You used to play videogames all night. Your Quake prowess was unmatched; your skills at Command & Conquer unparalleled. You have a gaming history that stretches back beyond the PlayStation generation to the SNES, Megadrive, Amiga and ZX Spectrum. You were there at the dawn of gaming.

Tick-tock… Time passes. You’ve quietly come to realise that you’re not the hard-core gamer you used to be. Even your Xbox 360 Gamertag seems far too ’sensible’. How do you know that a mid-life gaming crisis is setting in? Watch out for these warning signs…

You prefer playing against the computer

Online gaming against real people has become depressing – it exposes your faded, spoon-sharp reflexes and you abhor the trash-talk from 12-year old fanboys. You prefer playing offline against the computer because a game’s algorithms are slightly more predictable. And, once you master the scripted patterns of play, you stand a real chance of being good… of actually winning. And that feels great, doesn’t it? Ranking second-bottom on a multiplayer leader board doesn’t.

You only play when your girlfriend is out

Because you only have one high-def TV and to play videogames on it while she’s at home is ’selfish’ and not something the two of you can do ‘together’.

You believe that winning isn’t everything

It’s the taking part that counts. Obviously. And that’s not because you’re not good at games. You are. But you’ve found that there’s more to life than spending five hours every night killing all of the Templars in Assassin’s Creed. The fact that you can’t find the last three Templars is irrelevant.

It’s been days, not hours since you last switched on your console

Because things keep getting in the way: TV, movies, books, going out to restaurants, shopping, going down the pub, DIY, dinner parties, the gym, more DIY, your girlfriend/wife/boyfriend [delete as applicable]… oh, and having a job.

You’re the oldest person trading in games at GameStation

So you lie about why you’re there. “It’s, ahem, my son’s birthday. I’d like to trade these in for Guitar Hero please…”

You like your Xbox 360 and your PS3 equally

Being a more ‘mature’ gamer means you have more disposable income, so you can afford the luxury of owning a PS3 and an Xbox 360. So you’ve become the gaming equivalent of the United Nations, calming accepting the virtues of both consoles to the deaf ears of Xbox zealots and Sony fanboys (who simply ignore you and carry on their slanging match regardless). Because when you stare at those side-by-side game comparison shots on CVG, you can’t see the difference. Maybe the PS3 palette is lighter… maybe… Of course, your eyesight could be failing…

You fondly remember a ‘golden age’ of gaming

You lament the current glut of videogame sequels and often talk fondly of an innovative ‘golden age’ of gaming. You remember Manic Miner, good ‘ol Chuckie Egg and the Ultimate games on the ZX Spectrum. You played Sensible Soccer the first time around on the Amiga, Elite on your mate’s BBC B, and finished Sonic The Hedgehog on the Megadrive. Happy days… But when modernised versions of these gaming classics turn up on Xbox Live, your excitement quickly evaporates. You quickly realise that, by today’s standards, those cherished oldies are now shallow, repetitive and not much fun.

You avoid playing on the Wii because it’s too much effort

There’s no denying that the Nintendo Wii is a revolutionary games machine but… well, it does require a lot of effort. Aren’t there times when you just want to slouch into a comfy sofa with a traditional joypad? Times when you can’t be arsed with all that wiimote waving and waggling? It’s way too energetic – a 20 minute bowling session in Wii Sports is almost akin to a full workout.

Your FPS experience consists of spawn, run, die… spawn, run, die… spawn…

The reflexes that served you so well in GoldenEye and Quake seem to be two seconds slower than everybody else these days. You think ‘fire’, ‘jump’, ’spin’, ‘run’, ‘collect spinny power-up’, but your fingers press ‘fire’ (and pause), ‘fire’ (and pause), ’spin’ and… no, I actually meant ‘jump’, and – oh, I’m dead. Either you’re slowing down, or today’s hard-core gamerati are faster than you ever were.

You find the idea of videogames based on board games perfectly acceptable

Anyone for a game of Carcassonne tonight? The wife’s out until 10pm and I’ll be online after I’ve had my dinner…

You’ve pre-ordered GTA IV but don’t mind if it doesn’t turn up on launch day

Wednesday’s just fine. Really. You’re a bit busy at the moment, anyway. In fact, you probably won’t get a chance to play GTA IV until the weekend. You’re also not bothered by the prospect of downloading the DLC for GTA IV either. You’ll never finish the main game anyway.

By Dean Evans 

So sitting around all day playing xBox live and leveling your leet WOW character has left you lonely and looking to meet that perfect someone. Maybe you believe there is a hot little babe out there that you can talk about your guilds latest achievement or the newest console release with? Well Gorgeous Gamers just might be the site that is breaking the pimple faced, overweight, slightly dorky gamer cliche that exists. In fact there are some real cuties on this site, and yes they are actual girls not a 3d render of the blood elf maiden you nightly fantasize about. Take a look at this spin on social networking for the keyboard warrior at Gorgeous Gamers.

Bands need to exploit every form of communication short of smoke signals to sell their music these days. But Bang Camaro may be the first one to launch a career entirely through a video game.

The second installment of the phenomenally popular game "Guitar Hero" squeezed just one unknown band into its playlist of heavy metal mainstays - Bang Camaro, with their song "Push Push (Lady Lightning)." That exposure alone allowed the band to sell out shows around the country and rack up sales on iTunes. Tonight, Camaro headlines Bowery Ballroom, following a sellout gig a few months ago at Mercury Lounge. "We have no promotion behind us, no major distribution and no big label," says band co-founder Bryn Bennett. "It’s all the game."

The group got its break as much from its locale as its music. It’s based in Boston, home to Harmonix, the company behind "Guitar Hero." Executives at the company saw the group at local clubs and thought it had the perfect crotch-grabbing, fist-in-the-air strut for their rip-roaring game.

Full story on The NY Daily News Website

Bang Camaro Official Website

most games are still missing a very special something that traditional media have spent centuries or even millenia refining. Sitting in that hotel room in California, I realized what that is: emotional engagement. Two decades ago Electronic Arts, now the world’s biggest game publisher, unveiled the marketing slogan, “Can a computer game make you cry?” The answer: not yet.

That I thought this during the Mass Effect demo is not a knock on the game. Just the opposite. Mass Effect, which is forthcoming from Microsoft, seems to play a bit like an epic interactive movie where the player controls the combat, but, more important, helps direct the story. And the story, not the fighting, seems to be the heart of the game.

As in many games, the basic idea in Mass Effect is that you have to save the galaxy from an all-encompassing evil. Fair enough. But without giving away the plot, the depth comes from the fact that you may have to sacrifice friends and decide just what your values are and what the greater good really means.

In Santa Monica the game’s makers showed a scene involving those sorts of choices that literally shut up the whole room. When it was over, a half-dozen normally chatty game writers sat there for a few moments digesting what we had just seen.

It was powerful, but it was still no Mahler.

Much the same could be said of Fallout 3, another of my favorite games from E3. Like its esteemed predecessors, the third installment of the franchise is set in a post-apocalyptic wasteland where you, the player, decide how to carve out your place in a horrible new version of America. Put simply, you can be a good guy or a bad guy and there will be plenty of heart-rending, suffering people to either assist or exploit.

That is, of course, what makes games distinctive among media: within the confines of the system it is the user who decides what happens next, whether that means turning left or right in Pac-Man or deciding whether to blow up a town for pay or save it in Fallout 3.

But merely providing choice is not the same as generating a deep emotional response.

Yes, when my spaceship in Eve Online gets blown up, I am upset. Yes, when my guild in World of Warcraft beats the latest demon, I swell with pride. Yes, when I finally slay that mythical beast in God of War I feel both insightful and dexterous.

But in all of those situations, I as a player know that the outcome was largely my own doing. And so the emotional connection is more akin to a golfer who shanks a drive or hits a gorgeous approach shot; sure you get happy or sad, but ultimately you can’t be emotionally surprised because you did it to yourself.

Full Article

Activision, Inc. announced that legendary guitar hero Slash will provide an original track and appear as a boss battle character in Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock, delivering wannabe rock stars the chance to shred against the music icon. Additionally, Guns N’ Roses’ rock anthem hit “Welcome to the Jungle” will be included in the game’s robust soundtrack that also features master tracks by such renowned rock bands as The Rolling Stones, Beastie Boys, Muse and Pearl Jam. Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock is slated for release this fall.

“Guitar legend Slash, combined with Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock’s robust soundtrack and innovative new game features, will continue to solidify the brand’s leadership in the rhythm-action genre,” said Robin Kaminsky, executive vice president of Activision Publishing. “Additionally, our diverse and well-rounded E3 portfolio underscores Activision’s continued commitment to building brands that appeal to global audiences and delivering top-quality games that delight fans worldwide.”

I love playing guitar hero at my friend Miguel’s house. It’s totally cool.

Check out the very cool Guitar hero Website

For Namco Bandai’s upcoming fourth iteration to the Soul Calibur series, they have promised to make the release bigger and better in many ways. After watching the first teaser trailer, one of those ways is very clear - Ivy’s beasts have seen reasonable improvement (depending on your perspective), it must be the power of next-gen technology. Aside from this improvement, Namco promises to include online play for the fighting game and has said to 1UP.com that they are working to allow custom fighters in the online matches. Expect to see Soul Calibur IV on Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 in early 2008. What do you think of the inclusion of online play in Fighting games?

 Loading …

When they’re not rushing through the Mushroom Kingdom stomping on those goombas, it appears Mario and Luigi take their time to teach teenagers the basics of sexual reproduction, puberty, and STDs. Check out this instructional video from the Mario Brothers we’ve found. You’ll never look at the inhabitants of the Mushroom Kingdom the same again.

This one may come as a shock to you, but video game publisher, Codemasters, has unveiled a game based on the Dirty Dancing (1987) movie, expected to be released this Holiday season. This news will cap off a year-long celebration by movie studio, Lionsgate, in honor of the Dirty Dancing’s 20th Anniversary.

Oddly enough, the game is being called an ‘action-puzzle’ title that allows players to experience the life of Baby (Jennifer Grey’s character from the film) as she learns to dance with the resident dancing couple, Johnny (the almighty Patrick Swayze) and Penny, and work alongside the team at the renowned Kellerman’s Mountain House Resort.

Commenting on the game, Anne Parducci, EVP Marketing at Lionsgate said, “Dirty Dancing delivers compelling subject matter that has all the tools to become an instant hit online. The movie appeals to audiences of all ages and continues to win over new fans through increased exposure from the highly successful DVDs and multiple airings on cable. For two decades, girls and women have identified with Baby, and through this wonderful game from Codemasters, they will have the opportunity to immerse themselves in her world like never before.”

You can find more information on Dirty Dancing the Video Game at www.codemasters.com/dirtydancing.

With the Sony Playstation 3’s dragging in the sales chart, the Japan-based hardware giant was looking for a much-needed boost in sales from the release of Konami’s Metal Gear Solid 4 this year. Unfortunately, it appears their saving grace may not arrive until early 2008. According to CVG, Konami’s latest financial report placed MGS4 at the end of the current fiscal year, which ends March 31, 2008. How Sony will fare in the meantime if this is indeed the time we can expect to play Hideo Kojima’s highly-anticipated title, we will have to wait and see.

It appears as if Microsoft’s kid gloves are off for the battle leading into the next holiday season, as they have officially announced the release date of the third sequel to their best-selling Halo franchise. Having Halo 3 release earlier in the year rather than alongside other big titles, like GTAIV, would undoubtedly widen the install base gap between the Xbox 360 and PS3 as it moves into the holiday season. Expect to find Halo 3 will be available in stores on September 25th in the US and September 26th in Europe for the Xbox 360. In anticipation of the game’s release, Peter Moore, corporate vice president of Microsoft’s Interactive Entertainment Business has said:

“Halo 3 is much more than a video game release—it’s the biggest entertainment event of the year. On September 25, we intend to deliver a finale that will go down in entertainment history and leave people around the world with an experience that will be shared and enjoyed for years to come.”

Let’s not forget that the Halo 3 beta launches today for those have already received their invitations or have copies of Crackdown. Just jump on Xbox Live to begin downloading the beta client and start fragging online.