Gamertell

When one considers the negative (and often unnecessary attention) that video games receive for displays of violence and overt sexuality, it should come as a surprise when one hears of any one opening calling for games to maintain and even increase shocking displays, provided that they are handled in a mature manner.

The person who is sounding this alarm of positivity is Winda Benedetti of MSNBC. Benedetti, who pens game columns as MSNBC’s “Citizen Gamer” humorously, begins her piece by giving the impression that she is an individual who saw a male organ for the first time. While gamers would undoubtedly dismiss this childish display, her mock reaction in the article’s intro shares some similarities to the realistic responses expressed by…

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GameStop apparently has the opinion that its employees have difficulty approaching women.

That could be one of the reasons for the company’s instructional video (see below) that attempts to enlighten employees on the fine art of marketing video games towards the ladies. It is a fairly interesting nearly nine-minute video titled “Understanding our Expanded Audience” that was part of the company’s “Sharpen the mind, shape the body” promotion. During this advertising campaign, anyone who purchased Wii Fit or My Fitness Coach would receive a free subscription to Cosmo or…

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This week’s Playstation Store update distinguishes itself from the others thanks to one key property: Killzone 2. The demo to one of the most hotly-anticipated and highly-reviewed games on Sony’s system is now available, just waiting for eager players to snatch it up and test their skills against the encroaching Helghast.

Other highlights to this Playstation Store update include a price drop for the latest version of Warhawk to $20 and a price drop for the Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare Variety Map Pack to $5.
The rest of the additional items are listed below; one thinks, however, that most of these items will simply be passed over for the opportunity to play Killzone 2, even if it is merely in a demo form.

Click through for the complete list of updates…

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While most businesses are currently feeling the economic pinch, there is at least one sector that is currently witnessing an economic boost: Pawn shops.

And who do pawn shops credit for this business upswing? The answer is, quite simply, the video game community.

According to a story in the Chicago Tribune, pawn shops such as Ace Pawn Shop in Bloomington, Indiana (USA), have noted the increase of game consoles and high-end televisions brought into their stores. The story then mentions that Tom Haggerty, who owns TomCat’s Pawn (also in Bloomington, IN), has also seen an increase in the amount of game systems and…

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Sony must be thinking of ways to counter Nintendo’s upcoming DSi release (April 5, 2009), as it may already be working on another game system.

Of course, to make that system a reality, the company will need additional workers, hence this new job listing posted on Sony Japan’s web site.

According to a translation by GameSpot, the advertisement is looking for a person to be “an evaluator/assessor” for “a new game machine.”

Based on…

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It appears that Nintendo’s unusual game system naming trend (GameCube and the Wii ring a bell?) continues with the DSi, the latest portable that will become available to consumers on April 5, 2009. When asked by Techradar about the significance of that lowercase letter at the end of the system’s name, a Nintendo representative responded with the following…

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Considering the news of so many game companies closing or downsizing, any individual who confidently held the opinion that the game industry is recession-proof has to eat considerable amounts of crow as his or her theory continue to be proven erroneous.

However, there is one individual who continues to believe that this industry is recession-proof, and that is John Riccitiello, the CEO of EA. In fact, he believes that the industry will eventually find its way out of this economic mess (despite his own company’s sizable losses and layoffs).

Riccitiello made it clear why…

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With the stresses of Valentine’s Day now a mere memory, Sony’s Playstation 3 is now back to giving gamers the only gifts that it knows how: presents in the form of content updates and bonus wares that will be sure to please any individual who claims himself as a PS3 owner.

This store update also highlights week 2 of the PSN’s “Spring Fever” program. Heading into the store this week are two downloadable games: Noby Noby Boy and Zuma. Both are games that challenge players to exercise their minds and creativity rather than…

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It is time for the annual, er, weekly Playstation Store update, this one comes with some sport-related goodness in addition to some unexpected Valentine’s presents for the love struck gamers out there.

The highlights of this update include 3 on 3 NHL Arcade for $10, along with the full version of…

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As the Wii continue to grow in popularity and consumers remain in shock regarding its continued purchasing power, industry pundits and gamers both wonder aloud at the levels of success Nintendo’s latest console effort will achieve.

If Nintendo president Satoru Iwata has his way, the Nintendo Wii will, according to 1UP, approach and eventually surpass the user base total of Sony’s Playstation 2, widely regarded as one of the most critically and commercially successful gaming consoles in history…

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