11/19/08

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Tomb Raider Underworld - Rise of the Machines

In the latest Tomb Raider Underworld gameplay trailer, Lara Croft takes on the might of machines in the ultimate test of skill and cunning.

Pitting her gymnastic ability against awe inspiring man-made objects of destruction, it leaves you in no doubt about Lara’s outstanding attributes.

Showing off her newest moves and motion captured for the first time, speed and timing are of the essence to overcome a hall of puzzles on your quest into the underworld.

BBC want family to travel back to atari, Walkman and Spectrum days...

Remember your first Atari console, the Walkman and the mini disc? Would you like to revisit the wonder of the Teasmade and the Trimphone? Have you ever wondered how much technology has changed our lives?.

The search is on to find a family to travel back to the dawn of the digital age that was 1970 for a new television series, co-produced by The Open University and the BBC. The programmes will look at the impact that technology has had on family life over the past 40 years. The makers of Edwardian Country House, Who Do You Think You Are and New Tricks are looking for a family to take part in a unique living history experience for BBC FOUR.

The three part series will take a modern British family back to the 1970s and then fast forward them through the domestic technological revolution of the 1980s and the 1990s…right up to the present day.

In the 1970s the family will experience life without the technology we’ve begun to take for granted; they’ll live a seventies life in a seventies house without Sky +, Facebook and the Wii. It’s a chance to see how we did homework without the Internet, how we socialised without mobile phones in an era where encyclopaedias and dial phones were the order of the day. As the family move through the 70s they’ll road test all the gadgets and appliances that would have been available during that decade, from 70’s telly, vinyl and games consoles to slide projectors and deep freezes… They’ll see first hand how far technology has come and its impact on our family life. It’s a huge nostalgia trip for mum and dad and it’s a chance to see just which family member really is the most technologically savvy.

The 1980s will bring ever-advancing computers and changes in the kitchen that promised to make life easier. The family will have to adapt to the rapidly changing technology that entered British homes in the ‘80s, they’ll get to grips with walkmans, pocket TVs and early microwaves. The 90s will see even more change within the home, early email, rudimentary mobile phones and the kids’ electronic games that were all the rage. Once the family have navigated their way through ‘90s life they’ll be transported through the Noughties and arrive back in the here and now. We’ll ask what lessons they’ve learnt regarding the role of technology in family life and their attitude to the transformation of their home since 1970.

But our family won’t be going it alone. They’ll have an expert IT support team on hand to help with all of their technological enquiries. From confusing computers to misbehaving microwaves, the team will help the family deal with historical teething problems as they get to grips with their ‘new’ gizmos and gadgets.

The series will chart the technological revolution of the past 40 years and assess the impact these changes have had on an everyday British family. By the end of the experiment, the family will have experienced almost 40 years of technological change in a short space of time; they’ll have an unparalleled insight into how much our lives, homes and relationships have been influenced by technology.

Are you a home-owning family with at least three children between the ages of eight and eighteen? Are you keen to show your children how much life has changed since your childhood? Are you interested in modern history and how technology has transformed the family home? Or maybe you’re looking for a challenging but rewarding nostalgia trip?

Nikopol: Secrets of the Immortals video game out soon...

Adventure game fans across the United Kingdom and Scandinavia will be delighted to hear that Nikopol: Secrets of the Immortals for Windows has achieved Gold Master status.

Published by Lighthouse Interactive and developed by White Birds Productions, Nikopol allows players to experience the fascinating and elaborate universe inspired by the famed Nikopol Trilogy graphic novel series and feature film Immortal, created by esteemed graphic novelist Enki Bilal. After a 30 year hibernation in space, your father returns to an authoritarian and decadent Paris, France. As Egyptian god Horus tries to install himself as overlord, your mission is not only to prevent him from carrying out his plans, but also to find your father who is under the sway of the cold-blooded and ambitious god.

Nikopol: Secrets of the Immortals will be available at the Lighthouse Interactive European Web Shop and major retail outlets across the United Kingdom and Scandinavia beginning November 21, 2008.

Tomb Raider Underworld - Rise of the Machines

In the latest Tomb Raider Underworld gamezplay trailer, Lara Croft takes on the might of machines in the ultimate test of skill and cunning.

Pitting her gymnastic ability against awe inspiring man-made objects of destruction, it leaves you in no doubt about Lara’s outstanding attributes.

Showing off her newest moves and motion captured for the first time, speed and timing are of the essence to overcome a hall of puzzles on your quest into the underworld.

Watch the video on my YouTube channel here...

Global ship date of February 16, 2009, for Wheelman video game

The upcoming open-world driving game starring action-film megastar Vin Diesel as an expert driver for hire. Set in picturesque Barcelona, the game is scheduled to be available in stores everywhere by February 20, 2009, for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, the PLAYSTATION 3 computer entertainment system and personal computers.

Co-produced by Vin Diesel and created in close partnership with Diesel's video game production company Tigon Studios, Wheelman is being developed by Midway Studios - Newcastle Ltd., a Midway internal studio that has assembled an international world-class team fusing proven industry veterans with a AAA track record and future emerging talent focused on creating high quality, best-in-breed gaming experiences.

"We're designing Wheelman to play like a Hollywood blockbuster," said Vin Diesel, Wheelman star and executive producer, Tigon Studios. "Playing this game will be just like taking control of the greatest car chases from feature films, except this time you're in the driver's seat."

"Featuring Vin Diesel and set in Barcelona, Wheelman is a title with enormous sales potential," said Martin Spiess, executive vice president, international of Midway Games Ltd. "We're making a multi-million dollar marketing investment to make sure that gamers around the world are ready when Wheelman goes on sale worldwide, which we have planned for February 2009."

Midway is working closely with Vin Diesel and Tigon Studios to create an all-new property that is expected to eventually lead to a feature film, with a script that is already in development.

"This is not just another run-of-the-mill, licensed Hollywood knock-off," said Matt Booty, president and CEO, Midway. "Wheelman features revolutionary new game design mechanics like cinematic super moves and vehicular combat. Once you experience Wheelman's Vehicle Melee, you'll never want to play another driving game without it!"

Vehicle Melee allows gamers to sideswipe pursuing enemies with a simple flick of the joystick Wheelman's devastating "slam-n-ram" maneuvers can be carried out in all directions, just like you'd see in a Hollywood-style car chase.

Inspired by Hollywood's most famous action-sequences, Wheelman will deliver powerful cinematic moments throughout the game's compelling storyline.

For the most up-to-date information, screens and trailers for Wheelman, log onto www.wheelmangame.com.

About Wheelman

Action film megastar Vin Diesel and his Tigon Studios are again blurring the lines between entertainment mediums, this time collaborating with Midway in the design and production of Wheelman to ensure an edge-of- your-seat gaming experience. Diesel's voice and likeness will appear as the game's main character, expert Wheelman Milo Burik.

Combining spectacular Hollywood-style stunts with a gripping storyline, Wheelman provides an adrenaline-fueled, cinematic thrill ride guaranteed to leave you breathless. Vin Diesel stars as an undercover agent and highly skilled driver who must infiltrate the Barcelona underworld to gather intelligence surrounding a covert heist. Posing as a driver-for-hire, he ends up caught in a crossfire of corruption and chaos while trying to stay one step ahead of local law enforcement and rival gangs.

New IL-2 Sturmovik World War Two aerial battle video game on Xbox 360 and PS3

A new trailer for IL-2 Sturmovik: Birds of Prey showing a range of highly detailed World War Two planes locked in fierce aerial combat. Developed by Gaijin Entertainment for Xbox 360 and PS3, IL-2 Stumorvik: Birds of Prey will be published by 505 Games, under the 1C label, in 2009.

This stunning new trailer highlights 28 different aircraft as they fly through some of history’s most famous aerial battlefields: The Battle of Britain, Stalingrad, Berlin, Sicily and Korsun. Each aircraft has been painstakingly researched by the dedicated team at Gaijin Entertainment, to make sure they are recreated with fantastic levels of detail and precision, ensuring a rich level of realism.

Add to this the detailed environmental visuals, combined with an all-new improved damage effects engine – which actually shows real-time damage on aircraft - and it all adds up to one of the most realistic airborne battle experiences available on consoles.

IL-2 Sturmovik: Birds of Prey will be available for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 in 2009. A PlayStation Portable version, developed by DYNAMICSYSTEMS, and a Nintendo DS edition, developed by DiP Interactive, will also be available.

Watch the trailer on my YouTube channel here...

My Make-Up, My Dress-Up and My Secret Diary video games

The first wave of MyGames bringing My Make-Up, My Dress-Up and My Secret Diary to your Nintendo DS.

Unleash your creativity as you makeover your friends, design clothes, pamper yourself and record all of your most important secrets!

My Make-Up is like having a whole make up box on your Nintendo DS! You can play with make up brushes and creams to makeover, pamper and facepaint yourself and your friends. Once you’ve finished your makeover save it in your photo album or send it to friends with My Dress-Up for a complete new look!

My Dress-Up lets you play with your very own digital dressing up box! With over 600 items to choose from you can create outfits for yourself and your friends and save them in your wardrobe. Dress up your friends for special occasions and parties or invite them to a dress up party and rate each other on your styling skills!

My Secret Diary lets you record your most secret thoughts in your very own password protected diary! Set reminders for special events, have fun with personality tests and mini games or send invites to your parties to your friends!
Chat to all of your My Make-Up, My Dress-Up and My Secret Diary friends over DS Wireless Communication with exclusive MyGames Chat.

My Make-Up, My Dress-Up and My Secret Diary – In Stores.

A Vampyre Story PC video game download

GamersGate today announced the worldwide digital download premiere of much-awaited “A Vampyre Story” from publisher Crimson Cow and developer Autumn Moon.

“A Vampyre Story" is the brainchild of former Lucas Arts employee Bill Tiller and the game takes you to Europe during the Victorian era. You'll play as a young French opera star being held captive by a deranged vampire.

“A Vampyre Story” has been listed as one of the most anticipated releases on the PC platform for years, and a “must have” for fans of the Adventure Games genre.

Click here to go directly to the game on GamersGate

The point-and-click adventure game A Vampyre Story tells the tale of the beautiful, gifted opera singer Mona De Lafitte, whose life is brought to an abrupt end by a vampire baron named Shrowdy Von Kiefer. Henceforth, she is doomed to a miserable existence as a creature of the night in Von Kiefer's gloomy castle in Draxsylvania. Confronted with her seemingly hopeless fate, she decides to run away and try to fulfill her dream of singing at the Paris Opera. Accompanied by her mischievous bat Froderick, Mona must face a number of challenges in her odyssey and learn not only to accept her vampire nature, but also to use the abilities she has acquired to her advantage.

In more than 50 hand-drawn locations, the player's task is to guide Mona through Draxsylvania and to Paris by using his powers of deduction. Having a bent for extremely dark humor also helps... Along the way, Mona meets a wealth of partly endearing, partly frightening, but often just plain weird characters, including the inventor Dr. Riga Mortus, the gypsy Madame Strigoi, and Carpathia the wolfwoman.

A Vampyre Story has been penned by Bill Tiller, the founder of Autumn Moon Entertainment. A former employee of Lucas Arts, Tiller won himself a place in the hearts of adventure fans through his work on titles such as Steven Spielberg's The Dig, the legendary The Curse of Monkey Island, and Indiana Jones. A Vampyre Story combines modern 3D animation with the qualities of classic 2D adventure design and a highly unusual style which can best be compared with the works of Tim Burton or Edward Gorey.

All of this contributes toward making A Vampyre Story the first classic adventure for players of the 21st century, with the look and feel, humor and class of the cult graphic adventures by the Californian developer.

A point-and-click adventure game created by former LucasArts employees.
Over 50 hand-painted locations, in part over several screens, to explore and investigate.
Over 20 characters, from plain weird to downright terrifying.
Over 20 hours of brainteasing fun.
Vampire abilities influence game events.

Guitar Hero World Tour Live weekend on Xbox Live Marketplace

Prizes to be won in online sweepstakes. Game with the developers in Xbox Live exclusive Guitar Hero World Tour tournaments.

Activision today announced an exclusive Xbox LIVE online entertainment network weekend for their smash-hit Guitar Hero World Tour. Starting November 27, 2008, players 14 years of age or older will be able to participate in a number of exciting online activities to determine who is truly the top Guitar Hero rocker.

These activities include:

• Xbox All Nighter – Thursday, 11/27, from dusk until dawn
• Play & Win Sweepstakes – Friday, 11/28, through Saturday, 11/30
• Game with Developers – Saturday, 11/30 from 10:00pm – 01:00am GMT

Throughout the weekend, guitarist, drummers and vocalists who register and play the Guitar Hero World Tour multiplayer (co-op) session can also win special prizes, such as a Samsung television home theater package, collector’s edition Guitar Hero World Tour drum sticks, 1GB memory sticks and Guitar Hero portable USB/battery powered speakers.

Highlighting the weekend’s activities, on Sunday, November 30 from 10:00pm – 01:00am GMT, virtual musicians will have the opportunity to prove their rock god skills online against none other than Neversoft Entertainment, the creators of Guitar Hero World Tour. For those up for the challenge, be on the look-out for the following development team Gamertags:

• GHDevTina – Producer
• GHDevLee – Associate Producer
• GHDevCorey – Production Coordinator
• GHDevAnthony – Midi Designer
• GHDevChris – Midi Designer
• GHDevJason – Lead Animator
• GHDevZack – Junior Programmer
• GHDevJosh – Jr. Sound Designer
• GHDevKristina – Mocap Supervisor
• GHDevJustin – Mocap Tech
• GHDevAdry – QA Tester
• GHDevBrandon – QA Tester
• GHDevTravisR – QA Tester

More details on registering for Guitar Hero World Tour Xbox LIVE weekend and information regarding terms, conditions, and official rules are available through the official event page: http://www.xbox.com/guitarheroworldtour. Open registration will begin when the site goes live and will end at 04:59am GMT on December 1st, 2008.

The latest installment in the No 1 best-selling video game franchise of 2007, 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 for the first time ever. 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 will also be able to share their recordings with their friends online through GHTunes 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 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.

Beauty on The Path PC video game story line and screenshots

Tale of Tales release new screenshots of upcoming horror title.

The Path is an independently created horror game inspired by the ancient folk tales of Little Red Ridinghood, but set in the present day. Six sisters live with their mother in an urban apartment at the edge of a gloomy forest. Each of them is sent on an errand to their grandmother on the other side of the woods. A straight path connects the city with grandmother's house. It's a safe journey. But will the girls be able to resist the temptation of leaving the path?

Production of The Path takes place at Tale of Tales, a development studio founded by media artists Auriea Harvey (US) and Michael Samyn (BE) in Belgium. To celebrate the approaching beta stage of the project, Tale of Tales is releasing screenshots of the game in its current state of incompleteness. Images of work in progress that nevertheless clearly demonstrate the aesthetic style of the game.

The Path is a game of exploration, discovery and introspection.

Atmosphere and immersion are at least as important as any other element on the game. Designers Harvey and Samyn wholeheartedly embrace cutting edge 3D technology but reject the notion that it needs to serve some form of photographic or cinematic realism. They are in search of a beauty that is unique to the medium of realtime 3D, simultaneously recognizing its potential for simulation as its artificial, synthetic nature. "It's about what you feel, not what you see." is a favorite motto.

"You control the avatar, but she also has a life of her own -directed by Drama Princess, a home-brew alternative AI system. The foliage on the trees turns out to be careful arrangements of gothic ornaments. What first seemed like sound effects, is in fact a continuously changing musical soundtrack -created by Jarboe. Random signs of decay on the screen become helpful hints for navigation. The entire forest feels natural but closer inspection reveals its artificiality. This is not the real world. You have entered a fabrication, a story, a memory, a dream."

This extends to the three dimensional environments as well. The main area of the game, the forest, is never the same. It is re-arranged every time you play. Things are in different places, objects appear and disappear. Giving the feeling of exploring a dream more than any factual reality. The same applies to the final destination of the protagonists.

Grandmother's house changes according to what you have done in the forest. Furniture appears or moves. New rooms are added, put together in impossible ways. What seems like a cozy cottage on the outside, turns into a nightmarish labyrinth upon entry.

Painting with the aesthetic palette of realtime 3D rather than using the medium for the simulation of reality, The Path could not have been made without contemporary technology. Yet it clearly sets itself apart from any other Next Gen game. The hand of the artist shows. Sometimes messy and strange, sometimes verging on the sublime. Harvey and Samyn are not in complete control. A large part of the attraction of game technology is its potential to surprise. Rather than locking down the look of each and every scene, The Path contains systems that alter the aesthetics of the game in ways that the creators may not have expected. To some extent, the players themselves can decide what things look like. Walking down the path, for instance, changes the time of day. Depending on where you enter the forest, you will be wandering through a bright and misty environment or a dark and spooky one.

An early demo of The Path was nominated for "Excellence in Visual Art" in the Independent Games Festival of 2008. Other games by Tale of Tales include The Endless Forest and The Graveyard. Both are available for free download.

The Path is scheduled for release on PC in Spring 2009.
Production progress can be followed on the development journal:
http://tale-of-tales.com/ThePath/blog

UBISOFT unveils exclusive pre-order bonus items for Prince of Persia

Exclusive Collector's Edition for Prince of Persia, a new chapter in the critically acclaimed action/adventure series for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, the PLAYSTATION 3 computer entertainment system and PC.

Exclusively at PLAY.COM, UK customers who pre-order a copy of Prince of Persia will receive a pre-order pack including:

- A high quality collector box set featuring varnish & metallic blue arabesque finish

- An exclusive 24 pages Comic book unveiling the backstory of the Hunter, one of the key antagonists in the game.

- A scratch card with unique code to unlock exclusive in-game skins for the Prince (Prince “classic” skin) and Elika (“Farah” skin).

- A bonus DVD including soundtrack, videos, e-goodies, widget and more!

To find out more about the PLAY.COM pre-order pack, please go to www.play.com/princeofpersia

To find out more about the rest of the exciting pre-order lineup for Prince of Persia visit the official website at http://prince-of-persia.ubi.com/preorder/uk/

Prince of Persia is currently scheduled for release on December 5th 2008 on XBOX 360, PlayStation 3 and PC.

Prince of Persia - The Fallen King Continues the adventure in an original story exclusive to the Nintendo DS, also scheduled for release on December 5th 2008.

Persona 4: The Official Strategy Guide

Get an Edge in the Upcoming RPG Epic With This Jam-Packed Companion Book

DoubleJump Books today announced Persona 4: The Official Strategy Guide, the definitive companion book for Persona 4 players. Loaded from cover to cover with insider info, Persona 4: The Official Strategy Guide is a must-own for series fans looking to unlock secrets the game has to offer!

“DoubleJump Books has an established reputation for producing incredibly detailed and useful strategy guides, and Atlus is proud to continue to work closely with them to support the December 9 launch of Persona 4 in retailers across North America,” said Tim Pivnicny, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Atlus.

“We tend to publish guides for games we personally enjoy and it’s no coincidence that many of our guides are for Atlus games. Persona 4 is no exception.” said Tim Lindquist, Publisher, DoubleJump.

Persona 4: The Official Strategy Guide is scheduled to be available alongside the game on December 9, 2009 with an MSRP of $19.99.

Pre-order the Persona 4 Official Strategy Guide from participating retailers such as GameStop, Game Crazy, Amazon.com and more, or directly from DoubleJump Books here

For more information about Persona 4, visit the official website

Sugababes to launch the all-new Xbox LIVE with special performance

The UK’s biggest girl band The Sugababes are all set to push the button on the all-new Xbox LIVE experience tomorrow night, with a very special performance in central London as they’ve never been seen before.

The Brit Award winners will be taking to the stage to launch the new service which is set to transform the Xbox LIVE experience for millions of entertainment fans with an all-new look and feel - making accessing great music, movies and games easier and more fun than ever before.

The chart-topping trio of Keisha Buchanan, Heidi Range and Amelle Berrabah will not only be wowing the party - hosted by TV star George Lamb - with an intimate set of new material from the forthcoming album, but will also be meeting their very own ‘avatars’ – totally interactive, speaking caricatures of themselves that will represent their online profile on Xbox LIVE. They’ll then be swapping real mics for flashing, wireless versions for a tongue-in cheek karaoke performance on new Xbox 360 singing game, ‘Lips’ which will see the girls dropping their trademark sound to perform a special song by another artist.

Commenting on their upcoming performance, new signing Amelle said: “We’re all really excited about tomorrow night. As massive music and movie fans, we were keen to get involved when we heard about the New Xbox Experience, and when we first tried out Lips last week you couldn’t get us off it! We love karaoke so it’s going to be great to sing a song and have a bit of fun on stage though I’m sure it’ll get a bit competitive as we each try and score the most points!”
The new Xbox Experience is launched today -- All your Friends and Favourite Entertainment with One Remote Control. More information can be found online at www.xbox.com/nxe.

Rock Band Track Pack Volume 2 in stores

Harmonix, the world’s premier music video game development company, and MTV Games, a part of Viacom’s MTV Networks, along with distribution partner Electronic Arts, today announced Rock Band Track Pack Volume 2 for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, the PLAYSTATION 3 computer entertainment system, the PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system and the Nintendo Wii home video game console from Nintendo has shipped to retail stores nationwide. Pricing for the game is $29.99 MSRP for all platform versions.

Rock Band Track Pack Volume 2 features 20 amplifying tracks recorded by some of the most popular rock artists in history from Lynyrd Skynyrd and Mötley Crüe to Red Hot Chili Peppers and Duran Duran. Rock Band Track Pack Volume 2 can be played as a standalone game for all console versions using Rock Band and Rock Band 2 peripherals. Fans who buy the track pack for Xbox 360 and PLAYSTATION 3 system can also export all 20 songs to their console for play with Rock Band and Rock Band 2 using a free offer from Xbox LIVE online entertainment network or the PlayStation Network.

Rock Band 2, currently available for Xbox 360 and PLAYSTATION 3 system, has received numerous Editor’s Choice Awards and a combined metacritic score of 92. Rock Band 2 has revolutionized music gaming with the ability to export most of the songs from the original Rock Band disc, Online World Tour, daily Battle-Of-The-Bands Tournaments, Auto-Calibration to eliminate TV lag, wireless drums with quieter, velocity sensitive drum heads, support for up to three cymbals (sold separately), No Fail Mode, and a real Drum Trainer. Rock Band 2 will be available for the PlayStation 2 system and Wii in December 2008. Rock Band is currently available for Xbox 360, PLAYSTATION 3 system and PlayStation 2 system and Wii.

Rock Band Track Pack Volume 2 is rated “T” for Teen with a descriptor of Lyrics by the ESRB.

'From Game to Gig': Clem Burke Drumming Project Announces Collaborative Research Initiative With Guitar Hero World Tour

Research project on the physiology of drumming to work with Guitar Hero World Tour drum kit controllers to promote benefit of actual instrument to all; World Tour drum kit controller gets scientific seal of approval

Leading drum research initiative The Clem Burke Drumming Project has today announced a year-long collaborative research project which will examine the benefits of using Activision Publishing, Inc’s Guitar Hero World Tour’s drum kit controller.

The Clem Burke Drumming Project – a unique collaboration between Blondie drummer Clem Burke, Dr. Marcus Smith from the University of Chichester and Dr. Steve Draper from the University of Gloucestershire – is based on the pursuit of knowledge through the application of scientific principles to the various art forms of drumming. With 10 years of research behind it already, The Clem Burke Drumming Project is committed to the dissemination of information leading to increased enjoyment, health and well-being of all participants involved in drumming.

With two raised pads that represent the hi-hat and either the crash or ride cymbals, three pads which correspond to the snare and two toms and a bass-drum kick pedal, the Guitar Hero World Tour drum controller simulates an authentic drum kit.

When playing on the drum kit controller in the game on higher difficultly levels, the Clem Burke Drumming Project believes Guitar Hero World Tour will provide an opportunity to acquire the specific motor skills needed for drumming. The Clem Burke Drumming Project will investigate the transfer of skills and the physiological demands of game play compared to live drumming.

The Clem Burke Drumming Project recently launched its first wave of findings, revealing that gigging professional drummers had a heart rate profile similar to professional football players and expended a significant amount of energy (400-600 kcal per performance). Physiological tests included the measurement of heart rate, oxygen uptake and blood lactate in rehearsal tests and monitoring heart rate and blood lactate during live stage performances.

The Clem Burke Drumming Project team will conduct a series of physiological and neurological tests using the Guitar Hero World Tour drum kit controller, which will be permanently housed in the University of Gloucestershire’s newly-built dedicated drumming laboratory and at the University of Chichester.

One area of research will be to examine the neurological changes in Guitar Hero World Tour drummers, to examine how the brain’s grey and white matters evolve when playing. The Clem Burke Drumming Project will also investigate the health benefits of playing Guitar Hero World Tour, and through collaboration with Prof. Steve Williams and colleagues at the Centre for Neuroimaging Sciences (Kings College, London), also examine how using drums and the drum controller may help individuals with existing medical conditions (e.g. dyspraxia, stroke patients etc.).

“We’ve been extremely impressed by the Guitar Hero World Tour drum controller,” says Dr. Marcus Smith, Principal Lecturer in Exercise Physiology, University of Chichester. “The Clem Burke Drumming Project is all about promoting the benefits of drumming, and we’re convinced those that learn the basics of the instrument with Guitar Hero World Tour can use those skills when progressing to an actual full drum kit. No other gaming controller comes close to simulating the experience of drumming, and we’re confident the game will breed a new generation of real-life drummers. Anecdotally, we believe Guitar Hero World Tour is a perfect introduction to the instrument – and we can’t wait to examine this scientifically and unveil our findings throughout 2009.”

Dr. Steve Draper said: "This is the first facility of its kind in the world and we are extremely excited about the potential here. It is a unique collaboration between science and arts.”

Guitar Hero World Tour is now available for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PLAYSTATION 3 computer entertainment system, the Nintendo Wii home video game system from Nintendo and the PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system. The game is rated “T” for Teen by the ESRB.

Search This Blog

Wednesday, November 19, 2008