Busy Gamer Newstag:www.busygamernews.com,2012://12007-07-17T22:32:21ZNews, reviews and advocacy for gamers who have a life.Movable Type Pro 5.12PAX Round-uptag:www.busygamernews.com,2006://1.9772006-08-28T07:35:26Z2007-07-17T22:32:21ZPenny Arcade Expo has been billed by some as a replacement for the fan service side of E3, and the fan service was there in full glory this weekend - though announcements and previews of upcoming games were scarce and...Gamewatcher
Penny Arcade Expo has been billed by some as a replacement for the fan service side of E3, and the fan service was there in full glory this weekend - though announcements and previews of upcoming games were scarce and Sony was nowhere to be found. In fact, the biggest news was that the Penny Arcade crew will be working with Hothead Games on an episodic adventure called Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness (methinks Jerry Holkins had something to do with the title!). No release date, but it will be offered for Windows, Mac OS X, Linux and even next-gen consoles. Mike Krahulik wowed the crowds by drawing and inking next Wednesday's strip on how IGN might receive the news of the duo entering the game development arena. Casual games had several mentions in panel discussions, but only Klei Entertainment's Eets made an official appearance in the exhibition hall with a show special price of $10 (and half of that going to the Child's Play charity). Next year's show will be at a much larger venue: the Washington State Convention Center in Seattle. So the E3 comparison may be even stronger then...
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Rumor Patrol - End of E3, Sony Entitlements and Zunetag:www.busygamernews.com,2006://1.9562006-07-31T07:06:58Z2007-07-17T22:32:20ZThis past weekend was a busy one for the rumor-mongers: Has E3 imploded? Reports suggest that the Entertainment Software Association will change venues (again? remember that ill-fated year in Atlanta...) and crack down on admission to reduce the overwhelming size....Gamewatcher
This past weekend was a busy one for the rumor-mongers:
Has E3 imploded? Reports suggest that the Entertainment Software Association will change venues (again? remember that ill-fated year in Atlanta...) and crack down on admission to reduce the overwhelming size. Couldn't they, like, just charge exhibitors and attendees more? UPDATE: The issue is that the big companies don't see much return from E3, so they're no longer willing to foot the bill. A much smaller (and cheaper) show will serve the same purpose.
Sony's PS3 will apparently have an achievement system similar to the Xbox 360. They're calling them "entitlements." Guess Sony didn't get where it is today by being original.
Microsoft isn't afraid of the "me too" game either. (But then we knew that.) Their long-overdue iPod-killing device, dubbed Zune, is expected to play movies, music and most likely some nature of Live Anywhere games - at least on some models. And yes, that really is the name. Sounds like they used the same marketing firm that named the Wii.
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Slow News Day - Gamers Pair of Dicetag:www.busygamernews.com,2006://1.9472006-07-19T07:03:11Z2007-07-17T22:32:20ZIn an attempt to pool their traffic to build a bigger audience, five gaming-themed webcomics have launched Gamers Pair of Dice. Even combined, the strips Commissioned, Digital Unrest, Dueling Analogs, ExtraLife and Press Start to Play don't add up to...Gamewatcher
In an attempt to pool their traffic to build a bigger audience, five gaming-themed webcomics have launched Gamers Pair of Dice. Even combined, the strips Commissioned, Digital Unrest, Dueling Analogs, ExtraLife and Press Start to Play don't add up to one Penny Arcade or Real Life. But with so many like-minded strips banded together, you might find something funny a little more often - particularly if you love Nintendo and World of Warcraft jokes...
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Inside the Games Biz - Casual Games White Papertag:www.busygamernews.com,2006://1.9372006-07-05T07:26:34Z2007-07-17T22:32:19ZIf you've ever wondered how the casual games business works (the business that I'm now in, and where many believe the games industry is growing fastest), the International Game Developers Association has published a casual games white paper. It examines...Gamewatcher
If you've ever wondered how the casual games business works (the business that I'm now in, and where many believe the games industry is growing fastest), the International Game Developers Association has published a casual games white paper. It examines the marketplace for casual games, how they're developed (including the most common game mechanics) and where and how money is made. It's an interesting read. And, since it's published as a wiki, the paper is a living document that will evolve as the business does...
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BLOG: Child's Play Charity Auction, year 2tag:www.busygamernews.com,2005://1.7812005-12-14T21:11:22Z2007-07-17T22:36:39ZBLOG: Child's Play Charity Auction, year 2: I actually launched my blog (separate from the news feeds) one year ago right after the first Penny Arcade Charity Auction. Last night, we attended the second. This one was even bigger than...GamewatcherBLOG: Child's Play Charity Auction, year 2: I actually launched my blog (separate from the news feeds) one year ago right after the first Penny Arcade Charity Auction. Last night, we attended the second. This one was even bigger than the last. Inside the big live auction, things got crazy fast. The first item was a mystery box, which went for a few hundred dollars over its stated value of $1,000. It contained a treasure trove of games, game books, collectibles and a PS2 console. This set the stage, and the majority of items that followed went for $1,000 or more. A few jumped into the $3-4K range. Then the unthinkable happened: someone bid $20,000 for an appearance in a Penny Arcade strip. As each bidder upped the ante above $5,000, the audience gasps underscored the impressiveness of the gestures.
[Read full Blog entry]
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Do Some Good - Child's Play 2005tag:www.busygamernews.com,2005://1.7412005-11-08T17:39:01Z2007-07-17T22:37:15ZNow in its third year, Child's Play is raising money not just for U.S. children's hospitals but also some in Canada and, coming soon, the U.K. Simply select the hospital you wish to help and purchase toys and games from...Gamewatcher
Now in its third year, Child's Play is raising money not just for U.S. children's hospitals but also some in Canada and, coming soon, the U.K. Simply select the hospital you wish to help and purchase toys and games from their Amazon wishlist. The charity serves two purposes for founders Mike Krahulik (aka Gabe) and Jerry Holkins (Tycho) of adult Web comic Penny Arcade: it demonstrates to the media the humane and peaceful nature of gamers, and it helps make the world a better place in doing so. Give what you can at childsplaycharity.org...
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Whoa! - Industry news round-uptag:www.busygamernews.com,2005://1.5522005-04-18T15:27:25Z2006-11-14T22:07:29ZTwo heart-stopping bits of news today. In a further consolidation of game stores, Gamestop (which absorbed Software Etc a few years back) is now swallowing up Electronics Boutique. This will greatly limit game buyers' choices in most cities, with competition...Gamewatcher
Gamestop (which absorbed Software Etc a few years back) is now swallowing up Electronics Boutique. This will greatly limit game buyers' choices in most cities, with competition mostly coming from electronics, toy and department stores... Gamers will miss out on the next chapter in the Oddworld Inhabitants realm. Despite a compelling track record, founder Lorne Lanning is hanging up his gaming spurs and moving his company into TV and movies. Might there be a Pixar-quality film set in the Oddworld universe on the horizon? We can only hope...
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News Roundup - April Fool's Day 2005tag:www.busygamernews.com,2005://1.5392005-04-04T07:25:54Z2006-11-14T22:07:29ZHere's a roundup of April Fool's Day game-related pranks (none of these are true!): Blizzard, taking a shot at EverQuest II's ties to Pizza Hut, announces a World of Warcraft Chinese takeout delivery service Bungie agrees to port the Chiron...Gamewatcher
And, of course, Gamestay's own DVD into PSP...
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Whoa! - EA gets all NFL licensestag:www.busygamernews.com,2004://1.4172004-12-14T17:00:32Z2006-11-14T22:07:29ZEA has locked up exclusive 5-year contracts for all NFL videogame licenses, including teams, stadiums and players. While this doesn't mean Madden will be the only game in town, competitors will not be able to use real-life NFL elements -...Gamewatcher
Madden will be the only game in town, competitors will not be able to use real-life NFL elements - leaving NCAA and 'fantasy' sports titles. Hey, how about a football game set in the Warcraft universe?! There is a chance EA will introduce a new NFL franchise game that competes with itself - but why bother when Madden wins out year after year? It's a dark day for Sega and its ESPN NFL 2K series....
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RIP - GMR andf XBN magazinestag:www.busygamernews.com,2004://1.4162004-12-14T08:23:36Z2006-11-14T22:07:29ZGamewatcher
GMR and XBN are being killed by Ziff Davis Media Group. In the case of GMR, the magazine was apparently profitable but cut when gamestore EB dropped its commitment to offer it as a game card premium - itself a copycat move to match Gamestop's Game Informer deal. GMR subscribers will get the February 2005 edition and then roll over any remaining issues to another ZD mag. Alas, it seems XBN won't be on the table...
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