The Art of Video Games

At the Smithsonian American Art Museum, March 16-Sept. 30, 2012

Confirmed cities on the exhibition tour include Boca Raton, Fla.; Seattle; Yonkers, N.Y.; Toledo, Ohio; Flint, Mich.; Memphis, Tenn.; and Miami, Fla.

More Info:
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-207_162-57399522/the-art-of-video-games

Court strikes down California video games law

Bob Egelko, Chronicle Staff Writer San Francisco Chronicle
Monday, June 27, 2011
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/06/27/BA9Q1K37ED.DTL

SAN FRANCISCO -- The U.S. Supreme Court struck down California's ban on selling violent video games to minors today, ruling that young people's access to even the most brutal onscreen mayhem is protected by freedom of speech.

By a 7-2 vote, the justices declared unconstitutional a law that has been blocked by court orders since it was passed in 2005.

It would have prohibited the sale to anyone younger than 18 of a video game that was so violent that reasonable people would consider it "patently offensive" under prevailing community standards for minors. Prosecutors would also have been required to show that the game lacked serious literary, artistic, political or scientific value.

Lower courts have unanimously overturned all such laws, passed by at least seven states and several cities. California asked the Supreme Court to chart a new course, arguing that laws restricting minors' access to sexually explicit material, which the court upheld in 1968, should be extended to violence - particularly to interactive media like video games.

Five justices, led by Antonin Scalia, flatly rejected that argument today.

In contrast to hard-core pornography, Scalia said, there is no "long-standing tradition in this country of specially restricting children's access to depictions of violence."

He cited examples ranging from the violence in fair tales like Snow White and Hansel and Gretel, who "kill their captor by baking her in an oven," to fixtures on high school reading lists such as the Odyssey and Lord of the Flies.

U.S. history is filled with examples of popular media being blamed for juvenile delinquency, from the cheap crime novels of the 1800s to the movies and comic books of the 20th century, Scalia said. He said studied offered by the state in defense of the law have shown, at most, that some users of violent video games feel more aggressive afterward - the same effect found in viewers of Bugs Bunny and Road Runner cartoons.

"California has singled out the purveyors of video games for disfavored treatment - at least when compared to booksellers, cartoonists and movie producers - and has given no persuasive reason why," said Scalia, who was joined by Justices Anthony Kennedy, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan in the opinion.

"A state possesses legitimate power to protect children from harm ... but that does not include a free-floating power to restrict the ideas to which children may be exposed," Scalia said.

Justice Samuel Alito, joined by Chief Justice John Roberts, said the California law should be found unconstitutional on narrower grounds - that it defined the prohibited games with terms such as "deviant" and "morbid," which they considered too vague. They said a more tightly written video games law, based on stronger research, might be constitutional.

In dissent, Justice Stephen Breyer said numerous researchers, supported by medical organizations, have concluded that ultra-violent video games can cause serious psychological harm to minors. He questioned the video game industry's claims of effectiveness for its voluntary rating system, and also questioned the logic of restricting minors' access to portrayals of nudity but not carnage.

"What sense does it make to forbid selling to a 13-year-old boy a magazine with an image of a nude woman, while protecting a sale to that 13-year-old of an interactive video game in which he actively, but virtually, binds and gags the woman, then tortures and kills her?" Breyer said.

Justice Clarence Thomas dissented separately, saying the Constitution, as he interpreted it, allows the government to prohibit any outsider from speaking to - or selling a product to - a minor without parental consent.

The ruling drew immediate condemnation from state Sen. Leland Yee, D-San Francisco, legislative author of the 2005 law.

"The majority of the Supreme Court once again put the interests of corporate America before the interests of our children," he said.

The video game industry called the ruling a vindication of free expression.

"This is a historic and complete win for the First Amendment and the creative freedom of artists and storytellers everywhere," said Martin Gallagher, president of the Entertainment Software Association, an industry group.

The ruling in Brown vs. Entertainment Merchants Association, 08-1448, can be accessed at www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/10pdf/08-1448.pdf.

E-mail Bob Egelko at begelko@sfchronicle.com.

Violent Video Game Ban Could Set Dangerous Precedent

http://www.pcworld.com/article/209595/violent_video_game_ban_could_set_dangerous_precedent.html

Violent Video Game Ban Could Set Dangerous Precedent
JR Raphael, PCWorld
Nov 2, 2010

Thank God Steve Jobs isn't on the Supreme Court.

Our nation's highest justices, you see, are in the midst of debating a case about violent video games. They're trying to determine whether the government has the right to decide which video games minors should and shouldn't be allowed to buy. In other words, they're trying to determine whether centuries-old guidelines about free speech still apply to modern forms of media like Playstations and Xboxes.

Their decision, needless to say, could have serious implications on the future of First Amendment rights. And I think we can all imagine how Steve Jobs would vote.

The Supreme Court Violent Video Game Case

The Supreme Court case revolves around a California law passed in 2005. The law makes it illegal for anyone to sell a video game deemed as "violent" to a minor. Breaking it would result in a fine of a thousand dollars per violation.

Thanks to legal challenges, the law has never actually gone into effect. And now, its fate rests in the hands of the high court justices.

We can only hope that the U.S. Supreme Court agrees with the federal courts that have struck down this law in the past. It isn't even limited to California; similar laws have been enacted in eight states overall, according to NPR, and have been deemed unconstitutional by federal judges in each instance. It's no small coincidence.

Let me be clear about one thing: I rarely play video games -- and I'm certainly not a minor -- but I have every reason to be concerned about this decision. And so do you.

Violent Video Game Ban: Questions and Concerns

Ultimately, the Supreme Court case comes down to the divisive question of how much the government should "protect" us from "offensive" materials.

Consider this: The video game industry has already established a ratings system similar to what we see with movies. If anything, it may be even more effective than its film-based cousin: A 2009 Federal Trade Commission report found only 20 percent of minors were able to purchase "mature"-rated video games, compared to 28 percent that were able to buy tickets to R-rated movies. Does the government really need to intervene and get involved? Isn't this system -- not to mention that silly ol' thing called parental supervision -- sufficient enough?

Principles aside, the violent video game law poses plenty of practical challenges. According to the law's wording, a violent video game would be defined as one "in which the range of options available to a player includes killing, maiming, dismembering, or sexually assaulting an image of a human being" in a manner that's "patently offensive," appeals to a person's "deviant or morbid interests," and lacks "serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value."

So who's going to make the call as to which video games are "patently offensive" and which aren't? Or, as Justice Antonin Scalia asked during the arguments, "What's a 'deviant' violent video game? As opposed to what -- a 'normal' violent video game?"

Like with Apple's arbitrary App Store approval system, we're looking at a purely subjective judgment. Unlike Apple's little world, however, this is the real government we're dealing with here -- and granting this type of power is a dangerous precedent to set.

"If you are supposing a category of violent materials dangerous to children, then how do you cut it off at video games? What about films? What about comic books?" asked U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

Supporters of the California video game law counter that argument with the notion that this scenario is different; because players are actively involved, they say, the violent acts are more damaging to their minds than the graphic violence in movies and on TV. They've even dug up some studies that suggest playing violent video games "increases aggressive thought and behavior" and "engenders poor school performance" in minors. Those studies, of course, conveniently make the mistake of assuming causation from correlation -- just because some kids who play video games also have behavioral problems doesn't mean that the video games caused those problems -- but hey, it's far easier to jump to that conclusion than to search for a real explanation.

Violent Video Game Ban: Broader Implications

Here's the kicker: Even if you accept the "video games are different" argument, opening the door to government-controlled content regulation is asking for trouble. Do we want to make the First Amendment a medium-specific form of protection? If evil, mind-warping video games warrant special consideration, what other modern media will need supervision next? Surely our smartphone app markets should be regulated too, right? There's an awful lot of interactive material there that we need to be protected from -- just ask you-know-who. If this law is green-lighted, we'd better brace ourselves for an awful lot of asterisks under America's "free speech" header.

Finally, with government-enforced fines on selling violent video games, how long will it be until the gaming industry itself starts to change? Forbes.com blogger Paul Tassi raises an interesting point:

"If video games are equated with pornography and it becomes a crime to sell them to minors, 'family-friendly' retailers might change their store policies and someone like Wal-Mart might ban all these games from their shelves entirely. This would in turn cause developers to tone down the violence in their titles to make sure that every outlet will sell them."

All factors considered, the outcome of this case is extremely consequential. When real world policies start to resemble those of Steve Jobs' world, there is definite cause for concern.

Contributing Editor JR Raphael writes plenty of things the state of California would find patently offensive.

A Nation of Gamers Feels Your Pain, Andy Murray

Robalini's Note: While it's tragic that Andy Murray lost his girlfriend over his videogame addiction, you at least have to admire a guy with his priorities. After all, even Jessica Alba would get boring after a couple hours. But Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 never gets dull...

http://www.sportingnews.com/blog/firstcuts/entry/view/45900/a_nation_of_gamers_feels_your_pain,_andy_murray

A Nation of Gamers Feels Your Pain, Andy Murray
Tuesday, December 01, 2009
Chris Littmann

Speaking as a man about town who spent probably six-to-eight hours on Sunday playing Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2's campaign mode, the following story comes as no surprise. Tennis star Andy Murray has split with girlfriend Kim Sears. No, there is no traffic accident, golf club or mistress involved here. He was spending too much time on his PlayStation 3 playing Modern Warfare 2.

Brad Gilbert, Murray’s former coach, has said in the past that Murray spends “seven hours a day” playing video games.

The source told The Sun: “He would spend all his time glued to them. In the end she just got fed up with it. She wanted more out of the relationship.”

However, the player’s agent told the paper that Murray “doesn’t play computer games any more than any other 22 year-old”.

Don't be so judgmental, Kim Sears. COD: MW2 is an immersive game and it's easy to lose track of time. Plus, if you don't stay sharp, that 14-year-old across the street will just keep picking you off with his sniper rifle AND I WILL NOT LOSE TO HIM AGAIN!

Ruling against age limit on game sales upheld

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/02/21/BAI9161PAJ.DTL

Ruling against age limit on game sales upheld
Bob Egelko, Chronicle Staff Writer
Saturday, February 21, 2009

SAN FRANCISCO -- California's ban on selling video games to minors is unconstitutional because even the most graphic on-screen mayhem is free speech, and there's no convincing evidence it causes psychological damage to young people, a federal appeals court ruled Friday.

"The government may not restrict speech in order to control a minor's thoughts," said the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco in upholding a federal judge's ruling against the law, which has never been enforced. Similar laws in other states have also been struck down.

The head of an industry group that challenged the law praised the court's "rejection of video game censorship." State Sen. Leland Yee, D-San Francisco, sponsor of the law, urged state officials to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.

"We need to help empower parents with the ultimate decision over whether or not their children play in a world of violence and murder," Yee said.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed the law in October 2005. It would bar the sale of an interactive video game to anyone under 18 if the game was so violent it was "patently offensive," according to prevailing community standards for minors, and lacked serious literary, artistic, political or scientific value.

'18' label on package

Those games would carry a large "18" label on their packages. Anyone who sold such a game to a minor could be fined as much as $1,000.

In defending the law, the state argued that violent content should be judged by the same obscenity standards as sex. Just as the government can prohibit the sale of explicit pornography to minors, state lawyers contended, it should be allowed to establish an adults-only category of ultra-violent video games.

The appeals court disagreed. A 1968 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that allowed tighter restrictions on selling explicit materials to minors than to adults applies only to sexual content and not to violence, the appellate panel said.

"The Supreme Court has carefully limited obscenity to sexual content," Judge Consuelo Callahan said in the 3-0 ruling. "We decline the state's invitation to apply the (same) rationale to materials depicting violence."

Video games, Callahan said, "are a form of expression protected by the First Amendment."

Callahan said the state could justify the law only by demonstrating that violent video games cause psychological harm to minors and that young people could be protected only by being banned from buying those games. She said the state had fallen short on both counts.

The state cited researchers' findings that youths who play violent video games are more likely to behave aggressively and get into fights. But Callahan said even some of the researchers acknowledged that their samples were too small to draw conclusions, that there was no proof video games caused violent behavior, or that the games affected minors differently from adults.

She also said the state had failed to show that there were no good alternatives to an outright ban on sales to minors. Callahan said such options include an educational campaign, technology that allows parents to control their children's access to video games, and the industry's rating system that includes an adults-only category.

The rating system, although it is voluntary, works well and is preferable to "state-sponsored nannyism," said Bo Andersen, president of the Entertainment Merchants Association, an industry group that sued the state.

Sellers said to be compliant

"Retailers are committed to assisting parents in assuring that children do not purchase games that are not appropriate for their age," Andersen said. He said independent surveys have found that sellers comply with the ratings 80 percent of the time.

But Deputy Attorney General Zackery Morazzini, the state's lawyer in the case, said a law restricting sales of violent games is far more effective than industry self-policing. He said the technological controls that the court cited as another alternative "can be easily bypassed by any kid with an Internet connection."

E-mail Bob Egelko at begelko@sfchronicle.com.

This article appeared on page B - 1 of the San Francisco Chronicle

Patterns

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/19/health/19patt.html

February 19, 2008
Vital Signs
Patterns: A Video Game, an M.R.I. and What Men’s Brains Do
By ERIC NAGOURNEY

Why does it often seem that men enjoy playing video games more than women? Perhaps because they do.

A new study finds that when men play the games, a part of the brain involved in feelings of reward and addiction becomes much more activated than it does in women.

This may explain why men are more likely to report feeling addicted to video games than women are, the researchers say in an online article in The Journal of Psychiatric Research. The lead author is Fumiko Hoeft of the Stanford University School of Medicine.

For the study, the researchers took a group of 22 young volunteers — half men, half women — and had them play a game as an M.R.I. machine looked at what was happening in their brains. The study found that in the men, there was much more activity in the mesocorticolimbic system.

Given the abundance in video games of violence and other themes near and dear to many men, there may be a natural explanation for why their brains light up more. But the senior author of the study, Dr. Allan L. Reiss, said the researchers made a point of steering the game they used in a more neutral direction.

The volunteers played a simple game in which they were told only to click the images of balls they saw, with no mention of a goal.

The players soon figured out that if they kept the balls from advancing too close to a wall, they gained ground. Both the men and the women did well — but the men did a lot better and appeared more motivated to acquire terrain.

Arcade Games Make A Comeback

http://videogames.yahoo.com/feature/arcade-games-make-a-comeback/1187268

Arcade Games Make A Comeback
Feb 15, 2008

When David Ellis was in high school, he, like millions of other teenagers, became mesmerized by videogames. That was back in the 1980s, however, when the most popular place to play a videogame was in an arcade.

These days, Ellis, who is today a game designer for North Carolina-based Vicious Cycle Software, is at the forefront of a very retro trend: installing those grand old game playing consoles at home. He bought his first game console, Star Trek: Strategic Operations Simulator, in 1997. Since then, Ellis has snapped up more than a dozen and has even written a book, The Official Price Guide To Classic Video Games. "I like the older games because they are so much more creative than what is in the arcades now. Today, everything is a fighting or shooting or driving game," he says.

Home entertainment today is squarely focused on the kinds of high-definition graphics offered up by systems such as the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3. The graphics and speed of those machines can't be matched by the arcade games of 30 years ago. But many people miss the thrill of arcade games--of getting swallowed up by the monstrous machines and immersed in the abstract graphics.

"These old-school games might not have the best graphics," says videogame industry analyst Billy Pidgeon of IDC. "But the game mechanics are sound, and the game play is a lot better than many of today's new titles. That game play lets the players hold on to their youth."

The golden age of arcade games, collectors generally agree, lasted from around the 1978 to the mid-1980s. Despite their size, arcade machines had only a dash of electronics--little more than a few circuit boards and a reasonably sized CRT monitor to show the action. The vivid and bigger-than-life artwork featured on the sides of the machines was never matched by what was on the screen--but it sparked the imagination and competitive juices of waves of teenagers.

"A big part of the appeal is nostalgia," says Rick Kirby, president of Betson Enterprise, in Carlstadt, N.J. For 70 years, Betson has been a major supplier of coin-op machines, including pinball, jukeboxes and of course videogame arcade machines to commercial businesses. More recently, Kirby says, he's seeing orders for machines from individuals, many of whom look to get a machine that reminds them of their youth. "The last few years, we've seen an all-time high in sales of machines for home use."

That nostalgia and passion for arcade games was even chronicled in last year's documentary film King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters, which focused on a cross-country duel between game rivals Steve Wiebe and Billy Mitchell as each competed to become the 2007 Guinness World Records holder for the high score in "Donkey Kong."

While Donkey Kong may have been one of the stars of a film, according to Kirby, there isn't as much interest in the great ape as there is another character from the early days: Ms. Pac-Man. At first merely an unauthorized sequel to "Pac-Man," this game became a bigger hit. Debuting in 1982, it scored points for girls' rights to play in the arcade. Today, restored "Ms. Pac-Man" machines are among Betson's top sellers.

"The combo 'Ms. Pac-Man' and 'Galaga' machine is certainly one of our most popular games," says Kirby. Original versions of classic arcade machines can be found for sale on sites including eBay for only a few hundred dollars.

Enthusiasm for arcade-style games isn't limited to teenage boys-turned-grownups. "The buyers of these machines are families, husbands and wives who grew up playing the games in the arcades and today want them for their game rooms," Kirby notes.

Collectors, such as the likes of Ellis, however, still revel in the vintage machines--even if they come encrusted with decades worth of spilled soda, old gum and scratches from the thousands of winners--and losers--of the past. "These were the games I grew up with, and I want the vintage machines," says Ellis. There is, he concedes, a downside to the classics: "The originals can break down, and collectors have to repair them."

As a result, many buyers today are snapping up modern versions of the classic machines. Those machines are pricier--often topping $2,500--but in many cases they can play up to 80 game titles. Having one machine--instead of say, 80--is a far more realistic option in most homes. And worrying about breakdowns becomes less problematic. "The modern machines are more reliable," says Kirby. "That is what we're seeing from many buyers. They want the game they remember, but they don't want to have to make it work."

Whether it is a modern version or an original from the 1980s, Ellis says that these games offer something that today's games on the PlayStation fail to deliver. "I can get the quick fix from these arcade machines. I can play for 10 minutes and have my gaming urge satisfied."

The Best Games of the Last Decade

http://us.i1.yimg.com/videogames.yahoo.com/feature/the-best-games-of-the-last-decade/1175626

The Best Games of the Last Decade
Dec 11, 2007

As we turn down the home stretch of 2007, the Internet is bound to start buzzing with year-in-review articles. And we're no exception. In the coming weeks we'll be unveiling our Game of the Year awards, which will surely include more than a few looks back at the year that was.

But before we make history, we figured it would be worthwhile to remember it. From Zelda to Oblivion, from Liberty City to Azeroth, the greatest games of the past ten years have thrilled players while slowly but surely making a lasting impact on the pop culture landscape. Spanning several generations of consoles and introducing a variety of brand new genres, here are our picks for the best games of the last decade.

Note: Because the nature of this kind of list is inherently exclusionary and incendiary, we've included a list of other titles that we strongly considered for each year. An argument can certainly be made for each of these games as well. Please, easy on the hate mail.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1997
Gran Turismo

The racing game genre can be comfortably split into two historical sections: the clunkers that came before Gran Turismo, and every racer that's tried to emulate it since. Polyphony Digital's driving masterpiece introduced the gaming world to hardcore tuning, realistic physics, and replays so eerily lifelike they could make a bad race look great. With an unheard-of 166 car lineup and depth equivalent to a solid RPG, it remains the most influential racing game of all time.

Other games of the year: Final Fantasy VII, Total Annihilation, Age of Empires, Goldeneye 007

1998
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

Welcome to gaming's second official Golden Age. 1998 was chock full of incredible, groundbreaking titles, every single one of which could easily make a case for Game of the Year honors. But there can be only one, and it's simply impossible not to choose Link's massive, legendary N64 journey. From its revolutionary targeting system to the sprawling Hyrule Field, Ocarina of Time remains the defining game in the Zelda mythos. And that's not just Yahoo's opinion - it's the highest-rated game ever according to both Metacritic and Gamerankings.

Other games of the year: Half-Life, Metal Gear Solid, StarCraft, Baldur's Gate, Grim Fandango

1999
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater

Trying to choose the best game of 1999 gave us fits. Noses were bloodied. Friendships were ruined. A chair actually went sailing through a window. But after cleaning up the rubble, it became clear that Tony Hawk's Pro Skater was the single best game of the year. Next to Madden, this might be the most innovative sports game ever. Its control scheme and gameplay system have been ripped off by scores of developers. People who had no business getting within 100 yards of a skateboard took to it like grip tape to a deck. Yes, the competition was fierce, but the game that launched one of the longest-running franchises ever deserves its due.

Other games of the year: Everquest, System Shock 2, Half-Life: Counter-Strike, Unreal Tournament, Rollercoaster Tycoon, Soul Calibur

2000
The Sims

We had no idea what to make of Will Wright's digitized dollhouse when it first invaded our PCs, but after countless hours spent poring over wallpaper, redesigning living rooms and, of course, forcing our beloved babies to mercilessly mingle, eat, work and pee, we knew it was a big deal. In addition to its profoundly addictive gameplay, it was one of the first serious efforts to bridge gaming's gender gap, proving a major hit with boys and girls alike. Truly no one escaped the clutches of The Sims in 2000 and few have escaped since, as it's currently the best-selling PC game of all time.

Other games of the year: Deus Ex, Diablo II, Perfect Dark

2001
Grand Theft Auto III

Talk about another tough call: 2001 brought home some of the biggest games ever to hit consoles, including such luminaries as the original Xbox killer-app Halo and the monstrous Metal Gear Solid 2. But when you talk about size, quality, and cultural impact, the conversation begins and ends with Grand Theft Auto III. Incredible, open-ended gameplay? Check. Seamless transition between on-foot and in-car action? Check. Trailblazing soundtrack? Check. Never before had an action game offered so much freedom, fun and brutality in one controversial package. Welcome to the jungle, Rockstar.

Other games of the year: Halo, Black & White, Metal Gear Solid 2, Jak & Daxter

2002
Battlefield 1942

A year o' plenty, 2002 offered terrific experiences spanning every platform. No game, however, was more instrumental to the decline of general productivity than Battlefield 1942. Its contributions to online shooting are immense; capturing spawn points and trudging through land, sea and air in one cohesive game world was simply not part of the landscape prior to 2002 (Codename Eagle, the little-known game BF 1942 was based on, being the exception). Though hampered by a bland single-player experience, its multiplayer was so addictive and revolutionary that it's one of the most commonly referenced PC games ever.

Other games of the year: Warcraft III, Metroid Prime, Neverwinter Nights, GTA Vice City

2003
Star Wars: Knight of the Old Republic

By the time ace role-playing game developer Bioware turned their considerable talents towards Microsoft's Xbox, they has already created a lasting legacy with legendary PC RPGs like Baldur's Gate and Neverwinter Nights. Shifting away from Dungeons & Dragons in favor of George Lucas' licensed universe proved to be a fantastic decision; the original Knights of the Old Republic remains the best Star Wars game ever made and one of the chief reasons to own an Xbox.

Other games of the year: The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker, Call of Duty, Beyond Good & Evil

2004
World of Warcraft

By 2004 many gamers had invested in home consoles and let their PCs slip into a state of semi-consciousness. That turned out to be a costly mistake, as both World of Warcraft and Half-Life 2, two of the best PC games of all time, launched a mere nine days apart. The former, though, would turn into a cultural phenomenon, introducing hordes to the Horde with its brilliantly streamlined interface, simple yet gorgeous delivery and almost frighteningly addictive gameplay. Three years after its initial release and it's still far and away the cream of the MMORPG crop.

Other games of the year: Half-Life 2, Doom 3, GTA: San Andreas, Halo 2

2005
Resident Evil 4

This was really a two-horse race, but even Kratos' bloodthirsty tale of vengeance couldn't quite hang with Capcom's innovative, awe-inspiring Resident Evil 4. Switching the camera from the classic third-person behind view to a more engaging over the shoulder shot was inspiration at its finest, turning what some had considered a weakening survival-horror franchise into the most gripping game in ages. But more amazing than the awesome control, mood, environments and bosses was the fact that it initially shipped for the third-place console of its day, the Nintendo Gamecube.

Other games of the year: God of War, Shadow of the Colossus, Battlefield 2

2006
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion

There are big games, there are huge games, there are epic games, and then there's Oblivion. The fourth official installment in Bethesda's critically-acclaimed open-ended role-playing series was so unbelievably large, you could drop 100 hours without moving the main plot forward whatsoever. Heck, you could spend a day just picking flowers to turn into potions. Oblivion improved upon every facet of earlier Elder Scrolls games with better combat, better visuals and a better interface. And there was no better game in 2006.

Other games of the year: Okami, Gears of War, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

Video Game VIPs

http://us.i1.yimg.com/videogames.yahoo.com/feature/video-game-vips/535953

Video Game VIPs
Nov 2, 2007

Hanks. Nicholson. Streep. You need to open a film, you bring in the bigwigs. Silver screen A-listers determine the tone and timbre of the Hollywood heartbeat, selling more overpriced buckets of popcorn than the entire Redenbacher clan. One DeNiro is worth, like, twenty Jason Schwartzmanns.

The same goes for video games. While we all clamor for more original products and new franchises, it's important to honor the select few that, at the end of the day, truly make the virtual world go round. We tip our caps to these groundbreaking characters; without them, we'd all still be named "Player 1."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mario
He's the captain of the football team, the lovable older brother and the feared CEO wrapped up in one chubby little package. Exactly how popular is Nintendo's favorite son? That's hard to quantify, but a study conducted in 1990 by Marketing Evaluations found that the plump plumber was more recognizable to kids than - wait for it - Mickey "I Used to Run This Town" Mouse. Heck, he's been the unofficial president of the video game industry for so long, his reign can almost be considered a dictatorship. But a nice one, for sure.

Believe it or not: Mario wears a hat because designer Shigeru Miyamoto had a hard time drawing hair.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Solid Snake
Based not-so-loosely on Escape from New York's gruff protagonist Snake Plissken, the Metal Gear mercenary has saved the world from giant mechanical nukes so many times, he deserves a lifetime Caribbean vacation package. Though his career began as a lowly rookie member of the special-forces unit FOXHOUND, his stunning turn in Metal Gear Solid for the Playstation turned him into an enigmatic action star. And with the upcoming Metal Gear Solid 4, the elderly soldier will battle both conventional enemies and video game ageism by tackling obstacles as a gray-haired retiree.

Believe it or not: If you see him on the street, call him by his real first name - David.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sonic the Hedgehog
When upstart Sega decided to challenge Nintendo's console dominance at the end of the 1980s, gamers scoffed. Sure, the Sega Genesis was a cool rig, but it had no character, no pizzazz. In a word, no Mario. So Sega did what any enterprising company would do - they drew up their own mascot, one that was bigger, stronger and faster. A lot faster. Sonic roared into our homes and completely changed the way we looked at platforming games, turning Mario's mellow coin collecting into a frantic dash for gold rings. Though his popularity has waned over the years, we tip our hat to the first mascot who had the cajones to run against Nintendo. (Interestingly, he'll be running with the company in a few weeks.)

Believe it or not: In his short-lived animated show on ABC in the mid-90's, Sonic was voiced by none other than Jaleel "Urkel" White.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Master Chief
Got some Covenant in your closet? Then call Master Chief, the world's foremost authority on alien extermination. A man of few words, the silent giant is THE video game star of the new millennium. Enjoying more product endorsements than half of the NBA, Halo's hero is a money-making machine, helping save the underprivileged brass at Microsoft from the poor house by raking in enough money to actually scare normally unflappable film execs. Now that's a player.

Believe it or not: In full armor, Master Chief stands seven feet tall and weighs a whopping one thousand pounds.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lara Croft
What can we say? She's the Angelina Jolie of video games. The worldly action heroine gives the image of the uptight, stuffy British noblewoman a black eye, routinely risking life and limb to secure lost treasures locked away in ancient ruins, steam liners, mansions, jungles, and of course, tombs. A star among stars, she's been portrayed by no less than nine famous models, voiced by Minnie Driver, and even shared the stage with Bono during U2's PoPMart tour in the late '90s. Not too shabby for a cold-blooded killer.

Believe it or not: Lara is in the Guinness Book of World Records as "the most successful human video game heroine."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Link
Trouble-prone Princess Zelda owes more than just her kingdom to perpetual adventurer Link - she owes him every measly fan letter she's ever received. Time and again Link must rescue the eponymous ruler of Hyrule from some ungodly fate, yet somehow she gets top billing while Link gets stuck with the bill. It's not fair, but the squeaky clean star never complains, instead delivering awesome adventure after awesome adventure and cementing his status as the best good guy in gaming.

Believe it or not: Link was initially written as being left-handed.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ms. Pac Man
Okay, so she's really just Pac-Man with lipstick, an eyeball and a bow (and eerily sexy legs in the key art). But there's simply no denying the fact that the missus has outperformed her iconic Mr. when it comes to contemporary street cred. Walk into any bar in America and chances are pretty good that you'll find a Ms. Pac Man machine instead of plain old Pac-Man. Why? Because it's simply a better game - with 6 different mazes, more randomized ghost movement and bouncing fruit, it's actually still quite fun. Score one for the ladies.

Believe it or not: Ms. Pac Man started off as an unauthorized bootleg of Pac-Man called Crazy Otto.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Kratos
Revenge is a dish best served cold, and there's no better pantry chef in the business than the determined demigod Kratos. In only two PS2 outings, he took down the god Ares, swore vengeance against his father Zeus and even escaped from Hell. Talk about a one-track mind. But while most of his in-game actions were born out of selfishness and runaway pride, he's gifted gamers with some of the most divine (and oft-copied) gameplay of all time. Besides, we couldn't keep this brute off the guest list if we tried.

Believe it or not: A God of War film adaptation is in the works with a tentative release date of 2008.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gordon Freeman
In his ten-year career, the elusive star of the vaunted Half-Life series hasn't spoken a word. Not one syllable. Nor has he stared into a mirror. In fact, the only time we even catch a glimpse of Gordon is during the original game's expansion Half-Life: Blue Shift. But by allowing us to experience every minute of Half-Life through Gordon's eyes - including the in-engine cut scenes, a stroke of genius - Valve has unwittingly created the most relatable character in the history of the medium.

Believe it or not: Gordon is named after real-life physicist Freeman Dyson.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ryu / Ken
We still can't tell the difference between these two, so they both get in. The dynamic duo of Street Fighter fame revolutionized gaming by introducing what is now considered the core control mechanic for the fighting genre: Quarter-circle forward = fireball! They've appeared in ever Street Fighter entry (including the long-forgotten arcade version) as well as every Vs. crossover game. While the Street Fighter series has sort of plateaued over the past several years, Ryu and Ken's archetypal impact is still felt far and wide. Hadooken!

Believe it or not: The original Street Fighter coin-op featured punchable pads rather than conventional buttons...until they broke.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
And lest we forget the SIPs (Somewhat Important People):

Mega Man
In Japan, he's called Rock Man. In America, he's called a hit franchise.

Samus Aran
The maiden of Metroid has more tricks up her robotic sleeve than David Copperfield.

Duke Nukem
The first FPS superstar kicks ass and chews bubble-gum. Pray he isn't out of bubble-gum.

Crash Bandicoot
Sony's original mascot has seen better days, but he almost gets in on the strength of those awesome commercials alone.

Cloud Strife
Dumb name, great game. The hero of Final Fantasy VII introduced a generation to materia, Shinra, and those pesky Chocobos.

Donkey Kong
Remember when he was an imposing, barrel-lobbing kidnapper? Now he wears a necktie and no pants. How the mighty have fallen.

Kirby
Equal parts gumball and vacuum cleaner, Nintendo's puffy pink poof is flirting with the big time.