Pheonix Rants: It Is Pink, Get Over It.

I Personally think ‘girl gaming’ sites who get offended by the colour pink don’t have a right to complain if they post Hello Kitty articles and have cute pink mascots.

If you are a female gamer and own a site or write for a site that could be described as ‘gender nutural’ or ‘masculin’, I could understand if you were slightly offended by the press release of all pink accessories. You are right, it isn’t your obvious audience.

However, if your site is obviously aimed at women, by women and you review girly products, such as Hello Kitty games, pink iPods and nail decorating machines. I fail to see how you can be offended by PR companies sending you information on pink products? You claim you are ‘not the obvious market’ when I’d argue that you obviously are, maybe it verges on hypocritical.

I also fail to see why you are even offended. Pink is a colour, it sells well and that is a fact. We could hardly keep the pink DSlite on the shelves at Christmas time. Now, I own a pink DS, Pink iphone case and pink Skull Candies. This does not make me ‘less’ of anything. I just like the colour, I don’t find it degrading in any way. If I don’t like pink (even if I am female), I will quite simply not buy it. It is merely an option for those who do want it. You know, blue is a very nice colour too and I’ve even heard that they will sell you something in pink even if you have a penis!

Nobody is forcing you to buy all pink accessories because of your vagina. I write for a girl gamer orientated website and I am past the point of caring. I play games and what colour Xbox360 pad I use will not effect how badly I suck at Halo3, but I can still play.

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Rock Band DLC: The Beatles Abbey Road and Queen

Late last week I headed down to the MTV office in Santa Monica to check out the goodies being released for Rock Band on Tuesday, October 20.

Two exciting new song packs are being released tomorrow for The Beatles: Rock Band and Rock Band.

Hardcore Beatles fan who played through the game looking for more songs to unlock will be happy to know that the full Abbey Road album will be available to download, plus those that download the full album will have access to a 16-minute medley of b-sides as a single track. Be sure to pick an instrument and a difficult you are proficient on, as this medley can, at times, kick your butt. I managed through it on hard difficulty on the drums, which, on The Beatles: Rock Band, isn’t too bad, except I almost failed out of one of the drum solos!

Rock Band fans will have another reason to stay in on a Friday night with your friends with the new Queen DLC 10 pack, with ultimate favorites such as “Another One Bites The Dust” and “Fat Bottomed Girls”. Unfortunately, no “Bohemian Rhapsody” on this pack, but never say never. Everyone likes to think of bands and songs they’d like to see on Rock Band, and Queen was probably on most people’s lists. Why didn’t they think of this sooner? I can see it now… households all over the country will be breaking out the face paint and platforms, and smashing their guitar controllers into the ground… well, maybe not. But there will certainly be a lot of Rock Band parties in your near future!

Abbey Road Tracks:

“Come Together” - “Something” - “Maxwell’s Silver Hammer” - “Oh! Darling” - “Octopus’s Garden” - “I Want You (She’s So Heavy)” - “Here Comes The Sun” - “Because” - “You Never Give Me Your Money” - “Sun King” - “Mean Mr. Mustard” - “Polythene Pam” - “She Came In Through The Bathroom Window” - “Golden Slumbers” - “Carry That Weight” - “The End” - “Her Majesty”

Queen 10-Pack Tracks:

Another One Bites the Dust” – “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” – “Fat Bottomed Girls” – “I Want It All” – “I Want to Break Free” – “Killer Queen” – “One Vision” – “Somebody to Love” – “Tie Your Mother Down” – “Under Pressure”

Be sure to get up bright and early on Tuesday, October 20 to be the first of your friends to download these tasty tracks and have them mastered before they do!

Posted in Culture, Music, News, Video GamesComments (5)

X360 Review: Halo 3: ODST

What began as a simple Halo 3 expansion evolved into it’s own, full-length project.  Sans Master Chief, ODST is definitely a unique game that is worth your time.
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X360 Review: DiRT 2

Colin McRae may be gone, but Codemasters fully intends on continuing to honor his legacy by making the best damn rally games ever.

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X360 Review: The Beatles: Rock Band

It’s better than Guitar Hero: Metallica, at least.

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X360 Review: Need For Speed Shift

For better or worse, the lack of a female celebrity plastered on the cover should be an instant warning to anyone expecting more of the same.

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Wii Review: Muramasa: The Demon Blade

Resistance to Vanillaware’s latest game is feudal.

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XBLA Review: Shadow Complex

Shadow Complex is a game you’ll play and instantly be hooked on. Welcome to the new standard for XBLA games… Read the full story

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Nintendo Releases it’s Holiday Lineup

As summer draws to a close, the air begins to chill and people begin to turn their thoughts to holiday gift lists. Whether the people on your list have been playing since the 1980s or only since last week, Nintendo has you covered. The Wii, Nintendo DS and Nintendo DSi systems have a huge selection of games for everyone on your list, including many that you won’t find anywhere else.

“This extensive lineup will keep players busy throughout the fall and into 2010,” said Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America’s executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. “Shoppers know that Nintendo offers fun for everyone in the household.”

Upcoming Nintendo-published games for the Wii console include Wii Fit Plus (Oct. 4) and New Super Mario Bros. Wii (holiday 2009). These games will join the current hot seller, Wii Sports Resort, which comes with the new precision-control Wii MotionPlus accessory. Fans of portable games will enjoy Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky (Oct. 12), Style Savvy (Nov. 2) and The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks (Dec. 7) in addition to the just-released Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story, all playable on both Nintendo DS and Nintendo DSi systems.

The changing autumn leaves will be in good company with some new colors for the Nintendo DSi system and the Wii Remote and Nunchuk controllers. New White and Pink Nintendo DSi systems made their debut on Sept. 13, while a Black Wii Remote controller and Wii MotionPlus accessory package will be available this holiday season. A Black version of the Nunchuk controller will be sold separately as well.

Third-party publishers are supporting Nintendo platforms with impressive quality and wide-ranging titles. Wii exclusives like Dead Space Extraction from Electronic Arts and FINAL FANTASY® CRYSTAL CHRONICLES®: THE CRYSTAL BEARERS® from Square Enix will provide thrills that can’t be found elsewhere. At the same time, Nintendo DS owners are anxiously awaiting another powerhouse release: KINGDOM HEARTS 358/2 DAYS from Square Enix. And Activision’s Band Hero, available on both Wii and Nintendo DS, features compelling interactivity between the two hardware systems through wireless connectivity.

Below is a partial list of upcoming games for Wii, the WiiWare service, Nintendo DS and the Nintendo DSiWareservice. Note that game titles and launch dates are subject to change.

Wii

Publisher

Game Available
2K Sports NHL® 2K10 Sept. 15
Baseball Blast! Sept. 28
NBA 2K10 Oct. 6
2K Play Dora the Explorer: Dora Saves the Crystal Kingdom Fall
Ni Hao, Kai-Lan: Super Game Day Fall
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus Fall
505 Games My Ballet Studio November
Baby and Me November
Activision Publishing, Inc. Animal Planet Vet Life Sept. 15
Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2 Sept. 15
Cabela’s Big Game Hunter 2010 Sept. 22
Rapala We Fish Sept. 22
Bakugan® Battle Brawlers Oct. 20
iCarly Oct. 20
Madagascar Kartz Oct. 20
Mountain Sports Oct. 20
Hidden Mysteries Titanic Oct. 27
Barbie and the Three Musketeers Oct. 27
Jurassic Hunter Oct. 27
DJ Hero Oct. 27
Chaotic: Shadow Warriors Nov. 10
Hot Wheels Battle Force 5 Nov. 10
Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare®: Reflex Nov. 10
Tony Hawk®: RIDE Nov. 17
Band Hero November
Guitar Hero® Van Halen® Dec. 22
Aspyr Media My Baby and Me Nov. 17
Atlus U.S.A., Inc. 101-in-1 Party Megamix Oct. 27
Trauma Team Spring
Shiren the Wanderer Spring
Capcom® Entertainment, Inc. Spyborgs Sept. 22
Resident Evil®: The Darkside Chronicles Nov. 17
City Interactive USA, Inc. Chicken Riot November
Combat Wings: The Great Battles of WWII January
Art of Murder March
D3Publisher Family Party: 30 Great Games Outdoor Fun Sept. 22
Astro Boy®: The Video Game Oct. 20
THE SECRET SATURDAYS: BEASTS OF THE 5TH SUN Oct. 20
BEN 10 ALIEN FORCE: Vilgax Attacks Oct. 27
Kamen Rider Dragon Knight Winter
Destineer We Wish You A Merry Christmas Oct. 13
Buck Fever Oct. 20
Alien Monster Bowling League Oct. 27
Marines: Modern Urban Combat Nov. 3
Satisfashion Nov. 17
Rec Room Nov. 17
Disney Interactive Studios Disney Sing It: Pop Hits October
Princess and the Frog November
Electronic Arts MySims Agents Sept. 22
Dead Space Extraction Sept. 29
Spore Hero Oct. 6
CHARM GIRLS CLUB Pajama Party Oct. 20
SimAnimals Africa Oct. 26
LITTLEST PET SHOP FRIENDS October
NERF 2: “N-Strike” Elite October
HASBRO FAMILY GAME NIGHT 2 October
FIFA 10 October
Need for Speed Nitro Nov. 17
EA SPORTS Active More Workouts November
Knowledge Adventure JumpStart® Escape from Adventure Island Nov. 1
Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. Walk It Out! October
Silent Hill: Shattered Memories November
Storybook Workshop November
Karaoke Revolution November
Ultimate Party Challenge November
DanceDanceRevolution Hottest Party 3 November
pop’n music November
Pro Evolution Soccer 2010 Q4
LucasArts Star Wars® The Clone Wars: Republic Heroes Oct. 6
LEGO® Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues Fall
Majesco Entertainment Our House: Party! Sept. 22
A Boy and His Blob Oct. 13
Jillian Michaels Fitness Ultimatum 2010 Oct. 20
Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel Dec. 1
The Daring Game for Girls Holiday
Mastiff Shimano Xtreme Fishing Sept. 29
Remington Great American Bird Hunt Oct. 27
NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc Dragon Ball®: Revenge of King Piccolo October
Food Network: Cook or Be Cooked November
We Cheer 2 November
Nintendo Wii Fit Plus Oct. 4
New Super Mario Bros. Wii Holiday
Playlogic Sudoku Ball Detective Sept. 22
SEGA® Wacky World of Sports Sept. 22
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games Oct. 13
Planet 51 Nov. 17
Jambo! Safari: Animal Rescue Q4
Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing Feb. 10
Super Monkey Ball Step & Roll Early 2010
SouthPeak Games My Baby First Steps Holiday
Sushi Go Round Holiday
Square Enix FINAL FANTASY® CRYSTAL CHRONICLES®: THE CRYSTAL BEARERS® Dec. 26
Storm City Games The Island of Dr. Frankenstein Oct. 6
Vegas Party Oct. 27
Bermuda Triangle: Saving the Coral Nov. 9
Tecmo Family Fun Football Sept. 29
THQ The Biggest Loser Oct. 6
Cars Race O Rama Oct. 13
Marvel® Super Hero Squad Oct. 20
WWE® SmackDown® vs. Raw® 2010 Oct. 20
SpongeBob Truth or Square Oct. 26
Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader: Game Time Oct. 26
World of Zoo Oct. 26
All Star Cheer Squad 2 Oct. 27
Drawn to Life: The Next Chapter Oct. 27
Daniel X Jan. 12
World of Outlaws: Sprint Cars Feb. 2
TOMY Corporation NARUTO Shippuden: Clash of Ninja® Revolution 3 Nov. 17
Ubisoft Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs Sept. 15
Where’s Waldo®: The Fantastic Journey Sept. 22
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Smash-up Sept. 22
The Price is Right ® 2010 Edition Sept. 22
Family Feud® 2010 Edition Sept. 29
CSI: Deadly Intent Oct. 20
Monster 4×4 Stunt Racer Oct. 27
Rabbids Go Home Nov. 3
Academy of Champions Nov. 3
Shaun White Snowboarding: World Stage Nov. 8
Just Dance Nov. 17
James Cameron’s Avatar The Game Nov. 24
Your Shape Featuring Jenny McCarthy Nov. 24
UFO Interactive Games, Inc. Army Rescue Sept. 29
Rock Blast Oct. 20
Arcade Shooter: Ilvelo Oct. 27
Geon Cube Oct. 27
Smart Series Presents: JaJa’ Adventure Nov. 10
Vir2L® Studios Medieval Games Oct. 20
Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment Scooby-Doo! First Frights Sept. 22
Where the Wild Things Are Oct. 13
Game Party® 3 October
LEGO® Rock Band Holiday
SCENE IT?® BRIGHT LIGHTS! BIG SCREEN! Holiday
XSEED Games JU-ON: The Grudge Oct. 13
Valhalla Knights: Eldar Saga Fall

WiiWare

Publisher Game Available
Aksys Games BIT.TRIP VOID Q3
BIT.TRIP series (3 additional titles) Q4, Q1
Broken Rules And Yet It Moves Q4
Frontier LostWinds: Winter of the Melodias Q4
Gameloft Ghost Mansion Party Q3
The Oregon Trail Q4
Ghostfire Games Rage of the Gladiator Q1
Incredible Technologies Carnival King Q3
Konami Castlevania: The Adventure Rebirth Q3
Frogger Returns Q4
Nabi Studios Toribash Q4
Natsume Moki Moki Q3
Harvest Moon: My Little Shop Q4
Nicalis Cave Story Q3
Night Game Q1
La Mulana Q1
NinjaBee The Amazing Brain Train Q4
Nintendo You, Me, and the Cubes Q3
Eco Shooter: Plant 530 Q4
Nintendo/TPC Pokémon Rumble Q4
Press Play Max & the Magic Marker Q4
React Games Archon: Classic Q1
Taito Arkanoid Plus! Q3
Team Meat Super Meat Boy Q1
Telltale Games Tales of Monkey Island: Lair of the Leviathan Q3
Tales of Monkey Island: The Trial and Execution of Guybrush Threepwood Q4
Tales of Monkey Island: Rise of the Pirate God Q4

Nintendo DS/Nintendo DSi

Publisher Game Available
2K Play Dora the Explorer: Dora Puppy Oct. 26
Ni Hao, Kai-Lan: New Year’s Celebration Oct. 26
The Backyardigans Oct. 26
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus Fall
505 Games My Ballet Studio November
Discovery Kids SpiderQuest November
Dream Diary November
Picture Perfect Hair Salon November
505 Games IL2 Sturmovik: Birds of Prey Sept. 15
Activision Publishing, Inc. Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2 Sept. 15
Animal Planet Vet Life Sept. 15
Bakugan ® Battle Brawlers Oct. 20
iCarly Oct. 20
Madagascar Kartz Oct. 20
Barbie and the Three Musketeers Oct. 27
Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare®: Mobilized Nov. 10
Chaotic: Shadow Warriors Nov. 10
Hot Wheels Battle Force 5 Nov. 10
Band Hero November
Aspyr Media Fighting Fantasy: The Warlock of Firetop Mountain Oct. 26
City Interactive USA, Inc. Sushi Academy Oct. 13
Chronicles of Mystery: Curse of the Ancient Temple Oct. 27
Animal Country: Life on the Farm November
Party Designer November
Art of Murder February
Jewels of Sahara March
D3Publisher Astro Boy®: The Video Game Oct. 20
THE SECRET SATURDAYS: BEASTS OF THE 5TH SUN Oct. 20
BEN 10 ALIEN FORCE: Vilgax Attacks Oct. 27
Kamen Rider Dragon Knight Winter
Destineer Satisfashion Nov. 17
Disney Interactive Studios Disney Fairies: Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure October
Disney’s A Christmas Carol November
JONAS November
Princess and the Frog November
Electronic Arts MySims Agents Sept. 22
Spore Hero Arena Oct. 6
CHARM GIRLS CLUB My Fashion Show Oct. 20
CHARM GIRLS CLUB My Fashion Mall Oct. 20
CHARM GIRLS CLUB My Perfect Prom Oct. 20
SimAnimals Africa Oct. 26
LITTLEST PET SHOP CITY FRIENDS October
LITTLEST PET SHOP COUNTRY FRIENDS October
LITTLEST PET SHOP BEACH FRIENDS October
HASBRO FAMILY GAME NIGHT 2 October
FIFA 10 October
Ignition Entertainment Nostalgia Oct. 20
Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. WireWay November
LucasArts Star Wars® The Clone Wars: Republic Heroes Oct. 6
Star Wars Battlefront: Elite Squadron Nov. 3
LEGO® Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues Fall
Majesco Entertainment Our House Sept. 22
Sideswiped Sept. 29
Cake Mania® 3 Oct. 13
Jillian Michaels Fitness Ultimatum 2010 Oct. 20
Cooking Mama 3: Shop and Chop Oct. 27
My Hero: Astronaut Nov. 3
Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel Dec. 1
Dawn of Heroes Dec. 1
My Hero: Firefighter December
The Daring Game for Girls Holiday
NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc Dragon Ball® Z: Attack of the Saiyans November
Nintendo Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky Oct. 12
Style Savvy Nov. 2
The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks Dec. 7
NIS America A Witch’s Tale Oct. 6
Atelier Annie: Alchemists of Sera Island Oct. 27
PopCap Games, Inc. Bookworm Dec. 1
SEGA® Bleach: The 3rd Phantom Sept. 15
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games Oct. 13
Phantasy Star Zero Nov. 10
Planet 51 Nov. 17
Jambo! Safari: Animal Rescue Q4
Sands of Destruction January
Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing February
Infinite Space Spring
SouthPeak Games Montessori Music Oct. 20
My Baby First Steps Holiday
Sushi Go Round Holiday
Crime Scene Holiday
Square Enix KINGDOM HEARTS 358/2 DAYS Sept. 29
SPACE INVADERS EXTREME 2 Oct. 20
Storm City Games Hands On! Tangrams Oct. 13
Jewel Master Egypt Oct. 20
Flaw Oct. 27
Foto Frenzy Nov. 2
Bermuda Triangle: Saving the Coral Nov. 9
THQ James Patterson Women’s Murder Club: Games of Passion Sept. 15
Fabulous Finds Sept. 21
Just in Time Translations Sept. 21
The Biggest Loser Oct. 6
Cars Race O Rama Oct. 13
Marvel® Super Hero Squad Oct. 20
WWE® SmackDown® vs. Raw® 2010 Oct. 20
Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader: Game Time Oct. 26
World of Zoo Oct. 26
SpongeBob Truth or Square Oct. 26
Drawn to Life: The Next Chapter Oct. 27
MX vs. ATV Reflex Holiday
TOMY Corporation NARUTO Shippuden: Ninja Destiny 2 Sept. 15
Ubisoft Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs Sept. 15
Where’s Waldo®: The Fantastic Journey Sept. 22
The Price is Right® 2010 Edition Sept. 22
Family Feud® 2010 Edition Sept. 29
Battle of Giants: Dragons Sept. 29
Imagine® Salon Stylist Sept. 29
Imagine® Sweet 16 Oct. 4
Imagine® Zookeeper Oct. 6
PETZ® PONY BEAUTY PAGEANT Oct. 13
Imagine® Fashion Designer World Tour Oct. 20
CSI: Deadly Intent - The Hidden Cases Oct. 20
Jam Sessions 2 Oct. 20
PETZ® DOLPHINZ ENCOUNTER Oct. 27
Might and Magic® Clash of Heroes® Oct. 27
Imagine® Artist Oct. 27
C.O.P. The Recruit Nov. 3
Rabbids Go Home Nov. 3
Imagine® Babyz Fashion Nov. 3
Fairyland Melody Magic Nov. 8
Style Lab Jewelry Design Nov. 10
Style Lab Makeover Nov. 10
PETZ® NURSERY Nov. 10
PETZ® DOGZ® TALENT SHOW Nov. 17
PETZ® HAMSTERZ® SUPERSTARZ Nov. 24
James Cameron’s Avatar The Game Nov. 24
Virtual Play Games Junior Brain Trainer Nov. 10
Junior Classic Games Nov. 10
UFO Interactive Games, Inc. Smart Boy’s Gameroom 2® Sept. 29
Smart Girl’s Playhouse 2® Sept. 29
Smart Kid’s Mega Game Mix Sept. 29
Reversal Challenge Oct. 13
Balloon Pop Nov. 12
Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment Scribblenauts Sept. 15
Scooby-Doo! First Frights Sept. 22
LEGO® Rock Band Holiday
Where the Wild Things Are Oct. 13
TouchMaster® 3 Oct. 27
XSEED Games THE WIZARD OF OZ: Beyond the Yellow Brick Road Sept. 29

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Nintendo Wii gets an update

The Wii™ console’s Nintendo Channel is getting a makeover. On Sept. 14, the channel, which provides users with videos and information about current and upcoming Nintendo products, re-launches with a new look and feel. Some of the upgrades include higher-quality streaming videos, lists of top games that other viewers recommend and a new ability to rate and recommend Nintendo DS™ games.

Current features of the Nintendo Channel will remain, including Nintendo DS demo downloads and an extensive lineup of videos about Wii and Nintendo DS games.

As part of the update, Nintendo Channel will also premiere Nintendo Week, a weekly, hosted series about what’s happening in the world of Nintendo. The premiere episode includes an in-depth look at Mario and Luigi™: Bowser’s Inside Story, an interview with the developers behind the Wii version of Guitar Hero 5, plus coverage of the new Nintendo DSi colors, Nintendo DSiWare games and other surprises.

What are your thoughts on a weekly show from Nintendo?   What sort of things would you like to see covered?

Posted in Family Gaming, Video GamesComments (1)



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