Game Addict Hotline

So, I got hit with a virus on the website. Don’t worry, it’s gone. I have placed the better business bureau on the case and they are going to find out who did it and shut down the owner of the virus. It’s hopefully the last of it. The thing I hated the most was that Google places my site as harmful and makes it hard to access. Luckily it was taken care of.

Anyway. Here is a story about the cut throat fight of the Commodore 64 in the UK.

It’s interesting to see how the market was and how it is today. It’s also super interesting to see the piracy issues of the past and how stupid easy it was to copy a floppy. (well, tape.) Anyway. I have been against piracy of still selling games where the game are still easily accesable in your area and the copywrite owner is hard to find. I think I changed my tune when I started working at Microsoft and saw how much time and effort is placed on each game. If money is still being paid to the creators, I still agree with it. I think that’s how some in the music piracy feel about the issue of music. But I’m a game journalist, not a music journalist.

Steve519 over at XBL Radio asked me if I could tell you guys about a great charity drive that they are working on as we approach Memorial day. The team at XBL Radio is asking for your help in donating Xbox centric things to those fighting in conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. If you are interested in helping, please go to the link below for more info

Games for GI’s

Here is my list of people on notice for the year. I hope you won’t be on it for 2008

I got this from this site. Very Funny stuff.

Hey you guys in the Seattle area or interested in game education or getting a job in the industry , looks like Seattle is getting another game conference called GEC 07 (Game Employment & Education Conference). It’s happening at the same place PAX 06 was held, Meydenbauer Center, in Bellevue, WA on February 24. If you want to come, it’s an awesome opportunity to get understanding on what skills you need to learn to get into the game industry. The price is $45 now and will be $60 at the door. I’m going so I hope you will come too.

GEC 07(Game Employment & Education Conference) is an educational job fair for the Seattle/Bellevue area. This job fair is the place to meet top game recruiters and Puget Sound game developers. Local game companies Gas Powered Games, & ArenaNet will be giving educational speeches on game design, art, programming, game testing, and human resources topics.

If you are ever going to be a game maker, you need to know how to program. If you can’t get a job in the game industry, you need to get a job as a normal programmer. Here are some languages that are needed to get far in the technical field.

Click here for the story | digg story

Great news has arrived for anyone who programs with Microsoft tools and a Microsoft language: the MSDN is now free to download. You probably won’t care in the gaming world. But for me, this is awesome.

read more | digg story

Reading Digg today and found a link to some people showing off pirated DS games. I have always been mad at pirates who make money off of other people’s hard work. I have a few links to some examples. Buyer Beware!

• Pirated DS Games
• Official Nintendo Anti-Piracy site

I am very mad. I was watching the fox station here in the Seattle area. I was watching when a crappy commercial came on talking about how the senators blew it by not doing something about the cable company. They go on to say that they want us to pay for the upgrades for the “new” internet. it ends asking people to vote “no” for net neutrality. What a peice of crap.

I think congress has helped us on the cable companies after reading this report.

If you want the real message of net neutrality, watch this. VOTE YES ON NET NEUTRALITY

Gamasutra has just emailed me saying that they now some of the videos from GDC now up at their site www.GDCTV.net. They have a few free video and a few that cost money. ($15, ouch) They also have a few of the conference sessions in audio too at there gamasutra podcast. You have to register for free to see the videos.

I just love Japan and gaming. When you put them together, I love it more. Here are two gaijin (foreigners) trying to get the DS Lite at the height of the shortage in Japan. This is from the show Yamato Damacy