Posted 10/22/08 at 11:31:28 PM by Nathan Grayson

It's official. E3 as you know it is no more. Again. E3 version 3.0 will return to the glitz and glamour of the gaming trade show's 2006 iteration, but with a few tweaks to put an end to those pesky money leaks.  

"[E3 2009] will be smaller than E3 2006 because it will be a much smarter show than E3 2006," ESA President Mike Gallagher said, boasting the new format's cost-effectiveness.

Compared to its 2007 and 2008 counterparts, E3 2009 intends to stop sucking it in and let its girth flow freely. With a target attendance of 40,000 industry professionals, 2008's 5,000 will have plenty of company. However, 2006 and 2005 remain "king of the hill" and "hill," respectively, with totals of 60,000 and 70,000.

So, the question you probably skipped all of the other stuff to answer: Can you get into E3? Well, not really.

Strolling into E3's hallowed halls is as simple as being a "qualified" industry or media member -- though defining that position is much less simple.

"We have criteria set up to define what is an analyst, what is a media attendee," Gallagher said. "We want to make sure bloggers and others in the online space have the right path to admission, as long as they're legitimate."

"This is not a consumer show," he emphasized.

Unless, of course, you're a booth babe.

"Here's the thing," Gallagher said of the sisterhood of the traveling pants-less. "Our publishers will have the maximum ability to drive energy and excitement around their titles and their products. I would expect that you're going to see models there, but there will be controlled guildelines, just like we've had previous years."

E3 2009 will run from June 2-4. We'll be there, reporting with oodles of "energy and excitement." Oh, and booth babes -- look out. We've been known to get a little feisty while on show floors.

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gaming, news, E3, esa, E3 2009, Booth Babes

Posted 09/03/08 at 08:24:52 PM by Nathan Grayson

Man, advertising sucks.

We've all been there: you're softly striding through a craggy cavern, imperceptibly thin rays of light squeezing their way through cracks in the ceiling. Your eyes pierce through the black just in time for you to notice a vaguely cylindrical enemy galloping your way. Steel clangs against claws and fangs, and your foe slumps to the ground. A thick liquid oozes from the beast's mangled form, but the scent of blood is curiously absent. You decide to take a closer look, and dab your fingers in the liquid. One tentative lick later, you realize what the cave-dweller was dispensing -- the smooth taste of Coca-Cola! Visibly excited, you bottle up a sample. And with that, it's quest complete. Time to head back to Doct R. Peppyre's place for your brand new, Sunkist-orange tabard. Awesome!

But then, while emerging from the cave, you spot a poster on a nearby tree. Turns out, it's a blatant ad for McDonald's. "What the hell?" You wonder aloud. Then, sense of immersion annihilated, you rage-quit the game.

Obviously, the above situation is completely ludicrous. In-game advertising is never so out-of-place or in-your-face. And, in a fairly roundabout way, that's the point I'm trying to make: in-game advertising isn't as bad as gamers seem to think. Given a decent context, true-to-life ads can even make a game more immersive, while also putting extra cash into publishers' pockets.

But what's your take? Are in-game ads a detriment to your experience, or is Human Billboard your favorite race/class combination?

Well, today's Roundup is loyal only to you, fair reader, but could use some extra money and aims its commentary straight at the pleasure center of your brain. Inside, you'll find the latest news on a public E3, the oft-delayed Firefly MMO, EA's secret plans, and more.

It's all after the break.

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gaming, Software, news, E3, EA, esa, Mythic, Buffy The Vampire Slayer

Posted 08/28/08 at 09:44:44 PM by Nathan Grayson

I can't sate my Twitter addiction. I'm loathe to hit up my favorite gaming sites. I can't even allow my glance to linger on iGoogle. Why? Because PAX is in town, and I'm, well, not. Due to circumstances beyond my control, PAX is out of my reach this year. So while the hardest of the hardcore come together for a weekend of gaming goodness, I'm doing my best to avoid a jealousy-induced pity party. But, even though my non-presence at PAX is a huge loss for the entire gaming community, it got me thinking:

The PAXian legion, as I mentioned earlier, is predominately composed of so-called "hardcore" gamers. Without even being in the same state as the community-focused gaming expo, I can assure you that over 100 attendees will be clad in "Green Linen Shirt" T-Shirts, replete with armor stats and a sour tinge of body odor. Why? The answer's obvious: they're gamers -- and proud. For a number of reasons -- the medium's relative youth, alarmists' tendency to buzz about, etc. -- dedicated gamers embrace their hobby with a near religious fervor.

Sure, movies have "cinemaphiles" and literature has its bookworms, but gamers are Scientology to other mediums' group of co-workers who meet sporadically for a round of Putt-Putt. With time, I imagine our community will fragment -- genres will expand and tastes will narrow -- but for now, we're a thick stew, full of assorted meats and veggies, but still part of a cohesive whole.

So, do you call yourself a gamer? Are videogames an integral piece of your personality? Is your pride inextricably tied to your Gamerscore? Or are you just a person who happens to play games, and nothing more?  

Today's Roundup is like a perfect sundae, with just enough gooey non-gamer-friendly fare drizzled over a vanilla base of terms like "ESA," "second-hand videogame sales," and "Starcraft II release date." There is a spoon, and it's after the break.

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gaming, Software, news, sony, blizzard, EA, esa

Posted 08/20/08 at 08:08:02 PM by Nathan Grayson

Gaming, in at least one major way, imitates real life -- and I hate it. Year after year, the game release schedule ebbs and flows with the prototypical real life schedule, and the end result isn't pretty. Spring is simple enough; summer is a time for basking and vacationing. But winter and fall make up for summer with gusto. Papers flutter about as work and/or school top-off on the overwhelming meter, family members get traded amongst households for myriad holiday celebrations, and nothing ever goes according to plan.

Meanwhile, spring showers usually herald games that winter and fall somehow missed, summer deludes us into getting excited about games like Too Human, and fall/winter try to cram as many games as possible into what little free time we have left over thanks to, you know, life. And guess what: everyone's favorite part of the cycle kicks off yet again in only a couple of weeks.

So, my question: as a result of the so-called "most wonderful time of the year," what games do you most regret having missed out on? Are there any games you plan on sacrificing for the greater good this year?

Sadly, if today's Roundup is any indication, don't count on a dam for the annual game flood any time soon. Inside, you'll find a concrete release date for Fallout 3, the first details about the greatly enhanced PC edition of GTA IV, and tons of other news nuggets in between. Give it a read after the break.

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gaming, Software, news, Electronic Arts, esa, bethesda, Rockstar

Posted 08/06/08 at 09:21:38 AM by Pulkit Chandna

The state of California has paid $282,794 to the Entertainment Software Association as compensation for the attorney’s fees the latter incurred during the legal tussle between the two. Last year, a Federal court had quashed a controversial Californian anti-videogame legislation, deeming it unconstitutional. Soon after, ESA successfully claimed compensation from the state for the attorney’s fees it paid. ESA has now extracted $1.9 million in compensation for attorney’s fees from various states in similar First Amendment litigations.

The videogame trade body ridiculed Californian legislators, in a press release, for prodigally using taxpayer’s money for such preposterous litigations, especially at a time when the state is faced with a humungous $15 billion budget gap. The state of California is currently pursuing an appeal against the Federal court’s decision, and so, California might receive another hefty bill if its appeal fails.

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california, esa, attorney's fees

Posted 07/21/08 at 07:59:00 PM by Nathan Grayson

Pro: E3 was tons of fun. Con: It served little-to-no purpose. Sure, the California-based trade show presented journalists with a relaxed pace and a civil atmosphere, but the only thing it served up for lay-gamers was a heaping plate of disappointment. No big announcements, no mind-blowing demos, and only one or two cases of easy fodder for the Internet's flames. We can only hope the show will see a drastic revamp soon, because it's quickly circling the drain.

But let's not dwell on the recent past; today has provided us with plenty of interesting stories, including Peter Molyneux's MMO aspirations, another new Sonic game, and, er, Michael Pachter's damning comments towards E3. Ok, so maybe the past deserves one more quick peek into the rearview mirror.

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gaming, Software, news, E3, Electronic Arts, esa, Lionhead, Sega

Posted 06/30/08 at 07:07:48 PM by Nathan Grayson

Everyone, I have huge news! Diablo III was announced. With the Internet drooling and licking its chops in eager anticipation of Blizzard's latest devil-puncher, I figured you wouldn't be needing me today. However, gaming news moves with blinding speed, and there is life after Blizzard's Big Day. Thus, I've brought you all kinds of stories -- and only one or two of them are about Blizzard. Promise! Jump past the break to read all about it.

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gaming, Software, news, blizzard, activision, esa

Posted 06/25/08 at 06:43:33 PM by Nathan Grayson

Welcome, one and all, to the brand new Maximum PC website. Lucky for you, we saved the best for last, and it should be coming right after this column. In the meantime, why not read about what happened in the world of gaming today? Read on to hear about Diablo III, Games For Windows, and which flying creatures are the most badass -- presented in the form of a simple chart.

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gaming, microsoft, Software, news, blizzard, activision, esa, Crave