| Video game new releases
Just weeks after Microsoft stamped down talk that an HDMI (high-definition multimedia Interface)-enabled Xbox 360 was in the works, the rumors are back. According to gameinformer.com, retailers have confirmed that the system — codenamed Zephyr — is set for a May 1 release and will cost $479.99. In addition to the new video interface, the system would have a 120GB hard drive and a 65nm processor. Microsoft has offered no official confirmation. GEAR The Sonic Bomb Alarm Clock lives up to its name. The adjustable-volume alarm has a maximum loudness of 113 decibels — a good bit louder than a jackhammer. And the bed shaker delivers just what it promises. Slip it under the mattress and your ears will bleed; there is no way you will oversleep. You also can turn off the sound alarm and tape the bed shaker to say, an office chair, to avoid that late-afternoon drowsiness.
David King: Click and scroll - A new spin on fan promotions
Even if you're not into all that Red Sox-Yankees angst, you have to admire the pluck and creativeness of the Sox's Class A affiliate, the Lowell (Mass.) Spinners.In the past, the Spinners (found online at LowellSpinners.com) have given away bobbleheads of Beat Generation writer Jack Kerouac and hosted the world's largest game of "Duck, Duck Goose" at the team's LeLacheur Park, where each section is named for a GM model ("I'll take two seats in the Denali Section," sounds a little odd, but we're up for anything). The Spinners currently are in Phase Two of Y.E.P., which stands for "Yankees Elimination Project." The club is offering to outfit any youth baseball or softball team nicknamed the Yankees with Spinners gear, at no cost to the teams, to eliminate any appearances of the Evil Empire in New England.
Disney Digs Up Dirt on Spectrobes
In advance of the March release of Spectrobes, the new creature catching game for the Nintendo DS, Disney Interactive Studios has released further details about the Spectrobes themselves. After Spectrobe fossils are excavated from alien planets and revived, they have three stages of development: child, adult, and evolved. Each Spectrobe has an "attribute" (Corona, Aurora, and Flash) which allows for a rock, paper, scissors mechanism in battle. So far, four new Spectrobes have been unveiled. Inkana is a guard type with strong defense; Grilden is a velocity type with strong attack power; Gekikro is a well-balanced Spectrobe with speed, magic, recovery abilities, and hand-to-hand combat skills; and Samurite is a stolid fighter with crescent swords affixed to his arms. The game promises a plethora of such Spectrobes which can be excavated, trained, and used to combat the forces the evil Krawl.
VIZ Media Takes Bigger Shot at New York Con
VIZ Media announced a bevy of activities, events and new anime and manga offerings at the 2007 New York Comic-Con show, including an expansive booth filled with a photo sticker booth that will allow visitors to pose with their favorite anime and manga characters from popular series like BLEACH, NARUTO, ABSOLUTE BOYFRIEND, INUYASHA and with the SHOJO BEAT mascot Moko. A series of interactive videogames and activities including Mattels Ninja Academy Game, based on NARUTO, and TOMYs NARUTO: NINJA COUNCIL 3 for the Nintendo DS, will also be available for fans to play. VIZ Media is also offering manga exclusives of DRAGON DRIVE, MILLENIUM SNOW, SHAKUGAN NO SHANA (manga and novel), and POKMON MYSTERY DUNGEON: GINJI'S RESCUE TEAM. Convention goers will also be able to purchase the latest volumes of BLEACH, NARUTO, DEATH NOTE, BEAUTY POP, FULLMETAL ALCHMEMIST, NAOKI URASAWAS MONSTER, INUYASHA and more before they hit the stores.
Young Man Dies After a Marathon Week of Online Gaming
Has online gaming claimed another victim? Reports from MSNBC say an obese 26-year old man from northeaster China collapsed and died Saturday after a seven day holiday video game binge session.
Reports say that the 330-pound man from Jinzhou, in Liaoning province, collapsed on Saturday, the last day of the Lunar New Year holiday, after spending "almost all" of the seven-day break playing online games, the China Daily said, citing his parents. Reports state that his parents found the young man already dead, whom they believed to have been playing online games the entire seven-day holiday.
In China, where the number of online gamers is higher than any other country, it is no surprise that so many people spend their holidays binging on their favorite games. Xu Yan, a local teacher, was interviewed regarding the incident and admits that it is common practice for young adults to play computer games to avoid boredom during the holiday.
Firmware 1.54 released; 2.0 rumors
Firmware version 1.54 is now available for the lucky owners of a Playstation 3. Two new features regarding webcam functionality have been added to the list and that's it. On March 23rd, when the PS3 launches in Europe, firmware 2.0 is supposed to come out worldwide (perhaps sooner in Japan and the US) and Sony promised us some 'big changes'. Website PlayThree received a couple of rumors from 'a friend close to Sony' that in firmware 2.0 it would finally be possible to play downloaded Playstation 1 games on the PS3 itself instead of copying them to your PSP. The other rumor is that there's going to be a relaunch of the Sony Connect service for music and music videos, and video on demand on Sony programmes. The next major update to the Playstation 3 firmware will not be v1.55.
Thursday March 01, 2007 - 00:15 EST
The player can bet on three propositions called Ante, Play and the independent Pair Plus. The dealer deals the player three cards and himself three cards. If a player has opted to place an Ante bet, when he looks at his three cards he must decide whether to stay in the game or fold. To stay, he must place a bet equal to his Ante bet in the Play area. That means, appropriately, that the player is playing. Now the dealer turns over his three cards. If the player beats the dealer's three-card hand, the player wins the Ante bet at even money. [You win one dollar for every one-dollar wagered.] The Play pays a bonus for certain premium hands. The Play pays even money for a pair. The Pair Plus bet is a side bet that can be made without placing an Ante bet. If the player has a Pair Plus, which is two of a kind or better, he receives an additional payout.
Virtually Perfect
For the aging videogamer, nothing's as sorely missed as the corner arcade. Unlike the family-friendly Dance Dance Revolution discos you see today, classic arcades were seedy little dives tucked into strip malls -- dark caves thick with the musty bouquet of cheap carpet and adolescent stench. .
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