Beatle track list on Rock Band video game

The list comes from this month’s Game Informer magazine.

Please Please Me (1963)
I Saw Her Standing There
Boys
Do You Want To Know A Secret
Twist And Shout

With the Beatles (1963)
I Wanna Be Your Man

A Hard Day’s Night (1964)
A Hard Day’s Night
Can’t Buy Me Love

Beatles For Sale (1964)
Eight Days A Week

Help! (1965)
Ticket To Ride

Rubber Soul (1965)
Drive My Car
I’m Looking Through You
If I Needed Someone

Revolver (1966)
Taxman
Yellow Submarine
And Your Bird Can Sing

Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967)
Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band/With A Little Help From My Friends
Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds
Getting Better
Good Morning Good Morning

Magical Mystery Tour (1967)
I Am The Walrus
Hello Goodbye

The Beatles (White Album) (1968)
Dear Prudence
Back In the U.S.S.R.
While My Guitar Gently Weeps
Birthday
Helter Skelter

Yellow Submarine (1969)
Hey Bulldog

Abbey Road (1969)
Come Together
Something
Octopus’s Garden
I Want You (She’s So Heavy)
Here Comes The Sun

Let It Be (1970)
Dig A Pony
I Me Mine
I Got A Feeling
Get Back

Love (2006)
Within You Without You/Tomorrow Never Knows

Singles
I Want To Hold Your Hand
I Feel Fine
Day Tripper
Paperback Writer
Revolution
Don’t Let Me Down

A decent list, and one sure to be topped up by future DLC. Which is also sure to cause more umms and ahhs as to whether people actually like DLC or not.

Will PSPgo games be cheaper than iPhone games? Sony say yes...

Sony is planning to set the price of PSPgo games at a similar level to Apple iPhone titles - at 1, 2 and 5 euros.

That's according to a report by Pocket Gamer, suggesting that the low pricing could provide consumers with an incentive to buy the new 249euro hardware, which has been derided by some industry watchers as too expensive.

It would also lower the entry barrier for developers, allowing smaller studios scope for releasing games onto the Sony console.

Indeed, the site also reports Sony has been actively encouraging iPhone developers to port their existing titles to PSN, although it will still be imposing formal requirements as well as a two week QA testing period on games submitted before they are allowed for release.

These stringent checks would fit with comments previously made by SCEA director of PSN operations, Eric Lempel who recently spoke out to say that PSN wouldn't be going down the same route as the App Store.

"I want to make sure we uphold the quality of games on PSN; that doesn't mean they can't be shorter or quirky but we don't want to see a bunch of little things that don't quite make sense or provide a good experience," he stated, saying that users would expect a higher quality experience on a games focused device like PSPgo than they do on something that is primarily a mobile phone.

Sony will actively control the release schedule for games too, said the report - an involvement that should prevent the network flooding with too many titles.

Over 50 developers have so far been signed up to produce content for digital distribution via PSN ahead of the new PSPgo's launch on October 1, said the site.

Source: GamesIndustry

Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box out in US on August 24th

Professor Layton and the Diabolical literally "Professor Layton and the Devil's Box", known in Europe as Professor Layton and Pandora's Box, is the second game in the Professor Layton series by Level-5.

It was followed by a third game, Professor Layton and The Last Time Travel which so far has only been released in Japan.

The game follows Professor Layton and Luke traveling cross country by train to solve the mystery behind a strange box that is said to kill anyone who opens it.

It was announced on March 26, 2009 that it will be released in North America and Europe under the name Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box in about six months, indicating a Fall release.

Online retailer Amazon lists the game for an August 24 release date. This date was confirmed at E3 2009.

Command & Conquer Red Alert 3 Commander’s Challenge Fifty Unique Challenges on PSN and Xbox Live for Under $10

Comrades, the Red Alert 3 battle rages on! Electronic Arts announce Command & Conquer Red Alert 3 Commander’s Challenge, a new console gaming experience for Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network from the storied Command & Conquer franchise. The new game will challenge players to take on the world’s toughest commanders and conquer the globe in 50 unique challenges when it is released this fall.

Command & Conquer Red Alert 3: Commander’s Challenge delivers trademark fast and action-packed C&C gamezplay, tongue-in-cheek live-action cinematics, new units and a new game mode for just 800 Microsoft Points on Xbox LIVE Marketplace and $9.99 at the PlayStation Store.

“Command & Conquer Red Alert 3 Commander’s Challenge launches players into action-packed scenarios while going head-to-head against ruthless commanders who will stop at nothing to crush your army,” said Wes Eckhart, Producer of Command & Conquer Red Alert 3 Commander’s Challenge at EA Los Angeles. “Commander’s Challenge delivers the ultimate RTS gameplay experience console players have been craving. Delivering over thirty hours of RTS entertainment, it is an incredible value at less than $10.”

Command & Conquer Red Alert 3 Commander’s Challenge throws the player into 50 intense challenges against a set of nine different commanders, including 16-time world champion “Nature Boy” Ric Flair. Each challenge features its very own over-the-top and distinctive twist, confronting players with everything from giant Soviet war bears and an entire army of psionic Japanese school girls to massive satellite orbital bombardments. As players progress throughout the gauntlet, they gradually unlock more units, technology and new challenges. Additionally, each challenge is equipped with a par time set by the dev team that is up to the most competitive players to beat. Command & Conquer Red Alert 3 Commander’s Challenge offers more than classic Red Alert action gameplay and will allow players to command their forces by air, land and sea, as introduced by the award-winning Command & Conquer Red Alert 3.

Command & Conquer Red Alert 3 Commander’s Challenge is being developed at EA Los Angeles and will be available this summer on the Xbox LIVE Marketplace and the PlayStation Store. Command & Conquer Red Alert 3 Commander’s Challenge can be played without Command & Conquer Red Alert 3 and has been rated ‘T’ for Teen by the ESRB and ‘16+’ by PEGI.

About Command & Conquer

The groundbreaking Command & Conquer franchise was one of the first to introduce players to the modern RTS genre, has spawned over a dozen PC titles, and ranks in the top 5 best-selling PC franchises of all-time according to the NPD Group. Command & Conquer 3 Tiberium Wars was the number No1 selling PC RTS of 2007 and won numerous awards, including the “Strategy/Simulation Game of the Year” award from the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences. Additionally, Command & Conquer Red Alert 2 and Command & Conquer Generals were the number one best-selling* PC RTS titles in 2000 and 2003 respectively. Command & Conquer Red Alert 3 won the 2008 “Strategy/Simulation Game of the Year” award from the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences. Collectively, the series has sold more than 30 million units worldwide to date. The franchise boasts one of the largest and most active fan communities in the world. For more information on Command & Conquer series, please visit www.CommandAndConquer.com.

* According to NPD Group

Karos Online video game website launched... - with videos

NHN announce the launch of the official European website for Karos Online, its first free-to-play MMORPG to be published in Europe. At www.karosgame.com, players can now register and sign up for the closed beta test, which will be starting later this month. Discussion forums have also been opened to allow the community to chat about Karos Online, and additional information about the game will be posted there to help fans prepare for the closed beta. An English release is scheduled for early autumn 2009, with German and Turkish versions to follow.



NHN has also revealed details about the game's dynamic dungeon system, which will be playable in closed beta. In addition to traditional MMORPG dungeons full of monsters and epic loot, two types of original dungeons will be available in Karos Online:

• Event dungeons, instanced for parties of up to five players, will offer adventures marked by spectacular happenings: as a party progresses into the dungeon, the environment will evolve in response to their actions, with bridges collapsing, ceilings crashing to the ground and passages appearing to reveal the path ahead.
• Maze dungeons, integrated in the open world with no party size limit, will surprise and bewilder players with walls that move and shift constantly to affect the party's path, offering a dynamic, action-packed game experience.
Dungeons are arranged in progressively difficult stages, with the later levels -- including battles against fearsome boss monsters -- accessible only to those who have proven themselves worthy.
Each victory in the dungeons will grant the player a ticket, which can be used to advance to harder challenges.



Karos Online - Stunning 3D Action Fantasy MMORPG

In Karos Online, players take the role of a hero determined to defeat the curse of darkness falling over the world of Asmara and ascend to ultimate glory by becoming the mythical Karos warrior. Through questing, guild clashes and mass PvP, they enter the fight for domination over the world's vital energy source, Fletta. Fletta gems provide the basis for the game's unique and complex alternate progression system; alongside traditional leveling within the game, Fletta energy can be used to increase stats, give buffs, buy resources and enchant items.
With a strong RPG component, wide range of class skills and fantastic visual combat effects, Karos Online offers a rich player experience and an exciting end-game for guilds, including castle sieges and resource control points. There are a variety of dynamic dungeons to explore, with shifting paths and surprises to challenge players as they progress in level. The economy is well-developed, with mining, fishing and crafting elements, and a consignment system for storage and an auction house.
Karos Online offers rare graphical quality for its small client size, and will be accessible to a vast range of computers with minimal requirements. Videos demonstrating graphics and gameplay are now available on the official website at www.karosgame.com, and more features will be revealed as the closed beta test, scheduled to start in mid-August, gets underway.

Karos Online features

• Breathtaking 3D graphics and combat action effects
• 5 different races and 9 original classes, evolving into 36 different specialized classes
• Dynamic, evolving dungeons with shifting paths and surprises
• Guild wars, territory control and 500 vs 500 castle siege battles
• Alternate Fletta level progression system
• Elaborate mining, fishing and crafting system
• Small client size (700MB) and low minimum PC requirements
• Keyboard and mouse control both available

Foo Fighters back on Rock Band with new song pack + Gorillaz, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Pat Benatar

Harmonix and MTV Games announce that a three-pack of songs from Foo Fighters, as well as singles from Blind Melon, Blur, Dropkick Murphys, Eve 6 and Kaiser Chiefs will be available in the Rock Band Music Store of downloadable content next week for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and PLAYSTATION 3 computer entertainment system.

Additional tracks from Gorillaz and Red Hot Chili Peppers will be available in the Nintendo Wii Rock Band Music Store, and tracks from Pat Benatar and Coheed and Cambria will be available for Rock Band Unplugged.

Rock Band DLC Additions for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 Systems
The Foo Fighters three-pack is the second pack available from the American rockers for Rock Band fans and features “All My Life” and “Lonely As You” from the band’s Grammy Award-winning fourth album One by One, as well as “I’ll Stick Around,” from the band’s self-titled 1995 debut album. Founded by former Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl, Foo Fighters have won three Grammy Awards, with all six of their albums being nominated.

Among other songs available in the Rock Band Music Store next week is Blind Melon's breakthrough 1992 single “No Rain,” as well as “I’m Shipping Up to Boston” by Boston punk favorites Dropkick Murphys, which was featured on the band’s album, The Warrior’s Code, and in the soundtrack to Martin Scorcese’s Academy Award-winning film, The Departed. Songs from British rock groups Blur and Kaiser Chiefs, as well as alternative rock band Eve 6, will also be available.

Tracks available on Xbox 360 (Aug. 18) and PLAYSTATION 3 system (Aug. 20):

• Blind Melon - “No Rain”
• Blur - “There’s No Other Way”
• Dropkick Murphys - “I’m Shipping Up to Boston”
• Eve 6 - “Inside Out”
• Foo Fighters - “All My Life”
• Foo Fighters - “I’ll Stick Around”
• Foo Fighters - “Lonely as You”
• Kaiser Chiefs - “I Predict a Riot”

(All tracks are original master recordings)

These tracks will be available for purchase as part of the “Foo Fighters Pack 02” or as individual tracks on Xbox 360 and PLAYSTATION 3 systems.

Price: $1.99 USD, £.99 UK, €1.49 EU (160 Microsoft Points for Xbox 360) per track
$5.49, £2.49 UK, €3.99 EU (440 Microsoft Points for Xbox 360) for “Foo Fighters Pack 02”

Wii Back-Catalog Additions
Additionally, tracks from Gorillaz, The Band, Janis Joplin, Jefferson Airplane and The Who, as well as back-catalog tracks from Honest Bob, Megasus and Red Hot Chili Peppers will be available Aug. 18 in the Wii Rock Band Music Store. These tracks come from the catalog of Rock Band music already released to owners of Xbox 360 and PLAYSTATION 3 system. With the addition of these tracks, there are now more than 475 tracks in the Wii Rock Band Music Store.

Additional tracks available for Wii (Aug. 18):

• Gorillaz - “Clint Eastwood”
• Gorillaz - “Feel Good Inc.”
• Gorillaz - “Re-Hash”
• Janis Joplin - “Piece of My Heart”
• Jefferson Airplane - “White Rabbit”
• The Band - “Chest Fever (Live)”
• The Who - “Magic Bus (Live at Leeds)”
• Red Hot Chili Peppers - “Apache Rose Peacock”
• Red Hot Chili Peppers - “Blood Sugar Sex Magik”
• Red Hot Chili Peppers - “Breaking The Girl”
• Red Hot Chili Peppers - “Funky Monks”
• Red Hot Chili Peppers - “I Could Have Lied”
• Red Hot Chili Peppers - “If You Have to Ask”
• Red Hot Chili Peppers - “Mellowship Slinky in B Major”
• Red Hot Chili Peppers - “My Lovely Man”
• Red Hot Chili Peppers - “Naked in the Rain”
• Red Hot Chili Peppers - “Sir Psycho Sexy”
• Red Hot Chili Peppers - “Suck My Kiss”
• Red Hot Chili Peppers - “The Greeting Song”
• Red Hot Chili Peppers - “The Power of Equality”
• Red Hot Chili Peppers - “The Righteous & the Wicked”
• Red Hot Chili Peppers - “They’re Red Hot”
• Red Hot Chili Peppers - “Under the Bridge”
• Megasus - “Megasus” *
• Honest Bob and the Factory-to-Dealer Incentives - “Entangled” *

Price: $2.00 USD, (200 Wii Points) per track

* Denotes $1.00 (100 Wii Points)


Rock Band Unplugged Tracks for PSP System

Rock Band Unplugged fans will enjoy the addition of Pat Benatar’s “Heart Breaker” and Coheed and Cambria’s “A Favor House Atlantic” to the 31 tracks already available via the Rock Band Unplugged in-game music store for the PSP (PlayStation Portable) system.

Tracks available for Rock Band Unplugged (Aug. 20):

• Pat Benatar - “Heart Breaker”
• Coheed and Cambria - “A Favor House Atlantic”

Price: $1.99, £.99 UK, €1.49 EU per track on the PSP system

Popular World War II Video Game Wolfenstein RPG comes to iPhone and iPod Touch

EA Mobile announce Wolfenstein RPG, a new take on the classic game originally created by id Software, on the App Store. Wolfenstein RPG for iPhone and iPod Touch, developed exclusively for EA, is a turn-based role playing action game where players battle Axis soldiers, navigate through mysterious underground tunnels, and battle a horde of monsters to take down the Axis’ diabolical Paranormal Division.

"Working on mobile platforms has allowed us to rapidly evolve our games - Wolfenstein RPG is the fourth generation of our turn-based titles under EA Mobile, and all the experience and lessons from our award winning DOOM RPG and Orcs & Elves games are distilled in it,” said John Carmack, founder and technical director at id Software. “The App Store version is dramatically better than on any other platform, with by an order of magnitude more media in high resolution graphics and audio, all rendered fast and smooth with hardware OpenGL graphics acceleration."

In Wolfenstein RPG, players can save the world as Sergeant B.J. Blazkowicz, leader of an elite U.S. fighting unit, who is imprisoned by the evil Axis Army and must annihilate enemies in 9 action-packed levels. Utilizing the innovative Multi-Touch user interface of iPhone and iPod touch, players tap to pick up weapons to hit, kick, dynamite and destroy super soldiers, zombies and the shadowy Harbinger of Doom; swipe to control fighting and walking motions; and use the accelerometer to propel the sniper rifle into action. Discover objects and books to affect existing capabilities and concoct mysterious syringes to improve B.J.’s performance skills. Strategize carefully to be triumphant against the Axis’ diabolical Paranormal Division!

"Both the DOOM RPG and Orcs & Elves franchises created by id Software were critically-acclaimed titles and fans will experience the same level of enjoyment with EA Mobile's Wolfenstein RPG," said Adam Sussman, VP Worldwide Publishing for EA Mobile. "With this RPG take on the game, fans of Wolfenstein now have a chance to battle the Axis Army in a new way."

Wolfenstein RPG is available globally on the App Store for iPhone and iPod touch or at http://www.itunes.com/appstore, or by visiting www.eamobile.com.

Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles - My Life as a Darklord ( the story ) plus download content released on Nintendo WiiWare

Square Enix announce a new downloadable add-on content for FINAL FANTASY CRYSTAL CHRONICLES : My Life as a Darklord for Nintendo WiiWare is available from today.

The exclusive add-on content is set to keep the FINAL FANTASY CRYSTAL CHRONICLES: My Life as a Darklord experience fresh and exciting, providing extra challenging monsters, useful Artifacts and radiant costumes for Mira, the Darklord’s daughter. The full list of new content is as follows:

Darklord Special Forces
500 Nintendo Wii Points / Blocks Required: 2
A pack of six monsters sure to take centre stage in battle, including five mid-level monsters: Ogre (melee), Ahriman (ranged), Sahagin (magic), Coeurl and Chimera (generic), and a healer monster: Lamia. They can be summoned as much as your NP allows. Use these monsters and their special skills well, and the world will be yours.

Bedroom Set
300 Nintendo Wii Points / Blocks Required: 1
A pack of three Artifacts to give you the advantage in battle: Void Fountain (restores monsters' HP and cures status effects), Summon Mirror (summons random monsters), and Drain Chest (drains adventurers' HP and distributes it to your monsters). Strategic placement of these Artifacts will make world conquest a piece of cake.

Beloved Wardrobe
600 Nintendo Wii Points / Blocks Required: 7
A pack of three dresses to help you in battle (and to help Mira look her best): Radiant Dress (lets you cast Cure once per battle, restoring a little HP to all monsters and Artifacts), Dark Dress (raises your starting NP by 50), and Prim Dress (lets you cast Hard Slash once per battle, dealing light melee damage). Conquer the world in style.

About FINAL FANTASY CRYSTAL CHRONICLES: My Life as a Darklord

FINAL FANTASY CRYSTAL CHRONICLES: My Life as a Darklord turns the tables on players by challenging them to take on the role of the villain. As the daughter of the newly appointed Darklord, with a mission to take over the world, players must strategically place monsters and traps inside their tower to ward off invading adventurers. With this follow-up to the kingdom-building simulation FINAL FANTASY CRYSTAL CHRONICLES: My Life as a King, Nintendo Wii users can now enjoy the FINAL FANTASY CRYSTAL CHRONICLES world from an entirely new point of view!

Story

Introducing a new hero – or should that be villainess? The daughter of the Darklord!
Set fiendish traps for any adventurer foolish enough to cross you, and then send in your monstrous minions to finish the job!

Stop protecting the world as a goody-two-shoes king and start conquering it as a bad-to the-bone Darklord! Sure, there are legions of annoying adventurers determined to stop you, but as any self-respecting arch-villain would agree, swatting them is the best bit!

Features

• Dynamic defensive gameplay - players rush to fortify their tower before it falls!
• Darklord uses the setting and characters of the FINAL FANTASY CRYSTAL CHRONICLES series to add rich flavour to the relatively simple gameplay.
• An abundance of audio and visuals stir up an intense, almost comical level of excitement for players.
• Built around a basis of obtaining even more powerful Artifacts and Monsters in order to clear increasingly difficult stages.
• The world map opens as players progress through the stages with various side quests being important for maximum completion.

Contact Free charger for Nintendo Wii released by Speedlink

With its Contact-Free Charger, SPEEDLINK offers a charging station that makes charging procedures as easy as possible. To ensure your Nintendo Wiimotes are always fully charged, just place them on the charger - the charging station produces an induction field so you don't need to connect them using a cable. How many times have you found that supposedly charged battery packs don't supply any power for some unexplained reason due to faulty cable connections?

With the Contact-Free Charger, faulty cable connections are a thing of the past. The charging process starts as soon as you place the Nintendo Wiimote on the Contact-Free Charger - and charging also works even if the Nintendo Wii console is switched off.

The Contact-Free Charger offers you the opportunity to charge up to two Nintendo Wiimotes or battery packs at the same time. Silicone skins or Nintendo Nunchuks can stay attached, and even the Nintendo MotionPlus accessory doesn't need to be removed during charging.

To use the Contact-Free Charger, all you need to do is replace the standard batteries in the Nintendo Wiimotes with the supplied battery packs. During the charging process, the Contact-Free Charger's integrated LED will light up red, turning blue as soon as the Nintendo Wiimotes are fully charged.

The Contact-Free Charger connects between the AC adapter and the Nintendo Wii console using the supplied cable allowing the Nintendo Wiimotes to be charged even when the Nintendo Wii console is off.

It takes up to four hours to fully charge a flat battery pack - which isn't any longer than a normal charger. After six hours, the power supply is automatically cut-off to prevent overcharging. Each battery pack provides up to 20 hours of gaming time - which means you have 2x20 hours in total.
The SPEEDLINK Contact-Free Charger for the Nintendo Wii is available from retailers now and has an SRP: £38.99

Features at a glance
• Charging station for two Nintendo Wiimotes including two battery packs
• Nintendo Wiimotes as well as battery packs can be charged individually
• No need to remove silicone skins
• Nunchuk can stay attached to the Nintnedo Wiimote
• Nintendo Motion Plus-ready
• Charge even when the Nintendo Wii is off
• Up to 2x20 hours of gaming time
• Charging is automatically cut-off after approx. 6 hours
• SRP: £38.99

Blood Bath video game - meet our champions the dwarfs!

This week’s trailer focuses on the Dwarfs! Desperately slow but incredible resilient, the Dwarfs are really tough Blood Bowl players not afraid to pick on targets way, way bigger than they are!



Tactics involving a running or passing game are out of question: the Dwarfs will always prefer to run through the obstacle rather than avoiding it! An ultra-violent strategy game based on Warhammer Fantasy and American football, Blood Bowl allows players to create the ultimate “fantasy” sports teams. Coaches can build bone-crushing teams of Orcs, Wood Elves, Humans, Dwarfs and many more fantastic creatures – then throw them into the stadium for the ultimate blood sport!

Blood Bowl is strategic, action-packed and violent, requiring coaches to use their best tactics, team design – and a dose of pure ruthless bloodlust always helps too!

All of these charming creatures are waiting for you to play in highly contested games soon on PC, Xbox 360 and handheld consoles.

Operation Flashpoint Dragon Rising video game Vehicles video released

Modern military hardware in action in new Vehicles video.

Witness the awesome power of modern military hardware as Codemasters launched the new Vehicles video for Operation Flashpoint - Dragon Rising, the shooter that’s set to take players as close to war as they’ll ever want to get.

The ‘Vehicles’ video showcases a selection of the exhilarating vehicles which feature in Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising, including the Z10 Attack Helicopter which unleashes hell from the sky, the rapid response FAV Fast Attack Vehicle and Type-95 Self Propelled Anti-Aircraft Gun. Each vehicle is authentically recreated, complete with accurate weapon systems, and the extensive range of hardware demonstrates the diversity and devastating fire-power that contemporary fighting forces deploy into a combat zone.


Both PLA and USMC vehicles can be commandeered in Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising, including tanks, jeeps, helicopters and APCs, giving gamers increased freedom in choosing their tactics and empowering players to attack from any direction, from the ground or the air, on the fully-open 220km² sandbox island of Skira.

Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising will set the new standard for sandbox shooters when it arrives October 6th/8th/9th for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation 3 computer entertainment system and PC.

No funding for Stargate video game say Mesa

The boss of Mesa-based Cheyenne Mountain Entertainment has released a statement via the official Stargate Worlds online forum that reveals his company has not managed to secure funding for the online role playing video game.

A report that surfaced last month suggested that if funding wasn’t secured by Aug.1, MGM Studios would pull the license that allows Cheyenne and its publisher, FireSky, to produce content based on the feature film and several ensuing TV series. So far, there is no official word that such a move is imminent.

We would certainly like to keep the community more up to date, but we also don’t want to be misleading by giving opinions or guesses about things that may happen or could happen. While rumors abound about our funding, at this point we have several attractive potential opportunities but no confirmed funding. We are evaluating multiple Stargate IP products to see if we can get some products flowing sooner than Stargate Worlds, but nothing has been approved or decided at this point . Many people have labeled these Stargate IP’s with various titles, but there is no confirmed title at this point for any game besides Stargate Worlds. While we are seeking funding, we have signed various confidentiality restrictions and it is not possible for us to discuss much with the community until these potential opportunities run their course. We certainly hope there is light on the horizon. Sorry that I can’t say much more at this point

Source: Zam News

EA list games on show at gamescom 2009

Electronic Arts announce its product line up for gamescom, Europe’s biggest consumer and trade fair for interactive entertainment.

Games include:
Battlefield: Bad Company 2,
Brütal Legend,
Dante's Inferno,
Dead Space: Extraction,
Dragon Age: Origins,
FIGHT NIGHT Round 4,
FIFA 10, click link below for more...

FIFA Manager 10,
GI JOE The Rise of the Cobra,
HASBRO FAMILY GAME NIGHT 2,
LITTLEST PET SHOP Beach Friends,
LITTLEST PET SHOP City Friends,
LITTLEST PET SHOP Country Friends,
Mass Effect 2,
MySims Agents,
NBA Live 10,
Need For Speed Nitro,
Need For Speed Shift,
NHL 10,
SimAnimals Africa,
The Sims 3,
Spore Hero,
Spore Hero Arena,
Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 10.

Visitors will have a chance to play some of EA’s best loved blockbusters, as well as a selection of hot new properties coming this year. EA’s portfolio offers fun interactive game play for audiences of all ages and with diverse tastes.

“Visitors at gamescom will be blown away by the incredible breadth and quality of EA’s titles,” said Jens Uwe Intat, Senior Vice President and General Manager for EA European Publishing. “From core gaming experiences for seasoned players, to sports games, to casual, online or mobile, there will be something new for everyone to discover and enjoy.”

EA at gamescom

August 19th-23rd

EA Mobile

Feature phone: Bubble Bobble Evolution, Command & Conquer™ Red Alert™, FIFA 10, GI JOE, Need for Speed Shift

iPhone: GAME OF LIFE, MONOPOLY Classic, Tetris, TRIVIAL PURSUIT, The Sims 3

Media only sessions include:
All Points Bulletin, Army of Two: The 40th Day, Battlefield: Bad Company 2, Brütal Legend, Command & Conquer 4 (working title), Dante's Inferno, Dead Space Extraction, Dragon Age: Origins, EA SPORTS Active: Personal Trainer, FIFA 10, FIFA Manager 10, HASBRO FAMILY GAME NIGHT 2, Mass Effect 2, Need for Speed Nitro, Need for Speed Shift, NHL 10, Rage, RockBand: The Beatles, The Sims 3 World Adventures, MySims Agents, The Saboteur, Tiger Woods PGA TOUR Online.

The first ever live public demo of BioWare and LucasArts’ Star Wars: The Old Republic will be viewable in the theatre at Hall 6.1 / B-066, A-061.

Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning is featured at the GOA Booth Hall 9.1 / Aisle A n° 041 and Aisle B n° 040.

Anti-grav racing title Future Racer, available for iPhone and iPod Touch

Future Racer is a slick and accessible racing title, with a focus on speed rather than combat, pitting you in a tense battle for the finish line using your reaction and cornering skills. With six unique tracks throwing a barrage of fiendish twists and turns your way, you will need to have lightning fast reflexes to master this game and top the time trial leader boards.

AGS can also reveal the officially licensed soundtrack for Future Racer, courtesy of record labels Triptik and Loft Music, featuring six pounding tracks to accompany the high-velocity rush.

Featured artists:

Triptik & Loft Music

“Republic” (Grid System Remix) by Coalesced

“Taking Control” (Royal Sapien Dub) by KiRA & James Warren ft. Rachel Lamb

“Rotary” (Trafik Remix) by Mikobene & Fusion F

“Shadow Boxer” by Silas

StockMusic.net

“ElectroFlux999” by Ronan Davey

Rugby League 3 video game for Nintendo Wii announced

Rugby League 3 for Nintendo Wii game continues the highly successful “Rugby League” franchise, which is amongst the highest selling franchises of all time in Australasia.

“We are extremely pleased to be publishing a new Rugby League title with such fresh features, content, and innovations across the board,” said David Robles, Business Development Manager for HES. “Rugby League 3 is a significant and worthy addition to the franchise.”

The features and content of “Rugby League 3” include:
- Visceral Wii Remote motion controls bring the physicality of Rugby League into your living room
- 80+ licensed teams from competitions such as the NRL, Super League, Toyota Cup, UK Championship, UK Championship 1, State of Origin, City v Country and internationals
- 38 stadia from Australia, New Zealand, UK and France
- Team level gameplay features including defensive line controls, attacking strategy selection, team confidence, and AI support play
- Build a champion team in the Multi-year Franchise Mode including advanced player management, Dally M Player of the Year and Man of Steel, club records and optional manual rep selection
- Create and customise players, teams, and competitions
- Broadcast style presentation with enhanced replay angles, match highlights, and in-game commentary from Channel Nine’s Andrew Voss

“The production team has been able to leverage significant past experience and extensive feedback from consumers in the development of this title” said Mario Wynands, Managing Director of Sidhe. “As a result, Rugby League 3 takes the series to new heights, delivering a richer, deeper and more immersive experience than ever before.”

Rugby League 3 is expected to be released for Nintendo Wii in Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and France in Q4 2009.

Scrabble gadget on iGoogle also on Mobile Devices, Social Networking Sites, Handheld Gaming Platforms, Xbox Live Arcade and Online

Electronic Arts announce SCRABBLE is launching on iGoogle in conjunction with the support of Opensocial, which offers users a more powerful and interactive way to play games on their iGoogle homepage, personal websites or desktop for quick pick-up-and-play fun. The new social features on iGoogle allow users to share content, play games and collaborate with friends on their personal homepage. SCRABBLE as a gadget is the 6th official version of the Hasbro owned SCRABBLE franchise launched by EA to give fans of the game a vast array of ways to play.

The SCRABBLE gadget customized for iGoogle provides the authentic game experience as well as an intuitive interface that allows head-to-head challenges against friends and family (based on subset of Google contacts). Gameplay is asynchronous and allows for up to five simultaneous games. With easy tracking of scores and statistics, one always will know where they rank against their friends as well as the iGoogle community at large. Players also can get help from extensive word lists and choose one of the several flexible speed levels to customize their level of difficulty.

“SCRABBLE is one of the most beloved and popular games around, so we’re excited it’s among the first games to launch as one of the new gadgets on iGoogle,” said Robert Nashak, Vice President of the Social Games Group. “Our goal at EA is to provide as many ways as possible to play digital versions of SCRABBLE so players can identify what best suits their gaming habits. To date, EA has launched SCRABBLE on mobile devices, social networking sites, online and Xbox Live Arcade. Now with SCRABBLE as a gadget, players can easily add the game to their iGoogle page, which allows for a quick, fun SCRABBLE break during the day.”

"Our goal is to make iGoogle as useful and personalized as possible and adding social elements to gadgets enables our users to have a much richer experience on their personalized homepage," said Marissa Mayer, Vice President of Search Products and User Experience. "We're excited to have EA's SCRABBLE gadget on iGoogle. It's an iconic game that will be fun for our tens of millions of users."

Play SCRABBLE as a gadget here: http://www.google.com/ig/directory?type=gadgets&url=webmayhem.eamobile.com/mayhem/scrabble/igoogle/gadget.xml

SCRABBLE is currently available on several platforms in the US. For mobile phones, SCRABBLE can be purchased via handset or at www.eamobile.com . Specific pricing available at www.eamobile.com. For the iPhone or iPod touch, SCRABBLE can be purchased on the Apple App Store www.itunes.com/appstore. Players can also purchase the game for their Nintendo DS and Sony PlayStation Portable system (PSP) for a MSRP of $19.99. Owners of the Xbox 360 videogame and entertainment system can purchase the game via Xbox LIVE Arcade for 800 Microsoft Points. Online gamers can play the game for free at Pogo.com.

Metal Gear Solid Touch now available for only $2.99 on iPhone and iPod Touch

Players Can Now Purchase Apple iPhone and iPod Touch Title for Only $2.99 Through August 15. Konami announce that Metal Gear Solid Touch is now available for purchase for $2.99 on the App store. Offered to consumers for a limited time only, old fans and new can experience the full version of the top-selling franchise for $5.00 less than the original price on the App store.

Developed by Kojima Productions and designed specifically for the iPhone and iPod touch, Metal Gear Solid Touch unfolds in five chapters over a span of 20 stages with familiar enemies attempting to keep Old Snake from accomplishing his mission. Players join forces with Old Snake as he battles the money-driven mercenaries of Private Military Companies (PMCs), Haven Troopers, Gekko and the beautiful yet terrifying bosses of the B&B Corps. This commercial warfare adventure follows Old Snake across the Middle East, South America, Eastern Europe and Shadow Moses as he depletes his enemies’ stamina with various short-range and long-range weapons. Metal Gear Solid Touch also features 20 levels of gameplay and well-known antagonists from the past. Metal Gear Solid Touch is set in the immersive world of Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots and created with the concept of allowing players to “touch” upon the world of Metal Gear Solid.

Metal Gear Solid Touch is available for purchase for $2.99 from August 13-15 only on the App Store for Apple iPhone and iPod touch.

Download the co-op demo for Lost Planet 2 on Xbox LIVE

Starting on August 19 th (the first day of GamesCom in Cologne, Germany), Xbox 360 action fans will be able to download the co-op demo for Lost Planet 2 that Capcom has been showing at events such as E3, Comic-Con and GamesCom. Live Gold members will have first crack at the demo on August 19 th, while Silver level members will be able to take part on August 26 th.

Xbox LIVE Gold subscribers around the world will be able to experience the desperate battle against the enormous G-Type Salamander Akrid boss in online, co-operative shoot outs. Utilizing a host of weapons scattered through out the arena, squads of up to four players will face off against the huge monster in an attempt to bring it down. Players can assault the Salamander in a number of ways, from shearing off its legs to actually being swallowed and fighting their way out from the inside! Superior firepower comes in many flavours, including numerous beam and projectile weapons and several Vital Suit robotic combat units that up to three players can ride at once. There are new support weapons which allow teammates to boost attack and defense abilities, while players can share life-giving thermal energy amongst injured members of their squad. Additionally, the new Dash feature allows players to sprint for short distances, bringing greater speed to combat.

The demo is a brief glimpse into the world and possibilities of Lost Planet 2, highlighting the range of weaponry available to players while showing off the high definition graphical capabilities of MT Framework 2.0, the latest version of Capcom’s proprietary 3D game engine. The first generation of MT Framework powered Capcom games like Dead Rising, the original Lost Planet and Devil May Cry 4, while an updated 1.5 version made possible the award-winning visuals of Resident Evil 5.

The next installment in the popular action series returns in Lost Planet 2, sequel to the 2.3 million selling Lost Planet: Extreme Condition. Lost Planet 2 will offer deeper insight into the world of E.D.N III and the uncertain fate of future mankind. A decade has passed since the first game, and the face of E.D.N. III has changed dramatically. Terraforming efforts have been successful and the ice has begun to melt, giving way to lush tropical jungles and harsh unforgiving deserts. Players will enter this new environment and follow the exploits of their own customized snow pirate on their quest to seize control of the changing planet.

Players will control their heroes across 6 interconnected episodes, creating a truly unique interactive experience that changes depending upon the actions of the players involved. With this concept, players will have the opportunity to engage in the story in a much more dynamic way as plot threads evolve from different players' perspectives.

Beyond the deep single player mode, Lost Planet 2 is loaded with extensive multiplayer modes. The intense and action packed campaign mode comes with the ability to form teams of up to 4 players online to clear mission objectives with friends. The grappling hooks that made the gameplay in Lost Planet a true 3-D experience are back, allowing gamers to gain tactical advantage by quickly scaling buildings and other obstacles that have become exposed by the wide range of environmental changes to the world of E.D.N. III.

Operation Barbarossa - The Struggle for Russia! video game announced

The Fate of the Eastern Front is in your hands!

Matrix Games and Binary Evolution Studios announce that Operation Barbarossa – The Struggle for Russia, an elegant and challenging World War II strategy game perfect for both new and veteran wargamers!

David Heath, Director of Operations at Matrix Games, said “Operation Barbarossa is a splendid combination of intuitive gamezplay and challenging strategy with plenty of historical detail.

Similar to the old “General” series of wargames, gamers will find that they can hit the ground running without a steep learning curve, but the gameplay will entertain and challenge even veteran wargamers!”

On June 22, 1941 an avalanche of 153 German divisions crash into the Soviet Union and the largest military operation in history is begun: Operation Barbarossa. In this elegant turn-based strategy game, compelling gameplay combines with gripping history to create an addictive mix.

Aimed at all levels, from those who have never played a wargame before to those who know the history of World War II in detail, this is an entertaining and mentally challenging game of combined arms strategy. Your armor, infantry, artillery and air units will follow you through the most crucial battles of the Eastern Front. You will be able to choose from 47 different upgrades and improvements for your units as well as add new forces based on your success in the campaign.

Take command in two German and one Soviet campaign as well as individual scenarios and determine the fate of the Eastern Front. When you’ve played through all the campaigns and scenarios, try your hand at the editor to create new scenarios for yourself or to share with others!

* Over 140 different units featuring all important historical weapon systems with up to 23 different characteristics
* Experience based promotion system that offers the player 47 different upgrades to create individual units
* Three historical campaigns from the start of Operation Barbarossa until the Battle of Berlin and a tutorial campaign that provides easy access for beginners
* Interactive, animated 3D environment and detailed 3D units
* Visible weather system with five weather types that influence ground and air units
* Expanded strategic options like destruction and repair of infrastructure and fortifications
* Special unit capabilities like engineers and paratroops

Worms updated for iPhone and iPod Touch! update to v1.01 - details

The hugely successful WORMS for iPhone and iPod Touch has received its first post-launch update with a suite of improvements largely geared around customer feedback and suggestion.

Players were quick to discuss the title on Team17’s facebook page and the iPhone team interacted directly to find out players suggestions on the games controls, performance and other aspects.

The title, which was a no.1 top-paid app for a lengthy period in various countries, was released July 12th and enjoyed its opening spell as the iPhone’s most popular game and still currently sits in the top 10 in the UK, joining the three other digital download Worms titles prolific debuts with Worms 2 Armageddon for Xbox LIVE hit number 1 during July following Worms PSN’s successful launch in April.

Further upgrades for the iPhone/iPod Touch edition are in the works, with an update for 3.0 features to include Bluetooth multiplayer, improved 3GS visual effects and support for interaction with both Facebook and Twitter. The second major update will support full infrastructure Internet play, with voice support, leaderboards and other delights, which will make iPhone Worms™ one of the most fully featured handheld editions of the game bar none.

Full details on these exciting upgrades for the title will be forthcoming closer to their release as Team17 look to embrace the opportunities on Apple’s exciting platform and news will be relayed to our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/team17software) as we progress.

Worms™ for iPhone & iPod Touch is available now, priced at £2.99, 3.99 Euro and $4.99.

WORMS for iPhone/Touch update v1.01

Major improvements:

• The option to change graphical settings for increased performance in game on 1G and 3G devices.

• More responsive camera controls, including the ability to make the camera zoom further in for a closer look at the action.

• The ability to flip the game screen based on the orientation of your device.

• Improved Ninja Rope controls allowing even more death-defying rope stunts.

• The ability to unleash devastating weapons on your enemies from the safety of a parachute.

• Shorter thinking times of AI players.

• Highly improved back-flip and jump controls, including a new finger swipe method for back-flip to make sure you never accidentally jump worms into the water again.

• The facility to customise the game even further by creating your own enemy teams.

• General performance increases across the board.

• Quick shortcut to zoom out/in quickly with a press of the top left corner.

Other fixes:

• 1st gen devices crashed if left on the pause menu for a couple of minutes.
• Removed game saving/loading dialog message box.
• Upon opening the weapons panel and then closing it with the resume game option, the worm would occasionally jump.
• The pause game button could cause the worm to walk left if held down.
• Non-scrolling text in the AI created team menu.
• Added initial boot screen asking user to hard reset their device. This is to help users get the best experience/performance (due to fragmented iPhone memory problems).
• Various speech-bank issues where a foreign language was being incorrectly used.
• During the hot-seat time of a turn, commentary text such as 'It's a brand new turn!' will appear underneath the darkened screen. The commentary text should appear when the turn has begun.
• Instance where a worm causes damage, but at the end of a turn no damage is taken.
• When viewing the How to Play options in game, the fire button and weapon panel buttons need to be hidden.
• Music incorrectly switching off when 20% power message has appeared.
• When the player quits a game, the in-game music carries on into the front-end. This is incorrect - it should be the generic front-end music playing instead.
• When the Holy HG comes to rest the particle effect obscures the weapon. The particle trial should only really be seen when the weapon is in motion.
• Various localisation errors fixed.
• Says heaths instead of health in how to play text.
• When the player selects a weapon, it would be useful for the commentary panel to display the weapon name for a couple of seconds.
• At present, if the player moves the camera and then aims with the reticule, the camera will re-centre on the worm. Fixed.
• Decompress music upon first launch in order to increase performance on older devices.

Release date for Mini Ninjas video game annouced

Eidos Interactive are proud to announce that IO Interactive’s new adventure Mini Ninjas will be released from 8th September across North America, 11th September in the United Kingdom and PAL territories and 9th October in France and Germany and will be available on Nintendo Wii, Nintendo DS, Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, Games for Windows and PlayStation 3 computer entertainment system.

Mini Ninjas takes you on a journey to feudal Japan where you join Hiro, Futo, and the rest of the ninja clan on their biggest ninja adventure ever as they embark on an epic and electrifying quest to restore harmony to a world on the brink of chaos.

“We’re incredibly excited to be launching the unique and beautifully quirky MINI NINJAS,” said Niels Jørgensen General Manager of IO Interactive. “The art direction and humor are endearing and it has won a special place in the hearts of the IO studio. Giving life to these fierce little ninjas has been an adventure in itself and we really hope that people will enjoy the game as much as we do."

The game will be published in Europe and PAL territories by Eidos Interactive and co-published in North America by Eidos, Inc. and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment.

We Sing - Nintendo Wii video game - Q&A with developer Nordic Games

How important is this release to Nordic Games?

We Sing will be Nordic Games’ biggest release to date, a fruition of our ambitions as a publisher of peripheral-based games. Our first games helped us set-up processes and channels. That stage has been successfully completed and now we are ready to bring AAA-quality titles to the consumer marketplace. Nordic Games does have a long-term strategy for We Sing, but I don’t really want to get caught up in details of our future plans until We Sing has launched. Nordic Games is adopting the Apple approach of telling people when the product is ready… when the product actually is ready.

What are your expectations for We Sing?

Nordic Games wants to keep its feet on the ground about We Sing, but deep down we are extremely excited. We have briefed our distribution partners and they are all looking forward to the release of the product this winter. I wholeheartedly believe We Sing will be a hit. The quality and mix of the music together with the game’s ease of use will be key factors to the success.

How important are the partnerships/deals you have made?

Relationships with all the leading music companies are hugely important. This is the only way that you can get a mixture of good modern artists and quality back catalogue songs. We are at the beginning of a long relationship with major music publishers like EMI, Warner, Universal and many of the hip independent record labels, too. We do not have any particular exclusive partnerships, preferring to just do good business with each of party in the way of solid commercial deals. By having the door open to these leading players you get flexibilty, variety and access to the best artists... Ultimately that delivers songs that are simply great to sing.

Nordic Games has approached the song list featured on We Sing from an aspect of delivering a music set that was varied and had "something for everyone". No stone was unturned in terms of researching music and customer likes. Hopefully this is reflected in the fantastic music selection. It was a tough choice which songs to include, there are so many great ones out there.

But Nordic Games is realistic too... SingStar is the benchmark in Europe for this genre and the level of thought that they have applied to their games is astounding. It would be a compliment to be compared to them, but in reality this is the beginning of the We Sing journey, and the product will continue to develop over time.

What will make We Sing stand out from other titles in the genre?

We Sing has one major USP over any other Karaoke games in the market. Namely, it has the ability to plug in four microphones and four friends sing together. This is the most important aspect of We Sing. The name says it all – it’s about friends having fun and singing together. The game has been designed specifically for the Nintendo Wii and will be developed exclusively for the platform for the long term. Nordic Games has no interest to venture onto SingStar’s territory, or Microsoft’s for that matter. We Sing features original music videos, and quality artists, but the thought, effort and research behind the music choices are another strong point. Having leading artists like Lady GaGa, Coldplay, Lily Allen, Tom Jones and Kylie Minogue also makes the product stand out from the rest of the crowd.

Pelle Lundborg, Publishing Director, Nordic Games