Looking for the coolest site on the Internet? Sorry can’t help you.

But this one’s OK: www.canadiangeekspeak.com

By David Wylie

Canwest News Service

The march of Canada’s colourful penguins has continued all the way to the top of video game sales charts.

The journey to the release of Disney Club Penguin: Elite Penguin Force for the Nintendo DS is a fairy tale success story.

In 2005, three Kelowna, B.C., residents decided to launch a virtual world in which penguins are used to represent community members. All were parents who wanted a safe place online where their kids could interact with others.

Word of Club Penguin spread quickly, gathering millions of users before the popular site caught the eye of Walt Disney Co.

Captivated by Club Penguin’s ability to attract and retain users, Disney bought the icy online paradise – designed for kids aged six to 14 – in 2007 for $350 million US.

Now, 18 months later, Club Penguin’s success continues to snowball with the newly released DS game, which is currently one of the best-selling North American titles for the hand-held console.

In Nintendo’s rendition of the Club Penguin world, players are recruited into the ranks of the Elite

Penguin Force and use spy gadgets, as well as their wits, to solve puzzles and save the world from three machines that have gone haywire.

Kids familiar with the online world will have no trouble finding their way around. Familiar landmarks abound, from the barber pole lighthouse to the skating rink. The DS experience feels much like the online play, keeping Club Penguin’s quirky humour and the colourful scenery.

There are also a handful of mini-games, such as fishing and flying, to keep kids with short attention spans occupied.

The game is also intended to encourage more people to join the online community. For one thing, coins – Club Penguin’s official currency – can be earned on the DS by completing games and tasks. The cartoon cash can then be transferred to the web account. However, a paid membership is required to buy many of the accessories for the penguins.

There are also codes included with the game to unlock items in the web world.
With the success of Club Penguin on the DS, it’s a safe bet that it will only be a matter of time before a Nintendo Wii title is announced.

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“Peddling add-ons”:

There was further proof late last week that the folks at Sony are getting tired of being slammed for the higher cost of the PlayStation 3.

Sony sent a news release Thursday accusing Microsoft of “peddling add-ons” for its Xbox 360.

Sony says when consumers buy a PS3 they get free access to online play, Wi-Fi, a big hard drive and a Blu-ray player. But those who buy a $199 Xbox 360 end up paying an extra $270-$320 to get the same features – minus the Blu-ray player.

Sony didn’t have anything nice to say about Nintendo’s Wii either: “The Wii’s lack of enhanced features comes at the expense of a comprehensive entertainment solution.”

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RIP Electronic Gaming Monthly:

Publisher Ziff Davis Media revealed on Jan. 7 it had sold its 1UP Digital Network, which includes popular gaming magazine EGM, to UGO Entertainment. UGO promptly announced that the

January EGM would be the 20-year-old magazine’s last issue.

One gaming blog jumped on the news declaring, “Print is dead.”

However, it may be prudent to note that such rumours are greatly exaggerated — for now.

dwylie@canwest.com

Ubisoft just announced it’s going to publish a prequel to Call of Juarez.

The game, titled Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood, will be set in part during the Civil War, which is definitely different from the usual settings.

Here’s what Ubisoft Canada general manager Olivier Ernst said in a statement: “Call of Juarez was well received by gamers and critics. We’re confident this new collaboration with Techland will bring an even bigger and better adventure to fans of shooters and the lawless Wild West.”

Ubisoft said Bound in Blood will transport players from “a ravaged Civil War-era Georgia to the Aztec ruins of Mexico.”

Is Sony tired of demands for a price cut?

I had an interesting news release from Sony waiting in my inbox this week.

Interesting is a word I use when I mean something more than interesting; this media release was more accurately an attempted smackdown.

The last paragraph of the news release sent Thursday pretty much sums it up: “So as PS3 continues to evolve without the need for additional parts or expenses, expect the competition to continue peddling add-ons in an effort to keep up with the Jones’.”

Sony has been criticized over and over for the cost of its console compared to the Xbox 360 and the Wii. Frankly, it’s hard to sell consumers a $399 video game system when the other guys are offering theirs for $199 and $279. It’s easy to see the price difference is starting to irk Sony, with their recent ad campaign calling the PS3 a movie downloading machine — in other words, selling it as a more than a gaming console.

This latest release is further proof the company is getting tired of being slammed for its higher cost and weary of the constant calls for a price cut.

On Thursday, Sony sent a news release criticizing Xbox over the extras that need to be purchased to get an enhanced game play experience. Sony’s argument is this: buy a PS3 you get free access to online play, WiFi, a big harddrive, and a blu-ray player — total cost $399. But if you buy a $199 360 you’ll end up paying another $270-$320 just to get online access, WiFi and a harddrive.

“The Xbox 360 requires additional money, multiple upgrades and additional external devices, putting a burden on the wallet and adds clutter to the entertainment centre,” said the release.

As for the Wii, well Sony didn’t have anything nice to say about Nintendo either.

“And the Wii’s lack of enhanced features comes at the expense of a comprehensive entertainment solution.”

Ouch.

Games I currently can’t stop playing:

• Fable 2 — I have a hard time putting this one down. It’s been a long time since I picked up and RPG-type game, and I’ve forgotten how enveloping they can be.
• NHL 09 — Still can’t get over how much playing this game is like watching a hockey game. I want to try out a match with 12 players total.
• Halo 3 — Feels like this game has been out forever now, but it’s still fun to pop online for a few matches.

Wanako Games made the Xbox Live Arcade title Assault Heroes 2.

Canada’s biggest independent game developer has gobbled up a Chilean game studio that specializes in titles for Microsoft.

Montreal-based Artificial Mind and Movement made the announcement late Thursday that it had acquired Wanako Games, which is the first and largest game studio in South America.

It changes hands from Activision Blizzard. Details of the deal were not released.

“The acquisition of Wanako Games is an opportunity to work with an experienced, motivated team, and to add successful downloadable games to our portfolio, including Assault Heroes 2 and 3D Ultra Mini Golf 2,” said Remi Racine, A2M’s president and CEO.

Racine said the addition of downloadable content has been part of the company’s growth strategy.

“We couldn’t miss this opportunity to provide A2M with a strong foot hold in the downloadable space and access to a great talent pool,” he added.

The company said it will now be able to expand its offering across Xbox Live Arcade and the PlayStation Network.

A2M specializes in family games, such as Happy Feet, Ant Bully and Spider Man: Friend or Foe.

“The complementarities of our titles, target markets and technologies, combined with our understanding of the licence-based development, are paving the way to a solid alliance between the studios,” said Tiburcio de la Carcova, head of Wanako Studio. “In addition, we have developed relationships with prestigious universities and art schools in Chile, which will bring new approaches and favor exchange between the two cities.”

Actually not really. But I am having trouble putting the game down so I can pop other games into my Xbox for review. Not that Shaun White Snowboarding isn’t a frolicking good time – it’s fun and has been given a bum rap by some of the other reviewers (Gamespot). It’s just that Fable 2 is addictive; a hero’s gotta woo his future wife, get married, have some kids, find some treasure, slay some bad guys, learn some spells… you get the idea.

You’re in the Movies will make you feel like a star . . . but not the Hollywood kind, more like those who appear in horribly scripted B-movies.

Yet that’s part of the charm in this unique game, which hit stores Tuesday. In fact, that’s how the title is being pitched.

“Gamers will be able to test their acting skills with their friends and family to create B-movies so bad, they’re good,” boasts Microsoft.

There’s no false advertising here. The movies are awful – really awful – but in a good way. For example, the trailer for Everyone’s Super contains the brutally terrible one-liners: “fiercer than a ranting mom” and “faster than waiting for a bus” as well as the very-private query: “Ever wanted to wear your underpants over your trousers?”

Developed by Zoe Mode, the game works with Xbox’s Vision camera, allowing players to record themselves acting parts in short movie trailers.

There are no lines to speak. Instead players compete in mini-games, such as swatting hornets and punching targets. At other times, players will be prompted by the director to strike a pose (staring down a well) or improvise a motion (fleeing in fear). The results are recorded by the camera, which looks exactly like a small webcam, and the clips are integrated into the film.

It feels a lot like playing a game of ad-lib, filling in blanks that will eventually be weaved into an already written story, only with video.

The results can be hilarious at times, cheesy at others.

As well as starring in short films, players can use the director mode to write and record their own narration, and assemble clips from all the game’s pre-recorded movies to flow with their story. It can be fun, but limiting. For those who are serious about making movies, the money would be much better spent on film-editing software.

While game play is fun, You’re in the Movies does have some technical hang-ups. Most homes aren’t set up like a movie studio, so creating the proper lighting conditions can be tricky. Also the game relies on “cutting out” the players from the background, so anything short of hanging up a green screen leaves a weird glowing outline and, in some cases, missing chins.

Finally, to say the director is irritating is an understatement. The cheesy films are great, but the director’s cheesy voice acting is not.

You’re in the Movies comes bundled with a Vision camera and retails for about $70 – not a bad deal considering the camera alone sells for about $40.

BOTTOM LINE: It’s a good first effort at this genre, but if developers are serious about a follow up, the technical glitches need to be fixed the next time around.

Trivia time: What movie is this quote from?

“You kids today with your loud music, and Dan Fogelberg, Zima, Hula Hoops, and your Pac Man video games.”

1. Tommy Boy

2. Gone in 60 Seconds

3. Man of La Manch

4. BASEketball

Scene It? Box Office Smash is the benchmark for movie trivia video games. This game is just plain fun. And even for those who don’t know that the answer to the above question is number 4, the Xbox 360 title is still a riot.

Developed by Krome/Screenlife, the sequel to Scene It? Lights, Camera, Action is an achievement in fun, from the four custom buzzers that come with the game to the announcer’s witty banter.

Trivia is delivered in a variety of ways – including answering questions based on short movie clips, matching set props to the films they’re from and deciphering movie characters from a carnival-style distorting mirror. The games are half trivia knowledge and half guesswork, which goes a long way to evening the odds of a layman winning against, say someone who works at a video rental store.

It also includes online play, so there’s always someone to challenge.

Overall, the game is hours of fun, however, the movie clips can be a little repetitive, giving an edge to those who have played it often.

Scene It? Box Office Smash is out now and retails for about $60.

When Marcie McIndoe found herself on maternity leave during a snowy Ontario winter, she turned to the world of video games for fun and friendship.

“Gaming has provided a major social outlet for me,” she says. “I was on maternity leave all winter. And when there are feet of snow outside, to be able to turn on the Xbox and laugh with friends is such a joy, and a necessary one.” McIndoe, 33, is no longer considered an anomaly in what was once a testosterone-dominated digital world. About half of those who play who play video games are female, according to recent surveys in both Canada and the U.S.

A new study by the Entertainment Software Association of Canada found that half of Canadian gamers are women. Meanwhile, 40 per cent of Americans who play video games are female, says an annual survey conducted for the Entertainment Software Association. The Ipsos MediaCT survey, released earlier this year, found that women 18 and older represent an even bigger slice of the gaming pie (33 per cent) than boys 17 and younger. “No longer is there a stereotypical gamer,” said Michael Gallagher, CEO of the software association.

That’s a finding McIndoe says she’s experienced while playing games.

“I game with people who dropped out of high school, and with doctors, with single people and with grandparents. I can connect with stay-at-home moms, and with CEOs,” she says. “The one thing that binds us all is that we enjoy playing video games.”

McIndoe, an Ottawa resident, says she was drawn by the social aspect of video games, and is involved in Internet forums and online groups interested in specific games, a gathering known as a “clan.” She also plays with groups of people while at home.

McIndoe says she has been drawn to video games since she was a kid. And it’s a hobby she says has its benefits.

“Things really took off once I met my husband; we didn’t have a lot of money, so we would stay up and play video games together. To be honest, it was him working the controller and me shouting instructions — truly the beginning of a happy marriage.”

The female touch has permeated the gaming community. There are female-focused tournaments, such as the Halo 3-based Fight Like a Girl tournament that benefits breast cancer research; all-girl clans — including the PMS Clan and the Frag Dolls; and the development of many more women-centred games, such as Dance Dance Revolution.

“It’s interactive entertainment, and to me, that has a greater appeal than passive entertainment like watching TV,” says McIndoe.

Brenna Pierson, 23, says she also loves video games, especially the fast-paced frenzy of first-person shooting games. The Canadian turned her love of games into a part-time job in showbiz. Pierson toured Canada in 2007 representing G4 Tech TV, and trying to increase the gaming-focused TV station’s audience here.

She says she isn’t surprised that half of video gamers are women.

“I’m not surprised at all — we are starting to sweep the nation,” she says. “No matter what game I put in my 360, my Wii, even on my PC, there is always lots of girls. I’m glad that more women are getting involved in gaming, it’s so much fun.”

Despite their growing numbers, women are fighting for equality in the digital world, says Pierson.

“The problem today is that marketing is directed more toward males. They don’t make the games as appealing to women, so it’s hard for a non-gaming girl to really see what the appeal is,” she says.

Pierson, who grew up in Alberta, but now lives in New York City, first started playing video games after her dad bought her a Nintendo for her fifth birthday. She says the Internet has played a big role in the increased female presence.

“It brings together women from all over the world into one spot where they can relate to one another with no hassle,” she says.

She also says Nintendo’s latest console, the Wii, has drawn more women into the gaming world, partly because of the ease of its use. The motion-sensing controller has fewer buttons, and Nintendo has introduced games focused on Yoga and getting fit.

“[Wii] brought in a whole new generation of gamers,” says Pierson. “My grandma even plays, she loves bowling.”

Pierson encourages women to try playing.

“Don’t be afraid of what anyone is going to think, do it for yourself, it’s tons of fun,” she says.