Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama talked about gaming, television, and entertainment’s effect on education and how the importance of school has to be emphasized at a recent stop in Indianapolis. He specifically made reference to Grand Theft Auto IV (you may have heard of it), although he talked about games in general as well:

“I was just catching the news this morning about Grand Theft Auto, alright, this video game, which is gonna break all records, and make goo-gobs of money for whoever designed it. Now, this isn’t intended for kids, I understand, although I promise you there will be kids who are playing it. But, those video games are raising our kids.

“It just reminded me, video culture, TV culture - across the board - middle class, upper class, working class kids, they’re spending a huge amount of time, not on their studies, but on entertainment.

“And so part of our job is gonna have to be to inspire the entire country to say how are we giving our kids a thirst for knowledge, and turning off the TV set, and getting them to be engaged and interested and really feel… that their future really does matter on how well they do in school.”

It’s true that a lot of parents try and let games and entertainment raise their kids instead of doing it themselves, and I don’t think it’s an attack on video games as much as Obama saying games shouldn’t detract from things like education. Michelle Obama, his wife, also clarified that this applied to “not just one specific game.”

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One of the problems with being a (relatively) young gamer is the inability to get excited about older pop culture references and inspirations in the gaming industry. Such is the problem with the recent announcement of a Doctor Who Video game. I’m sure there are plenty of people that couldn’t be more thrilled that the long running British TV series is getting a video game title. But me? I really couldn’t care less. Don’t get me wrong, I’ll give the game a chance when it comes out, but there’s absolutely no hype in it whatsoever for me.

The details are sparse as of now, as an Eidos representative said they “haven’t announced a release date at the moment. It’s not too far away.” What we are sure about, however, is the game will be playable on the PS2, DS, and PC. More details will be posted as they come along.

[Via videogaming247]

Yesterday, I told you guys I would be buying LOST: Via Domus no matter how horrible it turned out being.

After an annoying experience at Best Buy and sixty dollars emptied from my wallet, I’ve kept true to that promise and the game is sitting on the title screen as I type this.

Now, I won’t be reviewing it … so how will you know how bad (or good, but that is really less likely) it is? Well, in what I hope turns out to be a regular feature by our various editors, I am going to liveblog my journey (followed by a brief summary) through LOST: Via Domus right here and right now for you guys. As I play through the game, this post will be updated as frequently as humanly possible. Lets begin, shall we?

Updates will start flowing in a few minutes.

*WARNING: SPOILERS*
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Let me admit something - I’m a rabid LOST fanboy. I believe it’s the greatest thing to ever air on TV and every week I tune in and obsess over just what the hell is happening on the island.

When Ubisoft first announced a game based on the show using the Far Cry engine, I was skeptical. Months went by with practically no new info, up until a month ago when Eurogamer and Gamespot both posted positive previews of the game. I’ve had high hopes for it ever since reading those previews, but the game releases tomorrow and now that some people have gotten their hands on it, things aren’t so pretty. Just take a look at the above (hilarious) video.

Yeah, it’s looking to be shit, but the fanboy inside of me who would probably suck JJ Abrams off to get the answers to LOST is going to f*cking buy it tomorrow… and I’ll probably delude myself into thinking it’s the best game ever.

P.S.: Yeah, I’m pathetic.

Yesterday afternoon 27-year-old Steven Kazmierczak shot multiple people at Northern Illinois University, killing five, injuring many more, and finally committing suicide. It is a national tragedy, and just like with Virginia Tech Jack Thompson has decided to exploit it in his crusade against violent video games. With no indication whatsoever that gaming was involved or the shooter even played games, Jack Thompson appeared on Fox News as “someone who has studied campus shootings” to share his unfounded opinions on what was behind it. Based only his belief that violent games make people far more likely to do this kind of thing and “the attire” of the shooter, he thinks video games were connected. He says “you can rehearse these type of massacres on simulators which are called video games,” making it seem as if video games are nothing more than massacre simulators. He even manages to get a plug in for his book.

Until there is reasonable evidence that gaming was directly involved, and I doubt there will be, it’s nothing more than video game fear mongering and baseless assumptions.

As Kwech so elegantly stated before, gaming is enduring a big surge thanks to the ongoing Writers’ Strike. But not only are ordinary people like you and me playing more games, but so are celebrities. In the latest issue of Entertainment Weekly, gaming pops up in various places as a method of surviving the strike.

Conan O’Brien, already an outspoken fan of Rock Band, documents his attempts at Halo 3’s multiplayer in his strike diary:

DAY 37
I turn my back on TV and venture off into uncharted territory: Halo 3. I enthusiastically shoulder my rifle and begin my virtual campaign to defend Earth. Within the hour I’ve been shot in the face six times by a 9-year-old Dutch boy named DeathGiver23.

His encounter is probably not an exaggeration.

Neil Patrick Harris (known to most people for his stunning portrayal of Neil Patrick Harris) also offers some advice. He recommends to “Work on your Wii skills. And I don’t mean the bathroom kind. The videogame kind. I’m partial to carnival games- the ringtoss and the dartboard and all of those. And you don’t have to pay three dollars to throw.”

And finally, those gods amongst men over at Penny Arcade get a shout-out as well, earning the number one spot on EW’s list of ways to get your entertainment fix online.

As much as I can’t stand House being off the air, it looks like the writers’ strike is the best thing to happen to the video game industry.

Although the channel is filled with horrific programming that has nothing to do with gaming whatsoever, G4TV is planning on revamping their only video game related show, X-Play, and turning it to a block of television that will provide gaming news, reviews, tips, and other bits, that’ll give G4TV a bit more credit for being “TV for gamers.” Kyle Orland got a chance to interview Adam Sessler on the new revamped X-Play, and reveal a bit more about the show’s new style.

Sessler talks about the revamping of the show:

This is the show I’ve always wanted to do. Obviously I’m very, very deep in games, and I find that many aspects of the industry that are newsworthy are very interesting to cover, and I’d like to get in the middle of it. I happen to like our show’s perspective when it comes to reviewing games, and I think we can offer that exact same perspective as to events inside the industry.

Sessler also comments about G4 and all of its crap:

I think [covering] games 24/7 would always be a little bit tough. You see other kind of genre-focused networks out there, they have to start rehashing and rehashing and rehashing. I’d just as soon see a network with a lot of fresh content that’s not always consistent on one topic rather than the same three hours repeated ad nauseum.

The new X-Play will premiere on Jan. 14, 2008. The show will now be airing 5 days a week. Oh, and fans of the odd humor of the show don’t need to panic. Sessler says “there’s still going to be comedy.”

I enjoyed Rainbow Six Vegas, so I was excited when the sequel was announced. Vegas is just such a bright and vibrant backdrop for a shooter, and the tactical gameplay fit great with the city. Now, thanks to the Spike Video Game Awards, there’s a trailer for Rainbow Six Vegas 2 (embedded above). Unfortunately, it doesn’t show a whole lot that actually pertains to the game it is supposed to be showing. It starts out with live-action, talking about what Vegas is, and there’s some scantily clad women thrown in to keep your attention while you wait for something interesting to happen. Sure, there’s nothing wrong with throwing some boobs in game trailers (I actually recommend it), but all the live-action stuff isn’t necessary and I was hoping for more game footage.

Finally at the end they show more than just actors and close up shots of cards and chips, but it is brief and really doesn’t show much. The far too cliche announcer doesn’t help, and it comes off more like a cheesy Hollywood movie preview. It wasn’t too bad, but I was hoping for much more and it doesn’t really help hype the game up. Hopefully they release another trailer soon, but with lots of gameplay and action instead of what this trailer had. Well, except for the boobs. Those can stay.

[UPDATE: Unfortunately for anyone who wanted to see it but fortunately for Ubisoft, it appears GameTrailers took down the video, probably because almost every site that posted it thought it really wasn't that good. I've embedded the same trailer on a different site above, so hopefully this one stays.]

The above video is a report on the racist comments in Halo 3. While it’s not the most thorough (“Online games like Xbox…”), it does an okay job. It mentions that XBL has parental controls and interviews an inspector from the Illinois Attorney General’s office advocating that parents need to be educated about the games their kids are playing.

But for every ten seconds that the inspector is on, there’s a minute devoted to playing and bleeping out all of the inappropriate comments, and another minute relegated to listing all of the molestations and kidnappings that happen because of XBL. The story could have shown how to turn on parental controls instead of just showcasing bimbo trophy wives who can’t turn on their own microwave.

I loved the part where they showed gamers waiting outside a store with the hazy drug filter. So true!

The reporter showed a few glimpses of hope, but in the end, it’s pure fear-mongering.

[Update: Obviously, Viacom does not want anyone to stream this episode. Go find it somewhere else.]

The latest episode of South Park was absolutely pure genius. It fully captured both the appeal, and the absurdity of the game. Who knows how long it will take before the franchise goes acoustic and we write out notes on the Green-Orange scale instead of the A-G scale?

Anyway, if you live in a cave or just don’t have cable, I’ve attached the second half of the episode after the jump.
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Straight from the mouth of the beast, that is Trey Parker and Matt Stone, creators of the Comedy Central hit South Park, comes word that this week’s episode will have a plot centered around Guitar Hero. As you may have noticed, there has been much controversy over the newly released Guitar Hero III, and I’m sure that South Park will just increase that. According to the creator’s website:

Obsessed with the Guitar Hero video game, Stan and Kyle make a great team and score record points when they play. Stan realizes he has the potential for enormous success if he plays with another partner. He and Kyle break up but, without his friend, Stan quickly folds under the pressure of being a rockstar.

I loved South Park’s previous ventures into the world of gaming (what with the PSP, Wii and most notably World of Warcraft), and this should not disappoint. Be sure to tune in to Comedy Central on Wednesday night at 10pm to catch it!

Battlestar Galactica is one of my favorite shows ever, and when I first heard that they were bringing a game based on the show to Xbox Live Arcade, I was pretty excited. Unfortunately, early previews seemed to imply that it was essentially Wing Commander Arena with Battlestar ships, and much of my enthusiasm for the game died.

The good news is that now that the game is out and I’ve had a chance to play it, it really is a much better experience than WCA and actually a decent use of the license.

Read more of my review after the jump.

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The writers of NBC’s Emmy-winning show, My Name Is Earl, obviously love the Guitar Hero franchise. It got mention in last season’s episode where Earl got his G.E.D., and it makes an appearance again in the third season.

This clip shows Earl’s prison warden not only playing the unreleased Guitar Hero III, but using the new Gibson Les Paul controller. Obviously, the guy in the video has a special talent of playing on Expert without looking at the screen.

Now if I could just beat GH2 on Hard….

On an episode of Conan O’Brien a few days ago, Conan is giving God a haircut when God brings up Halo 3 - the video of which is embedded above for you to watch. Even God can’t resist some good old trash talking Xbox Live style.

Kotaku reader, p00pzilla, has found a pretty cool easter egg in Half-Life Episode 2. There’s a symbol that looks a lot like the one of LOST’s Dharma Initiative logos. There was also an email from another fellow Kotaku reader that explained how he saw the string of numbers, “4 8 15 16 23 42,” on a CRT computer screen in the game. It’s pretty cool to see the Half-Life developing team are fans of ABC’s LOST television series.