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Agence France-Presse

SEOUL--South Korea's government is close to adopting a "Cinderella" law to ban youngsters from playing online games past midnight amid growing concerns about Internet addiction, officials said Thursday.

A bill to be submitted to parliament as early as this month will require South Korean online game companies to cut off services at midnight for users registered as younger than 16, the culture and family ministries said.

"The thing about online games is, once you are in it, it is extremely hard to get out of it, especially if you are a young kid," Jo Rin, a ministry official in charge of the law, told AFP.

"A lot of kids play games all night long and have trouble studying at school and going about their normal lives during daytime. We believe the law is necessary to ensure their health and a right to sleep."

The online services would resume at six the following morning, he said, adding there would be a year-long waiting period until the law takes effect so that companies can prepare for it.

The government is also considering requiring companies to limit young users' access to online games to a maximum number of hours a week or a day if parents request this, said Jo.

South Korea is one of the world's most wired societies, but there have been sporadic reports of deaths related to Internet game addiction.

Last month a 15-year-old South Korean boy committed suicide after killing his mother for scolding him over playing computer games too much.

In February a 32-year-old man died after reportedly playing for five days with few breaks.

A month later police arrested a couple accused of leaving their baby daughter to starve to death while they raised a "virtual" child on the Internet. The baby had long been malnourished, an autopsy showed.

The government, which estimates that South Korea has about two million web addicts, is already launching one campaign to combat the affliction.

From next year, it will offer free software to people at risk, to limit the time they spend on the web.

Agence France-Presse

SAN FRANCISCO--Mickey Mouse makes his US debut as a videogame hero Tuesday in "Wasteland," featuring an alternate world that includes Walt Disney Company's long forgotten characters and attractions

"Disney Epic Mickey" for Wii consoles puts players into the large yellow shoes of the famous cartoon mouse and challenges them to use wits, paint, and paint thinner to defeat enemies, save old friends and restore a ruined land.

Mickey has the power to erase characters or restore them to glory, with his actions influencing the course of the game, according to Warren Spector of Junction Point Studio, which crafted the software.

"Mickey hasn't been the videogame hero he was meant to be," Spector said of the character introduced in 1928 while providing a glimpse of the title at a conference in Los Angeles earlier this year. "That's about to change."

Mickey's foes in the game include "Oswald the Lucky Rabbit," a pioneering Disney cartoon figure turned bitter because the mouse soared to stardom while he sank into obscurity.

The game will mark the first time Oswald has appeared in a new Disney story since 1928.

Disney Interactive Studios is introducing Mickey's videogame as Nintendo works to keep players enchanted with the Wii in the face of motion-sensing controls being added to rival consoles built by Microsoft and Sony.

Wii launched in 2006 with innovative motion-sensing controls and became a must-have videogame console credited with expanding the market far beyond "hardcore gamers" devoted to shooter titles.

Microsoft just hit the market with hot-selling Kinect hardware that lets people control Xbox 360 games with body gestures alone. Sony unleashed Move hardware which allows motion-control of games on PlayStation 3 consoles.

Nintendo reported that Wii consoles and DS handheld gaming gadgets were hot sellers in the United States during the prime holiday shopping week marked by "Black Friday," the day after the Thanksgiving in this country.

The Japanese videogame titan estimated that it sold 600,000 Wii consoles and 900,000 devices from its DS line of handheld game gadgets between November 21 and 27.

"US shoppers bought about 9,000 Nintendo hardware systems nonstop for every hour of every day during the week of Black Friday," said Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime.

Fils-Aime maintained that the strong start to the traditional shopping season meant that Wii consoles haven't lost their magic in the market.

Nintendo enticed shoppers with deals on bundles of videogame hardware and software.

Third-party game makers such as Disney, Ubisoft, and Activision fueled the momentum with new titles for play on Nintendo systems, according to Fils-Aime.

MOBIUS Games is adding WolfTeam, its first-person shooter title in its roster of published game titles in the Philippines. This puts to seven the total number of titles that Mobius Games has in the Philippines. WolfTeam plays similar to most first-person shooter games but adds some elements of fantasy and science fiction; instead of ordinary humans soldiers with weapons, players can transform into werewolves that are more resilient against weapons but themselves are unable to carry any while in this state. Characters that transform into werewolves are able to move faster, jump higher and can climb walls. They use their claws instead to attack enemies. Mobius Games said in a statement that the game will be launched on May 7 across Internet cafes in the Philippines. “We are very excited to work together again with mobiusgames and we have no doubt Wolf Team will be successful. Players in the Philippines will love this game,” said WolfTeam Executive Producer Kang Jihun. The story is set in the year 2013 when scientists develop a vaccine called “Epocine” to treat a human genetic disorder caused by a wayward wolf DNA. However, the vaccine developer creates a “Anti-Epocine” that enhances wolf features in humans. The French Army is supplied with the Anti-Epocine and creates a group of mercenaries called WolfTeam. Unfortunately, the WolfTeam disengages from the French Army to become a mercenary group. WolfTeam is developed by Korean firm Softnyx, which was behind the casual game GunBound also published by Mobius Games.

ONLINE game publisher MyGame recently announced that it will be launching Twelve Sky 2, the company’s first serious massively-multiplayer online game (MMORPG). Twelve Sky 2, developed by Korean firm ALT1, will follow two previous games that MyGame has launched: the first-person shooter Special Force and the casual game Fiesta Online. In an interview, MyGame Product Manager Jon Roque said the introduction of Twelve Sky 2 would put MyGame toe-to-toe with other online game publishers that have already existing MMORPGs. The game is also currently in beta testing in other countries. He claims that the game’s unique player-versus-player (PvP) would entice players to move to Twelve Sky 2. “It’s the experience of intense battle between players is the selling aspect of the game.” Roque said that players would be rewarded with experience points for the character and the clan they have joined and in-game money when they frequently play in PvP. Roque said the company would start the close beta test sometime in July, to be followed by an open beta test in August and finally, the commercial launch in September. Roque added that the game would be free-to-play and would have an online item shop. Twelve Sky is a martial arts fantasy game set in ancient China. There are four rival factions called the Guanyin, Fujin, and Jinong, each with unique fighting styles, armor and weapons. A fourth faction would be available when players reach the higher levels of the game.

CAMPCOM's Resident Evil series is the most prolific action-horror title in the video game business and is also the most successful in being ported from just about all console devices and PC. Apart from the action-horror aspect of this game series the story continuity is also what makes this series successful. Every game is good enough to be played on a stand-alone basis but the back stories make them even better. The stories of the main characters are integrated in each medium where they are present, which includes about seven games, two novels and a CGI film entitled Resident Evil Degeneration. Of course, the three RE movies where Milla Jovovich starred are of a different universe and are not canon to the main RE story. The latest iteration, Resident Evil 5 (Xbox 360, PS3) takes off directly from Resident Evil 4. The game stars Chris Redfield, an original member of the STARS Alpha Team in Resident Evil 1. He is accompanied by a new character Sheva Alomar. Chris and Sheva are now members of the Bioterrorism Security Assessment Alliance (BSAA), sent to investigate a bioterrorism threat from the defunct Umbrella Corporation in an African desert. Chris is also on the hunt for his old nemesis, Albert Wesker whom he also thinks is responsible for the apparent death of his partner Jill Valentine. They also face members of the pharmaceutical giant Tricell, a new bioweapons manufacturer that followed the same path as Umbrella. There are over a dozen types of enemies in the game, some of which are based from the zombie-like enemies from RE4. The enemies in RE5 are mostly infected humans rather than undead zombies. The infection is a new type of "Las Plagas" from RE4, and is called "Uroboros." The difference is that those infected by Uroboros retain their human speed and agility. Most of the time, they are faster, stronger and more resilient to attacks. The AI is not particularly intelligent since enemies tend to rush attack in groups. Some enemies tend to stand up again when they are put down with weaker weapons. There are also a few instances where snake-like appendages appear from what should have been the head of the infected. These creatures are harder to put down and have longer reach. More powerful creatures are revealed as the game progresses and a few of them are also from the first Resident Evil game. As with previous Resident Evil games RE5 features huge boss stage battles. Limitations to available ammunition also adds to the challenge in the game. With tougher enemies, players would need more powerful weapons and that is exactly what RE5 offers. Instead of only one model for each weapon type there are two models available for both Chris and Sheva. There are shotguns, pistols, magnums, semi-automatic weapons, sniper rifles, grenades and even nifty proximity bombs. Some of these weapons can be upgraded by selling certain items found in the game like gems, eggs (the rotten egg is the most expensive). Upgrades can be for more power, faster reload time, more magazine capacity or chances for critical hit. Be careful in choosing what weapon to use though since upgrades can be expensive. RE5 uses the same gameplay as RE4, the third-person, over-the-shoulder camera. Players can choose either Chris or Sheva on single player but the game also features a two-player online and offline cooperative play--a first in the RE series. To avoid the same stretched split-screen view from other two-player cooperative games, RE5 allows the player to view their game in boxed 16:9 widescreen format with black spaces on either side of each player's screen. This is best when playing on a 32" or higher TV monitor. Of course, a player can view the entire game in full screen. The cooperative gameplay is the best new feature of RE5. While a player can order either Chris or Sheva to do certain actions in single-player, the two-player cooperative play has more tactical advantage especially when faced with several enemies. Players can agree to hold particular types of weapons (one would be the long-range shooter while the other will be the close-quarter combat expert). They can also share bullets and other items. What makes the cooperative play more compelling is that "Help" mini-game; one player can make a special attack on an infected who has grabbed the other player. Likewise, the other player can "resuscitate" a weakened player, which is a feature copied from another Xbox 360 game Gears of War. There are also mini-games in the cut scenes that require both players to press different buttons simultaneously, which adds to the coordination strategy. A few notable deficiencies in the game is the lack of horror that made the first three Resident Evil games profoundly different from other in the same genre. There are fewer edge-of-your-seat surprises in RE5 and it is obvious the developers focused entirely on the action aspect of the game. Another problem is the lack difficulty in the puzzles. Some can be finished with common sense instead of guesswork or even trial-and-error. The maps are also linear so it's not easy to get lost. Luckily, these issues are minor inconveniences compared to the overall enjoyment of the game. The cooperative gameplay is the best part and allows a player to enjoy the game twice over with another player in tow. The four-year gap between RE4 and RE5 is worth the wait. Hopefully, the next iteration of Resident Evil would again exceed expectations.

Agence France-Presse SAN FRANCISCO--Sony is cutting the price of its older generation PlayStation 2 (PS2) videogame consoles to 100 dollars (US) in a move prompted by tough economic times and a desire to lure fans to the platform. Sony Computer Entertainment America said the price of a PS2 console will drop 30 dollars beginning April 1 but that it is not trimming the price of its latest-generation PlayStation 3 consoles. PS2 consoles have remained strong sellers despite the launch in late 2006 of a more powerful PS3 version with built-in Blu-ray high definition disk player. PS3 consoles came with high price tags, a version with an 80-gigabyte hard drive costs 400 dollars. Sales of PS3 consoles have lagged behind those of market-ruling Nintendo Wii hardware and Microsoft's Xbox 360, which hit the market in 2005. Launch of high-end PS3 consoles revived the popularity of PS2 models that became comparative bargains in the marketplace. Sony reports selling more than 136 million PS2 consoles since they were launched in 2000. "Demand for PlayStation 2 remains strong throughout the world," said SCEA president Jack Tretton. "The new 99-dollar price point will bring in new consumers who will discover how PlayStation platforms are an outstanding choice for their gaming and home entertainment needs." Sony hopes that beefing up the ranks of PS2 users will eventually translate into loyal fans that upgrade to PS3 models. Analysts have gone on record saying they believe it will take a PS3 price cut to breathe new life into sales of the consoles. Microsoft saw Xbox 360 console sales rise last year after the US technology giant trimmed about 50 dollars from price tags. Wii consoles are priced at 250 dollars each and have dominated the market since their launch in late 2006.

Agence France-Presse SAN FRANCISCO--Californian technology firm OnLive is poised to launch a service that streams video games over the Internet, meaning players can avoid buying expensive consoles or packaged software. OnLive ended seven years of "stealth" development late Tuesday by announcing the system should launch in the United States by the end of the year. The firm is building a library of video game software on servers that players reach over broadband Internet by using mini-programs in home computers or OnLive MicroConsoles connected to television sets. "We've cleared the last remaining hurdle for the video games industry: effective online distribution," said OnLive founder and chief executive Steve Perlman. "By putting the value back into the games themselves and removing the reliance on expensive, short-lived hardware, we are dramatically shifting the economics of the industry." Major video game makers Ubisoft, Atari, Warner Brothers, and Electronic Arts are among the studios providing PC versions of hot titles for the OnLive service previewed at a major Game Developers Conference (GDC) in San Francisco. "We will launch in the United States and move into other countries as fast as we can," OnLive engineer Ronn Brashear said as Carlos Lievano played Ubisoft's 'Prince of Persia' at GDC Wednesday using a MicroConsole. Lievano, a graduate student from Columbia who is studying for a Masters degree in business at a California university, said OnLive promises to be a hit in developing countries. "This will be huge for the distribution of video games," Lievano said. "People that don't have the money for expensive equipment just have to get Internet service set up and can play any game they want." The video game world is currently dominated by consoles made by Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo. Nintendo's popular Wii is priced at 250 dollars while beefier Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 consoles carry higher price tags. Comparable in size to decks of cards, MicroConsole devices will be provided free with video game services that let people pay monthly subscriptions to play online. Pricing of subscriptions has yet to be finalized. Graphics of game play are streamed to players while the interactive software remains secure on OnLive computers, eliminating piracy concerns, Brashear said.

GAME publisher iAM Interactive unveiled its second casual game for this year, a racing game called GoGoRacer [spelled as is], developed by China-based firm Radiance Digital Entertainment. GoGoRacer would be the third online racing game in the Philippines, after Crazy Kart from Level Up! Philippines and IP e-Games’ Top Speed. The game is similar to the Nintendo Mario Kart series where players try to outrun competitors while using various weapons to overtake them. iAM Product Manager John Paul Pelayo said in an interview that the game would be distributed in Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines, allowing players from these countries to compete against each other. Pelayo said the game would be targeted at players ages 12 to 30. One of its unique features is having up to 16 players per match. However, Pelayo said they would initially have up to 8 players. He also mentioned that Radiance Digital used an enhanced physics engine to allow for realistic racing. The game also includes nitrous oxide, commonly called "nitros" to boost the speed of the racer. Just like Mario Kart, there would also be items spread in the game that can be picked up by the racer and used to get the upper hand in the game. Pelayo also said the game has a crafting system to allow users to upgrade the karts. Pelayo said that they would be starting their closed beta test in April and would have the commercial in June. “We’re already looking to localize the game for the different countries,” Pelayo said.

Agence France-Presse HAVANA--Havana on Tuesday debuted a baseball video game which includes famous Cuban-born defectors long expunged from official memory here after they abandoned the Communist island to play in the United States. The country's first baseball video game, MVP Cuba 1.0, features a number of Cuban stars who triumphed in the US major leagues, including star pitchers Orlando Hernandez -- nicknamed "El Duque" -- and Jose Contreras. The game was unveiled at a state information science center over the weekend, according to Juventud Rebelde daily newspaper. Livan Hernandez and Kendry Morales also figure in the game, as does Yadel Marti, who defected from the Caribbean island last December to pursue a professional baseball career in the United States. "It's wise to include them. They're Cuban players who are giving prestige to Cuban baseball abroad, even though they're censored here," a young Cuban requesting anonymity told AFP. Baseball, a national passion, is one of the sports hardest hit by defections in Cuba, which eliminated professional leagues in 1961. Experts from the Havana University of Information Science and the COCO sports radio program adapted the video game, which fields 30 virtual teams, 16 of which face off in the Cuban championship. The creators of the game underscored difficulties surrounding its official release, without giving details. But Cubans waited five years before they were finally last December allowed to view on the big screen the movie "Fuera de Liga," a 2003 baseball documentary including several defectors.