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GOP presidential candidate quoted Pokemon: The Movie 2000. Four times.

Jessica Conditt — Sat, 13 Aug 2011 10:30:00 EST

Herman Cain, a Republican presidential candidate from Georgia, doesn't only want to catch the executive seat; he's on a quest to catch the public's attention, the media's focus and probably a baseball or two. In other words, what's we're getting at is this: he's gotta catch 'em all. In Thursday night's Republican primary debate in Iowa, Cain quoted "a poet" as having once said, "Life can be a challenge, life can seem impossible, but it's never easy when there's so much on the line" (3:31 below). These are lyrics from "The Power of One," a song written for Pokemon: The Movie 2000 by "poet" Donna Summer.

This could be dismissed as a charming flub, if only it was the first time Cain had used Pokemon lyrics in a political speech. Cain quotes the line on what appears to be his official website (attributing it to the 2000 Olympics closing song, which it's not), at his official campaign announcement in May, and at the Republican Leadership Conference in June. Maybe it's a secret message that if he wins the presidency, he'll replace all US court systems with Pokemon tournaments, because that's the only way to be sure justice is truly upheld. Maybe.

Continue reading GOP presidential candidate quoted Pokemon: The Movie 2000. Four times.

GOP presidential candidate quoted Pokemon: The Movie 2000. Four times. originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 13 Aug 2011 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Activision shuttering Budcat, downsizing California QA team

Ben Gilbert — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 17:56:00 EST

Iowa-based Budcat Creations is being closed, Activision confirmed in a statement this afternoon. The company also revealed a "targeted reduction in jobs" at its Quality Assurance outfit in California. Budcat had been owned by Activision since 2008, when the developer was acquired for work on the Guitar Hero franchise. According to the publisher, "approximately 88 positions, or approximately 1 percent of our global workforce" have been affected by today's layoffs -- Budcat is thought to comprise roughly 60 people, putting the California redundancies in the range of 25-35 workers.

"We continue to streamline our music development resources to ensure that they are aligned against our slate and strategic goals," Activision explained. "Budcat has been a great partner to Activision and has created a lasting impact on the Guitar Hero franchise." Aside from Guitar Hero, the studio also worked on the Psychonauts PS2 port, as well as Medal of Honor: Vanguard for Wii.

Activision also notes it's "working to redirect those employees that are impacted to other parts of the company where possible, as well as offering them outplacement counseling services." Activision's full statement can be found after the break.

Continue reading Activision shuttering Budcat, downsizing California QA team

Activision shuttering Budcat, downsizing California QA team originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 16 Nov 2010 17:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Walter Day retires from Twin Galaxies, gaming hall of fame to be opened

Ben Gilbert — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 14:30:00 EST

Open up that 40 oz. of Bawls and pour one out for Walter Day, who just this past week announced his intentions to retire as head of the gaming world's official scorekeepers, Twin Galaxies. In an interview conducted by TG's Josh Houslander, the regularly pinstripe-clad referee and musician took the time to not only spell out his future plans (he's focusing on his music), but also detail the upcoming inauguration of the International Video Game Hall of Fame and Museum in Ottumwa, Iowa (a town in Iowa that's vying for the title you see above).

"I like to dream big and shoot for the stars, and that's what I'm doing now," Day says in the lengthy video interview (found in full after the break). He says that he'll be on hand for the inaugural ceremonies on August 5 - 8, but in the future, Day will be little more than an attendee at various Twin Galaxies events. Everyone here at Joystiq would like to wish Day the best in his future endeavors.

[Via GameSetWatch]

Continue reading Walter Day retires from Twin Galaxies, gaming hall of fame to be opened

Walter Day retires from Twin Galaxies, gaming hall of fame to be opened originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 06 Mar 2010 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Iowa State study links gaming to -- over there, check it out!

Ben Gilbert — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 05:30:00 EST

If we can stay focused on this post for just a minute, we'll tell you all about a recent Iowa State University study that concluded -- hey, how 'bout all that commotion over Demon's Souls ... crazy, right? So anyway, this study claims there's a correlation between spending a lot of time gaming and ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder). The study, appearing in the latest issue of Psychophysiology, determined brain wave responses to both proactive (i.e., "attack the monster") and reactive (i.e., "dodge the monster's attack") activities. By the way, have you been following the buzz around Uncharted 2? The game's awesome!

Oh right, so ... The ISU researcher (not this one) found that test subjects playing games for four-plus hours a day showed "significantly diminished" attention levels to proactive activities. Though you're welcome to draw your own conclusions, you little scientists, this deficiency is alleged to -- cue scientific blabber: "reveal a reduction in brain activity and disruption of behavior associated with sustained attention ability." It's possible you'd have a mess of outraged questions at this point, but let's be honest: you didn't read the whole post, did you?

[Image credit: MarsDD]

Iowa State study links gaming to -- over there, check it out! originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 15 Oct 2009 05:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ottumwa, Iowa says it's the world video game capital

Justin McElroy — Fri, 01 May 2009 04:00:00 EST

You, of course, know Ottumwa, Iowa as the birthplace of actor/raconteur Tom Arnold and M*A*S*H*'s Radar O'Reilly. But were you aware that it's also "The Video Game Capital of the World"? It's true! How did they nab such a lofty distinction? Well, basically, they just called it yesterday afternoon. Yeah, that's apparently all there is to it. Just calling dibs. The next step they want to take on is, apparently, building a Video Game Hall of Fame.

Their basis for the claim? Billy Mitchell scored a Donkey Kong world record at an Ottumwa arcade in 1982. In fact, you can now see that machine for yourself, as The Mitch donated it to the city yesterday. Book your summer holiday early folks!

[Via GamePolitics]

Ottumwa, Iowa says it's the world video game capital originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 01 May 2009 04:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Iowa senator tells colleagues to stop playing games

Kyle Orland — Mon, 23 Apr 2007 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: PC, Puzzle, Casual

Usually when a politician talks about video games, they're worried about the deleterious effects they have on children. At least one politician, though, is just as worried about the computer gaming problem among his fellow politicians.

The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reports on freshman Iowa State Senator Bill Heckroth, who chastised his fellow senators last week for playing games like Solitaire on state-issued laptops during floor debate. Heckroth, who noticed the illicit game-playing while watching proceedings from the gallery with visiting family, worried that the gaming might hurt the reputation of the senators among those watching from above. "I just got to thinking that just doesn't look real professional," he said on the senate floor last Thursday. "You hear enough bad things about being a politician."

Veteran lawmakers were relatively blasé about the problem "Freshmen are always shocked by what goes on," said senate minority leader Mary Lundby. "Next year he won't even mention it. He'll probably be playing games."

Related: Federal judge caught playing solitaire during a trial

Iowa senator tells colleagues to stop playing games originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 23 Apr 2007 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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