From the Bottom Up

New Review XII

2007-01-08T09:01:00.000-05:00

While there hasn't been much in the way of new posts here, there is a new review up on http://bottomtotopreviews.blogspot.com: Final Fantasy XII.

Is it any good? Will it change your mind on the series? Take a look and find out.

Happy Belated Holidays

2007-01-02T13:36:00.000-05:00

Wow been awhile anyhoo I hope everyone had a good holiday I spent most of mine setting up a new blog for 451 press. It's called Wii Rally and can be found at www.wiirally.com it's all about the Nintendo Wii. I don't kow when I'll be able to post on here again 451 keeps me pretty busy but we shall see.

WIIRALLY

Starry Starry Night

2006-12-05T08:34:00.000-05:00

Last night during Monday Night Football was the debut of the brand new 60 second Halo 3 commercial. If you haven't seen it yet here it is.

I have read a couple of mixed reviews of the commercial so I thought that I would throw in my two cents.

As for the kids at the begging I get the point but for Halo it was really unnecessary they could have just shown the Halo 3 logo for 25 seconds and it probably would have garnered more of a response. Dramatic and action packed (well at least at the end) we also got our first glimpse at a new type of grenade the "Shield Grenade" and a new Convanent race. All in all the ad was successful in fact not a single member of my Halo2 community could log on to www.halo3.com to register for the public beta because there was so much traffic. In conclusion I must say that I like this game ad more than that stupid "Mad World" Gears of War commercial that has been playing round the clock. To reiterate a previous comment "DAMN YOU CLIFFY B!!!!!"

FtBU Chats with NoC MM Farjad Iravani (UPDATE)

2006-11-29T16:47:00.000-05:00

At a recent press event on Toronto I was able to sit down for a few minutes with Nintendo of Canada’s marketing manager Farjad Iravani to talk about Nintendo and their new console and how they think the Wii will be received by Canadians.

From the Bottom Up: How does Nintendo plan to build a community online?

Farjad Iravani: Well gamers can head over to www.nintendo.com and take advantage of our forums or sign up for news updates via email. The Wii’s virtual console will also allow messaging between virtual console owners. We are currently in the early stages of our online plan so do not have anything definite but there is the potential for growth a little further down the road.

FtBU: Friend codes or friends list what direction do you see Nintendo heading in?

FI: We are doing some things but I don’t want to speculate on specifics.

FtBU: Fair enough. The Nintendo Wii and WiiConnect24 will require users to provide personal information in order to use some aspects of the service. What is Nintendo doing to protect the personal information of their customers?

FI: We are taking “every step possible to obviously make sure when you purchase anything on the virtual console’s shopping channel your information is kept private” You can read more about privacy rules in the Wii manual or on the system itself. In term of games or your information that sits on the system we are taking precautions that for example when you send your unit back to Nintendo for replacement or maintenance we are taking special precautions so that A you get the games you have paid for and B that any information you provided on the system isn’t just sitting in a landfill somewhere.

FtBU: What kind of functionality can we see between the Nintendo Wii and the Nintendo DS?

FI: They are capable of communicating with each other wirelessly but at this stage there are no plans for such functionality.

FtBU: Nintendo previously said that all virtual console game would be playable with the GameCube controller but now according to the Wii’s operation manual that is not the case and people will need to buy the “Classic Controller” to play some virtual console games. Care to comment?

FI: Well it’s kind of complex and what controller you use will depend on the game some games will use the GameCube controller others will use the Classic controller while some will use the Wii controller but it will be made clear when you purchase a game which controller it will require.

FtBU: Any idea of future Wii peripherals similar to Ubisoft’s steering wheel?

FI: We are very focused on the launch at the moment and we have no plans for peripherals over and above what has already been announced. Things are wide open we have licensing agreement with companies like Ubisoft to develop 3rd party peripherals like their steering wheel.

FtBU: There are rumours of a second version of the Wii coming out in late 2007 which will allow DVD playback?

FI: There will be a Wii option released in the 2nd half of 2007 that will be DVD capable it will be a second model in addition to the classic “Canadians” will have a chance at that point to buy the current model or the model that supports DVDs there will be a price difference but it will be available in the 2nd half of 2007.

FtBU: Do you think that Nintendo should focus on DVD playback or continue to focus on providing good gameplay experiences?

FI: We believe that for gaming to be successful that gaming quotient has to be great fun and people will play it. We do realise that some portion of Canadians that want to play the system and have the DVD functionality and that option will be available for them but we wouldn’t want to make everyone buy a DVD player. I would also like to point out that it will be a standard DVD player not the HD or BluRay standard.

FtBU: How do you see the Nintendo Wii competing in Canada against the other consoles that have come on the market specifically the PS3 and Xbox360?

FI: I think we will get a much wider acceptance with the Wii it has something for everyone whether you’re a hardcore experienced gamer you can spend days lost in Zelda or you could be the five year old that plays tennis all day. I think it does appeal to a much much bigger market and the numbers will be much more available and it will be in many many more homes this holiday season.

Well there you have it the future of the Wii in Canada. Thanks to Mr. Iravani for talking to us and Cohn and Wolfe for setting up the interview.

UPDATE: found link to press release from Sonic Solutions regarding Wii DVD playback

Buyer Beware

2006-11-29T12:01:00.000-05:00

I was recently referred to a website by a reader. He said "If anyone is in need of Wii before the holidays, The GoodyMart has a few left." So I went to Goody Mart to check it out and was absolutely shocked at what I found.

Stay away from this website these List prices are very wrong and you should never pay more than 300 $$ for a Nintendo Wii.

Best of FtBU

2006-11-28T22:39:00.000-05:00

For those of you who are new readers (in gaming we call you noobs) I thought I might do a little best of From the Bottom Up. Here are a few of my favorite posts.

End of the Atari Age posted 05/30/2006
End of Killer Aps? posted 06/05/2006
Time Well Spent posted 06/05/2006
Run for your Life! It's Doug Lowenstein! posted 06/07/2006
[Unnamed Konami Title] - Preoder Today! posted 06/15/2006
Mario Gets Canned! posted 06/29/2006
Rock Out With Nintendo Metal posted 07/27/2006
Bye Bye CGW Hello GfWM posted 08/03/2006
Halo Wars vs. Halogen posted 09/28/2006

and the infamous 4 part series

Why IGN Sucks posted 08/16/2006

Enjoy the rehash and if you like anything at all bookmark us or why not subscribe? Till next time happy gaming and reading.

!WARNING! Do Not Take Your Better Half Game Hunting!

2006-11-28T21:13:00.000-05:00

Well the consumerist season is upon us. People spend more money between now and Christmas than they do the rest of the year but you already knew that.

Of course what every gamer wants for Christmas is one of the latest consoles be it a Wii, PS3, 360 or even one of the handhelds like the Nintendo DS or PSP. There is a slight problem with this list of gaming jewels, two members are extremely hard to come by at the moment.

My best friend Brad was out "Wii Hunting" on Saturday, running around all over town checking store after store looking for a console by the time he met up with me it was about 3:30 PM. He told me he had been looking all day with no luck. I then looked past him at his fiance who stood there with her arms crossed looking tired and none too happy with my buddy.

You see Brad made a crucial mistake that most gamers make. When women go shoe shopping they often go to many different stores these stores however are often IN THE SAME MALL. Game stores however are often limited to one, two if it's a big mall. So game hunting often requires a lot of driving and disappointment.

I can't see why any women would want to participate in a hunt for a product that will most likely be used by the dominant gamer in the house. So whether it's for a rare game or one of the hard to find consoles you are better off taking along your video game obsessed journalist friend than the women who can banish you to the couch.

FtBU Preview Rainbow Six: Vegas

2006-11-22T13:47:00.000-05:00

I recently had a chance to try out the next iteration of the Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six series at the Best Buy Games Summit in Toronto.

Take the crazy shooting of KillSwitch mix it with the gameplay of Battlefield 2 and throw in a bunch of squad based tactics and you'll come pretty close to the Rainbow Six: Vegas formula. Although my time was limited and I had only played one Rainbow Six game before, it looked visually impressive on the Xbox 360 so I decided to try it out and was pleasantly surprised by how easy it was to just pick up and play and be a somewhat effective squad leader. I was most impressed by the cover system working in conjunction with the always great UbiSoft camera system. Progressing forward and then diving for cover never looked so natural. It was also responsive and allowed for really sneaky or run and gun play. However if you take a run at it and ignore the cover completely you'll be quickly met with an early demise. The AI is sharp and I mean like broken glass sharp. They'll pick your squad moving under cover from over 100 yards away and open fire when the time is just right.

I have high hopes for this game. The appeal is great and almost every FPS fan will find something they like about this one Rainbow Six: Vegas hits store shelves on November 22nd

You can get more info at http://www.rainbowsixgame.com

FtBU's first STAR!!!

2006-11-21T21:11:00.000-05:00

I'm going to embarrass Brill for a moment I'd like to congratulate him on his recent publishing. Brill wrote a review of Mortal Kombat Armageddon which has been posted on www.elecplay.com you can view it at http://www.elecplay.com/articles_review.php?article=11332

What Wii Think of the Wii

2006-11-15T09:09:00.000-05:00

Bad puns aside, with our hands-on with the Wii yesterday, We've compiled a short review of the console, and whether or not it is worth your hard-earned money: http://bottomtotopreviews.blogspot.com is the location. Be warned: there may be some more bad puns inside.

Here Wii Go!

2006-11-14T23:49:00.000-05:00

It was a chilly November morning as Brill and I walked along the shore of lake Ontario.

Destination: Ontario Place, Nintendo Wii pre-launch event
Time: 10:00am
Mission: To play, experience ask about Nintendo's new entry into the console market and to bring our findings back to you.

As Brill and I walked up to the entrance my red scarf waving behind me in the wind I realized that not only did we stand on the forefront of innovation in gameplay but we also stood on the brink of our first press event. Nervous we took a deep breath and delved into a world we had only read about.

As we entered we were greeted by a statue of every-one's favorite "Hero of Time" Link. After signing in we looked around just to see what we would be playing. I soon realized that I was in the same room as other journalists I have only seen on TV including Electric Playground's Victor Lucas. But you guys don't care about that, get to the games. First there was brief intro speech by Nintendo of Canada GM Ron Bertram his speech consisted of the companies goals with the Wii and the future of the console. After Ron's short speech it was time to play. Brill and I got some hands on experience with games like Wii Sports, Call of Duty 3, SpongeBob SquarePants: TCFKK, ExciteTruck, and of course Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. (More in depth impressions of these game will be coming later)

After we tried out some games came the crown jewel of our day which was an interview with NoC Marketing Manager Farjad Iravani which I will be posting later. All in all a successful day and we here at FtBU are now even MORE excited about the console's launch which happens this Sunday. Now this event was one of the first in a busy week here in Toronto. The PS3 launches this Thursday and the Wii on Sunday but this weekend there is also a "Games Summit" planned which will take place at Young and Dundas Square in downtown Toronto so keep your eyes on the feed because we are just getting started.

New Review up - FINISH HIM!

2006-11-13T13:28:00.000-05:00

Mortal Kombat: Armageddon was unleashed upon the masses a couple of weeks ago, and we have a review of it! Hop on over to http://bottomtotopreviews.blogspot.com and check it out!

Wii Preview Event in Toronto, Ont

2006-11-10T00:45:00.000-05:00

Greetings all. I heard the other day that Nintendo Canada was having a preview event for the Wii at Ontario Place in Toronto to so I headed over to www.nintendo.ca What I was told turned out to be true but it required me to register so I submitted my email address and then got this little gem in my email today.

"Thank you for registering for the Nintendo Wii Preview Event at Atlantis, Ontario Place on Tuesday, November 14. Your reservation has been confirmed, along with your chance to enter a draw to win a Wii when you arrive. Please note that admittance to the lineup will begin at 11am and will end at 4pm. Entrance to the game floor is on a first come, first serve basis, so be sure to come early to avoid disappointment."

It would appear that this writer/gamer will be playing the Wii 5 days before launch. Yaaaaay for me but I haven't forgotten about all of you I will be sure to take plenty of pictures and let all of you know what I thought of the new console and games.

Political Games

2006-11-09T00:04:00.000-05:00

Holy damn! It has been sooooo long. I feel bad but hey I'm trying to build a career here. Yes been busy blah blah blah I won't bore you with the details or apologies. You shall see the fruits of my labor soon enough. Regardless just thought I would weigh in on the events of yesterday's MID-TERM ELECTIONS.

Well lets see....... Oh look! It would appear that Joe"I hate video games" Lieberman was re-elected to his senate seat despite losing his party's support earlier this year in the Connecticut primary. I guess miracles do happen....... for those who don't deserve them. Well maybe Hilary"Gamers are sinners"Clinton lost her senate seat. (checks paper......smashes head on desk) Ahhhhhh who am I kidding she'll probably get elected President in 2008. Wait! That's it! If Clinton is too busy with her run for the White House she just might not be able to take those phone calls from Jack Thompson. Also she's gotta keep Bill busy with something. You know Hilary, Bill likes jublies and there are plenty of pixelated jublies in GTA:San Andreas.

Halo Wars vs. Halogen

2006-09-28T16:21:00.000-04:00

Ensemble studios in association with Bungie and Microsoft has recently announce that they will be producing a RTS (Real Time Strategy) game based on the Halo ip. A lot of people are cheering for this new iteration of halo. I am not one of them, let me tell you a story.

Once upon a time there was a small independent developer named Slipstream Productions they had made a name for themselves in the Mod community by producing quality mods. Than one day (sometime in 2003) the guys a slipstream decided "Hey we should make a mod for Command and Conquer: Generals using all the halo stuff" Since there was no Halo RTS at this point they went ahead and started work on the mod. They would spend the next three years developing skins and new mechanics that looked amazing. Fast forward to 2006 after 3 years of development there was a knock at Slipstream's door. It was Microsoft's lawyers with a cease and desist order saying that they must stop whatever they are doing with "Halogen" and take down all publicity that they had for the upcoming mod. Reluctantly and with a heavy heart Slipstream complied and trashed everything they had to do with "Halogen". Why would Msoft put a stop to something that only could have strengthened the Halo brand? Because they realised that there was a market for a Halo RTS and why should anyone else get a piece of their pie. So Msoft is now coming out with a Halo RTS and the kids are going ape shit for it.

Good 'ole Microsoft always beating down the little guy. Oh did I mention that this RTS will be available on the Xbox 360. I wonder if Microsoft realises that to play an RTS effectively you need a mouse and a keyboard.

Ssshhhh that will be our little secret.

R.I.P HALOGEN

If you would like to learn more about Slipstream Productions visit their website @ http://www.slipstreamproductions.net

Mega Man ZX Review

2006-09-20T02:26:00.000-04:00

Hot on the heals of his Xenosaga 3 review Brillulus seems to be reviewing up a storm. Head over to FtBU Reviews for all the blue bomber goodness.

Oh yeah only 6 days left till FtBU and Section L present Aunt Hortenze's Treasure

Wii Wii Wii

2006-09-14T16:31:00.000-04:00

Well it finally happened we get our launch date, price and much much more.

Nintendo has held two press conferences over the last two days one in Japan and one at the world Nintendo Store in NY City. A ridiculous amount of Wii info has been pouring into gaming website all day well I thought I would sum it all up complete soup to nuts.

Wii Launch Date:
US and Canada Nov 19th 2006 (Mark your calendars)

Wii Price Info:
The Console it self will cost you about 250$ US. First party games will go for 50$ a Wii-mote is about 40$ the nunchuck about 20$.

What 250$ Gets You
A Wii console, 1 Wii-mote with nunchuck, Wii Sports

Virtual Console Jazz
20$US gets you 2000 Wii-points, 24$ CDN gets you the same
NES games will go for about 5$ SNES for 8$ and N64 for 10$ about the same as reported earlier

Other Wii Tidbits

Wii will not support DVD-playback. (Good I haven't put a DVD in a game console since I burnt out my first Xbox)
First party Wii games to be region free (Just like the DS.... yippee I love playing games in Japanese, I love not having a clue what's going on)

Holy New Review Batman!

2006-09-14T13:28:00.000-04:00

Brillulus has finally fished his first new review since July this time around he takes on cut-scene driven space opera Xenosage 3. I however get sleepy just thinking about this game but Brill being a fan of the series happened to enjoy it. So head on over to FtBU Reviews and check it for yourself WARNING!! The review contains 4 hours of cut scenes about 1/8 the amount contained in Xenosaga 3.

We Haven't Gone Anywhere

2006-09-12T22:03:00.000-04:00

Greetings FTBU readers as you may have noticed I haven't posted anything in a very very very long time. Being a writer who values his readers I thought kind of owed you all an explanation.

The truth is Brillulus and I have been very busy working on our first game. An Adrift text adventure called Aunt Hortenze's Treasure. Right now it is scheduled for release on September 26th 2006 and I am planning to have it available for download right here on FTBU. I have also been asked to take on another project following that. I will be working on www.rvbretaliation.com a Halo 2 clan website. However once Aunt Hortenze's Treasure is finished (along with my 3rd term of school) I'm hoping to come back with all the editorial content and gaming industry commentary you all have come to love. It might even be better this time around maybe a little more creative. I have been working on some short stories that I think you guys might like. Brillulus has also been playing some games for review. Keep your eye on FTBU:Reviews for reviews of Xenosaga 3 and Disgaea 2 coming soon.

Well I hope that this answered some questions on where Brillulus and I have been. So stay tuned things are about to get crazy.

Why IGN Sucks: Part IV the conclusioning

2006-08-16T17:30:00.000-04:00

Well it's been a great week poking fun at one of the web's largest gaming websites especially since we are one of the webs smallest gaming websites. Hehehehe take that Goliath! Anyway I have saved the best reason for last, in fact this was actually the straw that broke the camel's back with me after I found this out IGN lost all credibility in my eyes. Enjoy!

Reason Number 4: They are owned by FOX

Fox Interactive to be precise a wholly owned subsidiary of Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. Yup that's right IGN is the Fox News of the Internet gaming world. Now most people who pay attention know that News Corp. owns a lot of stuff including but not limited to the US presidency. (Buzz Zing!) Now is it bad to be owned by a large corporation? Not really, 1up.com and EGM are owned by publishing giant Ziff Davis Media, GameInformer is owned by EB Games/Gamestop and they do alright but anything owned by News Corp. has this kind of evil slant to it. Simply because Murdoch can dictate contact, we have started seeing this with another recent News Corp. acquisition MySpace.com. Users who have put up content contrary to Murdoch's wishes have found their pages deleted missing, or locked. I wish I could say the same for IGN but if we're not meant to see it we never will, therefore the evidence is hard to find. Consider this you don't see a lot of IGN editorial pieces about video game laws put forth by republican senator's being overturned by Doug Lowenstien now do you?

Well that concludes our 4 part series "Why IGN Sucks" I hope everybody enjoyed it but I do have a couple things to say. I do not write this to sway your opinion. If you read theses articles and decide to agree me great! but make the decision for yourself not because some guy in Toronto told you to. That's what Stephen Colbert and Bill O'Riley do. All I ask is that you keep your eyes open and be media literate and don't believe everything you read. You know what they say "If you read it on the Internet it HAS to be true" I'm talking to you Wikipedia. Well that's all got, besides It's time for me to get a BLT and go bear hunting.

Why IGN Sucks: Part III

2006-08-16T15:30:00.000-04:00

Welcome back well it's now time for part 3 of our 4 part series "Why IGN Sucks" today.....

Reason Number 3: They suffer from PSP syndrome.

For those of you who don't know what PSP syndrome is. It's when something be it a device website or service try to do too many things at once. It is becoming a big problem in technology. For example the PSP is a gaming handheld that plays games, plays movies, plays music , allows you to view pictures etc.. Now it's great that a device does all this but like I said before it's a GAMING HANHELD! How ever I have digressed from my point. IGN suffer from this syndrome in this same way. When IGN first started they covered games and only games now many will say that they have broadened their horizons but I say they have lost focus on what's important. GAMES! Now I would go to IGN from news on video games but I have to sift through news about movies, cars, comics, hell even sports. Where does it end.

Well I feel I've made my point. So be sure to check back soon for our 4th and final part of our 4 part series "Why IGN Sucks" Don't miss the thrilling conclusion who know you might learn something.

Why IGN Sucks Part: II

2006-08-16T14:30:00.000-04:00

Well kiddies it's time for part 2 of our 4 part series on "Why IGN Sucks" so read along and laugh will us at FtBU.

Reason Number 2: You have to PAY for it.

I don't know how many times I've been researching a story or game on IGN and I get a pop up saying that "this area is for premium members only" paying for news and media is such bullshit. I don't pay for TV and if I had a choice I would not pay for my internet connection. Well I can right it off as a business expense anyway. Now IGN is not the only website that is guilty of this pay per story crap. Canadian national newspaper the Globe and Mail charges a fee to access parts of their website, I have heard that the Washington Post and USofA Today also have premium content for paying users. All media should be free so I fight for what I can. Muhahahaha free cable rules! My cable company even keeps calling me trying to offer me a TV package and I ask "Is it more than free?" they say "Yes" "HA! No thanks homeboy. I'm all set" Paying to get news is so wrong all news should be free. People should have free access to journalistic content because that it what FREEdom of the press is all about.

Well that's it for today tune in tomorrow for our 3rd part in our four part series "Why IGN Sucks".

Why IGN Sucks Part: I

2006-08-16T11:30:00.000-04:00

I have been reading my video game news on the web for sometime now and with so many sites out there it's hard to find reliable, well written sources of news. Since I started school I noticed that most of my fellow game design students get their news from one site in particular. This website is internet gaming giant IGN. I must say however that I whole hardly disagree with this popular opinion. Today I bring you the first part of my 4 part series "Why IGN Sucks "

Reason Number 1: The way they list their news.

I'm a busy guy so when reading the news I like to be able to see exactly what is new and what is old. IGN's news story browser has no dates so it's impossible to tell what is new and what is old especially if you haven't checked in a while or on weekends. They also list multiple stories for multiple platforms.

Example: From today's IGN news page.

China Joyful Over PS3
PS3
MS Japan Prez Comments on HD-DVD, PS3
XBOX360
Release Date Revision (July 31, 2006)
PSP
Release Date Revision (July 31, 2006)
PS2
New Guitar Hero II Tracks Announced
PS2
E3 Cancelled?
PC
E3 Cancelled?
GBA
E3 Cancelled?
Wireless
E3 Cancelled?
WII
E3 Cancelled?
PS3
E3 Cancelled?
XBOX360
E3 Cancelled?
DS
E3 Cancelled?
PSP
E3 Cancelled?
PS2
E3 Cancelled?
Xbox
E3 Cancelled?

Why not just list one story and call it multi platform or something. Maybe list the system's they concern in the margin. I dunno but seeing but 10 of the exact same stories is ridiculous.
Check back later for reason number 2 as to Why IGN Sucks.

Best Launch Ever!?!

2006-08-14T08:44:00.000-04:00

Word on the street is that these babies are all confirmed to be available on Wii launch day which is......umm the streets are still quite on that one. I refuse to speculate on the Wii launch date by looking for hidden codes in press releases or SI for Kids issues. I'll just wait till the official announcement that I believe will come at TGS in September. The list is sweet though.

Damn look at all those titles and no less than 3 are first party! Gimmie a W......... W! Gimmie an I.......... I! Gimmie another I ............. I! What's that spell? Wiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!

I just hope I don't crap my pants before thanksgivings. Oh yeah and HEY SONY! How about a line up eh? eh? eh? Every body's doing it! Announcements are the cool thing to do.

Bye Bye CGW Hello GfWM

2006-08-03T10:07:00.000-04:00

Well that's it the fat lady has sung over at CGW (Computer Gaming World) well kinda. Microsoft has entered into an agreement with the magazine's publisher Ziff Davis Media to re brand CGW as Games for Windows Magazine. GfWM will continue to act as an independent editor that now simply bears the Windows brand. Oh wait I just got a call from failed magazine Xbox Nation or XBN they say "Hello and RUUUUUUUUUUUUUN!!!!!! them Msoft boys will kill you!"

Well I say good luck to the guys at CGW stay strong and continue to mock those console gamers out there. How did they settle on the name Games for Windows Magazine? Well I'll tell ya it's better than some of the other titles they were going to go with like.......

Games Not for MAC OS Magazine
Hey Were Not That Bias Magazine
Xbox Nation for PC Magazine
No One Plays Games On A MAC Anyway Magazine
We Have A Crappy Acronym Magazine
Live Anywhere Magazine
Branded PC Gamer Magazine

Whew... looks like they dodged a bullet on that one eh? I really hope that Vista is all it's cracked up to be.

Cheat Cheat

2006-07-28T09:46:00.000-04:00

As someone who never cheats while playing online this video gives someone like me some insight. I really would like to thank the guy who made this video it kind of puts the whole cheating thing in persepective. I personally don't see the point in cheating, is it so you can say "Hahahaha I owned you sucker" Well that statement itself is flawed it wasn't you that beat the opponet it was the computer program that alowed you to succeed. My question to all the cheaters out there is it fun when you cheat? Where's the challenge? I'll never understand why people cheat during online play. I hope the guy that made this video does one for Halo 2 I would like to see what the modders see.

Rock Out With Nintendo Metal

2006-07-27T12:13:00.000-04:00

Right on the heels of an article in this month's EGM, people have started to notice an influx of bands covering the soundtracks of games.

About a year ago my buddy Jordan (he plays keyboards in DD/MM/YYYY) showed me the website of a band from Europe that played what they call Nintendo Metal the band is Game Over an indi band that covers video game music with a nice metal slant . Oops scratch that they don't cover songs they are just inspired by them. They take classic VG music and make it there own with songs like "Little Mac's Confession" and "Transylvanian Temptation" Inspired by Punch-Out and Castlevania respectively. So far Game Over has released two albums their first simply titled "Nintendo Metal" released in 2002 and their second title "NESperado" released in 2006. For more info on Game Over you can check out their website http://www.nintendometal.com/

Secondly and more recently another band was brought to my attention they had blurb in EGM this month but were also featured on the 1UP Show. I'm talking of course about The Minibosses, a band that does brilliant covers of Nintendo songs. My favorite being their rendition of the Super Mario Bros. 2 themes. Right now the band is strictly limited to Nintendo songs but I hope they expand their repertoire in the future. Minibosses Music and Merch is available at http://minibosses.com and you can see some live footage on this weeks 1UP Show available at http://the1upshow.1up.com They also have a quick interview with 1UP.com's Luke Smith.

A couple months ago Jordan (mentioned above) invited me to a local video game tribute show with many bands doing covers of their favorite video games. DD/MM/YYYY was one of them doing some EarthBound songs as well as a cover of the Pac Man theme. Other bands played everything from Street Fighter songs to Megaman music. I think if you look pretty hard you can see some videos of the show on You Tube.

Video game music is hopefully here to stay because when I hear a wailing guitar screeching out the bubble man music from Megaman my heart just fills with joy.

AMD Goes Ahead With ATI Aquisition

2006-07-24T09:36:00.000-04:00

Let's talk microchips shall we.

I heard this morning that AMD is going ahead with the merger to acquire ATI. AMD is going to shell out about 5.4 billion for the graphics chip manufacturer.

Now I am no expert on computers or those magical green boards inside that do all kinds of crazy stuff but I do know that kick ass chips give us kick ass games. The PC game environment is currently closed to me like it always has been. Hey my little laptop does the job though with it's little Intel integrated graphics card. One of these days I'll get my hands on one of those sweet gaming PCs but what chips will be inside it? Intel or AMD processor? Nvidia or ATI graphics chips? I have not seen or heard anything touting one processor over the other but this changes when I ask anyone about GPUs (Graphics Processing Units). Everyone I have talked to about graphics chips has had nothing but problems with ATI chip sets not because the units themselves are no good but that the drivers never seem to work right. This maybe at an end.

This means that ATI could finally get it's drivers all in a row resulting in an easier and less stressful gaming experience for all those PC gamers out there. Could it be possible that in the future AMD's main competition Intel could merge with graphics giant Nvidia? This merger could breath new life into the fledgling PC game market? Or is this just another Canadian company being gobbled up by a bigger American firm.

Abit Recalls Fatal1ty Motherboards.......Mario a Sell Out?

2006-07-24T09:23:00.000-04:00

Professional gaming biggest sell out is getting his products recalled. Abit's is recalling some Fatal1ty mother boards because of instability issues. I've never really understood why one of the top gamers in the world feels the need to put his name on everything from cooling fans to custom mice and keyboards. Now I'm not saying that Fatal1ty doesn't have skills he's just a sell out. I feel the same way about Bucky Lasek one of the best pro skaters in the world but he shills for a car wax company what gives with that? Even Mario has sold out at least according to the sign I found at the corner of Queen and Bathurst in downtown Toronto. I showed this picture to Electric Playground's Jason MacIssac who has been involved in Toronto's gaming community for many years and the origins of such a sign are a mystery to him. Why has Mario sold out ? We may never know but I must say that he does look good with a little bling around his neck.

ESA Gives Thumbs Up to RCMP

2006-07-19T09:44:00.000-04:00

Doug Lowenstein of the ESA and Danielle Labossiere Parr of the ESAC (Entertainment Software Association of Canada) have formally congratulated the RCMP on a bust they made in mid July at Pacific Mall in Markam, Ontario.

For years If anyone asked about counterfeit goods like designer hand bags, or fake Nike shoes you told them to go to Pacific Mall where they could pick up some merchandise cheap. Pacific Mall even became a modder paradise where you could get pirated versions of most games for current-gen consoles. The RCMP put a stop to that however with a massive bust seizing thousands of dollars worth of pirated games and DVDs. Now I support anti piracy initiatives because as a future game developer that's gonna be MY paycheck someday but as the Gamasutra article points out game retailer are the main victim losing money.

I support game development but retail gaming can suck my ass EB/Gamestop is pure evil. They devalue our product with their lousy trade in values and ridiculous policies. My local EB continues to sell games they shouldn't be. I once saw a kid shell out 30$$ for the Halo Map Pack which is available for free on XBL, they also continue to sell copies of Asheron's Call and MMORPG thats server is no longer online. I also know for a fact that my local EB sells Mature rated games to minors without even a second thought. Like Wal-Mart I say death to all who do more damage than good in the retail industry.

Ich Bien Ein Zombie Lover

2006-07-17T23:20:00.000-04:00

Everybody hates zombies, they're slow, ugly and almost always deadly especially while travelling in packs. Which is why gamers love pumping shotgun shell after shotgun shell in to they fleshy chest hoping that they may cease their relentless quest to devour all living flesh. Well I thought that everyone hated zombies and loved to kill them until now.

Capcom the company that brought you zombie kill fests Resident Evil through RE 4 has a new game launching this fall. Dead Rising allows you to kill zombies with just about anything you can get you hands on from soccer balls to patio umbrellas you can even put funny hats on them and take pictures. Capcom is preparing people for that inevitable day when the zombies come after us all unless you live in Germany.

Dead Rising maybe the first Xbox game to be banned in Germany due to it incredibly gory violence. Well kids have to learn how to kill zombies at some point or risk joining the massive horde themselves when it comes to their town. So boourns to Germany for banning this teaching tool and god help you when the T-virus gets out. What are you going to do when you kinder comes home screaming "Zombies ate my Neighbors!!!"

Slowest Week Ever!

2006-07-13T09:18:00.000-04:00

Greetings readers I guess some of you are wondering why I haven't posted at all this week. Well the answer is simple..... There has been nothing to post. I have been scouring the Internet for something "Interesting" to write about and come up empty. I guess we can blame the summer gaming drought but god damn! It seems that most gaming news websites have resorted to posting about half-baked rumors that turn out to be wrong and then they post the following week about how they were wrong. I myself have been so strapped for content that I have considered doing a top 10 list but, those are dumb so screw that. So I'll open it up to you guys. Is there any story you would like to see? A review you would like? I dunno anything..... because the most exciting thing that has happened so far this is that Tony Hawk was on the Colbert Report this week. Damn I need help.

You Can't Escape the Blue Screen of Death

2006-07-06T11:59:00.000-04:00

Run for your life the blue screen of death is coming to get you!

As the days go by I am finding it harder and harder to escape the clutches of Microsoft's dreaded error screen. For those not familiar with the "Blue Screen of Death" crash any Windows program and you shall be greeted by the now infamous blue screen. Being sick of this seeing this error message I decided to play some Halo 2.

So there I was playing a match-made game on XBL and everything was going fine until someone quit and BAM!! There is was again a different version but still a blue screen of death that repeats the words "Setting up game......setting up game........setting up game........."

Ahhhhh. Scared I turned off halo and put a CD in my player to listen to some tunes. Oh no the disk I put in was DD/MM/YYYY's album "The Blue Screen of Death" Is there no escape?

There are rampant rumours about Microsoft developing a portable handheld console so the blue screen will be able to follow you wherever you go.

The phrase "Blue Screen of Death" is slowly being ingrained in to our everyday culture. In casual conversation I mention "Blue Screen" and even those who know little or nothing about computers instantly know to what I am referring.

There is no way to truly escape the blue screen no matter how sick of it we get. Oh wait! You could get a Mac because they don't "crash". At least they don't call them crashes in the Mac world they call them "Forced Quits" but your Mac can quit till the cows come home and you will never be haunted by the infamous blue screen at least until you boot up the ole' PC or Xbox or soon to be Xboy.

Thanks to Joystiq for the neat little picture.

Handheld Fun In the Sun

2006-07-04T19:38:00.000-04:00

Happy belated Canada Day to everybody, and today being the 4th of July happy Independence Day to all of you in the US. Well the weather is warm and tis the season for being outdoors and relaxing. I myself just got back from a brief stint at my parents cottage.

Back to the orders at hand. I saw an interesting video on Kotaku this afternoon
Jonas Hielscher a graduate student at Leiden University has devised a little app for his PSP that has you roam the area in search of wireless access points. This reminds me of a little hobby I have found my self doing on the streetcar here in Toronto. Since getting my DS lite when ever I am on the streetcar I enter the WiFi settings on my Lite and search for random access points and which maybe unsecured. I have been able to find tons from the center of King St. Some are secure requiring a WEP password but some are open and free to use but being on a moving vehicle they often move out of range once I search again.
One day I decided to try and search for an access point from my balcony and found one that was available but just slightly out of range. With all the wireless hot spots out there does this surprise anyone. Well the fun is in the hunt trying to find one that works and then exploiting their lapse in security for fun and games. Try it yourself with your PSP or DS see what you can find.

Happy hunting .

Transformers X 2 = FUN!

2006-07-03T11:36:00.000-04:00

If you're a 80s baby just like me you have been waiting, for everyones favorite cartoon war to come to the big screen again. No I'm not talking about GI Joe but rather the Stephen Spielberg produced real life/CG Transformers movie due in theaters sometime in 2007.

Directed by Michael Bay (The Rock, and Armageddon) there is serious potential that this movie might not suck. Which is my biggest fear but with Spielberg's money behind the picture and some quality action direction behind the camera the Transformers might even be better than the 1986 cartoon movie which taught all us kids about death and hope and the futility of war. Well get ready for twice the fun when the movie launches.

Like any other movie there will be a video game tie in that will launch the same day as the movie as announced at the Hollywood and Games summit last week.

I tell you the shit is gonna hit the fan if they screw up this story and don't say it's possible. I didn't think they could screw up X-men and well just watch the movies and see for yourself.

Gaming Gets Classy

2006-06-30T11:36:00.000-04:00

Is it just me or are the 3 console manufacturing companies (Sony, Microsoft, Nintendo) creating a 3 tiered class system for gamers. There has always been competition in the console industry but never have all 3 consoles had such drastically different price points.

Upper class folks can shell out about 650$ for Sony's PS3. The middle class are happy with paying 399$ for an Xbox 360 and us lower class types can pick up a Nintendo Wii for about 249$. Each console seems to be going after a different market.

Now I grew up middle class and was only ever given one console (My NES thanks Nana) Every other game console my parents wouldn't buy for me be cause of the price. So I had to get a job and pay for them myself. Which was great way to me about financial responsibility.

I think the dynamic is changing some people used to be judged by the size of their televisions, or how nice their car is. It's seems that people's station in life will now be dictated by which game console they have in their living rooms. Unless you're like me and will sacrifice your left foot for all 3 next-gen consoles. Who needs a left foot anyway, as long as I have two hands let the games begin.

Mario Gets Canned!

2006-06-29T23:39:00.000-04:00

Today Young & Dundas Square in downtown Toronto was lucky enough to be host to a 9ft tall replica of everyone's favorite plumber Mario. Built entirely out of non-perishable canned food the sculpture was created to celebrate the release of "New Super Mario Bros. for the Nintendo DS and to support "The Daily Bread Foodbank"
Built by Architects from SCOTT Associates Architects Inc. This 9ft sculpture weighs in at over 2600 pounds and is made of about 4000 individual cans and a couple of bags of SmartFood Popcorn. Thanks to Lorena Cordova of Nintendo Canada's PR agency Cohn & Wolfe for answering my questions. All the cans and others items that were donated at the site will be donated to "The Daily Bread Food Bank of Toronto".

FtBU Back With a Vengeance!

2006-06-29T23:17:00.000-04:00

Well after a short break and bunch of HTML changes I am proud to say that we are back and ready to take on the gaming world.

I asked all of you readers for feedback and got a few comments but nothing really constructive. I guess that means I'm doing things right and if not......TOUGH COOKIES!

So what's new aside from tweaking the look and adding a ton of subscription options I have added a new page to the FtBU universe "From the Bottom Up: Reviews" where you will now find all our game reviews as well as product reviews, but for all you gaming news with the commentary you love keep that feed reader tuned right here. You know it's kind of ironic I start a video game website during one of the worst video game droughts of the last ten years but I digress. I have also started my own personal blog for everything not related to video games "The World According to Mephis".

Well I hope everyone likes the changes I have made and will continue to read as I will continue to write. Oh one more thing. During the month of July FtBU will be running it's first ever contest and you could walk away with something special.

Happy Gaming.

Is There No End to Stephen Colbert's Geekdom UPDATE!

2006-06-27T10:29:00.000-04:00

Awesome little video has been dug up by the crew at gamevideos. They managed to get a hold of a video of Stephen Colbert from the Mi6 Game Marketing Conference in San Francisco. Where he talk about his video games like World of ColbertCraft it's short but a good chuckle check it out for yourself.

*Gamevideos has now posted the full 93 second version of the colbert clip so i've updated the link*
http://www.gamevideos.com/video/id/4325

I also heard a rumor as to why there is no Daily Show or Colbert Report on Friday nights.
Word on the street is that Stephen Colbert, John Stewart and others can't film the show on Fridays because they are busy.........Wait for it.........

PLAYING DUNGEON AND DRAGONS!!!!

I would love to play in that campaign but I don't know if they can handle ZOOK the great METAL BARD with his +5 Axe of Doom and 22 Charisma muhahahahahaha.

Have a good weekend everybody and stay tuned because From the Bottom Up has an important annoucment on Monday and it involves you the readers so until then remember one thing.

"Kill the Orcs, slay the Orcs, destroy the Orcs!" - 3 Inches of Blood

Another Manic Monday

2006-06-26T11:19:00.000-04:00

Greeting all you readers in Gamerville well on Friday I promised an announcement well here it is.

FtBU has been up for about a month to mild success, I have watched the readership grow despite the lack of subscribers no biggie as long as people are reading you don't need to subscribe. However I have recently started subscribing to some blog with Bloglines and I find it much easier to keep track of the goings on in the blogosphere with their software (yes that's a recommendation) However I digress, Brillulus and I have recently wrapped up our second term at design school and now we have some free time. Now aside from catching up on a ton of games I have yet to play and getting to know my new DS Lite, I can't think of any better way to spend my time off than by tweaking and improving FtBU.

So I open myself up to you the readers, what do you think that FtBU needs what would you like to see, more news, less news, more opinion and commentary, a new look for the site perhaps. I'm open to all ideas it's up to you the readers to let me know what you want to see on what I hope is your favorite place to read about video games. You can post suggestion or comments in the comments section (duh) or via email located in the side bar. I appreciate your feedback so don't hesitate until then.

Happy Gaming!

Daily Show Reports on Video Game Debate

2006-06-25T01:01:00.000-04:00

Sweet with Samantha Bee too!

Attention! Future Game Designers!!

2006-06-21T12:28:00.000-04:00

CMP Games Group Launches Independent Game Festival Website

Like to design games? Want a shot at 20 000$? or like to Mod and want to try for 5000$?
Then you should definitely check out the the 9th Annual Independent Game Festival website at www.igf.com which launched last night.

There is also also the IGF Student showcase for aspiring game designers like Brillulus and I.

Deadlines for entries are:
Main Competition: September 8, 2006 at 11:59pm PDT
Mod Competition: October 13, 2006 at 11:59pm PDT
IGF Student Showcase: November 10, 2006 at 11.59pm PDT

IGF will also honor 10 Student Showcase winners with the opportunity to show their work at GDC 2007! next March.

I think Brillulus and I need to have a few words with our classmates. Good Luck to all who enter.

If you're interested you can get full details at www.igf.com

EA acquires Mythic

2006-06-21T07:39:00.000-04:00

WATCH OUT OBLIVION! EA IS GONNA TRY AND KICK YOUR ASS!

A couple of months ago EA announced The Project Gray Company witch is rumored to be EA's Oblivion killer. Well the worlds largest game publisher is beefing up their RPG development Corps. with their new acquisition of Dark Age of Camelot developer Mythic Entertainment.

Mythic brings over 10 years of experience to EA's expansive development roster, more specifically MMORPG experience. Does this mean that Project Gray will be an MMO like World of Warcraft or an RPG with MMO elements like Final Fantasy 12 or of course Oblivion?

One thing I thought that was missing from Oblivion was multiplayer. If EA succeeds in combining the expansive sandbox world of Oblivion with the PVP and and party adventuring common to other MMORPGs Not only will Oblivion have some stiff competition but imagine... a MMORPG with the financial and development resources that EA has. Now that might just give World of WarCraft a run for it's money,

NHL <3's EA and 2K Sports

2006-06-20T08:01:00.000-04:00

Well the 2005/2006 hockey season came to a close last night, when the Carolina Hurricanes beat the Edmonton Oilers 3-1 in game 7 of the Stanley Cup finals. What better way to celebrate the end of the hockey season than with the announcement of witch publishers will carry the NHL and NHLPA license for the next couple of years.

Surprise it's EA and 2K Sports.... Well it's not really a surprise EA has been a major partner of the NHL and NHLPA since 1991. EA and 2K will develop '07 hockey games for current and next gen consoles. There was speculation the the NHL and NHLPA might sign a deal that would grant exclusive rights to a single publisher like the NFL did with EA but not this time around.

The NHL recognizes that most consumers want choice and decided not to grant an exclusive license. Watch for EA's NHL 2007 and 2K's NHL 2k7 this holiday season.

Psy City Surprise!

2006-06-20T07:45:00.000-04:00

Is it just me or is that Flash version of Excitebike ridiculously fun. I still haven't come in first in a race but I did score 12345 points in one race. Well kids that little piece of action script was developed by Psy City a.k.a Ian Kelly a.k.a psycosis91 and he is but the tender age of 14.

This kid deserves major cred in my books. Ok Excitebike is fun but need more proof check out another Psy City game Bullet Bill. A little more difficult but still pretty sweet. You can see for yourself at the Psy City website. There is also a couple of game sprite falsh cartoons wich are worth a look too.

ENJOY!

www.psy-city.co.uk

Excite Your Monday Morning

2006-06-19T07:06:00.000-04:00

Good morning readers I trust you all had a good weekend. It was quite warm here in Toronto over the weekend, so it was good to get out and about in the sunshine. Anyway enough about sunshine you're stuck at work for the next 5 days. Well what better way to get your week off to an "Exciting" start than with a really awesome flash version of the Nintendo classic Excitebike (one of my all time faves)New tricks interesting game play and an all new Daredevil mode (can you clear all ten trucks? I can!) you can find the game HERE thanks to Kotaku for posting it.

Play this one soon because it infringes on any number of Nintendo's copyrights so it might eventually get pulled from www.newgrounds.com which is a shame cause it's one of the better flash games I have come across lately, Enjoy!

Play Excitebike

DS Buyer's Beware

2006-06-15T22:44:00.000-04:00

Found this on gamesetwatch.

Buyer Beware: First Bootleg DS Games Surface

It helps you spot bootleg DS copies that may be being sold as Nintendo products.

If you just shelled out 150$ for a DS lite like I have, the temptation to pick up DS games cheap on ebay can be a lot to handle but resist. You might end up with some pirated piece of crap!

Enjoy!

[Unnamed Konami Title] - Preoder Today!

2006-06-15T13:50:00.000-04:00

According to 1UP, you can pre-order your very own copy of the Final Fantasy VII Remake for the PS3, which according to them is to be released in the month of December. Just another strike against the idea of pre-ordering your games, whether it be online or in stores.

The idea of the FF7 remake has been circulating since the PS3 tech demo showing the game's opening sequence at E3 last year. Currently, according to Square Enix, the Final Fantasy VII remake is not going to happen. But that won't stop stores from letting you pre-order the game.

Companies that sell video games will do anything to make a sale, even if that means allowing pre-orders for games with little or no knowledge about them available to the public. Case in point, in late February, I went to a local Blockbuster, only to see that you could pre-order the Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, which at that time had like 10 screenshots online and no release date. But you could have it when it comes out, whenever that was. It's almost like preordering Duke Nukem Forever in 1997 before they announced a release date. Plus, because there was no news about Twilight Princess, there would be no guarantee that you would like the gameplay is, let alone like the game.

I understand that preordering games in order to make sure you get your game is not a bad idea (I've done it a few times), but I think that stores should only allow preordering about a month or so in advance, or at least when there is a definite release date. That way, you know when the game is coming out, you know what the game is about, and you will get it the day it comes out. But businesses are all about money, and they will do anything in their power to get your money, even if it means allowing you to pre-order almost a year in advance on a game that may or may not even exist.

Who Cares About Backwards Compatibility? Mircrosoft Does....for now

2006-06-14T11:32:00.000-04:00

Microsoft has added a few more titles to the Xbox 360 backwards compatible list

4x4 Evo 2

Amped 2

Bad Boys: Miami Takedown

Big Mutha Truckers

Doom 3

Dreamfall: The Longest Journey

Fatal Frame

FlatOut

Grabbed by the Ghoulies

Silent Hill 4: The Room

Spawn Armageddon

Spider-Man

Star Wars Battlefront

State of Emergency

Zapper: One Wicked Cricket

Doom 3.....Cool! Lego Star Wars.......Awesome! Star Wars Battlefront.....Sweet, but State of Emergency? That was one of the worst games ever, I wonder how many copies are actually in circulation. Ah well keep 'em coming Microsoft and don't stop until every Xbox game is playable on the 360. No one cares about backwards compatibility? HA!

Surprise! Nintendo's Latest Handheld gets a Facelift

2006-06-14T11:22:00.000-04:00

Well, not quite two years after the original launch, Nintendo does what it likes to do best: remodel its latest handheld. Each one has gone through many changes (Original Game Boy getting smaller, then colours; Game Boy Advance getting a compact mode with a flip-down, front-lit screen, then changing it to a back-lit screen (they never said anything about that one), then shrinking to bite-size), and while a remodel of the DS was inevitable (and almost necessary), a change so soon was a surprise to me.

How it Looks - System: Incredible, Screens: Incredible!
The shell of the system got a nice overhaul over its beast of a brother. First, the DS Lite is smaller in width, length, and thickness, making it easier to fit into pockets and small pouches in backpacks and luggage. Second, the multitude of colours available are arguably better than those for the original. Sure, North America can only get white, but that looks a hell of a lot better than what was offered at the original DS launch: silver. Not even a cool, flashy metallic silver, but a dull one that easily comes off when rubbed against things over time. As well, the outer shell is covered in clear plastic not unlike a certain popular MP3 player. One final touch is that the top part sticks out on the edges, allowing it to close shut like a clam shell. This makes the system look slick when closed, and helps keep the bottom screen nice and clean (or at least cleaner than the bottom screen on the normal DS).
The screen got a nice change too, as the colours are a richer than on the normal DS. When I first turned mine on with Mario Kart DS, it looked like the colours were too bright. The opening menu shot out at me with blue. It was startling! This was so much different than the DS, with a duller blue. Easier on the eyes a little, but nothing a little brightness tuning couldn't fix: another option is that while the screen's back light can't be turned off anymore, the lighting has four brightness settings: one under the original brightness to conserve battery life, one close to equal, and two brighter than the original, although I doubt anybody would really need a screen as bright as the highest setting. I could see it fine on low in the dark.

How it Sounds: Same
Not much changed here, though there are fewer holes for the speaker to blare through.

How it Feels: Nice
The plastic covering does take a bit of adjustment to hold, since your hands can slide about on it right out of the box (I know mine did), but it is very comfortable. The stylus is moved to under your right hand (where the ABXY buttons are) and has a nice indent that an unused finger can pop it out quickly. The stylus is also longer, dwarfing the original stylus by at least an inch. While no thumbstrap is included, you can still tie your old one (of if they're sold separately) on the back. The only things that may take some getting used to are the LR buttons are smaller, only taking up half the size of the bottom part, and the start and select buttons are now below the ABXY buttons, and made much smaller. If you're used to the start/select buttons above like I was, it will be often that you stick your thumb up only to find nothing.

How it Plays: Similar
While no buttons were added or removed, and the touch screen is as sensitive as ever, the movement of the start/select button may add about a minute or two of a learning curve back onto any game that uses them, since you have to rememorize their location. This is offset by the position of the stylus, making it easier to get to your hand, since you don't have to take your hand off the controls (with a little practice, of course). A couple of other things have also changed for the better: the power/charger light are now in between the screens on the right, so even with the lid closed, you can see the power lights; the microphone is now in between the screens in the centre of the system; and the battery life is slightly extended if you keep it on the lowest setting. This adds more time to the playtime of your games in one sitting.

Verdict: Buy!
While mostly cosmetic touch-ups from one system to another, most of the changes to the DS improve the experience of the games, whether its the better colour quality of the visuals, or the clam shell to keep the bottom screen cleaner. Not one thing that changed from the DS to the DS Lite was done carelessly (except maybe the movement of the start/select buttons). If you don't have a DS, this should give you enough of an excuse to get one. If you already have a DS, never touch a friend's DS Lite if you don't intend on buying one, because you will never be able to go back and enjoy the games the same way. Now if only you could get it in black...

Great! Now it Sucks to Live in Oklahoma

2006-06-12T11:32:00.000-04:00

This morning I was browsing the news at Gamasutra.com and came across the story about Oklahoma Governor Brad Henry signing a new anti-video game bill into law HB30004 to be exact. Now many states have passed anti-video game laws mostly banning or restricting the sale or rental of "Mature" or Adults Only" games but Oklahoma's new law seems to have thrown the ESRB ratings out the window and come up with their own definition of restricted content.

Here's the definition according to Gamasutra.com

"This definition considers inappropriate any game which lacks serious
literary, scientific, medical, artistic or political value and which
features glamorized or gratuitous violence; uses that violence to shock or
stimulate; features violence that is not contextually relevant to the
material; has violence so pervasive that it serves as the thread holding the
plot of the material together; trivializes the serious nature of realistic
violence; does not demonstrate the consequences or effects of realistic
violence; uses brutal weapons designed to inflict the maximum amount of pain
and damage; endorses or glorifies torture or excessive weaponry, or depicts
lead characters who resort to violence freely."

Wow that sounds like half of the games out there. Well kiddies No GTA or Conker's Bad Fur Day for you. You should stick to Loco Roco and the Bible Game or face a hefty fine. Read the last line of that definition again, characters that resort to violence freely? So boxing, wrestling, football, and hockey games are out? I guess that's OK because no one in Oklahoma cares about football anyway. GO CORN HUSKERS!!!!!!!!

Just watch your back's kids of Oklahoma the thought police are coming for you. Unless you're "double plus good"

Is Sony committing Suicide?

2006-06-11T16:06:00.000-04:00

These days Sony seems to sound more like depressed teenager looking for attention good or bad, than a computer software giant. Now don't get me wrong I am extremely excited to see what the PS3 can do but Sony is throwing a lot of lofty promises in the air, my question is can they deliver?

If there is one thing I have learned about industries including but not limited to the game industry, is that they move in circles. Me and my fellow novice game designers have noticed that Sony seems to be acting a lot like Nintendo did 10 years ago when they were on top of the global console market. Overconfidence is not a trait that consumers normally respond to. Sony is of the frame of mind that "Hey we're Sony we can do whatever we want and charge whatever we want and people will still buy our products." This has been Microsoft's corporate philosophy for many years now. Microsoft has a lot more going for them than Sony does. Like complete control over the global computer software market.

I don't really want to get into the PS3's price too much but it doesn't take a genius to see that 650$ CND is ridiculous. I even though the Xbox 360's launch price was a bit to high. This being the main reason I do not have one in my possession as of yet but as the days go on I do see myself wanting a 360 more and more.

If Sony can deliver on all it's promises than the PS3 will be an awesome piece of hardware but otherwise I don't think that many people will be shilling out 650$ for fancy looking Blueray player.

How to Get Your Own Nintendo RPG

2006-06-09T12:49:00.000-04:00

Apparently it's not so tough being a video game character these days. Every video game character has one desire from birth err creation and that is to have a staring role in their own game. Some characters are giving a staring role right from the get go. The work of Samus Aran comes to mind along with Link and his ongoing role in the legend of Zelda series.

How common is it for an extremely secondary character to be given a shot at the big time with his own adventure. Well it has happened before Yoshi got his own game after a strong showing in Super Mario World, but Nintendo's new star was even more secondary than Yoshi. I'm talking about everyone's favorite (except mine) wannabe fairy and map maker Tingle.

IGN reports that Tingle will be getting his own RPG adventure for the Nintendo DS, but how did he make it to the big time? Well for all you video game characters out there just follow my step by step guid.

How to get your own Nintendo RPG

Step 1: Appear as an annoying character in an innovative adventure game along side a major star.

Tingle's first appearance was in The legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask where he sold Link maps of dungeons and that of the overworld. Sold? Selfish asshole Link was trying to save the world and you have the balls to charge him for you silly maps? The nerve!

Step 2: Make it to the sequel.

Tingle also appeared in the GameCube cell shaded adventure The legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, again charging for maps. Bah get out of here you silly half assed fairy.

Step 3 : Be memorable...... and cute

As annoying as I found Tingle did offer a little comic relief him wanting to be a fairy when he is clearly fat out of shape and lakes the ability to fly or restore Link's helth. Who could forget his adorable catch phrase "Oooooh Looooom PAAH!"

Step 4 : Settle for handheld

Not big enough for his own game on the Wii Tingle will have to settle for his own title on the Nintendo DS. You'll make it to the big time someday Tingle but for now baby steps.

I hope you have enjoyed this guide on how to get your own Nintendo RPG just follow these easy steps and then watch the cash role in. Maybe someday Tingle will be able to afford that Fairaplasty and become a real fairy just like he's always wanted.

New Super Mario Bros: Return to Memory Lane

2006-06-09T11:30:00.000-04:00

Probably one of the biggest franchises in the history of video games, the Super Mario platforming series gets an update on the Nintendo DS, taking elements from almost every Super Mario platformer and tossing in some new stuff along the way.

How it Looks: Fantastic!
New Super Mario Bros have some of the best graphics of any game on the Nintendo DS, with some impressive 3D polygons that don't blur or pixelate around the edges, making everything look sharp and well-defined. The animations move seamlessly along as well, with nice detail in every enemy's movements as well. Even the water ripples pretty well. I think the best thing Nintendo could do with Mario Bros was using polygons, since you can use the same Mario, scale him for Small Mario, stretch him tall for Mega Mario, and colour swap for Fire Mario, all without having a large library of sprites: everything can be done with a few calculations.

How it Sounds: Good
There doesn't seem to be many (if any) new music in New Super Mario Bros, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing. The majority of the songs and sounds are remixed from the entire library of Mario songs (mostly Super Mario Bros 3 and Super Mario World), and they sound very good. The music is also a little upbeat than most other games, but that just tries to add a comfort level to those who don't play games (since the DS is targeting everybody, making a good portion of their first-party games available for everybody), and that even adds a little wrinkle in the gameplay: on every beat (almost like someone saying "Ah", or hitting a triangle for underwater levels) the enemies either jump or stutter in place. The Fire Flower power-up also follows suit. Another thing is that they cut back on Mario talking, only keeping it at the beginning and ending of every level. While I don't find it too bad, if they had it every time you jumped or shot out a fireball, it would have driven me nuts!

How it Feels: Intuitive!
The controls of New Super Mario Bros feel very natural, but that has a lot to do with the simplicity of the game. Jumping is done with A/B button , while running is done with X/Y button, though you can swap the buttons if you want. The only other button that does anything is the Start button to pause. While the touch screen only contains the level map (or map of the worlds on the world map), in levels there is a spot to hold an extra item like in Super Mario World. Touching it will drop the contained item above you. Unlike Super Mario World, though, if you get hit, it will not automatically drop.

How it Plays: Fun
Not much has changed in the Mario formula: Get from the start to the end while avoiding enemies and pits, collecting coins and power-ups, getting to the flagpole, etc. If you've played a Super Mario bros game for the NES or SNES, you know what to expect. Power-ups are not as diverse, and mostly are just the mushroom to turn you into Super Mario (they still call him that), and the fire flower to give him fireballs. New to the game are: the small mushroom to shrink Mario into tiny Mario, which allows you to jump extra high, run across water, and get into tiny pipes; the mega mushroom, which causes Mario to grow to the height of the screen, allowing him to crush anything in his path and gain 1ups for his troubles; and the shell suit, allowing his dash to turn into a thrown turtle shell. The small mushroom and shell suit are mainly for finding secret items. There are 8 worlds in total (two are hidden), and multiple levels in each world (akin to Mario 3). Also added are most of the minigames from Super Mario 64 DS, though they are changed to allow multiplayer. The only issue I have is with saving: you can't do it when you want until you beat Bowser at the end of the game. The only times you can save are when you beat a tower or castle, or use star coins on the map.

Game Length: 5-15 Hours
If you just want to kick Bowser off his throne, the game shouldn't take longer than 5 hours. If you want to unlock every level and world, and find the three Star Coins in every levels will raise the game time to about 10-15 hours. The minigames can also help pass the time, and the multiplayer (collect-the-stars with another player and multiplayer minigames) also adds a few hours of fun.

Verdict: Buy!
This is a game that reminds you of gaming roots, how fun it was, and that you don't need to be killing aliens, engaging in an over-arching story, or have HD quality graphics to have fun. Although the game is short, it is a game that you will pick up and play again and again.

Holy Crap! Vista Launches!!

2006-06-07T21:32:00.000-04:00

Wow write a blog, go to school, bike home, and Vista Launches. whew!

Download Windows Vista beta 2 NOW!!

You can download it from the Microsoft Website

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsvista/getready/default.mspx

Run for your Life! It's Doug Lowenstein!

2006-06-07T00:35:00.000-04:00

There is a man, a man of great power and great responsibility. He is a defender of freedom a defender of video games he is the ESA's super hero Doug Lowenstein a.k.a THE OVERTURNER!!!

This week on The Overturner: Overtuner vs. The State of Minnesota

Gamasutra reported the other day that our hero has filed suite against the state of Minnesota to overturn another law that puts the government in a position normally reserved for parenting. This law seems particularly ridiculous fining young people for purchasing or renting "Mature" or "Adults Only" rated games. How on earth is a 10 year kid going pay a fine? That's like fining a homeless guy. No income = no payment.

If Doug Lowenstein wins this one he'll be 7 for 7. Why do states keep passing these laws that are eventually overturned for violating the First Amendment? Aren't there bigger issues like high gas prices or soldiers and civilians dieing overseas. Not only does Lowenstein get these laws struck down but he than sues the state government to recoup money spent on fighting these stupid laws. You tax dollars at work people.

A smart man once told me "Doug Wins...... FATALITY!

Microsoft Sketchy On Vista

2006-06-07T00:05:00.000-04:00

If you read the press releases it would seem that Microsoft is really excited about their new operating system but I remain skeptical. If you read between the lines you might actually see that Microsoft is not entirely convinced of Vista's success. How can I draw such a conclusion when all we hear from Microsoft is about how great Vista is going to be for gaming? Simple, three words..... Halo 2 exclusive.

Halo: CE for the PC will run on any operating system as long as you meet the requirements, this gave our first taste of Halo online multiplayer. Then Halo 2 launched for the Xbox and a giant was born. So why not allow anybody the PC to do so play Halo 2 without Vista?

What other reason is there to upgrade you OS? I think Microsoft finally hit it's stride with Windows XP after suffering through Windows ME and Windows 2000. I'm very happy with XP it does almost everything I need it to.

I have also heard speculation that DirectX 10 will also be Windows Vista exclusive. I think that developers just won't develop for DirectX 10 . The beauty of developing for PC is that anybody can do it. What's next Microsoft? Are you going require a license to develop for Vista?

Well we shall shall see.

to be HD or not to be HD

2006-06-06T20:25:00.000-04:00

Is HD the wave of the future? Well it really depends on who you ask. Sony and Microsoft are saying yes and including HDMI outputs on their next gen consoles. However word on the street is that the Nintendo Wii will not support HDTV outputs.

Now I understand why you would want an HDTV to play your games on especially if you're a big graphics whore and want the best picture possible, but for simply watching TV I don't see the point unless you're really into National Geographic or Discovery Channel shows. Do you really need 5000$ worth of detail to watch American Idol?

I am not against HDTV I just don't see the point, how good are things supposed to look? I hear things like "Man you can see the sweat coming off people's forehead" My response to that. "Ewwww I don't want to see the sweat dripping off that 400 pound lady on Jerry Springer. I already think that network TV is crap except for a couple of shows like House or CSI but again what do you need the extra detail for? CSI already zooms the camera in to a microscopic level. Can you say redundant?

I got to school in the CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Company) building in downtown Toronto, Ontario and they have HDTV's set up in the lobby so you can watch CBC programs in HD. Last week I stared at an episode of the Simpsons for like 20 minutes just trying to see if the picture looked any better than my TV at home and I honestly didn't see any difference. If anyone can tell me if HDTV has changed their life please email me or leave a comment.

If you really want HD you don't need to look any further than your own eyeballs. "Hey look I can see every hair on my girlfriends head" As she sits next to me on the couch while we play Lego Star Wars on our lovely 32 inch, non-flat, I guess old school low-def TV and that's all I'll ever need.

All Games Large and Small

2006-06-06T10:54:00.000-04:00

So what is the hot button topic that is one the minds of video game design students. Well my fellow students and I seem to keep coming back to the same topic. All of us have been very intrigued by the idea of smaller scale games on the new consoles and also by the idea of online game delivery systems.

I once brought up the idea of online game delivery systems like Xbox Live Arcade, Valve's Steam and Nintendo's Virtual Console, to my Ludology (Game Studies) instructor Jason MacIsaac webmaster of www.elecplay.com . He went as far to say that online delivery systems like Steam "are the future of gaming".

Not only do these delivery systems make content more accessible for consumers but they seem to have created a whole new gaming market that Sony, Mircosoft and Nintendo are very eager to explore. Let's look at some of the most popular games on Xbox Live. Yeah we know that Halo 2 and Call of Duty: 2 are extremely popular among Xbox Live's subscribers but those who are luck enough to own 360 have shown that smaller scale games like Geometry Wars and UNO can be ridiculously popular.

Now as a game designer I think I would be very happy designing little games that are distributed for little money or even free. Who needs the constant pressure of producing AAA titles. I think that developing really solid casual games is a great way to spread the positive influence of video games to people who don't really see the benefit of video games. This early in my career I don't really know where I'm going to end up in this massive industry but I do know one thing. I have been a life long advocate of this medium and it's power to enrich people's abilities whether it's by improving eye hand co-ordination, problem solving skills, thumb dexterity or the proper way to trash talk at some kid you just owned at Halo 2.

Time Well Spent

2006-06-05T18:26:00.000-04:00

I came across something interesting this weekend according to CNET news there are at least 7 bills before the Senate and House in the US. Now I have to say that I am not American nor do I live in the US but I do pay attention to US politics especially where video games are concerned.

see the list here

There are two bills in particular that I have a problem with. Bill S.2126 sponsored by Sen. Hillary Clinton (D) NY and bill HR5345 sponsored by Rep. Jim Matheson (D) Utah both are still in committee and both would bar the sale of "mature" video games to minors. What's wrong with that you ask? Every other media industry has been allowed to self regulate without government intervention. Movies, newspapers, comic books all allowed to self regulate.

You can't just let the video game industry run around doing what they want selling their evil product to kids. If only there was some sort of ELECTRONIC SOFTWARE RATINGS system so that parents could see a lable on the packaging warning them that a title might not be suitable for a younger audience. Better yet this ratings system could be run by a BOARD of some kind.

The rest of the Bills are trying to launch investigations and studies into the impact of video games on young minds or how bad GTA: San Andreas is. Didn't GTA:SA come out like 2 years ago? Now that's quick work.

Alan Kotok 1940-2006

2006-06-05T10:39:00.000-04:00

My fellow gamers one of the grandfathers of our industry passed away last week. Alan Kotok was one of the MIT students who back in the 1960s designed one of the first video games "Spacewar" for MIT's PDP-1 computer. Now his contribution to "Spacewar" may have been minimal he did however inspire main programmer and notorious procrastinator Steve Russell to finish writing the program that would go on to inspire another father of the game industry.... Nolan Bushnell.

Before leaving MIT Kotok made another impact on the world of computer gaming by being involved in the design of one of the first computer chess programs. After leaving MIT Kotok began a 34 year career at Digital Equipment where he was chief-architect of the PDP-10 family of computers. He also had Impacts on this lovely thing we call the world wide web. Remember Alta Vista? The search engine? I used it once in grade 8, Kotok was a major consultant on that project.

Kotok shows us that you can inspire an industry even if you did mean to. Well Alan thanks for everything and rest in peace.

Want to play "Spacewar" the game that sparked a media revolution?

well you can ---> here

The End of Killer Aps?

2006-06-05T10:24:00.000-04:00

One thing that I have noticed with this new generation of consoles is there are fewer major third-party exclusive titles for the three systems. Sure, Xbox will always have Halo, PlayStation will have God of War, and Nintendo all their first-party goodness, but exclusive third-party titles are going the way of the dodo. Look at Grand Theft Auto - every GTA since GTA3 has been PS2 exclusive for a few months until released on Xbox and PC. At E3, it was announced that GTA4 will be multi-platform from day 1. Final Fantasy XI, the online FF, started with the PS2, then quickly moved to PC. Once released, the Xbox 360 got a hold of FFXI as well, making it the first Final Fantasy on Microsoft's console. And once the PlayStation was released, Mega Man X jumped ship from the SNES over to the PlayStation with exclusive releases of Mega Man X4, X5, X6, and X7 for the PS2. It wasn't until Mega Man X Command Mission did Mega Man X finally return to multi-platform gaming.

What does this mean for the consumer? Good things. With less and less exclusive titles on the systems, it means that you can go out and buy one system to play a multitude of games on it without being shut in the dark completely. There will still be draws to each system, whether it be Xbox's Live,Arcade and Halo, PlayStation's large library of RPGs, Wii's Virtual console and near-perfect first-party line-up, or PC's large MMORPG support and downloadable content. It's just that the lines that once separate one console to another are becoming a lot more blurred.

But one thing is for certain, there will always be those system sellers, the "killer aps" for each system, that will never cross over. You will never see a Halo game on PS3, a Legend of Zelda game on an Xbox, or God of War on the Wii. There will still be some absolutes, just not as many as there once was.

I Think I'm Done With Halo 2

2006-06-04T20:00:00.000-04:00

Growing up my parents never really gave a crap about technology or the internet so a high speed broadband connection or top of the line computer were never at home in my house. My parents bought a computer that did the job and normally had basic internet service. So when I finally got my own place last January I pulled out all the stops. I signed up for the fastest internet connection available and jumped right into the crazy world of Xbox Live.

I soon discovered that there were a lot of games on Xbox Live but not many of them were very fun with the exception of Microsoft and Bungie's crown jewel Halo 2 I had played it online at a couple of friends house and it felt like crack I wanted to play more. So it was one of the first titles I bought for my shiny new Xbox Live connection. It took a little bit but I started improve before I knew it I was a level 26 and pretty decent. One late night on halo turned into another before I knew it I was playing way too much Halo.

So it's now six months later and I just don't find it fun anymore. The same old maps the same old guys who have de-leveled and like to pick on players who aren't a good as them. Same old everything. Now it is amazing that a game that came out over 2 years ago can still offer new experience for new players also six months of replay value for 19.99 is awesome. I have just reached the point where I crave something new. Well I have Halo 3 to look forward to but I am a little concerned on how fresh the next installment of the series might be. Well here's for some Halo innovation.

Ass Backwards

2006-06-02T11:37:00.000-04:00

Over the past two days I have seen a couple of news stories pointing to an interview with Microsoft VP Peter Moore where he talks about the future of the Xbox gaming console.
what shocked me is that Moore says that "Nobody is concerned anymore about backwards compatibility" Of course people are concerned about backwards compatibility. Now this may not be a system selling feature but it is definitely an awesome bonus. Sony seems to be the only company who has been able to do this feature right.

You can play any PlayStation game on your PS2 and word on the street is that you will be able to play all your PlayStation and PS2 games on Sony's new PS3 when it launches later this year or early next year. Backwards compatibility is definitely useful It saves space in your living room you can play many generations of games on one console.

Nintendo is also banking on this feature and they are taking it even further with the Nintendo Wii's "Virtual Console" feature. Which will allow users to download games from any Nintendo generation, NES, SNES, and N64 in addition to Wii's ability to play current-gen GameCube titles. Now I grew up playing games during Nintendo's console domination years, so the ability to recapture my youth is awesome even my girlfriend is super excited about the prospect of playing Super Mario 3 without huffing and puffing into our ancient and discoloured NES console.

I think Microsoft is really shooting themselves in the foot with this. It seems that Microsoft is more concerned with all that 1080p, HDMI, HDTV nonsense than they are about providing the best game experience possible. I don't know about you but I play all my video games on a 32 inch non-flat TV and I think they look just fine. We'll save the HDTV argument for another time.

I have quite a few Xbox game and when I upgrade to the Xbox 360 I may still want to play those games with having to drag out that massive black brick Microsoft calls a console. I hope the powers that be give Peter Moore a nice slap upside the head and say listen to your audience!....Idiot.

AMD + ATI = ATMID?????

2006-06-01T00:19:00.000-04:00

Let's talk microchips shall we.

Now I am no expert on computers or those magical green boards inside that do all kinds of crazy stuff but I do know that kick ass chips give us kick ass games. The PC game environment is currently closed to me like it always has been. Hey my little laptop does the job though with it's little Intel integrated graphics card. One of these days I'll get my hands on one of those sweet gaming PCs but what chips will be inside it? Intel or AMD processor? Nvidia or ATI graphics chips? I have not seen or heard anything touting one processor over the other but this changes when I ask anyone about GPUs (Graphics Processing Units). Everyone I have talked to about graphics chips has had nothing but problems with ATI chip sets not because the units themselves are no good but that the drivers never seem to work right. This maybe at an end.

Forbes is reporting a possible merger between AMD and ATI. Does this mean that ATI could finally get it's drivers all in a row resulting in an easier and less stressful gaming experience for all those PC gamers out there. Could it be possible that in the future AMD's main competition Intel could merge with graphics giant Nvidia? Will this merger could breath new life into the fledgling PC game market? Or is this just another Canadian company being gobbled up by a bigger American firm.

Nintendo DS Lite North American and European Launch Details

2006-05-31T02:49:00.000-04:00

The wait is almost over. Those lucky gamers in Japan and other parts of Asia have been enjoying this brilliant little hand held since march. Come mid-June however the rest of the world will be finally able to enjoy Nintendo DS games on a stylish slimed down version of the original Nintendo DS One gripe though. What? No black DS in North America? Well take notes and get yours while you can.

North America

Launch Date:
June 11th 2006

Colours:
Polar White

Price:
USD 129.99$
CAD 149.99$

Retailers
Best Buy, Future Shop, EB Games/Gamestop, Target, Wal-Mart and
Get Games

Europe & UK

Launch Date:
June 23rd 2006

Colours:
Polar White & Enamel Black

Price:
EURO 149.99€
GBP 99.99£

Retailers
Don't know any but if you do let me know

End of the Atari Age

2006-05-30T20:35:00.000-04:00

We may be looking at the end of an era in the game industry. During my morning news cycle I came across the following article.
http://www.joystiq.com/2006/05/30/infogrames-prepares-for-atari-disposal/

Which adds fuel to the fire of speculation surrounding Atari's financial troubles. Infogrames Atari's parent company is attempting to restructure the company and possibly liquidate some of it's not so profitable divisions like Shiny Entertainment which in the past has produced such classics as Earthworm Jim. Most alarming are the reports of the possibility that Atari may sell the publishing rights to the long awaited "Neverwinter Nights 2" the Joystiq article also points to the rumor of a merger or buy out between Atari and 3rd party giant Ubisoft.

Now this Atari is the same as Nolan Bushnell's Atari in name and brand only. The developer has come along way from it's Pong coin-op roots. To me this is the video game equivalent of Ford Motor Corp. going under.

Back in the 70s Nolan Bushnell pretty much created the modern gaming industry by making the first coin operated games, the first being Space War. The company really hit it's stride when it released the first coin-op version of pong which went on to be many old-school gamer's first video game experience. Over the years the company has changed many hands since Bushnell was forced out but everyone remembers Atari if not for their coin-op games than for their influence on another way to play games.........The home console.

Now the Atari 2600 or Atari VCS (Video Computer System) was just slightly before my time but that doesn't mean it didn't have an impact. I still play the odd Atari 2600 game to this day even though I had not been born when the console was in it's heyday, I still got to play it once in awhile at an older friend's house or wherever I could until that magical Christmas morning when I opened up that brand sparking new NES (Nintendo Entertainment System) and an obsession had begun. Now many years later I am faced with Atari's possible demise and I can't help but shed a tear for the company that started with a bunch of hippies and changed how we play games in our living rooms forever.

Let's Try Something New

2006-05-30T00:48:00.000-04:00

Greetings everyone. I am Lord Mephistar but you can call me Mephis or Tim whatever floats your boat. I am starting this blog because I am frustrated with my current blog hosted at 1up.com. You can view it here ---> http://mephistar.1up.com
The reason I am frustrated is that I write and write and write all sorts of content and receive no comments or feedback of any kind. So I'm going to try a different website hehehe this one.

So with that said you're probably wondering what From the Bottom Up is. Well I am a video game design and development student @ IADT Toronto with a dream of becoming a video game journalist and you have to start somewhere. Having just begun down the path that hopefully will lead to the game industry, I hope to give others a view of the video game industry from that of a student who is learning the fundamentals of game design. I also hope to bring a neutral voice to a community crowded with the all to common company bias.

I play video games, and I think that different platforms offer unique experiences and that no one system is superior over another.

So if you like video games stay tuned for news, reviews, rumors, and all the muck that's fit to print from the bottom of a thriving multi-national media industry. I also invite any feedback that you readers have to offer, even if it's negative. Like I said I'm just starting out and am willing to learn whatever I can.