UConn Video Game Organization

UConn V.G.O. is the University of Connecticut's official Video Game Organization. We meet every week to play video games, talk about the gaming industry, and hold tournaments. More broadly, we try to promote video games as a serious visual and narratory artistic medium. We play console games, including NES, SNES, Genesis, GameCube, Xbox, PlayStation 2, Wii, Xbox 360, and PS3; as well as PC LAN gaming, so bring your laptop and an ethernet cable if you're interested.

We meet every Tuesday night in the Student Union rooms 320 and 321 starting at 9:00pm.
Everyone can join, so come check us out!

If you would like any extra information or to discuss the group, please head over to our Facebook group: University of Connecticut Video Game Organization.
For any questions or comments, feel free to email us at UconnVGO@gmail.com.

News for May 10, 2009:

The semester is officially over! Congratulations to all those who graduated this year, and good luck in the real world.

The VGO is on Summer break along with everyone else, but we will be back in full force come September; don't miss out. Have a great Summer and game on!

Previous News Posts

News for March 24, 2009:

Hey everyone,

Just letting you know that we will be having our weekly meeting this week. Even though there's nothing out of the ordinary with this meeting, you should still come just to play brawl, dota, or whatever else is available. See you tomorrow!

News for March 3, 2009:

Hey everyone,

We'll be having our meeting tonight, same place, same time. Don't forget that tonight is our Super Street Fighter II HD Remix Tournament, though we will set up our other games as usual. See you there!

News for February 15, 2009:

Hey everyone,

A couple of things for the coming week. First, remember that the Super Smash Brothers Brawl tournament is this Tuesday at the regular club time and place (9:00 pm - 11:30 pm, SU rooms 318, 320, 321). Sign-ups will end 15 minutes after 9:00, and the first round should be underway at about 9:20. The style of the tournament (round robin vs elimination) will depend on how many people show up.

Second, we're working with Gamestop to host a Street Fighter IV tournament this Saturday, February 21st. The tournament is going to be in SU room 330 (the ballroom) starting at 1:00pm, so come and compete.

Third, from 3:00 - 5:00pm on Thursday and 12:00 - 3:00pm on Friday we're going to be having a bakesale. You can find it in the Student Union hall as you walk to the food court.

Last, I want to let everyone know we are having a few booking issues currently, so that there is a chance that the tournament could be canceled for this week. I will send out an e-mail saying the tournament is canceled, if not then assume that everything is going as schedualed.

Thank you!

News for February 10, 2009:

Hey everyone,

Just a couple of things that we want to announce. First, tonight's meeting will take place at the same place and time as always. Second, we are going to start hosting bi-weekly tournaments at the club. The first tournament, which will be next week, is for super smash brothers brawl, so you might want to come to club to polish up on your game. Third, with our lan network set up we're encouraging people to bring their pc games. We have a CS server set up, and I'm looking for some people to play against in team Dota and melee in Warcraft 3.

Hope to see you there!

News for February 3, 2009:

We finally have our hands on some appropriate LAN equipment, so if you're interested in StarCraft, Counter Strike, or any other LAN game, bring your laptop and an ethernet cable with you to club (if you don't have an ethernet cable, the LAN will also have wireless but it's better if more people use a wired connection). Unfortunately, last week's involvement fair was cancelled (not postponed) due to snow. You can help spread the word by telling a friend or two to come hang out, or if you're just looking at the site but haven't come to a meeting yet, what are you waiting for? I hope it's 9:00pm Tuesday.

Update - 9:20am: All classes starting at or after 3:30pm today have been cancelled due to "pending inclement weather." For those of you commuting to school, drive safely and good luck. For those students who live on campus, however, we at the VGO are a stalwart group and will be in the SU at 9:00pm. If you are willing to trudge through the snow, join us!

News for January 20, 2009:

Due to some unexpected and/or unpredictable changes in the availability of our president and vice president, some emergency organizational restructuring has taken place. In the officer shuffle, Harlan and Manny have left us while Brian will be our new president and Nick has taken over as secretary. We currently do not have a vice president, but since that position is not required for university organizations, we will wait until the April elections to fill that spot. You can see the current officer lineup on the members page.

We will have our first meeting of the semester next week, January 27th, so come hang out! The involvement fair is the next day, Wednesday, January 28th and we will be there for the duration; you should come see us there too.

News for April 29, 2008:

It's weird to think that it has been a year since I was first elected, a year since the VGO was forged in the fires of betrayal to burn brighter than it could ever have beforehand. I am proud of the things we have accomplished this year, but sometimes I am reminded that it wasn't so long ago that we were a small group in a study lounge in East. A year ago, when I ran for my position, we were an unknown group, a tiny bunch of friends with big dreams. How much work could it possibly be to act as president of a club that plays video games? Despite a turbulent inaugural week, we remained optimistic as we moved into the new year and a new world for the VGO.

I wont go into the full insanity of our first year exposed to the full force of UConn, but the point I make is that it has been a great ride with some great people. We've had plenty of stupid encounters and challenges, but the people have made it worth it. I originally ran for my position thinking that I could play even more games, but while the complete opposite has happened, I am glad that it did. I could go to the meetings every week and play Halo or Super Smash Bros. or something else and enjoy it well enough, but it is the people around me and those who work with me are the reason I am excited to come each week. We have successfully moved beyond the few of us retained from our first semester into something the whole campus can enjoy now and moving forward, and I am glad to have had some part in it.

It has been a year since I started this rollercoaster ride, and only now am I starting to see the possibilities of what I can do. A year ago, our biggest dreams were getting some consoles of our own, getting a space in the Student Union, and getting out the word of our existence. Now, as we move into year two, I can dream of things I never would have imagined a year ago. We had Professor Travis come and speak with us this past week, which many people seemed to enjoy. Now imagine someone like Lorne Lanning of Oddworld Inhabitants coming to speak with us. That's one aspect that we are working on for next year. Everything is still in the works and nothing is guaranteed until it is done, but it is certainly an exciting time.

A year ago I started my first term as president with some ideas and some great people backing me. Now, as I start year two, I am surrounded by people I am glad to work with and call my friends, and couldn't be more thrilled for next year. Therefore, I want to thank everyone whom I have worked with and who helped make this year possible. The creators of the VGO, Andrew Garibay and Jian Chan, our faculty advisor Professor Roger Travis, and my original cabinet, Jian, Jenn Pascale, CJ Manville, and Javier Romero, as well as newer inductees Brian Falkner and Suzi Picone. There are many more that I would love to name, but overall I want to thank everyone who has helped shape the VGO into what it is now, all of which I count among my friends. It's been a great year, and while I am the frontman, you all deserve recognition just as much as I do. While some of you wont be with us next year, your contribution is appreciated more than I could say. Simply put, thank you all.

-Harlan Broughton, President

1. Club News

Elections are over and the winners are named. The winners can be found on the members page. Thank you to all who entered and who voted, for you are the future of the club, no matter if you won a position or not.

In addition, our last meeting of the year will be this coming Tuesday the 29th. Given that it is our last meeting, we want to encourage anyone that has bought any of the most recently released games to bring it in and share it before we all part ways for the summer (and for some, for good). For example, if you bought Mario Kart Wii or Grand Theft Auto IV and have it with you, please bring it to share with us.

This will be the last weekly newsletter for the 2007-2008 year. There will be another one in two weeks, after exams and the semester is over, and then it will move to a monthly segment during the summer. The newsletter will return to a weekly column upon the start of the 2008-2009 year. The reason for this change is simple: I am really lazy during the summer. I still have the remnants of my first attempt at the newsletter from last summer, which I never completed because I was lazy (and because we were still getting our bearings at the time). I certainly could keep this weekly over the summer, but I procrastinate enough as it is, so I wont feel so bad about not writing these weekly if I justify it as a change to a monthly schedule during the summer.

2. Games Available to Play this Week:

As always, all are encouraged to bring games and consoles to share with us for the night.

Gamecube:

Super Smash Bros. Melee
Demos of single player games, including

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door

Wii:

Wii Sports
Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz
Mario Party 8
Guitar Hero 3
Super Smash Bros. Brawl

PS2:

Guitar Hero 1, 2, Rock the 80's
Capcom vs. SNK 2
Marvel Vs. Capcom 2
Soul Calibur 2, 3
Street Fighter Third Strike
Hyper Super Street Fighter II Turbo
Guilty Gear X2
King of Fighters 2000, 2001
Bushido Blade (PS1)
Demos of single player games, including:

God of War
Grand Theft Auto 3, Vice City, San Andreas (all explicit. Mature audiences only)
Kingdom Hearts

Xbox 360:

Guitar Hero 3
Halo 1, 2 (Xbox 1)
Halo 3
Gears of War
Tom Clancy's Rainbow 6: Vegas
Tony Hawk's Project 8
Burnout: Revenge
Demos of single player games, including:

Dead Rising

PC:

I will have available a few game demos for anyone that wants to see them.

3. Major Industry News:

Blizzard Rejects Uwe Boll's World of Warcraft Movie
"I got in contact with Paul Sams of Blizzard [about a World of Warcraft film] and he said, 'We will not sell the movie rights, not to you...especially not to you,'" Boll informed MTV News."

Spot On: Studios Bust as Industry Booms
"he gaming industry's stubborn refusal to stop making money hand over fist has led some industry analysts to portray gaming as a recession-resistant industry, with at least one going so far as to say that the industry can thrive on an economic downturn."

If you see any gaming-related news, releases, or anything else that you want people to know about, email us with the story and link and we will try to put it into the newsletter for that week. If you see any major mistakes, please email us and we will issue a correction. If you have any suggestions for the newsletter, email us and we'll see what we can do.

News for April 22, 2008:

For a while I've intended to have a specific topic for the Intro for each of the next two weeks. However, since it is not up to what I want it to be at the moment due to a few poorly-timed exams and projects, it will be merged with next weeks Intro. In addition, having done about two dozen of these in the past year, I'm about run out of steam for topics. The summer will rejuvenate this, but now that we are in the oven of the semester, my creativity for these is shot. I welcome all suggestions, of course, and would actually ask for them from anyone with an idea. Anyone that actually reads these should be able to tell that I don't do them half-baked, that I put thought into them and try to make them at least somewhat interesting as opposed to just writing something down and calling it a week. So, please put some thought into any suggestions. Meanwhile, I will work on the final one for this school year, which will be featured next week.

-Harlan Broughton, President

1. Club News

The Super Smash Bros. Brawl tournament on Friday was a huge success, and we would like to thank everyone who participated and helped make this possible. Congratulations are in order for Paul Rogoza for first place, Christopher Szygiel for second place, and Dustin Hayes for third. In addition, thanks to everyone who worked behind the scenes beforehand and through the tournament. Adam Frank of Student Activities was great to work with and instrumental to getting things running. Thanks go to Andrew Garibay for working as the Tournament Organizer and running the committee for the event, and to Jian Chan, Brian Falkner, Suzi Picone, CJ Manville, Jennifer Pascale, and everyone else who worked to get this off the ground and helped run it to completion. Most of all, thanks to all the participants and everyone who joined us for the night, making it a great way to send off the year and raise money for Child's Play. We hope to work together in the future to bring more great events to everyone, so pay attention for next year and further announcements.

In addition, on April 22^nd (before the nomination speeches and voting for the election) Roger Travis will be doing another presentation for us, this time based on an article of his entitled 'Creating the Normal Gamer: Communities of Ironic Pwnage and the Maturation of the Gaming Culture'. I highly recommend everyone that can make it to come to see his presentation.

Elections conclude this week with speeches and voting. Only official members are eligible to vote and be nominated, though anyone can nominate a member. These will take place after Roger Travis's presentation, which will be early in the meeting. Below is the list of people up for each posiiton.

President: Harlan Broughton
Vice President: Manny Olaguivel
Treasurer: Kyle Conterno
Gregory Jackson
Secretary: Brian Falkner
Corey McDade
Events Coordinator/PR: Suzi Picone
Brandon Lawrence
Web Master: C.J. Manville

Update: The results are in! Check the members page to see the winners.

2. Games Available to Play this Week:

As always, all are encouraged to bring games and consoles to share with us for the night.

Gamecube:

Super Smash Bros. Melee
Demos of single player games, including

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door

Wii:

Wii Sports
Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz
Mario Party 8
Guitar Hero 3
Super Smash Bros. Brawl

PS2:

Guitar Hero 1, 2, Rock the 80's
Capcom vs. SNK 2
Marvel Vs. Capcom 2
Soul Calibur 2, 3
Street Fighter Third Strike
Hyper Super Street Fighter II Turbo
Guilty Gear X2
King of Fighters 2000, 2001
Bushido Blade (PS1)
Demos of single player games, including:

God of War
Grand Theft Auto 3, Vice City, San Andreas (all explicit. Mature audiences only)
Kingdom Hearts

Xbox 360:

Guitar Hero 3
Halo 1, 2 (Xbox 1)
Halo 3
Gears of War
Tom Clancy's Rainbow 6: Vegas
Tony Hawk's Project 8
Burnout: Revenge
Demos of single player games, including:

Dead Rising

PC:

I will have available a few game demos for anyone that wants to see them.

3. Major Industry News:

Riticiello: Hollywood is Worried
"Our industry is passing through a phase where I believe the greatest games will be viewed by almost everybody as being as important as Best Picture at the Academy Awards."

Midway CEO Steps Down
"David Zucker has stepped down as president and chief executive of the struggling entertainment-software company, to be succeeded on an interim basis by Senior Vice President Matthew Booty."

4. Other Industry News/Announcements:

EU approves Vivendi and Activision deal
Inmate Files Restraining Order Against 'Grand Theft Auto' Makers
Computer Games Design Goes on the Curriculum

5. Major releases this week:

PC:
Jack Keane
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas 2

PS3:
Gran Turismo 5 Prologue

Wii:
Okami

Xbox 360:
Battlezone (Xbox Live Arcade)

6. New/Recent Demos:

new: Kung Fu Panda (PC)
new: TrackMania Nations Forever Free Game (PC)
Band of Bugs (PC)
Sam & Max Episode 205: What's new, Beelzebub? (PC)
Cry of the Infected (PC)
Nitro Stunt Racing (PC)
Night of a Million Billion Zombies (PC)
Europa Universalis: Rome (PC)

News for April 15, 2008:

Why do we always go back to the old games when we could play newer games? I don't mean deciding to play a game you already have played when in boredom, but really wanting to play a given game despite there being nothing new for you, when there logically shouldn't any enjoyment left. For example, I have a drawer filled with a dozen games that I want to play, but half the time I go to choose one I end up going for one of the three Grand Theft Auto games on the Playstation 2. Why do I do this? Why would I choose to play a game that I have literally played through dozens of times and put hundreds upon hundreds of hours into and played to death; why wouldn't I play a new game as opposed to one that I've played to death like the hookers in it (remember kids, kill them afterward to get a free refund. They have treats inside)? Is it the comfort that comes from playing a familiar game, or that the game is simply so amazing that one can't help but play it so much and for so long? I imagine that it is a bit of both. I got Pokemon Red when it first released and played those games far too much, and I can load it up today and still enjoy it as much as I did back then. I may love those games, but there has to be a bit of magic in the code (or maybe heroin, I'm never entirely sure) that gives them that special something that keeps you coming back more than a decade later.

So why do we always go back to the older games? Clearly, game developers are drugging us. It's the only logical explanation.

-Harlan Broughton, President

1. Club News

The Super Smash Bros. Brawl tournament is this week, on Friday, April 18th. The Final info can be found on the events page, as well as on our Facebook event page. In addition, on April 22^nd (before the nomination speeches and voting for the election) Roger Travis will be doing another presentation for us, this time based on an article of his entitled 'Creating the Normal Gamer: Communities of Ironic Pwnage and the Maturation of the Gaming Culture'. I highly recommend everyone that can make it to come to see his presentation.

Elections begin this week with nominations. Only official members are eligible to vote and be nominated, though anyone can nominate a member. Next week will be the nomination speeches, followed by the elections proper.

2. Games Available to Play this Week:

As always, all are encouraged to bring games and consoles to share with us for the night.

Gamecube:

Super Smash Bros. Melee
Demos of single player games, including

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door

Wii:

Wii Sports
Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz
Mario Party 8
Guitar Hero 3
Super Smash Bros. Brawl

PS2:

Guitar Hero 1, 2, Rock the 80's
Capcom vs. SNK 2
Marvel Vs. Capcom 2
Soul Calibur 2, 3
Street Fighter Third Strike
Hyper Super Street Fighter II Turbo
Guilty Gear X2
King of Fighters 2000, 2001
Bushido Blade (PS1)
Demos of single player games, including:

God of War
Grand Theft Auto 3, Vice City, San Andreas (all explicit. Mature audiences only)
Kingdom Hearts

Xbox 360:

Guitar Hero 3
Halo 1, 2 (Xbox 1)
Halo 3
Gears of War
Tom Clancy's Rainbow 6: Vegas
Tony Hawk's Project 8
Burnout: Revenge
Demos of single player games, including:

Dead Rising

PC:

I will have available a few game demos for anyone that wants to see them.

3. Major Industry News:

Stephen King: Videogame Lunacy
"Could Massachusetts legislators find better ways to watch out for the kiddies? Man, I sure hope so, because there's a lot more to America's culture of violence than Resident Evil 4"

Guitar Hero (by Charlie Daniels)
"I had a rude awakening recently when I looked at a video game. It was called Guitar Hero and is wildly popular with the younger set. I heard they had used one of my songs but I hadn't seen it until recently and when I did I was in for some unpleasant surprises."

4. Other Industry News/Announcements:

PS3 Error 80010514 explained
GTA IV Edited for Australia
Internal EA Survey Shows Boosts in Employee Satisfaction & Morale
Bully Banned in Brazil

5. Major releases this week:

PC:
Assassin's Creed
Sam & Max Episode 205: What's New, Beelzebub?

PS3:
No new releases.

Wii:
Baroque
Yoshi's Cookie (Virtual Console)

Xbox 360:
Ikaruga (Xbox Live Arcade)

6. New/Recent Demos:

new: Band of Bugs (PC)
new: Sam & Max Episode 205: What's new, Beelzebub? (PC)
new: Cry of the Infected (PC)
Nitro Stunt Racing (PC)
Night of a Million Billion Zombies (PC)
Europa Universalis: Rome (PC)
Evochron Renegades (PC)
Sherlock Holmes: Nemesis (PC)
UEFA EURO 2008 (PC, 360, PS3)
Merv Griffin's Crosswords (PC)
X Motor Racing (PC)
Silverfall (PC)
Sins of a Solar Empire (PC)
Portal: Maybe Black Mesa map (PC)

News for April 1, 2008:

I generally keep the news divided by week, so the official announcement will be posted here next week, but I felt that it was too important not to say something on it. It was announced early Monday afternoon that Sega will be returning to the console wars with the heir to their legendary console, the Dreamcast. Currently in line for a Fall 2011 release to coincide with the projected start of the next generation. It is currently unknown what the technical specifications might be of the code-named 'Dream Again', but Sega is expected to have new installments of many of it's most popular franchises, such as Panzer Dragoon and Sonic the Hedgehog, as well as numerous other titles yet to be announced. Look for a detailed report on the 'Dream Again' next week. Until then, feel free to dream of the possibilities again. Oh, and... April fools...

-Harlan Broughton, President

1. Club News

There will be a Super Smash Bros. Brawl tournament on Friday, April 18th. Final info will be distributed shortly. In addition, Roger Travis may be doing another presentation for us, this time based on an article of his entitled 'Creating the Normal Gamer: Communities of Ironic Pwnage and the Maturation of the Gaming Culture', which will definitely be good to go to.

April is the VGO's busiest month, holding both our final events for the year and our yearly elections. For elections, nominations will be held on April 15^th, and anyone present can nominate a member for an officer position. The nominated may accept or decline the nomination, and may rescind an acceptance at any time. The nominated will have a week to prepare their speeches, which will be presented one week later, on April 22^nd , after which election by secret ballot will take place. All present must be checked against the official member list by an officer before submitting their vote; only official members can vote, hence my insistence that any who wish to vote make sure we get you on our list before the election process begins.

Prior to voting, each candidate by alphabetical order of last name shall be granted five minutes to speak in front of the club. The president, prior to the election, shall assign two non-running voting members to count and announce the election results. The candidate with a majority wins the election for their respective officer position.

To repeat, we will be recording all official members in the next few weeks until the election process officially begins, so be sure to stop in and make sure you are on the list if you meet the requirements and intend on voting. I may have forgotten something for the election process, so if anyone catches a mistake, please let me know so I can correct it for next week.

2. Games Available to Play this Week:

As always, all are encouraged to bring games and consoles to share with us for the night.

Gamecube:

Super Smash Bros. Melee
Demos of single player games, including

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door

Wii:

Wii Sports
Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz
Mario Party 8
Guitar Hero 3
Super Smash Bros. Brawl

PS2:

Guitar Hero 1, 2, Rock the 80's
Capcom vs. SNK 2
Marvel Vs. Capcom 2
Soul Calibur 2, 3
Street Fighter Third Strike
Hyper Super Street Fighter II Turbo
Guilty Gear X2
King of Fighters 2000, 2001
Bushido Blade (PS1)
Demos of single player games, including:

God of War
Grand Theft Auto 3, Vice City, San Andreas (all explicit. Mature audiences only)
Kingdom Hearts

Xbox 360:

Guitar Hero 3
Halo 1, 2 (Xbox 1)
Halo 3
Gears of War
Tom Clancy's Rainbow 6: Vegas
Tony Hawk's Project 8
Burnout: Revenge
Demos of single player games, including:

Dead Rising

PC:

I will have available a few game demos for anyone that wants to see them.

3. Major Industry News:

Electronic Arts CFO Warren Jenson Resigns
"Jenson, who has served as CFO since 2002, gave no explicit reason for leaving the company, but said in a statement that the time had come "to write the next chapter in my career."

Notice to Playstation Network Users
"Although unlikely, it is possible that the passwords of a small percentage of PLAYSTATION Network users may have been changed through unauthorized access"

4. Other Industry News/Announcements:

Gamerscore Correction

5. Major releases this week:

PC:
Belief & Betrayal
Command & Conquer 3 : Kane's Wrath
Obscure: The Aftermath
Warrior's Orochi

PS3:
Dark Sector
Viking: Battle for Asgard

Wii:
King's Knight (Virtual Console)
Obscure: The Aftermath
Opoona
Rebel Raiders: Operation Nighthawk

Xbox 360:
Dark Sector
Universe at War: Earth Assault
Viking: Battle for Asgard

6. New/Recent Demos:

new: Evochron Renegades (PC)
new: Sherlock Holmes: Nemesis (PC)
new: UEFA EURO 2008 (PC, 360, PS3)
new: Merv Griffin's Crosswords (PC)
X Motor Racing (PC)
Silverfall (PC)
Sins of a Solar Empire (PC)
Portal: Maybe Black Mesa map (PC)
Lost Empire: Immortals (PC)
Galactic Command-Echo Squad SE (PC)
Combat Mission: Shock Force (PC)
Cate West: The Vanishing Files (PC)

News for March 18, 2008:

Sometimes you've got to just enjoy the simple things in life, or in this case, the simple games. Sure, I could go play some complicated RTS or a meticulous RPG, some insane action game or any of a wide variety of genres and games, but sometimes you've just got to go back to your roots and relax. To this end, I've been playing Pokemon Red over break. I've been playing it since the games first came out, and must have put a few hundred hours into this edition alone. And yet, even today, I am compelled to catch 'em all and beat into submission every pathetic trainer that gets in the way of my goal of world domination. Sometimes it's the simple things that give so much pleasure.

-Harlan Broughton, President

1. Club News

You know that feeling you get when you've been working on something for so long, and when you finally get the good news all you can do is sigh in relief, now that you are finally done? Yeah, that's right, we're funded.

2. Games Available to Play this Week:

As always, all are encouraged to bring games and consoles to share with us for the night.

Gamecube:

Super Smash Bros. Melee
Demos of single player games, including

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door

Wii:

Wii Sports
Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz
Mario Party 8

PS2:

Guitar Hero 1, 2, Rock the 80's
Capcom vs. SNK 2
Marvel Vs. Capcom 2
Soul Calibur 2, 3
Street Fighter Third Strike
Hyper Super Street Fighter II Turbo
Guilty Gear X2
King of Fighters 2000, 2001
Bushido Blade (PS1)
Demos of single player games, including:

God of War
Grand Theft Auto 3, Vice City, San Andreas (all explicit. Mature audiences only)
Kingdom Hearts

Xbox 360:

Guitar Hero 3
Halo 1, 2 (Xbox 1)
Halo 3
Gears of War
Tom Clancy's Rainbow 6: Vegas
Tony Hawk's Project 8
Burnout: Revenge
Demos of single player games, including:

Dead Rising

PC:

I will have available a few game demos for anyone that wants to see them.

3. Major Industry News:

EA Initiates Hostile Takeover of Take-Two
"Today the kid gloves came off as a hardball offer from the mega-publisher zipped past Take-Two's board and landed straight in the laps of company shareholders."

Take-Two Shareholder Unrest Grows
"Two major Take-Two shareholders have downsized their holdings in the company; others have filed a lawsuit."

Viacom Withdraws 'Guitar' Suit
"But Viacom said Tuesday night that it is withdrawing the suit. The threat of a protracted, public legal fight was apparently enough to bring Activision to the bargaining table. Companies are expected to continue discussions out of court."

4. Other Industry News/Announcements:

Gender Swapping and Socializing in Cyberspace: An Exploratory Study (In the words of one male participant quoted in the study, "Nerd + Boob = Loot.")
Bonner Responds to ESRB Board Interference Dispute
Take-Two Severance Plan Detailed

5. Major releases this week: (2-week period)

PC:
Imperium Romanum
Saga
Sam and Max Episode 204: Chariots of the Dogs
Sudden Strike 3: Arms of Victory
The Lost Crown
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War: Soulstorm
XIII Century: Death or Glory

PS3:
Army of Two
Major League Baseball 2K8
MLB 08: The Show
Pro Evolution Soccer 2008

Wii:
Bully: Scholarship Edition
House of the Dead 2 &3 Return
Major League Baseball 2K8
Super Smash Bros. Brawl

Xbox 360:
Army of Two
Bully: Scholarship Edition
Condemned 2: Bloodshot
Major League Baseball 2K8
Pro Evolution Soccer 2008

6. New/Recent Demos:

new: Portal: Maybe Black Mesa map (PC)
new: Lost Empire: Immortals (PC)
new: Galactic Command-Echo Squad SE (PC)
Combat Mission: Shock Force (PC)
Cate West: The Vanishing Files (PC)
Avernum 5 (PC)
Spaceforce Captains (PC)
Depths of Peril v1.009 (PC)
Portal Rainbow Palace Map (PC)
StuntMANIA!pro (PC)
The Club (360, PC)

News for February 12, 2008:

I was thinking about the new releases for this past week, and how much I wanted to try out a certain game (hint: it's not the obvious one), when it got me to thinking about how people rarely try new, very strange games, or even strange games in general. For example, one game that I'm messing around with now, Phantom Dust, is a strange blend between action and the strategy found in collectible card games. It released as a budget title a few years back, so while some may have heard of it, the odd gameplay blend kept it from becoming too big a hit in our country.

But while a title like Phantom Dust is strange and, in a way, understandably ignored, there are others for which it is a travesty that so many ignore. For example, anything by Tim Shafer (Grim Fandango, Psychonauts, and the upcoming Brütal Legend) or by Oddworld Inhabitants (formerly a game studio, now producing a movie called Citizen Siege because so few bought their games. You all should be ashamed of yourselves). These fine studios make gold and are collectively ignored while others rehash yearly and rake in the money. I'd vote for the man who tries to make that a federal crime.

I'm not saying that you should give up your favorite games and franchises and buy only obscure or strange titles, no matter their quality, but rather to give them a chance in the first place. Do it now, before there are no more Shafers or Lannings anymore left in the business.

-Harlan Broughton, President

1. Club News

We've had our first funding session and are awaiting the final word from USG. We're keeping out fingers crossed, but are also working on events for the semester in any case. Keep an ear out for these in the near future.

2. Games Available to Play this Week:

As always, all are encouraged to bring games and consoles to share with us for the night.

Gamecube:

Super Smash Bros. Melee
Demos of single player games, including

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door

Wii:

Wii Sports
Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz
Mario Party 8

PS2:

Guitar Hero 1, 2, Rock the 80's
Capcom vs. SNK 2
Marvel Vs. Capcom 2
Soul Calibur 2, 3
Street Fighter Third Strike
Hyper Super Street Fighter II Turbo
Guilty Gear X2
King of Fighters 2000, 2001
Bushido Blade (PS1)
Demos of single player games, including:

God of War
Grand Theft Auto 3, Vice City, San Andreas (all explicit. Mature audiences only)
Kingdom Hearts

Xbox 360:

Halo 1, 2 (Xbox 1)
Halo 3
Gears of War
Tom Clancy's Rainbow 6: Vegas
Tony Hawk's Project 8
Burnout: Revenge
Demos of single player games, including:

Dead Rising

PC:

We're not sure. We hope to have our equipment available, but we cant say for certain. In addition, I will be demoing Call of Duty 4 and Dark Messiah of Might and Magic for anyone that wants to see them.

3. Major Industry News:

THQ Names Technology Industry Veteran Colin Slade Chief Financial Officer
"The former CFO and senior vice president of Tektronix makes the move to THQ."

Nvidia set to Acquire Ageia
"Nvidia has revealed that it has signed an agreement to acquire Ageia Technologies...for an undisclosed sum."

4. Other Industry News/Announcements:

Jaffer Keynoting GDC Career Seminar
Veteran game journalists Takahashi, Remo move on

5. Major releases this week:

Xbox 360:
Culdcept Saga
Devil May Cry 4
Karaoke Revolution Presents: American Idol Encore
Turok

Wii:
Karaoke Revolution Presents: American Idol Encore

PS3:
Devil May Cry 4
Turok

PC:
Sins of a Solar Empire
Tom Clancy's Chronicles

6. New/Recent Demos:

new: Penumbra: Black Plague (PC)
new: Hornet Leader (PC)
new: Shadowgrounds Survivor (PC)
new: The Experiment (PC)
Portal Map Pack (PC) (various maps I collected and put together myself)
Agatha Christie: Evil Under the Sun (PC)
Barkley Shut Up and Jam: Gaiden (PC) (thanks Andy)
Evochron Renegades (PC)
Devil May Cry 4 (PS3, 360)
The Wonderful End of the World (PC)
Assault Heroes (PC)
Avencast: Rise of the Mage (PC)
Conflict: Denied Ops (PC)

News for February 5, 2008:

I have but one thing to ask you this week, and one thing only: did you forget your multitap? It's a question we must each ask ourselves every day, one that we wake up thinking and go to bed at night pondering. If it werent for this essential question, where would we be as a society? I couldnt say, but I do know that we'd be without a multitap, and that's a place that I don't want to be if I don't have to.

Never forget your multitap. Someday, your going to forget it, and that day you will need it more than any time before, and you'll think of my warning and be ashamed. Never forget the question, and you will be fine. Did you forget your multitap?

-Harlan Broughton, President

1. Club News

2. Games Available to Play this Week:

As always, all are encouraged to bring games and consoles to share with us for the night.

Gamecube:

Super Smash Bros. Melee
Demos of single player games, including

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door

Wii:

Wii Sports
Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz
Mario Party 8

PS2:

Guitar Hero 1, 2, Rock the 80's
Capcom vs. SNK 2
Marvel Vs. Capcom 2
Soul Calibur 2, 3
Street Fighter Third Strike
Hyper Super Street Fighter II Turbo
Guilty Gear X2
King of Fighters 2000, 2001
Bushido Blade (PS1)
Demos of single player games, including:

God of War
Grand Theft Auto 3, Vice City, San Andreas (all explicit. Mature audiences only)
Kingdom Hearts

Xbox 360:

Halo 1, 2 (Xbox 1)
Halo 3
Gears of War
Tom Clancy's Rainbow 6: Vegas
Tony Hawk's Project 8
Burnout: Revenge
Demos of single player games, including:

Dead Rising

PC:

3. Major Industry News:

LucasArts President Has Quit
Jim Ward, longtime Lucas worker bee and current president of LucasArts, has resigned from the company "for personal reasons" and will be leaving LucasArts in a couple of weeks.

Activision-Vivendi's Stormy Relationship
"things went anything but smoothly, as no fewer than two times, one side or the other called off the talks."

Former EA Exec David Gardner Takes the Reigns at Infogames
"In its continued quest to reinvent itself and rejuvenate its business, Infogrames has put itself in the very capable hands of former EA veteran David Gardner."

4. Other Industry News/Announcements:

Vivendi Reports Blizzards first billion-dollar year
GDC Paris confirmed for June
Video Games give Actors Second Chance

5. Major releases this week:

Xbox 360:
Rez HD(Live Arcade)
Chessmaster Live(Live Arcade)

Wii:
Bomberman Land
1080: TenEighty Snowboarding (Virtual Console)

PS3:
Nothing released. Seriously, nothing.

PC:
The Sims: Castaway Stories
King's Bounty: The Legend
Pacific Storm: Allies

6. New/Recent Demos:

new: Portal Map Pack (PC) (various maps I collected and put together myself)
new: Agatha Christie: Evil Under the Sun (PC)
new: Barkley Shut Up and Jam: Gaiden (PC) (thanks Andy)
new: Evochron Renegades (PC)
Devil May Cry 4 (PS3, 360)
The Wonderful End of the World (PC)
Assault Heroes (PC)
Avencast: Rise of the Mage (PC)
Conflict: Denied Ops (PC)

News for January 29, 2008:

Video games are evil. Just like rock and roll and dancing before it, video games are the devil's tools to destroy humanity. It's just common sense, really. You don't have to play them or even see them to prove it, it's just a universal fact and you're a fool for disagreeing. You cant disprove it, they're just inherently evil.

I don't care what you say. Video games are total and complete trash. If you actually believe that gamers are good people, then you are a foolish person. This is not opinion. Video games and gamers are evil, and that is a FACT.

-Harlan Broughton, President

1. Club News

We're plotting. More news will come as we are able to reveal it.

Also, come visit us at the Organization Fair this Wednesday from 5-8 in the Student Union.

2. Games Available to Play this Week:

As always, all are encouraged to bring games and consoles to share with us for the night.

Gamecube:

Super Smash Bros. Melee
Demos of single player games, including

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door

Wii:

Wii Sports
Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz
Mario Party 8

PS2:

Guitar Hero 1, 2, Rock the 80's
Capcom vs. SNK 2
Marvel Vs. Capcom 2
Soul Calibur 2, 3
Street Fighter Third Strike
Hyper Super Street Fighter II Turbo
Guilty Gear X2
King of Fighters 2000, 2001
Bushido Blade (PS1)
Demos of single player games, including:

God of War
Grand Theft Auto 3, Vice City, San Andreas (all explicit. Mature audiences only)
Kingdom Hearts

Xbox 360:

Halo 1, 2 (Xbox 1)
Halo 3
Gears of War
Tom Clancy's Rainbow 6: Vegas
Tony Hawk's Project 8
Burnout: Revenge
Demos of single player games, including:

Dead Rising

PC:

We're not sure. We hope to have our equipment available, but we can't say for certain.

3. Major Industry News:

EA Responds to Fox News Report on Mass Effect: "A New Level of Recklessness
For those that havent seen it: Fox News Unveils the Horrors of Mass Effect

THQ cans Frontlines PS3, Juiced and Stuntman franchises
"THQ CEO and president, Brian Farrel, deemed the decouplings necessary to 'strengthen [THQ's] pipeline and position [the company] to compete aggressively with compelling, high quality games.'"

THQ Shares Plunge, Analysts Optimistic
"THQ shares plunged 30 percent in mid-morning trading following the publisher's decision to cancel major games and close a studio. Analysts, however, remain optimistic."

4. Other Industry News/Announcements:

World of Warcraft Reaches New Milestone: 10 Million Subscribers
Xbox is Crack for Kids and are Satan's Sudoku
Kudo Tsunoda Jumps EA Ship, Lands at Microsoft

5. Major releases this week:

Xbox 360:
Burnout: Paradise

Wii:
Endless Ocean
No More Heroes

PS3:
Burnout: Paradise

PC:
Pirates of the Burning Sea

6. New/Recent Demos:

new: Devil May Cry 4 (PS3, 360)
new: The Wonderful End of the World (PC)
new: Assault Heroes (PC)
new: Avencast: Rise of the Mage (PC)
new: Conflict: Denied Ops (PC)
X Motor Racing (PC)
Hard to be a God (PC)
Hammer Heads Deluxe (PC)
Portal (PC)
Kane and Lynch: Dead Men (PC, 360)
The Witcher (PC)
Burnout: Paradise (360)
Frontlines: Fuel of War (360)
World in Conflict (PC)

News for January 21, 2008:

Welcome back everyone. Now that finals are a distant bad memory, we promptly return to campus for more punishment. I hope that you are all well-rested and eager to get back to normality; much as I love the relaxation of break, I am very much excited to return. I'm sure I'll regret those words soon enough, for now now let's just enjoy it.

-Harlan Broughton, President

1. Club News

We're plotting. More news will come as we are able to reveal it.

2. Games Available to Play this Week:

As always, all are encouraged to bring games and consoles to share with us for the night.

Gamecube:

Super Smash Bros. Melee
Demos of single player games, including

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door

Wii:

Wii Sports
Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz
Mario Party 8

PS2:

Guitar Hero 1, 2, Rock the 80's
Capcom vs. SNK 2
Marvel Vs. Capcom 2
Soul Calibur 2, 3
Street Fighter Third Strike
Hyper Super Street Fighter II Turbo
Guilty Gear X2
King of Fighters 2000, 2001
Bushido Blade (PS1)
Demos of single player games, including:

God of War
Grand Theft Auto 3, Vice City, San Andreas (all explicit. Mature audiences only)
Kingdom Hearts

Xbox 360:

Halo 1, 2 (Xbox 1)
Halo 3
Gears of War
Tom Clancy's Rainbow 6: Vegas
Tony Hawk's Project 8
Burnout: Revenge
Demos of single player games, including:

Dead Rising

PC:

We're not sure. We hope to have our equipment available, but we can't say for certain.

3. Major Industry News:

Banned
"Don't let us see the games, and we can't write anything bad about them. But don't let us see the games, and we can't write anything good about them, either."
Mass Effect Political Dickery
"'It's called "Mass Effect" and it allows its players - universally male no doubt - to engage in the most realistic sex acts ever conceived.'"
Ignition Entertainment Opens Additional Development Studios
"Ignition Tokyo and Ignition Florida will further develop the company's capabilities to create original and innovative intellectual properties for the electronic entertainment industry."
W00t entered into Merriam-Webster Dictionary
"expressing joy (it could be after a triumph, or for no reason at all); similar in use to the word 'yay'
w00t! I won the contest"
SCI CEO Quits
"Cavanagh has resigned from her post, along with managing directors Bill Ennis and Rob Murphy"
Xbox Live Gamers Sue Microsoft For Faulty Service
"Class-action lawsuit seeks more than $5 million in damages for December failures in the online gaming service."
Copper Innovations Group Sues Nintendo
"They claim that Nintendo and Sony are infringingon their patent for a 'Hand Held Computer Input Apparatus and Method"
Auran Shuts Shop
"Australia-based developer Auran has gone into voluntary administration, with the company shutting up shop and laying off all employees earlier this afternoon."

4. Other Industry News/Announcements:

December NPD Report
Quotes of the Year 2007
Gary Dale Returns to Rockstar
A Wii Warm-up Hones Surgical Skills
Brawl Scores 40/40 in Famitsu, Flawless Victory
THQ Acquires Big Huge Games
Make Way for the QwiiN
Guinness World Records: Gamers Edition
Guitar Hero 3 sells for $9100 on Ebay
Misdemeanor Charges Files Over Xbox Live threat
Study: 63 Percent Of U.S. Plays Games
Pitched and Ditched

5. Major releases this week:

Xbox 360:
Boogie Bunnies (Xbox Live Arcade)
Kingdom Under Fire: Circle of Doom
Metal Slug 3 (Xbox Live Arcade)
MX vs ATV Untamed
NFL Tour

Wii:
Baseball Stars 2
Bubble Bobble (Virtual Console)
Harvey Birdman: Attourney at Law
NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams
Rolling Thunder

PS3:
Blacksite: Area 51
MX vs ATV Untamed
NFL Tour
The Orange Box
Unreal Tournament 3

PC:
Battlefield 2142 Deluxe Edition
Universe at War: Earth Assault

6. New/Recent Demos:

X Motor Racing (PC)
Hard to be a God (PC)
Hammer Heads Deluxe (PC)
Portal (PC)
Kane and Lynch: Dead Men (PC, 360)
The Witcher (PC)
Burnout: Paradise (360)
Frontlines: Fuel of War (360)
World in Conflict (PC)

News for December 10, 2007:

Finals week is here at last, for good or ill. Therefore, I urge you to study and work, if only for just this one week. While I completely advocate taking breaks to clear your mind and nail that last headshot, make your priority this week these looming tests. Your friends and enemies will be there to kill when you're done. Break is days away, so put forth this last effort and finish it. It'll be worth the wait.

-Harlan Broughton, President

1. Club News

The bake sale is on, and will take place at Union Street table 1 in the Student Union, this Thursday, December 13 from 10 am-2 pm, so stop on by and enjoy some baked goodness to get your mind off of your exams. If you would like to help out with baking or working the booth, email us.

There is no meeting this Tuesday night. Good luck on finals, and we hope to see you next year.

2. Games Available to Play this Week:

Anything you've got on your calculator as you go into your calculus exam this week.

3. Major Industry News:

Gerstmann, GameSpot part ways
"After nearly 11 years of news, reviews, and previews, editorial director's tenure ends."
Majesco Names Jesse Sutton CEO
"Jesse Sutton has gone from interim CEO to CEO."

4. Other Industry News/Announcements:

Former Movie Exec, Congressional Aide Joins ESA
Congresswoman Urges Game Publishers to Take Video Game Report Card Recommendations to Heart

5. Major releases this week:

Xbox 360:
Dance Dance Revolution Universe 2
Gripshift (Xbox Live Arcade)

Wii:
Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3
The Dynastic Hero
Ultimate Duck Hunting
Godzilla Unleashed

PS3:
The Elder Scrolls IV: Shivering Isles

PC:
Empires in Arms

6. New/Recent Demos:

new: Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts (PC)
new: Culdcept Saga (360)
Strategic Command 2: Weapons and Warfare (PC)
Guitar Hero 3: Halo theme (360)
Universe at War: Earth Assault (PC)
Sam and Max Episode 201: Ice Station Santa (PC)
Alpha Price (PC)
Uncharted: Drake's Fortune (PS3)
Portal Ren Test v1.2 Map (PC)

News for December 4, 2007:

Over the weekend, Activision and Vivendi announced their plan to merge into one large company, to be called Activision-Blizzard (AB). It would be Activision-Vivendi, but Blizzard makes more money than Vivendi as a whole, so that didn't make as much sense as the real name. I cant say they don't deserve it, though.

With this merger, AB is now bigger than Electronic Arts (EA), worth more than EA, and isn't currently seen as the evil empire of video gaming. But will this merger truly be good for the industry? While dethroning EA from the top is certainly a good thing, AB has already stated that they intend to produce yearly sequels for their top franchise, including the Call of Duty and Guitar Hero series'. While it remains to be seen how the series' will be affected by this decision (whether they will be made into yearly mediocre games like EA or yearly above average games by switching off development teams like Ubisoft handles it) Or perhaps AB will break the trend of yearly games and they will continuously improve and amaze.

Regardless of how these sequels come to fruition, there can be no denying the positive impact this merger will have on the industry. With the incredible revenue being pulled in by the company, we can hope that will take more risks on In addition, the existence of another juggernaut will hopefully force others to step up their game in a way that will improve the overall quality of gaming for all of us.

At least they're letting Blizzard do their own thing, so no matter what AB does, we'll still have that pot of gold.

-Harlan Broughton, President

1. Club News

The bake sale is on, and will take place on Thursday, December 13 from 10 am-2 pm, so stop on by and enjoy some baked goodness to get your mind off of your exams.

Also, tonight (Tuesday December 4th) will be our last meeting for the semester, so make sure to come by so you don't miss us too much over break.

2. Games Available to Play this Week:

As always, anyone is free and is encouraged to bring games and consoles to share with us for the night.

Note: for single-player demos, please email us at least a day in advance so that we can arrange the meeting accordingly. Otherwise we will be unable to demo them. (These are games that we can potentially demo, not that we will. Apparently there has been confusion over this)

Gamecube:

Super Smash Bros. Melee
Demos of single player games, including

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door

Wii:

Wii Sports
Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz
Mario Party 8

PS2:

Guitar Hero 1, 2, Rock the 80's
Capcom vs. SNK 2
Marvel Vs. Capcom 2
Soul Calibur 2, 3
Street Fighter Third Strike
Hyper Super Street Fighter II Turbo
Guilty Gear X2
King of Fighters 2000, 2001
Bushido Blade (PS1)
Demos of single player games, including:

God of War
Grand Theft Auto 3, Vice City, San Andreas (all explicit. Mature audiences only)
Kingdom Hearts

Xbox 360:

Halo 1, 2 (Xbox 1)
Halo 3
Gears of War
Tom Clancy's Rainbow 6: Vegas
Tony Hawk's Project 8
Burnout: Revenge
Demos of single player games, including:

Dead Rising

PC:

We expect to have the usual staples this week (and the LAN equipment to utilize them). We highly encourage people to bring in new games to share with us, especially if there are multiplayer demos to share.

3. Major Industry News:

Vivendi and Activision to create Activision-Blizzard
"they have signed a definitive agreement to combine Vivendi Games…with Activision, creating the world's largest pure-play online and console game publisher"
U.S. Video Game Industry's Growth Outpaces National Economy
"Computer and video game companies play an ever increasing role in our nation's growing economy," said Michael Gallagher, CEO of the ESA"
Greenpeace Slams Nintendo

4. Other Industry News/Announcements:

Activision CEO sees $199 game consoles
Nintendo Moves 1 Million Units in One Week

5. Major releases this week:

Xbox 360:
Aces of the Galaxy (Xbox Live Arcade)
Asteroids and Asteroids Deluxe (Xbox Live Arcade)

Wii:
Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords

PS3:
Pain (Playstation Store)

PC:
My Little Pony: Pinkie Pie's Party Parade
Shadowgrounds: Survivor

6. New/Recent Demos:

new: Strategic Command 2: Weapons and Warfare (PC)
Guitar Hero 3: Halo theme (360)
Universe at War: Earth Assault (PC)
Sam and Max Episode 201: Ice Station Santa (PC)
Alpha Price (PC)
Uncharted: Drake's Fortune (PS3)
Portal Ren Test v1.2 Map (PC)

News for November 27, 2007:

I wanted to write something a bit longer than usual considering the date, which was the reason for not having the newsletter last week. We're here just past the yearly anniversary of this next generation, so I wanted to take a minute to step back and look at where we've been so far.

Two years ago, video games were much simpler. There were the PS2, the Xbox, and the Gamecube, each with the strengths and weaknesses. Then the Xbox 360 was released with a decent launch spread that didn't really prove to the people that high definition gaming was here yet, a feat that wasn't finally done until that March with the release of three stellar games that made the 360 something truly desirable, and making HD gaming a reality. Although there were other good games released in the timespan, things continued relatively uneventfully until the new console releases by the other two manufacturers: the Playstation 3 and the Wii.

In the months preceding the dual launches, much debate was had over the fate of the 360, the merits of the new systems, and the hot air that filled almost every official. While the 360 had had a strong year for hardware sales (and an incredible software attachment rate), without any next-gen rivals in the market, nothing could be definitively foretold of the future. But despite the air, each of the three competitors had staked out a strong market for each of them, and were about to begin the fight for every last customer.

On November 17, 2006, the Playstation 3 released to gunshots and riots, and was sold out everywhere it might be found. While the violence was unfortunate, looking back it's almost humorous that one of the main stories of it was from my hometown (the PS3 Walmart shootings in Putnam. Home sweet home). Two days later, the Wii was released with less violence but no lack of anticipation. Both systems had much to fight for and much to live up to, and both came out of the gates swinging, dwarfing even the hype around Gears of War, which released that week.

As the new year and new beginning moved forward, things clearly proved to be far different than anyone expected. While Microsoft's sales were all but stalled by their hardware problems, Nintendo pulled a complete reversal with the Wii, employing a cheap price, unique controller, and well-placed marketing to quickly dwarf the sales of the PS3, which unexpectedly sold far worse than was expected, even with it's high pricepoint; the words "5 million on brand name alone" rang frighteningly true for many months until it finally gained it's bearings.

For games, the newer two systems had many good choices made available from launch on, but both paled in comparison to the weighted lineup for the 360, which had a heavyweight nearly every month and understandably maintaining their unusually high attachment rate. While hardware sales slowed to a crawl at the heels of the red rings and pricepoint, the games wouldn't stop.

The first two-thirds of the year were good, with their own ups and downs, but this last third has been monumental. Starting in late August with Metroid Prime 3 and Bioshock, the three systems have brought gamers and their wallets to their knees with quality titles, one after the last, relentlessly smashing records and ending the year with a bang that wont easily be surpassed.

I consider this to be a golden age for gaming, not just these last months but this past year and generation as a whole. While there have been other points where the quality per time period has been high, to have so many so constantly is a sign of great things for gamers and the industry as a whole. When even the highest-rated game of all time, The Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time, is challenged and surpassed multiple times in such a short period (even if the challengers are later brought down enough to dethrone them), there can be no denying that we are experiencing a golden age of gaming. Things haven't been perfect, but overall I believe that we are at the highest point this industry has ever seen.

So where do we go from here? While we cant always be at a high point, the next year is looking nice in the distance. The biggest titles for the Playstation 3 are scheduled for next year, which, combined with it's lower price and free Blu Ray movies, is making it a better deal by the month. Microsoft has kept quiet as to new announcements for 2008, but what we do know is looking good. Lastly, with Super Smash Bros Brawl set for early next year and plenty of surprises left, the Wii isn't going to roll over anytime soon. While we may not see another peak like we are in now, this generation is just warming up. Two years in and we're looking at the greatest time for gaming ever; just imagine what we'll have in another two years.

-Harlan Broughton, President

1. Club News

The bake sale is on, and will take place on Thursday, December 13 from 10 am-2 pm, so stop on by and enjoy some baked goodness to get your mind off of your exams.

Also, Tuesday December 4th will be our last meeting for the semester, so make sure to come by so you don't miss us too much over break.

2. Games Available to Play this Week:

As always, anyone is free and is encouraged to bring games and consoles to share with us for the night.

Gamecube:

Super Smash Bros. Melee
Demos of single player games, including

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door

Wii:

Wii Sports
Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz
Mario Party 8

PS2:

Guitar Hero 1, 2, Rock the 80's
Capcom vs. SNK 2
Marvel Vs. Capcom 2
Soul Calibur 2, 3
Street Fighter Third Strike
Hyper Super Street Fighter II Turbo
Guilty Gear X2
King of Fighters 2000, 2001
Bushido Blade (PS1)
Demos of single player games, including:

God of War
Grand Theft Auto 3, Vice City, San Andreas (all explicit. Mature audiences only)
Kingdom Hearts

Xbox 360:

Halo 1, 2 (Xbox 1)
Halo 3
Gears of War
Tom Clancy's Rainbow 6: Vegas
Tony Hawk's Project 8
Burnout: Revenge
Demos of single player games, including:

Dead Rising

PC:

3. Major Industry News:

Atari CEO Resigns as company exits game developement
"Curtis G. Solsvig III, the company's chief restructuring officer, will temporarily take over Pierce's duties as the company searches for new blood."
Interplay Plans to Restart Internal Development
"According to the publisher's financial report, it's currently working on getting funding for its Fallout MMO."
Codemasters, Epic join ESA
"The ESA represents U.S. computer and video game publishers, and including the two new inductees, currently has 29 member companies."

4. Other Industry News/Announcements:

'Virtual theft' leads to arrest
GameStop posts record third-quarter results Fall Dashboard Update on Dec. 4

5. Major releases this week:

Xbox 360:
Assassin's Creed
Mass Effect
Need for Speed Prostreet
Rock Band
Undertow (Live Arcade)

Wii:
Geometry Wars: Galaxy
Medal of Honor Heroes 2
Need for Speed Prostreet
Rayman Raving Rabids 2
Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles
Soul Caliber Legends
Super Mario Galaxy
Tomb Raider Anniversary
Trauma Center: New Blood

PS3:
Assassin's Creed
Medal of Honor Airborne
Need for Speed Prostreet
Rock Band
Soldier of Fortune: Payback
Time Crisis 4
Timeshift
Uncharted: Drake's Fortune

PC:
Crysis
Guitar Hero 3
Need for Speed Prostreet
Unreal Tournament 3

6. New/Recent Demos:

new: Guitar Hero 3: Halo theme (360)
new: Universe at War: Earth Assault (PC)
Sam and Max Episode 201: Ice Station Santa (PC)
Alpha Price (PC)
Uncharted: Drake's Fortune (PS3)
Portal Ren Test v1.2 Map (PC)

News for November 13, 2007:

Just like early October, the week before Thanksgiving break is another insane week for everyone on campus, because every professor believes that they are the only one giving out work that week, so you'll surely have plenty of time to do it. And because you're all excellent students who do well in all the work you do, those professors are correct.
However, because two of your professors might give work (two is far too much. What a horrible thought to have that much work), you'll surely feel overwhelmed at some point, and just want to take a small break. One thing I've found to be nice for relieving stress is playing some form of competitive game, be it pvp in your favorite MMO, Guitar Hero with your friends, getting headshot after headshot in your preferred online fps, or anything in between. It's best when you're pretty good, too; hearing their cries after you take out the enemy Leviathan with your Raptor is incredibly satisfying.
Unreal may not be your cup of tea, but I absolutely recommend playing something competitive to clear your head before your real work. You can find a game at any skill level, so just go play something before you go a little more crazy.
GG

1. Club News - Tournament Report

Last weekend we held our Guitar Hero 2 tournament and our Halo 3 tournament, and we are pleased to say that both tournaments went smoothly. While we didn't get the turnout we were expecting (not necessarily a bad thing), both tournaments went well enough to ensure that we will continue to have them as the year moves forward.
The VGO would like to congratulate Joseph Ballatore for winning first place at our Guitar Hero 2 tournament, and while we aren't sure of the names of the victors of the Halo 3 tournament, we would congratulate them over their narrow victory over Team Barrel, which kept us on the edge of our seats until the last kill.

2. Games Available to Play this Week:

As always, anyone is free and is encouraged to bring games and consoles to share with us for the night.

Gamecube:

Super Smash Bros. Melee
Demos of single player games, including

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door

Wii:

Wii Sports
Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz
Mario Party 8

PS2:

Guitar Hero 1, 2, Rock the 80's
Capcom vs. SNK 2
Marvel Vs. Capcom 2
Soul Calibur 2, 3
Street Fighter Third Strike
Hyper Super Street Fighter II Turbo
Guilty Gear X2
King of Fighters 2000, 2001
Bushido Blade (PS1)
Demos of single player games, including:

God of War
Grand Theft Auto 3, Vice City, San Andreas (all explicit. Mature audiences only)
Kingdom Hearts

Xbox 360:

Halo 1, 2 (Xbox 1)
Halo 3
Gears of War
Tom Clancy's Rainbow 6: Vegas
Tony Hawk's Project 8
Burnout: Revenge
Demos of single player games, including:

Dead Rising

PC:

3. Major Industry News:

SEC Closes EA Investigation
"Government regulators have wrapped up examination of publisher's stock options practices with no punishment levied"
EA Confirms EA Chicago is closing
"Closing EA Chicago is the toughest decision I've made in my career - one that in no way reflects on the talent and dedication of the people who work there."

4. Other Industry News/Announcements:

Xbox Live Turns 5
A Halo 3 Marriage Proposal PS3 2.0 update

5. Major releases this week:

Xbox 360:
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
F.E.A.R. Files
Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga

Wii:
Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games

PS3:
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga

PC:
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
Empire Earth III
Gears of War

6. New/Recent Demos:

new: Sam and Max Episode 201: Ice Station Santa (PC)
new: Alpha Price (PC)
new: Uncharted: Drake's Fortune (PS3)
new: Portal Ren Test v1.2 Map (PC)
Need for Speed: Prostreet (PC)
Battlestar Galactica (PC)
Empire Earth III (PC)
Hornet Leader (PC)
Mutant (PC)
Crysis (PC)

News for November 1, 2007:

Guitar Hero II Tournament

Saturday November 3, 2007 from 6:00 - 10:00pm in Student Union Room 304A. $5 entry fee, winner takes home 50% of the pot. Check out the Facebook event page for more details.

Guitar Hero II flyer

Halo 3 Tournament

Sunday November 4, 2007 at 4:00pm in South 112 and 113. No entry fee, free food, and prizes handed out by Microsoft. Check out the Facebook event page for more details.

Halo 3 flyer

News for October 22, 2007:

Oh Niko, where are you? Now, more than ever before, I need to sate my desire to roam around Liberty City killing hookers and cops and doing all sorts of unsavory things, and you've gone and run off to next spring. You promised you'd be here this past Tuesday, and this is how you keep your promise? Oh, who am I kidding, I can't stay mad at you forever...
Grand Theft Auto IV was supposed to be the other record-breaking release of the 2007 holidays, originally due out this past Tuesday the 16th, and after being pushed back to fiscal second quarter (February - April) of 2008, disappointed many fans. But this was most certainly a blessing in disguise. Like the delay of Brawl, this gives us more time to spend on other games (or cry in a corner cradling your wallet, whichever you prefer), and will result in an even better game, in the end. So while we may not be back in Liberty City for some time yet, the wait will be well worth it.

1. Club News

While we are working on funding and other events, we would like to invite everyone to a presentation by our academic advisor, Professor Roger Travis, on "End-game Gear and Multiplayer Epic: from the Iliad to "World of Warcraft", from his book, "Achilles and Hector: End-game Gear, PvP, and the Possibility of Multiplayer Epic". Basically, it's Greek mythology meets MMO's, and the ideas behind it. Having talked with him firsthand on it, I am very excited to see his work on it.
The presentation will be at 6:30 pm on Tuesday, November 6th, in Arjona 215. We hope to see many of you there.

2. Halo 3 Event - Updated

We've finally been able to get our room and everything is in order. Therefore, the VGO and Microsoft invite you all to our Halo 3 tournament on Sunday, November 4th, at 5 pm, in South 112 and 113. There is no entry fee, and there will be prizes given by Microsoft. Please email us with any questions.

3. Games Available to Play this Week:

As always, anyone is free and is encouraged to bring games and consoles to share with us for the night.

Gamecube:

Super Smash Bros. Melee
Demos of single player games, including

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door

Wii:

Wii Sports
Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz
Mario Party 8

PS2:

Guitar Hero 1, 2, Rock the 80's
Capcom vs. SNK 2
Marvel Vs. Capcom 2
Soul Calibur 2, 3
Street Fighter Third Strike
Hyper Super Street Fighter II Turbo
Guilty Gear X2
King of Fighters 2000, 2001
Bushido Blade (PS1)
Demos of single player games, including:

God of War
Grand Theft Auto 3, Vice City, San Andreas (all explicit. Mature audiences only)
Kingdom Hearts

Xbox 360:

Halo 1, 2 (Xbox 1)
Halo 3
Gears of War
Tom Clancy's Rainbow 6: Vegas
Tony Hawk's Project 8
Burnout: Revenge
Demos of single player games, including:

Dead Rising

PC:

4. Major Industry News:

Sony Bringing 40GB PS3 to US in November
"Now, everything is official, we're getting a 40GB PS3 at $399 on November 2"
September NPD numbers
"Hardware sales this month are 124 percent higher this year than they were for September of last year."
Microsoft Confirms Xbox 360 Arcade Bundle
"The bundle will cost $279 and come with a wireless controller and casual games including Pac-Man, Uno and Luxor 2"

5. Other Industry News/Announcements:

Street Fighter IV announced
ECA Hires Former ESA Lawyer Jennifer Mercurio

6. Major releases this week:

Xbox 360:
Beautiful Katamari
Every Extend Extra Extreme

Wii:
Rockstar Games presents Table Tennis
Tony Hawk's Proving Ground
Guilty Gear XX Accent Core
Ultimate Duck Hunting

PS3:
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion - Game of the Year Edition

PC:
Fury

7. New/Recent Demos:

new: Hellgate: London (PC)
new: Folklore (PS3)—different demo than the one in August
new: Juiced 2 (PS3)
new: Zoo Tycoon 2: Extinct Animals (PC)
Unreal Tournament 3 (PC)
Call of Duty 4 single player (PC)
The Apocalyptic Game About Penguins (PC)
Need for Speed: ProStreet (360)
The Simpsons Game (PS3, 360)
Conan (PS3, 360)

Betas:
Tabula Rasa Beta (PC)

News for October 15, 2007:

Despite many of us being heartbroken by the delay of Super Smash Bros: Brawl this week, it is likely a blessing in disguise. More time in development is always good, it will give our wallets less to whine about, and we may even hit the books. And this applies to every game out there. It may be agonizing to wait another few months to finally play a game, but in the end the wait will only make the game better. While not universally true (Prey was great, but not absolutely amazing), the inevitable Duke Nukem Forever will be.
Yeah, I just made the correlation that Brawl being delayed proves that Duke Nukem Forever will be amazing. Try and disprove it, I dare you.

1. Club News

While we are working on funding and other events, we would like to invite everyone to a presentation by our academic advisor, Professor Roger Travis, on "Achilles and Hector: End-game Gear, PvP, and the Possibility of Multiplayer Epic". Basically, it's Greek mythology meets MMO's, and the ideas behind it. Having talked with him firsthand on it, I am very excited to see his work on it.
The presentation will be at 6:30 pm on Tuesday, November 6th, in Arjona 215. We hope to see many of you there.

2. Halo 3 Event

We've been told that the rooms we've been trying to get in South are available on the Saturdays we've requested, but we need a responsible South A resident to open the doors to South 112 and 113 in South A on either Saturday the 20th or 27th, around 5 pm. We are working on this and expect it to be resolved shortly. An email will be sent out immediately once the details are finalized.

3. Games Available to Play this Week:

As always, anyone is free and is encouraged to bring games and consoles to share with us for the night.

Gamecube:

Super Smash Bros. Melee
Demos of single player games, including

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door

Wii:

Wii Sports
Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz
Mario Party 8

PS2:

Guitar Hero 1, 2, Rock the 80's
Capcom vs. SNK 2
Marvel Vs. Capcom 2
Soul Calibur 2, 3
Street Fighter Third Strike
Hyper Super Street Fighter II Turbo
Guilty Gear X2
King of Fighters 2000, 2001
Bushido Blade (PS1)
Demos of single player games, including:

God of War
Grand Theft Auto 3, Vice City, San Andreas (all explicit. Mature audiences only)
Kingdom Hearts

Xbox 360:

Halo 1, 2 (Xbox 1)
Halo 3
Gears of War
Tom Clancy's Rainbow 6: Vegas
Tony Hawk's Project 8
Burnout: Revenge
Demos of single player games, including:

Dead Rising

PC:

4. Major Industry News:

EA buys Bioware/Pandemic
"These are two of the most respected studios in the industry and I'm glad to be working with them again," said John Riccitiello, EA's Chief Executive Officer
Sony Drops 60 GB in Australia
"The newly introduced 40GB model [will be] the only version being brought into the country from here on in."

5. Other Industry News/Announcements:

New Challenger Approaching: Sonic the Hedgehog
Perri Kaplan leaving Nintendo
Evolution Studios cost Sony $33 million

6. Major releases this week:

Xbox 360:
Fifa '08
The Orange Box (Half Life 2, HL2: Episodes 1 and 2, Team Fortress 2, Portal)
Tony Hawk's Proving Ground

Wii:
Fifa '08
Elviz: Rock n Roll Adventure

PS3:
Sega Rally Revo
Tony Hawk's Proving Ground
Folklore

PC:
Neverwinter Nights 2: Mask of the Betrayer
The Orange Box (Half Life 2, HL2: Episodes 1 and 2, Team Fortress 2, Portal)

7. New/Recent Demos:

new: Unreal Tournament 3 (PC)
new: Call of Duty 4 single player (PC)
new: The Apocalyptic Game About Penguins (PC)
Need for Speed: ProStreet (360)
The Simpsons Game (PS3, 360)
Conan (PS3, 360)
Ratchet and Clank Future: Tools of Destruction (PS3)
Sega Rally Revo (PC, 360, PS3)
Clive Barker's Jericho (PC, 360, PS3)

Betas:
Hellgate: London (PC)
Tabula Rasa Beta (PC)

News for October 1, 2007:

Halo 3 is here at last, and has more than proven that it is a monumental success, both critically and financially. But in the frenzy surrounding it, let's not forget the gems that are coming up that have been lost in that shuffle. These range from the incredible deal of The Orange Box, to the wonderfully weird Beautiful Katamari. Then there are lesser-known titles, such as Folklore, Clive Barker's Jericho, and Viva Pinata: Party Animals (give it a chance. Pinatas have feelings too, you know). And then there's Barbie Island Princess, which is sure to be amazing. So as you go out to finish the fight, don't forget that there is plenty of good stuff coming out soon that you should definitely give a chance. Who knows, you might actually like it.

-Harlan Broughton, President

1. Club News

As a tier two organization, we can request funding, and we are doing just that. Getting funding is currently in the works (meaning more games and variety), as is setting up a variety of events for the year, the first of which is the Halo 3 tournament, currently tentatively scheduled for late October.

2. Halo 3 Event

We are waiting on word from the reservations office as to if we are confirmed for the rooms we have requested. Stay tuned for more information on the event.

Check out the facebook event page for details.

3. Games Available to Play this Week:

As always, anyone is free and is encouraged to bring games and consoles to share with us for the night.

Gamecube:

Super Smash Bros. Melee
Demos of single player games, including

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door

Wii:

Wii Sports
Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz
Mario Party 8

PS2:

Guitar Hero 1, 2, Rock the 80's
Capcom vs. SNK 2
Marvel Vs. Capcom 2
Soul Calibur 2, 3
Street Fighter Third Strike
Hyper Super Street Fighter II Turbo
Guilty Gear X2
King of Fighters 2000, 2001
Bushido Blade (PS1)
Demos of single player games, including:

God of War
Grand Theft Auto 3, Vice City, San Andreas (all explicit. Mature audiences only)
Kingdom Hearts

Xbox 360:

Halo 1, 2 (Xbox 1)
Gears of War
Tom Clancy's Rainbow 6: Vegas
Tony Hawk's Project 8
Burnout: Revenge
Demos of single player games, including:

Dead Rising

PC:

Since Andy will not be able to join us for the meeting this week, we are working to get the router and equipment from him so that we may hold the LAN this week. If we are able to get the equipment, we will have Starcraft Brood War, Warcraft 3: The Frozen Throne, and Counter-Strike Source available as usual, and I will personally have the Unreal Tournament 2004 for installation so that that may be played.

4. Major Industry News:

Activision Buys Bizarre Creations
"There may well be further games in these series, but they won't be developed by Bizarre"
Llewellyn leaves Nintendo
"I'll be taking some time off to be a full-time mom for a bit"

5. Other Industry News/Announcements:

EA Celebrates 10 Years of Ultima Online
DFC Intelligence forecasts video game industry
"Rock Band" PS3/Xbox360 Price Set, PS2 Release Moved Up To 2007

6. Major releases this week:

Xbox 360:
Halo 3
Eternal Sonata
Sega Rally Revo

Wii:
Dance Dance Revolution: Hottest Party
Dewy's Adventure

PS3:
Juiced 2: Hot Import Nights
Blazing Angels 2: Secret Missions of WWII
Skate

PC:
Enemy Territory: Quake Wars
Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts

7. New/Recent Demos:

new: Ratchet and Clank Future: Tools of Destruction (PS3)
new: Sega Rally Revo (PC, 360, PS3)
new: Clive Barker's Jericho (PC, 360, PS3)
new: Depths of Peril (PC)
new: Harmotion Free Game (PC)
new: Winning Eleven: Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 (PC, 360, PS3)
new: Heroes of Might and Magic V: Tribes of the East (PC)
new: Viva Pinata: Party Animals (360)
John Woo Presents: Stranglehold (PC, 360, PS3)
FIFA 2008 (PC, 360, PS3)
BioShock Demo (PC, 360)
Enemy Territory: Quake Wars Demo (PC)
Medal of Honor: Airborne Demo (PC, 360)

Betas:
new: Team Fortress 2 (PC)
Hellgate: London (PC)
Call of Duty 4 Beta (360)
Tabula Rasa Beta (PC)

News for September 23, 2007:

What a crazy week. School work aside, we've had Tokyo Game Show 2007 going on, bringing us news of the return of rumble for Sony. Jack Thompson has come out and leered with emphasis at Grand Theft Auto again. And we've finally found a Gamestop manager with a heart of gold (though he's probably out of a job for it, now). I'd say it can't get any crazier, but I'd eat my words within 22 hours, let alone the next few months as the holiday season moves into full swing.

-Harlan Broughton, President

1. Club News

We are now officially a Tier 2 organization, as recognized by the Department of Student Affairs. As such, we can now set up events and other things. For example, read on to learn about how we are working in conjunction with UConn's Microsoft representative to hold a Halo 3 tournament in the very near future.

2. Halo 3 Event

We're sure that some of you are eager to get your hands on Halo 3, which is now only hours from (official) release. And we are eager to provide for you all an event for Halo 3. We have been working with the Microsoft representative here at UConn on setting something up, and while some details aren't entirely certain yet, our tentative date is Saturday, October 6th 2007. There will be free soda (Mountain Dew Game Fuel) and most likely pizza, and our Campus Microsoft representatives Karl Schwirz and a representative from Microsoft) will be there to give out free Microsoft stuff.

More information will be sent out as it becomes available, but we do ask that if anyone is interested in going (it will be on campus), and does have an Xbox 360 or a projector that they could bring to be used at the event, please contact us immediately.

Also, check out the facebook event page for any remaining details we have missed.

3. Games Available to Play this Week:

As always, anyone is free and is encouraged to bring games and consoles to share with us for the night.

Gamecube:

Super Smash Bros. Melee
Demos of single player games, including

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door

Wii:

Wii Sports
Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz
Mario Party 8

PS2:

Guitar Hero 1, 2, Rock the 80's
Capcom vs. SNK 2
Marvel Vs. Capcom 2
Soul Calibur 2, 3
Street Fighter Third Strike
Hyper Super Street Fighter II Turbo
Guilty Gear X2
King of Fighters 2000, 2001
Bushido Blade (PS1)
Demos of single player games, including:

God of War
Grand Theft Auto 3, Vice City, San Andreas (all explicit. Mature audiences only)
Kingdom Hearts

Xbox 360:

Halo 1, 2 (Xbox 1)
Gears of War
Tom Clancy's Rainbow 6: Vegas
Tony Hawk's Project 8
Burnout: Revenge
Demos of single player games, including:

Dead Rising

PC:

We had a good turnout for the LAN this past week, despite some unforeseen technical difficulties regarding networking into the router. As before, we readily have Starcraft Brood War, Warcraft 3: The Frozen Throne, and Counter-Strike Source available, and strongly encourage people to bring in new games (and game demos) to share with us.

4. Major Industry News:

Oklahoma game-law injunction permanent
"...ruling that video games are a form of creative expression entitled to protection under the First Amendment"
Studios leaving money on the table
"...most studios will become format agnostic"

5. Other Industry News/Announcements:

Dual Shock 3 on PS3 Becomes Reality
Guitar Hero III CD to come with free in-game songs
TGS '07: Bungie triples Halo 3 server capacity
Super Smash Bros. to brawl online

6. Major releases this week:

Xbox 360:
Juiced 2: Hot Import Nights
Blazing Angels 2: Secret Missions of WWII
John Woo Presents: Stranglehold

Wii:
Victorious Boxers: Revolution

PS3:
John Woo Presents: Stranglehold
Stuntman Ignition

PC:
Galactic Assault: Prisoner of Power
Medal of Honor: Airborne
Medieval II: Total War Kingdoms
The Sims 2: Bon Voyage
World in Conflict
John Woo Presents: Stranglehold

7. New/Recent Demos:

new: " John Woo Presents: Stranglehold (PC, 360, PS3)
new: " FIFA 2008 (PC, 360, PS3)
BioShock Demo (PC, 360)
Enemy Territory: Quake Wars Demo (PC)
Medal of Honor: Airborne Demo (PC, 360)
Two Worlds Demo (PC)
World in Conflict Demo (PC)

Betas:
new: "Hellgate: London (PC)
Call of Duty 4 Beta (360)
Tabula Rasa Beta (PC)

News for September 15, 2007:

Pictures from the second meeting are now up on the media page!

We're a few weeks into the semester, now, and back into the full swing of the insanity. For the VGO, it's been a crazy ride getting us to where we are now, but seeing the result of our work these last few weeks, I'm glad we've done it. We've got a lot planned for the year, and I hope you all enjoy the ride.

-Harlan Broughton, President

1. Club News

We are in the process of completing our Tier 2 requirements. Once this is out of the way, we'll be able to set up the events and tournaments that we know you all want. Be sure to keep watch in the near future for announcements of these.

2. Games Available to Play this Week:

As always, anyone is free and is encouraged to bring games and consoles to share with us for the night.

Note: for single-player demos, please email us at least a day in advance so that we can arrange the meeting accordingly. Otherwise we will be unable to demo them.

Gamecube:

Super Smash Bros. Melee
Demos of single player games, including

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door

Wii:

Wii Sports
Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz

PS2:

Guitar Hero 2, Rock the 80's
Capcom vs. SNK 2
Marvel Vs. Capcom 2
Soul Calibur 2
Soul Calibur 3
Street Fighter Third Strike
Hyper Super Street Fighter II Turbo
Guilty Gear X2
King of Fighters 2000
King of Fighters 2001
Bushido Blade (PS1)
Demos of single player games, including:

God of War
Grand Theft Auto 3, Vice City, San Andreas (all explicit. Mature audiences only)
Kingdom Hearts

Xbox 360:

Halo 2 (Xbox 1)
Gears of War
Tom Clancy's Rainbow 6: Vegas
Tony Hawk's Project 8
Burnout: Revenge
Demos of single player games, including:

Dead Rising

PC:

The details of PC LAN'ing for this week will be announced in another update shortly.

3. Major Industry News:

US August game-industry haul nearly $1B:
August numbers are a "46% increase over the same month last year."
George Harrison Leaving Nintendo at Year's End:
"I will be leaving at the end of December and not making the move to California."
FASA Studio KIA:
"It is my sad duty to announce that FASA Studio has officially closed its doors."
-FASA studio head Mitch Gitelman

4. Other Industry News/Announcements:

NPD: US game industry could hit $18B in '07
World Series of Video Games cancelled
Pre-TGS '07: Gaiden 2 tops Microsofts Japanese 360 slate
Capcom shares hit five-year high
Guitar Hero III Shocker... Coming to PC & Mac
Have No F.E.A.R., a Name Is Here

5. Major releases in September (so far, through this week):

Xbox 360:
Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Game of the Year Edition
Medal of Honor: Airborne
Skate.

Wii:
Ultimate Duck Hunting

PS3:
Heavenly Sword
Lair
Skate
Warhawk

PC:
Guild Wars: Eye of the North
Medal of Honor: Airborne
Medieval II: Total War Kingdoms
The Sims 2: Bon Voyage
World in Conflict

6. New/Recent Demos:

BioShock Demo (PC, 360)
Enemy Territory: Quake Wars Demo (PC)
Medal of Honor: Airborne Demo (PC, 360)
Two Worlds Demo (PC)
World in Conflict Demo (PC)

Betas:
Call of Duty 4 Beta (360)
Tabula Rasa Beta (PC)

News for September 6, 2007:

Post Involvement Fair:
What a turnout! We were very happy to see so many people interested in the video game club at the involvement fair. This is our first official year as a club and for our first involvement fair we ended up with well over a hundred new names to add to our mailing list! While such a response is great and will definitely help us fulfill our goal of helping gamers at Uconn meet and get in touch with each other, it also poses a certain problem as far as capacity is concerned.

But don't think that means we don't want you to come! We still want anyone and everyone interested in gaming to come join us, and we are currently working with the Student Union to increase our capacity by next Tuesday. With any luck we will have an extra room and a few more displays to help everyone get in on the games. If you put your name on our mailing list then you should receive an email within a few days detailing any changes. If you did not add your name to our mailing list and would like to be added, or if you have any questions about the club, then send us an email at uconnvgo@gmail.com from your preferred email address. I will also be keeping this website up to date with the latest information, so check back here for any news.

Update:
We've had some issues with some of the email addresses that we were given during the involvement fair. Whether it was our inability to read or type, we apologize. We have sent out an email regarding LAN gaming for the next meeting. If you did not receive this email then please let us know so that we can properly add you to the mailing list. Thanks!

LAN Gaming:
We had a good number of people at the involvement fair who were interested in LAN gaming at the club. We would like to gauge how many people are willing to bring their laptops (or desktops, if you're really hardcore) and hook up for some PC gaming, as well as what games you're interested in playing. Please send us an email at uconnvgo@gmail.com if you want to bring your laptop to the club and let us know what game or games you have and would like to play. We will set up a space with the necessary equipment for LAN gaming if there is enough demand (which there very likely will be) and we'll need to know how many people will join.

Membership:
For those new to the club, to be considered an actual member of the club it is necessary to attend at least three meetings per semester. Membership will allow access to the club library and earn you many cool new friends to hang out and play video games with. Also, only members may run for office when election time rolls around in April.

Sub-Groups
For games that have any sort of collaborative nature, such as Counter Strike teams or MMORPG clans, as well as any games that you just want to meet other fans of, we are looking to set up groups of gamers to help you guys meet and play with other like-minded gamers. If anybody wants to help us set up or be a part of a Uconn team or clan for any game, let us know! Talk to us at the next meeting or, again, email us at uconnvgo@gmail.com.

We are a very open minded group and encourage any suggestions you may have for things you'd like to do at the club meetings or how you think we can improve the club in general. Please let us know what you think and give us any ideas you might have. We hope to see you all at the next meeting!

~C.J.

News for August 26, 2007:

It's back to school again!
Welcome to all new students and to returning members. I am sure you are all eager to get back to the games. Our first meeting of the new semester will be Tuesday, September 4th, at 9:00 pm in room 321 in the Student Union. We hope to see you all there!

In addition, catch us at the Involvement Fair in the Student Union on Wednesday September 5, 2007 from 5:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. We'll be in the Ballroom. And start preparing for some of the events we are planning this year, including a Guitar Hero tournament!

Let's make this year a great start for the VGO.

-Harlan Broughton, President

News for April 30, 2007:

It's Summer time!
There will be no meetings until next semester. Have fun over Summer Break and we hope to see you in August!

New Leadership:
The election results are as follows:
President:  Harlan Broughton
Vice President:  C.J. Manville
Treasurer:  Jian Chan
Secretary:  Jenn Pascale
Fundraising Chair:  Javier Romero

Congratulations to all the new leaders.  Let's make next year a great start for the VGO.

Bake Sale:
The bake sale on Thursday 4/26 was a big success. Everyone pitched in and made a lot of really good food. We sold everything and made over 100% profit! The money made will go toward future events, like more bake sales or tournaments, and helping the club start up its own library of consoles and games. Many thanks to all those who helped out.

Keep in touch over the summer through the Facebook group. If there is demand for it, I can set up a temporary forum for the summer. Next semester I should be able to put up our own permanent forum on the site. Until then, good luck on finals and game on.

~C.J.

News for April 24, 2007:

There will not be a VGO meeting tonight.

Good luck on finals.

Sincerely,
Andrew Garibay

News for April 17, 2007:

Greetings everyone,

ELECTIONS

Information on the details of each officer position can be found in the constitution.
Tomorrow the VGO Elections will be held! Just as a reminder, here are our candidates:

PRESIDENT

1. Harlan Broughton
2. Kyle Conterno
3. Brian Falkner

VICE PRESIDENT

1. C.J. Manville
2. Anthony Santiago

TREASURER

1. Jian Chan

SECRETARY

1. Jennifer Pascale

FUNDRAISING CHAIR

1. Javier Romero

PUBLIC RELATIONS CHAIR

1. Andrew Garibay

EVENTS CHAIR

1. Andrew Garibay

Every candidate will have five minutes to talk. Candidates may discuss things they want to do next year if elected to a particular position, how they would do things differently, or what qualities they would bring to the leadership position. Since PRESIDENT and VICE PRESIDENT are the only contested seats, after each of these talks anonymous voting will take place and will be announced at the end of the night. I still expect uncontested seats to talk about what they plan on doing for next year.

VGO BAKE SALE FUNDRAISER

We'll be testing the waters with this one. We have Table 2 in the SU on reserve on Tuesday (4/24) and Thursday (4/26), 11-4 or however long we want to go. I just need to finish up yet another bit of paperwork to seal the deal, but as of right now, we are scheduled to be there at that time. I'll be talking about the final details of this event and how we are going to go about pricing/baking/etc.

GAMES TUESDAY

Modded PS2
1. Metal Slug Anthology
2. Naruto Shippuden
3. Lumines
4. Ratchet and Clank: Up Your Arsenal (Does anyone have a ps2 multi tap? This game could be intense with 4 players)
5. Whatever people choose to be appropriate

GC
1. Smash Brothers Melee
2. Wario Ware
3. Super Mario Strikers
4. Mario Kart: DD
5. Bomberman

PS2
1. Guitar Hero II
2. DBZ Budokai 3
3. Soul Calibur 3
4. Bring in games!

PC
1. Starcraft: Broodwar (Bring in your laptops/any routers you might have if you want to play. If you bring your laptop, don't forget an ethernet cable!)

WORLD CYBER GAMES - The Life of a Professional Starcraft Player
1. This will have auditory priority for the first hour.

See you guys tomorrow.

Sincerely,
Andrew Garibay

News for April 10, 2007:

Tonight we'll be holding nominations for officers next year. Please arrive at 8 pm sharp so that we can get nominations over and play a bit. Please refer to the constitution for the available positions.

Update: Since people might have difficulty making it at 8, the club will start at 8, but nominations will begin at 9 pm.

As far as what we have in store this week...

Officer Nominations
Please be ready to take up positions for next year. You can either nominate yourself or another person - please take this seriously.

Fund Raising
We will hopefully have a date soon regarding when we will be selling in the student union. Everyone in the club is expected to contribute at least one type of baked good when the time comes.

New Games
Naruto: Shippuden Accel (PS2)
Shmup Anthology (PS2)
We <3 Katamary (PS2)
Karaoke Revolution 1-3 + Party (PS2)
Metal Slug Anthology (PS2)
Berserk (PS2)
Ratchet and Clank 3: Up Your Arsenal (PS2)

Trailers
I'll have a video streaming of upcoming games for the spring/summer. This'll be on the laptop.

Facebook
CJ is drafting up a website and the discussion seems to be going well over there, but we still need more idea for the uconn VGO logo. Any ideas should be posted up in the thread Jen has started.

USG Funding
Please be brainstorming ideas for what we absolutely need next year. I'll be getting together paper work this week from vendors and will submit it next thursday by four pm. The funding board meeting will be on the 20th and if approved, we should have money for next semester.

Sincerely,
Andrew Garibay