The Chinese government has launched a campaign to limit the number of hours teenagers spend online playing games. Under new rules that took effect Monday, Chinese Internet gaming companies must install a program that requires users to enter their ID card numbers. After three hours, players under 18 are prompted to stop and “do suitable physical exercise.” If they continue, the software slashes by half any points earned in the game. All points are wiped out if players stay on more than five hours.
The program is part of a government campaign to combat Internet gaming addiction, “clean up the Internet environment” and “promote civilized Internet use,” according to guidelines issued by China’s General Administration of Press and Publication. About 10 percent of China’s more than 30 million Internet gamers were underage as of the end of 2006, according to the Chinese newspaper National Business Daily.
The government guidelines don’t flat-out denounce the popular pastime, saying “measured gaming is good for the brain, but gaming addiction hurts the body.” The explanation says the three-hour cutoff is based on the time it takes to play the strategy chess game Go. Gaming companies Shanghai-based The9 – which runs the popular “World of Warcraft” online game in China – and Shenzhen-based Tencent both said Tuesday they have started using the screening software. The9 spokesman James Zhao said he doesn’t expect the new restrictions to affect business because most of The9’s users are adults. “World of Warcraft,” from Vivendi SA’s Blizzard Entertainment Inc., is the world’s most popular online game and has more than 3.5 million subscribers in China.
Tencent said in a statement it’s too early to tell if the screening will hurt its sales. The South China Morning Post quoted a spokesman as saying youngsters can beat the new screening program by using false identities. “It’s hard to tell online if the player is a teenager or an adult. Many of them can register for the game using someone else’s ID or even a fake ID,” Song Yang told the newspaper. Both companies voiced support for the new government measures.
The online gaming industry “will develop in a healthy, harmonious direction” because of the monitoring system, Zhao said. President Hu Jintao ordered regulators in January to promote a “healthy online culture” to protect the government’s stability, according to state media. Though China’s communist government promotes Internet use, it has also set up an extensive surveillance and filtering system to prevent Chinese from accessing material considered obscene or politically subversive.
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A Uruguayan Civil Court Judge recently ordered a major counterfeiter of Nintendo video game products to pay Nintendo 2.5 million U.S. dollars in damages and legal expenses. The Court determined that the offender and three of his related corporations, were responsible for the sale and distribution of tens of thousands of counterfeit Nintendo products.
In 2001, the National Board of Intelligence raided four retail shops and a warehouse, seizing seven truck loads of counterfeit Nintendo video game products in Montevideo. Approximately 30,000 counterfeit Nintendo products were confiscated and valued at over one million US dollars. The seizure was reportedly the largest carried out in Uruguay of counterfeit video game products. A principal owner was identified for both the retail shops and the warehouse. Following the seizure, the owner was criminally charged with trademark counterfeiting. Curiously, the criminal trial ended in 2003 with the granting of an unexplained executive pardon or “gracia”.
In addition to the criminal charges, Nintendo filed a civil action against the owner and his businesses, claiming he was selling and distributing counterfeit Nintendo products on a large scale, obtaining sizeable profits, and damaging Nintendo’s reputation. After years of litigation, Nintendo applauds the Court’s decision as it serves as an extraordinary example of justice against intellectual property crimes. Nintendo is pleased that this major counterfeiter will finally have to pay for his illegal activities.
Filed under PC News on July 5th, 2007 Chicago Chimera powered into first place of the CGS last night after drubbing 3D.NY 31-15. Chicago’s dynamic PGR duo set the pace for the evening and the Counter-Strike and DOA squads followed suit. NY took points back in the FIFA competition, as Matt “Wizakor” Wood blanked Andrew “Anomaly” Brock, 3-0.
Official CGS League Standings as of 7/2/2007
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Team
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Wins
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Loses
|
Points For
|
Points Against
|
|
Chicago Chimera
|
3
|
1
|
102
|
74
|
|
San Francisco Optx
|
3
|
1
|
98
|
84
|
|
Dallas Venom
|
2
|
2
|
93
|
91
|
|
Carolina Core
|
2
|
2
|
89
|
94
|
|
Los Angeles Complexity
|
1
|
3
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75
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95
|
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NewYork 3D
|
1
|
3
|
84
|
103
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Note: Standings are sorted by wins/loses, then differential between points for/points against
Take-Two Interactive Software announced today that it will publish Sid Meier’s Civilization Revolution, the first next generation game designed by world famous game designer Sid Meier. Slated for a spring 2008 release for next generation consoles and handhelds, Sid Meier’s Civilization Revolution is being developed by Firaxis Gamesâ„¢, 2K’s world-renowned development studio.
Sid Meier put computer gaming on the map when he delivered Civilization® to the gaming world, launching the “God Game†genre and creating one of the most award-winning and addictive strategy series of all time, including Sid Meier’s Civilization IV™, the Gamespy and GameSpot 2005 Game of the Year. Driven by sheer passion for the game concept, Meier is now handcrafting a brand-new Civilization experience designed and built from scratch for next gen consoles and handhelds.
“Civilization Revolution is the game I’ve always wanted to make!†said Sid Meier, Director of Creative Development at Firaxis Games. “We are excited to take advantage of the power of next generation consoles and the ingenuity of handhelds, to create a great and unique strategy game for newcomers to the series, as well as the millions of fans around the world who enjoy Civilization on the PC.â€
In Civilization, players strive to become ruler of the world by establishing and leading a civilization from the dawn of man into the space age – waging war, conducting diplomacy, discovering technologies, going head-to-head with some of history’s greatest leaders, and building the most powerful empire the world has ever known.
Sid Meier’s Civilization Revolution is a watershed game, offering players a chance to experience the epic empire-building world of Civilization in an all new accessible, visually immersive, and action-packed world specifically designed for the console and handheld gamer. Delivering Civilization’s renowned epic single-player campaigns featuring vast re-playability and unmatched addictive gameplay as well as revolutionary features like real-time interaction with leaders and advisors, extensive multiplayer capabilities and integrated video and voice chat, it will completely transport the Civilization series to a level of gameplay that fans have never seen before.
“Civilization is one of the world’s top selling PC game series with more than 8 million units sold, and continues to be recognized as one of the greatest franchises ever created,†said Christoph Hartmann, president of 2K. “We are excited to have Sid Meier getting back to his roots as the game’s Lead Designer to carry on its legacy with Sid Meier’s Civilization Revolution.â€
Some of the key features that will resonate with fans of strategy games and the Civilization franchise include 16 civilizations to master and lead to victory, an array of famous historical leaders to play as or compete against, and accessible maps and streamlined time scale for quicker games, intense combat, and constant action. In online multiplayer mode, players will compete for world conquest and glory among their peers as they battle in teams, head-to-head or epic free-for-all matches. In addition, auto-matching, ranked games, leaderboards, achievements, downloadable extra content and integrated video and voice chat make the online play more versatile and fun than any previous version of Civilization and will allow players to see where they stand against the competition. Finally, the position of ruler of the world can be settled online.
Sid Meier’s Civilization Revolution will be released in spring 2008 for next generation consoles and handhelds.
Filed under wii on June 27th, 2007 Officials from Nintendo have confirmed plans to release original downloadable content on the Wii, with an announcement today at a private Nintendo developer conference.
The company describes WiiWare as a “game-creation service†that will allow developers of all sizes to create downloadable games content for sale by Nintendo through the Wii Shop Channel.
Currently over one hundred retro tiles are available for download via the Wii’s virtual console, with games paid for via redeemable Wii Points. Other content has so far been restricted to new interactive channels, all of which have been free (although the Internet Channel – featuring a re-purposed Opera Web browser – will incur a charge of 500 Wii Points ($5) from the beginning of July).
In a press statement Nintendo suggests that WiiWare will pave the way for “smaller, more creative games†at lower prices and without any inventory risk to developer. Despite the announcement today, though, the first WiiWare content will not be launched until early 2008.
“Independent developers armed with small budgets and big ideas will be able to get their original games into the marketplace to see if we can find the next smash hit,” said Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime. “WiiWare brings new levels of creativity and value to the ever-growing population of Wii owners.”
EA will be hosting the first matches of the 2007 season to be played between the newly-drafted CGS Region 1 teams: L.A. compLexity, New York 3D, Dallas Venom, Chicago Chimera, San Francisco Optx, and Carolina Core.
Matches will take place at EA between Wednesday, June 27 and Friday, July 6.
Tune in to www.thecgs.com to watch history being made as the top U.S. and Canadian players compete in LIVE BROADBAND MATCHES on July 2, 3, 5, and 6 at the following times:
8 p.m. (Eastern) / 5 p.m. (Pacific)
10 p.m. (Eastern) / 7 p.m. (Pacific)
12 a.m. (Eastern) / 9 p.m. (Pacific)
Official games for the CGS 2007 season are played on both the PC and Xbox 360 game platforms and include EA’s FIFA 2007 (PC), Valve’s Counter-Strike®: Source® (PC), Tecmo’s Dead or Alive®4 (“DOA4â€) (Xbox 360) and Microsoft Game Studio’s Project Gotham Racing® 3 (“PGR3â€) (Xbox 360).
The CGS regular season will then continue with its groundbreaking live TV coverage, exclusively on DIRECTV’s The 101 beginning July 9, 2007.
Free tickets are available to every night the CGS will be broadcasting. To get your tickets go here
You can see the entire CGS Region 1 regular-season schedule.
Players on CGS teams are vying for their piece of more than $5,000,000 in annual salaries and bonuses to be paid in 2007.
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