It’s easy to understad Roger Ebert’s position that games aren’t art when you realize that he once became addicted to TMNT on the NES, arguably one of the hardest and, I believe, worst games on the platform.
In this video clip from the Siskel & Ebert 1989 gift guide, Ebert reported that he “started playing Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles with it. And after a while, after a week of this, I’d find that every time I had a spare moment and every time I came home, I was in front of the set playing with these mutant turtles.” You see, for a week, Ebert was basically a 12-year-old boy. → Read More
Looking forward to the next version of Mortal Kombat? Well, some people must be because Game Stop just added information about the Tournament Edition of the classic fighting game. Get ready to pull out some spines, because it’s quite the setup. → Read More
A wooden crate is sitting in my not so large apartment. What, is this 1950 and I ordered a marble statue from Italy that came packed in hay? No, this is the first impression that Origin PC wants you to have after they ship a hand-built system to your home. The box looks like it was sent from that warehouse everyone dreams about exploring from the end of Raiders Of The Lost Ark. Stencil painted on the side of the crate is “Origin PC.” A friend of mine asked what I was going to do with the box when I removed its innards. Apparently my idea wasn’t good enough so it will be shellacked and become their coffee table. What nerds I run with.
Origin PC is about a year old and was founded by the guys who brought you Alienware PCs. Only after big momma Dell acquired the company, a few non-corporate types decided to resist the badge of corporate America, and start up something fresh.
Origin PC is now a maker of very fine, high-end performance computers that are often better known as “high-end gaming computers.” The fallacy of course is the rigs are suitable for much more than just gaming, and the people who can afford them don’t likely have time for week long journeys through the World of Warcraft. So why has the “gaming computer” name stuck? A lot of reasons actually, but often these machines are built by hardcore gamers turned business people, and sound a lot more sexy that “super duper work station computers.” Yes, these machines, if properly configured, will allow you to play with Photoshop filters to your heart’s content, while converting 12 hours of footage you recorded with your helmet-cam (wig-cam?) while strolling through Comic Con in your Elvira costume, in to video so that you can replay it on your iPod to your therapist. → Read More
Oh, Civilization V, you can’t come soon enough. Your majestic new battle system, your beautiful graphics, your charm and grace. I may even fire up my PC to play you! PC Gamer has taken a look at the game and they’ve come away quite impressed. To wit: I’m going to be playing Civ V for a very, very long time. The freedom to pursue multiple victories—domination, scientific, cultural, diplomatic or simply running out the calendar with the highest score—combined with the wide range of interesting faction bonuses and unique units makes it almost endlessly replayable. (You may have heard that Civ V will have launch-day DLC for sale, peddling an extra Babylonian faction, but take my word for it: the 18 off-the-shelf factions are plenty.) → Read More
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. Let’s face it, you’re not going to spend all your time at school in class or studying and as a result, it’s a good idea to have some gear for gaming. We’ll hit the usual suspects here. → Read More
Remember the Pandora handheld gaming console? The one that runs Linux, is open source, and designed by committee? Well, they did finally get the first 1,000 pre-orders shipped, and they are expecting to send out another 3,000 before the holidays. → Read More
First, I’m fascinated to know that there exists, in the world, a game called My Baby. Apparently the baby in question is some sort of electric homunculus, requiring food, care, and water to survive and you must feed it and care for it like you would Nintendogs or My First Intestinal Parasite, two other exciting DS games in the same vein. → Read More
Corsair, more commonly known for their memory products, has apparently decided to branch out into the gaming headset market. Their take on the product seems to come from the “more power” school of thought, with two large 50mm drivers delivering a “carefully tuned acoustical design” to your eardrums. → Read More
If for whatever reason, you’re in the market for the remains of a used game store, here’s your chance. Looks like a used game store shut down in Japan, and they’ve put up their inventory on Yahoo Auctions. So here’s your chance to grab 40 Famicons, or 100 Super Famicons, or even 2000 loose SFC carts to use with your 100 Super Famicons. Oh, and the auction is in Japanese, so I hope you can read it. [via Magweasel] → Read More
It may seem strange to review a beanbag chair, but as I discovered, there are bean bag chairs, and then there are bean bag chairs. The Sumo Lounge Sway Couple definitely falls into the latter category, and could make most people rethink what a beanbag chair can be. The end result is a really comfortable chair that’s constructed with modern materials, and is a quality product that is ideal for a gaming or recreation room. → Read More
Getting into retro gaming is often difficult. Trying to get a hold of antiquated game systems in good working order, much less three, can be tough. No longer, the RetroN 3 Video Gaming System has finally arrived. → Read More
In an office complex in Rochester NY, there is a storeroom that looks like any other, except for one minor difference. This storeroom (to some) should be considered a temple to the power of gaming. This storeroom lives inside the International Center for the History of Electronic Games, and contains over 20,000 different gaming related items. From an original Pong game, to the the latest Guitar Hero arcade version, the museum has pretty much everything you could want to see. Wired paid the museum a visit, and took a series of pictures well worth your time to take a look at. → Read More
Attention to detail is a character quality that most people live without. Even most companies lack it. However, there are some times when you see a new product that just takes detail to the next level. If you can appreciate such craft, then check out this mouse pad. → Read More
Can you dig it? Ryu from Ninja Gaiden on the NES was a real badass. He could climb on walls and he had unlimited shuriken, a big plus when you’re going against hordes of anti-ninja forces on the NES. But how is he against Koopa Troopers? Our favorite game, SMB Crossover, just announced they’re adding Ryu to their line-up of classic characters. → Read More
Backstory: A Nintendo suit said a while back that the company hasn’t announced the official name yet for its upcoming handheld 3D gaming device. This of course suggests that 3DS isn’t the official name.
Well, that might not be true if Nintendo’s recent trademark filings have anything to say about it. → Read More
A “market-leading gaming console company” hired (probably Microsoft) a contact center provider, Alpine Access in Denver, to provide phone support. But they can’t find 200 or so video gamers who are willing to walk parents through how to pull a grilled cheese sandwich out of the optical drive near Denver so they’re going to that hotbed of excellent and stable talent: housebound Internet fans.
Their site, www.alpineaccess.com/superhero/, offers the opportunity to apply to a work-from-home job with benefits, competitive wages, and the opportunity to talk about video games.
Anyway, if you’re out of a job and you think about Bayonetta when you spend alone time, this may work. Give it a go. → Read More
OK, so shortly after I got the invite to attend iCitizen, I received a book in the mail written by Bob Johansen (one of the iCitizen keynote speakers) with a note that said “please read this before the conference.” I really wanted to read it but I confess the title made me think it was the usual “motivational speaker” fare. I let it slip through the cracks and didn’t get a chance to absorb it. Well let me tell you that after hearing Bob speak, I plan to read it A.S.A.P (right after I finish Nevil Shute’s On The Beach of course—I’m reading that on Kindle for iPhone—major downer). Anyway, the guy was crazy smart and so if he says gaming is good for you (which he did), well…it must be. → Read More
MSI just announced their latest, the GE600 gaming notebook, is now available for purchase. Built around an Intel Core i5 processor and the ATI Radeon HD5730 GPU, the GE600 is billed at MSI’s lightest gaming notebook yet at 5.9 lbs, and this latest addition to their stable is also DirectX11 capable. → Read More
Polaroid, a company best known for its instant cameras and maybe for hiring Lady Gaga as their Creative Director, will be entering the gaming industry soon with a wide variety of video games accessories. These would mostly be peripherals for popular gaming system such as a microphone headset and battery packs for the Xbox 360, wireless controllers for the PS3, sports packs and a sensor bar for the Wii, as well as a dock for the Nintendo DS. → Read More
San Francisco, CA
