Gamespot releases very brief statement on Gerstmann firing

In response to the storm of attention swirling around the firing of Jeff Gerstmann from Gamespot, the site's parent company, CNET Networks, released a very brief statement on the situation today.

"GameSpot takes its editorial integrity extremely seriously," the statement reads. "For over a decade, Gamespot and the many members of its editorial team have produced thousands of unbiased reviews that have been a valuable resource for the gaming community. At CNET Networks, we stand behind the editorial content that our teams produce on a daily basis."

As for Gerstmann specifically, CNET was less forthcoming, saying only that "it is CNET Networks' policy not to comment on the status of its employees, current or former."

If this is CNET's idea of damage control, it strikes me as pretty hollow. They seem to want everyone to respect their 'editorial integrity', but they say nothing in response to allegations they allowed an advertiser to dictate editorial content. A statement like this may have an effect opposite the one CNET intended. They may have been better off simply remaining mute on the subject, in essence taking the stance that they are above suspicion. Instead, they only further confirmed that their integrity is in question.

I suspect we'll hear more about this next week.

Crysis review - the bar has been raised!

Crysis has been on every PC gamer's radar for the past 18 months, ever since the first stunning images from the game were revealed to the public. No one ever questioned the game's unbelievable near photo-realistic graphics, but could the gameplay live up to the visuals? Gamespot has posted their opinion, and the video review follows after the break.

Amazing graphics...check. Excellent sound...check. Riveting story...check. Exciting gameplay...check. Apparently Crysis has it all. The reviewer calls it "without a doubt, one of the best shooters ever made." His only real complaint is the perplexing lack of a team deathmatch mode in multiplayer.



Now, all you need to do is spend a couple grand to upgrade your PC to an acceptable level to run Crysis.

Update: Firing Squad has an excellent story showing how you can upgrade your PC to run Crysis and the new Unreal Tournament game for only $500.

$1 Million Prize Pool for Halo 3 CPL Tourny

If you're one of the people who've already achieved rank 50 in Halo 3, then December 18th through the 22nd is a week you should circle on your calendar. That's when you have an opportunity to use those skills you've been sharpening to win your share of a $1,000,000 prize pool.

The event called The Extreme Winter Championships is a Cyberathlete Professional League tournament being held at the Hyatt Regency in downtown Dallas. First prize will net you a cool $250,000. If you're currently flipping burgers for The King or that other clown, you may need to save up two or three paychecks to enter. The regular entry fee is $475 per person but if you enter before noon on Friday (November 2nd) you can save $200 and get in for a meager $275. Of course you still have to pay for airfare and hotel accomodations. But hey, since it is a professional tournament, you can write off the expenses. 64 players will make it into the money with places 33-64 earning $2,500. That should at least cover the trip.

"Hell's Kitchen" Games Coming In 2008

Scottish culinary mogul Gordon Ramsay is bringing his caustic personality to your living room once again, this time in the form of Hell's Kitchen video games.

Ludia Inc. who's only other claim to fame is a still unfinished game based on The Price Is Right will be bringing games based on the reality TV show Hell's Kitchen to all major platforms next year, in conjunction with the debut of the show's fourth season.

According to Ludia founder Alex Thabet, the games will "bring the fun of the kitchen boot camp experience," which fans of the show know will likely consist of a digital Ramsay torturing his chef's-in-training with sadistic pleasure by calling them "Donkey's" and screaming beeped-out "F-Bombs" at them.

This game will be one to watch if only for the comedic possibilities.




For those gamers wishing to create some of Ramsay's dishes in their own real-life Hell's Kitchens, the game will also feature a book of some of his favorite recipes.

Assassin's Creed Goes Gold

One of the most anticipated titles of 2007, Assassin's Creed has gone gold and will be released November 13th. November is shaping up as a wallet busting month for gamers, with Super Mario Galaxy, Call of Duty 4, Mass Effect and now Assassin's Creed all vying for your entertainment dollars before Thanksgiving. The game will come out simultaneously on both the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 priced at $59.99 with a limited edition version made available at the usual $69.99. If you order either version from GameStop you'll also receive a glorious art book.

Losses from Sony's Game's Division Double

Sony has announced its financial results for the second fiscal quarter of 2007, showing an overall revenue growth year-on-year of 12.3 per cent. That's the good news, the bad news is losses from their game's division doubled to $841 Mil USD.

Sony attributed the loss primarily to pricing the PS3 at less than the price of manufacturing it. Losses on hardware are nothing new to console manufacturers who reap the huge bulk of their profits from software sales. However, considering the slow pace of sales of PS3 consoles combined with low software attach rates, the immediate future looks pretty bleak for Sony's bottom line, at least from their games division.

Don't worry too much for Papa Sony though, he won't be dipping into the kids college fund anytime soon; the company as a whole reported a profit of $787 Mil USD during the quarter.

Xbox 360 Game Library Only 17% Shooters

The Xbox 360 has a reputation for being a console only for shooter fans. Turns out the perception and the reality are quite different. FPS Source gathered the statistics and X3F provided a pie chart. Originally taking what FPS Source considers the console's current 137 title library, they discovered the FPS genre makes up only 11% of the 360's library and the Third Person Shooter genre just 6%, with the most common genres being sports and action/adventure titles.

Since these stats were released many people have voiced their different opinions on the subject. There have been a few updates, and some compromise including a new chart, using scores from Metatcritic, showing that 22% of the quality games are shooters. Some criticized the statistics reasoning that sports games, like Madden, should not be counted as multiple titles because they are just the same game with a different number every year. However, no matter how you slice it, shooters are merely one facet of the Xbox 360's varied gaming library. With games like Blue Dragon, Mass Effect and the ethereal Eternal Sonata, hopefully gamer's perceptions will start to more closely resemble the reality that the Xbox 360 is a lot more than just shooters.

The Holiday Showdown - It's All About Games

Games sell consoles.

This is one of the foundations of gaming. My Wii, purchased with excitement on launch day, now sits stagnant. If I could change history, I wouldn’t have bought that machine. Caught up in hype, I refused many meetings with my gaming senses and headed out to pay £200 for a week or two of gaming. There is simply not enough games for the machine.

Why is the PS3 struggling? “Price,” you cry? Certainly the hefty cost of the console is one reason. But I, like many others, would happily hand over £300 or more to play the finest games of all time. If only Sony’s machine had them.

Xbox 360 became the first machine to outsell the Wii. When the executives were cheering, the staff should have given a respectful nod to Master Chief, as it was his videogame swan-song Halo 3 that drove sales upward.

The present, and past, are all nodding agreement to this rule. That’s why publishers need to get a grip on release schedules to come out on top this December.

Businessmen know Christmas is the time to sell. It’s the time parents walk into shops, money in hand, looking for a present for young Jimmy to enjoy come Christmas Day. Need for Speed has proven itself adept at self-selling during this all-important period, claiming the Christmas number one chart position for many consecutive years. Aside from this giant of sales, let’s take a look at some of the games that could sell the most – and give the big 3 reason to boast.

Super Mario Galaxy is huge. It’s on the horizon, doing its best to block out rivals. Gaming’s granddaddy returns with an excitement steeped in more then just nostalgia; Galaxy feels fresh, new, and innovative. The game appears to be stepping in time to the Wii’s beat merrily; Their tandem could prove formidable when Mario touches down later this year.

The game to benefit directly from Army of Two’s delay could be Haze. Heard of, but not shouted about, Free Radical’s FPS has enjoyed a steady rise in interest since its announcement. Sony must have their fingers crossed this release doesn’t become another to stumble on the icy-surfaced PS3 release schedule.

With a storyline that remains a guarded secret (aside from the snipped of you being an assassin out of favour with his co-workers), Assasin’s Creed nevertheless has managed to grab attention with its Prince of Persia influenced gameplay, charming third-crusade setting, and a graphical showcase as eye-grabbing as anything else on the new generation of consoles.

Still basking in the afterglow of critical and commercial hit Bioshock, Bioware is looking for success again with Mass Effect. Already having garnered awards at various trade shows, the game is stealing attention for itself. You must defend our realm from another’s attack as Captain Shepard. His appearance and skills are all shaped by your decisions, as will be the fate of the universe come the end of the game. Certainly an interesting prospect for gamers.

These are just four of the games battling for your interest this Holiday season. I’ll revisit this later to update you on the Christmas Rush’s victories and losses.

Adam Montgomery

OKAMI Confirmed for Wii

According to Eurogamer, Capcom has finally confirmed the long-rumored Wii version of Okami is indeed coming. The calligraphy combat adventure game is slated for a Spring '08 release.

If you have not played Okami, it is one of the most original and satisfying games to hit any system in many years; both in terms of gameplay and visual style. It is also one game concept that is (theoretically) tailor made for the Wiimote.

I'll be looking forward to this one next year!

Ultimate Game Room? You decide.

I don't know who Gibby is, but he has a pimped-out game room.

I came across this site called Gibby's Game Room and I was blown away by this guy's setup. What I especially love is the Xbox and Playstation display cases. I think they are from an old Funco store. The corner painted with Mario with the NES storage bench is amazing as well.

His collection of games appears to be pretty damn impressive.

He does however seem to be lacking a decent diplay. Where's the HDTV Gibby? Either way, very nice! Seeing as how the site was created in 2003, he probably hadn't yet entered the HD era. How about an update Gibby?

Writers Guild to recognize Video Game Writers

The Writer's Guild of America announced last week that they will honor the top writers from the world of video games during their annual awards ceremony beginning with their next award presentations in February 2008.

While in the public consciousness this is not the Academy Awards, it is the equivalent in terms of stature for writers. Recognition of writing excellence in video games from such an organization is a tremendously positive sign that interactive media is indeed breaking new ground in terms of broad recognition as a legitimate art form.

For more information or to learn how to present someone for award consideration, see the full story from the WGA here.

Gamers raise over $14,000 to help classmate

Proving that video game players aren't the cold, robotic androids that most media reports like to portray them as, gamers in Kaukauna, Wisconsin held an event yesterday to raise money for a classmate who was struck by a drunk driver. (I live in Minnesota and would normally be required to make a joke right there, but this is not the time or place) The result? Over $14,000 raised.

All of the money raised will to go the hospitalized Tiffany Pohl as part of her recovery. Tony Bushner of the Kaukana Gamer's Club said, "It was successful to a degree that none of us even dreamed of, and we are all deeply touched by the community's involvement." Pretty impressive for an event that sold $1 raffle tickets for things like a Nintendo Wii and 50 cent tickets to play games like Guitar Hero, DDR, and Super Smash Bros.

You think this story will make the national news? Not when they would rather blame all the world's ills on games and gamers. We need more positive stories like this to come from the gaming community. Great job Kaukana!

Girls Gamers: They exist and are growing

I've noticed over the past year while playing Gears of War and Ghost Recon 2 and even Counter-strike online, I've been meeting a lot more female gamers playing the games traditionally only thought to be enjoyed by guys. These ladies aren't just fodder for sexist comments either, some of them kick some serious jibooty.

Amber Dalton is a member of PMS Clan, a professional gaming clan comprised completely of women that had been competing for over 5 years. In an interview with Steven Wong of GameDaily, Amber shares her insights into competitive gaming, the role women have in gaming and the responsibility girl gamers have to attract more women to gaming.

It is very easy to maintain anonymity while gaming, but that is not the way Amber sees it. When asked how important it is for more female gamers to step out and become known, she had this to say:

(Amber) I say greatly. While some women want to be known as a "gamer" and not a "girl gamer," I do not agree. Until women are common representatives in gaming, we need to represent greater diversity in gaming. We owe it to other women to help blaze a path that will make it easier for future women in gaming to follow. Take pride in who you are, don’t hide it. The same can be said for people like Rafik "Lost Cauze" Bryant, one of the only top African American male gamers in the PC community. To me, he has a greater responsibility than his male counterparts in the fact he needs to provide a good example for minority pro gamers. He seems to take that responsibility very well, and I think he is a wonderful representative for all gamers.

It is a short interview, but it gives some insight into the minds of female gamers. With the numbers of female gamers growing each day, as men playing these games we need to recognize the value women can bring to our gaming experience in terms of skill and community.

Jack Thompson blames Bill Gates for VT Massacre

Jack Thompson wrote an open letter to Bill Gates yesterday, blaming him for the Virginia Tech Massacre. I don't find it necessary to debunk Mr. Thompson's "reasoning", I think his letter says plenty about his state of mind and motivation.

Below is a copy of Thompson’s letter to Mr. Gates.

April 18, 2007

Bill Gates

Microsoft

1 Microsoft Way

Redmond, WA 98052

Via Fax and e-mail

Dear Mr. Gates:

On Monday, April 16, at 3:10 pm, I was a guest, as I often have been in the past, on the Fox News Channel. News anchor Bill Hemmer asked me to profile the Virginia Tech rampage killer. I did so, noting that until that day the worst school massacre in world history was at the hands of Robert Steinhaeuser, who literally trained on the Microsoft on-line, hyper-violent shooter game, Counterstrike. I mentioned your company’s game by name. I explained that the rehearsal for such a massacre is key to being able to pull it off, as efficiently as Cho, whose name we didn’t even know at the time. Cho and Steinhaeuser were able to do what they did the first time because it was not the first time. This is why the military uses this same virtual reality simulation to train soldiers to want to kill and how to kill calmly, as the witnesses of Cho said he did.

Sure enough, last night I was doing a west coast radio interview when the host said to me, "Mr. Thompson, you are right. The Washington Post is reporting right now the following:
‘Several Korean youths who knew Cho Seung Hui from his high school days said he was a fan of violent video games, particularly Counterstrike, a hugely popular online game published by Microsoft, in which players join terrorism or counterterrorism groups and try to shoot each other using all types of guns.’"

I thus went back on the Fox News Channel, and Bill Hemmer and I explained not only that I was right about your game figuring in the Virginia Tech massacre but also that the Washington Post excised the above excerpt from the story this morning. That is yet another story. The bad news for the Post however is that you can still get the excised excerpt at [hyperlink removed, Washington Post has since removed the article]. Thus, the cat is out of the bag, and his paw prints are still on the bag. Is this a great Internet, or what?

As you know, I similalry [sic] went on NBC’s Today Show with the DC Beltway Sniper still unidentified and at-large a few years ago and told Matt Lauer and the nation that the triggerman would most likely be a teen video gamer trained on a sniper video game. The tarot card was a clue, but there were other clues. I was right, as Malvo trained on your Microsoft game, Halo. NBC reported that three months later, and it was part of the criminal trial of Malvo.
Mr. Gates, your company is potentially legally liable the harm done at Virginia Tech. Your game, a killing simulator, according to the news that used to be in the Post, trained him to enjoy killing and how to kill. You knew five years ago that your on-line game, Counterstrike, so clearly figured in the massacre by a student in Erfurt that the event and the game impacted the race for Chancellor in Germany at the time!

Yet, here you are, five years after "Erfurt," still marketing Counterstrike. having done nothing to disable the server(s) for this mass murder simulator, and it looks like "Virginia Tech" is a consequence. There’s more going on in the world than Vista. Just ask the bereaved Virginia Tech families.

Mr. Gates, pull the plug on Counterstrike today, or do we need more dead to convince you? "Virginia Tech" was the 9-11 of school shootings, and it appears Microsoft is in the middle of it, in more ways than one.

Regards, Jack Thompson

"Win a Wii for a buck" or "Luckiest Kid in the World"

The following video is of the luckiest kid in the world. He actually won a major prize from a Stacker machine, you know those games you see in the mall, restaurants, arcades and movie theaters. And this kid didn't just win the biggest stuffed animal in the machine, he won a Nintendo Wii! Unbelievable.

Warning, the video is most definitely NSFW or school...the kids with him drop 20 megaton f-bombs in celebration of their friend's victory...and rightly f'n so!



I want that kid to come rub me for good luck! Wait, what I mean is...oh, never mind.

Take-Two's CEO and board ousted by shareholders

In a widely expected outcome, during the Take-Two Interactive shareholders meeting a group of investors led by Oppenheimer Funds elected to remove CEO Paul Eibeler and establish a new board of directors. After a spate of PR snafus, internal and external investigations and the infamous Grand Theft Auto 3 "Hot Coffee" scandal, the company's investors had clearly had enough, electing Strauss Zelnick as chairman and instituted Ben Feder, an associate of Zelnick's, as interim CEO. "This is not going to be an easy task," said Zelnick. "But I think, and Ben thinks, that there's an awful lot of good stuff going on at Take-Two."

Reaction in the investment community was positive, though analysts noted the company's turnaround will take a concerted effort. "While the incoming board possesses a wealth of media experience, it faces a number of serious obstacles to a turnaround," Bear Stearns analyst Edward Urban wrote in a client note. Urban said the company might endure "a long and difficult transition." Shares rose four percent, to $21.94 in premarket Nasdaq trading.

Hopefully this move will set Take-Two down the path to regaining some stability so they can focus on what they do best, which is making kick-ass games!

For more, read the full report from The New York Times.

Gamestop exec says Wii shortages are intentional

Have you been trying to get your hands on a Nintendo Wii only to be met with empty store shelves? You're not alone, and now we may know why. We live in a supply and demand world...when supply is high and demand is low, prices drop. When things are reversed we see $10,000.00 PS3's on Ebay.

That's why it's hardly a surprise to hear R. Richard Fontaine, CEO of GameStop, saying that his company's profits may be about to ride the crest of "a cycle on steroids."

Fontaine believes Nintendo is about to release the floodgates on the Wii supply drought -- a drought GameStop feels may be the result of a well played Nintendo supply-and-demand strategy. Gamasutra has an article up at the moment in which a few statements made by Fontaine and other GameStop executives are quoted, directly following an investor-level financial reports conference.

GameStop's COO Dan DeMatteo also made the following statement to the press: "I believe that next week we get our first allocations of Wii and DSs and we are quite pleased with those numbers. We were concerned about the dryness here in March, but it looks like April is going to be good. [...] I don't think [more shortages] are going to be an issue...and this just my opinion, but I think [Nintendo] intentionally dried up supply because they made their numbers for the year. The new year starts April 1, and I think we're going to see supply flowing."

This is good news if you're looking to get a Wii next month, but is it good for the industry as a whole? These kinds of strategies can cause distrust and sometimes result in lost customer loyalty. If these reports are true Nintendo is walking a fine line between smart economics and poor public relations.

Do you think it's okay for Nintendo to intentionally hold back consoles just to make their fiscal year look better?