Video Game Buttons Blog

September 19, 2006

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Nike wants us to sweat it out for our in-game rewards – literally. The Oregon-based sportswear stud has filed a patent for a “game-pod” that would sit in the shoes of gamers and measure the amount of exercise they undergo with a pedometer, pressure sensors and/or GPS technology. The amount of physical activity is then recorded in a memory. Next, as the patent reads, “the player disengages at least the memory from the article of footwear, and then engages the memory with the computer hosting the video game through a computer interface. The computer then obtains the recorded amount of physical activity,” bumping up character attributes or abilities or unlocking bonus items - as long as you haven’t been wasting away on the couch. According to the patent, the game-pod could be configured to measure heart rate or even blood oxygen content, foiling potential dodges like taking your sneakers for a nice long drive. At present, the system exists only as a patent, and Nike is not yet commenting on any tie-ups with game companies. Recently, self-appointed video game analysts/experts/insiders have proclaimed that video game playing has served as catalyst in the obesity epidemic. With today’s video gaming, however, playing games like “Tennis” on the Nintendo Wii involves much more physical activity than anything you can play using a conventional controller.

September 18, 2006

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Last week, the U.S. Senate passed the the Children and Media Research Advancement (CAMRA) Act, which would direct the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to contract with the National Academy of Science to review and report on research regarding the role and positive and negative effects that the electronic media - TV, DVD’s, the internet, movies and video games - have on the lives of children, even toddlers and infants. The CDC would then provide grants for research focusing on the impact of factors like the format, length of exposure, age of viewers, nature of parental involvement and venue in which media is viewed. The CAMRA Act, which was first introduced by Connecticut senator Joseph Lieberman in 2003, is backed by known video game critics Hillary Clinton (D-NY), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Rick Santorum (R-PA) and Sam Brownback (R-KS), and it has won support from the National Institute on Media and the Family, the Center for Media and Child Health and the American Psychological Association. The CAMRA Act will also issue grants over six years to researchers to examine the impact of media on a child’s social, cognitive and physical development.

“We do not know enough about the effects of electronic media on the development of children,” commented Brownback. “Children today are exposed to more media than ever before. Given the saturation of television, video games, and the Internet in the lives of young children, we ought to have a better sense of how electronic media affects children as they grow and mature.”

Advocacy group Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW), however, has claimed that the study is redundant and that similar research is already being conducted by non-governmental groups. CAGW quotes Lara Mahaney of the Parents Television Council as saying, “To spend $90 million on something we already know, is just a waste of money.” CAGW maintains that Sen. Lieberman’s $90 million program will contribute nothing new, will not solve any perceived problems and is a prime example of government waste.

September 15, 2006

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- 1.2GHz Single Core IBM PowerPC processor “Broadway”

- ATI “Hollywood”

- 256MB of 400MHz GDDR2 RAM on a 128-bit bus. Memory is shared by the CPU and the GPU via the unified memory architecture.  

Ports and peripheral capabilities:- Up to four Wii Remote controllers (connected wirelessly via Bluetooth)- 1 SD memory card slot- 2 USB 2.0 ports

- 1 Sensor Bar port

- 4 Nintendo GameCube controller ports

- 2 Nintendo GameCube memory card ports

- Compatible with optional USB 2.0 to Ethernet LAN adaptor

Storage:

- 512 MB built-in flash memory

- Expansion available via SD card memory and USB mass storage - Slot-loading disc drive compatible with:

   - DVD (4.7 GB Single layer or 8.5 GB Dual Layer)

   - 8 cm GameCube optical disc

   - Mask ROM by Macronix
 

Video:

Video:- Up to 480p and will work with a computer monitor as well as any TV or projector

Video:- Up to 480p and will work with a computer monitor as well as any TV or projector- Component (including Progressive scan), S-Video, or composite output

Video:- Up to 480p and will work with a computer monitor as well as any TV or projector- Component (including Progressive scan), S-Video, or composite output- 16:9 widescreen support

Audio:

- Main: Stereo - Dolby Pro Logic II-capable

- Built-in speaker in controller. That’s right…

America’s Army: Special Forces Overmatch is the official United States Army game and the new version of the hit PC game America’s Army: Operations (launched in 2002 on July 4, naturally), which garnered approximately 7.5 million online registrations. America’s Army: Special Forces Overmatch was released officially yesterday at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, the finest, most demanding military institution in the country.

Special Forces Overmatch not only allows players to use new weapons and vehicles during simulated counterterrorism missions, but players also have the opportunity to meet several “Real Heroes” who have fought in Afghanistan and Iraq. The “Real Heroes” appear as part of the game’s virtual recruiting station and training sessions designed to prepare players for the missions. “Our part is to get the story out of our soldiers and the people we served with, to push the message that we are normal people,” says Jerry Wolford, a 39-year-old sergeant in the U.S. Army, who was wounded in 2003 and earned a Silver Star for protecting other troops while helping secure bridges over the Euphrates River in As Samawah, Iraq. “Because of our training, we reacted the way we hope everybody would.” Action figures of Wolford and seven other soldiers will be sold online and in stores soon. Players can see video of the soldiers and learn about their citations on the America’s Armysite. “The Real Heroes young adults can learn about the accomplishments of some of the heroic men and women that make the Army the world’s premier land force,” said Colonel Casey Wardynski, Project Director for America’s Army. Col. Wardynski says the eight featured soldiers will also visit schools and America’s Army public gaming competitions.

Some new features of Special Forces Overmatch include the following:

Virtual Recruiting Station – Meet SFC Gerald Wolford of the 82nd Airborne, SGT Tommy Rieman of the 51st LRRPS, SSG Matthew Zedwick of the 7th Cavalry Regiment and MAJ Jason Amerine of the Special Forces and read their bios, review their military medals and decorations, watch videos describing their Military Occupational Specialties: Infantry, Special Forces and Airborne and Ranger School training. Players logged in with an active player account are granted a one-time Experience Point bonus for each Real Hero they meet; a 3% XP bonus is applied after visiting each in VRS.

Dynamic Content Delivery System - DCDS adds new content and updates existing content at any time. Maps and gameplay changes can be provided with greater frequency than ever before.

New Artificial Intelligence - Special Forces Overmatch debuts two new missions that will pit Rangers and Special Forces against an overwhelming force of enemy AI soldiers and vehicles. U.S. forces will be outnumbered by as much as 5:1.

Enhanced Training – Gain valuable experience in Javeline (an anti-armor weapon) missile system, M1114 Up-Armored HMMWV w/ CROWS (the vehicle pictured), rifle marksmanship, Eagle Tower Confidence Course Challenge (which accurately depicts the course found at Fort Benning, GA), weapons familiarization (instruction in M9 Pistol, AT4 Anti-Armor Rocket, and Bunker Defeating Munition (BDM)) and built-in full motion video support.

Explore the Army – ETA provides free play on selected missions to players who do not have an active player account.

Improved Player Stats - Player stats are now kept and viewable in the player’s “Record Brief” section of the user interface. These stats are focused on teamwork, completion of the mission, and the welfare of your troops.

Finally, players can go through a simulated boot camp or team up with other real players to engage in online 3D multiplayer battles. America’s Army: Special Forces Overmatch is rated T for Teen.

September 14, 2006

Nintendo announced that its new Wii home system will sell for $250 and will launch on November 19; Sony’s PS3 will launch on November 17 and is priced between $500-$600.

Unlike the PS3 and the already popular Xbox 360 that incorporate next-generation DVD technology, Wii depends on more conventional technology.  Its unique wireless motion-sensitive controller has captured the attention of game designers and players. Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime commented, “We think all the other initiatives in the home console space have been much too hardcore-gamer-focused.  We want consumers to be able to pick up (the Wii controller) and play.”

The Wii Sports (featuring tennis, golf, basketball and bowling) game will be included with the console, as will the controller and a “nunchuck” attachment. Wii owners can download and play games from Nintendo NES, Super NES and Nintendo 64 systems, as well as NEC’s TurboGrafx can be downloaded and played on Wii.  Some 30 games will be available at launch, including The Legend of Zelda and Super Mario 64. Games are saved on SD memory cards, which can also be used to import digital pictures. With built-in high-speed Net connectivity (including WiFi), Wii owners will be able to receive news, weather updates and messages from other Wii players.

DFC Intelligence analyst David Cole believes Wii to be a “wild card” of sorts.  “Is it going to be so unique that people are going to really rush and buy it — or be leery?”  Good question, David.

Fils-Aime revealed that Nintendo plans to have 4 million systems shipped worldwide by the end of 2006.  Sony recently reduced from 4 million to 2 million the number of PS3’s likely to reach the USA and Japan this year.  Analysts expect U.S. retailers to have about 400,000 PS3’s and about 1 million Wii systems at launch.

September 13, 2006

LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy, the sequel to last year’s three-million-plus selling LEGO Star Wars, is a tongue-in-cheek journey through a galaxy far, far away and can be enjoyed by players of any age or gaming proficiency. The characters’ facial expressions, body language and special moves (Leia employs a slap-attack; Chewie rips enemies’ arms off.) all make for a refreshingly fun parody of the drama from the original Star Wars films. The game itself is easy enough for children to pick up quickly while still offering a fun challenge for older gamers. Game developer Traveller’s Tales, which consists of workers formerly with LEGO’s interactive division, have amalgamated LEGO’s humor and retro appeal to support the Star Wars franchise in an often slapstick-laden space adventure. After conquering a few Episode IV levels, players choose which storyline they will complete. As you progress, you’ll collect LEGO bits to use toward upgrading weapons, unlocking characters and gathering other secret items. New to LEGO Star Wars II is the build-and-ride vehicle feature. Though fun to use, these vehicles often serve no significant purpose; this addition shines in vehicle-based levels. As part of another cool new feature, characters’ body parts can be rearranged for the creation of new, hybrid characters, such as Chewie Skywalker or Hans Vader. LEGO Star Wars II also includes a two-player option, and an online mode has not yet been added.  Jim Ward of LucasArts says that George Lucas enjoys the game: “It’s really a great way of having fun with these classic moments, and he’s really behind that.” LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy ($30-$50) is available for Microsoft Xbox 360 and Xbox, Sony PlayStation 2 and PlayStation Portable, Nintendo GameCube, DS and Game Boy Advance, and Windows PCs.

September 12, 2006

The big selling point for the upcoming Nintendo Wii console is its accessible, interactive controller, and Nintendo president Satoru Iwata understands this. Recently, Iwata picked the brains of several Wii designers and big-wigs in an effort to explain the genesis of and inspiration for the Wii controller.

Chief software producer/gaming guru Shigeru Miyamoto looked at it with a developer’s eyes, saying the biggest problems facing the Wii controller design was persuading gamers and designers who have become accustomed to the current interfaces. Miyamoto said, “This was an extremely high hurdle,” one that the folks at Nintendo have since seemed to clear.

Nintendo clearly recognized the success of the DS and looked to capitalize. Genyo Takeda, head of Wii development clarified, “We kept in mind how we could follow the DS’s path. As many people had been predicting, we even considered including a touch panel on the controller and even considered something that’s like a PC mouse or track pad in that can be used as a pointing device.” This, however, proved easier said than done.

“I’ve been specializing in industrial design since my college years, but prior to entering Nintendo, I hadn’t experienced industrial design so closely tied up with software. In particular, with controller design, we have to keep in mind that this is something that’s used when playing software. With the Wii, we were unable to clearly see the shape of software, so this was an extremely difficult area,” explained Kenichiro Ashida, controller and system designer. “I had the strong feeling that this is a game machine that my family and I can use,” said Ashida, who looked to revise the current gaming style of having to hold the controller in both hands.

September 11, 2006

Inspired by the widely popular Left Behind novel series, Left Behind: Eternal Forces - after spending more than four years in development stages - will be available for PC in October. It is reported that more than 10,000 retailers will carry the game, which looks to be a hot shopping item for the Christmas season.

The faith-based, sci-fi Left Behind series of novels starts with the sudden disappearance of billions of people in one cataclysmic moment.  Those “left behind” remain so in utter confusion and bedlam, victims of devastating earthquakes and other unimaginable disasters. Rayford Steele, a hero of the series, believes that Christ has raptured his true believers and left all others behind for the dawn of a seven-year catastrophic period known as the Tribulation.  Steele sets out to search for answers, encountering God’s enemies and what seesm to be the end of the world as we know it.  Available in 30 different languages, the Left Behind thrillers have captured the imagination of millions and have become a worldwide phenomenon.  Authors Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins have released 12 volumes of the series and plan to release another two. 

In a formal statement, Troy A. Lyndon, CEO of Left Behind Games, dismissed the “misinformation” that has been spread recently about the game’s violence. Lyndon notes that the game features a battle between good and evil and does not include any gratuitous death, blood or gore.  Allegations that the game promotes killing or violence in the name of God have been vehemently denied by Lyndon and Left Behind Games.  For the initial missions, there is little emphasis on inciting physical warfare; even as the missions progress, neither war nor violence are “objectives” for gameplay. Physical conflict does, however, result when the gamer must defend against the forces of evil, led by Global Community Peacekeepers. The true objective, Lyndon claims, is for the gamer to convert non-believers and prevent evil from ruling the world.  In this connection, players must find “tribulation clues,” which include Biblical clues, codes and information. 

In single player mode, players must fight evil, but players choose to defend good or evil in multi-player mode.  Working for the forces of good, players must keep their people housed, fed, armed and nurtured with prayer.  Players also recruit others to battle evil forces. They can send people into battle but lose points by killing evil soldiers or by failing to meet the spiritual needs of the troops.  Evil can be thwarted with a hit of the prayer button.

Eternal Forces, Lyndon claims, introduces gamers to “powers of influence which result in a battle for the hearts and minds of people.” He promises that unlike most modern video games, Eternal Forces will “encourage gamers to think about matters of eternal significance.” In closing, Lyndon maintains, “At Left Behind Games, we are dedicated to making great games,” and he encourages Left Behind gamers and supporters to challenge those “making negative statements about this game.”

Analyst Michael Pachter has played Eternal Forces and says that the game was well made.  He predicts sales of between 250,000 and 1 million units but is uncertain whether the mainstream video gaming audience will find the game too “preachy.”

September 8, 2006

Scheduled for release on September 25 under the EA Sports brand, NBA Live 07 will play as good as it looks by introducing the next generation of b-ball gameplay with EA Sports Total Freestyle Control, a new feature that delivers never-before-seen realism and authenticity. With its improved AI system, All-Star Weekend and Dynasty Mode upgrades and the inception of ESPN Motion and streaming ESPN radio podcasts all help NBA Live 07 is sure to once again please fans around the world.

The NBA Live 07 “starting five” will feature the Dallas Mavericks’ Dirk Nowitzki on packaging in his native Germany, the Memphis Grizziles’ Pao Gasol (pictured at left) in Spain and the San Antonio Spurs’ Tony Parker and Phoenix Suns’ Boris Diaw sharing French covers. The very overrated Tracy McGrady (pictured below) of the Houston Rockets will grace the cover of NBA Live 07 in North America and all other countries.

EA Sports will celebrate other international NBA superstars by providing players the opportunity to play as the European All-Stars in NBA Live 07. The team will wear special jerseys and be comprised of Nowitzki, Parker, Gasol, Diaw, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Peja Stojakovic, Andrei Kirilenko, Mehmet Okur, Hedo Turkoglu, Vladimir Radmanovic, Andrea Bargnani, Mickael Pietrus, Sasha Vujacic, Beno Udrih and Nenad Krstic.

“With the global appeal of NBA Live it is important to us to assemble an All-Star team of international players who reflect our worldwide basketball franchise leadership. These players are superstars on their NBA teams and some of the best players in the world. We believe they truly represent the authenticity and entertainment that NBA Live 07 delivers,” said Keith Munro, EA’s marketing vice president.

Next month, EA Sports will also be a part of “NBA Europe Live presented by EA Sports” that will feature the Spurs, Suns, Los Angeles Clippers and Philadelphia 76ers conducting training camps and competing against top European basketball clubs in seven European cities in five countries. EA Sports will partner with the NBA and Euroleague Basketball to conduct a series of promotional activities leading up to the start of the event, including crowning one fan champion in the EA Sports NBA Live Challenge, an interactive gaming tournament.

Here’s a look at some of the upcoming highlights of NBA Live 07: 

EA Sports Total Freestyle Control: Take cototal control of EA Sports Freestyle Superstars to perform their real-life moves.  You can also elevate your game to the next level by changing skill attributes as you go.

Hundreds of Moves: Freestyle Superstars now feature different levels of ability to replicate NBA players, but you’ll need to get the ball in the hands of the greates NBA players when the game is on the line.

Dynasty Mode: You’re the GM. Scouting players, proposing trades and investigating rumors to keep your team on track (from the NBA Draft to the NBA Finals) is your responsibility.  With a PlayStation 2 link you manage your team on the go, anytime.

Superstar Challenge: Elevate your game to superstar status by replicating one of 24 great performances by the game’s biggest stars. 

Exclusive Mini-games: Perfect your ball-handling by mastering the right combination of buttons or challenge an opponent in a shooting contest.

Media Center: ESPN integration package delivers updates, scores, breaking news, and video. Insert a Memory Stick to play your own music and customize your own soundtrack.

All-Star Weekend Festivities: NBA broadcasters Greg Anthony and  Ernie Johnson call the action as you showcase your skills in the Slam Dunk Contest and 3-Point Shootout. The weekend also features the Rookie Challenge and All-Star Game itself.

Marv!: Former Bull/Spur Steve Kerr joins Marvelous Marv Albert courtside in calling all the action and giving you expert insight on all the superstars.

September 7, 2006

Nintendo of America plans to ship six million Wii consoles worldwide before March 31, 2007.  The announcement comes just after Sony revealed worldwide launch delays for its upcoming PS3.  Wii prices and specific launch dates, however, have not yet been specified, but several Wii accessories are reportedly scheduled for a November 1 release: Controller Glove ($9.99), 512MB memory stick ($39.99), 1GB memory stick ($59.99), G-Pak Travel Case ($29.99), Game Wallet ($9.99), Sling Bag ($29.99) and Storage and Protection Kit ($69.99).  An S-Video Premuim AV Cable ($39.99) and HD Premuim Component Cable ($59.99) will be released on December 1.

Merrill Lynch analysts recently pushed Nintendo’s share price higher in anticipation of the Wiilease (I know, I couldn’t help myself).  Nintendo was trading at $212.37 a share last Friday, up 72% from where it was a year ago at this time.  It is believed that the Wii release, along with increasing DS software and hardware sales, should further strengthen Nintendo’s outlook; its stock price is nearing the record highs that it enjoyed in the early 1990’s.  Nintendo’s current market value is approximately $30 billion.