Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com Joystiq http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Discounted: Brand new Tony Hawk Ride at ... Goodwill?]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/02/09/discounted-brand-new-tony-hawk-ride-at-goodwill/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/02/09/discounted-brand-new-tony-hawk-ride-at-goodwill/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/02/09/discounted-brand-new-tony-hawk-ride-at-goodwill/#commentsIt may seem at this point that we're kicking an already downed and plenty insulted victim here, but we couldn't help but note the shockingly low price of a Tony Hawk: Ride bundle -- complete with board, unopened -- discovered by Gamertell at an Arlington Heights, Il. Goodwill store. Two Wii versions of the game were on sale for just $74.99 (down from $119.99 MSRP) -- a Goodwill employee said the game's presence could be explained by donations from local retailers, listing Kohls, Sears, Borders, and Target as potential donators. Alright, alright, we'll admit it -- the price drop isn't that steep, but a near $50 difference on a barely four-month-old game sounds pretty decent to us.

Presumably, one of the aforementioned retailers was more interested in the shelf space (and the tax write-off) than waiting for the game's fairly cool sales to heat up. Either way, if you're looking to get your ... ahem ... feet on the game, maybe your local Goodwill could offer a better deal than the other brick-and-mortars, eh?

JoystiqDiscounted: Brand new Tony Hawk Ride at ... Goodwill? originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 09 Feb 2010 01:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>arlington-heightsgoodwillgoodwill-storesillinoisNintendosalestony-hawktony-hawk-rideWiiTue, 09 Feb 2010 01:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Even burglars enjoy playing DS]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/01/04/even-burglars-enjoy-playing-ds/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/01/04/even-burglars-enjoy-playing-ds/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/01/04/even-burglars-enjoy-playing-ds/#comments We're not experienced in the crafty art of breaking and entering, but we certainly understand the draw of games. That's why this story out of a Chicago suburb really didn't surprise us so much. See, some guy broke into a young woman's apartment over the weekend and proceeded to steal her stuff, but upon seeing her DS, took a break from his heinous law-breaking to check out what the handheld had to offer.

It gets even more interesting, though. While he was engrossed in whatever DS game she had in the system, she ended up coming home from running errands, spooking the burglar. He then made off with only her pink iPod Touch, leaving her with a ransacked house and, thankfully, her DS system. We just hope he at least had the decency to not save over her game.

[Via Yahoo; thanks, Greg D]

JoystiqEven burglars enjoy playing DS originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 04 Jan 2010 18:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>burglaryillinoisjolietrobberytheftMon, 04 Jan 2010 18:15:00 EST<![CDATA[Volition QA staff lost in THQ restructuring [update]]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/03/04/volition-qa-staff-lost-in-thq-restructuring/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/03/04/volition-qa-staff-lost-in-thq-restructuring/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/03/04/volition-qa-staff-lost-in-thq-restructuring/#comments THQ's wild swings have finally brought the axe down on Red Faction and Saints Row creator Volition, reportedly culling the bulk of the Champaign, IL studio's QA staff out from the developer's ranks. Speaking with Kotaku, a THQ spokesperson confirmed that Volition lost 86 employees in the cut, including 47 temporary workers and 39 full-time staff.

The numbers represent the lion's share of the QA department's 102 employees, with quality assurance duties now "primarily" falling to "THQ's centralized QA facilities, with a small staff remaining on-site in Champaign," according to a THQ statement. The layoffs are part of THQ's larger move to eliminate nearly a quarter of its jobs in an effort to cut costs and keep analyst bankruptcy predictions from coming true.

Update: THQ's Julie MacMedan chimed in this afternoon to clear the air as well as any confusion regarding these layoffs, which according to the corporate communications VP only affected the publisher's QA facility in Champaign, IL and left Volition's "core development teams" untouched.

"This will result in the eventual closure of the facility with a transfer of sixteen employees to Volition," wrote MacMedan in an email statement. "It will not result in any layoffs within the core development teams at Volition. Volition remains a key development studio within THQ and will continue to employ 236 staff."

Confirming earlier information, she added: "The layoffs include 47 temporary employees who will not be having their service extended. Unfortunately, fluctuating headcount among the temporary staff is common based on when our games ship. In addition, 39 full-time staff will be laid off."

In conclusion, and in a refreshing change of pace to these sorts of reductions, MacMedan wrote: "All laid off employees (both full-time and temporary) will be given at least sixty days' notice. We will do what we can to assist them in finding work in the community or elsewhere in THQ."

JoystiqVolition QA staff lost in THQ restructuring [update] originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 04 Mar 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ActioneconomyillinoislayoffsMicrosoftqared-factionred-faction-guerrillasaints-rowsaints-row-2saints-row-3SandboxthqvolitionXbox-360Wed, 04 Mar 2009 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[New Illinois law bans Alcopop depictions from children's games]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/01/04/new-illinois-law-bans-alcopop-depictions-from-childrens-games/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/01/04/new-illinois-law-bans-alcopop-depictions-from-childrens-games/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/01/04/new-illinois-law-bans-alcopop-depictions-from-childrens-games/#commentsFiled under:


We'll be the first ones to admit when video games cross the line in terms of containing content not suitable for kids -- GTA IV, for instance, contains a cornucopia of foul language and violence that youngsters probably shouldn't be privy to. In that respect, we can understand the justification behind a bill that would ban the sale of violent games to minors -- though we would strongly disagree with such a measure.

However, this latest piece of video game legislation is beyond all comprehension -- Illinois legislators (who attempted to pass a violent game ban in 2005 until it was -- of course -- found unconstitutional by a federal judge) recently passed a bill banning the advertisement, promotion or marketing of Alcopop beverages in children-centric video games (as well as theater performances and concerts). That means no more depictions of Boone's Farm and Smirnoff Ice in all T-rated and under titles -- assuming there are any such depictions to begin with, which we highly doubt.

Even if there's some unknown genre of kids' games that are just rife with Zima product placements, it's unlikely that there is a substantial enough state interest to justify the passing of such a regulation. Oh, screw it. We're not going to try to apply reason to an unreasonable government action. We want youngsters to stay away from Mike's Hard just as much as the next lot, but legislation banning its endorsement in a medium whose regulatory body already prohibits such endorsements is a complete waste of everyone's time.

JoystiqNew Illinois law bans Alcopop depictions from children's games originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 04 Jan 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>alcoholalcopopbanillinoislegislationSun, 04 Jan 2009 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Joystiq live-ish at the U. of Illinois SSBB midnight launch]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/09/joystiq-live-ish-at-the-u-of-illinois-ssbb-midnight-launch/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/09/joystiq-live-ish-at-the-u-of-illinois-ssbb-midnight-launch/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/09/joystiq-live-ish-at-the-u-of-illinois-ssbb-midnight-launch/#commentsFiled under: , ,

What started with around five people milling around an Urbana-Champaign, IL Gamestop at 6 p.m. became a throng of about 200 clamoring for the midnight launch of Nintendo's newest fighting extravaganza. But don't take our word for it -- check out our video report from the scene last night.

Continue reading Joystiq live-ish at the U. of Illinois SSBB midnight launch

JoystiqJoystiq live-ish at the U. of Illinois SSBB midnight launch originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 09 Mar 2008 11:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>breakingnewschampaigngamestopillinoislaunchmidnightnintendossbburbanaurbana-champaignWiiSun, 09 Mar 2008 11:35:00 EST<![CDATA[Gambling on games bill passes Illinois legislature]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2007/05/18/gambling-on-games-bill-passes-illinois-legislature/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/05/18/gambling-on-games-bill-passes-illinois-legislature/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/05/18/gambling-on-games-bill-passes-illinois-legislature/#commentsFiled under: ,

Tired of playing games for near-meaningless Gamerscore points or leaderboard rankings? If you live in Illinois, you may soon be able to play games for cold hard cash instead.

The Illinois legislature recently passed HB1124, which would allow residents to place bets on "a contest of 2 or more individuals" in "an electronic video game simulating a contest requiring skill, experience, dexterity, and precision." The key clause here is "requiring skill," so traditional luck-based gambling games like blackjack or video poker are out while games "requiring speed and accuracy of response to factual questions," for instance, are in.

While the law is likely intended to allow gambling on the touchscreen games often seen in bars, we can't see why it wouldn't also allow Illinoisans to legally place bets on Halo 2 matches, for instance. The bill still has to be signed into law by Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich, though, so don't go placing money on your skill with headshots just yet.

[Update: Law of the Game has further analysis of what is and isn't allowed under the bill. We'll take his word over ours since he actually seems to have some legal experience.]

[Via Gaming Today]

JoystiqGambling on games bill passes Illinois legislature originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 18 May 2007 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>betgamblingillinoislawlegaltouchscreenFri, 18 May 2007 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Researchers working on Cell processor supercomputer]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2007/02/05/researchers-working-on-cell-processor-supercomputer/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/02/05/researchers-working-on-cell-processor-supercomputer/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/02/05/researchers-working-on-cell-processor-supercomputer/#commentsFiled under: , ,

For years, Sony and IBM have talked up the power of the Cell processor that's at the core of of every PS3. Now, some University of Illinois researchers are working on finally unlocking that power for the next generation of highly parallel supercomputers.

The Illinois News-Gazette has a report on the efforts of user interface experts Marc Snir, Laxmikant Kale and David Kunzman, who say that a computer with a cluster of Cell chips could offer 50 times the performance of a similar sized PC. Squeezing out that performance is no small task, though -- Kale admits "it's going to be a challenge to program it."

Despite the team's inside access to Cell technology and tools, the N-G article ends with a joking complaint that the team members "haven't received a PlayStation 3 yet, either." Hey, if you want one that badly, just go to your local store, guys.

JoystiqResearchers working on Cell processor supercomputer originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 05 Feb 2007 15:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cellcell processorCellProcessorcomputerillinoisPCpowerprocessingprocessorps3researchuniversity of illinoisUniversityOfIllinoisMon, 05 Feb 2007 15:25:00 EST<![CDATA[South Korea loosens game censorship]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2006/12/29/south-korea-loosens-game-censorship/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/12/29/south-korea-loosens-game-censorship/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/12/29/south-korea-loosens-game-censorship/#commentsFiled under:

Game censorship is a big news item in the past few months. Political types of all walks of life enjoy trying to stifle the medium by passing laws that don't hold up in court in the US and even get through without much of a hitch in Europe. On the other side of the world, one nation is going the opposite direction.

South Korea, which recently proposed an anti-gold farming bill, has pulled censorship on games depicting military action against their northern neighbor. Under the ban, any game that was negative toward North Korea was not permitted for sale in the South, citing they would only inflame the existing tension. However, wiser South Korean lawmakers finally realized video games have little impact on the real world, cut the rule and games like Ghost Recon 2 can now be sold.

Lawmakers from the West take note; South Korea has the right idea. When they're sitting right next to an unstable tin-pot dictator and decide that games aren't going to cause a mass invasion, we should start reassessing this whole "games make people violent" kick. Our only hope is wiser people end up in leadership positions who actually try to solve problems instead of deflecting the responsibility on an unrelated party.

JoystiqSouth Korea loosens game censorship originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 29 Dec 2006 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>european game lawEuropeanGameLawgame cencorshipgame lawgame lawsGameCencorshipGameLawGameLawsghost reconghost recon 2GhostReconGhostRecon2illinoisillinois game lawIllinoisGameLawmichiganmichigan game lawMichiganGameLawsouth koreaSouthKoreasplinter cellSplinterCelltom clancyTomClancyvideo game cencorshipvideo game censorshipvideogame cencorshipvideogame censorshipVideoGameCencorshipVideoGameCensorshipFri, 29 Dec 2006 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[State loses case against videogames and taxpayers pay bills]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2006/08/14/state-loses-case-against-videogames-and-taxpayers-pay-bills/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/08/14/state-loses-case-against-videogames-and-taxpayers-pay-bills/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/08/14/state-loses-case-against-videogames-and-taxpayers-pay-bills/#commentsFiled under: ,

Something called the Safe Games Illinois Act was shot down in, you guessed it, Illinois, recently. The Act would have banned the sale of violent videogames in the state. Re-read that sentence and check your nose. Is it bleeding from the affliction "mind-numbingly ignorant and stupid"? Not only was the proposition denied, but it was deemed unconstitutional. Here's the kicker: the state of Illinois has to pay the Electronics Software Association over half a million dollars in attorny fees. If you live in Illinois -- that's your tax money being tossed around. That sucks.

Other pieces of the proposal were also denied but weren't quite as laughable. Posting an explanatory ESRB table in stores isn't too extreme, but forcing retailers to do it is. No one would look at it anyway, really. The judge held back his own laughter and sad that, ultimately, "If controlling access to allegedly 'dangerous' speech is important in promoting the positive psychological development of children, in our society that role is properly accorded to parents and families, not the State."

If Illinois did pass the act into law and violent videogames were banned, what's to stop violent movies? Angry music? Cursing? Tripping old people? Okay, maybe not that. But it seriously was a very unfair thing to do, State of Illinois, and making the taxpayers (and violent game players) pay for the cost of the trial is really, really lame.

JoystiqState loses case against videogames and taxpayers pay bills originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 14 Aug 2006 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ESRBIllinoisPlaystation 3Playstation3PS3Mon, 14 Aug 2006 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Video Games Live seats in Indy up for sale]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2006/06/16/video-games-live-seats-in-indy-up-for-sale/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/06/16/video-games-live-seats-in-indy-up-for-sale/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/06/16/video-games-live-seats-in-indy-up-for-sale/#commentsFiled under: ,

Video Games Live at Gen Con IndyTickets are now on sale for the two Video Games Live shows planned in conjunction with Gen Con Indy Friday & Saturday, August 11-12.

After a stop in Philly earlier this month, the VGL tour is moving on to Houston July 14th, Chicago August 5th, and then Indianapolis the weekend after that. More on reserving seats for the Hilbert Circle Theatre can be found on the official announcement page (via the pic to the right or the Read link below).

Judging by the reviews of the Philly show so far, Video Games Live sounds like it could be a lot of fun. If they keep providing public access to Guitar Hero II, they may have sold this blogger on going already. We hope Midwestern gamers not attending the Chicago show can make a pitstop in Indy to keep Tommy's show on the road. So, yeah ... rock on.

See also:

JoystiqVideo Games Live seats in Indy up for sale originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 16 Jun 2006 00:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>attendattendingChicagoconcertgame musicGameMusicGen ConGen Con IndyGenConGenConIndyGuitar HeroGuitar Hero IIGuitarHeroGuitarHeroIiHoustonIllinoisINIndianaIndianapolisIndyMidwestMidwesternmusicPhiladelphiaPhillyrockshowTexasticketticketsTommytourVGLvgmvideo game musicVideo Games Livevideo-game musicVideo-gameMusicVideoGameMusicVideoGamesLiveFri, 16 Jun 2006 00:29:00 EST