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Tuesday, November 20, 2007

Wii-less This Christmas? You Can Still Go Wireless Thanks To The RealPlay Range On PS2


Why leave a Wii-sized hole in your interactive gaming sales this festive season when you can have your Christmas cake and eat it?

Following the disheartening news of massive Nintendo Wii shortages, In2Games, the pioneering British creator of motion-based videogames and controllers, is set to put smiles back on retailer’s faces this Christmas with its new, wireless ground-breaking RealPlay range on PlayStation2.

With the Wii continually reported to be in short supply in the run up to Christmas, the RealPlay range of wireless interactive games for PlayStation2 is consequently shooting its way to the top of gamers’ wish-list letters to Santa. Sales will be especially lucrative as PlayStation2 has an unrivalled installed user base: over 120 million PlayStation2 hardware units sold worldwide, over 40 million of which are in European PAL territories.

The RealPlay range is a family-friendly collection of wireless motion-sensing games exclusively for the PlayStation2. Each comes with a unique wireless controller which not only enhances the gaming experience with intuitive motion-sensing controls, but makes a great Christmas gift for those looking to give something rather more special than ‘just another game’.

The first titles in the RealPlay range will be released in the UK on 30th November 2007. Each title comes with a unique controller which brings wire-free motion-sensing to the PlayStation2 for the first time.

· RealPlay Racing introduces a wireless steering wheel, which controls the on-screen action for this fast and furious racer.

· RealPlay Pool comes complete with a wireless replica pool cue, with which players can apply swerve and spin before physically hitting each shot.

· RealPlay Golf’s wireless club tracks your swing to bring an on-course dimension into the game.

· RealPlay PuzzleSphere comes with a unique wireless ‘sphere’ which players manipulate in real life in order to guide an on-screen replica through heart-in-mouth rollercoaster courses.

Two additional wireless titles – RealPlay Bowling and RealPlay Tennis – are scheduled for release early in 2008.

RealPlay Racing, RealPlay Golf, RealPlay Pool and RealPlay PuzzleSphere will be available exclusively on PlayStation2 on November 30th 2007, priced £34.99.

Crysis Comes to iGames

150 Member Centers Across North America to Celebrate the Release of 2007's Most Anticipated PC Title

One-Day Launch Party, December 1; Two-Week Showcase, December 3-26

WHAT:

Leading game center organization iGames will host a series of special events to celebrate the release of Crysis®, Electronic Arts’ next-generation first-person shooter, developed by Crytek, which many are heralding as the most advanced videogame ever created and one of the most anticipated PC titles of 2007.

WHEN:

The first event will be a one-day launch party, Saturday, December 1, followed by an expanded showcase, December 3-26, allowing FPS fans of all stripes one free hour over a two-week period to sample the eagerly anticipated and critically acclaimed title, which is being heralded as the most advanced videogame ever created and the most anticipated PC game of 2007.

WHERE:

• Launch Party: 50 select iGames member centers across North America. Find a location near you and register for a seat at http://www.igames.org/events.asp?event=7628
• Showcase: 100 additional iGames member centers. Find a location near you at http://www.igames.org/events.asp?event=7629

ABOUT THE GAME:

Crysis is a next-generation PC first-person shooter from Crytek, the award-winning developers of Far Cry. A stunning technical achievement, Crysis combines incredible visuals, cunning gameplay and an epic story that challenges gamers to adapt to survive.

Global tensions have reached boiling point as the U.S. and North Korea square off in the South China Sea. At stake: a mysterious artifact uncovered by a team of U.S. archeologists.

The North Korean government quickly seizes the area, prompting the U.S. to dispatch an elite team of Special Forces operatives on a rescue mission. During the siege the true nature of the artifact quickly emerges, pointing to the existence of an alien presence on Earth, and ultimately the trigger for a massive-scale alien invasion.

The battle to save Earth begins as the aliens’ flash freeze the tropics into a ghostly-white frozen landscape. As gamers take up arms against the aliens, they will be outfitted with customizable weapons and a high-tech Nanosuit, allowing them to adapt their tactics and abilities to a hostile, ever-changing environment and a mysterious enemy.

Powered by CryENGINE 2, Crysis delivers the ultimate DirectX®10 gaming experience for the PC, including unparalleled graphics, special effects and artificial intelligence. The game is also scaleable to deliver a breath-taking FPS experience for older DirectX 9 PCs.

Features:

• Adapt to Survive – An epic story thrusts players into an ever-changing environment, forcing them to adapt their tactics and approach to conquer battlefields ranging from newly frozen jungle to zero-gravity alien environments.

• Suit up! – A high-tech Nanosuit allows gamers to augment their abilities in real time on the battlefield. Players can choose to enhance their speed, strength, armor and cloaking abilities to approach situations in creative tactical ways

• Customizable Weaponry – A huge arsenal of modular weaponry gives gamers unprecedented control over their play style. Blow the opposition away with experimental weapons, discover alien technology and utilize custom ammunition from incendiary-tipped rounds to tactical munitions that can silently put foes to sleep.

• Veni Vidi Vici – Lifelike enemy AI challenges players to assess a situation and approach it strategically. It isn’t about having the fastest trigger finger – players are challenged to be proactive in the fight, not reactive.

• Zero-G Gameplay – Battle a horrifying alien species in a true Zero-gravity environment, where physics change everything as players must adapt to moving in Zero-G and contending with the recoil from their weapons and more.

• Next-Generation Graphics – Built from the ground up using Crytek’s proprietary CryENGINE™ 2, Crysis’ visuals define “state of the art,” with full DirectX10 support and scalable options to deliver solid performance on older machines.

• Open, Physicalized World – Choose your own path through the open world of Crysis, destroying obstacles, driving vehicles from VTOL’s to boats and using the environment itself against your enemies.

• Bring it Online – Full-featured multiplayer for up to 32 players with real-time armor and weapons customization. For a pure adrenaline fix hit the Instant Action button, or prepare yourself for the all-new multiplayer PowerStruggle mode that combines economy and vehicle warfare, alien technology and ranking, all wrapped in a strategic objective-based experience.
Crysis® is rated "M" for “Mature” by the ESRB and carries a suggested retail price of $49.99 for the regular edition and $59.99 for the Limited Collector's Edition. To learn more about the game, visit http://www.ea.com/crysis.

Sony Online Entertainment Selects Kynapse for its DC Comics Based Action Video Game for the PC and PLAYSTATION 3

Kynogon, a market leader in AI middleware solutions for the gaming industry announces today that Kynapse is chosen by Sony Online Entertainment for the development of their massively multi-player online action game set in the DC Comics Universe, licensed by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment.

John Blakely, VP of Development at SOE’s Austin, Texas studio, sees Kynogon’s technology as instrumental in helping the development team deal with the complexities faced with online games. “We were looking for an AI solution that would be capable of dealing with dynamic large scale worlds in a seamless manner. By using Kynapse we have a powerful technology to manage extremely dynamic environments and very large maps. Our team can concentrate on the creative elements of the game faster in the development process, and thus enhance the game-play experience.”

Pierre Pontevia, CEO of Kynogon, added: “Sony Online Entertainment is a true leader in online gaming. They have very high standards that push technology to its limits, continuously pursuing and realizing ambitious projects. We are very excited that the Kynapse engine has been chosen for this title based in the DC Comics universe. This choice represents for us a big recognition of our technology’s capacity to deal with complex, dynamic and large environments in the online gaming segment.”

Massive Holiday Giveaway Tied to Launch of Tower Defense

Com2us, a leading provider of mobile entertainment, today announced contests in conjunction with the recent launch of Tower Defense for mobile phones. Between Nov. 21 and Dec. 16, fans of the megahit Flash phenomenon Tower Defense, now available for AT&T mobile phones, will offer two ways to win prizes including mobile-phone cleaners, a Nintendo DS and a Wii.

Tower Defense fans can get their fix at http://www.com2us.com, where they can play a Web version of the popular game. Players who leave a comment in the "Tips & Reviews" section will be entered to win a Nintendo DS or a mobile-phone cleaner. Logging in and answering a Tower Defense trivia question on the Com2us Web site will also give participants a chance at winning a Wii.

About Tower Defense

Inspired by the concept made popular by leading real-time strategy games, the mobile version of Tower Defense developed by Com2us brings you everything you know and love about the original, but adds a whole lot more. In Story Mode, players progress through ten chapters building Towers and defeating enemies using eight different towers and 116 different monsters. High scores can be posted on the Ranking page to qualify for prizes. Upon successfully completing Story Mode, players unlock Custom Mode in which provides a robust map editor for creating custom maps which may be shared with friends.

Halo 3 Evolves as Heroic Map Pack Explode

Plus, this Week "Undertow" Dives onto Xbox LIVE Arcade

The internationally award-winning “Halo 3” multiplayer experience is about to get even better. After launching to incredible acclaim and fanaticism, “Halo 3” players will be able to enjoy three all new multiplayer maps on 11th December as part of the Heroic Map Pack, the first in a series of downloadable content from Bungie Studios to come via Xbox LIVE.

Available for 800 Microsoft Points exclusively on Xbox LIVE Marketplace, each map presents a totally different play style. Standoff’s symmetrical valley, with its entrenched bases and fields of boulders is ideal for mid-sized objective and Slayer game types, while Rat’s Nest’s vast, labyrinthine passages bring something new to the “Halo” multiplayer experience: an indoor vehicle paradise, strongly influenced by the Campaign mode, ideal for big team battles. Finally, Foundry is the ultimate Forge map – players can edit every single object in this voluminous industrial warehouse, place stairways, walls, bridges and tunnels to create an entirely new play space and build almost any kind of map they can think of.

All three maps will become available for free download via Xbox LIVE Marketplace in Spring 2008, just prior to the next wave of all new “Halo 3” multiplayer maps.

As if the legions of "Halo 3" players needed more reasons to stay logged on and fragging, the Forge also allows players to edit and customise all three maps, keeping “Halo 3’s” multiplayer experience fresh, exciting and evolving. In addition, ongoing updates to “Halo 3’s” matchmaking playlists ensure that ranked and social gameplay remains dynamic and competitive.

While you wait for the “Halo 3” Heroic Map Pack, check out the 101st game to launch on Xbox LIVE Arcade as Chair Entertainment Group brings “Undertow” to the platform. The fast-paced, aquatic action game arrives this Wednesday, 21st November 2007 at 9:00.

"Undertow" redefines aquatic based shooters through a mix of high-definition graphics, intuitive controls and multiple modes of game play action. "Undertow" features a story driven single player campaign, on and offline co-op, and multiplayer for up to 16 players over Xbox LIVE. Players battle for control of the oceans as one of three selectable races, each with four unique, upgradeable units. "Undertow" will be available worldwide this Wednesday for 800 Microsoft Points and is rated 15 BBFC.

For more details on “Undertow,” please visit: http://www.xbox.com/enUS/games/u/undertowxboxlive

Matrix Games Releases a new Maximum Football 2.0 Gameplay Video

A new hard-hitting gameplay video that slams like a sack from the blind-side

Matrix Games (www.matrixgames.com) and Wintervalley Software (www.wintervalley.com) are excited to send out a new video showing off the revamped graphics and improved gameplay found in Maximum Football 2.0. This first 2.0 video illustrates some of the game’s statistical features in addition to some bone-crunching hits found on the Maximum Football 2.0 virtual gridiron!

Download the video below or check it out on Youtube! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKPtItkIFlw

David Heath, Director of Operations at Matrix Games, said “Football fans everywhere will no doubt be pumped up and ready to burst off the line of scrimmage when they see this gameplay video. For the armchair coach or the fan of hard hits and exciting gameplay, Maximum Football 2.0 has got it all!”

Dave Winter of Wintervalley Software added “I feel this gameplay video really lets the improvements coming with the second iteration of Maximum Football shine. Maximum Football 2.0 presents sports fans with a great blend of the hardcore strategy and statistical analysis with the fast-paced, action-oriented gameplay found on game day.”

Maximum-Football 2.0 is the latest and greatest release from the acclaimed sports management video game studio, Wintervalley Software. Bringing a whole host of new features like full Xbox 360 controller support, full DirectX 9.0 utilization, and scores of other upgrades and improvements, Maximum-Football 2.0 delivers on gameplay and fun like a bullet pass through double coverage. Like its predecessor, Maximum-Football 2.0 allows players to experience the thrill of managing a team in any league!

Design and play in leagues where you pick the size and layout. Play against others in user created leagues. The sky is the limit to how far you can take Maximum-Football 2.0. Get down and dirty with the editor as you create new plays and playbooks, design your own uniforms and helmets, and even select nicknames to appear on jerseys.

Maximum-Football 2.0 is the football fans dream. Whether you are a head coach or an armchair quarterback, Maximum-Football 2.0 has the features for you.

Get more information on Maximum Football 2.0 from its official Matrix Games webpage.

Civil War game prompts Spanish outcry

Title to be released on the anniversary of Franco's death

Shadows of War: The Spanish Civil War, an RTS game which allows players to take either side of the 1930s conflict, has apparently caused something of an uproar in Spain.

The title, released on November 20 - the anniversary of dictator General Franco's death - has been received poorly by the mainstream media in the country, with families claiming that the "idea trivialises killings," reports The Guardian.

The conflict, which led to Franco's 36 years in charge, is widely thought to have seen 500,000 killed.

Paco Perez, project director at developer Legend Games, defended the game by saying: "As well as being entertaining, it could serve to remind people that they need to be conscious of past events to make sure they are not repeated."

However, the daughter of a man known as Franco's first victim, Commander Virgilio Leret Ruiz, who is named in the game, disagrees.

"It is not a historical event buried in the past, but is very fresh in the memory of Spaniards. There is no justification for trivialising the killings and the suffering and pain of the victims when we still haven't reconciled ourselves with the past."

DS hits 20 million sales in Japan

Handheld accounts for over 50 per cent of hardware market

Nintendo's DS handheld has sold over 20 million units in Japan since launch, according to data from Media Create.

The system was originally launched in December 2004, and in February 2006 was relaunched at the DS Lite, with Nintendo reducing the size of the handheld as well as making other cosmetic changes.

Since release, the DS and DS Lite have accounted for 50.26 per cent of the hardware market in the region, with 83.95 million software units sold, or 40 per cent of the entire software market.

Sony halves cost of PS3 development kit

More significant price reductions on the way, says SCEI

Sony has slashed the price of the PlayStation 3 development kit by almost half, promising to further reduce costs as more studios adopt the console technology.

The PlayStation 3 Reference Tool will now be available for JPY 950,000 in Japan, USD 10,250 in North America and EUR 7500 in Europe.

"As more and more new titles are developed for the PS3 format, SCEI will significantly reduce the price of the Reference Tool in order to contribute to the cost saving measures of the development community," said the company.

The console giant has also begun to integrate new programming tools into the PlayStation 3 Software Development Kit from SN Systems, including ProDG, SN Distributed Build System, SN Linker and SN Compiler.

As well as new tools, Sony has also added programming functions to the PS3 Debugging Station allowing it to be used alongside the Reference Tool, rather than being used as just a quality assurance system for games in development.

Microsoft boss - "No rival from Playstation online"

"We don't have competition," says Xbox president

Microsoft's Robbie Bach has dismissed Sony's PlayStation Network, saying he doesn't believe the console rival offers an online gaming service comparable to Xbox Live.

The company is currently celebrating five years of Xbox Live, with over 8 million users signed up to the service.

"It's fair to say that Xbox Live is clearly head and shoulders above anything anyone else has tried to do. We don't have competition," said Bach, speaking to the LA Times.

"Sony has done some things online, but nothing that can be called a service. We have a big advantage and we're going to keep pressing that advantage," he added.

As well as Arcade titles, demos and TV and movie downloads, Microsoft announced last week that it will begin offering original Xbox games via Live, including hit titles Halo, Fable and Crimson Skies.

"We have a very strong, very powerful computer network that provides the backbone for our service," continued Bach.

"Perhaps the most important thing we have is over 8 million passionate members who create and define what Xbox Live is. It's a tough thing to create, and we're going to continue to nurture it."