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The Reboot: Getting Into the Video Game Industry

Rio Pesino — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 07:01:18 +0000

Working in the video game industry is one thing every gamer dreams of doing. According to GameCareerGuide.com, more than 50,000 people in North America alone play, create and design video games for a living. Many gamers would jump at the chance to be paid to play video games, but most don’t know the first thing to do when it comes to getting their foot in the door. In this episode of The Reboot, host Rio Pesino speaks with video game recruiters from Bungie, LucasArts, BioWare, Ubisoft, THQ and FullSail about the hiring process, what they look for in a candidate and some insiders’ advice on how to break into the industry.

Tags: video games, gamers, The Reboot, Rio Pesino, Bungie, LucasArts, BioWare, Ubisoft, THQ, FullSail

The Reboot: The Pro Gamer Experience

Rio Pesino — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 07:01:16 +0000

Gaming is a hobby for most people, but a select few have enough talent and dedication to make it a career. Tournaments for popular games like Halo 3, Guitar Hero, Madden and NBA 2k8 are held all around the world, with huge prizes at stake. In this episode of The Reboot, host Rio Pesino puts himself in the shoes of a professional gamer and shares his experience entering an NBA 2k8 tournament, progressing through the ranks and winning it all… against a bunch of kids.

Tags: Gaming, Halo 3, Guitar Hero, Madden, NBA 2k8, The Reboot, Rio Pesino, professional gamer, pro gamer

The Reboot: Xbox Spring Showcase 2008

Rio Pesino — Fri, 23 May 2008 07:01:28 +0000

Several new games were unveiled at the Xbox Spring Showcase in San Francisco. Gears of War II, Fable 2, Too Human and Ninja Gaiden II were just a few of the games on display. The Reboot’s Rio Pesino was at the showcase to give you an inside look into the event.

Tags: Xbox, Gears of War II, Fable 2, Too Human, Ninja Gaiden II, The Reboot, Rio Pesino

The Reboot: Top Five Things You Must Do in GTA IV

Rio Pesino — Fri, 16 May 2008 07:01:06 +0000

Grand Theft Auto IV has been out for a few weeks now, and most hardcore gamers have probably finished the story mode. So what else is there to do in Liberty City? Plenty. In this episode of The Reboot, host Rio Pesino gives you his top-five list of the things you must do in GTA IV, beside than story mode.

Tags: Grand Theft Auto IV, Liberty City, The Reboot, Rio Pesino, GTA IV

Xbox 360 Spring Showcase ‘08: Interview with Microsoft’s Shane Kim

Rio Pesino — Thu, 15 May 2008 18:49:59 +0000

The Xbox Spring Showcase wasn’t all about the latest titles. Microsoft Game Studio head Shane Kim spoke with The Reboot’s Rio Pesino and several other members of the media about a number of topics, including the Xbox Newton controller rumors, Blu-Ray, digital distribution and the evolution of Xbox Live.

Tags: Xbox, Microsoft Game Studio, Shane Kim, The Reboot, Rio Pesino, Blu-Ray

The Reboot: Xbox 360 Blu-Ray in the Works?

Rio Pesino — Fri, 09 May 2008 19:01:09 +0000

A new Xbox 360 Blu-Ray rumor is circulating around the Web. Chinese newspaper Economic Daily News claims a subsidiary of computer hardware firm Asus has been chosen by Microsoft to produce internal Blu-Ray players for the Xbox 360. Also in this episode of http://www.rebootshow.com The Reboot with Rio Pesino, the Grand Theft Auto sales war between Sony and Microsoft rages on, fans of the PC version of EA Sports’ Madden series get left out in the cold for the second straight year and a pole dancing game may soon be coming to the Nintendo Wii.

Tags: Xbox 360, Blu-Ray, Asus, Rio Pesino, Grand Theft Auto, Nintendo Wii

The Reboot: Grand Theft Auto IV Launch Party

Rio Pesino — Sat, 03 May 2008 07:01:04 +0000

Videogame chain Game Crazy held a number of Extreme GTA Experience Parties to celebrate the launch of one of the most anticipated games for 2008, Rockstar’s Grand Theft Auto IV. GTA IV has received rave reviews from just about every video game Web site out there, including Gamespot, Gametrailers and IGN. The Reboot’s Rio Pesino was at one of Game Crazy’s GTA IV Launch Parties, where hundreds of gamers waited until midnight to purchase their copy of the game.

Tags: Game Crazy, Grand Theft Auto IV, The Reboot, Rio Pesino, GTA IV

The Reboot: Wii Smashes March Hardware Sales

Rio Pesino — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 07:01:44 +0000

The Nintendo Wii brawled its way to the top of the hardware sales list in March. It was the highest single-month unit sales of any platform outside the holiday timeframe, according to market research firm NPD Group. In this episode of The Reboot, host Rio Pesino breaks down the Wii sales numbers and other gaming news for the week, including Midway’s latest Mortal Kombat game, a delay of another Midway title and Pro Gamers in the Olympics?

Tags: Midway, Mortal Kombat, Nintendo, NPD Group, Olympics, Pro Gamers, Rio Pesino, The Reboot, TNA iMPACT, Wii

The Reboot: Rock Band vs. Guitar Hero III - Six Months Later

Rio Pesino — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 19:27:10 +0000

There’s no doubt Rock Band and Guitar Hero have changed the way videogames are played. The casual and hardcore gamer are paying big bucks for plastic guitars, drums, mics and downloadable content and both games have been hugely successful at retail since they were released late last year and the music industry has taken notice. Both Rock Band and Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock were given rave reviews by game critics at the time they were launched to the masses, but how are they rated today? With the continued release of DLC and durability of the equipment, one question that comes to mind is which game reigns supreme now? In this episode of The Reboot, host Rio Pesino answers those questions and gives you his hands-on experience with both games…six months later.

Tags: Activision, EA, Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock, Harmonix, Rio Pesino, Rock Band, The Reboot, DLC

The Reboot: Grand Theft Auto 4 Review Hits the Web

Rio Pesino — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 07:01:20 +0000

In this episode of The Reboot with Rio Pesino, the first Grand Theft Auto 4 review is on the Web, weeks before the game’s release on April 29th. Some are questioning the validity of the review of GTA 4, which is the most-hyped game of 2008. Also on this week’s show, Call of Duty 4’s variety map pack shoots down the Xbox Live service, Sony brings back the Dual-Shock controller to the PS3 and THQ unveils Saints Row 2 at its Gamer’s Day event in San Francisco.

Tags: The Reboot, Rio Pesino, Grand Theft Auto 4, Call of Duty 4, Dual-Shock, Saints Row 2, Gamer’s Day, GTA IV

The Reboot Video Review - God of War: Chains of Olympus

Rio Pesino — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 07:01:18 +0000

Kratos makes his debut on the Playstation Portable in God of War: Chains of Olympus. The game is a prequel to the first God of War, which was one of the best games ever to come out on the Playstation 2. Fans of the God of War series and PSP owners have been looking forward to this game ever since developer Ready at Dawn Studios announced that it would come out for the handheld system. The buzz surrounding Chains of Olympus was so big that Sony even unveiled a God of War PSP bundle before the game was released. But does it live up to the hype? Find out in this podcast video review of God of War: Chains of Olympus with The Reboot’s Rio Pesino.

Tags: Kratos, Playstation Portable, God of War: Chains of Olympus, God of War, Playstation 2, Ready at Dawn Studios, The Reboot, Rio Pesino

The Reboot: Sonic Unleashed

Rio Pesino — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 21:37:50 +0000

In this episode of The Reboot, Sonic the Hedgehog fans went nuts after several screenshots and a video trailer of the blue-haired hero’s latest adventure, Sonic Unleashed, were leaked online. SEGA Europe later confirmed that the game will come out this year. In other gaming news, Sony and Harmonix were hit with lawsuits this week and a Super Famicom console signed by Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto fetches thousands of dollars on Ebay.

Tags: The Reboot, Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic Unleashed, SEGA, gaming news, Harmonix, Shigeru Miyamoto

The Reboot: Martin Leung’s Performance at Video Games Live

Rio Pesino — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 19:35:14 +0000

Martin Leung, also known as the Video Game Pianist, gained worldwide recognition for playing video game themes on the piano. He’s best known for the 2004 video of him playing the theme to Super Mario Bros. blindfolded. In this episode of The Reboot, Leung performs a tribute to perhaps the most famous Role Playing Game, Final Fantasy, at a Video Games Live show in San Francisco.

Tags: Martin Leung, Video Game Pianist, video game, Super Mario Bros., The Reboot, Role Playing Game, Final Fantasy, Video Games Live

The Reboot: Inside Video Games Live

Rio Pesino — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 07:01:20 +0000

Video Games Live is a festival highlighting some of the most popular video game music soundtracks performed by top orchestras and choirs. Super Mario Brothers, Sonic the Hedgehog, Halo, Mass Effect, Bioshock and Metal Gear Solid are just a few of the games featured at every show. The Reboot was at the Video Games Live event in San Francisco, which featured pianist Martin Leung and a rare rendition of the “Metroid” theme. In this episode, host Rio Pesino speaks with co-creator Tommy Tallarico about how Video Games Live was created, what makes it different than your typical symphony and why the event is for all music lovers, not just gamers.

Tags: Video Games Live, video game music, Super Mario Brothers, Sonic the Hedgehog, Halo, Mass Effect, Bioshock, Metal Gear Solid, The Reboot, Martin Leung, Metroid, Rio Pesino, Tommy Tallarico, gamers

The Reboot: Capcom Digital Day

Rio Pesino — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 00:00:09 +0000

Downloadable games were the focus of Capcom’s Digital Day. During the press-only event, Capcom did not talk about Street Fighter IV or Resident Evil 5. Instead, the game developer showed off an updated version of and several other games that will soon be available on Xbox Live Arcade and the Playstation Network. In this episode of The Reboot, host Rio Pesino gives you a preview of HD Remix and other gaming news for the week, including Super Smash Bros. Brawl Disc Issues, another Xbox 360 price drop and the results of a survey that says gaming is more popular than sex. In fact, in honor of that last item, we’ve put together a little treat for viewers, featuring some interesting moments from Dead or Alive, Rumble Roses, Ms. Pac Man and Dixie Kong….

This video is available on:
YouTube, Metacafe, Revver, DailyMotion, Blip.tv, Crackle, Sclipo, and Bittorrent

Tags: downloadable games, Capcom, Digital Day, Street Fighter IV, Resident Evil 5, Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix, Xbox Live Arcade, Playstation Network, The Reboot, Rio Pesino, Super Smash Bros. Brawl Disc Issues, Xbox 360, Dead or Alive, Rumble Roses, Ms. Pac Man, Dixie Kong

The Reboot: GDC 2008 Highlights

Rio Pesino — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 07:01:48 +0000

A record 18,000 people attended this year’s Game Developers Conference in San Francisco, CA. The five-day event featured 400 sessions, the GDC career pavilion, keynotes by Microsoft’s John Schappert and Ray Kurzweil and other GDC-related events including an evening with Will Wright and Video Games Live. In this episode of The Reboot, host Rio Pesino gives his take on some of the highlights of this year’s event, including Logitech’s new GT5 Prologue racing wheel, Dark Sector and Hot Shots Golf: Out of Bounds.

Tags: Dark Sector, Game Developers Conference, Hot Shots Golf: Out of Bounds, John Schappert, Logitech, Ray Kurzweil, Rio Pesino, The Reboot, Video Games Live, Will Wright

The Reboot: The Death of the Xbox 360 HD-DVD Player

Rio Pesino — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 17:28:02 +0000

Microsoft has officially discontinued production of its Xbox 360 external HD-DVD player. The decision comes days after consumer electronics giant Toshiba announced that it will no longer produce HD-DVD products, essentially ending the HD-format war with Sony’s Blu-Ray. Video game juggernaut Electronic Arts wants to take over Take-Two Interactive and Sony’s Phil Harrison calls it quits. Those stories and more on this episode of The Reboot with Rio Pesino.

Tags: Microsoft, Xbox 360, HD-DVD, Sony Blu-Ray, Electronic Arts, Take-Two Interactive, Phil Harrison, The Reboot, Rio Pesino

The Reboot/GDC 2008: Video Games Live - Metroid

Rio Pesino — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 01:29:05 +0000

Video Games Live was in San Francisco, CA, offering full-symphony-orchestra treatments of some of the most popular video games. Fans in attendance were given a special performance, as VGL played the theme to the popular Nintendo game “Metroid.” It was only the second time Metroid has ever been played at VGL and The Reboot was there to cover the event.

Tags: Metroid, Nintendo, The Reboot, Video Games Live

The Reboot/GDC 2008: An Evening with Will Wright

Rio Pesino — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 01:11:56 +0000

The creator of The Sims hosted a special GDC private speaking session at the Mezzanine in San Francisco, CA. Spore was not the focus of Will Wright’s speech. In this episode of The Reboot, Wright speaks on a wide array of topics, including The history of The Sims, Godzilla, Star Wars and James Bond.

Tags: GDC, The Reboot, The Sims, Will Wright, Godzilla, Star Wars, James Bond, Mezzanine

The Reboot/GDC 2008: Xbox Blogger Breakfast

Rio Pesino — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 01:04:12 +0000

The Gamerscore Blog hosted a Xbox blogger breakfast for the media and video game blogging community. The event gave a selected number of journalists and bloggers the chance to speak with Microsoft’s Chris Satchell, John Shappert and Aaron Greenberg. In this audio version of The Reboot, host Rio Pesino takes you to the breakfast table, where topics discussed included XNA, HD-DVD, Xbox 360 shortages and Xbox Live Downloadable Content.

Tags: Aaron Greenberg, Chris Satchell, Gamerscore Blog, HD-DVD, John Shappert, The Reboot, Xbox Blogger Breakfast, XNA

The Reboot/GDC 2008: PC Gaming Alliance Announcement

Rio Pesino — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 00:49:19 +0000

The Game Developers Conference is underway this week in San Francisco. The Reboot is dashing around to make sure you get the latest from the show. We’ll be posting a full report in our next episode. For now, check out this interview with Randy Stude of Intel, the president of the PC Gaming Alliance. The alliance had a press conference to announce this coming together of major hardware and software creators, designed to keep the world safe for PC gaming. Host Rio Pesino caught up with Randy immediately after the announcement to get the details.

Tags: Game Developers Conferenc, GDC, GDC 2008, PC Gaming Alliance, PCGA, Randy Stude

The Reboot: NFL Tour Review

Rio Pesino — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 08:01:35 +0000

The NFL season may be over, but football gamers can still get their pigskin fix with EA Sports Big’s NFL Tour for the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360. The game replaces the popular NFL Street series and features arcade-style play, huge hits and wall climbs. In this episode of The Reboot, host Rio Pesino gives his take on NFL Tour and whether or not the game follows the over-the-top, in-your-face gameplay of its predecessor.

Tags: EA Sports Big, NFL, NFL Street, NFL Tour, PS3 Xbox 360, Rio Pesino, The Reboot

The Reboot: Wii Want Rock Band

Rio Pesino — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 08:01:41 +0000

Electronic Arts plans to give Wii owners a chance to rock out. Rumors of a Wii version of EA/Harmonix’s popular video game Rock Band have been circulating for months. Now those rumors can be put to rest. The Orange Box is being split into three parts and Sony gives its Home a little spring cleaning. Those stories and more on this episode of The Reboot.

Tags: Electronic Arts, Wii owners, Harmonix, video game, Rock Band, The Orange Box, Sony, The Reboot

The Reboot: PC vs Console

Rio Pesino — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 08:01:03 +0000

What is the best gaming system, the PC or the Console? For years, gamers have argued over which has the better controls, graphics, gameplay and longevity. In this video podcast episode of The Reboot, host Rio Pesino talks to Chris Paladino, online community manager for Xbox, pro gamer Johnathan Fatal1ty Wendel and several other gaming professionals about which platform reigns supreme.

Tags: gaming system, The Reboot, Rio Pesino, Chris Paladino, Xbox, pro gamer, Fatal1ty, Johnathan Wendel, Intel, HP

The Reboot: CES 2008

Rio Pesino — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 01:01:55 +0000

The Consumer Electronics Show usually isn’t a big show for gamers, but this year’s event was expected to be different. CES dedicated more show floor space for its Gaming Showcase and there were even rumors that Microsoft’s Bill Gates would reveal a new version of the Xbox 360 at the event. Instead, gamers who attended CES were disappointed with no announcement of a new 360 and a Gaming Showcase that was lacking in video games. However, there were some major gaming annoucements made at CES. Sony used the event to promote new Playstation Portable applications and show off its most creative game yet, while Microsoft unveiled several new Games for Windows, including Turning Point: Fall of Liberty, Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures and Space Siege. Texas Instruments also showed off its DualView technology, which could change the face of gaming forever. In this episode of The Reboot, host Rio Pesino gives you his take on what stood out at CES.

Tags: Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures, Bill Gates, CES, BlogHaus, CESBlogHaus, DualView, Games for Windows, Gaming, Microsoft, Playstation Portable, PSP, Skype, Sony, Space Siege, Texas Instruments, Turning Point: Fall of Liberty, Xbox 360