Game Boy inducted into National Toy Hall of Fame

The Game Boy is finally getting recognition it deserves this week, alongside the Ball and Big Wheel in the National Toy Hall of Fame at the National Museum of Play. The three toy honorees were selected from among 12 toy finalists that included: The Ball, Big Wheel, Cabbage Patch Kids, Game of Life, Hot Wheels, Nintendo Game Boy, Paper Airplane, Playing Cards, Rubik’s Cube, Sidewalk Chalk, Toy Tea Set, and Transformers. I would have thought that sidewalk chalk was a shoe-in but it didn’t make this year’s cut.

To date, 44 toys have made it into the National Toy Hall of Fame including Alphabet Blocks, Atari 2600 Game System, Ball, Barbie, Baby Doll, Bicycle, Big Wheel, Candy Land, Cardboard Box, Checkers, Crayola Crayons, Duncan Yo-Yo, Easy-Bake Oven, Erector Set, Etch A Sketch, Frisbee, G.I. Joe, Hula Hoop, Jack-in-the-Box, Jacks, Jigsaw Puzzle, Jump Rope, Kite, LEGO, Lincoln Logs, Lionel Trains, Marbles, Monopoly, Mr. Potato Head, Nintendo Game Boy, Play-Doh, Radio Flyer Wagon, Raggedy Ann & Andy, Rocking Horse, Roller Skates, Scrabble, Silly Putty, Skateboard, Slinky, Stick, Teddy Bear, Tinkertoy, Tonka Trucks, and View-Master.

Congrats to all this year’s winners. A special shout-out to stick for finally being able to reunite with ball.

Halo Waypoint now live on Xbox Live

Starting Saturday, Nov. 7, Halo Waypoint will begin previewing new Halo content on Xbox Live. The new virtual home for all things Halo launches today on Xbox LIVE, and will be the “exclusive destination for full-episode previews of Halo Legends beginning Saturday, Nov. 7. Halo Waypoint promises daily updates featuring developer interviews, trailers and screenshots, exclusive video footage, community activities and the latest Halo news.

In addition, Halo Waypoint includes a career system that tracks players’ accomplishments across multiple Halo games and gives them new ways to show off their in game exploits. Players who participate in Halo Waypoint will be rewarded with a variety of Bungie-created Halo 3: ODST Avatar Awardables for attaining specific Achievements in the game. Rewards vary from T-shirts to full sets of ODST armor. These awardables are retroactive, so if players have already unlocked the requisite Achievements, the awards will be ready for them once they enlist in Halo Waypoint.

Turn on your Xbox 360 and log on to Xbox Live to learn more.

Unreal Engine 3 for free

Epic Games has launched the Unreal Development Kit (UDK), a free edition of Unreal Engine 3 that provides community access to the game development toolset. The software is available to game developers, students, hobbyists, researchers, creators of 3D visualizations and simulations, and digital filmmakers. Anyone interested in using the Unreal Engine 3 toolset can download it now at www.udk.com. The site also offers detailed product features, technical documentation, commercial licensing terms, support resources and more.

There is no charge for noncommercial or educational use of UDK. Over 100 campuses are already using Unreal Technology as part of teaching game development-related courses. Colleges planning to incorporate UDK into their curriculum include the University of Pennsylvania, North Carolina State University, The Art Institute system of schools, Drexel University, Westwood College, DeVry University and Atlantic College, with many others to be announced.

Ad-Aware Game Edition released

Lavasoft, makers of Ad-Aware security software, today released a version of its software specifically tailored to gamers. Called Ad-Aware Game Edition, the software is a spin-off of its flagship product aimed specifically to meet the needs of today’s online gamers and entertainment fans with real-time anti-virus and anti-spyware protection, and technology designed to deliver online protection without interruptions or resource strain.

According to the Malware Labs at Lavasoft, cyber thieves are cashing in on unsuspecting online game players. Malware authors are capitalizing on the transfer of cash and virtual goods that takes place regularly in online games by developing Trojans aimed specifically at stealing passwords and log-in details from users’ games. The scammers are usually after the credit card and billing information for online game accounts, as well as virtual world loot, which they can auction off for real world money.

In the past nine months, the amount of unique signatures added to the Win32.TrojanPWS.Onlinegames family of threats in Ad-Aware’s Detection Database of known malware increased by over 600 percent. That is why they created this software.

Unfortunately it is not free. Ad-Aware Game Edition is available immediately at www.shieldpowerup.com for $24.95. A limited trial versions is available as well. Each Game Edition purchase includes a choice of one free casual game including Peggle, Bejeweled 2, Ranch Rush, Mean Girls: High School Showdown, and Tradewinds Odyssey.

Indie Game Challenge deadline looms

Indie Game Challenge (IGC) officials are reminding game developers interested in entering this year’s challenge to submit their games right now. Eligibility to win one of two $100,000 cash prizes and a chance to pitch an independent game to top publishers is highly dependent on submissions being post-marked by October 31, 2009. Of the 12 finalist teams that will be chosen, two will be selected as grand prize winners. One professional team and one non-professional team will each be awarded $100,000. But what might be the most valuable prize is the opportunity for all 12 finalists to have face-to-face meetings with executives from publishers including Sony, Nintendo, Electronic Arts, Capcom, Microsoft, NAMCO/Bandai, THQ and Ubisoft.

Previously developed games, as well as new games are eligible for entry as long as they have not been professionally published in accordance with the complete rules found at www.indiegamechallenge.com. This includes the eligibility of games previously submitted to other competitions, whether or not those games placed, and online or self-published games that appear in the Apple store.

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KFC’s 200 Games a Day Giveaway

KFC, EA SPORTS, the NFL, and NFL PLAYERS have teamed up to offer gamers an amazing giveaway: the 200 Games a Day Giveaway. A total of 6,000 Madden NFL 10 games will be given away in 30 days, with another 250 being given away in the next 30 days. To win, KFC has introduced the $5 Madden NFL Box which offers a full meal and a drink for $5. The purchase includes several different options on how to score free Madden NFL 10 games.

The meal includes a choice of one of six of your KFC favorites, a side item and a 32-ounce drink in a Madden NFL cup, all for only $5 (choice of two pieces of Kentucky Grilled Chicken, three Original Recipe Strips, a Twister Sandwich, five Hot Wings, five Honey BBQ Wings or two pieces of Original Recipe Chicken, along with a side item and a drink in the Madden NFL Cup.). The four cups feature NFL players Calvin Johnson, Jr., Philip Rivers, DeMarcus Ware and Brian Westbrook.

Game codes for the 200 Games a Day Giveaway are available on both the 32-ounce drink and KFC’s Madden NFL Box. Customers may visit www.kfc.com/MaddenNFL10 through Nov. 23 to check their codes and see if they are among the 200 daily winners.

The code on KFC’s Madden NFL Box also gives gamers a $10 discount on Madden NFL 10 and free standard shipping from www.EASTORE.com/KFC.

Dragon Age: Origins event: Wardens’ Quest

BioWare announced the Dragon Age: Origins Wardens’Quest, a 24 hour gaming event for Dragon Age: Origins. To celebrate the launch of the game, BioWare is inviting gamers and press from North America and across Europe to put their skills and endurance to the test. On October 28, at 10:00 AM GMT, ten teams of four players each will explore the game in their 24 hour quest to claim the grand prize. Each winning team member will receive $12,500. Official rules can be found at www.wardensquest.com.

There will be ten participating teams representing their countries: the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, France, Netherlands and Belgium, Spain, the Czech Republic and Slovakia, Hungary, Poland and a specially selected team comprised of BioWare fans from around the world. The competition will take place in the Debating Chamber at County Hall in London, England. BioWare staff and costumed actors will further make the event even more uncomfortable to watch or be a part of. I’m glad I am not one of those people. Just saying.

Dragon Age: Origins will be released on November 3 in North America on the PlayStation 3, the Xbox 360 and PC. The game will ship on November 6th in Europe on PC, the Xbox 360 and later in November on the PlayStation 3. Dragon Age: Origins is rated M by the ESRB and 18+ by PEGI.