gOt sKillz?!

The popular attorney with a self proclaimed mission to stop games from ruining our bodies and souls, Jack Thompson, has struck again against GTA IV.

This time around, Mr. Thompson managed to get Miami’s transit authority to remove Grand Theft Auto IV ads from local bus shelters.

“The posters were removed after a review of our approval process and contract”, stated an official email from Miami’s transit authority. “Be assured that the circumstances around placing and removing these specific posters were reviewed before action was taken. We are governed by our contract with our shelter contractor and County ordinances.”

Take-Two Interactive spokesman said that they are still reviewing the situation, but jack Thompson wasted no time before sending out this letter to the media:
“Jack Thompson has today persuaded the Miami-Dade Transit System to pull all advertisements for the Grand Theft Auto IV cop-killing simulation game from its bus stops,”, Thompson’s letter reads.

The letter goes on: “In the wake of this success, Thompson is proceeding to get all GTA IV ads pulled from all US transit systems since such ads clearly violate promises made by the [ESRB], found right at its web site, not to place ‘Mature-rated’ game ads in venues that will be seen by teens.”

When asked for clarification, an ESRB spokesman said that “Considering the overwhelmingly adult demographic profile of mass transit riders, the placement of GTA IV ads in these types of outlets would typically not be in violation of [Ad Review Council] guidelines.”

Electronic Arts and Maxis today announced that a free downloadable demo, and complete retail version of the Spore Creature Creator will be available starting June 17, 2008.

The Spore Creature Creator gives Spore fans, and those who are creatively curious, the first hands-on opportunity to design their own species and share it with their friends. All creatures designed with the Spore Creature Creator can be imported into the full retail version of the Spore for PC and Mac when it launches on September 5, 2008 in Europe and September 7, 2008 in North America.

“We are thrilled to finally be putting the creative tools of Spore into the hands of players around the world,” said Will Wright, chief designer, Maxis. “The amazing creations players design this summer will help populate the game universe we all enter when Spore ships this September, so in a sense, the Spore Creature Creator is the birth of Spore.”

The free demo version of the Spore Creature Creator will be available worldwide via download from the game’s official site. The demo lets players mold, shape, paint and play with an unlimited number of creatures, using 25 percent of the creature-making parts from Spore. Gamers can then share these creations with their friends, including seamless uploads to YouTube. The demo will also be included in the The SimCity Box, which ships on June 23.

A complete retail version of the Spore Creature Creator will also be available in North America for $9.99 and most European territories for €9.99, which gives players access to all the creature-making parts in the game.

Spore gives players their own personal universe in a box. Create and evolve life, establish tribes, build civilizations, sculpt entire worlds and explore a universe created by other gamers. Spore gives players a wealth of creative tools to customize nearly every aspect of their universe: creatures, vehicles, buildings, and even UFOs. Players can then seamlessly share their creations with the world or explore infinite new galaxies created by other gamers.

Most press releases are dull and unimaginative pieces of marketing propaganda, but every once in a while we come across one that stands out for being really funny (that’s when we forget to put the quotation marks) or bizarre.

Co-developed by Black Wing Foundation, Dreamlore and N-Game, the bizarreness of the title of the Russian-American game, Stalin vs. Martians is only superseded by that of its official press release.

The press release kicks off by the usual marketing propaganda, claiming that the game is ” probably the most bizzare gaming experience of year 2008.” But then it gets funnier.

The press release actually says that “the title of the game alone is a piece of art, and the playability doesn’t even matter here. The very concept is just enough. It makes your brain explode. Surprisingly though, we have more than that to offer.”

The conclusion of the press release is not too vainglorious indeed. The final paragraph reads: “Stalin vs. Martians is also a good real-time strategy. Fast, simple, intuitive and incredibly fun. Trashy and absolutely over-the-top, arthouse kitsch production in its finest. With a good technical basis and some healthy gameplay innovations. A natural choice for anyone bored of hundreds and hundreds of identical ‘World War II strategies’. And a perfect choice for anyone who just hates the strategy genre.”

Looking for more fun, we checked out the game’s official website and found out that their faq is not without a sense of humor. Answering to a question about the ability to play as Stalin himself, the faq states that “Yes, but not from the start. Stalin is our commander and he gives us orders. Closer to the grand finale he will appear on the battlefield as a playable unit - a huge colossus, five times higher than any other creature. Just like it was in the real life.”

The faq states clearly that it is no coincidence that some of the Martians resemble characters from other games, because “Stalin vs. Martians is not only a kitsch (check Wikipedia for this word if you’re from Iowa), but also a parody. Sort of.” According to Wikipedia, ” Kitsch /k?t?/ is a term of German or Yiddish origin that has been used to categorize art that is considered an inferior, tasteless copy of an existing style. The term is also used more loosely in referring to any art that is pretentious to the point of being in bad taste, and also commercially produced items that are considered trite or crass.”

Unfortunately, the game itself doesn’t look that impressive. It looks like a standard run of the mill world war 2 RTS with one army replaced by happy Martians of different sizes. We may be wrong, but we’ll have to wait for a demo or gameplay video to reach a final decision.
Don’t forget to visit the screens tab where 8 screenshots of Stalin vs. Martians are available

pOrtal might have been one of the shortest blockbuster games ever created, but that doesn’t mean that its sequel can be finished in less than a year and a half. At least, according to Vavle.

“In typical Valve tradition, it won’t be Portal with different colors”, said Valve’s Doug Lombardi.

“I think that when you hit something like that, you have two choices: you can quickly replicate it and stick it out there - do the opportunistic thing and cash in on it - or you can do the crazy thing like we did after Half-Life was so successful and go off and try and say, ‘Okay, that was revolutionary, so its successor has to be equally as revolutionary’”, he explained.

Lombardi went on to say that they won’t release a sequel for pOrtal this Christmas because “that would just be boring”.

“I think you have to be ambitious,” he concluded. “For us, that’s really paid off. Half-Life 2 was the right decision, it was painful, six years and upwards of 40 million dollars to develop, but that paid off. That’s our recipe.”

Microsoft today announced a new partnership with the Companions in Courage Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting children and families who are overcoming life-threatening obstacles.

“As part of its commitment to providing fun, interactive entertainment for children, Microsoft is supplying hundreds of Xbox 360 game kiosks to playrooms in children’s hospitals across the United States”, said the official press release. “Intended to provide a respite for young patients and be a catalyst for fun. In addition to select games, movies and television content, the Xbox 360 kiosks will provide access to a private network that allows hospitalized children across the country to play games and chat in a safety-enhanced environment over Xbox LIVE, the world’s largest social network connected to television.”

Microsoft is celebrating this partnership and the installation of the first wave of kiosks with three simultaneous events today at Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital of New York-Presbyterian, Children’s Hospital & Regional Medical Center of Seattle and the Children’s Hospital of Orange County in California. Robbie Bach, president of the Entertainment and Devices Division at Microsoft, will attend the Seattle event to commemorate the first group of Xbox 360 kiosks and the launch of the special Xbox LIVE network.

“Microsoft is committed to keeping kids entertained in a variety of ways within a safer gaming environment, so partnering with Companions in Courage to offer children in hospitals a way to connect through something as universal as games is a natural fit for the work we do,” Bach said. “The goal for this program is to give these kids a chance to have some fun and just be kids.”

Companions in Courage founder and National Hockey League Hall of Famer Pat LaFontaine said, “Entertainment, creativity and personal connections can be important factors in alleviating some of the isolation and discomfort these children experience each day. Xbox 360 offers young patients a fun escape through games, TV shows, movies and positive interactions with others over the Xbox LIVE network. These gaming stations are a perfect complement to the interactive playrooms.”

The customized and hospital-friendly Xbox 360 kiosks are pre-loaded with a variety of Y-rated TV programs, G-rated movies, games rated E and E10+, as well as Xbox 360 Headset and Xbox LIVE Vision Camera capabilities, which enable patients to communicate over a dedicated Xbox LIVE network. This network, created just for Xbox 360 kiosks and consoles in children’s hospitals, allows patients to play games over Xbox LIVE, but limits chat via voice, text and video to only those children playing from select hospitals across the country. The industry-leading parental controls on Xbox 360, known as Family Settings, will be used to help restrict access to content outside ratings parameters, as well as the times during which patients can use the kiosks or consoles.

“It’s extremely gratifying to witness the joy and excitement of these children and teens when they have a chance to break away from the normal hospital routine, and make new friends while playing video games,” said Cynthia Sparer, executive director of Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital of New York-Presbyterian. “We are grateful that our partnership with Companions in Courage helps us meet the needs of our patients and allows kids to be kids even when they’re sick.”

To help bring even more Xbox 360 kiosks to children’s hospitals across the country, individuals can visit the Companions in Courage Web site at http://cic16.org to make a donation.

As spring bounds in and summer edges closer, a range of new titles make their way on to the Nintendo DS and Wii. With some familiar faces, as well as brand new experiences on both consoles, there will be something for everyone to enjoy over the coming months

25th April will see the much-anticipated European launch of Wii Fit arrive on Wii, bundled with the pressure sensitive Wii Balance Board. Mario will also be found brawling with numerous heroes from Nintendo and third party titles in the eagerly anticipated Super Smash Bros. Brawl!

May will see the introduction of two new exciting elements to the Wii Channels. WiiWare will storm onto the Wii Shop Channel offering brand new first and third party titles to download directly to the Wii from 500 Wii Points. Nintendo Channel will also be arriving at the end of May, keeping everyone up-to-date on all the latest information for past, present and future games on all Nintendo platforms.

For the Nintendo DS, a new companion for the kitchen will be making its debut as “Cooking Guide: Can’t Decide What to Eat?” arrives in Europe, providing numerous recipes, step-by-step guides to preparing dishes from all around the world. A new face in the world of justice will also take centre stage as Ace Attorney: Apollo Justice launches. Solving mysteries and heading back to the courtroom to nail the criminal, Apollo Justice will have puzzle fans searching out all the essential clues! In July, Pokemon fans will be in for a treat as they get ready to be transformed into a Pokemon and battle through dungeons with the arrival of Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time and Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Darkness on the Nintendo DS.

For the full updated 2008 line up for both the Nintendo DS and Wii, please see the tables below:

Wii Software 2008 - Release Dates
Alone In The Dark (ATARI) Q1 2008
Godzilla: Unleashed (ATARI) Q1 2008
Worms: A Space Oddity (THQ) Q1 2008
Yamaha Supercross (ZOO Digital Publishing Ltd) Q1 2008
Wii Fit (with Wii Balance Board accessory) (Nintendo) 25th April
Radio Helicopter (505 Games) 25th April
Legend of Sayuki (505 Games) 9th May
Top Spin 3 (2K Sports) May 2008
Monster Truck Jam (Activision) May 2008
Boom Blox (EA) May 2008
Speed Racer (Warner Bros Interactive Entertainment) May 2008
DRAGON QUEST® SWORDS: The Masked Queen and the Tower of Mirrors® (SQUARE ENIX) End May 2008
Hannah Montana – Music Jam (Disney Interactive Studios) Spring 2008
Iron Man (SEGA) Spring 2008
Ford Off Road Racing (Empire Interactive) 6th June
Family Ski (Namco Bandai / Nintendo) 13th June
Super Smash Bros. Brawl (Nintendo) 27th June
Lego: Indiana Jones the Original Adventures (LucasArts / Activision) June 2008
Monster Lab (Eidos) June 2008
Wacky Races (Eidos) June 2008
Mummy Tomb of the Emperor (Vivendi Games) July 2008
Blast Works – Build, Trade, Destroy (Majesco / Eidos) Q2 2008
de Blob (THQ) Q2 2008
Sports Island (Hudson Soft / Konami) Q2 2008
Chess Crusade (ZOO Digital Publishing Ltd) Q2 2008
Garfield Gets Real (ZOO Digital Publishing Ltd) Q2 2008
Garfield’s Fun Fest (ZOO digital Publishing Ltd) Q2 2008
Jeep Let’s Off Road (ZOO Digital Publishing Ltd) Q2 2008
Margots Word Brain (ZOO Digital Publishing Ltd) Q2 2008
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (LucasArts / Activision) Summer 2008
We Love Golf (Capcom) Summer 2008
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (Disney Interactive Studios) Summer 2008
Pipemania (Empire Interactive) 14th September
Brave: A Warrior’s Tale (SouthPeak Games) Q3 2008
Crash (tentative title) (Vivendi Games) October 2008
Spyro (tentative title) (Vivendi Games) October 2008
Bratz Kids (The Game Factory) Q4 2008
Build-A-Bear Workshop (The Game Factory) Q4 2008
RUBIKS (The Game Factory) Q4 2008

Wii Channels 2008 - Release Dates
WiiWare (Nintendo) 20th May 2008
Nintendo Channel (Nintendo) 30th May 2008

Nintendo DS Software 2008 - Release Date
Godzilla: Unleashed (ATARI) Q1 2008
Fish Tycoon (Majesco / Eidos) Q1 2008
Holly Hobbie (Majesco / Eidos) Q1 2008
Nancy Drew (Majesco / Eidos) Q1 2008
Crayola: Treasure Adventures (Ignition) Q1 2008
GEORGE OF THE JUNGLE (Ignition) Q1 2008
Teenage Zombies (Ignition) Q1 2008
Mystery Mansion (505 Games) 4th April
Draglade (505 Games) 11th April
Mystery Detective II (505 Games) 18th April
Starz (505 Games) 18th April
King of Clubs (Oxygen Games) 18th April
Dream Pinball 3D (SouthPeak Games) 18th April
The World Ends With You (SQUARE ENIX) 18th April
Ace Attorney: Apollo Justice (Capcom / Nintendo) 9th May
Subbuteo (505 Games) 30th May
Monster Truck Jam (Activision) May 2008
Race Driver GRID (Codemasters) May 2008
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (Disney Interactive Studios) May 2008
City Life (Monte Cristo Multimedia) May 2008
ArchimDS (Rising Star Games) May 2008
Ecolis (Rising Star Games) May 2008
Speed Racer (Warner Bros Interactive Entertainment) May 2008
Hannah Montana – Music Jam (Disney Interactive Studios) Spring 2008
Iron Man (SEGA) Spring 2008
Etrian Odyssey (Atlus / Nintendo) 6th June
Code Lyoko 2 (The Game Factory) 9th June
Bratz Ponyz 2 (The Game Factory) 11th June
Pipemania (Empire Interactive) 20th June
Cooking Guide: Can’t Decide What to Eat? (Nintendo) June 2008
Lego: Indiana Jones the Original Adventures (LucasArts / Activision) June 2008
Looney Tunes (Eidos) June 2008
Monster Lab (Eidos) June 2008
Wacky Races (Eidos) June 2008
Zoo Hospital (Majesco / Eidos) Q2 2008
Hello Kitty: Big City Dreams (Empire Interactive) Q2 2008
New International Track & Field (Konami) Q2 2008
Nanostray 2 (Majesco) Q2 2008
Chess Crusade (ZOO Digital Publishing Ltd) Q2 2008
Margots Word Brain (ZOO Digital Publishing Ltd) Q2 2008
Shining Star (ZOO Digital Publishing Ltd) Q2 2008
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time (Nintendo) 4th July
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Darkness (Nintendo) 4th July
Mummy Tomb of the Emperor (Vivendi Games) July 2008
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (LucasArts / Activision) Summer 2008
Bratz Kidz (The Game Factory) Q3 2008
RUBIKS Classic (tentative title) (The Game Factory) Q3 2008
Brave: Shaman’s Challenge (SouthPeak Games) Q3 2008
Ninjatown (SouthPeak Games) October 2008
Crash (tentative title) (Vivendi Games) October 2008
Ghostbusters (Vivendi Games) October 2008
Spyro (tentative title) (Vivendi Games) October 2008
ELEMENTS (The Game Factory) Q4 2008

Capcom announced that the PC version of Devil May Cry 4 is ready for release this summer.

Devil May Cry 4 is already a certifiable hit in the console world, having shipped over two million units worldwide since its European release in February. A demo of the game will be released for PC players before the retail version ships, allowing PC gamers to try the game ahead of time as well as testing their system’s prowess with the included benchmark mode. The PC version of Devil May Cry 4 will feature new modes, enhanced graphics options and some additional content.

Good things come to those who wait as PC owners will benefit from having more modes and more visual customization options to help enhance their demon-slaying action. Turbo mode will turn up the action to insane speeds, while Legendary Dark Knight Mode will harness advanced PC processing power and fill the screen with an unbelievable number of enemies for extra difficulty. Moreover, familiar enemies from the console versions will show-up in new locations in the PC version. The high resolution screen settings allow the cut scenes of the game to run at up to 120 frames per second (up from 30 frames per second in the console version of the game). Slider options are available to manage various visual effects seen throughout the game. Devil May Cry 4 for the PC will have both DirectX 9 and DirectX 10 modes and will also be compliant with the Games For Windows program.

Devil May Cry 4 immerses gamers in a gothic supernatural world where a new protagonist clashes with a familiar hero. As the new leading man Nero players will unleash incredible attacks and non-stop combos using a unique new gameplay mechanic: the powerful “Devil Bringer” on his right arm.

Devil May Cry 4 has been rated 16+ by PEGI.

Mark Wahlberg is set to become a father for the third time, it has been claimed.

The “Departed” actor is delighted after discovering his fiancee, model Rhea Durham, is pregnant again.

A source told America’s OK! magazine: “Mark is thrilled to be having another baby.”

“He is an amazing dad, and his two children are his world. He always used to joke about wanting at least a dozen kids, but it looks like he wasn’t joking after all.”

The 36-year-old actor has reportedly told friends Rhea will give birth to a son in September. Mark and Rhea, 29, already have a four-year-old daughter Ella Rae and a two-year-old son Michael.

Although the couple have been dating since 2001, Mark is believed to be happy with his relationship as it is and is in no rush to get married.

Mark is currently filming “Max Payne,” in which he stars as a DEA agent who sets out to avenge his family’s murder.

The movie is based on the popular computer game of the same name.

Source: BANG Showbiz

Robert Downey Jr. wants to have more children.

The “Iron Man” actor - who has a 14-year-old son Indio from his marriage to Deborah Falconer - is ready to extend his family.

Robert, who is married to producer Susan Levin, said: “I want more children. I also want to travel. I talk about things I want to do a lot.”

The 43-year-old actor - who has publicly beaten addictions to alcohol and drugs - also said he thinks Indio has massive potential as a guitarist.

He said: “I honestly think Indio is one of the most gifted teenage guitarists in Los Angeles at the moment. He has been playing with a couple of guys from school and they call themselves The Jack Rabbits.”

“I said to him that he should call his next album, ‘How To Pass Eighth Grade’!”

Robert can be seen starring as Tony Stark in the latest Marvel Comics film adaptation “Iron Man” alongside Gwyneth Paltrow and Jeff Bridges.

Source: BANG Showbiz

Amy Winehouse has been offered a cure for her bad skin by a TV nutritional expert.

“You Are What You Eat” star Gillian McKeith insists Amy’s complexion would clear up if the singer - who is said to be suffering from the contagious skin disease impetigo and also has bad acne - takes her diet advice.

Gillian told British radio station Heart FM: “I would love to meet Amy one day and she could probably benefit a great deal from just hearing some of my advice. Her acne could easily be cleared up quickly without a doubt.”

“It is all about good food, rebalancing her body and exercise. Her music is fantastic but she just has to get everything else sorted out and it will all fall into place.”

It was recently reported “Rehab” singer Amy was told her facial scabs would scar her for life if she didn’t stop taking drugs.

She was overheard saying at a party: “I’ve been told I’ll lose my looks over this - but I can’t give it up! I’m told my scars might never heal. My dermatologist says it’s a result of the drugs and it could spread to other parts of my body if I don’t quit.”

Gillian McKeith has found fame with her book and UK TV series “You Are What You Eat,” which sees obese and ill people adopt healthier lifestyles.

She is famous for analyzing people’s feces to get a better idea of how their diet is affecting their body.

Source: BANG Showbiz