Gaming

A lot of people have the best intentions when it comes to a regular exercise regime, but sticking to it is another matter. With America's obesity epidemic, it's more important that ever to think outside of the box and find what works for you when it comes to exercise. Could America find this in the form of a video game console?

When the Nintendo Wii came out at the end of 2006, I thought it was a lot of hype. I quickly got bored of Wii Sports and was pretty sure that the people saying the Wii was a new kind of "active" video gaming experience weren't exactly hard-core athletes. Given this perception and just the difficulty of finding one, I hadn't really considered getting a Wii...until now.

Fast forward to last month when Wii Fit was released in North America. With the introduction of an interactive fitness experience and the Wii Balance Board, the Wii has turned into a virtual personal trainer. With a variety of activities like yoga, strength training, aerobics, and balancing exercises, there's tons of things to keep even the most anti-exercise person entertained.

Wii Fit is just the beginning of using the Wii for fitness. Jillian Michaels from The Biggest Loser is putting her name on a boot-camp style game, Jillian Michaels' Fitness Ultimatum 2009, due out for Christmas. Likely to be more challening than Fit, this game may open up even serious athletes to the idea of using the Wii to keep in shape. Also, Electronic Arts announced that they are developing a more Western-style fitness game as opposed to the Fit's Eastern approach.  read more »

I love seeing female lead characters in video games. Imagine my excitement when I read about Little Red Riding Hood's Zombie BBQ. Hungry, leprous zombies have invaded Fairy-Tale Land, and everyone from Granny to the Three Little Pigs has been infected. Luckily Little Red Riding Hood is here to save the day (and she thought the wolf was trouble.)  read more »

I love the idea of video games because the action puts the gamer into a world where normally she wouldn't be able to go. Whether it's wreaking havoc in Vice City or building roller coasters, video games give you an opportunity to be someone you're not. So when I read about a new game from Sony that allows you to simulate growing and maintaining lavish gardens, I was curious. I love hearing about games that are a little different from the usual first-person shooters because they welcome a new audience to gaming, and Shikitei certainly fits the bill.  read more »

Ever heard of Nolan Bushnell? If not, you soon will thanks to a planned Leonardo DiCaprio biopic. Bushnell is one of the founding fathers of the gaming industry thanks to his little company called Atari. He's also the crazy mastermind behind Chuck E. Cheese, my childhood celebratory venue of choice. (Sure, those animatronic singing characters weren't the most exiting entertainment, but I was there for the video games, the kiddie rides, and the tickets won playing skee ball that I could cash in for prizes.) Yes, this guy is a genius!  read more »

Tekzilla host Veronica Belmont, a familiar face in the world of geek broadcasting, has a new gig to add to her resume, and it will only be found on your Playstation 3.

Sony announced Qore, a new interactive program delivered over the Playstation Network, and Belmont is going to be the host. The show will feature gaming news, interviews, game previews and downloads. Sounds cool, right? It's going to cost you, though: $2.99 per episode or $24.99 annually for 13 episodes.  read more »