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August 29, 2005
Buckle Up
We're always on the lookout for cutting-edge fashion -- and sadly, in the video game biz, that's kinda hard to come by. For many gamers, at least the guy types, a steady diet of XXL game t-shirts seems to fit the bill.
But now the groovy peeps at NESBuckle.com have a line of funky belts made out of old console controllers. They started with the classic NES controller, which we see used a lot today -- probably because of its retro '80s lines and color scheme. Now they've gone and bunch of new designs, including an Atari 2600 joystick and a Sega Genesis controller.
Link: http://www.nesbuckle.com
Posted by gamegal at 01:04 PM | Comments (0)
August 17, 2005
Reflexive Love Links
Thanks to one of our favorite GameBlogs, Joystiq, for commenting on, and linking to, our article about the problems women face on Xbox Live. From the Joystiq entry:
"A lot of the people I've encountered [on Live] in general have been complete and utter asshats. You've got sore losers, idiotic winners, cheats, hackers, dunces singing at the top of their voices, homophobes and rascists. The list goes on. Whenever I've played with female gamers I personally don't bat an eyelid, but I have encountered others giving asking idiotic, rude and downright immature comments."
Link: http://www.joystiq.com/entry/1234000220054815/
Link: I'm the Pink One: Women on Xbox Live
Posted by gamegal at 03:52 PM | Comments (0)
August 15, 2005
Fold Your Own Game Boy Micro
Everyone seems to have this link today, so we'll just add to the mix. A Japanese site has a paper cut-out diagram you can download and print out of a Game Boy Micro - the new mini GBA console due out soon from Nintendo.
It's basically just a black-and-white PDF, but it's kinda cute. We got to play with a Micro at E3 a few months ago, and they actually seem pretty cool. We'll never know who had this link first, so we'll just mention that we've seen it here, here and here, but there's probably a bunch more out there.
Link: http://njoy.pekori.to/image/gameboymicro.pdf
Posted by gamegal at 12:47 PM | Comments (0)
Girls on Xbox Live
Guest columnist Bonnie Ruberg checks in with The Gal to fill us in on her adventures on Xbox Live. From online harassment to guys who take it too easy on girl gamers, it seems like it can impossible for girls on Xbox Live sometimes. Check out Bonnie's article for the highlights and lowlights from the world of online gaming.
Link: I'm the Pink One: Women on Xbox Live
Posted by gamegal at 12:39 PM | Comments (1)
August 10, 2005
Hot Coffee Goes Cold
If you can't handle the pressure of knowing that somehow, someday, you may give in to temptation and download the Hot Coffee mod for your PC version of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, Rockstar Games has a solution for you.
This handy patch will prevent the Hot Coffee mod from making the game's ribald deleted content accessible, making your robbing, killing and maiming experience safe for family viewing. As Rockstar points out (in perhaps the clearest, most rational description we've seen to date):
If you play the game as bought in the store, without modifying it, you will not encounter the 'hot coffee' scenes. They are not accessible in the retail version of the game. Playing an unmodified installation of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas there is absolutely no way to gain access to the "Hot Coffee" scenes. It is only through the use of downloadable files or through direct, difficult, and intentional modification of various game files that these scenes become available.If you have no idea what we're talking about, don't sweat it, it's only the biggest video game story of the year, trumping even the Xbox 360 and PS3. Here's some background reading if you need to catch up.
Link: http://www.nomorehotcoffee.com/
Posted by gamegal at 12:11 PM | Comments (0)
Atari Founder Entices Girl Gamers with Restaurant Chain
Tech publisher Ziff Davis (note: Libe works for ZD) recently held a Gaming Summit in Sonoma, California where Nolan Bushnell, best known as the founding force behind Atari, talked about his plan to open a chain of video-game restaurants, aimed at women.
This may not be as crazy an idea as it seems, because Bushnell has a little experience in the chain restaurant world, having previously created Chuck E. Cheese (bet you didn't know that).
The first of the Media Bistro restaurants (no connection to the popular NYC journalism site) is set to open in Los Angeles in November.
Link: http://blogs.mercurynews.com/aei/2005/08/ziff_davis_game.html
Posted by gamegal at 12:09 PM | Comments (0)
Women + Games = Conference
On September 10, the newly formed Women In Games International group will gather for five hours in Seattle to discuss how women can break into the games industry and other work-slash-lifestyle issues, like how to balance work and non-work so you don't end up a parody of the stereotypical game maker, sleeping under your desk and subsisting on Dominosand Krispy Kremes.
Microsoft Game Studios will be the big-name sponsor along with Mary Margaret Walker, CEO of HerInteractive Intertainment (OK, I admit I love those Nancy Drew games) and Sheri Graner Ray, THE expert of experts when it comes to women and gaming.
Best of all-the entire conference doesn't cost a dime, so for game chicks in the Seattle area, no excuses.
More on the Women In Games International Conference.
Posted by gamegal at 10:43 AM | Comments (0)
August 07, 2005
Women's Gaming Article
Gaming website Game-Instructions.com has an article about our favortie topic, Women and Gaming, up on their site. It's called "Women in gaming and women's gaming conferences," and it's about how too many things like women's gaming conferences may serve to actually keep women sidelined in the gaming world by branding them with "outsider" status. (That's why we always keep things casual and inclusive here at The Gal). Here's a quote:
Drawing attention to the notion that women and games is an almost aberrant combination is damaging. It is not an effective way to fix any existing problems or even to continue the forward momentum of any improvements that have been made. In the mindset of the women attending these gatherings and the gaming community at large, it only further ingrains the idea that women are an ‘other.’
Check out the full article at the link below.
Link: http://www.game-instructions.com/articles/women-gaming-conferences/
Posted by gamegal at 11:58 PM | Comments (0)
August 03, 2005
GameGal in St. Petersburg Times
Another week, another media plug for your favorite website. This one is actually from last month, but we just found the link recently. Libe was interviewed by a writer for the St. Petersburg Times (a pretty big Florida daily newspaper) about the growing number of girl gamers out there.
"It's becoming a part of mainstream entertainment culture," said Libe Goad, 31-year-old founder of the video game news and review site GameGal.com. "The more women that are around it, the more likely they're going to be to pick it up and check it out."
Read more at the two links below (same article, two different titles).
Link: http://www.sptimes.com/2005/07/09/Business/A_woman_s_KA_POW.shtml
Link: http://www.tampabay.com/entertainment/story.cfm?storyid=135275
Posted by gamegal at 12:50 PM | Comments (0)
August 01, 2005
GameGal's Coded Arms (PSP) Contest
Just in time for your next summer roadtrip, GameGal and Konami are teaming up to bring you a chance to win a Coded Arms prize package for your PSP.
Coded Arms is the very first first-person shooter for the Sony PSP handheld system, so click on the link below to get to our handy contest entry form! (Contest ends 8/5/2005, one entry per person, please.)
Link: http://www.gamegal.com/codedarms/
Posted by gamegal at 02:50 AM | Comments (0)