Gaming – Page 3 – ÜberSciFiGeek

The Guild: Five Years and Counting

Five years ago today – on July 27, 2007 – the very first episode of The Guild was uploaded to YouTube. It’s hard to believe how far the show has come, and as always, on behalf of the show we want to thank the fans for the incredible support which has made the show the success it is today. Today the show is widely available on many platforms for free (YouTube, Xbox, MSN/Bing, Hulu, Blip, Zune) and for purchase/with subscription (Netflix, iTunes, Amazon DVD or VOD).

All next week we’ll be celebrating the past five years – and looking ahead to more with the recently announced sixth season, which will come to Geek and Sundry (subscribe now) this fall . Connect with us via social media as we have some some cool stuff planned including giveaways (LOOT!). Check out the post on Geek and Sundry for details on the giveaways, which start at 1pm today!

Here’s THE GUILD’S Twitter, Facebook, Google+, and Tumblr, and here’s GEEK AND SUNDRY’S Twitter, Facebook, Google+, and Tumblr. And please join us for more discussion on Geek and Sundry’s new discussion forums.

We asked the producers and cast to give us their thoughts on those early episodes, and the growth of the show over the last five years.

What do you remember about the first episode?

FELICIA DAY: I remember emailing 12 hours a day to blogs I read about gaming and geek stuff, introducing myself as an “actress from Buffy” and please spread word about my show. Most of them ignored me, but a few picked it up. Some of the first fans we had were Veronica Belmont and Alice Taylor withWonderland blog. Without their spreading word of the show we wouldn’t have gotten nearly as much traction as fast with the online community. But I remember refreshing the video and seeing people actually comment about our work, and realizing that THAT was what I wanted to do with me life, make things for people to react to immediately. It was a whole new life when we uploaded that episode.

VINCENT CASO: When that first episode went up, I didn’t think a whole lot of it. I mean, it was cool, and a lot of fun to see myself in this production, but who had any idea it would turn into this?

AMY OKUDA: The Guild was my first acting job, and my first day of shooting was me and the webcam so I was talking and acting to a blank computer screen and I remember thinking, “wow this is a lot harder and less fun than I thought” but the day we all shot together for the first time at Cheesybeards changed everything for me. It was the “aahhh, this is what acting is, it IS fun” moment for me.

ROBIN THORSEN: I have to be honest and say that when I auditioned for The Guild, I really had never heard of World of Warcraft…during my audition I actually said something like “AKFing,” like it was a real word instead of A-F-K-ing. I remember Felicia said after I finished, “That was good! Let’s try it again and it’s A-F-King” I was like oooooooh! Now, I think that after five seasons I have become a little more seasoned with all the game lingo.

There’s lots more where that came from so go check out The Guild’s website to read the rest of the interview and check out some great photos.

New Prices for Nintendo DSi and Nintendo DSi XL Make Them Even Better Values

Two of Nintendo’s top-selling video game systems are getting attractive new prices. Effective May 20, the suggested retail price for the larger Nintendo DSi XL will be $129.99 and the suggested retail price for Nintendo DSi will be $99.99.

Both the Nintendo DSi and Nintendo DSi XL systems come pre-loaded with a variety of fun software, including Flipnote Studio, Nintendo DSi Camera and Nintendo DSi Sound. Nintendo DSi XL comes with additional pre-installed games and applications, including Brain Age Express: Arts & Letters, Brain Age Express: Math and Photo Clock.

The Nintendo DS family has more than 2,000 different packaged and downloadable games for veteran and new players of all tastes. These include timeless Mario games like New Super Mario Bros. and Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Minis March Again!, puzzling adventures like Professor Layton and the Last Specter and Dr. Mario Express, fun software like Photo Dojo and Shantae: Risky’s Revenge, the gray matter-stimulating Brain Age: Train Your Brain in Minutes a Day!and Brain Age 2: More Training in Minutes a Day! and upcoming games like Pokémon Conquest, which is available June 18.

The new suggested retail prices provide an even greater incentive to pick up the systems, and provide an easy option for parents who want to introduce younger kids to their first portable games.

With graduations looming, Father’s Day approaching and the start of the summer travel season imminent, the new suggested retail prices appeal to all kinds of shoppers.

For more information about Nintendo DSi or Nintendo DSi XL, visit http://www.nintendo.com/ds.

SPIRIT CAMERA: THE CURSED MEMOIR Brings Supernatural Thrills to NINTENDO 3DS

There’s no escaping the scary essence of Friday the 13th as Nintendo unleashes an extraordinary new experience in horror-themed entertainment. Launching today exclusively for the Nintendo 3DS system, Spirit Camera: The Cursed Memoir invites horror fans to immerse themselves in a chilling hand-held adventure. The game’s 3D visuals and augmented-reality features help unravel the mysterious tale of a girl named Maya who’s been trapped in a haunted house and cursed by a malevolent woman in black. As players strive to rescue Maya, ghostly images are intermingled with real-world environments to create a visceral, personalized experience they won’t soon forget.

Spirit Camera: The Cursed Memoir comes with the “diary of faces,” a 16-page augmented-reality book that transforms the Nintendo 3DS system into the Camera Obscura. When the “diary of faces” is viewed through the lens of the system’s built-in camera, it allows players to discover unique experiences that not only advance the game’s storyline but also add eerie interactive elements. For example, some pages contain movies that reveal past events that occurred in the haunted house where Maya is trapped, while others cause evil spirits to seemingly emerge from the book and into players’ own real-world surroundings.

“Spirit Camera: The Cursed Memoir literally takes hand-held horror games into a new dimension,” said Ron Bertram, Nintendo of Canada’s vice-president and general manager. “With the augmented-reality features of Nintendo 3DS, horror fans can not only enjoy a captivating ghost story, they’ll also be drawn deeper into the action as the lines between reality and the game world blur in unique ways.”

In addition to the main Story Mode, Spirit Camera: The Cursed Memoir includes additional modes that highlight the built-in 3D photo capabilities of Nintendo 3DS. Spirit Photography mode enhances everyday pictures with haunting visions, while Spirit Check reveals spirits haunting you and your friends. In Spirit Challenge mode, faces of your photographed friends mystically appear on evil spirits in the game, and challenge players to battle against them.

A third mode called Cursed Pages offers additional game content featuring supernatural twists. For instance, players can confront strange masks that are haunted by a boy’s spirit or complete memory challenges to identify and dispel an evil doll spirit.

Remember that Nintendo 3DS features parental controls that let adults manage the content their children can access. For more information about this and other features, visit http://www.nintendo.com/3ds.

For more information about Spirit Camera: The Cursed Memoir, visit http://spiritcamera.nintendo.com. You can also view a spooky live-action short inspired by the game on YouTube at http://youtu.be/HgDp4U4iJzQ.

About Nintendo: The worldwide pioneer in the creation of interactive entertainment, Nintendo Co., Ltd., of Kyoto, Japan, manufactures and markets hardware and software for its Wii^™home console, Nintendo 3DS^™ and Nintendo DS^™ family of portable systems. Since 1983, when it launched the Nintendo Entertainment System^™, Nintendo has sold more than 3.9 billion video games and more than 620 million hardware units globally, including the current-generation Wii, Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo DS, Nintendo DSi^™ and Nintendo DSi XL^™, as well as the Game Boy^™, Game Boy Advance, Super NES^™, Nintendo 64^™ and Nintendo GameCube^™systems. It has also created industry icons that have become well-known, household names such as Mario^™, Donkey Kong^™, Metroid^™, Zelda^™ and Pokémon^™. A wholly owned subsidiary, Nintendo of America Inc., based in Redmond, Wash., serves as headquarters for Nintendo’s operations in the Western Hemisphere. For more information about Nintendo, please visit the company’s website athttp://www.nintendo.ca.

Nintendo News: Party like you’ve never partied before with Mario Party 9

From Nintendo:

Nintendo invites everyone to party with Mario and his Mushroom Kingdom friends like never before. Mario Party 9 is now available exclusively for the Wii console, loaded with scores of fun minigames, unlockable extras and new elements that add some unexpected twists to the fan-favourite Mario Party franchise. With a unique mix of competitive and cooperative challenges that up to four players can enjoy together, this super-charged game delivers classic characters, boundless replay value and nonstop smiles for everyone in the household.

In Mario Party 9, players vie to become the Superstar as they make their way through adventurous new stages, overcoming obstacles and collecting Mini Stars. For the first time, players also travel across each stage together in vehicles and join forces in boss battles to defeat a common enemy. This means they must work together to beat classic villains like Bowser and King Boo while still giving their individual scores a boost. Throughout the stages, players take turns acting as Captain of the vehicle, hitting Dice Blocks to move the party toward the goal. As they progress, players may encounter 80 new minigames that might have them making pizzas, escaping haunted houses, bowling shells at Goombas and more.

“There’s no party like a Mario party,” said Ron Bertram, Nintendo of Canada’s vice-president and general manager. “The lineup of classic Mushroom Kingdom characters in Mario Party 9 will have longtime series fans feeling right at home, while new elements like cooperative boss battles and vehicles really ratchet up the excitement.”

Each stage in Mario Party 9 has its own progression from a starting point to a destination and contains multiple paths for players to choose. In addition to collecting Mini Stars, players also earn Party Points that can be taken to the in-game Museum to unlock a variety of extras, such as character constellations, additional vehicles, a Donkey Kong-themed stage and more. There are also new minigame modes that let players compete in shorter amounts of time, plus a Free Play mode for practicing individual minigames and a fun Extras mode. Additional Wii Remote controllers are required for all multiplayer modes and are sold separately.

Mario Party 9 is the first new Mario Party game since 2007. To date, more than 32 million console and hand-held games in the Mario Party series have been sold worldwide.

Remember that Wii features parental controls that let adults manage the content their children can access. For more information about this and other features, visit http://www.nintendo.com/wii.

For more information about Mario Party 9, visit http://marioparty9.nintendo.com.

Japanese Live Game Sensation “The Real Escape Game” Comes to the Bay Area for Special Sessions at New People

from NewPeopleWorld.com:

NEW PEOPLE, the dynamic San Francisco entertainment destination showcasing the latest examples of Japanese popular culture, brings the newest Japanese live game sensation to the United states for the first time ever with a special installment of “The Real Escape Game: The Escape From The Werewolf Village,” beginning Friday, March 23rd thru Sunday March, 25th.

“The Real Escape Game” is an inventive live game event that requires players to cooperate and use their detective skills to solve multiple mysteries to
locate a hidden key in order to escape from a locked room within a limited time. The U.S. edition, “The Escape From The Werewolf Village,” will be
staged inside the venue’s spacious 3rd Floor SUPERFROG Gallery at NEW PEOPLE, which will be remade as a mysterious village where werewolves have been known to attack people by night. As villagers disappear one by one,players must work together and use their deductive skills and gather clues to escape before the werewolves attack! The game setting will be accentuated with the use of actors, music, sound effects and lighting elements to add ambiance and immerse players in the environment.

NEW PEOPLE Game Times For “The Real Escape Game”

Friday, March 23rd: 6pm, 9pm
Saturday, March 24th: 2pm, 5pm, 8pm
Sunday, March 25th: 11am, 2pm, 5pm

Advanced tickets are now available for $20.00; Tickets at the door are $25.00. Each game session lasts about 90 minutes. Advance tickets and
complete game details are available at: http://www.newpeopleworld.com/2012/01/18/come-play-real-escape-game/

**Note: The Game puzzles require no special skills or knowledge to solve; all puzzles can be solved with use of intuitive logic and deductive reasoning. All aspects of The Game will be conducted in English.

“The Real Escape Game” was first played in Tokyo in 2007 and since then, more than 100,000 participants have played in multiple cities across Japan,
China, and Singapore. “The Real Escape Game” was the brainchild of Takao Kato, the founder of the Kyoto-based publishing company, SCRAP. Over 2,300 sessions have been staged to-date with as many as 10,000 participants taking part simultaneously. The Game was recently played by several hundred participants at massive arena venues including the Tokyo Dome and the city’s Jingu Baseball Stadium. The San Francisco session at NEW PEOPLE will be the first time “The Real Escape Game,” has been played in the United States.

“The Real Escape Game has become a big sensation in Japan and is a fun wayfor people to meet and work together to solve ingenious puzzles,” says Seiji Horibuchi, president and founder of NEW PEOPLE, Inc. “The Real Escape Game is often staged in eclectic settings ranging from small theatres to large sporting arenas to cathedrals. NEW PEOPLE will be transformed into a foreboding village beset with werewolves and ingenious hidden puzzles that players must solve in order to escape! Come meet new friends and try out the latest live game phenomenon from Japan with this fun event happening in March!

About NEW PEOPLE, Inc.
Based in San Francisco, California, NEW PEOPLE, Inc. offers the latest films, art, fashion and retail brands from Japan through its unique entertainment destination as well as through licensing and distribution of selective Japanese films. NEW PEOPLE Entertainment ( <http://www.newpeopleent.com> www.newpeopleent.com), a film division of NEW
PEOPLE, Inc. strives to offer the most entertaining motion pictures straight from the “Kingdom of Pop” for audiences of all ages, especially the manga and anime generation, in North America. Some titles include DEATH NOTE, GANTZ, KAMIKAZE GIRLS, and THE TASTE OF TEA.

An OPEN Internet

In response to the continuing debate of proposed law changes and aggressive attacks on freedom of speech and information on the internet, my state Senator is revealing information about her proposed changes to fight piracy and copywrite infringement without sensoring the internet. I’d like your feedback. What do you think of her proposals?

from Senator Maria Cantwell:

Thank you to the thousands of Washingtonians who raised your voices last week to support an open and free Internet. Thanks for your phone calls and emails to our office regarding the PROTECT IP Act.

Like you, I believe that America’s economy thrives on innovation and freedom of speech. The Internet allows entrepreneurs in Washington state and around the world to create ground-breaking companies and fuel economic growth. We cannot afford to rush an Internet policy that could trample on our innovation economy.

That’s why I opposed the PROTECT IP Act in the Senate from the beginning, and have offered an alternative – the OPEN Act. We need to protect creative content on the Internet from piracy by rogue foreign websites, but we must do so in a way that also protects freedom of speech, innovation and security on the Internet. Read more about the OPEN Act here, or read the full bill text here.

Dell’s Alienware Aurora Delivers Extreme Gaming Performance and Experience as Game Developers Intended in Most Advanced Desktop Ever

From Dell:

Competitive gamers asked for the ultimate gaming pc and Dell’s new Alienware Aurora gaming desktop computer, unveiled today, delivers. It is the company’s most advanced desktop ever delivering the extreme gaming performance and experience game developers intended for their players. With the latest technology and intelligent design, gamers can envelop themselves in the action, experience blazing fast performance and immersive
graphics.

*The Aurora desktop delivers the pure, raw power that gamers crave. The systems come loaded with the new 2nd generation Intel(r) Core(tm) i7-3000 series six-core CPUs, factory overclocked1 and liquid cooled, with the Intel X79 Express Chipset (Dell’s first consumer system to offer this chipset), Quad Channel DDR32 memory and the latest SATA technology.

*Gamers can literally “see” all that power firsthand. Dual graphics cards and beyond 1080p gaming with immersive multi-display and 3D HD3 capabilities allow gamers to experience any game at its best – as intended by the game developers.

*And the gaming desktops are intelligently designed for unparalleled customization. In addition to raw power, an innovative chassis design and intuitive internal component layout allows for user-friendly upgrades and optimized thermal
management.

Purposeful Cool Design
Designed from the inside out with performance, function and style in mind, Alienware Aurora’s chassis delivers a purposeful internal layout in a sleek, beautiful and compact form factor.

The desktop’s maintenance-free, high performance CPU Liquid Cooling replaces the standard heat sink and fan that comes with most PCs, and its Active Venting system provides additional heat dissipation during heavy gaming. This unique design increases component longevity and allows Aurora to stay nearly twice as quiet as competitors with traditional heat sink and fan layouts. Additionally, all core components inside the Aurora are purposefully compartmentalized in chambers that provide clean, clear and easy tool-less access for upgrades, maintenance or showing off.

Supporting AMD
CrossFireX technology, Alienware Aurora is capable of housing two graphics cards for maximum performance and extreme graphics power. All Aurora graphics cards use GDDR5 graphics memory2, the most advanced offering available. With Microsoft’s DirectX 11 graphics API, complex virtual worlds will come alive.

“The PC gaming industry continues to grow rapidly, and our customers are demanding systems that can keep up with the most graphic-intensive games on the market,” said Arthur Lewis, vice president, Alienware and Product Management for Consumer, Small and Medium Business. “Alienware Aurora, our most advanced gaming desktop ever, delivers an experience that will exceed the expectations of any serious gamer.”

Complete Control
All Alienware laptops and desktops come complete with the Alienware Command Center, which provides intuitive, user?friendly access to exclusive applications and controls, including AlienFX lighting effects, Thermal Controls and AlienFusion power management system. AlienFX allows users to customize the exterior lighting zones on the chassis with over 25 billion color combinations for a one-of-a-kind personalized experience. Updates and new releases download directly into Command Center, creating a constantly evolving tool for users to modify and personalize their gaming computer.

Gaming Supremacy
Alienware is recognized throughout the industry and with customers alike for performance, functionality and design. The Alienware M17x gaming laptop with Intel Sandy Bridge processors recently won Gold in the Gaming category for “The Best Products of 2011” from PC Magazine , and the Alienware M11x R3 laptop won Silver. As new technology is released, look for Alienware to continually offer the latest in PC gaming hardware, partnering with other industry leaders to deliver an optimized gaming experience.

Detailed Information:

*2nd Generation 3000 series Intel Core i7 Six Core Processor Options

*New Intel X79 Express Chipset with Unlocked BIOS for Overclocking1

*Single and Dual Graphics Options:

o 1GB GDDR5 AMD Radeon HD 68702

o 2GB GDDR5 AMD Radeon HD 69502

o 1.25GB GDDR5 NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 Ti2

o 1.5GB GDDR5 NVIDIA GeForce GTX 5802

o 3GB GDDR5 NVIDIA GeForce GTX 5902

o Dual 1GB GDDR5 AMD Radeon HD 6870 – AMD CrossFireX2

o Dual 2GB GDDR5 AMD Radeon HD 6950 – AMD CrossFireX2

* 8GB or 16GB Quad Channel 1600MHz DDR3 Memory Options2

* Fast 7,200RPM Hard Drive Options up to 2TB; 256GB and 512GB SSD Options4

* Single and Dual Optical Drive Options; Including Blu-ray Disc Reader and Burner

* High Quality Audio Options:

o Internal High-Definition 7.1 Performance Audio with Waves MAXX Audio Software (Standard)
o Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Xtreme Audio (Optional)
o Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium (Optional)

* System Dimensions: height: 16.77” (426mm), depth: 25.39” (645mm), width: 9.85” (250mm); weight: starting at 45lbs (20.41kg)

Availability and Pricing:
Alienware Aurora is available now on dell.com and dell.ca with a starting price of $2,199.99.

RECORD 3D VIDEOS AND MORE WITH THE LATEST SYSTEM UPDATE FOR NINTENDO 3DS

from Nintendo:

A new system update now available for the portable Nintendo 3DS(tm)<http://www.nintendo.com/3ds> system adds a wide range of enhancements, including the ability for users to record 3D videos in continuous or stop-motion style, updated Nintendo eShop features, new StreetPass Mii Plaza(tm) features and enhanced online gaming. All of the upgrades are available at no additional charge to Nintendo 3DS owners.

“The addition of these new features demonstrates how Nintendo 3DS continues to grow and evolve,” said Ron Bertram, Nintendo of Canada’s vice-president and general
manager. “Nintendo 3DS is our most connected system to date, and the added functionality strengthens the system’s position as a must-have holiday gift.”

Some of the features available with the system update include the ability to record up to 10 minutes of glasses-free 3D video in continuous or stop-motion style. Now
users can capture moments from sporting events or family gatherings, or make their own imaginative 3D movies to share with friends. In the Nintendo eShop, it’s now
easier to buy and download your purchases. Use your credit card to purchase content by adding only the needed funds. You can choose to Download Now or Download Later.
Cue up the games and videos you want and let the system do the rest in Sleep Mode. Fans of StreetPass Mii Plaza(tm) will enjoy updates to Find Mii and Puzzle Swap.
Nintendo 3DS owners can transfer photos, audio recordings and games, including save data, to other Nintendo 3DS systems. For more information about the features
included in this update, go to http://www.nintendo.com/3ds/system-update.

With the new system update, Nintendo Zone(tm) is now available for the first time at more than 29,000 Nintendo 3DS Hotspot locations. Nintendo Zone offers users free and
automatic access to game previews, 3D videos, trivia challenges, retailer promotions, coupons and much more.

Additionally, Nintendo is adding more than 2,800 Nintendo 3DS Hotspot locations in the United States and Canada, including hotels, airports and malls. In Canada, these
new Nintendo 3DS Hotspot locations include more than 2,000 Bell Canada Hotspots. This brings the total number of free Nintendo 3DS Hotspots in North America to more
than 29,000, including 25,000 AT&T Wi-Fi Hotspots, approximately 1,000 Best Buy stores and nearly 200 Simon Malls located in the United States. Nintendo 3DS owners
can find a Nintendo 3DS Hotspot by visiting http://www.nintendo.com/3ds/hotspots.

Nintendo 3DS owners who have downloaded previous system updates do not need to do anything, as the new update will happen automatically. Users who have never
performed an update before can update by going to the main menu, tapping System Settings, then Other Settings, then System Update.

About Nintendo: The worldwide pioneer in the creation of interactive entertainment, Nintendo Co., Ltd., of Kyoto, Japan, manufactures and markets hardware and software
for its Wii(tm) home console, Nintendo 3DS(tm) and Nintendo DS(tm) family of portable systems. Since 1983, when it launched the Nintendo Entertainment
System(tm), Nintendo has sold more than 3.8 billion video games and more than 610 million hardware units globally, including the current-generation Wii, Nintendo 3DS,
Nintendo DS, Nintendo DSi(tm) and Nintendo DSi XL(tm), as well as the Game Boy(tm), Game Boy Advance, Super NES(tm), Nintendo 64(tm) and Nintendo GameCube(tm) systems.
It has also created industry icons that have become well-known, household names such as Mario(tm), Donkey Kong(tm), Metroid(tm), Zelda(tm) and Pokémon(tm). A wholly
owned subsidiary, Nintendo of America Inc., based in Redmond, Wash., serves as headquarters for Nintendo’s operations in the Western Hemisphere. For more information about Nintendo, please visit the company’s website at http://www.nintendo.ca.

J!NX: “World of Warcraft” Holiday 2011

from J!NX:

World of Warcraft Holiday 2011 Collection
Happy Holidays, young and old! Gather ’round! Come feast your eyes and treat your torsos to the new J!NX/WoW 2011 Holiday line! All 10 Legendary Class Hoodies are now available for your warming pleasure! Also, check out the new tee shirt offerings, perfect gifts for any of the Warcraft fans in your life.

Peripherals and Drinkware Now Available
In the ever-expanding world of geek merch, it only makes sense that we continue to offer you more one-of-a-kind products. It’s in this vein that we’re pleased to bring you some cool periphs from our friends over at SteelSeries and drinkware from the masters, Taverncraft.

Save 5% off your order of $30 or more
Save 10% off your order of $50 or more
Save 15% off your order of $75 or more
Save 20% off your order of $100 or more
Use Promotion Code: SAVINGTHROW
This offer expires Saturday, December 24, 2011 at 11:59PM PDT, so don’t wait!
*can’t be combined with any other offers, sale prices, or discounts

J!NX Holiday Gift Guide – Save Up to 20%

Nintendo Kicks Holiday Fun Into Overdrive with “Mario Kart 7” for Nintendo 3DS

from Nintendo of Canada:

No matter how they travel from place to place, consumers will soon be buckling up for an unforgettable ride with Mario and his Mushroom Kingdom friends. The Mario Kart 7 game launches exclusively for the Nintendo 3DS hand-held system on December 4, adding a wild new installment in Nintendo’s fan-favourite racing franchise. Players of any experience level will get to drive, glide through the air and dive underwater for the first time in Mario Kart 7. They will also discover new customizable karts, new courses and abilities, Community features and multiplayer options that allow up to eight friends to race together wirelessly. Best of all, the game makes use of the remarkable capabilities of Nintendo 3DS with access to StreetPass and SpotPass content and the ability to play in full 3D without the need for special glasses. Mario Kart 7 will be offered at a suggested retail price of $39.99 in Canada.

Mario Kart 7 offers a fun, personalized Mario Kart experience by allowing players to race as their favourite Mushroom Kingdom character or their own Mii character. They can even trick out their karts with a new set of customization options, including tires, chassis and gliders tailored to each player’s preferred racing style. For the first time in the series, Mario Kart 7 allows racers not only to zoom around outrageous road tracks but also to soar through the air using a glider and dive beneath the sea using a propeller. In addition to classic courses such as Koopa Beach and Luigi’s Mansion, new courses in the game include diving into Cheep Cheep Lagoon and gliding through Shy Guy Bazaar, plus courses set in the jungles of Donkey Kong Country Returns and on Wuhu Island from Wii Sports Resort.

“Seven is truly a lucky number for Mario Kart fans,” said Ron Bertram, Nintendo of Canada’s vice-president and general manager. “Whether you’re new to the franchise or a veteran kart competitor, there are loads of new customization features and 3D courses to enjoy with your friends and family. Without a doubt, it’s the most exhilarating Mario Kart game Nintendo has ever created, and it’s only available on Nintendo 3DS.”

Players can race against friends using a local wireless connection, or challenge opponents from around the globe via a broadband Internet connection. As many as eight players can race together in real time. The new Community feature also allows players to join forces with other Mario Kart fans and create groups with their own specific rules and customized racing environments. Communities and Community leaderboards will track the top-scoring members. Players can also choose to share ghost data and challenge one another to beat their fastest times.

Solo players can race through the game’s Grand Prix and Time Trial modes using either the Circle Pad or the motion-sensitive gyro sensor of Nintendo 3DS to steer their karts. The motion controls also allow players to control their karts in a first-person perspective, another first for the Mario Kart franchise.

Remember that Nintendo 3DS features parental controls that let adults manage the content their children can access. For more information about this and other features, visit nintendo.com/3ds.

For more information about Mario Kart 7, visit mariokart7.com.

J!NX: Cyber Monday 20% Off, “StarCraft II” Lands

from J!NX:

StarCraft II Holiday 2011 Collection
War is coming. With all its glory, and all its horror. Before Heart of the Swarm arrives, we have a new collection ready, celebrating the award-winning RTS. We have new premium hoodies, some awesome new tees, and even a wallet this time around. Any of these would make the perfect gift for someone you love, especially if that someone is also you.

20% off all Products for Cyber Monday
Use Promotion Code: TWOPOINTOH
Missed out on our awesome Black Friday special? Here’s another chance to get 20% off everything we got. This deal is only good for 1 day and expires Monday, November 28, 2011 at 11:59PM PST, so don’t wait!
*can’t be combined with any other offers, sale prices, or discounts

J!NX: Black Friday 20% Off, New “Diablo III” Stuff

from J!NX:

Diablo III Holiday 2011 Collection
It’s been twenty years the armies of the Burning Hells were pushed back. Now, evil rises once again, and a new generation of heroes must face the challenge. Luckily, we’ve got all new apparel to equip you for this adventure. Tyrael, the Archangel of Justice, spread his wings of… err… Justice!

20% off all Products for Black Friday
Use Promotion Code: TURKEYCOMA
This deal is only good for 1 day and expires Friday, November 25, 2011 at 11:59PM PST, so don’t wait!
*can’t be combined with any other offers, sale prices, or discounts