Burnout Paradise - The Ultimate Box - PS3 Packshot

During 2008 Criterion transformed Burnout through downloadable content.

They've already released Codename: Cagney and Bikes packs, loaded with amazing new gameplay and for the first time ever: motorcycles!

They've also just announced our awesome Party Pack.

Play as Villains in DC Universe Online

Fans at New York Comic-Con Will Get the First Chance to Play as Villains in DC Universe Online on Show Floor

The third comic book legend to join Jim Lee and Geoff Johns to ensure accurate DC Comics history and story continuity in DC Universe Online will be unveiled by Sony Online Entertainment during the New York Comic-Con panel, “Bringing the DC Universe to Life Online” on Saturday, February 7 from 4:15 – 5:15pm in Room 1A24. This mystery guest will join Jim Lee, Geoff Johns and SOE developers Jens Andersen, Wes Yenagi and Jared Carr as they discuss their experiences bringing the DC universe from comic book pages to an online virtual world.


Sony Online Entertainment will also give fans a fresh look at DC Universe Online at SOE’s Booth #1551. In this new demo, fans will be the first to experience instanced combat as dastardly super-villains.

Immediately following the panel on Saturday, SOE will host a fan event, where they will get a chance to play the game and speak to the developers, Jim Lee and Geoff Johns.

DC Universe Online is an upcoming multiplayer online game in development for the PLAYSTATION 3 computer entertainment system and PC that allows players to become heroes or villains and interact with others in real-time. Set in a three-dimensional DC Comics world, DCUO features iconic locations such as Gotham City and Metropolis and classic characters such as Superman, Batman and the Joker. In this dramatic online world, players battle alongside their favorite DC Comics heroes and villains to aid in solving or committing crimes. The game includes action-based combat and a robust physics system that encourages players to manipulate objects in the environment and hurl them at enemies.

Please let us know if you’d like to attend the panel or the fan party. Details and contact information can be found below.

EVENTS:

PANEL: “Bringing the DC Universe to Life Online”

Date: Sat., Feb. 7, 4 p.m. - 5 p.m.
Location: Jacob K. Javits Center, Room: 1A24
A discussion with Jim Lee, Geoff Johns, SOE developers Wes Yanagi, Jens Andersen and Jared Carr, and a third mystery guest about the process behind creating DC Universe Online

SHOW FLOOR DEMOS:

Date: Fri., Feb 6: 1 p.m. – 7 p.m.; Sat., Feb. 7: 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Location: Sony Online Entertainment booth #1551
New playable demo of DC Universe Online, revealing instanced combat as a villain

FAN PARTY:

Date: Sat., Feb. 7, 6-8 p.m.
Location: Jacob K. Javits Center, Room: 1A24
RSVP now to demo DCUO and interview Jim Lee, Geoff Johns, our secret guest and the development team

INTERVIEWS AVAILABLE:

Jim Lee – World-renowned comic book artist and executive creative director for DCUO
Geoff Johns – Legendary comic book writer and head writer for DCUO
Jens Andersen - Creative Director, SOE-Austin
Wes Yanagi - Senior Producer, SOE-Austin
Jared Carr - Art Director, SOE-Austin
Special Guest – The newest addition to the DCUO creative team

VISUALS:

Interviews with legendary comic book stars Jim Lee and Geoff Johns
Game play for DC Universe Online

My Do It All video game on Nintendo DS more info...

TOMY Corporation today unveiled brand-new gameplay screenshots for My DoItAll™ on the Nintendo DS™, an all-in-one gaming title that provides players with the ability to have fun and interact with friends through customization capabilities, mini-games and voice changer and sound effect applications. Players can also stay organized and up-to-date with activities using a calendar and reference tools.

Watch the trailer on my YouTube channel here... (please subscribe)

The new screenshots reveal a range of mini-games that gamers can play using the Wireless Connection, as well as various reference tools equipped in the game to help players in their daily lives. Fully customizable avatar screenshots also allow for a more personalized and interactive gameplay experience.

My DoItAll provides gamers a unique way to socially interact with friends and have fun, while staying organized on their DS handheld system. Players start off by customizing their very own avatar with a personal look and style, followed by creating a privacy protected Friend Card that includes basic details such as contact information, likes/dislikes, and personal data. From there, My DoItAll becomes a treasure chest of applications for the player to explore. Taking full advantage of the Nintendo DS capabilities, the game also allows players to connect wirelessly with up to six friends to participate in questionnaires, plan social activities, and play mini-games. As an added bonus, My DoItAll features a voice changer that records with the microphone, as well as a sound effects machine comprised of over 25 sounds. To complete the all-in-one package, players can also manage their schedules, keep a journal, and utilize reference tools such as a calculator and world map in order to become the ultimate whiz-kid.

Stormrise - post apocalyptic real-time strategy game Xbox 360 PS3 and PC

Stormrise is a post apocalyptic real-time strategy game from Creative Assembly, the makers of Medieval II: Total War. Two warring factions arise from the rubble: the Echelon, a technologically advanced race that endured the planet's fallout by way of self-induced hibernation, and the Sai, a tribal society that adapted to the new apocalyptic environment and evolved over time.

Stormrise will be released in March on Xbox 360, Playstation 3 and PC.

Unit descriptions

Echelon
Enforcers

Enforcers are the troops on the frontline, bringing peace and security to all who fall under the wing of the Echelon. Determined to bring the civility of the past to the chaos of the frontier, Enforcers serve with utmost loyalty to the Chancellor. They are protected by tactical combat armour and heavily armed with an assault rifle/grenade launcher combo.

SPECIAL ABILITIES

• Grenades: The Enforcers can launch a barrage of explosive grenades at their enemies.
• Riot Shield Up: The Enforcers activate their energy Riot Shields and hunker down behind them for increased protection.

Infiltrators

The arbiters of justice, Infiltrators seek out the hidden enemies of the Echelon and dispatch them with a high velocity shot to the skull. Trained from a young age to join the elite ranks of the Echelon infantry, Infiltrators are supreme scouts and deadly accurate snipers. All Infiltrators are armed with the best field camouflage armour and a large calibre high velocity rifle. The Infiltrator always strikes its target.

SPECIAL ABILITIES

• Thermal Vision: The Infiltrator is able to detect and target any hidden and cloaked units within view.

Prowlers

Prowlers are moderately armoured but highly mobile vehicles that provide security both on the ground and in the air. Unmatched for their versatility, Prowlers engage land and air targets with turret-mounted twin cannons. Echelon Commanders know that when these cats are on the prowl, the enemy better watch out!

SPECIAL ABILITIES

• Search the Skies AA Mode: The Prowler transforms into a stable gun platform to shoot down airborne targets.

Sai Rangers

Rangers perform two functions within the Sai hierarchy. Firstly they scout the frontiers for dangerous mutants, alerting Sai villages if they are in danger and secondly, Rangers form into Militia Platoons in time of war, providing the most common form of troops available to Sai commanders. Armed with basic armour and an assault rifle, Rangers are best deployed in numbers. When the Rangers’ battle fervour is heated they will charge into combat heedless of danger. They can also fire Sai energy charges at air targets.

SPECIAL ABILITIES

• Sai Anti Air Rockets: The Rangers can fire Sai energy charges at airborne units from their unusual weapons.
• Commando Rush: The Rangers call forth their natural aggression and rush into combat completely ignoring the dangers around them but increasing their damage.

Spectres

The silent knives in the night, Spectres are a true nightmare for Echelon soldiers to handle. They have an exceptional ability to control Sai energy, having been trained from a young age to manipulate the energy in different ways. Able to project swords made out of energy from their arms, the Spectres can slash their way through nearly all opposition. The Spectre can also bend light at-will to cloak itself, making it nearly invisible to the naked eye, only being given away by a slight shimmer. The fact that Spectres can also use mind control could be the most terrifying thing of all.

SPECIAL ABILITIES

• Mind Control: The powerful mind of the Spectre can temporarily dominate any enemy except for commanders.
• Cloak: The Spectre can warp light around itself to hide from enemy sight. The shimmering can be detected from up close though.
• Rapid Slice: The Spectre goes into a slashing frenzy, destroying any infantry within its reach.

Scorpions

The Sai may not be as technologically advanced as the Echelon but that doesn’t mean they don’t have machines. Scorpions are off-road vehicles used to patrol the wastes around Sai villages and to provide light strike power for when Sai forces go into combat. The Rangers enlisted to drive them revel in the freedom of thrashing their machine around and firing off the back mounted machine gun.

SPECIAL ABILITIES

• Sting: A ceramic shell-filled with Brood acid charged with Sai energy. On impact it does minimal damage, but greatly reduces the armour where the shell hit.

Challenge your favourite Game Masters in Street Gears from the 28th to the 30th January !

The gPotato.eu team is organising an important community event from the 28th to the 30th January. This week all Flyff : Fly For Fun, Rappelz and Street Gears players will have the chance to meet and challenge the whole gPotato team using the crazy races of the free in-line skating MMORPG Street Gears.

From the 28th January, players of the gPotato.eu game portal who would like to challenge their community managers are invited to log in to Street Gears, and take part in the different special races which have been set up for this event. The Game Masters will be present in various locations around Park Town city to chat with players, and are available to the whole gPotato community.

This event will allow players to meet Game Masters from the different gPotato games and chat with them. We’re also giving the Dragonica team a break, giving you the chance to meet them at last. While competition is a major part of Street Gears, the Game Masters are there to have a good time with players and chat with them about how they feel about the game.


By organising common events for all its games, the gPotato.eu team hopes to bring the community together with regular in-game activities, and encourage communication and sharing between all our players. Lots more fun activities are planned over the next few months, that will offer players the chance to experience gameplay in many new ways.

Please find enclosed screenshots about this special Game Masters Day event on Street Gears.

XG Blast Nintendo DS game out in February

XG Blast! release confirmed for February 2009 from Rising Star Games.

Delve deep into space and get ready to fire all weapons with this retro style shooter from Rising Star Games. Developed exclusively for the Nintendo DS, XG Blast! will be available in all PAL territories from February 6th 2009. To accompany this announcement a host of screenshots showcasing the art style and the official trailer are available now.

Undergoing a secret experimental journey, the spaceship Aknathen detects an energy spectrum identical to the one emitted by its prototype weapon, the XG Blast! Travelling to investigate, Aknathen is sucked through a wormhole and into a dimension filled with aggressive alien life-forms determined to take the weapon for themselves. Fight your way through hordes of enemies to uncover the origin of the mysterious signal and find your way back home.

XG Blast! has the classic feel of other retro shooters with further enhancements such as maps with alternate routes to victory, including a host of multi-player features. XG Blast! encompasses polished graphics and deep, modernised gameplay features that are easy to pick up and hard to put down. Accelerate to warp speed with a multitude of enemies, gather huge power-ups and experience the intriguing story mode throughout the campaign. Also, for the first time ever, XG Blast! will let players battle across a variety of maps in multiplayer modes such as Double Dream Co-op mode and Full War death matches.

Tyrone Walcott, product marketing assistant said “the passion shown throughout the development has been successfully translated with this fresh take on this style of retro shooter and breathes new life into an already popular genre”.

Puzzle Robo, geographical quiz Travel Genius and Hexxagon Labs video games on iPhone and iPod Touch

HeroCraft proudly announces the release of its first three iPhone games – the great puzzle Robo, the unique geographical quiz Travel Genius and the multi-award winning Hexxagon Labs. Utilising the company's specially developed NioCore engine to port its latest smartphone titles to the iPhone.

Alexander Polukord, Sales and Marketing Manager of HeroCraft's smartphone division added "We are hopeful that our existing catalogue of PDA and Smartphone games will be ported to the iPhone within the coming months" and that "all our upcoming titles will be developed for iPhone as well as Palm, Windows Mobile and Symbian. 

We have worked hard to update the user interface to reflect the iPhone look and feel and utilised the iPhone's touchscreen for the game's controls".

Robo is the engaging puzzle contains over seventy diverse levels, a huge variety of brain twisting tasks and superb graphics. Let's help two loving cybernetic hearts to find each other!

Travel Genius is the original quiz entirely devoted to geography and all that it involves. The game fits the entire globe in your hand and tells you what you don't know about the world we inhabit.

Hexxagon Labs is the amazing logic game, which contains over a dozen arenas filled with intellectual challenges where you are able to compete with computer rivals or play with your friends!.

Niki - Rock 'n' Ball and Wonder Boy in Monster Land video games added to WiiWare

You'll find plenty of monsters in your midst this week, courtesy of the Wii Shop Channel. A brand new WiiWare game invites you to battle an army of deceptively cute creatures, while a classic Virtual Console release pits players against ferocious foes and fire-breathing dragons. Think you've got what it takes to defeat these outrageous beasts? Grab a Wii Remote controller and get busy.

Nintendo adds new and classic games to the Wii Shop Channel at 9 a.m. Pacific time every Monday. Wii owners with a high-speed Internet connection can redeem Wii Points to download the games. Wii Points can be purchased in the Wii Shop Channel or at retail outlets. This week's new games are:

WiiWare

Niki - Rock 'n' Ball (Bplus, 1-2 players, Rated E for Everyone-Comic Mischief, 500 Wii Points): Are you in love with those unforgettable arcade classics where the only goal is to vanquish all opponents to reach the next stage? Niki - Rock 'n' Ball is a new interpretation of those games with a completely innovative and unique gaming mechanism. Roll along with Niki through fantastic worlds, find all the ZeLeLi pearls, and liberate your village from cuddly-yet-evil monsters before it's too late. Timing is everything. Jump in the nick of time to avoid landing amid barbs. Hop across the stages thanks to the realistic gaming physics. Snap on the ZeLeLi amulet, transform yourself into Niki Rock, and force even the most obstinate monster to its knees. Explore all the stages and win valuable medals while dribbling through them, alone or with a friend. Use familiar controls in Retro style, or experience novel controls in the Wii style.

Virtual Console

Wonder Boy in Monster Land (SEGA MASTER SYSTEM, 1 player, Rated E for Everyone-Alcohol Reference, Mild Cartoon Violence, 500 Wii Points): After the defeat of the evil king, the kingdom of Wonder Land was a paradise…for a time. The peace was broken when a ferocious, fire-breathing dragon struck without warning and took over Wonder Land with a swarm of evil, monstrous henchmen, turning the once-peaceful land into the utterly chaotic Monster Land. Unable to fight, the people now look to Wonder Boy. Realizing that he is Wonder Land's last hope, Wonder Boy sets out on an incredible journey to rid the country of the monsters and defeat the "invincible" evil dragon. Guide Wonder Boy through various environments and dungeons, and defeat enemies using Special Weapons and Spells.

The Maiden, Monk and Ogre, a puzzle-adventure game transporting players to a mythical land hidden deep in the valley of the Swiss Alps.

Blockdot has released “The Maiden, Monk and Ogre,” a puzzle-adventure game transporting players to a mythical land hidden deep in the valley of the Swiss Alps.

Your mission: keep the Maiden and the Monk safely out of the grasp of the hideous Ogre by moving the characters through each map, grabbing purple gems to advance to the next level. The craftiest of players will learn when to push barrels into chasms to make temporary bridges, grab keys to open gates, and land on bounce tiles to spring you over obstacles. The farther you advance in this 100-level game, the more difficult your quest!

Visit Blockdot’s gaming portal, Kewlbox.com, to begin your journey through “The Maiden, Monk and Ogre”

http://www.kewlbox.com/games/GameLaunch.aspx?GameId=215#

War Plan Pacific - patched to version 1.0.1.0123. The patch not only shoots down the dreaded Model 99 Bug but enhances overall gameplay experience

Smash Computer PTO Wargame For Windows Patched!

War Plan Pacific, the acclaimed wargame from developer KE Studios and publisher Shrapnel Games, has now been patched to version 1.0.1.0123. The patch not only shoots down the dreaded Model 99 Bug but enhances the overall gameplay experience.

The patch includes the following fixes/additions to the full retail version of War Plan Pacific:

Bugs

• If an invasion fleet without carriers attacked a base without any defending aircraft (either carrier or land based) the invasion would silently fail. Fixed.
• Saving and reloading on turn 1 no longer provides the Japanese extra SNLF groups.
• Task Force mission text now updates if transport groups are added or removed (changes from Raid to Invasion and vice-versa).
• Occasionally "ghost" patrol icons would remain even after all patrols were cancelled. Gamers no longer have to be spooked by these, as this has been fixed.
• Spelling errors in scenario files fixed.

Enhancements

• Music and Sound now support three levels: Full (louder setting for those playing using laptop speakers), Quiet and Off.
• Added extra feedback for base growth. Now bases will show a lighter colored segment of their size bar to indicate growth during the previous turn. Note: this only appears during single player games to maintain compatibility between versions for multiplayer.
• The Allied AI has received several boosts. It is slightly less aggressive in raiding the Home Islands, more aggressive in reopening the Sea Lanes, and not as static during the first turn.
• Increased reaction moves. Task forces on patrol can now respond to action up to 72 hours sailing time, instead of the one day limit in the initial release. The reaction limit can also now be changed in the scenario file. In multiplayer games both players must have patched to the latest version or the mechanic will default to the original one day limit.

War Plan Pacific is a computer wargame for the Windows operating system developed by Seattle based developer KE Studios. Released last month War Plan Pacific has already earned kudos from Out of Eight reviews, IGN, Flash of Steel, Cyberstratege and the tough Usenet crowd.

In War Plan Pacific one or two players battle for control of the Pacific during the Second World War, beginning with the opening surprise assaults by the forces of Imperial Japan on the Western Allies. Commanding air and naval units (ground combat is abstracted through invasions) players wage war with a variety of objectives in mind. As the Allies strangle Japan's resources or bomb them into submission after an island hopping campaign. For the Japanese player survive long enough for the Allied public to grow weary of battle or force a delay of American forces that tilts the conflict into an assured victory.

While play encompasses the Pacific from Singapore to San Francisco, using a historical order of battle, one of War Plan Pacific's greatest strengths is its single session games. A typical game only takes a few hours to play, making it ideal for weeknight gaming or multiplayer sessions.

The version 1.0.1.0123 patch can be downloaded from the official War Plan Pacific games page.

War Plan Pacific is only $39.95 and comes in two flavors: on CD in a DVD case for those who prefer a physical product and a digital download if you'd prefer to go that route. And unlike other naval wargames War Plan Pacific features no intrusive DRM scheme.

Runes of Magic Open Beta on DVD available now

We are currently working with Frogster Interactive to promote Runes of Magic, a PC MMORPG that is currently in open beta and has created a huge interest in the online gaming community by redefining the standard for free-to-play titles, not only for the quality of game but the fact that the game already has more than 300,000 active players since the launch of its open beta in December, with hundreds of thousands more expected as word of the game's features and community spread each day.

Already a winner of multiple awards for its content and overall gameplay, Runes of Magic is expected to be a major international hit in 2009 and beyond.


As the client for Runes of Magic is currently over 3.3GB, we have recently created a press only DVD that we can send directly out to you today. As well as including the Runes of Magic client, the DVD will also contains the latest press kit containing screen shots, concept art and videos.

Once you have the client installed and a username set up, we can then add the in-game currency diamonds to your accounts so you can use the item-shop in game.

Mortal Kombat v DC Universe video game sells 1.8 million

Well Over One Million Units of Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe Sold Worldwide

Midway Games, a leading interactive entertainment publisher and developer, today announced that the company has shipped approximately 1.8 million units of Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe worldwide for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, and the PLAYSTATION 3 computer entertainment system.Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe was the result of countless hours of hard work by many people, and seeing the game surpass the million-seller plateau makes it worth all the effort," said Ed Boon, Mortal Kombat co-founder and creative director, Midway. "We're already hard at work on our next version of Mortal Kombat, and look forward to being able to reveal more details in the future."

Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe also continues to set a number of internal Midway records. The game was the most pre-ordered MK title in company history, and more than 3.6 million Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe matches have been played online worldwide for the PS3, according to numbers from GameSpy Technology,* which provides connected gaming, multiplayer and statistics gathering services to the title.

The standard edition of Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe is available for a U.S. suggested retail price of $59.95, and a limited number of copies of the Kollector's Edition are still available for a U.S. suggested retail price of $69.95.

Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe is licensed by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, and is available for the PS3 and the Xbox 360. For more information please visit www.worldscollide.com.
About Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe

For the first time ever, Scorpion, Sub-Zero and the Mortal Kombat warriors battle with Batman, Superman and other popular DC Universe Super Heroes. Choose your side and challenge your opponents with a new fighting system including Freefall Kombat and Klose Kombat inside dynamic multi-tiered environments. Plus, pick your favorite character from Mortal Kombat or the DC Universe and pursue a fighting adventure in the new single player mode with an intertwined storyline and two unique perspectives.

Although this is the first Mortal Kombat title to be given a "T" rating by the ESRB, the game embodies all the qualities that made the franchise such an integral part of gaming culture, including the ability to perform the unique Fatalities and Heroic Brutalities that are a signature of the Mortal Kombat series.

Metal Gear Online Bomb Mission out 27th January

A battle to destroy or protect target areas on the map.
The attacking team will claim victory if they can plant time bombs in the target areas and protect them until any one of them detonates.

The defending team can win by protecting all of the target areas on the map until the timer expires. The defending team can use Coolant to nullify planted time bombs.
The attacking team can only have one bomb at a time.


The defending team can use Coolant to nullify a bomb, or defeat the player with a bomb and then eliminate it by leaving it on the ground for a set period of time.
When the bomb is eliminated, it will reappear at its original location.
To win the defending team must either hold the base until time runs out, or eliminate all of the bombs.

Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, a casual hidden object-adventure game inspired by the classic masterpiece by Daniel Defoe

MagicIndie Softworks (www.magicindie.com), announced today the release of Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, a casual hidden object-adventure game inspired by the classic masterpiece by Daniel Defoe.

About the Game

Adventures of Robinson Crusoe is a story of a XVII-th century mariner who survives a terrible shipwreck and finds himself cast away on an island in the Caribbeans. The game takes the player through all most important events of the book from exploring of the Wrecked ship and to saving of his man Friday.

Two game play modes, 36 unique locations to explore, unique mini-games and a fun adventures spirit awaits the player in this incredible story of survival and hope.

Trial version of the game offers 60 minutes of play time and is available for free, immediate download. For more details visit www.crusoegame.com.

About MagicIndie Softworks

MagiIndie Softworks is located in Chisinau, Republic of Moldova

Tales of Pirates - Lunar New Year Event

As the old saying goes, the early bird catches the worm! At the start of 2009 Tales of Pirates ( http://top.igg.com/ )will greet many new players in the launch of the new version 2.0. In order to let the newbie players do some preparation in advance, they have specially arranged the cool Leveling Contest throughout all of the servers. If the players can reach the required level, they will obtain the big rewards that IGG has prepared for them!

Event Duration:
12:00a.m. January, 25th -- 12:00a.m.February, 9th EST (GMT-5)

Event Location:
All Servers

Event Description:
Entrants should create an account during the period between January, 25th and January 31st and strive to level up quickly. Until 12:00am EST (GMT-5) February, 9th the TOP official will check the players’ levels in a ranking list. Entrants who have reached Level 60 and level 69 will obtain a Chest of Enigma as reward and those who are level 70 or above will obtain a Chaos Chest.

The challenge of the new map, the challenge of the new BOSSes, also the chance to make new friends in TOP version 2.0 ! We want to see what you can do!

Rock band add six pack from Grateful Dead Psychadelic Band

Harmonix and MTV Games announced today the addition of six new Grateful Dead tracks to the Rock Band Music Store catalog of downloadable content. The tracks include “Cold Rain & Snow” from the band’s original 1967 album, The Grateful Dead.”

"Hell in a Bucket” from the 1987 In the Dark album, “Uncle John’s Band” from Workingman's Dead (1970), “Fire on the Mountain” from Shakedown Street (1978), “Don’t Ease Me In” from Go to Heaven (1980) and “Doin’ That Rag,” from the 1969 album Aoxomoxoa.

Grateful Dead, well known for its 30 years of wild and lengthy tours, announced last week its first tour in over five years. Founded by the infamous singer-songwriter Jerry Garcia, the band’s journey ignited in San Francisco’s Haight and Ashbury district during the psychedelic ’60s. In 2007 the Recording Academy honored Grateful Dead with the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award for its contribution to the evolution of rock music.

The “Grateful Dead Pack 02” is the second Grateful Dead pack to join the Rock Band Music Store. “Casey Jones,” China Cat Sunflower,” “Franklins Tower,” “I Need a Miracle,” “Sugar Magnolia” and “Truckn” were released to Rock Band fans last March. In addition, Grateful Dead’s “Alabama Getaway” is featured on the Rock Band 2 disc.

Release Date: Tuesday, January 27, 2009 (Xbox LIVE Marketplace for Xbox 360)
Thursday, January 29, 2009 (PlayStation Store)

Tracks:

Grateful Dead “Hell in a Bucket”
Grateful Dead “Don’t Ease Me In”
Grateful Dead “Cold Rain & Snow”
Grateful Dead “Doin’ That Rag”
Grateful Dead “Fire on the Mountain”
Grateful Dead “Uncle John’s Band”

(All tracks are original master recordings)

Price: $1.99 (160 Microsoft Points for Xbox 360) per track
$9.99 (800 Microsoft Points for Xbox 360) for the Grateful Dead 6-pack

Locations: Xbox LIVE Marketplace for Xbox 360 and PlayStation Network

Free download update Towering Dungeons Imperial Rewards to Fantasy MMORPG Florensia Update Brings 100-Floor Dungeons to Every Major Island in Florens

Burda:ic, a publisher of online games worldwide, today released a major update for free-to-play MMORPG Florensia. Players are now able to venture into the mysterious towers that appeared last month, an imposing set of 100-floor dungeons that will challenge even the toughest adventurers.

Access to the towers is granted by Tower Masters who stand in the center of each town. These strange individuals have a number of quest scrolls on hand that reward players handsomely for taking risks, and they are quite happy to trade Imperial Gifts for the Military Crosses earned within the new dungeons.



On the sillier side of things, every player will receive one of six new headmounts as a gift to celebrate the upcoming launch of Florensia’s Gacha system. The goofy headgear ranges small black cats to steaming bowls of noodles, all available for one week of adventuring. After that, you’ll have to take a chance and spin the Gacha wheel if you want to look ridiculous!

Florensia is a free-to-play, maritime MMORPG that blends vibrant, colorful graphics with classically accessible gameplay. Choosing one of four starting classes, from the sword-wielding Mercenary to the spell casting Noble, players will do battle with a huge variety of weapons and magical abilities as they explore expansive, underground dungeons and sail uncharted seas. Thousands of players have already signed up and headed out in search of adventure, and there has never a better time to join them in the wild and wonderful world of Florensia.

Dungeon Party - New Images of Our (Almost) Fearless and Blameless Heroes

While Dungeon Party's currently closed Beta is moving forward and will soon open to everyone, Cyanide and Focus Home Interactive are pleased to share these new images of their free team-based game to celebrate the opening of the official English website.

Dungeon Party is a free PC online game developed by Cyanide and based on team play. Plunge into a wild heroic-fantasy universe and play against each other in teams of heroes across dungeons filled with deadly traps and monsters to try and collect the treasures they hold.





In Dungeon Party you can create and customize your character with different costumes and objects. A holiday-making sorcerer, a thief straight out of a night club, or a gothic hangman…all styles are possible! Each player can equip his character with different objects and weapons before the battle against opponent teams starts.

You'll have to develop your character through the matches and carefully choose which spells and skills could help the best your team. In order to spice up the game, deadly traps and hunted creatures are scattered throughout the dungeons. These creatures won't make any difference between the teams and protect their treasures with a lot of zeal. Kill monsters will give you more experience points which allow you to buy faster new spells. Bosses and mini-bosses will be harder to beat but will also give you a greater amount of points and, most of all, will help you to seduce the Chest.

Star Ocean - First Departure PSP video game review

The game begins on the planet Roak, a relatively primitive world where the inhabitants appear mostly human, except for the tails and pointy ears.

Roak seems peaceful - one of the game's young heroes, Roddick, laments the boredom to be had even as a member of the defense force for the town of Kratus.

Roddick and his friends Millie and Dorne find more excitement than they bargained for when they encounter two strange beings who appear in a flash of light. These beings turn out to be Ronyx Kenny and Ilia Silvestri, humans from Earth who belong to a "Star Trek" Federation-like alliance that has a policy of noninterference with undeveloped worlds.

But Ronyx and Ilia are bending the rules because a petrifying contagion sweeping through Roak was introduced by a rival faction of humans.

They offer to help, and the group soon learns the origins of this disease and its cure lie in Roak's past, and so they head to an ancient time gate to travel back and wrest the cure from the body of a legendary evil. But they have to leave behind their advanced equipment, and then something goes awry in the time trip.

Other Star Ocean games have had a similar mix of futuristic high technology with common fantasy tropes, such as monsters and magic (called symbology here). It's a combination that has served the series well.

Battles are played out in real time. The player can have up to four characters in the party and can switch control among them at will.

When controlling a character, the player can hammer on the X button to keep up a series of combo attacks, use the shoulder buttons to execute pre-selected special attacks or pause the action to choose items and magic. The fighting is fast-paced and can be pretty tough.

PLOT: A time-traveling, role-playing favorite hits these shores.
PLATFORM: Sony PSP
COST: $40
BOTTOM LINE: The graphics are the most obvious improvement.
RATING: T for Teen

Source: Newsday

iMafia Free social game for iPhone with new virtual goods model

Social games have taken off on networks like Facebook, and now mobile platforms like the iPhone. One of the newest examples is the iMafia game from PlayMesh, which has found a clever way to integrate virtual goods — a challenge for most iPhone apps.

Social games like Mob Wars are already hugely popular online. But Charles Ju, co-founder of PlayMesh in San Francisco, believes the time is right to migrate the concept to the iPhone, which is capable of supporting the same features that draw audiences on the web. The result, iMafia, was released on Friday and already ranks No. 88 in the Apple AppStore.

The object of the free game is to climb the ranks of a crime family by pulling small jobs and shaking down the neighborhood. You can compete with other players (even if you aren’t playing at the same time), and buy virtual goods that will help you along the way. The graphics are pretty basic, with two-dimensional artwork and text-based instructions giving users a variety of options.

On the game’s homescreen, you see a neighborhood, and can use your finger to navigate through the map. You tap on the iPhone’s screen to enter a building. For instance, you can stop into a bar and buy something or get in a fight (and if you fight someone, you’re fighting against another real player). The idea is to succeed at quests to gain experience and earn promotions.

Ju says the game is groundbreaking because it successfully relies on virtual goods to monetize a social network in the context of a free game.

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