Check out this new “game” by a new “video game company” company called Prayer Works. I’ll say it does. I’ve been praying for something new to mock ever since that Miley-on-a-stripper-pole thing got old.  Just kidding. I know that was just a hoax…also it will NEVER get old. I can’t give this a thumbs up to this yet, but I can say, if they don’t include a “hide from the pedophile” mini-game, there will be hell to pay. Get it? Hell. Oh…comedy.

Come on Paul, you pussy. Wave that incense!

Last year, rumors and pictures began to spread about an interesting game in the works: a steampunk Disney project called “Epic Mickey”.  Based on the somewhat creepy concept art, nobody would have guessed that this game was a real possibility.  However, the game has been officially announced and a spread about it will be placed in GameInformer magazine. 

The game is a platformer slated to come out for the Wii and involves ”painting” and “erasing” levels.  The most interesting part is the plot, which is said to revolve around the “lesser” Disney characters rising up to dethrone the main mouse. 

Being a former Disney employee myself, I find this news incredibly dumbfounding.  I’m curious to see how this project turns out, and if it can truly go the distance with a dystopian vibe.  What say you?

Thanks to Kotaku for the pics

There are few things I love more than leveling up my mages in Disgaea, but one of those things is the very planet we live on. Earth, I say, love it or leave it baby! However, I do draw the line at re-usable menstrual pads. The four things that should be allowed to choke our sewers and landfills with impunity are, as follows: needles, condoms, toilet paper and feminine products. I also love Nintendo and Sanrio, but firmly believe that they need to keep their adorable Japanese cute cuteness  away from our American vaginas.  So, as you can imagine, I was particularly pissed off when I saw this monstrosity (it actually exists…and yes, you can actually buy it):

Oh sweet Jesus, no! No!!!

… which is a new MMO being developed by Funcom - but much more importantly, by Ragnar Tornquist, the designed of The Longest Journey and Dreamfall. Enjoy.

If the video grabbed your attention, here are some more goodies:

First images: Here
Latest info on the game: Here
Latest interview with Ragnar: Here

Oh Dreamcast…you fickle bitch. Raising the hopes of gamers and then smashing them on the floor like a stupid-frigging-controller after a particularly frustrating Ikaruga session. But nobody’s hopes and dreams were smashed quite as tragically as the 9-09-99 Dreamcast launch team. Still, tragic as it must have been to work tirelessly on what was to be The Next Cool Thing, only to see it fail epically, that was a whole ten years ago. A lot has happened since then. New jobs were found. Families were started. Somehow, somewhere, game journalists got together and decided that Seaman will forever and always be put on every Weirdest Game List that will ever be written. And slowly, the dream team got over the tragedy. Oh yes, let’s not forget that this is America, and in America, as soon as we get over a heartache, we hit the nearest karaoke bar.

And no one throws a karaoke party like Dreamcast’s rock star PR girl, Heather Hawkins. How much does she rock? She had her trademark blue hair waaaay before accepting the gig at the home of Sonic. She also rocks hard enough to take upon herself to not let this momentous, ninetastic date go by without throwing a kick ass party. Well, almost kick ass, she did mention in her Evite that this event was no-frills and specifically stated that there was no money to “…to hire Verne Troyer to make an appearance, nor have roaming jello shot girls” (Yep, they had both those crazy expensive, yet annoying-sounding perks at the original launch party), but would provide 1999-themed Karaoke, quipping “Chumbawumba, anyone?”.

Yesterday, as the start-time neared, she kept invitees updated on the party preparations, tweeting that she wasn’t brave enough to draw a chalk swirl on the sidewalk outside of Annie’s Social Club, the downtown SF rock club where this all went down. Still someone had the guts to decorate a cake with a big, sugary orange swirl (I’m sure soon someone will tell me who made the cake and perhaps even send me a picture to post for you all); and lots of members of the launch team had the guts to show up, bearing swag and mementos dug out of closets and storage spaces. Also attending were wigs so big no human head could possibly hold them, Former SOA prez, Bernie Stolar (gasp)and rockstar COO, Peter Moore.

Now, I was not there, but former launch team member, Mike Spiegelman, told me that Stolar and Moore gave speeches that were freaking amazing, and Heather has mentioned that she is still a bit peeved that no journalists thought this event was important enough to cover. Well, Heather, I think it’s important enough, but then, as I’ve said before, I’m not a journalist. I’m just someone who writes stuff on the internet that no one reads.

But if you were there, or you wish you were there, or you had a 9-09-99 party of your own, please leave all the torrid details in the comments section.

Today is the 10th anniversary of the Sega Dreamcast, can you believe it? Although I never owned one myself, I still enjoyed sneaking into my local Funcoland to play the Sonic Adventure demo. And of course, no one can forget the infamously addicting Chu Chu Rocket game that was somehow still amusing at 4 in the morning (although, isn’t everything?). Share some of your beloved (or not so beloved) memories of the Dreamcast here!

Dreamcast timeline

http://www.technologyreview.com/printer_friendly_article.aspx?id=23336&channel=business&section

Apparently, gratuitous violence makes us remember things better - violence that we are involved in, that is. In this rather curious study, scientists found that ads embedded in violent games were generally more well-recalled by players than ads in peaceful games. What’s most interesting is that the trend is opposite to what is found in movies - a non-interactive medium - where on-screen violence tends to draw the viewer’s attention away from the ads. What can I say - us gamers are a truly sick breed, I guess.;)

An iPhone game that just may make you better at your job

Wow. TechChrunch is trying to spin the job angle (booo-ring!) but the obvious question in my mind is: did we gamers really degrade this much? I am sorry, but games really don’t get any dumber (oh, sorry, I meant “simpler”!) than this. Training manual for trained monkeys in training, that’s what this is. Truly, our addiction to instanct gratification has reached new highs. What’s next, iPhones printing dollar bills directly?

Walmart’s latest print ad - with sales beginning Sunday, August 30 - confirms the rumors surrounding the Xbox 360 Elite price drop that have been making their way around the interwebs for weeks now. Apparently by the end of this week, you’ll be able to pick up the 120 GB system for a mere $299. Does this mean that either the Arcade or Pro models will be discontinued?

Odds are we’ll see a price drop on one (or maybe both?) of the others in order to make room for the newly packaged, cheaper Elites, but what that new price will be remains anyone’s guess at this point. We’ll keep you posted when we get more information.

Summary: A blood soaked adrenaline rush of a game.

Setting: Zombies and the military fight it out in New York City.

Systems: PC, Xbox 360, Playstation 3.

Genre: Third person action-adventure (zombie killer helicopter hijacker) game.

Mood: Homicidal!

Read the full review by Max.