LUCID FORGE

Welcome to what will be first of Lucid Forge’s monthly Gaming Column, which I call Lucid Gaming. This is the prototype for what’s to come, where we’ll give you some news and the new releases for the month and as we go along add some previews, reviews and other, different treats as well. So without further ado, let’s commence the inaugural Lucid Gaming.

Table Of Contents:

Controversy and cash for Grand Theft Auto
Can Video Games save the music industry?
From digital forces to defence forces
iPhone: Coming Soon?
New Releases for May


In the News

Controversy and cash for Grand Theft Auto

In what is becoming an increasingly common sight, gamers ‘round the world lined up for hours to be one of the first to get their hands on Grand Theft Auto IV. Analysts are expecting that the game will sell six million copies in its first week making over $400 million for Rock Star games. Reviews so far have also been very good, with many game reviewers giving it high praise. But the GTA franchise can’t escape the accusation that the games cause the very same violence that it glamorizes. Outside GameStation in South London, a 23-year-old was stabbed in the head and back as he walked past the line of people waiting to buy GTA at midnight. The suspect is a hooded man who was waiting in line; he stabbed the victim as he passed by in full view of nearly 100 eye-witnesses, many of whom initially thought this was a store promotion for the game. Then, there was an 18-year-old in Lancashire who suffered a broken jaw after he was mugged for his copy of GTA-IV. Meanwhile, some problems with the game itself are being reported. Several gamers have posted online, saying that their copy of GTA-IV is freezing up within 20 minutes of play and that goes for versions on both PS3 and X-Box 360. Others have complained that they’ve been unable to play the online features and interact with other players. “This is a potential PR disaster for Rockstar, and it looks like things will only get worse,” said one blogger.

Can Video Games save the music industry?

While a large part of the discussion around the release of Grand Theft Auto IV has been about the negative impact about the violence in it, I found an article that mentioned its potentially positive impact on the music industry.

Like past GTA games, the game features a setting-centric soundtrack, like Vice City’s 80s classics and San Andreas 90s hip-hop. But this time GTA-IV sports the largest soundtrack ever put together for a video game with added bonus of players being able to tag songs in that soundtrack for purchase later.

According to an article on Reuters website, Rockstar games, the developer of the GTA series, spent in excess of $2 million on the soundtrack for GTA-IV, which is a significant investment in the music for a video game. This is good news for the record industry says Cynthia Sexton, senior VP of strategic marketing and licensing for EMI Music North America

"It's changed from videogames as a great way to expose our artists to where music is integral to the game and they're actually willing to compensate us and our artists," she explained. "Now that the purse strings have been loosened up somewhat, we can dig a little deeper into our catalogue to get interest from artists who may not have been interested before to get involved."

Also helping this interest is the incredible success of the games Guitar Hero and Rock Band. Record companies like these games because they can charge a per unit royalty instead of a flat fee like the GTA games. With dwindling record sales, companies are looking for new ways they can get artists music heard.

From digital forces to defence forces

In a bit of subliminal recruitment in the tradition of the Party Posse pop anthem “Yvan eht Nioj” (or “Join the Navy”) it appears that the Australian government is using video games to attract and retain young people in its armed forces.

“Struggling against fierce competition in a job market starved of skills, the Government has committed $3.1 billion [Australian dollars] to boost defence recruiting and retention, including special moves to attract women and Aborigines,” wrote Greg Ansley in the New Zealand Herald, Tuesday.

Part of the offer is that young adults leaving school can serve a year in one of the branches of the Australian Defence Forces as a full soldier, and earn a $10,000 bonus with no commitment, before continuing on with university, college or apprenticeships.

The recruiting website (found at www.defencejobs.gov.au) shows what life is like in most of the branches, including the navy and army, and awards points and ranks to those that demonstrate exceptional battlefield skill. For example, there’s an air force game where you operate an air field transporting in relief supplies like food, water and medical aid. But if humanitarian aid doesn’t float your boat, you can play “Battleship Extreme,” which is pretty much Battleship with subs and homing missiles.

Of course in real life it won’t be all fun and games, Australian forces are currently deployed in both Iraq and Afghanistan.

iPhone: Coming Soon?

Even though you can find a bootlegged iPhone in Canada with relative ease, Rogers Communications announced this past week that they are finally ready to officially bring the device to Canada.

“We're thrilled to announce that we have a deal with Apple to bring the iPhone to Canada later this year," said Rogers CEO Ted Rogers, in a statement. "We can't tell you any more about it right now, but stay tuned.”



Of course, the rumour was that Rogers was going to release the iPhone in Canada late last year, a leaked ad was apparently the source. The hold up seems to be Rogers’ reluctance to give iPhone users the unlimited data plan option enjoyed by American customers through AT&T. Tech watchers believe the reason no set date was given for the iPhone’s Canadian debut was because there’s still wrangling between Apple and Rogers going on.

But if the iPhone is to make its expected pre-Back to School debut, it may herald the beginning of a “Device War” between Apple and Waterloo’s Research in Motion as they appear ready to unleash the third generation of Blackberry.

New Releases for May

Legend: Title (Genre/Studio) – Platform

May 1

Great War Nations: The Spartans (Strategy/Dreamcatcher) - PC

May 2
Iron Man (Action/Sega) – DS, PS2, PS3, PSP, Wii, X360

May 5
Crosswords DS (Puzzle/Nintendo) - DS

May 6
The Dog Island (Action/Ubisoft ) - Wii
Kawasaki Snow Mobiles (Driving/Destineer) - Wii
Speed Racer (Driving/Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment) – DS, Wii
Backyard Baseball 2009 (Sports/Atari) – PS2
Blast Works: Build, Trade, Destroy (Action/Majesco Games) - Wii
R-Type Command (Strategy/Atlus Co.) - PSP
Boom Blox (Puzzle/Electronic Arts) - Wii
Iron Man (Action/Sega) - PC

May 12
Indianapolis 500 Evolution (Driving/Destineer) – X360
Toki Tori (Puzzle/Nintendo) - Wii
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a King (Strategy/Square Enix) - Wii

May 13
Stronghold Crusader Extreme (Strategy/Gamecock Media Group) - PC
Drone Tactics (Strategy/Atlus Co.) - DS
Castle of Shikigami III (Action/Aksys Games) - Wii
World Championship Cards (Strategy/Crave) - PSP
Myst (Adventure/Empire Interactive) - DS
We Ski (Sports/Namco Bandai Games) - Wii
Supreme Commander (Strategy/Aspyr) – X360
Ford Racing: Off Road (Driving/Strategy First) - PC
Chaos Wars (Strategy/O3 Entertainment) – PS2
Deca Sports (Sports/Konami) - Wii

May 15
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (Adventure/Disney Interactive Studios) – Wii, DS, PS2, PS3, X360

May 19
UEFA EURO 2008 (Sports/Electronic Arts) – PS2, PS3, PSP, X360

May 20
USA Today Crossword Challenge (Puzzle/Destineer) - DS
Backyard Baseball 2009 (Sports/Atari) - Wii
The Immortals of Terra: A Perry Rhodan Adventure (Adventure/Viva Media) - PC
City Life 2008 Edition (Strategy/5.0 Paradox Interactive) - PC
Dracula: Origin (Adventure/The Adventure Company) - PC
Monster Madness: Grave Danger (Action/SouthPeak Interactive) – PS3
Haze (Action/Ubisoft) – PS3
SingStar (Puzzle/SCEA) – PS3
Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures (Role-Playing/SCi) - PC

May 21
Wii Fit (Sports/Nintendo) – Wii

May 27
Lost Planet: Extreme Condition Colonies Edition (Action/Capcom) - PC
Hail to the Chimp (Action/Gamecock Media Group) – PS3, X360
Emergency Heroes (Driving/Ubisoft) - Wii
Mister Slime (Action/SouthPeak Interactive) - DS
Looney Tunes: Cartoon Conductor (Action/Eidos Interactive) - DS
Super Dodgeball Brawlers (Sports/Aksys Games) - DS
Lost Planet: Extreme Condition Colonies Edition (Action/Capcom) – X360
Neverwinter Nights 2 Gold (Role-Playing/Atari) - PC
Mass Effect (Role-Playing/Electronic Arts) - PC
Enemy Territory: Quake Wars (Action/Activision) – PS3, X360
Death Jr.: Root of Evil (Action/Eidos Interactive) - Wii

May 30
Commando: Steel Disaster (Action/XS Games) - DS

Also in May
Fading Shadows (PSP Puzzle/Ivolgamus) - PSP
Touch Darts (Sports/Sega Europe) - DS
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (Adventure/Disney Interactive Studios) – PSP, PC
SimCity Societies: Destinations (Strategy/Electronic Arts) - PC
A Vampyre Story (Adventure/Crimson Cow) - PC
LOL (Action/Agetec Inc.) - DS
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (Action/Aspyr) – Mac