Gary's Blog

By Lisa Baertlein
Thu Oct 27, 4:24 PM ET

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - A Florida state senator has introduced a bill that would ban the sale or rental of violent video games to minors, an aide to the lawmaker said on Thursday.

Introduced on October 25 by state Sen. Alex Diaz de la Portilla, a Republican from Miami, the bill is a near clone of legislation recently signed into law by California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger -- Hollywood's "Terminator" -- who is portrayed in several video games based on his action film roles.

Bills aimed at restricting sales of violent games to minors are the latest salvo in a long campaign by detractors and some parent groups to limit access to games with adult content.

Critics cite research suggesting that violent games can increase aggressive behavior in young boys. Game makers and retailers counter that video games carry ratings similar to those found on films, and many store clerks ask for identification from young gamers to make sure they are not buying titles aimed at older audiences.

The battle over controversial video game content flared anew this summer when game publisher Take-Two Interactive Software Inc. (Nasdaq:TTWO - news) pulled its blockbuster title "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas" from store shelves following the discovery of hidden sex scenes in its code.

NEW YORK - Last year, he won one. This year, Samuel L. Jackson will host the Spike TV Video Game Awards.

The 56-year-old actor, who won a VGA for voicing "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas," will host the Nov. 18 awards show at the Gibson Amphitheater in Los Angeles. The show will air Dec. 10 on Spike TV.

"Sam Jackson is one of the coolest guys on the planet; we're thrilled to have him hosting this year's show which promises more stars, more rock and more games than ever before," said Casey Patterson, senior vice president, event production and talent development for Spike TV, in a statement this week.

The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Vin Diesel, The Rock, Missy Elliot, Snoop Dogg and Ozzy Osbourne are among those set to appear at the third annual awards event.

Jackson was nominated for an Oscar for his role in 1994's "Pulp Fiction." He has also appeared in "A Time to Kill," "Shaft" and "Changing Lanes."

Anti-videogame campaigner Jack Thompson is making headlines once again after writing to the Seattle police department requesting the arrest of two online cartoonists.

Copies of the letter were also sent to various US websites and a scan can be found on Penny Arcade, the site Thompson wants police to shut down. In it, Thompson claims PA has "Decided to commence and orchestrate criminal harassment of me by various means."

This, according to Thompson, is because he appeared on the CBS programme 60 Minutes to discuss a wrongful death lawsuit he launched on behalf of two Alabama police officers and a dispatcher, "Who were shot in the head and killed by Devin Moore." Thompson claims Moore "Obsessively trained on Grand Theft Auto: Vice City to kill them," before describing the game as "A "cop-killing" murder simulator."

Thompson makes no mention anywhere in the letter of the fact that Penny Arcade recently gave USD 10,000 to charity after Thompson failed to keep a promise to make the donation himself.

He does observe that Penny Arcade is selling I Hate Jack Thompson t-shirts and claims this is "Just the tip of the iceberg," before supplying an incorrect URL for the site.

Seattle police pass on Penny Arcade flap

Florida lawyer's harassment allegations considered a civil matter on the surface, criminal investigation still possible.

Web comic Penny Arcade made headlines last week when it was the subject of an angry complaint letter sent to the Seattle Police Department alleging organized harassment and extortion. In his letter, Florida attorney Jack Thompson said he looked forward to working with the police "to shut this little extortion factory down and/or arrest some of its employees."

However eager Thompson may be for that, it doesn't look likely to happen anytime soon. A representative with the police department told GameSpot today that it hasn't found any crime to prosecute in the matter.

"Our preliminary review of the document has led us to believe that it is most likely a civil matter," police spokeswoman Deborah Brown said, "but we have forwarded it to the chief of our criminal investigations bureau to make sure that it is correct."

Unless the chief of that bureau finds some criminal activity that wasn't apparent upon first examination of the complaint, this part of the ongoing dispute between Thompson and Penny Arcade is resolved.

Calls seeking comment from the office of US Attorney for the Western District of Washington John McKay, whom Thompson also contacted for help in his spat with Penny Arcade, were unreturned as of press time.

By Brendan Sinclair -- GameSpot

Posted Oct 27, 2005 4:15 pm PT

Mon Oct 24, 6:23 PM ET

LOS ANGELES - The Rock's sci-fi horror tale "Doom," based on the video game, debuted at the top of the weekend box office with $15.5 million.

Finishing second was Kurt Russell and Dakota Fanning's horse-racing story "Dreamer: Inspired by a True Story," which opened with $9.2 million.

The top 20 movies at U.S. and Canadian theaters Friday through Sunday, followed by distribution studio, gross, number of theater locations, average receipts per location, total gross and number of weeks in release, as compiled Monday by Exhibitor Relations Co. Inc. are:

1. "Doom," Universal, $15,488,870, 3,043 locations, $5,090 average, $15,488,870, one week.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Turner Classic Movies has posted their January schedule.

Every Thursday in January Turner Classic Movies will air 2 Ghibli movies (3 on January 19th) starting at 8pm. The movies will repeat a second time at the end of the second (or 3rd) movie.

Turner Classic Movies lists the English cast for each movie except for Only Yesterday, for which it has the Japanese cast listed.

Thursday, January 5
8:00 PM Spirited Away
10:15 PM Princess Mononoke
1:00 AM Spirited Away
3:15 AM Princess Mononoke

Thursday, January 12
8:00 PM Nausicaa of the Valley of Wind
10:00 PM Castle in the Sky
12:15 AM Nausicaa of the Valley of Wind
2:15 AM Castle in the Sky

Thursday, January 19
8:00 PM My Neighbor Totoro
9:30 PM Porco Rosso
11:15 PM Whisper of the Heart
1:15 AM My Neighbor Totoro
2:45 AM Porco Rosso
4:30 AM Whisper of the Heart

Thursday, January 26
8:00 PM Only Yesterday
10:15 PM Pom Poko
12:30 AM Only Yesterday
2:45 AM Pom Poko

posted by: Gary1059 at 07:07 | link | comments |

VGN for October 21st, 2005

Reviews already in, some calling it the best movie based on a video game to date. Is it? Go see for yourself!

New PSP bundle.
Stockings will be stuffed with new PSP Giga Pack; essentially swaps out 32MB card for 1GB card for $299.

Sony Computer Entertainment today announced that it will offer a new PSP bundle for this holiday season, called the PSP Giga Pack, beginning next month.

The PSP Giga Pack will basically include the same items as the usual PSP Value Pack: the PlayStation Portable, an AC adapter, a battery pack, headphones w/remote control, a protective pouch, a wiping cloth, and a Memory Stick Duo.

However, the pack's "Giga" status comes from the inclusion of a 1GB memory stick in lieu of the 32MB stick in the Value Pack. The pack also includes two more items not featured in the Value Pack, a PSP stand that allows for hands-free movie viewing and a USB cable to connect the portable to PCs.

The Giga Pack will sell for $299 (349 CDN) in North America and for 299.99 euros (214.99 GBP) in Europe. In Japan the PSP Giga Pack is slated for release on November 17 at the price of 29,800 yen ($258). The Japanese package will be offered in both the standard black (PSP-1000G1) and Ceramic White (PSP-1000G1CW) PSP color models.

Beginning today game retailer joins Wal-Mart with demo stations for Microsoft's new console; all stores outfitted within a month.
For all the clamor from Microsoft about the Xbox 360 being the biggest thing in home entertainment since the TV dinner, the company sure is being quiet about when the public can get some hands-on time with the machine. In the past few days, Wal-Marts across the country were prominently displaying demonstration kiosks for the console, supposedly with playable samples of Call of Duty 2 and King Kong.

Today GameStop followed suit with its own kiosks for the concave console. According to one GameStop employee, a company e-mail sent out to the near 2,000 stores stated that Xbox 360 stations would begin appearing at the outlets starting today, with the goal being that each store have a station within a month. Consistent with reports, GameSpot was told that playable demos of Call of Duty 2 and Peter Jackson's King Kong would be included.

It's unclear at the time whether this will also include EB Games stores, which were recently acquired by GameStop in a merger. "At this time, we are not informed of what happens with EB's stores," said the GameStop employee.

Though the likelihood of Xbox 360 demo stations coming to game retailers seems inevitable, nothing has been made official. As of press time, Microsoft had not answered requests for confirmation. However, back in April, Microsoft announced a partnership with Samsung to provide 25,000 high-definition monitors in Xbox 360 displays around the world.

Jay Wrolstad, newsfactor.com
Wed Oct 19, 5:13 PM ET

In a clear sign that Wi-Fi is heading in new directions, Nintendo (PNK: NTDOY) has partnered with wireless-networking specialist Wayport and McDonald's (NYSE: MCD - news) to give customers the opportunity to engage in interactive gaming while they gobble down a burger and fries.

Next month, the gaming giant will launch the new wireless-gaming service by releasing a selection of Wi-Fi-enabled games for its Nintendo DS players that can take advantage of the free wireless hotspots at some 6,000 McDonald's restaurants.

Florida Bar Association says despite "many complaints," no action has been initiated against the antigame attorney over public spat; Thompson's full response inside.
This week has seen much attention in the games press focused on the ongoing feud between Jack Thompson, increasingly high-profile antigame activist, and Penny Arcade, the popular game-enthusiast cartoon Web site.

The spat came to a head after Penny Arcade announced its intention to donate $10,000 to an Entertainment Software Association charity in Thompson's name. An incensed Thompson, one of the ESA's most vociferous critics, then accused Penny Arcade of harassing him by selling "I Hate Jack Thompson" T-shirts via ThinkGeek.com and threatened the site with legal action. He then issued a press release saying he had faxed the Seattle police asking them to take action against Penny Arcade, which he accused of being a "little extortion factory." However, on Thursday morning, the Seattle Police Department told GameSpot that it had not yet received any such complaint from Thompson.

This morning, it appeared that Thompson's tactics had backfired. Many game sites reported that the Miami-based lawyer was now under investigation by the Florida Bar Association (FBA) over his actions in the Penny Arcade dispute. Most of these sites linked back to an article on PC enthusiast site Ars Technica, which said only that "Penny Arcade forum members wrote, edited and sent letters and faxes to the FBA detailing Thompson's activities and urging the review of his license to practice law." The article does not say specifically that an investigation had been launched.

This morning, GameSpot called the Florida Bar Association to see whether any new investigation has been launched against Thompson. Representatives of the FBA's disciplinary division said that despite "many complaints" filed over the past week, no new investigation into Thompson's activities had been launched as of this morning. However, the reps would not rule out the possibility of any future action being taken.

Tue Oct 18, 8:16 AM ET

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Two industry trade groups sued the state of California on Monday after the state passed a law barring the sale of violent video games to minors.

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, the former screen "Terminator" who is himself portrayed in several video games based on his Hollywood roles, vowed to fight the suit, which was filed in federal court in San Jose.

"I will do everything in my power to preserve this new law and I urge the attorney general to mount a vigorous defense of California's ability to prevent the sale of these games to children," Schwarzenegger said in a statement.

"California's new law will ensure parental involvement in determining which video games are appropriate for their children. I believe strongly that we must give parents the tools to help them protect their children."

The trade group Entertainment Software Association announced its intentions to fight in court immediately after Schwarzenegger signed the ban 10 days ago. Video Software Dealers Association joined in the suit.

"It is not up to any industry or the government to set standards for what kids can see or do; that is the role of parents," Douglas Lowenstein, the group's president said.

"Everyone involved with this misguided law has known from the start that it is an unconstitutional infringement on the First Amendment freedoms of those who create and sell video games."

Attention gamers! If your videogame obsession has left you with a permanent indentation in your couch and no hope of a date in the foreseeable future, Spike TV is here to help. FHM's lovely Vida Guerra has agreed to take one lucky man as her personal escort to the Spike TV Video Game Awards and to the exclusive after-party on November 18, 2005 in Los Angeles.

Now all you have to do is tell us why you're worthy. Simply log on to http://www.fhmus.com/vgas and explain why Spike TV Video Game Awards is the perfect place to take Vida*. If we like your plea, pack your bags. Just leave your stuffed Zelda at home.

After wandering through the desert for days, a bitter warrior named Munsu is lost and unable to continue. His life is unexpectedly saved by Mon-ryon, a young man who dreams of becoming a secret agent for Jushin, a once-great country that was recently destroyed. Mon-ryon`s goal is to save his girlfriend, Chunhyan, a born fighter who is held captive by the evil Lord Byonand.

Join Munsu and Chunhyan as they fight for their freedom, and vengeance for a dead nation.
Swords, sorcery and a phantom army await!

Anime Explosion is a free once a month showing at Loews Cineplex at Universal Citywalk Orlando.

Don't forget JACO's Halloween Bash is this coming weekend, October 22nd, starting at 5:30PM and goes until 11:30PM! Come on out for fun, games, and friends! We will be starting the night off with a video game tournament on the big screen and will roll into themed programming and our yearly Costume Contest that you won't want to miss. Wear your favorite costume and bring all your friends for a fun time. JACO members show your current membership for a trick-or-treat goodie bag! Certainly don't forget to bring a pre-carved pumpkin to feature in our 2nd annual Pumpking Carving Contest and display it for everyone to enjoy! This year we are also proud to feature Wasabi Anime's first professional photo shoot! A classroom will be dedicated and decorated for themed photos of you and your friends which you can download later from www.wasabianime.com! Printing services will also be provided on site, so don't miss out!! We can't wait to see you there. Light refreshments will be provided, but feel free to bring candy and goodies for all your friends and new faces you may meet! LET'S PARTY!

UPDATE: Please stay tuned to your local weather telecasts and media outlets to monitor the progress of Hurricane Wilma. In the event that there is a hurricane warning for the Central Florida area, the JACO Halloween will be postponed. Currently the event is still planned to occur, but this is pending a safe environment. We do not want to risk harm to our attendees or staff so please be sure to pay close attention to weather forcasts and check this site for updates. In the event we do decide to postpone this event, we will do our best to announce it here ASAP. Thank you for your continued support and we hope for the best!

posted by: Gary1059 at 07:13 | link | comments (1) |

VGN for October 14th, 2005

Jack Thompson will give $10,000 to charity if any videogame company makes and releases a game based on a scenario he created.

Miami, Florida Attorney Jack Thompson, a long-time outspoken critic of violent and sexually explicit videogames, has done something totally unexpected. Thompson today actually proposed a violent videogame, and will pay $10,000 to the favorite charity of Paul Eibeler (the Chairman of Take-Two Interactive) if any videogame company will "create, manufacture, distribute, and sell a video game in 2006" based on a scenario he created.

Thompson's proposal is titled A Modest Video Game Proposal and has been sent to members of the press and apparantly to Douglas Lowenstein, President of the ESA.

This writer has been saying for seven years that violent video games can be "murder simulators" that incite as well as train some obsessive teen players to be violent.

I've been on 60 Minutes and in Reader's Digest this year explaining how an Alabama teen, with no criminal record, shot two policemen and a dispatcher in their heads and fled in a police car--a scenario he rehearsed for hundreds of hours on Take-Two/Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto video games.

I have sat with boys in jail cells, their lives over because of murder convictions, after they, with no history of violence, have killed innocents while in a dreamlike state. Said one cop who investigated such a murder in Grand Rapids, Michigan: "The killing was like an extension of the game."

The video game industry, through its lawyers, its spokesmen, and its head lobbyist, Doug Lowenstein, the president of the Entertainment Software Association, all say it is utter nonsense to suggest that what is dumped into a kid's head hour after hour, day after day, year after year, could possibly have behavioral consequences. Cigarette ads can persuade kids to smoke, but interactive simulators in which these same kids punch, hack, bludgeon, and maim affect not a wit their attitudes and behaviors, notwithstanding the findings of the American Psychological Association, published in August 2005.

The video game industry says Sticks and stones can break my bones, but games can never hurt me. Fine. I have a modest proposal for the video game industry. I'll write a check for $10,000 to the favorite charity of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc's chairman, Paul Eibeler - a man Bernard Goldberg ranks as #43 in his book 100 People Who Are Screwing Up America - if any video game company will create, manufacture, distribute, and sell a video game in 2006 like the following:

Osaki Kim is the father of a high school boy beaten to death with a baseball bat by a 14-year-old gamer. The killer obsessively played a violent video game in which one of the favored ways of killing is with a bat. The opening scene, before the interactive game play begins, is the Los Angeles courtroom in which the killer is sentenced "only" to life in prison after the judge and the jury have heard experts explain the connection between the game and the murder.

Osaki Kim (O.K.) exits the courtroom swearing revenge upon the video game industry whom he is convinced contributed to his son's murder. "Vengeance is mine, I will repay" he says. And boy, is O.K. not kidding.

O.K. is provided in his virtual reality playpen a panoply of weapons: machetes, Uzis, revolvers, shotguns, sniper rifles, Molotov cocktails, you name it. Even baseball bats. Especially baseball bats.

O.K. first hops a plane from LAX to New York to reach the Long Island home of the CEO of the company (Take This) that made the murder simulator on which his son's killer trained. O.K. gets "justice" by taking out this female CEO, whose name is Paula Eibel, along with her husband and kids. "An eye for an eye," says O.K., as he urinates onto the severed brain stems of the Eibel family victims, just as you do on the decapitated cops in the real video game Postal2.

O.K. then works his way, methodically back to LA by car, but on his way makes a stop at the Philadelphia law firm of Blank, Stare and goes floor by floor to wipe out the lawyers who protect Take This in its wrongful death law suits. "So sue me" O.K. spits, with singer Jackson Brown's 1980's hit Lawyers in Love blaring.

With the FBI now after him, O.K. keeps moving westward, shooting up high-tech video arcades called GameWerks. "Game over," O.K. laughs.

Of course, O.K. makes the obligatory runs to virtual versions of brick and mortar retailers Best Buy, Circuit City, Target, and Wal-Mart to steal supplies and bludgeon store managers and cash register clerks. "You should have checked kids' IDs!"

O.K. pushes on to Los Angeles. He must get there by May 10, 2006. That is the beginning of "E3" -- the Electronic Entertainment Expo -- the Super Bowl of the video game industry. O.K. must get to E3 to massacre all the video game industry execs with one final, monstrously delicious rampage.

How about it, video game industry? I've got the check and you've got the tech. It's all a fantasy, right? No harm can come from such a game, right? Go ahead, video game moguls. Target yourselves as you target others. I dare you.

Jack Thompson is a Miami lawyer who has for 18 years been involved in efforts to stop the marketing of adult entertainment to minors.

It is unlikely that Thompson's proposal will actually be turned into a game, as most videogame companies do not simply accept proposals from individuals. We'll keep you updated, however, as it is very likely that there will be some sort of response to Thompson's proposal from members of the videogame industry.

You may have seen Jack’s proposal mentioned on various news sites. He’s offering 10 grand to charity if a game developer makes a game based on his insane proposal.

10 grand is pretty weak man. Through our charity www.childsplaycharity.org gamers have given over half a million dollars in toys and cash to children’s hospitals all over the country.

The fact is when we kick off Child’s Play 2005 on November 1st we’ll be going global. We’ll be delivering videogames and toys to children’s hospitals all over the world now. I don’t think there’s any better response to Jack’s insane ramblings than that. Maybe Jack would like to donate his 10 grand to Child’s Play, that could buy a lot of Game Boys.

My email sig had my phone number in it. Jack actually just called and screamed at me for a couple minutes. He said if I email him again I will “regret it”. What a violent man.

The Video Software Dealers Association (VSDA) has announced plans to collaborate with the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) to fight a recently passed California law that would fine retailers for selling violent video games to minors.

The VSDA is a trade association for the home entertainment industry. Its members include retailers, distributors and other related businesses. The ESA is the public policy group for the video and computer game industry.

The ESA has overturned other state laws that would have prohibited the sale of violent or sexually explicit video game material to minors, successfully arguing that such efforts have infringed Constitutionally protected rights. The ESA is currently pursuing a case against Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich, who signed a similar law earlier this year.

Sony Computer Entertainment America and Sony Computer Entertainment Japan have today announced that v2.50 of the firmware for PSP is now ready for downloading. As well as closing several security issues, the update also tweaks several features to the PSP browser as well giving users the choice to update their time/date settings over the internet.

Also included in this latest edition is the ability to connect to Sony’s LocationFree technology, enabling PSP owners who have a LocationFree Base Station that ability watch TV from their portable system.

Sony are advising gamers not to update their PSPs if they aren’t PSP models PSP-1000, PSP-1000 K, PSP-1000 KCW, PSP-1001 sold in North America and Japan as they cannot guarantee proper operations with other models.

An exact release date for European PSP owners to access the new firmware is yet to be announced by SCEE though a spokesperson for the subsidiary confirmed that it wouldn't be until 2006.

Just days after a similar virus hit the Sony PSP, Nintendo DS owners face a similar threat. A Trojan virus, malicious code that damages system firmware, is currently circulating on the Internet disguised as a hentai homebrew application.
Once installed, the Trojan (currently unnamed) embeds itself on the DS system software and damages the unit's firmware, rendering the DS useless.

Though the malicious code causes irreversible damage to the DS, the only way to get it is to use unofficial product applications.

Grand Opening this Saturday, check this place out!!! We'll be there reppin' that hatchet! Er, I mean VGN and Just Push Play.

posted by: Gary1059 at 07:01 | link | comments |

VGN for October 7th, 2005

Video Game News:

Xbox 360 launch list

By Lisa Baertlein
Thu Oct 6, 5:50 PM ET
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Video game publishers this week revealed their lineups for the launch of Microsoft's new Xbox -- closely watched information in an industry where the success of a game console is tied to the availability of cutting-edge titles.

Microsoft's investment in the Xbox 360, which ships to stores next month, is a key effort in the world's biggest software maker's plan to spur growth by grabbing a larger share of the $25 billion global video game market.

In an effort to narrow the lead of No. 1 game console maker Sony Corp (NYSE:SNE - news)., Microsoft is bringing its new console to market several months ahead of Sony's upcoming PlayStation 3.

Analysts, who expect Microsoft to ship about 2 million Xbox 360s this year, have been anxiously awaiting the list of games that will be available for the next-generation system's debut.

From Microsoft Game Studios:
Kameo: Elements of Power
Perfect Dark Zero
Project Gotham Racing 3
Crackdown
Gears of War
Too Human
Mass Effect
And X05 featured titles from other publishers:

FIFA 06: Road to FIFA World Cup (EA)
Superman Returns (EA)
Saint's Row (THQ)
MotoGP Ultimate Racing Technology (THQ)
Full Auto (SEGA)
Condemned: Criminal Origins (SEGA)
Call of Duty 2 (Activision)
QUAKE 4 (Activision)
Castle Wolfenstein (Activision)
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (Bethesda Softworks)
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell 4 (Ubisoft)

Master Chief in D.O.A.?
Posted: 13:06 on 04 Oct 2005
By: Jon Wilcox

An unnamed character from the Microsoft flagship franchise set to feature in DOA4...

As the first sliver of news is released at X05, it's been confirmed that an unnamed character from Halo will be making an appearance in the forthcoming Xbox 360 title, Dead or Alive 4.

We'll have confirmation as to which character will be fighting it out in the beat-em-up shortly, but we do know that it won't be the Chief; current favourite is holographic AI, Cortana.

PSP Virus?

Jane Pinckard - ExtremeTech
Thu Oct 6, 1:15 PM ET

Symantec Security Response experts identified Thursday the first Trojan that targets Sony Playstation Portable systems, Trojan.PSPBrick, as a Category 1 threat (Category 5 being the worst).

As of Thursday, there were no confirmed infections.

Halo the movie has a certain 'Ring' to it.

Posted: 18:45 on 04 Oct 2005
By: Jon Wilcox

The latest snippet of news surrounding the Halo movie is released in Amsterdam...

X05 has served as the place to announce that the Lord of the Rings & King Kong director, New Zealander Peter Jackson, will be the Executive Producer on the forthcoming Halo movie. Credits on the film will also be shared with his wife and production partner Fran Walsh, whilst Visual Effects studio WETA has also been brought on board.

With Jackson attached to the film, one of the questions on everybody's lips will surely be - who's directing it???

Mario Kart Wireless

Posted: 13:43 on 05 Oct 2005
By: Jon Wilcox

The classic karting franchise heads over to DS a little later than expected...
Nintendo has today confirmed that the highly anticipated title Mario Kart DS will be released on November 25th. The date is two weeks later than an earlier announcement, but comes as the company confirms the Wi-Fi multiplayer capabilities of the game, which will enable gamers to play with up to three other people through their own Wi-Fi connection, at Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection Hotspots or public Wi-Fi hotspots enabled for Nintendo Wi-Fi. Gamers can also connect with seven other players through the Wireless DS Single-Card Download Play feature.

Broadband enable players will be able to play via Wi-Fi with the soon-to-be-released Nintendo Wi-Fi USB Connector, which will be released around the same time as the Mario Kart DS launch.

Friends Rosters will be enabled so gamers can play against their friends by generating a friends code and swapping it with friends, adding them to the list. By using Nintendo's skill-mapping technology, gamers will also be given the ability race against similarly skilled players, which should at least make the experience highly competitive.

What I've been playing:

Burnout Revenge--I'm addicted.:)

Ninja Gaiden...again.

We Love Katamari!

Anime news:

Tasha is sick!

Convention Corner:

Screamfest!!

Necronomicon!!

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VGN for October 28th, 2005