK’s first official National Videogame Archive (NVA), a joint venture between Nottingham Trent University and the National Media Museum in Bradford, which will catalogue gaming’s history “from the humble beginnings of 1972’s ‘Pong,’ to the blockbusters of the 21st Century.”
A 43 year-old Japanese woman has been arrested for allegedly hacking into the game MapleStory, where she virtually killed her online ex-husband.
As I’m sure you’ve heard, The Beatles are coming to Rock Band. The Fab Four announced Thursday they will be making their digital debut via a partnership with MTV and Harmonix, which looks to see the band featured in its own exclusive Rock Band title, slated for a holiday 2009 release. Of course, this is a major announcement for a plethora of reasons. The most important reason is hidden underneath the surface of this monstrous musical development. 