Gamertell

Bill O’Reilly is really something.

Despite the fact that video games and technology have advanced to the point where they have achieved mainstream acceptance in society, he still finds reason to complain about them. His latest victim this time is Guitar Hero, one that hasn’t led to any violence or depravity.

According to Gamepolitics, O’Reilly took issue with a specific advertisement promoting Guitar Hero World Tour. It features Heidi Klum stripping down to lingerie while trying to enjoy some “old-time rock and roll.” His problem with the commercial, as noted in his broadcast, was the fact that “children could be seeing this broadcast,” and that they should…

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FROM GADGETELL - Watch Internet video?  You’ve probably heard of Revision3 and their recent changes.  Find out if they have really turned into RevisionG4.
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Title: Freakazoid! Season One DVD (aka Steven Spielberg Presents Freakazoid! Season One DVD)
Price: $22.95
Release Date: July 29, 2008
Publisher: Warner Bros. (Amblin Entertainment)
Pros: Wacky super-hero humor that stands up well to the internet generation. Great art, plenty of fun references, lots of classic homages and good transfer quality.
Cons: Not a lot of extras and still mis-marketed toward kids. A few very short segments have gritty transfers.
Overall Score: Two thumbs up; 90/100; A-; * * * * out of five.

Screw spiders, crazy experiments and crash landings. It’s the power of the internet, man.

Relatively early in the mass-appear years of the world wide web, a group of animators had the foresight to create a super hero endowed the with intelligence, mysterious powers and grand sarcasm of the internet.

Due to poor scheduling and being mistakenly marketed towards kids, Freakazoid!‘s quick wit and outrageous (and often incongruous) humor only lasted two seasons. Fortunately for us fans, the first season of the series has finally been released on DVD (two discs, one box) so you can enjoy it over and over and over and again and over again until, of course, you completely freak out. In a good way…

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In browsing the web, I stumbled upon a mention of the latest Dr. Who spinoff on the Who’s Who section of Hartbreak Films web site. Hartbreak is the production company created and run by Paula Hart and her daughter, Melissa Joan Hart of Sabrina the Teenage Witch and Clarissa Explains it All fame.

From the site:

Hartbreak is also involved in the development of a live action kids series K9 featuring based on the character from Dr. Who written by Bob Baker (Wallace and Gromit: Curse of the Wererabbit).

According to the site Adventures in Time and Space, K-9 should already be…

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In the June 2008 issue of Maxim magazine (pp. 67-69), writer Will Leitch lists “The 10 Worst Broadcasters in Sports.“  The list is topped by Chris Berman at number 1 with Chip Caray at no. 2 followed by Dick Vitale, Bryant Gumbel, Bill Walton, Billy Packer, Mike Patrick and Walt Frazier, respectively. At the bottom, which is where it begins conveniently placing his familiar mug next to the headline, is John madden at number 10. According to Maxim’s “Penalty Box” icons, he’s guilty of being an incoherent blowhard with a grating voice.

The article goes on to call the namesake of one of the best-selling videogame franchises “a parody of himself” and…

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The flying, slippery Wii-mote has accounted for many broken TV sets. So, just like the Wii, even protective Wii-mote straps have been in huge demand. But imagine if your TV was strong enough to withstand any Wii-mote strikes, you could then indulge in your favorite Wii games wholeheartedly without worrying about accidentally damaging your expensive TV. Panasonic has unveiled a new line of plasma TVs that are Wii-proof.

Panasonic exhibited its upcoming products at its HD Networking Conference in Valencia, Spain and the Wii-proof plasmas were among the products showcased. Panasonic claims that the plasmas can resist up to 4 joules of energy, which is enough to protect it from a flying Wii-mote unless it is purposely thrown with great force.

It does make sense to take all precautionary measures you need to protect your TV from a Wii-mote’s fury. In case, you are looking to buy a plasma TV then do give the new Panasonic plasmas a thought. However, there is no need for you to bid farewell to your old TV and specially opt for the Wii-proof ones, instead buy a protective strap for the Wii-mote.

Read [Cnet] Site [Wii Have a Problem]

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Advertisements for the videogame Stranglehold have been officially banned from television as of January 16, 2008 by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) for being too violent.

According to the ASA Adjudications posted on January 16, 2008, the issues the ASA had with the game were the promotion of “glorified” violence and the danger of impressionable children watching during the time frame it aired. The concern over time was an issue because the commercial aired before 7:30 p.m., a time when young children are most likely still watching television.

According to the ruling, both Picture Production Company (PPC) and Clearcast had made the necessary changes to the commercial for it to meet ASA standards. PPC told ASA that it removed the bullet flying scenes and ensured no character was struck by a bullet in the commercial. Clearcast claimed it thought the violence was unrealistic enough to meet the standards for advertisement.

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After five movies, two television shows, an animated cartoon, a Japanese Anime movie and numerous novels and comics, the Highlander franchise is finally coming to next-gen consoles in 2008.

Eidos Interactive has announced it is brining the highly acclaimed Highlander franchise to the Xbox 360, PS3 and PC. This will mark the first Highlander game released in more than a decade.

If you were expecting to wield the swords of either Connor MacLeod (Christopher Lambert in the original Highlander movies) or Duncan MacLeod (Adrian Paul in the 1990s Highlander TV series), then you might be unhappy. Or perhaps pleased, depending on your views of the two actors. The game will feature a new lead character named Owen MacLeod who isn’t directly related to the MacLeod clan but is, instead…

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Digital content distribution is the order of Games 3.0, the current era of gaming, and Microsoft was one of the earliest adopters of this model with its Xbox Live service. Microsoft is ensuring that there is no dearth of content on Live, be it games or any other media. It has signed a major $500 million deal with Viacom, which will make more downloadable games and movies available on Xbox Live and MSN.

A lot of content from Viacom’s media bouquet has already been available on Live for download, including content from Comedy Central, MTV Networks and Paramount. This 5-year deal will open the floodgates for more Viacom TV and movies on MSN.com, and Xbox Live users can soon expect to download BET Network content as well.

This fresh deal is not only about content but will go a long way in strengthening the relationship between the two companies. Under the agreement, Microsoft is going to provide its Atlas AdManager solution to Viacom, and it will heavily plug MTV and BET Network award shows. Viacom is also looking to become a more prominent casual games publisher across Microsoft’s game platforms.

Read [Next-Gen]

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I remember when I was little and my parents used to tell me not to stand so close to the TV. At first I would get a few steps back, but eventually I returned to my original position until one of my parents saw me and the cycle started again. They used to say that it was bad for my eyes and I always thought they were bluffing but it turns out they were right.

Specialists in the US have determined that looking at flat TV screens affects the development of the eyes and can lead to nearsightedness and focusing problems. The human eye is designed to look at things in 3D using stereoscopic vision so looking at flat surfaces for long periods of time can affect the correct development of sight. This is especially harmful in children under six, whose eyes are still under development, although it can also affect older children.

Experts in the UK have reached similar conclusions. A leading expert in children’s eye problems, Keith Holland, has conducted exams on over 12,000 children in the past decade and has reported an increase in problems related to prolonged exposure to flat screens. Holland thinks this problem can lead to academic difficulties derived from deficient reading skills.

I think this highlights the importance of balancing video games with some kind of outside activity. Just sitting all day on a couch can lead to other problems besides sight development so children should be encouraged to go and play outside. Now I’m starting to understand my parents and why they kept on nagging me about the TV, unfortunately that can only mean one thing: I must be getting old.

Read [Daily Express]

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