New download content for The Maw video game on Xbox Live Wednesday

For those wanting longer levels and more use of the various powers from The Maw, Twisted Pixel Games has announced that a new level called “River Redirect” will be launching this Wednesday, March 11 on Xbox LIVE Arcade for 100 Microsoft Points ($1.25 USD). This level features the Brute Bounty Hunter, introduced in the first DLC level “Brute Force”, and showcases more advanced gameplay and combined use of Maw’s powers.

This is the second of three DLC levels that Twisted Pixel Games has been working on ever since The Maw development wrapped last year. “With River Redirect we tried to make a more puzzle-focused level that requires a bit more skill than some of the game’s other levels,” explains Lead Designer Sean Riley. “Frank finds a raging fire blocking his path, but with Maw’s powers you can find a way to redirect a river to extinguish the flames.”

Each DLC level will expand The Maw storyline by fitting in between the original levels as “deleted scenes”. “As with any production, there are always pieces left on the cutting room floor that you wished could have made it into the final cut,” says CCO and Director Josh Bear. “We had a lot of half-finished story elements and gameplay mechanics, so we are picking the best ones, polishing them up and making new levels that are bigger in size and scope than the ones in the main game.”

About The Maw

The Maw is a 3D action-adventure game available on Xbox LIVE Arcade for 800 Microsoft Points ($10 USD). It was honored with the PAX-10 Audience Choice Award and is a finalist for Technical Excellence in the upcoming 2009 Independent Games Festival. More information about The Maw can be found at www.WhatIsTheMaw.com


About Twisted Pixel Games, LLC

Founded in 2006 by industry veterans, Twisted Pixel is an independent game development studio that operates in two capacities: 1) Inventing innovative original IP concepts then developing them into premiere console titles; and 2) Providing top-flight contract games development work to leading publishers on their highly-anticipated titles. The company’s mission is to become a leading developer of digitally distributed console games with ambitious and inspiring games that exceed consumer expectations. Learn more about Twisted Pixel at www.TwistedPixelGames.com.

Banjo-Kazooie Nuts and Bolts new Download content from Rare...

Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts – it's not over yet. We can't offer any specifics, but it wouldn't do to let your N&B disc gather dust. To whet your appetite for what's coming, a few words from L.O.G. himself...

"Am I addressing the fine minority of gamesplayers with taste, those who are still neck-deep in the customisable wonders of my latest title to feature that drooling bear and the shrieking hag I wish I'd never invented? And Gruntilda too, of course. Ah, the humorous bait-and-switch.

"As I put so much effort into hammering and sticky-taping together all those new worlds for Nuts & Bolts, I thought I'd reward the loyalty of its cadre of ardent players with a brief hint. So prick up your ears, soldiers: consider this an early warning that news on potential lifespan-lengthening activities will be incoming very soon. The game's lifespan, I mean, not your own. I may be a deity, but that's just unrealistic.

"If all goes well, you'll soon be able to experience a little something that I devised during a spare moment in exile from the Palace lounge as the Lady of Games watched some kind of dreadful house renovation show marathon. I have to say I'm quite pleased with the end result, apart from the section that Klungo insisted on contributing due to what he claimed was 'popular demand'. Well, that remains to be seen. I've even topped it off with a promotional logo to keep you interested, as I'm told it's all about the logos and PR and vertical marketing these days.

"That's all for now. Until the next time I randomly and irresponsibly decide to break the fourth wall, enjoy."

So there you go. Expect more info to be out there as soon as next week, but in the meantime rest assured that the Lord of Games is keeping the Nuts & Bolts dream alive.

Earlier fact sheet on gamezplay.org here...

WiiWare Gradius ReBirth plus Alex Kidd: The Lost Stars

Remember when Grandma used to mark your height on the wall every so often, just to see how fast you were growing? Well, if the Wii Shop Channel had its own growth chart, she'd be impressed at how the selection of great games keeps getting bigger and bigger each week. Take a look at the latest additions and you'll discover a pair of different yet equally engaging titles: a thrilled-packed WiiWare shooter and a classic SEGA adventure for the Virtual Console™. Thanks to this steady stream of new games, your own library ought to be growing up fast, too.

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

Gradius ReBirth (Konami, 1 player, Rated E for Everyone-Mild Fantasy Violence, 1,000 Wii Points): Blast your way through levels filled with alien spaceships and otherworldly creatures in this retro side-scrolling shooter. Pick your weapons carefully and upgrade them to create a devastating arsenal of space-aged weapons that will aid you in your challenging mission. Players can post their high scores to worldwide leader boards via Nintendo® Wi-Fi Connection and see where they rank against all the other Gradius ReBirth players. Test your skills with Gradius ReBirth and see if you have what it takes to beat this action-packed arcade shooter.

Virtual Console

Alex Kidd: The Lost Stars™ (SEGA MASTER SYSTEM, 1 player, Rated E for Everyone-Comic Mischief, Crude Humor, 500 Wii Points): In this platformer from the 1980s, help Alex Kidd in a race against time to find the 12 missing zodiac signs hidden in six challenging levels-including toyland, the robot factory and an outer-space level-all complete with crazy enemies.

High Voltage explain why The Conduit dropped Wii MotionPlus support..

The Conduit was supposed to have support for Wii MotionPlus. As revealed last week, however, it's been removed. But why?

1UP got in touch with High Voltage Software VP and chief creative officer Eric Nofsinger to find out what happened."We've been committed to doing what is right for the game and being true to our fans from the start," said Nofsinger over e-mail.

A Nintendo's media summit last fall, while still a reporter for MTV, Nofsinger was notably excited when telling me how quickly they incorporated MotionPlus. The situation changed between then and now, however, but there's no conspiracy.

Read the full post here on 1up...

2K Sports announce Bigs 2 - the sequel to the hit arcade-style Major League Baseball game The BIGS

2K Sports, the sports publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, announced today that The BIGS 2, the sequel to the hit arcade-style Major League Baseball game The BIGS¸ will be available this summer for the Xbox 360 video Game and entertainment system from Microsoft, the PLAYSTATION 3 and PlayStation 2 computer entertainment systems, PSP (PlayStation Portable) system, and Wii home video game system from Nintendo. Known for its over-the-top style of gameplay, The BIGS 2 focuses on the “big” fast-paced moments in Major League Baseball with new opportunities to go up against MLB legends, more mini-games like Home Run Pinball, and a variety of other thrilling new features.

“Fans have been clamoring for a follow-up to The BIGS since it launched two years ago, so we’re excited to now deliver The BIGS 2,” said Greg Thomas, senior vice president of development, 2K Sports. “In the spirit of celebrating the most epic moments in Major League Baseball, The BIGS 2 offers a refreshingly fun and unique experience of dramatic walk-off homeruns, miraculous wall catches, acrobatic diving grabs, and many more incredible plays you’d usually see only in a highlight reel."

Burn Zombie Burn! invades PlayStation Network on march 26th

The upcoming release of what will surely prove to be one of the most addictive and charismatic arcade shooters of 2009: Burn Zombie Burn! available exclusively on Playstation Network on Thursday, March 26, 2009.

Burn Zombie Burn! is one of Sony Computer Entertainment America's exclusive downloadable games on their PlayStation Network, and will be given the all star promotional treatment to ensure it's success. Players can take part in high score and trophy competitions to win a horror themed holiday abroad, framed Burn Zombie Burn! artwork signed by the development team and of course, limited edition t-shirts depicting the characters from the game.

doublesix promises to provide additional PlayStation Network downloadable content for Burn Zombie Burn! including a strategy guide with hints and tips from the creators of the game, an 8 page "BZB" graphic comic and the unique catalogue of music tracks composed specifically for the game.

About the Game

Burn Zombie Burn! is set across six classic American-horror movie inspired levels. A top-down, arena-based third-person shoot 'em-up in the classic coin-op tradition will contain all new mechanics.

The goal is simple: to get the highest score possible. Your hero is Bruce - an average every-day Joe who was looking forward to spending some 'quality time' with his girlfriend Daisy when their Saturday night is interrupted by a zombie invasion. Standing in your way is a never ending horde of undead. To survive you must shoot, burn and explode as many zombies as possible before they overwhelm you. Fire is your most important tool and massive scores can be achieved by burning the zombies en masse and setting up huge chains of explosions that wipe them out in one go.

Burn Zombie Burn! is frantic, arcade gaming at its best - delivering dark humor and bloody zombie violence in copious amounts!

Moto Racer DS adrenaline pumping new motorbike racing game on Nintendo DS - 3rd April 09

Moto Racer DS is the adrenaline pumping new motorbike racing game for the Nintendo DS from Nobilis and Ascaron Entertainment, due for release on 3rd April 2009. Players can compete in four thrilling race modes, using the unique Stylus Precision Handling (SPH) to control speed, manoeuvring and perform impressive tricks.

The intuitive and effective SPH allows players to experience the excitement of racing from a different perspective. The stylus can be used for rapid acceleration, measured braking, crazy jumps and extreme stunts. For those who prefer the traditional method of racing, the D-pad can also be used to tear around the various circuits at lightening speed.

In the Freestyle arena, daredevil tricks including Nack Nack, Superman and Kiss of Death can be expertly carried out using the SPH. This innovative control method can be used to perfect landings and thrusts on the Super Cross tracks, such as Hula Whoops, Mud Arena and Sky Runner.

The SPH will assist in executing sharp manoeuvres in Traffic mode, enabling players to dodge the oncoming vehicles that hurtle towards them. Racers can also achieve mind blowing acceleration through the beautiful environments of Granite Valley, Eternal Sunset and Gasworth Castle on the Grand Prix circuits.

Moto Racer DS features a unique online Worldwide Ranking System for comparing scores with others from around the world. Players can register and create a rider profile, entering their Moto Racer DS code that can be found after completing a time trial race. http://www.motoracer-thegame.com/en/worldwide-ranking/

Fast facts:

Publisher: Nobilis
UK Distributor: Ascaron Entertainment
Web: www.motoracer-thegame.com
Developer: Artefacts Studio
Release date: 3rd April 2009
PEGI: 3+
Format: Nintendo DS
Genre: Racing

X3 Gold Edition - Includes X3 Reunion 2.5, X3 Terran Conflict 2.0, "The Aldrin Missions", and a soundtrack CD

The computer game developer Egosoft and Deep Silver, the games label of Koch Media, a leading producer and distributor of digital entertainment products, today announced the upcoming release of the X³: Gold Edition. The agreement includes world-wide rights (except for the USA, Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean).

The collector's edition contains both X³ games, including all add-ons. The new add-on "The Aldrin Missions" for X³: Terran Conflict is released for the first time, offering numerous additional missions, ships, and sectors. The X³: Gold Edition represents the grand finale of the X trilogy, providing many hours of gaming fun.

For those who like to experience that outer space atmosphere outside of the game as well, the X³: Gold Edition also contains a soundtrack CD with music from X³: Terran Conflict.

The award-winning space drama X3: Reunion 2.5 begins in 2935. The Argon fleet is stretched almost to breaking point by the continuing attacks from the aggressive Khaak, while ruthless Yaki pirates hunt for a mysterious relic, and an equally mysterious machine, obviously left behind by an ancient species, poses a whole new set of questions...

X³: Terran Conflict 2.0 creates a bridge back to Earth's solar system. The player gets to take on the roles of various characters from the X universe, or a Terran military pilot, and set out on numerous adventures in the most extensive world of all X games ever. X³: Terran Conflict 2.0 raises questions such as: how has Earth changed in the course of all those years? How are the relationships between Earth and its brethren from the X universe going to develop?

The new add-on, "The Aldrin Missions", features the colony of Aldrin, which was lost centuries ago, and is now once again joining the Terran system. The Terrans are quite eager to reestablish the connections between Aldrin, separated from the rest of the universe for so long, and Earth. The Terrans are putting a huge effort into recolonizing the system that had been presumed lost for so long. The player takes on a crucial role in shaping this new Terran frontier, while exploring new Terran stations and facilities, and making use of a new ship and numerous additional features.

Personal Uplink: Both games now allow players to connect to Egosoft's new "Personal Uplink" community and compare their achievements within the X universe to those of others.

X³: Gold Edition will be released early in the 2nd quarter of 2009.

The Greatest of All Time, Muhammad Ali, and Iron Mike Tyson will share the cover of Fight Night Round 4 video game

Fans Unanimously Vote To Have Boxing Legends Share Cover Worldwide

Electronic Arts announce that “The Greatest of All Time”, Muhammad Ali, and “Iron” Mike Tyson will share the cover of one of the most anticipated games of 2009, Fight Night Round 4. Fan voting on www.AliorTyson.com started in late December 2008 and the final results favored having both legends together on the cover. Fight Night Round 4 is being developed under the EA SPORTS brand by EA Canada in Vancouver, B.C and will ship to retailers worldwide this summer.

Muhammad Ali, the most celebrated boxer of all time, was famous for his quick tongue and his even quicker hands that wore down his opponents fight after fight. Ali was the first fighter in history to win the undisputed heavyweight championship three times, and is highly revered for his contribution to the sport of boxing. Mike Tyson, a knock out legend, will join Ali on the cover. The youngest boxer ever to win a heavyweight championship, Tyson enthralled the world with his precision, power, and ability to put away his opponents in the first round. These two boxing icons finally come face to face in Fight Night Round 4.

“I’m honored to be on the cover of Fight Night Round 4 with Ali. He was a special champ, and I have the highest respect for him as a person and a fighter” said Tyson. “People always ask me if I think I would have beaten Ali if I had the chance to fight him when we were both in our prime. Now you can figure it out for yourselves. Fight Night puts you right in that ring and gives you the gloves to settle the score.”

The addition of Mike Tyson to Fight Night Round 4 fills a hole in videogame rosters that has existed for almost a decade. Users will finally be able to fight as ‘Iron Mike’, or fight against him as one of many other all time greats. Promising to revolutionize the fighting genre, Fight Night Round 4 features an all new physics based gameplay engine that brings the most authentic interpretation of the sweet science to the videogame world. The action inside the ring will be faster than ever, delivering a true representation of the sport’s incredible speed, accuracy, timing, and power. Fight Night Round 4 allows you to create dozens of legendary match ups, including Tyson v Ali, with unprecedented realism.

Resident Evil Treasure Hunt - Win a trip to Africa - UK only

Resident Evil fans that could not previously take part in our very special treasure hunt will love to hear the good news that we will now be holding it on Thursday 12th March, and not 13th March as previously announced.

On the morning of 12th March, we will be hiding a selection of...objects...in a central London location. You simply have to find these and bring them to us at another central London location. The objects mean points, and points mean prizes, including the holiday of a lifetime for two people to Africa.

To accomodate anyone who can now take part thanks to the date change you can still sign up to receive updates and clues. Simply email us at residentevil5@capcomeuro.com expressing your interest.

We will be releasing more information in the coming days.

Resident Evil 5 Mercenaries mode to support Xbox 360 online co-op play

The Mercenaries mode, revealed last week, was set to only support co-op play offline, but IGN report that there's already an update on Xbox 360 that adds online co-op play to the forthcoming game.

Capcom apparently didn't respond to questions regarding the patch, but IGN have confirmed that the patch exists and works on their copy of the game.

There's no confirmation of a PS3 patch yet.

Watch my screenshots trailer here... please subscribe

Free-to-play TPS (Third Person Shooter) MangaFighter

For A Limited Time Only Non-Paying Players Can Enjoy the Same Features and Accessibility to Items As Paying Players

Online game publisher, Gamescampus.com announce that it is offering players of its popular Free-to-play TPS (Third Person Shooter), MangaFighter, a chance to break down the barriers between paying and non-paying players. For a limited time, non-paying players will have the opportunity to earn "Don" (in-game credit) through in-game achievements and purchase all functional items in the game's item mall. Players will not have to spend a single penny of real money and will have access to items usually only available to paying players, putting everyone on a level playing field.

Now through the end of March, players of MangaFighter can earn Don, the game's currency, by playing matches. The higher the person ranks at the end of each match, the more Don that person will receive. With the Don they earn, non-paying players can now purchase Guns, Melee Weapons, Throwing Weapons, Launcher Weapons and Skill Cards which were all previously accessible only to paying players.

"The Free-to-play micro-transaction model is sometimes criticized for not providing a level playing field for both non-paying and paying players," said David Chang, Executive Vice President of Marketing and Business Development for Gamescampus.com. "We wanted to offer the opportunity to allow MangaFighter players who do not have the means to spend real money on these items, a chance to earn them through their gameplay."

Bihn Tran, Community Manager of MangaFighter, said, "I am very proud of offering this unprecedented opportunity to our game community members." "As our users are all very excited and welcoming the idea, we are confident that our rather bold attempt will receive positive feedback from our players."

MangaFighter, developed by OnNet Korea, is a Massively Multiplayer Online TPS (Third Person Shooter) game with a twist. MangaFighter allows fast and intense combat, but with a fresh anime-style look. The game offers the choice of multiple modes of combat and character customization. The ease of controls and non-violent content are key advantages to the game, as well as its unique and various numbers of weapons, special actions and collective skills cards.

Furious Gamer Radio Network is Now Available on the iPhone!

Furious Gamer Radio is filling a unique niche for the gaming community as the world’s premier distribution network dedicated to audio content related to video games. The radio network is accessible on the Internet at www.furiousgamer.com for free, and now on the iPhone by downloading an iPhone application.

The network features 10 different shows spanning several genres including gaming news, humor, interviews and in-depth story pieces. The network will also be adding some new shows which will only be available on Furious Gamer Radio. Shows currently on Furious Gamer Radio include:
Major Nelson Radio, iPGN Unleashed – iPhone Games Network, Playstation Nation, PC Gamer, Uncle Gamer Radio, 360 Nation, Gamertag Radio, In-Game Chat , Game Snitch Radio, and The Post Game Report.

The application allows consumers to listen to the network three different ways. Press the “Radio” button and you have your own radio station playing. Choose from the list of shows on the website and listen to only the shows you pick. Finally, we bring you FuriouSync™, powered by CrossMark™ technology. FuriouSync™ allows us to tag our shows, giving the listener the ability to choose from a list of games to hear what everyone is saying about that particular game. When you choose a specific show, the network will jump directly to the point in the show where your specific game is discussed. FuriouSync™ also gives us the ability to bring you another incredible new feature which allows the network to pick-up where it left off if you switch from your computer to your iPhone and vice versa – that’s right, it has audio bookmarks that work cross platform!

Furious Gamer Radio has been in development since August 2007 and has been created with one goal in mind:
To create the first comprehensive 24 hour-a-day video game radio network which will provide new content daily.

What you see here represents the first step toward that goal. We intend to create this network by implementing two basic ideas: bringing together into one cohesive location the incredible programs that the members of the video game community have already created and by creating new types of content related to video games that are not currently available to the gaming community.

Iron Fist Boxing 2.0 video game on iPhone and iPod Touch

March 8th - Version 2.0 of Realtech VR iPhone and iPod touch 3D Mixed Martial Art and Boxing game 'Realtech Iron Fist Boxing' is now available on the iTunes AppStore.

"This version is the long await updated, after 2 months since the public beta, it includes the much requested training mode, featuring 10 different opponents (2 new ones since the first version!) with 2 variations of each (so 20 characters)

The update also contains improved AI and animation, new moves, new musics, new characters, new backgrounds, vibration support, faster game resume and improved controls and user interface, and online leader board to determine who is the world champion of the Realtech Iron Fist Boxing Tournament. These changes work together to provide an enjoyable fighting experience!"

Iron Fist Boxing 2.0 has been submitted to the iTunes App Store and will be available shortly. The game will be available at the low price of 0.99$ for 48h only !

iTunes link

Application Web Site

FREE Space Invaders classic video game download

Oh No! More Invaders From Space Freely Released on Archive Games

Lodgia's re-envisioning of the arcade classic available on independent online distribution platform.
Oh No! More Invaders From Space was released today on the Archive Games distribution platform. The game, created by indie team developer Lodgia, is a retro remake of the classic arcade hit enhanced with many new features. Graphically, Lodgia added many effects within the confines of the low resolution available.

The gameplay follows the basics of the original, but adds many twists. The game introduces power ups, extra weapons, online highscores, new music, and even... cattle? For enthusiasts, the game is arcade cabinet friendly.
For more information about Oh No! More Invaders From Space, or to download the free full game, please visit http://archivegames.net/game.php?gameID=oh_no_more_invaders_from_space

Playing video games and you'll die younger say government...

If you watch this current commercial here the message is - If you play video games you'll die younger. 'Just do nothing' looks to me like he's doing something!

If current trends continue, nine out of ten children will grow up to have unhealthy amounts of fat in their bodies, a government report has concluded. So even if your kids look healthy today, adulthood could bring an early death from heart disease, Type 2 diabetes or cancer.

The British Heart Foundation, Diabetes UK and Cancer Research UK want to do all we can to help parents give their kids healthy diets and a more active lifestyle.

This initiative is part of the Change4Life movement. To maintain a healthy weight we need to both eat well and move more. Many families are making changes that will help them live healthier and longer lives.

For some top tips and great ideas on ways to change your kid’s eating and exercise habits, visit our websites by following the links from this page.

Absolute rubbish - everything in moderation - stop scaring people with this rubbish.

If you eat too much anything you'll die if you watch TV too much you'll die. Playing video games could make you Wii Fit or Train Your Brain.

Letting the Banks lose your money so you've nothing to buy food with - will make you die younger...

Latest news Sony may sue over PlayStation like controller used in advert...

Watchmen - Justice is coming video game comes to iPhone and iPod Touch - US, plus win a Nokia 6300

Watchmen pocket game - Justice is coming' on the iPhone.

With the movie in cinemas a lot of customers are look to take the action home - now you can.

This game promises a blend of narrative and online play set in New York in the 19070s.

The game sells for just 59p and this alone has caused the servers to struggle to keep up demand.

Now you can win a Nokia 6300...

It's in cinemas this week, and to celebrate Glu, Total Film and Vodafone are offering you the chance to win a Nokia 6300.

To claim this prize all you need to do is make up a superhero of your own and send us a picture of your creation. You can draw a picture, or you can make a collage, or you can get a friend to dress up, or you can make it out of lego, or cheese, or car parts - go wild.

Once you've come up with your entry and given it a name, save it as a .jpeg and send it - along with your name, address and phone number - to watchmen@glu.com, or fill in the online form at www.totalfilm.com.

Land of Magic MMORPG open beta - March 12th

Land of Magic OBT is scheduled for its launch on March 12, 2009.

Closed Beta Test of Land of Magic has successfully ended without major bugs or system errors to be found. Thanks to grand support of active testers, Lizard interactive has selected 2 awards winners for remitting bug reports and achieving high levels testing variety of contents. Land of Magic will start Open Beta on March 12, 2009. Land of Magic, developed by Penguri Entertainment based in Korea, is a classic 2D massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) with unique story of an ancient battle which took place between God and Dragon. Fast level up system, easy control of interface and balanced game skills among different classes were praised by CBT users.

Many interesting events welcome open beta users. Lizard interactive is inviting all MMOG lovers around the world. With comfortable computer spec. requirements, and massive game contents, Lizard Interactive is confident to build massive game community for all to enjoy.

Beta testing is an important stage in making a good game and determining the success. Closed beta results were very satisfactory, as Lizard Interactive claims, and showed very promising signs for Land of Magic.

It is free to play and you do not need super computer to play it. Everyone is invited to the mystic Land of Magic. Are you the hero or heroine we all been waiting for?

For further information, please visit the website lom.neofun.com.