Results tagged “videogames”

If you were anywhere near the Village this weekend, you probably noticed a sea of doe-eyed teenagers and their parents arriving at NYU and trying to get a quick verdict on if this whole "going to college in New York thing" is all it's cracked to be. Well the New York Post has taken a quick scan of the new course catalog and is quick to give them a heads up—it's bogus! The tabloid finds classes that require students to play Guitar Hero (for "psychological" purposes) and another on exercise and brain chemistry where students take an aerobics class for an hour before sitting down for a lecture. Neuroscience professor Wendy Suzuki explains, "I got the idea at Equinox Gym. I took this kickboxing and dance class that made me feel great. I thought if I could make my students feel like that after my class, I'd be the best teacher in the world!" If that's not enough, the paper digs deeper and finds ?!?!?! (NYU has one of the top-ranked TV and Film studies programs in the nation.) The Post claims that parents were "livid," like one dad who saw the Guitar Hero class, "I just wrote a big check here. I'm not paying for him to study video games. It seems a bit watered down."

   

Jets fans, are you upset by the cover of Madden NFL 09 that has Brett Favre in a Green Bay uniform? Well, EA Sports has a solution for you! You can now download a new cover with the future Hall of Famer in a Jets uniform. All you have to do is print it on some glossy paper and 'BOOM!' you've got yourself an up-to-date game. Wii owners, no cover update for you, but you're not gamers anyway.

Governor Paterson signed a law that will restrict violent video games, as well as create "an advisory council to study the effects of violent games" and "to help families better monitor" the games. While bill sponsor State Senator Andrew Lanza said, "Technology advances have allowed video games to become increasingly more realistic and interactive, and unfortunately more violent. Some games simply aren't appropriate for nine and ten year old children for example," Americans for Tax Reform president Grover Norquist opined to the AP, "The reason it is politically popular is the average citizen will read a headline that says, 'State Legislature is against violence in children's video games.' They are unlikely to read a headline that says, 'Legislature will waste $70,000 of your tax dollars.'"

This afternoon, not only can you take out a book on perfecting your tennis backhand, you can work on your Wii Tennis backhand at the New York Public Library's Humanities and Social Sciences Library (the big one on Fifth Avenue at 42nd Street in Manhattan).

A look at some of this week's noteworthy television: Spike TV's Video Game Awards 2007 (Sunday, 9:00 p.m., Spike TV) It is the fifth annual outing for this awards show for video games. Live From Lincoln Center: Red Hot Holiday Stomp (Monday, 8:00 p.m., WNET 13) Jazz at Lincoln Center is highlighted with this special hosted by Glenn Close. There will be a program of holiday music and jazz, plus it also features the broadcast...

So if you remember correctly, Grand Theft Auto IV, the New York City crime simulator, was supposed to be in stores by now. But between production delays and the million other great games this season to compete with, they decided to just push it back till next Spring and get it right. But just in case you've you've still got an itch for some Eastern European organized crime this holiday season, here's a brand...

Pitchfork-approved blog darlings Tokyo Police Club have spent the last year and change transitioning from flavor of the month boy band to reputable musicians with an enviable knack for short, hook-happy hits. On Thursday night these clever Canucks will have the chance to further extend their fan base when they perform at the “Woodie” Awards; they’re nominated for a “Breaking Woodie”. Broadcast on the 24-hour college network mtvU, the award show will feature performances by...

Last week marked the five year anniversary of the murder of Jam Master Jay, who was shot and killed at his studio in Queens the night before Halloween 2002. The slaying was one of many that went unspoken about by witnesses, all of whom follow the "no snitching" rule. However, The Daily News has just talked to someone who is breaking this absurd code of silence.Randy Allen, the iconic turntablist's longtime business partner, told the...

FR.OG and P*Ong, two perfectly good Manhattan restaurants that opened earlier this year, have names that independently invoke two classic arcade video games, Frogger and Pong. Now, as the fall openings season draws to a close and the votes for worst new restaurant name have been cast, we’d like to draw your attention to the most incredibly iconic new restaurant name in New York: It's that of Roclantic Eatery, a soul food and oil drum “Bar-B-Que” place that opened just two weeks ago on the corner of Atlantic and Rockaway Avenue in East New York, coincidentally enough. Kind of rolls off the tongue. With a purple-painted exterior and booming, shadowed, all-caps signage, Roclantic’s owners have come up with a restaurant name so unique that as of right now, it doesn’t even return a single Google hit.

Many schools have restricted the sugary delights of cupcakes over concerns about childhood obesity and diabetes. The Huntington School District in Long Island even banned sweets from bake sales. From the Huntington School District website, via Fox News:

"It is the policy of the district that food shall not be used in the classroom, except as a part of a snack brought from home for the individual consumption of students," the district says. "The policy forbids food from being used as an incentive or reward or for instructional purposes (except in home and career skills classes), birthday celebrations or holiday or seasonable celebrations. Instead, alternatives are suggested that include singing and dancing, special privileges or even games."

Jeremy Blake, an artist whose works have been shown at the Whitney and on Times Square's Jumbotron, is presumed to have killed himself by walking into the ocean at the Rockaways on Tuesday. On July 10, Blake discovered the body of his girlfriend, filmmaker Theresa Duncan, in their East Village apartment; he had planned to attend Duncan's memorial service, which is being held today.

FUNDRAISER: It's the 3rd Annual Summer, Sex and Spirits cocktail and shopping extravaganza. Planned Parenthood of New York City (PPNYC), in conjunction with Brooklyn Indie Market join forces for the fundraiser, "an evening of mixing and mingling with retail therapy!" There will be $4 drink specials, 1/2 price sangria pitchers, a deejay and a giveaway...we're also guessing everyone will walk away with at least one free condom.

The New York Times has an interesting and somewhat melancholy article on the decline of street sports played by New York's children. Whereas there was once a time when adults had to bypass certain blocks while walking in their neighborhood, so as to not interrupt multiple games in play, a number of factors have contributed to the downfall of pastimes like stickball. Larger and less crowded apartments, both parents working, video games, air conditioning, fear of crime, a focus on structuring children's free time to advance them socially and academically, less cohesive neighborhoods, and more traffic are all suggested as possible reasons for a drop in most parents' shared summer vacation plea: "Why don't you go out and play?"

The State Legislature's regular session is supposed to end today, but Governor Spitzer is trying to orchestrate a deal with something for everyone: Congestion pricing (which the State Senate seems to approve but the Assembly hates), campaign reform (Spitzer's pet project, which the Senate hates), and raises for lawmakers (which the Assembly and Senate love).

, a much more interesting affair because it goes from being a novel written by some guy to being a novel written by someone you know. And in this interview you'll get to know a little more about Tao Lin, and then you can read Tao's thoughtful and interesting post on Cho Seung-Hui's killing rampage or his amusing exploration of his writing process.

Ever wonder how some of Brooklyn's finest rockers live? Design Sponge takes a look at Les Savy Fav frontman, Tim Harrington's Williamsburg apartment...and it's definitely not what we expected! Perhaps more surprising than finding out Adrian Grenier insulated his Brooklyn home with jeans, is that Harrington's got great style.

Sandwiched between Park Slope and Gowanus, along 4th Avenue, the Sheep Station bills itself as an Australian restaurant even if the bar seems to get the most attention. It has none of the kitschy video games, dated beer posters, or anything really that might muck up its design. It’s all straight lines and clean surfaces, and in that respect feels a little like Gothamist favorite Bocco Lupo in Cobble Hill. Like that enticing wine bar, massive windows seemed carved out the brick, making it feel vibrant, open, and engaging. Even if that means it isn’t overlooking quiet tree-lined streets, and instead a busy boulevard, directly cater-corner to a BP gas station. Luckily the dull hum of fluorescent lights and rattling cars changes immediately when you enter.

There's a fine line between a parent reprimanding a child with punishment and assault. A Staten Island man was charged with assault and child endangerment after he admitted to rubbing a hot yellow pepper on his 11- and 8-year-old sons' naked bodies - including their genitals, including their faces.

Add "Do you play video games?" to the list of questions you might want to ask your surgeon.

Before we begin, we'd like to extend our deepest sympathies to the family of James Kim. We are not, by any means, trying to discount that tragedy by juxtaposing posts about the Kims with more light-hearted posts. It's the nature of doing a compilation such as this one: we're trying to give a full slice of the goings-on in the Ist-a-Verse: the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Yesterday, one of the teenagers that mugged and terrorized people on a January 2005 night testfied that Rudy Fleming did not shoot Nicole duFresne by accident. Tatiana McDonald, who was 14 during the fatal mugging (she's now 16), told the court that the group of teens were bored after smoking marijuana and playing video games, so they decided "to start trouble."

The Staten Island DA's office has made some ugly revelations in the murder of the Mexican immigrant Richard Salinas. The three teenagers who beat Salinas to death, only to rob him of $60, had decided to rob a Mexican man. ADA Alex Schapiro said of teens John Messiha, Daniel Betancourt, and Travis King, "The defendants were playing video games and decided to rob somebody. They wanted it to be a Mexican man and that's when they went out and found Mr. Salinas." And the Daily News has the chilling police statements:

In a statement to cops, Messiha said it was King who first proposed the attack Saturday night. "Travis said we should rob a Mexican," he said.

Continue reading "Murdered Man Targeted Because He Was Mexican"

Matt is 26. He lives in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn and works in Manhattan as a transportation engineer. He is originally from Ashland, VA. Matt's father grew up in Brooklyn, and he still has some family there.

Yes, a third grader! WABC 7 reports that a 10 year-old student was arrested - and handcuffed - yesterday after an incident at P.S. 116 in Bushwick. Per WABC: "...the female custodial worker reported that she felt the child rubbing his privates against her in the cafeteria, allegedly squeezing against her buttocks as she was emptying the trash." And apparently the NYPD is allowed to handcuff minors, no matter how young 10 years old may be, for "unwanted touching." This story is so crazy but it also doesn't seem that uncommon (though the unwanted touching may be among students) as children do seem to develop faster (hormones in foods?) and they are constantly shown how being an adult (TV, movies, video games) is glamorous. The student has been suspended for three days while the school investigates the matter.

It’s almost April, do you know where your Broadway mega-shows are? Cate Blanchett and Hedda Gabler got things off to a smash start, and the rest of the big guns are revving up: Tarzan, Lestat , Julia Roberts in Three Days of Rain, Ali MacGraw and Julianna Margulies in Festen…and more. We’ll spare you (and ourselves) the wallet strain and the eye-rolling – there are plenty of worthy littler shows crying out to be seen.

Just two weeks ago we were telling our friend to have his birthday party at Dave & Buster's. "There is no Dave & Buster's in the city," he said. Since we had never thought to go to the place, we didn't know...we just assumed this city would have one.

Todd Zuniga, Opium Magazine

Okay, so awards shows have gotten out of hand. You’ve got the People’s Choice, the VH1/Vogue Fashion Awards, and now the Video Games Awards. Who really deserves props most? It’s that guy down on the street corner that you see every day, standing out in the freezing cold serving New Yorkers their food on the go. This November kicked off the Vendys, the new annual awards for New York City street vendors . Gothamist queued up on the sidewalk to try one of the finalists, The Best Halal, on 53rd St. and 6th Avenue.