Thursday, November 8, 2012
'World of Warcraft' State Senate Candidate Wins Election
Add another demographic to the list of winners on Tuesday night; in addition to Democrats, women, and marijuana advocates, gamers scored a political victory in Maine's state senate.
Colleen Lachowitz, the Democratic state senate candidate in Maine whose race drew national attention when the state's Republican party attacked her for her world of warcraft persona, won election on Tuesday, ousting Republican incumbent Tom H. Martin Jr. by a little over 900 votes, according to the Morning Sentinel.
Lachowitz drew criticism from the Maine state GOP for comments the candidate made online while playing World of Warcraft (Lachowicz is a level 85 orc in the popular multi-player online role-playing game.) Only, it wasn't Lachowicz herself who made the comments-it was Lachowicz's warcraft alter-ego, Santiaga.
Santiaga said some not-so-nice things about Republicans, including conservative tax icon and promoter of the 'Taxpayer Protection Pledge' Grover Norquist. Santiaga commented that she 'may have to go and hunt down Grover Norquist and drown him in my bath tub.'
Republicans launched a series of attacks against Lachowicz, maintaining that their criticism was not based on Lachowicz's gaming habit, but rather the comments made by her alter-ego while gaming.
'This is not about her playing video games, this is about the comments she made while gaming,' David Sorenson, communications director for the Maine Republican Party, told ABC News, referring to the comments about Norquist, as well as things said about other Republicans. 'These are all things that are unbecoming to a state Senator.'
The attacks didn't sway voters though. Lachowicz, who works as a social worker in Kennebec, Maine, is now a state senator-elect in the Pine Tree state.
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Can a Fit Video Game Avatar Make You Healthier?
Time to reconsider the stereotype of doughy, fast food-guzzling online role players in dark basements. Strongly identifying with your avatar in virtual video game worlds like 'Second Life' could actually help make you healthier in the real world, research from the University of Missouri shows.
Elizabeth Behm-Morawitz surveyed 249 'Second Life' users to study how avatars - their customized virtual characters in games - affect real-world existence. She found that the amount of self presence, or identifying with a virtual representation, predicted the amount of influence an avatar had on a person's life in the physical world. A strong sense of self-presence improved how they felt about themselves and promoted better health and well-being.
In the study, published in the journal 'Computers in Human Behavior,' Behm-Morawitz wrote, 'The avatar links the virtual to the physical body, and, through this interplay of one's online and offline identities, the virtual may become meaningful to the physical body and self.'
For example, for people looking to lose weight, creating a fitter avatar helped them visualize being in better shape.
Curiously, the participants weren't specifically using 'Second Life' as a fitness tool, as they might with, say, a Wii Fit game. ''Second Life' is a social virtual world, where play is open-ended and not specifically designed to be used as a motivational health tool,' Behm-Morawitz told TechNewsDaily in an email. 'However, the findings . suggest that a person who is motivated to participate in a virtual world for social reasons is more likely to experience effects of the avatar.'
In other words, if you are into the game enough to care about how you come across online, that will motivate you to make a better impression offline, too.
[See Also: Rats Control Human Avatars]
Behm-Morawitz says the results should not be limited to 'Second Life' - other virtual worlds could show the same kinds of benefits. However, virtual worlds that offer the most control over avatar design and interaction will best foster self-presence and prompt healthy behavior change.
Avatars are useful for trying on a new appearance, Behm-Morawitz said, since they pose little risk to the creator.
Though it may seem like a throwback to the early 2000s, 'Second Life' remains one of the most popular online games. In July 2012, Nielsen rated it among the top 10 PC games.
Other studies support the new research. In an Indiana University study published in September, more people adopted healthy habits when they went through weight-loss programs delivered in a 3D virtual world than those who pursued a program in a traditional health club.
This story was provided by TechNewsDaily, a sister site to LiveScience. Follow TechNewsDaily on Twitter @TechNewsDaily. We're also on Facebook & Google+.
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Elizabeth Behm-Morawitz surveyed 249 'Second Life' users to study how avatars - their customized virtual characters in games - affect real-world existence. She found that the amount of self presence, or identifying with a virtual representation, predicted the amount of influence an avatar had on a person's life in the physical world. A strong sense of self-presence improved how they felt about themselves and promoted better health and well-being.
In the study, published in the journal 'Computers in Human Behavior,' Behm-Morawitz wrote, 'The avatar links the virtual to the physical body, and, through this interplay of one's online and offline identities, the virtual may become meaningful to the physical body and self.'
For example, for people looking to lose weight, creating a fitter avatar helped them visualize being in better shape.
Curiously, the participants weren't specifically using 'Second Life' as a fitness tool, as they might with, say, a Wii Fit game. ''Second Life' is a social virtual world, where play is open-ended and not specifically designed to be used as a motivational health tool,' Behm-Morawitz told TechNewsDaily in an email. 'However, the findings . suggest that a person who is motivated to participate in a virtual world for social reasons is more likely to experience effects of the avatar.'
In other words, if you are into the game enough to care about how you come across online, that will motivate you to make a better impression offline, too.
[See Also: Rats Control Human Avatars]
Behm-Morawitz says the results should not be limited to 'Second Life' - other virtual worlds could show the same kinds of benefits. However, virtual worlds that offer the most control over avatar design and interaction will best foster self-presence and prompt healthy behavior change.
Avatars are useful for trying on a new appearance, Behm-Morawitz said, since they pose little risk to the creator.
Though it may seem like a throwback to the early 2000s, 'Second Life' remains one of the most popular online games. In July 2012, Nielsen rated it among the top 10 PC games.
Other studies support the new research. In an Indiana University study published in September, more people adopted healthy habits when they went through weight-loss programs delivered in a 3D virtual world than those who pursued a program in a traditional health club.
This story was provided by TechNewsDaily, a sister site to LiveScience. Follow TechNewsDaily on Twitter @TechNewsDaily. We're also on Facebook & Google+.
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Wednesday, November 7, 2012
Video game maker Activision scores big gains in 3Q
SANTA MONICA, Calif. (AP) - Video game maker Activision Blizzard Inc. scored points in the third quarter with a performance that topped analysts' forecasts.
The results announced Wednesday encouraged management to predict more good times in the crucial holiday shopping season when the company is counting on video game aficionados to snap up the latest edition in its popular 'Call of Duty' franchise.
Activision credited 'Diablo III,' a role-playing game designed for personal computers, and its latest version of 'World of Warcraft' for moving its latest quarter to a higher level.
The company earned $226 million, or 20 cents per share, for the three months ending in September. That represented a 53 percent increase from net income of $148 million, or 13 cents per share a year ago.
Excluding items unrelated to its ongoing business, Activision made 15 cents per share. The company beat the average estimate of 8 cents per share among analysts surveyed by FactSet. Adjusted earnings included a gain of 4 cents per share from the resolution of a U.S. tax audit.
Revenue for the period increased 12 percent from last year to $841 million. That figure, though, includes sales of games with online components, a revenue stream that the company and analysts prefer to spread out over time.
With that adjustment, Activision's third-quarter revenue would have risen by 20 percent to $751 million - about $41 million above analysts' projections.
The third quarter ended with a flourish as Activision sold 2.7 million copies of 'World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria' in the first week after its Sept. 25 release.
CEO Bobby Kotick believes Activision has another hit on its hand with 'Call of Duty: Black Ops II,' scheduled to go on sale Tuesday.
'We feel good about our product line-up, in spite of a difficult and challenging macroeconomic environment that could worsen,' Kotick said in an interview Wednesday.
Activision, based in Santa Monica, Calif., doesn't expect the weak economy to keep people from buying its games as gifts during the upcoming holidays.
In the fourth quarter the company expects adjusted earnings of 70 cents per share on adjusted revenue of $2.41 billion. Analysts, on average, expect adjusted earnings of 67 cents per share on adjusted revenue of $2.34 billion.
Activision shares rose 23 cents, or 2 percent, to $11.36 in after-hours trading following the release of its earnings report.
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The results announced Wednesday encouraged management to predict more good times in the crucial holiday shopping season when the company is counting on video game aficionados to snap up the latest edition in its popular 'Call of Duty' franchise.
Activision credited 'Diablo III,' a role-playing game designed for personal computers, and its latest version of 'World of Warcraft' for moving its latest quarter to a higher level.
The company earned $226 million, or 20 cents per share, for the three months ending in September. That represented a 53 percent increase from net income of $148 million, or 13 cents per share a year ago.
Excluding items unrelated to its ongoing business, Activision made 15 cents per share. The company beat the average estimate of 8 cents per share among analysts surveyed by FactSet. Adjusted earnings included a gain of 4 cents per share from the resolution of a U.S. tax audit.
Revenue for the period increased 12 percent from last year to $841 million. That figure, though, includes sales of games with online components, a revenue stream that the company and analysts prefer to spread out over time.
With that adjustment, Activision's third-quarter revenue would have risen by 20 percent to $751 million - about $41 million above analysts' projections.
The third quarter ended with a flourish as Activision sold 2.7 million copies of 'World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria' in the first week after its Sept. 25 release.
CEO Bobby Kotick believes Activision has another hit on its hand with 'Call of Duty: Black Ops II,' scheduled to go on sale Tuesday.
'We feel good about our product line-up, in spite of a difficult and challenging macroeconomic environment that could worsen,' Kotick said in an interview Wednesday.
Activision, based in Santa Monica, Calif., doesn't expect the weak economy to keep people from buying its games as gifts during the upcoming holidays.
In the fourth quarter the company expects adjusted earnings of 70 cents per share on adjusted revenue of $2.41 billion. Analysts, on average, expect adjusted earnings of 67 cents per share on adjusted revenue of $2.34 billion.
Activision shares rose 23 cents, or 2 percent, to $11.36 in after-hours trading following the release of its earnings report.
This news article is brought to you by FREE ROMANTIC DATING SITE BLOG - where latest news are our top priority.
Sony PlayStation certificate sparks talk China may lift console ban
TOKYO/SHANGHAI (Reuters) - Sony Corp's PlayStation 3 has received a certification of quality from a Chinese safety standards body, sparking speculation that China will end a decade-old ban on home game consoles.
China has banned video game consoles since 2000, citing a need to protect the well-being of its young people. Some analysts cautioned against reading too much into Sony's new certificate, noting the organization that gave it has no regulatory authority.
'The Ministry of Culture has the regulatory authority over the console segment and is the sole organization that can revoke the ban,' said Lisa Cosmas Hanson, managing partner of U.S.-based video games consultancy Niko Partners.
The China Quality Certification Centre website showed two models of the PlayStation 3, labeled 'computer entertainment system' received approval this July. All products must pass the safety standard before they can be sold to Chinese consumers.
Sony confirmed that it had received certification but remained tightlipped about whether this heralded an imminent entry for the PlayStation into the world's second-largest economy or whether the company needed further certificates.
'This does not mean that we have officially decided to enter Chinese market,' Sony spokeswoman Mai Hora said.
'We recognize that China is a promising market so we will continuously study the possibility.'
Representatives for China's Ministry of Culture could not be reached for comment.
But there has also been some precedent that China authorities are taking a less hard-line attitude towards game consoles.
This year Lenovo Group launched Eedoo CT510, a motion sensing device that plays games similar in concept to Microsoft's Kinect extension for the Xbox game console, by touting by Eedoo as an 'exercise and entertainment machine'.
Although video game consoles are banned in China, online gaming and games on mobile devices are deeply entrenched -- limiting the potential upside for Sony and rival game machine makers like Microsoft Corp and Nintendo Co Ltd.
'It obviously has a huge population, but gamers in China have different consumption habits,' said Piers Harding-Rolls, senior games analyst at IHS Screen Digest in London.
'A lot of established gamers will use non-dedicated devices they have used over many years.'
Game machine makers would also have to find ways to ensure that piracy did not cut into their income from games software and other content, Harding-Rolls added.
(Editing by Edwina Gibbs)
This news article is brought to you by GLOBAL WEATHER NEWS - where latest news are our top priority.
China has banned video game consoles since 2000, citing a need to protect the well-being of its young people. Some analysts cautioned against reading too much into Sony's new certificate, noting the organization that gave it has no regulatory authority.
'The Ministry of Culture has the regulatory authority over the console segment and is the sole organization that can revoke the ban,' said Lisa Cosmas Hanson, managing partner of U.S.-based video games consultancy Niko Partners.
The China Quality Certification Centre website showed two models of the PlayStation 3, labeled 'computer entertainment system' received approval this July. All products must pass the safety standard before they can be sold to Chinese consumers.
Sony confirmed that it had received certification but remained tightlipped about whether this heralded an imminent entry for the PlayStation into the world's second-largest economy or whether the company needed further certificates.
'This does not mean that we have officially decided to enter Chinese market,' Sony spokeswoman Mai Hora said.
'We recognize that China is a promising market so we will continuously study the possibility.'
Representatives for China's Ministry of Culture could not be reached for comment.
But there has also been some precedent that China authorities are taking a less hard-line attitude towards game consoles.
This year Lenovo Group launched Eedoo CT510, a motion sensing device that plays games similar in concept to Microsoft's Kinect extension for the Xbox game console, by touting by Eedoo as an 'exercise and entertainment machine'.
Although video game consoles are banned in China, online gaming and games on mobile devices are deeply entrenched -- limiting the potential upside for Sony and rival game machine makers like Microsoft Corp and Nintendo Co Ltd.
'It obviously has a huge population, but gamers in China have different consumption habits,' said Piers Harding-Rolls, senior games analyst at IHS Screen Digest in London.
'A lot of established gamers will use non-dedicated devices they have used over many years.'
Game machine makers would also have to find ways to ensure that piracy did not cut into their income from games software and other content, Harding-Rolls added.
(Editing by Edwina Gibbs)
This news article is brought to you by GLOBAL WEATHER NEWS - where latest news are our top priority.
Friday, November 2, 2012
4 reasons Wreck-It Ralph is the best video game movie ever
Critics have awarded a high score to Wreck-It Ralph, the new animated Disney movie that hits theaters today. The film tells the story of a fictional, Donkey Kong-esque arcade game villain (voiced by John C. Reilly) who decides, after 30 years, that he'd like to become a video game hero. (Watch a trailer below.) The film's strong reviews make it an outlier among movies based on video games, which have typically drawn less-than-stellar reviews. What makes Wreck-It Ralph the best video game movie in history? Here, four theories:
1. Wreck-It's director knows video game history
Director Rich Moore has finally delivered 'a computer-animated movie that makes sense, because its protagonists all exist on motherboards,' says Rene Rodriguez at The Miami Herald. Wreck-It Ralph offers surprisingly savvy commentary on the advances in video game technology, making jokes about the differences between decades-old games like Nintendo's Donkey Kong and modern games like the Xbox 360's Call of Duty franchise. Clever details abound, from the way older, unpopular characters 'hang around like vagrants, begging for food' to a scene in which 'an old 8-bit character stares in awe at a modern, high-def warrior in all its glossy, shiny detail.'
SEE ALSO: Cloud Atlas: 6 fascinating behind-the-scenes facts
2. The movie is full of cameos by video game characters
Much like Who Framed Roger Rabbit, which legendarily paired Bugs Bunny and Mickey Mouse, Wreck-It Ralph is packed with licensed cameos from actual video game characters, including Q*Bert, Sonic the Hedgehog, and Tapper. In another early scene, Ralph, along with a host of other familiar video game villains, gather at the home of the Pac-Man ghosts in a 'Bad-Anon' support group, says Peter Debruge at Variety. The movie began with 'the bright idea of paying tribute to retro games,' and its constant vintage-game influences ensure that hardcore gamers won't be disappointed.
3. It incorporates familiar video game rules
The cameos are clever, says Charlie McCollum at the San Jose Mercury News, but Wreck-It Ralph's sharpest tribute to video game history is its careful adherence to video game rules. The film's arcade games are connected through what its characters call 'Game Central Station' — and what we would call a power strip — 'with surge protectors acting as security guards.' And just like in real video games, characters that die in their own games can be infinitely revived — but if they die in another video game, they die for good. By twisting and tweaking the real-life rules of video games to suit its story, Wreck-It Ralph tips its hat its arcade roots.
SEE ALSO: Alex Cross: Can Tyler Perry make the leap to drama?
4. The story is compelling
The video game touches are inspired, says Betsy Sharkey at The Los Angeles Times, but 'it's not just the joystick junkie in me that admires Wreck-It Ralph.' The film's 'major asset is its humanity,' with Ralph standing out as a sympathetic, instantly loveable character. By combining Disney's old-school commitment to storytelling with a new-school setting and characters, Wreck-It Ralph is 'a fresh 21st-century breeze' for the legendary animation studio.
Consensus: Wreck-It Ralph is a sharp, joyful romp through video-game history sure to delight old-school and new-school gamers alike.
SEE ALSO: Disney takes over Star Wars: 5 theories about the franchise's long-term future
SEE ALSO: Who should direct Star Wars: Episode VII?
View this article on TheWeek.com Get 4 Free Issues of The Week
Other stories from this section:
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1. Wreck-It's director knows video game history
Director Rich Moore has finally delivered 'a computer-animated movie that makes sense, because its protagonists all exist on motherboards,' says Rene Rodriguez at The Miami Herald. Wreck-It Ralph offers surprisingly savvy commentary on the advances in video game technology, making jokes about the differences between decades-old games like Nintendo's Donkey Kong and modern games like the Xbox 360's Call of Duty franchise. Clever details abound, from the way older, unpopular characters 'hang around like vagrants, begging for food' to a scene in which 'an old 8-bit character stares in awe at a modern, high-def warrior in all its glossy, shiny detail.'
SEE ALSO: Cloud Atlas: 6 fascinating behind-the-scenes facts
2. The movie is full of cameos by video game characters
Much like Who Framed Roger Rabbit, which legendarily paired Bugs Bunny and Mickey Mouse, Wreck-It Ralph is packed with licensed cameos from actual video game characters, including Q*Bert, Sonic the Hedgehog, and Tapper. In another early scene, Ralph, along with a host of other familiar video game villains, gather at the home of the Pac-Man ghosts in a 'Bad-Anon' support group, says Peter Debruge at Variety. The movie began with 'the bright idea of paying tribute to retro games,' and its constant vintage-game influences ensure that hardcore gamers won't be disappointed.
3. It incorporates familiar video game rules
The cameos are clever, says Charlie McCollum at the San Jose Mercury News, but Wreck-It Ralph's sharpest tribute to video game history is its careful adherence to video game rules. The film's arcade games are connected through what its characters call 'Game Central Station' — and what we would call a power strip — 'with surge protectors acting as security guards.' And just like in real video games, characters that die in their own games can be infinitely revived — but if they die in another video game, they die for good. By twisting and tweaking the real-life rules of video games to suit its story, Wreck-It Ralph tips its hat its arcade roots.
SEE ALSO: Alex Cross: Can Tyler Perry make the leap to drama?
4. The story is compelling
The video game touches are inspired, says Betsy Sharkey at The Los Angeles Times, but 'it's not just the joystick junkie in me that admires Wreck-It Ralph.' The film's 'major asset is its humanity,' with Ralph standing out as a sympathetic, instantly loveable character. By combining Disney's old-school commitment to storytelling with a new-school setting and characters, Wreck-It Ralph is 'a fresh 21st-century breeze' for the legendary animation studio.
Consensus: Wreck-It Ralph is a sharp, joyful romp through video-game history sure to delight old-school and new-school gamers alike.
SEE ALSO: Disney takes over Star Wars: 5 theories about the franchise's long-term future
SEE ALSO: Who should direct Star Wars: Episode VII?
View this article on TheWeek.com Get 4 Free Issues of The Week
Other stories from this section:
- Who should direct Star Wars: Episode VII?
- Disney takes over Star Wars: 5 theories about the franchise's long-term future
- Cloud Atlas: 6 fascinating behind-the-scenes facts
- EssayThe last word: He said he was leaving. She ignored him.
This article is brought to you by CHEAP COMPUTERS.
Thursday, November 1, 2012
'Wreck-It Ralph' celebrates video-game nostalgia
LOS ANGELES (AP) - In Disney's 'Wreck-It Ralph' opening Friday, the title character is the bad guy from a fictional 1980s video game. Despite faithfully doing his job well for 30 years, he gets no respect at work, so he escapes through the wires of Litwak's Family Fun Center searching for another game where he might prove his worth.
Along the way, Ralph takes viewers on a nostalgic trip through the history of video games, from the blocky, eight-bit look of the '80s through the swirly, colorful, Nintendo 64-inspired games of the '90s to the gritty, ultra-detailed first-person shooters of today.
For director Rich Moore and the 450 artists and animators behind the Walt Disney Animation Studios production, video games are as integral a part of childhood as the green army men and pull-string cowboys celebrated in Pixar's 'Toy Story' films.
'There's a lot of history in video gaming - serious nostalgia,' Moore said. 'The worlds of video games are so fertile. They cover everything, and so many different genres. You can kind of make up whatever you want and it can feel like a game.'
Besides the scores of fictional game characters featured in the film, there's also familiar arcade favorites such as Q(asterisk)Bert, Clyde (the orange ghost from Pac-Man), Sonic the Hedgehog and Zangief from 'Street Fighter.'
'It's pretty awesome to animate game characters that you knew as a child,' said animation supervisor Renato dos Anjos. 'It's like living in a dream world. All your favorite heroes and villains are in your hands.'
'Wreck-It Ralph' centers on Ralph (John C. Reilly), the 9-foot, 643-pound bad guy from the '80s video game 'Fix-It Felix Jr.' Ralph's job is to wreck the apartments of Niceland so Felix (Jack McBrayer) can fix them. But while Felix is lauded and loved for his efforts, Ralph is ostracized to a trash heap on the edge of town. Fed up and bummed out - especially when he realizes he wasn't invited to a 30th anniversary party for 'Fix-It Felix Jr.' - Ralph goes rogue, tripping through the wires of the arcade into games where he doesn't belong.
He's drawn to 'Hero's Duty,' a contemporary shooting game led by tough-as-battle-armor Sergeant Calhoun (Jane Lynch), in which soldiers who destroy the invading CyBugs win a glittery medal - tangible proof of their heroic efforts. With such a trophy, Ralph figures the Nicelanders would have to appreciate him. But he isn't programmed to handle such ultra-violent play, and when things go awry, Ralph finds himself trapped in the pink-hued, candy-filled world of Sugar Rush. Here he meets another video-game misfit, Vanellope Von Schweetz (Sarah Silverman), whose pixelated programming glitch makes her an outcast.
Reilly, McBrayer and Silverman all grew up as gamers, and say bringing life to their animated characters called upon the same imagination and determination gaming did when they were kids.
'If you were born any time after 1965, when I was born, video games made a huge impression,' Reilly said, adding that when 'Space Invaders' first came out, 'it was like a spaceship landed in the bowling alley.'
'People can't fully appreciate what an insane change that was,' he continued. 'Because there were no computers; there were no cellphones. I didn't even have a VCR at that point. There was no way to manipulate something on a screen. And all of a sudden, this thing lands in the arcade.'
McBrayer grew up with an Atari 2600 system, 'but we kept that over at grandma's house so we wouldn't get too attached to it.'
He remembers taking his report card to Super Scooper, the ice-cream parlor/arcade near his Georgia home, where good grades were rewarded with video-game tokens. He preferred the 'cutesy, non-threatening games' and the escape they provided.
'So many kids won't even recognize half of these (game references in the film),' McBray said, 'but I hope they have fun just realizing that there's this whole world of video-game characters and environments that make up the history of the video games they're playing now.'
Silverman, whose early arcade favorites included 'Asteroids,' ''Missile Command' and 'Space Invaders,' notes that video games have been around for 30 years, 'but in technology years, that's like 200 years old.'
The actors said they don't play video games much these days, but the film's director does, whipping out his iPhone during a recent interview to prove the point.
'I feel really, really fortunate to have been someone who got to grow up with them,' said Moore, whose previous directing credits include 'The Simpsons' and 'Futurama.' So it's an honor and a privilege to be the guy that gets to pull from one end of the timeline to this end of the timeline ... to put them in a movie and put them in a story that pays tribute to all of them.'
___
Follow AP Entertainment Writer Sandy Cohen on Twitter at www.twitter.com/APSandy .
___
Online:
http://disney.go.com/wreck-it-ralph/
Along the way, Ralph takes viewers on a nostalgic trip through the history of video games, from the blocky, eight-bit look of the '80s through the swirly, colorful, Nintendo 64-inspired games of the '90s to the gritty, ultra-detailed first-person shooters of today.
For director Rich Moore and the 450 artists and animators behind the Walt Disney Animation Studios production, video games are as integral a part of childhood as the green army men and pull-string cowboys celebrated in Pixar's 'Toy Story' films.
'There's a lot of history in video gaming - serious nostalgia,' Moore said. 'The worlds of video games are so fertile. They cover everything, and so many different genres. You can kind of make up whatever you want and it can feel like a game.'
Besides the scores of fictional game characters featured in the film, there's also familiar arcade favorites such as Q(asterisk)Bert, Clyde (the orange ghost from Pac-Man), Sonic the Hedgehog and Zangief from 'Street Fighter.'
'It's pretty awesome to animate game characters that you knew as a child,' said animation supervisor Renato dos Anjos. 'It's like living in a dream world. All your favorite heroes and villains are in your hands.'
'Wreck-It Ralph' centers on Ralph (John C. Reilly), the 9-foot, 643-pound bad guy from the '80s video game 'Fix-It Felix Jr.' Ralph's job is to wreck the apartments of Niceland so Felix (Jack McBrayer) can fix them. But while Felix is lauded and loved for his efforts, Ralph is ostracized to a trash heap on the edge of town. Fed up and bummed out - especially when he realizes he wasn't invited to a 30th anniversary party for 'Fix-It Felix Jr.' - Ralph goes rogue, tripping through the wires of the arcade into games where he doesn't belong.
He's drawn to 'Hero's Duty,' a contemporary shooting game led by tough-as-battle-armor Sergeant Calhoun (Jane Lynch), in which soldiers who destroy the invading CyBugs win a glittery medal - tangible proof of their heroic efforts. With such a trophy, Ralph figures the Nicelanders would have to appreciate him. But he isn't programmed to handle such ultra-violent play, and when things go awry, Ralph finds himself trapped in the pink-hued, candy-filled world of Sugar Rush. Here he meets another video-game misfit, Vanellope Von Schweetz (Sarah Silverman), whose pixelated programming glitch makes her an outcast.
Reilly, McBrayer and Silverman all grew up as gamers, and say bringing life to their animated characters called upon the same imagination and determination gaming did when they were kids.
'If you were born any time after 1965, when I was born, video games made a huge impression,' Reilly said, adding that when 'Space Invaders' first came out, 'it was like a spaceship landed in the bowling alley.'
'People can't fully appreciate what an insane change that was,' he continued. 'Because there were no computers; there were no cellphones. I didn't even have a VCR at that point. There was no way to manipulate something on a screen. And all of a sudden, this thing lands in the arcade.'
McBrayer grew up with an Atari 2600 system, 'but we kept that over at grandma's house so we wouldn't get too attached to it.'
He remembers taking his report card to Super Scooper, the ice-cream parlor/arcade near his Georgia home, where good grades were rewarded with video-game tokens. He preferred the 'cutesy, non-threatening games' and the escape they provided.
'So many kids won't even recognize half of these (game references in the film),' McBray said, 'but I hope they have fun just realizing that there's this whole world of video-game characters and environments that make up the history of the video games they're playing now.'
Silverman, whose early arcade favorites included 'Asteroids,' ''Missile Command' and 'Space Invaders,' notes that video games have been around for 30 years, 'but in technology years, that's like 200 years old.'
The actors said they don't play video games much these days, but the film's director does, whipping out his iPhone during a recent interview to prove the point.
'I feel really, really fortunate to have been someone who got to grow up with them,' said Moore, whose previous directing credits include 'The Simpsons' and 'Futurama.' So it's an honor and a privilege to be the guy that gets to pull from one end of the timeline to this end of the timeline ... to put them in a movie and put them in a story that pays tribute to all of them.'
___
Follow AP Entertainment Writer Sandy Cohen on Twitter at www.twitter.com/APSandy .
___
Online:
http://disney.go.com/wreck-it-ralph/
'Assassin's Creed' stumbles on PlayStation Vita
There's never been a video game heroine quite like Aveline de Grandpre.
The daughter of an African slave and a French shipping magnate in New Orleans at the end of French and Indian War, Aveline is the deadly but charming protagonist of 'Assassin's Creed III: Liberation' (Ubisoft, for the PlayStation Vita, $39.99). She seeks to fight injustice in and around the Big Easy as a member of the series' secret order of assassins.
The hallmarks of the 'Assassin's Creed' franchise are all gloriously present here in hand-held form: traipsing across a jagged cityscape, dispatching foes with stealthy prowess and plotting against the clandestine group known as the Templars. 'Liberation' doesn't feel like a typical PlayStation Vita game - and that's both its biggest strength and weakness.
Despite its name, there's only a tenuous connection to 'Assassin's Creed III,' its sweeping console counterpart. That shouldn't deter die-hard 'Assassin's Creed' fans from embodying Aveline, who's armed with iconic hidden blades just like forerunners Altair and Ezio, as well as her own original weapons, such as a blowgun and a parasol loaded with poison darts.
Unlike her male predecessors, Aveline assumes different personas to achieve her aims. As an assassin, she can use all weapons and scale buildings; disguised as a slave, she can blend in with crowds and incite riots; and when dressed as a noble lady, she can awkwardly woo men. It's an inventive touch, but one that frustratingly makes Aveline always feel handicapped.
Most of 'Liberation' takes place in New Orleans, beginning in 1768 as a French colony through the American Revolution. For the most part, the game's story, setting, combat and characters all work remarkably well given the constraints of the platform, and there's a plethora of side quests, business pursuits and a multiplayer mode to keep things interesting.
With missions focusing on freeing slaves and rioting against Spanish soldiers, 'Liberation' doesn't shy away from the harsh realities of American history in the South. It's refreshing to see a video game deal with such serious issues while maintaining a sense of adventure. That alone should be enough for Vita owners to give this historical action title a try.
Unfortunately, 'Liberation' is too big for its britches. It's difficult not to wonder how more effective the game could have been if the developers didn't bend over backward in an effort to replicate the console experience, especially after playing through a smaller section of 'Liberation' that's set outside Louisiana and ultimately proved to be more fun.
The lamest part of 'Liberation' is definitely the most unnecessary, namely, using the Vita's unique control scheme for actions like opening letters by swiping both touchscreens or revealing secret maps by pointing the rear camera toward a bright light. Such novel gimmicks wouldn't be so disastrous if they consistently worked and weren't repeated several times.
There are other glitches, too. Some wobbly graphics, disappearing characters, audio dropouts and other assorted bugs mark 'Liberation' as a less polished 'Assassin's Creed' experience. Despite the game's very daring ambitions, Aveline - and 'Assassin's Creed' fans - deserve more than 'Liberation' is able to truly deliver on the Vita. Two stars out of four.
___
Online:
http://assassinscreed.ubi.com/
___
Follow AP Entertainment Writer Derrik J. Lang on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/derrikjlang .
This news article is brought to you by CELEBRITY MUSIC NEWS - where latest news are our top priority.
The daughter of an African slave and a French shipping magnate in New Orleans at the end of French and Indian War, Aveline is the deadly but charming protagonist of 'Assassin's Creed III: Liberation' (Ubisoft, for the PlayStation Vita, $39.99). She seeks to fight injustice in and around the Big Easy as a member of the series' secret order of assassins.
The hallmarks of the 'Assassin's Creed' franchise are all gloriously present here in hand-held form: traipsing across a jagged cityscape, dispatching foes with stealthy prowess and plotting against the clandestine group known as the Templars. 'Liberation' doesn't feel like a typical PlayStation Vita game - and that's both its biggest strength and weakness.
Despite its name, there's only a tenuous connection to 'Assassin's Creed III,' its sweeping console counterpart. That shouldn't deter die-hard 'Assassin's Creed' fans from embodying Aveline, who's armed with iconic hidden blades just like forerunners Altair and Ezio, as well as her own original weapons, such as a blowgun and a parasol loaded with poison darts.
Unlike her male predecessors, Aveline assumes different personas to achieve her aims. As an assassin, she can use all weapons and scale buildings; disguised as a slave, she can blend in with crowds and incite riots; and when dressed as a noble lady, she can awkwardly woo men. It's an inventive touch, but one that frustratingly makes Aveline always feel handicapped.
Most of 'Liberation' takes place in New Orleans, beginning in 1768 as a French colony through the American Revolution. For the most part, the game's story, setting, combat and characters all work remarkably well given the constraints of the platform, and there's a plethora of side quests, business pursuits and a multiplayer mode to keep things interesting.
With missions focusing on freeing slaves and rioting against Spanish soldiers, 'Liberation' doesn't shy away from the harsh realities of American history in the South. It's refreshing to see a video game deal with such serious issues while maintaining a sense of adventure. That alone should be enough for Vita owners to give this historical action title a try.
Unfortunately, 'Liberation' is too big for its britches. It's difficult not to wonder how more effective the game could have been if the developers didn't bend over backward in an effort to replicate the console experience, especially after playing through a smaller section of 'Liberation' that's set outside Louisiana and ultimately proved to be more fun.
The lamest part of 'Liberation' is definitely the most unnecessary, namely, using the Vita's unique control scheme for actions like opening letters by swiping both touchscreens or revealing secret maps by pointing the rear camera toward a bright light. Such novel gimmicks wouldn't be so disastrous if they consistently worked and weren't repeated several times.
There are other glitches, too. Some wobbly graphics, disappearing characters, audio dropouts and other assorted bugs mark 'Liberation' as a less polished 'Assassin's Creed' experience. Despite the game's very daring ambitions, Aveline - and 'Assassin's Creed' fans - deserve more than 'Liberation' is able to truly deliver on the Vita. Two stars out of four.
___
Online:
http://assassinscreed.ubi.com/
___
Follow AP Entertainment Writer Derrik J. Lang on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/derrikjlang .
This news article is brought to you by CELEBRITY MUSIC NEWS - where latest news are our top priority.
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