11/14/08

Friday, November 14, 2008

Everton FC recruit computer game to back room team

Today heralds a new era for football management as Everton Football Club becomes the first club to officially recruit the services of a computer game and its developers as part of their back room team.

In a football and gaming first Everton FC has signed an exclusive deal with Sports Interactive, developers of the football management videogame Football Manager, to give manager David Moyes and his coaches unrivalled access to its database of over 370,000 players and staff. Everton will be able to instantly scan 20,000 active teams in more than 50 countries worldwide with immediate access to the largest scouting network in football with over 1,000 scouts from around the globe.

The unique database has made Football Manager the most popular football management simulation in gaming and will help Everton FC spot the best young talent from around the world. In the past, Football Manager has accurately identified Wayne Rooney’s potential talent when he was just fifteen and has been the first to predict other future stars including Lionel Messi, Ashley Young and Jose Baxter.

The game’s original creators Paul and Oliver Collyer have been approached by clubs wanting to sign the game in the past, but this is the first time they have put pen to paper to hand over the game’s database and bring virtual football management into the real world.

Paul Collyer comments:

“The game’s database is a valuable resource with the most extensive scouting network in football so Everton FC is making a top signing. I am personally delighted with today’s announcement as I’m a Toffees fan. Standing on the pitch with my signing on shirt is as close to my boyhood dream of playing at Goodison Park as I will ever get.”

Studio Director Miles Jacobson adds:

“We’ve known for a while that teams use the game to research certain players, whether to buy or to check out the opposition, but this formal recognition by a premiership team is fantastic and we are sure it will prove a fruitful one for the Everton FC.”

Football Manager has been fully updated for the new 2008/09 football season with all the latest league, club and player data giving armchair managers everywhere the most up to date stats to manage their teams with the most realistic management experience available.

Football Manager 2009 for PC and Apple Macintosh, and Football Manager Handheld 2009 for Sony PSP are both released today (November 14th).

Release date for Street Fighter IV announced for PS3 and Xbox 360

European release date for the PlayStation 3 & Xbox 360 versions of Street Fighter IV will be February 20th 2009.

Guitar Hero on Tour - Decades on Nintendo DS - Out now!

Players Can Unleash Their Inner Rockstar Anytime, Anywhere As They Shred Through the Decades of Rock

Following up Guitar Hero - On Tour the groundbreaking and best-selling Nintendo DS game, fans can once again become traveling rock gods as Activision debuts Guitar Hero On Tour: Decades in European retail outlets today and in North American stores on Sunday, November 16, 2008. The game leverages the technology of its predecessor and expands the experience with a new progression taking players on a musical journey from classics of the 1970s through today’s greatest hits.

The game features a number of enhancements, including the ability to stream songs with the original Guitar Hero - On Tour to add yet another fun, social dimension to handheld gaming. Fans can play through any one of three different solo career paths, each with their own story: Lead Guitar, Bass Guitar, and Guitar Duel. Players can rock out to the largest set list in a handheld game to-date with 28 master tracks and more than 60 songs that can be streamed with owners of the original game.

“Guitar Hero On Tour - Decades allows gamers to command center stage and rock out to their favorite tunes anywhere they go,” said Dusty Welch, SVP and Head of Publishing for Guitar Hero Franchise at RedOctane. “The game gets players jamming through the decades of rock ‘n’ roll alongside era-defining artists such as Fall Out Boy, Linkin Park, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Bon Jovi, R.E.M. and Queen.”

Offered as stand-alone software or packaged with the revolutionary Guitar Hero Guitar Grip peripheral and pick-stylus, Guitar Hero On Tour - Decades continues to build on the franchise’s signature easy-to-learn, yet difficult to master, addictive gameplay. Taking the show on the road as they shred through the history of rock n’ roll, players use the pick-stylus on the touch screen to strum to their favorite tunes and create their rock ‘n’ roll legacy in career mode. Friends can also join together on two Nintendo DS systems to play co-op mode or battle each other in a Guitar Duel using unique Battle Items exclusive to the DS platform.

The Killers download for Guitar Hero

Three Song Track Pack Available Day and Date with The Killers' New Album, Day & Age

After making their entry in a Guitar Hero set list with “When You Were Young” on Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock, multi-platinum alternative rockers The Killers are playing a downloadable encore in Activision Guitar Hero World Tour, the company announced today. To celebrate the release of the band’s third album, Day & Age, The Killers downloadable content will be available simultaneously with the album’s release on November 25th and will feature two singles off Day & Age: “Human” and “Losing Touch.” Rounding out the Track Pack and adding to the killer experience is the GRAMMY nominated smash hit “Mr. Brightside” from the band’s debut album Hot Fuss.

The Killers Track Pack will be available on Xbox LIVE Marketplace for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft for 440 Microsoft Points and on the PLAYSTATION Store for the PLAYSTATION 3 computer entertainment system for $5.49. In addition, ”Human,” “Losing Touch” and “Mr. Brightside” will be released as single downloadable songs for Xbox 360 for 160 Microsoft Points, PLAYSTATION 3 system for $1.99 and Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection for Wii for 200 Wii Points.

Guitar Hero World Tour transforms music gaming by expanding Guitar Hero’s signature guitar gameplay into a cooperative band experience that combines the most advanced wireless controllers with new revolutionary online* and offline gameplay modes including Band Career and 8-player “Battle of the Bands,” which allows two full bands to compete head-to-head online. The game features a slick newly redesigned guitar controller, drum kit controller and a wired microphone, as well as an innovative Music Studio music creator that lets players compose, record, edit and share their own rock ‘n’ roll anthems. Music creators are also able to share their recordings with their friends online through GHTunesSM where other gamers can download and play an endless supply of unique creations.

Guitar Hero World Tour is now available for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and PLAYSTATION 3 computer entertainment system. The Nintendo Wii home video game system from Nintendo version is developed by Vicarious Visions. The PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system version is developed by Budcat. The game is rated 12+ by the BBFC. For more information on Guitar Hero World Tour, please visit worldtour.guitarhero.com.

Rock Band special edition for PlayStation 2 and Nintendo Wii

MTV Games and Harmonix give fans an early holiday present with new pricing for the No 1 Best-Selling Title of 2008 Making it Even Easier to Start a Band and Rock the World This Holiday Season.

Just in time for the holidays, Harmonix, the world’s leading developer of music-based games, MTV Games, a part of Viacom’s MTV Networks, and distribution partner Electronic Arts today announced that the original Rock Band Special Edition Bundle is available for the PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system and Nintendo Wii starting at $99.99. The Rock Band Special Edition Bundle is also available for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and PLAYSTATION 3 computer entertainment system and starting at $139.99.

A must have-gift for any music or game fan, Rock Band is an all-new way for people to connect with the music they love in a social, interactive environment. The Rock Band Special Edition Bundle gives families and friends everything they need to start their own band - a microphone, Fender Stratocaster-modeled guitar controller and drum controller. Rock Band features an awe-inspiring line up of the most-loved rock music of all time - from classic rock and alternative to southern rock and metal including artists such as Rolling Stones, Metallica, The Police, The Clash, Foo Fighters, Radiohead and More.

Rock Band is the No 1 title of 2008 year to date [2] by revenue according to NPD. Rock Band has garnered over 40 awards including the Game Critics Award: Best of Show E3 2007 and three awards at The 11th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards including Outstanding Innovation in Gaming, Family Game of the Year, and Outstanding Achievement in Soundtrack.

Rock Band is rated “T” for Teen (lyrics, mild suggestive themes) by the ESRB.

Rock Band 2, is also now available on the Xbox 360 the PLAYSTATION 3 computer entertainment system, and will be available soon on the PLAYSTATION 2 computer entertainment system and the Wii. Rock Band Special Edition Bundle instruments are fully compatible with Rock Band 2. In addition, 55 of the 58 songs from the original Rock Band game disc are exportable into consumers Rock Band 2 song library.

Sony move to educate and recruit more women into the field of video game creation, design and production

Sony Online Entertainment LLC (SOE), a global leader in online gaming, invited all companies doing business in the video game industry to join SOE’s efforts to educate and recruit more women into the field of video game creation, design and production.

In a lunchtime keynote speech during the International Game Developers Association conference in San Francisco, Torrie Dorrell, senior vice president of Global Sales and Marketing for SOE, challenged companies in the video game industry to each make a $10,000 donation toward the G.I.R.L. – Gamers In Real Life – scholarship, with the goal of creating multiple scholarships and more opportunities for women.

“Today, I am challenging everyone to take action to help level the playing field for women pursuing a career in video games. By donating to the G.I.R.L. scholarship, we can encourage diversity in development and make a difference, hopefully creating more opportunities for women and ultimately making more video games women will want to play,” said Dorrell.

First awarded in 2008, the G.I.R.L. scholarship was created by SOE and encourages female students toward career paths in the creative and applied arts, with the ultimate goal of developing video games that are more interesting for women to play. In 2009, the program will be managed by Scholarship America®, a leading non-profit educational support program. SOE will offer students of undergraduate programs related to video games a chance to compete for the scholarship by submitting original artwork and essays to a panel of judges.

“SOE’s vision is commendable, and we fully endorse the G.I.R.L. scholarship program and look forward to the results of this initiative,” said Joseph Olin, president of The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences. “Expanding the presence of women in video games reflects SOE’s foresight and acknowledges its contributions to the future of our dynamic entertainment medium.”

For more information about the G.I.R.L. scholarship program, please visit, www.girl.soe.com.

Call of Duty - World at War video game out today in UK

The Newest Edition of the Award-Winning Franchise Takes Players to the Beaches of the Pacific and the Streets of Europe for the Most Intense and Grittiest WWII Experience to Date

Check your gear and get ready to move out to your nearest retailer, as Activision and developer Treyarch prepare to unleash Call of Duty: World at War in retail stores nationwide tomorrow.

Call of Duty: World at War takes players to a grittier WWII than ever before – from facing down Imperial Japanese Banzai charges and guerilla tactics in the Pacific – to exacting ruthless revenge as you beat back the enemy all the way to the steps of Berlin one bloody inch at a time. In addition to introducing franchise-first four-person cooperative gameplay, Call of Duty: World at War serves up a host of new enemies/tactics and a cache of weapons, like the flamethrower. The highly-anticipated title also delivers deep multiplayer action that features squad and vehicular combat, as well as a lush audio landscape set in 5.1 surround sound, accompanying cinematically-intense, high-definition graphics.

“Our goal from Day 1 has been to make sure that Call of Duty: World at War re-defines players’ expectations of World War II first-person action,” said Treyarch studio head Mark Lamia. “From cooperative gameplay to a multiplayer that combines vehicle and squad combat, along with a host of new weapons, settings and enemies, we’ve left no stone unturned to make this the best experience possible.”

For the first time in the franchise, Call of Duty: World at War introduces co-op, bringing fresh meaning to the “No One Fights Alone” mantra. Call of Duty: World at War co-op features up to four-players online, or two-player local split-screen, allowing gamers to experience harrowing single-player missions together for greater camaraderie and tactical execution. The title also incorporates traditional multiplayer components such as challenges, rankings and online stats into the co-op campaign for deeper re-playability and advanced gameplay.

Call of Duty: World at War is rated 15 by the BBFC and is available from 14th November on Xbox 360 and PLAYSTATION 3 computer entertainment system, the Windows PC and the Nintendo Wii. Call of Duty: World at War is also available for the Nintendo DS, developed by n-Space, and is rated 16+ by PEGI.

MTV - The Ultimate Music Game Video Game Battle of the Bands on Rock Band Battle this Saturday November 15th 1pm ET/PT

MTV gets revved up for the ultimate music video game battle of the bands when five groups of Rock Band playing fanatics compete in Rock Band Battle on Saturday, November 15, 2008 at 1:00pm ET/PT. Hosted by comedian Dan Levy with actress Carrie Keagan taking on co-hosting duties, the one hour special will feature five Rock Band groups going head-to-head as they attempt to live out their rock ‘n roll dreams and compete for a tricked out electronics package.

With the widely successful Rock Band 2® music-based video game at their sides, the four member groups will have a chance to take their pick of microphone, drums, bass or guitar and select their favorite song from the Rock Band 2 catalogue of over 100 tracks. The contestants will be scored on how well they play the game along with how well they impress the audience with their stage presence and rock and roll acumen.

The winning band will walk away with an electronics system package that will ensure the ultimate at-home Rock Band experience, including:

Big Screen LG television,
Cambridge SoundWorks Newton Theater System,
Microsoft Xbox 360, and
Rock Band 2 Special Edition Bundle from MTV Games for Xbox 360.

Five outstanding groups from diverse backgrounds will stand up to the Rock Band 2 challenge. Though their backgrounds are assorted, their shared devotion for the game that rocks is the tie that binds them

S Girls are self described as “four smoking hot, talented, fun bombshells that always entertain and never disappoint.” They are full time students and members of the Chi Omega Sorority, thus the S. They plan to hit the stage with a new school performance of an old school hit.

Classical Musicians will show that they too can bang their heads when Mozart’s Biatch takes unexpected turn by performing The Donnas single “New Kid in School.” All members of the group play instruments in a symphony together, but after orchestra rehearsal, they unwind with a stylistic twist by playing Rock Band at home.

Poorman’s Process is a group of young men who spread their love for the game by hosting a Rock Band night at their local bar. Since they came together they made a vow to “Rock With No Limits.” Rock Band has a special place in their hearts because they feel it has taken their love for Karaoke to the next level.

One of the best elements of Rock Band is the freakishly cool avatars that display images of rockers. The basement band, Jerk Rag have taken this feature to the next level, as they take the stage in real life as a complete mash-up of 80’s hair bands and 90’s grunge. A group made up of three guys and one lady, they all share the “down for anything” spirit.

Scared Puppy is a group of self described “hippies,” who are extremely laid back with “chill” attitudes. All of the guys work together and use any opportunity they get to play Rock Band, even if it’s on a break at work.

Rock Band Battle is produced by Mark Burnett Productions, Mark Burnett and Jay Karas are executive producers. Liz Gateley, Jacquelyne French and Tony Calandra serve as executive producers for MTV

Rock Band 2, developed by Harmonix and published by MTV Games, a part of Viacom’s MTV Networks, is currently available for Xbox 360 and PLAYSTATION 3 system, and will be available for the PlayStation 2 system and Nintendo Wii in December 2008.

FIFA soccer 09 Free download - 14 Commentator's Pack

All 14 international commentary packs in FIFA Soccer 09 will be available to download free on both the PlayStation Network for PLAYSTATION 3 and on Xbox Live for Xbox 360. For the first time, fans worldwide can now download and experience all language commentary packs featuring different commentators from all over the world while playing FIFA Soccer 09.

FIFA Soccer 09 currently features specific languages by region but beginning today gamers can download and experience play-by-play commentary from other regions of the world. This will deliver a new international experience to FIFA Soccer 09 fans.

The following commentary packs will be available beginning today:

Language - Commentator's Names

English Andy Gray Martin Tyler
French Herve Mathoux Franck Sauzée
Italian Giuseppe Bergomi Fabio Caressa
German Tom Bayer Sebastian Hellman
Spanish Paco González Manolo Lama
Mexico Perro Bermúdez Ricardo Pelaez
Dutch Youri Mulder Evert Ten Napel
European Portuguese David Carvalho Hélder Conduto
Hungarian Richard Faragó István B. Hajú
Russian Yuri Rozanov Vasily Solojov
Swedish Glenn Hysén Henrik Strömblad
Czech Bosák Jaromír Petr Svěcený
Polish Włodzimierz Szaranowicz Dariusz Szpakowski
Brazilian Portugese Paulo Vinícius Coelho Nivaldo Prieto

Additionally, FIFA Soccer 09 offers a whole new commentary pack for download on the PlayStation Network and Xbox Marketplace. An additional English commentary pack featuring Andy Townsend and Clive Tyldesley previously unavailable on any version of FIFA Soccer 09 is available for download for only $4.99 US.

To learn more about FIFA Soccer 09 visit www.FIFA09.ea.com.

Little King’s Story Nintendo Wii video game

Little King's Story is set to reign at this year's eGames Expo in Melbourne with playable code available to the public for the first time outside of Japan!

Melbourne, Australia, will be the setting for the highly anticipated first public debut of Little King’s Story outside of Japan. The eGames expo also marks the first time anywhere in the world that playable code will be available to the public providing a long awaited hands-on experience for this Nintendo Wii title which is due for release in all PAL territories in March 2009.

Rising Star Games international commercial manager, Ben Chalmers-Stevens commented: “We are extremely excited and very proud indeed to be able to give Little King’s Story its first public outing at this year’s eGames expo. We believe we have one of the must-have Wii games for 2009 and showcasing the game at eGames Expo demonstrates Rising Star Games’ continued commitment to launching the best video games content from Japan”.

Rising Star Games will be showcasing Little King’s Story in conjunction with AFA Interactive, its official distribution partner for Australasia, during the opening days of eGames Expo - 14th to 16th November 2008.

In a move rarely seen in the games industry, Little King’s Story is the result of the combined efforts of some of the biggest names in Japanese gaming. Known collectively as the Samurai Six, the Wii-exclusive title features executive producer Yasuhiro Wada (creator of the Harvest Moon series), producer Yoshiro Kimura (director on Chulip), director Yoichi Kawaguchi (main programmer on DragonQuest VIII), character designer Hideo Minaba (character designer on Final Fantasy XII), game designer Norikazu Yasunaga (game designer at Cing, developers of Hotel Dusk and Another Code) and monster designer Kazuyuki Kurashima (monster designer on Super Mario RPG).

Little King’s Story has an art style which is very ‘story-book’ in look and a magical fairy tale quality which will intrigue and delight gamers. The storyline, visual imagery and lyrical music of the game work in concert to transport players to an interactive, enchanting fairytale world. By combining gameplay elements from life-simulation, real-time strategy and adventure genres, the many aspects of creating a vast kingdom come to life. As the King, players will manage and involve their townspeople in the goals of creating this new territory; enlisting them to dig for treasure, build new buildings and otherwise better their community. Of course leadership is a two-way street, so as the King, players must try to conquer rival nations to create a single, unified kingdom whilst also granting the requests of townspeople as he sees fit.

Little King’s Story is due for release in all PAL territories during Q1 2009 and is published by Rising Star Games.

Nintendo Wii Geon puzzle game

In the continuing build-up to the February 2009 release of Geon on Nintendo Wii, Pinnacle Software and Strawdog Studios have unveiled a new gameplay trailer depicting the ‘RAGE’ powerball in action.

In Geon the powerball you select can often give you a strategic advantage over your opponent - but sometimes you just want to unleash a bit of Rage on them. The Rage power-up adds a second attack to your arsenal (it “spikes” an area of the grid) which can pin your opponent in place or block access to an area of the grid.

Once you have trapped opponent you can then move in for a point blank attack with your Geon cube's jump attack or leave them stranded while you head for their goal to score.

For more on Geon head to www.geongame.com

Nintendo DS racer Moto Racer the game details

Only a few weeks left before you can play MOTO RACER DS! You can discover more on MOTO RACER DS with this backstage privilege. Loads of videos, goodies, screenshots, and information about the game. Prepare your race training, make sure your NDS battery is full, and warm up your stylus!

Connect now on www.motoracer-thegame.com

HOT WEBSITE CONTENT

Exclusive videos of gameplay to initiate future bikers to the SPH (Stylus Precision Handling) !

Discover, in detail (screenshots, ingame videos, all races…) each discipline to choose from and find out all about racing and motorbikes on DS!!
A lot of high definition videos, showing off the brilliant graphics and the exciting stylus gameplay!
Join the up and coming Moto Racer DS racing tournament to test your skills against those of your friends!

VERY SOON: THE ONLINE WORLDWIDE RANKING SYSTEM, A VERY COOL WAY TO SHOW YOUR FRIENDS WHO’S BEST

About the game

Genre: Motorsports racing
Platform: Nintendo DS
Publisher: Nobilis Publishing
Developer: Artefacts
Release date: November 2008
Official website: www.motoracer-thegame.com

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Friday, November 14, 2008