The Giant Robot Famicom Scion XB is a prototype car inspired by the Japanese Famicom system. Everything about the car, from the way it is powered, to its overall look, design and feel is taken directly from the Famicom gaming system and the 80s gaming era. The video clip is presented by Eric Nakamura, who co-designed the car and is also the founder of Giant Robot magazine. The car has only been driven once but is fully functional in every way.

Source: attractmo.de

I've played many MMOs over the years and I still find it hard to deal with some of the ridiculous things that developers/designers come up with in MMOs. Yes it's fantasy and it's not supposed to look real. Nothing is real in a fantasy world - not the blood you spill, not the characters you play, not the world you inhabit. I suppose that's why so many people play them and are entertained by them. Read More

I really love this picture of Link. For someone who isn't necessarily a fan of the games, this image really gives Link a gutsy, 'heroic' edge I think Link deserves. I think this particular image really brings Link to life. It makes him look courageous and strong. Beautifully done.

Source: Viviphyd

I've never used a netbook before and don't think I ever will but if you're one of those people that likes to collect electronic goodies, this little gem might interest you. The Nanocade Kit will give you everything you need to transform that unwanted netbook into a kick-ass tabletop gaming system. The kit comes with everything you need for the project, including instructions so all you need is a netbook and you're good to go. The kit costs $350.00 and can be purchased from here. Now you've got a reason to use that netbook for something other than collecting dust!

Source: dvice

A study of video gamers has found that they really shouldn;t get behind the wheel of a car.

In an article by car enthusiast site Jalopnik. 2,000 motorists between the ages of 17 and 39 were questioned about their driving habits. Half were gamers and the other half were not. The results found that gamers tend to take more risks, but felt they were more skilled drivers than their non-gamer counterparts.

According to Tim Bailey, safety expert at Continental Tires, which commissioned the study: Read More

With traditional video game summits less than a month away, social game developers are enjoying more and more success, and may finally be getting the recognition they deserve from their hardcore game development peers.

The annual DICE Summit in Las Vegas hits later this week, and the Game Developer Conference comes the first week of next month. Social game developers have garnered prominent placement at both events with keynotes and panel discussions. VentureBeat's Dean Takahashi took a look at how the social development scene has emerged with grudging acceptance from he industry' old guard: Read More

It's been a debate that has been around as long as games, and one reviewers wrestle with when playing them for scores: What makes a game fun, and despite a game's technical savvy, is it worth finishing to the end.

Matthew Kaplan at 2D-X tackled that topic, trying to dissect what made a game fun, using an article by Brian Hurtler as a springboard: Read More

We've featured a few game-related infographs here on GC. Most of them have told me things about a game or type of game that I never knew before. This Call of Duty: Black Ops infograph tells me that there are wayyyy too many people playing this ridiculously popular game. With stats like this, it's easy to see why Call of Duty is one of the most popular online shooter franchises to date. Pity it's not one of mine... but there you go. You can view the full image here. Read More

Some people have asked me where I get my ideas for blog posts. Some of them I come up with (on a good day) but most of the time I get inspiration from other writers and bloggers. Take this article for instance. As gamers, we all have our own way of doing things - much like anything else we do in life. But there are just some things that gamers do that deserve a "WTF?" reaction. Read More

The world's largest video game exhibition has opened in Berlin. The Computerspielemuseum (Computer Game Museum) houses over 300 video game computer systems dating from 1951 to present day. The games have been collected from around the world, most of which are playable. Read More

Ah Kinect. I'm sure the flickr pages and blogs worldwide were overloaded with people posting images of their favorite gaming moments using Kinect. It's great when gamers share their experiences and pics are exceptionally good. Like this one, for instance. I found this on a random website and thought I'd share it. There are others which all look equally as funny. I like how the website owner created the pics to look like postcards. Very cool!

Source: ProjectBunker

Global Game Jam 2011 took place over the weekend, with more than 6500 participants creating and developing open source games. The games' central theme was 'extinction' and participants had 48 hours to complete their projects. Teams hailed from 170 locations in 40 countries around the world.

The goal of the event is for developers, coders, artists and audio technicians to come together and create a game, be it a digitial, board or card game. The event has been gaining popularity every year since its inception in 2008.

A full list of the games and teams entered into this year's event can be found on the official site. Read More

There are quite a lot of these images popping up in unsuspecting places. It's interesting to see what people can do with a little photoshop editing. This cool little Pac-Man image comes from the flickr page of Eduardo Sánchez. It doesn't pay to run from the ghosts - they'll get you eventually!

Source: Flickr

Today's image comes from artist vitorzago and combines two very unlikely characters from video games; Isaac Clark from Dead Space and the infamous 'xenomorph' from the Alien franchise. If a battle between these two did however ensue, I wonder who would win? The weapon that Isaac uses would undoubtedly cause alot of damage to the alien with severed limbs and such but that "acid for blood" thing the alien has going on... noone escapes that stuff! With that in mind, sorry Isaac, but I'm rooting for the alien ;)

Source: vitorzago

This might be a really long shot for the moms of gamer sons out there, but if you're finding it hard to get your son into the bath, it might be time to pull out all the tricks. Tricks which include Donkey Kong shaped soap. This little oddity of game culture comes from Geek Soap where you can buy all sorts of geeky looking... soap. The ad for this product is just as catchy: "Forget Billy Mitchell or Steve Wiebe... now YOU can beat the record high score for cleanliness and go down in history forever as the Clean of Kong!" Read More

A very interesting article on the WSJ website features author Jane McGonigal's (pictured) book, "Reality is Broken." Why is this of interest to gamers? Her book describes the positive ways in which gamers can reach out beyond their consoles, pc's and their virtual worlds to do something good for others. And the article offers some very valid points about why so many of us enjoy our virtual realities and why it's important for us to continue playing games: Read More

I'll admit that I had never heard of the 'Super Mario Sisters.' So after doing a little digging it appears that the Super Mario Sisters was an abandoned Nintendo project that could have been a reality. Not that I am a huge Mario fan, but it would have been pretty cool to play the games with female protagonists. Afterall, Mario really does need a break!

Hence why this pic comes from a Japanese website. I'd love to tell you more but it's all in Japanese. If you visit the original site, you can change the Sisters' overall colors just by clicking on the image. You know, if you're bored :) Read More

This video clip of nostalgic gaming is a tribute to the First-Person Shooter from creator Ogiib. While the clip doesn't feature every FPS game released over the last 30 years, it does showcase some relatively important shooters. And yes, the majority of the games featured are for the PC but let's face it, for at least a good third of the 30 years represented, the PC was it!

So kick up your feet, grab a coffee (or hot choccie), relax for a few and remember how cool some of these games truly were (and just because I loved Quake - how cool some of these games STILL are) ;)

Source: Ogiib

Today's beautiful piece of art comes from the illustrator Marco Luna. Luna mentions on his website that he started the piece many months ago but has only just managed to finish it. The image represents two things he enjoys - still life paintings and video games: Read More

If you're in the business of reviewing games, you'll know that there are so many methods to use these days, one could be spoiled for choice. While quite a few game-related websites feature reviews that are created via YouTube, I'd like to wager that none would be as entertaining as this one. It is a parody so be aware that you will laugh (or smile at the very least), especially with the fantastic voice acting talent!

The clip's creator had this to say about Dot Dot Dot: Read More

This Pac-Man was built completely from cans for an event held annually called 'Can-struction.' The event is organized for charity so all the canned food that is used is donated to those in need. Now that is one awesome way to mix gaming with charity and fun! The image comes from flickr user Mark Boulton.

Source: Flickr

I really liked what fourzerotwo had to say about this image: "Every game has its audience. It's OK if you're not it." It really struck a chord with me because like any other form of entertainment out there, people won't always agree that it's the right one for them. It stretches beyond gaming as well. If you look at the 'stereotypes' we are constantly bombarded with these days, it can sometimes be awkward admitting to people what you do for fun and expecting them to support it or agree with it. Read More

If you're looking for a perfect piece of nostalgia to start your day (or end it depending on where you are in the world), then this wonderful little piece of art from Brian Altano should fit the bill. My favorite achievement: "Fulfill promise to self to keep playing video games over two decades later." Once a gamer, always a gamer? Too right! :)

Source: GameSpy

Art: Brian Altano

This beautifully drawn image of Princess Peach is the handiwork of artist Megan Lara. The image is actually a t-shirt design created to pay homage to her favorite illustrator, Alphonse Mucha. If you think this design is awesome, you can check out the rest of Megan's work at her gallery over at DeviantArt. The t-shirt is also on sale here if you really, really like it.

Source: MeganLara

Video Games Live is looking for 'relationship-building gamers' to become members of their community. The catch is you have to be in Canada but that's still pretty sweet. After reading the press release, I get the feeling they're going to have quite a few submissions:

Are you a fierce gamer, social butterfly, avid music fan or an anime junkie? Are you energetic, outgoing and love meeting new people? Then we want to hear from you!

Starting April 2011, Video Games Live will launch their first ever Cross-Canada tour. We are looking for three dedicated community members in each of the following cities to be involved with Video Games Live Cross-Canada 2011 tour, Video Games Live Bonus Round! Read More

Yeah... I'm not really one for Pikachu - I'll admit to that straight away. But some people love the adorable little things, so much so that they'll even go the extra mile to try and replicate one in the wild! This little critter was wandering around on Flickr somewhere... probably looking for other Pikachu's to play with ;)

Source: Flickr

Ah it's that time of year again - when Valentines Day approaches and the real battle wages on between loved ones and the consoles and PCs that you own. But not to worry! Valentines Day doesn't have to be all doom and gloom. Afterall, spending time with your significant other doesn't necessarily have to be a scene out of Call of Duty! Just make sure you pick up something like the image above for your boyfriend and you'll be sweet as! Read More

A few game design students from Munich got together and created this interesting and creative clip which features various era's of video game history. It took the team of students a week to organize the props, two days to film and several days of post-production. It's also interesting to note the different changes in technology as the years progress. I liked the bit at the end particularly (although I'm not totally sold on the whole 'virtual' gaming thing just yet). A full list of credits and details of the clip can be found on the creator's vimeo site. Enjoy!

Via Vimeo

I don't know who the original artist is for our Fun Pic of the Day but it put a smile on my face and I'm sure it will do the same for you. Unless of course you're the type of gamer that lives hardcore, breathes hardcore and considers real life to be the one final boss you still have to take down. Either way, ya'll should get the message which is - Real Life WILL Pwn You - it always does ;)

Source: theinternetaccordingtoadrian

The Grateful Dead are being digitized so fans can jam with the band in an upcoming video game.

Similar to what was done with REO Speedwagon, developer Curious Sense plans a game that is different from Guitar Hero or Rock Band. According to a story in USA Today: Read More