http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/videogames/ en-us Tue, 19 Aug 2008 02:09:14 GMT Focus Forum 15 http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2064074/posts Extraordinarily lifelike characters are to begin appearing in films and computer games thanks to a new type of animation technology. Emily - the woman in the above animation ^ - was produced using a new modelling technology that enables the most minute details of a facial expression to be captured and recreated. She is considered to be one of the first animations to have overleapt a long-standing barrier known as 'uncanny valley' - which refers to the perception that animation looks less realistic as it approaches human likeness. Researchers at a Californian company which makes computer-generated imagery for Hollywood films... The Daily Telegraph (London/UK) http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2064074/posts#comment Tue, 19 Aug 2008 02:09:14 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2059240/posts Attention will be riveted on the Olympic torch Friday during the opening ceremony of the 29th Olympiad, but in cyberspace, another torch relay is under way to promote visibility of a “sport” not yet ready for prime time in Beijing. It is the digital torch of the World Cyber Games, being passed from country to country, ultimately to land in Cologne, Germany, on Aug. 11. World Cyber Games? That’s right: pro video-game play. Before anyone snickers, remember that sports channel ESPN routinely showcases poker tournaments, which arguably involve even less athleticism than video-gaming. Indeed, competitive video-game leagues have contracts with... The Christian Science Monitor http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2059240/posts#comment Sun, 10 Aug 2008 01:03:08 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2058390/posts Aug. 6th Direct Action: Stop the Military Recruitment of Children Help Stop the Army’s Child Recruitment Program“America’s Army” Videogame Targets Children as Young as 13South Park Game Companies Profit from Illegal Recruitment Program Rally and Direct Action, Noon, Aug. 6thSouth Park, (btw 2nd/3rd, Bryant/Brannan) San FranciscoTell the companies “Break contract with the Army, No more child recruitment” “America’s Army” is a game developed by the U.S. military to instruct players in “Army values,” portray the army in a positive light, and increase potential recruits.  The “game” is the property and brainchild of the US Army, which admit freely, and with pride, that... BayAreaDirectAction http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2058390/posts#comment Fri, 8 Aug 2008 02:47:56 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2055540/posts After years of barging over husky defenders on the gridiron, ex-Cleveland Browns running back Jim Brown is attempting to tackle two serious video game heavyweights in court. According to Bloomberg, Brown has filed suit against Sony Computer Entertainment America and Electronic Arts over using his likeness in the popular Madden football series. He seeks a court order preventing either company from continuing to use his likeness in the franchise as well as damages stemming from trademark violation. At issue is the starting running back on Madden's "All Browns Team." The character is African-American and bears the same jersey number Brown... Yahoo! http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2055540/posts#comment Sat, 2 Aug 2008 22:51:39 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-gop/2039040/posts The Political Machine 2008 B For PC. Rated for ages 10 and up. $19 MY FELLOW AMERICANS: Do you cringe every time your favorite presidential candidate makes a stupid blunder or fails to support your pet cause? Well, now you can shape the message by taking the helm of the campaigns of Barack Obama, John McCain, Hillary Clinton and various other historical candidates and presidents in The Political Machine 2008. But while this strategy game is a lot of fun in short doses, hardcore political junkies will want more. CLAWING TO THE TOP: In the campaign mode, you select a... WFAA-TV http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-gop/2039040/posts#comment Tue, 1 Jul 2008 09:29:30 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2037802/posts Two decades have passed since the demonic denizens, Diablo, Mephisto, and Baal, wandered the world of Sanctuary in a vicious rampage to shackle humanity into unholy slavery. Yet for those who battled the Prime Evils directly, the memory fades slowly and the wounds of the soul still burn. When Deckard Cain returns to the ruins of Tristram's Cathedral seeking clues to new stirrings of evil, a comet from the heavens strikes the very ground where Diablo once entered the world. The comet carries a dark omen in its fiery being and it calls the heroes of Sanctuary to defend the... Blizzard http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2037802/posts#comment Sat, 28 Jun 2008 16:05:46 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2037128/posts Think you paid too much for your Playstation 3? Don't expect any sympathy from Sony. In the company's fiscal 2008 annual report, Sony revealed that they've now lost roughly $3.3 billion (that's billion with a B) on the Playstation 3 since its launch. That breaks down to $2.16 billion in 2007, followed by a notably smaller but equally daunting $1.16 billion loss in 2008. yahoo games http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2037128/posts#comment Fri, 27 Jun 2008 05:03:54 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2032004/posts Islamist forums are abuzz with a new theory: The designers of the video game Grand Theft Auto IV, they say, were inspired by killing methods developed by al-Qaida. But did the idea for the car bombs and suicide attacks in the game really come from Osama bin Laden? For user "Abd al-Wahhab," it is obvious. It isn't just military men all over the world who are studying the murderous methods employed by the terror group al-Qaida. Rather, designers, developers and graphic artists in the video game world, he argues, have realized that "al-Qaida is a killing school." His theory: The... Spiegel Online http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2032004/posts#comment Mon, 16 Jun 2008 23:18:35 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-gop/2027280/posts Thompson says You don't know Jack Jack Thompson, the infamous attorney that has been a factor in multiple anti-video game lawsuits, reportedly walked out of a hearing before the Florida Bar Association today. Thompson’s hearing went on without him and the Florida Bar Association recommended Thompson be disciplined with an “enhanced disbarment” stipulating that Thompson can’t apply to practice law again for a decade. ***** Thompson filed a massive and rambling 14 page document he titled “Thompson’s Formal Objection to June 4 Sanctions “Hearing””. Thompson points out in the opening lines of his objections that, “I depart from the traditional... Daily Tech http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-gop/2027280/posts#comment Fri, 6 Jun 2008 20:39:23 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2026673/posts VIRGINIA - The objective of a new video game is to stop the spread of Christianity and Islam by brutally killing biblical prophets, says the game’s atheist creator. A graduate student at the University of Virginia created the game --which has not yet been released-- in order to give a voice to atheists, according to WSLS Television News. The grad-student wishes to remain anonymous for “fear of his safety.” His request is understandable --considering at one point in his game players win by beheading the Islamic Prophet Muhammad. Nearly a year ago, an even less bold stunt resulted in death... KUTV.COM http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2026673/posts#comment Thu, 5 Jun 2008 20:52:05 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2013722/posts BOYS who don't play videogames at all are at greater risk of getting into trouble than those who play violent games occasionally, according to two Harvard psychologists. The pair also said there was also no evidence to suggest violent games turn young people into criminals or violent people, despite some media reports. "If you look at the violent crime in the US over the past 20 years among teenagers it's gone down, and gone down significantly, and if you look at videogame play, it's gone up," said Dr Lawrence Kutner and Dr Cheryl Olsen of Harvard Medical School in a... News.com.au http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2013722/posts#comment Fri, 9 May 2008 19:32:34 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2012168/posts The publisher of "Grand Theft Auto" says the Chicago Transit Authority interfered with its free-speech rights by allegedly removing ads for the latest version of the hugely popular video game. Take-Two Interactive Software wants a federal judge to stop the CTA from taking down ads for "Grand Theft Auto IV." The New York-based company made that request in a lawsuit filed in Manhattan. ABC News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2012168/posts#comment Tue, 6 May 2008 22:11:24 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2011071/posts Grand Theft Auto IV hit the stores last week like a tsunami, and is expected to become one of the biggest sellers in video game history. Commentators agree that the game, with its sophisticated graphics, sets a new standard for realistic violence and sex. News reports and game-related websites give the flavor of what avid gamers are getting for their 60 bucks. GTA IV opens with an S&M sex scene. Players can gun down ordinary citizens, beat up prostitutes, murder cops and enjoy lap dances from strippers. This mayhem is accompanied by what the Associated Press called a "nearly constant... Minneapolis Star Tribune http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2011071/posts#comment Sun, 4 May 2008 16:39:13 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1907099/posts This is quite a funny presentation. I'd discuss it but I'd rather you watch instead. Total runtime--5:52. Safe for work. I was hooting toward the end. Click here or at the link above. http://www.loadingreadyrun.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1907099/posts#comment Fri, 5 Oct 2007 17:25:18 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2010432/posts Outrage comes easy at the sight of 15-year-old Disney Channel billion-dollar phenomenon Miley Cyrus -- known to screaming 8-year-old girls as Hannah Montana -- appearing barebacked with a come-hither smile in a photo shoot for Vanity Fair. Did no one understand how the slinky satin-sheet photo would be greeted by the eyes of teenage boys -- or men twice her age? Parents are covering the eyes of their Disney-drenched little girls while their role model has a train wreck. Do we need another Britney Spears Show? But teenage boys are going wilder this week over a more dangerous cultural low:... Townhall.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2010432/posts#comment Fri, 2 May 2008 21:37:45 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2010067/posts Grand Theft Auto IV as a test of Christian conscience No doubt I'm going to draw flack for suggesting this, but it needs to be said. Yesterday afternoon I bought Grand Theft Auto IV. And having played it for a few hours, as a follower of Jesus Christ I would like to recommend that my mature brethren in the Christian faith (both spiritually and those who are not teenagers anymore, parse that as you will) play Grand Theft Auto IV as well. And not to gleefully look for reasons to condemn the game either. Why? Because I think that a... theknightshift.blogspot.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2010067/posts#comment Fri, 2 May 2008 03:30:22 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2008985/posts It's the video game that launched a $2 billion takeover war. "Grand Theft Auto IV" is expected to have one of the biggest debuts in entertainment history when it hits stores today. Analysts predict it will ring up more than $400 million at retail in the first week, topping "Halo 3," which in the fall smashed the previous record with $300 million. The "GTA" franchise, which lets players enact a host of criminal activities, has stirred up controversy with its sexually explicit and violent fare. This time, it's also generating corporate drama. With its eyes on the blockbuster game, Electronic... HeraldNet http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2008985/posts#comment Wed, 30 Apr 2008 04:37:57 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2008061/posts "Grand Theft Auto IV" hits streets on Tuesday and is expected to race into record books as the fastest-selling video game ever despite being tailed by critics condemning its violent themes. Rockstar Games is predicted to sell at least six million copies of "GTA IV: Liberty City" in its first week, with die-hard fans eager to play the game in which triumph depends on acts such as carjacking, gambling and killing. "This is going to be the game of the year," video game industry analyst Edward Woo at Wedbush Morgan Securities told AFP. Rockstar Games and its GTA franchise are... AFP http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2008061/posts#comment Mon, 28 Apr 2008 15:13:29 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2007019/posts Revelations that the March 29 phone call that sparked a raid on a West Texas polygamist compound may be a hoax have led prosecutors to doubt the reason for the original search-and-arrest warrant that granted authorities access to the Yearning For Zion Ranch. SCRIPPS HOWARD NEWS SERVICE http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2007019/posts#comment Fri, 25 Apr 2008 19:41:31 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2005441/posts Recently while wandering around the net in search of various game news I came across this reply to a post on Kotaku.com. The reply was in the form of a letter allegedly sent from Jack Thompson to the mother of Take-Two’s CEO Strauss Zelnick. Here is that letter: John B. Thompson, Attorney at Law 1172 S. Dixie Hwy., Suite 111 Coral Gables, Florida 33146 April 21, 2008 Mrs. Zelnick Strauss Zelnick, Take-Two Chairman’s Mother New York, New York Via e-mails to intermediaries Re: Your Son, Strauss Zelnick Dear Mrs. Zelnick: Your son, as you may know (or maybe you don’t... diehardgamefan http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2005441/posts#comment Tue, 22 Apr 2008 22:35:08 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1999615/posts ALFRED, N.Y.-- "I took my belongings, walked downstairs and darted as fast as I could and 13 to 15 zombies started running after me," said Rosemarie Fraioli, an Alfred University freshman. Fraioli isn't talking about a dream but real life playing the game Zombies versus Humans. In the game, the humans use Nerf guns to stave off a zombie attack. Tuesday, one of those guns sparked a campus-wide lockdown at Alfred University. "One faculty member saw one of our players walking through an academic building. And we think they just glimpsed one of the Nerf guns and thought it was... Capital News 9 http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1999615/posts#comment Thu, 10 Apr 2008 18:16:18 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1994213/posts With billions of dollars at stake in the entertainment world's fastest-growing business, the British government is launching a trade battle with Canada over tax credits being used to expand this country's video game industry. For months, British companies have been decrying the exodus of European game developers to Ontario, Quebec and B.C., where tax incentives are attracting multimillion-dollar investments and thousands of highly skilled foreign workers, whose talents are fuelling the Canadian industry's exponential growth. "The Canadians have driven a tank over the French Citroen and have now parked on our lawn," Paul Jackson, head of the industry organization representing... The Vancouver sun http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1994213/posts#comment Mon, 31 Mar 2008 02:25:36 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1967846/posts Hospitals Turn To Wii For Rehab Therapy 'Wiihabilitation' Growing More Popular Among DoctorsPOSTED: 11:07 am EST February 9, 2008 CHICAGO -- It could be called "Wiihabilitation." Nintendo's Wii video game system is now gaining popularity in hospitals and medical centers, which are using the system as part of physical therapy programs for patients. While traditional physical therapy can be painful, repetitive and boring, hospital officials said playing Wii is more fun for patients, to the point that some almost forget they're in therapy. The system's motion-sensitive controller requires body movements similar to traditional exercises, but officials said the game format... ClickonDetroit http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1967846/posts#comment Sun, 10 Feb 2008 01:31:40 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1962186/posts Perhaps you remember in 2006, when Governor Kathleen Sebelius took a stand for gaming legislation that eventually failed to get off the ground, saying "video games and music lyrics promote violence ... Moms and dads shouldn't be alone in their fight to raise children the right way." Perhaps unwilling to learn from mom's example, her 23-year-old son John has created a board game called "Don't Drop the Soap" in which players "fight [their] way through 6 different exciting locations in hopes of being granted parole ... Escape prison riots in The Yard, slip glass into a mob boss' lasagna in... Joqstiq http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1962186/posts#comment Wed, 30 Jan 2008 21:09:22 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1961808/posts A man who spent long hours each day playing video games was convicted Tuesday of killing his 17-month-old daughter when she pulled down his Xbox console. Prosecutors believe Tyrone Spellman pummeled Alayiah Turman, cracking her skull several times, while her pregnant mother napped in another room ... Spellman fled the house after the beating... An autopsy showed that Alayiah had suffered a broken arm about two weeks before she died - an injury that city social workers did not see on two visits to the house in late August, when they found the baby well. Associated Press http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1961808/posts#comment Wed, 30 Jan 2008 04:54:54 GMT