12/02/08

Tuesday, December 02, 2008

Namco Bandai bring Tekken 6 to PS3 and Xbox 360 in Europe

The Next Feverishly Anticipated Instalment in the Pre-eminent Fighting Franchise Comes to Europe in Autumn 2009 for Xbox 360 and PLAYSTATION 3

Ultimate fighting franchise TEKKEN 6, scheduled for release in Europe through its distribution partnership with Infogrames Entertainment in autumn 2009 for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and PLAYSTATION 3 computer entertainment system.

Developed by NAMCO BANDAI Games Inc., TEKKEN 6 brings the blockbuster fighting series onto multiple platforms for the first time in the history of the TEKKEN franchise. TEKKEN sets the standard for fighting games with its stunning realism and uncompromising quality, and TEKKEN 6 promises to propel the series to greater heights with major gameplay enhancements and the largest character roster ever seen in the TEKKEN series.

Rendered in vivid high definition detail, TEKKEN 6 heralds the dawn of a new era as a new King of the Iron Fist Tournament opens for business, with intense gameplay modes, new features and environments that guarantee blistering fight action, lightning-paced brawls and bone-crunching punch-ups.

TEKKEN 6 sees the return of many familiar faces while also introducing a host of new characters resulting in the largest line-up the series has ever seen. Each fighter is equipped with their own deadly techniques, moves and attack combinations to make TEKKEN 6 the most challenging King of the Iron Fist Tournament yet. A character customization feature will further intensify the fighting action and multiplayer gameplay modes let players take their fighters online to compete for world domination.

Boasting an illustrious 14 year legacy, TEKKEN is among the most popular and well-known gaming brands in the world with the entire franchise selling more than 33 million units to date. TEKKEN 6 is a must-have for any fan of console arcade fighting.

The Witcher - Rise of the White Wolf on PS3 and Xbox

Award Winning, Million-selling Role-playing Franchise Coming to Consoles with Thrilling New Dynamic Combat, State of the Art Visuals.

The Witcher: Rise of the White Wolf on PLAYSTATION 3 computer entertainment system and Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft in autumn 2009.

Based on the story of multi award-winning million-selling PC role-playing game The Witcher and completely rebuilt pixel by pixel for the new generation of consoles, The Witcher: Rise of the White Wolf brings the unrivalled RPG experience to Xbox 360 and PLAYSTATION 3 with a brand new combat system for thrilling dynamic action, and a new engine delivering matchless state-of-the-art visuals. The game is underpinned with the evocative and enthralling story which helped secure the original game’s status as PC role-playing game of 2007, based on the mature and compelling universe created by renowned Polish fantasy writer Andrzej Sapkowski.

“The creative vision and dedication to the quality of the player experience that CD Projekt RED bring to the Witcher games is extraordinary, and it’s great to be working with them to bring the Witcher universe to console gamers,” said Phil Harrison, President of Infogrames Entertainment, the parent company of Atari. “Taking this brilliantly realised world to PLAYSTATION 3 and Xbox 360 gamers for the first time is a breakthrough in the development of this important franchise.”

“We’re thrilled to continue our great relationship with Atari, whose refreshing focus on quality fits squarely with our own, to bring Geralt and the Witcher franchise to an even larger audience – fans who expressed to us very clearly that The Witcher would be a natural fit on consoles,” said Adam Kicinski, CEO, CD Projekt RED. “Console gamers’ tastes are maturing; they’re looking for deeper story-driven experiences that are very hard to find in today’s console market. We’re developing this remake based upon the compelling narrative that helped The Witcher on PC sell more than a million copies and win more than 100 awards, building everything else from the ground up to be the definitive console RPG.”

Based on the universe created by best-selling Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski, The Witcher: Rise of the White Wolf puts players in the role of Geralt, a professional monster slayer who exists on the fringes of a complex society troubled by the kind of problems more commonly found on the front pages of newspapers than in a fantasy universe. Taken as a child, mutated, and trained in the arcane ways of the witchers, Geralt is a reluctant hero, who nonetheless finds himself all too frequently in the heat of battles that are not his own. In this world there is no right or wrong, only decisions and consequences.

With The Witcher: Rise of the White Wolf, the best PC RPG in recent years is being completely remade as the ultimate console RPG. The title is being developed by a core team from CD Projekt RED working alongside France-based Widescreen Games who provide their cross-platform DaVinci engine technology.

Ready 2 Rumble - Gloves off on Nintendo Wii

The Best-Selling Boxing Franchise Returns with a Huge Roster of Celebrity-inspired Fighters Looking to Land the KO Punch in Spring 2009

The hilarious Ready 2 Rumble franchise is flexing its muscles and planning a major, star-studded return to the ring in spring 2009 with the launch of Ready 2 Rumble Revolution, the newest game in the much-loved series. Bringing the franchise to Wii for the first time, the game retains all the knockout features of best-sellers Ready 2 Rumble Boxing Round 1 and Round 2, while delivering a knockout punch of style and attitude. Tailored to take advantage of the motion-controlled realism of Wii, Ready 2 Rumble Revolution makes landing a punch more fun than ever.

“Ready 2 Rumble Revolution is poised to take back the title as the undisputed champion of arcade boxing games and we hope to reach an even bigger audience than ever thanks to the huge popularity of Wii,” said Phil Harrison, President of Infogrames, the parent company of Atari. “The outrageous celebrity caricatures paired with a fun boxing experience made even more over-the-top thanks to the Wii controllers will make the newest version of this famed franchise a must-have for all fans of boxing and physical fun on Wii.”

“Ready 2 Rumble Revolution will put the swagger back into the boxing ring and promote an adrenaline-boosting, positive will to win attitude in the hearts and minds of fans of all ages,” said Gaspard de Dreuzy, President of Stereo Mode and executive producer of the game.

Sure to satisfy newcomers and boxing fans alike, Ready 2 Rumble Revolution features a roster of 18 wildly caricatured cartoony boxers, all parodies of celebrities from the worlds of sports, music and movies who enter the ring as larger-than-life “Rumble-ized” versions of themselves. Players will step right up and see if they can knock these super-sized egos down a peg or two!

The game is hosted by “The Voice of the Champions” Michael Buffer, famous for his “Let’s Get Ready to Rumble” trademark call. Characters are brought to life with hilarious moves, detailed facial animations, damage textures and fighting techniques including special moves, combos, extreme knockdowns and special “Rumble” combos. An all new Championship Mode lets gamers create their own unique boxer and nurture his skills through mini-games, developing him as a fighter and creating a completely personalized Ready 2 Rumble Revolution experience.

Developed by AKI who bring their formidable fight game know-how to the franchise, Ready 2 Rumble Revolution brings a virtual boxing arena to the living room and delivers a fun and intuitive experience in either single player or multiplayer mode. The Wii controllers provide would-be pugilists with an intuitive and realistic feel. Using the Nunchuk controller as one glove and the Wii Remote controller as the other, players dodge, weave and throw the big punches to KO their opponents.

Virtual heavyweights can fight from the backstreet gym all the way to the big Las Vegas showdown with vivid new visuals bringing the five spectacular ring environments to life. The arcade experience is made even better thanks to advanced Artificial Intelligence allowing more strategic fights.

Interpol hidden object spy game for Xbox Live Arcade

Formerly top-secret Interpol game is in development for Xbox LIVE Arcade. This all new adventure, developed by TikGames and published by Microsoft, is slated for release on the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system this winter, offering gamers the heat of a high-stakes criminal chase for a cool 800 Microsoft points.

In Interpol, players track down the evil and destructive fugitive Dr. Chaos by seeking out hidden clues in exotic locales around the world. In single-player campaign, use your keen investigative skills to quickly gather the evidence needed to bring him and his criminal accomplices to justice.

Or, join forces with up to three other friends in local or Xbox LIVE cooperative play to put them behind bars together. Only your keen eyes and investigative skills stand between the world and Dr. Chaos's evil schemes - use them wisely!

"Finally, gamers have the opportunity to play a hidden object game via Xbox LIVE Arcade and cooperate with other crime-fighting agents globally," said TikGames' CEO Anatoly Tikhman. "We're very excited to be the first to bring this highly-engaging genre to the platform and fully expect worldwide crime rates to plummet on launch day in response."

New Island (Big Surf Island) for Burnout but not for free

This first shot shows your arrival point on the island. From here, you can make out the awesome cylindrical tower referred to in this Crash TV Episode 15. With the right car, it’s possible to drift all the way to the top of this tower and back again. But you’re unlikely to drive down, because this location is all about massive jumps. For a while, we considered naming it Big Air Island!

The building to the right is the hotel we named after one of our die-hard fans. DBC9MX earned the right name the hotel after winning the Downtown Showtime Showdown competition and chose to name it after his son – Taylor J. You check out the footage in Crash TV

This second shot is the first time we’ve shown you the view looking back down from the island towards the bridge and mainland Paradise City. Our mantra is ‘if you can see it, you can drive it’ – which means that even the bridge to the city features multiple levels and massive jumps.

The construction yard in the foreground is loaded with gameplay and the scaffold at the top features in one of the island’s most memorable pieces of gameplay. Everywhere on the island is like this.

This third image is the first look at the other side of the island, featuring the palm trees that give it a distinctly tropical flavour. The unusual shape of the lighthouse, and the massive ramp in front of it are more tell-tale signs that the geometry is more than just scenery.

And finally, here’s our favourite shot.

This shows the kind of action the island is built for. The scaffold towers in the construction yard can be climbed and all the hoops can be jumped. If you want a taste of what the island is all about, head for the airfield, quarry or beach in Burnout Paradise right now and imagine an area the size of Downtown dedicated to that kind of gameplay. The car featured here is the Dust Storm. It will be made available at the same time as the island.

We’d mentioned in a previous podcast that this would be free content, but we can now confirm that it will be premium paid-for content.

Here’s why. We never expected to create anything this ambitious for the island, but as it progressed we got more and more excited about what it could become. (In fact, that’s the story of all our Downloadable Content.)

Big Surf is the culmination of everything we learned creating Paradise City, and we want it to bring you a truly spectacular new experience – the highlight of a year of incredible premium content. Burnout already delivers incredible value for money – literally hundreds of hours of gameplay with your original disk or PSN purchase, plus more with the free Cagney Pack and free Burnout Paradise Bikes.

We want Burnout Paradise players to experience the greatest support ever seen in a console game. We’re transforming not just Burnout Paradise, but the whole Burnout franchise through DLC, and we appreciate the support we know you guys will give us for our paid content. We think it’s worth it.

Next week, we’ll bring you the first of our “Paradise City Boroughs” guides - Downtown Paradise. We’ll cover the whole of Paradise City borough-by-borough in some detail, culminating in a big reveal of the island in the new year.

From the official website here...

Uncharted 2 - Among Thieves revealed in video

Sony has lifted the lid on the sequel to its PS3 action-adventure, Uncharted: Drake's Fortune, via a trailer and a Game Informer magazine cover.

Uncharted 2 - Among Thieves "revolves around the 13th century explorer Marco Polo and his voyages", according to Game Informer's teaser.

The magazine also says that "free climbing" and stealth will be the major gameplay additions to the third-person adventure from the Jak & Daxter developer, Naughty Dog.

A short teaser trailer has also been released, showing hero Nathan Drake struggling through a snowy landscape to retrieve some kind of ancient artefact. Going by this and the cover, Uncharted 2 will swap the first game's steamy jungle for a cold, mountainous setting.

We can expect more detail when Among Thieves gets its "world premiere" a week on Sunday - December 14th - at the 2008 Video Game Awards.

Watch the trailer here (click on MEDIA heading)...

Source: Eurogamer

Wii make six dollars profit on every Nintendo Wii...

Nintendo makes a profit of 6 dollars on every Nintendo Wii they sell.

While Sony makes a loss on each PlayStation 3 and Microsoft may break even with the Xbox 360, Nintendo makes a profit.

The Nintendo Wii is expected to sell more software than any other games console this year, with a target of 220 million units, compared with 120 million for PlayStation 3 games and 125 million for Xbox 360 titles.

Nintendo sells 60 per cent of Wii games itself, compared with 30 per cent for Microsoft and 15 per cent for Sony.

Part of this success is placed upon Nintendo's practice of keeping price down, with the console itself retailing for around USD 250, compared to the PlayStation 3 at around USD 400, while Nintendo Wii games are priced around USD 50 rather than USD 60 on the other two consoles.

"The key thing about Nintendo is they want their things to be at price points that anyone can respond to."

Source: GamesIndustry

From The Creator of Enigmo and Cro-Mag Rally Comes Antimatter, A New Electrifying Game for the iPhone and iPod Touch

Antimatter, a unique physics based arcade-style game, is now available for the Apple iPhone and iPod touch.

“Antimatter is the first game Pangea designed from the ground up for the iPhone operating system,” stated Brian Greenstone, president of Pangea Software. “It’s a physics based arcade game that will really appeal to anyone who liked Enigmo. The Antimatter graphics are stunning, the audio is incredible and the gameplay is extremely addictive!”

Antimatter is the ultimate arcade game for the iPhone and iPod Touch! To complete each level the player will need to control a stream of antimatter particles and use it to affect Cosmic Strings in order to alter their color before the Antimatter Energy Meter runs out, all while collecting power-ups and bonus points. This remarkable title was designed specifically for the iPhone and iPod touch, featuring a simple and intuitive control scheme that allows for a true interactive experience.

Antimatter is available through the App Store with a limited time special introductory price of $.99.

To purchase Antimatter, please visit the App Store at: http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=298032129&mt=8.

Zavvi games supplier goes bust - no more orders being taken

Zavvi has confirmed earlier reports that it is struggling to meet demand as it suffers stock shortages due to its supplier, Entertainment UK, going into administration.

The UK retailer has suspended taking orders on its website for all DVD, music and videogames products, however books are still available. Yesterday, Gamesindustry.biz broke the news that EUK-supplied stores were still waiting on copies of the PlayStation 3 exclusive title Resistance 2.

"Regretfully we are unable to fully guarantee the supply of DVD, music and games products to our customers," the company commented on its website today. "We have decided to suspend taking orders for these products while we work to resolve the situation and get back to normal."

"We have not taken this decision lightly, but we believe that this is the right course of action under the circumstances."

Source: Games Industry

Blue Dragon Plus for Nintendo DS

Are you ready to discover Blue Dragon Plus for Nintendo DS in an all new way? Immerse yourself in a larger-than-life visual experience by visiting the all-new www.yourbluedragon.com. From the moment you enter the site, watch the epic story of Blue Dragon Plus unfold before your eyes as Ignition Entertainment interweaves traditional website sections with an engaging cinematic story presentation, revealing a deeper look into the mystery behind Blue Dragon Plus.

“With such an extraordinary game, we knew we had to create an equally extraordinary site – a Blue Dragon website - PLUS!” said Ajay Chadha, President of Ignition Entertainment. “We designed the Blue Dragon Plus site with a primary goal of blurring the lines between the cinematic experience and the interactive experience. We hope gamers will enjoy the ride!”

Packed with fan favorites including character bios, screenshots, storylines and wallpapers, the new game portal also boasts a fully dedicated Blue Dragon Plus forum where gamers can breathe fire alongside other Blue Dragon Plus fans from all over the world.

Tales of Pirates: Exploring the Treasure Gulf

In Tales of Pirates the Treasure Gulf is the first scene of the Caribbean Sea map. It is also an important transfer station through which players can access Skeletar Isle, Naval Base, Abaddon and Heaven. Like other treasure places, Treasure Gulf hides many precious items. Players may be able to get them by salvaging or fishing, and if they don't get what they want, it’s easy to sell them for a profit. It is also the only place which allows PK on the Caribbean Sea map.

Treasure Gulf Features

I. Silent Fleet

It is said that there are 7 sunken ships under the Treasure Gulf. In name and appearance they are all alike, but one among them is a special ship containing much more precious treasure chests.

When opening a common treasure chest, players will get ordinary materials, but when opening a special treasure chest they may obtain lots of gold, Mystic Panda Caps, Refining Gems and Attribute Gems.

II. Cruising Sharks

There are many schools of sharks living in the Treasure Gulf. Players can salvage these sharks by using salvaging tools. The sharks have attack powers, and will damage players’ ships.

After using a shark, players will obtain any one of the level 75 apparel suits, Shark Meat, Shark Roe, Sharkfin, and Shark Bone which are very useful and can be used to manufacture new items players need after adding ingredients like salt and rice.

Shark Fillet is made with Shark Meat plus Mustard, and will restore 1000 health points.
Caviar is made of Shark Roe and salt, and will restore 1000 SP points.
Sharkfin Porridge is made of Sharkfin plus Rice, and will increase attack power by 50%.
Fish Bone Soup is made of Shark Bone and Water, and will increase Dodge Rating by 50%.

For more details about Tales of Pirates, visit their official website: http://top.igg.com/.

Angels Online - New PVP system called Holy Battlefield is now available

Angels Online: Outpost Battlefield and Monsters Overview
After the release of the Lost Atlantis, a new PVP system called Holy Battlefield is now available for all players to enjoy. It has evolved based on the Outpost Battlefield and the Totem Battle. Players must have been very familiar with the Totem Battle, so today the Angels Online team is giving a brief introduction concerning the Outpost Battlefield.

Outpost Battlefield
The Outpost Battlefield was the first PVP system released for Angels Online. Four appointed NPCs can be found in the four main cities. Different factions’ players can talk to corresponding NPCs and then enter the Outpost Battlefield and PK with players from other factions.
In order to protect lower level players, there will be two maps for level 21-40 players and level 41-60 players respectively. Players will be teleported to the corresponding map according to their level.

Strategies
Fighting system players always charge forward under heavy fire like tanks, and are very important in the Outpost Battlefield. Magic players should deal as much damage as they can in time to soften up their enemies for the main tanks. If there are more than two factions’ on a map, players who take part in the Outpost Battlefield the first time may become flustered, and this can be disastrous during battle.

Boss Monsters & Production
Monsters which are as powerful as BOSSes will come to the Outpost Battlefield from 6:00pm to 12:00am everyday. Players can organize teams to defeat these monsters and obtain certain Riddle Pieces. 200 Riddle Pieces can be exchanged for a Certificate.

A guild with more Certificates has a chance to occupy a map in advance in the Totem Battle. On the battlefield, production players can obtain some Riddle Pieces as well by collecting high-level materials. However, their Riddle Pieces are much sought after, these players may be attacked by players from other factions. It is better for them to team up with other fighters and collect materials together.

For more information about this and other events visit:
http://ao.igg.com/act/totemskirmish/

Microsoft say Black Friday Xbox sales strong...

Microsoft was the first to issue a press release, saying that U.S. Xbox 360 console sales over the Black Friday weekend were on pace to beat previous years. It estimated Black Friday sales were up 25 percent on 2007 numbers and that the Xbox 360 outsold the PlayStation 3 by a three-to-one margin.

Of course, analysts are expecting Nintendo to trounce Microsoft in consoles sold. Nintendo doesn’t have a Black Friday report ready yet.

Sony, meanwhile, thumped its chest back at Microsoft. Peter Dille, senior vice president of marketing and PlayStation Network at Sony, said in a statement that the company’s U.S. sales are up 90 percent year-to-date and that sales are on track for the company’s fiscal year which ends March 31, 2009.

Retailers reported strong sales on Black Friday, but many analysts attributed that to deep discounting. Video game companies have bundled more games with each console, and Microsoft cut its console prices in September, but the industry hasn’t resorted to big discounts. In the game industry, the most expensive new games debut at $60, but there is always the danger that new games won’t sell well and that used games will surge. That isn’t the case right now, evidently.

Gears of War 2 lived up to the hype. I finished it last week and was quite delighted with the sequel to the 2006 original. Microsoft said it sold 2 million copies of that game on its first weekend after the Nov. 7 launch.

Microsoft said that Fable II and Lips (a sing-along game) also sold well. And it said that sales of Xbox 360 hardware have been strong worldwide since the company cut prices in September. Among the big titles that should push November U.S. sales of video games are Gears of War 2, EA’s Left For Dead, Sony’s LittleBigPlanet and Resistance 2, Activision Blizzard’s World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King, THQ’s WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009, and Nintendo’s Pokemon Ranger: Shadows of Almia for the Nintendo DS handheld game player. NPD is expected to publish November game sales results on Dec. 11.

Full text source: The standard

Tomb Raider Underworld video game review...

Tomb Raider is certainly ready to move in new directions. However, before it does, Underworld serves as a suitable exclamation point to wrap up old ideas before moving on to the next big thing. In that capacity, the game is a huge success, delivering the best of what makes Tomb Raider games fun while excising most elements that have irked players in recent years. This game won't likely change your opinion of the character or her adventures, but it's a grand ride for those who still look forward to globetrotting with the British heiress.

Crystal Dynamics acknowledges from the start that it's time to sweep out the old and bring in the new, opening the game with a bang (bye-bye Croft Manor), making it abundantly clear that things are changing for Lara. Underworld features the most cinematic and exciting Tomb Raider plot yet, filled with tense drama and awe-inspiring scenes of discovery. Without explicitly saying so, Underworld serves as the final act of the seemingly disconnected stories presented in Legend and Anniversary. Culling characters and unanswered questions from both, this closing chapter won't leave fans hanging.

The series' basic design tenets remain intact, but they are more polished here than ever before. Clambering along ledges, leaping across dangerous gaps, dodging ancient mechanical traps, and culling endangered animal species... it's all here. What has changed is the sense of scale. Underworld is all about huge mechanisms and sprawling levels. The platforming is top notch, and navigating the varied locales of the game world has never been more fun. Lara's actions feel and look more natural, thanks to some excellent motion-captured animation; cracks only show during occasional transitions between animations. Her moveset is also dramatically expanded, giving her more facility to interact with the environment in the way you want.

The mind-bending puzzles are fun, particularly the impressive number of optional challenges scattered throughout the game to find extra relics and treasures. If anything, some of the puzzles may be too big. I'm as much of a fan of gigantic, pulley-rigged ancient statues as anyone, but there are times where the scale of these contraptions is too massive to even understand what you're doing when you place widget A in slot B. Beyond this frustration, most of the puzzles are a blast to solve, delivering repeated "aha" moments that puzzle gamers can't help but love.

Combat is a marginal step up from previous incarnations, but is still heavily focused on wild leaps around the environment as you hold down the trigger. Unlike before, these combat encounters frequently pop up while you're in the midst of hanging off a ledge or leaping between posts, upping the excitement significantly. Legacy camera problems, meanwhile, haven't improved significantly and is probably the biggest problem still facing the talented development team.

In tone, Underworld hits the target dead center, delivering the perfect mix of isolation and discovery with larger dramatic encounters. No modern cities mar Lara's excursion this time, this is tomb-raiding from beginning to end. Remarkable visuals sell the experience, and a moving score deepens your involvement. The formula behind the game is ready for some fresh ideas, but as a wrap up of old ideas, Underworld hits the sweet spot.

All gamezplay.org posts including video and sexy Alison Carroll the new face of Lara Croft...

PLATFORM: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
STYLE: 1-player action/adventure
PUBLISHER: Eidos

CONCEPT: Explore the hidden ruins of the ancient past in one of Lara Croft's best adventures
GRAPHICS: Gorgeous environments, moody lighting, and slick animation make this a surprise contender for one of the finest looking games of the year
SOUND: A fantastic score sets the mood for exploring mysterious ruins and shooting in desperate gun battles
PLAYABILITY: Lara reacts with ease and precision, but the camera is sometimes frustrating
ENTERTAINMENT: A thrilling adventure for any gamer, but long-time tomb raiders will especially love all the nods to previous narratives
REPLAY VALUE: Moderate
THE BOTTOM LINE: 8.75 out of 10

Source: Courant

NBA Live Jersey contest winners to be announced

They came. They designed. They are being chosen...

The judges are picking the best designs from more than 10,000 entries in the NBA LIVE Jersey Creator Contest.

Check out fan favorites in the galleries and come back to see the winners soon.

Check out the gallery here...

Pit Crew Panic! The All Girl Pit Crew arrive on Nintendo WiiWare

Broken Aircraft Carrier? Leaking Fishing Boat? Giant Broken Wedding Cake? Fear not! Hudson’s All-Female Pit Crew Has You Covered!

The official launch of Pit Crew Panic!, an all-new, wacky “panic-action” game, available for WiiWare. This unique game is loaded with frantic fixing fun as the player’s all-female pit crew repairs a variety of bizarre “WHATSITS” as fast as they can.

Players can choose to play solo and race against the clock or play against their friends to see whose all-female pit crew can hammer, screw and wrench the fastest on a giant broken wedding cake! Inspired grease monkeys can even play online and see whose girls can out-fix their opponents on an aircraft carrier, a broken toilet, a pot of sunflowers, a car with a cake under its hood and many more zany “WHATSITS”!

Pit Crew Panic! is full of crazy frantic action! As broken “WHATSITS” race up to the awaiting pit crew, players will have the power to assign each of their pit crew girls to different sections of the broken item that needs to be fixed. Players have to hurry before timers run out since sections of the broken “WHATSITS” could explode like ticking time bombs or spew automotive fluids and nearby pit crew girls will get stunned or slip!

Players can also help out their pit crew girls in sticky fix-it situations by using their Wii Remote just like a real pit crew tool. Just like any good grease monkey would use a screwdriver, wrench or other pit crew tools, players can use the Wii Remote to hammer away with up and down swings or tighten bolts with a turn of the wrist. There is also a handy tutorial to help players figure out not just how to play the game, but also how to go as fast as they can when fixing all the wacky “WHATSITS” in the game!

“Pit Crew Panic! has taken gameplay with the Wii Remote to fun and creative new extremes,” said Sabine Duvall, Vice President of Product Development at Hudson Entertainment. “The game has a unique sense of humor which players will appreciate as they try to use the Wii Remote as a blowtorch to fix a space station or as a wrench to fix a locomotive.”
Pit Crew Panic! is rated E for Everyone by the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB).

Grand Theft Auto IV on PC includes SecuROM 7 install

Image via Wikipedia

The upcoming PC version of Grand Theft Auto IV will install SecuROM 7 on customers' systems, although the game maker claims its properly de-fanged the detested DRM technology.

Rockstar told the gaming site IGN that GTA IV's flavor of SecuROM won't limit the number of installs of the game, nor will it restrict the number of machines it can be put on.

Those were arguably the most reviled SecuROM checks previously used on games such as EA's Spore, which have put many gamers up at arms. EA later backed down on the number total Spore installs, but kept the PC limit capped at five.

A Rockstar spokesperson told IGN:

GTA IV PC uses SecuROM for protecting our EXE until street date has passed, to ensure the retail disk is in the computer drive, and is used for Product Activation of the title. Product Activation is a one time only online authentication when installing the game.

The anti-DRM crowd will still have the rest of SecuROM's questionable repertoire to wag a finger at. It had been known to cause hardware problems for some, and even after a game has been removed from your system, uninstalling SecuROM is no easy task.

The latter point explains why the Rockstar rep added that even if a customer uninstalls and re-install GTA IV, it won't require re-authentication. (Unless a customer changes to "major" components on the PC, such as CPU and video card). "Active functions" of SecuROM are removed on the game's installation but "some traces will remain," according to Rockstar. The company said it's presently "working" with SecuROM just to post information on its support pages on how to remove the DRM completely.

Although an internet connection will be required for activation, the game maker said it will provide for rustic customers to activate the game using someone else's machine with web access.

To ward off those looking for the inevitable pirated version of GTA IV with SecuROM removed, the Rockstar spinster went with the angle that property theft isn't as easy, profitable, and amusing as each and every game in the GTA series would suggest:

Aside from the fact that warez are a great place to pick up a Trojan or key logger, using a cracked copy of GTA IV PC will result in varying changes to the game experience. These can range from comical to game-progress-halting changes.

It sounds a bit like the company is leaking bugged versions of the game on file-sharing sites. That may even keep freetards from getting their paws on a stolen digital copy for one — maybe two days tops by our estimate.

Source: The Register and IGN

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Tuesday, December 02, 2008