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Continue reading Who ya gonna watch? New Ghostbusters trailer and screens materialize

Who ya gonna watch? New Ghostbusters trailer and screens materialize originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 04 Dec 2008 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jason Paul, producer of PLAY! A Video Game Symphony, gave me a head’s up this week about a an upcoming concert on January 9 in Edmonton. In addition to a spectacular night of listening to classic videogame themes performed by a full orchestra, he let me know Morrowind and Oblivion composer Jeremy Soule will be attending the concert. Even better, 150 lucky patrons will be randomly chosen at the concert for a chance to meet the famous composer.

While I’ve missed out on attending previous concerts, fans I’ve spoke with have said it’s a fantastic show. For ticket ordering information to the concert, head here.

How is that new-ish NXE and Netflix thing working out for you? Find any dirty movies yet? I haven't found much. Most of the things I find that sound pretty horny actually aren't at all. Yesterday, I watched Happy Gilmore again for the millionth time, and then I followed it up with some anime that had more panty shots than a Victoria's Secret catalog. In one scene, a girl falls off a ladder face first into another's crotch, while the victim finds her nose buried in ladder-girl's ass. High-brow stuff, folks.

Oh, and here's my favorite Happy Gilmore scene:

Grandma: Sir, can I trouble you for a warm glass of milk? It helps me go to sleep.

Nursing Home Orderly: You can trouble me for a warm glass of shut-the-hell-up. Now, you will go to sleep or I will put you to sleep. Check out the name tag. You're in my world now, grandma. 

We're a games site, so I suppose we should be talking about videogame movies, right? While I was watching stupid movies and horny animation, the Multiplayer Blog was digging through the service to find the games movies. Here they are:

•  BloodRayne
•  BloodRayne 2
•  National Geographic’s …Video Games: Behind The Fun
•  Gamers [comedy]
•  Super Mario Bros. Super Show: Mario of the Deep
•  Pokemon: The First Movie
•  Street Fighter Alpha [anime]
•  Street Fighter Generations [anime]
•  The Legend of Zelda: The Complete Series 

I live in Indiana. Because corn is more favorable than entertainment, I often have to explain what a videogame or a console is before I can purchase them at normal retail outlets. It appears as though one of our local rent-to-own establishments is preying on my problem – people don’t know what the hell they are buying out here amidst the fields. In the ad above, the company is literally boasting the “every day low price” of the Xbox 360 Arcade and PlayStation 3, which they have set at $409.99 and $736.99, respectively.

It’s the nature of these places to screw over people by allowing them to rent things they can’t afford, but I find it hilarious that they’re trying to cover it up with flowery language about the price. Can you imagine renting an Xbox 360 for $99 a month for 6 months or a PS3 for 12 months at $89?

Thankfully, the establishment isn’t as evil as this ad seems to indicate. They’re also selling 1:24 NASCAR toys for the reduced holiday price of $19.95.

[Update: Here's a wicked huge image of the ad.]

Trukz, the online trucking simulation game has a contest going on, and the big winner will get a VERY cool 8ft tall Optimus Prime made from scrap metal (and weighing a quarter of a ton).

The Giant Robot Competition, which is ongoing until December 14 has tens of thousands of drivers driving over 250 million in-game miles since the start of November, and the winner of the statue will be announced in-game on the 15th of December.

Trukz is the trucking RPG, allowing players to embark on a virtual career as a truck driver or logistics company owner. With a host of new features being added to the game throughout December including in-game achievements, Australia, and an overhauled contract system, exciting times lie ahead for the Trukz community. So if you want to have a chance to win the most awesome, 8ft robots in the world for warding off burglars, Decepticons or just to scare the bejesus out of everyone who visits your home, go sign up.

About the game: Trukz.com allows you to play the role of a truck driver, working for companies or independently delivering cargo between cities across North America and Europe. Delivering cargo on time earns you in-game currency which can be redeemed against new trucks and equipment to make your journey more successful, while avoiding speed traps, police checking your hours of service and accidents along the way. The game features dozens of routes and different types of cargo for you to haul. The game also features hundreds of companies for you to join, giving you access to additional cargo, repair and fuel discounts, and exclusive routes to work.

All this is available free to play in your browser and ove 1.5 billion in-game miles have been logged since the game launched in April 2007. Therefore it is safe to assume that it is pretty popular indeed. So, if you want in on this contest, here are the official rules and details.

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• Optimus Prime In Assassin's Creed
• Peter Cullen on Optimus Prime and the Transformers
• Real Transformers Becoming A Reality
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• Pre-Order Metal Gear Solid 4 to Beta Test Metal Gear Online

Humor is a tough thing to get across in videogames. Unlike movies, videogames can sometimes last up to fifteen to twenty hours. Trying to keep players giggling for that long is an almost impossible task.

It seems the only way designers can successfully pull off a genuinely funny videogame is to delve deeper than just a goofy script full of cheesy puns and old ladies falling down (although that would keep me entertained just fine). A funny videogame needs to somehow mix in humorous gameplay with its smart, quick-witted story.

A perfect example of this is in classic PC adventure game The Secret of Monkey Island. Not only is this game full of highly quotable dialogue (“That's the second biggest monkey head I've ever seen!”), it manages to seamlessly blend its laugh at loud script with some pretty darn clever gameplay.

While I hate to single out just one sequence in a game full of so much hilarious win, hit the jump to relive a moment that I think shows off some of the most creative gameplay in the history of videogames. And, yes, my hyperbole is on fire today!

Recently, Penn Jillete (a comedic genius who does illusionist trickery with his silent partner Teller) illuminated the motivation behind the infamous Desert Bus minigame in the unreleased – but bootlegged – Sega CD title Penn & Teller’s Smoke and Mirrors. The purpose of Desert Bus was to recreate the drive from Tucson, Arizona to Las Vegas Nevada. The point being that it took a hell of a long time and nothing interesting happens along the way. In short, it was a joke, like all of the minigames in the ill-fated title.

In this video, promoting a charity event that utilized the videogame to raise money, Penn says that Desert Bus was created to hit back at Janet Reno, who not only demonized fantasy violence in games, but also said that games should teach people real life skills. Thus, the epic drive from Tuscon to Las Vegas was born and in Penn’s words a “game that was very real life” was created.

After 8 or so hours, if a player managed to keep his hands on the controller long enough, he would reach Las Vegas and score one point. Then the player would be asked to turn around and drive back. The minigame infinitely loops, which is why the Desert Bus charity event was able to carry on for a little over five days.

The God of Thunder (Gene Simmons) in cooperation with Interactive Game Group launched the AXE Guitar controller for the PS2 and PS3 on November 15 and unsurprisingly, Gene is very pleased with the product. The guitar controller is shaped just like his famous Axe shaped bass that long time fans of KISS may recall with a bit of misty nostalgia in their eyes.

“I never do anything half way. My AXE controller is the closest thing you can have to being onstage in KISS. I created and designed the Gene Simmons AXE bass guitar and I can’t wait for the fans to experience it for themselves,” said Gene. “The Gene Simmons AXE guitar is such a recognizable symbol - people have been asking for a gaming replica ever since Guitar Hero was first introduced.”

The AXE guitar controller is available for Guitar Hero and Rock Band franchises, is a fully equipped, replica of the bass, it is wireless and a three-quarter-sized replica of the original. Customized with a replicated paint finish of the original guitar, it also features a painted autograph from Gene along with and his photo in full-on KISS make-up which is painted onto the body of the controller.

If you are interested in purchasing it, you can get it here at www.genesimmonsaxeguitar.com for $79.99. As of this past Monday, Wii owners who play Guitar Hero are now able get one as well, with the Rock Band compatible version being made available on January 31. Xbox 360 owners– stay tuned because they are working on one right now.

If I had $79.99 to blow, I would get one for the Xbox 360 myself. KISS was one of my favorite bands as a kid and just to prove how big of a fan I was, let me let you in on a little secret of mine: I still have the KISS lunch box I carried to Catholic school in 3rd grade for which I caught tons of hell over from the nuns, I was part of the KISS army, I own all of their music on both LP and CD, I stuck with the band through good and bad, through Gene dating Cher and Diana Ross and I showed up to four of their concerts with my face painted like Gene.

Unfortunately, I just cannot afford such an expensive game controller. Maybe Gene will read this and send me one (hint hint) (not bloody likely).

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Related Articles at Gaming Today:

• Wii Bundle for Guitar Hero III Unveiled
• The LEGO Guitar Hero Controller
• Introducing the Guitar Hero Turntable Controller
• Standalone Wireless Gibson Guitar in Early ‘08
• CES 2008: Ediface Allows Real Guitars in Rock Band, Guitar Hero

Thursday 4th December, 2008/… Games industry trade body ELSPA (the Entertainment Leisure & Software Publishers Association) today urged parents looking to purchase video and computer games for Christmas to always check the game’s packaging for the PEGI (Pan European Game Information) age ratings and content descriptors. PEGI age ratings appear on game packaging and are intended to protect children and help the public make informed choices when buying games for children. ELSPA believes PEGI empowers parents to make the right gaming choices for their children.

Games sold in the UK clearly display PEGI ratings - a pan-European gaming-specific rating system instigated and used by all the major games publishers across Europe. PEGI age ratings provide a reliable indication of the suitability of the game content for the protection of minors.

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