I walked four blocks south and one block east from MTV headquarters yesterday to play some upcoming games from Midway. Among them was “TNA Impact!,” a September game for PS2, PS3, Xbox 360 and Wii based on the generally more athletic if not as charismatic company of wrestlers who compete against the industry’s dominant league, WWE.
Two of TNA’s most physically dynamic stars, Christopher Daniels and AJ Styles were at the event, playing the game and standing within earshot while the game’s designer gave me a demo. The game was pretty fun. I mostly button-mashed and wound up, playing as Daniels, performing some cool high-flying moves and, when in danger, issuing some vicious uppercuts to my virtual opponent’s most sensitive body part.
I ran into trouble when I tried to discuss the story with the game designer. Specifically, I wasn’t sure how to ascertain whether the story treats wrestling as — were the wrestlers listening? — “real.” It’s 2008. We all know pro wrestling is a performance, a physically demanding one that is less combat and more coordination. But still, the word “fake” doesn’t roll of the tongue when wrestlers are standing nearby. It seems so insulting. I asked about the story and the designer told me it’s mostly being kept secret for now. I asked if he could at least say whether it treats wrestling as if it was real or if it acknowledges that it’s f… I paused. Second try: Or does it treat wrestling like it’s a job, I asked?
The designer tried answering my question, explaining that the game will position the player as their own wrestler within the TNA organization. Third try from me: So, it acknowledges that these guys have scripts and don’t necessarily hate each other? (Were Styles and Daniels hearing me stumble through this??). Does it acknowledge that wrestling is … uh … involves a script? I couldn’t say the word. And, really, is “fake” even the right word?
From what I can tell, the TNA game will treat wrestling as if it is a real, unscripted sport. That’s the storyline, which, now that I think of it, is what seems fake. Nevertheless, I don’t think people go to wrestling games for the stories but for the gameplay. I’m no aficionado. It seemed fun for casual players. I told the designer, Daniels and Styles that I enjoyed the game. No, I wasn’t faking.
Next: Time to deal with those taunting me about my “Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2” scores.

A trusted friend had led me to believe that “Dolphin Olympics 2,” a free PC browser game available on the Kongregate service which hosts my
Words will fail me as I write this diary entry. I cannot easily describe the magnificent feel of Nintendo’s DS game “Rhythm Tengoku Gold” — coming to America in the next few months as “Rhythm Heaven.”
I keep asking friends who own PS3s if they’ve played “
I thought it would be a game that would spell the end of my Xbox 360. And I expected it would come suddenly, in the flash of a red ring. I was wrong.
I began my diary this week with a story about my unhealthy obsession with Take Two’s “Civilization Revolutions” on the DS. Literally “unhealthy,” you may recall, because the game motivated me to stay underground, sitting in a subway station, breathing subway station air, for 45 minutes more than I needed to a week ago today. So I quit the game. Last night a friend opened his DS and showed me that he’s now hooked.
If I was able to be one of 36 members of the gaming media
What I thought would be a dry 24 hours of not playing games was enriched in the final minutes, early this morning, with the pleasant discovery that the new twin-stick shooter “Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2” was available for download over Xbox Live Arcade.
Given the strong recommendation of readers of this diary, I decided yesterday I will try to get past the second level of “Kid Icarus” but Monday was not the night to do it.
Yes, indeed my game diary is back. I didn’t play many games for fun during E3 and was just too overloaded with work last week to file my diary. That’s all done with.
Since the last entry, I finally got a sick, nauseous feeling playing a video game. Finally! I’d heard about people who got motion sickness playing first-person shooters. I’m sure “Mario Party” has caused a few upset stomachs, too.
Since the last entry a game got me a little steamed.