New UK Gaming Addiction Center Uses 12-Step
Program [News]

The Telegraph reports that Britain has gone and opened its first computer rehab clinic Broadway Lodge in Weston-super-Mare, England.

The clinic — which treats hundreds of people addicted to gambling, alcohol and drugs as well as people suffering from eating disorders and co-dependency — employs an abstinence approach to breaking addiction. Additionally, they have detox programs and art therapy programs.

The clinic's website hasn't been updated to reflect its new computer addiction services — but the Telegraph reports the clinic's had success using the 12-step program similar to the one used by Alcoholics Anonymous to treat young adults.

But, before you cry out for the blood of people who unfairly cast World of Warcraft as an insidious, addictive substance — consider that the clinic's chief executive acknowledges that the game itself isn't the problem:

Mr Dudley believes treating game addiction needs a different approach to "conventional" vices like drink and drugs.

''Obviously this is the very early stages of researching how many youngsters are affected," he said. ''But I would stick my neck out and say between five and ten per cent of parents or partners would say they know of someone addicted to an online game. However, you can't simply say to a 23-year-old male 'you should never use the internet again'. It's just not practical. So we go through all the issues surrounding gaming use and ensure there are triggers through which an addict recognises their usage has become a problem."

See? Nice and rational. Let's just hope their treatment is equally rational — none of that electroshock crap that allegedly goes on in China.

Britain's first computer rehab clinic opens [Telegraph via GamePolitics]
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Shigeru Miyamoto Confirms Wii MotionPlus For Next
Zelda Game

The great Shigeru Miyamoto has officially confirmed that the next version of The Legend of Zelda on the Wii, will indeed use Wii MotionPlus for greater control in swordplay and more.

According to Shigeru Miyamoto, in this next installment of the legendary series, Nintendo is using Wii MotionPlus to make players feel much more like their actually fighting [...]

Read The Full Article:
http://site.video-game-central.com/blog/2009/11/03/shigeru-miyamoto-confirms-wii-
motionplus-for-next-zelda-game/

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GameStop: PS3, Borderlands & Scribblenauts Sales
Are "Strong" [Sales]

Post price drop sales of the PlayStation 3 in the United States appear to have giving the console "strong momentum" following a "strong surge" that should give the console a "very strong" October, according to GameStop VP Tony Bartel.

The vice president of merchandising and marketing tells IndustryGamers that GameStop has seen fit to use the adjective strong thrice in relation to the Triple's sales, a boost probably helped by the release of Uncharted 2: Among Thieves for the PlayStation 3.

Bartel has also handed out "strong" ratings to a few fall games that may or may not surprise you. He tells IGN that 2K Games' Borderlands is showing "strong legs" and is "a very strong title." Netting only one strong is Scribblenauts, "a strong game for the holidays" that will "transcend all boundaries." Presumably in a strong fashion.

That could be good news for 2K and Gearbox, as one friendly analyst theorized that Borderlands was "sent to die" this fall, despite Kotaku editor theories that heavy marketing and positive word of mouth could help make it a success. Following news of the game's scarcity at launch and Scribblenauts solid first month showing, that may not come as a surprise.

PS3 Sales 'Very Strong' Through October, says GameStop [IndustryGamers]
GameStop: Borderlands Has Strong Sales Legs [IGN]

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Miyamoto talks MotionPlus for next Zelda game

Following previous talk about how the next Wii Zelda game would utilize MotionPlus -- an accessory which has totally been worth the investment thanks to widespread support and clever implementation across a vast amount of titles -- Shigeru Miyamoto is ready to elaborate.

As reported by Game|Life, Miyamoto said during a Q&A session in Tokyo how the team is "using MotionPlus to make you feel much more like you’re actually fighting while holding a sword in your hand." Pretty much what we expected, right?

"In the previous game, you aimed at things by pointing at the screen, but this time we’ll use MotionPlus to create a much more convenient targeting system and a more pleasurable playing experience." Is that what we want from the next Zelda game? It's sounding more and more like MotionPlus will be a requirement.

Back around E3 2006, the description above would have perfectly meshed with my idea of what I wanted Twilight Princess to play like. Better late than never, especially when we're talking about a franchise as big as Zelda.

[Via Joystiq]

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Borderlands Glitch Watch 2009: Radeon-powered PC
crashes

Oh, poor little Borderlands -- Gearbox just can't catch a break! On top of the ongoing list of things that need to get fixed and the still unresolved character-nuking glitch on consoles, now PC players are starting to experience some serious issues. Specifically, the game is crashing for those who have certain ATI Radeon graphics cards.

Reader Bryan tipped us off to three different forums on Steam, AMD and Gearbox, where numerous users haven't even been able to get past the game's first mission. We've reached out to Gearbox for comment and will be sure to update the post when we hear back.

[Thanks, Bryan!]

Source - Steam forums
Source - AMD forums
Source - Gearbox forums

Borderlands Glitch Watch 2009: Radeon-powered PC crashes originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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What's in a name

I've got a bug in Ionic. It's with the little remote drones that collect the dropped guineas ( I thought guineas made a nice change to "Creds", plus I'd already done the spinning G graphic for the never to be released Orbs game I started on. The power-source you have to protect in the middle of your dreadnought in Ionic also funnily enough looks just like the orb from Orbs. No point wasting those pixels ).

Anyway, the drones are called "Chyrsus". It's from Greekmythology, and he ( It ? ) was the spirit of gold. Naming things is always animportant aspect of development for me, it helps settle things in my mind, it setsa tone, and I like that name ( Even though I had to check the spelling lots of timeswhen first getting used to it ).
It says what it is nice and succinctly.

Why am I even talking about this ? Yes partly 'cause our posts have dropped off recently,we're just having a boring phase where everything we do can just as easily be condenseddown to a 140 words and spat out over twitter (That's so cheap linking to our twitter account I know ) but partly because all thein-game help is done now.

All finished.

The snag is, no where in the docs do I explain the Chyrsus.

The game is quite word heavy, the detail is there if you want it. I've not explainedthe drones / guineas as I like to credit the end player with the intelligence to figurethings out ( Unless of course you're that first poster type on Kongregate. Anyonewho can post a comment within minutes of a game being uploaded is someone whose notactually taken the time to play the game they're so keen to say sucks. First posters,you may think you're the Billy Bollocks for getting there first, but I think it'sfair to say the majority of developers think you're a cock. And ignore your commentsanyway. Well done for "winning" though, good work on that ), and get that "Ah,I get it" moment that is the reward of sticking with something.

So no mention of the word Chyrsus anywhere in the game. Bit of an over sight ? Possibly.But I'd have to name it anyway, it needs a class name, and now it's our little secret.Think of reading the blog as buying the limited edition of the game, you're gettingthe inside scoop that other people miss.

And yes, right now I regret having a little green drone flying out of hatch to collectdropped coins instead of just adding them straight to your bank account like in othertower defense games. A drone with no name and a big fat bug.

Squize.

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Never Gonna Give You Up... [Note]

To: Ash
From: Crecente
Re: What You Call C3PO And R2-D2 When You Don't Know Star Wars

But I'm pretty sure I'll be letting you down. I do that. It's my thing.

So I spent 16 minutes last week trying to carefully dismantle a old wooden crate that was singly Rick Astley in the face... loudly. Sixteen minutes of the same song.

But it was worth it because:

A. I defeated Electronic Arts' playful little challenge about getting angry.

B. I eventually discovered a stripped down thumbdrive inside the box. When I connected it to my computer i found it had three copies of the song loaded on it. Hey, does this mean I can share these songs out to the Internet and EA would have to pay Rick Astley royalties?

Yes, please!

What you missed:
Dragon Age: Origins Review: Tripping The Blight Fantastic
Xbox 360 with $100 Card for $200 This Weekend?
Console Arcade, DJ Hero, Rock Band Set for Colorado Child's Play Fundraiser
The 10 Most Avidly-Played Wii Games In America (As Of Nov 1)
Kotaku Review Round-Up: Tekken, Forza, GTA And More
Dedication To Dedicated Servers Earns EA At Least 60 Bucks

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Tatsunoko vs. Capcom trading cards!! Yes!
Pre-order now!

Full disclosure: The excitement in the headline is phony. I won't pretend I'm interested in Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Ultimate All Stars, but I will say that many on our staff are. Like, obsessively interested in this game. At our anniversary party earlier in the year, they played the Japanese version of the title projected on the side of our office building... until 5am. The cops were called. 

So it was surprising when I let them know about this GameStop Tatsunuko vs. Capcom pre-order bonus -- you get eight collectible trading cards. I told them about this two days ago, yet no one seemed to care. This particular story sat in our queue, gathering dusts. So I asked again, "Really? No one wants this story?"

"Probably because it's just trading cards," replied Hamza. 

Uh, these aren't just trading cards. They're "collectible trading cards," part of a 12-card set featuring all of the game's heroes. 100 of them are even signed by the game's producer, Ryota Niitsuma. Neat, right? Tell Hamza he's wrong guys. Tell him how awesome these cards are. Do it for me.

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Initial Modern Warfare 2 budget was 'ridiculous'

During an interview with Develop, Infinity Ward's front-line man, Robert "fourzerotwo" Bowling, recalled the early planning stages of Modern Warfare 2. Unsurprisingly, publisher and owner Activision was eager to pour money into the development of the COD4 sequel, following the basic business formula: more money = better product = more sales = more money. Infinity Ward followed another school of thought: "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."

"Much like we don't let ourselves get distracted by hype, if you have excess you feel like you should use excess," Bowling said. Even though Activision "estimated out a ridiculous budget" early on, Infinity Ward "didn't let the budget affect [its] mentality." Since Infinity Ward apparently didn't take the money (or, at least, all of it), we do have a pretty good idea of what Activision spent it on: night-vision goggles for everyone!

Initial Modern Warfare 2 budget was 'ridiculous' originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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$25 Million In Left 4 Dead 2 Ads Gets You At
Least Two Trucks [Advertising]

Valve is earmarking an impressive $25 million in marketing to make sure that everyone with functioning eyes knows that Left 4 Dead 2 is coming this November. That includes at least two putrid trucks, dedicated to promoting the game.

One of those trucks was spotted by Kotaku reader Britt, who not only supplied us with photos and video of the four-wheeled Left 4 Dead 2 billboard, but did some research. Who's ready for some L4D2 fuel efficiency stats?!

"There are two trucks in the Seattle area, one in Downtown Seattle around UW, and one in Bellevue," writes Britt. "They started driving around yesterday, and are on the job for at least 1 month. The trucks are bio-diesel, but still only get about 13 MPG."

But wait, Britt got even more technical detail from driver Henry, who I'm sure is doing a bang up job of obeying speed limits and keeping an eye peeled for pedestrians.

"The trucks can hold a maximum of 10 shots, that cycle at 6 seconds. Though for L4D2, they just have 2 pictures at 10 seconds," Britt says, a fact that can be backed up by windy cell phone video, footage that's about as exciting as using one's scrollbar in the gallery below.

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