Tecmo will be redefining the word “handheld” with its latest announcement, Dead or Alive Paradise, which promises to bring everyone’s favorite batch of barely clothed busty babes to Sony PSP owners in Japan this coming Spring 2010.

Paradise is what you might call a stripped down (pun intended) version of the Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball (DOAX) series. DOAX is a game that revolves around the lovely ladies of the DOA series prancing around in sometimes barely-existent bikinis on a beautiful private beach doing anything but fighting.

In fact, they take their competitive spirits to the sandy shores for games of volleyball and the glistening waves for relaxing jet ski races. An integral part of the game includes wooing the various girls vacationing on the beach by buying them an assortment of gifts including skimpy swimwear. Thrown into the mix were a slew of quirky but sexy mini-games including butt bouncing and water sliding.

Paradise is based on a cell phone port of DOAX that only featured the mini-games and, of course, showcase your beloved beauties in their best buxom beach suit.

Unfortunately, Tecmo hasn’t said anything about a new installment to the DOA fighting series but, with this new game, there are sure to be a slew of fans who’d rather make love instead of war.

Site [Dead or Alive Paradise] Read [Joystiq]

Full Story ? | Written by Janine Dong for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article ?

This Tuesday (November 17, 2009) Microsoft unleashed a new update for it’s Xbox 360 system.

The new update includes the ability to use a bigger screen, a clearer picture and accessibility from the comfort of your living room couch.

To access all this cool stuff, you need an Xbox live membership, and of course an Xbox 360 system. All these updates are available now, and you should see it right when you log onto your profile.

Here’s the breakdown:

• Facebook:

Almost everyone in the world is on Facebook; Now you can access it from your 360 console. Update your status, leave messages for your friends, play games and upload pictures, just like you would on your computer. You can also compare your Xbox Live and Facebook friends lists to see which of your friends are on Xbox Live .

• Zune:

Listen to music and watch videos right from your 360 with instant-on HD in 1080p and 5.1 channel surround sound. You don’t even have to wait for buffering or downloading, the video or song is there as quickly as a button push. You can also share your music with up to six friends through Avatar integration and voice chat.

• Twitter:

Along with telling people what you are doing every second of the day, you can also view friend profiles, trends and conversations, and search to see if anyone is tweeting about your favorite game.

• Last.fm:

This feature allows you to listen to your own personal radio station right on your 360. You can skip, ban, or love a song is it seems fit; create your perfect mix. There are even now “gamer stations” with game related and styled music, picked just for the gaming community.

Site [Xbox] Read [Stage Select]

Full Story ? | Written by Jessica Moen for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article ?

Who says print is dead? World of Warcraft, the game that has spawned an entire subculture of fans (and millions of happy subscribers/addicts) will soon be getting its very own print publication. According to GameDaily, the new mag will be a quarterly publication, available to fans for the rather steep price (for four issues!) of $39.95 per year.

However, the production sounds pretty fantastic. There will be no ads (so this puppy will be entirely subscription-based), and yes, you can only get it if you sign up and pay up. The very first issue will feature 148 pages (massive for a gaming-oriented publication), complete with a bonus “fifth anniversary perspective about the evolution of the game, it’s future, and top tips from top guild leaders”.

If you really, really love WoW (and I realize, that speaks to many folks), this sounds like the ultimate way to stay tapped in to the community. I personally love a good, well-produced print magazine (RIP, Electronic Gaming Monthly!), so I’m all in favor of resurrecting the format, especially for specialized audiences. In fact, this model only really makes sense for a loyal, premium-paying target (otherwise, gamers get their news, reviews and commentary almost exclusively online these days).

If you’re interested, mosey on over to the magazine’s official site and check it out.

Read [GameDaily] Site [WoW Magazine]

Full Story ? | Written by Danielle Riendeau for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article ?

Kiddies, you may want to sit down for this one. I have some bad news.

During a chat with ArsTechnica, Sony Computer Entertainment of America’s marketing director, John Koller, the longtime question of what Sony plans to do about PlayStation 2 backwards compatibility on PlayStation 3 was asked and met with a disturbing answer:

“It’s not coming back, so let me put that on the table,” Koller says…

“It’s not as big as a purchase intent driver as you may be hearing,” he claimed. “We’ve got such a substantial lineup of titles on the PS3; most people are buying the PS3 for PS3 games. They’re buying it for PS3 games and Blu-ray movies.

“That won’t be returning.”

Sadly, I’m inclined to think Sony is meaning it this time around. The newly introduced PS3 Slim is apparently going to be the future of the PlayStation 3 according to Mr. Koller in the same interview, this means all the features the Slim has and doesn’t have are all we will be getting, probably until Sony introduces the PlayStation 4. A major bummer considering that PS2 backwards compatibility is one of the things that pushed me into purchasing the once $600 console, especially since the patch released upscaling PS2 games.

This news doesn’t mean that Sony couldn’t bring PS2 games to the PlayStation Store ala the PSOne games it currently provides but then you have to wonder, what are they waiting for?

According to the July 2009 NPD numbers, the PlayStation 2 was the lowest selling of the three Sony systems, the second time in two consecutive months the system has fallen behind (it was also last in June). If Sony was waiting for consumers sales of the PlayStation 2 to slow down before they bring back PS2 and PS3 integration, now would seem to be the time to make their move.

As for the quote about consumers buying the PS3 for PS3 games, has Sony really given said consumers a choice in the last couple of years (60GB models were discontinued in 2007)?

Alright readers, sound off in the comment section below.

Read [ArsTechnica] Also Read [1UP] Also Read [Shacknews] Also Read [JoystickRadio]

Full Story ? | Written by Kris Rosado for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article ?

There has been a serious information explosion from Sony at GamesCom 2009 today, which rivals, and perhaps even puts to shame, the E3 2009 Sony press conference. After comparing the announcements, I’m definitely feeling more excited now.

The main announcement was the confirmation of a $299 slimmer PS3 that comes packaged with a 120 GB hard drive. The new version of the system will debut September, 2009. All existing PS3 models will experience a $100 price drop and will also cost $299 starting August 19, 2009. The new PS3 slim is 2/3 the size of the original PS3, and also uses 2/3 the power of the original PS3. It also comes with system software 3.00, has the Bravia Sync feature which lets you use a remote control, comes with a vertical stand and doesn’t allow other operating systems to be installed on it.

There’s also a big expansion coming to the PlayStation Store that PS3 and PSP owners have been waiting and begging for, TV shows and movies. Content for each region’s video section will be different and specifically tailored for that region, but it’s still great to know that it’s coming in November, 2009 for both the PS3 and PSP.

Europe will also be getting some new PSP colors soon. There will be Blossom Pink and Turquoise Green PSP-3000s released. The green PSP will also be available in a LittleBigPlanet bundle, in case you’re interested.

Some other major PSP announcements concern two new additions to the PlayStation Store. The first are minis, which are games that will be under 100mb. Minis will first be made available in North America and Europe on October 1, 2009. So there’ll be more downloadable goodness for PSPgo owners, especially since Sony is promising around 50 minis by the end of 2009 and EA is commiting to Sudoku and Tetris minis. The other big announcement is that digital reader is finally on the way, and will be in the North American and European PlayStation Stores in December, 2009. Marvel Comics, iVerse Media, Image Comics and IDW Publishing are among the comic companies who have commited to making content available via the service.

Sont also released a cavalcade of information about the following forthcoming games:

• Heavy Rain (PS3)
• ModNation Racers (PS3)
• Invizimals (PS3, PSP)
• Ratchet and Clank: A Crack in Time (PS3)
• Eye of Judgement (PSP)
• echoshift (PS3, PSP)
• Buzz! Quiz World (PS3, PSP)
• Fat Princess (PSP)
• Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (PS3)
• SingStar Take That (PS2, PS3)
• White Knight Chronicles (PS3)
• MAG (PS3)
• Jak and Daxter: The Lost Frontier (PSP)
• EyePet (PS3)
• LittleBigPlanet (PSP)
• DC Universe Online (PC, PS3)
• MotorStorm Arctic Edge (PS2, PSP)
• SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs: Fireteam Bravo 3 (PSP)
• God of War III (PS3)
• The Last Guardian (PS3)
• LocoRoco Midnight Carnival (PSP)
• PixelJunk Shooter (PS3)

And last, but not least, a bit of good news for Home fans. A version 1.3 upgrade is on its way, which will allow avatars to carry more stuff and also mark the debut of SingStar‘s community space.

Read [PlayStation.Blog Europe] Also Read [Stuff.tv] Also Read [Joystiq]

Full Story ? | Written by Jenni Lada for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article ?

Haven’t caught all of the Gamertell news this week?? Here’s your chance to catch up on this week’s top 10 articles!

• Best Buy may be matching used prices on new games in some markets
  “The game retail market could be getting a little more competitive, if the photo of a recent Best Buy ad is any indication. An eagle-eyed Cheap Ass Gamer reader in Utah spotted a Best Buy advertisement proclaiming…” MORE ?
• Latest Xbox Live update features games on demand, Netflix upgrades
  ” Several much-awaited updates to Microsoft’s Xbox Live go into effect today (August 11, 2009).? The Games on Demand service allows for the purchase of full Xbox 360 games (either by credit card or with Microsoft Points) from the Xbox…” MORE ?
• Mimobot’s making a fancy Hello Kitty USB Flash drive
  “Mimobot, makers of fancy USB Flash drives, today (August 11, 2009) announced the upcoming release of a Hello Kitty themed Flash drives. The drives will be available early September 2009, pre-empting Hello Kitty’s 35th Anniversary on November 1,…” MORE ?
• Apple App Store gaming update for the week of August 3 to August 9, 2009
  “The Apple App Store gaming update is Gamertell’s weekly look at the previous week’s Apple App Store game releases. We cover them all – good and not so good – in their respective categories with a breakdown…” MORE ?
• PAX 2009 schedule announced
  “The independent gamers gathering, Penny Arcade Expo (aka PAX), has made it to a sixth year (which cannot be said for some corporate sponsored expos). The event will take place September 4 through 6,…” MORE ?
• Gamertell Review: Bionic Heart for PC (also Mac and Linux)
  ” Title: Bionic Heart Price: $19.99 System(s): Windows PC (also for Mac and Linux) Release Date: July 27, 2009 Publisher (Developer): Tycoon Games (Tycoon Games) ESRB Rating: N/A. Since there are some mature themes and…” MORE ?
• Expect to see Ankama at GamesCom 2009
  “Ankama, the force behind DOFUS, Wakfu and Dofus-Arena have decided to fully support GamesCom 2009 by attending the August 19-23, 2009 convention in Cologne, Germany. And when I say fully support, I mean…” MORE ?
• PlayStation Store Update: Trivia Guru’s delight! (August 9 to 15, 2009)
  ” This week’s PlayStation Store update features the game TV Show King for $9.99 for the PlayStation 3, in the style of the more popular television game shows like wheel of fortune, weakest…” MORE ?
• Sony Home Update: Criss Angel Mindfreak exclusives on Home
  “Home Theater Special items and Giveaways This week members of the Sony Home community are treated to exclusive clips from Criss Angel’s upcoming show and an exclusive limited time free item at the theater now through Aug. 12, 2009. The…” MORE ?
• Gamertell Preview: The Clique: Diss and Make Up, (aka Queen Teen: The Clique) for DS
  “When a game for girls is released, especially if it has a title that could be considered cute or an attempt to be overly feminine, it is often dismissed by the gaming masses as something…” MORE ?

Full Story ? | Written by NEWS for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article ?

EA is also among the major companies ready to step up and support GamesCom 2009. And the company’s going to be putting on quite a show. It is bringing 42 games across all platforms to display, including the iPhone.

There are a number of highlights to check out, from the extraordinary amount of games being displayed, to a special press conference (which you can watch online via live stream), an exclusive closed door area with special games being shown, a booth set up just for Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning and the demo debut of Star Wars: The Old Republic.

Let’s look at the list of games EA is bringing along, in some shape or form, in alphabetical order:

1. All Points Bulletin (PC)
2. Army of Two: The 40th Day (PS3, PSP)
3. Battlefield: Bad Company 2 (PC, PS3, Xbox 360)
4. Brütal Legend (PS3, Xbox 360)
5. Bubble Bobble Evolution (cell phone)
6. Command & Conquer 4 (PC)
7. Command & Conquer: Red Alert (cell phone)
8. Dante’s Inferno (PC, PS3, PSP, Xbox 360)
9. Dead Space Extraction (Wii)
10. Dragon Age: Origins (PC, PS3, Xbox 360)
11. EA Sports Active: Personal Trainer (Wii)
12. FIFA 10 (cell phone, DS, PS2, PSP, Wii)
13. FIFA Manager 10 (PC)
14. Fight Night Round 4 (PS3, Xbox 360)
15. Game of Life (iPhone)
16. GI Joe (cell phone)
17. GI Joe: The Rise of the Cobra (DS, PS2, PS3, PSP, Wii, Xbox 360)
18. Hasbro Family Game Night 2 (Wii)
19. Littlest Pet Shop: Beach Friends (DS)
20. Littlest Pet Shop: City Friends (DS)
21. Littlest Pet Shop: Country Friends (DS)
22. Mass Effect 2 (PC, Xbox 360)
23. Monopoly Classic (iPhone)
24. My Sims Agents (DS, Wii)
25. NBA Live 10 (TBA)
26. Need for Speed: Nitro (DS, Wii)
27. Need for Speed Shift (cell phone, PC, PS3, PSP, Xbox 360)
28. NHL 10 (PS3, Wii, Xbox 360)
29. Rage (PC, PS3, Xbox 360)
30. RockBand: The Beatles (PS3, Wii, Xbox 360)
31. The Saboteur (PC, PS3, Xbox 360)
32. SimAnimals: Africa (Wii)
33. The Sims 3 (iPhone, PC, Mac)
34. The Sims 3 World Adventures (PC, Mac)
35. Spore Hero (Wii)
36. Spore Hero Arena (DS)
37. Star Wars: The Old Republic ()
38. Tetris (iPhone)
39. Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 (PS2, PS3, PSP, Wii, Xbox 360)
40. Tiger Woods PGA Tour Online (PC)
41. Trivial Pursuit (iPhone)
42. Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning (PC)

Now, bear in mind, not all of these games will be on display to the public. EA is going to have a press only business lounge set up in Hall 5.1, where special sessions will show off games not scheduled to appear at EA’s booth in Hall 6.1, like All Points Bulletin, Army of Two: The 40th Day, Command & Conquer 4, EA Sports Active: Personal Trainer, Rage, Rockband: The Beatles, The Sims 3 World Adventures, The Sabateur and Tiger Woods PGA Tour Online. The exclusive demonstrations will also show off information on some games that are appearing at the main booth, like Brütal Legend, Dante’s Inferno, Dead Space Extraction, Mass Effect 2 and The Sims 3.

If you’re attending and want to see, here are key EA locations to visit:

• General EA Booth: Hall 6.1, A-71, C-70 from August 19-23, 2009.
• EA Press Conference: Palladium, Schanzenstraße 36, Gebäude 197, 51063 Cologne at 4:30pm on August 18, 2009.
• Star Wars: The Old Republic demo debut: Hall 6.1 theater, B-066, A-061.
• Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning booth: Hall 9.1, Aisle A#041 and Aisle B#040.

Read [GamesIndustry.biz] Site [EA @ GamesCom]

Full Story ? | Written by Jenni Lada for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article ?

The independent gamers gathering, Penny Arcade Expo (aka PAX), has made it to a sixth year (which cannot be said for some corporate sponsored expos). The event will take place September 4 through 6, 2009, at the Washington State Convention and Trade Center in downtown Seattle, Washington.

The family-friendly gaming event admits anyone who can afford a ticket and promises, according to the press release sent today (August 12, 2009), “43 hours of content over three days, featuring a plethora of tournaments, freeplay areas,? geek movies, nerdcore concerts and panels by industry leaders on gamer lifestyle, challenges, education and careers.” Aside from the relatively low amount of adult content at the event (with the exception of the nerdcore performances), the event also embraces all types of gaming.

Tickets are $30 per day if you purchase passes prior to September 5, 2009, or $35 at the door (assuming any will be left). If you actually killed a tree to mail in a registration form, for shame. Oh, and it’s due this Saturday (August 15, 2009). Also, if you pre-register after August 15, you’ll need to pick up your fancy schmancy pass at the door.

The full PAX 2009 schedule is available as a PDF but here are a few haphazardly chronological panel or event highlights:

• PAX 2009 Keynote Ron Gilbert
• Breaking into the Game Industry the Educated Way
• Various Penny Arcade Q&As
• How can we make online gaming communities suck less?
• Post-N’Gai, Post-EGM Video Game Journalism, or Where Do We Go Now
• Working with Fans to Create Better Video Games
• Original Gangstas: Why Table-Top Gaming Still Packs Heat
• LIVE ON-STAGE DEMO – Assassins Creed II and Splinter Cell Conviction
• Psychiatry, Video Games, and Kids – The Science, The Opinions, and the Lies
• Girls and Games: The Growing Role of Women in the Game Industry
• Twitter and Beyond – New Game Communities Online
• Star Wars: The Old Republic live demonstration
• Pitch Your Game Idea (always popular)
• Sex in Videogames: A comparative Study
• “I’ve Just Been F#$%ing Fired”: How To Get Back Into the Industry On Your Own Terms Through Mobile Game Development
• Touching a New Generation: How the iPhone has Changed Portable Gaming
• Game Culture: How Gamers Impact Society & How Policy Affects Gamer Culture
• Wil Wheaton presents: THE AWESOME HOUR!!

PAX is a product of Penny Arcade webcomic strippers Jerry “Tycho” Holkins and Mike “Gabe” Krahulik.

If you go bring all of your portable gaming devices and make certain they are charged (and you have extra battery packs) since some of the events may require you wait in line for a while.

Site [PAX] Read [Gamertell] Download [PAX 2009 schedule (PDF)]

Full Story ? | Written by PJ Hruschak for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article ?

Home Theater

Special items and Giveaways

This week members of the Sony Home community are treated to exclusive clips from Criss Angel’s upcoming show and an exclusive limited time free item at the theater now through Aug. 12, 2009. The free item is a coffin-style sofa for their personal spaces, also, while watching the clip players will be entered into a give away for one of two real-life coffins used in Criss Angel: Mindfreak and one of three Criss Angel: Burn DVDs and books. Only five winners will be selected and to participate register and log on to Sony Home and visit Auditorium 1 to watch the video. Players can find the Theater in Central Plaza or by selecting the space from the World Map.

Home Shopping Mall

There really isn’t anything new going on space wise on home but there are a few new items available at the shopping mall located in Central Plaza, check it out:

Threads 1

Males Only:

• Western shirt for 99 cents
• Scenester Street top for 99 cents
• Victorian Vest and Shirt for 99 cents
• Padded Jacket for 99 cents
• Flower Power Button-down Shirt for 99 cents
• Bomber Jacket for 99 cents
• Argyle Ensemble for 99 cents
• Down Vest for 99 cents
• Board Shorts for 99 cents

Females Only

• Buckled Boots for 49 cents
• Ski Parka for 99 cents
• Cheongsam Top for 99 cents
• Jean Shorts for 99 cents

Threads 2

Both Male and Female:

• Animated Smiley Face T-shirt for $1.99
• Animated Revolving Earth T-shirt for $1.99

Males Only:

• Band Jacket for 99 cents
• Animated Growing Vines T-shirt for $1.99

Costume Shop

Males Only:

• Deep Sea Diver Bundle cost $1.99

Individual items:

• Deep Sea Diving Gloves cost 49 cents
• Deep Sea Diving Boots cost 49 cents
• Deep Sea Diving Helmet cost 99 cents
• Deep Sea Diving Suit Top cost 99 cents
• Deep Sea Diving Suit Pants cost 99 cents

Females Only:

• Cave Woman Bundle cost $1.99

Individual items:

• Prehistoric Bracelet cost 49 cents
• Prehistoric Fur Boots cost 49 cents
• Prehistoric Bodice cost 99 cents
• Prehistoric Mini-skirt cost 99 cents

Read [Playstation Blog] Site [PlayStation] Site [Criss Angel’s Official Website]

Full Story ? | Written by Lucy Newman for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article ?

Haven’t caught all of the Gamertell news this week?? Here’s your chance to catch up on this week’s top 10 articles!

• Monster Hunter Tri on the way to the Wii in 2010
  ” Capcom’s formally announced what many of us already knew thanks to the company’s May investor briefing – Monster Hunter Tri, aka Monster Hunter 3, is going to be released outside of Japan. The game just…” MORE ?
• Special Effects: A few fanciful game industry predictions
  “There’s no doubt that the current economic recession is having an impact on the video game industry. Companies are downsizing, consolidating or closing (which means games are getting delayed or canceled), games stores are cutting back and game-related publications are also feeling the pressure. Of course, a recession cannot last…” MORE ?
• Apple App Store gaming update for the week of July 27 to August 2, 2009
  “The Apple App Store gaming update is Gamertell’s weekly look at the previous week’s Apple App Store game releases. We cover them all – good and not so good – in their respective categories with a breakdown…” MORE ?
• PlayStation Store Update: Let them eat cake! (August 2 to 8, 2009)
  ” This week’s PlayStation Store is featuring the game Fat Princess for $14.99 for the PlayStation 3, this game is about capturing and keeping your enemies princess while rescuing your own, except there’s…” MORE ?
• Sony Home Update: Zombies spotted, Fat Princess wants cake
  ” This week on PlayStation Home there are several new events taking place that will continue to entertain the PS Home community and one very promising upgrade to one of PS Home’s hangouts.? New and…” MORE ?
• Gamertell Review: Help Wanted for Wii
  ” Title: Help Wanted Price: $29.99 System(s): Wii Release Date: May 12, 2009 Publisher (Developer): Hudson (Hudson Soft) ESRB Rating: Everyone 10+ for Comic Mischief, Mild Cartoon Violence and Mild Suggestive Themes Pros: 50…” MORE ?
• Get Madden NFL 10 free with a Sports Illustrated subscription
  ” Boom! If you don’t have to be the first kid on the block to play Madden NFL 2010, Sports Illustrated has a deal for you. You can get 28 weeks of Sports Illustrated and a copy of the wildly…” MORE ?
• Pokemon Platinum owners can connect to Wi-Fi for Darkrai
  “Owners of Pokemon Platinum for the DS will be able to do what Action Replay DS owners have all probably done by now, get the Member Card to trigger the Darkrai catching event! The MORE ?
• Sims go around the world with the first Sims 3 expansion pack
  ” That was quick. EA has already announced the first Sims 3 expansion pack. Of course, we all knew this announcement was coming. Honestly, I think it’s a bit tardy. After all, the game came…” MORE ?
• A look at the allure of Harvest Moon
  ” The Harvest Moon games are something special. They’ve developed a devoted cult following, which people who have never experienced the games may not understand. Especially since, on the surface, each game seems to be pretty much the same.…” MORE ?

Full Story ? | Written by NEWS for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article ?

Boom! If you don’t have to be the first kid on the block to play Madden NFL 2010, Sports Illustrated has a deal for you.

You can get 28 weeks of Sports Illustrated and a copy of the wildly popular game for $49. There’s also an NFL films DVD about John Madden’s road to the Hall of Fame.

If you cancel the subscription you can keep the game and DVD for $26 (you get the rest refunded, they don’t hit you for an additional $26).

Needless to say, they’re not going to ship it to you before the game’s official release. EA’s a multi-billion corporation for a reason, folks. But if you can just wait 4-6 weeks, you can get the game for less than half of its regular retail price. If you can’t wait, well, I bet you’ve already got your pre-order turned and been obsessively playing the demo for weeks now. Yeah, me too.

Initial indications are that whichever route you take to purchase, this could be one of the years that Madden is more revolutionary than evolutionary. The big improvement EA is touting this year is the Pro-Tak animation technology. This reportedly allows players to break out of any tackle animation, so the play isn’t over until it’s over. This, in theory, makes it easier for running backs to keep throwing out the special moves and for quarterbacks to evade sacks.

As a defender, you can keep adding to the pile up to nine-man gang tackles. Fights for the fumble are getting more interactive with a button-pressing mini-game.

Yes sports fans, quick time has come to Madden Football.

Read [Time Inc.] Also Read [Examiner]

Full Story ? | Written by Brian Allen for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article ?

The Harvest Moon games are something special. They’ve developed a devoted cult following, which people who have never experienced the games may not understand. Especially since, on the surface, each game seems to be pretty much the same. Natsume obviously gets it, as the series is probably it’s best known property. Games in the series have appeared on practically every system, including the Wii, GameCube, PS2, PS1, PSP, DS, GBA, Game Boy Color, Game Boy and SNES.

It’s only when you take a closer look at the Harvest Moon series that you appreciate what the games allow players to achieve. I recently had the opportunity to rent the Wii entry, Harvest Moon: Tree of Tranquility, and fell in love with the series again because of it.

So if you’ve never played the games and are wondering why people are drawn to them, here’s a brief overview of Harvest Moon‘s many charms.

There’s more to the world than what you can see.

There’s a strong fantasy element present in the Harvest Moon world, in the form of the Harvest Goddess, Harvest Sprites, and occasionally the Harvest God, Witch Princess and Wizard Prince. These fantasy characters won’t do mystical and magical things every day, but sometimes Harvest Sprites will help you at your farm or the Harvest Goddess will bestow some kind of blessing. It’s really more about the element of fantasy being there, but the whole point of the game is to focus on hard work and real, daily life.

Hard work is rewarded.

In Harvest Moon the overall goal is to be a successful farmer. And, thankfully, there’s really no way to fail. If you want to focus on crops to build your wealth, go for it. Or if you’d prefer to raise animals, that’s fine too. There’s really no way to totally waste or lose money, especially in the Wii entry, Harvest Moon: Tree of Tranquility, where you can take a part time job during the day at one of the island’s establishments to earn some extra cash. As long as you’re making some sort of effort, you’ll gradually earn money that you can put toward expanding your place.

There’s no need to rush.

There are no deadlines in the majority of the Harvest Moon games. You can work at your own pace to achieve your goals, and you can spend as much or as little time a day/week/month playing the game to reach those goals. Once you’ve developed a basic farming routine for essential work and your character has built up some stamina, it’s easy to complete many tasks. There is an in-game clock, but unless it’s a festival day, you need to attend to a potential spouse event or you need to get to one of the stores before it closes, you can pretty much ignore that.

Small actions can make a difference in the lives of others.

Harvest Moon also has elements of a communication game. Players can develop relationships with all of the townspeople, and sometimes even the supernatural characters like the Harvest Goddess, Harvest Sprites, Witch Princess, Wizard or Harvest God. If you become good friends with people, you could unlock special events, earn the right to enter their homes, get special items, learn new recipes or perhaps even get one of the bachelor or bachelorette characters to marry your character. Building a relationship could be somewhat trying in earlier games, where you’d have to talk and give gifts to townspeople, but in more recent games relationships can be built by talking on a regular basis or working at the same job together.

No two games are ever really the same.

There are two basic plot elements to every Harvest Moon game – the Harvest Goddess is in some kind of trouble and there’s a dilapidated farm your character is going to restore to prosperity. Plus there’s the whole animal/crop raising and townspeople to make friends with. Aside from the fundamentals, Harvest Moon is sort of a sandbox game. Since there are no requirements that must be met to have a successful farm, you can achieve it any way you want. So you could mine, ranch, harvest, fish or work part time jobs until you get enough money to expand your little empire. Plus, there can be different villagers, crops or farm animals in each entry. Occasionally the tasks to assist the Harvest Goddess do require players to perform certain tasks, but again, assisting her isn’t mandatory. Each time you play, you can use different strategies to succeed.

Site [Natsume]

Full Story ? | Written by Jenni Lada for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article ?

Haven’t caught all of the Gamertell news this week?? Here’s your chance to catch up on this week’s top 10 articles!

• New Battlestar Galactica series to begin airing January 2010
  “SyFy sent out a press release today (July 27, 2009) announcing that the new Battlestar Galactica series, titled Caprica, will start airing 9:00 p.m., January 22, 2010, on the SyFy channel. The first episode…” MORE ?
• Comic Con 2009: Gettin’ telekenetic with Mattel’s Mind Flex
  “Have you ever thought you had telekinesis? Well it turns out everyone does! I didn’t believe it myself until I tried out the new Mind Flex game by Mattel at Comic Con this year.? …” MORE ?
• Comic Con 09: Hands on with Smith Micro’s Anime Studio Pro 6
  ”? Animation and manga software company Smith Micro has just released it’s newest version of Anime Studio and Gamertell was able to get an exclusive look at it at the 2009 San Diego Comic Con.…” MORE ?
• Gamertell Interview: Madden NFL 10 Wii art director, Tim Spangler
  ”? I was able to meet the art director of the Madden NFL 10 for the Wii, Tim Spangler, at this year’s San Diego Comic Con (2009). Tim has…” MORE ?
• Three free, browser-based, text-based RPGs worth gaining experience in
  “RPGs weren’t always glorious, lavish epics with cutting edge graphics, intense character development, voice acting and entire world to explore. No, they started out more simply. With pen, paper and people’s imaginations. Some people have sought to reclaim that nostalgic…” MORE ?
• Apple App Store gaming update for the week of July 20 to July 26, 2009
  “The Apple App Store gaming update is Gamertell’s weekly look at the previous week’s Apple App Store game releases. We cover them all – good and not so good – in their respective categories with a breakdown…” MORE ?
• PlayStation Store Update: Shattered (July 26 to Aug. 1, 2009)
  ”? This week’s PlayStation Store is featuring the game Shatter for $7.99 for the PlayStation 3, this…” MORE ?
• Opinion: When a DS device is an in-game tool, a game becomes believable
  “Video games are designed to take players into an entirely new world. The goal of developers is to make this new environment identifiable, and to create an atmosphere where players can lose themselves in this virtual world and feel they’re a part…” MORE ?
• Comic Con 2009: A closer look at three new Playstation games
  ” Playstation was hands-on at Comic Con this year and Sony brought out a few of its best games for the PS3 and PSP to show off. I attended a media party at the Hard Rock Hotel (across the street…” MORE ?
• Comic Con 09: A peek at DC Universe
  ”? DC Comics fans are surely anxious for the release of Sony Online’s newest MMO, DC Universe, to come out on the PC and PS3. I was able to get a look at this awesome title at MORE ?

Full Story ? | Written by NEWS for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article ?

Fear Clinic is one of the first series that will be exclusively online and will play exclusively on Fearnet.com sometime in October 2009. The show is directed by Robert Hall (Sarah Connor Chronicles, Laid to Rest) and includes horror greats Robert Englund and Kane Hodder (Freddy and Jason, respectively), co-stars Danielle Harris (Halloween remake) and newcomer Lucas Till, among others.

The show is about Dr. Andover (Englund) who claims to be able to cure any phobia by using his patented “fear chamber.” Several unsuspecting clients come to his clinic hoping to get cured. They realize however, the horrors that are in store for them. There are five episodes made so far, each dealing with a different phobia.

I was fortunate enough to sit at a roundtable interview with Hall and the actors to discuss this upcoming series.

First up was Englund, who I could write this whole article about alone. Englund was a nice, docile old man, despite the usual characters he plays. He is also very animated and loves to talk about his projects and past endeavors. It was actually hard to keep him on the topic of this series.

“[Fear Clinic] is looking to raise the bar on the horror experience. It started with a script written by Aaron Drane who wanted to put this series on the web, so we had to figure out how to chunkcate these chapters into episodes.” He also mentioned that each episode would only be about 5-8 minutes long, and that it is all spent anticipating what will happen. “It’s great working with such a fun cast, but we end up killing off half of them.”

Hall, who is the director and producer of the series, was also excited to talk. “I grew up as a horror kid. Jason 7 was my favorite horror movie, so to be able to work with greats like Englund and Hodder is a horror kids dream.”

I asked what he thought about the series being on the internet rather than on TV and he said, “I’m actually cool with it being online, with things like Hulu and YouTube, I don’t think it matters anymore. You know it’s gonna get to people.”

I talked to Danielle Harris about her character Susan who is the first client. Her character suffers from scotophobia (fear of the dark). She said, “Susan’s parents died when she was young, and no one really cared about her. She meets Andover and, even though he is probably trying to kill her, he is the first person to really care about her, which gives them a weird sort of relationship.”

I asked Englund about his character and how he interacts with Harris’ character. “Andover can’t cure her and, because of this, she becomes his obsession, his Achilles heal, because she is his only failure.”

We will see Harris a lot in these episodes, as she tries to escape from this clinic, unlike the other phobia’s who will only be dealt with in one episode.

Kane, who is mainly a stunt man, plays Andover’s nurse in the series. He told me that it was great to work with such a great cast. “Me and Englund were actually in several movies together, but this is the first time we are in scenes, acting together.” He also told me that he prefers to be an actor and a stuntman because it’s easier to coordinate an actor when you are playing them.

Finally there was Lucas Till who is best known for his role as Travis in the Hannah Montana movie. “It is really cool to be able to work with Englund and Hodder in this show, I am not a huge fan of the horror genre, so this is all new to me.” Till worked previously with Hall in Laid to Rest, which is how he got the role.

I had a good time talking to these awesome people and it really got me excited about this new series. It is unclear whether or not their will be more than five episodes since, as Hall explained, it really depends on how the show does and how audiences perceive it. “I would love there to be more and more shows on the internet, and it is great that we are the first one,” Kane said.

Site [Fear Clinic] Read [Dread Central]

Full Story ? | Written by Jessica Moen for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article ?

Animation and manga software company Smith Micro has just released it’s newest version of Anime Studio and Gamertell was able to get an exclusive look at it at the 2009 San Diego Comic Con.

Anime Studio is a program that allows you create fun and detailed Anime cartoons. It’s easy to use and great for a beginning animator. I was able to get a hands-on view of all the features of this program.

The animator started out with a basic drawing – a big blob – and then got to the animating. By clicking on an icon, the animator was able to add bends to his blob so that it was able to bend it’s appendages. He also showed me how to expand or contrast an object so that it got bigger or smaller as it walked across the screen.

On feature I thought was cool was the motion sensor. The animator took an object and had it move across the screen for a few frames, then he added a sensor to a different object that allowed it to follow the first one across the screen. In this case it was a car driving down the street. He added a motion sensor to a chicken he took from the clip art and that caused the chicken to follow the car (at a distance) creating the illusion that it is chasing the car.

I was also shown various effects you can add to your animation such as rain falling, wind blowing, and even allow for a warp speed effect (for a spaceship). These effects are built into the program, and you can also create your own effects. There is also clip art included into the program for quick use, all you have to do is add the animation. You can even import 3D animation onto the program and into Flash.

From what I saw in the display, the controls all seem simple and easy to use. There are many different things you can do to make your character animated. As with everything, it will take practice to get all the effects down, but once you get to know how each icon works, you will be able to make great anime cartoons.

You don’t even have to be an artist, you can make a great cartoon using some of the clip art and scenery already included in the program, as well as your own crude or well drawn characters.

The product is in stores now and is available for $199.99. A bit pricey but worth it if you are truly trying to become an animator or just have a passion for it. It is available on both Mac and Windows.

Site [My Smith Micro] Read [Gamertell] Also read [Designer Today]

Full Story ? | Written by Jessica Moen for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article ?

This week’s PlayStation Store is featuring the game Shatter for $7.99 for the PlayStation 3, this game is an interesting twist to the old school classic Super Breakout with each level more challenging than the one before. The game features multiple game play modes, a trophy system, more than 90 minutes of original music and a leader board system so players can challenge friends.

Calling all Final Fantasy fans! This is a must download demo of all time. Dissidia Final Fantasy free at the PSN store for the PSP. In this game you can assume the role of your favorite Final Fantasy hero or villain in this battle of ultimate destiny. Who wouldn’t want a second chance to kick Kefka’s butt or even wipe the smile off Kuja’s face again? Or relive the battle between Sephiroth and Cloud? Fight in various environments every Final Fantasy game deserves.

Also, with Comic-Con 2009 underway the PlayStation Store has created a special category for all things comic related from movies to games and an exclusive sneak peek of an upcoming animated film Green Lantern: First Flight available for download.

PSOne Classics:

• Spec Ops: Covert Assault (PS3/$5.99)
• Wild Arms 2 (PS3/$5.99)

Downloadable Games:
*Free themes are available now until July 31, 2009, with purchase of any of these Tomb Raider downloads.

• Tomb Raider: Legend (PSP/$12.99)
• Tomb Raider: Anniversary (PSP/$12.99)

Game Demos:

• Call of Duty: World at War Demo (PS3/Free)

Bonus Game Contents:

• Cross Edge Fluffy Synth Pack (PS3/Free)
• Cross Edge Chicken Prediction Pack (PS3/Free)
• Cross Edge No Sense of Direction Pack (PS3/Free)
• Cross Edge Fickle Woman Pack (PS3/Free)
• Dynasty Warriors 6 Empires Additional Music Set 2 DLC (PS3/Free)
• Dynasty Warriors Strikeforce Pack 3 (PSP/Free)
• Overlord 2 Battle Rock Pack (PS3/$4.99)
• Killzone 2 Napalm & Cordite Pack (PS3/$5.99)
• Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2010 Banff Springs (PS3/$7.50)
• Wipeout HD? Fury Add-On (PS3/$9.99)
• Killzone 2 DLC Bundle Pack (PS3/$11.99)

Guitar Hero World Tour Music Packs:

• Vagrant Records Track Pack (PS3/$5.49)

Individual Songs:

• “All the World is Mad” by Thrice (PS3/$1.99)
• “The Martyr” by Senses Fail (PS3/$1.99)
• “Young Cardinal” by Alexisonfire (PS3/$1.99)

Rock Band Music Packs:

• Kings of Leon Pack 01 (PS3/$5.49)

Individual Songs:

• “Crawl” by Kings of Leon (PS3/$1.99)
• “Molly’s Chambers” by Kings of Leon (PS3/$1.99)
• “Sex on Fire” by Kings of Leo (PS3/$1.99)

• Rancid Track Pack 01 (PS3/$5.49)

Individual Songs:

• “Last One to Die” by Rancid (PS3/$1.99)
• “Time Bomb” by Rancid (PS3/$1.99)
• “Ruby SoHo” by Rancid (PS3/$1.99)

• Rise Against Track Pack 01 (PS3/$5.49)

Individual Songs:

• “Prayer of the Refugee” by Rise Against (PS3/$1.99)
• “Re-Education (Through Labor)” by Rise Against (PS3/$1.99)
• “Savior” by Rise Against (PS3/$1.99)

Single track:

• “Sweetness and Light” by Lush (PS3/$1.99)

Rock Band Unplugged bonus content:

• “The Boys are Back in Town” by Thin Lizzy (PSP/$1.99)
• “Casey Jones” by Grateful Dead (PSP/$1.99)

Free Game Videos:

• Alpha Protocol CG trailer (E3 Trailer) (PS3/Free)
• Alpha Protocol Developer Diary #4 (PS3/Free
• Battlefield 1943 Launch Trailer (PS3/Free)
• Digger Trailer (PS3/Free)
• Gran Turismo B/W Trailer (PS3/PSP/Free)
• Killzone 2 Boltgun 4400 (PS3/PSP/Free)
• Killzone 2 Napalm & Cordite Pack Video (PS3/PSP/Free)
• The King of Fighters XII Trailer 3 – Be the King (PS3/PSP/Free)

New Movies to Rent or Own:

• Confessions of a Shopaholic. Rated PG (Rent/SD Format/$3.99)
• Confessions of a Shopaholic. Rated PG (Own/SD Format/$14.99)
• Coraline. Rated PG (SD Format/$14.99)
• Fast & Furious. Rated PG-13 (SD Format/$14.99)
• Dragonball: Evolution. Rated PG (Rent/SD Format/$3.99)
• Dragonball: Evolution. Rated PG (Rent/HD Format/$5.99)
• Dragonball: Evolution. Rated PG (Own/SD Format/$14.99)

Wallpapers and Themes:

• Overlord II Minions Theme (PS3/Free)
• Overlord II Overlord Theme (PS3/Free)
• College Football Theme: Miami (PS3/$1.99)
• College Football Theme: North Carolina (PS3/$1.99)
• College Football Theme: Michigan (PS3/$1.99)
• College Football Theme: Tennessee (PS3/$1.99)
• College Football Theme: Utah (PS3/$1.99)

Read [PlayStation Store Blog] Site [PlayStation]

Full Story ? | Written by Lucy Newman for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article ?

This week’s PlayStation Store is featuring the game Shatter for $7.99 for the PlayStation 3, this game is an interesting twist to the old school classic Super Breakout with each level more challenging than the one before. The game features multiple game play modes, a trophy system, more than 90 minutes of original music and a leader board system so players can challenge friends.

Calling all Final Fantasy fans! This is a must download demo of all time. Dissidia Final Fantasy free at the PSN store for the PSP. In this game you can assume the role of your favorite Final Fantasy hero or villain in this battle of ultimate destiny. Who wouldn’t want a second chance to kick Kefka’s butt or even wipe the smile off Kuja’s face again? Or relive the battle between Sephiroth and Cloud? Fight in various environments every Final Fantasy game deserves.

Also, with Comic-Con 2009 underway the PlayStation Store has created a special category for all things comic related from movies to games and an exclusive sneak peek of an upcoming animated film Green Lantern: First Flight available for download.

PSOne Classics:

• Spec Ops: Covert Assault (PS3/$5.99)
• Wild Arms 2 (PS3/$5.99)

Downloadable Games:
*Free themes are available now until July 31, 2009, with purchase of any of these Tomb Raider downloads.

• Tomb Raider: Legend (PSP/$12.99)
• Tomb Raider: Anniversary (PSP/$12.99)

Game Demos:

• Call of Duty: World at War Demo (PS3/Free)

Bonus Game Contents:

• Cross Edge Fluffy Synth Pack (PS3/Free)
• Cross Edge Chicken Prediction Pack (PS3/Free)
• Cross Edge No Sense of Direction Pack (PS3/Free)
• Cross Edge Fickle Woman Pack (PS3/Free)
• Dynasty Warriors 6 Empires Additional Music Set 2 DLC (PS3/Free)
• Dynasty Warriors Strikeforce Pack 3 (PSP/Free)
• Overlord 2 Battle Rock Pack (PS3/$4.99)
• Killzone 2 Napalm & Cordite Pack (PS3/$5.99)
• Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2010 Banff Springs (PS3/$7.50)
• Wipeout HD? Fury Add-On (PS3/$9.99)
• Killzone 2 DLC Bundle Pack (PS3/$11.99)

Guitar Hero World Tour Music Packs:

• Vagrant Records Track Pack (PS3/$5.49)

Individual Songs:

• “All the World is Mad” by Thrice (PS3/$1.99)
• “The Martyr” by Senses Fail (PS3/$1.99)
• “Young Cardinal” by Alexisonfire (PS3/$1.99)

Rock Band Music Packs:

• Kings of Leon Pack 01 (PS3/$5.49)

Individual Songs:

• “Crawl” by Kings of Leon (PS3/$1.99)
• “Molly’s Chambers” by Kings of Leon (PS3/$1.99)
• “Sex on Fire” by Kings of Leo (PS3/$1.99)

• Rancid Track Pack 01 (PS3/$5.49)

Individual Songs:

• “Last One to Die” by Rancid (PS3/$1.99)
• “Time Bomb” by Rancid (PS3/$1.99)
• “Ruby SoHo” by Rancid (PS3/$1.99)

• Rise Against Track Pack 01 (PS3/$5.49)

Individual Songs:

• “Prayer of the Refugee” by Rise Against (PS3/$1.99)
• “Re-Education (Through Labor)” by Rise Against (PS3/$1.99)
• “Savior” by Rise Against (PS3/$1.99)

Single track:

• “Sweetness and Light” by Lush (PS3/$1.99)

Rock Band Unplugged bonus content:

• “The Boys are Back in Town” by Thin Lizzy (PSP/$1.99)
• “Casey Jones” by Grateful Dead (PSP/$1.99)

Free Game Videos:

• Alpha Protocol CG trailer (E3 Trailer) (PS3/Free)
• Alpha Protocol Developer Diary #4 (PS3/Free
• Battlefield 1943 Launch Trailer (PS3/Free)
• Digger Trailer (PS3/Free)
• Gran Turismo B/W Trailer (PS3/PSP/Free)
• Killzone 2 Boltgun 4400 (PS3/PSP/Free)
• Killzone 2 Napalm & Cordite Pack Video (PS3/PSP/Free)
• The King of Fighters XII Trailer 3 – Be the King (PS3/PSP/Free)

New Movies to Rent or Own:

• Confessions of a Shopaholic. Rated PG (Rent/SD Format/$3.99)
• Confessions of a Shopaholic. Rated PG (Own/SD Format/$14.99)
• Coraline. Rated PG (SD Format/$14.99)
• Fast & Furious. Rated PG-13 (SD Format/$14.99)
• Dragonball: Evolution. Rated PG (Rent/SD Format/$3.99)
• Dragonball: Evolution. Rated PG (Rent/HD Format/$5.99)
• Dragonball: Evolution. Rated PG (Own/SD Format/$14.99)

Wallpapers and Themes:

• Overlord II Minions Theme (PS3/Free)
• Overlord II Overlord Theme (PS3/Free)
• College Football Theme: Miami (PS3/$1.99)
• College Football Theme: North Carolina (PS3/$1.99)
• College Football Theme: Michigan (PS3/$1.99)
• College Football Theme: Tennessee (PS3/$1.99)
• College Football Theme: Utah (PS3/$1.99)

Read [PlayStation Store Blog] Site [PlayStation]

Full Story ? | Written by Lucy Newman for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article ?

Haven’t caught all of the Gamertell news this week?? Here’s your chance to catch up on this week’s top 10 articles!

• Sony Home Update: New spaces, new stores, more items galore
  “The PlayStation Home has been updated with three new spaces to new stores at the mall and more stuff than you can shake a stick at. And like a 3-year-old in the candy isle at WalMart, I’m hopped…” MORE ?
• Open Plea: Sony, please drop the PS3’s price, the industry needs it
  “Contrary to what we were reporting this time a year or so ago, the game industry is not recession proof.? Video games just took their biggest monthly sales drop in nearly a decade. Even GameStop,…” MORE ?
• Comic Con 2009: Kotobukiya’s lineup and schedule (with frickin’ lightsaber chopsticks)
  ” Statue, figure maker and cool stuff creator Kotobukiya has released its full schedule and lineup of offerings for the 2009 San Diego Comic Con taking place July 23 through 26, 2009 (with a…” MORE ?
• Gamertell Review: Harry Potter and the Half-Blooded Prince the movie
  “Title: Harry Potter and the Half-Blooded Prince Release Date: July 15, 2009 Company: Warner Bros. Rating: “PG” Length: 153 min (2 hours, 33 minutes) Pros: All of the actors…” MORE ?
• Apple App Store gaming update for the week of July 13 to July 19, 2009
  “The Apple App Store gaming update is Gamertell’s weekly look at the previous week’s Apple App Store game releases. We cover them all – good and not so good – in their respective categories with a breakdown of the great games and the free games right where you want ‘em,…” MORE ?
• iTunes offers free download of Inuyasha’s first episode
  ” I know there were a lot of Inuyasha fans and gamers disappointed by the lackluster DS RPG Inuyasha: Secret of the Divine Jewel. Hopefully, today’s news will make up for it. Apple has a habit of trying to…” MORE ?
• Sam Raimi to direct World of Warcraft film
  ” Ain’t It Cool News let the Corrupted Cat out of the bag and now Blizzard has confirmed it with a release: Sam Raimi will direct the World of Warcraft movie. Raimi is world famous for directing…” MORE ?
• PlayStation Store Update: Namco Essentials, PSN Game Sale (July 19 to July 25, 2009)
  ” This week’s the PlayStation Store is featuring the Namco Museum Essentials collection for $9.99 bringing…” MORE ?
• See Jake Gyllenhaal run, backflip and spin kick as the Prince of Persia
  ” There’s been a bit of controversy about Jake Gyllenhaal playing The Prince of Persia in the upcoming movie, so the above pic from Entertainment Weekly may or may not sway your opinion. Nonetheless,…” MORE ?
• Japanese Imports: Big fat list of J-List updates for July 2009
  “It’s been way too long since I posted an update of the game-related and generally interesting items being offered at Japanese import site J-List and under-18 site J-Box. To help bring everyone back up to speed,…” MORE ?

Full Story ? | Written by NEWS for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article ?

This week there weren’t as many casual game releases as last week, but there was still a fairly adequate amount. It almost seemed like this week’s motto should be “Quality over quantity,” as quite a few anticipated and intriguing games were released.

The two most expected games were undoubtedly Alawar’s Farm Frenzy 3 and Ouat’s Pure Hidden. Which means, naturally, that they’re named as this week’s best bets. One’s your standard time management game, where you manage all sorts of farming tasks and animals. The other is a zen approach to the hidden object and casual genre, with a New Age feel and artsy design.

This week, time management games are the way to go. They dominate this update, so simulation and strategy fans should take note and see if there’s something they’d like.

This week’s best bets are: Pure Hidden (PC, Mac) and Farm Frenzy 3 (PC).

Midnight Mysteries: The Edgar Allen Poe Conspiracy
Genre: Puzzle (Hidden Object)
Availability: Big Fish Games, Harmonic Flow
Retail Price: $6.99
Platform: Windows XP and Vista
Premise: Ghosts guide you through hidden object puzzles as you attempt to not only find important information to help you finish your novel, but also discover the truth behind Edgar Allen Poe’s murder.
Demo Available: Yes

Paradise
Genre: Adventure
Availability: Big Fish Games, Harmonic Flow
Retail Price: $6.99
Platform: Windows XP and Vista
Premise: A young woman named Ann Smith was flying across Africa when an unknown assailant shot down her plane, leaving her stranded with amnesia. If she can reach her father, she can find out the truth, but she faces a long journey before she reaches him.
Demo Available: No

Megaplex Madness: Summer Blockbuster
Genre: Simulation (Time Management)
Availability: Big Fish Games, Harmonic Flow
Retail Price: $6.99
Platform: Windows XP and Vista
Premise: You are the brand new owner and manager of a multiplex. Your goal is to create a successful theature by taking good care of five theaters and making sure your customers are happy. There are also arcade mini-games included.
Demo Available: Yes

Megaplex Madness: Now Playing
Genre: Simulation (Time Management)
Availability: Big Fish Games
Retail Price: $6.99
Platform: Mac 10.4 and 10.5 (also for PCs)
Premise: Get ready to restore classic movie theaters! Do what ever it takes to get the theaters running and keep customers happy. Arcade mini-games also are accessible in the game.
Demo Available: Yes

Pure Hidden
Genre: Puzzle (Hidden Object)
Availability: Harmonic Flow
Retail Price: $9.99
Platform: Windows XP and Vista, Mac 10.4 and 10.5
Premise: There’s no story in Pure Hidden, just artistic little puzzles to solve. There are 66 cream boxes. You choose to open them, playing one of the assorted puzzles within. When you do well, you unlock wallpapers for your desktop relating to the game.
Demo Available: Yes, a web-based trial is available at the Pure Hidden site http://www.purehidden.com/.

My Kingdom for the Princess
Genre: Puzzle
Availability: PlayFirst, Big Fish Games, Harmonic Flow, RealArcade
Retail Price: $19.95
Platform: Windows 98, ME, 2000, XP and Vista
Premise: The sick King Sigmund wants to see his daughter, so it’s up to you to travel across the kingdom to bring her home to the castle. It won’t be an easy task though, since the kingdom’s been assault by natural disasters lately, not to mention a dragon, and you’ll have to use puzzle solving skills to find paths that will lead her home.
Demo Available: Yes

Farm Frenzy 3
Genre: Strategy (Time Management)
Availability: Alawar Games
Retail Price: $19.95
Platform: Windows
Premise: Scarlett wants to be president of the Farmers’ Union, and the best way to do so is show what a fantastic farmer she is. In an effort to win votes, she does a massive campaign tour across five countries where she helps farmers in order to gain their respect and their vote.
Demo Available: Yes

Passport to Perfume
Genre: Simulation (Time Management)
Availability: PlayFirst, Harmonic Flow
Retail Price: $19.95
Platform: Windows XP and Vista, Mac 10.4 and 10.5
Premise: Following along the lines of Chocolatier and Wine Maker Extraordinaire, Passport to Perfume lets players see what it’s like to become a perfume mogul in the 1940’s. You follow Sophia, who starts out a beginner and is working her way towards becoming a premier perfume artisan. The ultimate goal is to recreate Marie Antoinette’s perfume.
Demo Available: Yes

Editor’s Note: Due to so many casual games sites offering game plans or preferred member prices, which can cause a game to have multiple price-points, the games’ average retail prices is mentioned in Casual Friday.

Site [Big Fish Games] Site [PlayFirst] Site [GameHouse] Site [eGames] Site [Alawar Games] Site [Amazon] Site [Reflexive Arcade]

Full Story ? | Written by Jenni Lada for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article ?

Contrary to what we were reporting this time a year or so ago, the game industry is not recession proof.? Video games just took their biggest monthly sales drop in nearly a decade. Even GameStop, a company that has been able to do no wrong financially, is feeling it.

In an economy where folks are losing their houses, cars and 401Ks, there is no bigger albatross in the gaming industry than the PlayStation 3. Launching with a hefty $600 price tag, the PS3 has more in common with GMC’s Hummer vehicle than it does with the PS2. Both the gas-guzzling SUV and the overpriced game machine are symbols of an excess most of society can’t afford right now. Looking back, it’s easy to understand Sony’s thought process. Their last generation competitors – weren’t competitors. If it weren’t for the Halo series, the Xbox would have been the Nintendo GameCube. And the Nintendo GameCube was the Nintendo GameCube. I want to make more fun of Nintendo for its effort last gen. But since they re-released the GameCube with a fancy new motion controller and are now the biggest success story in gaming, it looks as if the joke is on the rest of us.

Sony was in the driver’s seat. It had decisively won the last two console wars and there was no reason to expect it wouldn’t do it again. Then the company gave us 600 reasons it wouldn’t. Once the price of the new console was announced, it was akin to a huge disfiguring mole. As much as you try not to look at, talk about or acknowledge it, it’s really the only thing you can see. Thus, it was the focus of every mainstream media article about the PS3 and most of the gaming articles. Sony may as well have called it The Sony This-Machine-and-a-Game-Will-Set-You-Back-700-Big-Ones System.

My first car didn’t cost me $700 and my first apartment didn’t cost $700 a month. With the exception of my house and current vehicle, nothing I own cost me $700. And I’m the target market for the PlayStation 3. The guy that can drop $700 on a game console and not miss the money can afford numerous other diversions such as trips to the Bahamas with surgically-enhanced female companions. Us common working folk are having it rough and now even “escapist” hobbies such as movies and video games are feeling it.

Who am I in the grand scheme of things? Nobody whose words will echo in industry halls. But I’m not the only one saying this. Activision’s Bobby Kotick fired a huge salvo threatening to pull support for the PS3 if it didn’t cut the price. Sony CEO Howard Stringer fired back that Kotick likes to make “a lot of noise.” True, and Amy Winehouse has impulse control issues, what’s your point, Howard? These gross understatements don’t have anything to do with the core issue here: the PlayStation 3, even at $400, costs too much to sell in current economy.

The bottom line is that Sony is nearly as responsible for the current state of game sales as General Motors and its Big Three comrades is for the nosedive in the automotive industry. When the company that was winning in spectacular fashion starts losing in equally spectacular fashion, there are ripple – scratch that – there are tidal wave effects throughout the industry.

And before the responses come, I don’t hate Sony or the PS3. It would be ludicrous for me to wish ill will on any console maker since I make my living in the game writing industry. I want Sony to get it right so we can have the true three-way slugfest this console war should be. I also want an Xbox 360 that doesn’t crap out and I want mature content on my Nintendo Wii.

I complain because I care.

Since Sony had a large part in creating the current mess, they should pitch in and help out. It is true that in the short term, they will lose a lot more money on each console. But no Sony executive and their talk of 10-year console cycles can convince me the company won’t lose even more money long term if it finishes a distant third in the console race.

I don’t know a single gamer who wouldn’t like to be able to play more games and they can’t do that without buying more games. The industry model has long been to take the short-term loss on the hardware to sell customers on the software. This isn’t 2007. The games Sony predicted would sell this system, including Metal Gear Solid 4, are here now. Another system seller in God of War 3 is coming.

It would be a crying shame if no one could afford to play them without selling an organ.

Read [Bloomberg] Also Read [Edge Online]

Full Story ? | Written by Brian Allen for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article ?

Full Story ? | Written by NEWS for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article ?

By now PS3 Killzone 2 players have probably gotten a bit tired of the “Steel & Titanium” and “Flash & Thunder” downloadable content map packs. After all, the first was released April 30, 2009 and the second June 11, 2009. Well, the PlayStation.Blog has just announced that “Napalm & Cordite,” the third add-on, will be released July 23, 2009.

Like the previous Killzone 2 dlc, “Napalm & Cordite” is going to contain two maps to be used in the multiplayer mode. The first is the mining village environment Suljeva Cliffside. The second is situated in Blood Meridian’s defense post area and is called Arctower Landing.

“Napalm & Cordite” also contains a bit of a surprise. The previous add-ons simply contained new maps and trophys. “Napalm & Cordite” also allows players to use two single player mode weapons in multiplayer. The VC1 Flamethrower appears in Suljeva Cliffside and the Boltgun 4400 appears in Arctower Landing.

So if you own the game and you’ve been searching for an excuse to pick it up and play again, “Napalm & Cordite’s” as good a reason as any.

Read [PlayStation.Blog] Site [Killzone]

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Joystiq reports that Eidos has registered a trademark for Kane and Lynch 2: Dog Days.

Although Kane and Lynch: Dead Men is destined to be remembered more for the PR fallout known as Gertsmanngate than the game itself as it sold well for Eidos. So it’s no surprise that the game is poised to receive a sequel.

Besides which, you know what they say: There’s no such thing as bad publicity. Go ahead, name another digital crime tale that played to average reviews that will get anywhere near the press coverage this sequel is going to (especially one that nobody has tried to use as a defense for committing a real crime).

The 2007 game did introduce a couple of new characters to the gaming canvas in Kane and Lynch. In an industry rampant with game mascots spitting out their 500th game installment, there’s something to be said for that.

Eidos may have registered the trademark but Kane and Lynch‘s IP now belongs to Square Enix. Square Enix is no doubt looking for marketable properties to get the most bang for its acquisition buck. As long as Kane and Lynch don’t show up in the next Kingdom Hearts, I have no beef with that.

Read [Gamertell] Also Read [Joystiq]

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Bad news for PlayStation 3 owners of Fallout 3. That downloadable content that you thought was going to be available in June, 2009, isn’t. Of course, you probably already realized that by now, given that it’s July already. The thing is, you’re going to have to wait quite a bit longer to play “Operation: Anchorage,” “The Pitt,” “Broken Steel,” “Point Lookout” and “Mothership Zeta.” Think September, 2009. Well, technically October, 2009, since the official PlayStation.Blog says the first DLC will be out at September’s end.

In order to make up for the massive delay, the release schedule is going to be altered. “Broken Steel”, which continues the main story, raises the level cap and adds in new enemies, will be released first. (It was the third add-on for the Xbox 360 and PC versions.) “Operation: Anchorage” and “The Pitt” will be released next, and Bethesda teases that they may be out at the same time. “Point Lookout” and “Mothership Zeta” will be released last.

Originally, the Fallout 3 DLC wasn’t going to be released for the PS3, but Bethesda changed its mind and, in May 2009, announced that the PS3 would also receive all of the add-ons available to Xbox 360 and PC owners. So while this delay is a crushing blow to PS3 owners’ spirits, be happy that you’re getting the downloadable content to begin with.

By the way, that chuckling you hear? That’s the Xbox 360 and PC owners gloating over the fact that they already can own and have all of the add-on DLC with the exception of “Mothership Zeta”, which comes out July 28, 2009.

Read [PlayStation.Blog] Via [Joystiq]

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Haven’t caught all of the Gamertell news this week?? Here’s your chance to catch up on this week’s top 10 articles!

• PlayStation Store Update: The Punisher shows no mercy, bonus content, too (July 5 to July 11, 2009)
  ” This week’s store features The Punisher: No Mercy by Zen Studios available exclusively on the PlayStation Network for $9.99. Frank Castle is back and ready to dish out a whole new kind…” MORE ?
• McFarlane’s makin’ more Halo toys
  “McFarlane Toys recently announced the second wave of Halo Odd Pod figures, its 2009 San Diego Comic-Con figure and a small slew of other Halo-themed figures and figure-related products. The Odd Pod figures are hand-painted, stand 4…” MORE ?
• More that 13,000 games in the Apple App Store and counting
  “Yep, that’s right. More than 13,000 games are currently avaialble in Apple’s App Store to help drain the battery on your iPhone or iPod Touch. According to a chart by Mobclix, there are currently 13,117 games available, comprising 20.7% of…” MORE ?
• Gamertell Review: Harcos’ Mana Energy Potion
  ” Product: Mana Energy Potion Price:? two for $6.90 Rating: Two thumbs sideways, 73/100, C, * * out of 5 Pros: 50mL of drink. Cute bottle. Portable. Contains Vitamin B1, B3, B6, B12…” MORE ?
• Rumor: Next PSP might include a quad core chip
  “If you believe a Google translation of a rumor on a foreign language web site, the next PSP may utilize four cores which would give it more processing and graphics power than the original Xbox console. The English version of Eurogamer…” MORE ?
• Gamertell Review: Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor for DS
  ” Title: Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor Price: $29.99 System(s): DS Release Date: June 23, 2009 Publisher (Developer): Atlus (Atlus) ESRB Rating: “Teen” for Fantasy Violence, Language, Mild Blood, Partial Nudity MORE ?
• Help Atelier Annie use alchemy to build a resort and attract a prince
  “The Atelier game universe is expanding in North America. NIS America has just announced that it is planning to localize Gust’s DS game Atelier Annie. Siliconera first discovered rumors of the release in the GameFly listings,…” MORE ?
• Peggle and World of Warcraft collide in an unexpected manner
  “Love Peggle, but don’t want to actually pay for it? Congratulations, there’s a solution. To help promote the fact that the PopCap games Peggle and Bejeweled can be played in World of Warcraft, PopCap games and Blizzard Entertainment have…” MORE ?
• Gamertell Review: Naruto: Clash of the Ninja Revolution 2 for Wii
  ” Title: Naruto: Clash of the Ninja Revolution 2 Price: $29.99 System(s): Wii Release Date: October 21, 2008 Publisher (Developer): Tomy (Eighting) ESRB Rating: “Teen” for Cartoon Violence and Mild…” MORE ?
• Gamertell Review: 101-in-1 Explosive Megamix for DS
  ” Title: 101-in-1 Explosive Megamix Price: $19.99 System(s): DS Release Date: April 21, 2009 Publisher (Developer): Atlus (Nordcurrent) ESRB Rating: “Everyone” for Comic Mischief and Cartoon Violence Pros: You get 101 games…” MORE ?

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For those who might not yet quite enough gaming garb, now you can get T-shirts featuring Diner Dash‘s main character, Flo.

PlayFirst, owners of the Diner Dash franchise, have opened Flo’s Closet where anyone can purchase onlinesix Flo-themed shirts priced US$14.99 to $19.99. The shirts include a large art image on the front featuring a slogan and a smaller slogan hidden elsewhere on the shirt:

• The Girl with Gumption / Take a Chance, You Can Do It
• Not Another Princess. I’m My Own Fairy Godmother / Dare to make a change.
• Roll Up Your Sleeves, Dreams Take Work / Do What You Love
• All In a Day’s Work / Believe In Your Dreams
• Dream It, Do It / Look At Life Funny Side Up
• Elbow Grease is the New Black / Dream Big. Work Hard.

According to the company’s press release, the T-shirts are not simply another income stream:

The launch of Flo’s Closet is deliberate in its timing as it aims to inspire and encourage women to strive towards success in challenging times. A recent study reiterates this potential showing that female business owners are surviving the downward trend better than other businesses and Flo’s in-game character notoriously rejected the corporate life and aggressively pursued a more meaningful venture as a successful restaurateur.

While games offer an enjoyable escape from tough times, Flo’s character also mirrors real life experiences and faces difficult decisions – her ultimate message in the game world and the real world is designed to inspire and empower.

All of the shirts are designed for women and range in size from Small to XXLarge,

The original Diner Dash restaurant management game debuted in 2004 for PC and Mac, spawning several sequels and portable releases (PSP, DS and iPhone).

Site [Everyday Gear] Read [Gamertell]

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Title: Naruto: Clash of the Ninja Revolution 2
Price: $29.99
System(s): Wii
Release Date: October 21, 2008
Publisher (Developer): Tomy (Eighting)
ESRB Rating: “Teen” for Cartoon Violence and Mild Suggestive Themes
Pros: Simple control scheme, lots of characters, interesting story mode and lots of arcade mode options.
Cons: Lots of unlocking and some challenges may be too difficult for younger players. No Wi-Fi multiplayer.
Overall Score: Two thumbs up, 90, A-, * * * * out of 5

When an anime is successful, video game publishers waste no time in localizing Japanese games for a worldwide market. Since Naruto is unquestionably one of the most successful series at the moment, this means plenty of Naruto video games.

Naruto: Clash of the Ninja Revolution 2 is one of the latest Wii Naruto games, and one of the best. While it is a straightforward fighting game, it also offers an interesting story mode, a large cast of fighters and interesting “missions” for players to accomplish.

A strange jutsu is turning ninja against ninja.

Naruto: Clash of the Ninja Revolution 2‘s story mode begins with two Anbu members investigating some suspicious looking rogue ninjas. After a battle, the rogues disappear, and the two Anbu come across a village where it appears everyone killed one another for no apparent reason.

It then shifts to Naruto, Kakashi and Gaara. Unknown ninja have found their way into the Hidden Leaf Village, and they’re casting a powerful jutsu on residents. Those affected come under a sort of spell that makes them attack friends. It’s up to the three of them to try and find the rogues while freeing brainwashed friends along the way. Players, as their favorite Naruto characters, have to help the ninjas find out who’s behind this horrible jutsu.

Ninjas have a very active lifestyle.

The control system is very easy to learn and master, and reminds me a bit of Super Smash Bros. Brawl. There’s a normal attack and a strong attack, and those can be combined to lead into additional moves. Special jutsu attacks are typically unleashed by pressing one button. Plus, it’s easy to counter or evade moves. I found the remote and nunchuk control scheme most comfortable, but the Gamecube and classic controllers also worked quite well.

Another plus is the large character roster of over 30 ninja. There are multiple ways to unlock characters in Naruto: Clash of the Ninja Revolution 2, but they can be tedious. Usually it’s an either/or situation. Either win this mission, or play some-hundred battles. I can see frustrated players turning to the internet (like I did) for a completed save file rather than jumping through all the unlocking hoops.

The game also offers quite a bit of variety. There are single or tag matches in the arcade mode portion, as well as four player multiplayer. In arcade mode you can face off against the computer, engage in endless fights or try to accomplish missions. It keeps things from getting boring.

The story mode also stands out from standard fighting games. Two new Anbu characters (think of them as masked spies) are introduced, and the player gets to control many Naruto characters in a quest to protect the Hidden Leaf Village. What stands out here is the point of each match isn’t always to just beat your opponent. Sometimes you have to unleash a certain jutsu or protect another fighter.

A fun, and fairly affordable, Wii fighter.

While Super Smash Bros. Brawl has ingrained itself in the minds of Wii owners as the fighting game, people who’ve beaten that game, enjoy the Naruto animated series or are simply looking for a cheaper fighting game should keep Naruto: Clash of the Ninja Revolution 2 in mind. It’s a solid game with lots of single and multiplayer options. In fact, if it did have Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection multiplayer, it would probably be the best Naruto game released so far.

Site [Naruto: Clash of the Ninja Revolution 2]

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Product: Mana Energy Potion
Price: two for $6.90
Rating: Two thumbs sideways, 73/100, C, * * out of 5
Pros: 50mL of drink. Cute bottle. Portable. Contains Vitamin B1, B3, B6, B12 and C. Has a Enzyme Blend that includes Amylase, Lactase, Cellulase, Lipase and Protease. Initially is very sweet, but subsequent sips are mellow and have just a general citric fruit-esque flavor.
Cons: Like the Health Energy Potion, the protective plastic cover is in one piece so if you’re not careful, you can lose the intricate logo. Smells pungent. Has both an incredibly sweet taste and aftertaste reminiscent of an artificial sweetener and the sour taste of medicine. You’ll smell like the drink after you finish it. Looks like laundry detergent.
Overall: I preferred the Health Energy Potion, but the Mana Energy Potion did provide an energy boost, just like it promised.

Back in February, 2009, Gamertell had the opportunity to sample and test Harcos’ Health Energy Potion, an energy shot drink designed to appeal to gamers.

Today, Gamertell once again samples a Harcos product. This time I’m going to be taste testing and trying out the Mana Energy Potion, Harcos’ original energy shot. Like the Health Energy Potion, it’s a 50mL drink. You can find it alone in stores like Hot Topic, or online at the Harcos site or ThinkGeek.

The Look

The Mana Energy Potion looks a bit different in person than it does in that pretty promotional shot you see above. It seems to be an azure shade of blue. I’m thinking it’s because Harcos used some sort of backlighting, because I couldn’t recreate that shade when I was looking at it. In person, it has more of a cerulean or teal color to it. I think it would look more appetizing if it was the azure color.

Again, like the Health Energy Potion, the Mana Energy Potion bubbles when shaken. Little bubbles appear at the top, making it look soapy or like detergent. Unlike the Health Energy Potion, the Mana Energy Potion’s bubbles disappear within five minutes of being shaken.

When you remove the black, plastic cap, there’s a white protective seal to keep the drink from being tampered with. Always a nice feature. It is a bit difficult to get a hold on it and rip it off, since it’s so tiny.

The Taste

After I opened the Mana Energy Potion, I smelled the drink. It smelled incredibly strong and sweet, but it’s hard to pin down what exactly it smells like. I know this will sound weird, but I think I smelled something flowery. It’s as though there’s this initial strong scent, which smells somewhat spicy and perhaps a little fruity, that hits you right away. Then you smell the faint flowery-perfume scent.

I then took a tiny sip. I don’t know how it happened, but it tasted both incredibly sweet and bitter at the same time. It started out somewhat bitter, perhaps with an acidic taste, then followed with a saccharine sweet taste. It didn’t taste like a product flavored with real sugar. There was also a bit of an aftertaste left behind in the back of my throat. I felt as though I had taken some kind of tea, tossed in five packets of Sweet and Low or Splenda, then drank it.

As I took more substantial sips, I found that I didn’t notice the sweetness as much. I also noticed that there wasn’t really a defined flavor to the drink. If pressed, I’d say it tasted like a citrus fruit drink simply because of the acidic flavor. This was somewhat surprising, because I’d have thought a blue-green colored drink would have a blue raspberry taste to it. It tasted like I was drinking some sort of sweet, artificial drink as opposed to some sort of fruit drink.

The Effects

I woke up at 6:30am on the morning the day I drank the Mana Energy Potion. Usually I start yawning and feeling sleepy around 5pm. I drank the Mana Energy Potion at around 12pm, after I finished my lunch.

I didn’t start yawning until around 10pm. While the Health Energy Potion I sampled had kept me up until 1am, the Mana Energy Potion provided just enough energy to get me through the day but still allow me to fall asleep at my normal time of 11~11:30pm. I’m thinking it’s because this time I drank the energy drink at noon, as opposed to later in the evening.

There’s one other thing, which I almost was going to include in the taste section but decided would fit better here. The weird pungent/spicy/flowery scent of the Mana Energy Potion stuck with me. My breath ended up smelling exactly like the energy drink.

An interesting alternative to the Health Energy Potion

Depending on what you want in your energy drink, you’ll want either the Health or Mana Energy Potions. The Health Energy Potion seems to focus on both energy and the extra folic acid, biotin, ginseng and elderberry added in, while the Mana Energy Potion focuses on the energy and the dietary enzyme blend included in the drink. Both provided a substantial energy boost when needed, so I’d have to say a purchase would be dependent on what flavor a person prefers. I personally preferred the Health Energy Potion’s apple cinnamon flavor to the Mana Energy Potion’s undefined, possibly citrus blend. Plus the Health Energy Potion looked much more appetizing.

Read [Gamertell] Site [Harcos’ Energy Potions]

Full Story ? | Written by Jenni Lada for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article ?

Today’s a groovy day to celebrate our nation’s independence with your family.

Go eat some grilled food products, consume a age-appropriate chilled beverage, ignite a state-approved firework or two and, of course, get in some extra time with your favorite, neglected videogame.

If you are hell bent on being at your computer, then head on over to our Gamertell Exclusive Explosive Mashup post from 2007.

Otherwise, go away.

It’s a friggin’ national holiday.

- Gamertell

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Danielle mentioned that Michael Jackson’s Moonwalker is among the more unique collectibles from theKing of Pop’s career and now speculators are moving the game on eBay.

Bids on a non-working copy of the Sega Genesis game are up to $61 at the time of this article and working copies complete with instruction manuals have fetched as much as $1,000.

Before Jackson’s untimely death, you would have been hard pressed to get $5 for this cartridge even in excellent condition. Some sellers have set pretty lofty goals and set a Buy It Now price of $1,999.99. Good luck with that, guys. For whatever reason, there isn’t as much action on his appearances in Space Channel 5 and Ready 2 Rumble Round 2.

That could be because Moonwalker is sort of a pixelated love letter to Jackson’s classic Smooth Criminal video. Or because of the pure awesomeness of the old Sega Genesis system. With collectibles, you never know what’s going to happen.

Opinions on the game’s actual quality vary. Danielle loved it, while a reviewer at Game Freaks had a completely different take. You can hit eBay and judge for yourself, just don’t buy the $60 non-working copy.

Read [Gamertell]? Also Read [PlayStation Lifestyle]

Full Story ? | Written by Brian Allen for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article ?

Can you say, “the dog days of summer”? This Nintendo download update is certainly on the sedate side, with 2 water-based titles on WiiWare (including a fishing game!) and Sudoku (yes, Sudoku!) on DSiWare. I’m interested in the sole VC release, Fantasy Zone II: The Tears of Opa-Opa, and potentially Silver Star Reversi on WiiWare, but if you’re still not satisfied, hell, Natsume does make a mean fishing game. Nintendo adds to it’s virtual game stores each Monday at 9 AM Pacific, and Wii points may be purchased at a rate of $1=100.

Nintendo’s Descriptions:

WiiWare

Water Warfare
Publisher: Hudson Entertainment
Players: 1-8
ESRB Rating: E10+ (Everyone 10 and Older) – Cartoon Violence
Price: 800 Wii Points
Description: Water Warfare is a comical first-person shooter that uses water guns to battle and soak opponents. A map with a particular theme – Playground, Beach, Plaza or Nature Park – is generated automatically when the game begins, so you can think up new strategies each time you engage. Game modes include Single Player Missions, CPU Match and 2-Player Split Screen. On top of that, players with broadband Internet access can use Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection to battle with up to eight players from around the world, or participate in Ranking Mode.

Reel Fishing Challenge
Publisher: Natsume, Inc.
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 500 Wii Points
Description: Reel Fishing Challenge offers a fun and challenging experience for novice fishers and master anglers alike. Put your skills to the test and discover new types of fish in the challenging mission mode, or relax and enjoy the game at your own pace in free play mode. No matter which mode you play, the game’s beautiful graphics and natural setting bring the fishing experience to life. Choose from a variety of lures to attract and hook the game’s numerous fish. Each fish looks and moves like the real thing – it’s the closest you can get to real-life fishing without putting on your waders.

Silver Star Reversi
Publisher: Agetec, Inc.
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 500 Wii Points
Description: Silver Star Reversi has two modes: 1-Player mode allows you to play a match against the computer opponent, and 2-Player mode allows you to play against another person. In 1-Player mode, you can choose from five different computer opponents, turn the background music on or off, adjust sound effects and access in-game help features. During each match, you can also redo your last move, save the game at any point, or resign from the game. After a match has ended, you can review each move and resume the match from any point you choose.

Virtual Console

Fantasy Zone II: The Tears of Opa-Opa
Original platform: SEGA MASTER SYSTEM
Publisher: SEGA
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Mild Cartoon Violence
Price: 500 Wii Points
Description: Ten years have elapsed since Opa-Opa restored peace to the Fantasy Zone. Now history is repeating itself, and the planets that make up the Fantasy Zone once again find themselves attacked by the mastermind of the Nenon planet forces. This mastermind is secretly constructing a huge fortress in the Fantasy Zone and aims to put an end to their ambitious plans. Just as he did 10 years ago, Opa-Opa must do battle to save the Fantasy Zone.

Nintendo DSiWare

SUDOKU MASTER
Publisher: Hudson Entertainment
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: SUDOKU MASTER offers 150 unique puzzles that beginners and experts alike will enjoy. A handful of tutorials will help you learn the rules and controls as you go, and handy features like Write Mode and Temp Numbers make Sudoku pleasantly user-friendly. Feeling confident? Then try your hand at Title Mode to work your way up from Rookie to Sudoku Master. All puzzles were created by Sudoku veteran NIKOLI Co., Ltd., and tips from Sudoku godfather Maki Kaji are offered between games.

Read Nintendo Life

Full Story ? | Written by Danielle Riendeau for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article ?

Haven’t caught all of the Gamertell news this week?? Here’s your chance to catch up on this week’s top 10 articles!

• Gamertell Preview: Steambot Chronicles: Battle Tournament for PSP
  ” I’d never had the opportunity to play Irem and Atlus’ PS2 Steambot Chronicles, but had heard good things. So when given the chance to test drive the portable Steambot Chronicles: Battle Tournament, I looked forward to an interesting…” MORE ?
• Gamertell Review: Science Girls for PC, Mac and Linux
  ” Title: Science Girls! Price: $9.95 System(s): Windows (also available for Mac and Linux) Release Date: May 28, 2009 Publisher (Developer): Hanako Games (Hanako Games and Spiky Caterpillar) ESRB Rating: N/A Pros: Adorable character…” MORE ?
• Nintendo Downloads for June 22, 2009
  “We’re entering summer 2009 with a rather bizarre mix of downloadable games. But on WiiWare/Virtual Console/DSiWare, that’s pretty much par for the course, no? The smart money is on the funky sounding new puzzler from YUKES (NEVES Plus) and potentially the new Art Style game, though if you’re really dying…” MORE ?
• Gamertell Review: Black Sigil: Blade of the Exiled for DS
  ” Title: Black Sigil: Blade of the Exiled Price: $29.99 System(s): DS Release Date: June 9, 2009 Publisher (Developer): Graffiti Entertainment (Studio Archcraft) ESRB Rating: “Everyone” for Mild Fantasy Violence and…” MORE ?
• PlayStation Store Update: Another PS1 Classic, new movies available (June 21 to June 27, 2009)
  ” This week an old PS One classic comes to the PlayStation Portable, the game that started it all…” MORE ?
• BioShock and Oblivion bundle available in July for Xbox 360s and PCs
  ” We love it when a good deal comes along. We especially love it when we find it difficult to decide which of two great games to play first. Starting on July 7, 2009 BioShock and The Elder Scrolls IV:…” MORE ?
• Bethesda discusses Fallout 3 Point Lookout and Mothership Zeta DLC
  ” On May 20, 2009 Bethesda announced two additional episodes to the Fallout 3 universe. “Point Lookout” will be released first on June 23, 2009 for Xbox 360 and PC for 800 MS points ($10) and “Mothership Zeta” is coming out in…” MORE ?
• GTA: Chinatown Wars is headed to PSP in fall 2009
  “Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars was, by most accounts, a completely awesome game. Released on the DS last March, critics loved the gritty, comical portable version of everyone’s favorite open world series, though it didn’t sell well – at all. According to…” MORE ?
• Activision boss calling for PS3 price cut, or else
  ” The head of Activision Bobby Kotick has expressed his concern over the price of the PS3 and how he was disappointed a price drop wasn’t announced at E3, but we never though he’d go this far. In an interview with…” MORE ?
• Gamertell Review: Wallace and Gromit Episode 3: Muzzled! for PC
  ” Title: Wallace and Gromit episode 3: Muzzled! Price: $8.95 or $34.95 for the series System(s): *PC, Xbox live Release Date: June, 15, 2009 Publisher (Developer): Telltale games (Aardman)? ESRB Rating: “E for everyone+10”…” MORE ?

Full Story ? | Written by NEWS for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article ?

Retail stores have experimented with different methods to prevent the theft of games in the past. Some stores surround the disc case in a thick plastic prison cell, some have games locked in display cases and others keep the games behind the counter where only employees have access. All these methods have their advantages and disadvantages but none of them are perfect. Starting in the fourth quarter of 2010 retailers may adapt a new system that uses radio frequencies to unlock discs once they are sold.

The Entertainment Merchants Association proposed that retail stores could earn up to $6 billion a year if it switches to this new system. Under this system, disc based media such as games, Blu-ray discs and DVDs will be unplayable until they are scanned at checkout. A specific radio frequency then unlocks the disc and makes it playable from that point on.

In an effort to appease critics that may think this is another case of digital rights management (DRM), the vice president of public affairs for the EMA Sean Bersell spoke to GameSpot and said this is not the case. He says this technology is not meant to stop people from making illegal copies of disc media but rather to prevent theft from stores in general.

The president of the Entertainment Consumers Association, Hal Halpin, also spoke to GameSpot about how videogame publishers may react to this method. He doesn’t see publishers going along with the idea unless the EMA could guarantee the games could not be resold at a later date.

Via [GameSpot] Read [Geek]

Full Story ? | Written by Jeremy Hill for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article ?

Midway Games may not be doing so well financially these days but the Mortal Kombat series isn’t going down without a very bloody fight. For the record, Mortal Kombat 9 is currently being developed and the series creator Ed Boon is being quite vocal with the details on his Twitterpage.

What we know is that Mortal Kombat 9 is returning to the form we all remember it as – very, very violent. Boon says MK9 will not have any superheroes and will answer fans’ pleas to have another Mature rated MK game. Currently, the developers are motion capturing fatalities, and Boon is wondering if they are taking it a little too far. However, Boon knows they won’t cross over into an AO (Adults Only) rating.

IGN learned the Twitter account does indeed belong to Ed Boon. We’ll be eyeballing his account just in case he decides to spill any more gory details on this game.

Read [Twitter] Also Read [IGN]

Full Story ? | Written by Jeremy Hill for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article ?

Haven’t caught all of the Gamertell news this week?? Here’s your chance to catch up on this week’s top 10 articles!

• A few games we want to see remade in HD
  ” Nostalgia can go a long way these days. We would gladly hand over money to play the same game we enjoyed more than ten years ago if we don’t own a physical copy. Some companies have taken it a step…” MORE ?
• Apple App Store gaming update for the week of June 8 – June 14, 2009
  “The Apple App Store gaming update is Gamertell’s weekly look at the previous week’s Apple App Store game releases. We cover them all – good and not so good – in their respective categories with a breakdown of the great games and the free games right where you want ‘em,…” MORE ?
• The search for budget-priced Wii RPGs
  “A common misconception among the gaming population is that the Wii is home to mini-game collections and family friendly shovelware. While there is a substantial amount of sub-par games, there are many quality games as well. Another misconception is that there are no…” MORE ?
• Gamertell Preview: Uncharted 2 multiplayer beta impressions
  ” Uncharted 2: Among Thieves is one the most highly anticipated games for 2009. It came as a bit of a surprise when we learned Uncharted 2 will have online multiplayer modes and couldn’t wait to try it out.? For…” MORE ?
• E3 2009: The 10 best games announced for the Wii
  “E3 2009 is all over now and the games have all been announced. It’s time to look at the best of the best, specifically for the Wii.? There were a ton of games announced at E3 that all look very good, so I limited it…” MORE ?
• E3 2009: Gamepark Holdings “hardly had time to rest”
  “As game companies begin to regain some sense of sanity a week after E3 2009, some are starting to send reactions to the event. Located at Booth 500, Gamepark Holdings Co., Ltd., was demonstrating its latest open…” MORE ?
• Nintendo Downloads for June 15, 2009
  ” It’s another insanely eclectic week on Nintendo’s downloadable game services. WiiWare is boasting a new Sega game,? fighting kitchen appliances and rainbow islands, DSiWare has your ripoff clock and calculator needs covered, and the excellent Arcade version of Space Harrier wraps…” MORE ?
• Gamertell Review: Knights in the Nightmare for DS
  ” Title: Knights in the Nightmare Price: $34.99 System(s): DS Release Date: June 2, 2009 Publisher (Developer): Atlus (Sting Entertainment) ESRB Rating: “Teen” for Alcohol Reference, Tobacco Reference, Mild Fantasy Violence, Mild Language…” MORE ?
• Mirror’s Edge 2 is in development
  ” Mirror’s Edge was one of the most unique games we’ve seen this generation. The first-person parkour inspired concept was something we haven’t seen before in games but it wasn’t without it’s flaws. The gun combat, while not an essential part of…” MORE ?
• Gamertell Review: Final Fantasy IV: The After Years – Rydia’s Tale for Wii
  ” Title: Final Fantasy IV: The After Years – Rydia’s Tale Price: 300 points / $3 (note: You need the 800 point / $8 FFIV: The After Years to play. System(s): Wii (WiiWare)…” MORE ?

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There’s nothing wrong with being cute and furry in PlayStation Home but after a strange message appeared on the virtual PSP menu June 18, 2009, informing users of a strange virus breaking out, turning everyone into strange creatures.

Hamster Invasions

No one thought that the creature would be avatars wearing the long awaited hamster suit. Along with their availability groups have formed asking players which side they chose to join—humans or hamsters. In fact, there will be a battle this Saturday (June 20, 2009) starting at 8 p.m. PST in Central Plaza for a Dance-off. According to Sony, whichever faction (human or hamster) forms the longest dance line or chains in central plaza will unlock a special reward item for all of Home in a future update. So practice your favorite dance move, where your best outfit or clean your whiskers and be prepared to support your species to the song of “Chain Swing” by Animal House.

Those supporting the hamster race can find the hamster suit at Threads located on the second floor of the mall in Central Plaza.
Hamster suit costume for both male and female avatars:

• Full hamster suit cost $1.99
• Hamster head cost 49 cents.
• Hamster torso cost 49 cents.
• Hamster legs cost 49 cents.
• Hamster hands cost 49 cents.
• Hamster feet cost 49 cents.

Also available at the mall today are free items at Threads:

• 25th Anniversary Ghostbusters T-shirt cost is free.
• Split Second T-shirt cost is free.

New personal spaces available

This week a new apartment and club house are now available at the real estate store located on the first and second floor of the mall. In celebration of the Ghostbusters anniversary the Ghostbusters Firehouse headquarters is available with lots of cool features and a simple clubhouse for players and their friends to meet and party.

Ghostbusters Firehouse:
The Ghostbusters Firehouse space is available for $4.99 and features three full floor space, fire poles avatars can slide down, office areas, bathroom area, kitchen area, bedroom area, a full-sized Ecto-1 vehicle and a controllable slimer that can pass through walls and floors to frighten unsuspecting friends. The space comes with a studio set camera players can use to create their own Ghostbusters machima with. Unfortunately no video editing software or recording program comes with this package. When purchasing this item you also get ornaments and furniture you can use and up to 14 wall spaces for picture frames for those who purchased the picture frames last week.

Items that also come with the personal space include:

• A reel-to-reel style movie camera
• A video recording camera
• A black storage chest
• Blue tape that can be used to mark camera locations in the firehouse for videotaping.
• A blue background screen for use with camera.
• A Ghostbusters Sign
• A plate of half eaten bagels
• A pizza box
• A pizza box with a slice of pizza on cover
• A pizza box with several slices of pizza on cover
• A noodle cup
• A 2 liter bottle of soda
• A plates
• A cup
• A stack of toast
• A firehouse bed
• A coffee maker
• A TV with a green screen
• A TV with no screen on
• A telephone
• A Stay Puft Marshmallow head for your avatar (male or female)

Club House
Also available at the real estate store is a basic club house for $4.99. The club house allows players to hold parties or hang out with friends in privacy without the hassle of random people interrupting your conversations. Its a wide open area you can customize with furniture, features a large video mounted on the wall you can share videos with fellow club members. Once players set up their club house they can start inviting friends to join. Club members can return at any time to read or leave messages on the bulletin boards for other members to arrive. Only those on the member list can enter the clubhouse at any time.

New game space and updates available

SOCOM: Tactical Operations Center
A new space just opened on the world map in Sony Home. SOCOM: Tactical Operations Center just opened featuring videos, strategy maps for the game and more. There’s a military vehicle outside that will offer military uniforms and other items to SOCOM fans soon. Take a glimpse of the newly opened game space:

EA Sports Complex Updates
Electronic Arts has updated their Sony Home Sports Complex to include more race tracks (allowing more players to enjoy the game at once), racing boost shop and leaderboards so players can compare their results with friends or brag about their fastest times around the tracks on the first floor.? More unlockable prizes are now available to those playing Texas Hold’em Poker on the second floor. Still no word as to when the golf pro shop will open in the near future according to Sony’s Home blogs.

The End is Xi

For those of you who have been patiently solving puzzles in Xi:The Hub. The end has finally arrived. As I walked down that long white hall where Jess stood waiting to explain why she created all those puzzles we have been working hard to solve, the other players on foreign servers we had to work with to find the answers and adventures we’ve embarked on – it all lead up to this one fine moment – the answers to what Xi was all about.

I’m not going to ruin the game for those still trying to gather their fragments and butterflies. But the rewards I’ve earned for completing the game were awesome as I stepped into the Alumni Hub with others to unlock three trophies for my apartment and followed the trail of a butterfly for an alumni T-shirt signifying the completion of the game. Then sighed as I can no longer enter the regular hub to help others but I can still play the hexopolis mini games found in alpha zone 1 for old times sake. I must say I can’t wait for a sequel if they ever create one. The game was annoying at times but very entertaining.

If you haven’t played Xi: The Hub yet, teleport into Xi: The Hub from central plaza find those three pieces of the invitation and embark on your own journey to find the meaning of Xi.

Read [Playstation Blog] Read [Dance-off announcement] Site [PlayStation]

Full Story ? | Written by Lucy Newman for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article ?

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It’s another insanely eclectic week on Nintendo’s downloadable game services. WiiWare is boasting a new Sega game,? fighting kitchen appliances and rainbow islands, DSiWare has your ripoff clock and calculator needs covered, and the excellent Arcade version of Space Harrier wraps up the pickings. Personally, I’m all for the toaster, the catching and the Harrier. Nintendo adds to it’s virtual game stores each Monday at 9 AM Pacific, and Wii points may be purchased at a rate of $1=100.

WiiWare

Eduardo the Samurai Toaster
Publisher: Semnat Studios
Players: 1-4
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Mild Cartoon Violence
Price: 800 Wii Points
Description: Fight your way through 13 diverse locations on your own or with up to three friends in this frenetic and stylish side-scrolling action game. Play as Eduardo and his fellow toaster buddies as you fire an assortment of pastries at all kinds of dastardly food products. Hop onto laser-mounted scooters and fly across the screen in rocket packs, and learn to cooperate with your teammates or simply annoy each other in an awesomely fun way by throwing each other around the screen. The choice is up to you.

RAINBOW ISLANDS: TOWERING ADVENTURE!
Publisher: TAITO
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Comic Mischief
Price: 800 Wii Points
Description: In Rainbow Islands: Towering Adventure!, players control the rainbow-magic-wielding Bubby or Bobby as they climb the seven seamless areas of a tower reaching the heavens while defeating enemies with their rainbow powers. Bosses controlled by the scientific genius Dr. Crescent await players at the end of every area. Race through every area within the allotted time to meet the rainbow-colored Holly’s Comet. There are three game modes: Story mode, which tells the tale of Holly’s Comet; Challenge mode, where players attempt to climb as high as they can; and Time Attack, where players select an area and see how fast they can climb it. Rainbow Islands: Towering Adventure! is an exhilarating action game where you use rainbows to climb into the heavens.

Let’s CATCH
Publisher: SEGA
Players: 1-4
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Comic Mischief, Mild Suggestive Themes
Price: 1,000 Wii Points
Description: Play catch with friends in multiplayer party games and compete for high scores using your Mii character and others. Choose from six different single and multiplayer modes such as Speed Catch, which tests your ability to catch a fastball, and Bomb Catch, an elimination party game for up to four players. Select from a variety of characters or use your Mii character to play other favorite catch games. Unlock special features when you own both Let’s TAP and Let’s CATCH.

Nintendo DSiWare

Mario Calculator
Publisher: Nintendo
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: N/A
Price: 200 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Mario and Luigi take a break from their normal adventures to dedicate their heroic talents to working with numbers. Mario Calculator features the full functionality of a traditional calculator, including a Memory key and the ability to display up to 13 digits, and adds a layer of atmosphere reminiscent of the original Super Mario Bros. Use the Unit Converter to turn one unit of measure into another (such as length, weight, volume, age and others), or track the history of calculations you’ve performed with ease. Listen to the Mario-related sounds and watch the coins fly as calculations are performed. Now, back to adding up those high scores…

Mario Clock
Publisher: Nintendo
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 200 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Turn back time and enjoy a bit of classic game play based on the original Super Mario Bros. with Mario Clock. Help Mario and Luigi collect more coins than ever (POW block anyone?) while they run through a variety of stages. Gather enough coins and you’ll be treated to another scene bound to bring back fond memories for many. Mario Clock includes both analog and digital clocks that use the system’s internal clock or allow you to offset the time however you like. Program up to three alarms (with snooze functionality for those that need it) and assign them a Mario-related sound or use one created in the Nintendo DSi Sound application. You’ll find yourself thinking “Just a few more coins…” in no time!

Virtual Console

Space Harrier
Original platform: Virtual Console Arcade
Publisher: SEGA
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Animated Violence
Price: 800 Wii Points
Description: “Welcome to the Fantasy Zone. Get ready!” This is the greeting given to you as you start Space Harrier, but you don’t have much time to take this advice. Even as the words are being spoken, your Harrier warrior is already charging into battle. Toting a huge laser gun under his arm, the Space Harrier can either run along the checkerboard ground or freely fly through the sky. Either way, he’s always heading forward into the hostile 3-D world. As you progress, hordes of strange creatures and robots fly toward you. Fast reflexes are required to dodge their incoming fire. Environmental hazards can be a problem, too. Take care not to run into any trees or stone structures. If you need a bit of a morale boost, just defeat a boss, and the narrator will remind you that “you’re doing great!”

Read [Nintendo Life]

Full Story ? | Written by Danielle Riendeau for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article ?

Haven’t caught all of the Gamertell news this week?? Here’s your chance to catch up on this week’s top 10 articles!

• Gamertell Review: Class of Heroes for PSP
  ” Title: Class of Heroes Price: $39.99 System(s): PSP Release Date: June 6, 2009 Publisher (Developer): Atlus (Zerodiv) ESRB Rating: “Teen” for Alcohol Reference, Mild Fantasy Violence, Mild Language and Mild Suggestive Themes MORE ?
• PlayStation Store Update: E3 2009 wrap up, more downloadable music (June 8 to June 13, 2009)
  “This week’s PlayStation Store is featuring the game Trash Panic by Sony Computer Entertainment America. It’s an eco-friendly puzzle available for download for $4.99 that pits up to two players against the clock…” MORE ?
• Gamertell Review: Space Ace for iPhone, iPod Touch
  ” Title: Space Ace Price: $4.99 System(s): iPhone, iPod Touch Release Date: April 26, 2009 Publisher (Developer): Dragon’s Lair LLC ESRB Rating: “Everyone” for animated violence Pros: The same game…” MORE ?
• Apple App Store gaming update for the week of June 1 – June 7, 2009
  “The Apple App Store gaming update is Gamertell’s weekly look at the previous week’s Apple App Store game releases. We cover them all – good and not so good – in their respective categories with a breakdown of the great games and the free games right where you want ‘em,…” MORE ?
• Class of Heroes’ most useful races and majors for beginners
  ” I’ve had the good fortune to be playing Class of Heroes for quite a while now, and I’d like to think I’ve familiarized myself with the game. After all, I’ve never had a party completely wiped out in…” MORE ?
• Sony Home Update: The universe is expanding (again), a spy has been discovered in Xi
  “Click your heals three times and repeat after me… “There’s no place like HOME! There’s no place like HOME!” Spaces And I’m not joking, since Home opened its virtual doors it has been expanding into its own…” MORE ?
• Xbox Live going down for scheduled maintenance
  “It would be wise to make some plans outdoors on June 16, 2009, because Xbox Live won’t be around to keep you company. Starting at 12:01a.m. (PST), Xbox Live will be undergoing maintenance that could last up to 24 hours. This means…” MORE ?
• E3 2009: The flops, weaks spots and not-so-hots
  “E3 2009 was pretty successful. We saw some interesting games, a new PSP incarnation and quite a few extra peripherals. For the most part, a very productive couple of days. But, there were a few stains…” MORE ?
• E3 2009: Final Fantasy Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers in-depth hands-on impressions
  ” At the 2009 Electronics Entertainment Expo, Square Enix debuted a playable demo of the latest chapter in its Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles series titled The Crystal Bearers for Wii. Staying true to the Final Fantasy Crystal…” MORE ?
• Mike Wilson: “People seemed pretty bored” at E3 2009, working on something new
  “Before I wrote “E3 could probably use a little more GameCock,” I tried to reach former GameCock CEO Mike Wilson for comment. Since he wasn’t with SouthPeak, the company that acquired GameCock in 2008, it…” MORE ?

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By now, we all know the big games of E3 2009 – New Super Mario Bros. Wii, BioShock 2, Mass Effect 2, Assassin’s Creed 2, Splinter Cell: Conviction, God of War III, and oh yeah, that game with the Beatles. But there were plenty of under-the-radar surprises at this year’s show – quality games that looked great without the benefit of the hype machine. The following are my top three picks that came right out of left field and made a major impression.

Robacalypse: Beaver Defense
Despite having a truly bizarre title (I thought it was a joke at first!) this “tower defense” strategy title for WiiWare was looking good. Like Ninjatown (DS) on steroids, the game features advanced AI, more freedom in placing your units, and a “hero robot” mechanic that allows you to choose a robotic super soldier at each level’s outset. I was able to try this one hands-on, and I was genuinely impressed with the beefed up mechanics and manic pace. It’s slated for a WiiWare release on September 30, 2009.

A Boy and His Blob
The shining star of Majesco’s booth, this Wii retro revival of the classic NES game was looking gorgeous. With a hand-painted graphical style and compelling puzzle-platforming gameplay, the game was a definite sleeper hit of the show. The guys behind the game (WayForward) also developed Contra 4 for the DS, so they definitely know what they’re doing when it comes to now-gen reboots. This one’s coming in the fall of 2009.

Prank Your Neighbor
I had zero expectations from this JoWood/Dreamcatcher point and click adventure – the company does not have the best track record with the genre. However, I was totally charmed by the “90s LucasArts” aesthetic and cheeky premise: basically, you play as a little guy who has stowed away on a cruise ship with his obnoxious neighbors. Your objective is to find new ways to combine items and environmental hazards in order to make the neighbor’s life miserable. It looked like boatloads of fun – no pun intended. You can pick up the DS version in July 2009.

Read [WayForward]

Full Story ? | Written by Danielle Riendeau for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article ?

Click your heals three times and repeat after me… “There’s no place like HOME! There’s no place like HOME!”

Spaces

And I’m not joking, since Home opened its virtual doors it has been expanding into its own little universe. Like the new upcoming space I mentioned last week for a space called BUZZ! HQ which has actually been delayed because of a few minor issues, but will open very soon once all the kinks are worked out. Until then, a new space is on its way soon for the game inFamous. No confirmed date as to when it will be available yet but, according to Sony, players will be able to explore the Empire City and play the new inFamous themed mini-game that will test players reflex and aiming skills. And I can’t wait to take that test.

Speaking of inFamous, the Cole costumes are now unlockable for Sony Home. Some gamers were given a glimpse of this upcoming Home space during E32009, check out a video a player recorded at the Sony Home booth:

Another space on its way to Sony Home will be a Ghostbusters-themed space by LOOT Gear who have already created the Studio Set Apartment available at the Real Estate store in the mall and now teasing the space as well as fun gear available to players on PlayStation Home. With a silly infomercial on YouTube and tweets on their twitter page about their upcoming “Ghostbusters” space, check it out:

No dates have been confirmed for the new Ghostbusters space but at the mall you can purchase complete Ghostbusters uniforms for $1.99 (Male and Female costumes) while you wait or you can purchase individual items for:

Stuff

Males

• Uniform top for 99 cents
• Pants for 49 cents
• Boots for 25 cents
• Ecto goggles for 49 cents
• Chemical gloves for 25 cents

Females

• Uniform top for 99 cents
• Uniform shorts for 49 cents
• Boots for 25 cents
• Ghostbusters hat for 49 cents
• Chemical gloves for 25 cents

More Street Fighter 4 outfits are now available for male avatars:

• Balrog wig, shirt, shorts, boxing gloves and boots for 99 cents each.
• Vega wig, mask, body top, pants, claw bracelets and shoes for 99 cents each.
• Sagat body top, trunks, hand wraps, foot wraps and eye patch for 99 cents each.
• M. Bison wig, suit top, suit bottom and boots for 99 cents each.

Also new at the mall furniture store, players can display their favorite works of art, posters or photos on the walls of their personal spaces with picture frames now available for $2.99. Users can their favorite pictures by uploading the images to your photo gallery playlist located on the PlayStation menu and then importing them into the frames after placing them on the wall. The sleek grayish frames are pretty neat, players can turn them horizontally or vertically or just rotate the image within the frame and either stretch, fill or crop them into place. Note you can only hang as many frames as your wall space allows for example, if you own the Harbor Studio Apartment the most you can hang is four where as if you plan wisely you can hang up to six in your chamber apartment. There are default images available for use until you upload the images you want into your photo gallery playlist. As a reminder Sony suggests using only images that are owned by you to avoid copyright issues and other legal stuff.

Xi: The Hub

Over at Xi: The Hub, correspondence between the team leader Thom and a Veilcorps operative has been discovered by volunteers and the AFK hackers. With the spy found the testers are not speaking with each other in disappointment and fear of revealing any new valuable information to Veilcorps. In an email sent by Jachal informing players that Jess has dropped another clue on her home computer, players who have read the message will find mathematical problems to solve by exploring the different worlds on Home to answer the questions. A new maze has opened in Alpha Zone 3 which is similar to the riddle maze, except now you have faster ghosts chasing you not to mention tougher questions to answer to get to the goal before the ghosts find you. The only hint I can offer here is pay attention to where the ghost is moving and when he’s not looking, run. Fast. Good luck.

Read [Playstation Blog] Site [PlayStation] Site [Loot Gear] Site [LOOT’s Twitter page]

Full Story ? | Written by Lucy Newman for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article ?

Before I wrote “E3 could probably use a little more GameCock,” I tried to reach former GameCock CEO Mike Wilson for comment. Since he wasn’t with SouthPeak, the company that acquired GameCock in 2008, it took a little extra time to get hold of him.

It turns out he was at E3 2009 this year but not wearing the bright birdly garb or years past. He had a response to my opinion piece, a few comments about E3 2009 and let loose a little news of his own.

Here’s what Wilson had to say/type:

I agree with your article. The show floor was a nice balance, I thought, for the 30 mins or so I was on it. Seems like you could have conversations all day without yelling, and the techo/sweatfest aspect was way down. Cool.

But definitely a lot missing on the excitement front. Not sure how much of that was everyone being shellshocked or having survivor’s guilt because it’s 2009. But people seemed pretty bored.

Even the Hotel Fig[ueroa] was WAY down tempo from last year.

The rest of his email reveals that he’s not quite as caged as I had thought, although it sounds as if he won’t be putting on any colorful plumage any time soon. He was at Hotel Fig during E3 for a few meetings.

Harry [Miller] and I have another company going, which you’ll be hearing about soon, but even we are adjusting to the times a bit. One solid game IP at first, nothing too flashy.? 2010 seems like a good year to fully come out of hibernation (hopefully with the rest of the biz) and have some noisy old fun. Maybe even by Austin GDC if the summer doesn’t bring any new catastrophes.

Wilson indicated there are not any demos of this secret game but there will be “soon.” Let’s hope his new project manages to ruffle at least a few feathers, in a good way, of course.

Read [Gamertell]

Full Story ? | Written by PJ Hruschak for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article ?

Haven’t caught all of the Gamertell news this week?? Here’s your chance to catch up on this week’s top 10 articles!

• Live Blog: Sony’s E3 2009 press conference
  “Seems like June 2, 2009,? is a busy day for press conferences. Sony’s going to be holding it’s E3 2009 media briefing after Nintendo’s at 11 a.m. PST (1 p.m. CST, 2 p.m. EST). We’ll be live-blogging the entire conference…” MORE ?
• Live Blog: Microsoft’s E3 2009 press conference
  “E3 2009 is less than a day away and Gamertell is going to live blog all the exciting news that will come out of Microsoft’s press conference. The press conference will begin at 10:25 a.m. Pacific Time (12:25 p.m. Central Time…” MORE ?
• Live Blog: Nintendo’s E3 2009 press conference
  “On June 2, 2009, Nintendo’s going to be holding it’s official E3 2009 media briefing. It starts at 9 a.m. PST (11 a.m. CST, 12 p.m. EST). Be sure to join us here at Gamertell, as we’ll be live-blogging the entire event.…” MORE ?
• E3 2009: Last minute E3 Predictions
  “I miss the days when secrets were secrets and any games industry talk you heard about all month came from the pages of your favorite gaming rag. These days, leaks pour out from every orifice from a company. It’s gotten so bad…” MORE ?
• Live Blog: Ubisoft’s E3 2009 press conference
  “Is it pronounced YOU-bee-soft or or OO-bee-soft? However you pronounce it, the company makes some great games and we hope 2009 will prove to be another great year of releases. The press conference begins at 5:00 p.m. (PT) on Monday, June 1,…” MORE ?
• Wrapup of Microsoft’s E3 2009 press conference
  “Microsoft’s E3 2009 press conference has just wrapped up and it’s safe to say it came out swinging. Of the avalanche of announcements that were revealed, a few stood out as being the best in show. The Hideo Kojima mystery has…” MORE ?
• E3 2009: More on the WiiMotionPlus (with photos)
  “Nintendo made a lot of mention of the upcoming WiiMotionPlus controller at it’s E3 2009 press conference. Meant to replace the WiiMote, Red Steel 2 will be the first game to use on the WiiMotionPlus and they…” MORE ?
• E3 2009: Live Blog Recap-apalooza
  “In case you (gaming gods forbid) missed our Live Blogging of any of the five press conferences that kicked off E3 2009, here’s your chance to get back in the action. For your convenience we offer the complete Live Blogs as…” MORE ?
• E3 2009: Sony keynote presentation wrap-up
  “Sony’s massive two hour E3 presentation has just ended. We were given a lot of information to digest. At times, it seemed like we were receiving more facts about how well Sony is doing, as opposed to what new games…” MORE ?
• E3 2009: Nintendo’s keynote press conference wrap-up
  “Wow, we just had a lot of surprises from Nintendo. From the expected Wii Sports Resort and Motion Plus hyping, to the unexpected announcement of New Super Mario Bros. (Wii), Golden Sun DS and Metroid: Anotther M (Wii). Gamertell’s just finished it’s…” MORE ?

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Thanks to live broadcasts on G4TV and live blogging through outlets such as Gamertell, millions of eyes throughout the world are on the Electronic Entertainment Expo. It’s not just the games and consoles at this industry showcase that are under intense scrutiny, it’s the showcase itself.

Two years ago, the Entertainment Software Association tried to whittle the gargantuan E3 down to a more manageable event and was successful but the result drew much scorn within the industry.

After 2008’s E3, gaming luminary than Will Wright called the show the walking dead.? Activision opted to skip the 2008 event altogether, holding its own press event at a separate locale and sending a clear message that E3 had issues. Entertainment Software Association CEO Michael Gallagher cautioned against calling this event a return to the old E3, but did promise to deliver the show “the industry deserves.”

The show expects to admit 40,000 attendees, a significant increase from the ghost-town like less than 5,000 it was estimated took in E3 2008.

To the delight of the still largely male gaming audience, the famous “booth babes” have returned. They have about as much to do with games as cheerleaders have to do with football but have become a tradition people associate with the show.

E3 is in a state of flux and since the industry it represents is all about rapidly changing technology, perhaps a constantly changing showcase fits it perfectly.

Read [Gamertell: E3 2009] Also Read [Edge Online]

Full Story ? | Written by Brian Allen for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article ?

Is it pronounced YOU-bee-soft or or OO-bee-soft? However you pronounce it, the company makes some great games and we hope 2009 will prove to be another great year of releases.

The press conference begins at 5:00 p.m. (PT) on Monday, June 1, 2009, and we’re typing away to squeeze out all the goodies the company’s press conference has to offer.

Refresh the page a lot so you get all the updates.

Read [Gamertell: E3 2009]

Full Story ? | Written by PJ Hruschak for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article ?

Is it pronounced YOU-bee-soft or or OO-bee-soft? However you pronounce it, the company makes some great games and we hope 2009 will prove to be another great year of releases.

The press conference begins at 5:00 p.m. (PT) on Monday, June 1, 2009, and we’re typing away to squeeze out all the goodies the company’s press conference has to offer.

Refresh the page a lot so you get all the updates.

Read [Gamertell: E3 2009]

Full Story ? | Written by PJ Hruschak for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article ?

The PSP Go isn’t a rumor, it’s a reality. And, thanks to the early arrival of June’s Qore, we don’t have to wait until E3 2009 to hear all about it. Game Console Network was the first to bring up the news, reporting on the new console’s features. PlayStation LifeStyle was next on the scene with pictures of the PSP Go’s box.

It seems that a lot of the information from the rumors is true. The PSP Go is going to come with 16gb of memory, and the rumor stated that the system would have either 8gb or 16gb internal memory. The rumor also said that it would have no UMD drive and be out by September, 2009. The video confirms this and gives a Fall 2009 release window for the handheld.

Also, remember 1Up‘s story on the rumored PSP Go. It stated that PSP Slide and PSP Flip were also code names for the new system. The PSP Go’s screen slides up to reveal a directional pad, X, O, triangle and square action buttons and a single analog stick.

The PSP Go is also going to be smaller than the original PSP models, and is 40% lighter according to the video. You can expand the system’s memory with memory cards.

Let’s take a peek at the Qore segment announcing the PSP Go, which has already been uploaded to YouTube by Game Console Network.

Probably the best news from the video is that the PSP Go isn’t going to replace the PSP 3000 model. A smart move, since many people might not be ready to abandon UMDs and the new model looks incredibly tiny and fragile. The handheld’s size could make extended play uncomfortable for people with large hands. So far, it sounds like the PSP 3000 with some adjustments and design changes.

If you have a PS3 and access to Qore, you may want to check the video and photo gallery out for yourselves!

Read [Game Console Network] Via [Joystiq] Also Read [PlayStation LifeStyle]

Full Story ? | Written by Jenni Lada for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article ?

Even if you think you know nothing about bit Generations, those who have played the recent Art Style games through WiiWare have already been introduced to the series. Nintendo has taken inspiration from those earlier games and retooled/recycled them as Art Style WiiWare and DSiWare games.

The original bit Generations games were released only in Japan in 2006 for the Game Boy Advance, and sadly never made it to North America. To make things worse, because they were released at the end of the GBA’s life cycle, some of the games are now quite difficult to find.

If you do manage to find one, it may be worth picking up. The GBA was region free, so there’s no need to worry about region protection. Also, the games didn’t have massive amounts of text, and didn’t require knowledge of the Japanese language to play.

bit GenerationsSeries One

• Boundish: Boundish could be considered one of the more simple bit Generations games. It’s an action game where you have to hit a circle back and forth, trying to pass levels by making the circle move a certain way or behave in a certain manner. Boundish hasn’t inspired a WiiWare or DSiWare remake, but if you’re looking for an experience that is somewhat similar its gameplay, check out the WiiWare game Bit.Trip Beat.
• Dialhex: Dialhex is a bit Generations title you can go and experience right now, if you’d like. That’s right, it’s one of the ones turned into a WiiWare game. Art Style: ROTOHEX to be exact. It’s a puzzle game where you try to rotate colored triangles to make a hexagon of one color. Once you do that, the hexagon disappears. It costs 600 Wii Points/$6.
• Dotstream: Oddly enough, Dotstream is a rudimentary racing game. The goal is to guide a dot through various racetracks filled with all kinds of obstacles. The goal is to make it around the tracks to complete the races, trying to collect small pellets and earn additional dots. There aren’t any similar games I can think of to recommend, but perhaps in the future we’ll see Nintendo bring Dotstream to DSiWare or WiiWare. (DSiWare seems like it would be a better fit though.




bit Generations Series Two

• Digidrive: Digidrive is one of the more complicated bit Generations games, and is somewhat difficult to explain. On the right side of the screen there is a circular disk, and there is a flat platform below it. On the left side of the screen are various shapes. The goal is to stack up five similar color shapes in a line on the right side and eliminate them so the disk will move forwards. There’s really no winning or losing, the goal is just to move the disk as far as possible before the platform hits it.
• Coloris: Coloris is your standard puzzle game, and is very easy to play. You’re just trying to turn all the squares on the screen the same color as ones near it so you can make them disappear. One could argue Wiiware game Cubello was inspired by Coloris, since both involve matching colored squares/cubes to eliminate them.
• Orbital: Like Dialhex, Orbital is already immediately available via WiiWare as Art Styles: ORBIENT. (It’s also the same price, 600 points/$6.) The goal of the game is to navigate a star through stages, making it larger by combining with other stars.
• Soundvoyager: Soundvoyager is, quite possibly, the coolest entry in the bit Generations series, and one of the hardest games to find. It’s a game you play based entirely on sound. You’re encouraged to close your eyes, put on headphones and play the game based on where you hear the sound coming from. (As you can probably guess, it isn’t very pretty to look at.) The goal is to keep a dot, the only thing you will see on the screen, in the center of a stage that you can’t see, using sounds to help you decide how to move it.

COMING NEXT WEEK: Important Importables reviews Tales of the World: Narikiri Dungeon 2 for GBA.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Last week Important Importables talked about M.U.G.E.N..

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Midway announced on May 21, 2009, that it entered into a “stalking horse” asset purchase agreement with Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. and has filed a sale and bid procedures motion with the Bankruptcy Court to conduct the sale of the Company’s assets pursuant to Section 363 of the United States Bankruptcy Code. In other words, Warner Bros. is looking to bid on the company.

A “stalking horse” is a person who tests a concept with someone on behalf of an anonymous third party. If the idea proves viable and/or popular, the anonymous figure can then declare their interest and advance the concept with little risk of failure. If the concept turns out to be terrible, the anonymous party can either drop the idea completely or wait until a better moment for launching an attack.

Under the agreement, Warner Bros. will gain all of the company’s US assets including its Mortal Kombat franchise and its development studios in Chicago and Seattle for $33 million (subject to terms, of course). This agreement does not include the company’s development studio in San Diego and the TNA franchise games. It also excludes the company’s development studio in Newcastle which had developed the company’s recently released Wheelman game.

Warner Bros. still has competition and, prior to court approval, there will be a court-supervised auction so that other qualified bidders will get their chance too. This way the stakeholders can get the highest possible value for their shares. The bidding procedures, if approved, will allow potential buyers to buy some or all of the assets. A court hearing approving the sale to the winning bidder or bidders would be held soon after the conclusion of the auction, followed by a final closing.

What all this basically means is that, although Warner Bros. looks like the potential winner of the Midway company, there are still a few factors that effect it’s win. For instance, if another company is more interested then it will put in a higher bid and win the company. Plus, the fact that Warner Bros. is taking the “stalking horse” approach means that is is stil apprehensive about buying the company and is making absolutely sure this is a good investment.

I don’t care who wins the company, just as long as they don’t screw up the Mortal Kombat franchise and keep the original production staff.

Read [Business wire] Site [Midway]

Full Story ? | Written by Jessica Moen for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article ?