Bad luck for Atomic Games last weekend at the PAX East show: during the last day of the event, one of the attendees of the event apparently stole the game’s codes to Breach. After downloading the code, the thief stealthily made his way out by getting lost in the crowd. Fortunately, watchful members of the studio managed to spot and catch him. The suspect’s computer was confiscated and the codes were quickly found.

David Tractenberg who is the spokesman for Atomic Games commented on the incident. He said that the thief did not try to deny that he tried to steal and get away with the game’s codes. However, he did claim that it “wasn’t a big deal” and explained that he only wanted to play the game with his buddies.

According to Atomic president Peter Tamte, the thief only managed to download about 14 MB of the game codes to his laptop before he was spotted by the staff. Atomic Games is not just your average game studio, the company actually does some work for intelligence groups and the military. This is why Tamte and his team take data theft very seriously. Tamte also says that he is glad they caught the thief before the stolen game was transferred to the Web.

One might remember that this is not the first time some hackers tried stealing game codes. Valve’s Half-Life 2 was also pirated by hackers online. Fortunately, FBI Cybercrime Task Force caught the suspects in time.

If you’re one of the many hardcore gaming fanatics out there then you probably welcome any new reason that supports your addiction, er, hobby. Well, look no further than the results of a recent study in Oxford University.

The study was specifically focused on the classic game Tetris, where players are tasked to stack bricks of various shapes and colors in order to form a solid construction where all the bricks fit in like pieces of a puzzle. After you go through a very stressful event, playing a videogame is not exactly the first solution you think of. However, researchers over at Oxford University have stated that playing Tetris can actually help one get over shock or stress.

The study was led by Dr. Emily Holmes of the Department of Psychology. In the experiment, 40 healthy individuals were asked to participate. All the participants were shown traumatic pictures that showed injuries and other unpleasant images. After half an hour, one group of the participants was instructed to play the game of Tetris for about ten minutes. This group had less flashback episodes during the next week, compared to the group that did not play the game.

According to Dr. Holmes, the method is more effective if the game was played immediately after the traumatic event. This allows the game playing to change how the event will be placed in our memories.

So the next time you feel like the world is weighing down on you, don’t be afraid to reach out for a Tetris game. Wonder if this also works in the videogames.

It’s no big secret that the Japanese probably regard gamers from the West as addicts to gore and blood. This is no doubt the reason why Hisashi Koinuma, producer of Omega Force, has reported that he and his team are working on a bloodier and more violent version of the Fist of the North Star. The original version is already one of the best-selling games in Japan as of now.

According to Koinuma, the team won’t be making any changes in the gameplay at all. The only changes that will be made are in the violent aspects of the game, which will be turned up quite a bit to suit fans in the West.

Aside from this enhanced brutality, the Omega Force team is also working on some downloadable content for the game. In fact, the team has already released Kenshiro’s Manga costume. The DLC might include some challenge modes as well. What about any sequel? Koinuma says that the possible creation of a sequel will depend on demand of fans. Aside from a sequel, the team is also considering more adaptations from Manga in the future. Some fans say that the fact that Fist of the North Star is a game from Tecmo Koei is already enough guarantee of a sequel.

Gaming fanatics know Shigeru Miyamoto as the genius game designer behind Nintendo. When asked about whether Nintendo is gunning up to compete in the online gaming world, the happy-go-lucky Miyamoto made one statement—he doesn’t really care much. Given the fact that Microsoft and Sony are moving mountains just to improve their online games, this statement from Miyamoto really came as a surprise.

Miyamoto also talked about how most claim that Nintendo’s advance into the network business is rather late. He comments on this by saying that the company wanted to improve the business first and make it familiar to consumers.

The game designer also said that since Nintendo launched Wii, the company has been more proactive. He also says that online connection can create new and unique creative opportunities for him, but ultimately, his goal is to provide entertainment to as many people as possible—and these people refer to owners of Wii. However, Miyamoto also mentioned their online game Mario Kart, to prove that Nintendo is gradually branching out into the Internet. Although for Miyamoto, his personally goal is to please gamers—whether they are online or not.

This decision by Nintendo not to join the hyped up competition with Microsoft and Sony is really admirable. More gaming companies should really follow Nintendo’s example when it comes to developing their strengths instead of rushing to make better sales.

God of War III, which is one of the most popular titles to be released in the gaming industry of late, is without a doubt a violent game. Lots of bloodshed, torn flesh and broken bones are all just part of the gameplay. But who would have thought that this violence would translate into real life? No, it’s not about a couple of Kratos wannabes who got so caught up in the game and decided to beat each other up. It’s more like a gamer who was playing God of War III alone and then for some reason, broke his two fingers.

The report from the doctor showed the radiograph of the guy’s broken bones. The exam showed fractured bones in two different places. The doctor explained how the accident came about. He said that his patient was so enthralled with the game that he rolled over his own hand with a knee, resulting in the fractures.

Um, okay. This still doesn’t explain how he got the fractures, though. Most people play videogames sitting down on the couch or floor, leaning back, lying on their back or lying on their stomach. In any case, they would be holding the game controller in their hands. So how in the world did the guy end up with his hand under his knee?

If you know your serial killer history then you probably know that Jack the Ripper is the first recorder serial killer of all times. His murderous rampage in Whitechapel, London in the 19th century is as popular and chilling today as it was then. The fact that he was never identified only adds to the thrill of the grim tale.

Visceral Games of EA is apparently taking advantage of this popularity by creating a videogame based on the infamous murderer. Aptly, the game will be called simply The Ripper. However, the game will be putting a new spin on things. Most people probably know Jack the Ripper as a psychopathic maniac but don’t worry, you won’t be slashing up aging prostitutes in the game. In The Ripper, Jack will actually be transformed into one of the good guys. At least, that’s what sources say for now.

According to reports, Jack will be preying on evil supernatural creatures like vampires, monsters and demons. And knowing Visceral Games, it’s certain that these creatures will be one-of-a-kind graphic creations. Just think back to Dante’s Inferno and Dead Space. Jack the Ripper will also have a variety of weapons to help him out. Word has it that he will even have the ability to slow down or pause time.

For now, the game remains as mysterious as the legend that it was adapted from. All we know is that it will be downloadable in Playstation and Xbox Live.

Videogame fanatics who spend a huge chunk of their waking hours playing games always have to deal with the same stuff from their non-gamer family and friends—stuff about how virtual reality can be bad, how they are not in touch with reality, how they are lacking social skills, etc. Well, Jane McGonigal of the Institute of the Future is singing a completely different tune. According to the game research and development head, more people should play more videogames in order to save the world.
This might sound like a kooky idea but it is at the core of McGonigal’s speech at TED 2010. If you don’t know what the TED 2010 conference is all about, it’s where intelligent and respected people in the industry gather to share their ideas and studies so one cannot just write off this speech as “wishful thinking”. McGonigal proposes 21 billion hours as a weekly quota when people need to play games. She said that long and intensive hours of videogames may just provide gamers with the skills that are necessary to come up with solutions to solve the world’s problems. While some people might call gamers “ nerds”, McGonigal actually refers to them as “super-empowered hopeful individuals” (tell that to the next person who bullies you about your videogames!).
So how does McGonigal explain the connection between gaming and saving the world? She says that when a person is playing a game, he is confident that he will overcome obstacles and believe that he can achieve victory. Once he goes back to reality, he loses this self-confidence and belief. McGonigal explains that if this reward system and courage is applied in reality, gamers could actually start changing the world.

Videogame fanatics who spend a huge chunk of their waking hours playing games always have to deal with the same stuff from their non-gamer family and friends—stuff about how virtual reality can be bad, how they are not in touch with reality, how they are lacking social skills, etc. Well, Jane McGonigal of the Institute of the Future is singing a completely different tune. According to the game research and development head, more people should play more videogames in order to save the world.
This might sound like a kooky idea but it is at the core of McGonigal’s speech at TED 2010. If you don’t know what the TED 2010 conference is all about, it’s where intelligent and respected people in the industry gather to share their ideas and studies so one cannot just write off this speech as “wishful thinking”. McGonigal proposes 21 billion hours as a weekly quota when people need to play games. She said that long and intensive hours of videogames may just provide gamers with the skills that are necessary to come up with solutions to solve the world’s problems. While some people might call gamers “ nerds”, McGonigal actually refers to them as “super-empowered hopeful individuals” (tell that to the next person who bullies you about your videogames!).
So how does McGonigal explain the connection between gaming and saving the world? She says that when a person is playing a game, he is confident that he will overcome obstacles and believe that he can achieve victory. Once he goes back to reality, he loses this self-confidence and belief. McGonigal explains that if this reward system and courage is applied in reality, gamers could actually start changing the world.

If you’ve had the chance to play the videogame Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days, then you might have noticed something different about the graphics of the game. For instance, you may have detected how shaky the camera angles are or how rough and pixilated some scenes are. Like many players, you might have had the impulse to adjust your TV settings, not knowing that the rough texture actually comes with the game. According to IO Interactive, a credible and engaging story is not just about using high-res textures for graphics.

Game producer Karsen Lund takes time to talk about the game. He relates how he and the developers decided to tell the game story through a consistent point-of-view. This means that players won’t have any access to what the villains are thinking. In order to enhance this POV, a documentary feel was incorporated into the game. Lund also believes that to be able to heighten the authenticity of the game, the game also had to lose its Hollywood-like visuals which can make players feel that everything has been staged instead of occurring in real life and in real time.

Most would say that this concept is very ambitions for IO. And there is always the danger that players will fail to get the concept at all, but would simply consider the graphics of the game as incompetent. Lund admits that this possibility is one of their worries. However, he happily reports that the game has been understood so far by players who have tested it. Lund says that it’s all about enhancing the game’s realism while still polishing the visuals of the game.

Kane and Lynch 2: Dog Days is set to be released in August.

Do you ever wonder why some videogames have sequels and some do not? Well, the explanation is quite simple. Since the videogame industry is also a business then each business must produce some profit to garner more investment. This means that if a game sells more than a million units then it is considered successful and worthy of a sequel. However, if the game sells less than half a million then it’s basically a flop. This explains why Dark Void and Mushroom Men are unlikely to have sequels but best-selling games like Assassin’s Creed and Just Dance definitely will have another installment.
This explanation pretty much makes sense so what’s the deal with a rumored sequel to The Conduit? The guys over at G4tv spent some time with High Voltage Software and have emerged convinced of the possibility of The Conduit 2. This might sound a bit puzzling to gamers everywhere because The Conduit isn’t exactly known as a raging success. In fact, word has it that the title hasn’t even sold half a million copies yet. The disappointing sales have put this game behind more successful titles like Call of Duty.
Well, it seems that the game sales were enough to inspire another sequel. Although there is a big chance that the sequel will have a lower budget.