Ever heard of Legends of Zork? If not, then it’s about time that you did. GameStop recently launched its new online game – which, by the way, is FREE TO PLAY – and it is called Legends of Zork. The well known name in the gaming world has teamed up with Jolt Online (another upcoming name in gaming) to provide access to Legends of Zork.

In line with the launch of the online game, GameStop is also running a promo contest. Basically, what you have to do is go to any GameStop location in the United States and ask for a promotional card. Yes, believe it or not, it is also FREE.

You then have to register online at www.LegendsOfZork.com using the code found in the card. Upon doing this, you are qualified to join their sweepstakes. Here’s the great thing: the prize is one year’s worth of FREE video games. Now who wouldn’t want to win that???

I have to tell you, though, that you need to head on over to the nearest GameStop location NOW. The cards are free but they are being given away on a first come first served basis. With this kind of prize at stake, I will not be a bit surprised if the promotional cards run out.

Going back to the new game, I haven’t tried it; but, I think that I will at least give it a try. I like the name Zork and there are no download requirements for the game. Let me know if you get around to playing.

Tags: free games, GameStop, Jolt, Legends of Zork, online-games

And it’s pouring like cats and dogs out there! Ever since they announced the development of this video game, I have been looking forward to actually trying it out. Heavy Rain has created a lot of noise. At first glance, the plot does not seem to be much different from any other movie or show that you can see today. The central character is a serial killer that is caught up in the drama of his life. The brilliance of Heavy Rain is in how the creators blurred the lines between movies and video games. And with the power backing up gaming consoles today, I can just imagine how awesome the gaming experience will be!

SFGate describes the game in words that I just cannot shake off:

The PlayStation 3 title, which goes on sale Tuesday, invites players to step inside a beautifully crafted interactive movie, playing four characters as they grapple with moral and emotional choices that spill out from the story.

There are no points, gunbattles or traditional challenges found in video games. Instead there is a propulsive story with clear consequences to every action, including death for any of the main characters.

For some reason, I think of a modern and hi-tech version of Choose Your Own Adventure. The game is obviously very much focused on the story, making it quite intelligent, in my mind. I like to think of it as you creating your own movie but using the video game format. Now that I can get my hands on it, I just might be holing myself in for the weekend.

Tags: Heavy Rain, New Games, playstation3

The year 2009 was rocked – hard – by various controversies. From politics to the entertainment industry to sports – we all heard and saw one scandal after the other all throughout the year. Not the least of these scandals is what happened to star golfer Tiger Woods. Who would have thought that he had all those skeletons in his closet?

After the news about his infidelity, it came as no surprise when sponsor after sponsor jumped ship, not wanting to touch the former squeaky clean sportsman. Here’s a bit of news though: Electronic Arts (EA) is standing by their guy! Well, I don’t know much about the relationship between Tiger Woods and EA but the fact remains that the video game icon is not cancelling its plans because of the scandal.

Prior to all the hullaballoo, EA already had plans to launch Tiger Woods PGA Tour Online. This is obviously the web-based version of the known video game. Developers were working on it last year when Tiger Wood’s personal life became headline news all over the world.

The people at EA say that what they have – the company and Tiger Woods – is all about golf and sportsmanship. They are taking the stand that whatever problems Tiger has in his personal life, it doesn’t change the fact that he is the best golfer out there.

Me, I don’t like golf – in real life or in video games. I also don’t think that EA will simply drop an investment like that. What are they going to do with the game anyway? Might as well launch it, right?

Tags: EA, new releases, online-games, Tiger Woods, video game news

Guitar Hero: Aerosmith got me all tickled pink. I still have to get my hands on Metallica so that I can feel the fuel running through my veins. Rock Band’s Beatles has gotten nothing but good reviews. It’s inevitable that other music icons should follow suit and have their names associated with a Guitar Hero or Rock Band game.

Now, it’s Van Halen’s turn. If you did your last-minute Christmas shopping, you might have seen copies of the game on the shelves. It was actually released on the 22nd of December. Unlike the other music games labeled with a band’s name, I didn’t hear much hype about Van Halen’s Guitar Hero, though. I don’t know if it’s just me or if it’s a fact: it doesn’t seem like this is going to make waves.

The game contains 25 songs from the band – the greatest hits attributed to them. There are also three guitar solos by Eddie Van Halen. Of course, several other artists have been thrown in: Blink 182, Queen, Lenny Kravitz, and Weezer among others. Why the eclectic mix? I have no idea. In fact, some reviewers have stated that the added songs only served to clash with the whole idea of Van Halen and their music.

I am not that big a Van Halen fan, but the fact that the game does not do the band credit (as many reviewers have said) does not really entice me to shell out money for it. I don’t have the game and I think I will not be getting it any time soon.

Maybe someone else has a better experience?

Tags: guitar-hero, new releases, Van Halen

Everyone has heard of Avatar, and from what I have been reading and hearing, the movie has been nothing but a huge hit. Of course, I have heard one or two people say that they were disappointed, but that is to be expected. I shall be watching it tomorrow night and will judge for myself.

Did you know, though, that the movie has a game version already? And before you get all uppity, you should also know that the game has been years in the making. Unlike many other video games based on a movie, Ubisoft actually took its time in developing the game. In fact, meetings about the game started way back in 2007.

Just like the movie, the game can be played in 3D. I am not sure that everyone will take advantage of that feature just yet, but the thought that it is available is enough to catch one’s attention. Ben Fritz recently published a write up about the game in the LA Times and he says:

Ubisoft got the gig with its plan to create a new story, set two years before the movie, that starts players in the shoes of a character similar to the movie’s protagonist Jake Sully, a young marine played by actor Sam Worthington.

Not that far into the game, however, players are presented with a choice: to continue as a human fighting to take control of the planet Pandora, or become a member of the native Na’vi tribe and fight back.

Each choice takes players off in entirely different directions, essentially creating two games in one.

Now THAT is an added value. I can already imagine its replay value. Who wants to play?

Tags: Avatar, movie video games, New Games, Ubisoft

What do you get if you combine Rock Band and Guitar Hero? It’s simple: Band Hero. This is one of the latest titles in the plethora of video games about music, and guess who is behind it? No other than the makers of the hit video game franchise, Guitar Hero.

The first thought that came to mind when I heard of Band Hero is that why would they feel the need to create another game when Guitar Hero is still making it big? I think one of the things that gives the new game an edge is the line up of artists and songs featured. How does Adam Levine, No Doubt, Lilly Allen, and The All-American Rejects sound? I am pretty sure that the younger crowd will have more fun playing to these songs than a lot of the music featured in the Guitar Hero series.

Just like the other games, Band Hero allows multiple players to contribute their talents as different members of the band. There are a lot modes which players can choose from. I think one very interesting mode is Let’s Get this Party Started! In this mode, any player can join in at any point of the song. Players can tweak their settings in mid-song as well, making it easy for everyone to do their own things without having to worry about messing the whole production up. This is excellent for groups of people who do not have the same level of skill – and I am just thinking of my family right now!

The game is available for the XBox360 and PlayStation3, among other platforms.

Tags: Band Hero, guitar-hero, New Games, Rock Band

Many – if not all – of us were not alive when the Beatles first got together and took the world by storm, but no one can ignore the fact that they are one of the greatest bands of all time. Beatlemania spread across the world and caught our parents, and even grandparents, by surprise; and it seems that it is about to catch on fire yet again.

About four decades after the band skyrocketed to fame, a whole new generation of people are being exposed to their talent: through the release of the new installment of Rock Band. Beatles Rock Band has been hyped up ever since its inception, and now that it is out, people are flocking to their favorite video stores to get their own copy.

I visited my own local video game store yesterday, only to find out that all the copies they had were already sold or reserved. I should have pre-ordered, as I was originally planning to do!

Anyhow, while I wait for my copy to arrive, I have to content myself with what other people are saying; and so far, all I have been reading is good! Video game retailers from all over the US are saying that they are welcoming a whole new group of customers wanting to buy the game. There is no doubt about it – it is because it’s The Beatles. After all, how else can you play your favorite songs without learning how to play an instrument? I really can’t wait to get my copy!

Have you gotten yours? Tell us about your experience!

Tags: Beatles, music, new video games, Rock Band

Oh my. I honestly do not know how to react to this. People of the younger generation are probably cringing and wondering what is going on. Truth be told, I do not think that anyone younger than myself can remember that Michael Jackson used to be COOL. Yes, I remember when we were still in grade school, and everyone was trying to do the moves that Michael Jackson did. Well, those were the days.

Anyhow, rumor has it that the King of Pop is looking into the video game sector to make another comeback. You all know that he is going to have a concert at London’s O2 Arena pretty soon. Well, the additional news is that he is also going to have a video game released. I am not sure as to the truth in these rumors but Ben Dutka at PSX Extreme writes:

According to Euro website 9Lives, the King of Pop will attempt to rock London’s O2 Arena, and a game will follow this effort. All we know is that it will be available for the PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2, and Wii and it should be ready for the holiday season. Now, I would like to see Michael Jackson’s Moonwalker 2, but I’m relatively certain that isn’t going to happen. The first game was a cult classic that actually shipped with the Sega Genesis for a brief time, but it was hardly the epitome of quality and/or technical achievement. We can be nostalgic all we want…the game really wasn’t that good. But damn, it brings us all back, doesn’t it? Anyway, we’ll let you know whenever Jackson chooses to make this project public, and if it may follow in the footsteps of blockbuster franchises like Guitar Hero and SingStar.

Okay, I am not a fan but I don’t dislike the guy either. Let me say that I’ll sit the fence on this one and share my thoughts when and IF the game is released.

You are no stranger to the Fold@Home set up, I presume. If you are a proud owner of a PlayStation 3, then you are probably participating in this awesome project right now. Even if you do not have a PS3, you might have heard of this project, which makes use of spare computing power of individuals who have PS3s. The project’s aim is to utilize all the computing power that researchers can lay their hands on. When PS3s are running online, they can be hooked up to the network and be used to continuously do research on cures for diseases such as cancer.

Now how about taking this concept one step further, and actually throwing in human brain power into the equation? This is the idea that the people behind the video game Foldit have in mind. On the surface, Foldit is just like any other 3D puzzle game. Video game players have to work out these puzzles to score points. The more complex the puzzles and the faster you solve them, the more points you get.

But it doesn’t stop there! Underneath the surface, you can get so much more; say, a cure to cancer? Or maybe AIDS? That explanation is simplified to the bare essentials, but that is the main idea. By working out these puzzles, scientists may be able to gain more insight on protein folding, which is essential to understanding how diseases such as cancer and AIDS work. And if they actually glean these insights, a cure may be on the horizon. Exciting, to say the least, eh?

I ashamed to say that I never even heard about this game until today! I was just aimlessly surfing the web when I ran across a review over at The USA Today. Apparently, there is a new Riddick game! (Bashing myself now, me the self-proclaimed Riddick fan!)

So what does Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena have to offer? Is it any good? (I think anything that has Riddick in it will have its own merits.) Brett Molina offers these insights on the game:

Once again, Riddick finds himself in need of escape after the mercenary spaceship Dark Athena captures his vessel. While Chronicles of Riddick is often identified as a first-person shooter, the game feels more like first-person action, combining stealth combat and platforming along with the firepower.

Riddick’s eyes are his signature physical feature. His “eyeshine” — a surgical procedure — makes him sensitive to daylight, but allows him to see clearly in the dark.

He compares the game to others in the genre:

Compared to other first-person games, the presentation is average, particularly the visual details in characters. And while the story is pretty interesting, Riddick’s dialogue is absolutely cheesy, delivering bizarre lines such has “I’m either doing, or I’m not.”

Now how can they ruin Riddick like that? But to the developer’s credit, Molina says:

Fortunately, the campaign feels really well balanced between intense firefights against drones and giant mechs as well as platforming. The most satisfying moments are when Riddick lunges from the shadows to quietly take down unsuspecting foes.

So there we have it. While the game might not be a perfect tribute to the awesomeness of Riddick, it is still worth playing. Now I’m off to see where I can get a copy.