ECO-CREATURES: SAVE THE FOREST RELEASED FOR NINTENDO DS PLUS PLAYABLE DEMO

MAJESCO ENTERTAINMENT SHIPS 'ECO-CREATURES: SAVE THE FOREST' FOR NINTENDO DS

Playable Game Demo Also Available at 10,000 Retail Locations Nationwide

A unique real time strategy adventure is now available for Nintendo DS as Majesco Entertainment Company, an innovative provider of video games for the mass market, today announced it has shipped Eco-Creatures: Save the Forest to retail outlets nationwide. In stores in time for Earth Day, Eco-Creatures promotes environmental awareness by tasking players to defend and rebuild the Mana Woods being threatened by over-industrialization.

"Public awareness of man's effect on the natural environment and the life within it increases everyday, and Eco-Creatures is the perfect game to help impart environmental consciousness on the younger generation," said Gui Karyo, Executive Vice President of Operations, Majesco. "While the overall message is significant, the gameplay also has a great deal of depth; real time strategy fans will enjoy the robust single player game, challenging multi-player modes and Land Make feature that lets friends trade creations online."

Eco-Creatures: Save the Forest is a real-time strategy game that challenges players to protect the natural beauty of the Mana Woods and recover land polluted by industrial encroachment. Using the Touch Screen, gamers must command and nurture units of woodland creatures that possess unique abilities. Strategic management enables each of the three creature types to learn new skills that help the player complete 40 environmental missions. As players grow their woodland army, they must plant new trees to revitalize the woodlands and prevent deforestation.

Eco-Creatures also includes a creative Land Make feature that lets players build, play and trade their own game maps online. In addition to the lengthy single-player experience, the game also supports two-player play via Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection and up to four players via Wireless Single Card download play or Multi-Card play.

Eco-Creatures: Save the Forest is rated E for Everyone, and is now available for a suggested retail price of $29.99. A playable game demo is currently being featured in approximately 10,000 Nintendo DS Download Stations at major retail locations nationwide. For additional information, please visit http://www.majescoentertainment.com/.

NCAA Football 09 - EA pick Darren McFadden for first game cover on Sony PlayStation 1 2 PSP Microsoft XBox 360 and Nintendo Wii

Electronic Arts, today announced that former University of Arkansas running back and two time All-American recipient, Darren McFadden, will appear on the front cover of NCAA(R: 56.22, -2.18, -3.73%) Football 09 for the Xbox 360(TM: 104.41, -1.19, -1.12%) video game entertainment system, scheduled for release on July 15, 2008. This year, the packaging for each of the NCAA Football 09 console platforms will feature an exclusive cover athlete. Following McFadden on the Xbox 360 package front will be three other cover athletes from different regions throughout the county to appear on the box art for NCAA Football 09 on the PlayStation(R: 56.22, -2.18, -3.73%) 2 and PLAYSTATION(R: 56.22, -2.18, -3.73%)3 computer entertainment systems, and the PSP(R: 56.22, -2.18, -3.73%) (PlayStation(R: 56.22, -2.18, -3.73%)Portable) system.

During McFadden's three year career at the University of Arkansas, the two-time Heisman Trophy runner-up earned three First Team All-SEC selections, was named the SEC coaches and Associated Press "Offensive Player of the Year", received the 2007 Walter Camp Award, and was the first Sophomore to receive the Doak Walker Award for the best college Running Back two years in row. McFadden holds multiple University of Arkansas records, the most notable being the Razorback's all-time leading rusher with 4,485 yards in only 37 career games.

NCAA Football 09 will unveil the all-new Break Away Animation Engine which allows gamers to break in and out of moves giving the user more direct control as well as instant influence and responsiveness on the field. At its core, NCAA Football 09 will focus on wide-open collegiate style gameplay featuring unique animations that you will only find on college football Saturdays. This style of gameplay will allow agile backs like McFadden to show off their break out speed and maneuverability in-game.

"These four athletes represent the best and brightest of college football, but our selections aren't just about Heisman candidates and All Americans," says Sr. director of marketing Tom Goedde. "They represent the spirit and passion of the sport in the same way EA SPORTS video games do."

In anticipation for the NFL Draft, EA will announce the exclusive cover athlete for the PLAYSTATION 3 system on April 24, while the exclusive cover athletes for the PlayStation 2 and the PSP systems will be unveiled the beginning of May. The Wii(TM: 104.41, -1.19, -1.12%) cover will feature the winner from the NCAA Football 09 Cover Mascot Challenge, and will be announced on the NCAA Football 09 website on March 18.

Developed in Orlando, Fla., by EA Tiburon, NCAA Football 09 will be available for the PlayStation 2 and PLAYSTATION 3 systems, the PSP system, the Wii and the Xbox 360 system. For more information about NCAA Football 09 please visit www.ncaafootball09.com.

EA SPORTS(TM: 104.41, -1.19, -1.12%) is the leading interactive sports software brand in the world, with top-selling titles and franchises including Madden NFL football, FIFA Soccer, NHL(R: 56.22, -2.18, -3.73%), NBA LIVE, NCAA(R: 56.22, -2.18, -3.73%) football, Tiger Woods PGA TOUR(R: 56.22, -2.18, -3.73%) and NASCAR(R: 56.22, -2.18, -3.73%) racing.

Source: Fox Business

Skype on Sony PlayStation portable

Back in early January, the Nikkei business daily announced that Sony and Skype had reportedly joined forces, so that Sony’s PlayStation Portable to come with Skype’s software. At that moment, Nikkei’s report seemed simply a rumor, taking also into account that the business daily claimed that the brand new PSPs would be available at the end of January.

But rumors proved to be true after all, as Sony later admitted that such a project existed, although its launch was not scheduled for January. The Japanese company announced two days ago that a Skype web phone function would be added to its PlayStation Portable later in March and that the brand new gaming devices would be available in Japan starting with March 19. The ones who already owe a PSP can buy only the necessary microphone in order to be able to use Skype’s voice chat service.

Skype, which has recently become a unit of eBay, is highly popular for its Voice-over-IP service that offers people from all over the world the possibility to voice chat from their computers. Adding Skype’s software to Sony’s PlayStation Portable represents a smart move for the Japanese company, Nintendo’s everlasting rival.

Sony announced back in January that the launch of the brand new handheld gaming machine had to be delayed because of a microphone, which did not meet Skype specifications. However, it seems that the PSP would eventually come with the same microphone, which would be sold with the recommendation to be used within 10 centimeters of user’s mouth.
PSP owners from Japan will be able to buy the microphone starting with March 19; it will cost 2,500 yen ($24).

Source: eNews

GamersGate signs exclusive digital premiere for XIII Century: Death or Glory

GamersGate signs exclusive digital premiere for XIII Century: Death or Glory

Leading PC digital distribution platform GamersGate announced today that it has secured the exclusive digital release of the English version of highly anticipated strategy game XIII Century: Death or Glory.

The game will be released March 12, 8.00 am GMT (2.00 am EST, 00.00 PST, 09.00 CET), well before the game can be found in stores in North America and Europe.

"This exclusive launch strengthens the position of GamersGate as a leading provider of great PC Games for digital distribution" said Theodore Bergquist, CEO of GamersGate.

"GamersGate is not only one of our most important partners, it is also a great way to reach PC gamers directly" said Nikolay Baryshnikov, International Sales Director of 1C Company, publisher of XIII Century: Death or Glory.

XIII Century: Death or Glory is an RTS game that immerses players in the Middle Ages. This is a world of noble knights and ruthless nomads, a world of courageous deeds and internal wars.

As one of the famous military leaders of the 13th Century, gamers are able to test their steel against the neighboring nations and carve their names into history.

The game is developed by Unicorn Games Studio and published worldwide by 1C Company. You can find more information about the game at http://xiiicentury.1cpublishing.eu.

NEW DOWNLOADABLE CONTENT IN MARCH FOR GUITAR HERO III: LEGENDS OF ROCK

ACTIVISION UNVEILS NEW DOWNLOADABLE CONTENT IN MARCH FOR GUITAR HERO III: LEGENDS OF ROCK

Modern Metal Pack to Feature Chart-Toppers from Avenged Sevenfold, Deftones and Thrice Dropkick Murphys On Tap for Free Download Available in Time for Dropkick Murphys On Tap for Free Download Available in Time for St. Patrick's Day Celebrations

New downloadable songs for Activision Inc.’s Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock are set to storm living rooms across the globe with the release of two new track packs.

Available today is the Modern Metal pack which let's players jam to master recordings of Deftones’ “Hole in the Earth,” Avenged Sevenfold’s “Almost Easy” and Thrice’s “The Arsonist.” The track pack is now on Xbox LIVE Marketplace for Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and will be available later today on PLAYSTATION Store for the PLAYSTATION 3 computer entertainment system.

Additionally, Activision will be kicking off the St. Patrick’s Day celebrations with a special free track pack from the popular Celtic punk band Dropkick Murphys that will be available mid March. Straight from the band’s sixth album, The Meanest of Times, the Dropkick Murphys pack will include master recordings of “Famous for Nothing,” “(F)lannigan’s Ball” and “Johnny, I Hardly Knew Ya.” The track pack will be available for free to download on Xbox LIVE Marketplace and PLAYSTATION Store.

Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock offers the ultimate rock experience with new wireless guitars, freshly added content and features including a multiplayer action-inspired battle mode, grueling boss battles, a host of exclusive unlockable content and visually stunning rock venues. Expanded online multiplayer modes allow axe-shredders worldwide to compete head-to-head for true rock status as they riff through a star-studded soundtrack including master tracks by legendary artists such as Aerosmith, Guns 'N' Roses, The Rolling Stones, Beastie Boys, Rage Against the Machine and Pearl Jam, as well as original songs by guitar icons Slash and Tom Morello. Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock is now available and is rated "T" for Teen by the ESRB. For more information visit www.guitarhero.com.

Dance Battle Audition - World's biggest dance game starts UK tour

World's biggest dance game starts UK tour

Dance Battle Audition, the most popular online video game in the world, has arrived in the UK...in a big pink bus.

There are over 300 million people playing Audition online in Japan, China and South East Asia - that's more than the population of America! - and the Korean company behind it, G10, have brought the game to the UK in a bus decked with 15 PC's for gamers to experience the game that has swept through the East.

Audition is also available to download for free at www.goaudition.co.uk. It's a casual game, which means it's very easy to play - all you need is the arrow keys and the spacebar.

Just download the game, choose your character, and start dancing. You can customise your character to suit your tastes, and even challenge your friends to a dance-off!

The audition bus is currently touring London - see www.goaudition.co.uk for full details - and will be visiting the rest of country from April.

Play.com Live: Win one of TWO Dodge Nitro's playing Soul Calibur IV next week!

Play.com Live: Win one of TWO Dodge Nitro's playing Soul Calibur IV next week!

Ubisoft proudly reveals the UK exclusive first play of Soul Calibur IV only at Play.com Live. Play as Darth Vader or Yoda in the new version of the classic Soul Calibur series and you could drive away in a brand spanking new Dodge Nitro SUV!

Two afternoon tournaments will see the UK’s best gamers fight it out to drive home the prize from Wembley. See http://www.dodge.co.uk/nitro/ for details of the prize!

In addition Ubisoft will be offering the lucky attendees to the show a chance to win one of TWO holidays to Las Vegas to celebrate the imminent release of Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Vegas 2 on PC, Xbox 360 and PS3.

About Play.com Live

The Play.com Live event on March 15 and 16 will give people the chance to try out the latest computer games and watch the hottest bands – all inside the world famous home of UK football.

TV babe Gemma Atkinson (ex-Hollyoaks and I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here!) and Virgin Radio presenter Iain Lee will host the two-day extravaganza which includes performances top bands including We Are Scientists.

Tickets cost just £6 per adult and £3 for children and can be purchased through www.play.com/live. They are available to buy for a morning or afternoon visit to the show on either day.

Pinnacle unveils magical first Nintendo DS title Doodle Hex

Pinnacle Software, a division of Pinnacle Entertainment Ltd, has announced its first Nintendo DS title for worldwide distribution. Entitled Doodle Hex, the game is a magic themed mixture of spell-casting, battle elements and unique Japanese styled anime characters. Doodle Hex will be released in June 2008.

Developed by renowned Spanish team Tragnarion, Doodle Hex has been created specifically for the DS format, and makes innovative use of the handheld’s touch screen abilities within a clever spell-casting scenario. Players – nicknamed ‘Doodlers’ - are enrolled within a special College of Runes, wherein they are charged with learning the intricacies of rune-casting and their use within elemental magic. However, the tedium of college life is regularly interrupted by the school ghost, Kalamazoo, who organizes battles between the students as a way to further test their rune knowledge and casting skills.

Doodle Hex thus takes the form of a competitive spell-casting game where players use the DS stylus to draw their chosen runes in the centre of the touch screen, summoning spells that will transform, attack and weaken their opponent. The ultimate idea of the game is to deplete your rival’s energy bar before they can do the same to you.

Using a stunning comic book-effect interface, Doodle Hex works as either a single player or two-player head-to-head experience. In single player mode you will encounter an increasingly tough roster of challengers, where as two player head to head mode will allow you to cast your wits and spells against your friends with exhilarating conflicts and effects. 14 characters are available to select, each of whom has a specialist field in rune use. Having selected a character, the game begins and ‘Doodlers’ can send as many runes as they are able during the course of a battle, which creates a more open and unpredictable challenge than in turn-based games.

The runes in Doodle Hex can be used to attack, restore health or be unleashed as devastating combination attacks, incapacitating your opponent or even their ability to cast their own spells. As each player gains enough energy, spells available to cast are highlighted; the more powerful runes will deplete more energy from the Doodler’s who is casting than the less powerful attacks will. It is possible for both players to block incoming spells by activating a shield icon, however specific combination attacks can counter this, adding an extra element of skill and lateral thinking to the gameplay.

With over 250 available challenges, Wi-Fi compatibility for exciting two-player head-to-head action, and a wide range of unlockable bonuses, Doodle Hex is one of the most innovative and playable puzzle games to hit Nintendo DS to date. Its simple interface and huge number of runes to master combine to create a stunning and truly spell-binding challenge.

UNIQUE HACK 'N' SLASH ASPECTS OF HARD TO BE A GOD DOWNLOAD DEMO

UNIQUE HACK 'N' SLASH ASPECTS OF HARD TO BE A GOD REVEALED

TAKE ON GODS AND IMMORTAL BEINGS WITH LASERS AND SWORDS IN EXTRAORDINARY ACTION PACKED GAME

Hard To Be A God, the new action and adventure game from Ascaron to be released in April, has an enviable variety of weapons, enemies and gameplay. Over 200 different weapons are available to use on a variety of enemies, as a secret agent from a futuristic Earth explores the medieval and alien planet of Tsurinak.

Choice of weapons

The arsenal includes scorchers, modifiers, mini-guns and sophisticated gadgets, contrasting with the swords, axes and bow and arrows wielded by the combatants of Arkanar. To be successful in the quests all types of weapons must be mastered; a sword will be less effective than a mini-gun when surrounded by a horde of bandits but easier to wield and more effective when duelling on horseback.

Variety of enemies

As the game progresses the character takes on different allegiances as a variety of roles are explored, fighting with bandits during one quest and then against them on the next. It is not just humans that are a concern either, as monsters, immortal beings and ‘the gods’ all feature in a game encompassing over 350 unique characters.

The range of adversaries to overcome has an impact on weapon choice; guards and bandits can be despatched with a sword, but a giant monster may be best tackled with a scorcher or laser cannon.

Valliant steeds

Horses are an important feature in Hard to be A God, distinguishing it from other games and bringing a new element of gameplay to the genre. Different types of horse, from armoured beast to peasant jade, can be used for travel or battle, providing extra speed when attempting to escape guards or get to different areas.

Horseback combat is a very significant part of the game and an important skill to develop. At times the character may be chasing a bandit with sword drawn, and then in another scenario blades will clash whilst on horseback as mounted guards do battle with the secret agent.

Try your luck at survival by visiting www.hardtobeagod.com to download the demo.

FANTASY GAME "EDGE OF TWILIGHT" COMING TO SONY PLAYSTATION 3 MICROSOFT XBOX 360 AND WINDOWS PC

STEAMPUNK FANTASY GAME "EDGE OF TWILIGHT" COMING TO PLAYSTATION 3, XBOX 360, AND PC

Strikingly Original Action Adventure Game, Powered By Unreal 3 Engine, Hits Shelves in 2009

SouthPeak Games has announced that Fuzzyeyes Studios’ “Edge of Twilight” will be available for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PLAYSTATION 3 computer entertainment system and PC in 2009. The game is currently under development at Fuzzyeyes Studio, using the Unreal 3 Engine under license to Southpeak.

“We are very excited to help bring Fuzzyeye’s creative vision to life. The team spent a lot of time developing a comprehensive story to give the universe a history and purpose, which can change based on the players interaction within the world.” said Melanie Mroz, CEO of SouthPeak.

Edge of Twilight takes the player into a lavishly envisioned steampunk world to play as Lex, an outcast bounty hunter who finds himself caught between clashes of two polar opposite civilizations. Delivering a unique brand of fast-paced cinematic action, the game will be a truly immersive experience.

“It is energizing to see our unique vision take shape. We are bringing some unusual ideas to the table and so far we couldn’t be happier with the results,” said Wei-Yao Lu, CEO of Fuzzyeyes. “Gamers should look forward to 2009!”

Edge Of Twilight will be released in 2009. Visit www.edge-of-twilight.com for more information.