Stealth is focus of Xbox 'Tenchu Z

TENCHU Z, Xbox 360, K2, rated M — Mature (reviewer's rating: 8 out of 10)

In feudal Japan the shinobi, or ninja, was a fearsome assassin sent by the powerful to eliminate their rivals. Owners of Xbox 360s can now live a part of that legend, thanks to the latest offering from the programmers who developed the "Tenchu" series.

Where many games encourage a run-in-and-shoot-at-everything approach, stealth is the focus of this game. Using your senses, a sharp sword and other items, players take on assignments from the head ninja. In all, there are 50 missions to challenge your ninja skills.

But before you can become the terror of feudal Japan, you must first create your character. The character-creation system lets you choose facial features, hair color/style, gender and clothing. One unique feature of the game is your ability to go shopping for new clothes in between missions. A ninja's gotta look good, right?

Game controls are easy to learn, but actual combat is a bit choppy. While you can take out a person by sneaking up on them, if they see you, you must cross swords with them. However, this type of combat isn't set up terribly well, and you're better off running and hiding while the guards forget about you.

For those with Xbox Live accounts, the game allows you to join up with four friends in co-op mode to coordinate attacks.

• Graphics: The game does try to take advantage of the Xbox 360's improved high-definition graphics, but the colors are pretty drab. My guess is that game developers wanted to set a mood, but it just looks washed out. Overall, the game's graphics are average and not terribly innovative.

• Audio: The game's music is a fusion of ancient Japanese instruments and rock, which gives it a nice edge. Character voices and dialogue are all in Japanese with limited subtitles. Guards in the game will say things, but you have no idea what they are saying. For some, keeping the Japanese dialogue lends a sense of authenticity, but some of us prefer not feeling so much like a stranger in a foreign land while playing.

• Parent's Take: This game is rated M for mature gamers over the age of 17, as there is killing and simulated blood. It is definitely not for younger gamers.

• Final word: "Tenchu Z" is a decent enough game but has some minor problems. Those who love a game that involves stealth will appreciate the game even more.

'Tiger Woods PGA Tour '08' a tough love test

I love golf and I was hoping to see some new must-have features in "Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08" from EA Sports that would translate that love to my living room television — something that would make previous versions of this game series feel outdated.

But the Tiger Woods game series seems to have peaked in terms of growth — unlike the real Tiger, of course.

The game delivered superb graphics in the Sony PS3 version. I built my character to look and hit like the real me. This really made it feel like it was me against the tour on the virtual courses.

The pro players look, walk and swing very much like their real-world selves as well, which is fun in match play.

The links were nicely detailed and the ball-tracking camera effect has improved without making me dizzy. Plants cast shadows, and the water in the pond guarding the front of the green of the 16th hold at Firestone Country Club looked like a video clip it was so realistic.

The side banter from announcers David Feherty and Gary McCord remained mildly entertaining, though I heard a few witty chestnuts left over from a previous version. New and better talk from those two would have been nice.

But the newest features on this game elicited little more than a shrug from me:

_ Posting scores on the EA Sports Gamernet ... I still paled in comparison to the obscene scores likely thrown up by the cheat code crowd. Attention EA Sports: It's not a "cheat code" if you advertise it on the back of the manual. It's just code.

_ "Shot Confidence" ... It was supposed to analyze all my shots so I could identify weaknesses on a particular hole before taking the next swing. What it really did was slow down the game when I chose to predict how badly I would hook my tee shot — again.

_ The FedExCup Championship format ... It's as dumb an idea in the game as it is in real life. It's a waste of rendering power trying to emulate the real tour's pointless points race.

One thing that was rarely on the screen was the par score for the hole. While playing the daily online tournaments, I had to push select and pause the game just to get a reminder what par was for each hole. Is it really going to eat up too much screen real estate to put a single digit number in front of me? Save me the extra clicks, please.

Swing control still confounds me a bit. For the first half-dozen rounds, I must have hooked 90 percent of my shots. That's worse than real life. How do I correct it? Who knows? The game gave me no pop-up windows offering practice sessions after my umpteenth hard draw into the trees. It's kind of funny, until it's redundant and futile.

The putting control was equally baffling when it comes to feel and speed. I know, with more experience playing the game my character should improve his shotmaking abilities.

But this tough-love learning curve was a bit much.

When does the unbridled fun come? Perhaps never, which is too close to real golf.

Tiger Woods PGA Tour '08 is available for the Microsoft Xbox 360, Sony's PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3 and PSP, Nintendo's Wii and DS, PC and Mac.

2 out of 5

Source: International Herald Tribune

Video game composers going for high scores

The video game is the new radio. Or is it the new CD? Or the new score soundtrack? Maybe it's all of the above.

Like radio, video games now serve as a way for artists to be discovered, and many acts are breaking thanks to song placements. Sales of games by far outshine CDs -- 'Halo 3,' for example, made $170 million in sales its first day on the market. And as far as scoring goes, some of the most innovative orchestral music is being produced for video games. Many such scores are now even being performed live by full orchestras to eager fans.

Composing for games has come a long way since Pong.

Inon Zur, who's done a slew of music for television and trailers, says he has 'much more creative freedom' writing for video games - mainly because of all the options, different endings and various levels of games. It's never the same thing twice, and the music plays a large role in the emotional journey of winning or losing, he says. Zur, whose current projects include 'Crysi' and 'EverQuest II: Rise of Kunark,' has been scoring games for more than 10 years. He says that thanks to the advancements in memory capacity, full orchestral scores can be included.

Garry Schyman, whose current scores are featured in 'BioShock' and 'Destroy All Humans! 3,' concurs. 'Its really exciting to work on games,' he says. 'Especially when you are part of the entire process.' On some projects, Schyman has spent up to seven months working on the music and has had a hand in the creative development of the game.

Gaming has become a strong outlet for composers and opened up new revenue streams. And yes, they get to play a lot of games.

Zur and Schyman will be speaking on a gaming panel during the Billboard/Hollywood Reporter Film and TV Music Conference, which will be held No. 1-2 in Los Angeles. Also on hand to discuss the secrets of video game music will be Russell Brower, composer and director of audio/video at Blizzard Entertainment; Jonathan McHugh of SongStew Entertainment; and Marty O'Donnell, audio director and music composer at Bungie Studios, who has worked on the 'Halo' series.

Source: Hollywood Reporter

Sony's games division continues to bleed money

Follow up to earlier blog post...

Sony managed to pull out another profitable quarter despite poor results from its games division.

Sony Computer Entertainment's sales rose by over 42% in the quarter on the back of a strong PSP lineup. Despite the rise in sales, the division lost $845 million, its seventh consecutive losing quarter.

The loses did not affect Sony's bottom line however as the company posted an operating profit of $450 billion for the year to March, 2% higher than a year ago. Net profit also soared this quarter up 12.3%, which was a new record for the quarter.

Nintendo raised its yearly outlook as its April-September operating profit nearly tripled. Their profits were up 144% from a year earlier on the back of strong DS and Wii sales.

Microsoft will report their quarterly earnings later today. The company hopes that Halo 3 will lift the games group to their first profitable quarter since Halo 2 shipped in 2004.

Analysis:

Sony has to ride out this dry period and hope that their recent price cuts can boost Holiday sales. By cutting the price of the Playstation 3 hardware, the comapany shows that that they are willing sacrifices losses this year to gain a greater marker share, and eventual profitability for their games group.

Although the games division is posting negative numbers, the rest of the company is stepping up to support it, posting profits across the board.

Sony should be confident this Holiday. They have a great lineup including Guitar Hero 3, Rachet and Clank, and Uncharted which could lead to strong software sales, which should in turn lead to stronger hardware sales.

It's imporant that the Playstation 3 succeeds. The console is Sony's opportunity to put a media device in the living room of every household, and by including Blu-ray in every console, they hope to be the standard format for next-generation high-definition movies

Scientists Publish First "Immune Attack" Video Game

Some call it a breakthrough in medical teaching methods; others call it a step in the right direction, a bound toward an educational focus in gaming. But most of us will probably just settle with, "A video
game about the immune system? What?!"

Strangely enough, the Federation of American Scientists (FAS), in cooperation with Brown University and USC, has finalized their development a new medical video game – the first of its class – Immune Attack. The game is designed to help students who otherwise wouldn't exactly find polyphosphates or genomes particularly stimulating.

The game's protagonist, a teenage boy, is diagnosed with a medical immunodeficiency disease and must figure out what's wrong inside his body before he meets an untimely demise (in other words, don't screw up, or little Freddy will be a 'little dead-y').

The game is marked in the 'strategy' genre, and I suppose you could say it is in 'first-person-shooter,' except you don't have flamethrowers or hand grenades (those wouldn't bode too well inside the delicate tissues of the human structure). Much on the opposite spectrum, your only weapon is immune cells, your only enemies bacterial and viral infections. Don't be fooled though – some of those viral infections are total badasses, and they won't hesitate to pick a fight with your T-Cells. As you increase in level in the game, you will encounter new types of viruses, and thusly must train various types of cells to combat against your opposition.

Using a nanobot and a professor guide, the boy delves into his immune system, where the game primarily takes place. The setting and graphics are intricate and accurate – enough so that high schools across the nation will begin to incorporate the game into the classroom as early as January. Kay Howell, VP of Information Technologies with FSA, warmly advocates the clash between video games and informative research. "Clearly, computer games hold special interest to a generation who has grown up with them," says Howell, "and as such, they show promise as educational tools."

It's been a while since a game like this came along – a game that cleverly crafts ingenuity, educational value, and staring at a computer screen into a harmonious union. When I was a little kid, playing computer games like JumpStart molded my love for language and logic; I can only hope that this game will do the same for those youth out there dreaming of scalpels, and other medical paraphernalia.

Brain training improves kids maths

Playing a daily computer game has helped a class of primary school children improve their maths and concentration, a study says.

The children played the game every day for 10 weeks with "dramatic" results.

A class from the Dundee school took part in the project to show how computer games can enhance and build on classroom learning.

It is now hoped the resource can be used more widely across schools in the Scottish city.

The 30 children from St Columba's primary school - all aged nine and 10 played Dr Kawashima's More Brain Training game on a Nintendo DS console every morning before lessons for about 15 minutes.

More from the BBC

Golden Joystick Awards reveals the nations favourite games

Wii Sports, God of War 2 and The Burning Crusade are among the games to pick up awards at the Golden Joysticks

"Television used to be accused of corrupting the youth of today," the comedian David Mitchell told 750 representatives of the video game industry yesterday at the 25th Golden Joystick Awards. "Now you are."

In the 25 years since the first awards, Mitchell observed, computer games have gone from "being a few dots dancing around a TV screen to a full-on film that you are in."

As well as becoming more sophisticated, they are also now more lucrative. A major game, such as the recently launched Halo 3, can cost as much as $70 million to develop, but the possible rewards are vast. Halo 3 outstripped many blockbuster films in the week after launch, generating sales of $300 million.

Unlike the video game Baftas which took place earlier this week, the Golden Joysticks are voted for by members of the public. They chose to reward a wide range of games, with Wii Sports, God of War 2 and World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade, all picking up awards. The full list of winners is at the bottom of this page.

Among them was Tom Dowding, 25, who won £2,500 and a work placement with Electronic Arts, one of the world's biggest video game developers, for developing a game called Let it Grow. "You install it on your mobile phone," he said, "then using your phone camera you nurture it and make it grow. Then you post your growing flower on Facebook."

He has already licensed the game to a distributor, and hopes to be able to increase the size of his company's current workforce from two people by the end of the year.

Mobile phone games offer many budding developerd a way into a huge and growing market. Video games have quietly caught up with and overtaken traditional forms of entertainment such as film and popular music. According to the latest figures from Elspa, the industry body, UK game sales for the first half of 2007 were £519 million, 17 per cent up on the same period in 2006.

The launch of the Nintendo Wii and PlayStation 3 last year resulted in a 42 per cent rise in sales of hardware and accessories, to more than £1 billion, and the market is still expanding.

The first generation of games players, teens who grew up hurling 10p pieces into Space Invaders arcade machines, are now in their 40s, and the high-end games they produce and continue to play are both technically sophisticated and, when done well, thought-provoking and challenging.

There are, thanks to pioneering work by Nintendo, even games designed for the late middle-aged and senior citizens. Market penetration in the company's home territory of Japan is now thought to have reached one in seven adults, many of whom use their games consoles for daily exercise routines, recipes or even gardening and fashion tips.

"What would the first Golden Joystick nominees make of the industry if they were here now?" Mitchell asked in his opening speech. "They expected space travel and robot slaves, but all we've got is better computer games." Quite.

Winners

The bliss Girls’ Choice Game of the Year 2007: Guitar Hero II (PS2/Xbox 360)
Plug a plastic guitar into your game console and follow the chord progressions from hit songs on screen.

The Sun Family Game of the Year 2007: Wii Sports (Wii)
Play baseball, tennis, ten-pin bowling and more using the motion-sensitive controllers of Nintendo’s best-selling Wii console. Requires large living room.

The Games Radar Handheld Game of the Year 2007: Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories (PSP)
Build an empire of crime in a hellhole city of the near future. Some of the best graphics yet seen on a handheld console.

The 4Talent Mobile Game of the Year 2007: Final Fantasy Mobile (Mobile phone)
The Japanese developer Square-Enix brings its successful role-playing franchise to the mobile phone.

The T3 Innovation of the Year 2007: Nintendo Wii
The console that is still a sell-out success, a year after its release. Credited with making games-playing a family affair.

The BBC 1Xtra Soundtrack of the Year 2007: Guitar Hero II
A predictable win for the axe-wielding challenge title (see above).

The Nuts All-Nighter award 2007: Gears of War (PC/Xbox 360)
Do battle against an invading locust horde in this dense, action-packed shooting title.

The GameTribe Online Game of the Year 2007: World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade (online)
The online gaming phenomenon, given away free with the Times in March this year.

The Next-Gen.biz UK Developer of the Year 2007: Codemasters
One of the UK’s longest established and highly rated developers is recognised. Codemasters is responsible for some of Britian’s best-selling gaming franchises, including Micro Machines, Brian Lara Cricket and Colin McRae rally driving.

The Total Film One to Watch 2007: Assassin’s Creed (Xbox 360/PS3/PC)
One of the most hotly anticipated action games of the year, due out on November 16 – just in time for Christmas.

The Vivendi Retailer of the Year 2007: Game

Publisher of the Year 2007 – sponsored by Future: Nintendo
One of the oldest names in gaming has enjoyed an amazing resurgence in the past two years, thanks to its best-selling DS handheld console and Wii domestic console. One in seven Japanese people is now thought to own a DS.

Editor’s Choice Award 2007 – Gears of War

Official Nintendo Magazine’s Nintendo Game of the Year 2007: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (Wii)
One of the earliest games for the Wii was this revival of one of Nintendo’s biggest franchises. Zelda is a role-playing game for people who don’t like role-playing games. Well-paced, with an interesting storyline and brain-teasing puzzles to solve on the way.

Official Playstation Magazine’s PlayStation Game of the Year 2007: God of War II (PS2)
Greek mythology meets slashing swordplay as our hero Kratos takes his battle to the gods themselves.

The PC Gamer PC Game of the Year 2007: The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar (online)
You’ve read the book, seen the film, worn the T-shirt, now play the game online.

The Sonopress Xbox Game of the Year 2007: Gears of War

The 02 Ultimate Game of the Year 2007: Gears of War

Nordic Game Programme sees huge interest

101 applications for funding sought in 2007 alone
The Nordic Computer Game Program funding initiative, which grants money to developers in Nordic territories, has just closed its second round of funding applications – revealing that funding has been sought for 101 projects in the whole of 2007.

The initiative aims to give five million kroner (just over £466,000) to developers in 2007, with 2.5 million kroner already granted in the first wave of funding earlier this year. Recipients of this round of funding will be announced at Copenhagen’s upcoming games fair, D3 Expo, which runs from November 16th to 18th.

“We have rather mixed feelings over having once again received such a staggering number of applications", says Erik Robertson, head of the Nordic Computer Game Program.

“On the one hand I am proud that our funding programme has had such a great impact, and that we are now receiving applications from all parts of the Nordic countries. On the other hand, over 100 applications in one year is a lot in relation to the total number of Nordic games companies.

Explaining the large number of applications, he added: "This is both because DKK 5 million doesn’t stretch very far considering that the total amount applied for is more than DKK 50 million, but mostly because it indicates a steep rise in the need to attract capital to this industry”

Spyro The Dragon Burning On To Screens?

Computer games have rarely – sorry, never – made good movies. Ever. But maybe that's because movie makers have almost always chosen to adapt games with real humans in them. Maybe the answer is cute little purple dragons.

The Animation Picture Company will certainly be hoping so as they've just secured the movie rights to Spyro the Dragon, the star of a '90s computer game by Sierra Entertainment and Vivendi.

We were a good ten years too old to play Spyro, but it was essentially about a little lavender-coloured dragon who flew around collection treasure and doing bad things to bad people. The animated movie version will reportedly be based on recent Legend of Spyro game trilogy, which is considered a relaunch of the title. Dr. Dolittle scribes Steve and Dan Altiere have been hired to write the script. So that's a really terrific start. Expect this to be, y'know, for kids.

Source: Empire Online

Mad Catz Arcade Stick for Xbox 360!

Mad Catz Europe Ltd, a leading third-party interactive entertainment accessory provider announced today a price readjustment for the Xbox 360 LIVE Arcade GameStick bringing Xbox 360 gamers the authentic arcade experience at a new unprecedented price point in time for the holiday season.

The first Mad Catz accessory to be conceived, designed and built around the Xbox LIVE Arcade service, the Arcade GameStick delivers genuine ‘Arcade Style’ controls, ideal for arcade favourites and retro-style gaming. Originally retailing for a SRP of £49.99, Mad Catz is pleased to announce the new SRP of just £24.99, a truly impressive 50% saving!

Featuring a full size Joystick and the unique 360° ‘Spinner Control’, the Arcade GameStick opens up a world of game play opportunities, bringing a whole new lease on life to the extensive selection of titles available for download on LIVE.

Officially licensed by Microsoft, the Arcade GameStick celebrates its arcade heritage in style, featuring no less than three full Xbox LIVE arcade games free in box with every Arcade GameStick purchased.

Darren Richardson, President and Chief Executive Officer of Mad Catz commented, “Gamers of all ages continue to embrace the LIVE Arcade service in their millions. Today’s technology allows for pixel-perfect representations of many beloved favourites and the Arcade GameStick brings true arcade style gaming to the living room with no need to compromise on controls.

The Arcade GameStick is our valentine to the true gamer. Frogger, Timepilot™ and Astropop stand the test of time as legendary arcade classics. We’re delighted to offer gamers these three titles absolutely free with every Arcade GameStick purchased representing remarkable value for money and ensuring that the Arcade GameStick is a ‘Must Have’ accessory for gamers everywhere this holiday season”.

The Mad Catz Xbox 360 Arcade GameStick is available to purchase now for a new UK SRP of £24.99

Mad Catz

New Halloween Events In Knight Online

Hunt Pumpkin Monsters, Earn Masks, Increase Health Points and More In the Popular MMORPG

K2 Network, Inc. (K2network.net), a premier online game publisher, today announced a slew of Halloween events for its MMORPG, Knight Online.

“Halloween is always a fun time for the Knight Online community,” said Gokhan Kazar, Associate producer of Knight Online. “This year we really wanted to kick it up a notch for our players and we know they will really enjoy everything we have planned for them!”

From now until November 8th Knight Online players can celebrate all Hallow’s Eve in style! Spooky Halloween Music has been added and will play in certain locations of the game. Players will hunt Pumpkin Monsters spread throughout the world to obtain event items which can be turned in to Vilbor in Moradon for cool prizes (Halloween masks, weapons, and candy).Halloween Masks add bonus damage to a player’s attacks for 30 minutes, the Halloween weapons do extra damage and have a special sound effect, and candy increases Health Points and Magic Points for 30 minutes. Game Masters will also run fun events throughout the duration of the Halloween event.

With over 10 million people logging on to play from around the world, Knight Online represents one of the largest MMO communities around. Some of the most exciting features of Knight Online are the most involving, persistent and large-scale wars between players, and its own built in party system.

Experience Knight Online at www.knightonlineworld.com

MIG-15 Flight Simulator

The Cold War hits the flight sim skies with a recreation of one of the world’s first swept wing fighters for Flight Simulator X and 2004.

Label: Flight1
Developer: Bear Studios
Genre: Flight Simulator Expansion
Format: PC CD-ROM
Release: September 2007
SRP: £19.99 / €29.95
Barcode: 5060094400808 (Eng)
5060094400822 (Ger)
5060094400815 (Fre)

“The sheer number and quality of the models and textures in the MiG-15 was stunning… The virtual cockpit in the MiG-15 is done so well that I can say I think it is one of the better VCs I have seen in a military add-on. It really is enjoyable.” Avsim.com


Sheer exhilaration!

The MiG-15 was one of the first swept wing fighters, most notably achieving fame in the skies over Korea in the 1950s. It could climb faster and higher than any other aircraft at the time and outclassed all opposition bar the US F-86 Sabre

The prototype MiG-15 first flew in December 1947. It began appearing in service in 1949 and by 1952 it had been provided to a number of communist satellite nations.

The MiG-15 was deployed against American Air Forces in December of 1950 in Korea. On November 8, 1950, First Lt. Russell Brown, flying an F-80, shot down a MiG-15 in the first all-jet dogfight in history.

This outstanding virtual recreation has been created by Chinese developers, Bear Studios and bristles with atmosphere and authenticity. Stunning details include firing guns with tracers and spent cases, high-G effect and even working eject mechanisms for when the excitement gets too much!

This is an aircraft expansion that not only brings a classic warbird jet to life, but is guaranteed to put a smile on your face!


Details, details, details…

There are so many details and features in this product, its hard to list them all. Below is a list covering many of them:

• 21 accurate models with 50 historical skins, including single and twin seat models covering virtually every variant that was mass produced!

• An incredible virtual cockpit with authentic 1950’s Russian gauges plus the ACK-3 Gyro / Fixed 2 mode gun sight with range and pitch adjustment. Virtually every switch and knob is clickable and fully functional. There are even front and rear cockpits – so you can fly from the front or back.

• The highly detailed and lifelike pilot comes equipped with 3 historically accurate outfits – seem him look around as you fly and you’ll hear the heavy breathing under stress as you pull high-G manouevres.

• Visual effects include engine flame and exhaust effects, high-G vapour trails, gun effects, eject and canopy animations and even ground maintenance models.

• The included Paint Kit includes easy-to-create-your-own MiG skins.

• The boxed edition includes extensive printed documentation – including the important guide to the Russian switches and gauges and the check lists for normal operations will take you step by step through how to have a thrilling but safe flight!

System Requirements
MICROSOFT FLIGHT SIMULATOR X or 2004

Windows – Windows XP or Vista
Processor – 1.6 GHz
Memory – 512 Mb RAM
Hard Drive – 600 Mb free
Video Card – 128 Mb

About Flight One
Atlanta-based Flight One Software, Inc. (Flight1) is a successful and critically acclaimed developer and publisher of flight simulation technology and software.

Founded in 1997, Flight1 has released some of the best and most recognized expansions for Microsoft’s Flight Simulator franchise, including Greatest Airliners 737-300, FS Clouds, Ultimate Traffic, Flight Environment and many more, including the recently released and officially endorsed ATR72-500 and Pilatus PC12 simulations.

Flight1 Europe has been established to provide local marketing and sales support for the company’s range of products in major markets outside of the USA.

For more information about all Flight1 products visit www.flight1.com

Xbox brings gamers a home away from home with The Xbox 360 Lounge

To celebrate the London Games Festival, Microsoft Xbox has set up the ultimate gamers' paradise – The Xbox 360 Lounge.

Decked out with everything from sofas and cushions to consoles, games and music, The Vinyl Factory in London’s Soho will be transformed into an Xbox lounge room for a whole week, giving lovers of gaming the chance to sample a selection of the 300+ game titles available this Christmas.

There will be something for everyone whether it’s testing your movie knowledge on Scene It? Lights, Camera, Action!, rocking out on Guitar Hero III and Dancing Stage Universe, knuckling down to some blockbuster shooter action on Halo 3 and Call of Duty 4, or just burning rubber on Project Gotham Racing 4.

A host of fantastic prizes are up for grabs as hard-core gamers are invited to battle it out with competitions and tournaments throughout the day including a multiplayer Halo 3 tournament.

For those less familiar with gaming, the friendly Xbox team will be on hand to help out with any questions and demonstrations.

The Lounge is open from 12pm to 8pm Mon 29th October – Sat 3rd October, and 12pm to 6pm on Sunday October 28th. There will also be street teams in and around Soho over the whole week, with signs and directions.

The address:

Vinyl Factory Marshall St, London W1F 7QH

You can also get there through Phonica Records, Poland St, London, W1F 7NG.

Nearest Tubes: Oxford Circus & Tottenham Court Road.


PROGRAMME OF EVENTS:

Saturday 27th October 12pm – 8pm
All Day: Xbox 360 blockbuster games

Competition: Dancing Stage Universe

Sunday 28th October 12pm – 6pm
All Day: Xbox 360 blockbuster games

Competition: Scene It? Lights, Camera, Action!

Monday 29th October 12pm – 8pm
All Day: Xbox 360 blockbuster games

Competition: Dancing Stage Universe

Tuesday 30th October 12pm – 8pm
All Day: Activision Day

Competition : Guitar Hero III 6pm – 8pm

Tournament: Call of Duty 4- 6pm

Wednesday 31st October 12pm – 8pm
All Day: Xbox 360 blockbuster games

Competition: Guitar Hero III 6pm – 8pm:

Tournament: Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2- 6pm

Thursday 1st November 12pm – 8pm
All Day: Konami Day

Competition: Dancing Stage Universe. 6pm – 8pm

Tournament: Pro Evolution Soccer 9? Rankings Tournament

Friday 2nd November 12pm – 8pm
All Day: Xbox 360 blockbuster games

Competition: Scene It? Lights, Camera, Action! 3pm – 8pm

Tournament: Halo 3- 3pm

Warhammer 40,000 free PSP download demo

Warhammer 40,000: Squad Command demo for Sony PSP available for free download now

Today heralds the start of an intergalactic war the likes of which has never been seen before. Players will be thrust into the heart of the action as they don the legendary armour of the Ultramarines Chapter of Space Marines and fight for their way through this challenging demo for upcoming Sony PSP title Warhammer 40,000™: Squad Command. This PSP demo will be available to download from www.THQ-games.com from Friday the 26th October.

Set in the vibrant and immersive world of Games Workshop’s Warhammer 40,000 universe, the demo gives players a taste of the fast paced strategic action and futuristic weaponry fans of this series have grown to know and love. Gamers are thrust into the heart of the action as their Chapter battles to save the planet of Ruhr III from the grasp of the daemonic Chaos Space Marines.

Players are given command of a small squad of five Space Marines as well as a heavily armoured Dreadnaught to complete their objective. These units showcase some of the 20 types of weapon on offer in this title as well as the player customizable equipment each unit can carry.

The complete game will feature a gripping and immersive storyline spanning 15 single player missions set in vivid 3D environments with destructible terrain and customizable units. Players will also be able to enjoy over nine unique multiplayer maps as either Space Marines or the corrupted forces of Chaos with up to seven opponents from across the globe.

So what are you waiting for? Download the free Warhammer 40,000: Squad Command demo for Sony PSP from the THQ site now and get right into the action! The full version of Warhammer 40,000: Squad Command™ will be available for Nintendo DS and Sony PSP in November.

Keith Chegwin stars in Cheggers Party Quiz

Loveable TV icon Keith Chegwin stars in Cheggers Party Quiz, launching today on PC and PlayStation 2 from Oxygen Games

The Christmas party season starts early with the arrival of the ultimate party guest. Keith Chegwin – the legendary TV star and personality better known to millions as ‘Cheggers’ – lends his cheeky talents as the virtual host of Cheggers Party Quiz on PlayStation 2 and PC – out today (and coming soon on Nintendo Wii)

The game features eight exciting competition rounds (Opening Night, Big Break, Picture Show, Star Turn, Prime Time, Typecast, Channel Hopping and Final Cut) that can be played on your own or, even better, with up to seven of your mates, on the PS2. Gather round to discover who is the most clued-up member of your family when it comes to answering thousands of questions that span the entertainment worlds of film, music, TV and much more.

Keith Chegwin, the virtual star of Cheggers Party Quiz, says:
“I’ve been a gamer since the days of the Atari, so being a star in my very own title is fantastic. I had a right laugh being the host in Cheggers Party Quiz and made sure that it’s a fun game for all the family to enjoy.”

Keith Chegwin rose to prominence in the mid-1970s with presenting slots on Multi-Coloured Swap Shop and Saturday Superstore, as well as hosting classic TV game shows like Cheggers Plays Pop. More recently, Cheggers has appeared in Ricky Gervais’ critically-acclaimed Extras comedy show and has a regular outdoor segment on GMTV.

Cheggers Party Quiz is on sale today, 26th October, on PC and PlayStation 2, with the Nintendo Wii version due for release on 30th November.

For more information about Cheggers Party Quiz, go to
www.oxygengames.net

StreamMyGame launches Game Streaming

StreamMyGame.com is set to revolutionise the gaming industry. This free to join website provides its members with a free plugin that converts computer games into IPTV channels called Game Streams.

StreamMyGame enables games to be played remotely by converting a game's video and audio into a Game Stream and sending it over a home network to a laptop or second PC. The game can be played on the laptop without any lag and the laptop does not need to have the game installed.

StreamMyGame is compatible with both Windows XP and Vista, with all computer games based on Microsoft's DirectX8, DirectX9, DirectX10 including the latest games such as FIFA 08 and BioShock and OpenGL standards. Game Streams can be created with resolutions up to Super HDTV 3200 x 2400.

"We are embarking on a new paradigm in the gaming industry fuelled by advances in computer hardware, network speeds and the want of gamers to have more freedom," said Richard Faria CEO. "We network the power of their main PC so it can be used to play high end games on other PCs and laptops around the home. I believe the demand for high resolutions will drive the sales of high end PC hardware".

"We will release a Linux version in Q4 2007 which will enable PC games to be played on the PlayStation 3 and many other devices including DVD players, set top boxes, networked media devices and mobile phones," he said.

StreamMyGame will extend its services in Q1 2008 to enable games to be played remotely over broadband networks that have sufficient capacity such as Verizon's FiOS. Publishers will be able to use StreamMyGame to establish Pay-for-Play services.

StreamMyGame also offers its members the ability to record and broadcast gameplay and includes a free MP4 video player. "An easy solution to record your gameplay and upload it to the web has been demanded by gamers and StreamMyGame delivers that. Our YouTube ready MP4 format keeps file sizes low," said Joanna Softly, Marketing Manager, "and broadcasting games at LAN parties so everyone can watch the final from the comfort of their own PC makes so much more sense than crowding around one monitor".

You can try out StreamMyGame for free by simply registering at http://www.StreamMyGame.com/

Hellgate - London video game Opens Wide at iGames

Exclusive Launch Party, Showcase, at Select iGames Member Centers Across North America to Celebrate Release of Hotly Anticipated Action RPG

Events Sponsored by 3D Monitor Manufacturer iZ3D, with exclusive event coverage provided by Premier MMO Community MMOABC.com to Include Launch Party, Nov. 10; Two-Week Showcase, Nov. 12-25

WHAT:
Leading game center organization iGames will host a series of special events to celebrate the release of Hellgate - London by EA, the hotly anticipated action RPG from Flagship Studios, the core team behind Diablo.

WHEN:
Co-sponsored by 3D monitor manufacturer iZ3D, the events will include a one-day launch party, Saturday, November 10 at select iGames member centers, followed by an expanded showcase, November 12-25, allowing gamers one free hour over a two-week period to sample the game.

WHERE:
• Launch Party: 50 select iGames member centers across the United States and Canada.
• Showcase: 100 additional iGames member centers.

ABOUT THE GAME:
From Flagship Studios –fathers of the action role playing genre – comes Hellgate: London, the next benchmark in the evolution of the RPG genre.
Combining the depth of traditional RPGs with the frenetic, visceral feel of first-person shooters, Hellgate: London offers infinite replayability with dynamically created levels, monsters, items and events that gives each player their own unique hack-and-slash experience.

A post-apocalyptic London has been overrun by hordes of terrifying demons, leaving the city desolate and scorched by hellfire. Those who were unlucky enough to survive now gather in the only sanctuary left, the Underground, banding together in order to gain a foothold against the minions of darkness and ultimately save the bloodline of humanity.
It is no surprise that these sole survivors come from three of society’s most elite factions, each of whom are masters of a robust number of skills and weapons essential to demon-thrashing.

The Templar, a secret society preserving the rites of the original Knights Templar, mix futuristic technology with ancient artifacts to create powerful weapons and armor perfect for short-ranged and melee attacks.
The Cabalists are students of the dark arts and edges of science which often leaves them standing right on the line between good and evil. Their mystifying spells make them suited for mid-range combat.
The Hunters are mysterious, highly trained ex-military operatives who lay waste to their foes with hyper-advanced weapons that blend theoretical science and the latest in technology – and their bullets can come from almost any distance.
Hellgate: London delivers an amazing gaming experience to PC gamers of all types – delivering the eye-popping DX10 visuals demanded by the hardcore, and scaling to ensure the masses of casual RPG players can still get the best performance on older PCs.
Hellgate: London is rated “M” for “Mature” with descriptors Blood and Gore, Mild Language, Violence, by the ESRB and comes with a MSRP of $49.99. For more information about the title, visit: http://www.hellgatelondon.com.

European Gamers Set to Unleash Fury!

Codemasters Online announces European wide release of Fury as gamers get set for the ultimate in Free-to-Play MMO carnage!

Codemasters Online are pleased to announce that Fury, the Unreal Engine 3 powered Free-to-Play PvP MMORPG is now available for purchase throughout Europe.

Available at major games retailers, Fury is priced at £29.99 / €39.99 respectively. The full retail box includes a free month of ‘Immortal Membership’ which offers VOIP privileges (in-game voice chat), additional item roll slots, access to various tournament ladders, web based personal statistics, rested gold bonus and priority queuing. FURY offers hardcore players the opportunity to subscribe to Immortal membership for additional benefits.

Based on the Unreal Engine 3, Fury is a unique fusion of adrenaline fuelled, fast paced action blended seamlessly with competitive PvP combat creating a truly unique online experience like never before.

“Codemasters Online are thrilled to be launching Fury across Europe. The combination of combat and fast paced action as well as an abundance of awe-inspiring visuals and dynamic game play characteristics create a truly unique MMO.” commented Adam McGowan, Product Marketing Manager, Codemasters Online.

Out now on PC, Fury is a unique persistent online action RPG giving players an unrivalled player vs player experience. For more information on Fury visit www.unleashthefury.com

SouthPeak Party With Nintendo Wii

Definitive Pool and Snooker Title Coming to Wii in 2008

SouthPeak Games continues to reveal its expansive 2008 catalogue by announcing details of its first Wii title, Pool Party. Scheduled for release in February 2008, Pool Party is a fully-featured pool and snooker simulation featuring a diverse range of game modes and settings and, of course, will make the best possible use of the Wii’s control system.

Pool Party will feature 13 different single player and multi-player game types, encompassing the standard 8-ball, 9-ball, snooker game modes, but including more exotic game types such as Rotation and Black Jack. Play takes place in a choice of 10 stylised environments, ranging from the seediest dive bars to opulent mansions and supremely luxurious yachts and players will also be stepping into the shoes of a range of distinctive characters, as well as facing off against formidable player AI. With shot placement, targeting and adjustments mediated through the Wii’s motion-sensing control system, Pool Party represents the most definitive pool simulation yet seen on Nintendo hardware.

Melanie Mroz, Executive Vice President, SouthPeak Games comments “Pool Party is a major milestone for us, being our first title for Wii. In line with our philosophy of publishing games with an emphasis on distinctive individuality and outright fun, Pool Party’s light-hearted settings and characterisation make it a perfect title for us and we’re certain it’ll be a group-gaming favourite when released in February 2008.”

Pool Party will be released for Wii in February 2008

£15,000 a year . . to play computer games

A Liverpool teenager has become one of Britain’s first full-time professional computer game players.

Adam Brown of Formby is now being paid £15,000 a year to enjoy his favourite pastime.

The 19-year-old former pupil of Merchant Taylors’ school in Crosby was head-hunted for this dream job, which will take him all over the world.

Fellow Merseysider David Kelly, 18, from Maghull, is joining him in a new game-playing squad to take on opposition from different countries.

Both play for a team called Birmingham Salvo and compete in the Championship Gaming Series.
League organisers are trying to increase the profile of gaming so the public will regard it as sport with the same popularity as football or rugby.

Adam today said being a professional game player was his first proper job.

He said: “I didn’t think when I was at school that I’d end up doing this for a living.

“It’s probably something I’d be doing anyway so it’s pretty good to be paid to do it.”
Adam is paid to play the “shoot ‘em up” Counter strike.

He has been playing the PC game for nearly seven years and practices for at least four hours a day. Adam, who lives with his mother in Church Road, said: “She’s always been a bit weird about it and doesn’t understand it really, but I don’t think she minds.
thing I’ve always enjoyed.”

The Championship Gaming Series, launched this year, is the only worldwide professional video gaming league.

To get in the Birmingham Salvo team UK gamers had to attend a four day interview and compete in tournaments.

Some of the players will feature in a televised show on Sky 1 due to be aired some time before Christmas.

Source: Liverpool Echo

Hell’s Kitchen To Become A Video Game

One of the most popular reality TV shows on FOX will soon become a video game. Interactive entertainment company Ludia Inc. is creating a video games based on Granada’s Hell’s Kitchen television show. Hell’s Kitchen video games will be produced across all major platforms including PC, console and mobile.

“We are thrilled that Granada, a highly respected and successful global media company, is entrusting us with the ‘Hell’s Kitchen’ property,” Ludia founder and CEO Alex Thabet explained. “The show has millions of viewers, and the game will bring the fun of the kitchen boot camp experience from the TVs to the PCs and consoles of this rapidly growing audience.”

Katrina Moran, Executive Vice President of Granada America Digital Media commented, “Our strategy is to exploit our brands on as many platforms as possible and to get our content to consumers when and where they want it. The casual games market creates added opportunities for us to engage existing and new fans of the show. Ludia has come up with a truly original and immersive gaming experience which fully meets this brief. We are delighted to work with them to expand the ‘Hell’s Kitchen’ franchise to the video game arena.”

And yes to answer the big question that is on everyone’s minds, Chef Gordon Ramsay is prominently featured throughout the game. The video game version of Chef Ramsay will taste and comment on the culinary creations of players. Chef Ramsay will also judge the players’ overall performances.

The release date of the game is planned to coincide with the upcoming fourth season of Hell’s Kitchen in the United States, which will air in 2008. In addition, the game will feature a recipe book containing several of Gordon Ramsay’s favorite food concoctions that players can print out and cook up in the real world.

Source: Reality TV Magazine

Game on: Console makers in three-way shoot-out

As the Chistmas season approaches Nintendo has been winning market share from rivals Sony and Microsoft by targeting consumers outside the hard-core market.

The balance of power in the Japanese electronics industry has tipped further towards Nintendo and away from former bellwether Sony after the phenomenal success of the Wii gaming console helped the Kyoto-based company almost triple its profits in the first half of the year.

Both Nintendo and Sony reported results yesterday and heading into the crucial Christmas trading period, the contrast between the fortunes of two companies could hardly be more stark. Nintendo, which overtook Sony in terms of market valuation in May, has continued its upward march after increasing its forecast for the number of Wii and DS devices it will sell this year. The games company behind classic characters such as Super Mario, Donkey Kong and Zelda, is now the second most valuable company in Japan, trailing only the automotive giant Toyota. Meanwhile, shares in Sony, which has lost almost 30 per cent of its market value since May, slipped further after the company admitted that it could miss its sales target for its flagship PlayStation 3 console.

The reversal of fortunes within the games console sector has been stunning and highly unexpected given Nintendo's Wii was tipped to struggle to compete with its competitors. Sony – which had achieved unparalleled success with the first two incarnations of its PlayStation mach-ine – and Microsoft were widely expected to dominate the market for next-generation consoles with state-of-the-art machines. With Nintendo's GameCube spectacularly flopping only four years ago, many observers wondered whether it had a future in the console market and whether it should instead focus its energy on handheld devices, due to the success of its GameBoy series, and on developing more hit games around Mario and his adventures.

The failure of the GameCube – which went head to head with Sony's PlayStation 2 and the original Xbox – triggered headlines proclaiming that Mario – the animated plumber that symbolised Nintendo's dominance of the computer games market in the 1980s – had finally run out of tricks and the company's valuation collapsed as analysts fretted that Micro-soft's entry into the video games sector may have been terminal for the Japanese company. Nintendo's demise was attributed to a serious strategic error as analysts derided its attempts to target older gamers and a more mainstream audience at a time when sales of violent action games such as Halo and Grand Theft Auto were all the rage.

Yet Nintendo stuck to its guns and despite concerns that the Wii would be another also-ran compared with the top-end Play-Station 3 and Xbox 360, the console has sold like wildfire and proved the doubters wrong. It has outsold the PS3 three-to-one in the Japanese market and five-to-one in the US and has taken the PS2's mantle as the fastest selling console in history in the UK after shifting 1 million machines in just eight months.

More from The Independent

By Nic Fildes

The future of video games

Quentin Hardy's panel on "Beyond the Video Console" is fascinating. Increasingly video games take centerstage in the online world going forward.

One of the panelists made the point that every generation worries about a new "technology" that will corrupt children: once upon a time, that "technology" was jazz music; then rock and roll. Fast forward and today it's video games.

Video games become a dominant means of telling stories. Even more compelling--multiplayer games where the "community" can engage in playing a game. The "game" aspects, of gaming, matter enormously.

That doesn't make SecondLife the answer, though.

As one panelist pointed out, once you have created an avatar and dressed it, there isn't too much to do in SecondLife.

Call that a work in progress. Eventually, however, the industry will figure out this emerging digital world, and invent engaging ways to play games and interact there.

For now, though, I confess I made a note to myself: better buy the kids more video games!

Source: Forbes

'Simpsons' game delivers big laughs for devoted fans

Fans of The Simpsons, the longest-running animated television series in history, have played through related video games worthy of yelling Woo hoo! (such as 2003's The Simpsons: Hit & Run ) and some deserving of a "D'oh!" (2002's The Simpsons Skateboarding ).

Now America's favorite yellow, four-fingered and dysfunctional family has gone interactive again with EA Games' The Simpsons Game, and the good news is that it's the best The Simpsons game to date — but you do need to be a fan to appreciate all the inside jokes.

With a zany story line crafted by the Emmy award-winning writers from the TV show, the Simpsons family — Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie — are aware they're trapped inside a video game, and so they use their newfound special powers to live out their fantasies and help save their town of Springfield. For example, the overweight father Homer can unleash a serious belch or change into a giant ball of fat to roll over enemies, while bad boy Bart, armed with a slingshot, can peg off baddies with ease or glide through the air with his Bartman cape.

Most missions let you play as one of two characters, and in some cases you'll need to use one in particular to take advantage of their abilities. When playing alone, the game's artificial intelligence controls the other family member, but at any time a second player can pick up a controller to start playing.

Not only have the TV show's cast members provided voice talent to the characters in the game — including all the Springfieldeans you will come across in your adventures, such as Lenny and Carl, Chief Wiggum, Krusty the Crown and more than 100 others — but this video game also enjoys smooth "cel-shaded" animation that resembles the TV cartoon, even with the move to 3-D.The game offers 16 distinct "episodes" and more than 8,000 lines of dialogue.

The hilarious missions include running through Homer's dream in "Chocolate Land" at the beginning of the game; Marge and Lisa trying to get the violent video game "Grand Theft Scratchy" banned (The Simpsons Game parodies many other video games, including the World War II shooter Medal of Honor ); stopping the Lard Lad statue, which has come alive, from wreaking havoc on Springfield; and a personal favorite where Homer and Bart must run through an eating contest divided into different countries.

The game is also loaded with collectible items such as Duff beer bottle caps, "video game cliches" as discovered by Comic Book Guy, unlockable costumes and an optional time challenge mode to add to the game's replayability.

While a fan of the TV show will get a lot more out of The Simpsons Game than someone who is not, it's evident a tremendous amount of effort and detail went into this ambitious game. The end result is an adventure more fun than crank-calling Moe's Tavern.

Source: USA Today