http://www.yankidank.com/index.php?topic=Opinion Opinons posted on Yankidank.com en-gb http://www.yankidank.com/article.php?story=20060603003053414 Well, I just tested Call of Duty 2 (Mac) out for a few minutes on my Macbook (non-pro). CoD2 released for the Macintosh a few days ago, which is way after it's original PC release, and I was excited that I wouldn't have to BootCamp in order to play it. I was very curious whether the Macbook would be able to run Call of Duty 2 in a "playable" state since it lacks a video card. Integrated video cards are the sucks for gaming, which most of you should know by now. This is especially true when it comes to Macs because the Macintosh operating system likes to hog your system memory quite a bit, partly because of it's fancy graphics and overall operating system design. To operate a Macintosh I would suggest that you have a minimum of 1gb of system memory. My Macbook has 1280mb of memory (1gb stick and a 256mb stick) and an 80GB hard drive. The maximum amount of memory that you can stick in a Macbook is 2GB (2 x 1GB sticks) which should get most tasks done moderately well. When you factor in the integrated graphics and video games, you should definitely try to invest in 2 gigs of ram. I was expecting to barely get by on CoD2 using my Macbook, but it turns out that the Macbook can render the game about equal to what a WWII FPS looks like on the Xbox. The graphics are on the grainy side, but it won't hinder your game performance much. The real issue is the screen size of the Macbook. I'm used to playing on a 19" Dell screen for my PC gaming, the Macbook is 13" (widescreen). On some occasions you'll find me gaming on my home theater PC that projects an eight foot screen. As a sidenote, FPS gaming on giant screens is incredibly difficult to do. Besides the small screen size and slightly pixelated graphics the game runs rather smoothly on multiplayer. For some reason I have a better ping than my desktop computer. I'm guessing this might have something to do with the Macbook's incredible wifi versus my desktops crappy Netgear usb wifi adapter. My experience with CoD2 running on the Macbook was pretty pleasant. I won't complain about some of the image quality issues because I'm glad to just be running the game. When I tried to install and run CoD2 on the Windows (BootCamp) side of the Macbook it wouldn't even run. The last down side to CoD2 for the Mac is that they don't have the 1.2 patch out yet. Since you can't run the latest (PunkBuster free) version of Call of Duty 2 you won't be able to play on many of the servers. On top of that you won't be able to play the two maps that come with the 1.2 patch. This really bums me out because I play on the same clan server every day on my PC, but I can't play on the same server on my Mac. The company responsible for issuing this update (Aspyre) has issued a statement saying that the patch will eventually come out, but they have not yet given a date. The only hint is that it will be out in less than a few months.  If you're a Mac gamer (if there is such a thing) and if you have a Macbook, don't be afraid to try this game out as long as you have enough memory.  The graphics won't blow you away, but what do you expect from Apple's cheapest portable computer?  Heck, what do you expect from Apple games?  If you'd like to se a few more pics of my CoD2 on the Macbook gaming action head on over to my Flickr account. http://www.yankidank.com/article.php?story=20060309171515357 I've been a big fan of this podcast since its debut on the Yankidank.com podcast feed, and I felt it deserved recognition as a news story. Here's the letter I received yesterday from Topaz:Hello to our 3,887 Registered Friends, We started GamersDaily on June 17, 2005, because at the time, no video game podcasts were "speaking our language." While it was a labor of love, the ultimate goal was always to make it earn enough actual income to make the time spent on it worthwhile. Unfortunately, 9 months later, we still haven't come to that point, and as a result, GamersDaily will be closing permanently in a few days. We just wanted to let you all know, our regular visitors, how grateful we all are for your support. We have met great people, and made many new friends as a result of this family of gamers we have formed. We will be recording a "live" final podcast to thank everyone, review the last of the games in our "review queue" (these will be lightning-fast 1-minute reviews), and let you know where our hosts can be found after the site closes. Episodes 1-53 (And the last show) will be available until March 31, 2006. All iTunes Episodes 45-53 will be available until March 23, 2006. All web content will be available until March 13, 2006. Thanks again to all of you, see you around the ether. Sincerely, Daniel Alvarado a.k.a. TopaZ gamersdaily@gmail.com Topaz's dedication to the podcast was evident in every episode he released. The ragtag collection of co-hosts each added something unique to the show, and the quirky humor was uncommon among their peers. This truly is the end of an era, albeit a short one, and these guys will be missed.DeltaOne http://www.yankidank.com/article.php?story=20060107114502942 WASHINGTONPOST.COM - This year my knowing 11-year-old was told to write to Santa Claus, partly to keep the fun going for his younger siblings and partly because it forced him to write. He seized the opportunity to ask, naturally, for a computer game: more stuff to distract him from writing and books. But, hey, I'm not too worried. Hillary Clinton may accuse computer games of "making the difficult job of being a parent even harder," but I bought "Age of Empires III" with a clear parental conscience. The new conventional wisdom says that virtual games are healthy, enriching even. I'm thinking of trying them.The new wisdom begins by questioning the idea that computer games cause violence. Lab tests have found that people do become aggressive right after a bout of zapping virtual enemies, but tests conducted outside labs have found no such result. For example, Dmitri Williams of the University of Illinois has tracked the behavior of a group that played a gory monster-slaying fantasy game regularly for one month and compared it with a game-free control group. The fantasy killers were no more likely to lose their tempers in real life.Meanwhile, computer games have some advantages. They train players to master complex rules, to weigh odds and solve problems and make quick decisions. Indeed, players learn how to learn: The mysteries of a new and unknown game must be unlocked by trial and error. Marc Prensky, the author of the book "Don't Bother Me, Mom -- I'm Learning," tells the story of Stephen Gillette, an entrepreneur who picked up his leadership and organizational skills by playing online games. "I remember my mom and dad yelling at me," he quotes Gillette as saying. "They didn't know I had a 200-person [online] guild to manage." Some games feature academic content. Spinach-pushing parents can buy games that teach algebra or engineering, and "America's Army," a game with some 6 million players, includes an opportunity to learn how to be a medic. Even the rampantly entertaining "Age of Empires III" conveys a sense of history. You begin at the dawn of the 16th century, and work your way into the mid-19th; you can choose among eight European civilizations; and you'd better build up the technological base of your home city if you want your empire to flourish. http://www.yankidank.com/article.php?story=20060103202029609 4COLORREBELLION.COM - There has been a lot of coverage recently about the failure of the Japanese Xbox 360. And those reports are very true. It is one of the weakest system launches in Japanese history, only topped perhaps by the Japanese launch of the Atari Jaguar. In my town there is only 1 game store that carries the 360. They were given 12 launch units by Microsoft and at the end of launch day they had sold only 1, and that was to one of the employees. These articles are, of course, making the rounds of gaming sites. The comments I read on these sites often make me sick to my stomach. People are saying that the Xbox is not selling because the Japanese people are Xenophobic and will never buy foreign electronics. I have even read a few comments that say and I quote “Those Japs would never buy an American game system because they are still bitter about Hiroshima”. Ok, first of all, those “Japs” are friends of mine. And I resent the slur. This isn’t even the worst comment I have heard on this issue. But the others are too vulgar or racist for me to repeat here. Why is there all this hate? Because the Japanese are not forking over thousands of yen blindly, that makes them xenophobic? I guess so. And now I will tell you what else these bitter, nationalistic Japanese are buying. http://www.yankidank.com/article.php?story=20051123180520974 I have prepared a "Gamer's Christmas List" for the next episode of Gamer's Radiocast. The list covers games for the PC, Xbox, PS2, Gamecube, DS and PSP. It wouldn't be a bad idea to print this article out and "accidentally" leave sitting on the kitchen counter where your parents and/or loved ones might happen to come across it. These are some of my favorite video games from this year, and a few games that have been out for a while. Post a comment if you have any games that you think deserve to be on the list, and I'm sure that there will be a lot of wanted additions. I tried to keep the list manageable by factoring in the game prices and how new the games are.   Read the full article for the list. http://www.yankidank.com/article.php?story=20051118232703674 Even though I sympathize with the parent's point of view in the WoW addiction case, I really don't think that they can blame the game for their child's behavior. It's much like debating the ability to purchase firefarms in the USA. We have the ability to go get a gun, what we do with it from there is our own fault not the company that produces the firearm. I think the real problem is with parents, in modern day America, who don't pay enough attention to their children because of bad parenting skills. Parents need to keep an eye out for addictions to things like video games and watch for behavioural problems that occur during adolescence. Teenagers are very susceptible to addictions like cigarettes, alcohol, dugs and yes... video games. I believe that teenagers are especially impressionable by behavioural addictions, which applies to games and social habits. It's best that parents carefully monitor their children's behavior so that you can prevent adolescent depression. What are the common symptoms of adolescent depression? Depression presents in adolescents with essentially the same symptoms as in adults; however, some clinical shrewdness may be required to translate the teenagers' symptoms into adult terms. Pervasive sadness may be exemplified by wearing black clothes, writing poetry with morbid themes or a preoccupation with music that has nihilistic themes. Sleep disturbance may manifest as all-night television watching [or video game playing], difficulty in getting up for school, or sleeping during the day. Lack of motivation and lowered energy level [Bawls] is reflected by missed classes. A drop in grade averages can be equated with loss of concentration and slowed thinking. Boredom may be a synonym for feeling depressed. Loss of appetite may become anorexia or bulimia. Adolescent depression may also present primarily as a behavior or conduct disorder, substance or alcohol abuse or as family turmoil and rebellion with no obvious symptoms reminiscent of depression. It's unusual how the above habits parallel with game culture. I think it's important that parent's keep their eyes open for symptoms of depression and addiction. Speaking of addiction, here's a quote from another site that I've played with. Originally the article was about drug addiction, but I have fitted it to suit video games.Game Withdrawal. [Game] Withdrawal has many variables. Everything from the type of [game], quantity of regular use, to the length of time the [game] was [played], factors into how intense or mild an individuals [game] withdrawal experience will be. As mentioned, the type of [game] used plays an important part in determining the length and severity of [Game] Withdrawal. An example would be withdrawal from [World of Warcraft]; an individual who uses [World of Warcraft] over a period of several months to years and decides to discontinue use will experience a longer and more painful Withdrawal than an individual who discontinues using [Guild Wars]. Another factor to be aware of during [Game] Withdrawal is [mission] craving. [Mission] craving is the result of the [game]'s imprinting in the memory, a pleasant association of euphoria with the [game]. The subconscious memory then motivates the individual to seek this [game] because of the false imprint. The brain, in effect, has been trained that using the [game] is the fastest way to feel good. Due to the extreme physiological or physical pain some experience during [Game] Withdrawal they can relapse before they complete the withdrawal process. This is an important reason that [Game] Withdrawal should take place at [your grandma's house, where there's no computer or internet connection]. There the individual will be removed from the immediate access to [games] or [Bawls] . http://www.yankidank.com/article.php?story=20051110193635727 GAMESINDUSTRY.BIZ - Nintendo's stated decision not to officially release specifications for the Revolution is a bold statement about where the company is aiming the console - and one which highlights an unhealthy focus ontechnology over content, says Rob Fahey. Comparisons between Nintendo and the "mainstream" console vendors - Sony and Microsoft - seem to become more meaningless by the day. Not content with happily classing itself as a creator of toys when the other players in the market are determined to be seen as media and technology companies, or with unashamedly favouring a family and non-gamer market over the hardcore fans who make up the core of Microsoft's audience and a fair chunk of Sony's, Nintendo dropped yet another bombshell this week - the fact that it may never officially release the specifications for the Revolution next-generation console. This doesn't mean that we'll never know what's in the box. Developers will find out, developers will tell the media, and eventually the information will be there for anyone who wants to know. But there will probably be no fanfare, no graphs showing how much more powerful than your Xbox 360, your PS3, your GameCube, your toaster or your flush toilet the Revolution is. Why not? Because as far as Nintendo is concerned, it isn't important, and you shouldn't care. http://www.yankidank.com/article.php?story=200511021804452 EA secures exclusive Simpsons license Electronic Arts to work closely with the show's writers, production company over course of long-term, multigame deal; next-gen systems targeted. Electronic Arts today will announce that it has secured the rights to make games based on Fox Television's long-running animated show The Simpsons. Though exact terms of the agreement weren't specified, EA did say that it is a multigame, long-term, and exclusive deal. The games will arrive on next-generation systems. Expectations for the games are no doubt high, as Vivendi Universal Games and Radical Entertainment showed that a commercially and critically successful game could be made out of the license with 2003's The Simpsons Hit & Run. That game has sold more than 4 million copies across all of the platforms EA says that they will work with the people that make the Simpsons to deliver the best Simpsons experience possible This won't be the first time EA has gotten hold of the Simpsons license, as it published Fox Interactive's Road Rage in 2001 and The Code Monkeys-developed Simpsons Skateboarding in 2002. However, this is the first time EA will be developing a game based on the license. The game will be made by an internal team at EA's Redwood Shores Studio, the same studio responsible for a variety of new and upcoming games, including From Russia With Love, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 06, The Lord of The Rings: Tactics, and The Godfather. The Simpsons executive producer James L. Brooks is likewise excited about the opportunity to take advantage of the deal, saying, "I think this is a great opportunity for us, primarily because it brings with it the possibility of free EA games." http://www.yankidank.com/article.php?story=20051030205022921 Why I think the Revolution will sell for $199 USD. This article is based on very few facts, and a lot of theory. I'm confident though that my prediction will be correct. In the beginning: According to ClassicGaming.com Quote: Nintendo released the NES in two different bundles: one at $249 with the R.O.B. (Robotic Operating Buddy) unit, two controllers, a lightgun, Gyromite (a R.O.B. game), Duck Hunt, and Super Mario Bros., and the other set at $199 with controllers and Super Mario Bros. Take into consideration that the NES was released in 1985 and the inflation rate over the past 2 decades would make the NES worth $362.16* USD in 2005. The inflation rate will probably rise another 2% by the time the Revolution releases, so lets round up the price to an even $365.00 USD for a June 2006 pretend release of the original NES console. As a side note $365 just happens to be the cost of the Playstation 2 when it came out in 2000. I don't understand how we can complain that $200 dollars is too expensive for a console today when looking at the inflation rate alone. http://www.yankidank.com/article.php?story=20051025040516656 Thanks to Google Maps, finding an Xbox 360 to demo is just a few clicks away. Frappr!, a website devoted to group Google maps, offers a map filled with Xbox 360 locations. Most locations are for Walmart stores, but I expect that many BestBuy stores will begin to list tomorrow. If you are curious what all of the next-gen hype is all about, this is a great way to experience leading edge game technology. Expect to find yourself in a long line though, because every male teen in town is trying to test out the 360.