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Video games are fun, and becoming more popular over time, but who knew it could actually beat sex as a past time in the bedroom? According to a new survey in the UK, people spend more time playing with video games than have sex in their bedrooms.

From a poll of 2,000, sex only ranked at 10th place. Now, while this is an interesting result, let’s think about it for a minute. We have to take into account that the survey ranks according to how long people actually spend on the activity.

Taking physical exhaustion into account, people (at least, at large) just can’t spend as much time having sex than playing video games because they can’t. Even bunnies can’t last as long as most people spend on a single go at Final Fantasy.

Some may actually find it funny that people can spend more time on the phone than they do on video games. The most popular activity, according to the survey, is (surprise,surprise,) sleeping.

Here are the rest of the results of the survey, ranked according to how many minutes per week people spend doing the activity:

1. Sleep (3,150)
2. Talking (193)
3. TV (132)
4. Net surfing (122)
5. Reading (114)
6. Listening to music (105)
7. Using phone (81)
8. Work (77)
9. Computer games (57)
10. Sex (35)

Compared to last week’s releases, we’ll be facing a more discreet batch this time. Surely, it’s difficult to look away from Super Smash Bros. Brawl now that it’s out in the market. If you can resist the charms of the Nintendo all-star fighting game, Condemned 2: Bloodshot can quench your thirst for hurting someone. It’s not all about melees, however, since there’s a good dose of lighthearted fantasy in the mix, thanks to Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Ring of Fates.

Level-headed gamers who want to put their strategic thinking to the test have numerous prospects highlighted by Wild Arms XF. Sports fans won’t be left behind with the release of Pro Evolution Soccer 2008, the latest entry in the popular football series. Still not enough games? We’ve got a chunky list right here.

Condemned 2: Bloodshot. Like its predecessor, Condemned 2 has close ties with the unexplainable. Taking the shoes of former Serial Crimes Unit investigator Ethan Thomas, players will face the horrors of a mysterious city littered with murder crimes while utilizing the game’s new hand-to-hand combat mechanic when guns are not enough.

• Microsoft Xbox 360, Sony PlayStation 3 - March 11, 2008
• US 59.99
• ESRB M (Mature)
• Sega and Monolith Productions

Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Ring of Fates. Fans of the previous iteration of this action RPG can find everything they loved about Square Enix’ multiplayer affair in its sequel. Four player mode is intact, coupled with unique controls made possible by the Nintendo DS’ touch screen.

• Nintendo DS - March 11, 2008
• US 39.99
• ESRB E (Everyone)
• Square Enix

FlatOut: Head On. What can only be defined as pure destruction is racing its way to the PSP for some serious devastating car crashes across Carnage Race, Deathmatch Derby, and Ragdoll Stunts modes. Wi-Fi support promises you won’t be alone during your savage trips.

• Sony PlayStation Portable - March 11, 2008
• US 29.99
• ESRB T (Teen)
• Warner Bros. and Empire Interactive

House of the Dead 2 & 3 Return. Sega’s classic arcade shooter series which was insane enough to turn a typing spin-off into something fun has finally come back from the grave to haunt the family friendly Wii. Zombies attempt to prove the undead is as cool as they were a few decades ago using motion sensing controls.

• Nintendo Wii - March 11, 2008
• US 29.99
• ESRB M (Mature)
• Sega

Insecticide. Yes, Gamecock’s handheld offering is buggy, but not in a bad way. If you thought killing insects is fun without feeling guilty, try playing the snazzy detective Chrys Liszt and you’ll know how those bugs you love to squash have their own problems to take care of, too. Insecticide is said to be a cinematic experience which progresses through fast-paced shooting in finely crafted environments.

• Nintendo DS - March 11, 2008
• US 29.99
• ESRB E (Everyone)
• Gamecock and Crackpot

Lost Empire: Immortals. Can’t get enough of 4X games set in space? Meet Lost Empire: Immortals, a PC game cooked up with the immortal formula of pitting various races against each other as they explore, expand, exploit, and exterminate. A solid number of 150 scientific advances and ten-player multiplayer mode ensure you’ll take hours to colonize every single star in the game’s universe.

• PC - March 11, 2008
• US 29.99
• Paradox Interactive and Pollux Gamelabs

Nanostray 2. It’s been a while since we first heard of this title, but it looks like the sequel to a solid top-down shooter is finally coming. Nanostray 2 has an array of new features with six game modes, multiple control schemes, and 16 bad bosses - definitely a leg up from the first Nanostray.

• Nintendo DS - January 15, 2008
• US 29.99
• ESRB E (Everyone)
• Majesco Games and Shin’en

Pro Evolution Soccer 2008. From its humble beginnings as Winning Eleven, Konami’s football franchise has exploded to stardom and now constantly scores goals across several platforms. This season, it will strike North America on the PS3, PSP, Xbox 360, and DS.

• Microsoft Xbox 360, Sony PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, Nintendo DS - March 11, 2008
• US 59.99 (Xbox 360, PS3), US$29.99 (PSP, DS)
• ESRB E (Everyone)
• Konami

Sam and Max Season 2: Episode 204. It’s episodic content at its best, as Telltale Games is releasing yet another entry in Sam and Max‘ animalistic adventures. The latest episode has all the improvements added to Season 2, such as more lively neighborhoods and the introduction of mini-games in every installment.

• PC - March 13, 2008
• US 8.99
• Telltale Games

Sudden Strike 3: Arms for Victory. Despite its title, Sudden Strike won’t take you by surprise. It’s too massive to strike quickly, what with the overwhelming number of available units on air, land, and sea, all rendered by a powerful 3D engine. The wait is over, soldier.

• PC - March 10, 2008
• US 29.99
• ESRB T (Teen)
• cdv Software Entertainment and Fireglow Games

Wild ARMs XF. The long-running RPG series by Media Vision is ready for a shoot-out on a handheld for the first time, featuring a heavily modified HEX battle system. As one of the many turn-based strategy games for the PSP, Wild ARMs XF sets itself apart by providing deep combat backed by Formation Arts, Combination Arts, and 20 unique job classes.

• Sony PlayStation Portable - March 11, 2008
• US 39.99
• ESRB E (Everyone)
• XSEED Games and Media Vision

World Championship Cards. If you need card games on the go, Crave has an expansive collection of over 30 different card games in one PSP title. To top it all, there’s character creation and eight-player online play or via AD HOC.

• Sony PlayStation Portable - March 11, 2008
• US 19.99
• ESRB E (Everyone)
• Crave

XIII Century: Death or Glory. Epic battles between thousands of soldiers in 13th century Europe is the name of the game. Before joining the fray, military leaders are allowed to enter strategy mode in which they’ll be assessing economic, diplomatic, and political aspects of an invasion. When battle is inevitable, it’s time to customize troops and charge into battle!

• PC - March 12, 2008
• US 19.99
• GamersGate

originally posted Mar 10, 2008 at 12:36AM

Buy: [Condemned 2: Bloodshot (Xbox 360), (PS3)]
Buy: [Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Ring of Fates (DS)]
Buy: [FlatOut: Head On (PSP)]
Buy: [House of the Dead 2&3 Return (Wii)]
Buy: [Insecticide (DS)]
Buy: [Lost Empire: Immortals (PC)]
Buy: [Nanostray 2 (DS)]
Buy: [Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 (Xbox 360), (PS3), (PSP), (DS)
Buy: [Wild ARMs XF (PSP)]
Buy: [World Championship Cards (PSP)]

Those of you who have been following the recent industry drama between Electronic Arts and Take-Two Interactive might be interested in this latest development: T2 has formed a severance plan to reassure their staff, just in case EA’s takeover pulls through.

The news of the takeover has the industry a little jittery, so it’s not surprising that T2’s staff need the reassurance. Back when the takeover bid was first announced, even Ubisoft was a little rattled and announced that they were hoping to expand as well.

There is a chance that the EA’s bid will turn into a hostile takeover, as industry analyst Michael Pachter points out, so a severance plan doesn’t strike as a panicked decision from T2. T2 maintains that the plan doesn’t mean the takeover will actually happen.

For those of you interested in the details of the severance plan, here’s the skinny:

• T2 executives will be given 1.5x their current salary and a bonus of up to 18 months if they are fired without cause within a year of a change in control.
• Non-executives will receive up to six months in salary.
• The severance plan does not apply to top executives covered under a separate management agreement

Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games has been on top of the UK charts ever since December, bumped down only by a few notable releases. Last week is another one of those instances, with the release of Army of Two (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360).

Another newcomer on the charts this week (or should we call this a reentry?) is Bully: Scholarship Edition. Check out the rest of the UK software charts for the week of March 8, and we’ll update you again next week (when Mario & Sonic’s probably back on top - ha! who knows?):

1. Army of Two
2. Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games
3. Dr Kawashima’s Brain Training
4. Bully: Scholarship Edition
5. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (Xbox 360, PS3, PC)
6. Frontlines: Fuel of War
7. Game Party
8. Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War Soulstorm
9. Pro Evolution Soccer 2008
10. Lost: The Video Game
11. Lost Odyssey
12. Cooking Mama 2
13. More Brain Training from Dr Kawashima
14. FIFA 08
15. The Sims 2: Freetime
16. Carnival: Funfair Games
17. FIFA Street 3
18. MX vs ATV Untamed
19. Dynasty Warriors 6
20. Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock (Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii, PC)

Buy: [Army of Two (Xbox 360)]
Buy: [Army of Two (PS3)]

George Lucas made a name in the movie industry as well as the gaming industry. Steven Spielberg seems set to follow suit. Now it seems that Pirates of the Caribbean director Gore Verbinski wants to dive into the fray as well.

According to a new interview by the LA Times, Verbinski has a new video game project in the works, although he’s keeping tight lipped on details. Would gamers take to him as movie goers did to Pirates? (Gamers took well to the video game though).

Verbinski, a gamer himself, says that he won’t be entering the video game industry in the same way as Halo and BioShock (although he’s a fan himself). He says he wants to “come in from a completely different direction.”

He adds to this thought, saying that he wants to create “completely new genres,” and that he wants to explore games that induce an emotional response (which Ubisoft’s Yannis Mallat wants from games as well).

Aside from these, the only other hint we get is that he doesn’t like games that necessarily need a cinematic narrative. The interview then goes on to other things and we are given no more clues to the project. We’ll have to wait for more details, so check back for updates.

While more and more games are now being developed for girl gamers (mostly thanks to the Wii and the DS), we still can’t deny that there’s a gender imbalance when it comes to the video game population. The same is also true for the people behind the scenes.

When you think of men in the video game industry, the list can go on and on. There are Hideo Kojima, David Jaffe, Tomonobu Itagaki, and on and on. But when it comes to women in the industry, most would think of Jade Raymond, and then… blank.

This issue was addressed by Emily Newton-Dunn, a former producer of the Burnout series and is currently with EA, working on the Harry Potter series. Her thoughts can be summed up when she said: “it s crazy that we don t have more women making games.”

At the Birds Eye View Film Festival in London, she was part of the panel of the Women in Games discussion. She remarks that there is a misconception that the games industry is “for males, and by males.” Take note, ladies:

Personally I don t think you have to be a woman to make great games for women, but I think that sometimes women might bring a different sensibility to the table which will enhance or make games more appealing to women.

[…] Like in any other creative media the more diversity you can attract or the more you personally go out and do different things and see other stuff the more you re going to bring back to your job.

I think if games were only ever made by one type of person you d get really boring games. You need to bring in some different cultures, different people, different sexes and different interests, otherwise you re just going to be churning out the same stuff again and again.

There is also a financial aspect to this, which was discussed as the panel went on. By failing to fully tap into the market of female gamers, the industry is missing out on “a sizeable amount of revenue.” To read more on the panel discussion, follow the link below.

Electronic Arts has recently announced some new updates regarding its upcoming Command & Conquer 3: Kane’s Wrath for the PC and Xbox 360. The company is sending word that the game’s PC port has recently gone gold, and that it’s now expected to ship this March 26.

As a recap, the Kane’s Wrath expansion will introduce several new features to the C&C3 series, including six new sub-factions, thirteen new story missions, and epic-type units.

Also not to be messed are the debut appearance of Natasha Henstridge, Carl Lumbly, who will be making their over at the Brotherhood of NOD alongside Joe Kucan, who will reprise his role as Kane.

Moving on, EA also confirmed that Kane’s Wrath for the Xbox 360 is currently schedule for a summer launch. This release will carry with it a new radial interface, and the Kane’s Challenge single-player mode, exclusive to the Xbox 360 port.

Buy: [Command & Conquer 3 (Xbox 360)]
Buy: [Command & Conquer 3 (PC)]

Blizzard has finally unveiled the much-awaited Zerg Intro trailer video for the Games for Windows title StarCraft II. The said clip was played at a recent event of the company in Seoul, South Korea.

For old-time players, you will be glad to know that much of the units from the original StarCraft were retained. These include the Overlord, Zergling, Hydralisk, Mutalisk, Ultralisk, Infested Terran, and Queen.

Aside from those, numerous new units were also confirmed. Here’s a brief description of Zergs revealed at the said event:

• Roaches: new low-power, fast moving starting unit.
• Infestors: take the place of the original game’s Defilers, using the same Dark Swarm special ability as well as new Disease and Infestation abilities.
• Corruptor: new anti-air unit that doesn’t actually attack flying baddies, but “corrupts” them, forcing them to fight each other.
• Swarm Guardian: upgraded Guardian, maintaining its strength against ground units while gaining the ability to hatch Broodlings.
• “Toxic Creep”: created possibly via Zerg Queens

So far, those are just the new information gathered for the Zerg Swarm. To know how these units feel like, watch the video clip below. Enjoy!

Mirror’s Edge (Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC), the upcoming title from Electronic Arts‘ Digital Illusions CE (DICE), jumped on everyone’s attention span because of its unique first-person parkour gameplay when it was shown at a live demo last GDC.

Just imagine Assassin’s Creed’s Altair running, jumping and tumbling from one rooftop to another, only you’ll be doing it with Master Chief’s perspective in Halo 3. Easy to be dizzy, isn’t it?

Beyond a hyperactive, hand-fighting heroine leaping from building to building, the GDC demo provided few details for the game. DICE’s senior producer Owen O’ Brien sheds light on Mirror’s Edge, specifically on issues about its nauseating first-person gameplay.

Mirror’s Edge has a wide field of view, explains O’ Brien to MTV, which can be compared to a spinning ballerina who avoids dizziness by focusing on something else. This wide view lessens the chances of motion sickness for gamers (although he admits it is likely to cause simulation sickness which is more or less the same).

The absence of the color green is also notable. Trees are rendered as white and everything else is either blue or red. O’Brien explains there is no anti-green sentiment.The devs originally planned to remove all colors except red to highlight objectives. However. the devs had to add blue to indicate the heroine’s health. Once the color saturates, game’s over.

The release date for Mirror’s Edge is yet to be announced. Updates as we get them.

Among the many discussions at the SXSW Interactive Festival 2008, interesting factoids came up regarding casual games and how females approach them. Panelists provided numbers revealing that female gamers prefer computers as their gaming platform, and they went into what the non-male audience enjoys.

The data brought to light doesn’t vary from what we’ve heard before - women still dominate the casual gaming scene as they take up 62 of the casual audience, while 70 get their gaming fix from computers instead of consoles. One panelist, CEO John Welch of PlayFirst, said 90 of consumers who purchased the casual game Diner Dash are female.

Welch explained women are likely to enjoy games set in “everyday types of themes,” as opposed World of Warcraft’s fantasy universe which he believes can turn off his wife before giving it a chance.

The panelists were on the same boat when they talked about how female gamers prefer collaborative goals over competitive ones, with Kongregate CEO Jim Greer using an anecdote to illustrate how females work well with games played by groups such as bingo. For those who didn’t know, Kongregate is a massive portal of Flash games with its user base 85 male according to Greer.

Another game that promotes socializing is InkLink, as pointed out by Welch. It’s an online Pictionary-style game by Shockwave that provided players an opportunity to form relationships.

With enough games in the market to satisfy the female audience, the panel expects casual gaming to rake in more revenues in the future now that players don’t have to pay for their games when the in-game item pay model is employed. Advertising was also cited as a source of income in the casual games business.