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Xbox Live to get full retail games for download

Finally a reason to shell out the extra cash for the 120GB harddrive, full games on demand. Yes, Microsoft has recently announced at E3 that they will begin offering full, retail Xbox 360 games for download over their Xbox Live service.

Don’t get too excited yet because the new service isn’t set to go live until August but make note that you’ll be buying the virtual titles with a credit card instead of Microsoft Points.

Unfortunately, Engadget reports that Microsoft will not allow full titles to be rented but that it “sounds great for the future”.

Alone In The Dark–All About Control, Or A Lack Thereof

Well, it had to happen sooner or later. I had to finally dig up a lousy game on the midst of my local video store’s shelves to fill you in on, and you’ll be amazed at just what lousy game I’m talking about. It’s none other than the latest installment of Alone in the Dark, also called Alone in the Dark: Inferno.

Split into episodes like a TV show, Alone in the Dark joins us once again with perennial hero Edward Carnby, who’s had a lot of different incarnations over the years. This time around, he’s plunging through the underground tunnels beneath New York’s central park, chasing down cult activity and trying to prevent nothing less than Satan himself coming to take over the planet. Apparently there’s plenty of weird stuff going on in Central Park, if the game’s website is to be believed. Everything from mutating trees to unusual bird migration patterns is going down in Central Park, so there’s plenty to figure out.

And indeed, starting the game makes it look like it’s going to be a real party, with random things bursting out of the walls and swallowing people for no clear reason. Also for no clear reason, they seem to have a problem with fire, something that’ll come back repeatedly throughout the game. The story is deep, rich and involved, with all sorts of lunacy happening on a regular basis, and a multi-branched plotline partially determined by your own choices. Good voice acting, good sounds, decent graphics–everything that should make a good game is right here.

And then some, really–for instance, there’s even a section where you have to regularly press your right stick to blink and clear your vision. When’s the last time you had to control BLINKING in a game? I can’t remember the last time I actually got to handle my own autonomic functions. Next time maybe I can do breathing, or food digestion.

But there’s one critical flaw in Alone in the Dark: Inferno’s otherwise solid profile–control. I’m not alone on this one; I’ve read several other reviews on this one and just about everyone’s with me that the control on this game is buggier than a New Jersey tenement. Trying to get Edward Carnby to move from place to place is a slow and tedious process that involves lots of camera juggling and just a little bit of sheer blind luck. I couldn’t believe it–even the ORIGINAL Edward Carnby didn’t handle this sluggishly, and that was about twenty years ago! The game also suffers from a lack of intuitive play–at one point, a chunk of the building I was in peeled away, and I went over to investigate, figuring this was the game’s way of showing me where to go next, as is so often done in these kinds of games. Imagine my surprise when, just a minute later, a large chunk of BURNING CEILING fell on my head, killing me. At that point, after I put my jaw back where it should be, I wondered…what was next? Would I go to use the restroom and a giant jack-in-the-box would pop out? Perhaps there would be bananas in my coffee. The world no longer made sense…and that was a problem for me.

Yep, when a game starts to completely divorce itself from things like Being Possible and Making Sense, I’ve got a problem. Especially when I have a hard time moving from point A to point B as it stands–it’s bad enough Edward Carnby moves like he’s wearing concrete thigh-high boots, but it gets worse when the laws of physics suddenly decide they hate me.

All this is a shame, really, as Alone in the Darkwas a wonderfully written, tautly plotted piece that controls like someone’s taken my lovely wireless controller and replaced it with a brick with decals on it. Had they taken a bit more time with it they might well have made a masterwork. But that’s one for the “what might have been” column.

Congressman Pushing For Game Package Warnings

Nearly everything comes with warning labels nowadays. Cigarettes warn us about cancer and birth defects; coffee warns us of its potential for scalding, plastic bags warn us that they can be a suffocation risk and California congressman Joe Baca wants to put similar labels on video games.

He cites research studies that show a link between child aggression and video games and claims that the Consumer Product Safety Commission needs to mandate that video game publishers include this label on games rated T or higher: “WARNING: Excessive exposure to violent video games and other violent media has been linked to aggressive behavior.”

Unfortunately for the congressman the jury is still out on whether there’s a real link between them, because despite all the studies that frequently get talked about which link violence and video games, there are many others that show little or no relationship between the two.

Games to be Launched Next Week

Wondering what new games you should be looking for next week? Well here’s a quick list for the following week which will help you decide what to buy and when to buy:

Monday (Jan. 12)
Planet Pachinko (Wii)
Personal Trainer: Math (DS)
Neighborhood Games (Wii)

Tuesday (Jan. 13)
Deal or No Deal (Wii)
MotoGP 08 (Wii)
The Lord of the Rings: Conquest (360, PC, PS3, DS)
Moon (DS)
Mirror’s Edge (PC)

Wednesday (Jan. 14)
Cartoon Network Universe: FusionFall (PC)

Thursday (Jan. 15)
The Clumsey’s (Wii)

Friday (Jan. 16)
Jumble Madness (DS)

Have you seen anything you like? Well do share your choices with us! What games would you buy and why?

Cheaper Games? Maybe Monday on Amazon

Remember the deals we showed you right after Christmas? Well it looks like some more game deals are coming up. Go to Amazon on Monday, January 12, 2009 and grab some cheaper video games. They will be featured in the Amazon.com Gold Box and each deal will be revealed one at a time. Which means we don’t actually know what titles Amazon has left in stock and we have no idea how much you will actually save.

Make sure you remember how this whole Gold Box Deal of the Day thing is going to work:

The first deal will be the Gold Box Deal of the Day. Its special discounted price will be available all day (or until we run out) only on Monday, January 12, 2009.

A series of Lightning Deals will then kick off at 6:00 AM PST. Each deal will be featured for a limited-time throughout the day until they are sold-out or until the next Lightning Deal begins. Learn more about Gold Box Deals in our Help section.

Be sure to come back and shop the Gold Box on the Gamers Gold Box day.

Let us know what you snatched from Amazon on Monday!

Steam Offers from 5% to 75% Off on Various Titles

Are you ready to buy more computer games? There’s no point in bothering Santa already. All you have to do is head over to Steam. You will find various discounts for various titles. You will save from 5% to 75% and here’s a quick list of the available deals:

• 50% off Unreal Tournament
• 75% off Race 07
• 50% off Team Fortress 2
• 50% off id super pack
• 75% off Portal
• 50% off Peggle
• 50% off TrackMania
• 10% off Grand Theft Auto 4
• 25% off Farcry 2
• 25% off Left4Dead
• 50% off Stalker
• 10% off Call of Duty: World at War
• 25% off Spore
• 10% off Football Manager 2009
• 25-75% off 2K Games
• 25-50% off THQ Games

See anything you like? I know I do! You will have to hurry though, the deals expire on January 2nd.

via Steam

Star Wars Galaxies Emulation Project Will be Played in Q1 2009

In case you are a Star Wars hardcore fan you are probably anxious to see Star Wars Galaxies Emulation Project in action. Well we have some great news for you all, this Star Wars game will be launched for a test drive soon. A test server is going to be setup and launched sometime in the first quarter of the next year.

I say that’s quite a Christmas present from the team behind the whole concept. Here’s what the company said:

Our #1 commitment is releasing a fully functional, identical SWG (with bug fixes) emulator. This “vanilla” release will be maintained by SWGEmu for the foreseeable future. That said, the majority, if not all, of the SWGEmu developers are excited to take pre-cu and fulfill the potential that SOE never got around to doing.

Now all that’s left to do is wait to play it. See you inside when the server will be actually launched.

Nintendo Revelead Wii and DS Coming Attractions for Q1 2009

Happen to have a Wii or/and DS and you’re anxious to see what Nintendo will have in stores for you in Q1 2009? Well Nintendo has announced 39 upcoming Wii games and 64 DS games. Looking for Christmas Wii/DS presents? Take a look below! There surely must be a title for you!

Wii

Activision
Monsters vs. Aliens – March 24

Crave Entertainment
Monster Pals™ – March
Solitaire & Mahjong – February
Puzzle Challenges and More! – February
Crayola Colorful World – March

D3Publisher
Onechanbara™ Bikini Zombie Slayers™ – February
Coraline – January

Destineer
WordJong Party – January
Battle Rage – February
Cradle of Rome – February
Cate West: The Vanishing Files – March
Burger Island – March

Disney Interactive Studios
Disney Sing It: High School Musical 3: Senior Year – Winter

DreamCatcher
Play the World – March

Electronic Arts
NASCAR® Kart Racing – Feb. 10
SimAnimals™ – Jan. 27
TRIVIAL PURSUIT – Early spring

Hudson Entertainment
FISHING MASTER WORLD TOUR – Jan. 6
Marble Saga Kororinpa™ – Spring

Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc.
DanceDanceRevolution® Disney Grooves – March

Majesco Entertainment
Escape the Museum – January
Major Minor’s Majestic March – March

Marvelous Entertainment USA
Little King’s Story – Feb. 17
Rune Factory: Frontier – March

Mastiff
Deer Drive™ – Jan. 20

NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc.
We Ski™ and Snowboard – March

Nintendo
New Play Control! Mario Power Tennis™ – March
New Play Control! Pikmin™ – March

Sega
The House of The Dead: Overkill™ – February
SONIC™ and the Black Knight – March
MADWORLD™ – March

Southpeak Interactive
Roogoo Twisted Towers™ – Feb. 17
Pirates vs. Ninjas Dodgeball™ – March 17
Brave: A Warrior’s Tale™ – Feb. 17

THQ
Paws & Claws Pet Resort – Jan. 5
Neighborhood Games – Jan. 5

Ubisoft
Tenchu™: Shadow Assassins – February
Broken Sword™: Shadows of the Templars (Director’s Cut) – March

XS Games
Super PickUps™ – Q1

Nintendo DS

Activision
Monsters vs. Aliens – March 24
Pimp My Ride 2™ – March 24
Animal Planet™ – March 10

Atlus U.S.A., Inc.
My World, My Way™ – Feb. 3
Legacy of Ys™: Books I & II – Feb. 10
Trackmania™ DS – March 17

Crave Entertainment
Monster Pals ™ – March

D3Publisher of America
Puzzle Quest™: Galactrix™ – Q1
Coraline – January

Destineer
USA TODAY Puzzle Craze – January
DinoPets – March

Disney Interactive Studios
Phineas and Ferb – Winter

DreamCatcher
Inkheart – January
Learn Math – January
Drivers’ Ed Portable – January
Monster Band - January
Zoo Quest – February
My Personal Diary – February
Music Star: Pop Star – February
Paint by DS – March
Matchstick – March
Dreamer: Top Model – March
Sarah – Keeper of the Unicorn – March
Learn Chess – March
Dragon Master – April

Electronic Arts
Zubo™ – March
Henry Hatsworth in the Puzzling Adventure™ – Q1
SimAnimals™ – Jan. 27

Empire Interactive
Jagged Alliance – Feb. 17

Gameloft
American Popstar – Road to Celebrity – March 9

Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc.
Elebits: The Adventures of Kai and Zero™ – Q1
Suikoden Tierkreis – Q1
Little Magician’s Magic Adventure™ – Q1

Majesco Entertainment
WonderWorld Amusement Park™ – January
Powerbike – January
Our House™ – Q1
Hot ‘n’ Cold – March

Marvelous Entertainment USA
Avalon Code - February
Flower, Sun, and Rain – March

Mastiff
Moon™ – Jan. 13

MumboJumbo
Chicken Hunter Star Karts – March 10

Nintendo
Personal Trainer™: Math – Jan. 12
Fire Emblem™: Shadow Dragon – Feb. 16
Pokémon™ Platinum version – March 22

ROCKSTAR GAMES
Grand Theft Auto™: Chinatown Wars – Winter

Southpeak Interactive
Big Bang Mini® – Jan. 6
Roogoo Attack™ – Feb. 17
Brave: Shaman’s Challenge™ – Feb. 17

Square Enix, Inc.
FINAL FANTASY® CRYSTAL CHRONICLES®: Echoes of Time™ – Spring

THE GAME FACTORY
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES™ – Jan. 19

THQ
Paws & Claws Pampered Pets – Jan. 5

TOMY Corporation
My DoItAll™ – February

Ubisoft
Jake Power Fireman – January
Jake Power Policeman – January
Imagine™ Cheerleader – February
JoJo’s Fashion Show – February
Petz® Horseshoe Ranch – February
Imagine™ Family Doctor – February
Imagine™ Ice Champions – March
Jake Power Handyman – March
My Fashion Studio Paris Collection – Feb. 17
American Popstar – Road to Celebrity – March 24
Broken Sword™: Shadows of the Templars (Director’s Cut) – March

XSEED Games
Retro Game Challenge – Jan. 6

via Press

Study Says Playing RTS Will Keep Your Old Brain Healthy

Here’s a little thing I will have to remember for when I get older and wiser. A study has revealed that playing RTS games will improve your old brain’s performance. The study was published in the medical journal Psychology & Aging and it shows that real-time strategy will help the elderly maintain their ability to reason and their short term memory.

I am not sure that our grandparents can adapt that fast to an RTS game but I know our generation will be able to do it when we get older.

via physorg

PSP4000 in the Works for 2009?

Where’s the PSP heading to? Are we going to see the PSP-4000 arriving in 2009? What about the PSP2? David Reeves, president of SCEE will deny any of that but people are talking!

The PSP-4000 is rumored to be released in 2009. The same sources say that PSP2 games are currently being developed which means we should hear from them anytime soon. What do you think? Ready for the next PSP?

via Eurogamer

GAMEROX Chair Helps You Play Games in a Healthy Position

It’s already been established that you love playing games right? But does that cool habit affect your health in any way? And I am not talking about your eyes, or your eating and drinking habits or about your sleep deprivation. I am talking about your playing-games position. Does that back of your aches yet?

The chair in the picture here will not help you eat better food, nor will it make you go to sleep earlier, although you might get more tired after using it. What it will do is correct that position of your spine and other bones and muscles not worth mentioning here. The younger the player, the faster he or she should get such a chair.

The GAMEROX chair is made for kids aged 7 to 12 and it’s not a rigid piece of furniture. It bends and moves around so parking your behind on one might be quite pleasant while playing your favorite console game. We don’t know when it’s coming or how much it cost but it will support up to 175 pounds of hardcore gamer on it so you might be thinking about getting one.

via gamerox

2008: Best Gaming Year Ever?

Last year was touted as the best year for gaming. There was an unusually high amount highly anticipated games such as Halo 3, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, and Bioshock, just to name a few. The idea was that after Halo 3, the would be a steady flow of triple-A titles that would keep gamers occupied for the rest of the year, and then some. So what happened? The article will examine several reasons why 2007 didn’t quite live up to the hype and why 2008 will take the title as best year ever for gaming.

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