If you’ve always been a fan of zombie games and movies then you probably know how the story goes. A bunch of dead guys walk around infecting live ones until the virus spreads and it’s only a handful of characters out to save the world. Well, Infectonator: World Denominator is about to blow some fresh air into the graveyard.
In this new game, you are not the hero that saves the world, nor his sidekick. On the contrary, you are actually on the side of the dead guys. In fact, you’re the one who spreads the virus to the dead guys. To begin your game, you start by spreading an infection among a group of people. You then lie back to watch your masterpiece by enjoying the sight of your zombies infect one innocent human after another. The more humans you kill, the more money you get to upgrade and improve your loyal zombies.
Once you have taken over an entire town, you can then bring your blood-hungry brood along to infect the next town. With a track of bloody and ruined towns behind you, you can then set your sights to infecting the entire country. And once you have turned the entire country into a nation of ghouls, nothing can stop you from conquering the world. Bwahaha!
Have you always enjoyed board games that involve a mystery to be solved? Are you always the first one to figure out “whodunit” when watching or reading detective stories? Do you live for that delicious moment when you blurt out “ah-hah!” once you have solved the case?
If this sounds pretty much like you then you will surely enjoy the latest game that Disney is about to release. The interactive game Guilty Party revolves around the sleuths of the Dickens Detective Agency. Once you have selected a detective character that you will play, you and the other players will take turns in investigating various scenes in search for important clues. These mysterious environments will range from elegant cruise ships to vast mansions. Once you have gathered all the evidence, you will then compose a character profile of the unknown assailant. Your character sketch will include details such as gender, height, hair and weight. You will then have the option between interrogating the suspect and accusing him right off the bat.
Guilty Party also includes some exciting mini-games that will surely bring out the detective in you. There are games that will require you to dust for fingerprints, interview a witness and such. Another great thing about the game is that it can be customized according to the age of the player and the desired level difficulty. For instance, kids can take advantage of mini-games where the witness will directly lead to the suspect. While older and more experienced players can opt for more challenge by choosing games wherein the witness speaks in riddles or flat out lies.
“Whodunit” board games such as Clue have garnered so much popularity among people of all ages and it’s not really hard to see why. People simply love the adrenaline that comes with figuring out the how the pieces of the mystery puzzle fit together and, at last, uncovering who the villain is. The problem with traditional whodunit board games is the amount of time and effort required to set up the board game and to clean it all up afterwards. You’ve probably experienced being the unfortunate soul left alone by your other co-players to clean up and put away the board game set.
What if you can still play at being a mystery sleuth without all the clean-up required? This is precisely the opportunity that Disney seeks to give you with the all-new interactive Guilty Party. The game is developed by the same company who brought you popular mini-games such as Hail to the Chimp and Studds the Zombie. The game requires four players, making it an appropriate game for friends and family who are looking to unwind.
The plot of the game revolves around the detectives who work for the Dickens Detective Agency. This elite group of sleuths is made up of interesting characters for you to choose from—a kung-fu expert granny, a roguish street detective and such. The whole team is led by The Commodore, who is on a constant campaign to stop the crimes of his arch nemesis Mr. Valentine.
There is no doubt that videogames have a large impact on the development of your children. Not only do videogames contribute in their perception of the reality around them but gaming can also affect other aspects in their lives such as their health, studies and social capabilities.
Even if you play a big role in choosing your kids’ videogames for them, it’s still important to monitor gaming inside your house by creating several house rules. Here are some good ideas to start with.
If you have a young boy they you probably know about their attraction to violent games. Even if you buy their games for them, your kids can easily sneak behind your back and purchase from videostores or download from the web. Be sure that you monitor this access by knowing your local videogame providers and online accounts they use.
Prohibiting your kids from playing games with violence and sexual content is not enough to effectively stop them from playing. In fact, you may even encourage their rebellion. Instead, take the time to sit down and explain why these types of games concepts are unfavorable and offensive.
It’s also important to come up with playing schedules to make sure that your children do not abuse their gaming privileges. For instance, perhaps you can allow them to play only after they have done their homework or when they are finished with their chores.
Finally, do your best to encourage your kids to take an interest in other non-gaming social activities, such as group sports, school plays and such.
If you grew up during a time where your preoccupations as a child were made up of dolls, robots and playing games with other neighborhood kids then it’s easy to get suspicious of modern videogames. After all, the violence and sexual content portrayed in many games today are enough to make parents want to ban all games from their children’s routine.
However, you can’t deny the fact that kids today will want to play videogames. To make sure that they are playing the right type of games, you can play a role in the selection of the videogames they play.
When it comes to choosing a game for your kids, it’s important that you consider their interest. For instance, are they interested in medieval battles or playing sports? Choosing games that cater to your kid’s interest will surely motivate him to play the game.
The ESRB, or Entertainment Software Rating Board, is a body that provides ratings and reviews of almost every videogame that emerges in the market. Check out the your options by limiting them to the titles that are appropriate for your child’s age. However, the rating is not a guarantee that the game will be violence-free since even the mildest games today can contain plenty of blood and gore.
Young boys love to play violent games because these games make them feel a sense of control, power and dominance. Instead, channel this need to more educational and intellectual pursuits. For instance, games that require a lot of strategies and smart thinking can let your child feel good about himself without the violence.
If you are buying the videogame for your young daughter, then make sure you refrain from games that depict female characters in stereotypical and patriarchal ways–such as females who gain favors of men by relying on their appearance.
The connection between the media and children’s perception regarding violence has never failed to be the center of discussions. Concerned parents and children experts alike agree that violent TV programs as well as videogames are teaching children about violence, even encouraging it.
Now, Dr. Linda Papadopoulos–psychologist behind Big Brother–is claiming that videogames are now also playing a role in the sexualization of children.
In an interview in the Telegraph, Papadopoulos expressed her disapproval over videogames that contain “highly sexual content”. For an example, she cited the game Miss Bimbo, wherein female characters compete to marry a billionaire by all undergoing boob jobs.
Papadopoulos further expressed her concern toward a society where children are learning about sex and sexuality at a very early age. This is due to the proliferation of pornography as well as videogames and marketing slogans that have a very sexual nature.
Papadopoulos said a government report will act as a warning and perhaps a guideline to remedy the situation. The doctor will also include magazines such as Nuts and Zoo in the report.
Some gamers think that it’s only a matter of time before the game Dead or Alive is included in the list. For those who have played the game, you are probably familiar with the videogames’s content. The game features numerous female characters wearing scanty outfits like bikinis and posing in compromising positions.
If you’ve been playing videogames ever since you can move your fingers across game consoles then you probably know all about the game Missile Command. If you haven’t played the game in a while (and chances are you haven’t) then get ready for a comeback–not in your PC or PSP but in the big screen.
Word is out that the game’s creator, Atari, is now shopping around trying to sell the game as the next videogame adaptation to hit Hollywood.
In case you don’t remember, Missile Command had a very simplistic plot. What with the available graphic technology of the 1980′s, videogames could not really afford complex storylines. The game was basically about Cold War missiles that were fired to destroy several cities. You, the player, is tasked to stop these missiles by firing your own weapons.
If you wish to play the game instead of seeing it on the big screen, you’ll be glad to know that Atari is also planning to remake the game.
With the emergence of this news, many are wondering how an ancient game with spare graphics that are no more than wavy lines squiggling across the screen can be translated into a full-pledged movie. After all, games that make great movies are those that have well-developed back stories.
Despite this, writers and producers will likely see the appeal of making movies out of vintage games like Missile Command. This is because a game like Missile Command can give way to more possibilities and give writers a chance to start from almost scratch.
This February, Electronic Arts unveiled Command and Conquer 4: Tiberian Twilight that was especially designed for the PC. Unlike other launches and special events of major videogames, the event seemed to be free of any big celebrities.
Sam Bass, the lead designer of the game and who is also in charge of the fiction, explained this lack of stars at the event. Sam claimed that they deliberately planned to hire actors that were lesser-known, with the exception of the central character who was played by Joe Kucan or Joe Cane.
Sam added that they wanted to make the Command and Conquer story more credible so they hired actors who can play the characters convincingly, instead of being known for a more major role. This was extremely important to the creators especially since the plot of the game is quite dark and grim.
The cinematics of the new game have also vastly improved. This time, the designers behind Command and Conquer wanted to give the game the feel of a real movie. The actors are moving in an authentic movie set. Unlike the static shots that players noticed in Red Alert 3, Command and Conquer impressively featured a camera that moves around each scene.
Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past year, then you’ve probably heard of the EA game Dante’s Inferno. In fact, some of you might have already played it. Whether you like the game or not, there is no doubt that some of the marketing strategies that EA pulled to promote their new game have attracted your attention.
For instance, there was the company’s attempt to promote lust at the this year’s Comic-Con by inviting gamers to take pictures in EA’s booths with scantily clad models. Another stunt included EA giving away $200 checks to selected game bloggers and the news media.
Now, EA’s new marketing stunt is turning out to be quite a hit in Japan. Behold the new Dante’s Inferno ramen noodles. The ramen is available in any branch of Moukou Tanmen Nakamoto. As expected the ramen was specially designed to become consistent with the game’s dark theme. The ramen comes in a soup with a tomato base to give it its blood-red appearance. Ten rings have also been drawn along the bowl’s sides, each ring representing a circle of hell. Outside the box were also painted tongues of fire. Hell-flavored noodles, anyone?
To complete the marketing package, a local Japanese celebrity known as Dante Carver was called in to dress up as the Dante of the game in the commercials.
The Nintendo DS has advanced passed the level of a simple portable Nintendo and evolved into its own entity with a variety of uses and award-winning games unique to the system. The DS boasts a signature second screen, which can be used and manipulated with a stylus, offering a totally different gaming experience. If you have a Nintendo fan in your circle and they don’t have a Nintendo DS, this must immediately be rectified. If they do, help them get the most out of it with these innovative games.
Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks: The most sought-after Nintendo property isn’t on the Wii this holiday season, it’s on the DS. Spirit Tracks takes its hero, Link, through an exciting and dangerous new world bursting with puzzles and enemies. Along for the ride is a Phantom, a heavy suit of armor that can be moved with the stylus. Tap the Phantom and then tap where you’d like him to go, and he’ll go there. This is incredibly useful when Link must navigate through lava or other harmful terrain. Spirit Tracks takes further advantage of the DS with weapons like the Whirlwind, which is activated when the user blows into the microphone outlet. Truly an exciting entry in the Zelda series for those longing for more after beating Twilight Princess.
Scribblenauts: One of the most unique, creative and mind-expanding games ever produced. The only limit in this game is your imagination. The premise is simple: you play a little guy who needs to collect a star that may be across a lava lake or inside a cage. You can type any word – ghost, dragon, God or even Large Hadron Collider – and that object will appear on the screen. With a database of over 22,000 words, there’s very little you can’t do in Scribblenauts.
