Pronto Games

The original ‘Goldeneye 007′ was made for the Nintendo 64 in 1997, but fans are still excited to hear that Activision will be developing a sequel to the best selling game title. Because Activision has not formally made an announcement about the future game, not much is known about what gamers should expect. A few industry insiders have speculated about a title for the new ‘Goldeneye 007,’ pointing to the fact that Activision has been snatching up related domains. For now, the best guess is ‘Goldeneye 007: Reloaded,’ but its not safe to make any assumptions until Activision lays out its plans.

Although Activision did not originally develop ‘Goldeneye 007,’ the company acquired rights to the game title after Nintendo and Rare parted ways. Microsoft acquired game developer Rare several years ago, and since then neither Nintendo nor Microsoft can come to a consensus on how to market and distribute several game titles. It appears that some headway has been made now that Activision has a new sequel to ‘Goldeneye 007′ in the works, but a release date could still be far off.

Nintendo also appears to be moving in another direction as the company tends to focus on more family friendly, cooperative interaction types of game titles. Releasing a first person shooter such as ‘Goldeneye 007′ will require Nintendo to come up with a new kind of controller as well as an innovative form of marketing in order to get the most out of its investment. For now, gamers will have to wait until Activision officially lets this cat out of the bag.

Criticism quickly came from conservative lawmakers after it was found that the National Endowment for the Arts would be allowing video game developers to apply for federal grants. Of course, game makers know that most assume that all video game titles are violent and sexually explicit, however, the same lawmakers that don’t want the gaming industry to flourish are fans themselves. Even school are using video games to educate their students, which is why it is difficult for game developers to understand the problem with being paid by the government to help children. Maybe if a ‘safe’ game maker that has partnered with Nintendo applies for a grant, politicians will begin to change their tune. Unfortunately, video game developers will continue to get a bad rap for as long as ‘Grand Theft Auto’ is around.

Only the most obscene and outrageous games get any news coverage. When a video game that promotes healthy eating or teaches children to speak a foreign language emerges, no one outside of the company ever talks about it. For clarity sake, the government would not be funding the next installation of ‘Duke Nukem.’ The National Endowment for the Arts would be required to review every application received by game makers and then award grants to the ones that have the best plans. The game makers would then need to show their progress every step of the way. In other ways, game makers aren’t trying to defraud tax payers, and they certainly don’t need any handouts.

At the E3 Convention, thousands of avid gamers, video game developers and top level executives gathered under one roof. While everyone was excited to see the newest titles, software and technologies, there was overwhelming silence when it came to sales. The fact of the matter is that gamers will always buy and play new video games. But they also want to get their money’s worth, which means that used games and even pirated copies are causing publishers to lose out.

Then there’s the subject of online game purchases. Gaming retailers know that they have to bolster their online presence in order to reach out to gamers that have pretty much become shut ins. Its strange that the same people that innovated the technologies used by gamers today want to ignore the signs that big changes are yet to come.

In order for gaming retailers to be able to stay in business, they are going to have to pay attention to companies such as Redbox and Gamefly. Of course, gamers will always need to buy consoles and peripherals, but Amazon is becoming more popular. When will gamers finally stop going to retail stores at all? Game retailers hope that day never comes, but they are going to need to adapt if they hope to make it through. Instead of restricting access to content and putting password protection on downloaded content, the gaming industry is going to have to start treating consumers like allies instead of enemies, which may not be so easy considering their track record.

Explosions are abound in “Red Faction Armageddon,” but that hasn’t stopped gamers from turning on the Xboxs and turning up the heat. In this installation of “Red Fraction,” the first thing you might notice is a new weapon named Nano Forge. Forget bullets, the Nano Forge packs an immeasurable amount of firepower. Although players are still encouraged to blow everything in their paths, this time the game plan is a little more streamlined and focused.

You’ll have several objectives and a GPS device help you to navigate to your destinations. A few new enemies have been included, but don’t expect to see a lot of variety in this area of the game. What has changed is the amount of weapons you will be able to choose from. As soon as you run out of ammo, you’ll be able to find weapons lockers scattered all over.

During story mode the Nano Forge plays a huge role. This weapon can wipe out all of your enemies at once, but it can also be used to rebuild some of the structures you inadvertently took out, too. At various points in the game you will be able to purchase upgrades that can be used to make the Nano Forge even more powerful. The game itself is pretty basic, but the collateral amount of destruction you are able to cause will keep you on your toes for hours at a time. “Red Faction Armageddon” is one of those games that you play when you call out sick for work, get all of your housework out of the way and have a few hours before dinner. It’s entertaining, but you probably won’t want to play it every single day.

Autism comes in various degrees but the one thing that nearly all autistic children have in common is a lack of social interaction. Statistics show that 1 out of every 110 babies born will develop autism by the age of two. This means that a large portion of the population will be diagnosed with the disease. Carrie Pritchard, a psychology professor, hopes that the new video game that she is working on will benefit all Autistic children. Using the $20,000 cash prize, Pritchard is teaming up with several video game developers on the project.

There have been several conflicting studies involving video games and children with Autism. Although Autistic children are usually able to play video games with proficiency some researchers feel that it only isolates them even further. By designing a game that includes visuals of people interacting, Pritchard thinks that Autistic children will be able to gain enough confidence to start seeking out friendships on their own.

Pritchard’s own son has Asperger’s Syndrome, which is a variation of Autism. Three local university students are working with the professor and they are coming up with new, exciting ideas each day. The developers of the yet unnamed game are still many months away from completion but Pritchard’s connections and influence on the Autistic community will help her to get a buzz going before the title is launched. Pritchard doesn’t plan on profiting from the sale of her game as she feels that it is much more important to provide a beneficial tool to children with disabilities.

Video game developers, especially Nintendo, are starting to see just how damaging inexpensive smart phone platform games can be for the industry. When it comes to hand held devices, the Nintendo DS has long been king among teens and younger kids, but now it seems that parents are buying cell phones for their children at increasingly younger ages. When you compare the average title for the Nintendo DS and a smart phone game the main difference is that games made for hand held consoles offer many more hours of game play. Both sets of games are equally simplistic, from the graphics to the music, the only thing that separates game titles made for the Nintendo DS and smart phones is pricing.

There is little evidence to support the theory that these cheap video game titles are damaging the industry as a whole, but Nintendo is already working on a set of new games that will make consumers want to buy their titles. With a focus on game development and the user experience, Nintendo will probably hold off on releasing a new version of the Nintendo DS until the company has a number of impressive titles in the works. All in all, there is room for both smart phone games and hand held gaming console video games even if there is a huge discrepancy in pricing. Children will always want to have electronics to help them pass the time while they are on long car rides, and as long as Nintendo continues to deliver there will always be a place for them in the gaming industry.

Gaming companies have been battling a losing war with counterfeiters, and a new study shows just how big of a problem piracy really is. Approximately four out of every five video games sold today are actually counterfeit. To the untrained eye these games look completely authentic and most contain no major glitches. Executives at Nintendo recently remarked on the fact that gamers themselves were becoming more knowledgeable about the problems. Better anti-piracy technologies have made it impossible for some of these games to be played, however, there have to be better policies in order to identify counterfeiters as well as product consumers.

There is no rule that says that you cannot buy video games online. Consumers know that some of the best deals can be found on the Internet, so when a new video game retailer offers discounted titles he or she knows that gamers will respond positively. The anonymity of the web has made it easy for counterfeiters to sell thousands of fake titles, collect the money and disappear before anyone knows the difference. Perhaps video game developers should put more of an effort into coming up with ways for consumers to identify authentic titled with ease instead of trying to create consoles that will prevent them from working. Finding out that you have been duped when you go to play a new game is a terrible feeling, and it is highly likely that you were only trying to get a deal. There are those that know full well what they are purchasing, but if the gaming industry wants higher profits them will need to come up with better anti-piracy strategies.