Sunday, December 28, 2008

Video Game of the Year Awards Being Released

With several publications announcing their game of the year winners its time for the 2nd annual VGF: Game of the Year Awards.

Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots topped gamespot's list, while Fallout 3 rained victorious on yahoo games and gamespy, Grand Theft Auto IV made the cut in the New York Times, and Little Big Planet was given the big win from gamepro.

Why the disparity? Who knows. Be sure to checkout the winner's on VGF's official video game awards from a random student video game journalist.

Midnight January 1, 2009.

Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Merry Christmas from Video Game Freedom

From all of me at Video Game Freedom, I want to wish all of you a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.


May your Christmas be as wonderful and joyous as this:

Microsoft's New Marketing Strategy: Your Girlfriend

An USA Today article announced that Microsoft is implementing a new tactic to expand its Xbox 360 user base: women.

According to the report, Microsoft is going to be giving Xbox 360 consoles to 1000 women across the country for free.

The catch - they must invite 10 of their friends to join in on the fun, creating a new generation of video game parties aimed toward women.

Included in these bundles are an Xbox 360 arcade console, microwavable popcorn, a copy of "Scene It? Box Office Smash,"a universal remote for the console, a 3-month subscription to Xbox Live, and 1,600 Xbox Live points to use via the Xbox Live Marketplace.

This is no doubt a strategy to tap into the the female market which Nintendo has claimed a firm grasp on with more female gamers wielding a Nintendo DS than male.

But, how are these women choosen?

A marketing group called "House Party" is behind the action.

The organization helps companies market their product by developing party-based activities surrounding a specific product. That product is then distributed for individuals to host the activities in a social setting to provide consumers with a first-hand experience of the product.

Viral marketing at its finest.

Interested in hosting your own Xbox 360 party? It may be worth a shoot to sign-up with the organization at their webite: www.houseparty.com.

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Guitar Hero, Rock Band the Savior of the Music Industry?

A recent report from The Washington Post said musicians are seeing an influx of popularity thanks to rhythm games such as Guitar Hero and Rock Band.

The report said that songs featured in both Guitar Hero and Rock Band titles showed anywhere from a 15% to 843% increase of sales in online download sales.

Also noted, was 22% of music buyers under the age of 35 said they had played one of the rhythm games within the last 3 months appearing to further link the correlation.

Therefore, it seems like exposure in the Guitar Hero and Rock Band franchises generates a larger and untapped fan base. That new fan base ultimately leads to increased sales.

If music artists are paying attention, we may be seeing more artists trying to make their way into an exclusive Guitar Hero or Rock Band title.

I feel that this is also a response to lackluster popular music in the current mainstream.

If you notice, many of the songs featured in these rhythm games are from artists popular 20 to 30 years ago with the occasional new song from a band one would not normally hear on the radio.

This is a reaction to the exposure to new music that younger audiences would not normally be familiar with. They are finding that they like it, so they are purchasing the songs they have mastered in the game.

Regardless, could this be answer to the dying recording industry? Could a video game really be its savior?

Thursday, December 18, 2008

Final Fantasy: Dissidia Trailers

Every once and a while a game falls through the cracks. Final Fantasy: Dissidia is that title for me.

The PSP 3D fighting game is due for release in North America in mid-2009 according to gamespot and features nearly every protagonist and antagonist in the series.

Checkout the sensory overload trailer:


See if you can figure out what's happening here when Zidane and Cloud square off:

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost and Damned Trailer

Developer Rockstar North recently released a new trailer for the first of the Xbox 360's exclusive chapters to the the Grand Theft Auto IV universe.

Coming to Xbox Live on February 17, 2009 "Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost and Damned" appears to be a biker addition to the Liberty City landscape:



However, it doesn't look like Niko is on-board for this one.

Nevertheless, this is finally the exclusive GTAIV advantage Xbox 360 owners have been waiting for.

Monday, December 15, 2008

Final Fantasy XIII Trailer Galore

New trailers from Square-Enix's biggest franchise - Final Fantasy.

However, these look similar to what we saw at E3 last July:

Final Fantasy XIII



Final Fantasy Versus XIII



If anyone can read Japanese and tell me what is going on, that would be great. Otherwise, these games appear to be as fantastic visually as any other Final Fantasy title.

No official word on a release date on FFXIII for the Xbox 360 and PS3 although 1up.com has a listing of November 15, 2009. Final Fantasy Versus XIII is slated for a PS3 exclusive release with no official release date either.

God of War 3 Debut Trailer

Check out the new teaser trailer for Sony's "God of War 3" for the PS3. Release date is still to be determined:




Check out the game's official website HERE.

Playstation Home Impressions

If you are one of the few people who have not yet downloaded and played Sony's social experiment, then look no further.

Under a week after its open beta launch, Playstation Home is that social networking addition that Sony promised PS3 owners nearly a year and a half ago.

Functioning much like the PC simulation "Second Life," Home is a 3D avatar-based social environment where PS3 owners can chat, play, and share content via the Playstation Network.

Sony representatives have identified Home as an open beta because its environments and content will be ever changing and molding to the needs of the Playstation Home community.

Five days after launch, it doesn't seem to be evolving much.

Sure players can rearrange furniture in their own personal space as well as lay down $5 in real cash for a beach-front home, but who wants to spend real money for something that doesn't exist.

Oh, I forgot about the real Second Life and WoW for a moment.

Aside from dressing and manipulating your avatar from a mind-boggling variety of options - thank god there are preset options - you can travel to only a handful of environments such as a home theater that only plays previews for "Twilight" or you can spend time in the bowling alley where you can meet new people, shoot pool, play about three different arcade games, or play bowling.

That's right: you can PLAY bowling. Or that is what Sony wants to call it.

When you have a hankering to spend some of your hard earned cash for a sweatshirt or a new lamp, you can head over to the mall and choose from a selection as limited as the library of great Richard Simmons workout videos.

Inside the mall, you can also play chess against other Home users or watch some woman talk about new video game releases on a giant screen. The convergence is pretty cool and looks like an interesting venue for advertisers, but the surface hasn't even been scratched yet.

That seems to be the key issue with Home as of now.

Where is the personal space where you can show off trophies, how can you share music and movies, where are the other exciting options were we promised a year and a half ago?

It seems Sony's hand was forced to launch a bear-bones version of Home to fulfill its promise of launching it in that fourth quarter 2008. I just thought they would want to introduce new content or events to get gamers excited about their new excuse for not seeing actual people.

Instead, all gamers are welcomed with is a message saying "sorry, it took you seven tries to log in, we are working on it."

Feels like a waste of the mandatory 3 GB of hard drive partitioning for content that does not exist yet.

Home is an exciting and excellent idea for Sony, but if they do not rapidly expand it soon, I'm afraid many PS3 owners may be vacating on their own.

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Playstation Home Launches Tomorrow

A new post on the official Playstation blog has confirmed that PS3 owners will be able to tap into a beta version of Home tomorrow.

Several years in the making, the 3 GB service is supposed to be an avatar-based, "Second Life"-esque social environment for gamers to interact and play together.

Each player is supposed to have game spaces to show off their trophies earned from various games as well as be able to share music and movies together via Home.

Based on the Playstation blog post, it also looks like a whole new venue for integrated advertising:





So free up some space on your PS3's hard drive and be on the lookout for Home launching tomorrow.

Sunday, December 7, 2008

New Metal Gear Title Coming to the Xbox 360?


Xbox 360 fanboys are a buzz this weekend with the possibility of claiming another PS3 exclusive for its own.

Last Friday a new Konami website appears to be teasing about a new Metal Gear title with an upside down exclamation point being added to another exclamation point equaling what appears to be the Xbox 360 power button.

However, as Gamespot is quick to identify, that is a universal symbol for a power button.

Under the symbol is the phrase "A Next Metal Gear Is..."

"All your base" anyone? Not sure what all of that is supposed to mean.

What does the Metal Gear Solid publisher have in store of us? We don't know, but you can checkout the originating Konami page by clicking HERE.

Friday, December 5, 2008

Batman Arkham Asylum Trailers

Check out some trailers for Edios's new game based on the popular comic book series.

It is slated for release on the PC, Xbox 360, and PS3 sometime 2009.





Wii owners may have empty stockings

It may not be a very merry holiday season for Nintendo Wii owners.

Just two years after the console's release, it looks like Nintendo's innovative gaming platform may be running out of steam with an abysmal holiday lineup of games.

It's downright pathetic when major gaming Web sites list games that have been released for more than seven months as part of their holiday gamers guides for Wii owners.

It seems to say to the only good games for the Wii this year have been "Super Smash Bros. Brawl" and "Mario Kart Wii."

Although the Wii will feature popular multiplatform game, its exclusive support follows the same mistakes Nintendo has made with its previous three consoles.

The Super Nintendo, Nintendo 64, Nintendo Gamecube and now the Nintendo Wii have all only featured one "Super Mario" title and usually lose support from game developers in the waning years of the console.

Nintendo owners love their consoles because of the fantastic first-party games developed by Nintendo, such as "Mario," "The Legend of Zelda" and "Metroid" titles.

What new games do Wii owners have to look forward to this year?


Click HERE for the full story at cm-life.com

Shopping Guide - Franchise games and sequels dominate store shelves this holiday season

Just in time for the holiday season, here is my video game shopping guide.

My editor added "Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe" so I take not claim in that.

Also, be on the look out for the official VGF game guide in a couple of weeks:


Featuring a breadth of killer titles, the lineup of triple-A holiday games also features a breadth of subtitles.

High-profile franchise games and heavily-anticipated sequels dominate the store shelves, with few original titles getting a heavy holiday push.

For those shopping for a gift for a video game-crazed loved one, the following games may include the perfect one - or the perfect "2."



"Call of Duty: World at War" (PC, Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, DS)

Following one of last year's greatest games, "Call of Duty: World at War" returns to the roots of the series: World War II.

Although widely criticized for looking a little too much like its predecessor, "World at War" focuses on the Pacific Campaign as you play as American, British and Russian soldiers. Look for "World at War" to feature the industry's premier online multiplayer experience for a game that is sure to be a must-have for first-person shooter fans.



"Gears of War 2" (Xbox 360)

This Microsoft Xbox 360 exclusive is claimed to look, play and sound very close to its predecessor - which is fantastic when it is the sequel to one of the most widely acclaimed games in recent years.

In "Gears of War 2" you reprise your role as the hardened killing machine of a man named Marcus Fenix, who, with the help of his Delta Squad soldiers, takes the war with the "Locust Hoard" deep into the Earth.

"Gears of War 2" adds new weapons, new environments and new multiplayer features to culminate in a package that is easily equal to the 2006 classic. Xbox 360 fans will not want to miss the opportunity to play this gem of a game.



"Resistance 2" (PS3)

"Resistance 2" is another sequel that is bigger and better than its predecessor.

"Resistance: Fall of Man" was an original and notable launch title for the Sony Playstation 3 because of its stellar visuals and engaging environments. The original game had you play as Sergeant Nathan Hale as you battle through Britain after an invasion by an alien race called the "Chimera."



Click HERE for the full story.

Wednesday, December 3, 2008

Review - Rayman Raving Rabbids TV Party


7.5 out of 10

Of all the innovative ways the Nintendo Wii allows games to be played, never have gamers been required to use their butts.

Ubisoft wants to change that.

The company's newest title for the Nintendo Wii, "Rayman Raving Rabbids TV Party," utilizes your glutes to sled on a yak, surf in space, break it down on the dance floor and enjoy all the pleasures you never thought you could have in the self-proclaimed "first game in the world that you can play with your rear end."

"TV Party" is the third game in the classic "Rayman" series to feature the Rabbids, hilarious rabbit-like creatures.

However, this time the Rabbids have found their way into your television set, where you can play a plethora of mini-games based on television spoofs. You will partake in activities from shooting zombie chickens on the "Cult Classic" film channel to cooking burgers to feeding them to a giant whale creature on the "Raving Channel."


Click HERE for my full review at cm-life.com