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Direct2Drive $5 Sale Continues (to be Awesome)

Nathan Grayson — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 21:02:58 -0500

It’s Monday, and while normally, that just means the weekend is over and your smile is dead, for the next few weeks, it also means that Direct2Drive’s discounting new batches of games. Hooray!

This week, the five dollar frenzy continues with an influx of MMOs, RPGs, and – for some reason – Assassin’s Creed and GTA: Vice City. But whatever – we’re not complaining. The full list of additions is as follows:

Neverwinter Nights 2
Neverwinter Nights 2: Storm of Zehir
Assassin's Creed Director's Cut
Elven Legacy
EVE Online
Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures
Titan Quest Bundle
Planetside: Aftershock
Drakensang: The Dark Eye
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City

See anything you like? Of course you do. So, what’re ya boiyin’?

Nvidia Releases Beta Videocard Drivers Intended to Improve Gameplay with GTA IV

Paul Lilly — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 08:17:50 -0600

Nvidia's nZone website has posted download links to new beta videocard drivers, version 180.84, for both Vista and XP. Little information has been given about the new drivers, other than that they're intended to improve gameplay with Rockstar's new Grand Theft Auto IV videogame.

"Nvidia recommends that you update your system with the following GeForce v180.84 driver for the best experiences on Grand Theft Auto IV," nZone writes.

Users who have installed and played GTA IV on the PC have complained of varying issues, including missing textures and intermittent crashes. GTA IV's support page lists several troubleshooting steps, one of which recommends users download the newest drivers with a link to the nZone page containing the beta release. However, no specific bug fixes or performance issues have been identified with the new drivers, so it might be hard to tell what difference they're making.

As always, take proper precautions whenever experimenting with pre-release code. As Nvidia discloses regarding beta drivers, they "may include significant issues." When you're ready to take the leap:

GeForce 180.84 (Win XP)
GeForce 180.84 (Win XP 64-bit)
GeForce 180.84 (Vista)
GeForce 180.84 (Vista 64-bit)

Image Credit: Rockstar

Rockstar Rolls with SecuROM DRM for Grand Theft Auto IV on the PC

Paul Lilly — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 14:55:40 -0600

Electronic Arts couldn't have predicted the unprecedented backlash from outraged gamers following Spore's release, or at least not the extent that they would take the anti-DRM crusade. Protests ran the gamut from blasting the title with thousands of negative user reviews on Amazon to not just making the game available on warez sites, but actively encouraging consumers to pirate the title. If you thought it might be awhile before SecuROM saddled another high profile release, think again.

Despite all the recent raucous, Rockstar has decided to implement the DRM scheme on GTA IV for the PC. But before you cry foul and grab the pitchforks and torches, Rockstar says its version will be much more user friendly than the one found on EA's Spore.

"You will only need to authenticate the retail disk once per Windows account per machine," Rockstar said in an interview with IGN.com. "Even if you uninstall and re-install the game, it will not have to be re-authenticated."

Should you change two 'major' components (think CPU and videocard) or install GTA IV on different PC under a different Windows account, Rockstar says it might be necessary to re-authenticate the game, but unlike Spore, you can install and uninstall as many times as you want. This also means you can gift your game away once you're finished playing.

"Vocal 'board posters' seem to be most down on the SecuROM feature that limits the number of installations. We recognize that the installation limits have been a major issue, so we have not limited the number of installations for the retail disk version of GTA IV PC."

Despite the increased flexibility over Spore's implementation, the move can be still be seen as controversial as consumers continue to become less tolerant of DRM in any form. But it's not just Rockstar who is being tested, but the gaming community as well. Rockstar is correct in pointing out Spore's installation limit as the biggest aggitator among those who criticized the game's DRM. Without an install limit in place, should the game also find itself the center of a crusade, right or wrong some will inevitably conclude that gamers might simply be looking for an excuse to pirate rather than pony up the asking price.

What are your thoughts on Rockstar's decision outfit GTA IV witha modified version of SecuROM?

Image Credit: Rockstar

Justice is Served: Anti-Videogame Lawyer Jack Thompson Permanently Disbarred

Nathan Grayson — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 19:45:11 -0500

For a man supposedly on an anti-videogame "crusade," Jack Thompson hasn't really accomplished much. He attempted to give Bully the legal equivalent of a swirly -- and lost. He tangoed with The Sims 2 -- and lost. And most famously, he mustered every last bit of his legal prowess against the Grand Theft Auto series -- and, well, you know where we're going with this.

So, today, we'd like you to join us in congratulating Jack Thompson for taking a definitive step toward his goal. See, now that he's been permanently disbarred with no hope of reinstatement, maybe a real lawyer can finally hog the anti-gaming limelight. Hip-hip hooray!

Said the press release:

"Over a very extended period of time involving a number of totally unrelated cases and individuals, [Thompson] has demonstrated a pattern of conduct to strike out harshly, extensively, repeatedly and willfully to simply try to bring as much difficulty, distraction and anguish to those he considers in opposition to his causes. He does not proceed within the guidelines of appropriate professional behavior, but rather uses other means available to intimidate, harass, or bring public disrepute to those whom he perceives oppose him."

The proceedings, which began in June, brought 31 counts against the man fondly referred to by gamers as "Whacko Jacko." He was found guilty of 27.

In addition to a cushy new spot in the unemployment line, Thompson has also been granted the mandatory privilege of paying $43,675.35 in legal fees to the Florida Bar.

The disbarrment will be official 30 days from now, assuming Thompson doesn't nab a retrial. Regardless, however, we doubt Thompson's questionably-sane ramblings are at an end. With the Internet at his fingertips, we're actually kind of looking forward to seeing what Thompson will do next. You know, in the same way we're looking forward to the inevitable day when our doctor diagnoses us with a nice infertility-cancer double-whammy.

Gaming Roundup 7/23/08: Grand Theft Jet Ski

Nathan Grayson — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 21:32:03 -0500

In order to work in the gaming industry -- or any industry where ravenous journalists circle about, just waiting for a choice quote, really -- you probably need a fairly resilient sense of humor. After all, even if you possess an iron will and never blab a single well-guarded secret, out-of-context headlines are still perched atop websites, waiting to knock the wind out of your sails.

With that said, life isn't fair, and I have a living to make. Today's Roundup does, in fact, feature a couple of seemingly-ridiculous lines from a couple of your favorite industry luminaries. But you guys are great, so I'm sure we won't have any issues with context or mockery, right? Right?

Molyneux: “I feel sorry for Denis Dyack”

“I feel sorry for Denis Dyack because you know, I think a few things were said wrong, there was that really unfortunate showing at E3 a few years ago,” said the ambitious mind behind Lionhead Studios. “Everyone got on the bandwagon of saying things about Too Human. Now I’ve played it and, you know, it’s a good game. It doesn’t deserve a lot of that harsh criticism. But as soon as something starts it’s very hard to turn the tide and pull it back again. Unless you’ve got something in your back pocket to say, ‘Ahaa, but what about this?’ then it’s really, really tough.”

While I doubt Dyack wants people to send him cookie bouquets or anything, he definitely doesn't deserve all the flack he's getting. Sure, he gets a little flustered from time to time, but wouldn't you if the uninformed masses vehemntly tore into your child at every turn? Cut the guy some slack.

Namco-Bandai Rescuing Hellgate From Sinking Flagship?

Whew, this one's a tad complicated. So, first, HanbitSoft, Flagship's Korean partner, claimed ownership of Hellgate, but it turns out that they only snagged Mythos. Now, it seems that Namco Bandai is grabbing onto Hellgate just before it slips into the abyss.

But wait, maybe not. Namco Bandai's senior director of business development hopped on the Hellgate forums and told fans to wait and see, noting that "many things are in flux and we don't have all the information yet."

More tomorrow, in all likelihood.

Cease Your Panic; E3 Lives On

Two "Meh" E3s? Who cares? Third time's a charm, right? According to an ESA rep, E3 2009 is already in the planning phases, although details such as when, where, and how are still up in the air. But hey, don't get too down on them just yet; this is a distance race, after all. No need for a running start. It's not like this year's E3 was a disappointment, downsized and leaking publishers like a perforated umbrealla. The ESA's Mike Gallagher told me so!

Activision-Vivendi deal will not affect Blizzard

Money talks. Messing with Blizzard's winning formula would be like removing peanut butter from Reese's. Thus, even though the Blizzavision merger is taking place, Blizzard will remain completely autonomous.

Too Human to PC?

Too Human's OFLC rating carries a "multiplatform" tag. PS3 version? Not likely, so a PC version may very well be in order. Mostly though, I just like the picture at the top of the article. "To be, or not to be...human."

Fils-Aime: I’d love GTA on Wii

Sure, the idea is utterly ridiculous and flies in the face of nine of Nintendo's Ten Commandments, but Reggie wants it. Grand Theft Auto: Jet Ski Wars, here we come.

Houser Problems

Thomas MacDonald — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 19:45:05 -0500

Watching Grand Theft Auto IV rack up the highest recorded sales in gaming history was one of the most disappointing things I’ve witnessed in 17-plus years of covering this hobby. (PC gamers should get a crack at the game this fall.) If the gaming press is to be believed, GTA4 is simply the greatest game ever made.

This is utter nonsense, even by the game’s own rather warped standards. Putting aside the flaky driving model, clipping problems, and clichéd plot and dialogue, there is a gigantic elephant in the room that the gaming press seems hell-bent on ignoring: the issue of morality. It’s like we’re afraid to acknowledge the rancid, misogynistic ethics of GTA4 because we might give aid and comfort to those who want to control or suppress the freedom of game designers to create. Tough luck. This is simply a vile game utterly lacking any recognizably human moral context.

As Warren Spector, the man behind Deus Ex, recently observed, “GTA is the ultimate urban thuggery simulation, and you can’t take a step back from that... I am frustrated that the games in the GTA series, some of the finest combinations of pure game design and commercial appeal, offer a fictional package that makes them difficult to hold up as examples of what our medium is capable of achieving.”

Exactly right. DePalma’s Scarface has a stronger sense of right and wrong, and The Sopranos is positively conservative by comparison. Like it or not, there is a difference between what movies and games can get away with. The Sopranos is a drama in which the viewer is a passive observer. In GTA, the character is under your control: The choices are yours. That distinction matters.

Go on YouTube and check out IGN’s “GTA4 Sex” video, and then imagine it projected on the screen before the Congressional Subcommittee on Sticking Our Noses in Other People’s Business. Dan and Sam Houser have given the government the gun it’s going to use to put a bullet in the brainpan of the gaming industry.

Why the hell are we defending them?

Thomas L. McDonald has been covering games for 17 years. He is an editor at large for Games magazine.

Only 2,676 Gamers Apparently Offended by GTA Hot Coffee Scandal

Paul Lilly — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 12:29:24 -0500

With all the crowing over Rockstar's hidden sexual content unlocked through the now infamous Hot Coffee mod, you'd have thought it was Vivid Entertainment and not Take-Two Interactive who published Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. As it turns out, most gamers weren't so offended after all, and it appears the lawyers were the ones looking to cash in more than anyone else.

The issue came to a head when it was discovered Rockstar included a hidden mini-game allowing gamers to consummate the main character's relationship with different in-game girlfriends, and do so in a variety of explicit sexual positions. The content proved to be too much in a game originally labeled as Mature by the ESRB (San Andreas was later given an Adults Only rating), ultimately resulting in a class action lawsuit and settlement agreement. But despite the well publicized controversy and status as a top selling software title, less than 3 thousand people chose to participate in the settlement, prompting Seth R. Lesser, lead lawyer for the plaintiffs, to admit being "disappointed."

Image Credit: Spong.com

Game Theory: Grand Theft Childhood?

Thomas MacDonald — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 19:32:04 -0500

Have you heard the one about the 3,500 research studies that show a positive relationship between media violence and violent behavior? It’s an old cudgel often used to bludgeon the gaming industry in the debate about violent games.

It also turns out to be a complete fabrication. Those 3,500 studies simply don’t exist. In extensive research for their own study, Lawrence Kutner and Cheryl K. Olson (founders of the Center for Mental Health and Media at Massachusetts General Hospital and professors at Harvard Medical School) searched the available literature and found only about 300 studies on this topic. In their new book, Grand Theft Childhood, Kutner and Olson conclude that most of the previous studies were either inconclusive or flawed, with none providing the smoking gun linking media violence and real-world violence in an incontrovertible cause-effect relationship.

They decided to go looking for the link themselves and created what is arguably the most far-reaching and thorough study yet. The results may not be what either side of the debate wants to hear, but after reading their results, it’s hard to deny that Kutner and Olson’s report is scrupulously fair—and that it’s a bombshell.

They begin by making the crucial distinction between youth violence, which they define as an attack on a person or thing with the intent to injure or break it, and the less easily defined aggression, which includes antisocial behavior, bullying, and delinquency. Their research reveals two key facts that are relevant to the debate.

First, there is no link between young people who play violent games and actual violence. In fact, as gamer culture has grown, incidents of violent crime have dropped significantly. They also debunk the myth that school shootings such as the ones that took place at Columbine (blamed on Doom) and Virginia Tech (Counter-Strike) were caused by games. Instead, they learned that Virginia Tech shooter Seung-Hui Cho didn’t play games in college, which tallied with one of their more interesting discoveries: Kids who don’t play games are the social outcasts and misfits. Games help kids fit in and form relationships.
Their study did, however, find a connection between aggression and violent games, and we’ll explore that in more detail next month.

Thomas L. McDonald has been covering games for 17 years. He is an editor at large for Games magazine.