Gamertell

With sports fanatics watching the 2008 Beijing Olympics to cheer their favorite teams, gamers can partake in the games via the Beijing 2008 Olympics Video Game for the Xbox 360, Playstation 3 and PC.

Released on July 8, 2008, for $49.99, the official game of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games promised players the ability to play online with other fans of the Olympics games.

But not everyone was thrilled with the game.

Throughout the years the Olympics have always managed to make it in the gaming world. Some of the official Olympic games that have hit the stands in the past years include…

MORE »

Title: Beijing 2008 (aka Beijing Olympics 2008, Beijing 2008 Olympics, Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics)
Price: $49.99 ($29.99 as PC Download)
System(s): *Xbox 360, PS3, PC/Download (Mobile)
Release Date: July 8, 2008
Publisher (Developer): Sega (Eurocom)
ESRB Rating: “Everyone”
Pros: Includes a lot of events and character graphics are rather impressive.
Cons: Too much thumbstick twitching, too many awkward movements and poorly queued events. Too much clicking to get to an actual event.
Overall Score: One thumb sideways, one thumb down; 65/100; D; * 1/2 out of five.

With events already completed and the Beijing 2008 Olympics soon coming to an end, it’s very likely more than a few gamers will still have that Olympic itch, the desire to compete and a residual want of track and field sports.

Click through for the full review…

MORE »

Check out the gallery: Beijing 2008 Olympics screen shots

With all this coverage of the Olympics, both on television and online, I have seen several sources that have stated that Japanese Olympic swimmer Kosuke Kitajima, after he had won the gold meal for the men’s 100 meter breaststroke, had some very interesting, very videogame-related things to say:

See, Mario does the breaststroke.  And thus, it’s perfect mental training for envisioning the actual Olympic hall.

Say what!?  Did he just say that videogames can actually do more than…

MORE »

The start of the 2008 Olympic games in Bejing is just days away and the videogame industry is capitalizing on the event as expected. Game publisher Ghostlight brings us one of the first 2008 Olympics-inspired game on handhelds called International Athletics. International Athletics is not directly connected to the 2008 Olympic Games but it promises to provide an experience that’s fitting to the event. The game is out right now for PSP and the DS version will ship at an unannounced date.

International Athletics prides itself on concentrating on four essential disciplines of Olympic sporting events including…

MORE »

French game publisher Ubisoft already has a strong presence in Asia with two of its 17 internal development studios housed in China. Now it has opted for Singapore as the location for its new internal development studio. The publisher plans to gradually increase the staff strength at the studio, which is under construction, to 300 employees.

The developers at this studio will be entrusted with the development of both handheld and console games after they complete their training period. Ubisoft has given the reigns of the studio to…

MORE »

It is no secret that Facebook has sold out, capitalizing on it’s success to try and make more money. (Not many more features though. Of course it already is enough like Myspace as it is.) A new kind of vendor is placing ads on Facebook for the first time though. On November 9, 2007, Renchi became the first online video game retailer to be affiliated with Facebook.

The move was made in an effort to boost communications with potential customers. By having a business profile on Facebook, Renchi hopes it will be easier for customers to voice their opinions. The new business profile will also provide Facebook users access to special offers and coupons that won’t be available to the general public.

Renchi is a Hong Kong-based retailer which primarily deals with videogame imports including games, consoles and accessories from all regions. I have noticed when browsing through their store that the selection is a bit limited, and there are no sale sections. It seems like a reputable and responsible site, but also seems to be lacking when compared to Play-Asia or YesAsia.

Read [Yet Another Review Site] Site [Renchi]

• DSi price drops at RenChi and NCSX
• DosPara intro’s the limited edition, not so special Prime Note Cartina netbook
• Japanese Import: Hori Classic Controller for Wii

A city in northern China is using a video game as a way of training their police force in anti-terrorist tactics. In the port city of Tianjin, about 300 police officers gathered at an Internet cafe for participating in a three day Counter Strike tournament in order to hone their skills in anti-terrorist warfare. Officers say the game helps them train because it teaches them how to take advantage of certain weapons or the terrain. By representing scenarios similar to what they can encounter in real life, the game also helps them in being mentally prepared for tough situations.

I had always wondered if playing first person shooters for hours would do something to improve your…

MORE »

CMP Media, responsible for organizing the Game Developers Conference each year, has been busy adapting to the changing global climate of game development.  Just this week, two new events have been announced: GDC China and PC GameOn.

Taking its show to the Far East, CMP Media will hold the first annual GDC China in August 2007, which promises to be the same event in spirit though tailored to the unique demands and interests of the Chinese game development community.  China is one of the world’s fastest growing game markets and the program is promising content for the native Chinese developers as well as international developers interested in opening in, moving to, hiring from, or outsourcing to China.

While announcing publicly no intention to turn the GDC into the glitzy media frenzy that E3 used to be, it’s instead begun to fill that void with a consumer-oriented event to reveal hot new tech and games of the personal computer persuasion.  PC GameOn’s site is still light on details, but promises more will be forthcoming in “June.“  It’s scheduled to immediately follow the Austin Game Developers Conference and Game Career Seminar.

Site [GDC China] Site [PC GameOn]

• A hot keyboard always needs a partner…
• ARM teams with Canonical to break free of cell phones
• Believe tech can change the world?  Buy one of these this holiday season.