Game Gallery Amusements

Posted Oct 12, 2005, 3:30 PM ET by Ross MillerRelated entries: Culture
For all the talk of video games causes lethargy and unhealthy lifestyles in children, Dance Dance Revolution has always been the ultimate argument against it. DDR is a game that really gets the player moving, having to step in rhythm to the song as arrows fly up the screen – it has always been a great cardiovascular exercise (and may also help children with ADHD). 24 Hour Fitness has inked a deal with Konami to incorporate Dance Dance Revolution arcade machines in their Kids’ Clubs. In return, Konami will insert a 30-day pass to the popular gym.Video game players get healthier, and health-conscious kids turn into gaming addicts - sounds like a perfect deal for both companies. What are some other arcade games that you wouldn’t mind seeing in a gym? You can find the nearest 24 Hour Fitness center here.

... to now, where the games evolve alongside the consoles
By LAUREN PHILLIPSThe State News

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY TRAVIS HAUGHTON · The State News
From Atari ... Back in the 80s, the first video games were played on the Atari 2600.
It all started with PONG, the Atari 2600 and the Magnavox Odyssey 2.
Home video game consoles have come a long way since those first clunky systems, and the evolution continues as developers take advantage of the latest in technology.
This weekend, top video game industry executives, researchers and government officials will descend on MSU to discuss the future of video games at "Future Play 2005: The International Academic Conference on the Future of Game Design and Technology."
The conference, which started in the Toronto area as the "Computer Game Technology Conference," has expanded its focus for its fourth meeting after new directors took over, said conference co-Chairman Brian Winn, a telecommunication, information studies and media assistant professor.
Those involved will be discussing issues affecting the future of the industry, including technology, marketing and policy issues. The conference will include submissions and reviews of academic works on these issues as well as a game exhibition.
The conference is especially relevant to MSU, Winn said, with this semester's introduction of a new Game Design and Development Specialization in the Department of Telecommunication, Information Studies and Media.
Three of the largest video game companies — Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft — are planning releases of their newest consoles in the next year, with the Nintendo Revolution, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 respectively. Experts say cycles of new releases reveal the latest technologies available in gaming. They expect big developments in the new systems, especially the use of advanced artificial intelligence to increase the quality of gameplay.
At the same time, the video game industry is working to broaden its market beyond its traditionally young, male audience. It is even branching out into professional applications, with game systems used to train firefighters and police for natural disasters, future soldiers for combat methods and young professionals in corporate applications.
The debate over violent video game content came to a head in Michigan in September when Gov. Jennifer Granholm signed new legislation that makes the sale or rental of mature or adult-rated video games to children illegal. The law takes effect Dec. 1.
At the center of this is a generation who grew up with video games, hungry for the innovation and the latest technologies available from a vast and ever-developing industry and the researchers who study it.
Mechanical engineering Ben Lindstrom said when he got his first system, an original Game Boy, his mom was against video games.
"She didn't like us spending so much time indoors," he said. "But now, I interact with friends more, with (local area network) parties and playing Halo with 16 people."
Expanding the market
The industry is looking for ways to draw nontraditional gamers such as women and older people.
Carrie Heeter, a principle investigator in the Games for Entertainment and Learning lab at MSU, has studied gender and games for four years under the National Science Foundation.
"(The industry) wants a larger market — they would love to find a way to get everybody to buy the games, but they're stuck with their own success with the current games, and that limits innovation in many ways," she said.
Heeter said differences between how males and females learn and interact with the games make it necessary to branch beyond just "what works" to capture a larger female audience. She said alternative game companies with less expensive products will most likely be the first to do this.
Rachael Wojciechowski, computer science junior, said video game aisles are lacking when it comes to her sex.
"It doesn't make a difference if there are females," she said. "In the games I play, gender doesn't matter for the story line of the game. They're starting to expand the market, but they'll always have the base market and so they shouldn't drift away, but also not not-expand it."
She said she plays all different types of video games because "it's a lot of fun."
"It's a sense of false accomplishment, but it's fun to get there, beat the boss," she said. "It's a good way to pass the time without thinking about school."
Wojciechowski said she'd like to see a totally interactive game, which doesn't follow a set story line at all but develops with play.
Heeter said she is looking for something completely different than what's available.
"I want to play a game where I learn and help society," she said. "That's what excites me about games."
A new era of content
The main themes in video games right now are sports, war and conquest — generally more male-oriented concepts.
"We definitely see other games out there, like RollerCoaster Tycoon and The Sims games, which I think we'll see more of as time goes on and they try to expand the market," Winn said.
He said there is also a small market for "serious games," designed to train future soldiers, police and firefighters for natural or human-made disasters, or for use in corporate training.
"Games will become more complex, with human emotions involved," Winn said.
One such video game, Facade, is a type of soap-opera video game, which Winn said was seen as the "Holy Grail of games that would attract new audiences."
But that might not be enough for some.
Sarah Bauer, a voice performance freshman, said she played video games a lot when she was 12-14 years old, but gave up after that.
"If there's anything wrong with video games, it's that they take up a lot of time and you haven't accomplished anything," Bauer said. "I don't think anything's wrong with the content of video games."
Others said they would like more focus on making games fun again.
"Game play isn't as good as it was back when Super Nintendo was around," classical studies sophomore John Breen said. "I enjoy my Super Nintendo games way more — they're just more fun. They've taken away 'is it fun to play,' now it's 'how can we impress them with flashy play.'"
Jason Della Rocca, executive director of the International Game Developer's Association, or IGDA, said he hopes the industry will be able to offer more diversity to its fans and new consumers.
"It's a very exciting, challenging industry," he said. "There are a lot of great rewards and the industry is growing. We still have a lot of challenges, with creative freedoms, workforce issues, business challenges to stay relevant and appealing. But there's a lot of good stuff, too."
Winn said he hopes this weekend's conference will help address some of these issues and encourage dialogue about them.
"There are a lot of things with that — about the future of the industry and policy issues," Winn said. "This is a very timely event to discuss all of these issues and see where things are going."
Limitations to development
Because of the new state law penalizing the sale of adult video games to minors, Winn said one of the hot-button panels at the conference is going to be "Game content, ratings, censorship and the First Amendment," from 2:45-4:45 p.m. Friday in the Union. It will be open to the public.
The law was passed with the intent of protecting children from violent and sexually explicit video games, according to a press release from Granholm's office. Other states — most recently California — have passed similar laws, citing similar intents.
Della Rocca, one of the panelists, said laws like these limit the distribution of video games.
"The IGDA fundamentally opposes any legislation that would treat games differently than any other form of entertainment, movies, music or whatever," Della Rocca said. "We work to defend the creative freedom of the industry."
Quality of life and work conditions are also issues at the forefront of industry concerns, Della Rocca said.
"On the whole, people are overworked, overstressed," he said. "They're subsisting on pizza and coffee. As a whole, the industry is burning out its workers with five and a half years as the average career."
"They'll do a project or two and then it's out the door, they're done, we lose all that talent and it leaves a big gap."
That leads to other issues in the industry, which is seeing more risk aversion, Della Rocca said.
"They know they can bank on the success of previous games," Della Rocca said. "There's a lack of innovation, originality, a lot of sequels, a lot of games based on movies, book or comic book licenses. They don't want to risk creating their own worlds."
Della Rocca said although no solution is simple, the next generation of console releases could help.
"There will be a point where we'll reach a threshold on the visual kind of thing — it'll be good enough, finally, so we'll pursue more advanced physical stimulation, more advanced artificial intelligence," Della Rocca said.
With the announcement of a $400 all-inclusive version of the new Xbox 360 and an average $45 price tag on games for current systems, students dealing with tuition bills are hesitant to jump in line for the newest systems or latest game releases.
"Price is an issue — I don't own as many games because of this," finance junior Steven Holben said. "It's a lot of money. It's fun, but it makes you more selective on the games you buy."
"Pushing graphical limits"
Studio art sophomore Ross Little, 20, got his first Nintendo system for his third birthday and now has an Xbox, a PlayStation 2 and a Nintendo GameCube.
"There are a lot of ideas behind them that people might not know. I really respect that," Little said of his appreciation for video games. "For example, like with 'Metal Gear Solid,' you play through the game and it's so cinematic, with a beautiful soundtrack."
The evolution has advanced quickly, moving from the stick-figure graphics of Little's first systems and games to what's available on his newest systems.
Experts say with the evolution of technology like artificial intelligence, video games are going to become even more realistic.
"Artificial intelligence" has been a key component in this reality. Artificial intelligence, or AI, is a simulation of human intelligence using computer programming. It is continuously developed and applied to video game technologies.
"As the hardware technology gets faster and faster, we can do more and more things because of performance," Winn said. "A lot of things you couldn't do before you can now do in real time."
This reaches into artificial physics in games, Winn said, where the way things move and react become much more realistic. This means when a car in a racing game grazes a wall, it will come away with realistic damages such as dents and a lessened ability.
Thomas Kazmierczak, a geography junior, said he'd like to see a leap in game development.
"I'd like to see less focus on pushing graphical limits of games and more focus on innovative gameplay styles," Kazmierczak said.
Lindstrom said he hopes the next generation of video games will work in even more interaction with the character's environment as you would in the natural world, for example, have the ability to pick up objects such as lamps or stones.
"A fully destructible environment would be nice — it's unrealistic to shoot a rocket at a door and have it still there," he said.
With the latest wave of consoles, fans can expect a leap in the graphics of gameplay, including more artificial intelligence that will improve the reactions of characters. There will also be growth in the technology, especially with the Nintendo Revolution's controllers, which look like a TV remote control.
But technology has yet to catch up with the most fanciful imaginations.
"Being able to speak into a game system and have it understand, it's not going to happen for the foreseeable future," Winn said. "That's something a lot of people say is the ultimate, but it's certainly a long way off."
Virtual reality systems with headsets and gloves, a brief trend in the early 1990s, aren't going to be revamped anytime soon.
"I don't think that's going to gain mainstream popularity until it can be much more natural," Winn said. "Having a 10-pound weight on your head is not very natural. When it's like sunglasses, maybe, in five or 10 years."
Lauren Phillips can be reached at phill383@msu.edu.

By Caitlin Cernovich and Tammy Ritterskamp

Josh Fraser, instructor of the Animation I class, discusses the animation of simple shapes. (Lance Edwards/Missourian)
Try telling the students in the University of Missouri’s Computer Animation I class that playing video games is a waste of time. They hope to make a lucrative career out of designing those games. The Entertainment Software Association reports that 75 percent of heads of households play computer or video games and the average game player’s age is 30.
MU has offered courses in animation and design for a year now, but this is the first year students have been able to major in the field of information technology.

Ryan Sextro, Animation I student, creates a pool table during lecture. (Lance Edwards/Missourian)
The degree program hasn’t been figured out completely. But sophomore Ryan Sextro isn’t worried that he’s stepping into the unknown. “[Computer Animation I] is a good introduction to what people do in the real world in terms of graphics design and programming.”
A gamer himself, Sextro’s dream job is to some day work in animation graphics for video games and movies. So why did he choose MU?
“I think the other schools that have dedicated video game programs are a little limiting because here you learn not only the graphics side, but you also learn everything else that a computer programmer could possibly do. You’re not limiting yourself to just graphics programming and video games.”
While only a handful of colleges currently offer video game design classes, the number of programs at public and private schools is growing. According to USA Today, in 1994 the DigiPen Institute of Technology in Redmond, WA, became the first accredited university to offer a four-year degree in video game creation. This for-profit, private university runs one of the most successful programs in the country, according to Wired.com.
The timing of MU’s new game degree is in sync with the industry’s growth in job opportunities, which just might help Sextro get his dream job. In a world where more teenagers play video games and surf the Internet in their free time than watch TV, the job market for “techies” who are able to program and design video games is wide open. According to Wired.com, designers can make $50,000 a year right out of college and twice as much if they help produce a hit video game.
The ESA reports “U.S. computer and video game software sales grew eight percent to $7.3 billion,” putting it in the same ballpark as movies ($9 billion), and “more than doubling the industry since 1996.” Consequently, it is no wonder that The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports there are marketwide fears that as the baby-boomers age and retire, their technology-heavy jobs will be left open with no one available to fill them.

Jeremy McKnight, Michael Rosenbloom, and Keith Seyer discuss their Animation I project. (Stefanie Zimmerman/Missourian)
MU instructor Josh Fraser teaches his Animation I class the basics of using a PC to animate objects like spheres, cones, and cubes. Sitting in a computer lab, students first watch the professor’s examples projected onto a screen then practice on the computer in front of them. From here, Fraser’s students will move on to Animation II, and may eventually take the Game Design course and other relevant courses the faculty hopes to make available in upcoming semesters.
The Information Technology degree will be a “quality program,” says Adrianna Gilpin, an advisor in the Computer Science Department at MU. There will be lots of mathematics and programming required, and while students will have traditional classes, their programming and design projects will undoubtedly carry over into time outside of class. “Most students say they enjoy it,” says Gilpin.
Sextro says his group is already working on a final project for Animation I. They’re aiming to create 5,000 animated frames in order to produce a four-minute cartoon of two fighting pirate ships. “It’ll take all semester,” says Sextro.
The ultimate goal in creating the new MU degree program was to increase student enrollment in computer science and get students more excited about information technology. Gilpin makes this goal sound achievable. She says the program is growing quickly in both size and quality. Forty-three students are currently enrolled in the program. Gilpin expects to see that number double in the next few months.
But not all the classes the students want to take are currently available because of a shortage of faculty with expertise to teach them. The Computer Science department is working on that problem and may need to restructure its curriculum.
Some students, such as senior Grant Hoberock aren’t looking to Fraser’s animation class to improve their job prospects. “I’m just taking this class for fun.”
Hoberock says the companies looking for game programmers and movie animators aren’t coming to job fairs at Mizzou anyway. He says they do their recruiting on the West Coast.
But according to Got Game, a new book published by Harvard Business School Press, just growing up playing video games will put Hoberock and his MU peers at an advantage in any business field. The authors cite research suggesting gamers will be “better workers, better team players, better at risk management, and better leaders.” The book points out that 80 percent of managers under the age of 34 have considerable experience playing video games.

By Caitlin Cernovich and Tammy Ritterskamp

Josh Fraser, instructor of the Animation I class, discusses the animation of simple shapes. (Lance Edwards/Missourian)
Try telling the students in the University of Missouri’s Computer Animation I class that playing video games is a waste of time. They hope to make a lucrative career out of designing those games. The Entertainment Software Association reports that 75 percent of heads of households play computer or video games and the average game player’s age is 30.
MU has offered courses in animation and design for a year now, but this is the first year students have been able to major in the field of information technology.

Ryan Sextro, Animation I student, creates a pool table during lecture. (Lance Edwards/Missourian)
The degree program hasn’t been figured out completely. But sophomore Ryan Sextro isn’t worried that he’s stepping into the unknown. “[Computer Animation I] is a good introduction to what people do in the real world in terms of graphics design and programming.”
A gamer himself, Sextro’s dream job is to some day work in animation graphics for video games and movies. So why did he choose MU?
“I think the other schools that have dedicated video game programs are a little limiting because here you learn not only the graphics side, but you also learn everything else that a computer programmer could possibly do. You’re not limiting yourself to just graphics programming and video games.”
While only a handful of colleges currently offer video game design classes, the number of programs at public and private schools is growing. According to USA Today, in 1994 the DigiPen Institute of Technology in Redmond, WA, became the first accredited university to offer a four-year degree in video game creation. This for-profit, private university runs one of the most successful programs in the country, according to Wired.com.
The timing of MU’s new game degree is in sync with the industry’s growth in job opportunities, which just might help Sextro get his dream job. In a world where more teenagers play video games and surf the Internet in their free time than watch TV, the job market for “techies” who are able to program and design video games is wide open. According to Wired.com, designers can make $50,000 a year right out of college and twice as much if they help produce a hit video game.
The ESA reports “U.S. computer and video game software sales grew eight percent to $7.3 billion,” putting it in the same ballpark as movies ($9 billion), and “more than doubling the industry since 1996.” Consequently, it is no wonder that The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports there are marketwide fears that as the baby-boomers age and retire, their technology-heavy jobs will be left open with no one available to fill them.

Jeremy McKnight, Michael Rosenbloom, and Keith Seyer discuss their Animation I project. (Stefanie Zimmerman/Missourian)
MU instructor Josh Fraser teaches his Animation I class the basics of using a PC to animate objects like spheres, cones, and cubes. Sitting in a computer lab, students first watch the professor’s examples projected onto a screen then practice on the computer in front of them. From here, Fraser’s students will move on to Animation II, and may eventually take the Game Design course and other relevant courses the faculty hopes to make available in upcoming semesters.
The Information Technology degree will be a “quality program,” says Adrianna Gilpin, an advisor in the Computer Science Department at MU. There will be lots of mathematics and programming required, and while students will have traditional classes, their programming and design projects will undoubtedly carry over into time outside of class. “Most students say they enjoy it,” says Gilpin.
Sextro says his group is already working on a final project for Animation I. They’re aiming to create 5,000 animated frames in order to produce a four-minute cartoon of two fighting pirate ships. “It’ll take all semester,” says Sextro.
The ultimate goal in creating the new MU degree program was to increase student enrollment in computer science and get students more excited about information technology. Gilpin makes this goal sound achievable. She says the program is growing quickly in both size and quality. Forty-three students are currently enrolled in the program. Gilpin expects to see that number double in the next few months.
But not all the classes the students want to take are currently available because of a shortage of faculty with expertise to teach them. The Computer Science department is working on that problem and may need to restructure its curriculum.
Some students, such as senior Grant Hoberock aren’t looking to Fraser’s animation class to improve their job prospects. “I’m just taking this class for fun.”
Hoberock says the companies looking for game programmers and movie animators aren’t coming to job fairs at Mizzou anyway. He says they do their recruiting on the West Coast.
But according to Got Game, a new book published by Harvard Business School Press, just growing up playing video games will put Hoberock and his MU peers at an advantage in any business field. The authors cite research suggesting gamers will be “better workers, better team players, better at risk management, and better leaders.” The book points out that 80 percent of managers under the age of 34 have considerable experience playing video games.

BY LOU KESTEN Associated Press
Every article about America's obesity epidemic seems to mention video games. But being a dedicated gamer doesn't mean you have to turn into a Jabba the Hutt-sized couch potato, particularly if your regimen includes selections from the ever-growing genre of rhythm games.
To play games like Konami's Dance Dance Revolution, you have to replace your controller with a floor pad and try to match the onscreen action by stepping on different sections. Even the most devoted gym rats will work up a sweat during a good DDR session.
Any of the following games are a good bet to get you up off your La-Z-Boy:
• Pump It Up: Exceed (Mastiff, $59.99, for the PlayStation 2, Xbox): Dance Dance Revolution remains the most popular rhythm game in America, but in Asia it's being challenged by Pump It Up. Likewise, DDR experts will find themselves challenged by this newcomer, thanks to a simple gameplay twist. Instead of having pressure points directly to the left, right, front and back of the player, the Pump It Up pad puts them on the corners, demanding quite a bit more agility.
Oddly, the additional movement makes the workout feel more like dancing. Pump It Up is not recommended for those who are out of shape or asthmatic; progressing through just the first few levels is exhausting. Later levels require you to press three buttons at a time, so you have to crouch and use your hands.
• In the Groove (RedOctane, $39.99, for the PlayStation 2): DDR fans impatient for Konami to release some fresh beats have flocked to this game from dance pad manufacturer RedOctane. In the Groove sticks to the classic dance pad layout, but like Pump It Up, it throws in some three- and four-button moves that will have you hitting the floor on all fours.
In the Groove has five difficulty levels, starting with a laid-back novice mode. A fitness mode asks you to input your weight and then tells you how many calories you've burned in a session.
• EyeToy Play 2 (Sony, $49.99, for the PlayStation 2): Maybe you're looking for more of an upper body workout? Play 2 is the latest application for Sony's EyeToy peripheral, a camera that picks up your own movement. For example, you can swing punches at an onscreen boxer, or use your hands as paddles in a game of pingpong. You can play air guitar or drums, kick soccer balls or hit home runs, wield a chain saw or a cheese grater.
At times the lack of precise control is frustrating, but all the games are very simple. That variety -- along with the sheer ridiculousness of watching your friends flail their arms about -- make Play 2 an ideal party game.

October 11th, 2005
Jonathan Pillow, News Assistant
A nationally known research on computer gaming and its relationship to children's learning dispels myths about electronic games
To many members of Generation X, computer and console gaming is a mysterious concept associated with violence, social isolation and other negative influences on today’s youth.Last Friday afternoon, Yasmin Kafai, one of the nation’s pioneering researchers on computer gaming and children’s learning, spoke to an assembly of Virginia Tech faculty, alumni, students and local citizens in Fralin Auditorium in an effort to dispel many of the myths that surround the gaming culture.Her speech, entitled “Learning with Computer Games: What Research and Practice Tell Us,” focused on her research findings concerning the positive effects that educational games have on today’s youth.Kafai, a professor at the University of California at Los Angeles, said although first-person shooter games garner most of the media’s negative attention they only account for 8 percent of gaming sales.In reality, educational games have far more influence on the rapidly growing gaming market, she said.“Nowadays we have a whole generation who grew up on Nintendo, and the majority of your video game players are no longer eight to 10 years old — they are adults. This leads to an increase in (profits) to where (games are) bringing in the same if not more revenue as Hollywood does,” Kafai said. One of the problems with educational games is that in most titles the rewards are extrinsic to the learning experience, she said. For example a child would answer a math problem and as a reward he would be able to shoot rockets, an activity that has nothing to do with the problem itself. More successful educational games are intrinsically rewarding, such as “Where In The World Is Carmen Sandiego,” she said. In this game the reward and educational elements are directly linked. As gamers travel the world in search of Carmen Sandiego, they encounter many of the world’s capital cities and other geographic information.Learning happens naturally on some levels, even with video games, Kafai said.“You must look at the gaming environment as an example of what the learning environment should be, because it is an environment where gamers collaborate — it’s social, it’s authentic, it has to have all the right interactive characteristics,” she said.Kafai said that it’s not just the process of playing games that is educational, but also making games, which embodies “constructionalist” learning.In her research Kafai documents a classroom of 4th grade children in an inner city Boston school as they design and program their own educational games intended to teach fractions to third graders, she said. Through creating explanations for the material, designing their representations and dealing with the process of programming, these children experienced a more wholesome and hands-on educational experience than many standard environments allow.“Economically and psychologically, the video games industry is something that can no longer be ignored, it is no longer an enterprise of marginalized focus. It plays a great part not just in our children and youth’s entertainment but in adults’ as well,” Kafai said.Catherine Allen, professor of human development and mother of an 18-year-old studying video game design, said that she completely agreed with Kafai’s presentation.“Video games are a very creative outlet,” Allen said. I remember the first time my son got a hold of a Nintendo when he was around seven — it was like the world opened up to him.”The event was the second program hosted by the Center for Information Technology Impacts on Children, Youth and Families through an endowment from Glover M. and Frances Graham Trent to host an annual Distinguished Scholar Lecturer.Peggy S. Meszaros, professor of human development and director of CITICYF, said she immensely enjoyed the speaker and was pleased with the turnout.“If you get this large a crowd on a rainy Friday, and on homecoming weekend no less, it’s wonderful,” she said.

Apparently Midway likes how the new RUSH game is coming along.
October 4th, 2005, 3:48 pmReported by Sam Bishop
Well, we must say we didn’t expect this. Midway has apparently decided to pony up the cash and outright buy UK-based developers The Pitbull Syndicate for 199,385 shares of Midway stock. (Weren’t all these stock buyouts something that died off in the dot-com crash?) This is surprising, mainly because until now TPS (no, the other TPS) had lined Atari’s coffers with a little much-needed coin by whipping up the Test Drive games. Their latest project, though, was L.A. RUSH, the free-driving successor to Midway’s classic high-speed arcade games. The Newcastle-based crew apparently have no qualms with replicating a huge swatch of Los Angeles for the game, despite the fact that they’re located a few thousand miles away. TPS’ new title will be Midway Studios – Newcastle, which seems rather fitting. "We have been collaborating with Pitbull on the upcoming reinvention of our RUSH franchise, L.A. RUSH, which we anticipate will be launching in October,” beamed an enthusiastic David F. Zucker, Midway’s CEO. “This close-knit team of highly talented developers brings to Midway a successful track record, specifically the Test Drive series, of which three titles have sold over one million units. L.A. RUSH will be the first title in our co-marketing relationship with MTV, and we are excited to add the creative force behind this title to our expanding internal development staff."Not surprisingly, Midway’s Senior VP of their Worldwide Studios, Matt Booty, seems to agree, adding, “Pitbull has mastered the art and science of arcade-style racers, with sophisticated technology that allows huge free-roaming environments, hundreds of destructible objects, and an advanced artificial intelligence system capable of handling more than 100 vehicles at once. Pitbull will form the foundation of Midway's future racing games, and we are excited to expand our international presence in one of the strongest regions for game development talent in the UK."For those wondering, Midway was smart enough to offer shared directly so some key employees to keep them with the development house. Pete Brace, Ian Copeland, Gavin Freyberg, Jonathan Kay, Daren Kelly, Mark Leadbeater, Ben Marsh, Chris McClure, Stewart Neal, Mark Wilkinson, and Chris Wood all received a combined 25,146 restricted shares of Midway stock as retention incentives. The restrictions will lapse over the next three years.And now you know more about the business dealings of a once small-time developer than you ever thought you could!

Written by John Scalzo on October 04, 2005
News: Matt Swider beware, The Big S is heading back to the console world.
EA and Warner Bros. Interactive plan to continue their collabrative partnership with the release of Superman Returns next summer. Superman The Game is scheduled to hit the Xbox 360 next year right around the movie's June 30 release date. "Current generation platform" versions are planned, but at this point EA didn't reveal which other consoles would receive it. "EA is capturing the rich mythology of Superman and the visual excitement of our latest film to build a uniquely thrilling videogame for our fans," said Paul Levitz, DC's President & Publisher. "We are all working together to bring players as much of the Superman experience as possible." Superman Returns will be developed by the football fanatics at EA Tiburon. No word yet on whether EA plans to employ any of the talent from Bryan Singer's next comic book adventure. "We have assembled world class talent at EA Tiburon to deliver this blockbuster experience and we are thrilled to team up with Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and DC Comics and have the opportunity to demonstrate our creative and technological expertise in the action/adventure category," said Steven Chiang, vice president and studio general manager, EA Tiburon. "We are creating a game that allows players to experience a real sense of flying, and master Superman's unrivaled super hero powers in order to save Metropolis. Only Superman can meet challenges of this scale." We'll have more on Superman Returns soon.

Posted Oct 4, 2005, 10:30 AM ET by Vladimir ColeRelated entries: Arcade, Retro

Jonesing to play a game of the classic isometric scrolling shooter Zaxxon? There are 17 locations in the world where the game can be found and they’re all catalogued at ClassicGaming.com. Some of these locations include free play, and some of the locations are private, in-home arcades that generous individuals are willing to share via appointment. We’re sure that Joystiq readers could help add a few locations to the list as well.