Intro4u2u

The 1971 and 1979 World Series aside, the Orioles and Pirates have met in just one series in interleague play, with Pittsburgh taking two of three games at PNC Park in 2005. This year’s Pirates have been up and down under first-year manager John Russell, but they have been playing good baseball recently. They’ve split four-game series with the St. Louis Cardinals and Arizona Diamondbacks, two of the best teams in the National League, and took two of three games from the Houston Astros and Washington Nationals. In the Nationals series, which ended with Pittsburgh’s 7-5 victory yesterday, catcher Ryan Doumit went 9-for-11 with four home runs and seven RBIs. Former Orioles infielder Chris Gomez was 2-for-3 and is hitting .313 in 43 games. Pirates outfielder Nate McLouth, 26, is among the NL leaders in runs, doubles, total bases and extra-base hits. The Pirates, who entered yesterday with a 4.75 ERA, the worst in the NL, are 12-19 on the road this season.

Over and over, Jake Deitchler repeated the moves his coach called to him, honing his form until his spent, sweating body dropped to the wrestling mat. With his workout complete, coach Brandon Paulson moved on to the next student.

Elijah Paulson, 3, wanted to demonstrate what he had learned from watching those Greco-Roman athletes in the Gophers’ wrestling room. After doing push-ups with Olympic hopeful Jake Clark, he bounded onto the mat in his tiny singlet and put some moves on his dad, while coach Dan Chandler watched a Minnesota tradition trickle down to another generation.

Brandon Paulson and Chandler, both Greco-Roman Olympians, are among 22 Minnesotans to compete in the Olympics in that classic style of wrestling. Deitchler, Clark and nine other men with Minnesota ties will try to follow them in this weekend’s Olympic wrestling trials in Las Vegas. Going back to 1956, when Alan Rice became the state’s first Greco-Roman Olympian, the sport’s champions have kept it alive and vibrant in the steamy wrestling rooms of Minnesota. The U.S. Greco-Roman Olympic team has included at least one Minnesotan every year since 1968. Three are among the highest seeds in these trials: Deitchler (145 1/2 pounds), Andy Bisek (163) and R.C. Johnson (211 1/2).

“I remember watching Dan Chandler in the Olympic trials when I was growing up,” said Paulson, the 1996 Olympic silver medalist at 114 1/2 pounds. “My high school [Anoka] had four Olympic wrestlers: Dan, me, and Jim and Dave Hazewinkel. And I saw guys in our wrestling room all the time, preparing for international tournaments.

“I fell in love with it, and I had a great system around me. [Deitchler] fell in love with it because he looked up to me. And Elijah sees Jake wrestle and is learning things from him. Maybe in 10 years, Jake will be coaching him.”

Local growth of Greco

Waterworld. Hudson Hawk. Showgirls. The movie world is replete with examples of projects that swallowed up vast amounts of cash only to sink beneath the waves, vanish into Bruce Willis’ past, or disappear into our darkest nightmares. So too is the world of videogames, and although there’s no game failure that can quite match the sheer scale of the movie world’s excesses, there’s still no shortage of games so unsuccessful that they brought down companies, destroyed careers, and shattered dreams. Here are seven of our favorites.
Sims Online

Estimated budget: $25m

Although megapublisher Electronic Arts usually has a knack for delivering sales smashes, every time it’s dipped its toe into the waters of massively multiplayer games since Ultima Online it’s ended up badly burned. Its last effort, an online version of The Sims, should have been a smash hit, but, well, let’s just say it underperformed a tad. Turns out the best way to make history’s most successful videogame franchise into a massively multiplayer game is not in fact to remove most of the features players enjoy and then heap on a monthly fee. The Sims Online underperformed from day one, and although EA re-invented the game as “EA-Land” in February, it’s currently marking time until the Grim Reaper comes to turn off the servers on August 1.
Daikatana

Estimated budget: Unknown. Epic.

Once upon a time, John Romero could do no wrong. Flushed with his success at Id Software, where he was instrumental in designing classics like Doom and Quake, he left to form his own studio, Ion Storm, and develop a new first-person shooter. What followed was an intricate and marvelous tale of pride, massive dot-com spending excess, colossal hype, atrociously bad ads, and, once the game was finally released, terrible reviews. Romero’s studio collapsed soon after, and with it went most of Romero’s once-proud reputation. He reportedly claimed Daikatana actually sold enough copies to recoup its vast costs, but regardless of whether that’s true it’ll always be remembered as the game that brought down Ion Storm.
The Last Express

Estimated budget: $6m

Some games flop because they’re over-hyped. Some games flop because they’re terrible. Some flop because they just spent too much money. Prince of Persia creator Jordan Mechner’s The Last Express made none of these mistakes, instead falling victim to a perfect storm of catastrophes, all beyond its control. It’s still remembered as one of the finest adventure games ever made, but it was released in 1997, right as the gaming public was losing interest in the genre in favor of those new-fangled 3D shooters. The publisher’s marketing department up and quit, leaving it with no ads, and a subsequent buyout meant the game vanished from stores soon after its release. Unsurprisingly, it sank without trace - but fortunately, courtesy of GameTap, it’s now being distributed again. If you don’t play any other games on this list - and, frankly, we wouldn’t blame you if you didn’t - play this one.
Ultima 9

Estimated budget: Unknown. Nine-year development cycles are not cheap.

Is there any PC role-playing game series that’s as well-loved as the Ultima games? Created by the eccentric designer Richard “Lord British” Garriott, they dominated the genre for a full fifteen years, and remain close to the heart of many RPG aficionados. Garriott’s good fortune came to a grinding halt with the 1999 release of Ultima IX: it was nine years in the making, required numerous redesigns and rewrites, and when it finally hit the streets it was a buggy, inconsistent mess with sky-high hardware requirements that excluded many fans. As if that wasn’t bad enough, the coming of 3D action-adventures caused the designers to ditch the series’ traditional deep, party-based combat and replace it with a system that owed more to Tomb Raider than Dungeons & Dragons. Assorted patches improved the game somewhat, but it wasn’t enough to redeem it, and among many Ultima devotees its name is still not spoken. Garriott’s latest project, an MMO named Tabula Rasa, is still up and running - but our hunch is that you’ll see it appearing in next year’s version of this article.

Not every parent whose child wants a Nintendo Wii this holiday season will be able to get their hands on one. Instead of Tickle Me Elmo, this year parents will stalk the aisles of retailers and surf the Web in hot pursuit of the tiny, white “waggle box.” The $250 kid-friendly console has already been on the market for a year, and more than 13 million are already in the hands of gamers.

“Nintendo (other-otc: NTDOY - news - people ) is making as many Wiis as it can,” says IGN GamerMetrics analyst Nick Williams. “There’s a limited supply, a continuously high demand.” Though Microsoft’s (nasdaq: MSFT - news - people ) Xbox 360 sold more units than the Wii in September due to the launch of “Halo 3,” analysts predict the Wii will be back on top in October, selling as many as 450,000 units.

The Wii has made headlines for entertaining the elderly at retirement homes and putting motion-based controllers in the hands of many non-gamer moms. But the system has also delighted very young children because of its easy-to-grasp style of play and lack of button manipulations. Many parents, understandably cautious about putting 6-, 4- or even 2-year-olds in front of a videogame console, seem to have warily endorsed the Wii because of its anti-couch potato imperative and shallow learning curve.
In Pictures: Great Games For The Wii

And although older gamers might find it limiting, the Wii’s online functions are currently limited to a Web browser and sharing avatars. Instead of pairing players with random gamers around the world in chat rooms like the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, Nintendo’s system encourages multiplayer action in the living room.

“We hear all the time from parents that they take a look at the Microsoft Xbox 360 controller or the Sony (nyse: SNE - news - people ) PlayStation 3 controller and they get instantly intimidated,” says John Davison, co-founder of What They Like, a start-up that in mid November launched a Web site called Whattheyplay.com devoted to helping parents learn about videogame content.

While Microsoft’s Xbox 360 team aims to make its machine as family-friendly as possible–on Nov. 8 the company announced a new feature called the “Family Timer” that allows parents to set automatic game-over times before bedtime–Xbox 360 thus far hasn’t positioned itself as the child-friendly game platform.

With so many veteran Wii owners and wanna-be Wiisters hinting at which games they’d like to unwrap in December, parents must now take on the daunting task of vetting their kids’ wish lists for age-appropriate and appealing titles.

Fortunately, the nature of game development for the Wii platform has evolved some bedtime enforcement techniques of its own. Some of the most in-demand and kid-befitting games are played in bite-size two-minute chunks.

With titles like Nintendo’s own “Wii Sports” (which comes with every Wii), Sega’s (other-otc: SEGNF - news - people ) “Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games” and Take-Two Interactive’s “Carnival Games,” kids choose from among several mini-games that don’t elicit refrains of, “Mooooom, I need to get to a place where I can save my game before I quit!” With mini-games, mothers can graciously grant the kids one more round of Wii baseball or one last ring toss–and still pack them off to bed on time. These games last literally only a few seconds, or a couple of minutes, at most.

Beyond the quick mini-games, titles like Capcom’s “Zack and Wiki,” LucasArts’ “Lego Star Wars” and Activison’s (nasdaq: ATVI - news - people ) “Guitar Hero III” are perfect for playing together with friends, and especially with older relatives. These three games allow adults to take on the role of guide without spoiling puzzle-solving and discovery for kids, and their tongue-in-cheek jokes should keep parents entertained.

Not sure your kid is mature enough to battle it out with Guns ‘n Roses’ Slash and a rock-and-roll devil in “Guitar Hero III?” Some aren’t ready for the content, but don’t worry about their ability to get the hang of the game. “Little kids are very good at “Guitar Hero” because they have no nostalgic point of reference about how ‘Sweet Child o’ Mine’ should sound,” says Davison. “I’ve seen 5-year-olds play a perfect game.”

Which Wii games should parents avoid? Well, there are obvious no-nos, like Take-Two Interactive’s “Manhunt 2,” a horror game about a murderer that Target (nyse: TGT - news - people ) won’t even stock on its shelves. “Metroid Prime 3″ and “Resident Evil 4″ also glorify shooting things up. Other innocuous titles, like the ever-popular “Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess,” and “Super Paper Mario,” are simply too difficult for most new gamers.

Some of the most anticipated new Wii games just won’t be out in time for this year’s holidays. “Wii Fit,” “Super Smash Bros. Brawl,” and “Mario Kart” are all expected in early 2008. That will, of course, give kids something to covet for upcoming birthdays.

The best way to find out which games are most appropriate and most enjoyable for your child is, of course, to play along. But many parents don’t. A survey conducted in October by AOL Games and the Associated Press found that 43% of parents say they never play games with their kids. About 30% said they’ve joined in, but never for more than an hour.

Meanwhile, another survey by the NPD Group found that between the ages of 6 and 8, kids form videogame-playing habits that will determine how “serious” they’ll be about gaming as big kids. “This appears to be a critical age at which to capture the future gamers of the world,” says NPD analyst Anita Frazier.

Parents of young children can either withhold game machines, play along with a watchful eye, or look the other way. Either way, the Wii will be impossible to ignore

a newly revised 40GB PlayStation 3 console will now be on sale - but don’t trade in your PS2 just yet!

A cheaper PS3 before Christmas was always on the cards given the state of the game console market.

Sony’s new 40GB model will be on sale later this week in NZ stores for $800.

That’s a price that puts it in league with the Xbox360 Elite (selling at GPstore for the same) while the Xbox 360 complete set is there for $649.95. The Wii is still the cheapest at around $500.

And it comes at the critical time for the consoles with Christmas looming and everyone bringing out the creme of their new titles.

So what’s missing from the new model? PlayStation 2 backward-compatibility will be gone and there will be just two USB ports, and you won’t find media slots for Compact Flash, Memory Stick, or SD Cards.

Maybe none of that matters to the thousands of PlayStation fans who want to get their hands on the new console and the new exclusive games like Heavenly Sword and Ratchet and Clank.

But it’s a shame that the mountain of games most gamers own and still love from their PS2 collection won’t be playable on the console.

In the past, Sony has made this a point of difference saying it’s a core value and necessary for the future.

Now the argument is that there are heaps of great new PS3 titles coming and anyway consumers tell Sony they don’t want backward-compatibility.

That statement sounds somewhat dubious. I love putting in my God Of War and Everquest/Final Fantasy games and upscaling the image to hi-def and saving myself swapping dozens of memory cards (I have about 14 PS2) by storing them to the PS3 virtual memory cards on the internal hard drive.. hard to believe that ability has been removed for a mere $400.

Even at the reduced money - $800 - the only way some PS2 gamers will graduate to the next-gen will be to trade in their PS2 to a gaming shop to get a discount off the price - with the return of some PS2 titles.

PS3 online does offer some cool retro/arcade PlayStation games to download like Wipeout but until there is a huge range of titles to choose from and you can afford them (prices are dropping), it’s hard for those gamers to think they’ll never play games like their GTA favourites again.

Anyway good luck to Sony. They have sold 15,000 current PS3s in NZ so far and promise 65 PS3 titles in the stores by Christmas.

One of those just out is Atari’s Colin McRae: DIRT (already on Xbox and PC) which has taken on new symbolism since the recent death of the rally legend.

It’s a brilliant reworking of the popular series with the chance to do heaps of new high speed muddy offroad racing whether its a high-powered Celica, SUV or a Super Buggy.

SINCE the moment 3D computer and console games became a reality in the late 1970s and early 1980s, golf is one sport that has found a natural home on the screen.
Tiger Woods

Tiger 08 is an evolution in the series
In real life it may be a good walk in the park ruined, but digital representations of the game can take some of the tedium out of the sport - although gone, too, are the calorie-burning capabilities.

Tiger Woods has, since the superstar signed a deal with Electronic Arts, become the benchmark for golfing games in the electronic age.

Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08 is a very welcome edition indeed to the slim offerings on the shelf for Sony’s long-frustrated PS3 players.

The Woods series has always been strong graphically and gameplay can be as frustrating or rewarding as the real thing.

Woods 08 makes the most of the PS3’s powerful graphics engine, delivering lush courses and lifelike play.

Blades of grass wave in the wind and shirts ruffle in the breeze as you work your way around the course, perhaps as a remarkably lifelike Tiger. The sound, too, is amazing, and on several occasions I found it impossible to tell if the plane buzzing overhead was real or in the game.

There are the requisite modes such as playing a PGA Tour season and going head-to-head against some of the world’s top golfers in the Tiger Challenge.

Beyond this there are a variety of other games modes too numerous to detail, but including the traditional stroke play, match play, skins and more.

A new addition is a game called bingo bango boingo, in which players earn points for being first on the green, closest to the pin, and so on.

As has always been the case with Tiger games, players can earn points to upgrade their skills and money to invest in better clubs and flashier fashions.

The gameplay itself is intuitive, with a new control mechanism allowing use of the left control stick to swing the club.

It allows you to nicely time those off-power shots that need a little more finesse.

But beware, using the stick makes it a real challenge not to hook or slice shots, and practice will be your ally. For veterans of the game there is also the traditional button method of making shots using a power meter, although the new system seems more natural.

Tiger 08 is an evolution in the series, and a subtle one at that. If gameplay is all you want and you have Tiger 07, this may not be worth the investment.

The main area of evolution in this release is the inclusion of photo game face, allowing a player to import a photo of their own face into the game.

The console renders your face, and the results, while time-consuming, are amazingly lifelike.

In the end, though, golf is about bragging rights, and Tiger Woods 08 delivers on this front as well, with the inclusion of EA Sports Gamernet, which allows you to post replays of your greatest shots or rounds online for others to challenge.

So, if the rain is falling and you’re hankering for a round on one of the great PGA courses, Tiger Woods 08 could be the ticket.

The fact that the new 40GB-version of the PlayStation 3 would no longer be PS2-backwards compatible was a reason for many gamers to be mad at Sony, certainly since it’s one of the key features they mention while promoting their console.

To make you just that little happier I can tell you that the cheapest PS3 wíll however be able to play PS-games from the first generation, since that emulation is software-based. Hooray!
Is it that hard to software emulate the PS2, i thought the PS3 had enough computing power?

Well, the US PS3 models were *supposed* to have software emulation but apparently Sony - again - didn’t speak the whole truth as apparently there’s still hardware necessary that’s including in the US models.

So, to cut costs (about 25 dollar from what I hear) they left that out of the new 40GB PS3
Only the old 60gb model contains ps2 hardware. Other models are not. They will only have the software-based emulation. Seftware-base emulatior doesn’t cost Sony a penny. So ask a question, why would they take them out? I don’t think Sony is that stupid. If Sony is that stupid, MS might already send Sony to its grayyard!!!!!! Now let look at xbox 360. It’s doing any better than the previous yesr.
I think I remember reading something that in order to have PS2 backwards compatibility they had to put the emotion chip in the PS3 so its not just software emulation thats required.

Also a year after launch I don’t think backwards compatibility is such a big deal, maybe for those occasionally want to play GTA or something. The lack of PS2 backwards compatibility is not something that would hold me back from buying a PS3, right now its the lack of titles that would do it for me and also maybe until rumble controllers come standard.
I think I remember reading something that in order to have PS2 backwards compatibility they had to put the emotion chip in the PS3 so its not just software emulation thats required.
Also a year after launch I don’t think backwards compatibility is such a big deal, maybe for those occasionally want to play GTA or something. The lack of PS2 backwards compatibility is not something that would hold me back from buying a PS3, right now its the lack of titles that would do it for me and also maybe until rumble controllers come standard.
Don’t underestimate having a big ps2 library and not wanting to cough up 60$ for each game / sequel again. I can imaging having loads of party games for the ps2 that aren’t in need of a gfx update.
The playsttion 2 is the smallest console ever! (asjsuming you got the slim one but even the fat one isnt too big) And the playstation 3 is downright sexy in comparison to having the 360 on show
hmm, it’s not so much the console that pisses them off, it’s the bunch of wires + a console usually doesn’t go to well with those classic interiors
PS2 games on PS3 I can understand, but anyone who plays a PS1 game on a PS3 should be considered a sinner against the God of Video Gaming (whoever he is), and should be punishable by death.
Yes nice logic, while were at it lets burn all of our old books and art. Clearly anything old is a sin not a classic.

Did you know more PS2 owners copy PS2 games than ever before? Even those protected with FADE?

Well, if you have a large collection of PS2 games and want to copy them, then this article will be very important. You see, as you read this article, you will discover an easy way to copy PS2 games.

Now whatever reason you want to copy PS2 games, that is ok with me. You see, many people copy PS2 games for the reason that, after a while, PS2 games become unplayable. And if you are like me, this will be a devastating issue. Especially if you have spent more than $20 for a game.

But one of the questions which is always asked is whether it is legal to copy PS2 games. Now first of all, I have to say I’m no lawyer. But you know what? Copying Ps2 games is legal. So if you want to copy PS2 games, then you’ll be able to do it. You see, it only becomes illegal when you give away and/or sell these copies.

Anyway, now you’ll see what you need to do to copy Ps2 games. There are a couple of things you need.

First off, you need a compatible boot disk or a Mod Chip designed for the PS2. You will also need the appropriate software that is designed to assist in the task of copying PS2 games. You’ll also need a blank disk.

Now many PS2 owners prefer to burn copies of their PS2 games by way of a boot disk, designed for the Playstation console. The reason this method is popular among fans is you don’t have to open it up. Many PSP owners will find the warranty of their PS2 console states that if the system is tampered with in any way whatsoever, the warranty is null and void. This is way a boot disk is the most effective way of copying PS2 games.

Now here is something you need to know. You see, within each PS2 console, there are security features which will prevent copied PS2 games from being played. But the secret is this.

You can actually purchase a chip that will modify your console. By doing this, your system will be able to read backup copies of video games. Just keep in mind that this type of modification will void any type of warranty on the Playstation 2 video game console.

Many individuals do not realize that installing this type of modification can be extremely tedious. It requires actually adding a hardware component to the console. Therefore, basic knowledge in electronics is required. You must be especially cautious when installing this device because if it is done in an incorrect manner, it could damage your system.

Next, you should research software which you can use to copy PS2 games. This can prove to be quite challenging. First, you must ensure that the software has a simple user interface. Second, you must ensure that the software is able to bypass any copyright protection that is built in to the video game. Third, you must find software that comes with outstanding technical support if it is required.

Anyway, if you want to copy PS2 games on the net, there are some fantastic which will help you

Sony Computer Entertainment America will unveil a $399 40GB PlayStation 3 on U.S. shores, sources said.

The release comes on the heels of an announcement by Sony Computer Entertainment Europe that a new lower-priced version of the PS3 will be launched this week on the continent.

“We’re hearing Nov. 2 (for the U.S.),” said one industry source. A buyer for a major game retailer cited the same date, adding that SCEA has been dropping hints that stores should do all they can to clear out existing inventory in anticipation of the new model.

The new 40GB PS3 will have fewer features than the current 60GB ($499) and 80GB ($599) models, with two USB 2.0 ports instead of four, no backward compatibility for PS2 games and no multimemory card port.

But it will continue to play Blu-ray Disc movies as the PS3, despite its early struggles against Nintendo’s Wii and Microsoft’s Xbox 360, remains a key part of Sony’s battle with consumer electronics rivals over the future of high-definition movie playback.

SCEA did not return calls seeking comment, but in making the announcement in Europe, SCEE president David Reeves said: “The introduction of the new PS3 has been the result of extensive research into the entertainment needs and preferences of the next generation of PS3 owners. PS3 has always been the device of choice for the discerning gamer and entertainment seeker, and the new PS3 is more than ever the perfect high-definition entertainment system.”

There’s little question which PC games will rule the charts in October. The Witcher is a long awaited role playing games, fans of digital drag racing have been waiting feverishly for Need for Speed ProSteet, and the next episode of the action classic Half Life is also ready for launch. At the same time, there will be a few other games released that may not leave a mark on the hit charts, but certainly are worthy. That includes the entertaining logic game Crazy Machines 2 and the adventure game Overclocked.

Making it through Crazy Machines 2 definitely requires some outside-the-box thinking. The task is to construct mechanical creations with a mind of their own. It’s a lot more entertaining than high school physics, though. The tasks run more toward the lines of how to use a cannon to grow flowers, for example. Wrecking balls, TVs and lighting generators all come into play. Crazy Machines 2 from Fakt Software will be released on October 15 for around 20 dollars.

Memory is at the heart of Overclocked: Youngsters are being picked up on the streets of New York who seem to have lost their memory entirely. To clear up the mystery, the gamer slips into the role of a psychiatrist. During hypnotic sessions he plunges into the thoughts of the patients.

As for its predecessor Fahrenheit, the game’s developers narrate the adventure story in a filmic style. PC gamers can find out just how adapt Overclocked handles this starting on October 12. The price has been set at just under 40 dollars.

Those who prefer action are also well served in October. The Witcher from Atari has seen almost countless release deadlines come and go. Now the time appears to have finally come for this action game based on the novels of Poland’s bestselling author Andrezj Sapkowski.

The gamer controls monster hunter Geralt, moving through an environment that makes it sometimes difficult to differentiate between good and evil. His actions instead influence the happenings in the world around him-leading to one of three different endings. 80 hours of game play are required at the minimum to make it through. The Witcher will be released on October 26 for around 50 dollars.

Plot is less of an issue for Electronic Arts (EA)’s Need for Speed ProStreet: the clear objective here is to drive tuned-up cars as fast as possible. The latest episode in the Need for Speed series is set in the street racing scene. The title will hit store shelves in late October for around 50 dollars.

Streets are also at the centre of Escape from Paradise City by Frogster Interactive, but in a different way: the developers have joined together characteristics of action role playing games and real-time strategy games to produce a title where players plunge into a gangster world to fight for control over their slice of the city. The game will be released on October 18, although no price has been set as yet.

There are many different views on violence in games. Yet the mere mention of Half Life brings a gleam to most gamers’ eyes. That’s because the violent aspects are melded to an interestingly narrated story with top quality graphics.

EA’s Orange Box provides a return to the excitement. The box contains three games in one: alongside “Half Life 2: Episode Two” comes the multiplayer game Team Fortress 2 in a comic-book style and the action/mind-teaser mix Portal. The latter centres on using a device that can make holes - portals - in walls, for the purpose of crossing a training area.

Box will be released on October 18 for around 40 dollars.