Guitar Hero DDR?

According to a recent report from gamespot.com Activision - of Guitar Hero fame - has placed a US patent request for the trademarked name "Dance Hero."

Could this mean that we will see a new wave of DDR titles from the publisher?

Not quite sure, according to Gamespot's report, Activision has also requested trademarks on phrases such as "Guitar Villain," "Drum Villain," and "DJ Hero" without announcing any new game titles.

Sometimes corporations will register trademarks, products, and ideas just in case they may think about releasing a product of the same name or if they feel a competitor may try to coin the phrase.

However, if this does mean that Activision will be releasing a DDR-style dancing game it raises questions such as if music will be coupled with Guitar Hero in any way?

Could we be seeing a cross over of Guitar Hero gameplay and dancing gameplay. Perhaps you can play on the guitar while your movement inclined friends dance it out on a dance pad.

Lets look for more after Guitar Hero World Tour's launch in a few weeks.

Poll: Women Rather Play Video Games Than Sleep

Female gamers appear to be making their way into gaming culture.

A recent poll conducted by the E for All Expo and PoshMama.com shows that twice as many women would choose to play video games rather than catch up on sleep if given an extra hour of free time.

Heather Weaver, a Technology Contributor for PoshMam.com said that video games appeal to women for a variety of reasons:

Playing video games is becoming an increasingly popular pastime for women, which isn’t surprising given that it’s a great way to spend time with family and friends, have some fun and even blow off some steam.

The poll also showed that women play video games in various settings such as while on the phone, while at work, and while preparing for work.

The owner and operator of the "E for All Expo" - Mary Dolaher - said that video games appeal to a diverse group of consumers:

Video games are truly entertainment for all -- from busy women to hard core game players -- and E for All reflects that both in name and in its wide array of products, tournaments, appearances, and other exciting events.

However, the study was only conducted from a pool of 120 members of PoshMama.com a website designed for tech savvy women. That base of respondants is too small for any definative evidence - however - it is an enlightening look at the growing diversity of gamers.

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed - Review

6.5 out of 10


Finally, the VGF review of LucasArt's Star Wars: The Force Unleashed is available.

You can read the official review from Central Michigan Life by clicking the link below:

"The Force Unleashed," a glitchy game, great story

Or listen to the podcast for supplemental information:

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Gamer Nation - 97% of Youth Play Video Games

If you are trying to guess where the video game industry is heading, take a look at this.

GamePro via Networkworld.com published a report that a recent poll from the Pew Internet & American Life Project found that 97% of combined male and female youth play video games.

However, the article doesn't classify what is meant by "youth," as in what age range we are talking about, but it provides good prospects for the industry.

If these young individuals retain video game consumption as they grow older, there will be a drastic increase in sales for the entire industry.

The survey also showed that 33% played games with another person face-to-face and 25% played games online.

This calls for a greater expansion in the industry as a social networking function: are you listening facebook and myspace?

According to the report, many of the "youth" polled said they had played games rated M or AO (Adults Only) - I'm not sure where you even find those games.

This also calls for an increase in mature titles. Regardless of the affects of media violence, these "youth" will more than likely be interested in playing additional mature titles as they grow older, possibly resulting in the growth of the mature gaming market.

The challenge is retaining and producing content that will remain appealing to this generation.

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed - Video Reviews

The verdict is in on Star Wars: The Force Unleashed and it looks to be pretty mediocre.

Check out the video reviews from gaming websites and see for yourself:

Gamespot - 7.5 out of 10

1up - C

No video review as of yet. Click this link for the "old school" written review.

Gametrailers - 6.9 out of 10

Be on the look out for the VGF review in a few days!

Top 5 Star Wars Games

With the release of LucasArt's new Star Wars title, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, pulling within a week lets take this opportunity to take a look at some of the greatest Star Wars games of all-time:


5. Dark Forces II: Jedi Knight
The successor to the original Dark Forces, the Star Wars first-person shooter, Jedi Knight finally delved into the realm of becoming a Jedi knight. It was the first Star Wars title to pull-off a genuine feeling of being a Jedi with complete control over various force powers and the option to play in either first-person or third-person. Nevertheless, the game did suffer from some clunky camera controls from an era where that was the norm.





4. Lego Star Wars
Before there was Lego Batman or Lego Indiana Jones, there was Lego Star Wars. This hugely popular title does a fantastic job for cutting out the crap of Episodes I, II, and III and getting to the nitty gritty gameplay action from the three movies. Funny visuals, a plethora of modification, and easy controls makes Lego Star Wars one of the most unique titles in what had become a franchise genre. Oh, and the developers actually improved the three films by eliminating all of Lucas's horrible dialogue "Nooooooooooo!"




3. Rouge Squadron II: Rouge Leader
What makes Rouge Squadron II: Rogue Leader so amazing was the fact that a complete of the original Rouge Squadron was playable in a two-player cooperative mode. Not only is the series potentially the best in the flight simulation genre, but it is one of the best Star Wars titles because of its amazing gameplay and control mechanics. This launch title really showcased with the Nintendo Gamecube was capable of with vivid visuals and an immerse feeling in every environment.





2. Battlefront II
Not only is Star Wars Battlefront II a great online game, it is also one of the expansive Star Wars titles to date. You can play as nearly any major Star Wars character in a massive onslaught of carnage. I particularly enjoy playing with only the hero and villain characters. A fantastic overall package.







1. Knights of the Old Republic
Star Wars: knights of the Old Republic has little connection with the films due to this setting of nearly 1000 years prior to the events of Episode One, but is the most well-crafted title to bare the Star Wars name. This massively long RPG allows you to mold your character in any way you see fit as you choose to be anything from a gun slinging smuggler, a Jedi knight, or an evil Sith lord. The shear variety of options that KOTOR allows makes this an incredibly personal look at a whole new venue of the Star Wars universe. Plus, this is one of the only Star Wars titles that doesn't repeat the same musical score from the films over and over again. Many may argue that KOTOR II was the better game, but remember, KOTOR broke ground first.

A Day In the Life of Link

Oh, how true it must be:

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Rock the Vote on Your Xbox 360

Do you spend too much time on your Xbox 360 to register to vote?

Now you can combine the two with Microsoft's partnership with the left leaning "Rock the Vote" organization that promotes young Americans to register vote and encourages them to take progressive action in their government.

This partnership means that Xbox Live users will have to not only register to vote via Xbox Live, but will also have the opportunity to discuss the candidates in this year's Presidential election on exclusive forums and vote on related polls.

For more information on the Rock the Vote organization click the link HERE.

Xbox 360 Price Cut and New PSP - in Japan

News heads our way across the Pacific with price cuts on all Xbox 360 models and the announcement about the new PSP-3000 all in Japan only.

However, this may be a sign of things to come.

Gamespot.com released a report today stating that Microsoft is cutting costs on all three 360 consoles in Japan in order to combat its wavering image as "the American console" and lackluster sales.

The price cut will place the Xbox 360 Arcade console at a cheaper cost than the Nintendo Wii in Japan.

Does this mean that price cuts will be on the way state-side or in Europe?

The 360 doesn't seem to be under as much fire as in Japan, so my guess is no or not yet.

DailyTech.com also reported today that word from Japanese gaming magazine Famitzu has confirmed that Sony will soon be releasing a new version of the PSP called the PSP-3000 in Japan.

The new version of the handheld will include a higher resolution screen with added color depth and will have an anti-glare coding on the screen. Also, video output will be compataible with analogue televisions rather than only progressive scan TVs.

The PSP-3000 will also include a built-in microphone and a slight change in the "Home" button which will now be a "Playstation" logo in a possible attempt to reach more continuity with the Playstation 3.

The PSP-3000 will hit Japanese shores October 16, no word if we will see these new models in North America or Europe anytime soon.