Video Games

Creepy game alert: "Tiger's Transgressions"

Mary Elizabeth Williams — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 06:03:00 PST

One of the most visible side effects of the drama surrounding Tiger Woods' truly epic indiscretion has been its high entertainment value. In the wake of the jokes in late-night monologues, the impending porn movie and the slow jam, it was perhaps inevitable somebody would turn it into a game.

Loved to bytes

Tracy Clark-Flory — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 16:12:00 PST

What's a man to do when he meets the woman of his dreams -- and she just happens to be make-believe? Why, he proposes to her anyway. Last weekend, a man who goes by the screenname Sal9000 married Nene Anegasaki, his virtual girlfriend in a real-life ceremony presided over by a priest and broadcast live online. (I can only imagine how the priest concluded the ceremony: I now pronounce you husband and video game -- you may kiss the bride's pixels?) The happy couple met in the Nintendo DS game Love Plus, an interactive courting challenge that I previously wrote about because Japanese girlfriends and wives were reportedly complaining about the grip these made-up girlfriends had on their men. Now, the game has inspired what Lisa Katayama of Boing Boing calls "the first public wedding ceremony to ever take place between man and video game." Technically, the union isn't legally binding (although rumors do abound on gamer Web sites that the couple actually eloped to Guam, where marriage laws are apparently much, much more relaxed).

"Call of Duty" gamers scoff at recession

Andrew Leonard — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 06:14:00 PST

My son came home from middle school yesterday talking about "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2." One friend already owned it, he said wistfully. Another had somehow managed to convince his parents to splurge on the deluxe edition, complete with $200 night goggles.

You say you want a gaming revolution?

Alex Koppelman — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 03:18:00 PDT

The best way to understand "The Beatles: Rock Band" is to think of it as something completely separate from its predecessors in the wildly popular "Guitar Hero" and "Rock Band" series of video games, something different from all the video games that have preceded it, really. Because it's not a video game, not really -- it's a whole new kind of thing, an interactive Beatles experience.

Activision's Viral Campaign for Singularity Starts with a Bang

Jill Weinberger — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 12:32:40 PST

Read, watch, review and rate Singularity and MIR-12 »

Editor rating:

Website for this show »

Links

A video of a supposed assassination attempt in Russia pops up on YouTube and clocks over 400,000 views and 1,500+ comments in under a week. The info directs viewers to MIR-12, a shadowy organization bent on uncovering a deeply rooted Russian conspiracy they claim began in the 1950s. Turns out Natasha Norvikov, the fallen would-be assassin, was a member of MIR-12, and the site’s blog promises us that her death will not be in vain; the terrifying truth of the conspiracy will be exposed. Soon, a new video appears on the MIR-12 site, replete with stories of mysterious deaths and a secret Russian island with unstable radiation levels and the ability to disappear completely.

Either Russia really is running nefarious energy experiments and flirting dangerously with the space time continuum, and the only people capable of uncovering it are a covert group of operatives who like to Twitter, or…something viral is afoot. And Netizens are picking up the scent.

In fact, as blog dosdotzero uncovered via some pretty nifty detective work, this is all a campaign for Activision’s new first-person shooter game Singularity, steered by ad agency DDB and video-seeding maestros Feed Company. The intrepid forum posters at Unfiction have uncovered even more content, including Flickr and Facebook accounts for Natasha. They also found another site, named Katorga 12 after the creepy island in question (and the in-game, tell-all book of the same name, whose author was killed under suspicious circumstances), which turns out to be the home of the Singularity trailer. Ah, yes, it’s all coming together.

Adding to the depth of content are nice little touches like Natasha’s Facebook friend, Emily, corresponding with curious online sleuths, and alxnder12, the YouTube poster of the assassination video, adding as “Favorites” actual Russian news stories that might catch the eye of an international conspiracy theorist. Yes, critics are already cropping up and taking swipes at the original video’s production values, the shakiness of some of the Russian translations, and the unlikelihood of anything very terrible happening with Einsteinium (the ominously referenced Element 99), no matter how far amok scientists might run with it. And sure, when you’re promoting a shooter, sooner or later you’re going go have to step away from the backstory and show some, you know, shooting. But these are still early days, and so far, this seems to be a pretty well-orchestrated campaign that’s already doing what it’s supposed to do: It’s got people talking.

Stay tuned. And keep an eye out for mad Russian scientists. Just in case.

Playing games in a recession

Andrew Leonard — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 07:11:00 PST

Panic was my first reaction to the headline, "Electronic Arts Warns of Weak Holiday Sales." Forget about failing banks, automakers, mortgage lenders, homebuilders and all those horrible retail sales numbers. If the videogame industry is starting to tank, then it's time to put away the Great Depression comparisons and start invoking the Day of Judgement.

Can avatars stop identity theft?

Denise Caruso — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 12:11:00 PDT

Screenshot from Entropia Universe

"Fat Princess"

Lynn Harris — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 06:00:00 PDT

A new video game from Titan Studios/Sony has taken the cliché of the beautiful princess in distress, turned it on its head, and fed it lots and lots of cake. So much that -- ha ha ha ha ha!!!!! -- it apparently takes a whole crowd of soldiers to carry her. See, because she's fat. Joke's on you, Mario.

"Rock Band" on Wii: The same as before, but still fun

Alex Koppelman — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 13:05:00 PDT

Hi, Machinist readers -- you may recognize me from Salon's political blog, War Room. I'm posting here today because, like all political bloggers, I have a deep, dark secret: Really, I never wanted to be a political blogger. I wanted to be a rock star. (You know Matt Drudge? He only started the Drudge Report after he flubbed an audition to be the Red Hot Chili Peppers' 30th guitarist. True story.)

Spore Creature Creator: Proof that this game will rule

Farhad Manjoo — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 10:10:00 PDT

I'm in my 20s, but Wii Fit thinks I'm middle-aged!

Farhad Manjoo — Wed, 28 May 2008 04:00:00 PDT

Reuters/Yuriko Nakao

How Rock Band saved my marriage

Rachel Shukert — Tue, 27 May 2008 03:30:00 PDT

The summer after I graduated from high school, I went on tour with my then boyfriend's rock band. He was the drummer for an outfit that would eventually become disconcertingly well known, and since I was leaving for college in the fall, probably never to return, I was loath to leave him to the freedom of the road and the ministrations of wan indie rock groupies.

"Grand Theft Auto IV" is a dark urban masterpiece

Farhad Manjoo — Fri, 09 May 2008 04:00:00 PDT

Rockstar Games

"Grand Theft Auto IV" sales top $500 million in a week

Farhad Manjoo — Wed, 07 May 2008 12:28:00 PDT

Grand Theft Auto IV

"GTA" outrage: MADD confuses virtual/real drunk driving

Farhad Manjoo — Thu, 01 May 2008 13:38:00 PDT

Reviews: "Grand Theft Auto IV" will change your life

Farhad Manjoo — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 04:16:00 PDT

Grand Theft Auto IV

Prepare for the assault on "Grand Theft Auto IV"

Farhad Manjoo — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 13:05:00 PDT

Grand Theft Auto IV

Gary Gygax's final quest

Andrew Leonard — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 13:01:00 PST

Put down that doughnut, Wii Fit is finally coming

Farhad Manjoo — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 08:57:00 PST

When he unveiled the Wii Fit at a games show last year, Nintendo design guru Shigeru Miyamoto called it his dream peripheral for the Wii.

The quest for the perfect game face

Matt Shaer — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 04:40:00 PST

Early in his career, David Cage made the decision to discard what he calls the "traditional mechanics" of game design -- a puzzle, a solution, and a chest of gold.