Brain Challenge for Microsoft Xbox LIVE Arcade launched

Gameloft's Brain Challenge for Xbox LIVE Arcade Available Now

Gameloft, a leading publisher and developer of video games for mobile phones, today launched its tremendously popular Brain Challenge game to the Xbox LIVE Arcade for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft. Xbox LIVE Arcade is the premier destination for digitally distributed, high-definition original and classic games.

“We at Gameloft have been anticipating this launch since last year and are very excited to finally offer Brain Challenge to the Xbox LIVE Arcade community,” said Gonzague de Vallois, senior vice president, publishing, Gameloft “The casual games market has exploded and Xbox LIVE Arcade is at the forefront of that by offering quality games such as Brain Challenge.”

Brain Challenge is the first brain game for Xbox LIVE Arcade and is available now to challenge the skill and intellect of players. With a daily training test that includes 5 mini-games in each category for everyday practice, Brain Challenge is sure to quickly improve your brain health. Brain Challenge features 20 mini games divided into 5 categories: Visual, Memory, Logic, Math and Focus.

The game also features:

· Select a personal coach that guides you throughout the game , gives you advice and helps you improve your capacities daily.

· Online or offline multiplayer modes with up to 4 players. Compete against other players in quizzes coupled with card based gameplay. The card based multiplayer is completely exclusive to Xbox LIVE Arcade.

· Stress mode, features multitasking and other challenges which help to improve your brain’s coping skills during stressful situations

In addition to Xbox LIVE Arcade, Brain Challenge is available on mobile, iPod, Nintendo DS and PC. This is the first ever multi-platform launch of a casual brand from a mobile game publisher. Each game is specially formatted and adapted to complement each unique platform to ensure the best consumer experience.

Super Smash Bros Brawl causing problems with some Nintendo Wii consiles

"A very small number" of Wii owners are finding their consoles can't read the dual-layer disc used by the game. UPDATED: Nintendo claims the issue is resolved!

A thread posted by "NOA_TECH_JANE" on Nintendo's Tech Support Forums is now claiming that the missing Spectator Mode and Options issue is resolved. Has it been resolved for you? Let us know in Talkback!

There are reports of Brawl failing to boot from the Wii Menu. A few people have been experiencing read errors, and some are unable to install the firmware update that comes included on the Brawl game disc. Nintendo of America has released an official statement on the matter through a company spokesperson:

"Nintendo of America has received some reports that a very small number of Wii consoles cannot properly read the dual-layered disc for the new Super Smash Bros. Brawl game. Upon examination, Nintendo has preliminarily determined that this disc-read error is caused by the soiling of the consoles' optical lens by environmental factors such as excessive dust and cigarette smoke. Nintendo is offering to clean these systems free of charge, and recommends that consumers do not attempt to clean the systems on their own. Information regarding the cleaning service can be found at support.nintendo.com or by calling customer service at 1-800-255-3700."

NWR readers affected by this issue might do better to jump directly to the support claim form page and get it taken care of as soon as possible. Nintendo’s website claims that it will expedite the shipping of affected Wii consoles both ways to hasten the repair process.

NOA is also aware of issues people are having with the online features of Brawl. We will pass along any official statement about known problems (missing menu options, generally poor connection quality of online matches, etc.) as soon as we hear it.

Source: NMR

NEW EXPANSION FOR RAIL SIMULATOR - DUE FOR RELEASE IN MARCH!

The first official expansion for the hugely successful Rail Simulator adds the Californian route from the US release of Rail Simulator and the iconic British 08 Shunter, plus extra rolling stock, scenarios and more!



This package has been painstakingly created by RSDL - part of the original Rail Simulator development team - and has to be one of the most realistic Rail Simulator expansions ever!

Cajon Pass

The Cajon Pass route runs over 80 miles of track - drive along the route from San Bernardino in Southern California to Barstow in the north and traverse the authentic climbs and descents, embankments and cuttings. Negotiate this famous route either in Free Roam mode or in the seven challenging scenarios.

• Highly detailed Union Pacific ES44AC and SD40-2 locomotives
  
• Bonus content -black reskins for the ES44AC and SD40-2 locomotives
  
• 11 unique rolling stock wagons including 2 all-new hoppers
  
• 7 scenarios including 3 new bonus ones!
  
• Detailed and accurately placed landmarks and notable buildings
  
• Realistic sounds
  
• Authentic terrain mapping and track placement
  
• AI Train operations.
  
• Class 08 Shunter
  

This Official expansion for Rail Simulator also includes bonus extras that were not included in the US release. UK rail enthusiasts will enjoy highly detailed models of the Class 08 Shunter in 12 period liveries! 'Free Roam’ the existing UK routes in Rail Simulator or take on the challenges of Class 08 shunting in the six included scenarios.

More info here

VIVA MEDIA ANNOUNCES RELEASE OF CRAZY MACHINES 2 VIDEO GAME

VIVA MEDIA ANNOUNCES UPCOMING RELEASE OF CRAZY MACHINES 2

GO CRAZY WITH A NEW DIMENSION OF FUN!

Viva Media announced today that the much anticipated sequel to the award-winning PC title Crazy Machines, Crazy Machines 2 will release this spring. Viva Media CEO Carlo Voelker commented, “Fans of this evergreen franchise who have been waiting for this will not only be pleased but we believe that it will go beyond their expectations. The new game engine offers a whole new experience with hundreds of levels to complete, free-style game play, incredible physics and 3D graphics.”

The game will ship into retail locations in the United States and Canada in May.

Crazy Machines II features:

• New parts to tinker with, and new puzzles to solve!
• World Tour – travel with the professor to exotic locations such as the Caribbean, Alaska, and China
• Multiple solutions to every puzzle!
• Free-style mode – create, destroy, and publish your own crazy machines
• Upload and download player laboratories and rate the best of the best online!
• All-age appeal – the whole family can enjoy this title
• Exciting bonus levels
• Pristine 3D graphics
• Electrifying sound effects

Quick Facts:

Published by Viva Media, LLC
Developed by Novitas/FAKT
Release Date: May 2008
Recommended Retail Price: $19.99

Minimum System Requirements:

Win Vista/98/ME/2000 XP
800 MHz CPU, 128 MB RAM, DirectX 9 compatible graphics card with 32 MB RAM*, DirectX compatible sound card, DirectX 9.0c 100 MB available fixed disk storage, 2X CD ROM

*Phys X Aegia Card recommended

WipEout HD game designer interview for Sony PlayStation 3

WipEout HD

Interviewee: Colin Berry – Lead Designer

About the team

1. How many people do you have working on WipEout HD?

We started with a very small team in spring 2007 of around 6 people. We are now up to around 25 or 30 to ensure the final code delivers all the great media feedback we’ve had so far following E3 and the Leipzig Games Convention.

2. Is there anyone who’s worked on all the WipEout games since the start of the franchise?

There are a couple of people yes, an Artist (Darren Douglas) and a Producer (Paul Tweedle) who started out by QA’ing the first WipEout!

3. What do you think makes the WipEout team so special?

There is a good team spirit; we all help each other out as much as possible. Also there are lots of people on the team who are fans of the series so there is a high level of care and attention to detail and it helps having talented designers, artists and coders on the game.

4. What was the one thing the team wanted to change/or introduce most for WipEout HD?

We wanted to provide a good solid online experience for a television based WipEout game. We see online play as a big feature in HD. Also 60 frames per second full 1080p was a day one priority. We also wanted to make it a great addition to PLAYSTATION Store by offering it as a downloadable title.

About WipEout HD

1. How long has it taken to make WipEout a full HD game for PLAYSTATION 3 (PS3)?

We started work on the artwork around about February 2007 and the code around April, so just under a year.

2. Would it be fair to consider HD as a port? Apart from 1080p visuals and 60 frames per second animations, what makes it different to Pure and Pulse?

Firstly people should not underestimate the changes that 60 frames per second and 1080p visuals make to the game. Sure the environments are taken from the PSP versions initially but so much work has gone into hi-resing them up, every building model, and every texture. The game looks so much richer. All the ships are new hi-res models with hi-res texturing and improved lighting too, so the visual changes are dramatically enhanced. The game also has a sleeker new HD front end, the handling model has been refined to fit the Sixaxis controller also the collision system has been improved. Then of course there is online multiplayer which fair enough appears in WipEout Pulse but it is great fun. Playing WipEout against other people on a big TV, it is a lot of fun. In some terms its easy to say ‘it is a port’ but that is something of a disservice, the game has had an overhaul and a freshen up in many little ways which combined give it a strong identity and make it a solid game in its own right. We certainly don’t regard it as a port. Then of course there is downloadable content, which depending on what we settle on, can further push the WipEout HD experience. We are hoping the initial release of HD will be a starting point. We really feel that WipEout HD will be a great addition to PLAYSTATION Store.

3. Do you think full HD has brought about a big change in the game?

I am proud of Pure and Pulse and what we have achieved with them, and WipEout Pulse is a damn good PSP game and experience, it is featured packed and will not disappoint. HD though offers something different, it offers the WipEout experience on a big screen for the first time in a long time, it looks awesome, it plays nice and feels smooth. It is a different experience for people who have maybe forgotten what WipEout on a big screen is like. And of course, 1080p visuals and 60 frames-per-second clearly combined with online play clearly make a big difference on a TV screen.

4. Tell us a bit about the game – is it for established fans or new owners of PS3?

Hopefully WipEout HD will satisfy the core WipEout fans and also be accessible to people who maybe have not played any of the series before. WipEout has always been seen as a hard game, a gamers’ game and that is something we have to cater for and so we have to have a blisteringly frightening speed class within the game and hard competitive AI opponents. But we also want to attract new players and appeal to people who maybe have not tried a futuristic racing game before who are used to their racing games involving cars. As such we have introduced 3 difficulty levels to accompany the 4 speed classes in the game, thus people can start at a beginners’ level if they are new to the game, or start straight off on the hard difficulty if they are a long time fan of the series.

5. Can you tell us about some of the additional downloadable content that’s going to be available?

We are still deciding exactly what downloadable content we will release for HD, but hopefully we will be releasing additional tracks which could include a mixture of old tracks and brand new ones. Additional ships and music are also on the list of downloadable content we hope to release. We are also looking into releasing an extra game mode or two via downloadable content, but the exact extent and feasibility of this, we are still looking into. So for the time being, nothing concrete, but plenty of options are available to us.

6. WipEout is renowned for its music – can you tell us about what’s in store for HD?

The initial release of HD will contain 9 music tracks from WipEout Pulse, including tracks from Kraftwerk, Mason, DJ Fresh and Stanton Warriors. All the music is going to be mixed in 5.1 surround as are the sound effects.

7. You can use the SIXAXIS controller – where will you use it because we think steering at 100s of mph will be pretty difficult?

We are currently looking into this, we have a few ideas but we also share the concern of how useful full Sixaxis motion control will be at the highest speeds. There are however several ways we are looking into implementing it, it could end up linked into the weapon functionality or the ship pitch control it doesn’t necessarily have to link to the direct steering control of the ship.

8. Are you satisfied with the levels of online gameplay for the HD version?

As a designer I am never satisfied with anything I always want more, more features, more time, more everything concerning each and every aspect of the game. We are still working hard on the online side of WipEout HD and it is progressing well. The online gameplay is good and due to the plug-in modular system of design and code we can expand the feature set of the game through downloads, meaning that the initial online experience on launch can be added to over time to further enrich the experience.

9. After such a distinguished history, where does a franchise like WipEout go from here?

For the time being we are continuing to work hard on WipEout HD and supporting it through additional content. Beyond that, there is not much more to add at the moment, although on a personal level I think online functionality should play a large part in as many games as possible these days where feasible.

Miscellaneous

1. Who holds the fastest lap record on any track in the office?

That is most likely to be Karl Jones, one of the designers. He is pretty much established as the best player, although one of the programmers, Martin Linklater would argue otherwise, and recently I have been close to catching up too

2. If you could add one more weapon to the game, what would it be?

Well after Pure, we wanted the cannon back and so we added it. I’m not sure there is one off the top of my head. The weapons are integral to the game and the balance of the game and we consider them heavily. I guess in future I’d like us to maybe look at some sort of battering-ram / snow plough type effect but this would more likely be additional functionality for the Auto-Pilot as opposed a new weapon.

3. Is there a track you’ve always wanted to have on a WipEout game that you haven’t been able to get?

I guess that is music track…. We have tended to be very lucky with music in that we tend to get the people we want. People we have approached have been keen to provide us with work. Getting Kraftwerk was especially pleasing based on their history and body of work. From a purely personal point of view, there is a track on the Spawn soundtrack called No Remorse, it is Slayer featuring Atari Teenage Riot. I think a remix of that would be great, but it is purely my personal choice.

Puzzle Quest: Challenge Of The Warlords Now Ciderized For Mac

Critically Acclaimed Videogame Puzzle Quest: Challenge Of The Warlords Now Ciderized For Mac By TransGaming

TransGaming, a leading developer of portability technologies for the electronic entertainment industry, continues to expand the Mac gaming market by announcing that the award-winning video game Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords™ is now available on Mac. TransGaming has obtained exclusive rights to the Mac release of Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords from D3Publisher of America, Inc. The game is available immediately to Mac gamers for purchase and download online.

Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords offers a compelling twist on conventional gaming, allowing players to spend just a few casual minutes with the game or dedicate hours of game play at a time to their puzzles-and-role-playing experience. Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords is a critically acclaimed video game that artfully blends match-three puzzle game play with strategy, character-building elements and a persistent storyline. This combination of game play elements created an appealing new video game genre that entices casual and hardcore gamers alike, making it fun for the whole family.

"The partnership established by TransGaming to bring Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords to Mac consumers is another example of TransGaming's leadership in the gaming industry and how we are bringing some of the greatest and most compelling content to Mac gamers. Puzzle Quest is sure to delight the Mac audience and we are also excited about several new initiatives this Spring that will continue to change the landscape of Mac gaming and make it easier then ever for Mac consumers to enjoy the games they love," commented Vikas Gupta, CEO & President of TransGaming Technologies.

Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords was originally created by Infinite Interactive Pty. Ltd. and published by D3Publisher of America, Inc. The game has been enabled on Mac using TransGaming’s Cider Portability Engine, and is being published by TransGaming for digital release. TransGaming’s Cider Portability Engine acts as a "wrapper" around the game software, enabling it to run seamlessly on Intel-based Macs. TransGaming is working with the industry’s best to bring award-winning franchises, like Puzzle Quest to the growing Mac market.

Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords has received numerous accolades acknowledging the excellence of the game. These include the prestigious Best Downloadable Game at the 11th annual Interactive Achievement Awards, a Spike TV nomination for Best Handheld Game of 2007, a Best Puzzle Game of E3 2007 Award from IGN.com, and the esteemed iParenting Media Excellent Product Award for 2007.

The Mac version of Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords is available for purchase and download at www.gametreeonline.com.

EVERQUEST CELEBRATES NINE YEARS OF ONLINE GAMING ADVENTURES

EVERQUEST CELEBRATES NINE YEARS OF ONLINE GAMING ADVENTURES

Ground Breaking Online PC Game Continues to Deliver Exciting Game Play Experience

Sony Online Entertainment is proud to celebrate the ninth anniversary of the launch of the ground-breaking MMORPG, EverQuest this weekend. After its launch in 1999, EverQuest would prove to be a monumental entertainment property, spawning more than a dozen expansion packs, numerous cross-platform game properties and introducing millions of players to the virtual world of Norrath.

“It’s a great feeling to know that after nearly a decade, and fourteen expansions, EverQuest still resonates so positively with people all over the world,” said Clint Worley, Producer, Sony Online Entertainment. “Alongside its flourishing community, the in game world is still going strong and changing daily, further proving EverQuest is a living and breathing virtual world that will stay active into the foreseeable future.”

In honor of the ninth anniversary, EverQuest is hosting a variety of in game and fabled events throughout the year, the first of which are connected to the Planes of Power. On March 16th, a scavenger hunt will start with the NPC Garin Tvalish in Plane of Tranquility in which Garin will give players a clue book and a bag. Players will then get to figure out which items from the Planes of Power expansion those clues refer to, and combine them together in the bag to receive an in game reward. Also kicking off March 16th is a month-long in game event linked to the divinities and servants of the Planes of Power. Players will also notice that the might has increased for their favorites, such as the Thunder Giant Hreidar Lynhiilig and Rallos Zek the Warlord, allowing them to challenge the current player base. The gods have also been updated with commensurate loot to properly reward adventurers who are willing to take them on.

For more information about anniversary events and special downloadable items, such as the EverQuest timeline poster, or to jump back into EverQuest log onto www.station.com.

SAMURAI WARRIORS 2 XTREME LEGENDS REACHES GOLD

SAMURAI WARRIORS 2 XTREME LEGENDS REACHES GOLD STATUS

Samurai Warriors 2 Xtreme Legends Introduces New Characters, Scenarios and Game Mode

KOEI, recognized worldwide as the premier brand of strategy and action games, today announced that Samurai Warriors 2 Xtreme Legends has reached gold status and will be available throughout North America beginning the week of March 18, 2008 for Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, and for the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system.

The Samurai Warriors are back with a vengeance! This latest installment features six legendary samurai- each with their own storyline and powerful new weapons. With the introduction of Mercenary mode, the redesigned battlefields of “Okehazama” and “Shikoku”, and new charge attacks, fans now have even more reasons to come back and join the fight.

About Samurai Warriors 2 Xtreme Legends
Samurai Warriors 2 Xtreme Legends (SW2XL) introduces six new playable characters to the series, including Toshiie Maeda, Gracia, Motochika Chosokabe, Katsuie Shibata, Kojiro Sasaki, and Yoshimoto Imagawa.

In the new Mercenary mode, players will get the chance to hire other samurai to fight alongside them.

SW2XL can be “remixed” with Samurai Warriors 2 (SW2) to add new Xtreme Legends features to SW2 (sold separately). With the Remix feature, players can use the characters from SW2 in SW2XL. Players can also play SW2’s Story mode, Survival mode and Sugoroku modes using SW2XL’s new characters. The Remix feature also increases character growth level maximums from 50 to 70, adds new charge attacks and adds a 5th weapon level to each of the original Samurai Warriors 2 characters.

SW2XL for Xbox 360® requires the original Samurai Warriors 2 game disc (sold separately), and will be available exclusively on Xbox LIVE® Marketplace for 2400 Microsoft Points.

SW2XL for the PlayStation 2 can be played with or without the original Samurai Warriors 2 game disc. Consumers can find SW2XL for PlayStation 2 at the following retailers: Amazon.com, Best Buy, Game Crazy, GameStop, Gamefly, EB Games, and Wal-Mart.

Grand Thieft Auto IV to sell 9 million units, ship 6 million in first week

But title masks poor Take-Two portfolio, says Wedbush

With the highly-anticipated title Grand Theft Auto IV due for release late next month, Wedbush Morgan has said that it expects the game to sell over nine million units during the fiscal year, and that Take-Two is likely to ship six million of those in the first week of sale.

The analyst predicts the game will be responsible for around USD 450 million of Take-Two's expected USD USD 1.073 billion publishing revenue this year, generating USD 135 million of the company's operating profit.

But the expected success of the title does not compensate for the poor portfolio of titles for 2008 and 2009, says Wedbush's Michael Pachter, as Take-Two fails to produce timely sequels to its popular franchises, and delays key releases.

"As we look at Take-Two's line-up, we see GTA IV, and several games that look much like Take-Two games from past years," commented Pachter.

"We are fans of Midnight Club, but question the decision to delay the game's launch into the competitive Burnout and Need for Speed window as ill-advised. We also note that the Q4 2008 launch of Midnight Club will mark three and-a-half years between versions of the game, highlighting Take-Two’s failure to "sequelise" its key franchises on a regular basis."

Pachter pointed out that of Take-Two's touted franchises, the last Max Payne game was released in late 2003, Red Dead Revolver in May 2004 and Mafia in January 2004.

"Unless management surprises us, sequels to these key franchises will require five or more years of development," he said, noting that Max Payne 2 isn't due for release until 2009.

The analyst also remains unimpressed with other titles already announced by Take-Two, including Top Spin 3, Don King Presents: Prizefighter and Carnival Games: Mini Golf. "These games appear to us like the Manhunt, BIGS, All-Pro Football, Ghost Rider and Fantastic Four games of last year, when the company generated a net operating loss of more than USD 100 million," he said.

On the subject of the EA's proposal to acquire Take-Two, Pachter expects a resolution before the publisher's AGM on April 10, possibly even before the end of the month.

"We expect that in order to save face, Take-Two management will withdraw its demand that any discussions wait until after the launch of GTA IV, and we think that management will engage in discussions with EA," he said.

"We think that EA prefers to complete a friendly deal, and think that it is possible that Take-Two management can convince EA of the extent to which EA may have undervalued Take-Two shares, and believe that as a conciliatory gesture, EA management may be prepared to increase its likely USD 26 offer to somewhere close to USD 27."

"Again, we think investors will jump at the offer," he concluded.

Source: Games Industry

Grand Thieft Auto IV to sell 9 million units, ship 6m in first week