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Editor's note: Andrew delves much deeper into the topic of why people play video games than your typical article tackling the subject. Take the time to read the entire thing and you'll have some good ammo the next time your mom/dad/husband/wife/girlfriend/boyfriend gives you grief for playing video games. - Aaron

When Robert Ashley put together Episode 3 of A Life Well Wasted and asked the question, "Why game?" I was left disappointed. Not with the question, but with his informants' answers, which were mere Christmas decorations on a window to a true answer.

With my particular background and interests (an Archaeology Major converted from a Psychology B.Sc four courses short of my degree), I hold the belief that there is always some deeper reason to our behavior. To game is not a personal decision. Well, it is on a micro level. But the sum total of "to game" decisions represents something larger, something more universal, that leads people to play video games.

While this article is merely a thought experiment and series of hypothesis, I do hope it will spur discussion and thought on what video game playing actually represents in our society.

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Man, what is with all these games getting delayed? Is anything going to come out this fall? For the sake of this being really dramatic, please answer that question with a Vader-esque "Noooooooooooo!"

News Blips:

• Ubisoft delays a bunch of games, your disappointment still on track. We don't blame you -- Splinter Cell: Conviction and Red Steel 2 have both been pushed back to 2010. Good thing the next Ghost Recon and I Am Alive are still coming out on time, Right? ...Right? Ah, crap -- they slipped, too. Well, at least Petz Dolphinz Encounter is still on schedule. [Eurogamer]

• Fat Princess makes royalty feel self-conscious this week. Cake-stuffing maiden game Fat Princess will be released this Thursday on the PlayStation Network for $15 bones. Wonder if there's a Swedish Princess in the game? [Shacknews]

• EA would kill for a Dead Space film, luckily don't have to. Variety reports that a flick based on the EA horror franchise Dead Space is in the works and will be helmed by Eagle Eye director D.J. Caruso. We're still waiting for that Madden movie, EA. Still waiting... [Variety]

• Merchant will buy iPhone Resident Evil 4 for a low price. Oh, gee -- another port of Resident Evil 4 came out today, this one on the iPhone. If you're interested in playing this game for the 10th time, you can purchase it at the Apple App Store for eight bucks. Now if they'd only port this to the Game.Com, we'd be set. [Joystiq]

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This was a tough entry for me. For one, I wasn't able to put as much time into each game as I typically do, but -- second -- this was the weakest batch of games I've come across yet. Oh, E, why do you treat me so?

My sources included the Indie Game Database and some recommendations (thanks, James DeRosa and Daniel Feit!). OK, let's get rolling.

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The secret apprentice needs to calm down. A nap in Vader's chill chamber should do the trick.

Video Blips:

• Mmm, this video is dark, it is. That's what Yoda would say if he watched this Star Wars: The Force Unleashed DLC trailer. [GameTrailers]

Continue after the break to see Saw gameplay, Ayana slicing dudes up in Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2, and a DJ in DJ Hero.

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Bitmob contributor Aaron Thomas joins Shoe, Demian, and Greg this week to talk forgotten arcade games, the video game-rental market, and more. Also, thanks -- and apologies -- to community member and whipping boy Chris Ternus for this week's excellent community question.

Bitmob.com - Mobcast #13:

The fab four of Dan "Shoe" Hsu, Demian Linn, Greg Ford, and Aaron Thomas take a ride on the Mobcast train this week. They hit such topics as how to make annual sports games more exciting, favorite forgotten arcade games, the PSP's legacy, and more.

Zune Link (must use Internet Explorer)

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It's not an MMO or real-time strategy game. It's not a crazy-weapon shooter/platformer or another skeleton clicker (as our friend Crispin Boyer likes to call Diablo). But it does feature achievements -- and not the kind you're thinking of, either.

Booyah is a new start-up founded by industry veterans from Blizzard and Insomniac, and their first project, an upcoming iPhone app called Booyah Society, isn't really a game. It's part social-networking experiment, part personal journal, part virtual pet...and a bit confusing to make sense of.

I know other people who saw it were a little perplexed by Booyah Society. What is it exactly? Who is it for? What is the point?

After talking to a couple of other gaming journalists, I had a feeling we all went through this same four-step thought process when we got our first demo:

1. Oh, awesome! Real-life achievements!

Instead of getting achievements for completing a level or mowing down throngs of parking-lot zombies, you get them for accomplishing real-life tasks. You went to the gym. You had a healthy meal. You made people laugh. You did your green thing and took public transportation....

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Looks like some crafty modders made the call (you know, the call), as this video shows the famous Ghostbusters spirit-chasing ride Ecto-1 cruising around Liberty City [via GhostbustersNews.com]:

Now who's gonna mod a moving Statue of Happiness a la Ghostbusters 2?

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It's pretty cool to see what modern games would look like all old and crusty. But we wish someone would do the opposite and model the duck from Adventure in 3D so we can see just how intimidating that thing was supposed to be.

Cultural Blips:

• 2D No More Heroes lacks dimension, detail. But here is what the wacky Wii game would look like if it were released on the Atari. Meh, we think we'll wait for the 8-bit sequel. [Offworld]

• Ms. Pac-Man Lite-Brite cube gives us the wakka wakka's. We're trying to stay on the pellet wagon, but seeing this Ms. Pac-Man-themed Lite-Brite cube (which you can purchase here) is making us hungry for delicious drugs. We're going to stay strong, however, and smoke instead. [technabob]

• Ms. Pac-Man ghost cookies also gives us the wakka wakka's. Mmm -- ghost cookies! [TinyCartridge]

• Ban Nazis: Microsoft kills Hitler's Xbox Live account. Geeze, Microsoft are a bunch of assholes for banning Hitler's Xbox Live account. It's not the like the guy has ever done anything wrong. Ever.

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Former EGM/EGM2/Expert Gamer writer and editor Andy "Cyber" Baran passed away yesterday, July 26, of pancreatic cancer. He was a staple on the Review Crew for many years and was one of the most hardcore gamers I've ever met.

We used to give each other a hard time, mainly because he was old-school EGM, and I was part of the new crowd (along with Crispin Boyer and Shawn Smith) who came on board in the mid-90s. Andy and I would fight about Castlevania, Loaded, each other's review scores, Q-Zar...but we always had a mutual respect for each other and stayed in touch long past our EGM days.

Andy was a special type of nerd that you don't run into every day (and I mean most positively), and we'll all miss him. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his widow Tracy and their respective families.

UPDATE: Please check out the comments below. A lot of Andy's former co-workers have stopped by to pay respects and share memories.

UPDATE 2: We now have up Andy's previously unpublished articles that he was writing for Bitmob but never finished. Please see part one and part two.

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Our Spotlight series is in catch-up mode again, so expect another edition around midweek. Many more reviews after the break!

Neotokyo
By Art Siriwatt
This heavily stylized Half-Life 2 mod is a potential Counter-Strike successor. And Art likes it: "Neotokyo is easily one of the best tactical shooters to come out this year; if you want a intense corner-peeking shooter that you are willing to be patient with to learn its rules, Neotokyo is perfect."

Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood
By Matt Gerardi
I'm playing through Call of Juarez right now, so it was especially interesting to read Matt's thoughts on this flawed-but-entertaining take on the Western genre. Sounds like the duel sequences are better on the console version -- I can't stand the duels on PC.

Watchmen: Justice is Coming
By Matthew Erazo
A Watchmen MMO for iPhone with combat that is almost literally rock-scissors-paper? How could that possibly go wrong? Matthew counts the ways.

Trine
By James DeRosa
While Trine, a physics-based PC platformer (coming soon to PS3) with a fantasy setting, technically came from Finland by way of developer Frozenbyte, it also came out of nowhere. James takes a pretty thorough look at the game, and has a lot to say about its final level.

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Editor's Note: Uh...wow. Just wow. This really is worth reading (or singing along?) all the way through -- it gets better and better, especially toward the end. -Shoe

I am not sure how to explain the following, but I will try. I am positive that just about everyone has made a Jesus Mii on their Wii, but I may be the only person to fashion his Jesus after Ted Neeley from Jesus Christ Superstar (the best movie of all time, and I don't know whether that makes sense or is ridiculous, me being the stalwart atheist). Somewhere, there is a direct line from that to the moment I thought writing an entire satirical rock opera featuring Miis was a good idea. And with that quasi-explanation, I now present Mii: The Musical a tale of adventure, tragedy, romance, and betrayal.

A rough rule on reading: centered means singing, uncentered means speaking, italics are stage directions. Have fun. I hope.

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Non-profit advocacy group Entertainment Consumers Association has a message for you...for the president of the United States.

From Brett Schenker, Online Advocacy Manager for the ECA:

Throughout the Presidential race and continuing into his Presidency, President Obama on numerous occasions has said "put the video games away." As a gamer and a voter, we're asking you to email President Obama to point out some of the ways that video games have empowered and educated you, as well as their power to build teamwork and make people healthier.

Write the President now, and tell him the real facts about our hobby, http://action.theeca.com/t/2858/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=2865.

We know video games can promote fitness. We know games can educate, because we've experienced that first hand. Video games are also not solely consumption entertainment as we're being challenged to create content for some of our favorite games. We're a part of the new global choice for entertainment and the community it's spawned.

Tell the President that this community is active, and vocal. Write him now, http://action.theeca.com/t/2858/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=2865.

We're asking you to speak out now and put a positive face on our community. Make sure to let the President know what we experience every day. Take a moment and make your voice heard.

If any of you have anything more original or clever to tell Obama other than "Brain Age is good...Dance Dance Revolution is good," please share your letter with us by posting it to Mobfeed (via your profile page)!

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