General Gaming News

Looks like the furore surrounding Rockstar Games’ Manhunt 2 has not died down just yet, instead it seems to be building up. This title was rated Mature (M) and can be purchased by minors, but it contains accessible content that is meant for an Adults Only (AO) rating, making it the center of an upcoming storm. Guess the English have more sense as they have outright banned the title, while us Yanks continue to argue and bicker over semantics as well as clear cut cases. Guess parents and kids will be the loser here as Rockstar Games continue their quest in search of the almighty (but fast depreciating) dollar.

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The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) has just condemned the highly controversial video game, ManHunt 2, for its content. According to NAMI, this title is based on its irresponsible, stereotyped portrayal of people with mental illnesses, asking that it be recalled or modified, or that retailers decline to sell the game. NAMI executive director Mike Fitzpatrick has even gone further by issuing the following statement, “NAMI asks Rockstar Games to recall or further modify the videogame Manhunt2 due to its irresponsible, stereotyped portrayal of mental illness. We also ask retailers to be responsible in responding to public health concerns.”

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When the idea of a card-based console game was first mooted, many people were left wondering how exactly will Eye of Judgement play when it is finally released. Will it require an extremely steep learning curve? What about the cards involved - will it end up like yet another Magic: The Gathering, where those with the most money will logically be able to build the best decks in town due to accumulation of rare cards? One thing’s for sure though - Eye of Judgement has some pretty sweet graphics, but the fact that trading cards used in the game need not be original as the PlayStation Eye cannot make out the difference between an original and a proxy.

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Piracy is still a very big issue for game developers, especially in Third World countries where the purchasing power is extremely low compared to developed nations, hence the need for everything pirated. Word on the street has it that Nintendo and Hong Kong authorities managed to break up a major piracy operation for both Wii and Nintendo DS platforms earlier this week, but I find this move pretty pointless especially when it is so easy to download ROMs from the Internet and copying them over to other third party solutions like the R3 or M3 card on the DS. Take note – Game Addicts in no way condones piracy and pleads you to work for the games you love – that way, developers will see their efforts being rewarded and they will then work harder on future titles for your enjoyment.

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The PlayStation 3 has already bolted out of the stable door (with a sputtering start, I might add), but it is its predecessor, the PlayStation 2 that still keeps on going strong after a seven year run. Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA) celebrates the console’s seventh birthday since its release in the US on October 26, 2000. Since then, more than 120 million of these consoles were sold, garnering more than a billion units of PS2 software sold worldwide, leaving us with an extremely healthy attach rate of approximately 10 games per console. Granted, the attach rate figure is probably much higher than that since many Third World countries that suffer from piracy sell pirated PS2 games for as little as $2 each.

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…Or so it seems, according to some rumors that are fast making their way around the Internet. This is highly uncharacteristic of Nintendo should the rumor prove to be true, since the Japanese gaming giant is notorious for quality control and always keep their secrets guarded closely to their chests, pretty much the same way Apple does with their line of iPods. This rumor claims that an EB Games employee (disgruntled, obviously) decided to take things into his/her own hands by taking content from an in-store Super Mario Galaxy demo disc to share it with everyone else on the Internet.

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Nearly everyone and their dog already has experienced World of Warcraft, but how many of you use peripherals other than the keyboard and mouse to play? Well this effort features an Xbox 360 controller that works with your computer while you roam the worlds of Azeroth. This effort was made possible thanks to a software called Switchblade that was developed by a company known as Blue Orb Software. Best of all is, there is no price to pay for this piece of software since it has been made available for free.

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Monster Hunter is a highly successful franchise from Capcom that will soon see an exclusive title being released for the Nintendo Wii. Previously, Capcom mentioned that Monster Hunter 3 was undergoing the development process for Sony’s PlayStation 3, and it is interesting to see the franchise head on over to Nintendo’s platform instead. I suppose this has something to do with the phenomenal user base that the Nintendo Wii has at this point in time, which consistently outsells both the PS3 and Xbox 360 across all continents. I do remember that Monster Hunter Freedom 2 on the PSP was a phenomenal seller, but logic dictates that sales on the Wii (or even DS) platform would do much better.

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The Nintendo Wii is one cute console that flashes blue whenever it wants your attention, which is kinda the opposite of females who seem to blush red when they’re shy because a hottie such as you is approaching them - either that or they’re just plain mad at you for being such a cheapskate during a night out, but both situations still warrant garnering your attention. As for the Wii, at least it doesn’t scream, get involved in catfights, or even throw expensive china your way during an argument. No sir, it will continue flashing in blue to notify you that there is a new system update available for download, with the version number stopping at 3.1 already.

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Microsoft has just announced that it will be giving up its controlling ownership of Bungie Software - the very same company that developed the Halo franchise which actually gave Microsoft a foothold in the console market when it released the Xbox more than half a decade ago. Their latest collaboration, Halo 3, raked in the dough - making a whopping $300 million in sales in just one week! It is sad to see both companies part ways, as Bungie aims to return to its roots as an independent game studio that would possibly see the next iteration of Halo be available across all platforms. Does this mean the rumored DS Lite version of Halo that has been buried will finally be a reality? One can only hold their breath in wait.

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