Tattoos in Gaming Culture

Video game tattoos are on the rise. In the past people have collected everything from posters to pogs to commemorate their love for video games. For hardcore gamers, immortalizing their favorite icons can be a regular habit. 

Gaming culture is constantly changing and with it are the methods of displaying support and admiration. If you look at any gaming website or store, jewelry, character models, and miscellaneous objects are available for sale. 

Tattoos are not objects to be "sold" but created. Every individual from casual player to pro competitor has a different relationship with video games and therefore a unique approach and outlook towards the hobby. Tattoo artists across the country are helping gamers shape their passion into tangible and permanent symbols.

Top 10 Video Games of All Time According to the Pros

What are the best video games in the history of gaming? Biases and personal favorites might just get in the way of accurately choosing which games are truly the greatest. Here are top 10 lists from magazines, gaming experts, and well known websites alike.

VGCharts

Rank	Title	Publisher	Platform	Year
1	Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time	Nintendo	N64	1998
2	Final Fantasy VII	Squaresoft	PS1	1997
3	Super Mario Bros. 3	Nintendo	NES	1990
4	Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots	Konami	PS3	2008
5	Super Mario Galaxy	Nintendo	Wii	2007
6	Super Mario 64	Nintendo	N64	1996
7	Resident Evil 4	Capcom	Gamecube	2005
8	Final Fantasy III (VI)	Squaresoft	SNES	1994
9	Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past	Nintendo	SNES	1992
10	Super Mario World	Nintendo	SNES	1991

IGN Readers' Poll 2008

Rank	Title	Publisher	Platform	Year
1	Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time	Nintendo	N64	1998
2	Chrono Trigger	Squaresoft	SNES	1995
3	Soul Calibur	Namco	Dreamcast	1998
4	Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past	Nintendo	SNES	1992
5	Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater	Konami	PS2	2004
6	Super Metroid	Nintendo	SNES	1994
7	Goldeneye 007	Rare	N64	1997
8	Metal Gear Solid	Konami	PS1	1998
9	Resident Evil 4	Capcom	Gamecube	2005
10	Shemue II	Sega	Dreamcast	2001

Entertainment Weekly magazine 2008

Rank	Title	Publisher	Platform	Year
1	Tetris	Alexey Pajitnov	Multiple	1987
2	Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time	Nintendo	N64	1998
3	Doom	id / GT Interactive	PC	1993
4	Super Mario World	Nintendo	SNES	1991
5	Guitar Hero	Harmonix	PS2	2005
6	Street Fighter II	Capcom	Multiple	1991
7	Super Mario Kart	Nintendo	SNES	1992
8	Goldeneye 007	Rare	N64	1997
9	Grand Theft Auto 4	Rockstar	Xbox360/PS3	2008
10	Metal Gear Solid	Konami	PS1	1998

Gametrailers.com 2006

Rank	Title	Publisher	Platform	Year
1	Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time	Nintendo	N64	1998
2	Tetris	Alexey Pajitnov	Multiple	1987
3	Street Fighter II	Capcom	Multiple	1991
4	Super Mario World	Nintendo	SNES	1991
5	Tecmo Bowl	Nintendo	Arcade	1987
6	Final Fantasy VII	Squaresoft	PS1	1997
7	Grand Theft Auto 3	Rockstar	PS2	2001
8	Metal Gear Solid	Konami	PS1	1998
9	Halo	Bungie	Xbox	2001
10	Resident Evil 4	Capcom	Gamecube	2005

Fallout: New Vegas Boasts Changes to the Series

"In Vegas, fortunes can change in an instant." In Fallout's post-apocalyptic universe, good fortune is about as uncommon as winning the lottery. Obsidian's has truly stacked the decks with Fallout: New Vegas. (Tired of the Vegas themed puns yet?) The game, set to be released Fall 2010 for Xbox 360, Playstation 3, and PC still remains some what of a mystery to the gaming community. What do we know? New Vegas takes place in Las Vegas, Nevada and the surrounding Mojave Desert. Based on the screen shots, most fans will be pleased to know that the V.A.T.S. system will be returning in the new installment. New Vegas will present new enemies, environments, and weapons to destroy and explore. One such weapon, the orbital laser Archimedes 2, rains destruction from the skies in a Hammer of Dawn (from the Gears of War Series) type fashion.

The Brotherhood of Steel aren't the only ones governing the wastes anymore. The New California Republic (NCR) and Caesar's Legion are just a few other organizations controlling territories in the Vegas desert. Some of the major landmarks in New Vegas include the Hoover Dam, Primm, Vault 21, and of course The Strip. 

Bobbleheads will make a reappearance in the new installment and will used to boost the players stats which will be streamlined in New Vegas. The Little Guns and Big Guns skill will be combined into one Weapons skill, for example. Explosive favorites such as the and Fat Boy and Rocket Launcher will return but will now be under the Explosive weapons category. Without a doubt, Fallout: New Vegas is primed to be one of the most anticipated games of 2010 and I'm sure Obsidian will deliver.

To see more screen shots, click here

Boys like Girls who Game

Think it's impossible to find that perfect girl; long hair, beautiful body AND a love for video games? Well your mistaken.  Increasingly women are taking up more and more of the gaming population, meaning your odds of snagging a gamer girl might just be possible. 

But is it that easy? The stereotype of a gamer is a fat, lazy teen who is not at all charming in the looks department. It would be hard to imagine finding your significant other in a pool of people fitting this description. The truth is, as gaming becomes more applicable to the public, more "regular" people who happen to be gamers will appear. 

Can you imagine a world where boys and girls can play video games in peace and actually ENJOY each other's company? that is the future ladies and gentlemen. Here are a few statistics that might just shatter how you think about gaming in 2010.

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1. Sixty-five percent of American households play computer or video games. Considering there are approximately 114,825,428 households as of 2010, that's a huge number of American Gamers.

2. The average game player is 35 years old and has been playing games for 13 years. This statistic crushes the idea that gamers are all hormonal highschoolers.

3. Forty percent of all game players are women. In fact, women over the age of 18 represent a significantly greater portion of the game-playing population (33 percent) than boys age 17 or younger (18 percent).

4. Growth - From 2003 to 2006, the entertainment software industry's annual growth rate exceeded 17 percent. Over the same period, the entire U.S. economy grew at a less than 4% rate. In tough times, gamers will game.

5. On average, nine games were sold every second of every day in 2007. Gaming is becoming a more popular and more mainstream hobby.

6. Of those who play games online, 56% are male and 44% are female.

7. The average adult woman plays games 7.4 hours per week. The average adult man plays 7.6 hours per week. Though males spend more time playing than do females, the gender/time gap has narrowed significantly. Whereas in 2003, males spent an average of 18 more minutes a day playing games than did their female counterparts. In 2004 they spent only six minutes more each day doing so. Females spend an average of two hours more per week playing games now then they did a year ago.

New Gears of War 3 Screenshots Released

Gears of War 3 is coming out April, 2011. Check out the latest screenshots.

Super Mario Galaxy 2 Delivers

The news is in, Super Mario Galaxy 2 is good, real good. G4's game squad gave the sequel a 5/5. The potential for a great game was more than apparent with the success of its predecessor but some fans were questioning whether the second installment would live up to the hype while still providing a new game experience.

And new experience an understatement. Galaxy 2 blends the usual obstacles(water,space,fire,ice) with combinations of different enemies and locations to offer a fresh feel to the game. The gravity elements from the first game are still present and provide a unique aspect to the game play. The slight problems plaguing Mario's gravity changes are still here and still annoying. Getting Mario to recognize which way is down while on rotating objects can lead the plumber to an untimely death. Luckily most of the control issues are rare.

Super Mario Galaxy 2 seamlessly incorporates classic Mario franchise components with the new 2D to 3D realm that Galaxy brings to the table. Galaxy 2 also introduces several new power ups that are unique and well suited the the Mario universe.The Cloud Suit for example allows Mario to float providing 8 seconds of safety and making longer jumps more than possible. The Rock Suit is a must for any downhill surface. Utilizing this suit, Mario becomes invincible and is able to pulverize any baddies in his path at the hazard of launching off a cliff. The last addition, the Boo Suit, is the only one receiving questionable remarks. With the Boo Suit the player will barely be able to move due to the slow speed. Not to mention nearly any obstacle you run into will slow you down to almost a halt. Overall however the new add-ons are well appreciated and add the perfect amount of variety.

In general, Super Mario Galaxy 2 is a must for die hard Mario fans and has plenty to offer the casual gamer as well.

Action + Sex = Bayonetta

Does a long-legged,spandex wearing, super powerful witch with guns for high heels appeal to you? What about if I say this witch can summon evil spirits from the dark realm with her hair? If ANY of this is up your ally, Bayonetta is the answer. 

I rented Bayonetta the other day and let me tell you it was an interesting ride. The beginning was somewhat difficult for me even though I consider myself a Devil May Cry aficionado, but once you get use to the timing the game becomes pretty fun.

The plot was....well what you'd expect from any button-masher, random, lacking depth and clarity, but who cares. We all play games like Bayonetta for awesome combos not story. Some of the elements, such as summoning giant demon monsters with Bayonetta's hair were unexpected and well appreciated. How could anyone NOT like a badass witch with super weave powers??

The battle system was fun and challenging and even though there might have been a small problem with difficulty progression in this game. My brother, friend and I took turns on each level so we'd be able to beat it as fast as possible and maybe we shouldn't. It took us a little over 10 hours to finish the first time and about 3 the second time (skipping cut-scenes), but that's to be expected for this type of game.

It was an enjoying ride overall. The sexual innuendos were tiring and almost offensive to me as a female player, but if you look past the otaku-lover fantasies, Bayonetta is a great game for any Devil May Cry fans and action gamers alike.

Sequel to Nintendo's Mario Galaxy approaches with barely any warning

Is it me or has Nintendo only just begun advertising for Super Mario Galaxy 2 even though it comes out in a few days (May 23.) I enjoyed the first one and I really think the sales would benefit with earlier advertising and just letting all the fans know earlier. But hey, we'll see how it sells after its released. Good luck Mario Galaxy!

Iron Man 2, Game VS Movie

  Has everyone seen Iron Man 2 yet? I saw it several days ago and feel  like I was the last one to have seen it. I personally thought it was much better than the first one and I really enjoyed it. I definitely recommend this movie for comic fans and those who know nothing about Iron Man.

But as predicted for most movie games, the video game version did not live up to the movie. The following video above is from G4TV's X-play.

Gamefly

Is it me or are video games RIDICULOUSLY over priced??? I remember the good ol days when you could get a brand new game for $30-$40. Now, new releases for PS3 and Xbox 360 sell for $59.99 which is near $65 after tax! I don't know about you, but as a college student living off of top ramen, fulfilling my game fix is very detrimental to my budget.

Luckily! I recently received a 15 day free trial for Gamefly. For those of you who don't know what Gamefly is, I would have to say its the best way to save money AND indulge in gaming. Through this company you can keep any game you want for as long as you want for around $15 a month. When you done, all you gotta do is send back the game and another one will be shipped to you. Sounds perfect right? I want to hear from anyone who is a full Gamefly member. Is this as good of a deal as it seems? And should gamers consider this option instead of paying tons of money for new releases?