Gary's Blog

Just a place to find out what's on my mind, or what's occupying my time whilst I avoid actual "work."

 

VGN for December 30th, 2005

Video Game News:

 

Graffiti Ad leaves blanks to fill in.

 

By MARYCLAIRE DALE, Associated Press Writer Thu Dec 29,10:38 AM ET

PHILADELPHIA - Sony Corp (NYSE:SNE - news). scouted out an unusual place to advertise its PlayStation Portable before the holidays: the side of an abandoned building in a gritty North Philadelphia neighborhood.

The black-on-white graffiti shows wide-eyed cartoon characters riding the PlayStation like a skateboard, licking it like a lollipop or cranking it like a Jack-in-the-Box.

But there's no mention of the Sony or PlayStation brands — nor any hint the wordless display is an ad.

The stealth marketing campaign has popped up in San Francisco, New York and other large U.S. cities.

"It's all about hip-hop, urban and all that. They're just trying to get into the teenagers' minds," said Eddie Torres, 29, who works at a nearby furniture shop. "I think it's sharp."

Anti-blight advocates think otherwise.

"They're breaking the law," said Mary Tracy, who runs the Society Created to Reduce Urban Blight, a watchdog group that fights illegal or ill-advised billboards in Philadelphia.

Tracy said Sony ignored the zoning process that regulates outdoor commercial advertising in the city.

360 Man needs a 360 Mobile...

This Nissan Concept Car Brakes for Video Games
# The Urge comes with an Xbox 360 and uses the steering wheel and pedals to control play.

By John O'Dell, Times Staff Writer

Gentleman, start your video games.

Nissan Motor Co. next month will unveil at Detroit's auto show a concept sports car, called the Urge, equipped with Microsoft Corp.'s Xbox 360 video game system.

When the car is parked, the steering wheel, gas and brake pedals and a 7-inch liquid crystal display screen that drops down from the rearview mirror turn it into a personal video arcade so the driver can play the "Project Gotham Racing 3" game.

The car-racing game, which works only when the Urge is stationary, allows players to virtually speed through the streets of London, Tokyo, Las Vegas and New York and to compete on a German test track.

Nissan designer Bruce Campbell said the car was developed after conducting an Internet survey asking young auto and gaming enthusiasts the kinds of features they would want in their ideal car.

Most of the nearly 2,000 respondents were young males who overwhelmingly wanted "a small, fun-to-drive sports car [with] the technology products they use on a daily basis," said Campbell, vice president of design at Nissan's advanced research and design center in La Jolla.

Installing the latest entertainment gadget on wheels is a staple in the auto business. Car radios date back to the 1920s and in the 1950s Chrysler offered a phonograph under the dashboard that played records. Today, DVD players and MP3 digital music player hookups are found in many vehicles.

In Nissan's latest concept car, the ignition won't work until the owner docks his or her cellphone in a cradle that transmits the phone's identification code to the engine control computer — so the phone becomes the key.

The lightweight aluminum and carbon-fiber Urge was designed in La Jolla and hand-built by Metal Crafters Inc. in Fountain Valley.

The sleek design was inspired by a racing motorcycle and features a see-through glass hood; narrow, oversize tires and wheels; and bulging, motorcycle-style fenders, Campbell said. The car has an open "T" roof reminiscent of the Pontiac Trans Ams and Chevrolet Camaros of the 1970s, plus a folding canvas cover for rainy days.

Nissan is one of several Japanese carmakers pursuing the youth market.

The company and rivals Toyota Motor Corp. and Honda Motor Co. will introduce competing small cars in the U.S. next year that are expected to start at less than $15,000.

Whoo-Hoo!
Jay Wrolstad, newsfactor.com Fri Dec 23, 5:11 PM ET

A federal judge in California on Wednesday blocked the implementation of a law designed to restrict retailers from selling or renting violent video games to minors. The law was slated to go into effect on January 1, 2006.

The decision by Judge Ronald Whyte, of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, drew upon the rulings in cases where similar legislation had been deemed unconstitutional. Whyte wrote that video games are protected by the First Amendment.

The ruling is a victory for the Video Software Dealers Association and the Entertainment Software Association (ESA), which initiated the lawsuit, and is a setback for those attempting to limit access to blood-and-guts video games.

Looking Past Legislation

"We deeply respect the concerns of the governor and the legislature that gave rise to the law," said Douglas Lowenstein, president of the ESA, in a statement.

For the sixth time in five years, he noted, federal courts have now blocked or struck down state and local laws seeking to regulate the sale of games to minors based on their content.

"It is time to look past legislation and litigation in favor of cooperative efforts to accomplish the common goal of ensuring that parents use the tools available to control the games their kids play," said Lowenstein.

The California law would have required game publishers to attach labels to especially violent games, identifying those that could not be sold or rented to younger children.

Gary's Take:

Here's my take...this "law" is obsolete.  With the advent of the XBOX 360 and the message it sent to others, the future of parental controls is now.  With all the next gen consoles, lazy parents can lock out ESRB rated games that they feel are innapropriate.  So, there's no need to over react, a few minutes and a fairly friendly learning curve and they control what their kids play, no matter who sells what to whom.

YEAR IN SHORT FORM REVIEW!!!

2005 Highlights

The Xbox 360 rush is on
Microsoft kicks off the Xbox 360 era at a special launch event in California's Mojave desert.
November 21, 2005

Reality check on Xbox 360
It didn't take long for some gamers to start griping about the new consoles. But just how widespread are the problems?
November 29, 2005

Will small publishers still have game?
With rising development costs, the little guys are facing tough choices when it comes to new consoles.
November 18, 2005

Senators target 'graphic' video games
Clinton and Lieberman call for a crackdown on sex and violence in video games, while another senator vows to target "indecency."
November 29, 2005

Sex content leads to adult rating for 'Theft'
Following heated controversy over racy hidden images, "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas" will now bear an adults-only rating.
July 20, 2005

ESRB to investigate 'San Andreas' sex content
Ratings board will look into claims that explicit minigames are hidden in "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas" code.
July 8, 2005

Sony spills PlayStation 3's guts
On a cloudy Los Angeles film studio lot, long-awaited details of new gaming console follow news of Microsoft's rival Xbox 360.
May 16, 2005

Game fans clamor for PSP
Hundreds wait in line for hours to snag one of Sony's new portable game players.
March 24, 2005

Trojan sucks life from PSPs
Malicious software claims to undo Sony's patch attempt to deter customizers, but turns game player into a useless "brick" instead.
October 6, 2005

ESA will sue to block Michigan game law
Video game industry's lobbying arm plans to file suit against the governor over legislation banning the sale of violent games.
September 14, 2005

Illinois seeks to restrict violent video games
Proposed bill makes Illinois latest state to tackle growing concern over increasingly graphic games.
February 28, 2005

Nintendo's NES game console turns 20
It's been 20 years since the NES first hit American shelves. And today, Mario's still going strong.
October 18, 2005

'Dungeons & Dragons' goes virtual
Call it one for the old-timers. A virtual version of D&D hopes to stoke the nostalgia and creativity of the original role-playing game.
November 14, 2005

EA invests big in the future
The game giant's recent licensing deals may be paying off, even as it fights off tough competition.
August 24, 2005

What I've been playing:

Indigo Prophecy.

Beyond Good and Evil.

Tony Hawk on NDS here at work.

Happy New Year!!!!

posted by: Gary1059 at 05:00 | link | comments |