Since Little Big Planet is celebrating its one year anniversary this week, I decided to go video hunting on YouTube and admire some of the levels people have created over the past year.  Admittedly, I loved LBP when it first came out.  But, like a lot of PS3 games I lost interest in it over time and have played it very little in the last few months.  Personally I found the the game wasn't as fun as I thought it would be.  The best part of the game for me was what it could be.  The idea of user created levels or mods on a console is a powerful notion.  Just imagine if Valve could do something like this for Left 4 Dead on the 360?  Regardless of all that, after watching the video after the break, I fear may have given up too soon on LBP.

Valve is really making the most out of the $25 mil they earmarked for Left 4 Dead 2 advertising, aren't they? And its times like these that I really appreciate living in Nerd City. These trucks were spotted in the UW district of Seattle (where I used to go to school) and in Bellevue, WA (where I currently live). In other words, I have a chance to spot these suckers myself, especially 'cause they'll be around for the next month. I imagine they chose this area simply because its the easiest--the Valve headquarters aren't too far from here. Which reminds me...I wonder if they do tours...?

[Kotaku]

While rhythm games have been around for ages and have been popular in Japan for years, no one in the states really gave a shit until Guitar Hero. Since then, it's become a bonafide genre and it seems like we get a new one every other week. While it's only been a few years since Guitar Hero blew up, the rhythm game market has become a bit.... stale. It's lacked any real innovation or momentum since Rock Band first added in to the drums and incorporated the singing.

Those of us that consider ourselves rhythm game fans have been looking for something new to dig our teeth into, some new experience to hang our hats on. DJ Hero is trying to scratch (pun!) exactly that itch. Introducing not only a totally new and different controller to interact with, but focusing on music that has never really gotten much love in rhythm games.

SO, will DJ Hero spin you right 'round, or is it wiggidy-wiggidy-wiggidy-wack?

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So you want to relive your childhood and bring an arcade cabinet into your home, but you don't know where to start?  Well fear not, aging gamer; I'm here to walk you through the process of choosing a cabinet, the hardware, and, of course, the games.  Hit the link for your handy guide to arcade gaming.

[Author's Note: I am not responsible for you're getting screwed in a "group buy," being electrocuted while working on your cab's wiring, getting arrested or fined for piracy, or any other damages, bodily or otherwise, that may be incurred after reading this guide.]

DEADBEATBLAST is featured in this short but entertaining "mini documentary" about chiptunes and a street performance in Toronto.  Keep an eye out for the awesome custom painted NES at the very beginning.

via 8bitcollective

All of you west-coasters that have been jealous of the monthly concerts and chiptune scene here in the east can stop your griping.  Los Angeles, San Fransisco, Portland, and Seattle are all stops along the Data Beez Microtour.  Music and visual artists representing both NY and CA include Minusbaby, Crashfaster, Trash80, Paris, Daniel Rehn, and starPause.

Two shows are getting things started in LA on November 7.  Details and a flyer are after the break.

Hey, you've got red on you.

I love the combination of guerrila theatre, PR marketers, and zombie enthusiasts.  Only they would have the braaaains, sweet braaaains to come up with a stunt like this.  About 50 gatherers infected the Tate Modern in London to mark the end of the London Games Festival and celebrate the upcoming Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles release.

[Kotaku]

As many of you may remember, back in January 2007 28 year old mother of three Jennifer Strange died of acute water intoxication after participating in a contest sponsored by a local radio station.  The contest, dubbed "Hold Your Wee for a Wii," capitalized on the high demand for the console by creating a competition in which participants drank and "held" as much water as they could.  KDND-FM, the Sacramento radio station in question, was warned of the dangers of water intoxication by a caller to the show and the hosts themselves cited a case where a college student died for that very reason during a hazing ritual.  Despite this no preemptive measures were taken (i.e. stopping the contest, having an ambulance or doctor on hand) and six hours after finishing in second place, Jennifer Strange died.  Ten employees were fired in the wake of the incident.

Today, over two years after her death, the jury in the wrongful death suit against the station awarded her family $16.5 million dollars.

Tucked away in a tiny bar on Houston St on Thursday night, Tekken 6 was shared with the masses.  In a move similar to Capcom's Fight Clubs, the event was free with RSVP, with a small entry fee to participate in the tournament.  Quite a crowd filled in the narrow, dimly lit bar and beat the crap out of each other thanks to a few Xbox 360s and wall projections of the new fighter.  Being a guy who just never got into Tekken, I was happy standing by and just watching.

The video above shows off just some of what it was like to be there.  Lots of dudes.  Lots of Tekken.  The new game, having been in the arcades over a year now, is available on the 360 and PS3 (a PSP version is due next month.)  With over 40+ characters, and based on the arcade update Bloodline Rebellions, that's a lot of fighting game to take in.

Doing a little research, one thing struck me as particularly interesting.  The game runs in 576p.  720p can be achieved on the 360 by turning off the motion blur feature.  You'd think in this HD day and age, 720p would be standard.  Regardless, it still looked pretty fancy when projected above a bar and onto a white screen overlooking Manhattan's Lower East Side.  Definition isn't everything.