"VideoGames" news and stories

It seems like plastic toys just don't cut it anymore. McDonald's marketing campaign for the new James Cameron film "Avatar" will be decidedly more high tech.

Customers will get what McDonald's calls "cutting-edge digital experiences" that the company hopes will translate into selling more Big Macs this Christmas.

There's been an incredible amount of fan anticipation for the science-fiction movie, in part because of its high-cost special effects and the reputation of Cameron, who hasn't directed a new film in 10 years. (1999's "Titanic" was his last.)

Beginning Dec. 18 (the day of the movie's United States premiere) and ending Jan. 7, every customer that buys a Big Mac will get a "Big Mac Thrill Card" (there are eight different ones) that gives the customer access to three "Avatar"-related online games, according to Molly McKenna, a manager with McDonald's U.S. communications.

But this being a Hollywood blockbuster -- there's more.

We don't normally get a lot of video game news in the food world other than the occasional release of something like Cooking Mama, so imagine how we felt when we heard about the latest foodie-inspired game idea to come shooting out of your wireless joystick controller. Hell's Kitchen is going to be a video game.

We weren't exactly sure how this tv-tie in was going to be translated into a video game, but when we found out that it's basically going to be "the fun of the kitchen boot camp experience," like it is for the contestants on the Fox show, we got it. Players will subjected to Chef Ramsey's four-letter infused screaming while trying to turn out some of the Chef's recipes (which will be included with the game).

The game will ship next year in conjunction with the premiere of the 4th season of Hell's Kitchen. We are hoping to get a chance to play.

[via: Joystiq and TVSquad]

...and then there's gamer food porn.

Gamecakes is a blog that is wholly dedicated to one thing, and one thing only: cakes that have to do with video games. The idea comes from Michael Fahey, a writer for mega gaming blog, Kotaku. While it's obvious to have an entire blog dedicated to the industry of video games, who knew there were enough gaming geeks who liked to bake cakes, and decorate them quite impressively, as well?

(And no, I have no idea what gamer porn would be.)

You really never know just quite what you'll find on eBay these days. Take this Super Mario nutcracker that's being auctioned on the Canadian eBay site. I'm not sure if Canadians are any more obsessed with video games than Americans, but it's pretty safe to say that this is the only Super Mario Nutcracker out there.

Standing just over a foot high, the hand-painted plumber sports a snazzy red and blue uniform and, of course, his signature moustache. The Mario Nutcracker's creator is selling it for $20, plus $15 shipping. He claims that it's the first in a series of pop culture nutcrackers. The next one might be Chuck Norris, he adds.

What, no Donkey Kong!?

[via: Kotaku]

These video-game inspired cakes from Glitter Pissing seemed to fit right in with the other strange (some have said "geeky") series of cakes we've featured recently on Slashfood. There were the Stargate cupcakes, the sysadmin cupcakes and then the meat cake. According to blogger r4kk4, these cakes, which include the Nintendo you see here, arcade versions of Centipede and Ms. Pacman and a Gameboy with Tetris pieces, were created for a cakewalk to benefit the nonprofit youth literacy group 826 Seattle. From the looks of the dozens of comments, there could definitely be a market for cakes like these.