Females are rarely treated with the same respect as males in the gaming industry, both in online and real-life interactions. Women working in the world of gaming aren’t taken as seriously as men. What continues to makes things even worse is the prevalent portrayal of females in video games: many are dressed in provocative clothing to accentuate extra-large busts, like the archetypal Lara Croft. Tammy Yap, a video game programmer for six years, says she asked one of her male colleagues (she was the only female) why women were always dressed like Vegas show girls. After all, this might offend some women and drive them away from gaming. The reply she received was: “What difference does it make? Women don’t play games.” Her colleague’s retort serves as a good example of the general attitude of most men when it comes to women gamers.

Unfortunately, female gamers aren’t getting their opinions attended to in the video game world. With so few women working in the industry, the video game market is close to being entirely ruled by men. Without having a female representative making her voice heard in the industry, female gamers won’t find as many games that they’re interested in on the market. Famous video game producer Denise Fulton thinks if more women played video games, then more women would start landing jobs in the industry. The consensus is that they would if more games were available that were more appealing to female players.

Playing video games is still branded as a boyish hobby. Women looking to enter the gaming industry already have it tough, but the rate at which they are finding jobs may stagnate if fellow female gamers aren’t willing to step up. Thankfully, this path has already begun being forged by prominent gaming women such as Morgan Webb and Denise Fulton, and indeed the evidence suggests the number of girls playing games is rising. Perceptions are already changing, and it may be only a matter of time before women’s presence in the game industry better reflects their growing numbers among players.

• NVIDIA Tegra 3: Next Generation in Games to Mobile Devices – November 10, 2011
• How To Mod Your Xbox 360 Game – June 28, 2011
• Raptr Is the Ultimate Gaming Service: Connects PSN, Xbox and More – May 16, 2011
• Shadow Guardian, Uncharted-like Game available for iPhone and iPad – November 28, 2010
• Play Need for Speed for Free – September 26, 2010

Women in the Video Game Industry originally appeared on: Crenk
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SMELLIT is still in prototype, so we still dont know the exact details on what smells the device will be able to produce. However, there are a lot of times when I watch tv when Im very glad I dont have smellivision.

via – Technabob

• Women in the Video Game Industry – October 25, 2011
• Watch Free Movies Without Downloading any Software – October 5, 2011
• YouTube To Launch Movies On Demand Service: Key iTunes Competitor – April 26, 2011
• Social Networking within the Video Games Realm – April 7, 2011
• Activision Has Axed Guitar Hero – February 10, 2011

SMELLIT: Smellivision for your Video Games and Movies originally appeared on: Crenk
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Companies and their subsequent brands are realising that their audiences are largely located on social networking hubs online and are having to change their marketing tact to reflect the needs of their target markets. It has also been suspected for a while that social is becoming more important to the mysterious algorithm which determines the rankings of web pages in relation to certain search terms in Google. This was seemingly confirmed by the search engine’s recent announcement of Google “+1” (which provides SERPS based on a system similar to Facebook’s “Like” button) which is expected to be rolled out within the next 6 months.

Social elements have even been employed by the videogame industry too but for a different reason; to extend the longevity of interest in games. Well, at least one game anyway…

Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit (the 16^th title in the NFS series) was released in November last year. The game’s trailer opens with the following statement:

“WARNING:

Those in relationships are advised against playing of this videogame.

Connecting to the NEED FOR SPEED AUTOLOG enables extreme competition through exact documentation of records and stats from your friends.

Hard feelings, creative profanity and grudge matches are likely.”

The NFS: HP Autolog comprises a “wall” akin to the type that you would find on social networking website Facebook but it is localised within the game only. When a players console is connected to the internet, Autolog automatically keeps connected friends updated with regards to new records set, career progress and challenges from peers. The feature also provides players with recommendations based on the latest activity of their friends.  Players can also leave visual snapshots of in game moments on the wall and as well as comments next to the posts announcing newly achieved records. This makes for a dynamic competitive element and thus; helps longevity of interest in the game for as long as possible after their release date.

Autolog is to be featured in the next Need for Speed title (‘Shift 2: Unleashed’) but I am more interested to see whether other games developers follow suit and integrate this type of social arm into their own titles in the future. You think that they would when you consider the fact that Hot Pursuit won a BAFTA for its multiplayer element and the gaming press couldn’t commend the Autolog enough. NFS: HP is also the most highly critically acclaimed racing game of the decade (receiving an average of 90% in reviews) and it has shifted over 5 million copies to date, indicating that the feature was both embraced and loved.

Guest post by: Kat Cole is keen XBOX 360 gamer and thinks that her skills should not be underestimated simply because she is female! This year she is most excited for the release of the extremely long awaited Duke Nukem Forever which she has already pre-ordered from GameStop – even though it is not released until June!

• Women in the Video Game Industry – October 25, 2011
• SMELLIT: Smellivision for your Video Games and Movies – October 21, 2011
• Where Would We Be Without Facebook? – April 29, 2011
• Activision Has Axed Guitar Hero – February 10, 2011
• HTC Invest in Streaming Video Game Service OnLive – February 9, 2011

Social Networking within the Video Games Realm originally appeared on: Crenk
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Activision have confirmed that there will be no more Guitar Hero. Yesterday, Activision Publishing’s CEO Eric Hirshberg explained the cull in the firm’s Q4 2010 earnings call.

“Although we did well with the core gamer in 2010, we felt the effects of changing consumer demand for peripheral-based and mid-tier titles, which performed well below our expectations.

After two years of steeply declining sales, we’ve made the decision to close our Guitar Hero business unit and discontinue development on our previously playing Guitar Hero title for 2011.

Despite a remarkable 92 rating on DJ Hero 2, a widely well-regarded Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock, as well as the 90-plus rated release from our most direct competitor, demand for peripheral-based music games declined at a dramatic pace.

Given the considerable licensing and manufacturing costs associated with this genre, we simply cannot make these games profitably based on current economics and demand. Instead, what we’ll do is focus our time and energies on marketing and supporting our strong catalogue of titles and downloadable content, especially to new consumers, as the install base for hardware continues to grow.

In addition to changes in music, we announced our decision to discontinue development on True Crime: Hong Kong. Even our most optimistic internal projections show that continued investment is not going to lead to a title at or near the top of the competitive open-world genre. In an industry where only the best games in each category are flourishing, to be blunt, it just wasn’t going to be good enough.

Since the day I arrived at the company, I’ve said that I believe the best way to achieve commercial success is to provide gamers with the highest possible creative quality. The decision to stop production on True Crime is based solely on that belief.

These are tough decisions, but we believe they’re the right decisions being made for the right reasons. And they reflect our ongoing commitment to delivering the games that gamers want to play. As a result of these decisions, we enter 2011 a leaner, more focused organization.

We intend to devote our time and resource to the areas, where we have true competitive advantages and the potential to make gaming experiences that are best-in-class. Our product line-up will be more focused, should be more profitable and will provide deeper online experiences than ever before”.

via InappropriateBunny

• Guitar Hero on iPhone Released – June 9, 2010
• Rockband 3 Adding Keyboards and More – May 26, 2010
• Women in the Video Game Industry – October 25, 2011
• SMELLIT: Smellivision for your Video Games and Movies – October 21, 2011
• Social Networking within the Video Games Realm – April 7, 2011

Activision Has Axed Guitar Hero originally appeared on: Crenk
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The WSJ is reporting that HTC has invested $40 million into streaming video game company OnLive. Does that mean that we will soon be seeing games on the OnLive cloud transfer onto phones also? Or could we see the HTC brand move onto more than just phones?

• OnLive Launches June 17th – Free for A Year – June 16, 2010
• Women in the Video Game Industry – October 25, 2011
• SMELLIT: Smellivision for your Video Games and Movies – October 21, 2011
• Watch Free Movies Without Downloading any Software – October 5, 2011
• 2 Tools to Turn YouTube into a Genre-Based Radio Station – October 3, 2011

HTC Invest in Streaming Video Game Service OnLive originally appeared on: Crenk
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If you’ve been looking for an opportunity to disconnect from Apple, perhaps Sony has the option for you. It’s been rumored recently that an announcement could come, as early as tomorrow according to a post on 1up.com, on an iTunes competitor from Sony would be released on the PS3 and PSP devices, to be followed by other products in Sony’s lineup. According to the article, a reliable source from the Financial Times, states that the service will be subscription based and offer music and movies. The announcement is rumored to be made at IFA Berlin this week.

PS3 owners are already familiar with ordering and renting films from the Playstation Store, but a dedicated service across multiple platforms including their Bravia TV lines could be the next big thing to compete with Apple. The report states that while the service will be announced, it actually won’t be available until next year.

Can Sony do it? There no doubt iTunes has become the norm for many of us, but I’d like to think there’s a fighting chance for Sony in all this. Leave your comments below on whether you think this service has a chance on Sony’s products.

• PlayStation 3: Unbreakable – July 16, 2010
• Introducing the PS Vita – June 8, 2011
• Sony Will Block PlayStations with PSJailBreak – August 29, 2010
• E3 2010: New Games – June 15, 2010
• Sony’s Walkman 30 Years – July 3, 2009

Sony Rumored to Release iTunes Competitor originally appeared on: Crenk
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The NES hard drives come a variety of sizes up to 1TB, now that’s a lot of storage. The NES cartridges come some some classic flavors such as Mario/Duckhunt, Metroid, Bionic Commando, Contra, Tetris, and Dr. Mario to name a few. The storage devices are built into the original casings for these games with game imagery and all. They feature a 2.5-inch Toshiba drive with USB interfaces.

NES hard drives range in price from $130 – $180, depending on the size. Their nondescript look will wow your friends who won’t expect the classics of yesterday to be used as storage devices today. As a fan of the old NES system seeing these cartridges again brings back memories of late night gaming and trading games with friends.

• Super Mario Bros. Crossover Character Hack – June 8, 2010
• Eye Mario Bros – August 15, 2010
• Nintendo 3DS Turning Heads at E3 – June 16, 2010
• Women in the Video Game Industry – October 25, 2011
• PlayStation 3: Unbreakable – July 16, 2010

Nintendo Cartridges Serve as Retro Storage originally appeared on: Crenk
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George Hotz

Actually he completed an important milestone a while ago; by accessing the PlayStation 3 kernel; where he found several secrets of this console, but the result of getting it hacked was not completed. Sony did not object any of his tasks, even more they encourage him to take over control of this console; but failure was at the end of his trip.

George said: “It was a cool ride, and I’ve learned a lot about a lot. Perhaps one of these days I’ll do a more formal goodbye.” Which makes us wonder about if this “retirement” it is not actually a defeated soldier who just gave up trying?

Hotz credibility was also questioned a while ago when he distributed a fake photo when he said he just hacked the iPhone 4.

Besides all that, we have to admit: Even though I’m no expert on hacking devices, the work on PlayStation 3 by Sony has been incredible.

• Sony Will Block PlayStations with PSJailBreak – August 29, 2010
• Sony Rumored to Release iTunes Competitor – September 1, 2010
• Geohot Takes Donations to Flee the Country and Skip His Sony Court Battle – March 24, 2011
• Sony PS3 Firmware 3.56 Hacked or Jailbroken – January 31, 2011
• eBOX Arriving in China (Instead of XBOX Kinect) – August 15, 2010

PlayStation 3: Unbreakable originally appeared on: Crenk
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Now, it can’t go without saying that Nintendo has released so many iterations of it’s hand held system that many are hesitant to pick up new devices knowing that another is sure to follow. Still, that being said, fanboys are fanboys and the Nintendo 3DS is an experience that many of us are excited to explore.

The Nintendo 3DS will come with a 3-D capable top and bottom 3.5 inch screen, a motion sensor, gyro, an analog nub, and three cameras. The system also has some premier titles attached including Kid Icarus, Mario Kart, Ridge Racer, and Kingdom Hearts. No special glasses are required to play on the system, and Nintendo is confident that the new system will be the future of gaming, at least in the mobile space.

What are your thoughts on the 3DS? Is Nintendo pushing too hard with  yet another iteration of hit’s mobile system or is it something you welcome and wait for with anticipation?

• Nintendo Cartridges Serve as Retro Storage – August 26, 2010
• Super Mario Bros. Crossover Character Hack – June 8, 2010
• US Portable Gaming Marketshare by Revenues – November 10, 2011
• Women in the Video Game Industry – October 25, 2011
• SMELLIT: Smellivision for your Video Games and Movies – October 21, 2011

Nintendo 3DS Turning Heads at E3 originally appeared on: Crenk
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OnLive offers cloud gaming services for some of the most popular titles.

In a partnership with AT&T, OnLive is offering founding members free membership for an entire year, and then charging an optional 2nd year at $4.95/month. Sounds like they are really looking at ramping up a fanbase, and with this kind of offer, it just might work.

How do you become a founding member?

If you sign-up on OnLive’s page, gamers will be chosen at random to be a part of this opportunity provided they meet the qualifications (which are pretty standard based on what I’ve seen). The idea has had fans waiting anxiously for the cloud gaming service, and while system tests are provided via the site, it could change the way future console games are released.

Could this be the service that acts as the console killer? I personally don’t think so. There’s a huge number of gamers that don’t care for gaming online, and unless you connect your computer to your TV, it’s just not comfortable to sit in your computer chair for long periods of time. I personally prefer the couch or soft chair if I plan on gaming for a long time. But only time will tell what the gaming fans think once OnLive is launched.

• Onlive the Gamers Dream – June 15, 2011
• OnLive Cloud Gaming Now Available on iPad – June 9, 2011
• HTC Invest in Streaming Video Game Service OnLive – February 9, 2011
• Geek Drinks Keep You Caffeinated – May 30, 2010
• Women in the Video Game Industry – October 25, 2011

OnLive Launches June 17th – Free for A Year originally appeared on: Crenk
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Well get ready to throw that trip down memory lane upside down with a hack that most of us, I’m sure, will try. Now note that I said “hack” and not all hacks are necessarily legal, but it’s proof positive that this unique crossover is a labor of love and homage to the classic games.

Legal stuff aside, the Super Mario Bros. Crossover was created by a company called Exploding Rabbit and took approximately a year to perfect. The game is the original Super Mario Bros. game integrated with some very popular characters like Link (Legend of Zelda), Bill (Contra), Simon (Castlevania), Mega Man, Samus (Metroid), and the traditional standby Mario.

All of the characters have signature moves based on the moves that Mario has in the original game. Link uses his sword to break bricks and kill enemies, Bill from Contra uses his gun, Simon uses his whip for the same purpose, so the game is giving a unique spin with each of these weapons. If you’re a fan of the music, then note that when you select to play with a certain character the game’s music changes to match the series from which the character came. Now that’s some serious love and attention.

Now here’s a video for you to get an idea of what the game will look like. Warning, language may not be appropriate for all audiences.

• Nintendo Cartridges Serve as Retro Storage – August 26, 2010
• Nintendo 3DS Turning Heads at E3 – June 16, 2010
• Women in the Video Game Industry – October 25, 2011
• Super Mario in Thumbtacks – September 6, 2011
• Classic Characters in Skittles – September 5, 2011

Super Mario Bros. Crossover Character Hack originally appeared on: Crenk
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Conquer your fatigue with energy drinks, and I don’t mean Bawls or Red Bull, I’m talking about something uniquely fashioned for the gamer in mind. First up is Mana Energy Potion, packaged in a potion bottle and colored just like the potions from your favorite games. Revitalize yourself with liquid energy and heal your lost mana points with this flavored drink. How powerful is it?

• Each tiny shot is loaded with 160mg of caffeine and tons of other energy boosters.
• As much caffeine as two cans of Red Bull®
• Provides 5-8 hours of smooth energy.
• No sugar, so no aftercrash.
• Each six pack contains 6 (duh) 1.69oz bottles.

If you’re looking for an alternative, perhaps you want something to refuel your HP (hit points for the uninitiated) then check out Health Energy Potions to give you another 5-7 hours of energy to get you over that gaming edge. Powered by vitamins, the drink will offer you the following:

• Each tiny shot is loaded with 160mg of caffeine and tons of other health boosters.
• As much caffeine as two cans of Red Bull®
• Powered with goodies like Elderberry, Ginseng, Biotin, and Folic Acid.
• Provides 5-8 hours of smooth energy.
• No sugar, so no aftercrash.
• Each six pack contains 6 (duh) 1.69oz bottles.

And finally for those with a more unique sense of lifestyle, perhaps say…a lust for vampires. Fuel your all night raves with the Blood Caffeinated Potion complete with real blood bag packaging. Fulfill your undead fantasies and take a sip.

• A great (and gross) energy potion – with the same color, nutrients, and consistency of real blood.
• Comes in a resealable, transfusion-style blood bag.
• Yummy fruit punch flavor.
• Caffeine: 80mg per bag
• Energy Blend Includes: Iron, protein, and electrolytes.
• Blood Type: D (for delicious)!
• Unit Volume: 3.4 fl oz (100ml)

So there’s something for everyone! Which one are you?

• OnLive Launches June 17th – Free for A Year – June 16, 2010
• Women in the Video Game Industry – October 25, 2011
• SMELLIT: Smellivision for your Video Games and Movies – October 21, 2011
• Onlive the Gamers Dream – June 15, 2011
• Social Networking within the Video Games Realm – April 7, 2011

Geek Drinks Keep You Caffeinated originally appeared on: Crenk
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When you quit out of the demo the logo for Rockband 3 pops up indicating that new equipment is coming forth. The icons displayed show the standard guitarist, bassist, drummer, but instead of one microphone we see three supporting the idea that back-up vocals will be added, and of course the new image of keyboards. If you thought your home band was great, imagine a band of seven total now!

This looks like a great addition to an already awesome game, offering a lot of variety. It strikes me that Rockband is determined to stay far ahead of its competitor, Guitar Hero, though I don’t see them in the same realm myself.

• Women in the Video Game Industry – October 25, 2011
• Activision Has Axed Guitar Hero – February 10, 2011
• Guitar Hero on iPhone Released – June 9, 2010
• Super Mario Bros. Crossover Character Hack – June 8, 2010
• Reach Rockstar Status with Tap Tap Revenge 3 – December 30, 2009

Rockband 3 Adding Keyboards and More originally appeared on: Crenk
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