Set Life-Force Buttons to Level 20
GenCon uses the force to unite gamers, elves, Vin Diesel

After finding an empty seat inside the war zone otherwise known as the Anaheim Convention Center, the two wizards prepared for battle. Each drew seven playing cards representing oceans, plains and various monsters under their dominion, and then set their life-force buttons to Level 20. Their goal: drop the other wizard’s life force down to zero by hurling monsters and arrows of fire at one another.

The younger of the two wizards had a special advantage: first-hand knowledge of the Japanese trading card game Yu-Gi-Oh. FullStory

The Hidden Risks of Demo Discs

In mid-November, members of Sony's PlayStation Underground received the Holiday Demo Disc and discovered that after executing one of the game demos on the disc, their PS2 memory cards were completely erased. While that doesn't mean much to nongamers, for anyone who has spent 40-plus hours building a character in a role-playing game or playing through a season of football—well, it's a huge boot in the trousers.

The sampler disc was sent via mail to members of the PlayStation Underground, an opt-in promotional group that Sony calls a "personal link to all the insider info from the PlayStation world."  FullStory

MotoGP 4 out soon on PS2

With the countdown for the 2005 MotoGP World Championship already underway, fans will soon be able to quench their thirst for Grand Prix action thanks to Sony Computer Entertainment Europe, who have announced the release of MotoGP4, developed exclusively for the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system by Namco, for spring 2005.

With updated teams and riders, new circuits and a range of new modes, advances have been made across every area of the game. MotoGP4 will include online play for the first time to add to the series’ established single player and head-to-head racing modes. The highly popular 125cc and 250cc classes have also been added, enabling players to test themselves at all levels of the sport. FullStory

Explicit games gain ground, risk putting off customers

PARENTS CONCERNED about video games with blood-bath brawls, drive-by shootings, and sword-severed headsare about to face a new source of anxiety -- the influx of games that revolve around sex and nudity.

The latest video games to enter the $7 billion-a-year market don't have a whiff of violence in them. Instead, they are pushing a different envelope.  FullStory

Sony's PS2 Suez crisis

A CHRISTMAS shortage of PlayStation 2 consoles is now worse — because a ship carrying them is stuck in the Suez Canal.

Makers Sony already faced a crisis due to production problems and high demand.

Now the cargo ship carrying supplies from China for the whole of Europe is delayed in a queue of vessels at the Suez Canal, which links the Red Sea to the Mediterranean.  FullStory

Mega Man Kicks Retail Butt
Capcom's Anniversary Collection does good things.

December 6, 2004—The team at Capcom seems to be in good spirits today as the company revealed that Mega Man Anniversary Collection has done extremely well in the retail marketplace. Officially released on June 22, Mega Man AC has sold more than 500,000 copies in less than six months and has done extremely well on both the PlayStation 2 and GameCube platforms. FullStory

Want a PS2 this Christmas? You'll be lucky!

Beleaguered parents hunting down a must-have games console for this Christmas are being told to keep on hassling their local games retailer - and keep their fingers crossed.

A worldwide shortage of the slimline Sony PlayStation 2 has been aggravated by company's own 'Suez crisis' - caused when a Russian oil tanker ran aground and blocked the Suez Canal last month.  FullStory

Oxygen to publish Kuju's Conspiracy

Publisher Oxygen Interactive has announced the latest addition to its release portfolio, with first person shooter Conspiracy: Weapons of Mass Destruction due to launch on PS2, Xbox and PC next March.

The game, which has been developed by British development studio Kuju, casts the player as the improbably named Cole Justice and sets him on the trail of a rogue government agency hell-bent on selling the titular weapons of mass destruction to terrorist organisations. FullStory

NBA Street V3: Take it to the Court
All twelve courts revealed. New pics and two new movies of the hottest sports game of 2005.

NBA Street V3 is the third installment of the sweetest arcade basketball series of all time (sorry NBA Jam). Coming this February to Xbox, PS2, and GameCube, NBA Street V3 is looking even better than Vol. 2, which was one of the great sports games of 2003. Once again NBA Street offers 3-on-3 hoop action with over-the-top jukes, gravity-defying dunks, and NBA's best and brightest -- oh and Ron Artest might still be in the game too.  FullStory

All in the family, all in the cards: Pokemon players meet to compete
Area tourney deals up challenge, camaraderie

Pokemon is more than cute characters with funny names. The trading card game helps players strengthen reading, math, strategy and social skills, parents say.

“My son learned how to read playing these card games,” said Scott Faust of Howe.

Faust and his son were two of 25 players who participated in the Pokemon Trading Card Game City Championship at the Cromwell Community Center on Sunday. FullStory

High tech gifts for low prices
Avoid sticker shock with these gift ideas for less than $100

SAN FRANCISCO - So you want to give the gift of technology. But when you look at shop windows festooned with iPods, digital video cameras and other items costing hundreds of dollars, you get sticker shock.

Don't despair. You can't afford to. You've got children or a spouse or even grandparents with visions of microchip-driven gadgets dancing in their heads. FullStory

Ping Pals(TM) Gets Gamers Playing Games, Creating Custom Avatar On-Screen

Ping Pals allows gamers to create and customize their very own avatar on-screen persona, known as a Ping Pal, by choosing from thousands of different options. Players will then be able to play single and multiplayer games in order to win coins. They can then use their coins to purchase additional items at the Ping Pals virtual mall, allowing them to customize their Ping Pal. Special sales will occur at the virtual mall where players must log in at a specific time in order to purchase rare items. In addition, players will be able to trade items with their friends, offering further customization of their Ping Pal. FullStory

Dragon Ball Z Budokai 3 Review

Dragon Ball Z has had a long and substandard history of games come and go. But a couple of years ago Dragon Ball Z Budokai appeared on the scene, it came in the form of a really decent beat ’em up featuring some nice cell shaded graphics and a very good story mode. Then came Dragon Ball Z Budokai 2 which improved upon the graphics of its predecessor but the story mode was replaced with a crappy Japanese style board game. Now Dragon Ball Z Budokai has returned with the third instalment which aims to bring together the cast of warriors from Dragon Ball Z, Dragon Ball GT and the Dragon Ball movies to become the definitive Dragon Ball Z game. FullStory

Anime magnetism draws fans to South Florida

OtakuCon (otaku means ''extreme fan'' in Japanese), which will be Dec. 17-19 at the Fontainebleau Hilton Resort in Miami Beach, is expected to draw about 4,000 enthusiasts of all ages, said Camacho, director of operations for D20, an anime convention company he formed with other fans. D20, which launched a year ago in South Miami, is planning similar anime fests in 2005 in Atlanta, San Diego, St. Louis and Denver. FullStory