In 2006, there was a movie that captured the interest of movie lovers all over the world. It was epic. It was violent. The lines were memorable. The story is supposedly real. It was 300. And the man directing the scenes was Zack Snyder. And why are we talking about him? Well, he has signed up with EA to develop new games.

Can you just imagine what this EA can do with this man on their team? EA has had a long history of coming up with some of the best games made. With this new creative addition to their team, there is no doubt that they will come up with even better games.

So what is the deal all about? Reuters reports:

Snyder will lead the creative direction of the games and work with the production team at EA Los Angeles, the same studio currently collaborating with Spielberg on the game “Boom Blox” for Nintendo Co Ltd’s Wii.

EA will own the intellectual properties, and the game franchises will be developed, published and distributed worldwide by EA. The agreement includes efforts to extend the game franchises into theatrical motion pictures.

Though the financial details have not been released, I am sure that Snyder will be getting ample compensation for his work. What with EA is earning, it is only natural!

Another thing – games made into movies is something that is catching on. That is why I think it is really a big deal for EA to be getting this great director. As he designs games, he is already probably thinking of what it will be like on the big screen.

I have been hearing and reading about Spore for many weeks now but for some reason, I didn’t really get attracted to it. However, I did not really pay attention to the game – I didn’t even really bother to find out all about the idea behind the game play. I am starting to think that I might have been wrong in doing that. The game has only been recently released and it seems to be gaining a strong following. So I have decided to go against my inexplicable apathy towards the game and this is what I found out.

Wikipedia writes this about the game:

Spore is a multi-genre “massively single-player online game” developed by Maxis and designed by Will Wright. It allows a player to control the evolution of a species from its beginnings as a unicellular organism, through development as an intelligent and social creature, to interstellar exploration as a spacefaring culture. It has drawn wide attention for its massive scope, and its use of open-ended gameplay and procedural generation.

I was really NOT paying attention – I did not have the slightest clue that it Will Wright is behind Spore. If I had known that, I would have immediately taken a look. Will Wright is a legend on his own and I have always looked up to him and loved his games.

So how is Spore doing? Only a month into its release, it has already sold a million copies. Not bad, eh? Now I am a bit scared to get the game…scared because I might get caught up in it just like I got caught up in Will Wright’s other games.

Come on, admit it – don’t be shy. You have used video game cheats at least once, haven’t you? As complicated and difficult video game developers have made many of the video games, they always provide a way out – video game cheats. So are video game cheats any good? Is it ok for a gamer to use video game cheats?

Kenneth Elliott, in his article says:

On one hand, some of the recent games are so difficult that is would be very hard to get to certain levels. So, maybe it is good to provide codes so that everyone can experience the FULL game. But I say this is only a way for the game manufacturers to get the gamer to finish the game and focus them to go out and buy another game.

Video games have gotten so complex, since the days of Pong and PacMan, that the game authors have purposely thrown in some back doors and other shortcuts to aid the weary player. The problem is, most of these back doors are so well hidden that these same authors have to leak the game cheats or no one would ever find them on their own.

As you can see, the argument is that gamers need to have ways to finish the games as it is hard to do it on their own. Then again, I am pretty sure that there are lots of gamers there who can finish video games without cheats.

So are video game cheats necessary? I am not so sure. What about you?

Parties are always fun – whether they are for kids or adults. One thing that I noticed recently is that parties tend to have a theme. I guess having people dressed up as somebody else adds to the fun. Having activities revolving around a certain theme is also quite entertaining.

Yet have you ever thought of having a party where you can play video games? Just imagine how video game enthusiasts will react to that kind of party! Well, if the idea is to your liking and you have some cash to spare, this is a very good idea – and something that can be done as well. Read this:

Scott Novis, 42, founded The Game Truck two years ago in Tempe with idea of bringing arcades to birthday parties. So far, the company has done nearly 1,000 parties. Novis calls it “social video gaming.”

“The kids love it. Hanging out and play(ing) games with your friends has to be one of the greatest, most fun things you can do,” said Novis, a 10-year industry veteran. He had worked as vice president for Fall Line Studio, an interactive entertainment affiliate of the Walt Disney Company.

The 50-foot mobile video game theater, from truck to trailer, is outfitted with four 50-inch flat-screen televisions, sound systems and 15 to 20 game consoles. They’ve got Xbox 360s, Wiis, PlayStations and more than three dozen multiplayer games.

How much will this kind of service set you back? A nice sum of $275 for two hours and $95 for every additional hour. For that many consoles and other equipment, I think that it is not such a bad deal.

I just could not resist this. I might be biting off more than I can chew but after reading the entry titled “Would You Buy Your Kid a Video Game Console!?!” I knew I had to write my own thoughts. Here is what the blogger had to say:

I remember one time our neighbors were over and the topic of video games came up. They were unsure if they were going to treat their kids with a computer box of pointlessness. I immediately said “Don’t ever buy them or let them get a video game console”. WHY? Because after 14 years of playing video games I have learned NOTHING except for how to be a better video game player. If I could go back and erase any type of video game console from my life I honestly believe that I would become a smarter and more active person.

First it made me think. I have been playing video games for longer as this guy – on the PC and consoles combined. What have I learned? Faster and better reflexes? Interacting with other people? Strategy? Even simple math. Persistence perhaps.

I wouldn’t go as far as to say that I have learned NOTHING. Then again, he does have a point about being a more active person. I suppose it all boils down to how parents monitor and control the use of the video game consoles and computers. Just like anything else, moderation is the key.

How about you, would you buy your kids a video game console?

I know, I know, Guitar Hero has been around for a long time – the franchise has reached the third version. I have even featured it in this blog before. I didn’t really try it myself until this week, though, I guess that with all the games that I have been playing – on the PlayStation 3, the Wii, and the PC – plus the fact that I work day and night, I really don’t have much time to play everything.

In any case, we downloaded a demo of Guitar Hero, the Aerosmith edition from the PlayStation store the other day. Needless to say, I was instantly hooked. Perhaps one big factor is that I am a big Aerosmith fan. Listening to the songs while playing a video game is a different experience. Since I do not have any of the peripherals (instruments) used for Guitar Hero, I had to make do with the PS3 controller. It was still fun!

My thoughts on the game…the graphics are funky. I love Steven Tyler but I cannot deny the fact that he does not have the prettiest face in the music industry. Still, maybe they could have made his Guitar Hero persona a bit more aesthetically appealing? I guess that does not really matter much, though. I like how you can choose among 4 modes. I suck so bad that I can only do well on the Easy mode. I tried the harder modes for Dream On, Sweet Emotion, and Walk This Way but I could not even finish half of the songs!

I would really love to buy this game but $200 is a bit beyond me right now.

We have this propensity for naming generations according to a distinctive attribute. Remember the Baby Boomers? Generation X? How about this generation? Have they been labeled yet?

If you were to ask me, I would say Generation Video Games, or Gamers, or whatever sounds better. The reason for this is a study that was recently conducted by Pew Internet & American Life Project. This study highlighted the fact that nearly every kid – at least in the United States – plays video games.

To be honest, we could all have made that statement – probably almost every person we know plays video games. Then again, having a “scientific” study back up your idea is something else. So what did the study find out aside from that general fact?

Ninety-seven percent of young respondents play video games. That’s 99 percent of boys and 94 percent of girls, with little difference in the percentages among various racial and ethnic groups and incomes. In fact, 7 percent of those surveyed said they didn’t have a computer at home, but did have a game console, such as Sony Corp.’s PlayStation, Microsoft Corp.’s Xbox or Nintendo Co.’s Wii.

They play often. When surveyed, half of the respondents said they had played a video game the previous day.

Their games of choice are as diverse as their tastes in music or TV. Eighty percent of respondents play five or more different game genres, with racing, puzzles, sports and action the most common. Favorites were “Guitar Hero,” “Halo 3,” “Madden NFL,” solitaire and “Dance Dance Revolution.”
The last two points do not surprise me at all. The same thing would apply to adults I know. The first point, however, was a bit surprising. I thought that despite the popularity of video games, personal computers would still be present in homes. I guess I was wrong.

One question – would you want your child’s generation to be labeled with regard to video games?

So what is new? It seems that delays are part and parcel of the video games industry. Even the biggest player in this arena is quite notorious for delays (yes, I am talking about Sony). This time, another big name in the video games industry has announced the delay of a much awaited game. Electronic Arts was supposed to release the game Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince alongside with the debut of the movie some time this year. However, as Warner Bros announced a delay – the movie will now be launched in July next year – EA also announced a delay on their part.

Naturally, fans are not taking these announcements lightly. Efluxmedia reports:

Harry Potter fans are not taking the announced delays lightly, as proven by the fuming emails they have sent Warner Bros., replete with suggestive quotes from the novels. Take for example this little artwork of an email, as quoted by the Wall Street Journal on its website, where one particularly ardent supporter writes to the “foul, loathsome evil little cockroach” that he or she considers the studio to be:

“A word of caution: Harry Potter fans are vicious creatures. They will not distinguish between the one they hunt and the one who gets in there (sic) way. Therefore I must warn each and every one of you to give them no reason to harm you.”

The menacing tone continues: “It’s not in the nature of a Harry Potter fan to be forgiving. But you know happiness can be found even in the darkest of times, when one only remembers to release the film on November 21st 2008.”

Come on now, guys, chill! I know delays are frustrating and maddening but hey, just a little patience, alright?

Is your child gaining too much weight? Then buy him video games! But hold your horses, we have to qualify what kind of video games you have to buy. According to a team of researchers from Hong Kong, obese children can benefit from video games which urge them to move.

Of course the first thing that entered my mind when I read this was the Wii. However, there are other video games out there that provide similar benefits. One India reports:

“A recent active gaming concept that allows players to experience various activities (e.g., bowling, fishing, tennis, golf) in a virtual world is the XaviX gaming system (SSD Company Ltd., Shiga, Japan),” the authors said.

“In addition to the exercise gaming modalities, the XaviX system includes a gaming mat (XaviX J-Mat) that allows participants to travel the streets of Hong Kong at a walk or a run, avoiding obstacles and stamping out ninjas,” they added.

Robin R. Mellecker, B.Sc., and Alison M. McManus, Ph.D., of the Institute of Human Performance, University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, measured heart rate and energy (calorie) expenditure in 18 children age 6 to 12 (average age 9.6) during a 25 minute gaming protocol.

“Our data demonstrate that the two active gaming formats result in meaningful increases in energy expenditure compared with the seated screen environment. The next step is to test whether active gaming interventions can provide sustainable increases in childhood physical activity,” the authors said. The study is published in the September issue of Archives of Paediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

Not bad, eh? I think the Wii is still the king when it comes to these kinds of things but I am also thinking that more and more in the industry will follow suit.

To qualify that statement, yes, PSN cards are already available – mostly in military bases. What my title is referring to is the fact that Sony released an official statement late in August. Their announcement was that the PSN Cards will be released this September. Naturally, I assumed that this meant the first week of September. I have been scouring the mentioned stores in the Sony announcement to no avail.

Maybe I am looking at the wrong places. Maybe I am jumping the gun. After all, Sony did say September and there are still 3 weeks left in the month. Anyhow, I am disappointed that the PSN Cards are still not easily accessible.

Easily accessible is different from being available, though. Despite my whining, there are places that you can get the PSN Cards. E-bay for one, is a good place to check. I am actually laughing at myself for not thinking about this sooner. Would you believe that I never thought about checking on E-bay before? It was only the other day that it entered my mind.

So there I was looking for PSN Cards on E-bay and I found LOTS of them. Various people are selling the various amounts. I do not know where they got them – what is important is that they are selling them. The thing is that you have to pay a little over 10 dollars more than the card value. For example, I bought a $50 PSN card but I had to pay $62.50 for it. I really didn’t like that but at that point I had no choice.

The verdict? I am quite satisfied. I didn’t have any problems loading my wallet and buying the games online.