Phantasy Star Universe is currently searching for Guardians to participate in a new community event in the game. Operation Firebreak begins on May 25, and calls for the entire Phantasy Star Universe community to work cooperatively to defeat a new SEED-based threat.

23 October for 2007 BAFTAs
Posted by M @ 9:27 a.m. NZST

The games industy's most significant awards - the British Academy of Film and Television Arts' Video Games Awards - will be held on 23 October this year.

"In a very short space of time, an Academy Video Games Award – which recognises excellence in the fastest-growing form of entertainment – has become the most coveted in the industry," says Paul Jackson, Chair of the Academy's Games Committee.

"The art form of the video game has truly come of age and the academy could not be prouder to recognise its creative and technical practitioners," adds Hilary Bevan Jones, academy chairman.

Last year's awards were attended by almost 700 guests and BAFTA has had to seek a larger venue for the 2007 Awards – Battersea Evolution. London's new event space can accommodate more than 2000 guests.

Anne-Marie Flynn, BAFTA's Head of Awards, says: "We needed to find somewhere which gave us room to expand, because the Academy's long term commitment is to make these awards the global kitemark of games excellence. Last year we mounted the most highly attended awards in the industry and this year will be even bigger. We are very excited about putting on a really visually arresting awards show in 2007."

Details of this year's categories and voting procedure will be announced by BAFTA in the near future.

Tiberium Wars novel this Winter
Posted by M @ 11:09 p.m. NZST

Del Rey will publish a novel based on Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars computer and video game on 29th May 2007 in the US and Canada. The novel will release elsewhere in the months following. The game is available now for the PC and will be in stores next month for the Xbox 360.

In the novel by Keith R. A. DeCandido, the year is 2047 and the stakes could not be higher. Tiberium—a self-replicating alien substance that has infected the Earth—is spreading like a radioactive ice age. The Global Defense Initiative, a high-tech alliance of the world's most advanced nations, is fighting to contain Tiberium, but Kane, the megalomaniacal leader of the Brotherhood of Nod, has other plans for Earth. Kane's secret society turned superpower is bent on using Tiberium to take control and transform humanity into his twisted vision of the future. In the midst of battles throughout the world, a third alien race emerges, and all-out war rages over Tiberium. The fate of the planet rests in the balance.

"We're excited to expand the Command & Conquer franchise to a new form of media and offer a depth to the underlying fiction of the game series like never before," said Patrick O'Brien, VP of Business Affairs at EA. "Keith DeCandido wrote a great story, and we're pleased to have partnered with him and Del Rey."

For further information on the novel, visit delreybooks.com.

Dual versions of Transfomers for DS
Posted by M @ 11:27 p.m. NZST

Based on Hasbro's Transformers property and upcoming live-action feature film from DreamWorks Pictures and Paramount Pictures due out from the end of July, Transformers: Autobots and Transformers: Decepticons let gamers control the outcome in the battle for Earth. Players can choose to protect the Earth as Autobots or destroy it as Decepticons and will also experience the unstoppable power and massive scale of their favourite robots in disguise such as Bumblebee, Barricade and others.

Key features:

• Protect Or Destroy The Earth with Nintendo's Wi-Fi – Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection enables players to engage in the "AllSpark Wars" where they must help their side win the global conflict between Autobots and Decepticons via daily challenge missions and global player stats comparisons.

• Battle Again and Again Alone or With Friends – Each Nintendo DS game features 20 unique story missions plus more than 20 challenge missions as well as local wireless multiplayer modes (up to four players) such as Team Death Match and AllSpark Sports.

• More Than Meets the Eye – In addition to playing as some of the most well-known Transformers robots, fans are able to scan over 30 unique vehicles and customise their paint schemes. Gamers can instantly morph from a larger-than-life robot to a high-powered vehicle, such as a sports car, fighter jet or helicopter, as quick conversions leave enemies in the dust and enhance player's combat strategy.

• The World Is Your Playground – Players take on enemy Autobots or Decepticons to build up their custom Transformers stats and abilities. Both games feature huge open environment city levels which include Casino Town and Hoover Dam while Antarctic levels are exclusive to the Transformers: Autobots game and desert levels are featured in the Transformers: Decepticons game.

Wario: Master Of Disguise this Winter
Posted by M @ 11:06 p.m. NZST

Have your stylus at the ready as Wario barges his way onto the Nintendo DS in a brand new adventure. Up to his usual mischief, this time Wario takes over the TV to challenge a professional thief at his own game. Players must master quick disguise changes, using the DS Stylus, as Wario: Master Of Disguise launches on Nintendo DS in June.

After watching a TV show featuring the thieving master of disguise, Count Camoli, Wario has the idea of stealing treasure from TV shows- the perfect way to make his fortune. Players join him as he dives through the TV screen and steals Count Camoli's quick-change wand, Goodstyle, thus becoming the new star of the show. Players must navigate Wario through ten episodes, collecting treasure and searching for the ultimate prize: an ancient artifact that grants wishes.

Using his newly obtained magic wand, Wario must collect and switch between disguises - each with its own unique powers - to become the ultimate light-fingered fiend. Players start the game as Thief Wario, a powerful disguise that can tackle enemies, jump to great heights and move heavy objects. As they progress, additional outfits become available including Cosmic Wario, with his laser gun, Artist Wario, handy for creating blocks or doorways to escape through, and Captain Wario who can summon a boat to cross watery expanses. With seven different costumes to find, Wario will be kitted out for every situation.

To enable quick changes between disguises, Wario's outfit can be switched by drawing simple symbols on the Nintendo DS touch screen. Utilising the touch screen not only allows the player to change disguises easily but also activates Wario's unique power available at the time. For example, tapping the screen as Cosmic Wario will fire his laser at the location of the tap.

On Wario's mission, players will travel through exotic environments including a luxury ocean liner, watery ruins and an Egyptian pyramid. Using their disguises players must tackle the obstacles and mini games they encounter as they search out treasure chests and avoid the pursuing Count Camoli.

However, the best treasure is kept locked away in chests and to unlock them players must complete the mini game inside. These get harder and faster as the player progresses through the episodes meaning that only the most skillful thief will succeed. Chests contain anything from a piece of treasure to a new outfit.

Becoming the ultimate thief isn't a walk in the park as the deposed Count Camoli is out for revenge. At the end of each episode, Wario will have to battle the Count, making use of the numerous outfits he has gathered to defeat him and to progress through the game. Once an episode has been completed, players are able to revisit it at a later point and use new disguises. This allows them to explore areas they previously could not access, gathering even more hidden treasures.

Oversize baseball from 2K this season
Posted by M @ 10:30 p.m. NZST

2K Sports has announced features for The Bigs, the larger-than-life Major League Baseball licensed title coming out this Winter. The Bigs delivers a unique pick-up-and-play baseball video game experience driven by quick reflex timing and smart power-up strategies, with highlight reel moments on every play.

"With The Bigs, we want to take the baseball genre to new heights and redefine what a baseball video game can be," said Greg Thomas, President of Visual Concepts, a 2K Sports studio. "The Bigs has the fast learning curve of an arcade game coupled with deep play mechanics, amazing visuals, and hero-like presentation of real MLB players that will keep gamers coming back for more. The Bigs will showcase dramatic highlight reel moments at every at-bat, creating a truly epic baseball title."

Fans will redefine the baseball highlight reel by performing dramatic wall grabs, spectacular diving plays, and epic home runs. Unique and intuitive gameplay controls deliver a new baseball experience, while advanced power-up mechanics add exciting depth with each turn. Turbo gameplay raises the action bar to new heights, and culminates in the ultimate batter pitcher power-up duel, where either the pitcher's Big Heat will be the turning point, or the batter's Power Blast will be the explosive end to the game. In The Bigs, every play is a big play.

In The Bigs, each MLB player has been individualised to emphasize his extraordinary athletic attributes. The development team paid great attention to detail to portray a player's face and physical characteristics so baseball fans will easily recognise their favourite players. To deliver the authentic MLB atmosphere, stadium landmarks have been stylised to highlight the unique architecture of each MLB ballpark. Whether it's the glove at San Francisco's AT&T Park resized to mammoth proportions or the left field wall in Boston's Fenway Park made into a real "Green Monster," 2K says gamers will be in awe at the grandeur of each stadium in The Bigs.

The Bigs will be available for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 2, PSP and Wii.

Starting with Folding@home, SCE will continue to support distributed computing projects in a wide variety of academic fields such as medical and social sciences and environmental studies through the use of PS3 and hopes to contribute to the advancement of science.

Hot Shots Tennis for PS2 in July
Posted by M @ 11:32 p.m. NZST

Sony Computer Entertainment America has announced the July launch of Hot Shots Tennis available exclusively for the PlayStation 2. Developed by Clap Hanz, Hot Shots Tennis brings the beloved, multi-million unit selling Hot Shots franchise to the tennis world for the first time. With a host of wacky characters and tennis styles, exotic court locations, and game modes, Hot Shots Tennis offers pick up and play action for tennis fans of all ages.

Hot Shots Tennis delivers fast-paced, colourful gameplay that fans of the Hot Shots franchise have grown to love. Incorporating a blend of arcade-style action and in-depth strategy, Hot Shots Tennis includes a deep feature set allowing players to practice a variety of strokes, enter challenge modes, and play singles or doubles with up to four players. With 14 unique playable characters and five umpires available in the game, there is never a shortage of distinct tennis skills or personality on the court. Players can also enjoy a variety of court surfaces such as hardcourt, clay, and grass, set amongst 11 locations including tropical beaches and ancient ruins.

"Hot Shots Tennis draws from Clap Hanz's success with the Hot Shots franchise by providing a social gaming experience that will appeal to casual players and tennis gaming fans alike," said Jeff Reese, Director, Software Marketing, Sony Computer Entertainment America. "Whether it's playing head-to-head or in a four-player doubles match with family and friends, this is a game that PlayStation 2 fans of all ages can enjoy."

Hot Shots Tennis showcases its detailed animations and realistic physics. The game incorporates an intuitive control scheme to emphasize shot direction and rallies for quick pick up and play action. Advanced players can utilise button timing and shot angles to further balance tennis strategy with character attributes such as speed and play styles (net player vs baseline player).

Players can quickly test their skills through a quick play mode to take on the game's AI, play head to head singles and doubles, or even engage in four-player doubles competition. A Challenge Mode allows players to advance through seven player classes to unlock new characters, costumes, umpires, and courts. Additionally, a Training Mode is available to practice shot timing and angles for ground strokes, serves, volleys, and overhead smashes.

New Clancy series for Ubisoft
Posted by M @ 11:08 p.m. NZST

Ubisoft is creating Tom Clancy's EndWar, a new brand in the Tom Clancy series of video games. Led by strategy veteran and Ubisoft creative director Michael de Plater, Tom Clancy's EndWar is being developed by a team at Ubisoft's Shanghai studio whose members have experience developing Ubisoft's hit franchises including Ghost Recon, Rainbow Six and Splinter Cell. EndWar is scheduled for release on consoles in fiscal year 2007/2008.

Set on the battlefields of World War III, Tom Clancy's EndWar will showcase artificial intelligence, graphics, physics and animations that were not possible prior to the launch of the new hardware systems. Tom Clancy's EndWar has been built from the ground up as a revolutionary war strategy game solely for next-generation consoles.

"Our development teams are invigorated to be creating the first 100 per cent next-generation Tom Clancy brand," said Serge Hascoët, chief creative officer at Ubisoft. "Our success with Tom Clancy franchises is unparalleled in the next-generation and Tom Clancy's EndWar will be a marvelous addition to the already critically acclaimed library of games. A strategy game like no other, EndWar will allow gamers to lead their own armies against hundreds of others online in real global locations on the massive battlefields of World War III."

Ubisoft's Tom Clancy video games are consistently among the best-selling and most critically-acclaimed video game series in the industry. Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six, Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell and Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon games have collectively sold more than 45 million units worldwide to date. In 2006, Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas was named Best First Person Action Game of the Year by the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences and Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter took home the Best Video Game of the Year award from the prestigious BAFTA awards.

DS debut for Dynasty Warriors
Posted by M @ 9:29 a.m. NZST

Koei's Dynasty Warriors DS: Fighter's Battle will be released from July 2007. Featuring all new characters and designs inspired by Japanese animation, the title marks the debut of the hit tactical action series on the Nintendo DS.

In the game, players must reunite a divided China, but this is a challenge they will not face alone. History's mightiest warriors are ready to join the battle. Players will take the role of one of three new characters, each with its own special attribute: the phoenix (key attribute: balance), the dragon (key attribute: speed), and the chimera (key attribute: power). Using a "battle deck" of cards, players will select up to seven of the original Dynasty Warriors to serve as officers who will defend their bases.

A new "obstacle roulette system" lets players unleash tactics or spells using cards from the players' Battle Deck. These obstacle attacks can disrupt an opponent's progress and are crucial to victory, especially in the game's wireless versus mode. Wireless play is for up to 3 players.

America's VideoGame Expo will take place from 2nd-4th November at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. For more information, visit VGXPO.com.

Midway Games, Rapid Reality Studios judging online art contest
Posted by M @ 9:50 p.m. NZST

Representatives from Midway Games and Rapid Reality Studios will serve as judges for the Art Institute Online's scholarship contest. Two scholarships, each in the amount of ten thousand dollars US, will be awarded: one will be presented to a student currently enrolled at The Art Institute Online, a division of The Art Institute of Pittsburgh, and one will be awarded to a prospective student. The competition, which is open now, is designed to encourage individuals to become excited about reaching their full creative potential through art.

Midway Games will be represented by Richard Rouse III, the Director of Game Design. Rapid Reality Studios will be represented by Tracy Spaight, COO and DJ Cassell, Creative Director.

Other judges include Paige Rien, Mark Stutzman and Laura Stutzman. Rien is a host and designer for HGTV; Mark and Lauren serve as illustrators and designers for Eloqui.

"We are excited to have a distinguished panel of judges who will select the scholarship recipients," says George Pry, President of The Art Institute of Pittsburgh. "The Live Your Creative Passion Scholarship Competition is a great opportunity for potential students to discover more about the online programs offered at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh."

AiO offers a programme in Game Art & Design that prepares students to learn the art and design skills needed to launch a career in the game industry. Graduates are prepared to seek employment in positions including but not limited to: modeller, storyboard artist, animation artist, 3D illustrator, digital artist, FX artist, video post-production artist, broadcast graphics designer, and game designer.

Beautiful Katamari includes online play
Posted by M @ 9:20 p.m. NZST

Namco Bandai Games' Beautiful Katamari will be released on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. The newest installment in the popular Katamari series will be rolling into the next generation world with Katamari-style quirks and a new online multiplayer.

In Beautiful Katamari, the Prince takes on a new high-rolling adventure, with his famous cousins in tow, to save the Katamari universe once again after the King of All Cosmos has a very un-royal and unfortunate accident. As usual, the King of All Cosmos demands the service of his son, the Prince, to roll anything and everything up into massive clumps and set things right, bringing harmony once again to the Katamari Cosmos.

The Prince can humbly ask the aid of over 50 of his cousins to get the ball rolling through his quest. A variety of future downloadable content will become available, continuing to expand on the world of Beautiful Katamari, "long after the game has launched". More online features will be rolled out at a later date.

Dawn of Mana
Square Enix

Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer
2K Games

.hack//G.U. Vol. 2: Reminisce
Namco

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Electronic Arts, Inc.

Lara Croft Tomb Raider: Anniversary
Eidos

Manhunt 2
Rockstar

NCAA Football 08
Electronic Arts, Inc.

Naruto: Ultimate Ninja 2
Namco

Odin Sphere
Atlus

Ratatouille
THQ

Shrek The Third
Activision

Spider-man 3
Activision

Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam
Activision

2001 Audi Germany #4 Johansson Motorsport R8 R1
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Sega taking Football Manager MMO, beta next month
Posted by M @ 11:00 p.m. NZST

Sega has announced the future release of Football Manager Live, a brand new massively multiplayer online game from Sports Interactive. Scheduled for release in Autumn 2008, Football Manager Live has its roots set in the best-selling and award-winning Football Manager series, but has been designed specifically as a massively multiplayer online game.

Sega says Football Manager Live is a brand new concept in football management and allows players to build a club from scratch to compete against friends and rivals online for the ultimate in Football Manager bragging rights. "It's the definitive test of football management skills, allowing you to set-up mini-leagues amongst your friends, bid in player auctions and compete in live matches 24 hours a day, 365 days a year."

Matches take place in real-time with a range of tactical options for managers to control as they follow all the action via the realistic 2D match engine. In addition, the in-game chat option means managers can exchange comments on the virtual touchline, whilst other aspiring managers can view their competitors and learn their tactics.

Away from the stadium, users will need to control their club in a host of different ways. This ranges from the basics of choosing your club name, colours, badge and pitch size, right through to the nitty-gritty of balancing the finances and improving their squad by buying and selling players using an auction style transfer system.

The game is the brainchild of Sports Interactive co-founder Oliver Collyer and is designed for a new audience of football gamers, as well as existing Sports Interactive fans.

"With Football Manager Live, we're ripping up the script that says how online football management games should work," says Oliver Collyer. "We're creating something that is fun, challenging and sociable."

"Imagine a cross between Football Manager, fantasy sports and auctions sites and you are part of the way to understanding Football Manager Live," says Miles Jacobson, Managing Director of Sports Interactive. "It's great to be able to announce the game, and we can't wait to see the reaction to the beta when it launches next month."

Football Manager Live is due for a beta test set to launch next month. For more information, visit footballmanagerlive.com.

Pac-Man world champs on Xbox Live
Posted by M @ 2:20 p.m. NZST

Microsoft Corp. and Namco Bandai Games Inc. have made video game history by announcing the first-ever Xbox 360 Pac-Man World Championship.

From April 25 to May 9, Kiwi fans of one of the most beloved games of all time will have the opportunity to become the Pac-Man World Champion by playing the game via Xbox Live Arcade along with others in the Xbox Live community of more than six million members.

Drawn from the best players in the Xbox 360 regions of Australasia, Asia, Canada, Japan, Mexico, Europe and the United States, nine finalists will advance to the finals based upon the highest Xbox Live Arcade leaderboard scores and be flown to New York City for the finals on June 5. The winner will be crowned the Xbox 360 Pac-Man World Champion by Toru Iwatani, the creator of Pac-Man.

Since launching in 1980 in Japan and in 1981 around the world, Pac-Man and its host of ghosts have become global pop culture icons. Pac Man played an instrumental role in establishing the video game industry in the '80s, while the launch of Xbox Live in 2002 was a key factor behind the rapid growth in popularity of online gaming.

Xbox NZ product marketing manager Tom Hunt says, "Pac-Man is the ultimate classic game that appeals to all ages – thousands of Kiwis will have a 'Pac-Man heritage'.

"The Xbox 360 Pac-Man World Championship is a great incentive for fans old and new to start munching those power pills and fall in love with this iconic game all over again. Pac-Man has been an extremely popular download on Xbox Live Arcade Marketplace and the competition for a spot in the Pac-Man World Championship will be hugely contested – I really want to see a Kiwi gamer representing us in the finals in the Big Apple."

The tournament is open to all Xbox Live Silver members (complimentary with Xbox 360) and downloading Pac-Man from Xbox Live Arcade costs 400 Microsoft Points – around NZ$7."

The Xbox 360 Pac-Man World Champion will gain a place in gaming history from being the first-ever Xbox 360 Pac-Man World Champion and the winner of the finals will also receive other prizes, including 100,000 Microsoft Points and a one-of-a-kind Xbox 360 system featuring a design inspired by Pac-Man.

Participation information and timeline:

• Gamers who want to start practicing can download Pac-Man for Xbox 360 (400 Microsoft Points) now from Xbox LIVE Arcade.
• Starting April 25, 2007, at 12.00pm NZST, gamers can visit xboxlivetournament.com to register and review full eligibility criteria, regulations and rules.
• At that time, the worldwide competition will officially kick off on Xbox Live Arcade.
• Previous leaderboard scores for Pac-Man will be deleted to provide a clean slate for all gamers participating in the Xbox 360 Pac-Man World Championship.
• On May 10, 2007, at 12pm NZST, the competition will officially close and nine finalists from the identified regions, based on the top leaderboard scores, will advance to the Xbox 360 Pac-Man World Championship final.
• These nine finalists will then be announced before June 1, 2007.
• On June 5th finalists will compete for the title of Pac-Man World Champion in New York.

Operation Flashpoint 2 in development for PC, console
Posted by M @ 2:25 a.m. NZST

Promising warfare on a scale never seen in a FPS, the biggest name in modern military simulation gaming will return in 2008 as Codemasters confirms that Operation Flashpoint 2 is in development for PC and major console formats.

Operation Flashpoint 2 will mark the long-awaited return of the total conflict simulator, which won international acclaim. Now in development, it is Codemasters Studios' most extensive R&D project to date. With the studio's largest development team ever assembled, Operation Flashpoint 2 has already benefitted from over two years of pre-production on a closed set basis and will use a new FPS variant of Neon technology, the studio's proprietary middleware.

Building on the original game's heritage, Operation Flashpoint 2 will see the most realistic modelling of conflict scenarios in a new contemporary theatre of war. By offering a multitude of military disciplines, gameplay will deliver more realistic warfare, while an extensive multiplayer component will create extremely large battles.

Operation Flashpoint 2 is set for release in 2008. Further details will be announced this Winter.

V8 Supercars track editor for DS
Posted by M @ 11:30 p.m. NZST

Enabling race drivers to create their own championship circuits, Codemasters has announced Race Driver: Create & Race, an original title in the motorsport series, coming exclusively to Nintendo DS this summer.

Race Driver: Create & Race has been designed from the ground up for Nintendo DS and lets players thrash the most formidable sports cars through closely-fought races on the world's most prestigious circuits - and then lets players create their very own circuits with a full track construction kit.

Using the Nintendo DS stylus, the game's track editor lets players select and place race track elements, such as hairpin corners, long straights and chicanes, to design unique circuits. Once all the pieces are placed to perfection, players can take to their track and experience exactly what it's like in aggressive multiple car races.

In addition to the track editor, the game features 32 real-world circuits – from Silverstone and the Nurburgring to Bathurst – and 25 officially licensed race cars, including the Koenig GT, the AMG Mercedes C Klasse DTM, and the Chevrolet Silverado Truck.

Making use of the Nintendo DS Wi-Fi connection capabilities, players can challenge others to races on the game's official tracks as well as the circuits of their creation. Race Driver: Create & Race also enables up to four players to go head-to-head in races gamesharing from only one cartridge. Further championships and cars can be unlocked from the World Tour Mode and then raced in realtime online and ad hoc multiplayer modes.

For more information, visit codemasters.com/v83createandrace.

Sega making games for Capt. America, Hulk and Thor
Posted by M @ 10:53 p.m. NZST

Marvel Entertainment and Sega have expanded their relationship to include the rights to develop and distribute games inspired by Marvel's Hall-of-Fame franchises - Captain America, The Incredible Hulk and Thor.

Through the exclusive, multi-year global licensing agreement, Sega will create titles for console, handheld and PC platforms based upon both the classic comic books and planned feature film adaptations of the world-renowned super heroes. The deal follows Marvel and Sega's announcement to create titles based on Iron Man, with both game and film slated to be released in Winter 2008.

"Video games are an ideal medium to showcase the appeal and excitement of our Super Hero franchises," said David Maisel, Chairman, Marvel Studios. "Sega is one of the industry's most innovative game developers and we are thrilled to partner with them to bring Captain America, the Incredible Hulk and Thor to the video gaming arena. These franchises represent three of Marvel's most popular characters and lend themselves to captivating gameplay. We have already seen Sega's passion for the Marvel Universe through the early development of the Iron Man video game, and we look forward to working closely with them over the next few years to maximise the potential of these franchises in the interactive entertainment space."

Under the expanded agreement, Sega will develop a title to be based on Marvel Studios' Incredible Hulk feature film. The film will return the larger-than-life Super Hero to the roots of the long-running comic series and television show with an all-new storyline directed by Louis Leterrier (Transporter 2, Unleashed). The Incredible Hulk video game will be released in the same timeframe as the film. Games based on Captain America and Thor will follow, though the timing of those feature film projects, currently in development, has not yet been determined.

"We are excited to broaden our partnership with Marvel, a recognised leader and innovator in the entertainment industry," said Simon Jeffery, President and COO, Sega of America. "As Sega continues to create games that are built from the ground up to appeal to Western audiences it makes perfect sense to work with a powerhouse like Marvel.

"Captain America, the Incredible Hulk and Thor are icons that people are already familiar with and love, so our goal is to give gamers the ability to play out their fantasies by actually becoming these super hroes. Fans can now not only watch them in movies and read about them in comic books, but also literally control their actions through the video games we are creating. We look forward to bringing these icons to life like never before and putting the power in the hands of the fans."

Eidos distributing Majesco's Nintendo titles
Posted by M @ 10:20 p.m. NZST

Eidos Interactive has teamed up with Majesco Entertainment to distribute a number of new Majesco titles to European and Australia territories.

The partnership will predominantly focus on Nintendo DS and Wii console titles including Cake Mania, The New York Times Crosswords, MechAssault: Phantom War and Nancy Drew: The Deadly Secret of Old World Park for DS and several as yet unannounced Wii console titles.

"There is an obvious synergy between Eidos' focus on the casual games market and Majesco's expertise in this field," said Ian Livingstone, Product Acquisition Director, Eidos. "This is just the start of an exciting relationship with Majesco and furthers our commitment to casual games."

"This partnership with Eidos provides us with a focus that our mass market games will really benefit from, and is a natural progression in our company's evolution. It's also a fantastic opportunity to work with some of the best professionals in the industry while benefiting from a proven international distribution network," said Jason Dutton, Managing Director, Majesco Entertainment International.

Eidos will distribute eight of Majesco's titles by this Winter, with more than 15 other titles to follow.

EA creating cyber versions of game shows
Posted by M @ 8:58 a.m. NZST

Electronic Arts and the Endemol group, a global leader in television and other audiovisual entertainment, have announced a creative partnership for the development of Virtual Me, a digital entertainment concept that bridges the divide between traditional TV and video games. The all-new online offering is being prepared to debut in Endemol's top-rated Big Brother.

Virtual Me combines cutting edge avatar creation technology from EA with popular TV formats from Endemol to give consumers a way to meet, compete and socialise in online digital worlds. Avatar creation takes a leap forward with a high performing, easy-to-use tool that creates life-like cyber-clones, with customised appearances and identities.

Virtual Me offers players the chance to participate in virtual versions of TV talent shows like Fame Academy and Operacion Triunfo, game shows like Deal or No Deal and 1 vs 100 and to form real relationships with other virtual avatars on the Web. Virtualme.com, the home of the Virtual Me avatar creation system, will launch in the coming months.

Peter Bazalgette, Chief Creative Officer, Endemol comments: "We're told that people are starting to spend more time online than they are watching TV. Both markets are now important and this has huge implications for content creators. Our opportunity with Electronic Arts is to develop ideas that fully embrace the way people are consuming entertainment today."

Gerhard Florin, Executive Vice President and General Manager, EA International said, "With Virtual Me we are at the forefront of a new, hybrid form of entertainment that takes gaming beyond the console. Endemol is a great partner to help us bring together the best of TV and video games for an offering that can appeal to mass market audiences and change the face of entertainment."

The two companies will create an integrated team to share expertise in their respective fields and develop entertainment formats and experiences for a wide range of platforms, including TV and online.

Freddi adds, "These recognised licensed properties serve to ensure that Jet Black is a name to affiliate with Nintendo games, and nicely complement the original IP on which we're working."

"We are confident in the capabilities of Jet Black's exceptional team, and know our strong global alliances and years of game experience will help grow their business", Brad Young, CEO of Flashman said. "Our proven success in cultivating the right match of intellectual property, publisher, and developer will allow Jet Black to do what they do best - build great games, create inspirational ideas, and develop great technology."

3D Ultra MiniGolf Adventures on Xbox Live Arcade
Posted by M @ 11:41 p.m. NZST

Busting out the putter in ghost towns, outer space or at the carnival, 3D Ultra MiniGolf Adventures from Sierra Online is available for download on Xbox Live Arcade as of 9pm tonight (NZ time).

From the creators of Assault Heroes, Wanako Games delivers mini-golf with mind-bending, imaginative courses and animated stylish 3D characters. Gamers collect over-the-top powerups and avoid traps across three major theme courses including Classic Carnival, Old West and Outer Space.
3D Ultra MiniGolf Adventures also includes a customisable course editor that allows gamers to build their own courses design by mixing and matching combinations of tees, straights, corners, cups, junctions and ramps.

Game features:
• 36 challenging holes
• Up to four players may compete in multiplayer competitions over Xbox Live
• Earn up to 12 Achievements and 200 Gamerscore points

3D Ultra MiniGolf Adventures is available worldwide for 800 Microsoft Points.

Gyruss now on Xbox Live Arcade
Posted by M @ 11:08 p.m. NZST

Nearly a quarter century ago, gamers who wanted to travel throughout the galaxy needed only to plunk a few coins into an arcade machine. From tonight, gamers will be able to travel through space from the comfort of their own living room now that Gyruss, the classic tube-shooter from Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. has launched on Xbox Live Arcade for Xbox 360.

In Gyruss, gamers fly a space ship from Neptune to Earth while battling enemies, satellites, asteroids and laser beam generators. Along the way the player's ship can be upgraded to better tackle the ever-increasing enemies that attack during the journey to Earth.

Game features:
• Enhanced for Xbox Live Arcade – includes voice support, new graphics, digitally enhanced sound, and leaderboards
• Play the original game or an enhanced version which includes 3D rendered graphics
• Multiplayer gameplay over Xbox Live includes split-screen cooperative and versus modes
• 23 levels to clear
• Earn up to 12 Achievements and 200 Gamerscore points

Gyruss is available worldwide for 400 Microsoft Points.

Sonic Rush Adventure for DS
Posted by M @ 10:31 p.m. NZST

Sega has announced the development of Sonic Rush Adventure for the Nintendo DS. Sonic Rush Adventure will seamlessly utilise both screens of the Nintendo DS to navigate the high seas in search of pirate treasure, delivering Sonic's classic high-speed 2D gameplay in the ultimate Sonic handheld experience. Developed by Sega Studios, Sonic Rush Adventure for the Nintendo DS will be available in Spring 2007.

Sonic returns to the Nintendo DS in an all-new frantic adventure complete with dizzying dives, near vertical curves and brain twisting loops. Sonic Rush Adventure will retain the DS action that fans loved so much from Sonic Rush, as well as providing a new high seas adventure where Sonic clashes with ruthless pirates.

Players will set off from Windmill Village as Sonic and blast their way through seven action-packed and widely diverse levels. Sonic Rush Adventure will make full use of the DS Download Play feature and Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, which enables gamers to compete with friends in wireless racing and mission-based battles.

Guide Sonic through numerous action stages in the fast and furious single player mode, whilst collecting valuable items and materials that enable Sonic and Tails to track down the villainous pirates. With a fleet of up to five ships, including a submarine, water bike and hovercraft, Sonic Rush Adventure uses the Touch Screen technology in exciting new ways. Use the Nintendo DS Stylus to help control vessels as they race across the ocean gathering rings, performing tricks, and torching pirate boats, whilst engaging in fierce ship-to-ship battles. At the end of each level, epic 3D boss battles spanning both screens will test gamers skills to result in an ultimate showdown with the evil boss character, Captain Whisker.

Sonic Rush Adventure allows players to bounce, fly, swing, ride and run through grand environments of lush forests, an ominous ghost ship, snow covered mountains, pirate villages and a vast underwater sea cave. Along the way there will be a variety of enemy characters to battle against including robots, skeleton warriors, pterodactyls, and a robotic triceratops.

Harvey Birdman - Attorney at Law for PlayStation
Posted by M @ 10:18 p.m. NZST

Capcom is in production on Harvey Birdman - Attorney at Law, an interactive fiction game that merges the fun and mayhem of the popular Adult Swim TV show with Capcom's unique style of gameplay.

Capcom plans to release Harvey Birdman – Attorney at Law for the PlayStation 2 and PSP next Spring.

"Combining Capcom's adventure game expertise with Adult Swim's Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law characters is an ideal match," said Jack Symon, director, marketing, Capcom Entertainment. "Capcom will be providing the game design direction while Harvey Birdman show writers will be assisting in bringing the stories to life with their unique brand of humour."

"With Capcom's past success in the legal gameplay arena, working with them to bring Harvey Birdman to a whole new platform was the perfect verdict for both companies," said Christina Miller, vice president of consumer products for Cartoon Network Enterprises, the licensing and merchandising division of Cartoon Network and Adult Swim. "Fans should really enjoy being in control of the barely controllable legal 'eagle' Harvey Birdman."

Harvey Birdman - Attorney at Law is primarily an interactive story that the player participates in, rather than a challenge-based game that needs to be won. Each case is a self-contained story, incorporating the characters, settings, and most importantly, the off-beat humour that Harvey Birdman fans have come to expect.

Over the course of the game, players must guide Harvey through a series of odd and comical cases. In order to prove his client's innocence, Harvey must explore the scene of the crime, gather evidence, talk with other cartoon characters, occasionally have drinks with opposing council, and of course, tear holes – no matter how ridiculous - in the testimony provided by the witnesses for the prosecution.

With the return of the popular "pysche-lock" interrogation tool from the previous title, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Justice for All, players will have to overcome even more intense courtroom standoffs in order to close the case.

For more information, visit ace-attorney.com.

Rocketmen: Axis of Evil downloadable next Spring
Posted by M @ 11:40 p.m. NZST

WizKids' popular constructible strategy game comes to Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network in Spring with Rocketmen: Axis of Evil. In this arcade shooter, players will join the heroes of the Alliance of Free Planets in their white-knuckled, frenzied struggle to free the solar system from the tyrannical grip of the Legion of Terra. Up to four players will be able to cooperatively shoot their way through multiple levels, powering up their weapons, picking up bonuses and laying waste to anything that moves. Game features:

• Fast-paced arcade action
• 1 – 4 players on or offline
• Online multiplayer gameplay through a variety of mini games that let players instantly jump into existing games
• Design and build your own character for both single and multi-player games, each with their own unique skills and look:
o Male or female
o Three races – Human, Mercurian or Venusian
o Three classes – Fighter, Engineer, Outcast
• Further character customisation options through new items and abilities earned by progressing through a variety of quests
• Multiple hours of gameplay with plenty of levels, hordes of enemies, huge bosses and engaging story for maximum replay value
• Beautiful cartoon-like art style brings life to the characters and environments
• Competitive online ranking system
• High definition 1080i graphics

Three versions of new Mega Man for 20th anniversary
Posted by M @ 11:23 p.m. NZST

Capcom is celebrating the 20th anniversary of Mega Man with Mega Man Star Force for the Nintendo DS, the first game in a new Mega Man series, debuting in three versions – Pegasus, Leo and Dragon, a first for any Mega Man title.

To date, the Mega Man series has generated more than 100 titles, the most of any Capcom title, with sales of more than 26 million units worldwide. Capcom plans to release Mega Man Star Force this August.

"Mega Man is one of the gaming industry's most iconic franchises and the series continues to evolve," said Jack Symon, director, brand marketing, Capcom Entertainment. "Mega Man Star Force kicks off a new, innovative series in three versions, offering fans even more ways to enjoy their favorite blue hero."

This unique action RPG blends exploration with fast-paced battles, as players travel between the real world and virtual Wave World. Developed by the team behind the popular Mega Man Battle Network series, the game marks the start of a new era for Mega Man, which celebrates his 20th anniversary this year.

In Mega Man Star Force, players explore towns and interact with people in the real world while the action-packed battles take place in the virtual dimension. Enemy encounters take place on a three by five grid, where players use a portfolio of Battle Cards that each have distinct attributes and attack powers.

As the story progresses, players will acquire additional cards and can build an arsenal that reflects their personal strategy. Players can also connect wirelessly via the Nintendo Wi-Fi connection with friends to create a "Brother Band" network, where they can share cards and status upgrades.

Set circa 2200 AD, Mega Man Star Force introduces all new characters in a fresh, futuristic storyline with interspatial themes based on astronomy and wireless wave signals. As main character Geo Stelar, players must vanquish a new breed of enemies that have emerged from the distant planet FM. Using a pair of special "visualiser" glasses that let him see wave signals that are otherwise invisible to the human eye, Geo and a mysterious ally named Omega-Xis must join forces to transform into Mega Man in order to enter the virtual "Wave World" and defeat the aliens from FM.

NWN2 expansion in development
Posted by M @ 11:06 p.m. NZST

Atari has announced the development of the next chapter in the Neverwinter Nights saga, Neverwinter Nights 2: Mask of the Betrayer. Developed by Obsidian Entertainment, the expansion to the award-winning Neverwinter Nights 2 is set in the Dungeons & Dragons Forgotten Realms universe, Mask of the Betrayer will be available next Spring.

In Neverwinter Nights 2: Mask of the Betrayer, players are transported back to the Forgotten Realms shortly after the events detailed in the original Neverwinter Nights 2. Following the climactic battle against the King of Shadows, the player awakens alone and stranded deep beneath the earth. Surrounded by a horde of evil spirits, the player embarks on an epic adventure that reveals his true destiny.

Set in harsh, spirit-rich Rashemen, near the powerful nation of Thay, Neverwinter Nights 2: Mask of the Betrayer will present players with an exciting new campaign; epic levels; dozens of new feats and spells; new races, base classes and prestige classes; new companions; new weapons, armour and crafting options; hordes of new monsters; and enhanced modding tools.

"Neverwinter Nights 2: Mask of the Betrayer's engrossing campaign will conclude the storyline that began in the original Neverwinter Nights 2 and focus on combat, exploration and classic D&D dungeon-crawling," said Feargus Urquhart, CEO, Obsidian Entertainment. "We're also making new advances in story and character development as well as improving upon the acclaimed companion Influence System used in both Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 2: The Sith Lords and Neverwinter Nights 2."

The Neverwinter Nights franchise has sold more than three million copies worldwide, is translated into 10 languages, sold in more than 40 countries and features one of the largest and most active fan communities in all of gaming. To date, fans of the franchise, which includes Neverwinter Nights, Neverwinter Nights: Shadows of Undrentide Neverwinter Nights: Hordes of the Underdark and Neverwinter Nights 2 have created more than 5,000 modifications to the original game using the award-winning toolset included with the full game that allows players to create their own universes, quests and storylines.

More information about Neverwinter Nights 2 can be found at nwn2.com.

Registration for the conference is available now at gcdc.eu.

Ubisoft acquiring Anno developer
Posted by M @ 9:10 p.m. NZST

Ubisoft has concluded an agreement to acquire SunFlowers, owner of the Anno brand, one of the most successful strategy games with five million units sold worldwide.

Through the transaction, Ubisoft will acquire a 30% stake in Related Designs, which developed Anno 1701, the latest entry in the series and is currently working on a future Anno title.

The agreement between the two companies is subject to normal closing conditions. The acquisition is expected to close in Ubisoft's fiscal year 2007-08 first quarter.

"With the acquisition of Anno, Ubisoft reinforces its position in the real-time strategy market. Anno, along with Ubisoft's The Settlers, is one of the most well known franchises in Germany, reaching a wide audience that includes not only traditional gamers, but also women and families. We are proud to add another top-quality brand to our rich portfolio and we are looking forward to bringing the brand to an even wider audience," stated Yves Guillemot, CEO of Ubisoft.

Mr Adi Boiko, cofounder of SunFlowers stated, "I'm glad to confide Anno to Ubisoft, a company known for the innovation and creativity of its development teams. The brand will benefit from Ubisoft's global strength, allowing new audiences to discover the pleasure of empire building through new Anno games."

Night in Fantasia concerts in Australia this month, anime concerts coming
Posted by M @ 8:45 p.m. NZST

The Eminence Symphony Orchestra will use the power of music to transport audiences into the fantasy worlds of popular electronic games during three Night in Fantasia 2007 - Symphonic Games Edition concerts to be held in Sydney and Melbourne in over the next two weekends.

Unlike previous 'fantasia' themed concerts, the three concerts – two in Sydney and one in Melbourne - will bring to life the musical scores from the latest and greatest computer games, including World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade, Super Mario Brothers, Kingdom Hearts series, Metal Gear Solid series, Final Fantasy series, Shadow of the Colossus, Tales of Legendia, Xenosaga, Chrono Cross, Soulcalibur series, Tekken series and many more.

The 60 piece Eminence Symphony Orchestra will be accompanied by a 30 piece choir and visually supported by live footage and memorable moments from some of the most popular video games which will be projected onto a giant screen.
The concerts will also be attended by some of the most famous composers and orchestrators of the video game industry, including Yoko Shimoumura – composer of Kingdom Hearts series and Final Fantasy Versus XIII; Hitoshi Sakimoto – composer of Final Fantasy XII and Final Fantasy Tactics; Yasunori Mitsuda – composer of Chrono Trigger and Xenogeaers; Kow Otani – composer of Shadow of the Colossus and Haibane Renmai; Shiro Hamaguchi – orchestrator and arranger of the Final Fantasy series; Masaru Shiina – composer of Tales of Legendia, Tekken: Dark Resurrection and Ace Combat 3; and Junichi Nakatsuru – Composer of Soul Calibur series and Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War.

The Eminence Symphony Orchestra will present another concert series, focusing solely on anime music, later in the year.
Night in Fantasia 2007 – Symphonic Games Edition concert-goers will have the opportunity to meet with the composers of their favourite gaming musical scores as well as the chance to win door prizes and purchase a wide range of Eminence's merchandise.

A Night in Fantasia 2007 – Symphonic Games Edition is the Eminence Symphony Orchestra's biggest and boldest concert to date.
Sydney
Dates: Friday 20 & Saturday 21 April
Time: 7.30pm
Venue: The Sydney Town Hall
Bookings: via Books Kinokuniya Melbourne
Date: Friday 27 April
Time: 7.30pm
Venue: Hamer Hall, The Arts Centre
Bookings: Ticketmaster

Namco Museum on DS this Winter
Posted by M @ 8:08 p.m. NZST

Namco is bringing its popular arcade games to the Nintendo DS this Winter. Namco Museum DS allows gamers to experience a virtual arcade portal where they can choose from up to eight games: Pac-Man, Pac-Man VS, Galaga, Xevious, Dig Dug II, Galaxian, Mappy, and Tower of Druaga.

Features that are unique to Namco Museum DS include a screen mode selection that allows the use of different screen combinations on the Nintendo DS. This will allow players the chance to fit their classic games specifically to the Nintendo DS or in the "stand-up" arcade style. Players can also enjoy wireless battles in Pac-Man VS, an addictive take on Pac-Man which was previously only available exclusively with the purchase or pre-order of previous games. This version of the game features downloadable play where up to four players can battle using one Game Card.

Namco Museum DS Includes:

Pac-Man VS.

Originally released in 2003 – For the first time in the series, you and your friends now have the chance to be the famous Ghosts from Pac-Man, with one person playing as Pac-Man, and up to three people playing as ghosts.

Dig Dug II

Originally released in 1987 – Equipped with only a drill and a pump, hit weak fault line points in an attempt to sink portions of an island sending your enemies deep into the sea.

Galaga

Originally released in 1981 – Pilot a space ship, fend off frantic swarms of bee-like aliens, try your luck with challenging stages, and find the best way to deal with enemies' powerful tractor beams.

Galaxian

Originally released in 1979 – A precursor to Galaga, destroy flying aliens as they move in from formation to attack you.

Mappy

Originally released in 1983 – Control Mappy, a police mouse. Bounce on trampolines and open or close doors to dodge chasing cats, all in an attempt to retrieve valuable items from the cats' mansion.

Pac-Man

Originally released in 1980 – Play the most popular arcade game of all time. Navigate the yellow fellow through the original Pac-Man maze, avoid ghosts while chomping pellets and fruit, and use power pellets to turn the ghosts blue and get some payback.

Xevious

Originally released in 1982 – Use a heavily armed fighter plane to destroy enemies and targets in the air and on the ground.

New tech provides real-time water changes for PS3, Xbox 360 game
Posted by M @ 7:12 p.m. NZST

Blade Interactive has successfully developed a physically accurate real-time fluid dynamics engine for games development.

Dr Huw Lloyd, R & D Director of Blade, explains, "Our HydroEngine is the result of nearly three years' intensive development work. Water in games has so far been merely a flat plane with ripple effects and other graphical smoke and mirrors applied to it. The HydroEngine is different in one key respect - the water flows. It looks and behaves exactly like real water. Nothing like this has ever been seen in games before"

The HydroEngine is the centrepiece of a new PS3 and Xbox 360 survival adventure game called Hydrophobia.

"We could have been forgiven if we had merely produced a tech demo," explains Lloyd. "But this new game is a robust next gen game in its own right that pushes the limits of the new consoles".

A video presentation of the new water technology is available on YouTube.

"We're constantly trying to find innovative ways to align our games with the best music possible, and for the first time ever, a game publisher will be offering fans the chance to download music and play it in a game. In addition to driving a new revenue stream for artists, we believe that this type of content will drive increased music sales and allow us to break new artists simultaneously with the record labels, while offering our dedicated fans the opportunity to experience the thrill of being a rock star."

Featuring a fresh and expanded set list of more than 70 finger-melting fret burners, including 10 exclusive tracks for the Xbox 360, Guitar Hero II turns it up with a variety of deafening rock venues, HD remodelled characters, unlockable guitars, and different gameplay modes.

Mario Bros. re-recording from Winifred Phillips
Posted by M @ 12:11 a.m. NZST

Winifred Phillips (whose work includes the upcoming Shrek the Third video game) has recorded a Super Mario Brothers tribute track to celebrate Generations Productions' four years of success in the video game industry.

Since the company was founded in 2003, Winifred has created original musical scores for four blockbuster games: The Da Vinci Code, God of War, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and Shrek the Third. To commemorate this achievement and to celebrate the importance of music in video games, Winifred created the all-new recording, Go Mario! (Super Mario Brothers), a tribute track saluting the 20th anniversary of the release of the original Mario Bros. game. Phillips worked with award-winning music producer Winnie Waldron, her long-time partner at Generations Productions, on this track.

"My music producer Winnie Waldron and I feel that older video games that have helped shape our current industry are an important part of our shared heritage," Phillips said. "It was an honour and quite thrilling that we were asked to contribute a track to the Best of the Best: A Tribute to Game Music. My hope is that the fans out there will love this piece."

Best of the Best: A Tribute to Game Music will be available exclusively on May 1st at Game Music Central (gamemusiccentral.com).

According to the Guinness Book of World Records, Super Mario Brothers is the bestselling game of all time. Winifred's new version of this theme will be featured on May 1st in this upcoming album, the first compilation album to highlight top game composers performing music inspired by some of the greatest games ever made. The album also includes music from Legend of Zelda, Myst III: Exile, World of Warcraft, Metroid Prime, Medal of Honor, Final Fantasy and many others, all performed by a select group of celebrity video game composers.

Known in the games industry not only for her ability to tap into the emotions of gamers with her cinematic orchestral scores, but also for her virtuoso skills as a classically trained vocalist, Winifred has recorded her own voice as a part of the orchestral scores for all of her game projects. For the Best of the Best album, Winifred performed an a-cappella vocal version of the Super Mario Brothers theme. Overdubbing her own voice into 20 tracks, Winifred executed complex vocal harmonies at breakneck speeds, adorned with classic video game sound effects to celebrate the overwhelming world-wide affection for the original NES game.

Following close on the heels of the Best of the Best album debut will be the release of Winifred's fourth triple-A video game project. Her previous game projects have earned her numerous awards, including the Interactive Achievement Award for Best Original Score from the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences, and four Game Audio Network Guild Awards, including the prestigious Music of the Year Award.

Sony bringing back demo discs
Posted by M @ 12:03 a.m. NZST

Future publishing, in partnership with Sony Computer Entertainment Europe, has announced the Official PlayStation Magazine will carry the world's first monthly playable Blu-ray covermount from June onwards.

Sony Computer Entertainment America ceased its partnership with Ziff-Davis media to produce the Official PlayStation Magazine on the grounds the readership-driving demo disc was to become obsolete in favour of the PlayStation Network Store online distribution network.

The first playable Blu-ray disc comes with issue 7 of Official PlayStation Magazine, on sale in June. The disc promises to be packed with playable demos of key SCEE and third party software titles, with full details of content being announced shortly.

As the disc develops, Future "fully intends" to support the PlayStation 3 and the Blu-ray medium, delivering multimedia content and unique user-generated content. The disc will also include game and movie trailers. Official PlayStation Magazine will be the only title to offer gamers a playable demo disc, direct from SCEE.

Ray Maguire, Managing Director, Sony Computer Entertainment UK, said: "We are very excited to partner with Future to offer a playable Blu-ray disc to UK PlayStation 3 owners. The high capacity of Blu-ray media is the perfect method to distribute large volumes of unique existing, and user-generated content in HD, showcasing PS3's multimedia capabilities to the full. Combined with the PlayStation Network Store, we're offering a content distribution channel unmatched anywhere else in the industry. Furthermore, it also marks another key development in the pioneering relationship between SCEE and Future, which began in 1995."

Publisher of Official PlayStation Magazine, Matt Pierce added: "We are delighted that Official PlayStation Magazine will deliver to its readers a monthly playable disc, and the world's first covermounted Blu-ray disc. Future has worked closely with Sony since 1995 to offer playable demo discs for PlayStation, PlayStation 2 and PlayStation Portable, and we will be working hard to ensure gamers get the very best content for their PS3 as well."

See pulpexpo.com for general information, or blackboxsession.co.nz to register for the tournaments.

100k beta signups for Age of Conan
Posted by M @ 2:41 a.m. NZST

More than 100,000 gamers signed up for the Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures beta test over the Easter holiday. Just within the first 24 hours of the announcement more than 50,000 gamers signed up to test the game.

"We're naturally very pleased to see that so many dedicated gamers are signing up for the Age of Conan beta at such a rapid pace," says Trond Arne Aas, CEO of Funcom. "With more than 100,000 gamers signed up in such a short time-frame our confidence in the game's potential and its ability to be a major contender in the MMO genre continues to be strengthened."

To avoid gamers that were simply looking for a free trial of the game already at this stage, Funcom launched a beta sign-up process which involved filling out detailed personal information, as well as providing detailed technical information about the PC system. As such, the sign-up process has been created to ensure that those signing up would be dedicated to the testing of the game. As the game moves into more open beta stages closer to the launch, further initiatives will be unveiled to expand the base of testers.

"We've been developing this incredible world for years now and today more than 150 people are working hard on achieving the ambitious goals we set out for the game," says Gaute Godager, founder of Funcom and Game Director on Age of Conan. "The team is very excited about the number of gamers who have signed up for the beta so far, and we can't wait to see them charging into the brutal battlefields of Hyboria."

Age of Conan will release on 30th October. Age of Conan is a key title in Microsoft's Games for Windows lineup, as well as being a showcase DirectX 10 title for NVidia.

For more information and beta sign-up, visit ageofconan.com.

Trioncube for DS in June
Posted by M @ 2:19 a.m. NZST

Atari has announced the forthcoming launch of kawaii puzzler Trioncube for Nintendo DS developed by Namco Bandai Games, scheduled for launch across in June.

In Trioncube, the player takes the role of captain on the space ship Penko and embarks on a journey across eight planets into the depths of space to rescue the princess from the grasp of the villain Hell Metal. To succeed on this quest, players must create chains of 3x3 blocks which propel the space ship forward. The bigger the chain, the further the ship hurtles through space, but the clock is ticking.

Unlike traditional puzzlers where the objective is to quickly erase as many blocks as possible, Trioncube is all about creating the ultimate chain of 3x3 blocks before the screen fills up or the chain clock runs out. Each new stage calls for different strategies as players have to slot various shaped blocks into their growing chains. Coins collected from the chains enables the players to buy numerous in-game effects and graphics.

Create your own channel in TV Giant
Posted by M @ 1:46 a.m. NZST

For the first time in a video game, players get to manage and develop their own television channel in TV Giant, sheduled for release in Q2/Q3.

There are four television channels sharing the local city network and vying for a share of the viewing figures. As the big boss of the channel you have to win the special prize, awarded every four years, for bringing in the largest audience and highest satisfaction ratings.

To do this you have to deploy everything at your disposal:

• Hire and fire presenters, actors and directors.
• Purchase studios to make your programmes
• Produce your own shows, TV-movies, and series
• Change programming as you see fit
• Run the administration and train your teams
• Arrange for advertising for the channel and its programmes
• Negotiate advertising time for ads on your channel

Theatre of War gone gold
Posted by M @ 1:12 a.m. NZST

1C and Battlefront.com have announced that Theatre of War has now gone gold. The much anticipated World War Two real-time strategy game by the creators of IL-2 Sturmovik and Combat Mission will be released worldwide on April 19, initially via digital delivery from Battlefront's download portal at battlefront.com, and a couple of weeks later in a DVD version with printed manual available by mail. Theatre of War is not sold in stores due to Battlefront's "independent publisher" policy.

Due to the high demand and large number of pre-orders and to be able to deliver the anticipated download bandwidth required especially for the first days of release, Battlefront has multiplied its file hosting capacity by partnering with Fileburst, one of the leading high volume data delivery service providers on the market.

The gold demo for the game will be available for public download in a few days.

Theatre of War depicts battles of World War II between 1939-1945. Command hundreds of different unit types in fove historical campaigns (US/UK, Soviet, German, French and Polish) with an emphasis on realism and detail, and real world military tactics that will challenge even the most battle hardened armchair general.

For more information, visit battlefront.com/products/tow.

Tribes 2 lead designer joins WoW breakaway
Posted by M @ 11:14 p.m. NZST

Red 5 Studios, a growing MMO development company founded by key members of the World of Warcraft team, announced today that Scott Youngblood, acclaimed lead designer of StarSiege: Tribes, Tribes 2, and alternate-reality game Majestic, has accepted an undisclosed position at the Aliso Viejo, California studio.

Before joining Red 5, Scott worked at Sony Computer Entertainment America where he was the lead multiplayer designer on Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror. Youngblood joins other well-known designers at Red 5 including Ed Stark, creative director for Dungeons & Dragons 3.0 and 3.5, and David Williams, lead designer of the hit collectible card games Legend of the Five Rings, Doomtown, and City of Heroes CCG.

"Scott is exactly the calibre of team member we're looking for at Red 5," said Mark Kern, president and CEO of Red 5 Studios. "We founded this company on passion and vision, two qualities that Scott has embodied throughout his career as a top-tier game designer. Scott's vision directly complements ours, and we're excited about having him join our growing team."

"When Mark asked me to join Red 5, I was blown away by the vast and vibrant world they're creating and by the company they're building," said Youngblood. "It's a combination I couldn't refuse."

More information about the organisation, including a company overview and a list of available positions, is available on the Red 5 website, red5studios.com.

Founded in September 2005 by key members behind Blizzard Entertainment's World of Warcraft, including Team Lead Mark Kern, Art Director William Petras, and co-founder of Blizzard Korea Taewon Yun, Red 5 Studios is dedicated to bringing together millions of gamers across the world by creating immersive worlds, intriguing stories and compelling characters.

Halo 3 releasing 17 May, new video available now
Posted by M @ 7:26 p.m. NZST

Microsoft Game Studios and Bungie Studios today confirmed the multiplayer beta of Halo 3 will debut to audiences worldwide via Xbox Live on Thursday May 17 at 12am NZST and run until 7pm Thursday June 7 NZST.

Coming exclusively to the Xbox 360 console next Spring, Halo 3 is the highly anticipated third chapter in the groundbreaking Halo trilogy from Bungie. Halo 3 lets gamers experience Master Chief's greatest battle as he launches an epic mission to stop the Covenant, destroy the impending Flood threat and ultimately save mankind.

Made possible through Xbox Live, the multiplayer beta for Halo 3 will give anxious Xbox 360 gamers their first opportunity to get their hands on the new levels, weapons, vehicles and game types, as well as a chance to provide valuable data that Bungie will use in continued development.

Gamers who secured their admission to the multiplayer beta by purchasing a specially marked copy of Crackdown for Xbox 360 will be able to download the beta on Xbox Live, and jump online using their Xbox Live Gold account to battle other gamers from around the world.

When gamers gather online to play the multiplayer beta in May, they will be treated to three richly detailed, action-oriented maps: Snowbound, High Ground and Valhalla, which represent a mixture of large- and medium-scale combat environments and are brand-new to Halo 3. Each map will test gamers' mettle as they are placed behind the controls of new Halo 3 vehicles such as the agile Mongoose ATV, and armed with deadly weapons such as the new and improved assault rifle, the ferocious Brute Spiker, the devastating Spartan Laser and the treacherous new spike grenades.

"Halo: Combat Evolved and Halo 2 changed the face of console gaming forever," says Shane Kim, corporate vice president of Microsoft Game Studios. "Gamers from around the world have logged more than 800 million hours on Xbox Live playing Halo 2, and years after its launch it remains the No. 1 title on our Xbox Live network. Bringing an early look at the multiplayer elements of Halo 3 to our passionate fan base is tremendously exciting for us."

NZ Gamers interested in joining the multiplayer beta of Halo 3 can participate by purchasing Crackdown, which was launched in February. Crackdown sets players loose in a free-form, persistent city for action-packed crime fighting that requires a bigger, faster and stronger hero that evolves as a more efficient weapon through continued gameplay. Copies of Crackdown have been specially marked with a Halo 3 beta sticker prior to the beta period. Starting May 17 the game will act as a key for to download and participate in the Halo 3 multiplayer beta.

In addition, gamers who can't wait for the multiplayer beta this May can get an even earlier look at Halo 3 with a new, behind-the-scenes video feature available at bungie.net and in high definition over Xbox Live Marketplace. Starting today, viewers can go behind the scenes at Bungie Studios to learn about the people, technology and process that are making Halo 3 an unforgettable multiplayer experience, and to get a taste of what to expect from the upcoming Halo 3 multiplayer beta. The latest multiplayer video documentary, titled Is Quisnam Protero Damno!, will offer a glimpse at how Halo 3 multiplayer maps are being designed and built, and how these spaces are converted into places in which to play. Gamers can also catch a glimpse of brand-new Halo 3 multiplayer levels in their early stages of evolution and construction.

NZ PS3 launch created unprecedented sales spike
Posted by M @ 12:24 a.m. NZST

Sony Computer Entertainment New Zealand this week confirmed results affirming the successful launch of the PlayStation 3 which officially went on sale in New Zealand on 23 March.

Since launch, the PS3 has generated over NZ$6.8 million in hardware and software retail sales, according to analyst group GfK.

Commenting on the results, Daniel Morse from GfK stated, "Our data revealed that in a matter of just ten days the PlayStation 3 created a spike in retail spending not previously witnessed at the launch of any other console in New Zealand. This spending continued in to the second week of trading resulting in sales of 4,835 PlayStation 3 consoles in just ten days."

In addition to the positive hardware results, GfK data from the launch week of PS3 (w/c 19 March) ranked SCE New Zealand's first party software titles, Resistance: Fall of Man and MotorStorm, as the two highest selling games. "Since launch, PS3 games have dominated GfK sales charts taking out all of the top ten places (console and handheld)," stated Mr Morse.

Warwick Light, General Manager Sales & Marketing of Sony Computer Entertainment New Zealand, commented: "Following a great launch for the PS3 across the country, it's very satisfying for us to see that our close planning with retail and channel partners has ensured that all consumers wanting to get their hands on a PS3, whether they pre-ordered or not, were able to. With the PS3 now realised, the strong consumer support to date indicates that we've had a successful platform launch and are at a great starting position for us to grow and develop the PS3 platform."

Not to be outdone by its new sibling, the seven-year-old PlayStation 2 continues to grow its installed base, with the introduction of the popular pink version in March helping to boost sales. "Our combined data for the month of March positions the PlayStation 2 (black) console second to the PS3 as the next highest selling console, with PlayStation 2 Pink and PlayStation Portable rounding out the top four giving PlayStation a clean sweep for the month," stated Morse.

"Having three platforms selling strongly in New Zealand clearly demonstrates that PlayStation products are true category and technology leaders. The continued success of the PlayStation 2 offers an insight into our vision for the PS3: to have a platform that in ten years' time offers a diverse range of entertainment options enjoyed by the whole family, playing a significant role in the living room and home," said Mr Light.

In addition to a large scale advertising campaign in popular media, SCENZ has concentrated marketing efforts on ensuring customers are able to 'experience' the PlayStation 3.

Light concludes: "At a retail level there has been a significant investment in interactive display units to ensure interested consumers are able to explore the product. Through this interaction and demonstration, people will truly appreciate the value of our product offering. Combining games, photos, music, movies and the Internet, the PS3 is the ultimate entertainment hub in the living room. With the ability to have its functionality expanded through on-line upgrades, PlayStation 3 will be relevant for at least the next 10 years."

New Zealand sales results 23 March - 1 April 2007:

PlayStation 3 - 4835

PlayStation 2 - 1567

PlayStation Portable - 738

T2 CFO resigns
Posted by M @ 11:14 p.m. NZST

Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. has announced the resignation of Karl Winters, Chief Financial Officer, effective immediately. Lainie Goldstein, who currently serves as the company's Senior Vice President of Finance, has been named interim CFO until a permanent replacement is named. The Take-Two says it is working with Winters "to ensure an orderly and effective transition".

Ms Goldstein is a CPA with over 15 years of financial and business experience in the software, entertainment, retail and apparel industries, including more than 8 years overseeing the finance function of publicly traded companies.

"Karl oversaw finance at Take-Two during challenging times for the company," said Ben Feder, Take-Two's Chief Executive Officer. "We thank Karl for his years of service to Take-Two. He was instrumental in assembling a highly competent financial team that will serve us well in the future. We appreciate Karl's hard work and his continued support during the transition."

A search for a permanent CFO is underway.

Standalone Heroes of Might & Magic V: Tribes of the East for Spring
Posted by M @ 10:38 p.m. NZST

Ubisoft has announced that Heroes of Might & Magic V: Tribes of the East will arrive for the PC in Spring 2007, developed by Nival Interactive.

For the first time, players play as the Orc faction and recruit heroes, build armies and manage cities as they explore and conquer legendary lands. Use tactics, skills and magic to outsmart fantasy armies while developing your heroes and unveiling the dark plot that threatens to tear the world of Ashan apart.

Heroes of Might & Magic V: Tribes of the East chronicles the final chapter in the epic struggle that began with the interrupted wedding of Queen Isabel. Players will follow the steps of the Necrolord Arantir as he uncovers the prophecy of the Dark Messiah of Might and MagicTM and exposes the Demon Sovereign's conspiracy.

Key features:

• New Orc Faction: First made famous in Dark Messiah of Might & Magic, the brutal Orc faction now comes to the Heroes series. Savage, fiercely proud, and resolutely independent, the Orcs put the "might" in Might & Magic. This faction's troops include Orcs, Goblins, Cyclops, and the famed Pao Kais.
• New Campaign: Experience the dramatic conclusion of the usurper Biara's reign. Discovering the demonic influence that corrupts the Haven knights, the savage clans of the Orcs will take up arms to eradicate the Inferno threat. Characters from Dark Messiah of Might & Magic will also appear to bring an unexpected twist to this multi-layered plot. In addition, tribes of the East will also feature 10 multiplayer and five single-player maps.
• New Upgrade Level: Every creature in the Heroes V universe will get an alternative upgrade level, increasing the total number of creatures in the Heroes of Might & Magic V line to over 170. These powerful new abilities are sure to become an integral part of combat tactics.
• Extra Content: Expand your arsenal and gameplay with new spells, artifacts, buildings and innovative features such as the combo-based Artifact Power Link and Battle Rage, the unique racial ability of the Orcs.
• Standalone Product: In order to allow both fans and newcomers to enjoy the conclusion to the Heroes V experience, Tribes of the East will be a standalone product – no previous Heroes game installations will be required to play.

Opposing Fronts is fully compatible with Company of Heroes, allowing players to wage war with four unique armies.

Atari boss leaves
Posted by M @ 8:32 p.m. NZST

Atari has announced the departure of chairman and CEO Bruno Bonnell, effective immediately, from all of his positions at Atari, Inc.

Bonnell was the Chairman of the Board, Chief Creative Officer, Acting Chief Financial Officer and a director of Atari. Bonnell's departure from Atari came at the same time as Bonnell's departure from his positions as the Chief Executive Officer and a director of Infogrames and from all his positions with subsidiaries of Infogrames.

Bruno Bonnell stated, "Since 2000 I have had the privilege of carrying the Atari flag in our industry. I wish the very best to all the teams moving on with the company, and I have no doubt in their talent and experiences to bring Atari, Inc. to the top."

David Pierce, the President and Chief Executive Officer of Atari, said, "Bruno Bonnell is a legend in the video games business. He was one of the early participants in the industry as we know it, and was responsible for major successes both on the creative and on the corporate side. We wish Bruno success with any future undertakings, and as a result of his dedication and efforts with Atari, Inc., we are well-positioned for our future endeavors."

Based upon the Touch Mechanics game concept and developed by Full Fat, Touch Darts will be released in Winter 2007 exclusive for the Nintendo DS.

Players can use the touch screen of the Nintendo DS to simulate the throwing of a dart by drawing the stylus over the touch screen.

"Touch Darts is a great fit for the DS: the touch screen, the multiplayer options, the innovative gameplay and the great mini-games make it a fantastic addition to anyone's DS collection," says Gary Knight, European Marketing Director, Sega Europe.

Knighthood for Molyneux
Posted by M @ 11:30 p.m. NZST

The French government has bestowed on Peter Molyneux the Knighthood in the Order of Arts and Letters. The Order of Arts and Letters' purpose is the recognition of significant contributions to the arts, literature, or the propagation of these fields. However, recipients do not have to be French citizens. So luminaries from the international worlds of film, literature, art and entertainment have been similarly honoured since the order was established in 1957.

Minister Renaud Donnedieu de Vabres said, "I am particularly glad to salute today a veritable visionary, who shows for every creation of his own how video games have their place in this stateroom."

Upon receiving his medallion, Peter Molyneux said, "I am extremely proud to have received this honour and would like to thank the French Ministry of Culture for this recognition. I would also like to say that I see this as a credit for everyone at Lionhead Studios, all our games are a team effort. I am just the figurehead. It is fantastic to see video games honoured in this way. "

Buzz! developer named world's second best indie studio
Posted by M @ 10:49 p.m. NZST

Relentless Software is celebrating being named the second most successful independent studio in the world based on UK sales of £14.05M of Buzz!: The Music Quiz and Buzz!: The Big Quiz, according to the Develop 100 published today.

This latest accolade tops a year in which the studio won a BAFTA and two Develop Awards for Buzz!

Michael French, Editor of Develop said, "The Develop 100 acknowledges the real victors in the games industry's tireless pace to create games that are both creative and commercial – the developers themselves. With the UK studios in the list putting on a stronger showing than ever before for the 2007 edition, it's great to see independents such as Relentless rise up the ranking."

The second placed UK independent developer, Relentless rose 23 places on the previous year to sit at 20th overall - against heavyweights including Electronic Arts and Nintendo. A massive achievement for the fledgling studio, founded in late 2003 by experienced industry figures Andrew Eades and David Amor.

Andrew Eades, Development Director of Relentless commented, "This is testament to the strength of development talent in the UK and the rise of social gaming. The buzzer and other non-standard controllers make all the difference to a new audience – until recently our industry hasn't catered well for the mainstream player, it's great to be attracting new players to video games."

Buzz!: The Mega Quiz was recently announced by SCEE and will be released in April 2007. A new addition, Buzz!: The Schools Quiz, designed around the Key Stage 2 primary school curriculum for use in the classroom, has recently been successfully trialled in schools.

David Amor, Creative Director of Relentless added, "It's great to see that Buzz continues to hold its own amongst such prolific licenses."

Global Gears of War tourney registrations open
Posted by M @ 10:24 p.m. NZST

Registration for the first in-house global Gears of War tournament has opened, enabling gamers from all over the world to test their mettle against the very best across Xbox Live.

Official play commences on 9 April when combatants will be vying for top spot on the leaderboards and the chance to win a trip to Prague to compete in the grand final.

More detailed information including full eligibility requirements, official rules and registration can be found at xboxlivetournament.com.

Nintendo announces Q2 games lineup
Posted by M @ 12:01 a.m. NZST

Nintendo has unveiled its lineup of new titles launching in the second quarter of 2007.

In the months since its European debut, the Nintendo Wii has been selling out as quickly as it can be restocked. Nintendo's handheld console has also consistently been the best selling games console in Europe ever.

Leading Nintendo's Wii lineup for the period is Mario Strikers Charged Football, the first European Wii title to utilise the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection Service, allowing players to compete against the rest of the world.

Also coming in Q2, Wii owners will be able to enjoy a Pangya! Golf with Style, Wing Island and over 20 third party titles.

Wii hardware and software:

Wing Island (Nintendo / Hudson) - April
Chicken Little: Ace in Action (Disney Interactive Studios) - April
Cooking Mama Wii (505 Games) - April
Elevator Action (505 Games) - April
Pop'n Pop (505 Games) - April
Heatseeker (Codemasters) - April
BIONICLE Heroes (Eidos / TT Games) - April
Eledees (Konami) - April
Impossible Mission (System 3) - April
Mario Strikers Charged Football (Nintendo) - May
Brunswick Bowling Wii (505 Games) - May
World Championship Poker Featuring Howard Lederer: All In Wii (505 Games) - May
Spider-Man The Movie 3 (Activision) - May
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (Disney Interactive Studios) - May 2007
Mortal Kombat: Armageddon (Midway) - May
Puzzle Balls (System 3) - May 7
Chicken Shoot + Egg Catcher (Zoo Digital Publishing) - May
Pangya! Golf with Style (Nintendo) - June
Dave Mirra Racing Wii (505 Games) - June
Transformers - June
Mercury Meltdown Revolution (Ignition) - TBA
Metal Slug Anthology (Ignition) - TBA

Nintendo DS owners will be able to fill the role of a Ranger in Pokémon Ranger. Fans will also be able to choose from top titles like Diddy Kong Racing DS, a remake of the Nintendo 64 smash-hit, and Wario shows his face on the Nintendo DS in the addictive platformer Wario: Master of Disguise.

Nintendo DS hardware and software:

Pokémon Ranger (Nintendo) - April
Hotel Dusk: Room 215 (Nintendo) - April
Harvest Moon DS (Nintendo / Rising Star Games) - April
The Settlers (Ubisoft) - April
Diddy Kong Racing DS (Nintendo) - April
Jin Jin (505 Games) - April
Wild Wild Western (505 Games) - April
Zendoku (Eidos) - April
Lunar Knights (Konami) - April
Lost in Blue 2 (Konami) - April
Yu-Gi-Oh! World Championship 2007 (Konami) - April
Impossible Mission (System 3) - April
Final Fantasy III (Square Enix) - May
Nicktoons Battle Volcano Island (THQ) - May
Chicken Shoot + Egg Catcher (Zoo Digital Publishing) - May
Picross DS (Nintendo) - May
Custom Robo Arena (Nintendo) - May
Fishing DS (505 Games) - May
Tangram (505 Games) - May
Spider-Man The Movie 3 (Activision) - May 7
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (Disney Interactive Studios) - May
Pony Friends (Eidos) - May
Death Jr and the Science Fair of Doom (Konami) - May
Marvel Trading Card Game (Konami) - May
Steel Horizon (Konami) - May
Power Play Pool (System 3) - May
Super Fruit Fall (System 3) - May
Herbie: Fully Loaded (Disney Interactive Studios) - June
ANNO 1701 (Disney Interactive Studios) - June
8 Ball All Stars (Oxygen) - June
Powershot Pinball Constructor (Oxygen) - June
Mahjong (dtp) - June
Wario: Master of Disguise (Nintendo) - June
Kirby Mouse Attack (Nintendo) - June
Metroid Prime Pinball (Nintendo) - June
Puzzle League DS (tentative title name) (Nintendo) - June
Shrek The Third (Activision) - June
Meteos: Disney Magic (Disney Interactive Studios) - June
Best of tests DS (Neko Entertainment) - June
Code Lyoco (Game Factory/K.E. Media) - Q2
Pet Alien (Game Factory/K.E. Media) - Q2
Panzer Tactics DS (10tacle Studios) - Q2
Dino Master (Majesco) - Q2
F24 Stealth Fighter (Majesco) - Q2
Mech Assault Phantom War (Majesco) - Q2
Nacho Libre (Majesco) - Q2
Super Black Bass Fishing (Majesco) - Q2
Guilty Gear Dust Strikers (Majesco / THQ) - Q2
B-17 Fortress in the Sky (ZOO Digital Publishing) - Q2
Frisbee Freestyle/Frisbee Golf (ZOO Digital Publishing) - Q2

Game Boy Advance:

Final Fantasy V Advance (Nintendo) - April
Another World (ZOO Digital Publishing) - April
Nicktoons Battle for Volcano Island (THQ) - May
Final Fantasy VI Advance (Nintendo) - June
F24 Stealth Fighter (Majesco) - TBA
Teen Titans (Majesco) - TBA
Teen Titans 2 (Majesco) - TBA

Later this year, Sony believes a slew of popular first-party franchises will drive further interest in PSP with new exclusives. Highly anticipated titles from third-party publishers include exclusives such as SWAT (official title pending) as well as key franchise titles like Monster Hunter Freedom 2, Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles, and Tales of the World: Radiant Mythology.

SCEA also continues to evaluate expanding PSP's entertainment options as more and more PSP owners use their system for watching movies, playing music, and viewing photos. SCEA says it remains committed to driving the development and distribution of entertainment content for PSP.

Luxor 2 on Live Arcade tonight
Posted by M @ 8:48 a.m. NZST

The smash-hit action puzzler Luxor 2 will be available for download on Xbox Live Arcade for Xbox 360 tonight from 9pm NZ time.

In the second installment of the No. 1 casual game of 2005, Luxor 2 from MumboJumbo, players travel through 88 detailed and explosive levels shooting and destroying the magical balls that threaten the pyramids at the end of their paths. Players can earn up to 15 powerups, play through four distinct levels of difficulty, challenge themselves to a total of 13 bonus rounds and work their way up through the new 100-level player ranking system. Also, unique to the Xbox Live Arcade version is a new arcade-style mode of play called the Pharaoh's Challenge.

Luxor 2 also is the recent winner of the Zeeby's Craft Awards for Best Audio 2006 and Best Visual Arts 2006.

Game Features:

• 88 explosive levels with 13 new bonus rounds
• 4 levels of difficulty, including the mind-bending Challenge of Horus
• 4 modes of play; Adventure, Practice, Survival and Pharaoh's Challenge
• 15 power-ups including the new Lightning Storm and Pharaoh's Dagger
• Player ranking system with 100 levels from Farm Hand to Pharaoh of the Two Lands
• Pharaoh's Challenge: A fast-paced arcade-style version of the game, where the user employs the Pharaoh's Dagger exclusively to eliminate the approaching spheres
• Earn up to 12 Achievements and 200 Gamerscore points

NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams for Wii next Spring
Posted by M @ 8:41 a.m. NZST

Sega has announced NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams, the long awaited sequel to the critically acclaimed NiGHTS franchise that gave gamers the freedom to fly in a world of dreams and imagination. NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams is being developed for Nintendo Wii and is scheduled to be released in Spring 2007.

"We plan to deliver a gameplay experience never before seen on the Wii with NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams," said Scott A. Steinberg, Vice President of Marketing, Sega of America, Inc. "The game takes full advantage of the unique Wii Remote controller enabling gamers to guide NiGHTS through spectacularly designed dream worlds intertwined with a story about hope and courage."

As a fantasy jester called NiGHTS, players will fly through Nightopia, a rich and vibrant world where dreams come to life. With the Wii Remote, gamers will experience a heightened sense of gliding, spiraling, and looping through seven mystical dream worlds packed with high-flying adventure. Players must find inventive ways to confront the "Nightmarens" from the neighbouring dark world of Nightmare using amazing acrobatic skills, freedom of flight, and other special abilities to protect Nightopia.

For more information, visit nightsgame.com.

WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2008 on six formats next Spring
Posted by M @ 12:25 a.m. NZST

WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2008 is in development for multiple gaming platforms, including the franchise debut on Nintendo Wii, DS and PlayStation 3. In addition, development is underway for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 2, and PSP versions. WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2008 will mark the largest cross-platform launch for the franchise and is expected to begin shipping to retail outlets worldwide next Spring.

"We are extremely pleased with the success of the SmackDown vs. Raw franchise and its continued growth to a widespread audience, particularly in our European markets," said Bob Aniello, senior vice president, worldwide marketing, THQ. "With the addition of fresh, innovative game play on the Wii, the tremendous capabilities of the PlayStation 3 system and unique handheld experiences for Nintendo DS and wireless devices, gamers can now truly live the life of a WWE Superstar and choose from numerous ways to play."

WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2008 will let players take the fight into their own hands with the debut of Superstar Fighting Styles. The game features eight unique styles, each having its own strategy and exclusive attributes. A brand new Struggle Submission System will give players intuitive and natural control over their WWE Superstars by using the game's popular analogue controls.

Realism and strategy are at the forefront, as players will now control the amount of pressure they apply to their opponents. In addition, WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2008 will feature a significant Extreme Championship Wrestling presence, including a variety of Superstars, arenas and weapons. The game is also packed with significant updates requested by fans, including new rosters, more environmental hotspots, a combined Season and General Manager Mode experience, improved out-of-ring action, enhanced online community support and much more.

The Nintendo DS version of the video game will offer a unique experience, including touch screen control over Superstars, situation-based fighting with unique holds and a full year of nonstop action in WWE Season Mode.

Rock Band will allow gamers to perform music from the world's biggest rock artists with their friends as a virtual band using drum, bass/lead guitar and microphone peripherals, in addition to offering "deep online connectivity". Built on "unprecedented" deals with the world's biggest record labels and music publishers, the music featured in Rock Band will span all genres of rock and include many of the master recordings from the biggest songs and artists of all time. Rock Band is slated for release on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 this Winter.

EMI Music Publishing and Warner/Chappell Music are allowing unprecedented access to their back catalogues for use in Rock Band. The record labels - EMI Music, Hollywood Records, Sony BMG Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group's Universal Music Enterprises and Warner Music Group's Rhino Entertainment - have agreed to supply master recordings by their artists for use in the game.

"Harmonix was founded to create new ways for everyone to experience the pleasure and satisfaction that comes from playing music. Our work on Guitar Hero was an instrumental step toward that goal," stated Alex Rigopulos, co-founder and CEO of Harmonix. "But Rock Band is Harmonix's most ambitious project to date, and it will take music gameplay to an entirely new level. MTV has given us the freedom and the resources to really swing for the fences and make the game we've always wanted to make."

"Our vision for Rock Band is to completely change the way people interact with and enjoy the music they love," said Jeff Yapp, EVP, MTV Program Enterprises. "By joining forces with EA and the music industry's largest record labels and publishers, we are striving to create a groundbreaking new platform that allows people to connect with their favourite music and artists in ways they never have before."

As previously announced, Electronic Arts will serve as the exclusive distribution and marketing partner for Rock Band, managing distribution for the game in US, Europe and Australasia.

For more information, visit rockbandgame.com.

Tentacle Studios developing 3D world for MTV
Posted by M @ 10:33 p.m. NZST

Tentacle Studios and Viacom Germany will launch their own multi-user 3D online world in 2008, using various brands and industrial property rights belonging to the music television station MTV. The multi-user 3D online worlds will be an Internet portal that can be used by an unlimited number of people simultaneously and interactively, such as World of Warcraft or Second Life.

Starting in 2008, the multi-user 3D online world will give Internet users access to, among other things, the classic content offered by the MTV Group, while offering a large number of online games. Tentacle Studios, Europe's largest developer and producer of high-end computer and video games, will handle the technical implementation and operation of the multi-user 3D online world. MTV, whose popular content is available on all platforms relevant to its target groups, such as TV, online, broadband and mobile, will be responsible for target group communication and the editorial preparation of the content.

"In Tentacle Studios, we are delighted to have found an expert partner for the production of a wide variety of promising games using our popular MTV content," said Joel Berger, Senior Vice President Digital Media & Network Development, Viacom Germany GmbH.

"The joint production and marketing of online games relating to the MTV brand world for the multi-user 3D online world will enable us to transfer the lifestyle and emotionality conveyed by the MTV brand to the online community."

"MTV is an extremely strong brand with an enormous reach spanning 579 million households in 179 countries. I am certain that the new online world can rapidly achieve a similar status to Second Life. This project gives our Company access to a new and extremely promising market segment," said Michele Pes, CEO of Tentacle Studios AG.

The licensing agreement will initially be entered into for five years and includes an extension option. Licenses will be granted for Germany, Austria and Switzerland, with additional countries in Europe and Asia to follow shortly. Pes believes Tentacle's international studio structure means it is optimally equipped in this area.

Tentacle Studios expects total revenue of approximately €20 million from its contract production of the project as a whole, and will set up additional in-house resources to develop the multi-user 3D online world and the games to be marketed via this platform.

The company is also expecting significant revenue from the operation and marketing of the online world as from 2008. Based on a conservative estimate of user numbers, Tentacle Studios is forecasting a positive EBIT effect of around €5 million as from 2008, which is expected to increase in the following years.

Nintendo anchors Spring E3 replacement
Posted by M @ 11:24 p.m. NZST

Nintendo of America has signed on as an anchor exhibitor for IDG World Expo's newest event: Entertainment for All Expo (E for All), scheduled for October 18-21, 2007, at the Los Angeles Convention Center, venue for the defunct Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), whose final staging was held last May. Nintendo leads an A-list of game companies signing on for a show that it says is rapidly shaping up to be the premiere event of the interactive entertainment.

Entertainment for All Expo (E for All) is a new event created for people who are passionate about video games and everything related. The expo was launched in response to strong demand within the consumer audience for an opportunity to see and try new products before they reach store shelves. Event organisers anticipate its mid-October dates will launch an early and successful holiday shopping season for the industry.

"The E for All Expo supports Nintendo's mission to reach as many types of consumers as possible to expand the world of video games to new audiences," says George Harrison, Nintendo of America's senior vice president of marketing and corporate communications. "Our Wii and Nintendo DS systems are all about gaming for the masses, and the E for All Expo will give consumers a chance to try out the hottest new Nintendo video games."

"Nintendo's early involvement in E for All demonstrates the importance of a broad consumer-focused event for this industry," says Mary Dolaher, executive vice president of IDG World Expo. "E for All has been shaped from the ground up with all gamers in mind, and Nintendo has proven its commitment to embracing the spectrum of gamers, as we've seen with their launch of the Wii. In addition to being our flagship exhibitor, Nintendo of America Executive Vice President of Operations Don James has agreed to serve on our Exhibitor Advisory Board. I couldn't ask for a more universally respected colleague in this new venture."

E for All Expo will offer consumers the opportunity to test-drive the latest in games and gadgetry, as well as purchase products they enjoyed over the course of the four-day event at on-site retail facilities. Additional attractions are in the works, including high-profile videogame tournaments; job fair/networking opportunities; and the acclaimed Video Games Live concert. In addition to the Expo at the Los Angeles Convention Center, the event will take advantage of soon-to-be-expanded LA Live/Nokia Theatre area directly adjacent.

E for All Expo has been endorsed by former E3 owners the Entertainment Software Association (ESA), the US association exclusively dedicated to serving the business and public affairs needs of companies that publish video and computer games for video game consoles, personal computers, and the Internet. ESA members collectively account for more than 90 per cent of the US$7 billion in entertainment software sold in the US in 2005, and billions more in export sales of US-programmed entertainment software.

For more information, visit eforallexpo.com.

Bullet Witch extras now on Live
Posted by M @ 11:04 p.m. NZST

Atari's first downloadable content for Bullet Witch is available now on Xbox Live Marketplace. Launched in February for the Xbox 360, Bullet Witch is published in partnership with Japanese publisher AQ Interactive Inc.

The first set of new downloadable content includes a free brand new White Witch costume for the game's heroine Alicia and a Bullet Witch Xbox 360 theme pack. In addition, for 20 points each, players can download one brand new mission Dynamite Beauty and two enhanced versions of the "Clad in Streaming Black" mission featuring 'Great Spells' unlocked and a heightened level of difficulty respectively.

Over the coming weeks, more free costumes for Alicia will be available free of charge – Mummy, Schoolgirl, Secretary and Pixie. Additional new missions Caterpillar City, Endless, One Shot Kill and Geist Search and Destroy, plus enhanced editions of the missions City of Screams, Up in Flames at 10,000ft, Down in the Valley, The Bound Soul and The End of Chaos will be available for 20 points each.

Developed by Japan-based Cavia, Bullet Witch is set on a bleak planet earth in the year 2013 with mankind on the brink of extinction and hideous demons creating a tidal wave of destruction and havoc.

All hope of mankind's survival rests with Alicia, a beautiful witch blessed with magical skills and a swift trigger finger. Players take control of Alicia on her heroic quest to prevent the decimation of mankind by using her fearsome weaponry and spectacular powers with which she can manipulate natural phenomena in her environment.

Medieval II: Total War Kingdoms next Spring
Posted by M @ 10:28 p.m. NZST

Sega has announced Medieval II: Total War Kingdoms, the expansion pack for one of 2006's biggest PC strategy games. Due for release on PC in Spring, Kingdoms will offer new content that gives gamers over 75 hours of epic new gameplay.

Medieval II: Total War Kingdoms will feature four new campaigns, including an opportunity to more fully explore the New World that was unlocked toward the end of Medieval II. In the Americas campaign, players will be able to retrace the steps of Hernán Cortés in 1519. Players can earn the support of Spain and explore the mystery and riches of the New World, or take control of the Aztec or native North American factions and call on the gods and the bravery of vast armies to see off the new threat.

Three other campaigns will offer more detailed "magnifying glass" campaigns within Great Britain, Northern Europe and the Holy Land, with many more regions than were originally shown in Medieval II.

Featuring 13 new playable factions and over 150 new units, Kingdoms will allow players to control thousands of men on a single battlefield and lead them into conflict with new hero characters such as Richard the Lionheart and Saladin, each armed with new, powerful battlefield abilities. In addition, players will use moated forts to garrison vast armies or seize control of key strategic points and explore new technology trees, governed by religion and prestige.

Players can experience a bloody clash between pagans and Christians in the Northern European Teutonic Wars, or take control of one of five factions in the Britannia campaign when England faces war on four fronts as once conquered lands rise up against them. Kingdoms will also include a new expanded Crusades campaign, where players renew their fight for control of the Holy Lands, with new factions, devastating new units (such as the Greek flame thrower), legendary heroes and powerful holy relics.

"With Medieval II: Total War we offered unrivalled scope of warfare, both on and off the field of battle, as you conquered the known world," commented George Fidler, Studio Director, Creative Assembly Australia. "Now with Kingdoms we're looking to offer unrivalled richness and detail with four completely new campaigns, each offering its own unique features, challenges and (the) flavour of Total War."

Kingdoms will also include six new multiplayer scenarios, and 20 new Custom Battle battle maps. Each of the campaigns is also fully compatible with a brand new Hotseat multiplayer mode.

For more information, visit totalwar.com.