EEG News

Microsoft Drops Bonus Remote Offer

Microsoft wants your Jackson, Hamilton

GameSpot is confirming that M’soft will no longer be shipping the free mini remote control with Xbox 360 premium packs.

From GameSpot:

The limited run of bonus Media Remote Controls is apparently over. A GameStop employee has confirmed to GameSpot that the bonus remotes have not been shipping with the Xbox 360 Premium Packs that have been trickling into their store. This means that Xbox 360 preorders that still remain unfulfilled--and may very well have been placed months ago--won't be getting the controller. GameSpot has received unconfirmed reports that the discontinuation has infuriated gamers who preordered the console long ago expecting the remote to be included.

Those who still want a remote control for their 360 must now shell out the $30 for the Universal Media Remote from Microsoft. What GameSpot means by "unconfirmed reports" that gamers are infuriated is a mystery.

GameStop E-Mail Leak: No Halo in 2006, Duh

Kotaku has a scan of an internal GameStop e-mail which should surpise the five people on the internet who thought Halo 3 would ship this year. The extra time should give Bungie an opportunity to write an actual ending to their game this time.

Study Finds 35% of US Parents Play Video Games

Game trade org Entertainment Software Association released a study citing that 35 percent of parents say they play computer or video games. Among them, 80 percent report they play vidgames with their children, and 66 percent feel that playing games has brought their families together.

“This first-ever study of ‘gamer parents’ dramatizes the increasing and positive role that video games play in American family entertainment," said Douglas Lowenstein, president of the ESA, the trade group representing U.S. computer and video game publishers. “The data provide further evidence dispelling the myth that game playing is dominated by teens and single twenty-somethings.  It tells us that parents see games both as an enjoyable activity on their own, and one that allows them to engage with their children as well."

The demographics of “gamer parents” are spread just about evenly between Democrats (36%) and Republicans (35%).  Sixty percent of parents surveyed believe responsibility in monitoring children’s gaming habits lie with the parent – not the government retailers, or publishers. That number spikes up to 85 percent for gamer parents.

There are a lot more interesting numbers.

"This research suggests that proposals to regulate video games may backfire with American voters who, unlike some elected officials, appear to fully understand that they should control the entertainment that comes into their homes," Lowenstein said

LA Sues Over Hot Coffee

A handsome, charming and modest reporter for Variety has the scoop on the city of Los Angeles filing a class action suit against Take-Two and Rockstar games for GTA’s “hot coffee” debacle.

City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo Thursday filed a civil lawsuit against Take Two Games and its subsid Rockstar, publisher of "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas," for failing to disclose allegedly pornographic content in the game, a violation of state fair business practices laws.

Delgadillo has a flair for dramatics, telling reporters during a press conference Thursday "Greed and deception are part of the Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas story. In that respect, its publishers are no different than the characters in their story."

It’s up to the LA to prove that Rockstar knew about the content, and sold the game knowing that children could unlock it – exposing them to the hot pixilated porn that turns them into sexual deviants and communists.

DS Lite Announced

DS Lite concept design from Nintendo

Nintendo raised the curtain today on the anticipated DS redesign.  The announcement comes 10 days later than many expected, but the rumors have proven true.  The new design, called the “Nintendo DS Lite” is a slimmed down version of the DS with adjustable screen brightness and a slightly redesigned face.

Specs:

Weight: 218 grams (from the original’s 275 grams), Width: 133 mm (from 148.7mm), Height: 73.9 mm (from 84.7 mm), Thickness when shut: 21.5 mm (from 28.9 mm)

The system will hit Japan March 2 at 16,800 yen (about $145).  No word on an North American or European release date.

E3 Bans Booth Babes

Most of the female attendance at this year’s E3 will disappear with a new decision by the expo to ban “booth babes” from the floor.

The new rule:

Material, including live models, conduct that is sexually explicit and/or sexually provocative, including but not limited to nudity, partial nudity and bathing suit bottoms, are prohibited on the Show floor, all common areas, and at any access points to the Show. ESA, in its sole discretion, will determine whether material is acceptable.

It is unclear whether the decision has the noble intent of giving the game convention a classier air than the average boat show or Hooters restaurant – or if putting scantily clad women in rooms filled to capacity with hot, sweaty nerds was bad chemistry all along.

Certainly, game magazine editors are mourning the loss of several pages of booth babe filler they have depended on in years past.

The Xbox is dead – long live the Xbox!

A rumor started by US game website Kotaku.com that Microsoft will discontinue support and manufacturing the original Xbox was shot down today. A couple sites confirm that Microsoft will not forget its first born child even though a newer and shinier model is available – which makes sense, because around 200 Xbox titles are expected to ship this year.

Silent Hill Poster Contest

Video games may not be art, but video game movie poster art is still…art – right?  It’s all so very confusing, so forget the semantics and head on over to the Silent Hill movie page to vote on your favorite fan-made poster. Our friend Ben Fritz at Variety sez the winner’s poster will be used in ad campaign and maybe even make the DVD cover.

Hideo Kojima: I'm With Ebert

Hideo Kojima

Metal Gear mastermind Hideo Kojima gives his 2.28856 yen about video games-as-art debate in the latest issue of OPM (US edition). His surprising conclusion: they aren't. Next Generation has the scoop.  Here's a taste of Kojima:

"For example, look at a concept car. You don't have to be able to drive a car, but if it's called a car and it has artistic elements in the visuals, then it's art. But an actual car, like a videogame, is interactive, so it's something used by people, so it's like a car where you have to drive it. There are 100 people driving a car; they have 100 ways of driving it and using it. It could be families driving the car. It could be a couple driving a car. The owner of the car could be driving along the coastline or they could go up into the mountains, so this car has to be able to be driven by all 100 of these people, so in that sense, it's totally not art."

PC Gamer Nix Gold Farming Ads, Toots Own Horn

PC Gamer magazine announced they will stop running ads from organizations who sell MMORPG currency for real money.  A hearty bout of patting their own back ensued.