Award-Winning KAMI game for Wii

A Stroke of Genius Brings the Incredible Action/Adventure Game To Life Using the Wii Remote

It’s finally time to experience the magic of kami as it was always meant to be played. Capcom’s award winning game -- hailed as “Game of the Year” for 2006 by multiple magazines and websites including Associated Press, PSM, Village Voice, IGN.com, Game Revolution and more -- is set for release on the Wii home video game system in Spring 2008. Featuring a re-imagined control scheme built around the intuitive Wii Remote, kami offers players an unparalleled level of control and an opportunity to rediscover a critically-acclaimed and beautifully crafted adventure.

kami tells the story of a mythical sun god who sets out to restore a dismal world, decimating the forces of evil who stand in the way by commanding the elements and mythical abilities the deity possesses. Mixing Japanese folklore and a stunning traditional Japanese art style, players must utilize an inventive control scheme to overcome the challenges and evil that await. By enhancing the unique gameplay, visual style and story line of TMkami with the control of the Wii Remote, it is sure to be the ultimate version of the game.

Originally designed for the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system and released in 2006, TMkami now comes alive in an entirely new way on the Wii with its visually stunning art style and beautiful scenic 3D levels that have the appearance and texture of paper scrolls brushed with watercolor-like calligraphy art. Throughout the vibrant and distinctive surroundings, players must use the Wii remote to interact with a dynamic world and cast of characters. The blend of stylized graphics, movements and unique gameplay will result in a rich and dynamic experience never seen before.

kami includes the following features:

• Innovative gameplay and control scheme optimized for the Wii - Defeating monsters requires both motion-controlled physical attacks, but also use of the Wii Remote as Amaterasu’s ‘Celestial Brush’ to paint the desired powers for decimating enemies and solving puzzles.
• Create and destroy at will - Play as a god to re-establish order and beauty to a world laid barren by evil.
• Intense action-packed battles – Rooted in Japanese folklore, fight against a diverse line-up of demons and monsters.
• Utilize various gameplay styles – In addition to the Celestial Brush, Amaterasu can wield three types of offensive weaponry, each with their own unique abilities and effects. Depending on how a weapon is equipped, it can be used as the main or sub weapon:
• Reflectors – These well-balanced weapons are suited for close range combat
• Rosaries– Sacred magatama beads are great for quick long range attacks
• Glaives – These can be charged up to unleash powerful close range attacks
• Intriguing main character – Assume the role of the sun god, Amaterasu, who descends upon the earth in the form of a wolf. The Japanese translation of the word wolf is “TMkami”.
• Original visuals and revolutionary design– Vibrant and inspiring graphics, reminiscent of traditional Japanese art created on paper scrolls, produce a large variety of stages with a watercolor-esque appearance.
• Interact with a unique and dynamic cast of characters.

Mega Man ZX Advent Fact Sheet

Developed as a title for Mega Man’s 20th anniversary, Mega Man ZX Advent is a fast-paced action game that follows two heroes, Grey and Ashe, on two separate but intertwining adventures as they search for answers amidst a chaotic war between humans and robots. As a flagship franchise for Capcom, the Mega Man series has garnered sales in excess of 27 millions units worldwide and has generated more than 100 titles, the most of any Capcom series.

In Mega Man ZX Advent, the main characters discover the power of the mysterious “Biometal model A,” which on its own has several attacks, but also has a special Megamerge ability which allows the character to transform into one of eight “Pseudoroid” bosses that each have a unique set of abilities. Once a boss is defeated, players can emulate their powers to find hidden routes, discover rare items and aid their battles against more powerful enemies.

The title takes full advantage of the Nintendo DS features to enhance the action-packed gameplay and story line of the popular series. With a touch of the Nintendo DS screen, players can easily switch back and forth between the Biometal and Map navigation screens. Bosses can be fought in several different ways, testing players’ skills and rewarding them with nearly 24 different items depending on how they take on a boss. Further gameplay options are available as players explore and open up new areas of the map.

• Two playable characters – play as “Grey” or “Ashe”, each with unique abilities and individual, but linked storylines
• Two additional bonus characters – Vent and Aile from Mega Man®ZX are available and players can transform into their “Mega Man Model ZX” form
• Dynamic “Biometal” system allows players to transform into several forms – eight bosses, five Biometal forms and human
• Transformations use up the “Live metal gauge” so they must be used effectively
• “Area expansion” – explore and open up new areas with access to additional quests
• Condition Bonus – strategically beat bosses to obtain valuable rare items
• Touch screen allows players to instantly change forms and switch between subscreens
• Co-op and head-to-head two player wireless play (two cartridges required)
• Two-player downloadable mini-game (one cartridge required)
• Five unlockable mini-games in total
• Unlockable mode for the classic Mega Man (dot image) which even longstanding fans will be impressed with

1,000 new games to be added to MYGAME.COM

PARTNERSHIP TO ADD OVER 1,000 NEW GAMES TO MYGAME.COM AND OFFER DEVELOPERS MORE WAYS TO EARN MONEY

MyGame.com, the first social games site to bring together user-generated content, casual games, and revenue-sharing today announced that it will now add more than 1,000 new games through a partnership between its parent, King.com, the world’s largest skills game site, and Mochi Media’s MochiAds, the largest online games advertising network.

As a result of this partnership, MyGame.com visitors can access an abundance of high-quality games providing hours of entertainment, and developers on the MochiAds network receive a percentage of advertising revenue for each game play through around-game advertising. The advertisements are pre-game and inter-level, displaying to users during natural breaks in game play.

In addition to more games, MyGame.com has enhanced its homepage so that the most popular games can easily be identified and sorted by most played, and can be displayed showing the three latest uploaded games by genre. All of the games include a thumbnail, game description, category, key words and popularity index, so that developers can track how often their game is played.

“We want MyGame.com to be the place where novice and professional game developers can make the best per-play revenues and where users can discover and play the most entertaining online games,” said Toby Rowland, co-Founder and co-CEO of King.com. “Our partnership with MochiAds provides MyGame.com players with new games and game developers with the opportunity to increase their revenues by sharing in the proceeds of around-game advertising.”

Since the launch on June 27, 2007 novice players have created nearly 100,000 user-generated games, using the build-your-own-game feature. Visitors coming to the site have increased the popularity of games including: Bowmaster Prelude, Desktop Tower Defense, Word Pop, Blocky and Bloons, thus creating more revenue opportunities for the developers.

“Connecting developers with greater distribution channels and advertising revenue is a win-win for everyone. Consumers benefit from increased access to high-quality entertainment, and we’re also supporting the game developer community. That’s one of our goals with MochiAds,” said Jameson Hsu, CEO of Mochi Media.

Mygame.com and MochiAds are part of the vibrant and fast-growing casual games industry. According to the Casual Games Association, by 2008, the casual games industry is expected to reach $1.5 billion worldwide, with $690 million from North America. This growth gives developers and advertisers the chance to find new ways to generate even higher profits.

Guitar Hero Recordings Available For Digital Download

Featuring the in-game song recordings performed and produced by music collective WaveGroup

Today WaveGroup, the award-winning collective of musicians and studio professionals who produced the song recordings for the video games Guitar Hero, Guitar Hero II, and Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks The 80s, announced The Guitar Hero Recordings will be available for digital download on October 23rd, 2007. Millions of Guitar Hero fans are intimately familiar with these recordings and now have a new way to enjoy them. WaveGroup has partnered with digital distribution company INGrooves to secure distribution for the seven volumes of The Guitar Hero™ Recordings on music download sites including AOL, iTunes, Napster, Rhapsody, and Yahoo!.

WaveGroup produced virtually all of the music for Guitar Hero™, Guitar Hero™ II, and Guitar Hero Encore Rocks The 80s™ and worked closely with Harmonix Music Systems™ and Red Octane® to develop the original playable guitar parts. To optimize the player’s gameplay experience, WaveGroup arranged, performed and produced enhanced versions of many songs, adding cool guitar solos, interesting guitar flourishes, and custom endings. Dozens of musicians, producers and mixers were involved in the creation of the 97 songs which are all included in

The Guitar Hero™ Recordings:

• The Guitar Hero™ Recordings Volume I
  
• The Guitar Hero™ Recordings Volume II
  
• The Guitar Hero™ II Recordings Volume I
  
• The Guitar Hero™ II Recordings Volume II
  
• The Guitar Hero™ II Recordings Volume III
  
• The Guitar Hero™ 80s Recordings Volume I
  
• The Guitar Hero™ 80s Recordings Volume II

Please visit wavegroup for the complete songlist of each volume.

“It was a blast recording these great rock tunes and we wanted to make the Guitar Hero versions available to everyone,” said Will Littlejohn, President/CEO of WaveGroup and Lead Music Producer for Guitar Hero™, Guitar Hero II, and Guitar Hero Encore Rocks The 80s. “In addition to experiencing these tracks when playing the games, we’re excited that fans can now load up the in-game renditions on their iPods.”

WaveGroup’s in-demand recordings from Guitar Hero and Guitar Hero II have garnered numerous awards including Best Soundtrack at the Spike TV Video Game Awards, Outstanding Achievement in Soundtrack from the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences, and Best Soundtrack at the BAFTA Games Awards.

2K8 Enriches the Hockey Experience

2K Sports, the sports publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO), today announced the soundtrack for NHL 2K8, featuring an eclectic group of artists chosen to reflect the spirit of the sport and the enthusiasm of its fans. The selection ranges from indie stalwarts Bloc Party and Tokyo Police Club to the stadium-thundering sound of alt-rock legends Korn and the classic metal anthems of Quiet Riot.

“For the NHL 2K8 soundtrack, we wanted music that resonates with today’s hockey gamer whose tastes draw from both the mainstream and underground scenes,” said Tim Rosa, Director of Brand and Lifestyle Marketing for 2K Sports. “The high quality and energy level of the music delivers the full experience our fans have come to expect from a 2K sports game.”

Also bringing their fire to the ice is Comeback Kid on the bleeding edge of indie rock and metal, the Apostates with the rebellious bounce of British punk, the snare drum assaulting metal of Early Man, Bloc Party’s stadium thumping new wave dirge, and the instantly recognizable riffs of Tokyo Police Club. Unifying them all are pervasive beats that truly reflect the spirit of hockey and create an indelible gaming experience.


Track listing:
Early Man “Evil Is”
Korn “Blind”
Quiet Riot “Cum on Feel the Noize”
Bloc Party “The Prayer”
Tokyo Police Club “Cheer it On”
From Fiction “Terry”
Cities In Dust “TV”
Smoke or Fire “The Sinking Ship”
Only Crime “Take Me”
Comeback Kid “Broadcasting”
Priestess “I am the Night, Colour Me Black”
The Apostates “Same Old Sound”
Kane Hodder “Aboard The Leper Colony”
Stellastarr* “Homeland”
The Shannons “My Last Hope”
Les Savy Fav “The Equestrian”

NHL 2K8 is rated E10+ for Everyone 10 and older and is available for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, the PLAYSTATION 3 computer entertainment system and the PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system.

For more game information and to hear the soundtrack online via 2K Beats, visit http://www.2ksports.com/games/nhl2k8/.

EA wants 'open gaming platform'

Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo should abandon the console wars and help build a common gaming platform, a senior executive at Electronic Arts has said.
Gerhard Florin said incompatible consoles made life harder for developers and consumers.

"We want an open, standard platform which is much easier than having five which are not compatible," said EA's head of international publishing.

He said the web and set-top boxes would grow in importance to the industry.

"We're platform agnostic and we definitely don't want to have one platform which is a walled garden," said Mr Florin.

EA currently produces games for more than 14 different gaming systems, including consoles, portable devices and PCs.

More from the BBC

Students digitally rock in Kogan

Four guys wearing colorful Mexican wrestling masks, shirtless underneath their open blazers, stepped onto stage. They took their positions, their eyes glued to a screen next to them, and the music started. While they played enthusiastically, their concert may have appalled the likes of Queen or the Clash.

Instead of playing typical instruments, this band was playing a video game.

These students were one of more than 600 bands across the country - and 25 at GW - to step onto the stage of the Rock Band tour this fall. Rock Band's big black tour truck has been setting up at colleges across the country since September to promote the video game Rock Band, due for release Nov. 23. The tour offers anyone a chance to try the new game and bring their new-found Rock Band skills onto a stage to audition for a spot on TRL.

“The tour will give everyone from casual music fans, to hard core gamers and professional musicians the chance to live out their rock star fantasies on an authentic concert stage,” said Jeff Yapp, executive vice president of MTV Program Enterprises, in a press release.

Rock Band comes from the collaboration of MTV Games (a division of the MTV network), Harmonix (the creators of Guitar Hero) and Electronic Arts (video and computer game creators). Likened by many to Guitar Hero, the game allows up to four players to pick up three different instrument peripherals, a guitar, bass guitar, drum and microphone, and simulate playing rock music while the music crosses the screen.

Ryan Bittner ‘11 said that he finds the game's versatility very appealing. “You can be like a real musician,” he said. “You can play guitar and sing at the same time.”

The game will give players more options than other games currently on the market, said Rock Band tour manager Kyle Brady. Rock Band will allow for solo players or up to a four-person band to play. The game comes with basic classic rock songs, but will have supplements available for downloading. Players will be able to download up to entire CDs of their favorite bands to use in the game.

“It's like playing along with the best quality songs from your favorite bands,” Brady said.

Trung Le '10 and a group of his friends decided to try the game on campus after hearing about it on Youtube.

“We're all big fans of (the video game) Guitar Hero so we're really excited for (Rock Band) to come out,” Le said. “It's going to be able to involve a lot of people. I think it will be a great party game.”

Gamers weren’t the only ones stepping onto the stage. Rock-star wannabes were also encouraged to drop to audition their music, gaming and rock star abilities for MTV.

“Every band that plays will get seen by a casting director,” Brady said. Of the auditioning bands, two will be picked to play at a battle of bands in New York City, with the winning band going on the open for a “real” rock band at the holiday launch party for the game.

The competing bands will be flown to New York and spend a week going through rock star boot camp.

Bittner auditioned with nine different bands, but was skeptical of his chance of going to New York.

“It seems a little far fetched for a lot of people,” he said. “I just came out here to play the game.”

Source: Daily Colonial

Virtual utopia

Mario, Master Chief, Sonic and company dealt out musical justice alongside members of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra Sunday night as they presented Video Games Live! (VGL), an incredible celebration of some of the most popular videogame music of all time.

Buffalo welcomed their heroic performers whole-heartedly as Kleinhans Music Hall played host to New York's first-ever performance of this internationally recognized, audience-interactive performance.

A stunning spectacle of sight and sound, Video Games Live! creates a unique experience that is highly innovative and entertaining. Their aim is to delight and dazzle audiences in ways that showcase how culturally relevant videogames have become, while romanticizing the artistic validity and beauty of the music that accompanies these games.

"Videogame music is more than just beeps and bleeps," boomed Tommy Tallarico, co-creator and host of VGL, as the show got under way.

Judging by the increasingly feverish applause as the night pressed on, the audience definitely agreed with Tallarico's sentiment. There wasn't a flicker of discontent from anyone, avid videogamer or not.

For those unfamiliar with the gaming world, a lack of knowledge mattered not as the abundant sensory stimulators provided enough unbridled energy.

The powerful sound of the full-scale orchestra, an impressive syncopated light show and the passion of the music being performed left even the most skeptical audience member clamoring for more.

As for the serious game aficionados, they were having the time of their lives.

"I knew this would be good, but they've gone above and beyond what I expected," said Matthew Kanner, UB student and videogame lover. "I was expecting a few well-orchestrated Mario pieces; this is so much more than that."

The majority of the audience could be found somewhere in the middle of the videogame sub-culture; they were not completely obsessive, but many them spent a good deal of their childhood getting lost in the world of Super Mario Bros.

The concert kicked off with a medley of classic arcade hits such as Pong, Donkey Kong, Tetris and others. On the backdrop of the stage was an enormous projection screen on which clips from the games were timed perfectly with the music. This fittingly classical start gave people only an inkling of what was in store.

Spurred on by the boundless youthful energy of Tallarico with co-creator and conductor Jack Wall, anticipation and excitement began to rise through the crowd like a princess-rescuing plumber rising up through a giant green pipe.

The anticipation gave way to the thunder of fans applauding musical scores from the most socially prominent and fanatically revered games to date. Dark, dangerous, profoundly moving pieces emerged from games such as God of War and Medal of Honor.

Contrasting this were songs from the epic and enchantingly whimsical Zelda soundtracks. Fan-favorites such as Sonic and Metal Gear Solid were also included, along with a theatrical performance of a live action Solid Snake.

Computer games, not to be left out of the mix, were also brought to life with scores from blockbuster phenomena Warcraft, Starcraft and Civilization.

Each piece was masterfully matched to clips from the showcased game and further synced with a stunning light show.

Adding interactivity to production gems, Video Games Live! also contained a costume contest (Princess Zelda won), a videogame cover band and audience participation in which a few lucky fans got on stage to show off their Frogger and Space Invader skills.

The last acts of the night came when nostalgic excitement had reached its peak.

First came music from the most influential and timeless character in the history of the industry: the music of Mario. The music of Halo, currently the most popular game in the world, was included in the show's encore.

"Art imitates life, videogames imitate life, so in a way the two (art and videogames) are very closely connected," said Scott Loblaw, UB alumni and longtime gamer.

The multi-sensory spectacle delivered by Video Games Live! bedazzled a Buffalo audience giving testament to the feeling that this touring troop will likely be glorifying the game for years to come.

A Perfect World for gamers

For 36 hours, several computer game buffs had to assume the role of Werefox in online fantasy game Perfect World (http://w2.cubizone.com).

They were taking part in Gurney Plaza's 36-hour Computer Games Challenge in Penang which kicked off at 10am on Saturday and ended at 10pm the next day.

Fuelled with determination, the 16 all-male contestants were geared up for the challenge. After all, it is common for most game enthusiasts to lose track of time as they manoeuvre their avatars through adrenaline-pumping missions.

Among the contestants, Danyel Chong Boon Hui, 13, shared this view.

“My brother (Jayson Chong Boon Keat, 25) and I are used to playing computer games for hours in our room.

“So, we thought we'd give this competition a shot,” said the Form One student from SM St Xaviers.

However, fatigue won over the brothers. They called it quits after nearly 26 hours in the challenge.

After catching a half-hour nap at home, they returned to the plaza to cheer on the other contestants.

The first contestant to quit left the game after midnight while a group of six including the brothers withdrew on Sunday morning.

The mechanics
Cubinet Interactive Sdn Bhd marketing manager Michael Cheah, who coordinated the event, said there were 105 levels in Perfect Game.

“For the event, we connected the game to a test server which only allowed the contestants to play. “We chose Werefox, who is among the game's six characters, for the contestants because she can tame animals to back her up in combat.

“These animals can perform poison and venom spells to wound her opponents.

“When Werefox conquers a land, she will receive coins to shop for tactical skills, weapons and potions,” he explained.

The contestants were allowed to take intervals of 10-minute toilet breaks and 15-minute meal breaks.

If they took longer than the allotted time, marks would be deducted accordingly.

They were also required to play six short games called Bug on a Wire, Twins, Panik in Chocoland, Bubble Trouble, Mission Mars and Trapshoot.

The winner had to achieve the highest combined score from Perfect World and the six short games.

Third-time running
The plaza’s marketing and communications manager Pauline Teh said this was their third 36-hour event.

“In 2005, we organised a 36-hour sleeping competition while last year, it was a 36-hour challenge to watch television.

“This year is focused on online games because we thought that that's what kids do nowadays.

“After all, it's not often that shoppers get to sleep overnight in a mall,” she said with a laugh.

Her director Phuah Choon Meng presented the prizes to the winners.



The first prize winner, Tony Kok Chin San, 23, won a laptop worth RM3,000 and an RM500 SenQ cash voucher.

The second prize winner, Lee Choon Fei, 25, received an RM1,000 SenQ cash voucher and RM300 cash while third prize winner Lim Wei Ping, 19, got a RM500 SenQ cash voucher and RM200 cash.

The top three scored 267, 265 and 252 marks respectively.

Kok said the first thing on his mind after the competition was to have a good bath.

THE ART OF SKATEBOARDING

Activision Unveils Skate Photo Exhibition For Launch of Tony Hawk's Proving Ground

In celebration of the launch of Tony Hawk’s Proving Ground, the latest instalment in the #1 best-selling action sports video game franchise, Activision, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI) is hosting The Art of Skateboarding photo exhibition at The Second Space Gallery – www.secondspacegallery.com – from Monday, October 29 through Friday, November 2. Featuring photographs by Tony Taglianetti, fashion photographer and skateboarder, the exhibition tells the amazing stories of London skateboarders and their favourite tricks, which were shot at some of the capital’s most popular skateboarding destinations, including the Westway, South Bank and Stockwell.

The photography will focus on the different kinds of skateboarding personalities, also found in Tony Hawk’s Proving Ground, including contest-winning athletes, fast and furious hardcore skaters and maverick riggers, who modify their environment into their own personal skate park.

“Tony Hawk’s Proving Ground lets players choose their own path as a skater, so that they can tell the world who they are,” commented Gary Sims, Brand Manager, Activision. “This art exhibition will take that concept and bring it to life outside of the game, allowing skaters to tell their own story for the first time. It’s not often that games and art come together in any meaningful way, so we’re particularly excited about this project.”

The exhibit will open at The Second Space Gallery – www.secondpacegallery.com, which is located at 117 Redchurch Street, London, E2, on October 29. A private VIP reception will be held on the evening of Thursday 1st November, dedicated to press, retail and the skateboarders featured in the exhibition.

Set in the streets of Baltimore, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., Tony Hawk’s Proving Ground is the largest, deepest and most customisable Tony Hawk game yet and gives players the freedom to define their character, story and style based on the choices they make, the paths they select and the style of skateboarding they want.

Tony Hawk’s Proving Ground will be available on November 2nd for Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, the PLAYSTATION 3 computer entertainment system, PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system, Wii home video game system, Nintendo DS and will be available to play at The Art of Skateboarding throughout the exhibition week.