Games have so much more potential than just fun; in fact we've known for a while now that games can be used to improve our health - mentally and physically. This is the goal of the Games for Health project which will be holding its fourth annual conference next year. Registration is currently open at their website. Check the full article for more details on the event.

2K Sports has just sent out word that they've kicked off their annual Bounce Tour. This month-long event's set to showcase some of 2K Sports' upcoming titles, such as College Hoops 2K8 (Xbox 360, PS3, PS2), and All-Pro Football 2K8 (PS3, Xbox 360). The event will be traveling from one major city to another and will end on December 8. Further event and venue details are up ahead in the full article.

Straight from this year's GC come eight brand new screenshots of the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions of Tony Hawk's Proving Ground (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii), the latest iteration of the popular video game franchise.

Tony Hawk's Proving Ground is being touted as the largest and deepest game in the franchise to date. The action is set in the streets of Baltimore, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., where players can choose to become Career Athletes, Hardcore Skaters or Riggers depending on the choices they make.

The game also features deeper customization than ever before. New customization features include a full-featured video editor and a completely customizable online Skate Lounge. Here's hoping that the game's skater customization feature itself will also be deeper than the one in Project 8 (PlayStation 3, Xbox360).

Neversoft is currently working on the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions of Tony Hawk's Proving Ground. The game should make it to retail this fall. Click on the Full Article link for the screenshots.

Check out all the PS3 and Xbox 360 screenshots behind the Full Article link!

Here's a new batch of magazine scans depicting the latest title in the Tony Hawk series in all its gritty, road-rashed glory. While we can't really tell you what the magazine article actually says, the screens inside are quite telling in the sense that you'll be tussling quite a bit with the law as you roll through the urban jungles of Baltimore, Philadelphia, and Washington.

Judging from the scans, Tony Hawk's Proving Ground looks like it has some player-archetype thing going on, with examples such as Carrier, Rigger, and Hardcore. While we don't know yet just how large of an impact choosing one over the other would have on your gameplay, a safe guess would be each type would have his or her own move set, or even a different skating style entirely.

Could it even be the factor of just how much the police are keeping tabs on you and your moves? Well, trying to circumvent the language barrier aside, Activision's Tony Hawk's Proving Ground looks to be one interesting skate.

Keep it locked right here for any and all updates regarding The Hawk's latest multiplatform game (PS3, Wii, 360).

   

Customization is the name of the game with the latest Tony Hawk game in the pipeline, Tony Hawk's Proving Ground from Activision (PS3, PS2, Xbox 360, Wii, DS). A complete first for the series, the game gives you complete and total freedom with your character's story, appearance and skating style based on the choices you yourself will make - and the only way to do that is to skate, grind and manual your way through the streets of Baltimore, Philadelphia and Washington DC.

Skating's not the only thing you can do in Tony Hawk's Proving Ground, however. Get into Skater's Nirvana with more Nail The Trick moves to challenge even those with the hardest of cores. Show the world you've got what it takes by making an "Epic Skate Video", courtesy of the game's easy-to-use video recording and editing features. There's also a fully-customizable online Skate Lounge to chill out and tear it up with buddies for online street cred.

With all these new features, as well as a new gameplay mechanic that promises to alter and build the skateable environment around you as you skate - it's not a surprise that many are eagerly awaiting the title's multi-platform release. Keep it locked right here for any and all developments about Tony Hawk's Proving Ground.

The Post Online reports that game developers at Ohio University's GRID Lab were challenged this weekend during the inaugural Ohio Game Jam to develop a game within 24 hours. The GRID Lab is located on Court Street, and the 24 hour challenge started at 4:30 pm Saturday.

The Official Event Overlord (nice title), event host, event organizer, and OU instructor, Ian Screiber had this to say about the competition: " You don’t end up with Shakespeare, but you have some high levels of creativity because of the time constraints. ...The point is not for prizes and competition, but to have an informal and friendly environment for people to make games."

The competition had seventeen participants in six teams of students from the University of Baltimore, Columbus College of Art and Design, and of course, Ohio University. Games created ranged from hippies who traveled through time to thwart technology, and god games wherein you grow cities.

The three games that tied for second place are Brows of the Martian Landscape, Zomborgs and Hydroponic Hyperbole. The winning game was I can't Breathe by John Herbert and surprisingly took only two hours to develop. The said game involved dodging spore balls in an enclosed space, and having the option to release more spore balls to increase your score. Wow! A dynamic, player chosen difficulty setting in a game! Cool.

Such was the competitive and creative spirit in the contest that Ohio University Junior, Josh Ende notes: "Between 1 and 2 a.m. I was modifying a picture of Chuck Norris’s head and shooting it at things"

Well, what about you homebrew folks? What game would you come up with given one day?

Everybody has hometown memories. Where they grew up, went to school, and played their very first basketball game. The pros are no different and NBA Street Homecourt will showcase where the ballers came from. Here's an inside look the the courts.

Venice Beach - It's the basketball court to the stars in Los Angeles, CA. Magic Johnson and Kobe Bryant frequent this court for pickup games. In game, here is where you'll meet Baron Davis and Jason Kidd.

Cloverdale - It's the pride of Baltimore, MD and homecourt of Carmelo Anthony. It spawned another great - Sam Cassel, along with many of the disbanded Baltimore Bullets. In game, this is where you play your first NBA game against Anthony, Cassel and Jaun Dixon.

Ash Park - Coatesville, PA has Ash Park, which served as the training field for no less than Rip Hamilton. He trained there with his mentor, Ricky Hicks and renovated the park and the court itself. In game, this is where the first Homecourt Tourney happens. Defending this court would be imports from Philly Kobe Bryant and Rasheed Wallace.

Rupert Bell Rec - Located in Winston-Salem, NC, Rupert Bell Rec is home to Chris Paul. This is also where the second Homecourt Tournament takes place.

The GOAT - At the heart of Manhattan lies the GOAT (New York, NY) slathered in funky blue and green paint. Rafer Alston regularly plays there. In game, the best the East Coast can offer converge there. Ron Artest, Allen Iverson, and Stephon Marbury. 'Nuff said.

Franklin Park - West side Chicago, IL has Franklin Park with signs of the Chicago Bulls plastered on the walls. Kevin Garnett can give you a tour. In game, Kevin Garnett and Lebron James defend their homecourt.

See the other courts and some screens after the jump!

Back in 1992, there was boy from Baltimore who dreamed of becoming a star. Cancer took his father away when he was just a baby. Without a father figure to look up to, he turned to his brothers and sisters for support and love. As he grew up, he became fond of basketball. He would play day and night in one of those courts found in the streets, with rusty rings and torn nets.

While in high school, the boy slowly made a name for himself. 'Twas the summer of 2001 when he became Baltimore Sun's metro player of the year, as well as Baltimore catholic league player of the year. He then made it to the high school All American team. The boy's college basketball career was rather short as he just appeared for one season in Syracuse University. Finally in 2003, his dreams became realized. He joined the NBA draft and was selected 3rd overall.

Currently, the boy plays forward for the Denver Nuggets and is the cover of Electronic Arts NBA Street Homecourt. The game will appear both on Xbox 360 and the PS3. The boy is Carmelo Anthony.

So you think you can beat anyone at EA Sport's Madden NFL? Here's your chance to prove it. Best Buy, Microsoft, and Sprint has just kicked off the 2006 EA Sports Madden Challenge. There some new things added this year, like there will be an Xbox 360 Division and, for an international flavour, Mexico, Canada, UK, Germany, and HK will be joining the fray.

Winners from 26 US cities and 5 from the international countries will be advancing to the Finals during PRO Bowl Week (Feb. 8, 2007) in sunny Honolulu, Hawaii. So what are you gunning for this time? $100,000.00. Regional winners will get $1,000. And they said games won't get you anywhere. Cities and schedules after the next jump folks!

It has been a while since movie trailers had flooded the Marketplace and now it just seems like they barely trickle in as a movie trailer for Step Up has become available. The trailer comes in the usual 480p format, which weights in at 22.15MB and 126.42MB for the 720p version. The movie was released to theaters last week on August 11th so guess it's just a slow day on the Marketplace.

The plot summary for Step Up is that Tyler Gage (Channing Tatum) is a rebel from the wrong side of Baltimore's tracks ­ and the only thing that stands between him and an unfulfilled life are his dreams of one day making it out of there. Nora (Jenna Dewan) is a privileged ballet dancer attending Baltimore's ultra-elite Maryland School of the Arts -- and the only thing standing in the way of her obviously brilliant future is finding a great dance partner for her senior showcase.

When trouble with the law lands Tyler with a community service gig at Maryland School of the Arts, he arrives as an angry outsider, until his skills as a gifted street dancer draw Nora's attention. Now, as sparks fly between them, both on and off stage, Tyler realizes he has just one performance to prove that he can step up to a life far larger than he ever imagined. So if you wanted to check out what the movie is all about go ahead and download the trailer off of the Marketplace.