Game Review: Playground is More Than a Wii Bit Of Fun

As we all know by now, the genius of the Wii isn't in the graphics, it's in the gameplay. Whether it's the rolling a bowling ball or swinging a bat in Wii Sports, swinging the golf club in Tiger Woods Golf, or throwing the football in Madden NFL, the natural gameplay allowed by the Wiimote has brought gaming to another level of fun for even the casual player.

What is also great is how this advance has freed game developers to create new titles based on concepts that previously would not have created much excitement when confined to a standard controller. One good example is Playground, from Electronic Arts (EA).

The setting is a school playground, and the hook is playing classic playground games (mostly) using the Wiimote, to collect marbles and stickers to unlock advanced moves and open new play areas. The classic games include Dodgeball, Tetherball, and Wallball, which all utilize the Wiimote in interesting ways; and the not-so-classic games, such as Kicks (think volleyball + soccer), Slot Car Racing, Paper Racers (flying paper airplanes for distance and points), and Dart Shootout.

The players are cartoon-character kids, each with their own specialties in different areas. You walk your kid around the playground, picking games to play, or taking dares to challenge other kids and win their marbles. The graphics are typical for the Wii - nothing fancy, but nicely animated, and the gameplay is very enjoyable, each game calling for interesting use of the Wiimote. As I said, there's no way they could make these games work on standard platforms: could you ever imagine playing Tetherball with a Sixaxis controller? But with the Wiimote, it's a ton of fun.

All in all, this is another fun title that shows off what is best about the Wii. It's not about high-resolution first-person shooters, where every blade of grass is rendered perfectly; it's about enjoyable gameplay that can be shared with family and friends.

GeekDad: Innovative, family-friendly gameplay with a fun setting and interesting challenges.
GeekSad: Some of the game choices are odd: who ever played slot-cars on a playground?
Price/maker: $40 / EA
Rating: 8/10

Source: Wired

Game Day: Play Drums, MIDI, Guitar with a Wii Controller, Free

All for FREE - Visit the website to get the details here

Bless Nintendo for making the Wii controller: inexpensive, lots of internal sensor data (motion sensing, tilt sensing, buttons), elegant design, and standard Bluetooth support allowing it to be used with Mac, Windows, and Linux.

Now there’s free and open source software for making the most of your Wiimote as a musical instrument. First up: Wiinstrument, a multi-purpose percussion instrument, now available for all three operating systems (a Windows version was recently added).

Plays percussion / drums with gestures
Use an (in-development) internal sampler with WAV files, or trigger other software via MIDI
Use tilt for control changes
Supports tilt, velocity (how much force you use when you move your Wiimote), with acceleration from both the Wiimote and nunchuk
It works with Mac, Windows, and Linux, via a standard OpenGL-based interface, thanks to the awesome 2D OpenGL library Gosu. (Programmers, take note.)
Of course, drums are just the beginning — you could use this to trigger clips, grooves, visualist videos and animations, whatever. And it comes with demos, tutorials, source code, the lot.

Nintendo Says It's Not Limiting Wii Supply

Nintendo denies rumors that the company is limiting the supply of Wii units worldwide.

Nintendo has refuted ongoing speculation that the company is limiting the supply of global Wii units in an effort to fake demand.

"We strongly reject and resent the accusation that we are 'PR-ing' stock shortages," a company official told Max Console on Monday.

"We are doing all we can to ensure that the unprecedented demand for Wii can be met as far as possible in the run up to Christmas."

Nintendo says it is working at maximum capacity in producing 1.8 million Wii units per month.

Since first launching in November of last year, the Wii has seen widespread shortages at retail and regularly commands US$100-200 above its MSRP of $250 when sold online.

Will the Wii be a set-top box?

Will Nintendo try to turn its Wii console into a platform for delivering movies and other content to consumers? The company is experimenting with it.

The company has created a service in Japan that lets consumers get TV listings via the Wii, Reggie Fils-Aime, president of Nintendo of America, said at the Dow Jones Consumer Technology Innovations Conference taking place here this week.

Nintendo went forward with the project because a TV Guide Network-like service similar to what Nintendo is offering didn't exist. (TV in Japan is notoriously weird: in the past, PCs and TVs had to be fitted with an array of tuners to get all channels).

There are no plans to bring something like this to the United States at the moment, he said, but Nintendo is always looking around. "There are other channel opportunities," he said. "They may look like games. They may not look like games."

Fils-Aime was quite less vague when it came to talking about why the Wii console and DS handheld are doing well. One reason, of course, is that Nintendo is reaching out to a wider variety of consumers than the other guys.

The company also placed a bet on interactivity when Sony and Microsoft put their efforts behind boosting the graphics on their games.

The next big hardware change for the Wii will be the Wii Fit, an exercise-like board that will let consumers literally put their feet in the game. You stand on it and shift your feet and weight to play the game.

Some examples of possible games include Pilates, aerobics, stretching, and skiing. Fils-Aime himself has suggested a tennis game. Nintendo's Wii has tennis now, but it involves only your arm. With the Fit board, players would shift their feet when swinging a racket.

Along with the Fit, Nintendo will additionally bring more of its classic games to its newer platforms.

Nintendo also spends less on its games than its competitors do.

Developing a game for the DS costs a few hundred thousand dollars. Thus, Nintendo has to sell 100,000 only copies of a game to make money on it.

Wii games cost a little more. Developing a game for Wii might cost $5 million to $10 million, including all of the marketing costs.

By contrast, developing a game for the PlayStation 3 or Xbox 360 can cost $20 million to $50 million, Fils-Aime asserted. As a result, a developer needs to sell 1.3 million to 1.5 million copies of a game to turn a profit, he argued.

"That's a pretty dramatic difference," Fils-Aime said.

While Sony and Microsoft executives may argue with some of his figures, this is clearly the good ol' days for Fils-Aime and Nintendo. The company has already sold 53 million DS handhelds. "It is on track to be the fastest-selling console, period," he said.

The Wii isn't doing too bad either. Late last year, Nintendo predicted that it would sell 14.5 million consoles in 2007, a high number that has been since raised to 17.5 million, he said. Right now, Nintendo is selling about 1.8 million consoles a month.

Two weeks ago, the company had its biggest sales week ever. Last week, it surpassed that record, he noted. As a result, the console is tough to find for a second holiday season in a row.

"At this point, we are literally trying to catch up with demand," he said. There is no secret plan to store Wiis in a warehouse to spur demand. The company, after all, is trying to reach out to women and to 40- and 50-year-olds who aren't avid gamers.

"They aren't going to sleep outside of a store overnight or visit a retailer five or six times," he said. "It is literally a missed opportunity."

Sudden Strike Next7 engine for Sudden Strike 3: Arms for Victory

Fireglow Publishing today announced its plans to use Sudden Strike Next7, the engine behind the upcoming Sudden Strike 3: Arms for Victory title. This engine will allow a variety of products to be created. Some of them will be announced soon.

Sudden Strike Next7 is a generic RTS engine to be used in subsequent games in the Sudden Strike series and other games from Fireglow. Fireglow is also developing thorough documentation in order to license the engine to third parties. The public version of the editor is being prepared and will be released with add-ons.

Here is a link to the trailer (8Mb) showing how microAI works in Sudden Strike Next 7. After the Player gives the units a single command to unload, they can be left on their own to defend, supply and fight without orders from humans and without having to be managed.

More information about Sudden Strike Next7 engine can be found on the official site:
http://www.suddenstrike.com/index.php?uid=obj_view&uid_obj=2286939&uid_cat=262

About Sudden Strike 3: Arms for Victory:
Sudden Strike 3: Arms for Victory is the latest instalment in the award-winning, critically acclaimed and hugely popular Sudden Strike series. It features historically authentic models built to scale, fully interactive giant maps and full 3-D state-of-the-art graphics in the popular Sudden Strike style. Only Sudden Strike plays like the 'real thing'. WW2 gaming at its best: on land, at sea and in the air!

Demo for Sudden Strike 3: Arms for Victory (276 Mb, US South)
Demo for Sudden Strike 3: Arms for Victory (276 Mb, US North)

Features:

· Fully interactive landscape (all objects can be destroyed, all buildings and pillboxes can be
used as shelter)
· Massive operations on big maps, strategic scale of the maps (front line can be a few
kilometres long)
· Thousands of units fighting in real time
· More than 300 tanks, ships, soldiers, guns and planes with original weapons built to scale
· Great sounds, 5.1 supported, nations speak native languages
· New feature - advanced Micro AI-behaviour allows your troops to act exactly as you plan
· Joint naval and ground operations, air raids, artillery strikes etc.
· State-of-the-art technology to render 3D landscape, realistic lines of sight and fire
· Spectacular visual & lighting effects
· Multiplayer mode: up to 8 players, GameSpy® supported
· Five campaigns playable for American, British, German, Japanese and Soviet sides

The Lifestyle With NBA Ballers: Chosen One

Midway Announces Third Installment of Popular NBA Ballers Franchise Coming to Next Generation Consoles in Spring 2008

Midway Games, a leading interactive entertainment software publisher and developer, today announced NBA Ballers: Chosen One as the next installment in its top selling NBA Ballers franchise. The fast-paced one-on-one and two-on-two action returns as players can select from more than 65 NBA superstars to be the next "Chosen One". NBA Ballers: Chosen One is scheduled to ship for the Xbox 360™ and PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system in Spring 2008.

"NBA Ballers: Chosen One will allow players to live the life of an NBA superstar," said Steve Allison, chief marketing officer, Midway. "Featuring new competitive combo and super-move systems, the NBA Ballers Franchise returns with the amazing realistic graphics for which the franchise is known as players take part in the ultimate challenge to become the next 'Chosen One."

With an optimized next-gen graphics engine, NBA Ballers: Chosen One will continue to set the bar for graphic quality, with the most true-to-life athlete likenesses seen in a sports video game. The franchise's hallmark pick-up-and-play gameplay allows Ballers of all skill levels to master combos and pull off amazing super-moves as they hoop-it-up with the best players in the NBA.

For the latest game information, screenshots and more, please click on to www.nbaballers.com.

New Nikitova Games IP titles in production

Tatiana Makarova, “Nikitova Games” VP of Sales announces two of it's own new IP titles are currently in production and planned for release in 2008.

“We are happy to share the details of our own new IP titles with the gaming society. In accordance with our strategic plan for 2008, these two games will be designed for both the Nintendo Wii and DS consoles.

The first game, CCTV, is a game where the player assumes the role of a surveillance officer using Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) and police cars to catch petty criminals and most-wanted criminals alike. The player's aim is to clean up the streets of his city by finding his suspects and nailing them in this fast-paced, humorous game of observation, identification & interrogation. The game is designed to be played as either a single player, as two players co-operatively or as 2 players competing against one another.

The second game, Mind Games, is a selection of 21 mini-games based on the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB) of "computeribrainized" tests developed in Cambridge University by a celebrity female neuropsychology professor and her team and used in science and medicine in 500 institutes and hospitals in 50 countries worldwide, to analyze the performance and activity of various areas of the brain. Mind Games is being developed for both the Nintendo Wii and DS consoles, allowing one or two players of any age to have fun while they are learning, said Tatiana Makarova.

“CCTV and Mind Games, as well as other Nikitova Games' title details, can now be found at a brand new web site, www.NikitovaGames.com”; Alex Godun, Nikitova Games’ Head of Marketing added.

The Games Company obtains certification from Nintendo.

Development and Publishing for Wii and Nintendo DS planned

In 2008 the strategic orientation of the Berlin based publisher points towards next-gen consoles. In addition to its successful PC products TGC will be extending its portfolio with titles for Nintendo’s Wii console and for Nintendo DS. Proprietary as well as licensed products and commissioned productions for these consoles will then be published by TGC on its own initiative. As a certified Nintendo partner TGC will develop and publish Wii and Nintendo DS games for European, Australian and New Zeeland markets.

With this strategic decision TGC is entering a strongly growing market and setting the course for the expansion of business activities in the upcoming fiscal year. The company will announce the first console titles very soon with its line-up for 2008.

Markus Malti, CEO of TGC, comments on the accreditation by Nintendo: “The partnership with Nintendo emphasizes TGC’s ambitions as a multi-platform publisher. I am looking forward to the first projects we are going to realize for the two platforms.”

UK Games chart 24 November

All formats

(Full price) Week ending 24 November 2007

1 ASSASSIN'S CREED UBISOFT 1
2 NEED FOR SPEED: PROSTREET ELECTRONIC ARTS -
3 CALL OF DUTY 4: MODERN WARFARE ACTIVISION 2
4 THE SIMPSONS GAME ELECTRONIC ARTS 3
5 PRO EVOLUTION SOCCER 2008 KONAMI 7
6 SUPER MARIO GALAXY NINTENDO 5
7 WWE SMACKDOWN VS RAW 2008 THQ 4
8 FIFA 08 ELECTRONIC ARTS 6
9 GUITAR HERO III: LEGENDS OF ROCK ACTIVISION -
10 MASS EFFECT MICROSOFT -
11 MARIO & SONIC AT THE OLYMPIC GAMES SEGA -
12 RATATOUILLE THQ 9
13 KANE & LYNCH: DEAD MEN EIDOS -
14 LEGO STAR WARS: THE COMPLETE SAGA LUCASARTS 8
15 HALO 3 MICROSOFT 12
16 THE SIMS 2: CASTAWAY ELECTRONIC ARTS 10
17 MYSIMS ELECTRONIC ARTS 13
18 NEW SUPER MARIO BROS. NINTENDO 14
19 TIGER WOODS PGA TOUR 08 ELECTRONIC ARTS 20
20 FOOTBALL MANAGER 2008 SEGA 15

Naruto: Rise of a Ninja Japanese voices free

Japanese voices now available!

Today Ubisoft, one of the world’s largest video game publishers, announced that the Japanese voices by the official Naruto Japanese cast of Naruto: Rise of a Ninja, an Xbox 360 video game exclusive, are now available to download on the Xbox Live for free !

Voices to include:

- Junko Takeuchi - Uzumaki Naruto
- Kazuhiko Inoue - Hatake Kakashi
- Chie Nakamura - Haruno Sakura
- Noriaki Sugiyama - Uchiha Sasuke
- Kujira - Orochimaru
- Akira Ishida - Sabaku no Gaara

Here are the instructions to download them:

1- Sign-in into Xbox Live (Silver account required)
2- Start the game
3- In the main menu, go to ‘XboxLive Marketplace’
4- Download Japanese voices package from Marketplace
5- Go to options – Play Japanese Voices – select ‘Yes’
6- Have fun!

Matrix Games Announces their 2007 Holiday Sale Event!

There's nothing like a little wargaming to put everyone in the holiday spirit!

With a mighty “Ho! Ho! Ho!”, Matrix Games (www.matrixgames.com) is spreading holiday joy by announcing their 2007 Holiday Sale Event! From midnight on the night of November 26th through midnight on January 7th, gamers around the globe will be able to purchase over a dozen popular titles available from Matrix Games at a special 25% holiday discount.

David Heath, Director of Operations at Matrix Games, said “Ok, so this sale doesn’t involve me dressing in a Santa Claus outfit and handing out some of our best products to everyone at the local mall, but it’s pretty close! Our Game on Demand boxed copy is a perfect present for your favorite wargamer and is quite easy to gift wrap!”

Looking for an extra few stocking stuffers for the extended family? Sports fans would be delighted to find PureSim Baseball 2007 or Maximum Football v2 wrapped and ready to play under their Christmas tree. Why not stay in touch with gamer friends and family through play by email gaming (PBEM)? Matrix Games offers a wide selection of titles that support PBEM as well as TCP/IP play which give players a convenient and easy way to connect through gaming with distant family and old friends. Try games like Advanced Tactics: WWII, Battlefront or The Operational Art of War III to catch up with that uncle or buddy who lives halfway across the country while royally pummeling him with your Panzers at the same time! It’s the best of both worlds, not to mention bragging rights for next year…

Get more information on any of these great Matrix Games titles from MatrixGames.com. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all!

A New Update for Guns of August Thunders onto PCs!

A new update file marches towards hard drives everywhere

Matrix Games (www.matrixgames.com) and Adanac Command Studies are pleased to announce the release of another update for the WWI grand strategy hit, Guns of August! This latest update brings over 60 changes and improvements. Most notably, the AI has been improved, new higher game resolutions have been added to increase support for widescreen displays, and a variety of interface improvements and rule or data improvements have been incorporated based on player feedback.

David Heath, Director of Operations at Matrix Games, said “Guns of August still has all the addicting appeal that kept me glued to my seat back when the game was released, but now it plays even better and is easier to use. It’s great to see this excellent strategy game continue to improve with each update.”

Frank Hunter of Adanac Command Studies added “This latest update allows gamers to really dig into the full campaign thanks to the many improvements and tweaks, many made specifically based on community feedback. I appreciate the ongoing dedication of the Guns of August community and the support of Matrix Games in this endeavor.”

Guns of August puts players in command of waging World War I at a grand strategic scale from Paris to Baghdad. The entire Western, Eastern, Italian and Balkan fronts are included as are the three fronts of the Ottoman Empire. Production, combat, diplomacy, research, trenches, fog of war, and not to mention land, sea and air combat are all included! Use land units like infantry corps complete with separate artillery units for precisely directing barrages on the enemy's line.

As time goes on, players must deal with changing combat situations like the introduction of Stossstruppen and even mighty tanks charging through lines to break through the stalemate! Guns of August fully supports a robust AI to fight against or play by email. Step back to the early 20th Century and hear the guns of August!

Get more information on Guns of August from its official Matrix Games webpage. The update will bring the game to version 1.20 and is comprehensive.

The Blip Festival 2007 Returns to NYC for Second Triumphant Year, Nov. 29 through Dec. 2

4-Day Festival Celebrates Chiptune Culture with 40 Artists and Musicians from around the World

Event Organized by The Tank and 8bitpeoples; Sponsored by Element Labs, Time Out Magazine, Make Magazine, Singha Beer, and Periscope Entertainment, with Additional Support from The Greenwall Foundation and New York State Council on the Arts

The Blip Festival 2007 (www.blipfestival.org), a four-day celebration of music and art made with vintage video game and home computing equipment, today announced its full schedule of events, screenings and workshops celebrating chiptune culture in all its many forms.

Presented by The Tank and 8bitpeoples and sponsored in part by Element Labs, Time Out Magazine, Make Magazine, Singha Beer, and Periscope Entertainment, with additional support from The Greenwall Foundation and New York State Council on the Arts, this year’s extravaganza follows up on the success of 2006’s inaugural outing with an even larger venue to showcase its roster of 40 artists and musicians from the US, Japan, Europe and South America – many appearing for the first time ever in the United States.

“After last year’s jaw-dropping lineup and unprecedented turnout, it became clear that there is a large and growing interest in this movement that shouldn’t be ignored,“ said Mike Rosenthal, festival co-curator and The Tank’s Managing Director. “By hosting this event, we not only nurture the scene, but also give New Yorkers a unique chance to experience a thriving international subculture.“

With nightly concerts, weekend screenings and workshops, and a group gallery show “B I T M A P: as good as new” presented in association with the festival at Williamsburg’s vertexList Gallery, The Blip Festival 2007 brings together the biggest names in the field of low-bit art and music for an opportunity to be seen and heard in the epicenter of the creative world.

Among the featured artists who will be showcasing their skills on Game Boys, Ataris, Commodore 64s and other old school gear are Tokyo-based 6955, the Netherlands' Gijs Gieskes, and New York's very own Bit Shifter and Nullsleep. In addition, daytime workshops, held on Saturday and Sunday, December 1 & 2, include such topics as “Break the Circle and Become an Atari DJ” and “Pixel Pushing the PPU: An Introduction to NES Graphics.”

The Blip Festival 2007 will also present the world premiere of 8-BIT Generation, a new documentary about low-bit art and chiptune music, and the influence videogame culture has had on an entire generation of artists. Directed by Lionel Brouet, who will be present at the screening and will introduce the film, 8-Bit Generation features punk godfather and former Sex Pistols manager Malcolm McLaren, Role Model (Sweden) Lo-bat (Belgium), Relax Beat (France), and The Wild Strawberries (China).

Among the festival’s related events, vertexList Gallery is presenting “B I T M A P: as good as new,” a group exhibition celebrating the history of the digital image, the aesthetics of early computing, and early video-game consoles, featuring Cory Arcangel, Chris Ashley, Eteam, Kimberly Hart, Tom Moody, and many, many more.

On Wednesday, November 28, to get everyone ready for the 4-day extravaganza, The Tank will present a screening of 8 BIT (www.8bitmovie.com), a documentary about low-bit art and culture, which premiered at the Museum of Modern Art and was screened at last year's Blip Festival. For more information, including a complete schedule of events, visit: http://www.blipfestival.org/schedule.html.

Explore the World of Sherlock Holmes in Full 3D

ocus Home Interactive and Panogames are pleased to launch a new gallery of panoramic screenshots for Sherlock Holmes versus Arsène Lupin, the upcoming adventure/mystery title from Focus Home Interactive and Frogwares. Visitors to Panogames' online gallery can explore a wide variety of historical landmarks from the game, all of which have been recreated in rich and meticulous detail by the developers. Two of the panoramic screens (without watermarking) are available for direct download at the URL below.

Visit Panogames' online gallery


Download 3D screens (without watermarks)


Visit the official website


A true battle of wits between two of the greatest figures in popular literature, Sherlock Holmes versus Arsène Lupin will send players to 19th Century London where Arsène Lupin, a young French burglar with an impressive track record, has just challenged Scotland Yard and the most celebrated of detectives – Sherlock Holmes. Lupin has announced that he plans to rob the capital of five objects of immense value over the course of five days. The objects are housed in highly prestigious locations such as the National Gallery, the British Museum, the Tower of London and even Buckingham Palace! Sherlock Holmes will have to muster all his courage and ingenuity to save England from terrible humiliation.

Bomberman LIVE Xbox LIVE Arcade This Week

Second Theme and Third Batch of Gamerpics for the Popular Game Available November 28

Today Hudson Entertainment announced that it is releasing a second theme and third batch of gamerpics (both pictured below) for Bomberman LIVE on Xbox LIVE Arcade. Both the theme and the gamerpics, sold separately, will be available starting this Wednesday, November 28th and include:

Theme: Rocky Bomboa clobbering the competition.

Gamerpics: Lt. Bomb (the policewoman), Shinobi Bomb (the ninja), Bomb Diggity (the hip-hop heavyweight), Bombopatra (the Egyptian queen), and Bomber X (the biker).

This is a sneak peek of four new characters (Lt. Bomb, Shinobi Bomb, Bomb Diggity, and Bombopatra) that will be included in upcoming downloadable content for Bomberman LIVE.

Bomberman LIVE delivers frantic 8-player online play. Fans can also play with their friends in 4-player local action on one system. In addition, Bomberman LIVE features new character customizations, which allow players to personalize their Bomberman from over 10,000 possible combinations. Bomberman LIVE offers gamers the chance to finally prove that they're the best Bomberman player in the world.

For more information on Bomberman LIVE visit www.hudsonentertainment.com

UNREAL TOURNAMENT 3 PLAYSTATION 3 System Ship Date

Unreal Tournament 3 Slated to Ship on December 10, 2007, for the PLAYSTATION 3 computer entertainment system in North America

Midway Games Inc. (NYSE: MWY) and Epic Games today announced that the PLAYSTATION 3 system version of Unreal Tournament 3 is scheduled to ship to retail outlets in North America on December 10th. It is expected to begin arriving in stores in limited quantities the following day, with a U.S. suggested retail price of $59.95. The highly anticipated first-person shooter has already shipped internationally for the PC and is available for a U.S. suggested retail price of $49.95 and $59.95 for the collector's edition.

About Unreal Tournament 3

Unreal Tournament 3 marks the return of the world's premiere first-person shooter to the PC, and its debut on PLAYSTATION 3 system. Unreal Tournament 3 unleashes the full power of Unreal Engine 3, taking graphics, gameplay, and challenge to a whole new level. Players engage in intense battles with other human players online, or against Unreal artificial intelligence that sets the industry standard. With the most powerful futuristic weapons and vehicles available, this is FPS action at its best!

About Epic Games

Epic Games, Inc., based in Cary, NC, and established in 1991, develops cutting-edge games and game engine technology for PC and console. The company has created multiple million-selling, award-winning titles in their Unreal series and their latest game, Gears of War, broke sales records on Xbox 360 selling more than 3 million copies worldwide in the first ten weeks and awarded overall Game of the Year for 2006 by the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences, Game Developers Choice Awards, GameSpot, GamePro and many others. Epic is also responsible for the Unreal Engine, which is the underlying technology for a wide range of games including Console Game of the Year winner "Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell" by Ubisoft; PC Gamer's Game of the Year "Deus Ex" from Ion Storm/Eidos; "America's Army: Special Forces" by the United States Army; and "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" (PC) by Electronic Arts. Epic's Unreal Engine 3 is the current holder, and three-time consecutive winner, of Game Developer magazine's Front Line award for Best Game Engine. Epic Games was also awarded Studio of the Year at the 2006 Spike TV Video Game Awards and Developer of the Year by Official Xbox Magazine. Additional information about Epic can be obtained through Epic's Web site at www.epicgames.com

Atari to Engage in Additional Combat With ArmA: Gold

New Expansion Pack for ArmA: Combat Operations Announced

Atari, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATAR), one of the world's most recognized brands and a third-party video game publisher, today announced that it will publish ArmA: Gold, a compilation of Arma: Combat Operations and Arma: Queens Gambit, Bohemia Interactive's newest military expansion pack for the Windows platform also available via digital download.

"ArmA: Queens Gambit offers players an exciting new campaign with seven more missions for an exceptional combat simulation game," said Todd Slepian, Producer, Atari, Inc. "Fans of Arma: Combat Operations, hailed as '... the most complete and perhaps even the best combat simulator out there' by GamingTrend.com, are sure to enjoy this extensive expansion. Additionally, gamers can check out the original and expansion with Arma: Gold."

In ArmA: Combat Operations, players will be able to engage in the story-driven single-player campaign or take part in huge multiplayer battles with more than 50 players on one battlefield at once. Featuring a vast environment with more than 150 square miles to explore, ArmA: Combat Operations will allow players to pilot or drive more than 30 vehicles including APCs, tanks, self-propelled anti-aircraft guns, helicopters and fighter planes. The game features an extremely powerful built-in editor which allows players to create and share complex missions as well as import user-created units and maps.

ArmA: Queens Gambit will offer a new story-based campaign occurring 18 months after the ArmA: Combat Operations war conflict. In the same realistic combat simulation experience, you will be arriving with a group of seasoned mercenaries to help the government with a sensitive matter that the army cannot handle alone. With unprecedented freedom of movement, actions and tactics, the game will allow players to immerse themselves in battle with six completely new characters, new vehicles and seven original campaigns.

For more information on Atari and its entire product line-up please visit www.atari.com.

Syphon Filter: Combat Ops

FACT SHEET


Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. (SCEA)
Platform: PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) via the PLAYSTATION® PC Store
Developer: Sony Computer Entertainment, Bend Studio
Genre: Third Person Shooter
Players: 8 via Ad-hoc and Infrastructure
Launch Date: November 20, 2007

ESRB:

Syphon Filter: Combat Ops expands the multiplayer experience presented in Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror and Syphon Filter: Logan’s Shadow, by adding mission and combat modifiers, map editing features, and the ability to share user-generated content. For the first time, users have the ability to create their own multiplayer missions with the ability to edit objectives, avatars, spawn points, and zip line locations, then upload them to the game server to share with other PSP owners worldwide. A ranking system for shared maps allows players to rate maps they have downloaded and played. Developer-created missions will also be available for players who just want to jump into a match. Developed using the Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror engine, Syphon Filter: Combat Ops features 5 modes of four versus four gameplay, including Retrieval, Sabotage, Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch and Rogue Agent.

Key Features
Downloadable only title launched from the PSP XMB
Create, play, and share missions with other PSP owners.
Players can vote on maps they have played, providing a ranking system for all maps.
• Up to Eight person multiplayer via ad-hoc and infrastructure
• Based on multiplayer engine developed for Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror
Five types of gameplay modes including Retrieval, Sabotage, Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch and Rogue Agent.

"Kingdom Under Fire: Circle of Doom" Goes Gold

Microsoft celebrates gold status of the Xbox 360 exclusive game and announces chance to create new fan sites

Microsoft and BLUESIDE Inc. today announced that “Kingdom Under Fire: Circle of Doom,” the latest instalment of the critically acclaimed franchise, has gone gold. To prepare for the journey, players can download a cool set of game assets from www.xbox.com/KUFCOD that can be used to create their own fan site. Players can also visit www.kufcod.com to find the news, features and updates on “KUF: CoD” from the team at BLUESIDE.

A departure from the action real-time strategy formula seen in previous “Kingdom Under Fire” games, “Kingdom Under Fire: Circle of Doom” is an action-packed role playing game (RPG) that makes full use of the Xbox 360 processing power to create a revolutionary gaming experience. Players will explore vast and randomly generated maps while battling bloodthirsty monsters attacking from all directions. As the game progresses, the six heroes will find increasingly advanced and spectacular ways to defeat enemies using new weapons and abilities as they progress through six varied acts. Players will also be able to interact with one another with a full multiplayer experience and up to four-player co-op on Xbox LIVE Gold.

From the inspired minds at BLUESIDE Inc., “KUF: CoD” offers fans and new players alike an all new chapter to the “KUF” universe. For the latest revealed “KUF: CoD” characters including exclusive abilities, histories and more, go to: http://edelmanadmin.psni.com/public/Kingdom%20Under%20Fire:%20Circle%20of%20Doom/. Please do not link directly to the URL, but feel free to download and republish these assets on your own site.

“KUF: CoD” will hit stores nationwide on 1st February 2008 for an estimated retail price of £44.99

FINAL FANTASY XI WINGS OF THE GODDESS

Square Enix Ltd., the publisher of Square Enix interactive entertainment products in Europe and other PAL territories, announced today that WINGS OF THE GODDESS the fourth expansion pack for FINAL FANTASY XI, a successful massively multi-player online role-playing game (MMORPG), is now available for Windows and Xbox 360.

This fourth expansion to FINAL FANTASY XI sends players twenty years back in time, right at the core of the Crystal War, the main event upon which the FINAL FANTASY XI storyline is based. With new jobs, enemies and exciting features it will make FINAL FANTASY XI one of the most involving and deep MMORPG experiences ever.

John Yamamoto, president and chief executive officer of Square Enix Ltd. comments, “The world of FINAL FANTASY XI continues to grow with both new content and new players. WINGS OF THE GODDESS provides the latest exciting expansion to Vana’diel with a host of features that ensures FINAL FANTASY XI continues to evolve and entertain.”

About WINGS OF THE GODDESS

New Combat Features:
An all-new “Allied Campaign” system will allow players to take part in large-scale battles and explore new special dungeons
New Areas:
New settings further expand the vast world of Vana’diel
Mog House Guests:
Players will be able to invite their friends to their Mog Houses, showing their personalised furniture and special items. It is a new way to talk about past adventures and future plans in an entirely customised setting.
New Jobs
New Monsters
New Jobs

Dancer
With their aggressive steps, these thewy terpsichoreans would weave forbidden magicks upon themselves and their enemies, producing results rivalling those of even the most powerful sorcerous cants. The popularity of this profession reached its peak during the Great War, when dancers were common additions to the allied army units fighting on the front lines.

Scholar
During the Crystal War, these military tacticians often served as high-ranking officers in allied forces across Vana’diel. Extensive knowledge of ancient martial theory granted them the ability to wield dual schools of magic, between which they would alternate depending on the situation at hand.

For more information about WINGS OF THE GODDESS, please visit www.ff11europe.com/goddess

NBA Street Online launched in Asia

This follows "exceptional success" of FIFA Online in Korea

Electronic Arts has announced a partnership with GigaMedia Ltd to launch and operate NBA Street Online in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau in Q1 2008.

While EA has licensed and developed the game, GigaMedia will handle marketing, community management, and technical and customer support locally.

Arthur M Wang, CEO of GigaMedia, believes the title will make a positive impact in the sector space: "This product is going to be the star product in the online gaming market."

The move follows what the company calls "the exceptional success" of FIFA Online in Korea, and the NBA game will include a number of community and customisation elements, as well as six player multiplayer tournaments.

A recent DFC report stated that it expected global game revenues to have multiplied by five times between 2003 and 2008, and that Asian territories would account for 68 percent of the total figure by then.

Buzz game wins BAFTA Children's Award

PS2 title honoured at EA sponsored event

Magenta Games' Buzz! Junior Jungle Party won the Videogame category in last night's Children's Awards organised by BAFTA.

In a ceremony that celebrated the best in children's entertainment across all media, the popular PlayStation 2 mini-game and quiz was honoured alongside such kids brands as Happy Feet (Best Feature category), Charlie and Lola (Writer category) and SpongeBob Squarepants (International category).

The Buzz series was launched in 2005 by Relentless Software, with Magenta Software partnering with the developer on the Junior spin-off titles.

The BAFTA Children's Awards were sponsored by Electronic Arts.

One million PSP slims sold in Japan

500 titles available in region

Sony Computer Entertainment Japan has revealed it has sold over one million units of the PlayStation Portable Slim & Lite.

The Slim & Lite was released in the region on September 20, with a special edition Final Fantasy branded unit going on sale a full week before the official launch.

The redesigned handheld reached the one million mark two weeks quicker that its predecessor. The system now boasts over 500 software titles available in Japan.

Rockstar fights back against censor

Manhunt 2 appeal hearing begins

Rockstar today launched its appeal against the BBFC's decision to refuse Manhunt 2 certification, accusing the board of putting its reputation above the interests of gamers.

Geoffrey Robertson, representing Rockstar, began the proceedings by claiming the British Board of Film Classification was a misnomer - suggesting it should instead be referred to as the British Board of Videogame Censors.

"There's no evidence that playing interactive videogames leads to a propensity to act them out in real life. We wonder why Manhunt 2 has been singled out for special treatment," he stated.

Robertson went on to accuse the BBFC of being "simply ignorant of the gaming experience" and "throwing adjectives with hyperbolic abandon at the game".

"Their reputation is not at stake; if it were we could show how, over the last century, they've been derided for some of the most stupid decisions in censorship history," he continued. "But we're not going to go down that road."

According to statistics presented by Robertson, there are 26.5 million gamers in the UK. Their average age is 28 and the gender split is 45 per cent female, 55 per cent male.

Addressing the panel from the Video Appeals Committee present to hear Rockstar's appeal Robertson said, "There you are, seven of you - not one of you has experienced, I'm told by the chairman, computer games, or are a gamer."

At this point one member of the panel interjected, stating, "That's not true. Some of us actually have played computer games." It was also confirmed that the panel did play Manhunt 2 in advance of the hearing.

Robertson described as "offensive and outrageous" the "allegation the board makes against adults in this country that they're somehow going to go and shoot or kill as a result of playing Manhunt 2.

"Millions of gamers play videogames and no crime has ever been directly attributed to them, with one exception."

The exception, Robertson explained, was the alleged connection between the original Manhunt and the murder of British teenager Stefan Pakeerah. The police later issued a statement which said Pakeerah's killer did not own the game and there was no connection.

Robertson added, "We say [Manhunt 2] has been banned not because of any likelihood it will harm gamers, but because of the likelihood it will harm the reputation of the BBFC."

The appeal is ongoing.

DESPERATE FAMILIES PAY UP TO £500 FOR A NINTENDO WII ON INTERNET

A shortage of one of this year's must-have gifts is sure to cause tears and tantrums on Christmas morning.

And the children won't be too pleased either.

The Nintendo Wii - a computer games console designed to appeal to adults as well as youngsters - has sold out in shops across the country.

Chains such as Game, HMV, Woolworths and Tesco say they are receiving more stock only sporadically and the consoles are changing hands for up to £500 on internet auction sites - a huge mark-up on their list price of £179.

A spokesman for HMV said: "The fact people can't find them seems to drive the demand forward. They are selling out as soon as they are going into the stores."

The supply problem stems from the fact that Nintendo is simply unable to keep up with global demand for the family-friendly Wii.

Its more expensive rivals, the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, are aimed more at dedicated gamers. But the Wii - pronounced 'wee' - is designed to be easy and fun to use, even for those who have never played a computer game before.
Instead of a traditional control pad, it comes with a motion-sensitive remote controller. This can be waved to simulate playing tennis and other sports.