Forza Motorsport 2 - update

Update For All Forza Fans!
Ready... Set... GO! "Forza Motorsport 2" downloadable content now available on Xbox Live Marketplace
LONDON 21st September, 2007 — Microsoft Game Studios today announced 10 brand new racers and muscle cars in a downloadable car pack for “Forza Motorsport 2,” which will be available on Xbox LIVE Marketplace this weekend.

To get fans warmed up, we’re offering a rally inspired hot little European hatch the 2007 SEAT Leon Cupra as a FREE download to bolster the already extensive collection of “Forza” racers. For 400 Microsoft points, Forza fans can own the track taking laps in 10 great vehicles including a race ready turbo diesel (the Audi R10) and a low performance class inline 4 that’s an absolute tuner’s dream (the Honda Civic Si Coupe). Show your muscle with an American classic, the 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T or turn it up another notch behind the wheel of the 415 horsepower, 8,400 rpm 2007 Porsche GT3 RS.

For a full list of available cars, please see below:
2007 SEAT Leon Cupra (FREE DOWNLOAD)
2006 Audi R10 (#8 Audi Sport Team Joest) Prototype
1970 Dodge Challenger R/T Hemi
2006 Dodge Challenger Concept
2006 Honda Civic Si Coupe
2007 Honda Civic Type-R
1967 Lamborghini Miura P400
2006 Lamborghini Miura Concept
2007 Porsche 911 GT3 RS (997)
2007 Saturn Sky Red Line
2007 SEAT Leon Supercup

For more information and new screen shots of some of the more notable vehicles in this car pack, be sure to cruise over to forzamotorsport.net

London games festival 2007

Location: BAFTA, David Lean room, 195 Piccadilly
Date: Tuesday October 23rd
Time: 9.30am - 6.00pm

‘Working With Games’ is an event designed to explore the potential for working partnerships across the games TV. Film and Advertising industries, and help create new opportunities.

Games are rapidly becoming a mass media because generations of people are now familiar with gaming across a wide variety of platforms.

Film, TV, and Advertising industries are looking to the potential of using games to extend brands and reach target audiences.

Game Developers and publishers are seeking new ways of exploiting their technology and expertise to deliver real-time interactive experiences to mass-market audiences.

This event is designed to bring together parties from these different media.
It will offer unprecedented networking opportunities.

The objectives of the event are to:

1.Highlight case studies through presentations and discussions.
2.Stimulate further thinking and discussion in this area
3.Create business opportunities across these sectors.
4.Provide a structured networking opportunities for games developers to meet TV, Film and Advertising practitioners

The event will feature a number of presentations and panel sessions which will explore examples of actual and potential of cross media content across games and TV, Film and Advertising.

Fred Hasson, CEO of Tiga commented:
"London Games Festival is a key opportunity in informing people how important and exciting this sector is to the UK economy and our event will break new ground by bridging the gap between the UK's talented developers and media professionals in TV Film and Advertising."

Supporting organisations: Pact, Bafta, Regional media networks; Semn –(Digital Horizons); EM-Media, NWDA, Game Horizon, Game Republic, Games Eden, Creative London

There will be no registration fee charged for Tiga, Pact, Bafta and London based companies. £150 for non members.

Places limited to 150 in total. Tea/coffee during breaks and Lunch will be provided. A networking bar will also operate from 5.30-6.30.

Contact details of attendees with profiles, and opportunities to express preferences for contact building will be offered as part of the service.


Outline programme:
Registration 9.00-9.45
Introduction/Keynote
TV: Endemol, Nickelodeon, Team 19, Giant/TT Games, ITV
Film: Warners/Eidos (tbc); Ubisoft
Advertising: Blitz, BBH, Google,
Networking 5.30-6.30

Check out www.londongamesfestival.com for the latest news and information about all of the events taking place this year.

For further information on London Games Festival please contact Simon Watts (Cake) on 020 7307 3100 or Duncan Best (London Games Festival) on 020 7534 0584.

Wii Sports, Monster Hunter win CESA Awards

Plus gongs for Gears of War, Blue Dragon and Pokemon

Japan's Computer Entertainment Supplier's Association has announced Wii Sports and Monster Hunter 2: Portable 2nd have won its yearly Grand Awards.

The Best Sales Award has gone to Nintendo's Pokemon Diamond and Pokemon Pearl, for racking up over 4.9 million sales in Japan, with total worldwide sales as of July 2007 at over 10 million units.

The Global Award for Japanese Product goes to Capcom's Dead Rising, and Epic's Gears of War picked up the Global Award for Foreign Product.

Microsoft's Blue Dragon picked up the Award for Excellence and the Special Award went to two titles – Namco Bandai's 360 title The Idolm@ster and Sega's Love and Berry: Dress Up and Dance for the DS.

Source: Games Industry

Codemasters pulls Colin McRae ad campaign

Publisher moves as a sign of respect

Codemasters has confirmed to GamesIndustry.biz it has pulled a major advertising campaign for the PlayStation 3 version of Colin McRae: DIRT.

The publisher has cancelled the TV campaign as a sign of respect following McRae's death last weekend.

"With consideration to and in agreement with McRae's family, there was a stop put on the TV ads that were planned to run on Sky channels at the weekend and through this week," said a spokesperson for Codemasters.

"All media owners contacted were understanding and cooperative," said the company

Codemasters released a statement earlier in the week, paying tribute to the "inspirational" McRae, who has worked closely with the firm on multiple racing games.

Sony acquires MotorStorm developer Evolution Studios

Along with Pursuit Force team Bigbig Studios

Sony has acquired MotorStorm developer Evolution Studios along with Pursuit Force subsidiary Bigbig Studios.

And GamesIndustry.biz can reveal that co-founders of Evolution Studios, Martin Kenwright and Ian Hetherington are to leave the company, with managing director Mick Hocking taking on the role of group studio director responsible for Evolution Studios, Bigbig Studio and Sony's Liverpool Studio.

"Our strategy with our studios is to create the best games by working with the best talent," said Michael Denny, vice president of SCE Worldwide Studios, speaking exclusively to GamesIndustry.biz.

"We've enjoyed a highly productive and commercially successful relationship with Evolution and Bigbig and now there's a great opportunity in bringing them into part of the family to share further in terms of technology, production methodology and creative goals to make the experiences that these teams are creating even better."

Denny said that both development studios would be free to manage their day-to-day output, and there were no intentions to make changes to the current workforce.

"Worldwide Studio Europe management will be involved in the strategic planning and financial management of the studio but day-to-day operations will continue largely unchanged.

"We want to protect and enhance our investment in Evolution Studios and Bigbig, and have no plans to reduce the overall number of staff in either studio," he said.

Evolution was established in 1999 and has worked on five versions of World Rally Championship for Sony's PlayStation 2. It's most recent title, MotorStorm, has been one of the biggest-selling games for the PlayStation 3.

As well as content expansions for the off-road racer, Evolution is also working on the next instalment of MotorStorm for release on Blu-ray disc in 2008.

Bigbig Studios, based in Leamington Spa, was founded in 2001, and developed the 800,000-selling Pursuit Force for the PSP. It is also working on a sequel, Pursuit Force: Extreme Justice, due for release this year on PSP and on PS2 in early 2008.

The acquisitions bring the total number of development studios in the SCE Worldwide Studios group to 15, with over 2,500 employees.

Source: Games Industry

Microsoft won't punish Argos for Halo 3 release

Thompson satisfied that Halo 3 release was "genuine mistake," but warns other retailers

Microsoft will not penalise Argos for releasing a small number of Halo 3 final boxed copies to the public a week before the official release.

Neil Thompson, senior regional director for the UK and Ireland at Microsoft's Entertainment and Devices division, has told GamesIndustry.biz he is satisfied that the occurrence was not malicious, and that it was a genuine mistake which the retailer has gone to great lengths to prevent from happening again.

"From what I understand of it, it was an honest and genuine mistake. I'm disappointed that it happened because of the turmoil it creates, but I totally understand that in every organisation sometimes it's tough to manage every particular aspect of your supply chain and everything, to the nth degree, so that something won't go wrong at some point."

"I don't think there was any malice on the part of Argos at all, it was just an honest mistake. Argos reacted incredibly quickly to the mistake, they issued us with a detailed summation of why the mistake happened - mistakes like that, we have to be somewhat flexible."

He added that he was pleased other retailers hadn't used the slip as an opportunity to break the street date themselves, and warned that any company doing so intentionally could expect Microsoft to withdraw its support.

"I'm happy at the moment that nobody has used that as an excuse to go and do silly things. We've been very clear with retailers that if they do choose to go down that path, then a lot of the support that we've given them, in marketing and things like that - that has an impact on it."

"We're pretty forceful in our approach to these things, because we want it to be a fair market for all."

Halo 3 is set to launch next Wednesday in the UK in a blaze of publicity, with hype levels rivalling the biggest of box office premieres, but Thompson isn't concerned that too much hype could be an issue.

"Everyone will talk about the money, and stuff like that, because that's a headline-grabbing idea - that gaming is potentially going to be the biggest entertainment event that hits this country this year."

"If you over-hype something that doesn't deliver on the promise, then you run the risk of a backlash and that can work against you. I honestly don't believe that's the case with Halo 3."

Thompson spoke to GamesIndustry.biz at a press event in which Microsoft was rounding up its Christmas line-up, and the full interview will be published next week.

Source: Games Industy