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Duel Love: it's educational
Duel Love may seem controversial, but it's just another DS training game. There are training games on the DS that cover all sorts of subjects, from driving to cooking. Why not one about caring for high-school boys who take part in a secret fight club? And, uh, nipple rubbing?Think about it this way: what if you were to come across a kid who just got beaten up in a tournament-style fistfight, in such pain that he can barely whisper a request for a massage? How would you attend to his bruises? How would you know how to give him the most effective massage? That's where Duel Love comes in.Apply gentle pressure to the post break to see a couple more videos!
Hayate the Combat Butler returns to the DS
A few days ago, another dating sim hit Japanese shelves, making us wonder just how many of these types of games Japan gets in any given month. Like many, this one is based on a Japanese manga (which was later developed into an anime and video game) called Hayate the Combat Butler.The first video game based on the manga came out last summer. Hayate no Gotoku! Ojousama Produce Daisakusen Boku Iro ni Somare! just recently released, though, and comes in two different versions. The main difference in the two versions is the setting, as one takes place at a rich girl named Nagi's school, while the other takes place at her mansion home.The game has a Pygmalion/My Fair Lady type of storyline, in which the butler of the house must train Nagi for an Ojousama (lady) contest. You control Hayate the teen butler, and must pick out Nagi's clothes, scout out her opponents, and take her out on dates (to relieve her stress, of course). Ultimately, your goal is to make the bond between Hayate and Nagi as strong as possible.We're going to bet that this shows up in the Japanese sales charts sometime soon -- any takers? Also, if you're interested, you can check past the break to see the boxarts and some screens.
Clean Keeper is the dirtiest Wii game
We've always heard that "cleanliness is next to Godliness," but Housekeeper Squadron Clean Keeper seems to contradict that saying. Yet, the game's "ick factor" comes from more than just cleaning evil dirt with girls in maid outfits. Some details have emerged on the title, and we've come to realize that the gameplay involves cleaning dirt off of these child-looking girls.When they're attacked by evil starburst dirt, the player must clean the girls using the Wii's motion controls. Depending on what cleaning tool you're using, you'll be imitating a different gesture, such as wiping or jabbing. The trailer for the game also shows a whip tool, which proves to us that the whole "cleaning" story is just an excuse to do naughty things to little girls.Aside from the risqué content, the game will be your everyday Japanese dating sim adventure. But, we're sure that's not what folks will be buying the game for. It's also interesting to note that this game only has a CERO C (equivalent to an ESRB "T") rating in Japan.To see some NSFW video footage of the game (the video doesn't show any inappropriate body parts, but do you want to explain it to your coworkers?), which also happen to have "not safe for ears" audio (it's appropriate, just horrible), move on past the break.
A pair of dating games hit Japan on Valentine's Day
If you're anything like this blogger, you'll be spending Valentine's Day alone and bitter again this year. If you live in Japan (or enjoy importing), though, rest assured that the Land of the Rising Sun knows how to take care of its single girl gamers. Not one, but two dating games will be released in the country on Thursday, hoping to let young girls in the lonely hearts club live vicariously through their handhelds. The more popular of the two, Tokimeki Memorial: Girl's Side 2nd Season is not only a sequel to a successful game, but also a remake of a PS2 title (with additional content involved to sweeten the deal). Making full use of the touch screen, the game lets you fondle your man on the way home from dates, which in turn increases his affection for you. The "touching" parts probably aren't as scandalous as they sound, but when it comes to Japanese dating games, you just never know. The second game is a bit more disheartening than the former. In Otometeki Koi Kakumei * Love Revo!!, you take control of a girl who's packed on a few pounds since her youth. Now that she's fat, she no longer has any gentlemen callers. In fact, all the hot guys in town are downright mean to her. Of course, it's up to you to get her back in shape so that she can get a boyfriend. The idea sounds a bit like the story in Yume Penguin Monogatari to us, only without the charm of having penguins involved.[Thanks, Mariye!]
Everybody was touchscreen fighting
The DS's touchscreen technology has allowed us to indulge in some truly unique activities, from painting tanks to DJing to slapping women. Seriously, who would have guessed this kind of thing was the future in 2003?Not wishing to be left out, Capcom's Rosario + Vampire (which, Capcom has confirmed, won't be appearing in the west) also uses the touchscreen in a novel way. Rather than the traditional method of pressing buttons, the game's combat sequences are carried out with directional stylus swipes, with different Ouendan-esque strokes producing certain moves.It's definitely an interesting approach, and it makes us wonder whether we'll be seeing more fighting games embracing this method in the future. If Rosario + Vampire pulls it off well, we wouldn't bet against another developer picking up this idea and running with it.
Clean Keeper has an ironic title
Housekeeping Squadron Clean Keeper is the first game from a new division of Idea Factory called Lupinus, which focuses on moe stuff (as in "mo-eh," not games about Moe Howard, which we would prefer). It's a game about a bunch of young maids who band together to defeat some kind of evil dirt or something.Mostly it'll be a game about looking at some young girls in maid outfits, navigating a whole bunch of conversation trees, and participating in exactly as many gesture-based cleaning action sequences (which seem to involve giant dirt particles) as Idea Factory thinks they have to put in. While the theme of the game is cleanliness, we seriously doubt Idea Factory's intentions are in any way "clean."
Rosario + Vampire = huh?
Capcom has created a site for a game based on the manga Rosario + Vampire. Like most manga, we didn't know what the hell this was. It turns out to be some high school romance thing, but it's at least got an unusual twist: the main character has been enrolled in a school for monsters by mistake! And then he falls in love with a vampire girl, so rather than going to the principal, he decides to pretend to be a monster. Oh, the comical misunderstandings that must ensue! The game looks like a pretty standard dating sim/graphical text adventure thing. Travel to different locations around the school, talk to girls, that sort of thing. But ... monsters! Check out the "pre-opened" site for more screens.[Via Famitsu]
DS supplemented with Vitamin X
Vitamin X Evolution: Super Supplement Boys Goes On. That's a game's title. If anything, this is a testament to the importance of compositional meaning in language. After all, all of those are English words, but hell if we know what that title means. We know what the game is on a practical level, at least, and that's another remade PlayStation 2 adventure game -- this time, an otome game about a female teacher assigned to tutor a group of problematic high school boys. By choosing when to correct the students' mistakes and when to let them pass, the students' "Love" and "Study" stats vary depending on these decisions, as well as their (your) performance in monthly exams. Is it a dating game? We can't really tell! We don't want it to be. But otome games seem to be relationship-focused, so ... it probably is a vaguely creepy dating game.
What your console of choice says about you
MSN's personals page has a piece about what a man's console says about him. That's not being sexist, that's what the article is about. Perhaps console preference says something different about women? Here's what the "expert" opinions of a psychologist, a DeVry student, the CEO of GGL and the editor-in-chief of GameTrailers came up with: PlayStation: The consensus is that this guy is an early adopter who demands the best from his game experience "and probably his women." This is the guy who is hard to keep up with because he's either working or out on the town. He uses video games to relax. Wii: This guy is fun. He also knows that this is the best date machine as many games appeal to both sexes. He's also fiscally responsible because the system is the cheapest least expensive. Xbox 360: He's probably a serious gamer and women should ask to see his gamertag to see how much time he's logged. These guys like "violent, visceral games, as well as the social aspect of connecting with friends online. They may be living out an active and social life through games, because they are a bit on the shy side." According to one comment, these men are passionate about gaming and transfer that to the bedroom. The author of the piece notes, "These expert opinions won't apply to all men who own these consoles, so don't consider them absolutes." Theoretically, it should help women get "some solid clues" about the gamer they're dating. We bet it gets really confusing once female gamers and owners of multiple systems get involved.
CONFIRMED: You're all fun, but selfish about your passion
Attention ladies of Wii Fanboy! Struggling to assess the suitability of the guy you're dating? Want to know how your beau really ticks? Then don't pursue a relationship centered around honesty and open communication - that's just really stupid.Especially when you can gather all the necessary information by looking at which console he owns. To prove this works, MSN's Dating column gathered a group of "experts" in the fields of psychology and gaming, and asked them to spew relentless pop psychology claptrap what they thought each console says about its owner.Turns out owning a Wii makes you a "fun guy," and "not the typical slack-jawed, bleary-eyed gamer who wants to sit on the couch staring blankly at the screen for hours on end," though we're going to be hard-pressed to keep that facade of casual coolness going when a certain game arrives. Apparently, us male Wii owners are also selfish about our passion, and smart with money (is that because Wii is, like, omigosh, cheaper than the other two?).But wait, there's a disclaimer at the bottom there: "Of course, these expert opinions won't apply to all men who own these consoles, so don't consider them absolutes." Sheesh, good job they came clean.Click past the break for the verdicts in full.
What does PS3 say about your love life?
We couldn't help but laugh at this article on MSN Dating, which details what owning a specific console means for a person. A PS3 owner according to psychologist Carl Arinoldo reminds women that PS3 owning men "have deep pockets." Great for a fancy first date, no?Ted Owen, CEO of GGL adds that "the PS3 guy enjoys life to its fullest. He is sophisticated, intelligent, enjoys competition and is willing to wait for a good thing." Finally, Shane Satterfield also notes that PS3 owners are a cut above the rest: "This guy is in the know. He knows the right people, goes to the best restaurants and doesn't wait in line to get into the club."We don't know how well this describes our readers, but that certainly sounds like the life of a blogger. Seriously. To check out what it means to own other consoles, check out MSN.[Thanks, petey!]
Breakfast Topic: MMO = MatchMaking Online?
The multiplayer in MMO seems to be catching on these days, but for reasons you might not expect. BBC online recently published an article discussing how MMOs in general and WoW in specific make a great place to build romantic relationships.It used to be that when a couple explained that they met online, their friends would color with embarrassment or quite likely just plain laugh. But nowadays with the popularity of the Internet online rendezvous aren't as uncommon, and now it appears that MMOs are the new trend in online dating.
Study says social games make people more social
Our good friends at Joystiq reported on a study earlier from Nottingham Trent University (it's in England) about MMO gamers and their social behaviors. And supposedly-- are you sitting for this one?-- massively multiplayer online games actually help people meet others and make friends. Go figure!They surveyed 1,000 gamers (which is not a huge sample, actually), and found that almost half had actually met another player in real life, and one in ten developed "physical relationships" with someone they'd met in a game. 40% of people discussed sensitive issues with online friends rather than real-life ones, and 30% of players were attracted to another player. 80% of players also played not only with online friends, but with real-life friends and family as well. And according to the study, women were more likely to both be attracted to other players, and to eventually date them, and while women play for "therapeutic refreshment," men play for "curiosity, astonishment, and interest."50% of respondents said World of Warcraft was their game of choice, so while the study was actually about MMO players, it's not a stretch to say it's just about WoW players (and pretty hardcore players, too-- average play time per week was 22.85 hours!). Like I said, 1,000 people is a pretty small sample, but apparently a journal approved it-- the study will be published in CyberPsychology and Behavior.
Woz is dating Kathy Griffin
Even as I write this, I can't really believe I'm writing it: the tabloid sites are ablaze with news that Woz is dating comedienne Kathy Griffin.That's right. Our Woz. Steve Wozniak. Kathy Griffin. The mind boggles. Not so much because it's wrong or anything (good for both of them), but just because-- how could that possibly happen? Apparently Woz met her after seeing her stand-up show, and they hit it off. What a weird world we live in. And did you ever, in a million years, think you'd see Woz on Perez Hilton's site? Me either. What's next, Ive on TMZ?Of course, if you're anything like me, your second thought after hearing the news was wondering WWFSS? And here you go.Thanks to everyone who sent this in!
The sexually charged antics of Brooktown High
Steve has pointed out the general unattractiveness of the Brooktown High girls not once, but twice. While we would have appreciated some characters that were a bit more easy on the eyes, we have to admit that the newest trailer for this PSP-exclusive dating sim looks pretty fun. The incredibly deformed character designs work well in context of the crazy antics that take place in this sexually charged school. I hate to admit it, but ... does this game actually look fun?
Date and WoW? The Digg crowd doesn't believe you.
The image says it all (click for a full size version), here. A digg regarding a WoW-themed cake (hey, we've seen some of those recently!) made by a player's girlfriend resulted in the response seen above. What do those 1816 commenters have in common? None of them think you can date and WoW.[Via Joystiq]
How to get your girlfriend to play video games
Speaking from years of experience, we know how hard it can be to get your girlfriend interested in playing video games. Granted, it might be impossible to drag her into play-til-dawn Halo 2 sessions online, but dropping into casual gaming with a Wario Ware: Smooth Moves round or two is entirely doable. Need some tips? Wikihow has an entry up on how to get your girlfriend to play video games, which offers up some gender stereotypes like this: "Don't get games that involve things like strippers, prostitutes, and sex. Unless she has a really good sense of humor about such things, she probably won't like it." Well, where's the fun in that? Oh, we keed, we keed. True, most of the article is common sense, and it might actually be helpful to some of you out there who have had a hard time getting your significant others interested in jumping into the game with you. However, some of it is just plain whacked, like explaining to your girlfriend how to stretch and uncramp her hands. If your girlfriend doesn't know how to do this already, then you've got more serious problems.For those of you who need a girlfriend in order to find this article useful, check out Wikihow's hilarious "How to get a girlfriend if you're a nerd" entry. We're not sure whether to laugh or cry. For all of you female gamers out there, let us know how they could improve this entry, and don't worry about being gentle ... blast away.[Thanks, WebPimp]
You take my breath (bar) away
The Onion has published a humorous love letter which makes sense to any WoW player, though it has a poignant side. Sometimes it's hard to understand life without WoW -- just as it's hard to decipher the terminology any Azeroth resident is steeped in -- and relationships bridging the chasm can have their problems.Ever tried to convince your other half to see the setting sun in Southshore rather than go out on the town? If your love life is eerily like this, perhaps it's time to reconsider your priorities. However, I know plenty of couples who play together and find it a good way to spend time together -- perhaps you can get your other half interested, though mine is quite happy not sharing this particular hobby.[Via Joystiq]
