News Archives 2004

Video Gaming As Life
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12/04 DP Presents: Another Blast From the Past: We dug up this foldee from our vast archives of videogaming's past. This one is circa 1982 and is a promotional flyer for Electronic Games magazine. The brochure is a 3-panel 8 1/2 x 11 inch fold-out, with limited color. Check out a very dapper young Bill Kunkel and Arnie Katz! Look for more unearthed arcana in the coming weeks.
12/02 Acclaim Auction: Everything - Including 43,000 Games - Must Go! Not long ago we posted the Acclaim closing, but this is somewhat unique: A huge auction is being held on December 7th to liquidate the entire company's inventory. Office furniture, computers, hardware, and yes... a reported 43,000 games, will be auctioned off in Glen Cove (Long Island), NY. So who's going to meet us there with a really big truck? Details HERE.
11/30 Videogame Enthusiasts Benefit Children's Hospitals: When Seattle's Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center signed on to be the sole beneficiary of the "Child's Play" charity last year, it set its expectations relatively low. They knew the drive, organized by the duo behind the popular online comic strip Penny Arcade, would bring in video games for the hospital's young patients, but they only planned on receiving a few dozen titles. At best, they figured, it would be a few hundred. They ended up receiving $225,000 in video game and toy donations, as well as another $26,000 in cash. Details at CNN, HERE.
11/28 British Gamer Beats 21-Year-Old American Record to Rule Galaxian: Classic arcade video game playing, the domain of legendary arcade titles like Pac-Man, Donkey Kong, Centipede and Frogger, has traditionally been considered an impregnable stronghold of American supremacy. American players, famous for classic rivalries between gamers from California, Texas, Florida and North Carolina, have always owned the world titles on the more than 250 different classic titles produced during the early 1980s. A complete report and analysis of Whelan's gameplay has been prepared by Twin Galaxies' Chief Referee, Robert Mruczek, and can be found HERE.
11/27 The Kunkel Report: Bill Kunkel's "The Kunkel Report" (now however did we come up with THAT name?) continues! You may know Mr. Kunkel from his work on Sega Visions, Arcade Alley in Video magazine, his various game development projects, his writing for the Richie Rich comics in the 70's... OH! And perhaps as one of the pioneers of video game publications, one of the triumvirate who brought Electronic Games magazine to our homes way back in the day. Check out his latest musings HERE.
11/25 Happy Thanksgiving! Happy Thanksgiving from your pals at Digital Press. We'd like to kick off the holiday season by giving out a few gifts of our own. Courtesy of Easter Egg punk Scott Stilphen, a veritable cornucopia of prototypes previously unavailable on the 'net and now playable on your favorite emulators. Special commentary by David Crane. Give them a spin, HERE.
11/25 Big Money! Big Prizes! A new Mystery Game is afoot right here at Digital Press, courtesy of Tim "Sniderman" Snider! If you can guess the sound that this mystery sound byte comes from, you may win prizes that will make you king of all the land! Or maybe just a pretty happy gamer. Go play!
11/23 First Star Software's Greatest Hits Announced: First Star Software, Inc. today announced their co-development agreement with Mean Hamster Software.The companies have joined together to create the first compilation of First Star’s classic games from the 1980’s and 1990’s. First Star Software’s Greatest Hits™ will be released in time for Christmas and contains fourteen of First Star's early best-selling titles on a single disc. Millions of units of these classics been sold, with four titles having been released into the coin-operated arcades. For the full press release, check HERE.
11/22 Limelight Networks and the Phantom Team Up: In a press release on November 15, Limelight Networks announced a “strategic alliance” with Infinium Labs.   They will deliver games and content to Infinium Labs new game console, the Phantom, via a broadband connection.  Additionally, Limelight will manage the networks, which feature redundancy and real-time traffic monitoring in order to provide the fastest, seamless, and problem free delivery for gamers across the planet. More on this right HERE.
11/21 Did YOU Know?: Greg Wilcox' continuing spotlight on games that missed the spotlight continues! Will this edition be an anecdote by the anecdotal master or a dissertation on one of video gaming's many cubbyholes? Either way, you'll always learn something from this column... so read it HERE!
11/19 The Official Cyplix High Score Challenge: If you haven't heard of Cyplix, it's a hack of Bi! Bi!/Sea Hunt/however many other titles the thing has by "Atari Charles", and it's available HERE. One of the original game's distinguishing features is that it's very, VERY hard due to the cunning enemy AI that hunts you down like so much dogmeat the second you jump off the platform. Are you up to the challenge? The contest begins right now and ends on December 14th at 1:30pm CST. Just take a screen shot from your emulator software and send it to us. High score wins! First and second place prizes include a Cyplix game cartridge with more prizes to be announced soon.
11/14 MAMExpose: A new edition of our regular feature MAMExpose is now online! Rob "Flack" O'Hara explores our favorite software of all time and delves into a handful of the games that you simply need to know about if you call yourself a gamer! This month's column features a grab bag of interesting titles. Don't miss it, right HERE!
11/08 eNerGy Anime + Game Fest Set to Rock NYC: Like Anime? Like video games? Well, if you're in the NYC area, you may want to set aside November 19-21 for the eNerGy Anime + Game Festival. With plenty of games, film premieres, special guests and even a chance to win a trip to Japan, this is one event that's not to be missed. More info can be found HERE
11/05 Xbox Live Arcade launched: Microsoft recently launched the Xbox Live Arcade, a service that allows gamers around the world to download a variety of retro and recent games right to their own home.  For more info, click HERE.
11/03 Armchair Arcade - Issue 5 Published:  The online magazine, Armchair Arcade, just published their fifth issue.  This time, the team features an editorial on the ever heated emulation vs. orignal hardware debate.  Read the whole thing HERE.
11/03 Videopac 63+ FLASH POINT now available:  The rumored Odyssey3 prototype FLASH POINT is now available on cart for the Videopac+ and Jopac game computers as Videopac 63+.  For more info, click HERE.
11/02 Nintendo Cracks Down on Pirated Goods:  A judge in America has ordered a temporary banning order on unlicensed and unsanctioned Nintendo-branded products in malls and kiosks in the Seattle area. You know 'em, those crazy controllers, mini systems, etc. that plug directly into your TV and play lots of NES and Famicom titles. The end has begun. More HERE. Source: www.cube-europe.com
10/31 Found & Lost: If you’ve been collecting for any length of time, then you’ve probably accumulated a lot of cool stuff. Stuff you love. Stuff you treasure. Stuff you never touch. You know how it is: you acquire something, you’re excited about it at first, but eventually you put the item away and promptly forget about it. In other words, what once was “found” has now become “lost” (get it?). Found & Lost is all about delving into your collection, dusting off your favorites, finally firing up those untried games you’ve had for years, admiring the gaming memorabilia you’ve acquired, remembering why you wanted all this stuff in the first place. Check out William Cassidy's recent insights in this new edition of his column, HERE.
10/28 Grand Theft Auto 3 for the 8-Bit NES: Grand Theftendo, a new homebrew for the 8-Bit Nintendo Entertainment System has just been announced. It is a port of Grand Theft Auto 3, and has been under development for well over a year. More information is available HERE.
10/27 Sony PSP To Be Released in Japan on December 12th:  After months of analyst speculation that the Sony PlayStation Portable might not make it out this year, Sony Computer Entertainment today dispelled these notions when it announced that it will, in fact, release the PSP in Japan on December 12. The next-generation handheld gaming device will be priced at 19,800 yen ($185), which is fairly close to the already-announced price point of the Nintendo DS, which is slated to hit Japan on December 2 for 15,000 yen ($140). More details HERE. Source: Gamespot.com.
10/22 Nintendo Launches Fake Metroid Sites: Remember www.ilovebees.com or Rockstar Games' phony websites launched just prior to their Grand Theft Auto games? How about Nintendo's own Perfect Dark parody site? Well they're at it again, as at least two fake Web sites presumably built to add a little buzz to their upcoming GameCube game Metroid Prime 2: Echoes are now online. More details HERE. Source: Gamestop.com
10/20 WWE sues Jakks Pacific and THQ:  World Wrestling Entertainment Inc. said on Tuesday it sued toy maker Jakks Pacific Inc. and video game maker THQ Inc., alleging a commercial bribery scheme involving licensing of WWE images and dolls. The 14-count suit, filed in federal court in New York, alleges violations of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization Act (RICO), as well as breaches of anti-bribery laws through mail and wire fraud, and various claims arising under state law. More details HERE. Source: CNN.com.
10/13 DP Wire's First Contest:   Are you signed up to receive Digital Press' biweekly email newsletter?  Well, you want to be!  Starting with the next issue, there will be an on going contest to win a boxed NEO-GEO AES Homecart system! There are no back-issues, so you have to be subscribed to win!  Be sure to subscribe HERE before Saturday!
10/13 MaxiCart A26 Ready to Ship:  The A26 MaxiCart is a special Atari 2600 cartridge that allows loading games into it using a PC. The MaxiCart is a great tool if you just want to play Atari 2600 games or you can use it to develop and test your homebrew games.  For more information click HERE.
10/11 New NUON Game Released: Decaying Orbit:  After 2 years of work, the space action game Decaying Orbit for NUON is complete. Skah T has released the game for download which you can from  HERE. But also, while you're there, check out his proposal for actually producing the game properly with packaging, additions to the game, etc. The more people that show interest the better chance there is that it will actually happen!
10/10 Big Money! Big Prizes! A new Mystery Game is afoot right here at Digital Press, courtesy of Tim "Sniderman" Snider! If you can guess the sound that this mystery sound byte comes from, you may win prizes that will make you king of all the land! Or maybe just a pretty happy gamer. Go play!
10/09 Final Fantasy 3 Slated for Nintendo DS: quare-Enix announced that Final Fantasy 3 would be coming to the handheld Nintedo DS! Final Fantasy 3, not to be confused with the SNES FF3 which was Final Fantasy 6 in Japan, is the only of the previous FF games never relased here in the States! Read the news HERE.
10/08 Leisure Suit Larry Banned in Australia: Down under, we find that Leisure Suit Larry: Magna Cum Laude has been banned by the Office of Film and Literature Classification (OFLC) due to its sexual content. The report said the computer game contains "obscured and/or implied sexual activity and obscured and partial nudity involving stylised, animated characters." These depictions occur in "full-motion video sequences" and include instances such as Larry receiving below-screen fellatio from Koko. "Sucking sounds are heard," said the OFLC. Meanwhile, on US shores, DP gamers are asking "where do we sign up?" Details HERE.
10/07 Eastern Ontario Classic Gaming Expo Scheduled: The first annual Eastern Ontario Classic Gaming is slated to take place in Brockville, Ontario on October 24, 2004.  There will be a swap meet, game tournaments, and hourly door prizes!  For more details, click HERE.
10/04 Retrogaming Times Monthly #5 is Here: The digital e-zine Retromgaming Times Monthly has just placed issue #5 online.  Read it HERE.  
10/03 GBAGI Version 2.0 Lanched: GBAGI is a Gameboy Advance emulator that plays your favorite original Sierra games including King's Quest 1-4, Space Quest 1-2, Police Quest, Leisure Suit Larry, Manhunter 1-2, The Black Cauldron, and more.  Version 2.0 just launched, and incorporates many new features that the first version did not, including diagonal movement, better audio playback, a better menu system, and more!  Check it out HERE.
09/27 Atari 2600 Week at Digital Press:  WE LOVE ATARI 2600. It's not the kind of love a man and a woman share... it's much better than that. The 2600 isn't going to break our hearts, get caught cheating, or grow apart from us. The 2600 will always be by our side to comfort us when we're feeling low and provide some fun and laughs when we need them. Our homage continues with the official page's upgrade (http://www.digitpress.com/systems/atari2600.htm), where you will notice the already beefy review section has been further beefy-fied with dozens of new titles added to thrill and amaze. More will be added over the course of the week but we wanted to share the joys of the system with you today. After you peruse, share your memories of this great system with your forum mates HERE.
09/27 BalleyAlley.com Overhauled:   Bally Alley, one of the precious few web sites dedicated exclusively to the Bally Astrocade computer/console, has been completely overhauled. It’s now sitting on a server with much more room and no weird download rules. All the Astrocade newsletters and a HUGE assortment of documentation is there, including pictures, screenshots, programming tutorials, utilities, and more!  Check it out HERE.
09/23 "Last Starfighter: The Musical"  to Open:  The story of a trailer park videogame wiz "recruited by the Star League" will debut as an off-Broadway stage muscial in October. Read about it HERE
09/23 Doom headed for the Silver Screen:  British actress Rosamund Pike has signed on to star in Universal Pictures' upcoming video-game adaptation Doom, playing Samantha opposite Karl Urban's John Grimm and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.  The expected debut is in 2005.  For more info, click HERE.
09/20 PSTwo Slated for Release:  Japan's Sony Corp to unveil smaller version of the PS2 on October 26, 2004. It will be about 30% smaller than the current model, but will still retail for the same price of $149.  See the whole story HERE.
09/20 Dragon Ball GT: Final Bout Re-released:  One of the rarer Playstation titles has been quietly re-released.  In order to honor the long popular Dragon Ball series, Atari reproduced the game with a MSRP of $14.95.  For more information, click HERE.
09/15 The Digital Press Wire Service:  Join the army of elite gamers, bent on global domination and gigantic game collections! This list keeps you in the loop about what's going on at Digital Press, like Collector's Guide updates, website events, contests, etc.  Sign up HERE, or login to the forums and discuss its possibilities HERE.
09/12 Time to Kill: One of our quarterly feature columns (part of our weekly feature column line-up) is Time to Kill, Adam Gallant's review of games that you can truly sink your teeth into. The column focuses on role-playing games or similar titles that will require more than just a quick boot-and-run. Yep, it's the evil opposite of another quarterly feature "Pressed for Time", only twice as evil as you'd expect! Check out the new update right HERE.
09/09 Atari to Release 7800 Update: Dubbed the Atari Flashback, has 20 built-in games based on the 7800 plaform plus 2 retro sticks. See the whole story HERE and HERE. Vaporware or the real deal? You decide, but we're holding out hope for this surprise bit of retro goodness.
09/07 New Odyssey2 Games, Publisher Found in Brazil: The Brazilian site Odyssey 2000 broke this news: A Brazilian collector picked up an unknown cartridge from an online auction. It contains two games: Missão Impossível ( "Impossible Mission ") and Viagem Programada ( "Programmed Trip "). Amazingly, this cartridge comes not from Philips but from an unknown company: Ectron Eletrônica Ltda. of São Paulo. It's in a uniquely-shaped gray case, with a very cheaply-made paper label. The cartridge really looks like a Brazilian pirate, but since the label credits the Odyssey copyright to Magnavox, and since the games don't seem to be clones of any known Odyssey or Videopac games, who knows? Missão Impossível is a grid-based strategy contest (the screenshot looks somewhat similar to the Videopac game Depth Charge) and Viagem Programada is some kind of puzzle game. Pictures and screenshots are available HERE.
09/07 Eastern Ontario Swap Meet\Classic Games Show: On October 24, 2004 in Brockville, ONTARIO, Canada there is a video game cometition & swap meet from 1pm to 5pm. Brockville is located about 1 hr drive from Ottawa on the 401 HWY. It is also about 2 1/2 hours from Syracuse, NY. Details can be aquired from emailing the organizer HERE. Expect fun for all and there are prizes, too. Grand Prize: a refurbed, mint NES complete with games.
09/04 Sign Up Now For AtariLeague: Teams are forming now for a new Atari 2600 high-score league. Each week during the season, teams of 3 will face off against each other to get the best scores at randomly chosen 2600 games. At the end of the season, the best teams will face of in a Super Bowl of Atari to crown a champion. For more info, click HERE.
09/03 Odyssey2/Videopac Tutankam Proto Discovered: Maurice "BuckyB" Simon has obtained an EPROM copy of the long-in-the-Rumor Mill G7000 game Tutankham, and has released one screenshot exclusively through the Brazilian Odyssey 2000 site. According to BuckyB, the G7000 version of the game is better than on the 2600, with more levels and challenges. There's no word yet on whether a ROM will be released. For more information, check out the translated version of the page HERE!
08/28 NUON-Dome & JagFest @ CCAG: NUON-Dome and the JagFest will be making a stop at this years CCAG (near Cleveland, OH) and will be bringing along some choice gaming goodness. For the NUON: * Upcoming game Decaying Orbit from DragonShadow Industries * Prototype game Bust-A-Move 4 * Prototype game controller * Playable Tempest 3000, Iron Soldier 3 & other commercial games * Playable homebrew games like Breakout, BOMB, PacMan, Doom & more; for the JAGUAR: * Upcoming games Mad Bodies and MightyFrog by Force Design * Prototype games Brett Hull Hockey CD, Black Ice/White * Prototype hardware Jaguar Voice Modem, Controller and more * Networked BattleSphere, Doom and Aircars. For more info, click HERE.
08/28 Wendy's to Sponsor Nintendo Promotion: Time to start eating a little more fast food! Wendy's will be sponsoring a Nintendo promotion with the Grand Prize being a trip to NOA Headquarters, among 5000 other prizes. The "other" prizes haven't been disclosedas of yet, but it can be assumed there will be definite Nintendo goodness, along with the usual Free Biggie Fries. Check out the sponsor page HERE.
08/24 CGE Article on wired.com: Short but sweet article about Classic Gaming Expo on wired.com. Includes a few pictures, including DP's spokesmodel Janice. Check it out HERE.
08/24 Atari 2600 Meltdown Prototype Available: Classic Gaming Expo is proud to present another treat for the gaming community. Over the CGE2k4 weekend, they met up with CGE alumni Ed Rotberg and Roger Hector. As an added bonus, Howard Delman, ex-Atari employee and one of the three founders of Videa (along with Ed and Roger) was in attendance. After discussing "the old days" for awhile, they presented an unreleased game programmed by David Ross that was still in their possession. Turns out, that game is Meltdown for the Atari 2600 which it had been licensed to Fox but never published. After a period of time, the rights lapsed and reverted to Videa. After further discussion, CGE was able to arrange for the ROM to be released for everyone in the community to enjoy, free of charge! Download the ROM here.
08/14 JoySchtick: Our weekly feature column line-up continues today with Tim Snider's "JoySchtick", a light-hearted romp through the dark world of a young boy trapped in a man's body. Or is it a man trapped in a young boy's imagination? Whichever way you see it, we're sure you'll get a chuckle out of Tim's real life misadventures in videogame land. Check it out, right HERE.
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08/23		 Virtual Classic Gaming Expo: For those who cannot attend this year, we've got something for you... the "Virtual CGE" page has been activated! Highlighted by "CGE CAM", a simulcast of stills broadcast from just behind the DP booth. The page also includes last year's keynote speeches by Nolan Bushnell that you can download and listen to (MP3 format), contests hosted by last year's quizmaster Tim "Sniderman" Snider, and links to last years' photo gallery, museum, and even music from our CGE musicians. We've even released 2002 and 2003's CGE Atari 2600 titles in ROM format! The page will be ready by "showtime" on Saturday, but you can check it out at any time. Bookmark the page and check in on the show all weekend long! Enjoy it... HERE!
08/17 Found & Lost: If you’ve been collecting for any length of time, then you’ve probably accumulated a lot of cool stuff. Stuff you love. Stuff you treasure. Stuff you never touch. You know how it is: you acquire something, you’re excited about it at first, but eventually you put the item away and promptly forget about it. In other words, what once was “found” has now become “lost” (get it?). Found & Lost is all about delving into your collection, dusting off your favorites, finally firing up those untried games you’ve had for years, admiring the gaming memorabilia you’ve acquired, remembering why you wanted all this stuff in the first place. Check out William Cassidy's recent insights in this new edition of his column, HERE.
08/14 JoySchtick: Our weekly feature column line-up continues today with Tim Snider's "JoySchtick", a light-hearted romp through the dark world of a young boy trapped in a man's body. Or is it a man trapped in a young boy's imagination? Whichever way you see it, we're sure you'll get a chuckle out of Tim's real life misadventures in videogame land. Check it out, right HERE.
08/13 Get in Shape Playing Videogames: "Yourself! Fitness" is a personal trainer game geared toward woman. It's coming to a PC and Xbox near you this October! To see what you're in for head to their site and feel the burn! More on this HERE.
08/13 More Treasure! Less Treasure: A while ago it was reported that Midway was coming out with a truly awesome compilation for PS2, GC, and Xbox: Midway Arcade Treasures 2. Seems there have been a few revisions to the original line-up. We were going to get all 3 2D Mortal Kombat titles, now we will get just the two sequels. If you want the original MK you will have to buy the Mortal Kombat: Deception special edition. STUN Runner has also been removed from the original line-up. To compensate Midway has added Kozmik Kroozr' and Wacko.
08/12 GAMERIOT Announces Special GameSpot Sweepstakes: Games Media Properties, a leading creator of video game entertainment and media, today announced that it has partnered with leading gaming content and services site GameSpot for a special "GameSpot On the Road" sweepstakes for gamers across the USA at GameRiot (www.gameriot.com), the world's largest traveling video games festival and competition. With great prizes like a fully tricked-out Scion ax car and Alienware® Aurora(tm) computer systems, thousands of gamers across the country will compete by entering on either the www.gameriot.com or www.gamespot.com websites. GameSpot (www.gamespot.com) is a sponsor of GameRiot's third national tour, "Spike TV Presents GameRiot Powered by Xbox", which is expected to entertain nearly a quarter of a million gamers from June 24 to October 24, at over 80 dates in 18 cities across the nation. The event offers casual to hardcore gamers the chance to "be the first to play" new and unreleased titles in a high intensity, stimulating multimedia environment with prizes, free giveaways and the fabulous GameRiot Girls! Contestants, who must be 18 years old as of June 9, 2004, can enter to win up until 8:00AM PST on February 1, 2005; after which the lucky winners will be announced. More details can be found HERE.
08/11 4 More NES Titles Added to GBA Classics Line-up: Nintendo announces four more additions to it's popular NES Classics lineup. Retailing for $19.99 on October 25th, Nintendo will be unleashing four additional titles to it's classic series for the Game Boy Advance. Dr. Mario, Metroid, Castlevania and Zelda 2: The Adventure of Link will be the nostalgic flavors to whet gamers appetites to a time where gameplay ruled, and not graphics or online play. Details HERE.
08/11 Ghandi to Become BloodRayne Bloodsucker: Ben Kingsley will play the vampire Kagan, the evil ruler of an army of bloodsuckers, in an upcoming film adaptation of the video game BloodRayne, opposite Kristanna Loken (Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines), the Associated Press reported. Set in 18th-century Romania, the film chronicles the adventures of a half-vampire, half-human who has the super strength of a monster but the emotions of a person, the wire service reported. Loken will play the heroine, who must overthrow Kingsley's character€”who is also her father€”in order to save the world from the living dead. The $47 million movie is set to begin filming in Romania later this month, according to video-game publisher Majesco, which released the game, the wire service reported. The BloodRayne video game debuted in 2002, and a sequel is set for release this October.
08/07 Issue 4 of Armchair Arcade has been released! This issue showcases a professionally illustrated cover featuring The Rise and Fall of Game Audio article and The System Ranking Matrix (Ratings for 75 US Games-capable machines). Other articles include Violence in Videogames, Scorched Parabolas, Atari 2600 Mega-Mini Reviews (Video Feature), In Defense of Retro Gaming: A Discussion of Abstraction, Head-to-Head with Popeye the Sailor, Sequential Access: Essay Nybbles (a 5 essay collection), and the first Hot Topic Editorial - Games for Grownups. Visit www.armchairarcade.com to check it all out! Right HERE.
08/01 Digital Press Moving To a Faster Home: At long last, this fairly trustworthy but aging server is going to retire as the Digital Press site moves to a swift new machine with lots of bandwidth. We've done some testing with the transfer rates, you'll really like the improved speed. The downside is that we need to take the old boy down for a bit. At the moment we're looking at 8pm EDT; could be down for as long as two hours. If that changes I'll post the update here. When we come back we'll be flyin'.
07/31 Long Lost Commercials Free to Download: We've uncovered an original VHS of Atari 2600 video game commercials that NONE of us have ever actually seen aired. The quality is pretty good so we converted them to MPG files and uploaded them to the DP media server. These are LARGE files. We'll upload a new one for you each week, four total. Plays great with Windows Media Player. The tape consisted of Mountain King, Tunnel Runner, Solar Fox and for the very first time, Wings for the Atari 2600. But there's yet another surprise. We've also discovered the GAME! Wings is completely playable and will be available for play at Classic Gaming Expo 2004 next month. Download the video from our screening room, HERE. Discuss this fun piece of lost history HERE.
07/29 EA to Purchase Criterion Software: Electronic Arts has entered an agreement to purchase Criterion Software. The UK-based Criterion was responsible for such releases as Burnout and TrickStyle, and the upcoming first person shooter Black. Criterion was also the developer of the development program RenderWare.
07/28 Nintendo Announces Official Name and New Design for Nintendo DS: In preparation for the launch of Nintendo DS in North America and Japan later this year, Nintendo today announces major global developments for the innovative dual-screen, wireless, hand-held video game system. Read all about it HERE.
07/27 Messiah Introduces New Accessories for Classic Gamers: Before you forget about your outdated NES and SNES consoles, dig them out and dust them off. This summer Messiah Entertainment Inc. is introducing new wireless accessories for these classic systems. Featuring unblockable 2.4GHz wireless technology, you can be over 30 feet away from your console and still enjoy the freedom of being wireless with 40 hours of uninterrupted wireless fun. Take the first look at the Wireless NES and SNES product line August 21-22 at CGE 2K4 (Classic Gaming Expo) in San Jose, CA. For more information about this product, check their website, HERE.
07/25 Feature Column "Invading Spaces": Video game collectors need that "happy place" to store, display, and enjoy their goodies, right? Join our architect of gaming Earl "Phosphor Dot Fossils" Green for a session in improving your room's functionality and look. Keep up with Earl and before long you will not only be the envy of collectors everywhere but also of interior decorators! The insightful column continues with a new edition, HERE.
07/23 Activision: "Dead Rush is Dead": Activision's "survival horror meets driving sim" game Dead Rush has been cancelled just months after being unveiled at E3. The game - which was nearing completion for several platforms - was killed because it didn't meet "our standards as a big proposition," said Activision's Publishing CEO Ron Doornick. For the full news story, check HERE. To view the game trailer, click HERE.
07/22 Halo 2 Completely Finished?: Although it doesnt come out for a few months, Halo 2 is allegedly completely developed and a few people with connections already have the title - even showing it off! Our source is very good. We wonder how long it will take for Halo 2 to hit the net complete! Keep a look out...
07/21 Game On NY Update!: In case you hadn't heard, GameOn NY was originally scheduled for November 12-14, 2004 at Madison Square Garden, but has joined forces with DigitalLife and is now scheduled to be held at the DigitalLife event on October 14-17, 2004 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in NYC. DigitalLife will feature not only the latest in gadgets, music and movies but will also have loads of new games for you to try out. We're definitely going- are YOU? You can register for GameOn NY by visiting HERE.
07/20 Retrogaming Column #2 @Gamerdad.com: In this new edition, you'll be treated to the site owner/editor's personal experience and thoughts on the classic magazine Electronic Games. Always insightful, we highly recommend Gamerdad.com features, so be sure to catch this one! Mosey over to HERE.
07/18 alt.not.gaming: If the title sounds familiar, it shouldn't. In fact, nothing about Kris Roper's feature column should seem familiar. alt.not.gaming is all about changing the game, breaking the rules, and finding new ways to play old favorites. You may just find that these games are MORE fun when you try some of the techniques our resident bad girl has in store for them. The quarterly column has been updated today, check it out right HERE.
07/17 Shinya Nishigaki, Landstalker Designer, Dies at 42: A dreamer, a game maker, and an all-around good man, the designer of some of our dearest Genesis and Dreamcast games has passed on due to a heart attack. The full story about Shinya Nishigaki and his death can be found at GameSpot, HERE.
07/17 Video Game Collector #1 Now Available: The premiere issue of Video Game Collector magazine is now available, and it's packed with a "Dream Team" of editorial contributors, including Twin Galaxies founder Walter Day, AtariAge co-founder Albert Yarusso, and DP's own Joe Santulli and Adrienne "Achika" Barr. Check out the VGC website-in-progress HERE, and subscribe by calling (877) 922-GAME. You can also purchase individual copies online from Good Deal Games.
07/17 Sony Who? During an interview with CNET News.com at Microsoft's Worldwide Partner Conference, CEO Steve Ballmer predicted that Microsoft would soon steal the game crown from Sony: "We may still be losing money, but we have gone from nowhere to a significant player with a whole different approach. I bet we can take Sony next generation." Read the entire interview with C-Net HERE.
07/16 Judge Strikes Down Ban: For selling violent video games to minors, as reported in USA Today, full story HERE.
07/15 Sony to Give Tech Talk on PSP: Two representatives from Sony Computer Entertainment America will be at the Austin Game Conference on September 9 & 10, 2004, to discuss the architecture and design of the PSP "to as great an extent as possible." In addition, software APIs and sample program code will be illustrated. This follows on the heels of two other announcements: that the PSP will support "Talkman" (which translates spoken input into another language and plays it through the PSP's speakers), and that the PSP's wireless tech will allow for simultaneous 16-player competition. How do you say "Rock on!" in Japanese? The AGC conference is described HERE.
07/14 12+ New ColecoVision Games to Debut at CGE2K4: In their continued support for the Classic Gaming Expo, Good Deal Games, in association with Daniel Bienvenu, is proud to announce a new ColecoVision release to premiere at the Classic Gaming Expo. Details, including artwork and screenshots, can be found HERE. Next week, GDG and Older Games will be announcing another completely new, programmed from scratch from the ground up, Sega CD title! We are excited!
07/13 Iron Curtain Gaming Machine that "Came in from the Cold": An arcade machine called Poly Play is one of only three known surviving machines worldwide. Currently on display at the Museum of Computing in Swindon in their ‘High Score’ Gaming exhibition, this working example was manufactured in 1985 by the East Germans and is the only machine with communist party and Government approval. At that time, the Cold War dominated politics and all things Western were deemed to corrupt the Communist proletariat. Of the 1500 machines manufactured, the rest were recalled to be destroyed (reason unknown) when the Berlin Wall was brought down in November 1989. More on this HERE.
07/12 PS3 at E3 in 2005: Sony announced today that they will be demonstrating their next generation console at next year's E3 expo, in May 2005. Although a street date for the PS3 has not yet been announced, Sony's PSP portable gaming unit is slated to hit stores in March, 2005. Microsoft has not announced whether or not its next generation Xbox machine will make an appearance at next year's E3. Nintendo announced last month that its successor to the GameCube, currently referred to as "Revolution", will also be publicly displayed in 2005.
07/12 Messiah, Bringing Gaming Back to Life: Messiah Entertainment Inc. specializes in manufacturing new accessories for classic gaming consoles. Founded in 2004, Messiah takes pride in creating quality products with tomorrow’s technology specifically geared towards the retro gamer of today. Unlike any other peripheral company, Messiah is transforming gaming as we know it. The gaming of the past will not be forgotten. Look for Messiah’s first product line launch this summer at CGE (Classic Gaming Expo) 2004, San Jose, CA or online HERE.
07/12 Gaming Tries To Shed Boys' Club Image: May's E3 did little to dissuade the stereotype that the only women working in video gaming do so in camouflage bikinis. The times, they are (finally) a changing, however. Already well-represented in marketing and public relations, women are now moving into the creative areas of coding, design, art and production. Read more about this MSNBC article posted earlier today HERE.
07/11 Lik-Sang.com Opens their Payback Points Program: A favorite import video game site, www.lik-sang.com, recently opened up their Payback Points Program which enables you to earn points for all the purchases you make. These points can then be used to get free video games and related items. Read all about it HERE.
07/11 Homebrew Game & Watch Games Make Debut: The latest PDRoms Coding Competition has just finished. The idea was to write a homebrew Game & Watch-style freeware game for handhelds or consoles, and there were a total of 24 freely downloadable submissions. The winning entries were headed by Beer Belly Bill (GBA) by Metalvotze. If you don't have real hardware to test the entries, you can use emulators such as VisualBoy Advance (GBA/GBC) and GeePee32 (GP32). Check out the results HERE.
07/10 The Kunkel Report: Bill Kunkel's "The Kunkel Report" (now however did we come up with THAT name?) continues! You may know Mr. Kunkel from his work on Sega Visions, Arcade Alley in Video magazine, his various game development projects, his writing for the Richie Rich comics in the 70's... OH! And perhaps as one of the pioneers of video game publications, one of the triumvirate who brought Electronic Games magazine to our homes way back in the day. Check out his latest musings HERE.
07/09 Classic Gamer Magazine #2 Available: Classic Gamer Magazine, a retro-themed video game publication, re-launches with all-new content along with a revamped writing staff, as well as returning favorites. Each issue will be published bi-monthly as a Portable Document File (PDF) for free download at www.classicgamer.com. Originally announced at 1999’s Classic Gaming Expo, the full-color magazine was created to address the burgeoning interest in the games, systems, and companies that shaped the industry. To grab this new, FREE issue, check HERE. To join in on the discussion about this fabulous publication, check HERE.
07/08 New Genesis Site Launches! There just aren't enough good Sega Genesis sites out there. Sega-16 has launched and although simple in design, it offers in-depth, comprehensive reviews for everythiing Genesis, Sega CD, and 32X. There are also some exclusive features and master lists for all three systems! Sega-16 invites you to contribute your own reviews and features, so check them out, HERE.
07/05 Retrogaming Times Monthly Issue #2 Available: Issue #2 of the Retrogaming Times Monthly is now available with 2 more staff writers and greater variety and content. As usual, it's still free and packed with retrogaming goodness. Some highlights from this month's issue include: Retrogaming Commercial Vault - Activision Sports; Many Faces of Track & Field; Vic-20 Reviews; MAME Reviews - Track & Field and Hyper Sports; 8-bit Face Off - California Games; Many Faces of the Radio Shack TRS-80 CoCo; SMS Review - Reggie Jackson Baseball; Collecting in Australia and more. You can find all these and more over at Retrogaming Times Monthly, HERE.
07/04 Found & Lost: If you’ve been collecting for any length of time, then you’ve probably accumulated a lot of cool stuff. Stuff you love. Stuff you treasure. Stuff you never touch. You know how it is: you acquire something, you’re excited about it at first, but eventually you put the item away and promptly forget about it. In other words, what once was “found” has now become “lost” (get it?). Found & Lost is all about delving into your collection, dusting off your favorites, finally firing up those untried games you’ve had for years, admiring the gaming memorabilia you’ve acquired, remembering why you wanted all this stuff in the first place. Check out William Cassidy's recent insights in this new edition of his column, HERE.
07/04 Canada Loves the USA: Canadian gamer and DP spokesmodel Nikkita has returned for a day to show her love for the US on this fine Independence Day. Here are some fireworks to go along with the rest of your holiday. Have a great Fourth of July, folks! All Nikkita, all HERE.
07/01 RF Generation "Officially" Launched: In case you haven't heard, RF Generation is a project started by former Video Game Bible staffers. They've had a site up for a month now but feel it's now content-worthy, featuring online collection software. This is their "thing", a way to pimp collections and trade games. They currently offer lists for most consoles including GameCube and Game Boy Advance with Xbox and PS2 coming soon! They also feature an image search that includes game scans and screenshots. Overviews and reviews coming in the near future. Digital Press is a proud affiliate of these true gamers! Visit them HERE.
06/30 8 Bits In the Raw: We were notified by an artist about his collection of abstract graphics using a stock 1986 NES console, something he's been doing since 2000. His work has been featured in the 2004 edition of the MACHINISTA festival and is all about harnessing, manipulating and controlling the system crashes he's recalled from his youth and DAMN if this isn't cool stuff. You can check out stills HERE or HERE or HERE.
06/28 Sega Japan Launches "Mega Drive PlayTV": Sega Toys has released a doohickey called the Mega Drive PlayTV, an adorable miniature replica of the Mega Drive with a full-sized three-button controller and six built-in games: Sonic the Hedgehog, King of Monster, Golden Axe, Puyo Puyo, Kid Chameleon and Flicky. Too bad we'll never see something like THIS from Jakks Pacific! Pictures and details HERE.
06/27 The 2004 Video Game Summit Schedule Announced: Well, there are a million things going on at this year's VGS, too many to list in a simple news headline, so we'll direct you to their site, HERE. Be sure to attend! There can never be too many classic gaming events, in our opinion.
06/26 Feature Column "eBay Gremlin": The mysterious and dangerous eBay Gremlin makes another appearance here on Digital Press today. In this quarterly feature you will see the Gremlin's unique investigative approach in action as he tracks down and torments the tormentors in the world's largest online auction site. Now that he's out of his cage, no one on eBay is safe. See for yourself right HERE.
06/25 The Ultimate Game Room: We're always on the hunt for video game collectors' ultimate game room, that area set aside as a museum of sorts to store and display their fascination with video games. Do you have a "Room of Doom"? If so, send your picture in and join the legion of collectors on these pages. It matters not if your collection is large or small, but rather how proudly it is displayed! Check out today's updates to our Ultimate Game Room gallery HERE.
06/24 GamerDad Launches a New Retro-Arcade Column: From the pen of classic gaming expert Steve Fulton. An excerpt: "...ultimately, for better or worse , psychologically branded by video games and names Atari, Activision, and Vectrex. If I can just get these things on paper, these memories and visions of the those magnificent classic games, the people who played and still play them, the people who made and still make them then maybe I can set things right. Maybe, just maybe, if I can exorcise these pixilated, 2-voice modulated sounding, 1.7 MHZ demons of the past, I can start living a life where picking up the morning paper is just that, and nothing more…that is, unless it’s thrown in the sprinklers by that #$@! Kid from 'Paperboy'". For the whole thing, check in HERE.
06/22 New Nintari.net Match Making System: Nintari.net announces its launch of a new match making system for its video game trading site. The Match Maker scours Nintari.net in real time, bringing you a up-to-date list of people who match your needs. It promises to make gaming trading even easier then ever before. Check it out HERE.
06/19 Low Price on PS2 Final Fantasy XI: If you haven't bought it yet and are still interested, Costco has FFXI with the hard drive for $60 + Shipping. Details HERE.
06/16 “GAMERIOT” Storms America with 3rd National Summer and Fall 2004 Tour: Games Media Properties, a leading creator of video game entertainment and media, today announced that GameRiot, the world’s largest traveling video games festival and competition, will embark on its third national tour launching this Summer through the Fall of 2004. GameRiot is expected to entertain nearly a quarter of a million gamers from June 24 to October 24 in over 80 dates in 18 cities across the nation. GameRiot offers casual to hardcore gamers the chance to “be the first to play” new and unreleased titles in a high intensity, stimulating multimedia environment with prizes, free giveaways and the fabulous GameRiot Girls! Get the details HERE.
06/15 Classic Computer and Gaming Show 2004 is A Go! The Classic Computer and Gaming Show committee is pleased to announce that CCAG 2004 is scheduled for the 23rd of October from 4:30 P.M. until 10:30 P.M. at St. Paul's Presbyterian Church, 5885 Hopkins Road, Mentor, Ohio. This year's gathering is FREE to all who attend. (There is a strict limit on dealer space. First come. First served.) More info is available on the website, HERE.
06/14 Hightimes.com Interviews Ralph Baer: Check out our pal Lauren Gonzalez' in-depth interview with the father of videogames, Ralph Baer, right HERE.
06/13 Did YOU Know?: Greg Wilcox' continuing spotlight on games that missed the spotlight continues! Will this edition be an anecdote by the anecdotal master or a dissertation on one of video gaming's many cubbyholes? Either way, you'll always learn something from this column... so read it HERE!
06/08 Maniac Mansion 256 Color Remake: LucasFan Games have just released an impressive 256 color remake of Maniac Mansion. There is a sequel to Zak McKracken available too. Look HERE.
06/04 Madden NFL 2005 "Collector's Edition" To Include Emulated Versions: To celebrate the 15th anniversary of the franchise that hardcore gamers love to hate, EA Sports announced plans for a "Collector's Edition" of Madden NFL 2005. Your $59.95 gets you exclusive video documentaries, a 1,000-question trivia game, historical playoff teams, and most interestingly, "playable classic versions of Madden from the 16-bit era and two versions from the PlayStation® console era." That would make Madden '05 CE the first commercial PS1 emulator since bleemcast! Check out the website HERE.
06/03 Armchair Arcade Issue 3 is Now Out! Armchair Arcade's third issue has just been released with eight all-new articles. The articles include: Discworld MUD: Slinging Dirt with David Bennett, Keeping Things in Perspective: First Person Shooters Vs. Platform Games, Atari 2600 Expanded Homebrew Review: Thrust+ Platinum Edition, The Videogame in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction, Good Deal Games - An Interview with Michael Thomasson, The Power Glove Lives!, Songbird Productions - An Interview with Carl Forhan, and Why Write for Armchair Arcade? Please visit them HERE to read all the great articles!
06/02 The Launch Of Play:Right: Play:Right is a new website specializing in obscure consoles and everything that could be of interest to a dedicated console collector. A free online museum of weird video game hardware, software and merchandise. This is the largest collection of rare video game history in the world, and more is added all the time. You will be able to view everything from the Dreamcast/TV combination Divers 2000 to the Panasonic M2, the Sega Neptune, prototypes of Dreamcast designs, the blue Kasumi-chan Xbox, unreleased software, development systems for many consoles and much much more. Don't miss this extravaganza! It's all right HERE.
05/29 Joystick Junkies Video Games Clothing: Joystick Junkies produces a range of clothing based on some of the all time classics of arcade history. They've recently signed a load of licenses, including production of the official Space Invaders range and much more. JJ also runs huge parties in London and LA with old school arcade games and DJ's. Go check 'em out, HERE.
05/28 New PS2 Action Replay Includes Genesis/Mega Drive Emulator: Burn your own PS2 compatible movies, MP3 music and retro game discs with the new Action Replay MAX. Action Replay MAX now has interesting new functionality including MP3, DivX and CD-R compatibility, USB Flash drive support, PS2 online chat and even a retro-games emulator. Experience them all through your PS2 with this fine Datel product. Really worth a look if you're into the emulation thing. Check out the product HERE.
05/27 Space Taxi 2 Released: Everyone's favorite yellow cab is back! You might remember the original Space Taxi. It was a very popular Commodore 64 title back in 1984 when it was first released. This is the first official sequel. It was created by Twilight Games with the help of the original author John F. Kutcher. Space Taxi is a retro styled arcade game where you pilot your taxi through increasingly difficult levels, picking up and delivering a variety of colorful characters like businessmen, aliens, and droids. At first, it's a simple pickup and delivery, but as the game progresses you'll have to navigate harder obstacles like space cannons, monsters, minefields, black holes, and bad weather. Space Taxi 2 features 26 levels in 3 unique environments. A free demo version of Space Taxi 2 is available from Twilight Games and features the first 8 levels of the game. For more information, purchasing, and screen shots go HERE.
05/25 Retro Gamer Issue 4 Available Now: The latest issue of Retro Gamer magazine is available to buy now from www.retrogamer.net. Issue 4 features 116 pages of quality retro content, including features on Nintendo's greatest games, Lords of Midnight Trilogy, "Play It Again, SID", "Amstrad Action", Memories of Telecomsoft, and much more including a feature on the Alien and Predator film licenses, their latest emulation article, more classic adverts, retro news and letters. Check out the retro goodness HERE.
05/24 Videogame Fans Dance Off Extra Pounds: Forget the image of paunchy video gamers holed up in a dark room, surrounded by sticky Twinkie wrappers and empty soda cans (hey, who's been spying in on DP Headquarters?!). Dance Dance Revolution players burn extra pounds along with their quarters. Weight loss is an unexpected benefit of a game designed for dance music. Read the rest HERE.
05/22 JoySchtick: Our weekly feature column line-up continues today with Tim Snider's "JoySchtick", a light-hearted romp through the dark world of a young boy trapped in a man's body. Or is it a man trapped in a young boy's imagination? Whichever way you see it, we're sure you'll get a chuckle out of Tim's real life misadventures in videogame land. Check it out, right HERE.
05/20 GamerDad's E3 Classic Game Booth Report: As the gaming industry attempts to grow in sales in revenue, all of a sudden classic games and gamers are targeted market segment. The influence of classic games could be seen in many places where they were not previously. Read all about it at GamerDad, HERE.
05/18 CGE at E3 Photo Journal: Probably the last time we'll mention this, but thought we'd send you off with a bang. Check out our exhaustive photo gallery with hundreds of pictures from the History of Gaming display at E3. Great looks around the interactive timeline, CGE arcade, 80's Living Rooms, our special concourse kiosks, and lots of candid shots of people having a really good time. You won't see this many smiling faces on any other E3 pictorial. See for yourself!. Check out the DP photo journal HERE. Oh yeah, and as a bonus there's a full page of booth babes =)
05/17 SEGA Wholly Bought by Sammy: The pachinko and heavy-metal 2D fighter kings Sammy have taken the last step in their dealings with SEGA and bought them out entirely to the tune of $1.4 billion USD. Source: www.pign.net
05/16 Classic Gaming Takes E3 by Storm: Sure, the Nintendo DS, PlayStation PSP and a handful of overblown sequels got some attention at this year's Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in Los Angeles last week, but nothing... NOTHING could prepare the show's 65,000+ attendees for the retrogaming assault that Classic Gaming Expo would lay on them, over 2,400 square feet worth in fact. Their "History of Gaming" exhibit featured 50+ consoles, an interactive museum, two 80's living rooms, a media breakfast, 30+ classic arcade machines and more. Read all about it HERE.
05/11 Happy Birthday, Saturn: May 11th, a date that has meaning for a lot of people in gaming. It usually is looked back upon as the day the first E3 in 1995 started. Well, for these gamers it means so much more. The Sega Saturn was launched that day in the US in 1995, a surprise to everyone at the time. It was launched with few titles, but memorable ones such as Panzer Dragoon, Daytona USA, and Virtua Fighter. The Saturn originally retailed for $399.99. Happy 9th birthday, Saturn.... we remember!
05/10 GBA Going Wireless? You bet! Majesco, having just released their new GBA video cartridges last week, is wasting no time in moving on to bigger and better things. Two new devices will be showcased at E3 next week: Wireless Messenger and Wireless Link. The messenger accessory will allow GBA users to send instant text messages to other users; the link accessory will allow multiplayer games to be played without the link cable. Read more HERE
05/10 Limited Edition Street Fighter Controllers: NubyTech is launching a line of limited edition controllers for the PlayStation 2, to commemorate the 15th anniversary of Capcom's Street Fighter series. The controllers are set for a July 27 release in North America, in tandem with the release of Capcom's Street Fighter Anniversary Collection. NubyTech will be displaying a prototype of the controller at Capcom's booth next week during E3. Looks like arcade sticks are in the makings also. Fear not Xbox owners! NubyTech is planning on doing likewise for the Microsoft console. Keep an eye on the official website HERE (it's still under construction): Read the source HERE.
05/09 Off to E3 We Go! The DP gang is part of the combined effort to create The History of Video Games, display at the E3 Expo. Teaming up with Classic Gaming Expo and Intellivision Productions, we're hoping to bring the classic gaming phenomena into the mainstream once again with an interactive timeline, museum, and 80's arcade. E3 typically has 70,000 PLUS attendees, and we plan on converting each and every one! Our media breakfast on Thursday morning will have coverage from MTV, E! Entertainment network, Reuters, TechTV, G4, The New York Post, The Philadelphia Inquirer and many more major media outlets. Classic gaming for the masses! We'll report back everything with a gigantic photo journal when we're back at HQ on the 16th. Check out the hubbub HERE.
05/08 MAMExpose: A new edition of our bi-monthly installment of MAMExpose is now online! Jess Ragan explores our favorite software of all time and delves into a handful of the games that you simply need to know about if you call yourself a gamer! This month's column features a grab bag of interesting titles. Don't miss it, right HERE!
05/07 Classic Games Cited for Game for Sex Vol. 1: Check out this retrospective on sex in video games. Leisure Suit Larry, Ultima VII, Rise of the Dragon, Golgo 13 and Fear Effect 2 are cited. Don't you miss the Digital Press spokesmodels already? Check it out, HERE.
05/06 GameCube Rumors: GameCube 2 Backwards Compatible? In an interview in Japanese gaming magazine, Famitsu (www.famitsu.com), Nintendo executive Satoru Iwata dropped a few hints that the upcoming GameCube 2 may be able to play GCN games. No solid word or details yet, but more information may be released at E3, so be patient! Read the details HERE.
05/05 Xbox Rumors: Xbox 2 Out in 2005? BusinessWeek Today claims to have learned that Microsoft is planning on launching their next-gen console for the 2005 holiday season. Code named Xenon, Microsoft is hoping to gain an edge with their console by releasing it before Sony can release their next-gen machine. Details may or may not be forth coming at E3. Get more juicy details on the rumor HERE.
05/04 Make Money Playing Nintendo Games! Forget mowing lawns for extra cash.. Now you can play games, and get PAID for it! Anyone 18 years of age or older can apply for the job, which consists of showcasing Nintendo games at various music, sporting and lifestyle events around the country this summer. Pay is $100 a day for a three day work-week. Interested? Check it out at www.nintendostreetteam.com or read HERE for more details.
05/01 Time to Kill: One of our quarterly feature columns (part of our weekly feature column line-up) is Time to Kill, Adam Gallant's review of games that you can truly sink your teeth into. The column focuses on role-playing games or similar titles that will require more than just a quick boot-and-run. Yep, it's the evil opposite of another quarterly feature "Pressed for Time", only twice as evil as you'd expect! Check out the new update right HERE.
04/30 Mod Chips Legal In Spain! Due to a legal loophole, a judge in Spain was forced to rule that modding systems to play burned or games from other regions was not forbidden by law. Recently, Innovagames in Barcelona was brought to court because they were offering services to mod systems for customers. So, while the judge cautioned that the modifications may infringe on intellectual property rights, the loophole forced him to throw out the case, essentially making the process legal. No word yet on the Big Three as to how they feel about the decision. Read more details HERE.
04/29 What Does Sega Have Up Its Sleeve? We'll all have to wait until May 12th to find out! Sega sent out an email to the media yesterday, calling for an "Explosive Announcement Event" at 10:00am PT on that day; after the initial big announcement, the briefing will last about 30 minutes, and should include the unveiling of the latest Sega titles. So what will the big news be? We'll just have to wait and see! Read the source HERE.
04/28 Tekken 5 Rumors Abound! Recently, a flash movie was posted on the Japanese slot machine website, Yamasa Slot World, that is rumored to be a teaser trailer for Tekken 5. Also, rumors have been flying about the game making an appearance at E3. Isn't speculation fun? View the flash movie HERE and decide for yourself: View the story source HERE.
04/28 Garfield: Putting The Cat Hair In Your PS2: Yes, that's right. Garfield is coming to PS2 (and PC), this fall. Following on the heels of the live-action movie to be released this summer, publisher Hip Games will be bringing the world of Garfield to life, "complete with comical capers that fans adore." Jim Davis says seeing Garfield in 3D is "extremely captivating." Read more HERE.
04/27 Ralph Baer Interview: There's an insightful Ralph Baer interview on www.gamerdad.com today. Recommended reading for the old-schoolers among us. Do give it a look, right HERE.
04/26 Space Invaders Anniversary: Planned for summer release on the GameCube and Playstation 2, the collection will have nine different versions of the game, including Tabletop, 3D, and Versus modes. With an estimated retail price of about $20, it's sure to be a winner all around! Read more about it HERE.
04/25 Midway Releases Arcade Treasures Sequel: Midway Arcade Treasures 2, scheduled for release in Fall 2004 on the GameCube, will include games such as Arch Rivals, Gauntlet 2, Mortal Kombat I/II/III, Rampage World Tour, Timber, Xenophobe, and many others, for a total of 21 games. It's slated to include arcade histories as well as interviews with the game programmers. Read more about it HERE or discuss it HERE.
04/23 Nintari.net Announces W3C Compliance: Nintari.net, whose launch was announced here on Feb 27, took another step forward today in its quest to provide gamers and movies buffs with a better way to buy, sell, and trade. W3C compliance is complete and Nintari.net would welcome your comments, questions, or complaints. Check out Nintari.net HERE.
04/22 Retrogaming Times #80: The Final Issue: The final issue of the long-running Retrogaming Times is now online. It is the biggest and best issue yet. Highlights include:
  • 31 articles, more than 4 times an average issue
  • 10 former and present writers return for one last issue
  • Two interviews
  • Tons of reviews of console games, arcade games and pinball games
  • Tons of photos

Check out the last issue of the fun and free newsletter, HERE.
04/21 Games Kill: A professor seems to think that every game should carry a death warning. He feels that warnings for epileptic fits should be placed outside of videogame packaging. He feels that children won't read the warnings inside of the instruction manual. I think he just wants to make some loot, he has invented a machine that will be able to detect death in gaming. Fun! Read all about it HERE.
04/20 More Treasures Coming! The rumor is that beloved developer Treasure is making a Game Boy Advance sequel to their beloved Saturn title Guardian Heroes. Known to be one of the most creative developers, the title is not: Advance Guardian Heroes. It is supposed to take place right after the first title concluded. This game could be super significant if it becomes reality because Treasure is the last holdout in the industry - to date, they have never created a sequel. How will it all turn out? Follow the trail of info HERE.
04/19 Are You An Xbox Live User? Then you might see some downtime this week. Microsoft will be running their Tsunami update this Wednesday, April 21, at 6am Pacific. The update is expected to only take about four hours, as part of their ongoing process to enable users to create competitions, as well as MSN messenger integration. Read more details HERE.
04/18 alt.not.gaming: If the title sounds familiar, it shouldn't. In fact, nothing about Kris Roper's feature column should seem familiar. alt.not.gaming is all about changing the game, breaking the rules, and finding new ways to play old favorites. You may just find that these games are MORE fun when you try some of the techniques our resident bad girl has in store for them. The quarterly column has been updated today, check it out right HERE.
04/18 3DO MANIA: While wrapping up the 3DO section for our upcoming book, we decided to get busy with screen shots since to date there isn't a reliable emulator for our beloved classic system. So we've gone a little screen-cap crazy and as a result have a gallery of nearly 600 3DO screens, including just about every US release and dozens upon dozens of import titles as well. If you ever wanted to explore the library of 3DO, this is a good start! Look for these screens in our online rarity guide as well.
04/15 Capcom Wants YOU To Help Make a Fighting Game! Well, only if you're a 2D fighting game fan in the Bay Area of California. The folks that brought you Street Fighter II )among other hits) want to pick the brains of several males ages 17-30 for a PAID research opportunity on Wednesday, April 28 in Sunnyvale, California . Interested? well, send off an e-mail here: fightgames1@nicholsresearch.com and be sure to include your name, age, and phone number so the research company can call you with details.
04/11 Big Money! Big Prizes! A new Mystery Game is afoot right here at Digital Press, courtesy of Tim "Sniderman" Snider! If you can guess the sound that this mystery sound byte comes from, you may win prizes that will make you king of all the land! Or maybe just a pretty happy gamer. Go play!
04/10 Are You Ready to Watch Movies On Your GBA? You should be able to soon, thanks to Majesco Sales, Inc. The company has developed a new video compression technology to use with the handheld. Currently, it has the ability of viewing 45 minutes of quality color video, all on a standard GBA cartridge; they're working on developing it up to a full 90 minutes. What will they think of next? Check out the source HERE and check out the website HERE.
04/09 An Odyssey2 Homebrew Interview For You: Want to know what it's like to program your own Odyssey² game? Then read The Odyssey2 Homepage's new interview with Ted Szczypiorski, creator of the upcoming homebrew O2 game Planet Lander!. Ted gives some valuable tips for would-be O2 programmers, provides some tantalizing information about his next Odyssey² project, and reveals just what that whole "Ted Foolery" thing is all about. It's all right HERE.
04/09 Video Games Make For Better Surgeons: We'll let THIS article speak for itself.
04/08 John Woo Options "Metroid" Movie: Action-film director John Woo is in negotiations to bring the Nintendo game franchise "Metroid" to the big screen. Details right HERE.
04/07 Atari On Demand! Atari, Inc. has recently launched their new site, called Atari On Demand. This new site lets users download an unlimited number of PC games for a monthly fee of $14.95. Games are downloaded only (no CD's are available). There are 35 different titles currently available on the site. Visit it HERE and find out more!
04/07 Bethesda Softworks Celebrates The Elder Scrolls' 10th Anniversary ...with a FREE download of their classic first-person PC RPG, Arena. Yup, the folks who brought you games like Darkfall, Battlespire and Morrowind want to share the first game in the series with you at no charge! If you've never played it and always wanted to see what the fuss was about, head on over HERE and also enter the contest on the official site, as there are some really cool prizes!
04/06 CGE at E3 Update: In case you missed the earlier news, Classic Gaming Expo and E3 have teamed up and will be putting on a "History of Gaming" exhibit at this year's Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles this May. Since we have a bit of an inside scoop here at DP, we thought we'd share the layout, which includes an interactive timeline/museum, dozens of arcade machines, and two simulated "living rooms" from the 1980's! Check out the floor plan HERE.
04/05 Did YOU Know?: Greg Wilcox' continuing spotlight on games that missed the spotlight continues! An anecdote by the anecdotal master. In this edition, Greg walks you through everything you need to play imports on your favorite game console. You'll always learn something from this column... so read it HERE!
04/05 Classic Gamer Magazine Re-launches: Classic Gamer Magazine, a retro-themed video game publication, re-launches with all-new content along with a revamped writing staff, as well as returning favorites. Each issue will be published bi-monthly as a Portable Document File (PDF) for free download at www.classicgamer.com. Originally announced at 1999’s Classic Gaming Expo, the full-color magazine was created to address the burgeoning interest in the games, systems, and companies that shaped the industry. To grab this new, FREE issue, check HERE. To join in on the discussion about this fabulous publication, check HERE.
04/04 Hey, Xbox Live Users! Somebody's Watching You! Okay, maybe not, but if the FBI gets its way, someone COULD be listening to you, and soon. The FBI has made a proposal to the FCC to require all internet services offering voice communications to be rewired, so that wiretapping would be possible. If the FCC puts it into effect, all new consoles would have to comply upon release, or be illegal to use; older or existing services would have 15 months to comply. Read about it HERE.
04/03 Nintendo Nitro? That may be the official release name for the up-coming Nintendo handheld, otherwise known as the Nintendo DS. Also, Nintendo appears to be leaving itself some room in case of delays, by naming Fall 2004 as its release date and hesitating to pin down anything more specific. Read more HERE to find out what Nintendo thinks about its baby.
04/01 MAME 0.81 Released: The greatest single piece of software ever created for gamers has been updated, featuring a few new games and several fixes as well as the usual cast of clones and program enhancements. For a complete list of new and updated titles, saunter over HERE and you can grab the emulator and its many supporting files from our MAME hub HERE.
03/31 Awesome Kompilation! Midway Arcade Treasures 2 - buy it when it comes to the PS2 later this year. If you need a better reason then blind faith consider this: according to the Official PS2 magazine you can expect Mortal Kombat, MK2, MK3, Pit Fighter, NARC, Gauntlet 2, Arch Rivals, Rampage World Tour, Primal Rage, Xenophobe, and Spy Hunter 2 all on one disc! Hopefully this is only the first of many arcade perfect compilations based on arcade titles from the late 80's and 90's. We can't wait for a Model 2 compilation from Sega!
03/31 King Of Fighters: Maximum Impact In 3D: SNK Neo Geo is working on the first original KOF game for the Playstation 2, it was announced today. It will also be the first time the series moves from 2D to 3D, and will feature several of the most popular characters from the series, as well as a few brand new ones. Read the source HERE.
03/29 NAVA Gamers and Collectors Unite: The North American Videogame Aficionados (NAVA) unite! If you're in the NY/NJ/PA/CT area be sure to set next Saturday, April 3rd, aside so you can attend the east coast's oldest organized classic gaming event. NAVA was founded in 1995 by Mike Etler and held at Videogame Connections in Howell NJ until 2003 when Mike sold the store. The show returns in style and just in time for the the spring hunting season! There is always great trading and gaming at this event. For directions, details, and contact info, check in HERE.
03/28 'Retro' GameBoy Advance SP In The Works! Seems everyone is riding the retro wave these days! Nintendo of America is apparently planning on releasing the NES GameBoy Advance SP this summer; the handheld will have the look of the original NES controllers. Along with the new clothes for the GBA SP, the Classic NES series of games will be released for the handheld. Check out a picture and a bit more of the story HERE or discuss with us HERE.
03/28 Capcom Closing Studios In Japan: It was announced recently that Capcom will be closing it's Tokyo and Nagoya based studios. While this is not expected to have a very significant effect on Capcom's release schedule, as their main headquarters is in Osaka, this will mean the elimination of their in-house PC development team. See the source HERE.
03/28 More Xbox Price Drop Rumors: $149 On Tuesday? Recent speculation and rumors are circulating about the next Xbox price drop. Some industry insiders believe it may be coming Tuesday, March 30. While it appears it may improve sales some for the Microsoft console, the figures are not expected to surpass 2003 sales. More details HERE.
03/28 Feature Column "eBay Gremlin": The mysterious and dangerous eBay Gremlin makes his very first appearance here on Digital Press today. In this quarterly feature you will see the Gremlin's unique investigative approach in action as he tracks down and torments the tormentors in the world's largest online auction site. Now that he's out of his cage, no one on eBay is safe. See for yourself right HERE.
03/27 Collector's Connection: The Official Video Game Collector's List, "Collector's Connection" has been updated today. Conveniently sorted by location, this is an excellent way to size up the competition and see who's in your area. Find a buddy to scour the town with! Approximately 500 video game collectors participate in this list. If you're not on it, the time is NOW! Check it out, brand new and updated, HERE.
03/26 E3 Partners With CGE: Notice the decidely retro edge on the E3 site this year? Of course you did! E3 teams up with CGE to present "The History of Gaming" at this year's E3 event in Los Angeles. For the first time ever, you'll see all the new game systems... and all of the old ones! A complete interactive museum, classic gaming arcade, and many more surprises. Check out the inside scoop HERE.
03/25 G4 Merging With TechTV: Comcast, Inc. is purchasing TechTv, Inc., and plans to combine TechTv with it's G4 video game channel after doing so. Apparently the new, combined channel will be made available to DISH Network subscribers. Read more about it HERE and discuss it HERE.
03/25 2004 Game Developers Choice Awards: As part of the annual International Game Developers Conference, this year's Game Developers Choice Awards have been given to "games and developers that are truly worthy of recognition." Amongst the winners were "Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time" and "Call of Duty." Find out more about other awards and recipients HERE and HERE.
03/25 Netherlands Retro Game and Computer Party: On June 19th a Retro Game and Computer Party will be hosted in Holland! There are already a number of organizations and people joining in this event. Word has it that this will be the greatest retro game and computer show ever held in Holland, EVER! Look for the latest news HERE.
03/24 New Video Game Consumer Show To Be Held In NYC: Ever wanted to go to E3, but you live too far away, or don't have a "connection" in the biz that can get you in? Or think there just aren't enough events held in the second part of the year for your gaming appetite? Fear not! A new show expressly for consumers was announced today, to be held at Madison Square Garden on November 12-14 of this year. Being billed as the "E3 for consumers", this show promises to bring uprecedented consumer exposure for vendors and exhibitors. Read more about it HERE.
03/24 Xbox 2 Tease? Rumor has it that Microsoft may be giving the first glimpse of the new software for their Xbox 2 system tomorrow at the Game Developers Conference. If so, it's expected to be a video presentation rather than an actual demo. Story found HERE.
03/23 Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Release Date Set: The newest adventure for our hero, Link, is set to be released as a GameCube exclusive on June 7th of this year. In this story, Link will use the power of the Four Sword to split himself into four Links, who must work together to save Zelda. Summer's looking pretty good! Read more about it HERE.
03/22 Happy Birthday, GBA SP! Today marks the one year anniversary of its release, and it's been a good year! Sales of the GBA SP in it's first year were the highest of any video game system, including consoles. Looks like there's a lot to celebrate. Reminisce HERE.
03/22 NWCGE2K4 Dates Announced: Northwest Classic Gaming Enthusiasts (NWCGE) is pleased to announce their annual show, NWCGE 2K4, will be held Saturday, May 8-9, 2004 in Seattle, Washington. Come see the beginnings of the video game industry and how it has evolved from the early days of Pong and Atari to today's offerings from Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft. Discuss it HERE, or visit the website HERE.
03/21 The Kunkel Report: Bill Kunkel's "The Kunkel Report" (now however did we come up with THAT name?) continues! You may know Mr. Kunkel from his work on Sega Visions, Arcade Alley in Video magazine, his various game development projects, his writing for the Richie Rich comics in the 70's... OH! And perhaps as one of the pioneers of video game publications, one of the triumvirate who brought Electronic Games magazine to our homes way back in the day. Check out his latest musings HERE.
03/20 Feature Column "Invading Spaces": Video game collectors need that "happy place" to store, display, and enjoy their goodies, right? Join our architect of gaming Earl "Phosphor Dot Fossils" Green for a session in improving your room's functionality and look. Keep up with Earl and before long you will not only be the envy of collectors everywhere but also of interior decorators! The insightful column debuts HERE.
03/19 FTC Starts Media Violence Hotline: In a move that could figuratively spell DOOM (pun intended) for mature themed or ANY questionable content in the game industry, the FTC (Federal Trade Commission) has set up a phone service and space on their website designed to track feedback from consumers who wish to register complaints about media violence, including (here we go) the sale of violent movies, electronic games (including video games) and music. The hot line has a number: 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357), and the website is HERE.
03/18 Instant Messaging On The Nintendo DS? The rumor hasn't been confirmed or denied, but stories are circulating that local instant messaging using RF bandwidth may be a feature of the upcoming handheld. There's also talk that it will support free wireless gaming! Well all have to wait until E3 to find out for sure, but you can read a few more details HERE.
03/17 Silas Warner Dies: The programmer of the innovative, influential, and fun game Castle Wolfenstein was Silas Warner. Warner passed away on February 26, 2004, following a long-term fight against kidney disease. More on this sad news HERE.
03/16 Before CD-ROMs, there was... the LP-ROM! Before the CD-ROM format became popular, a small handful of games for the Spectrum computer were actually written on vinyl records! One such game was released by the long-forgotten 80s band The Thompson Twins. Special thanks go to Insert Credit for this surprising news!
03/15 Armchair Arcade: The second issue of Armchair Arcade has been released! This edition includes an article on gay characters in video games, an interview with Emily Short of feelies.org, a comparative look at Atari 7800 Double Dragon, and a look at early Commodore 64 platform games. Great stuff and obviously right up our alley! Go check it out at www.armchairarcade.com.
03/14 MAMExpose: A new edition of our bi-monthly installment of MAMExpose is now online! Jess Ragan explores our favorite software of all time and delves into a handful of the games that you simply need to know about if you call yourself a gamer! This month's column features a grab bag of interesting titles. Don't miss it, right HERE!
03/13 Subject: Video Games In The Classroom: Hey, I want some of THIS kind of homework! A Lancaster, CA area school has implemented game machines into their lesson plan. Apparently, not only do the students love the idea, after seeing the grades, the parents are pretty happy with it, too! Finally, some good video game news. Read more