Back in June, I posted some screens and a bit of information regarding the new RPG from Lighthouse Interactive called AVENCAST: Rise of the Mage.Scheduled to release in October 2007 on the PC, this fantasy-based game developed by Clockstone Software has a seemingly strong adventure element with vast environments. AVENCAST: Rise of the Mage promises to have a multitude of dangerous quests, powerful relics to unearth, puzzle solving, and NPCs to interact with.

We have been an extended list of gaming features, and as always we have plenty of media for you to browse while waiting for this game to to hit shelves. Having personally watched the teaser trailer that was released today, not only is my interest piqued but it reminded me a bit of the console version of Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance which is a high compliment in my book. Hopefully I will be able to tell you more about the game the closer it gets to a release date, but at this point, it looks like another for me to put on my “must have” list. Check out a list of game features after the jump.

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Add yet another article to the list of those which state that violent video games will spawn more violence, but add to this Second Life spawning more perverts.

In an article for the Tapai Times, Peter Singer, professor of bioethics at Princeton University, makes the claim that the Second Life pedophilia debate has shifted attention away from the real culprit: violence. He argues the studies which link virtual violence to spawning real violence are stronger than those which suggest virtual acts of pedophilia spawn real acts of pedophilia.

I would love to believe that if we ceased to create violent video games that we would become a peaceful world. It would be nice if the solution were that simple. But why are we stopping at video games? Aren’t there films, books and television shows which display the same amount of graphic violence?

And let’s pretend we wiped out violent media all together. Might I ask what media human beings were watching or exposed to in the Dark Ages to make them so violent?

Can’t there just be crazy people? Yes, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold played Doom, but there’s a huge difference between those two individuals and other high school students: sanity. It’s a horrible tragedy, but what it comes down to is that they were two crazy teenagers who just went off.

God Bless us all, but let’s leave the First Amendment alone when it comes to making video games.

Let me go ahead and answer your first question. It’s not the as yet unnamed F.E.A.R. 2. What is it? It’s an upcoming standalone expansion for the original game. While the PC version will be a standalone purchase, the XBox 360 version will be available as part of F.E.A.R. Files. Both of these titles are scheduled to ship this fall,and both will include multiplayer support.

While visiting Sierra’s booth here at E3, I got the chance to sit down and get a look at Perseus Mandate. If you’ve been playing F.E.A.R., you know the general formula. You’re back on the job as part of the First Encounter Assault Recon team. While searching for your missing teammates, you encounter a lot of spooky supernatural beings that are trying to kill you. Sound familiar?

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This is too bad to be true.

Back in April, we showed you a teaser trailer for Postal, the next excrement pile of a “film” from “director” Uwe Boll, the “brains” behind Alone in the Dark and House of the Dead. Blech. Dear Lord is this teaser awful, just pitifully bad and offensive… I can’t get this taste out of my mouth. Anyway, Uwe Boll thinks Postal is just peachy creamy, right up there in the pantheon of great films like The Godfather and Ben-Hur. These next words came out of his filthy mouth (in German; this is a translation from BollBashers.com):

“POSTAL is my final statement. You can’t make a more radical movie… It’s one of the best films of all time! There is no way you can ignore POSTAL – it’s one of the funniest and most important films of the last decade!”

I wish it were his final statement. Too bad he’s also making BloodRayne II: Deliverance, something called Tunnel Rats and a film adaptation of Far Cry, the game known for its rendering engine. Let me guess, he’s going to shoot it with a zoom lens to get that feeling of looking at things really far away.

Everyone has a great story about their first game or a specific game that basically turned them into the gamer they are today. Here’s my story. Feel free to add yours in the comments. I’m definitely always curious what turned someone into a gamer. Without a doubt it my mind, Dragon’s Lair was that game for me. I was only 6 years old at the time, but it turned me into the gaming machine I am today. While most kids spent their entire allowances that summer on candy or movies, every last quarter I could get my hands on went into Dragon’s Lair.

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Whether you’re into collecting gold nuggets, rings, or axes, you’ll be pleased with this Monday’s new games for the Wii  Shop Channel. Nintendo has announced the release of three classic games for the Wii. As of 9 a.m. Pacific time this morning, Lode Runner, Sonic the Hedgehog 2, and Golden Axe II are available for download on the Wii Shop Channel. The titles range from 500 to 800 Wii points which can be purchased online or at a retail store.

Lode Runner® (NES®, 1-2 players, Rated E for Everyone, 500 Wii Points): The player controls the hero, or “Runner,” who collects gold nuggets located around every stage, all the while avoiding capture by enemy robots. The action itself is simple, but the stages are designed as increasingly challenging puzzles, and none of the 50 stages is as easy as it seems. In addition to normal play, this version of the game features an Edit Mode that allows players to design their own stages, adding a new level of enjoyment to the game.

Sonic the Hedgehogâ„¢ 2 (Sega Genesis, 1-2 players, Rated E for Everyone, 800 Wii Points): Dr. Eggman (aka Dr. Robotnik) is back to continue his zealous search for the Chaos Emeralds needed to fuel his new Death Egg contraption. This time he (Sonic) isn’t alone, as a peculiar two-tailed fox named Miles Prower (aka Tails) decides to aid him in the battle. Together they must locate the Chaos Emeralds before Dr. Eggman does, and put an end to his diabolical scheme.

 Golden Axe™ II (Sega Genesis, 1-2 players, Rated E10+ for Everyone 10 and Older – Fantasy Violence, 800 Wii Points): Dark Guld and his minions invaded and took hold of the prized Golden Axe with plans to destroy it. Once again, as a fierce barbarian named Ax-Battler, a fearless female Amazon known as Tyris-Flare or a ferocious dwarf named Gilius Thunderhead, you will wield steely swords and powerful magic in an all-out war to recover the sword.

Have fun questing for gold.

Game Music Central announced today that it would be releasing a compilation album, called “Best of the Best: A Tribute to Game Music.” The CD will feature music from composers that have worked on such games as God of War, Prince of Persia, World of Warcraft, and many others. The music will be all new performances of music inspired by some of the greatest games ever. Here’s the track list: Read the full article

A few weeks back, Sony distributed their ” SONY COMPUTER ENTERTAINMENT AMERICA PREVIEWS ROBUST SOFTWARE LINE UP FOR PLAYSTATION® PLATFORMS” . Although most of the news included is out there, I haven’t seen the full word for word document many places. The full statement in it’s entirety is listed below after the break. I think the PS3 is definitely headed for some good times in the future. Many critics have been extremely tough on the system, but only time will tell. They are obviously behind the curve right now, but I feel like the Nintendo Wii will eventually lose it’s hype and it will just be Sony and Microsoft on the field at that point.

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Uwe Boll is reportedly lining up a shoot this summer for a sequel to the Tara Reid/Christian Slater bomb, Alone in the Dark. Mercifully, Boll will only produce this $7.5 million mistake and will hand the directing chair over to someone else, since he’ll be on the set of the upcoming Far Cry movie. He intends to announce the director and casting sometime soon. His movie based on the game, Postal, is also due out this September.

Boll seems to be on a one-man crusade to ruin the chances for video game cinema. I don’t blame him totally though, since he’s the only person who seems willing to make movies based on games. Still, when your most successful film is Alone in the Dark, which continues to make several “Top 10 Worst Movies of All Time” lists, you should at least find another franchise to ruin.

Ok, I stated in a previous post that I would never pay full price for a Fatal Frame game. Not because they are not decent games, but I just cannot get the hang of that damn camera. Why can’t you wield a sword or at the very least a pointy stick? The FF games are freaky, and creeped me out more than once, but I think the creepiest part, other than the twins, was that you could make them wear bikinis. They are little girls for crying out loud you perverts. They can’t be more than thirteen. Fatal Frame IV should be out either late this year or next or even 2009, and I am sure there will be unlockable skimpy clothes for the female character(s).

Perversions and aversions aside, here is a list of the Top 25 Survival Horror Games (in no particular order). If you think one should be on the list or you disagree, please feel free to comment so I can delete it! Read the full article