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The Edinburgh Interactive Entertainment Festival (EIEF) conference is scheduled to take place August 21-22, and Tommy Tallarico will be there talking about game music. Tallarico, who is a co-creator of “Video Games Live” and a respected game music composer (Advent Rising, Earthworm Jim), will explore the future of music, as a key component in the interactive entertainment experience, in his speech entitled “Edinburgh Faces the Music.” During his talk, Tallarico will touch on several topics, including an examination of game music in relation to its Hollywood counterpart, film music, and a look at some ways the video game industry can capitalize on its use of music in games. The conference is overseen by a committee which includes The Independent Games Developers Association (TIGA), and the Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association (ELSPA).
Read More 
| Music4Games.net
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A free video game called Remission is helping young patients fight cancer. Created by a non-profit organization located in Palo Alto, CA. called Hopelab, the game is rated for teens and young adults. Remission is a third-person shooter following the exploits of Roxxi, a nanobot video babe who does battle with cancer and its side affects using the same weapons (treatments and medicines) that actual cancer patients use. The twenty-level game has proved challenging even for patients who are avid gamers. Remission also has a supporting website, offering a place for patients to chat with each other and search resources for information about cancer.
In addition to providing a diversion for young cancer patients, another interesting benefit came from playing the game. A recent study noted that cancer patients who played Remission became better equipped at beating the disease; game playing patients were more proactive regarding their treatments and had an improved quality of life as a result. The game is available for download at www.re-mission.net.
Read More | CBS 5 (San Francisco)
Sony’s PS3 E-Distribution Initiative
Posted by Christopher Sasaki Categories: Corporate News, Internet, PlayStation 3,
Gamasutra recently talked to John Hight, Director of External Production at SCEA Santa Monica about Sony’s plans for their E-Distribution Initiative. The project at Sony seems to be a competitor to Microsoft’s Xbox Live Arcade. Hight emphasizes some of the benefits on the cost side for Sony, claiming the service “lowers our cost of sales and eliminates inventory risk. It should help curtail used game sales and piracy.” Piracy has always been an issue for Sony; in the past the company has also made moves to try and restrict used game sales. Gamasutra also noted that Sony hopes to utilize the service for both first party and third party content. Microsoft’s Arcade titles have been largely third party developed. With Sony’s E-Distribution, and Nintendo’s Virtual Console, all three console manufacturers will have competing digital download services in this generation. Hopefully, the lower cost of entry on these platforms will mean gamers will see a more diverse game population in the future.
Read More | Gamasutra
New Super Mario Bros. Loses Top Spot in Japan
Posted by Christopher Sasaki Categories: Culture, Nintendo DS, PlayStation 2, PSP,
New Super Mario Bros. has finally been pushed from the top of the best seller’s list in Japan. Gamers who bet that a Square-Enix published title would accomplish this feat scored a win, as Valkyrie Profile: Silmeria took the top spot. The tri-Ace developed game sold 281,510 copies between the 19th and 25th of June. Mario is still no slouch, clocking in at 170,168 units. The Magic Box’s translation of the latest Media Create numbers show five other DS titles in the top ten, including Animal Crossing, Digimon Story, and three DS training titles. SNK Playmore’s latest entry in the King of Fighters series debuted at sixth on the list, with 28,015 copies sold.
Despite Mario’s loss in the rankings, the DS Lite was still the number one seller, with gamers picking up another 157,022 consoles, and no other console even came close. The Playstation 2 still has legs in Japan, with 25,467 units sold. Apparently, there are still some diehard Xbox fans living the dream; 10 people picked up that console last week.
Read More | The Magic Box
Assassin’s Creed Exclusivity Questioned (again!)
Posted by Michael Cardiff Categories: Action, PlayStation 3, Rumors,
The question that wouldn’t die for the past few months has been the exclusivity of Assassin’s Creed to the PS3. For those of you that, unlike videogame bloggers, haven’t been following this story with bated breath, we’ll begin with a brief history of Assassin’s Creed, the latest stealth/action game by Ubisoft that was said to be an exclusive PS3 launch title.
More after the jump…
Click to continue reading Assassin’s Creed Exclusivity Questioned (again!)
Read More | Playfuls.com
More Controversial PSP Advertisements Coming
Posted by Michael Cardiff Categories: Culture, Portable/Mobile, PSP, Trailers,
Sony seems to be hiring a lot of edgy marketers over in the UK, and their advertisements for the PSP have been taking a lot of heat recently. Sony had 45 complaints filed against it for its original PSP ads, which said things like “Strong language and scenes of a sexual nature here”, “Your girlfriends white bits here”, and my vote for the worst “Take a Running Jump Here”, which was placed next to some subway tracks.
Evidently Sony wasn’t fazed by this negative press, as they’ve gone ahead and started posting the ad above (currently spotted in the Netherlands), which features a white woman aggressively handling a black woman and looming over her as an advertisement for the white PSP. I think most folks would agree that the ad is a little bit distasteful. But hey, at least they didn’t go so far as to have anyone dressed in KKK garb (yet).
Perhaps Sony is taking to heart the mantra that any press is good press, but I wonder how long it might be until they start alienating some of their potential customers.
Read More | Hexus.net
Liberty City Still Tops in UK
Posted by Christopher Sasaki Categories: Culture, Nintendo DS, PC, PlayStation 2,
New Super Mario Bros. had the second best launch of a DS title since Super Mario 64 DS, but this was not enough to unseat Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories from the top sales spot in the UK. According to a report by Gamasutra, New Super Mario Bros. debuted at second place on the Chart Track sales ranking this week. Three other DS titles appear on this week’s chart, including Over the Hedge, Animal Crossing, Brain Training, and Nintendogs: Dalmatian & Friends. Electronic Arts’ FIFA World Cup and Konami’s Pro Evolution Soccer take two other spots, due largely to the ongoing World Cup tournament. Rounding out the top ten are Tomb Raider: Legend and Hitman: Blood Money. Nintendo had a fairly soft launch of the DS Lite in the UK, but New Super Mario Bros. may help lift console sales.
Read More | Gamasutra
Opera For Nintendo Site Launches
Posted by Christopher Sasaki Categories: Corporate News, Internet, Nintendo DS,
Opera Software has launched their official “Opera For Nintendo” site, promoting both Opera for the Nintendo DS and for the Wii. The Wii section is just a teaser right now, but the DS section is more detailed. Opera offers tips and tricks to help users get the most out of their browsing experience. Users will find a number of shortcuts to speed their browsing sessions and a way to customize the search bar. The features tour shows off what most users already know, but there is a screenshot of the online help file. Gamers looking to promote the DS version of Opera on their own site can find banners there as well. There is also a “Caught in the Act” section, with users “caught” using the DS in various situations. Hopefully, the Wii section will be populated in the near future.
Read More | Opera Software
Nintendo DS: Fastest Selling Console in Japan
Posted by Christopher Sasaki Categories: Nintendo DS, Wii,
According to Japanese market research firm Media Create, the Nintendo DS is on track to sell 10 million units in Japan by August. Club Skill translates the article, saying the combined sales of the DS and DS Lite would be the fastest to reach that benchmark ever. The immense popularity of the DS has colored the announcements of Nintendo and its partners; Satoru Iwata recently had to confirm for shareholders that the production of the Nintendo Wii would not impact DS manufacturing. Square Enix also had to verify for a nervous public that they were working with Nintendo to make sure there would be enough production of the DS for their launch of Final Fantasy III. Nintendo has already sold more than 16 million DS consoles worldwide, most of that in the US and Japanese territories.
Read More | Club Skill
Some artistic gamers in Melbourne, Australia have put together an installment of Tetris along an unknown freeway. This is the best use of milk crates since my freshmen year in college!
Read More | Wooster Collective
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