In a surprising move, EA has shut down their Chicago studio and is moving its 150+ employees to other studios owned by them. In a company memo, Frank Gibeau (President of EA Games) mentioned that the reason the studio will be shut down is that it has not been profitable and is not expected to be profitable. What's really strange about the whole situation is that they only started in 2004 and have done just two games, Fight Night Round 3 and Def Jam Icon. I don't understand why EA would close down a studio after only two games.
The future of their in-development games (a Def Jam Icon sequel and a Marvel comics fighting game using the Def Jam Icon/Fight Night Round 3 engine) is unknown. However, I do hope the those two games get made because I LOVED Def Jam Icon (the demo at least) and I would love to see a game using Marvel characters made with that same engine. It could be especially fun with all the environmental damage and weapons found in Icon, like throwing people into the car wash or into a gas pump.
If you have a Playstation 3 or an Xbox 360, consider checking out Fight Night Round 3 and Def Jam Icon as both games are quite fun.
So, best of luck EA Chicago employees. Hope the closure doesn't hit you too hard.
So, I was checking out Surfer Girl Reviews Star Wars for the latest insider gaming information, and she posted this YouTube video, claiming it was the best game trailer ever. Reluctantly, I played the clip. Five seconds in, my head asploded...
Believe? Mad World? FORGET THAT! They aren't Rasta Style, now are they? That's right, a Bob Marley mobile phone game based on crappy flash games. I...I...I can't believe that Hudson got the rights to use Bob Marley's likeness for this "game".
You know, this is why the gaming industry is going down the crapper these days. People are willing to make crappy games for a quick buck, even if it means raping the legacy of a legendary person.
All hail our Nipponese Overlords. We know not where we would be if we did not have our PlayStation, Wii, or precious Sega (you know, the good, pre I whore out Sonic sega). We look forward to the day where like in the land of our Overlords, there is a Ramen machine on every street corner. Who needs crack anyways when you have ramen. Today, we celebrate our overlords and their interesting gaming culture.
First off, we have a game to talk about. It's called Radiant Silvergun. It's a shooter. Apparently, it is damn good. I also hear that it was developed by Treasure. I hear that so long as we forget around Wario World, Treasure is a damn good company. Sin and Punishment, Mischief Makers... thank our Overlords for affording us the opportunity to play games by this development house. Next, let's talk about the featured image. Look at it. It has a GUNDAM. Who doesn't like the GUNDAM!? You should be careful of how you answer that, your overlords may come and whisk you into nothingness via this behemoth. Worship our Overlord and their mightly GUNDAMS!
Next, we talk of the past of the company that prints money. You know, Nintendo. There was an add on for their hugely popular and enslaving piece of hardware we affectionately call the SNES stateside, or as they call it in the land of our overlords, the Super Famicom. Check out this add-on. Worship its might.
Lastly, we honor the collector that is truly devoted to our overlords. This one goes out to you, Fuyukaze. Our overlords command for your continued devotion. WORSHIP THEM!
As a friendly reminder, do not forget to thank your overlords for this wonderful day before you fall asleep. You never know when they may be listening.
Tiger Woods 2008, released on multiple platforms this past September by EA Sports, has endured a beating normally reserved for rent-a-cars on most forums. Most of the complaints revolve around game freezes, instable EA online servers, lack of character clothing options and most importantly the hair-trigger analog controls. To the delight of old-school gamers, and possibly a welcomed addition to frustrated analog video golfers, EA (Electronic Arts) has brought back an old friend, the 3-Click swing meter. This article is not necessarily a full review of Tiger Woods 2008, but more of reflection on the reintroduction of this swing meter interface.
I admit I am an older gamer, and have been a fan of video golf games for some 30 years. I started out playing Computer Golf for the Odyssey II at home and Birdie King at the arcades. I was thrilled with the evolution of the golf game genre on all platforms including Big Event Golf (arcade), the PGA Tour series on the Sega Genesis, and the Links series for the PC. My virtual golf life ended with the release of Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2001. The new analog stick swing interface replaced my tried and trusted ways. This was devastating for me. I did not have the time (due to work), to master this new video swing technology. I became frustrated since my drives off the tee went only 167 yards and usually in the trees or the muck bordering the fairway (on a good day, it being my fairway). Sure, there was Swing Away Golf for the PS2 that was the one game that still employed the 3-Click swing meter for the next generation systems (at that time) . It was just not the same game as my beloved PGA Tour series.
I first downloaded on the Xbox 360 the demo of Tiger Woods 2008 once I read that the 3-Click swing meter was brought back from the dead. Obviously I was very happy to be reacquainted with an old friend. I could once again compete off/on-line with a certain degree of competency right away. Naysayers will argue that the 3-Click swing meter makes things too easy and does not truly test the video golfers skill. I can not say that I completely disagree with this. However, EA did reopen up a market to all of the people that grew up playing and loving the original PGA Tour series.
Most of the complaints on this game have been addressed through two (2) game updates. Remaining issues mostly revolve around computer player AI and online play/server performance.
Overall, I am thoroughly enjoying Tiger Woods 2008 (Xbox 360 version). Though there are some problems with it, the reintroduction of the 3-Click swing meter has made me a born-again follower of the series.
Life on the links has been revived for us old-school video golf gamers!
Its late at night (on a weekday nonetheless) and a concerned mother pulls the "air card" (and soon hides it) to end her kid's Halo 3 online session, urging him to go to bed. Instead of being crafty and sneaking out to play later, he then proceeds to aggressively search the house for his missing wireless card, with his mother attempting to restrain him the entire time.
Push comes to shove... and well... this enraged kid punches his own mom.
He never found the missing wireless card, and locked himself away in his bedroom to continue playing the game. Meanwhile, his parents call over police. Sheriff's Deputy Sean Harnage and another Deputy respond to a call of an "out-of-control child" at about 11:30PM. The kid remains locked in his room while his parents urge him to come out and share words with the deputies. Profane words fly, and the parents use a key to let the officers into the locked room. Harnage catches a punch to the face while fighting to make the arrest.
End result: off to jail for battery in domestic violence, and battery against a law-enforcement officer.
I haven't seen or heard anything this disturbing since the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/NPzFB9SWWiI&rel=0" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/NPzFB9SWWiI&rel=0</a>. Shame on you mother-puncher. Shame.
Some lucky guy in Marina, California managed to snag Rock Band early from the local Best Buy there. Instead of setting the game up as a demo, the Best Buy accidentally put it out for sale. This guy, "timenz", spotted it, bought it, and put it up on eBay. Needless to say, EA was not very pleased by this at all and gave the man a call asking him to return the game to the store. However, he did not do that. Then he got a call from Best Buy saying that if he returned it, he would receive a full refund and a $100 gift card, but he still refused to do it. He kept the eBay listing up, and now it is going for $326 (as of the time this article was posted).
So, fellow gamer nerds, what would you do in this situation? Auction it or return it for $100?
I'd auction it. He's doing quite well for himself if I must say so myself.
No one should be forgotten. Such was the statement of the first webmaster of the site, and such is our ideology today. To help people get a grasp of those who contribute to our site, I have made submission stats available to view. They can be found under the submit menu as Submission Stats. Please note that these stats only are valid back to about November of 2006, when we began logging submissions. I apologize if you made a lot of submissions prior to November of last year. I wish I could say that we have logged your submission, but we just have no feasible way to determine when you made submissions. Your submissions though will always be documented on each game or hardware page.
I hope you enjoy the new toy, and stay tuned... more is to follow when you keep it on channel 3.
Typically I wouldn't cover ad campaigns, but I felt this one was kind of important to cover. Not just because it's Sony (admittedly, that's a part of it), but because this new campaign Sony is going to roll out is perhaps one of the best I've seen backing a game console.
As many of you may remember, PS3 ads from last year were filled with <a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/gqkNPcUMffU&rel=0" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/gqkNPcUMffU&rel=0</a>, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/7qamwVJaYW8&rel=0" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/7qamwVJaYW8&rel=0</a>, and <a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/DyFrekxy7wg&rel=0" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/DyFrekxy7wg&rel=0</a>. Those ads caught a lot of heat for not showing off any games or being too artsy. Regardless, I thought they were alright in a David Lynchian abstract kind of way (speaking of David Lynch, look up his ads for the PS2, they're awesome).
However on Playstation.Blog, Peter Dille, Senior Vice President, Marketing & PLAYSTATION Network, announced the beginning of a new era in PS3 ads. No more abstract ads like last year, now there will be ads actually showing off games, the online capabilities, and other features of the system. As Peter said "The games are here, the price point is now $399 and we wanted to make the news loud and clear. But we need to deliver that in a way that befits the PlayStation brand." So, the result is this new ad:
Perhaps the best console ad ever. It's so damn good it makes me want to get another PS3. Peter also says that more ads are on the way, including ads that feature "upcoming third-party exclusives such as Haze from Ubisoft and Metal Gear Solid 4 from Konami" and "other great PS3 games like Burnout Paradise, WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2008, Assassin's Creed, Madden NFL 08 and Time Crisis 4." Also, Peter stated that this new campaign is the most expensive they have ever done for hardware. Looks like Sony is trying to finally pick up the ball they dropped with the PS3 launch and everything leading up to it.
Let me just say, BRAVO SONY! Way to get your head out of your ass and make some ads that people are actually PRAISING!
So, you think Guitar Hero makes you a rockstar? Yet, your mighty axe resembles a children's toy. Maybe something can be done about it. Better yet, someone has done it already, right on time with the recent release of Guitar Hero III.
[brandon] decided to rebuild a Guitar Hero controller out of a real Gibson electric guitar. Best part is he managed to do it at a budget price. US$69 for the guitar (found at Target) plus $60 for the controller is less than $150... a budget price indeed. I suppose it's one way to "hack the Gibson" without becoming "zero cool".
The construction method is similar to most other case mods... pull out the electronic guts and give them a superior new home. Special features include using the guitar's volume tuning knob in replacement of the whammy bar, and the strum bar tucked neatly between the pickups.
The finished product can only be described as "very stylish, and competitive". Certainly it would draw a lot of attention at your student dorm's next Guitar Hero tournament (which replaced the former air guitar competitions).
The creator of this is also interested in doing a similar guitar mod for Rock Band in the future, with a few more ideas to apply. We can expect more to come.
Full building instructions can be found at: XYHD.TV
Following in the steps of the Halo 3 Future Weapons special on the Discovery Channel, the Sci-Fi Channel will be airing a special on the making of the hotly anticipated game on November 20th at 10PM (that's Central time because it's the only time that matters). Some details on the special can be found on Sci-Fi Channel's website. Nothing really is known about the special other than it will be on Sci-Fi, will show a look behind the game, and they will be giving away copies of the game. Very descriptive, I know.
So, I was browsing the interwebs today, and I saw an article on Kotaku which mentioned Re-Volt in the headline. My first thought when I saw it was "OMFG!! NEXT GEN RE-VOLT!?!" but then I calmed down once I saw the article is about a new downloadable game from Sony and Game Republic called Toy Home. Skeptical about Kotaku's claim that it looks like a next-gen Re-Volt, I decided to check out the video, and lo and behold, it is!
The game, which will be released on the Playstation Store for Playstation 3, is a racing/combat game, in which you drive as supercharged wind-up cars through in evironments such as a kid's room, what looks like a daycare center, and a living room (I think).
Here is the trailer for the game:
Also, if you've never heard of Re-Volt, you owe it to yourself to hunt it down on either PC, Sega Dreamcast, Sony Playstation, or Nintendo 64. I give it my stamp of approval (mainly the PC and Dreamcast versions, as the PS1 has some trouble running it).
This week's features start out with a well made game from the Nintendo Entertainment System library. Bionic Commando is a game that most NES fans have played and enjoyed. It has a neat concept where you cannot jump. Instead, you use your bionic arm (a la Inspector Gadget style) to move from platform to platform. Not only does it help you move, the arm also attacks enemies and grabs items from a distance. Overall, a great game for a cheap price.
The featured image this week is from a system that not many of us bothered with. The Nokia NGage's Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Team Stealth Action. The gun on the art is pointed right at your head, or possibly at the head of the guy standing over your left shoulder! Ack!
Our featured hardware is for the Double Player Wireless Head-to-Head System by Acclaim. What does that long title suggest? 2 wireless controllers. I know, not as exciting as the original title, but trust me, these controllers we awesome! Not very many third party controllers can stand up to the original, but these do the trick.
The featured collection is that of justabum's. He has a very impressive NES complete in box collection that looks like it's nearing completion. It must have cost a ton of money, or possibly just great trading. Send him a messege! Maybe he has something you're looking for or maybe you have something that he values.
Well, that's it for this week. It's time for me to get back to work. Until next time, keep it tuned in to channel 3 here at the wonderful, splendiferous RFG.
(The writer of this article takes any and all responsibility for harm that the word 'splendiferous' may have caused to the reader.)
Today in the mail, I got a package from everyone's favorite console maker, Nintendo. Enclosed in the package were four of their new (undoubtedly court mandated) silicone Wii Remote Jackets. Now if you didn't know, because people are still morons with their Wii Remotes and throw them around like they are spears, Nintendo had to step in yet again to help save people from themselves with the all-new Wii Remote Jacket.
However all is not well in the world of Nintendo. The Wii Remote Jacket has some serious issues.
First off, the new jackets cover up damn near half of the IR sensor on the front of the Wii Remote.
This is not a major problem, but based on my observations in the sensitivity adjustment area of the Wii, when you have a low sensitivity and are a fair distance from the "sensor bar," having the jacket on the Wiimote will affect how well the signal from the sensor bar is read. However, if your sensitivity is adjusted properly, I found that there was no difference in the readings. A test run on Resident Evil 4: Wii Edition confirmed my findings, as it played the same with and without the jacket on.
Also, like any of the other third party Wii Remote Jackets, changing the batteries becomes a nightmare. However, it is less of a nightmare compared to the the third party ones I've used (thanks OatBob), as the official one slides onto the Wii Remote very efficiently and with very little effort. However, it still is very annoying.
But the worst thing about the remote jackets is what they do to your Wii Remote. They basically turn it into a even more of a dildo than it already was, giving people like <a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/25LceCPO1ys&rel=0" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/25LceCPO1ys&rel=0</a> even more fuel to their beliefs.
Want proof of how horrible the jackets look on the Wii Remote? Consult the following comparison:
Notice how the normal Wii Remote on the left hand side looks like a regular old remote, but the one on the right hand side looks like it is some kinky sex toy your girlfriend might enjoy (just add this program and you'll be set). Also notice, it is ribbed for her pleasure!! This new jacket is a first step towards this and this this (both links=NSFW).
However, as much as I think the new Lawsuit Preventing Wii Jackets are a lame idea overall, I do like a few things about it. First, it's pretty comfortable to hold and doesn't affect the feel of the remote too much. But if you are like me and get sweaty palms while playing games, it will feel slippery while using it. Second, they are padded pretty well to prevent a TV breakage, but I still think that you could break a TV even with it on if the remote flys with enough force. Third, I like that they used a decent amount of silicone. That will cause a shortage of silicone, thus not as many people will be getting breat implants. NATURAL BOOBIES FTW! Also, the built in cover for the accessory port is a very nice thing and should have been on the Wiimote from the get-go.
That about wraps up my look at the new Wii Remote Jackets. If you want to get them, all you need to do is go to http://www.nintendo.com/c.../jacket/jacketrequest.jsp and you can order up to four of them for free. It should take less than two weeks from the time you order them to the time it shows up in your mailbox. Also, for our friends in Canada (aka: Tan), this offer is open to you as well. Free Wiimote Condoms for all! Isn't Nintendo wonderful?
Simply stunning. Totally makes up for the travesty of Kingdom Come.
Best songs on the album: Pray Hello Brooklyn (feat. Lil' Wayne) Roc Boys (And The Winner Is) (feat. Diddy) I Know (feat. Pharrell) Say Hello Success (feat. Nas) (OMG NAS AND JAY-Z ON ANOTHER TRACK TOGETHER!!!!!) Blue Magic (feat. Pharrell)
So great to see Jay-Z return to talking about dealing drugs and giving more "gangster" stories instead of bragging about his riches and is Roc-A-Fella empire.
Speaking of Lil' Wayne... OMFG THA CARTER III: THE LEAK IN DECEMBER!!!!!! OMFG THA CARTER III IN FEBRUARY!!!!!!
And also: here's a song:
yeah, I take my baby down to the street and I buy him a soda-pop he's so sweet
alright now, alright now, alright now you said that
if you want I'll be the one take you out and have some fun I never never ever ever tell no one till the end, till the morning comes
yeah, I take my baby down to the corner and I buy him a soda-pop mmm hmm
alright now, alright now, alright now
if you want I'll be the one take you out and have some fun flip a quarter for the toss I'd like mine with apple-sauce
yeah, I take my baby down to the corner and I buy him a soda-pop `cause he's so neat, sweet
alright now, alright now, alright now okay now
if you want I'll be the one shake my legs and have some fun my hearts spinnin' round like a washing machine never saw the devil look so damn clean
yeah, I take my baby down to the corner and I buy him a soda-pop and he said: "honey, you look so fine" and I said: okay, alright, okay, alright
I was walking up Lafayette street it's real empty and I looked out and it turned into a big field and I looked up in the sky and I looked up in the clouds and I saw this face looking down at me and it's a women's face and she threw a quarter down at me and she said: "honey, here's a quarter go put it in the washing machine" and then I looked up at her, I looked up
I know I've been slacking lately, but the thing is that I've been so busy with school and everything else that I haven't had time to post any of these articles. However, starting now, I'm going make this an actual weekly feature. I may not write as much about each game as I did before, but I will still give you a good overview of the game and share my thoughts on it.
Anyways, the theme for this week is free episodic games. Episodic games have been a controversial subject in the games world. Many people argue that it costs more for the average gamer, while others argue that episodic games are better because developers can release many episodes in the same length it takes to release a full game. Regardless of where you stand on commercial episodic games, there are many great free games on the internet that have new content added often.
The first game featured this week is a web-based adaptation of the popular PC quiz show game, You Don't Know Jack. If you've never played You Don't Know Jack before, you're in for a treat. YDKJ is a quiz show video game franchise that appeared on PC, Mac, Playstation, in book form, and had a short-lived ABC TV series (hosted by Pee-Wee Herman himself, Paul Reubens) in which you were asked questions in which "high culture and pop culture collide". The game remains unchanged in the web version, however, new episodes consisting of five normal questions, one Dis or Dat, and of course, a Jack Attack, are released every single Monday. In addition to the weekly episodes, a new Dis or Dat question is added every Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. So, no matter what day of the week you go to the site, there will always be something new for you to play. A far cry from the hundreds of questions in one of the CD-ROM games, but still, it's enough to keep you busy for a few minutes a day. Also, before you go, I should warn you that YDKJ "contains mature content, including suggestive sexual references, language and font treatments that may not be suitable for children. Besides, they won't get it anyways."
The other game of the week is the aptly titled Platform. You guessed it, it's a platformer game! However, Platform is far from your typical platform game. What's unique about this one is that you have to play two characters and get both of them to the exit of each screen, many times using different routes for each character or using both characters to solve puzzles. This mix of puzzle solving and platforming makes for a very fun game and something worth checking out every Sunday, which is when new episodes are added.
So, now you have a new game to play every day of the week except Saturday! All without paying a single cent. Well, except for internet access, but that's besides the point. Make sure you give these games a try.
We are a community of collectors, gamers and the likes, and some of us enjoy to let the world know what is on our mind. For those members, we have the community blogs, a place where they can publish their thoughts and feelings regarding life, universe, and everything. Some of those members might even choose to write about gaming and collecting! Whatever they write about, you can find it on their blog. You can either see the latest community blog entries in the feed you see to the left, or you can browse for your favorite blog using the menu above. Interested in having your own blog hosted on RF Generation? It's rather simple, first be a registered member, and then click the "My Blog" link that you see in the navigation above. Following those two steps will certainly get you on your way to blogging.
Sit back, relax, and enjoy our entries, rantings, and completely unrelated series of thoughts. We write for you to read, so we certainly hope that you enjoy our material.
In a surprising move, EA has shut down their Chicago studio and is moving its 150+ employees to other studios owned by them. In a company memo, Frank Gibeau (President of EA Games) mentioned that the reason the studio will be shut down is that it has not been profitable and is not expected to be profitable. What's really strange about the whole situation is that they only started in 2004 and have done just two games, Fight Night Round 3 and Def Jam Icon. I don't understand why EA would close down a studio after only two games.
All hail our Nipponese Overlords. We know not where we would be if we did not have our PlayStation, Wii, or precious Sega (you know, the good, pre I whore out Sonic sega). We look forward to the day where like in the land of our Overlords, there is a Ramen machine on every street corner. Who needs crack anyways when you have ramen. Today, we celebrate our overlords and their interesting gaming culture.
Its late at night (on a weekday nonetheless) and a concerned mother pulls the "air card" (and soon hides it) to end her kid's Halo 3 online session, urging him to go to bed. Instead of being crafty and sneaking out to play later, he then proceeds to aggressively search the house for his missing wireless card, with his mother attempting to restrain him the entire time.
Some lucky guy in Marina, California managed to snag Rock Band early from the local Best Buy there. Instead of setting the game up as a demo, the Best Buy accidentally put it out for sale. This guy, "timenz", spotted it, bought it, and 
So, you think Guitar Hero makes you a rockstar? Yet, your mighty axe resembles a children's toy. Maybe something can be done about it. Better yet, someone has done it already, right on time with the recent release of 
Following in the steps of the Halo 3 Future Weapons special on the Discovery Channel, the Sci-Fi Channel will be airing a special on the making of the hotly anticipated game on November 20th at 10PM (that's Central time because it's the only time that matters). Some details on the special can be found on 
The first game featured this week is a web-based adaptation of the popular PC quiz show game, 
The other game of the week is the aptly titled