GEORGE LUCAS originally wanted to make a Flash Gordon movie, but instead he ended up creating this, um, little-known flick called "Star Wars," heh :)
Check out this cool video from AMC that takes a look at the legacy of Flash Gordon.
How about you, do you like Flash Gordon? And what did you think of the 1980 movie starring Sam Jones?
September 2007 Archives
I HAVE to admit, I had my doubts before when the powers that be first announced that Robert Downey Jr. would play Tony Stark in the upcoming "Iron Man" movie, but what can I say, I'm now a true believer :)
Check out this trailer on IFILM.
For more info, visit Marvel.com's "Iron Man" movie section and this MySpace page.
"Iron Man" hits theaters on May 2, 2008.
By Agence France-Presse
SAN FRANCISCO--Sales of exclusive Xbox 360 video game Halo 3 rocketed to $170 million on opening day, marking a historic debut that outdid the final Harry Potter novel and the film "Spiderman 3."
Microsoft confirmed on Thursday that the third installment in the Halo game trilogy had the highest grossing launch day in entertainment history after going on sale in the United States at midnight on Monday.
"Halo 3 has become a pop culture phenomenon," said Microsoft Game Studios vice president Shane Kim.
Gartner analyst Van Baker expects blockbuster Halo 3 sales to give Microsoft an edge in the video game console battle with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii.
Baker predicted that thanks to Halo 3, Microsoft will sell 500,000 to a million more Xbox 360 consoles than it normally would have in the coming year.
"Everybody that plays it says it is just a kick-ass game," Baker told AFP.
"And 170 million bucks in the first 24 hours is pretty impressive. It wouldn't surprise me to see Xbox 360 spank (Nintendo's) Wii in unit volume in October and November."
Halo 3 is the conclusion of a video game trilogy in which futuristic warrior Master Chief and an artificial intelligence sidekick defend humanity from annihilation by an alien coalition called the Covenant.
Halo 3 fans can play together online via an Xbox Live feature which was used by more than a million people playing the game on its first day.
"The initial demand we've seen for Halo 3 has been astounding, and the game is on track to become the number one gaming title of all time," said Best Buy vice president of movies and games Jill Hamburger.
Opening day Halo 3 sales were tarnished by reports of shoddy packaging that scratched new game discs. Microsoft announced it would replace the damaged discs free.
By Alex Villafania, hackenslash Reporter
INQUIRER.net
HALO 3 may be the most anticipated game for the Microsoft Xbox 360 but it was a big letdown for some in Hong Kong who lined up to get a copy, only to find out that it was in Mandarin.
In the official Xbox forum, some members who lined up hours before the opening of some toy and computer shops selling video game titles complained that the version being sold was in Mandarin. Some have accused Microsoft Hong Kong of knowing that customers were being scammed by not telling them what language the game would be in when it was released last September 25.
Among those who complained were Xbox forum member BushPir8 who said he was the third in line at a Hong Kong shop waiting for the sale of Halo 3 but found out that the copy being sold at the shopping center Windsor House was in Mandarin.
Another member, Leocyh noted that Microsoft did not bother to check the actual Chinese dialect being spoken in Hong Kong : "Most of the people here are Cantonese dialect speakers (and many are English speakers as well). If Microsoft do not consider the Cantonese dialect speakers to be target customers, they should at least sell English version Halo 3."
Those who bought titles from the Hong Kong game retail site Play-Asia.com, found out that their titles were indeed in Mandarin. A quick check of Play Asia's website revealed that the company has added a "Chinese voice" warning to their copies of Halo 3.
On the other hand, Singaporeans were sold the English version of the game, which played in "Asian" Xboxes (NTSC-J). The Halo 3 launch in Singapore was held in the Suntec City shopping mall.
Members of the Xbox Forum in Singapore said the copies they purchased were in English but a few who ordered their copies from Play-Asia.com also found out that their versions were in Mandarin. One such buyer is CloverMY, who said, "I finished the game but ain't feeling satisfied after realizing [that I was] not understanding most of the story when playing…"
Some members of the Philippine forum PinoyXbox have also warned other members of the group to avoid buying from Play-Asia. One member, Reggie1, described his Play-Asia-purchased Halo 3 Limited Edition, which had the Essentials Disc in English while the Game Disc itself is in Chinese without English subtitles. He added that the Limited Edition's manual and art book were in English and Chinese.
A few members who have pre-ordered the game from Play-Asia fear that their copies would be in Mandarin. PinoyXbox forum members LeAF7 and don4025 said they will be receiving their copies within the week.
However, one forum member, Screaming Keiko, said his copy from Play-Asia was indeed in Chinese, though it was on hold after sending an e-mail to the company.
Some forum members have received e-mail from Play-Asia regarding the shipping of their copies noting that September 26 was a holiday in Hong Kong and thus their shipments could not be held back. Later, some of the members received a second e-mail stating that the subtitles could be changed to English, which was not possible in their copies.
To this extent, Screaming Keiko has started a PinoyXbox forum brigade to get refunds for the titles they received.
Meanwhile, Philippine game rental website Gamehopper said its versions would be in English. Its co-founder John Paul Ramos said they got a different supplier for Halo 3 and that their copies will be in English. Usually, they get their titles from Play-Asia.
Meanwhile, retail shop DataBlitz also said their Halo 3 copies are in English as these came from Singapore. Company spokesperson Jo Oliver told hackenslash that they have already received several pre-orders of Halo 3 and said they will only carry the Asian (NTSC-J) version since it could be played on US version Xbox 360s. The items will be sold on Friday.
CHECK out the latest episode of The Reboot, PodTech.net's gaming show hosted by US-based Filipino Rio Pesino.
And here's the debut episode in case you missed it.
By Jessica Mintz
Associated Press
SEATTLE, Washington--Within hours after die-hard fans finally got their hands on a copy of Halo 3, blogs brimmed with reports that special limited edition packaging is scratching the video game disks.
Microsoft Corp., which owns the studio that makes Halo 3, responded quickly on its Xbox website with details for a replacement program. Customers can fill out a form and send in their scratched limited edition disks for a free exchange through the end of December.
A Microsoft spokesman and a member of the company's outside PR firm did not immediately respond to calls and e-mail from The Associated Press requesting more information.
Microsoft is selling the limited edition version, which comes in a tin decorated with the Halo 3 logo, for $70. A regular copy of the game costs $60, and a "legendary" version, which comes with a replica of the helmet worn by game protagonist Master Chief, costs $130. The game officially went on sale early Tuesday.
Richard Mitchell, the lead writer of the Xbox 360 Fanboy blog, said one of the disks that came in his limited edition set is scratched but the damage didn't seem to interfere with its playing.
The AP received several review copies of Halo 3 in limited edition tins. Both the game disk and an "essentials" disk had come loose from plastic housing designed to keep them in place. The game disk had been scratched but seemed to work fine.
Microsoft has been plagued by Xbox 360 problems in recent months. In July, the software maker said it would spend more than $1 billion to repair broken Xbox 360 consoles, and in August it disclosed that some Wireless Racing Wheel game controllers were overheating and smoking.
Since its launch, the Xbox 360 has outsold Sony Corp.'s next-generation PlayStation 3 console, but it hasn't been as popular as Nintendo Corp.'s Wii. Investors and analysts are watching whether Microsoft can turn a profit in the division that makes the Xbox 360. Microsoft, which expects to hit that milestone in the current fiscal year, has said Halo 3 is one part of its strategy for reaching that goal.
I REALLY want this game -- my daughter Sam, who's five years and nine months old, also finds it cute :)
Check out this trailer of MySims for the Nintendo Wii provided by Electronic Arts Limited (UK).
And here are five screenshots.
HERE'S an amusing video of members of the Bungie team driving a real Warthog, which will be used for the "Halo" movie. They were in New Zealand to help Peter Jackson.
And here's a pic of the Warthog that Weta built posted on the Bungie site.
All I can say is: I want a Warthog -- now! How much would it take to buy one, heh :)
All I can say is: I want a Warthog -- now! How much would it take to buy one, heh :)
By Alex Villafania, hackenslash Reporter
INQUIRER.net
YOU may know her from the shampoo commercial and the February 2007 cover of FHM Philippines.
Gaby dela Merced is one of the few Filipinas in the professional racing league Asian Formula 3. And it was by her admission that long before she started racing, she was a video game sim addict, both in the arcades and on consoles.
"My brothers were racing game addicts, like Gran Turismo so it was then that I got really hooked into it. I caught on with the games so I tried out the real thing," Dela Merced said.
In some of the racing sims she played, she would notice that some of the race tracks were the same ones on which she has competed. In particular, she cited the tracks in the realistic sim Forza Motorsport for the original Microsoft Xbox.
"I'm already surprised at the level of realism in some of the games to the point that I practice there first," she shared.
While most of her time is spent racing real cars that most guys could only dream of, still Dela Merced wishes that she'd have the new Xbox 360 so she could play the more realistic racing game Forza Motorsport 2.
"I hope Microsoft can sponsor my Xbox 360," she said jokingly.
ARE you looking forward to seeing "Resident Evil: Extinction"?
Me, I'm just so happy Ali Larter of "Heroes" is here, playing Claire Redfield.
Here's a sneak peek courtesy of American Superstar TV.
And here's Milla Jovovich discussing the movie.
Here's a sneak peek courtesy of American Superstar TV.
And here's Milla Jovovich discussing the movie.
By Erwin Oliva
INQUIRER.net
FILIPINO subscribers of the free 3D virtual online community There Philippines have moved to a "bigger and better" global version, a top executive said Friday.
"In hindsight, we should have done this from the very beginning. All our members are now very excited," Greg Kittelson, president of GrooveNet, the publisher of There Philippines, said in a telephone interview.
Kittelson said the migration to the global community was a "mutual decision" made by GrooveNet and Makena Technologies, Inc., the developer of There.
"After a little over a year of service, GrooveNet just migrated all of its members' avatars from There Philippines to the global version of There. The decision was recently made by both Makena and GrooveNet to integrate its existing Filipino community with There's dynamic and fast growing community and allow the two to grow together," added Kittelson in a separate e-mail message.
He said the move will immediately give their Filipino subscribers access to the massive virtual world of There, as well as in-game programs to create virtual items, Kittelson said.
There Philippines now has over 100,000 subscribers, the executive noted.
Asked how big There is, Kittelson said it is a "fully populated virtual world" that competes with the more popular 3D online virtual world of Second Life.
"There and Second Life compete already. We're the second largest competitor," he added.
Local subscribers who have become inactive in the past three months will not be part of the migration. But Filipinos can still register and buy in-game currency through GroooveNet.
Kittelson said GrooveNet did not have to make any investment in this recent move.
"They [There] basically reserved a large neighborhood for Filipinos where we can congregate. It's like we have our own massive neighborhood called the Philippines neighborhood. There's already a big welcome party waiting for us," he said.
Online communities, including virtual worlds like There, are still growing.
"There are more people getting involved in online communities, social networking, etc. not only here but globally. We're in the right place," said Kittelson.
There is a free-to-play 3D virtual online community that is open to anyone who registers. People interact with other players using 3D avatars (virtual characters). Inside this virtual community, players can chat with friends, meet new people, participate in group activities, buy items using in-game currency, and explore more areas within the massive online world.
Activities in the game include paintball matches, buggy races, trivia and other contests.
Subscribers can customize their avatars to match their appearance. They can also design, trade and sell virtual clothing, vehicles, furniture and any 3D virtual objects.
One of the more interesting features of There is a voice over Internet protocol option, which allows members to literally chat with other avatars. There holds virtual concerts or performances. The Beastie Boys and other famous bands performed inside There last month, Kittelson said.
FILIPINO subscribers of the free 3D virtual online community There Philippines have moved to a "bigger and better" global version, a top executive said Friday.
"In hindsight, we should have done this from the very beginning. All our members are now very excited," Greg Kittelson, president of GrooveNet, the publisher of There Philippines, said in a telephone interview.
Kittelson said the migration to the global community was a "mutual decision" made by GrooveNet and Makena Technologies, Inc., the developer of There.
"After a little over a year of service, GrooveNet just migrated all of its members' avatars from There Philippines to the global version of There. The decision was recently made by both Makena and GrooveNet to integrate its existing Filipino community with There's dynamic and fast growing community and allow the two to grow together," added Kittelson in a separate e-mail message.
He said the move will immediately give their Filipino subscribers access to the massive virtual world of There, as well as in-game programs to create virtual items, Kittelson said.
There Philippines now has over 100,000 subscribers, the executive noted.
Asked how big There is, Kittelson said it is a "fully populated virtual world" that competes with the more popular 3D online virtual world of Second Life.
"There and Second Life compete already. We're the second largest competitor," he added.
Local subscribers who have become inactive in the past three months will not be part of the migration. But Filipinos can still register and buy in-game currency through GroooveNet.
Kittelson said GrooveNet did not have to make any investment in this recent move.
"They [There] basically reserved a large neighborhood for Filipinos where we can congregate. It's like we have our own massive neighborhood called the Philippines neighborhood. There's already a big welcome party waiting for us," he said.
Online communities, including virtual worlds like There, are still growing.
"There are more people getting involved in online communities, social networking, etc. not only here but globally. We're in the right place," said Kittelson.
There is a free-to-play 3D virtual online community that is open to anyone who registers. People interact with other players using 3D avatars (virtual characters). Inside this virtual community, players can chat with friends, meet new people, participate in group activities, buy items using in-game currency, and explore more areas within the massive online world.
Activities in the game include paintball matches, buggy races, trivia and other contests.
Subscribers can customize their avatars to match their appearance. They can also design, trade and sell virtual clothing, vehicles, furniture and any 3D virtual objects.
One of the more interesting features of There is a voice over Internet protocol option, which allows members to literally chat with other avatars. There holds virtual concerts or performances. The Beastie Boys and other famous bands performed inside There last month, Kittelson said.
By Michael Martin Leaño, hackenslash Contributor
INQUIRER.net
Editor's note: The Xbox 360 and PC game Bioshock is the spiritual successor to System Shock 2. Let's wax nostalgic and take a look at this classic.
A LOT has happened to video games since the new millennium: photorealistic visuals, emergent gameplay, and more complex game worlds, among other things. But even before all these changes to the medium came to the fore, there was System Shock 2.
SS2 is a strange mix of first-person shooting, role-playing, and sci-fi horror. Think of it as "Event Horizon" meets Doom. The game was developed by the now-defunct Looking Glass Studios, and Irrational Games, the creators of Freedom Force. SS2 is the sequel to System Shock, another hybrid that came out in 1994.
This follow-up takes place 42 years after the events of System Shock. The Von Braun, a spaceship owned by Trioptimum Corp., is SS2's main setting. Like the ship in "Event Horizon," the Von Braun is using a new kind of travel technology that lets it travel faster than light. The Von Braun's mission is to journey into the unexplored areas of space, and it's being escorted by the Rickenbacker, a military craft.
Where do you fit in? You're an unnamed soldier who awakens when things get a little hairy aboard the Von Braun. You're contacted by another survivor trapped in the upper deck, and you're supposed to meet up and survive in the process. It's not that simple though, because survival would prove to be SS2's biggest challenge.
Like other games of this sort, you'll be hard-pressed to find the necessary items to stay alive. Ammunition is scarce, and guns are even scarcer. If you do find ranged weapons, you're always pressed for inventory space so you're going to decide which item gets left behind. Dropping weapons become necessary when they're broken unless you can fix them. Items for restoring precious health is also in short supply so each step taken must always be a cautious one.
The role-playing elements of SS2 make each experience almost unique. You'll have to choose between three military branches, and each changes your attributes and skills. Choosing to be a Marine makes you proficient in weapons and physically able, but not much else. If you want to be part of the Navy, you get crucial technical skills like hacking, but you're no expert with standard guns. Signing up as one of the OSA gives you useful psionic powers, but you're a weakling physically. The career choice would determine how you handle various situations.
SS2 is frightening not only because of the limited supply of weapons and items, but also because of the moody atmosphere and the grotesque creatures that you'll face. There are no generic scares here -- imagine a formerly human foe that will scream at you, ask you to kill him, and bitterly apologize while you drive a wrench into his gut.
This excellence in psychological scares can be attributed to the brilliant sound design of SS2. The ship's steady hum, the echoes of your steps, the random anguished shrieks, and the clang of metal provide an atmosphere that's ripe for scares. There's some dynamic music in between that shows up from time to time, but it's never distracting from the immersion that one gets while playing. The only sore point that dampens the aural feast is the wooden voice work in a few audio logs. However, the poorly-delivered lines won't diminish the fear evoked by SS2's audio. Never has a game made monkey sounds so chilling.
After almost eight years of release, you'll notice that SS2 hasn't aged well in the graphics department. The enhanced Dark Engine shows its true age when you play SS2 today. The most noticeable proof would be the humanoid models that look bad even by 1999 standards. Playing the game in current machines is mostly a cinch because the game performs very well even if you crank the resolution all the way to 1024x768.
If you purchased SS2 today and you're using Windows XP, you may encounter some technical issues while running it. You'll have to download a patch for an updated version of SS2's executable and fiddle with a configuration file somewhere in the installation directory. The good news is fans have made updated textures for SS2 to "modernize" the game. When applied, the visuals do look better. Caveat: our copy was not tested for Vista.
SS2 remains relevant because despite its aging visuals, it's still one hell of a game. SS2 is a piece of Looking Glass' legacy, and a part of Irrational Games' impressive credentials. When you've finished the game, it continues to disturb like a timeless horror film for the ages. SS2 deserves a place on your shelf.
System Shock 2
Genre: FPS/RPG
Developers: Looking Glass Studios, Irrational Games
Publishers: Electronic Arts
ESRB Rating: M (Mature)
YUP, we're on the edge of our seats waiting for the September 25 release of Halo 3 in the US.
Here are some screenshots from the Tokyo Game Show to further whet your appetite.
By Joan Ong, hackenslash Contributor
INQUIRER.net
I GET a chill down my spine every time I see the word "children" in a movie title. (Blame it on the 1984 Hollywood movie, "Children of the Corn.")
"Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children" was no exception. But this time, the chill wasn't brought about by the sight of angst-ridden zombie children carving out the insides of adults. Instead, it was a pleasant kind of chill.
Enter the computer-animated world of "Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children" -- the movie sequel to Final Fantasy VII, the PlayStation and PC role-playing game -- where the visuals are absolutely breathtaking and would definitely send chills down your spine right from the opening credits. The images are beautifully crafted to the tiniest pixel and the action scenes make all the laws of physics jump out the window.
The events in "Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children" take place two years after those in Final Fantasy VII, the video game. This time, a man named Kadaj is seeking a Reunion with Jenova, a seemingly dormant entity that has given him great power, and is known to be the cause of the spreading disease called “Geostigma.” Cloud, a former mercenary, and his band of merry men and women are out to stop him.
That's putting it mildly.
Unfortunately, while the movie triumphed in visuals, it fell short in the presentation of the plot -- the film was drowning in details -- or maybe I'm just not a Final Fantasy fan? I got lost in the narration of Shinra, the Lifestream, and Jenova at the beginning of the movie, and got more questions than answers as the story unfolded and more characters popped into the picture. What's Shinra Corporation? Who's saying "We’re friends, right?" to Cloud, the lead protagonist? Who or what's Jenova exactly? Who was the girl at the end of the film? I must admit I had to seek the help of Google, as well as watch the special Final Fantasy VII featurette that came with the DVD, in order to understand this mess of flashbacks.
In short, "Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children" would probably be more appreciated by the video game fans of the Final Fantasy series. As a stand-alone movie to a Final Fantasy virgin like me, it would seem like an exhilarating rollercoaster ride of details, details and more details that offer little or no explanation -- and have I mentioned that the graphics is stunning?
Nevertheless, if you’re simply looking for animated CG eye candy with fancy action and a cool soundtrack, "Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children" is definitely a must-watch. After all, it won Best Anime Feature in the First American Anime Awards during the New York Comic Con in February 2007.
Editor's note: For another take on "Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children," check out this review.
Copyrights: © Sony Pictures Television International. All Rights Reserved. © 2005 Square Enix Co., LTD. All Rights Reserved. Character Design: Tetsuya Nomura
See it now on Animax.
I GET a chill down my spine every time I see the word "children" in a movie title. (Blame it on the 1984 Hollywood movie, "Children of the Corn.")
"Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children" was no exception. But this time, the chill wasn't brought about by the sight of angst-ridden zombie children carving out the insides of adults. Instead, it was a pleasant kind of chill.
Enter the computer-animated world of "Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children" -- the movie sequel to Final Fantasy VII, the PlayStation and PC role-playing game -- where the visuals are absolutely breathtaking and would definitely send chills down your spine right from the opening credits. The images are beautifully crafted to the tiniest pixel and the action scenes make all the laws of physics jump out the window.
The events in "Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children" take place two years after those in Final Fantasy VII, the video game. This time, a man named Kadaj is seeking a Reunion with Jenova, a seemingly dormant entity that has given him great power, and is known to be the cause of the spreading disease called “Geostigma.” Cloud, a former mercenary, and his band of merry men and women are out to stop him.
That's putting it mildly.
Unfortunately, while the movie triumphed in visuals, it fell short in the presentation of the plot -- the film was drowning in details -- or maybe I'm just not a Final Fantasy fan? I got lost in the narration of Shinra, the Lifestream, and Jenova at the beginning of the movie, and got more questions than answers as the story unfolded and more characters popped into the picture. What's Shinra Corporation? Who's saying "We’re friends, right?" to Cloud, the lead protagonist? Who or what's Jenova exactly? Who was the girl at the end of the film? I must admit I had to seek the help of Google, as well as watch the special Final Fantasy VII featurette that came with the DVD, in order to understand this mess of flashbacks.
In short, "Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children" would probably be more appreciated by the video game fans of the Final Fantasy series. As a stand-alone movie to a Final Fantasy virgin like me, it would seem like an exhilarating rollercoaster ride of details, details and more details that offer little or no explanation -- and have I mentioned that the graphics is stunning?
Nevertheless, if you’re simply looking for animated CG eye candy with fancy action and a cool soundtrack, "Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children" is definitely a must-watch. After all, it won Best Anime Feature in the First American Anime Awards during the New York Comic Con in February 2007.
Editor's note: For another take on "Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children," check out this review.
Copyrights: © Sony Pictures Television International. All Rights Reserved. © 2005 Square Enix Co., LTD. All Rights Reserved. Character Design: Tetsuya Nomura
See it now on Animax.
THE SEPTEMBER issue of GAME!, the gaming magazine of Hinge Inquirer Publications, is already available in newsstands. Buy this issue and get the chance to win one of two iPod nano units that GAME! is giving away. Not a bad way to spend P80, huh?
This issue features RF Online Episode 2 updates, Rakion's patch, Freestyle's game modes, and the freshest tips for Perfect World. You can also enjoy crash courses on O2Jam, Granado Espada's RNPCs and MCC system, and brush up on Audition and Gunbound must-buy items.
All these plus hands-on gaming PC hardware and Sony PlayStation 3 reviews and a runthrough of SimCity DS, Transformers, Hoshigami Remix, Final Fantasy II, Forza Motorsport 2 and Vampire Rain.
PHILIPPINE game development firm Anino Games was the first runner-up in the casual games category of the recently held international Indie Game Developers Showcase.
Anino is also the only developer from an Asian country to win in the casual games category.
They will win digital security products from Indie Game sponsor ECD systems.
Anino's game Word Archery bested dozens of other entries from game developers worldwide. Over 100 companies joined the competition, which pits independent developers to develop innovative games for the PC and mobile segment.
The announcement was made on the Indie Games website, though the contest itself was conducted during the Austin Game Developers Conference earlier this month.
A total of 10 finalists were announced for the casual games category and another 10 for the general category.
Fizzball, a game developed by Canadian firm Grubby Games, won the top prize in the casual games category. Other runners-up were Stunt Bike Island by ForgeFX and Baseball Mogul 2008 by Sports Mogul Inc.
Word Archery, the company's first casual PC game, is a word game where a player shoots floating letters in bubbles using a "word archer" and complete words to reduce the number of bubbles. Players are scored according to the number of words formed.
Anino has already won in international competitions for Anito: Defend a Land Enraged and Anima Wars.
By Alex Villafania, hackenslash Reporter
INQUIRER.net
THE KOREAN triple-A title Granado Espada has finally gone commercial in the Philippines after three months of beta testing. The photo shows one of the cosplayers portraying a character from Granado Espada during the commercial launch festivities.
GE will be one of the first locally distributed games whose servers are actually located outside the Philippines. It will also be officially the first commercial localized game where Filipinos can compete with other players abroad, in particular Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and Vietnam. Another game being introduced in the Philippines hosted on an international server is Lineage II from Asian Media.
Philippine online game publisher IP e-Games made the announcement last weekend in a major bash at the Esplanade in Pasay City, attended by GE players during the closed beta test, as well as executives of the Infocomm Asia Holdings, a partner of IP e-Games and a regional distributor of online game titles across Southeast Asia.
In a press conference, IP e-Games president and chief operating officer Steve Tsao said the game has enjoyed significant growth in terms of registered players, which are mostly from the niche but profitable hardcore online gaming market.
Photo shows the officials present at the press conference, including (l-r) CyberWorld Corp. CEO Victor Vy Ngo, IP e-Games president Steve Tsao and IAH Deputy CEO David Ng.
So far, GE has about 300,000 registered players across Southeast Asia, with about 30 percent, or 90, 000 players, coming from the Philippines.
Tsao even said that of the number of Filipino players for GE, only a very small percentage is coming from RAN Online, another title distributed in the Philippines by IP e-Games.
"It shows that we’re spreading our wings with new markets, particularly with the hardcore gamers. We don’t expect GE to overtake RAN Online but GE would contribute significantly to our business in terms of revenues," Tsao said.
Hardcore gamers, as described by IP e-Games, are players between 18 to 25 years old and are more financially stable, allowing them to purchase more items in an online game. They are also among the few who play online much longer than most gamers.
With the start of the commercial availability of GE, the company also introduced a new hybrid payment scheme. While RAN Online is a completely free-to-play game, GE uses a mix of purchasing for playing time or buying virtual items.
Along with the new payment scheme is the introduction of prepaid GE Game Value cards, with denominations from P50, P100 to P300, each with a corresponding number of days as well as "G-points" which are the in-game currency to buy items.
Among the plans for GE in the future is establishing a dedicated local server where Filipinos can compete with each other. "But we’re not looking at 2007 yet for the localization," Tsao said.
THE KOREAN triple-A title Granado Espada has finally gone commercial in the Philippines after three months of beta testing. The photo shows one of the cosplayers portraying a character from Granado Espada during the commercial launch festivities.
GE will be one of the first locally distributed games whose servers are actually located outside the Philippines. It will also be officially the first commercial localized game where Filipinos can compete with other players abroad, in particular Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and Vietnam. Another game being introduced in the Philippines hosted on an international server is Lineage II from Asian Media.
Philippine online game publisher IP e-Games made the announcement last weekend in a major bash at the Esplanade in Pasay City, attended by GE players during the closed beta test, as well as executives of the Infocomm Asia Holdings, a partner of IP e-Games and a regional distributor of online game titles across Southeast Asia.
In a press conference, IP e-Games president and chief operating officer Steve Tsao said the game has enjoyed significant growth in terms of registered players, which are mostly from the niche but profitable hardcore online gaming market.
Photo shows the officials present at the press conference, including (l-r) CyberWorld Corp. CEO Victor Vy Ngo, IP e-Games president Steve Tsao and IAH Deputy CEO David Ng.
So far, GE has about 300,000 registered players across Southeast Asia, with about 30 percent, or 90, 000 players, coming from the Philippines.
Tsao even said that of the number of Filipino players for GE, only a very small percentage is coming from RAN Online, another title distributed in the Philippines by IP e-Games.
"It shows that we’re spreading our wings with new markets, particularly with the hardcore gamers. We don’t expect GE to overtake RAN Online but GE would contribute significantly to our business in terms of revenues," Tsao said.
Hardcore gamers, as described by IP e-Games, are players between 18 to 25 years old and are more financially stable, allowing them to purchase more items in an online game. They are also among the few who play online much longer than most gamers.
With the start of the commercial availability of GE, the company also introduced a new hybrid payment scheme. While RAN Online is a completely free-to-play game, GE uses a mix of purchasing for playing time or buying virtual items.
Along with the new payment scheme is the introduction of prepaid GE Game Value cards, with denominations from P50, P100 to P300, each with a corresponding number of days as well as "G-points" which are the in-game currency to buy items.
Among the plans for GE in the future is establishing a dedicated local server where Filipinos can compete with each other. "But we’re not looking at 2007 yet for the localization," Tsao said.
OK, you have to see this cool video :)
It's the Resident Evil Numa REmake from ShadowLeggy. As you can tell from the title, it's the remake of the YouTube hit Resident Evil Numa, and, like the original video, ShadowLeggy created it using MS Paint and Windows Movie Maker.
And while we're at it, here's the original Resident Evil Numa.
By Alex Villafania, hackenslash Reporter
INQUIRER.net
ONLINE game publisher Level Up! recently launched the Level Up! Café Connection site to build a community of Internet cafés, as well as provide a single access point for their partners to get information and online support.
The site primarily provides direct access to Level Up! support for bookings, application forms, e-cards, collateral request and other sales support services. It will also serve as a sort of online social network to establish partnerships between Internet café providers.
The site also alerts Internet café members on area assemblies to discuss trends and problems that can be collaboratively acted upon by Level Up! and the members themselves.
In particular, the LUCC also intends to provide extra income to Internet cafés who can conduct prepaid card top-up and recruitment drives for their new online game Perfect World.
The activity, called the Perfect World Perfect 10 promo, will have café owners awarded with free E-PINs equivalent to 10 percent of their customers’ top-ups. Through this system, a café owner would receive P100 pesos of free E-PINs for every P1, 000-peso card top-up
The top three performing cafés will be given additional incentives of free collaterals such as Perfect World tarpaulins, posters, T-shirts and a special mention in the Perfect World game site.
By Joey Alarilla, hackenslash Editor
INQUIRER.net
ONE of the games I'm really looking forward to playing (apart from Halo 3, of course, heh) is Will Wright's upcoming PC title (which will also be available on the Nintendo DS and mobile phones) Spore. I had the pleasure of seeing the Spore presentation of Maxis' Pollinated Content Producer of Spore Caryl Shaw last December in, er, S'pore, and even took a video of the then recently unveiled Creature Editor.
To further whet your appetite, here are the latest screenshots from EA, covering different phases in the evolution of your creatures.
Here are screens of the cellular phase.
Creature phase.
Tribal phase.
And civilization phase.
Creature phase.
Tribal phase.
And civilization phase.
By Alex Villafania, hackenslash Reporter
INQUIRER.net
DESPITE setbacks with the previous incarnations of the N-Gage devices, Nokia has recently announced the return of their gaming platform. This time, N-Gage will come back not as a gaming device but as a series of online services, games and applications incorporated into Nokia's upcoming phones.
In a recently released statement, the company said the new N-Gage service would be made available by November 2007. A client application for PCs or mobile phones will be made downloadable from a dedicated website. The N-Gage application is expected to be compatible with several existing Nokia phones, such as the N73, N81, N93, N93i and N95.
Nokia hinted that the N-Gage application will be a fully online service allowing mobile phone users to download games and other services as well as share or compete with other users wirelessly.
The company also stated that upcoming Nokia phone models will have the N-Gage application pre-installed.
Incidentally, the company will release a much earlier version of the application, simply called Discover N-Gage application, which will serve as preview software.
Several games have already been lined up along with the launch of the N-Gage application. These include FIFA 08, The Sims 2: Pets, Tetris and Tiger Woods PGA Tour.
Familiar mobile titles that will be updated for the N-Gage service include Snakes Subsonic and Bounce Boing Voyage.
Game developers Capcom and Vivendi are also looking to develop games for the N-Gage service.
Pricing for the games will range between six euros to 10 euros (P390 to P640) per title. The selling of games would be made globally, though no specific countries were mentioned.
Nokia Chief of Games Business Jaakko Kaidesoja said the new strategy for the N-Gage is for a full gaming service that can be made available to anyone. “The N-Gage service combined with powerful devices, world class titles and brands, and interactive social networking features, takes the mobile gaming experience beyond traditional boundaries."
By Alex Villafania, hackenslash Reporter
INQUIRER.net
FEW Xbox 360 game have been released that deserve to get high ratings. Forza Motorsport 2, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, Burnout Revenge, Dead or Alive 4, Gears of War and Viva Piñata are just the rare titles that deserve a place in an Xbox 360 owner's library of games. Quite a disappointment, especially for a console that has been around longer than the PlayStation 3 and Nintendo Wii.
Luckily, the Xbox 360 still has a few aces up its sleeves. While waiting for the upcoming Halo 3, Xbox 360 owners can enjoy a horror first-person and role-playing game with Bioshock. The game, developed and published by 2K Games, is a cross between Doom 3 and Oblivion as the character has to progress through a fallen utopian world called Rapture by using his wits, with the help of some weapons picked up along the way. Actually, anyone who has played the old PC game System Shock 2 will find that Bioshock has some similarities to it -- not surprising since it's supposed to be the "spiritual successor" to that classic.
Bioshock has an extensive story. It starts with a character named Jack who survives a mid-Atlantic crash and takes refuge in an undersea human city called Rapture, created by rich entrepreneur Andrew Ryan in the 1960s. The city is self-sufficient and was built by the enigmatic Ryan as an angry response to tyrannical governments in the earth surface. However, as in all societies, Rapture was not without its faults and it saw a growing social divide among the people, with the rich few controlling the majority of the decisionmaking in Rapture.
The problem is compounded by the discovery of ADAM, a type of compound found in sea slugs and used for a lot of bio-research that produced results ranging from curing simple to terminal diseases, to creating new types of human enhancements such as strength, healing, telepathy and even the ability to fire electric bolts. It is EVE, another compound manipulated from ADAM, that creates these resulting superhuman abilities, which are generally called Plasmids. Essentially, ADAM and EVE act as the health and mana used in role-playing games. Money is also picked up along the game and these can be used to purchase ADAM and EVE as needed.
The plot unravels mostly as flashbacks from the stories of the people that Jack meets along the way and some through journals or radio recordings strewn all over Rapture. Rapture's destruction came at the hands of its own people, particularly the lower class that are led by Atlas. The lower class attacked every source of ADAM and consumed it for themselves, eventually using EVE to re-create themselves. They became so addicted to ADAM that they ended up becoming more monster than human and were called "splicers" ever since. However, the splicers need to acquire EVE and the only source they could find are the "Little Sisters," young girls who are no more than 12 years old that have the sea slugs embedded into them. The Little Sisters find dead people and, using huge syringes, suck out the ADAM from the dead and take the compound in themselves to produce more EVE. The Little Sisters are not alone and each one is protected by strange creatures called "Big Daddies" that seem to be men within old diving suits and armed with drill bits as their primary weapon.
So now, Jack's mission is to get past all the splicers and Big Daddies to reach Ryan and solve the mystery that led to the downfall of Rapture. Of course, like most stories depicting dystopian societies, the plots thickens and Jack's mission is more than what he has bargained for. We can't talk about it as this would "kill" the ending(s).
The game's plot is seamless and does a good job in keeping players glued to their controllers. As you progress through the game, you'll collect as many ADAMs, EVEs and money and these are central to the development of Jack throughout the game. As a first-person shooter with a twist of RPG, Jack will have a skill tree that can upgrade his existing attributes. His plasmids vary from telekinesis, plasma bolts, security scrambler, a mental ability to make enemies fight each other and a disgusting weapon that summons bees coming out of Jack's hands.
Passive skills can also be upgraded, depending on the player's needs. Some attributes allow for higher accuracy with ranged weapons while others increase Jack's melee combat skills. Others add speed and further strength. Take note also that the plasmids can be gathered from the Little Sisters, but you have to kill them. Because the game has RPG elements, killing them would have consequences and not killing them would result in a different ending.
As a first-person shooter, however, Jack won't have any problems with the types of weapons available to him. Incidentally, his first weapon is a monkey wrench, as popularized by Gordon Freeman. He would next have a revolver pistol and a tommy gun with a grenade launcher, a shotgun and a crossbow, all with different types of ammunition with different effects. New parts can be purchased for the weapons and upgrading these will increase firepower and accuracy. Incidentally, it's Atlas, who talks to you via the radio, who tells you that the best weapon in the game is stealth, and that if attacked, you should use the "one-two" punch that stuns the enemy momentarily, giving you enough time to fire a killing shot.
While Bioshock has an in-game save system, dying or restarting won't be too much of a problem because the game does have its own reload station called the vita-chamber, which is a cylindrical glass object. When you die, the game restarts from the last vita-chamber and you can progress in no time.
Bioshock is still mostly linear and even navigating through Rapture won't take the player far too off from the main missions. The game also has a few sub-stories that help give you more upgrades, ADAM, EVE and money. It will take a lot longer than the 20 hours needed to progress straight to the main story, but learning more about the history of Rapture might interest the player to take different routes.
The graphics and sounds are top notch, especially if the game is played on a high-definition TV screen. The game has numerous dark corners that are lit by a stream of ambient light from glass windows keeping the water away from the inside of Rapture. The water effects are also extremely well-defined, giving it an ultra-realistic feel.
Bioshock is one of the really good games for the Xbox 360 that will surely give owners a reason to keep their unit and hold off on buying a Wii or even a PS3. Likewise, Bioshock would be a good game to buy before purchasing Halo 3.
Bioshock
Genres: First-Person Shooter, Survival Horror, Adventure, Action RPG
Developer: 2K Boston/2K Australia (formerly known as Irrational Games)
Publisher: 2K Games
ESRB Rating: M 17+
Photo courtesy of Associated Press
FEW Xbox 360 game have been released that deserve to get high ratings. Forza Motorsport 2, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, Burnout Revenge, Dead or Alive 4, Gears of War and Viva Piñata are just the rare titles that deserve a place in an Xbox 360 owner's library of games. Quite a disappointment, especially for a console that has been around longer than the PlayStation 3 and Nintendo Wii.
Luckily, the Xbox 360 still has a few aces up its sleeves. While waiting for the upcoming Halo 3, Xbox 360 owners can enjoy a horror first-person and role-playing game with Bioshock. The game, developed and published by 2K Games, is a cross between Doom 3 and Oblivion as the character has to progress through a fallen utopian world called Rapture by using his wits, with the help of some weapons picked up along the way. Actually, anyone who has played the old PC game System Shock 2 will find that Bioshock has some similarities to it -- not surprising since it's supposed to be the "spiritual successor" to that classic.
Bioshock has an extensive story. It starts with a character named Jack who survives a mid-Atlantic crash and takes refuge in an undersea human city called Rapture, created by rich entrepreneur Andrew Ryan in the 1960s. The city is self-sufficient and was built by the enigmatic Ryan as an angry response to tyrannical governments in the earth surface. However, as in all societies, Rapture was not without its faults and it saw a growing social divide among the people, with the rich few controlling the majority of the decisionmaking in Rapture.
The problem is compounded by the discovery of ADAM, a type of compound found in sea slugs and used for a lot of bio-research that produced results ranging from curing simple to terminal diseases, to creating new types of human enhancements such as strength, healing, telepathy and even the ability to fire electric bolts. It is EVE, another compound manipulated from ADAM, that creates these resulting superhuman abilities, which are generally called Plasmids. Essentially, ADAM and EVE act as the health and mana used in role-playing games. Money is also picked up along the game and these can be used to purchase ADAM and EVE as needed.
The plot unravels mostly as flashbacks from the stories of the people that Jack meets along the way and some through journals or radio recordings strewn all over Rapture. Rapture's destruction came at the hands of its own people, particularly the lower class that are led by Atlas. The lower class attacked every source of ADAM and consumed it for themselves, eventually using EVE to re-create themselves. They became so addicted to ADAM that they ended up becoming more monster than human and were called "splicers" ever since. However, the splicers need to acquire EVE and the only source they could find are the "Little Sisters," young girls who are no more than 12 years old that have the sea slugs embedded into them. The Little Sisters find dead people and, using huge syringes, suck out the ADAM from the dead and take the compound in themselves to produce more EVE. The Little Sisters are not alone and each one is protected by strange creatures called "Big Daddies" that seem to be men within old diving suits and armed with drill bits as their primary weapon.
So now, Jack's mission is to get past all the splicers and Big Daddies to reach Ryan and solve the mystery that led to the downfall of Rapture. Of course, like most stories depicting dystopian societies, the plots thickens and Jack's mission is more than what he has bargained for. We can't talk about it as this would "kill" the ending(s).
The game's plot is seamless and does a good job in keeping players glued to their controllers. As you progress through the game, you'll collect as many ADAMs, EVEs and money and these are central to the development of Jack throughout the game. As a first-person shooter with a twist of RPG, Jack will have a skill tree that can upgrade his existing attributes. His plasmids vary from telekinesis, plasma bolts, security scrambler, a mental ability to make enemies fight each other and a disgusting weapon that summons bees coming out of Jack's hands.
Passive skills can also be upgraded, depending on the player's needs. Some attributes allow for higher accuracy with ranged weapons while others increase Jack's melee combat skills. Others add speed and further strength. Take note also that the plasmids can be gathered from the Little Sisters, but you have to kill them. Because the game has RPG elements, killing them would have consequences and not killing them would result in a different ending.
As a first-person shooter, however, Jack won't have any problems with the types of weapons available to him. Incidentally, his first weapon is a monkey wrench, as popularized by Gordon Freeman. He would next have a revolver pistol and a tommy gun with a grenade launcher, a shotgun and a crossbow, all with different types of ammunition with different effects. New parts can be purchased for the weapons and upgrading these will increase firepower and accuracy. Incidentally, it's Atlas, who talks to you via the radio, who tells you that the best weapon in the game is stealth, and that if attacked, you should use the "one-two" punch that stuns the enemy momentarily, giving you enough time to fire a killing shot.
While Bioshock has an in-game save system, dying or restarting won't be too much of a problem because the game does have its own reload station called the vita-chamber, which is a cylindrical glass object. When you die, the game restarts from the last vita-chamber and you can progress in no time.
Bioshock is still mostly linear and even navigating through Rapture won't take the player far too off from the main missions. The game also has a few sub-stories that help give you more upgrades, ADAM, EVE and money. It will take a lot longer than the 20 hours needed to progress straight to the main story, but learning more about the history of Rapture might interest the player to take different routes.
The graphics and sounds are top notch, especially if the game is played on a high-definition TV screen. The game has numerous dark corners that are lit by a stream of ambient light from glass windows keeping the water away from the inside of Rapture. The water effects are also extremely well-defined, giving it an ultra-realistic feel.
Bioshock is one of the really good games for the Xbox 360 that will surely give owners a reason to keep their unit and hold off on buying a Wii or even a PS3. Likewise, Bioshock would be a good game to buy before purchasing Halo 3.
Bioshock
Genres: First-Person Shooter, Survival Horror, Adventure, Action RPG
Developer: 2K Boston/2K Australia (formerly known as Irrational Games)
Publisher: 2K Games
ESRB Rating: M 17+
Photo courtesy of Associated Press
ARE you excited over the impending commercial launch of Granado Espada on September 15 at One Esplanade in Roxas Boulevard, Pasay City?
IP e-Games, which is distributing the game via its IP Interactive brand as the Philippine partner of Singapore-based Infocomm Asia Holdings, will stage a Day Raid and Night Raid at the launch, plus Granado Espada Collector boxes autographed by game developer Hakkyu Kim (best known for being the "Father of Ragnarok") will be sold during the event. These collector boxes will contain original sound tracks of the game, in-game exclusives, game value codes worth 180 days of free gameplay and 30, 000 G-points.
By the way, you might get a kick out of this music video from IAH's Granado Espada site :)
By Erwin Oliva
INQUIRER.net
BANGKOK, Thailand--Chipmaker Intel is launching a game that hopes to showcase the power of its vPro processor technology.
The game, dubbed Silicon Commander, is set in a sci-fi world called the Domain, where players can command an army of intelligent robots, the game's website said.
Given the power and privileges in the Domain, players can command minions of robots, called Clients, to gather Silicon as they do battle, it added.
The enemy, the Agents of Chaos, will try to destroy the player's army with viruses, hackers and spyware.
"You are an IT manager in this game," said Adesh Gupta, regional platform architecture manager of the Server Platform Group of Intel in Asia Pacific, in a briefing here.
In the game, players will need to use their IT skills to manage clients and budget their resources, while making sure they increase the productivity of their army to help gather more Silicon.
Intel said players who are IT savvy will have an advantage over other players.
The game will go live this month, Gupta said, adding that more details on the game will soon be revealed.
The Intel vPro processor technology includes the Intel Core 2 Duo processor that uses the Intel Q35 Express chipset. It also comes with security and management capabilities fit for desktop PCs.
This latest processor technology, codenamed Weybridge, has built-in capability to protect PC users from software-based attacks and other similar threats. The Intel vPRO is now being sold by different desktop PC vendors, Intel said.
By Alex Villafania, hackenslash Reporter
INQUIRER.net
ONLINE game distributor Amped Games announced that it will soon launch the 3D online action fighting game GetAmped, tentatively in the last week of September for closed beta testing.
In an interview, Amped Games director Mitch Padua further said the open beta test could start in November. It was presented during the recently held Amped Fest 2007, along with Amped Games’ premier title WarRock.
Padua said a single server for GetAmped is able to handle up to 2, 000 players at a given time. He did not mention how many servers will be opened during the closed beta test.
GetAmped is developed by Japanese development firm CyberStep Inc. and is primarily a 3D fighting game wherein up to eight players can compete in different game modes. Players can build their in-game characters by winning fights and purchasing new items that increase their attributes and skills.
It has been launched in Korea, China, Indonesia, Japan and Thailand. CyberStep claims that GetAmped has about 10 million registered users since it was introduced in 2001.
GetAmped will be Amped Games’ first foray into the casual gaming business, which has been seeing an increase in registered users among other online game publishing firms.
GLAD to hear that PodTech.net now has a new online show devoted to gaming called The Reboot -- and that a Filipino, PodTech.net producer Rio Pesino, is hosting it :) How cool is that?
PodTech is an online video network that offers technology and digital entertainment shows. In case you're unfamiliar with this company -- shame on you -- one of its claims to fame is the fact that one of the world's best-known bloggers, Robert Scoble, is its VP of Media Development.
Check out the first episode of The Reboot, where Rio goes old school. You could also check out the show's MySpace page.
By Erwin Oliva
INQUIRER.net
GAME developers in the Philippines have chosen to help each other out to get a bigger slice of the global market for game development outsourcing, the co-founder of a local gaming development startup told hackenslash Wednesday.
Acknowledging that competition is also good, Gabby Dizon, president of the Game Developers Association of the Philippines (GDAP) and also president of game development firm FlipSide Games, said local startups are doing "shared bids" for big development projects.
"You can see one studio head talking to another for a shared bid. The game industry is a lot less competitive between its members than the other industries here in the country. Since we're still a small group when we founded the GDAP, we all know each other and realize that we all need to cooperate to thrive globally," Dizon said in an Internet chat interview.
The young gaming executive said that local game developers also share knowledge about "common topics."
"Since there is so much work to be had around the world, there's no reason for us to drag each other down. We have to help each other to stand out. It's called 'coopetition,' where you help each other enlarge the pie before competing for slices of that pie," he said.
Dizon is scheduled to fly to Singapore on Wednesday with other GDAP members to attend Games Convention Asia 2007.
Attending the game development conference are Anino Games, Skyrocket Interactive, Flipside, Pixelstream Corp., and Matahari Studios.
Dizon said the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM) is providing financial and marketing support to GDAP members in the Singapore event, where a number of local developers are speakers.
"They handled all the logistics concerning the GDAP booth at the expo. They are also subsidizing most of the direct cost of the event. Apart from that, we are organizing our own networking event for potential clients and investors to attend," he said.
CITEM has also arranged business matching with other attending countries with GDAP members, the executive added.
A CITEM staff who declined to be named confirmed that it was subsidizing GDAP's booth and other marketing activities during the game conference in Singapore.
By Alex Villafania, hackenslash Reporter
INQUIRER.net
THREE years since introducing a program to promote responsible gaming, online game publisher Level Up! Philippines gave a clean report card for its Honor Roll initiative.
The Honor Roll is a rewards program wherein Level Up! players who achieve a certain grade level during every semester or quarter and end of the school year will be given a virtual item as reward. These items are usually extremely rare and the most coveted in the games. These items empower a character's attributes in the games.
Level Up! marketing director Jake San Diego said over 500 students have been inducted into their Honor Roll program since 2004. Of this number, only 11 have been given the highest honors as Honor Guards or the Most Valuable Pupils.
San Diego said that to be confirmed as a candidate for Honor Roll, a player must show their report card to Level Up! The company will then contact the school principal to confirm the student’s report card.
“Most of the school administrators and principals were very supportive of the program because it teaches students to value their time between school and play,” San Diego said.
Another Level Up! initiative that San Diego said has proven successful is the Unplugged program, which is targeted at parents who want to manage their children’s online playing habits. Parents can call up Level Up! customer support and ask for their child’s account to be banned or locked down.
While a few hundred calls have been made by parents about the Unplugged program, most of these were only to get more information about it. Only about 20 students have been included in Unplugged and only less than 10 have been permanently banned.
“Some of the parents who asked for their children’s accounts to be locked down only did so to ensure that the kids study for their exam periods,” San Diego said.
San Diego added that they do school tours to promote not just their games but also Honor Roll and Unplugged. “It’s a way for us to tell concerned parents and teachers that we’re also making efforts to encourage players to be responsible when playing.”
By Alex Villafania, hackenslash Reporter
INQUIRER.net
INTERACTIVE entertainment publisher Amped Games has begun commercial operations of the first-person shooter WarRock on September 1, three months since it started beta testing.
The commercial launch coincided with the staging of Amped Fest 2007 at the newly opened TriNoMa Mall in Quezon City. Amped Games also announced their massive campaign for a nationwide gaming competition, as well as the soft launch of its first casual game, GetAmped.
Amped Games director Mitch Padua said in a press conference that since they started the closed beta test of WarRock in May, over 1.5 million players have registered, with a concurrent user base of about 7,000 on two servers.
"We've even just recently put up a third server because of the sheer number of players. We’re enjoying a significant number of players for WarRock because of its similarity to Counter-Strike," Padua said, referring to the popular PC first-person shooter game.
But while WarRock is similar to Counter-Strike, it is more comparable to another relatively less-known PC game called Battlefield wherein two factions battle it out on a large map. Just as in Battlefield, WarRock features several types of soldiers from snipers, assault experts, field engineers, medical officers and heavy weapons. A number of vehicles can also be used to win the battles, such as attack choppers, jet fighters, tanks, jeeps, naval vehicles and stationary guns.
WarRock product manager Agnes Tapia said that while the game is free-to-play, players will still have to use the new Amped prepaid cards to purchase upgrades for the in-game weapons.
“Just like in the real world, the weapons can be upgraded and there are hundreds of accessories,” Tapia said.
The Amped prepaid cards also replace the Tantra cards, which are used for another Amped game, Tantra.
Meanwhile, as part of the WarRock national campaign, Amped Games is also conducting the WarRock World Championship: Road to Korea. The company will hold regional and online eliminations to find the best five-man team to compete in the WarRock World Championship in Seoul, South Korea on December 1.
The WarRock World Championship will be part of the Game&Game World Championship (GNGWC), which is similar to the World Cyber Games gaming competition started in Korea.
Tapia said eight teams will reach the Philippine semifinals to be held by the end of October and all the teams will already be awarded cash prizes.
The first-place team and Philippine representative to GNGWC will win P100,000. The second placer will take home P50,000 and the third and fourth placers will win P25, 000.
In the WarRock World Championship Finals, which will include European, Asian and American players, the Philippine contingent will be vying for first place, which will be worth $5, 000 or a quarter of a million pesos.
WITH Halo: Uprising 1 selling out in less than 24 hours at Diamond, Marvel Comics has released a new printing of the red-hot comic book, with a sketch variant of the Alex Maleev cover.
Marvel has also released Marvel Spotlight: Halo, which gives a behind-the-scenes look at the four-issue limited series that bridges the gap between Halo 2 and the much-anticipated Halo 3. Brian Michael Bendis is writing Halo: Uprising while John Rhett Thomas is penning Marvel Spotlight: Halo.
Oh, and did we mention that Master Chief is a prisoner of the Covenant?
Marvel has also released Marvel Spotlight: Halo, which gives a behind-the-scenes look at the four-issue limited series that bridges the gap between Halo 2 and the much-anticipated Halo 3. Brian Michael Bendis is writing Halo: Uprising while John Rhett Thomas is penning Marvel Spotlight: Halo.
Oh, and did we mention that Master Chief is a prisoner of the Covenant?
By Joey Alarilla, hackenslash Editor
INQUIRER.net
SO, how do you feel about Zachary Quinto, best known for playing the villain Sylar in the NBC hit sci-fi series "Heroes," being cast as everyone's favorite Vulcan in the new "Star Trek" movie coming out in Christmas 2008?
I find it exciting, actually. And I'm glad that the new movie, which is being produced by "Lost" co-creators J.J. Abrams (who is also the director) and Damon Lindelof, will feature classic Star Trek, which I've always been more fond of than "Star Trek: The Next Generation."
Here's a video clip of Sylar, er, Zachary being interviewed by USA Today, along with the original Spock, Leonard Nimoy, who will also be in the new movie. The new flick, simply called "Star Trek," is supposed to be an origin story ("Star Trek Begins," anyone?) recounting the early adventures of Spock and James T. Kirk.
The other confirmed cast member so far is Anton Yelchin as Chekov.
William Shatner, the original James T. Kirk, has expressed his disappointment in not being in the new movie -- he's not in it, but Kirk the character is.
Read the TrekMovie.com entry, and here's the clip posted on that article.
According to rumors, Zoë Saldana has been approached to play Uhura.
Meanwhile, Zachary's "Heroes" co-star, James Kyson Lee, who plays Ando Masahashi, the best friend/sidekick of Hiro Nakamura (Masi Oka), has expressed interest in becoming the new Sulu in the upcoming movie. How cool would that be, particularly since the original Sulu, George Takei, is Hiro's father in "Heroes," heh :)
Oh, and check out this link for pics of "Heroes" Season 2 new cast member Dania Ramirez trying to teach Zachary how to do the Vulcan salute :)
Who the heck is Dania playing, you say? Check out our Couch Potatoes entry if you don't mind some Season 2 spoilers.
By Errin Haines
Associated Press
ATLANTA, Georgia--Allen Hansard did not want to be one of 500 Supermen at this year's DragonCon parade.
Determined to stand out among hundreds of sorcerers, intergalactic soldiers, superheroes and other sci-fi characters, Hansard spent weeks on his Hawkman costume. The gold helmet alone took him three months, and the gray wings cost $1,000 at a costume shop.
On Saturday, Hansard got his payoff: not another Hawkman in the lineup of more than 1,000 parade participants.
"I like to do characters that are kind of unique, kind of difficult," Hansard said.
The parade is one of the highlights of the four-day DragonCon event, billed as the country's largest annual convention for fans of sci-fi, fantasy, horror, comics, art, games and computers. It features more than 600 hours of panels, workshops demonstrations and discussions with authors, editors, artists, game designers and media personalities.
DragonCon is named for its beginnings in the Dragon Alliance of Gamers and Role-Players, a local science fiction and gaming group. The first convention was in 1987 and had about 1,400 attendees. By 1989, author Anne McCaffrey was lured as the convention's guest of honor, and by 1990, suspense writer Tom Clancy joined the fun.
In only eight years, convention attendance topped 10,000. By 1999, more than 20,000 were descending on the city. In 2005 and 2006, convention attendance reached 30,000.
While much of the convention is contained at two hotels, attendees can be seen making a scene downtown, taking their pride for Star Trek, Star Wars, Middle-earth, Harry Potter, Buffy the Vampire Slayer or their favorite superhero to the streets.
Some of the more popular parade regulars are nearly as famous as the sci-fi celebrities who make appearances at the conference. Matt Pfingsten posed as the famous Star Wars wookie, Chewbacca, with admirers before the parade began. The Nashville, Tennessee freelance film and video editor has marched in all six DragonCon parades.
"For me, it's a big party and a family and a lot of fun," Pfingsten said.
And DragonCon still attracts new faces to the party. Cindy Pickard, a retired grade school teacher from Scottsdale, Arizona was a first-time attendee.
"I'm a sci-fi fan, but this is my very first convention ever," said Pickard, a big fan of the now-canceled show "Firefly" who dressed in a soldier's uniform from the show, complete with gun, backpack and helmet. "Last year, some people came to DragonCon and it sounded so cool I just thought that's what I have to do next year."
Charlie Carlson of Kokomo, Indiana, had the same idea. He strapped on his 40-piece Star Wars stormtrooper costume to join dozens of his brethren as they marched down Peachtree Street.
"When I was younger, I saw the movie and just loved them. I always wanted to be one," Carlson said, looking around as the stormtroopers lined up, an impressive assemblage of shiny, white plastic.
"This is awesome," he said.
Hansard got his twin brother, Adam, in on the fun for the first time. After all, what would Hawkman be without The Atom? The two characters were in a comic book, and besides, Adam and Atom are homonyms.
Not that Adam Hansard needed much of an excuse.
"It's kind of surreal seeing yourself in a costume, as somebody who doesn't dress up in costumes," Adam Hansard said, standing in a blue and red Lycra suit handmade by his brother. "But it makes a lot of people happy, so why not? I don't know if I'm hooked, but I'll certainly come do it again. It's a lot of fun."
Editor's note: Photo of Matt Pfingsten dressed up as Chewbacca courtesy of Associated Press.
ATLANTA, Georgia--Allen Hansard did not want to be one of 500 Supermen at this year's DragonCon parade.
Determined to stand out among hundreds of sorcerers, intergalactic soldiers, superheroes and other sci-fi characters, Hansard spent weeks on his Hawkman costume. The gold helmet alone took him three months, and the gray wings cost $1,000 at a costume shop.
On Saturday, Hansard got his payoff: not another Hawkman in the lineup of more than 1,000 parade participants.
"I like to do characters that are kind of unique, kind of difficult," Hansard said.
The parade is one of the highlights of the four-day DragonCon event, billed as the country's largest annual convention for fans of sci-fi, fantasy, horror, comics, art, games and computers. It features more than 600 hours of panels, workshops demonstrations and discussions with authors, editors, artists, game designers and media personalities.
DragonCon is named for its beginnings in the Dragon Alliance of Gamers and Role-Players, a local science fiction and gaming group. The first convention was in 1987 and had about 1,400 attendees. By 1989, author Anne McCaffrey was lured as the convention's guest of honor, and by 1990, suspense writer Tom Clancy joined the fun.
In only eight years, convention attendance topped 10,000. By 1999, more than 20,000 were descending on the city. In 2005 and 2006, convention attendance reached 30,000.
While much of the convention is contained at two hotels, attendees can be seen making a scene downtown, taking their pride for Star Trek, Star Wars, Middle-earth, Harry Potter, Buffy the Vampire Slayer or their favorite superhero to the streets.
Some of the more popular parade regulars are nearly as famous as the sci-fi celebrities who make appearances at the conference. Matt Pfingsten posed as the famous Star Wars wookie, Chewbacca, with admirers before the parade began. The Nashville, Tennessee freelance film and video editor has marched in all six DragonCon parades.
"For me, it's a big party and a family and a lot of fun," Pfingsten said.
And DragonCon still attracts new faces to the party. Cindy Pickard, a retired grade school teacher from Scottsdale, Arizona was a first-time attendee.
"I'm a sci-fi fan, but this is my very first convention ever," said Pickard, a big fan of the now-canceled show "Firefly" who dressed in a soldier's uniform from the show, complete with gun, backpack and helmet. "Last year, some people came to DragonCon and it sounded so cool I just thought that's what I have to do next year."
Charlie Carlson of Kokomo, Indiana, had the same idea. He strapped on his 40-piece Star Wars stormtrooper costume to join dozens of his brethren as they marched down Peachtree Street.
"When I was younger, I saw the movie and just loved them. I always wanted to be one," Carlson said, looking around as the stormtroopers lined up, an impressive assemblage of shiny, white plastic.
"This is awesome," he said.
Hansard got his twin brother, Adam, in on the fun for the first time. After all, what would Hawkman be without The Atom? The two characters were in a comic book, and besides, Adam and Atom are homonyms.
Not that Adam Hansard needed much of an excuse.
"It's kind of surreal seeing yourself in a costume, as somebody who doesn't dress up in costumes," Adam Hansard said, standing in a blue and red Lycra suit handmade by his brother. "But it makes a lot of people happy, so why not? I don't know if I'm hooked, but I'll certainly come do it again. It's a lot of fun."
Editor's note: Photo of Matt Pfingsten dressed up as Chewbacca courtesy of Associated Press.
By Agence France-Presse
TALLINN--Tech-savvy Baltic state Estonia is to open an embassy in the Internet fantasy world Second Life, joining the likes of Sweden and the Maldives, the foreign ministry said Friday.
"The virtual embassy will be located in the Second Life website, that has nearly 10 million registered users and already hosts a virtual site of Sweden," Marten Kokk, deputy chancellor at the ministry, told Agence France-Presse.
Second Life is a commercial online virtual world in which people -- and animals -- are represented by animated avatars and can do everything from social activities to shopping.
It has pulled in more than 9.2 million users since it was set up in 2003 by San Francisco-based Linden Labs.
Second Life and other virtual worlds are drawing a growing number of shops and companies that use them as a marketing vehicle, and professionals such as architects.
"The virtual embassy will not offer services like visa granting via the Internet; it's technically too complicated," said Kokk.
"But we will include the links to the sites of the foreign ministry where all relevant info for visa applicants and other consular services will be located, as well as a vast list of info about political, economic and cultural life."
The virtual embassy will be launched on November 11, marking the anniversary of the foreign ministry's establishment in 1918 when Estonia became fully independent.
The creation of the embassy will cost around 6,000 euros ($8,200) and the ministry has already purchased some virtual land on Second Life for the project.
Kokk said that despite being a virtual embassy, "very real diplomats behind their desks" would be involved.
With relatively limited resources for its 29 missions around the world, the ministry hopes the virtual embassy will provide information on Estonia to countries where it has no diplomatic representation.
"The virtual embassy of Estonia will also have rooms, where we will arrange press conferences, lectures and exhibitions," Kokk explained.
Estonia, which is among the smallest EU countries with a population of 1.3 million, has been a pioneer of new technologies since it regained its independence from the former Soviet Union in 1991.
In March, it held the world's first parliamentary election in which voters could cast ballots online.
By Agence France-Presse
BEIRUT--An Internet game in which players raid the offices of Lebanon's politically embattled premier, killing him and members of his cabinet, is under criminal investigation, a newspaper reported on Friday.
Court of Cassation prosecutor Saeed Mirza ordered the probe following complaints into the game "on how to raid the Serail electronically and kill those inside," the leading An-Nahar daily said.
The action was "a prelude to judicial lawsuits against parties behind the game," it said.
The Serail is the name of the building in which Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Siniora has his offices.
Information Minister Ghazi Aridi warned that the game, entitled "The battle of the Sarai, the final battle" exceeded the limits of entertainment and served no educational purpose.
"This... targets the safety and security of the country because it will only escalate grudges, conflicts and divisions," he said, adding that the country could next witness a game that teaches youth how to raid the homes of Lebanese politicians.
"Battle of the Sarai" refers to the name of the building that houses the prime minister's office. On Friday it could no longer be downloaded from the weblog on which it was posted earlier in the week -- www.14march.blogspot.com
In a recent e-mail to Agence France-Presse, the blogger refused to identify himself, claiming security concerns. He only said he was Lebanese and studying in London.
The game offers "the final battle... where you have to liberate the Sarai from the gang of 14."
Players fight their way into the premier's offices against "government militias" that have been trained in a tunnel linked to the US embassy.
The last phase of the game involves shooting down Siniora and members of his government before the screen reads: "Congratulations, game over."
Ironically, the March 14 date in the blog's Internet address is also the unofficial name of the parliamentary majority to which Siniora belongs.
The blog had also offered a game on the battle of Nahr al-Bared, the refugee camp in northern Lebanon where the army has been locked in fierce battles with Islamists since May.
The Lebanese, who fought a devastating 15-year civil war that ended in 1990, are particularly uneasy about anything related to political violence.
They have been even more on edge since February 2005, when former premier Rafiq Hariri was assassinated in a massive bombing in the capital. Since then, a number of other politicians and public figures have also been murdered.
The crimes have been widely blamed on Lebanon's powerful neighbor and former powerbroker, Syria, which denies any links to them.
Lebanese politics have been virtually paralyzed since last November, after pro-Syrian parties walked out of the cabinet. A major contributing factor was their refusal to support a bid by Siniora to create an international court under UN auspices to try eventual suspects in the Hariri assassination.
