I never really thought about Nat Geo testing the video game waters, though, but if you think about it (which, as I said, I didn?t), it makes perfect sense. They have print media, they have TV, they even have films ? why not video games? It was really just a matter of time till they forayed into this format.

So now, the people at Nat Geo have come up with National Geographic Games. Don?t be fooled ? they are not in it for the money. Their goal is to provide high quality video games that will encourage people ? particularly the younger generation ? to develop an interest in nature and science. They have actually teamed up with Sony and Namco Bandai to develop games for the existing consoles in the market, including an array of mobile platforms.

The first game released is Herod?s Lost Tomb, which is actually available for downloading for the PC, the Mac, and the iPhone. If you want to try it out, you can visit BigFishGames. I heard that it was free but apparently, the full version sells for about $7. Why don’t you take a look and let us know if you would play Nat Geo games?

Naturally, there are many categories covered by the Awards. From Best Independent Game to Best Team Sports Game to Best [Console Type] Game ? you have it all in the VGA. What interests me are two categories ? Best PS3 Game and Game of the Year.

So what are the nominees for these categories? For Game of the Year we have:

Gears of War 2
Grand Theft Auto IV
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
Fallout 3
Little Big Planet

You?ll notice that most of these are PS3 games. As such, it is no big surprise that the games for the Best PS3 Game category are almost the same:

Grand Theft Auto IV
Little Big Planet
Resistance 2
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots

Which games will come out on top? I don?t know. I am rooting for Grand Theft Auto IV (is this such a surprise?) but we will all find out on the 14th of December. The Awards will be broadcast live from Sony Picture Studios in Culver City, California. More than the awarding itself, there will be a performance by 50 Cent, who is coming out with the game 50 Cent: Blood in the Sand soon.

After all, we have heard such statements from various people across various sectors for so long now. Then we have those people from other sectors claiming that these statements are unfounded. So what is it, really?

So I just the article anyway ? if only to find out what proof they have found now. This is what Reuters reported:

Adolescents who play violent video games may become increasingly aggressive over time, a new study of Japanese and U.S. teens suggests.

Researchers found that among three groups of 9- to 18-year-olds followed over several months, those who regularly played violent video games were more likely to get into more and more physical fights over time. The study is among the first to chart changes in gamers’ aggressive behavior over time, lending weight to evidence that violent video games can encourage violence in some kids. And it’s the first to show that the effects are seen across cultures, researchers report in the journal Pediatrics.

I have to emphasize the use of the word MAY. Grammatically speaking, this word is used to indicate a possibility. It does not really provide a solid link between the two factors being considered. To be honest, I am not surprised at all, are you?

Now I know that this kind of news will certainly cause a stir in the video gamer sector. I myself cannot help but get a little bit riled up each time the media points to video games as the cause behind various violent or errant behavior. So, I won?t even go into that. What I want to focus on right now is whether or not you can actually learn skills such as driving by simply playing video games.

There are many arcade games which function as simulators. You actually hold a steering wheel in your hands and place your feet on pedals. There are even games which have real life gear shifts. In effect, it would seem that you are actually driving. I do not know how accurate the experience is as compared to the driving simulators that researchers use but I suppose it is a pretty close thing.

Now I will go out on a limb and say that yes, you can learn these skills by playing video games. Well, at least the rudimentary skills. As for the implications of this, I will not venture into that. Any thoughts?

In game, you play a young and naive chef named Anna. As you progress, you learn more about Anna and the other contestants ? some friendly, some not ? through short intro and outro cutscenes. Naturally, you have a rival, who?s named Charles. He is arrogant and condescending, and wouldn?t it feel great to knock him down a peg!

After Anna decides what dish she?ll prepare, like a canapé, grilled meat or sandwich, a recipe appears. But this is where Top Chef becomes wonderfully inventive. Rather than explicitly following a to-do list for a dish, you have to add the ingredients that you think are most appropriate.

For me, the ?tasty-looking? food is very important. That is what actually entices me to play these cooking games. Of course, the fact that you can make up your mind as to which ingredients to use adds another realm to the game. Perhaps Top Chef will beat all those other games out there.

If you’re seeing things
running through your head
Who can ya call?
GHOSTBUSTERS

I am not sure if the current generation is in awe of this iconic Tv/film series as much as my generation was. Children of my time all clamored for items such as bags, notebooks, and pens that have something to do with the Ghostbusters. Today, it might not be the most popular cartoon but I am sure that it still has a strong following of its own. And if Atari makes good on its promise, I strongly believe that a this franchise will experience a rebirth.

So has Atari promised that has got me all excited? Wired.com has this story:

Though it’s no secret that a Ghostbusters game is on the way, this morning publisher Atari officially announced the “highly anticipated” title as in development for “six game systems.”

“Ghostbusters: The Video Game is a fantastic addition to Atari?s global line-up in 2009,” said Phil Harrison, president of Atari parent company Infogrames Entertainment. “The title has built considerable anticipation and excitement among game fans for its high quality action and all-out mayhem. There?s no more thrilling Ghostbusting experience to be had, short of building your own proton pack.”

Ahh?now that is what I am talking about. I can?t wait to bust some supernatural creatures when this game comes out. I hope that it doesn?t suffer serious delays.

Thanks to Aced Magazine, I became aware of this fact:

Next year, the legendary music of The Beatles will be featured in video game format for the first time. The project is currently being developed by Apple Crops Ltd., MTV Games, and Harmonix, the creators of the popular interactive game Rock Band.

The still untitled game will be created with the blessing of the surviving members of The Beatles, Sir Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, as well as Yoko Ono Lennon and Olivia Harrison. The project?s Music Producer will be Giles Martin, the co-producer of The Beatles LOVE project.

And what do the remaining Beatles member have to say?

“It gives me great pleasure to be part of The Beatles/Apple and Harmonix/Rock Band partnership,” said Ringo Starr. “The Beatles continue to evolve with the passing of time, and how wonderful that The Beatles’ legacy will find its natural progression into the 21st century through the computerized world we live in. Let the games commence.”

Indeed, let the games begin! I do not have to say that this game will be at the top of my list next year ? even if I do prefer Guitar Hero.

That is why, when I read something about Randy Couture being in a video game, I was elated. At first I thought that it would be a mixed martial arts video game. I couldn?t have been more wrong, though. Impact Wrestling has a write up on the new version of Command & Conquer, which features a power packed cast of characters:

Poised to be one of the best strategy games of 2008, Command & Conquer Red Alert 3 blends the over-the-top humor the series is known for with exciting new real-time strategy innovations. With three fully co-operative, story driven-campaigns, and an unprecedented emphasis on naval gameplay, the game will delight fans and strategy novices alike. Command & Conquer Red Alert 3 also features the Command & Conquer franchise trademark live-action movie sequences starring one of the largest and most talented casts in the history of video games, including Gemma Atkinson, Gina Carano, Randy Couture, Tim Curry, Kelly Hu, Jenny McCarthy, Jonathan Pryce, Autumn Reeser, J.K. Simmons, Peter Stormare, and George Takei.

Both Carano and Couture have also been featured on game cards prior to the release of the actual video game.

Ahh, I have to get my hands on this.

Kramer and his wife, Donna, agreed to take part in an experiment: playing a computer game. The software, made by Posit Science, is called an “exercise for the brain.”

“At first I thought, ‘ha-ha, just another game. But it became challenging to where you wanted to do it,” Donna Kramer said.

Allstate Insurance is now offering the game as a free trial to 100,000 Pennsylvania customers whose accident rates will be compared with a group of drivers not playing the games to see if it helps their reflexes and peripheral vision.

“There are a group of people, [ages] 50 to 75, that could benefit from some brain exercise, improve their driving skills, improve their attention, improve their visual skills,” said John Kane, regional distribution leader at Allstate Insurance Co.

There are no results as of yet but the researchers are quite excited about the potential of this study. I am far from elderly but I am also excited about the whole study! How about you?

But what about buying new video games? You would think that not many video games will be released at this point in time, knowing that majority of the people all over the world are cutting back on their spending. Still, the people at Activision have just released the fourth installment of the Guitar Hero franchise. Guitar Hero World Tour, released today, does not come cheap.

The whole package is selling for $189.99 ? almost $200. In an attempt to make it more marketable, Activision is also selling cheaper versions. The game only version comes at $49.99 while the game plus guitar controller comes at $90. If you already have the old guitar controller, then you can just get the standalone version. Still, is this a time to be spending hard earned dollars on video games?

Don?t get me wrong, I am actually trying to balance my checkbook and figuring out if I could get the game. I really want it but I am not sure that my finances will permit it. Perhaps this will be my Christmas gift to myself. How about you? Are you willing to get it as soon as it hits the shelf?

Apparently, one of the songs used for background music in Little Big Planet mentions phrases from the Koran. Sang by Toumani Diabate, a Mali-born singer and himself a Muslim, the song was noticed by Yasser, a gaming enthusiast who promptly posted an entry on the official PlayStation Forum. He is quoted as saying ?we Muslims consider the mixing of music and words from our Holy Qur’an deeply offending.?

In order to avoid further damage, Sony and Media Molecule, the game?s developers, have decided to recall the copies that have been released. According to the statement in Media Molecule?s web site:

As some of you may have noticed, LBP has been slightly delayed in some territories. At MM we were as shocked and dismayed by this as anyone - shellshocked and gutted. We can?t wait for you all to get playing and creating!

We learnt yesterday that there is a lyric in one of the licensed tracks which some people may find offensive, and which slipped through the usual screening processes. Obviously MM and Sony together took this very seriously. LBP should be enjoyable by all. So within 12 hours of hearing about this issue involving a lyric (in Somalian, I believe!), Media Molecule had prepared an automatic day 0 patch and had a new disk image ready; however a decision was made within Sony that the right thing to do for quality and support of people with no on-line was to replace existing disks. They assure us that they are doing everything in their power to get things straightened out as fast as possible, and will announce dates soon.

There you go. People in the UK, you just have to wait a little bit longer.

Of course, all of these elements belie a surprisingly tricky economic ecosystem which hides underneath, whether in sandbox or story mode, the main attraction. Assigned specific goals in each of 54 timed scenarios (build X many of a certain structure, reach Y income level, save up Z amount of cash) and six individual locations in the latter case, to meet them, you?ll need to think several steps ahead.

Managing money and resources like building materials and employees is just the beginning. As play progresses, you?ll also need to buy blueprints for newer, more expensive attractions, acquire land to build them on, sell off underperforming acts and upgrade various park elements. Never mind mechanical repairs that can shut down your cash flow as quickly as they can a hot streak in one fell swoop.

I can?t wait to actually play the whole game!

Barack Obama, flush with cash and ramping up his advertising in the final weeks before the November 4 election, is making U.S. political history by placing the first presidential campaign ads in online video games.

The Democratic Illinois senator is using the Internet ads, featured in 18 games through Microsoft Corp’s Xbox Live service, to promote his online voter registration and early balloting drive in 10 battleground states, a campaign spokesman said on Wednesday.

The ads appear in games as banners or billboards with an image of Obama, the slogan “Early voting has begun,” and a reference to his VoteForChange.com website. The site allows users to register online to vote, obtain absentee voter information and find a polling location.

I think that this is a brilliant move. I mean, everyone in the world is aware of this controversial presidential race. Still, not everyone is sure as to which way he would be voting. And those who spend most of their time playing video games online are supposedly harder to reach by means of traditional media.

Other than that, I just think that it is cool how video games are becoming more and more a part of ?real life.? Seriously, who would have thought 10 years ago that presidential candidates would be paying money to have ads in video games?

The guys at ThinkGeek played this game themselves and this is what they have to say:

The play mechanics are simple. Prepare yourself by strapping on the included belt harness and jacking in your Wiimote. A series of toilets are presented on screen and the challenge is to tilt your body to control a never-ending stream of pee. Get as much pee in the toilets as you can while spilling as little on the floor as possible. Sounds easy eh? Well the toilets open and close whack-a-mole style and occasionally the stray cat or other cute critter pops up. Spray a cat for extra points. Get too much pee on the ground and your game is over. With realistic fluid dynamics for the pee and over 100 different bathrooms from bars and palaces to automatic Japanese style toilets you’ll be entertained for hours. And wait until your friends see the multi-player mode with dueling pee streams…

According to the Japanese text on the box “Super Pii Pii Brothers promotes good bathroom skills and allows women to experience for the first time the pleasure of urinating while standing.” What we say is that virtual peeing is damn fun!

Uhhh…ok?