Trickman's Interesting Gaming Tidbits:
ARCHIVE
Hey, you can get regular video gaming news just about anywhere.
This is the stuff about gaming that interests me!
Last updated December 27, 2005
Many didn't get a 360, but was the launch
a success?
Not everyone received a Microsoft Xbox 360 in time for
Christmas, and most will not have one until January or February,
according to Wal-Mart.
[link]

Last updated November 23, 2005
Xbox 360 shortages...who is to blame?
Xbox corporate VP of worldwide marketing and publishing Peter
Moore speaks out against the rumors which blame Microsoft of
purposely limiting stock for their new Xbox 360 console.
[link]

Sony says PS3 will play used games
The Sony Playstation 3 will still be able to run pre-owned, rented
and borrowed software. Responding to the latest rumors, Sony
has denied that a new Digital Rights Management system, which
would not allow gamers to play previously used games on their
console, will be employed in the PS3.
[link]

Last updated October 17, 2005
Xbox 360 to target females?
Microsoft plans to introduce a marketing campaign to expand the
appeal of the new Xbox 360 game console beyond the young men
who are the Xbox's biggest fans.
[link]

Play DDR at your local gym?
24-Hour fitness centers will include Dance Dance Revolution
arcade units in its Kids Club fitness activities.
[link]

Xbox stolen devkits update
Online reports today suggest that Microsoft may be considering a
major lawsuit over the theft of Xbox 360 development kits.
[link]

DS sales higher than PSP in Japan
Nintendo DS has sold 3.2 million units while the Sony PSP has
sold just 1.7 million units in Japan.
[link]

Spielberg to make video games EA style
Steven Spielberg, the acclaimed film director and producer has
agreed to develop three new games under a long-term exclusive
deal with video game maker Electronic Arts Inc.
[link]

October 12, 2005
The Trickman Times Radio Show podcast
#2 is up and running
Click on the link to go straight to the radio show page and
download the latest podcast.
[link]

Microsoft's incredible X05 Show
The X05 show was in Amsterdam on the 4th and 5th of October. It
showed off the Xbox 360 in full glory with tons of playable games.
Footage revealed from the show can pretty much be found
[here]
and at any of the major game sites.

ALERT! Fake patch hits PSP!
For anyone who has seen a "patcher" floating around the net by
PSP Team. Its fake. It will brick your PSP and will void your
warranty. Please be warned, this fake patch will delete important
file(s) from your firmware, and thus making your PSP broken!!

Halo 3 to debut in May, 2006?
Is it a best guess, or a solid release date? You decide. [link]

The Trickman Times Radio Show is here!
Join Trickman Terry and Spike as they talk about retro and new
video games, music, Slapshot Rock and a whole lot more. The
podcast can be found here.
[link]

Gaming's good old days
A look at Atari Flashback 2 brings back fond memories of
yesteryear.
[link]

Revolution's Tech Specs?
The supposed specs of the Nintendo Revolution are listed on this
site.
[link]

At $99, is the GameBoy Micro worth it?
Nintendo is hoping removable faceplates and a tiny size will
reinvigorate the GBA line one more time.
[link]

The Nintendo Revolution Controller
Nintendo's revolutionary controller has been revealed. Check out
the video footage on this page.
[link]

September 11, 2005
Being #2 isn't that bad after all
THQ's strong sales earned it the #2 independent video game
software publisher position.
[link]

Choose your Gizmondo...$230 or $400?
Tiger's latest attempt at the handheld market is getting good
feedback from the U.K., but how will the ad laden machine fare
over here?
[link]

Ditching military duty to play games?
Man from Singapore defers his military service obligation to
compete in a video game competition.
[link]

Nintendo and mobile phones
Nintendo will begin offering graphics for cell phone wallpapers
and ring tones, but will they offer actual games?
[link]

Sega working on Super Monkey Ball for
the Nintendo DS
The incredibly addictive Super Monkey Ball is a game I can't wait
to see for the DS. This is definitely a game that could take
advantage of the stylus.
[link]

News Corp to acquire IGN
News Corp agreed to purchase online video-game company IGN
entertainment for $650 million in cash.
[link]

August 29, 2005
All dogs DON'T go to heaven...especially
Nintendogs
Yes, I picked up a copy of "Dachshund and Friends," one of the
three Nintendogs cartridges you can get for the Nintendo DS.
Unlike a Tamagatchi, these dogs stay as puppies and never die!
An interesting article on Nintendogs is here.
[link]

Defending video games -
Many are heroes fighting evil
It's not all Sesame Street and Mario Bros. any more. Gamers have
grown up and so have the games. Here is an article by the
Washington Examiner everyone should read.
[link]

Taito to offer a plethora of arcade
favorites for consoles
Taito Legends will offer over 25 vintage arcade games including
such classics as Bubble Bobble, Operation Wolf, Jungle Hunt,
Elevator Action, and more!
[link]

Are you ready to pay around $1,200 for
an Xbox 360?
Retailers reveal bundle prices for Xbox 360 when it launches,
starting at $599.93 and going up to a whopping $1,199.83!
[link]

PSP 2.0 firmware upgrade now available
Unless you're set on hombrew projects on your PSP, download
the new 2.0 firmware. It's got some nice upgrades including an
Internet browser, and more. I downloaded it and it's great!
[link]

Retro gamers snag some rare stuff at
Classic Gaming Expo
From museum halls filled with priceless video gaming
memorabilia, to auctions and emulation addicts, there was
something at this show for every vintage gamer.
[link]

Video games blamed for impregnating
young women?
65 female students in one school are "with child" and again, the
media as well as video games are blamed.
[link]

August 21, 2005
Video game aggression studies -
nobody can make up their minds
One study says a change of behavior was not seen with children
exposed to violent video games (Chicago Tribune, 8/11/05), and
another says that it did.
[link]

Cat killed over missing PS2
Five people demanded return of a video game system, ransacked
an apartment and killed a couple's cat. What is this world coming
to?
[link]

Legend of Zelda animated series on
DVD this Fall
Fans of the cartoon and game series are sure to pick up these
episodes, which aired as a segment on the Super Mario Bros.
Super Show back in 1989.
[link]

August 14, 2005
Industry legend Nolan Bushnell speaks
He talks about his new line of interactive restaurants and the
future of the gaming industry.
[link]

Video game-related death - Korea
Man dies from exhaustion while playing for 50 hours straight at
an Internet cafe.
[link]

This guy really modded his DS!
He turned his Nintendo DS into a global positioning system. The
article and pics are here.
[link]

August 7, 2005
Starting with DS, Nintendo to offer free
online service
Free and fun. That's what Reggie Fils-Aime claims about
Nintendo's online plans.
[link]

Korea goes back to old school
I'm not sure I want to remember my school days that well, but I
like the fact that there is a game room in the exhibition.
[link]

Not all games have to cost money --
Free games are here!
Some are old and some are new, but they're all legal and free.
Check out this page with links to free game content.
[link]

Can we target real violence instead?
I'm not very happy that I live in a state that makes laws about fake
violence instead of taking care of the real violence.
[link]

July 31, 2005
Could slimline PS2 go to $99 for the
Christmas season?
Sources at Spong.com claim that Sony is reducing the PS2 price
to keep loyal Sony gamers at bay while the PS3 is still in the
works. [link]

Band loves Nintendo and plays tour
Band members and admitted addicts of Nintendo games, Fall Out
Boy
join the Nintendo Fusion tour, coming to a city near you. [link]

Video games: The new family pastime
As gamers age, more family time is being spent playing video
games together, just as they were playing board games
frequently in the past.
[link]

Portables boost video game sales
While sales of consoles and PC games dropped this year,
portable game systems rose by a nice percentage.
[link]

Breakquest takes the Breakout/Arkanoid-
style game to a new level
Not just another clone, Breakquest takes into account different
brick sizes, physics etc. Download the demo here
[link]

Retro '80s soundtrack for Namco's 50th
Bands from the 1980s such as Dexy's Midnight Runners and The
Romantics to be featured in NAMCO MUSEUM 50TH ANNIVERSARY
for multiple consoles.
[link]

July 27, 2005
Illinois governor takes video game law
into his own hands
It figures that Illinois is the first to punish clerks for selling these
games to kids...again taking the responsibility away from parents.
[link]

July 24, 2005
Losing $40 mil. over "spilled" Hot Coffee
News about "Hot Coffee" is everywhere. Here is more on this
controversial issue.
[link]

Youth and video games - the truth
Duke Ferris does some exceptional research about video games
and the violent youth of today. It's a good read.
[link]

20th anniversary of Amiga
It's the 20th anniversary of the Commodore Amiga! All you Amiga
fanboys can celebrate by playing a difficult Psygnosis game (just
kidding about that last part).
[link]

July 19, 2005
Consoles vs. PSP - Final Fantasy style
Check out this incredible flash movie called Sega Fantasy VI
depicting the PSP's desire to dominate the "lowly" consoles. If
you know anything about console systems and their history, you
will laugh! This is genius, albeit VERY long. Thanks to Kevin Baird
of VGN Radio for the
[link].

Xbox 360: possible November launch
Could the Xbox 360's launch date be as soon as Nov. 4th? [link]

You don't eat Worms...you play it!
Announcement of Worms on PSP and Nintendo DS. I look forward
to playing this one wireless on my PSP...and it better be
Infrastructure capable!
[link]

Pretty cool Pinball for PSP
This is a link to an image on IGN. It shows how the game will be
played on the PSP. This reminds me of KLAX for the Atari Lynx
[link]

Frogger: Ancient Shadow:
Play original Frogger
Who cares if this game is good or bad...If I can get the original
Frogger to play on my system, I'm there!
[link]

Street Fighter fans rejoice
NubyTech is supporting Street Fighter events, and giving away SF
collectables, art and more at tournaments.
[link]

July 13, 2005
New Sega Ages games
Remakes of Gunstar Heroes and Alien Soldier? I'm there! I hope
they make a U.S. debut like the last one.
[link]

Atari and Activision licensing deal
Pong, River Raid and Pitfall! Plus, 37 more titles, 2 joysticks and
more make Atari Flashback 2 a "most wanted" retro plug-and-
play system.
[link]

A handheld collection to die for
Check out Petromyzon's collection of handheld electronic games.
I'm drooling!
[link]

Just give me that old-fashioned
Mario Bros. music!
Here is a link to the official Video Games Live website...It's about
the tour I talked about in "Tibits" last month.
[link]

Beat that game...again!
Classic Zelda II player urges gamers to give it a go a second time.
[link]

Q*Bert lady makes the news again
She goes with the flow and is improving with age?
Sort of gives hope to aging gamers like myself!
[link]

July 10, 2005
Religion and video games
Do they mix? With Crave Entertainment releasing "The Bible
Game" and the Left Behind series coming out as a game, it may
be so.
[link]

About a Pac-Man champ
This is an article about Billy Mitchell, the man who pulled off the
perfect game of Pac-Man.
[link]

Game ban controversy
Parents ignorant about ratings? Maybe they should be educated,
instead of getting big gov't to pass more laws!
[link]

More than just Nintendo On
An article entitled, "I want to believe" is on 1-Up.com, talking
about the works of Pablo Belmonte, the creator of the fake
Nintendo On video.
[link]

July 4, 2005
Michael Forever?
This is a very funny flash animation of Michael Jackson walking
through tons of video games using his pixelized character from
the Moonwalker Genesis game. Hilarious!
[link]

Remember the NUON?
Here is a page dedicated to the "lost machine's" fans and
homebrews for the system.
[link]

Your personal dream arcade
Now that's a pricey game cabinet...but just look at it! Wow! [link]

Sony relies on fan addiction for PS3
Would you get a second job just to afford a PS3? The folks at
Sony seem to think so!
[link]

June 26, 2005
Mad gamer...no HD for Revolution?
This guy is dead set on letting Nintendo know that he and
countless other gamers want the Nintendo Revolution to support
High-def. TVs.
[link]

Game watches are back!
Atari and Fossil unite to sell retro watches based on best-selling
80's games such as Centipede, Breakout and Asteroids!
[link]

June 21, 2005
Neo Geo stick for PS2
Are you a Neo Geo purist? Check out this faithful reproduction of
the original Neo Geo controller for the PS2. Now you can play your
SNK games in style!
[link]

June 20, 2005
Video game TV ads
Over 2,500 video game TV ads from the past and present are here
(many Japanese).
[link]

People prefer virtual pets to real pets?
Site says the shrinking population of pets in homes is due to
people preferring to spend time with their technology rather than
their dog or cat!
[link]

June 18, 2005
Pac-Man 25th Anniversary Cabinet
Wow! Check out this great looking remake of the Pac-Man
cabinet. It includes Pac-Man, Ms. Pac-Man and Galaga!
[link]

The Super Mario Opera?
You've got to be kidding! This is one of the funniest tributes to a
video game I've ever come across!
[link]

June 12, 2005
Still Q*Bert Crazed at 79
An old lady still plugs away at Q*Bert. She's still racking up the
high scores as well!
[link]

Orchestras Playing Game Tunes Tour
Read about concerts with music from games such as Mario, Final
Fantasy, Sonic, Tomb Raider and Zelda and even a ‘classic arcade
medley’ with Pong and Donkey Kong.
[link]