NASA to make MMORPG computer video games

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is exploring the possibility of developing a massively multiplayer online learning game.

The U.S. space agency NASA Learning Technologies (LT) project is currently investigating the development of a massively multiplayer online educational game (MMO) with a view to advancing education in the areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

Persistent immersive synthetic environments in the form of massive multiplayer online gaming and social virtual world, initially popularized as gaming and social settings, are now finding growing interest as education and training venues.

Teaching complex subjects in these 'synthetic environments' is gaining recognition especially with grasping complicated concepts and understanding practical problems.

It has been recognised that MMOs help players develop 'strategic thinking, interpretative analysis, problem solving, plan formulation and execution, team-building and cooperation, and adaptation to rapid change'.

Immersion into the virtual environment will be designed to simulate scientific experiments and engineering tasks as well as experience microgravity.

From: ClanBase

Brazil bans Counter-Strike and EverQuest video games

Brazil this week imposed a ban on popular role-playing computer games "Counter-Strike" and "EverQuest," claiming they incited violence and were "harmful to consumers' health."

The federal prohibition on the sale of the games was being applied across the country, the official consumer protection agency in the central state of Goias said on its website Thursday.

Both games allow players, typically teenage boys, to connect online to fantasy worlds where they interact with other players, form groups and carry out joint missions usually involving combat.

"Counter-Strike," a first-person-view shoot-'em-upper based on the motor powering the popular "Half-Life" game, requires participants to choose a role as either a masked terrorist or an anti-terrorist officer before going forth with an ever-sophisticated array of weapons.

An adapted version in Brazil permitted players to take on the perspective of either a police officer or a narcotrafficker in Rio de Janeiro's infamously crime-ridden slums.

"EverQuest" is a swords-and-spells game in the mold of "Lord of the Rings" in which human or elvish or other imaginary characters go on joint adventures to gain treasure and increase their avatar's abilities.

Both began in 1999 and have since developed huge worldwide followings.

Some psychologists have described them as addictive as drugs. A few players have turned professional, earning money from powerful characters they sell, or from the auction of hard-to-win virtual items.

The ban was ordered in October 2007 by a Brazilian federal court, but was not immediately implemented.

The judge, Carlos Alberto Simoes, ruled that the games encouraged "the subversion of public order, were an attack against the democratic state and the law and against public security."

Source: AFP

Download Game Onto iPhone - some for FREE

Here are the top methods you can use to Download Game Onto iPhone Today:

Download Game Onto iPhone – Process 1

Search engines! All you need to do is go to a search engine and type in iPhone games and you will soon find a lot of free Java games and some of them are very good quality. It is not really strictly Download Game Onto iPhone though as a lot of them are just played within a browser that looks like the iPhone in your web browser. The main problem with this method is that you have to use different providers and if you are too far away or out of their area then you will not be able to play the games.

Download Game Onto iPhone – Process 2

The next way you can do this is with membership websites. You can find plenty about on the net but the major problem here is the price! Most of these membership websites will charge you monthly and can be about $40 and up!

I am sure you agree the cost can soon add up and if you don´t use the website for a month you will still be charged!

Download Game Onto iPhone – Process 3

Peer to peer networks. This is a fairly old method of getting any sort of media that you want from the internet and is not recommended! The method has been in the news and the only way that it is legal is if you actually own the game that you are downloading and are making a "back up".

They are really clamping down on the masses of people that are using peer to peer networks and if you are thinking of using this method I would not advise it as a few people have been fined and some have even had court hearings!

Download Game Onto iPhone – Process 4

After the above 3 methods you might be feeling a little down in the mouth and wondering if it is possible to get iPhone Games. Well the good news is there are some sites on the net that are more "specialist" and although most of them are not free. They take the membership website idea and basically provide the same service for a lot less cash.

Download sites... http://www.iphoneexplosions.com/http://www.iphonenova.com/

Nintendo Wii Super Smash Brothers Brawl delayed

Instead of arriving in stores on February 10, Super Smash Brothers Brawl is scheduled to arrive on March 9 in North America. Japan’s release date is also pushed back a week, but only for a week.

The new release date is January 31 instead of January 24. The timing of the delay raised a flag because Super Smash Brothers Brawl must be mostly complete if it is only delayed a week in Japan. However, North America’s delay is nearly a month. Perhaps, localization is going slower than expected or Nintendo is tweaking network settings for a larger land mass.

Hmm… or Nintendo is trying to position Super Smash Brothers Brawl or Professor Layton and the Curious Village in a better place. With the Smash Brothers delay Layton should have a much better chance in the marketplace. Be sure to check it out on February 11.

Source: Siliconera

Atari Announces the Next Generation Chapter for Dragon Ball Z Video Game Series

Atari, Inc. one of the world's most recognized brands and a third-party video game publisher and distributor, today announced that Dragon Ball Z(R): Burst Limit is in development for Xbox 360(R) video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and PLAYSTATION(R)3 computer entertainment system. Exploding into the next level of intensity with next-gen graphics, online gameplay and lightening fast action, Dragon Ball Z: Burst Limit is being developed by NAMCO BANDAI Games Inc. and is slated for a 2008 release.

Dragon Ball Z: Burst Limit is revolutionizing the series by entering the realm of next-generation gaming. Complete with fierce online battles and radical 3D graphic effects only possible on Xbox 360 and PLAYSTATION 3 system, Dragon Ball Z: Burst Limit will blur the line between video game and iconic anime series. Jam-packed with graphically enhanced playable characters, realistic battle stages and environments, players can take hold and experience Dragon Ball Z(R) as never before.

"Atari is excited and ready to offer fans the next iteration of the Dragon Ball Z video game series on the next-gen consoles," said Donny Clay, Producer, Atari, Inc. "With explosive cinematic graphics and online gameplay, fans of the series and of the fighting genre will surely enjoy Dragon Ball Z: Burst Limit."

The immensely popular Dragon Ball Z(R) series is the gold standard of anime-based video games, with more than 30 different games and over 11 million units sold since May 2002.

For more information on Dragon Ball Z(R) video games, please visit http://www.atari.com/dragonballz.

Source: CNN - PR NewsWire

NINTENDO DS tops Japanese VIDEO GAMES chart

As sales numbers fall, Nintendo just pips Sony to the post

Nintendo's DS handheld was once again the best-selling hardware in Japan for the sales week ending January 13.

According to Media Create information it sold just over 97,000 units in that time, but the PlayStation Portable was much closer than it usually is in second, selling just over 96,000 units.

The Wii took third place, selling 84,000 units, as every platform experienced the usual post-end of year sales slump, while the PlayStation 3 was further back with just under 39,000.

The PlayStation 2 continued to sell despite its age and relative lack of software support, while the Xbox 360 tailed off in sixth.

The chart is as follows:

1. Nintendo DS (97,369)
   
2. PlayStation Portable (96,159)
   
3. Nintendo Wii (84,530)
   
4. PlayStation 3 (38,907)
   
5. PlayStation 2 (14,499)
   
6. Xbox 360 (4690)
   

'PT Boats: Knights of the Sea' Preview

File Front's preview Akella’s latest RTS naval simulator game PT Boats: Knights of the Sea, and if WWII games are your thing and you are tired of playing aerial or ground war titles; then this game was made especially for you.

With the video game market overly saturated with WWII games, Akella wanted to produce something different starring one of the most under-appreciated heroes of that era, the Patrol Torpedo Boat. Faster and easier to maneuver than a large battleship, PT Boats were used when accuracy and speed were of the utmost importance and they got the job done.

Being smaller did not mean that they could not cause serious damage to a larger vessel though, because they could take a tanker down with their torpedoes - and while they were indeed more vulnerable than their larger counterparts, they were essential to any maritime battle.

more from File Front

Official website... http://www.pt-boats.net/

4.82 million copies makes Halo 3 - 2007 top selling video game

The NPD Group has released its US hardware and software sales data for the month of December, bringing the year's total sales to USD 18 billion.

That figure represents a 43 per cent increase over 2006's total sales of USD 12.5 billion.

On the hardware side, NPD estimates that 8.5 million DS handhelds were sold in 2007, more than twice the 3.82 million PSP handhelds sold by Sony.

Nintendo sold 6.29 million Wii consoles, Microsoft sold 4.62 million Xbox 360 consoles, and Sony sold 2.56 million PS3 consoles during the year.

Sony also sold 3.97 million PS2 consoles in 2007, bringing its life-to-date sales to 41.12 million.

The year's Top Ten best-selling games in the US were:

1. Halo 3 (360) - 4.82 million
   
2. Wii Play w/ remote (Wii) - 4.12 million
   
3. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (360) - 3.04 million
   
4. Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock (PS2) - 2.72 million
   
5. Super Mario Galaxy (Wii) - 2.52 million
   
6. Pokemon Diamond (DS) - 2.48 million
   
7. Madden NFL 08 (PS2) - 1.90 million
   
8. Guitar Hero 2 (PS2) - 1.89 million
   
9. Assassin's Creed (360) - 1.87 million
   
10. Mario Party 8 (Wii) - 1.82 million
    

Source: Games Industry

Activision Ranks No1 U.S. Console and Handheld Publisher for Calendar 2007, According to NPD

Activision was the No1 U.S. console and handheld publisher for calendar 2007, according to The NPD Group. The company increased its market share for the year to a record 17.7%, a 7.2% increase over the same period last year. Additionally, Guitar Hero was the No1 best-selling franchise in the U.S. for the full calendar year and Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock, which was released on October 28, was the No1 title across all platforms in both units and dollars, according to The NPD Group.

For the month of December, Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock and Call of Duty 4TM: Modern WarfareTM were the No1 and No3 best-selling titles respectively in dollars across all platforms, according to The NPD Group.



Robert Kotick, Chairman and CEO, Activision, Inc., commented, "For the first time in our history, we were the No1 U.S. publisher for the calendar year. We are well on our way to delivering sixteen years of record revenue growth and by far our most profitable year ever."

Headquartered in Santa Monica, California, Activision, Inc. is a leading worldwide developer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and leisure products. Founded in 1979, Activision posted net revenues of $1.5 billion for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2007.

Activision maintains operations in the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Sweden, Spain, the Netherlands, Australia, Japan and South Korea. More information about Activision and its products can be found on the company's World Wide Web site, which is located at www.activision.com.

Disciples III: Renaissance Development Update

Now that we have all entered a new 2008 phase of our life, it’s time to reflect upon the progress made so far. Akella and .dat are pleased to report on completion of the set of important features in Disciples III: Renaissance that is drawing the game release nearer.

The storyline has been completed – there’s a script for all the 19 missions that’ll be featured in the game: 6 per race and one final mission.

The game will feature over 150 units. You can view some sample units in the game gallery.

All of the units and objects have been animated and textured.
The dev team has almost completed generating the game content: Elven Alliance and Legions of the Damned cities are templated; only minor fixing is ahead. Now the team is focusing on finalizing the city of the Empire.

The game designers are now working closely on perfecting the interface, completing the script (separate dialogues), making briefings movies, and finalizing arts.

About Disciples III: Renaissance

Genre: Strategy
Platform: PC
Publisher: Akella
Developer: .DAT
Release date: Q3 2008

Disciples III: Renaissance is the next title in the award winning Disciples series and represents a leap forward in the evolution of the turn-based RPG/strategy genre. Building on the successes of the first two games, DIII introduces a host of new features as well as the compelling gameplay that made the previous titles such hits.

As a Lord of one of the fantastical races of Nevendaar you must fight to restore your deity's rule over your world. There are three playable races to choose from; the Empire, the Elven Alliance and the notorious Legion of the Damned.

For the first time in the series the gloriously ominous and notoriously gloomy world of Disciples is rendered in full 3D, allowing the player to experience this realm as it should be. Disciples uses its own Virtual Dream engine to render the stunning 3D environments.

Key features:

Three playable races - The Empire, the Legions of the Damned and the Elven Alliance. Each race has its own unique units and city design.

Cities, locations, units and other game assets are now represented in full 3D.

Advances in the gameplay allow increased fluidity in multiplayer games and less downtime when playing alone.

A new upgrade system allows the player to assign attributes to your leaders. This RPG system employs inventories and new stats and abilities.

Visual representation of character's equipped armor, weapons and artifacts.