XNA Game Studio 2.0 from Microsoft Enables Creation of Online Multiplayer Games Using LIVE

Popular game development software now includes support for Xbox LIVE and Games for Windows – LIVE

Microsoft Corp. today marked the next step in its initiative to democratise game development and unleash the creativity of the community with the release of the XNA Game Studio 2.0, the next generation of the popular game development platform for Xbox 360 and Windows. The new version builds upon XNA Game Studio Express, released one year ago, and includes the ability to create online, cross-platform multiplayer games for Xbox 360 and Windows using Xbox LIVE and Games for Windows - LIVE, respectively. XNA Game Studio 2.0 adds more than 15 new features and is available for download from http://creators.xna.com.

“When building XNA Game Studio 2.0, we wanted to offer everyone the opportunity to utilise the rich gaming environment of LIVE used by AAA developers for titles such as ‘Halo 3’ and ‘Gears of War,’” said Chris Satchell, general manager of the XNA organization at Microsoft. “We accomplished our goal with this new toolset, and, best of all, it remains highly accessible to students, hobbyists and pros alike.”

Many of LIVE’s best features are supported by XNA Game Studio 2.0 with minimal to no coding necessary to activate them - features like matchmaking, which uses LIVE to find the best games for you to play based on your location and internet connection. Additionally, XNA Game Studio 2.0 fully supports game development with all versions of the Microsoft Visual Studio product line.

XNA Creators Club Academic Trial Memberships Now Free to Qualified Students and Faculty

Since its release last December, XNA Game Studio has been an incredible success, with 750,000 downloads, adoption by more than 300 universities worldwide and at least nine textbooks on the tools in development. In subjects from computer science to fine arts, introductory courses to graduate and research projects - XNA Game Studio is helping faculty members and students explore the boundaries of applied gaming technology in education. Along with XNA Game Studio 2.0, Microsoft will also provide a free academic trial membership in the XNA Creators Club beginning in January, allowing faculty members and students to use XNA Game Studio 2.0 and Xbox 360 for instructional purposes.

Time to Dream-Build-Play Again

From more than 4,500 entrants from around the world, four community games were awarded Xbox LIVE Arcade publishing contracts in this year’s Dream-Build-Play game development competition. Microsoft will once again challenge aspiring game developers to create their dream games for a chance to win more coveted publishing contracts. This week Microsoft kicks off registration for Dream-Build-Play 2008 with the Silicon Minds Warm-Up Challenge. Registration begins on 14th December and winners will be announced at the Game Developers Conference where details of the main challenge will be announced. Run in partnership with Microsoft Research’s Machine Learning Group in Cambridge, England; Rare Ltd.; and Lionhead Studios, prizes for the Warm-Up Challenge will include the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to interview for an internship with one of those organizations.

“Artificial intelligence is so important to the games we make at Lionhead Studios, and we are very excited to see what the community can come up with in this Warm-Up Challenge to Dream-Build-Play 2008,” said Peter Molyneux, managing director at Lionhead Studios. “We are always on the lookout for the best talent and believe that XNA Game Studio 2.0 will be a great platform for contestants to showcase their skills on.” More information about Dream-Build-Play 2008 is available at http://www.dreambuildplay.com.

GripShift video game roars onto Microsoft Xbox LIVE Arcade

GripShift®, the award winning racing platformer developed and published by Sidhe Interactive is now available for download on Xbox LIVE® Arcade (XBLA), the premier destination for digitally distributed, high-definition original and classic games. Featuring an extensive single-player experience, two multiplayer modes, stunning visuals and amazing sound, GripShift is available for 800 Microsoft points under the Games tab on the XBLA Dashboard.

"Bringing GripShift to the Xbox LIVE Arcade gives a whole new audience the chance to experience some frantic racing fun," said Mario Wynands, Managing Director of Sidhe Interactive. "We think 360 owners will get a lot for their money with this game, as it offers a ton of content which can be played repeatedly for those who are intent on topping the leaderboards."

Sidhe has also made available a list of Xbox LIVE achievements along with two new trailers from GripShift, showing fly-throughs of two intense Challenge courses.

For more information on GripShift, please visit: www.gripshiftgame.com.

Baroque RPG - Role Playing Game announced for Nintendo Wii and Sony PlayStation 2

Atlus U.S.A., Inc., a leading publisher of interactive entertainment, today announced Baroque, a new dungeon-crawling action RPG for the Wii and PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system. Dark, addictively challenging, and totally immersive, Baroque is a pure RPG experience, highly regarded by Japanese gamers and now finally scheduled to arrive in North America! Baroque is currently slated for release in February 2008.

For more on Baroque, please visit the official website!
http://www.atlus.com/baroque


About Baroque
You awaken to find the world in ruin, your heart beset with unexplained guilt. A cataclysm has destroyed the cities and empires of men and disfigured the spirit of humanity. In this nightmare, it falls to you to descend a mysterious tower in search of absolution. Battle merciless foes through treacherous dungeons, scour for new items to aid you in your travels, and unlock the secrets of a devastated land. You will find death in the depths, yet learn that death is not the end of the story; in the twisted world of Baroque, it is only the beginning.

Key Features

• Hardcore dungeon-crawling RPG action! With its many ever-changing levels, each teeming with perverse monsters and tormented souls, the world of Baroque is a frightening and unforgiving realm.


• Death is not the end - Take part in a unique story progression system in which the end of your life only serves to drive the adventure forward. Each time your character dies, more secrets about the forsaken world are revealed!


• Deep customization options – The player has full control over how they shape their character and how they play the game.
• Find and equip a vast assortment of weapons and items, some with a variety of uses. Acquire powerful stat-boosting parasites and combine them to multiply their potency. Only the resourceful will survive!

Baroque has been rated "T" for Teen with Animated Blood, Fantasy Violence, Mild Language, Mild Suggestive Themes, and Tobacco Reference by the ESRB.

Playstation 3 (PS3) Unreal Tournament 3 can't use PC mods, maps at launch

The PlayStation 3 version of Unreal Tournament 3 has been the talk of the town for being one of the first ever console games to feature modding. Though you'll need the PC version to make use of the editor for maps, models, and so forth, having access to player-created content is still a huge feature. We've been testing these functions out, but have learned that the PS3 version—which hit stores across North America today—cannot accept mods yet. Epic Games team member Josh Adams has explained the problem on the official forums:

However, the PS3 mod tools aren't quite ready yet. We are working through some final legal/release issues.

When it's ready, you will need to download the latest PC patch and another PS3 Mod Tools "patch" that adds the full PS3 mod support to the PC version.

You will have to cook ypur mods for the PS3 specifically. You will also need removable media (memory card, USB drive, etc) to transfer the mod from your PC to your PS3.
Our tests show that the Unreal Engine 3 Editor has no way of exporting content specifically for the PS3 yet. There is also no utility to package the various .ini, .ut3, and .u files necessary for other mods into a format that can be extracted and installed by the game's import content function. Though the instruction manual contains some basic instructions, even the printed reference page is currently unavailable. This may be a downer for some who were looking to get mods going right from the start.

Source: Ars Technica

Unreal Tournament 3 video game download Patch Now Available!

our betas later, the Unreal Tournament III patch is ready for primetime! Including well over a hundred changes, the patch does a lot to address the complaints about the game's user interface, and though not required to play on patched servers, it is well worth downloading despite its hefty 240MB filesize.
Download from:

AtomicGamer - http://www.atomicgamer.com/file.php?id=65912
Beyond Unreal - http://www.beyondunreal.com/daedalus/singlepost.php?id=11329
FileFront - http://files.filefront.com/Unreal+Tournament+3+Retail+11+Patch/;9232999;/fileinfo.html
FilePlanet - http://www.fileplanet.com/183076/180000/fileinfo/Unreal-Tournament-3-v1.1-Patch?r=5
GGMania - http://www.ggmania.com/?smsid=24641
WorthPlaying - http://www.worthplaying.com/article.php?sid=48228

This update works fine with the D2D version as well.



Source: Voodoo Extreme

GameTap SEGA Saturn and Dreamcast access for Mac Users

GameTap just announced that they have streamlined their new Cider technology which enables Mac users to access SEGA Saturn and Dreamcast titles. Fortunately, this will work for all broadband-enabled PC and Intel-based Macs that meet the memory requirements. I am a GameTap member and would highly recommend it to anyone.

There is also a new GameTap player that launches faster and discovers games considerably faster than before. This new player is what enables Mac users to access the classic SEGA Saturn and Dreamcast games. Some of the classic games include Panzer Dragoon and Crazy Taxi.

“The Mac is enjoying faster growth than any other computing system and the launch of the new

GameTap player enriches the Mac experience even further for that large audience,” said Vikas Gupta, CEO and President of TransGaming. “TransGaming and GameTap are committed to bringing the greatest games to the Mac, which has already included Myst Online: Uru Live, and we are pleased to continue this partnership that enhances the Mac gaming landscape.”

To play the latest titles, Gold level subscription plans are currently available for as low as $5.00 per month and new subscribers can get their first month for only 99 cents. Gamers can also visit GameTap.com to check out the selection of more than 50 free games which are updated each week.

More from : GameTap

Orange Box: Portal 'Comparo' HD

Watch the video here on GameVideos

Side-by-side look at both the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions of Portal, just as you can see the difference between the two versions of Half-Life 2 here. (Hit that link if you don’t know what caused all this hubbub in the first place.)

Unlike Half-Life, Portal seems to be running perfectly smooth and looks visually identical to the 360 version. The only noticeable difference you’ll find in watching the video above is that the PS3 version of Portal apparently takes 7-10 seconds longer to load than the 360 version. Definitely annoying, but also most definitely not a game breaker when you’re playing a good game.

Frontlines: Fuel of War video game xBox 360 Demo Now Available

The highly-anticipated Frontlines: Fuel of War – which will see a beta release on PC in the coming days – has a demo now available on the Xbox Live Marketplace. It’s an interesting take with a sort of sandbox-strategy element to the game.

The official description on the demo:

Frontlines: Fuel of War is an open-world First Person Shooter set on the frontlines of tomorrow. In a world ravaged by a global energy crisis, environmental decay, and economic depression, players assume the role of an elite soldier in the Western Coalition Army on an epic crusade against the Red Star Alliance to control the last of the world’s oil reserves. Frontlines: Fuel of War combines intensely cinematic, non-linear game play, with next generation weaponry and a revolutionary Frontline Combat System to deliver the most thrilling and engaging FPS to date.

That’s quite a tall claim. It’ll give you some food for thought while you wait for this monster 1.69 GB demo to download.

European Union agrees tax breaks for games

French request for parity with film industry gets the green light

The European Commission has approved the French government's request to apply film industry tax breaks to the games industry.

The move will allow for around a 20 per cent rebate on the cost of development for games that fall under qualifying criteria - and it is estimated that around half of all games developed this year would have qualified.

Both Tiga and the EGDF had argued strongly that such a move should go ahead, in order to help lessen the unbalancing effect that support from other countries such as Canada was having.

In a statement, the EU said that only games that meet the "criteria of quality, originality and contribute to cultural diversity," will be eligible, with the scheme authorised for a period of four years.

"Given in particular the small market shares of the manufacturers covered by the measure, the Commission is satisfied that the aid will have a limited effect on competition and on trade between the Member States," said the Commission.

"This effect will be even more limited by the fact that the French authorities have accepted the Commission's request to largely include subcontracting costs within the eligible costs. These costs had initially been excluded, thus creating the risk that beneficiary companies would be encouraged to internalise their costs, to the detriment of European subcontractors," detailed the report.

The EU investigation was prompted by the French government's proposal late last year, and conditions then included a test for originality, quality and promotion of European cultural diversity.

At the time the EU's competition commissioner, Neelie Kroes, warned: "We must be sure that the measure will promote only genuine cultural projects and that it will not have the effect of an industrial policy instrument in favour of the videogames sector."

Source: Games Industry

The Coolest iPod Downloads Around

iPod is only five years old but it dominates the digital audio player in the world. Around 42 million iPod unit sales has been recorded for the fiscal year of 2001 to 2005. The rate of iPod sales in the first quarter of 2006 shows that iPod is selling 100 iPod units every minute.

That is how popular iPod is. For this reason, third party manufacturers are jumping to the iPod craze and are manufacturing iPod skins, iPod covers, iPod cases and iPod special headphones, and iPod battery kits to meet the demand of the users to achieve maximum experience with their iPods.

The third party software developers do not want to be left behind so they created software and plugins for iPod mini, iPod nano, iPod Video. Third party developers offer their products as iPod downloads.

iPod downloads maybe a software or an image or video file for your iPod mini, iPod nano, or iPod shuffle. iPod downloads may be for free, freeware iPod downloads, or shareware, of for free for a limited time of use iPod downloads.

Software iPod downloads may be a dictionary, foreign words translator to english or a video file converter from computer to iPod.

Image or video file iPod downloads include screensavers, icons, free videos, and free music videos.

Below are some of the best iPod downloads.

Accio Dictionary for iPod

Accio Dictionary is not a Harry Potter dictionary, although this iPod download works magic.

There are many dictionary iPod downloads out there but we consider Accio as one of the best if not the very best dictionary iPod downloads in the industry. With this iPod download, you can manage to ask a simple, "Where is the train station?" in Spanish or German or Portuguese or Italian by just simply referring to your Accio Dictionary in your iPod nano, iPod mini or iPod shuffle.

With this shareware iPod download, you can listed to translatations of phrases and words that a tourist often ask to a native, like asking directions or asking for a name or saying thanks and sorry. The translations in this iPod download are spoken by native speakers.

The Accio iPod dictionary has 8,000 indexed translations. The vocabularies in this superb iPod download are those you need for traveling and everyday usage.

Accio iPod dictionary offers five shareware iPod downloads. iPod Downloads are for: English-German, English-Spanish, English-French, English-Italian, English-Portuguese.

The four Accio iPod downloads also offer the following:

- Quick reference using the iPod "Notes."
- It also has a "Talking Phrasebook!" You can listen to translated words or phrases for travelling and everyday use, spoken by native speakers.
- This iPod download is expandable. You can add several Accio modules into your iPod - these iPod downloads have everything you need for tours and travels.
- Up to 8,000 indexed translations.

About iSpeak It

This is one of the most incredible iPod downloads to date. Imagine, you can convert into an audio file your favorite e-books simple by using this iPod software. Compatible with iPod nano, iPod mini, and iPod shuffle, you can install this fabulous iPod downloads software from the Apple.com or at its official website.

If you're a writer and would like to hear how you writing sounds, get this in iPod downloads center immediately for this is for you. This iPod download works best if you are working on a dialogue. You will know if your dialogue sounds more like your mother than a dialogue for a literary piece; unless the character that is speaking is inspired by your mother.

iPod downloads center offers iSpeak as a shareware. You can take any document that you want and convert in into an MP3/AAC track\. You can do this in your iTunes by turning on the built-in text-to-speech of Mac. Windows XP also offers text-to-speech capabilities.

What can you do with iSpeak once you downloaded it from the Apple iPod downloads center? You can download news, driving directions, email messages, weather, and then text-to-speech it in your computer with the help of iSpeak and then transfer it in your iPod nano, iPod mini, or iPod shuffle.

This spectacular software from the Apple iPod downloads center accepts files such as Word, RTF, Pages 2, PDF, AppleWorks, text and even HTML files.

Source: Squidoo