Looks like some mediums are finally starting to wise up to the industry as a whole. The title is taken from a Guardian article written by Noami Alderman (I was lucky enough to have a glimpse during my break at work; I read most of it online, however), and defends the industry very well, without making it seem like she is a fangirl of the video games culture as a whole.

She constantly refers to her own potential bias, while at the same time referring us to similar themes in other material, saying that ‘Of course, wanting to devote this amount of attention to a computer game probably demonstrates that I’m “addicted”. Unlike, say, if I were reading a novel: then my irritation at being interrupted would just show that I was “engrossed”‘. In that sentence, the entire argument over video games is explained.

Nobody ever takes the time to understand that taking time in a game is indeed akin to wanting to read a good chunk of a recommended book, and that the themes are misunderstood, as well as deliberately misinterpreted by more popular, biased arms of the media (Refer to tabloids for said bias).

Despite how she defends the gaming culture, she also states that themes of Grand Theft Auto, for example, are not suitable for young children, just as “a responsible parent wouldn’t hand their child a copy of American Psycho or sit them down in front of Marathon Man without any further discussion or comment”.

Put it this way: If I had a child (Mini-Allans are SO not a good thought), and he/she asked me to play a video game with them, I would be happy to. Playing video games together (Not Wii. Please not the typ-wii-cal titles of sports and brain games and minigames.) is becoming the ‘day out’ of this generation, and even though they should not be the sole bond between a parent and child, there is no doubt in my mind that it can be nothing but beneficial.

You game with your child, you’re respected by said child, you’re a ‘cool parent’, but above all, you’re not out of touch with your child and his/her interests, which is what causes half the problems in youth society.

From The Guardian/Comment is Free and MCV.

Tags: videogame violence, guardian, tanya byron, byron review, games in the home, keith vaz, you go girl

Many people are starting to side with their favourites to win the console war. If we take the Wii out of the picture (I still say it’s not a games console by definition of the typical audience), it leaves us with Microsoft vs Sony; the Xbox 360 vs the PS3, Jasper vs Cel, RRoD vs 80010514. Still not having sampled the ‘delights’ of a PS3 yet, I really can’t make an objective decision. But company wise, Microsoft, in my opinion, is the lesser of two evils.

But we still have people that declare ‘MICROSOFT WILL WIN!’ or ‘THE PS3 WILL RULE!’. And these people aren’t even fanboys. They are members of the industry, highly charicatured in order to fit the overactive needs of his article. But I’ll let you in on a little secret.

There is a 50/50 chance that they will be right. But their thinking is dead wrong.

We define a games console by it’s games, yes? The 360 has Halo3, Gears of War, Mass Effect, and more. The PS3 has what out at the moment? Nothing of obvious merit. There is Lost Planet, but that’s a late port of a timed exclusive, and CoD4 was something of an out of the blue, in terms of popularity with the general gaming audience. I for one didn’t see that coming.

Anyway, back on topic, the Playstation3 doesn’t have any of it’s really big games out yet. No killer app, as a geek would say. The exclusivity is no longer there. And none of the multi-platform games have had the pull to be a system seller. This is all about to change, come April 29th, June 12th and September of this year.

April 29th: The date that many people are just waiting for; the release of Grand Theft Auto IV worldwide. Retailers have bundled it with consoles, and this data will add to the decision of who will win the console war, because the playing field will be equal. You either buy the PS3 with GTA IV, or you buy the 360 with GTA IV.

June 12th: The date that even more people will empty their wallets. June 12th is when Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, Sony’s card up their sleeve, and the final instalment to one of the greatest game series of all time, will be released. This series has spanned 20 years, and it will all be over on June 12th. Will Liquid finally get killed off? Will Solid Snake finally submit to FOXDIE? Even Hideo Kojima himself has stated that all questions, mysteries and happenings will be answered, uncovered and explained. Can you tell I’m juiced about this game?

September: The month that Little Big Planet comes out. LBP is something of an oddity, and will complete the crowd of niche gamers, hardcore gamers, and cred gamers. It’s hard to define this game, but when a self-confessed 360 podcaster starts talking about it in such a pure light, something is up.

Only after these three occurrences will the Console War have any chance of being won or lost, and only then will predictions be valid. Jasper-Chipset 360s will be out, all but eliminating the RRoD and the one gaping wound in the 360’s skin will close, making things all about chinks in armour. Blu-Ray will be in full swing, now that the HD-DVD format is gone. In November, both Gears of War 2 and Resistance 2 will be out.

At the end of this year, the playing field will be level.

I daresay, that at the end of this year, the Christmas haul will in fact be the teetering of the balance, and the butterfly that starts the tornado.

Be ready, my friends. Because this year is going to be good for gaming.

Tags: sony, microsoft, ps3, 360, jasper, falcon, zephyr, cel, hd-dvd, blu-ray, gears of war, resistance, metal gear solid, little big planet, gta iv, mgs4,

Looks like the big guns are coming out with GTA IV. There is now an official GTA IV bundle with the Playstation3 (as many had largely suspected already). This bundle is the 40Gb version, and has GTA IV packaging instead of the usual PS3 packaging. It’s currently priced at £299 as a recommended retail price, but ShopTo.net are selling it for £289.99.

Play.com has gotten in on this, and has instead said that every 360 Premium console that is sold will include GTA IV for free. That means that for the console, GTA IV, and the complimentary month’s worth of Live for £199.99. However, it IS classed as a bundle, and as such you will need to purchase it here.

Honestly, I would buy the PS3 and sell it on; there is going to be some major collectors wanting to pay over the odds for it. However, I don’t have that kind of cash lying around (I’m pretty much refusing to buy a PS3 until MGS4 comes out), since the PS3 is pretty costly anyway, and I’m quite happy with my Playstation2.

If you wanted a new console just because, now would be the best time to get it, because with the amount of pre-orders going through the roof, this might be your only chance at getting GTA IV on release date.

Tags: gta4, gta iv, grand theft auto, ps3, xbox 360, playstation

BioWare’s project director for the game, Diarmid Clarke, gave a categoric “No” when asked by IGN if the Bring Down the Sky content pack will feature in the retail game.

Bring Down the Sky is an extended mission (think of another Noveria, Ilos, Post-Relay Citadel length), which can be considered a side-quest because it has absolutely no impact on the main storyline. Essentially, you save Earth by stopping this asteroid being steered towards Earth. No, I didn’t issue a spoiler alert; anyone who wants this content has read about it already.

Personally, I won’t mind because I already have the content on my 360, but for those that are waiting for it come out on the PC, I would be relatively miffed. But, at the moment, it could well be another downloadable content pack, a la Steam.

Honestly, I just want the issues sorted out; the texture popping, the frame-rate and the HUD/Menu system (which has got a proven revamp), and set the game right, tech-wise.

Tags: masseffect, bioware, bring down the sky, xbox 360, pc

You stuck to your seat waiting for info about Spielberg’s game? No, neither am I. Still, it’s worth noting since it’s Spielberg and all.

Boom Blox will be available for download for all European wii owners on May 9th. A quote from computerandvideogames.com:

“Boom Blox is a cross between Jenga and a domino set, with a level of genuine charm that you’d only expect from a first-party Nintendo game.”

From CVG.

Tags: boomblox, wii, spielberg