Rockstar Games has brought its Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars to the iPhone. MTV Multiplayer says the touch controls make driving around problematic. The game costs $9.99.
Here is a demo of the game from TouchArcade. Take a look:
SurfaceScapes: A Role-Playing Game Project for Microsot Surface
A game called SurfaceScapes was created by Carnegie Mellon University students for the Microsoft Surface Table. The game was based on D&D and was created to show how role-playing games can work using Surface technology.
The objective of the SurfaceScapes project is to create a proof-of-concept for playing tabletop role-playing games on the Microsoft Surface Table. We will be using Dungeons and Dragons as a basis for our prototype, with the option for future expansion to other role-playing games. SurfaceScapes will provide Game Masters and players with a set of features to enhance the combat and role-playing aspects of tabletop games. This will include the ability to interact with the digital environment using real objects such as miniatures and provide automated calculations and visual and audio feedback for actions performed by the player and non-player characters. We are taking traditional tabletop role-playing games to the next level, adding a new layer of immersive and intuitive gaming to the Microsoft Surface Table and assisting both GMs and players in enjoying exciting and engaging adventures.
Microsoft Surface seems perfect for role-playing and strategy type games. Here's a walkthrough of the SurfaceScapes game.
CNET has a review here of a new football game for the iPhone from Gameloft called NFL 2010. The game isn't going to rival the Madden console games but it doesn't sound bad for $4. What's interesting here is that other game publishers can make mobile NFL football games besides Electronic Arts. Electronic Arts has an exclusive NFL license for
consoles and PCs but it doesn't extend to mobile games. That does mean EA won't create a Madden iPhone game and dominate anyway but they will have rivals in the mobile world without an exclusive license with the NFL.
Internet Retailerreports that GameFly.com, a game rental website, has launched a site called Ponged that offer free flash games.
Ponged.com is more than just a straightforward gaming site. GameFly.com built the site with Flash technology that lets users play games on a full screen. Players with web-enabled Wii and PS3 consoles can also use tools to share games and chat in real-time. "Ponged.com provides all players with an extensive library of great games handpicked by our staff of hard-core gamers," says GameFly.com co-founder and senior vice president of business development and content Sean Spector.
On Ponged.com gamers can search by keyword and by categories such as most popular, highest rated and recently added. "Ponged.com provides the best Flash games out there, free of charge," says Spector.
Whether Ponged is a success or not for GameFly obviously will depend on the quality of the games. They have a good blog here that describes new games that have been added to the site.
The Georgia Tech Augmented Environments Lab and the Savannah College of Art and Design have designed an interesting augmented reality game called "ARhrrrr." The game involves killing zombies but not the innocent people inside a zombie-stricken city.
The phone provides a window into a 3d town overrun with zombies. Point the camera at our special game map to mix virtual and real world content. Civilians are trapped in the town, and must escape before the zombies eat them! From your vantage point in a helicopter overhead, you must shoot the zombies to clear the path for the civilians to get out. Watch out though as the zombies will fight back, throwing bloody organs to bring down your copter. Move the phone quickly to dodge them. You can also use Skittles as tangible inputs to the game, placing one on the board and shooting it to trigger an explosion.
One interesting feature of the game is that you can place actually skittles inside the game and they turn into bombs. Take a look:
G4TV previews some of the big games expected to be revealed at E3 Expo 2009. G4TV will have its E3 coverage here beginning June 1st. Some of the big titles at E3 include Alpha Protocol, God of War 3, Mass Effect 2, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, Heavy Rain, Bayonetta, Bioshock 2, Dragon Age: Origins, Final Fantasy XIII and Halo 3. Take a look:
Moshi Monsters is growing in popularity. The site has 1.8 million users. Reuters says the game combines elements of Japan's tamagotchi craze with educational challenges and online networking. Moshi Monsters also includes a virtual world that has its own currency called Rox. You gain more currency by solving puzzles.
Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games Trailer
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games is a new Wii and DS game being devloped by Sega under the guidance of Shigeru Miyamoto. The game will take players to Olympic venues where they can choose from a cast of playable characters. The Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games video game sold over 10 million copies worldwide so Sega is hoping this Winter Games sequel will be another big hit. Alpine Skiing and Speed Skating are a couple of the events that will be part of Winter Games with more events to be announced throughout the year. The game is due out by the end of 2009. MTV has more details. Here's the trailer:
Flying Pizza Kitty is a website with interesting animated comic strips and little time killer online games. The graphics are low quality and old school but that just seems to make the concept of this pizza flinging kitty more fun and amusing.
President Bush showed quick reflexes when an Iraqi journalist threw shoes at him two weeks ago during a press conference in Iraq. No one should be throwing things at the U.S. President but the incident has provided inspiration for the creation of funny animated graphics and free web games. Dvice has posted a round-up of the top ten Bush shoe dodging games. Some of the better ones include Sock and Awe, Bush Shoe Incident and Bush vs. Attack of the Shoes. In the last two games you play the President as you try and avoid incoming shoes.
Nielsen has issued a year-end look at the most played PC games during 2008. The titles below are ranked by the time PC Gamers spend playing the games. World of Warcraft nad Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare were well ahead of the pack as you can see in the more detailed chart here.
Apple Pushes Its Way Into Gaming With iPhone and iPod Touch
Can Apple push its way into the gaming industry with the iPod Touch and iPhone? It sure looks like it. They obviously cannot challenge the game consoles with these small devices but they can challenge Nintendo DS and Sony PSP.
The WSJ reports in the video below that Apple recently started marketing some of its games in an advertisement for the iPod Touch. There are also startups making games just for Apple's gadgets like ngmoco - that's a screenshot of ngmoco's Rolando iPod Touch game pictured on the right. Other articles about Apple's entrance into the gaming market can be found here, here, here, here and here. If Apple is successful then could an Apple game console be far away? It would be a surprise if Apple tried to take on the Nintendo, Xbox 360 or PlayStation when they have so much riding on the iPhone but nothing should be completely ruled out.
The goal of the Cat Bowling is to knock over as many cats as you can. An evil witch keeps track of your bowling score for you. If this was a real sport we would be totally against it but since it is virtual and no cats are harmed that makes it alright. You can play Cat Bowling here.
Above is a strange new game available in Japan where you use your finger to interact with the characters and objects in the game. The object shown in the graphic above is a little digital panda. Dvice says there's also a stick man a a little girl?
When you slip your finger inside the box, a digital representation of it appears on the screen. You can then use your finger to interact with games, such as playing with a tiny panda, tormenting a little stick figure, or, uh, stroking a girls face. Not creepy at all! The little box will sell for $30 in Japan, but I'm sure you can find it online for import if you really want to try it out.
Macnn recently reported that a iPhone Tetris clone called Tris was pulled from the iTunes App store.
Witherspoon feels that The Tetris Company is within their rights to protect their intellectual property, "the approach they're taking seems to me little more than petty bullying." He estimates that the only reason they have a leg to stand on is because of Witherspoon's student status.
"To clarify: if Apple had not told me they'd "take action" of their own if I didn't resolve the "dispute", Tris would be staying up," Witherspoon summarizes. "I don't think this will be permanent; when I have the time and can find a good copyright lawyer, I'll be figuring out exactly what my position is and how I can make Tris available again."
Witherspoon will be pulling Tris from the App Store on Wednesday.
There isn't a lot Apple can do if the game appears to be a lot like Tetris and the Tetris trademark owner complains. You can see an image of what Tris looked like here. Apple has also banned some books for use on the iPhone such as the Murderdrome comic. For a list of iPhone games check out MacMost which has a collection on its website here.
Internet Retailer 
Can Apple push its way into the gaming industry with the iPod Touch and iPhone? It sure looks like it. They obviously cannot challenge the game consoles with these small devices but they can challenge Nintendo DS and Sony PSP.
