Blog Posts by Ben Silverman

It's still rock 'n' roll to himLegendary songwriter Bill Joel hasn't been too keen on bringing his catalog of hits to
music gamers, but The Piano Man has changed his tune.

And we can all thank a TV sitcom -- and media mag Entertainment Weekly -- for that. The bizarre turn ofevents began with an EW review of an episode of NBC's 'The Office' in which Jim and Pam briefly discuss the fictional game Rock Band: Billy Joel.

"The critic wrote something like, 'God forbid that ever should happen,' Joel told USA
Today. "So I called my people and said, 'Get me (on) that Rock
Band game.' Then I wrote the critic, saying that every time I get
a check, I'll give him a little nod."

And what Billy Joel wants, Billy Joel gets. Today MTV

Kinect bundle is $400: a bit of a stretch Can't wait to get your hands on (or off) Microsoft's controller-free
Kinect system? Got a couple hundred bucks burning a hole in your pocket,
too? You're a liar, but you're also in luck: Microsoft has formally announced a Special Edition Kinect bundle due out November 4th.

And it's pretty loaded. For $400, you'll get a 250 GB Xbox 360 Slim
console (with built-in Wifi), the Kinect camera sensor and a copy of
launch title Kinect Adventures. Buy those separately and you're looking
at about $500, somehow making this a legit deal.

It's not the only Kinect bundle on offer, however. A $300 package
swaps out the 250 GB console for the 4GB version, while current Xbox 360
owners will be able to

September 13 3:27 P.M.

Human Pac-Man With his 30th birthday enjoying widespread media coverage and his next game getting loads of buzz, it's already been a big year for Pac-Man. But thanks to a new viral video paying homage to the yellow icon, it just got even bigger.

We're talking about Human Pac-Man, a stop-motion clip of Pac-Man featuring people in place of pixels. It's the latest project from famed game video maestro Guillame Reymond, who in the past delivered equally astounding human/pixel versions of Space Invaders, Tetris, Pong and Pole Position.

Well, almost equally astounding, because this one is just totally awesome.

Filmed at the Trafo theater in Baden, Switzerland, the video took Reymond and

While he's appeared as a character in several titles over the years,
there's only been one video game specifically about The King of Pop. But
where the 1989 dud Moonwalker game failed, Michael Jackson: The
Experience hopes to succeed.

To further that end, publisher Ubisoft has released the first official trailer showing off some of the game's new moves.

Three new tracks were also unveiled this week: "Smooth Criminal,"
"Black or White" and "They Don't Care About Us." Those join seven
previously announced tunes -- including smash hits "Bad," "Beat It," and
"Billie Jean"-- to bring the current total up to ten.

The dance game is due out on

Ever wish you had a giant pet dragon/dog/monkey pal to help you
negotiate a desolate wasteland while searching for something or other?
Me neither, but the more I learn about upcoming PS3 game The Last
Guardian, the more I realize this is all I really want to do anymore.

Sadly, it's not due out until the 2011 holiday season, but at least
we can all stare at this impressive new trailer again. And again. And
again. Because while I have no idea exactly what's happening here, it
looks awesome.

As well it should. The Last Guardian comes from Team Ico, who in the
past crafted legendary artsy hits Ico

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed IIWhile George Lucas endlessly tweaks his six Star Wars films (next stop: 3D Jar Jar? The Republic is apparently not pleased),
another branch of his multi-limbed company is putting the finishing
touches on a brand new adventure in that well-trod galaxy far, far away.

But don't bother looking for it in theaters -- unless it's of the
'home' variety and happens to be powered by a video game console.

Set between Episodes III and IV, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II
is the sequel to 2008's multi-million-selling blockbuster, and it's
looking every bit as spectacular. The new game continues the riveting
tale of Starkiller (played again by Battlestar Galactica alum and
self-professed Star Wars geek

Kinect is coming.If you're into partying, dancing, sports, working out AND playing
video games, go ahead and circle November 4th on your calendar.

That's the day Microsoft releases their anticipated Kinect
motion-control system for the Xbox 360 -- and to get active folks like
you excited, they've officially announced the 17 games available during
the camera's launch window (only 12 of which will be available on launch
day itself, however):

November 4

Adrenalin Misfits
Dance Central
DanceMasters
Fighters Uncaged
Kinect Adventures (bundled with Kinect)
Kinect Joy Ride
Kinect Sports
Kinectimals
MotionSports
Sonic Free Riders
The Biggest Loser: Ultimate Workout
Your Shape: Fitness Evolved

November 16

EA Sports

Lineage IICan't seem to stop playing World of Warcraft? Craig Smallwood had a similar problem with competing online role-playing game Lineage II -- and he's decided to do something about it.

The Hawaii man has filed a negligence lawsuit against game publisher
NCSoft, claiming that he became so addicted to Lineage II that he was
"unable to function independently in usual daily activities, such as
getting up, getting dressed, bathing or communicating with family and
friends."

Smallwood believes that he sunk roughly 20,000 hours into the game
between 2004 and 2009, which he claims he wouldn't have done had he been
made aware of the title's addictive nature.

Among other gripes, he's accusing NCSoft of