New Wii Game in Pole Position Fri, 16 May 2008
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| source: News.com.au | thanks: Carmen Electra and pole
First they had us waving our arms in the air, and now this
 Peekaboo! Family game nights
are about to change...
Peekaboo, a pole dancing equipment company, is planning to develop a new Wii game aimed at making people more fit. The game will involve another peripheral for the Wii, the electronic pole controller.
"Peekaboo and its partners are focussed on using Wii-friendly hardware to make aerobic pole dancing instantly accessible just as Guitar Hero did for rock’n’roll."
- News.com.au
The game will be in a similar fashion to the recently released Wii Fit game, which had players standing on an electronic balance board, doing physical exercises.
With this new game, Peekaboo is following up on the success of Carmen Electra and her range of pole dancing videos. Ever since she launched her videos encouraging the ‘fun and fitness benefits’ of pole dancing, the demand for pole dancing programs and equipment has increased. Yet, despite links to Carmen Electra, she will not be featuring in the game.
Peekaboo intend to keep with the core values of the Wii, which involve fun, fitness and the creation of family-friendly products.
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Sega's Little Pony Condemned after Viral Campaign Thurs, 15 May 2008
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| source: SMH | thanks: Clowns, ponies, and gratuitous violence
No longer can ponies be used to advertise violent video games
 See, kiddies? Ponies really ARE evil.
A pony used in an online viral marketing campaign for Condemned 2: Bloodshot has been removed, as it too closely resembles children's toy, My Little Pony.
The pony was pulled after My Little Pony owners Hasbro complained to Sega, which has since led to the temporary closure of the site, offsettheevil.com.
"They made some complaints about [the] pony. So we thought it would be a good time to take it down and move the campaign onto the next stage," a spokeswoman for Clemenger BBDO, the agency behind the campaign, said.
...
The site has three videos, featuring a little pony, a clown and lollipop characters - each of which sings along to a tune detailing the violence that characterises the game.
...
Interspersed in the videos are split-second frames depicting brutal scenes from the game.
- Sydney Morning Herald
A cached version of the site can be accessed here.
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Disabilities No Barrier for CapAble Gamers Wed, 14 May 2008
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| source: ScienceDaily | thanks:Price Chopper
Who says video games can't be helpful?!
 Don't be fooled...this is a photo of a real store...
Three college graduates in the USA, together with a team of coders, game designers, and others, have created a game that simulates the experience of going shopping.
The CapAbility Games Research Project, operating out of the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, N.Y, developed the game 'Capable Shopper' to be a tool to help people with disabilities develop essential life skills and independence.
“By creating this simulated learning environment, our students have given individuals with disabilities an engaging way to learn skills directly related to independence in their daily lives. Beyond that, they’ve gotten them excited about engaging with the real world,” said Kathleen Ruiz, associate professor of electronic arts at Rensselaer, and faculty leader of the CapAbility Research Project.
“Games like ‘Capable Shopper’ illustrate the potential for new gaming genres such as serious games that combine the strengths of interactivity with multimedia to provide engaging simulations in communication, education, and artistic expression, among others.”
- ScienceDaily
The game is played by using either a specially designed joystick or head mouse. Players select a meal they would like to make, and move through the shopping centre in order to collect the requisite ingredients.
The game is now accesible round the clock at the Centre for Disability Services in Albany.
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Bioshock to Hit the Big Screen Wed, 14 May 2008
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| source: Reuters | thanks: Pirates and guys in diving suits
Another game-to-film adaptation...but this one's not by Uwe Boll!!
 Quick!! To the cinemas!!!
Take Two, owner of the 2K gaming label, have announced that PC and Xbox 360 title Bioshock will be given the film treatment, and is to be directed by Pirates of the Caribbean skipper Gore Verbinski.
The movie will be made by Universal Pictures, a unit of NBC Universal owned by General Electric Co, and John Logan, the screenwriter behind "Gladiator" and "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street," was in talks to pen the script, Take-Two said.
"Gore is an avid video gamer and true fan of 'BioShock'. That was extremely important to us in deciding to move forward with this project," Christoph Hartmann, president of Take-Two's 2K Games label, said in a statement.
- Reuters
However, nothing has yet been said about how much money will be behind this latest venture, or indeed when fans can expect the film to be released.
The Bioshock movie is the latest in a long line of films based on games, the most recent examples including Hitman and Resident Evil: Extinction.
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GTA 4 Smashes Records Wed, 14 May 2008
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| source: Games Industry Wire | thanks: US Lawyer Jack Thompson
$310 million in 24 hours
 He has fingers...he does what he wants
Making millions wasn’t enough for Rockstar Games, so now they have a Guinness World Record to add to their collection.
Guinness World Records has confirmed that GTA IV is officially the highest ever entertainment earner after the first 24 hours of its release. The game generated $310 million, topping Halo 3.
“These records establish GTA IV as the most profitable entertainment release of all-time, far surpassing other video game, film and book releases.”
- Games Industry Wire
It seems that the attempts to ban the game have actually increased its sales worldwide. Nice work, Jack.
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