Content and Software Update for its MMORPG, Legend: Legacy of the Dragons PC video game

Marriages and Navigators: Waygate Publishing Announces Major Content and Software Update for its MMORPG, Legend: Legacy of the Dragons

Waygate Publishing Limited, a London-based company specialising in the operation of Eastern European online games for the Western market, today announced the largest content update yet for its increasingly popular, free, browser-based Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game, Legend: Legacy of the Dragons. The update will see 27 new quests, set to be released over the next month, a Navigator function, to help players find their way round the growing world of Faeo, and the opportunity for in-game marriages between players.

New, new, new!

The content update will add 27 new quests, over 50 new items, 10 new monsters, 12 new locations and 6 new NPCs to the Legend. The majority of quests are for both the Magmar and Human races, though some are specifically tailored to the stories of the rival inhabitants of Faeo. The Magmars will find themselves exploring the new territories of Zviglod Brist, whilst Human adventurers will be led to the Berona Prairies. In addition, the contested Isles of Fay-Go will reveal more secrets. Hawken the Forester, Avelius the Scholar and the mysterious ivy-girl Edera are just some of the characters waiting to assign quests to brave warriors.

Navigator

The most significant feature of the software upgrade is the Navigator function which will make navigation around the game world much easier, a vital addition as the areas for exploration grow. Players will be able to select a location, resource, monster or NPC from a drop-down menu, after which a route will be plotted on the player’s map, from their current location to whatever it is they are seeking.

Weddings

The update will include the facility for players to marry each other, an exciting and fun addition to the gameplay which will become operational by the 17th March 2008. Players will be able to buy a set of rings and have their partnership officially recognised by a Consecrator.

For more information, visit www.warofdragons.com.

Beta to Cert Push – Condemned 2 video game diary

Our Beta was originally due on December 3rd, 2007 but we didn’t complete it until December 21st. We’ve been running about 3 or so weeks late since October but we’d reached that crux where making cuts to pull the schedule in by three weeks would have created more than three weeks worth of work (a true paradox) and would have definitely added more risk to the ongoing project than us just sucking it up, moving forward and getting the game done.

One of the areas of high risk in the development process was the user interface. Before Condemned 2, our UI system was our own creation. Even though it was sufficient for past products, we needed something that would allow for greater artistic expression and would be able to be updated more quickly and efficiently by artist types. We eventually settled upon the Flash-based Scaleform solution. We also expanded our UI team to include 2 Flash-based UI Engineers, 2 C++ UI Engineers and we had our Art Director cranking out assets for the UI as quickly as possible.

An area of concern was getting enough of the core gameplay locked down so we could focus on the UI support. One of the new features of the game is the Attack Chains. When we first worked on the UI, we wanted to get Ethan’s rage across so we tied the meter into a face graphic of Ethan. Once you hit a new Attack Chain level, you’d see the second face and have a 2-part meter. Once you hit the third and final level, you’d see the face on the far right and you’d have a 3-part chain attack meter (see image 001) It was a bit large and sucked up some screen real estate – but was quickly ignored by the player as they were more focused on the action on screen.

NARUTO CLASH OF NINJA REVOLUTION OUT ON NINTENDO Wii

NARUTO CLASH OF NINJA REVOLUTION STEALTHS ITS WAY ON TO Wii

Join the Ninja Revolution as the legendary Naruto anime franchise makes its long awaited European debut on Wii in Naruto Clash of Ninja Revolution European Version on March 28th. Featuring the very best of Naruto, this brand new game combines the latest characters, environments and storylines with the next generation technology of the Wii, resulting in a fast and furious fighting game guaranteed to bring out the Ninja in you.

Set in and around the mystical village of Hidden Leaf, Naruto Clash of Ninja Revolution European Version takes key elements from the recently aired Chunin Exam storyline and gives players the chance to play as their favourite characters to become the greatest ninja that ever lived. With four key modes of gameplay – Mission, Single Player, Multi Player and Mini Games – players are continually confronted with numerous, testing challenges to improve their combat skills and effectively use their Chakra energy. Learning the basics is easy, but only through dedication and commitment will players master the art of being a true ninja.

Naruto Clash of Ninja Revolution European Version features the largest number of playable characters from the Naruto series and introduces several prominent and popular characters for the first time, many of which are available to play from the beginning, in addition to the regular favourites of Naruto Uzumaki, Sasuke and Kakashi. Furthermore, it is possible for four players to join a single fight, heightening the battle ferocity to a level not previously experienced. As always though, managing your character’s Chakra is crucial as special moves and blistering combinations are dependent on this natural body energy. As an extra twist, during a fight it’s now possible to move the action to another environment by performing a strong attack near the border of the arena – a first in the Naruto series.

As with every Naruto game, the look of the game content is faithfully recreated using sharp, ‘cel-shaded’ graphics to perfectly reflect characters and backgrounds. Each character has had their fighting style and special moves reproduced perfectly bringing players closer to their heroes, while arenas are inspired by locations found in the original show. In addition, on carrying out special moves that require Chakra, unique animations take place that zoom in on the character to add an extra layer of intensity and atmosphere to the game.

Naruto Clash of Ninja Revolution European Version can be enjoyed using the Wii’s various controls and allows many different configurations. It can be played with a lone Wii Remote, a Wii Remote and Nunchuk, the Classic Controller or the Nintendo GameCube controller ensuring players can enjoy the game to its full.

Published by TOMY and distributed by Nintendo, Naruto Clash of Ninja Revolution European Version springs across Europe for an estimated retail price of £49.99 on the 28th March 2008.

KONAMI SHIPS SILENT HILL ORIGINS FOR Sony PlayStation 2

KONAMI SHIPS SILENT HILL ORIGINS FOR PlayStation 2 SYSTEM TO RETAIL STORES NATIONWIDE

Hit Survival Horror Video Game Makes Much Anticipated Evolution from Handheld to Console With Enhanced Graphics

Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. today announced Silent Hill Origins has shipped to retail stores in North America for the PlayStation 2 Computer Entertainment System. Now, console gamers can now enjoy the terror and fear-inducing chills of the PSP (PlayStationPortable) System game as well.

"Silent Hill Origins for the PlayStation 2 system gives console game lovers the same chilling, suspenseful and fear-filled experience that handheld gamers encountered with the release of Silent Hill Origins on the PSP system," said Anthony Crouts, Vice President of Marketing for Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. "PlayStation 2 system gamers will get the chance to learn more about the mystery and mythos hinted at in earlier Silent Hill games."

Featuring enhanced visuals for the PlayStation 2 system, Silent Hill Origins tells the tale of Travis Grady, a lone truck driver making a routine delivery when he makes an unfortunate detour to the mysterious town of Silent Hill. Players must help Travis escape the city's horrific inhabitants and unravel the mystery of the strange hallucinations from Travis' past, visions that have plagued him since childhood.

Throughout the game, Travis can use his fists, his wits and an array of weapons including a meat cleaver, pool cue and sledgehammer to fight his way through the nightmarish world of Silent Hill and face more than one possible ending.

The PSP System game was one of the highest reviewed titles for the platform, receiving high praise from media outlets such as GamePro, GameZone.com, Hardcore Gamer Magazine and PLAY Magazine.

Silent Hill Origins is rated "M" for Mature by the ESRB and available for an SRP of $29.99. For more information, please visit www.konami.com.

Self-sufficient and realistic world of Heavy Duty gameplay video

New Heavy Duty Trailer

Self-sufficient and realistic world of Heavy Duty, detailed constructions and other elements of economics, and air battles in a new gameplay video.

Akella has prepped a new piece of Heavy Duty assets to unveil more secrets of the game development, its status and progress. A new gameplay trailer offers you a one-minute opportunity to plunge into this action strategy and participate in air interceptions.

In the works of Quant Games (the game development studio that was formed to focus on strategy games and includes key specialists that worked on Heavy Duty from the earliest stages of its development), Heavy Duty features a distant Earth colony attacked by aliens and defended by its chief military base. One of the stunning game peculiarities is the endless borders of its world, open to explore and navigate.

To get the Heavy Duty trailer please follow the link.

CRADLE OF ROME: GIVE FREE RAIN TO YOUR INNER EMPEROR

CRADLE OF ROME: GIVE FREE RAIN TO YOUR INNER EMPEROR

Have you ever dreamed of becoming an emperor? Just imagine: you bring your kingdom to the prosperous future, people make statues in your honor, and you become a living legend. Awem's Cradle of Rome gives you a unique opportunity to become the Emperor of the Roman Empire raising it from a small settlement to the immense state.

Awem Studio announces today Cradle of Rome v1.27, a new update for the popular and addictive casual game augmenting your enjoyment level.

Cradle of Rome is an unconventional mixture of a city building game and a major casual component set, as the title implies, at the dawn of the Roman Empire. Your job is to build up an elaborate Roman city from scratch by building forges, mills, fountains and other scores of buildings. When your city is big enough, you will be able to recreate the Coliseum with gladiators and even the Pantheon. All the construction work is subsidized by certain points you get after completing some intuitive and addictive puzzles. There are several types of points: silver, gold, iron, wood, flour and many others which are essential for building a thriving city.

The puzzles represent a field of multiple shapes, varying from level to level, that consists of squares with such items as wood, flour, silver, gold, etc. Your goal is to swap them, two at a time, in order to create horizontal or vertical rows of the same items. The more items in a row, the more points you get but the minimum is three. Matched items disappear causing those above to drop down and create other matches for extra points. Do not forget about water running out of the pitcher in the lower right corner of the game field, representing time elapse. Once the pitcher is empty, the game stops, and the player loses a life point. Various bonuses and gifts give additional energy to the game-play. To crown it all, if the citizens are satisfied with your work, they give you a special title. The highest one is Emperor.

Amplifying the fun experience are the fine graphics that enliven the city, the neat sound effects that dub clicking of the items and the explosions that go off as they vaporize, and the ancient-Roman backdrops that are set to change after each level.

The game is highly addictive and simple to play. If you come to have difficulty in matching, the game will give you a hint in a most unobtrusive way. Having completed a level, you'll have an opportunity to watch how life is going in your city by clicking an appropriate button.

Cradle of Rome is excellent for those who want to distract themselves from their routine and have their mind relieved of hard work.

Visit the website...

The Lord of the Rings Online at Connect '08 tickets available

Major announcement for The Lord of the Rings Online to take place at Connect '08

Codemasters Online and Turbine, Inc. team up for major announcement at the forthcoming Codemasters Online Connect Event
Codemasters Online and Turbine Inc announced today that they expect this year’s Connect event to be the staging area for a major announcement for The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar.

David Solari, Vice President and General Manager of Codemasters Online commented “Connect is shaping up to be a great event with some massive news. We’re extremely pleased Turbine has agreed to make the trip out to Europe to share the major announcement we’ve lined up for The Lord of the Rings Online. I guarantee it is going to get the community buzzing”.

Jeffrey Steefel, Executive Producer of The Lord of the Rings Online, commented “We are very excited for Connect ‘08. We can’t think of a better place to make a big announcement regarding The Lord of the Rings Online than in Birmingham, the childhood home of J.R.R. Tolkien.”

Taking place on March 14th / 15th, Connect 2008 is Codemasters Online’s premier gaming event spanning all of Codemasters Online’s gaming titles including The Lord of the Rings Online™, ArchLord, RF Online, DUNGEONS & DRAGONS ONLINE: Stormreach and much much more!

For more information or to sign up for tickets visit www.codemastersconnect.com

BATTLE THROUGH HISTORY IN NAPOLEON'S CAMPAIGNS NEW PC GAME DEMO AVAILABLE

BATTLE THROUGH HISTORY AS ONE OF THE WORLD'S MOST RENOWNED LEADERS IN NAPOLEON'S CAMPAIGNS

BECOME NAPOLEON AND CONQUER EUROPE IN NEW PC GAME

Napoleon’s Campaigns is an engaging battle strategy game from Ascaron launching in April 2008. The player can take on the role of the famous historical leader, or any of his opposing enemies, in the legendary battles of Trafalgar and Waterloo.

Based on extensive historical records, the battle scenarios within Napoleon’s Campaigns aim to provide the player with a realistic experience. The game takes into account the political scenarios, geographical borders and even personal character traits of an opposing enemy.

Begin the game as Napoleon, commanding the French army in the battle of Austerlitz. Once Tsar Alexander I and his Russo-Austrian army have been defeated, further campaigns become available to play. Conquer the enemy in well known battles of the century, replicating Napoleon’s victories in Prussia (1806,) Russia (1807,) Austria (1812) and many others, before reaching the infamous battle of Waterloo (1815.)

The unique and exciting challenge in Napoleon’s Campaigns then lies in the opportunity for the player to change history. What if Napoleon had won at Waterloo? Enjoy a victorious triumph to re-write the history books, and achieve Napoleon’s biggest dream; invading England.

To play the demo of Napoleon’s Campaigns visit www.napoleons-campaigns.com

Fast facts:

Publisher: Ascaron Entertainment / Nobilis
Web: www.ascaron.com
Developer: AGEOD
Release date: 11th April 2008
PEGI: 3+
Format: PC
Genre: Battle Strategy

Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War video game – Soulstorm shipped by THQ download demo available

THQ Ships Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War – Soulstorm

Next Standalone Chapter in Award-Winning, Multi- Million Unit Selling Real Time Strategy Series Continues Epic War with Two New Races and All-New Interplanetary Strategic Campaign

THQ announced that Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War – Soulstorm, the next hybrid standalone expansion in Relic Entertainment’s critically acclaimed Dawn of War Real-Time Strategy (RTS) franchise, has shipped exclusively for Windows PC to retail outlets worldwide. Featuring an intense interplanetary campaign along with the debut of air units, Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War – Soulstorm delivers an immersive strategic experience with two new armies for an unprecedented total of nine playable factions. Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War – Soulstorm is now available for a suggested retail price of $39.99.

“As one of the best-selling RTS series, the Dawn of War franchise is renowned for its intense action oriented gameplay,” said Brad Carraway, director, global brand management, THQ. “As the next Dawn of War chapter, Soulstorm takes it to next level, offering RTS gamers an unprecedented depth of gameplay with nine playable armies and air units, and the ability to play Soulstorm by itself, or extend their multiplayer experience if played with any of the other games in the Dawn of War series.”

“In Dawn of War – Soulstorm, we’re giving fans an incredible amount of new content with two all-new races and an extensive campaign across an entire star system,” said Tarrnie Williams, general manager, Relic Entertainment. “With the debut of air units across all the armies and multiplayer achievements, we’ve given players of all levels a tremendous amount of strategic options to experience.”

About Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War – Soulstorm

Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War – Soulstorm is set in Games Workshop’s (LSE:GAW) Warhammer 40,000 universe – a dark, futuristic, fantasy setting where armies of technologically advanced warriors, fighting machines and hordes of implacable aliens wage constant war – and is played by millions worldwide. Executive produced and co-developed by Relic Entertainment in association with Iron Lore Entertainment, Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War – Soulstorm is a hybrid standalone expansion – enabling gamers to play Soulstorm by itself or expand their multiplayer experience when playing the game with any of the other titles in the Dawn of War series. Featuring two all-new armies – the malicious Dark Eldar and the fierce Sisters of Battle – Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War – Soulstorm offers an unprecedented total of nine playable races through the single player experience or expanded multiplayer experience. In addition to new units across each of the seven existing races, Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War – Soulstorm will incorporate air units for the first time and introduce multiplayer medals, adding a whole new level of depth to online battles. The revolutionary meta-game introduced in Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War – Dark Crusade is further expanded to an interplanetary scale in Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War – Soulstorm, allowing players to battle across an entire star system. A downloadable single player demo is now widely available on www.fileplanet.com and other sites worldwide.

Treasures of Ancient Cavern 1.01 – Can you solve the mystery of ancient cavern?

"Treasures of Ancient Cavern 1.01" – Can you solve the mystery of ancient cavern?

If you love casual games, those five-minute diversions you play for a quick break but somehow end up clicking away on for two hours, check out new "Treasures of Ancient Cavern" from DivoGames and you will discover plenty of head-scratching puzzles to enjoy!

DivoGames continues the recent spate of beautifully rendered games with a new title called “Treasures of Ancient Cavern”. In this tale of fantasy, adventure and ancient magic, players cross the equator and follow in the footsteps of the Incas to discover ancient artifacts and learn the magic of great Inca.

The goal of the game is to restore 18 Inca artifacts, which players can do by solving tricky puzzles as they travel through 90 increasingly challenging levels. Each level comes with a tile-matching puzzle. To finish the level, you must make matches over stone tiles. Unlike many other games, “Treasures of Ancient Cavern” lets you move the pieces in manner that doesn’t try to mimic how you would do this in a typical “swap-and-match” puzzle. With “Treasures of Ancient Cavern”, you click on and drag not a single tile but an entire strip of tiles to match three or more of the same kind. If the move doesn’t end in a match, the strip jumps back to its position.

The game lets you play against the clock in the timed mode or relax in the untimed mode and indulge yourself into unhurried puzzle solving fun. To add replayability to the game, the developers have added to “Treasures of Ancient Cavern” over 10 magic runes and power-ups.

Visually speaking, the game is a looker. Its visionary artistic
direction includes beautiful and lively backgrounds with palms slowly swaying in the breeze, clouds unhurriedly traveling in the evening sky and many other fine animation effects. Ambient, ethno-centric rhythms, weaving in the game, work well with the visuals and create the atmosphere for playing.

Key Features at a Glance:
• 90 levels in different locations to explore
• 18 ancient artifacts
• Unique magic runes and power-ups
• Amazing soundtrack

Pricing and Availability
“Treasures of Ancient Cavern 1.01” runs under Windows
98/ME/2000/XP/Vista. Additional information on the game, as well as its free evaluation copy is available from www.divogames.com.