Evolution GT - pure racing experience on Nintendo DS

"Evolution GT": pure racing experience!

It costs less than a real track day yet and promises amazing speed and fun in some of the best GT cars you'll ever get your hands on.

VareseBlack Bean, a leading European publisher, is pleased to announce "Evolution GT", a new exciting racing game coming exclusively to Nintendo DS in June 2008.

Featuring 5 different game modes (Quick Race, Time Attack, Career, Championship, wireless Multiplayer), Evolution GT gives players control of officially licensed GT cars, including the Corvette Z06, Mercedes-Benz SLK, TVR T 350, Audi A4 Touring Car and unleashes them on fascinating tracks in 8 different environments (London, Milan, Barcelona, Cote d'Azur, Corsic Island, Scottish Highlands, Berlin, Tuscany Hills). Evolution GT also supports the DS rumble pak.

The Career mode is the heart and soul of the game. It allows gamers to experience four immersive seasons in the career of a rising race driver, across 4 difficulty levels: Rookie, Amateur, Pro and Veteran. Choosing Championship mode, further cars and tracks can be unlocked and then used in Quick Race mode. Multiplayer mode enables up to 4 players to go head-to-head in races, via game sharing.

Instant action, compelling gameplay, speed, high quality graphics and sound effects, make "Evolution GT" a totally new racing experience on the Nintendo handheld console!

Title: Evolution GT
Format: Nintendo DS
Developer: Firebrand Games
Publisher: Black Bean
Release date: June 23rd 2008

OPOONA, KOEI'S RPG FOR Nintendo Wii IN STORES NOW

OPOONA, KOEI'S ROLE-PLAYING GAME FOR Wii IN STORES NOW

Opoona is Ready to Take You on an Out-of-this-World Role-Playing Adventure

KOEI, recognized worldwide as the premier brand of strategy and action games, today announced that Opoona, a new Role-Playing Game (RPG) exclusively for Wii is available now in store and online through retailers across North America including: Amazon.com, Game Crazy, Gamefly, and GameStop.

About Opoona
While on an interplanetary family vacation, the young boy Opoona crash lands on Planet Landroll after his family’s spaceship is involved in a mysterious accident. Separated from his family, Opoona is forced to live alone. On the planet, Opoona must find a job, search for his siblings, and defend himself and the people of Landroll against creatures known as the Dark Rogues. Luckily for Opoona, he is the descendant of a long line of warriors known as the Cosmo Guards. Thus, Opoona’s adventure begins as he struggles to establish a new life and reunite his family.

The game’s action-oriented battle system lets players use powerful “Energy Bonbons” against their enemies. Using just the Nunchuk, players can manipulate an Energy Bonbon’s trajectory in a number of different ways. All of Opoona’s commands are also controlled by the Nunchuk, to allow a complete “single-hand control” of the game.

The gameplay in Opoona is not just about battling; it is a “Lifestyle RPG.” As Opoona, players must adapt to a new environment, meet new people, and contribute to society through work, all while becoming aware of the precious world and people around him. As the game progresses, Opoona will develop relationships and uncover a broader range of activities including new jobs and clues to new adventures.

The unique characters and a modern fantasy world created by Art Director, Shintaro Majima, are sure to fascinate gamers. From futuristic buildings to ancient ruins and strange rock formations in the wild, the world of Opoona is a remarkable fusion of both contemporary design and whimsical fantasy.

Developed by ArtePiazza, the team behind four installments of the best-selling DRAGON QUEST series of RPGs, Opoona showcases the talent of some of today’s most creative game designers including: Art Director Shintaro Majima, Planning Director Sachiko Sugimura, and Composer Hitoshi Sakimoto, acclaimed for his contribution to the FINAL FANTASY XII soundtrack.

Opoona is rated “E10+” (Everyone 10+ - Mild Fantasy Violence, Mild Language, Suggestive Themes) by the Entertainment Software Ratings Board. Opoona is a single player game.

Portal of Divination Uncovered - Official website for Europa Universalis Rome

Portal of Divination Uncovered

Official website for Europa Universalis Rome

Once more the courageous envoys from Paradox Interactive brave savage lands bringing exciting news from afar. They tell of a mysterious discovery, sent by the gods, forged in the depths of Elysium - A Portal of Divination.

Here the latest information on the eagerly anticipated grand strategy game, Europa Universalis: Rome will be revealed. Journey to the site to read the latest news and articles, review game and retail information, and view unseen mosaics (screenshots) and more.

All citizens of importance should make their way to this place: http://www.paradoxplaza.com/rome Ten new screens on the website.

Release: April 2008
Suggested retail price: 39.99 USD/ 39.99 EUR

Warhamme Online - Age Of Reckoning Collector's Edition

GOA And EA Announce Warhammer Online: Age Of Reckoning Collector's Edition

The Ultimate Warhammer Online Experience Includes Exclusive Miniature, Original Graphic Novel, Bonus Quests and Rewards, Art Book, and More

The Collector's Edition, a premium, limited run edition of EA Mythic’s massively multiplayer online role-playing game will be packed with bonus in-game content and unique collectibles unavailable elsewhere, including an exclusive Games Workshop miniature. The recommended retail price is 79.90€ and those who pre-order the product will receive additional exclusives. Only 55,000 copies of the Collector’s Edition will be produced for Europe and the pre-order program will begin the 26th March 2008.

“Collecting has been a part of the Warhammer hobby experience for 25 years, and this special Collector’s Edition continues the tradition with exclusive offerings, including an official Games Workshop miniature,” said Mark Jacobs, VP and General Manager, EA Mythic. “We are bringing the quintessential elements of Warhammer – tabletop miniatures, incredible fantasy art, and delightfully grim fiction – along with exciting in-game bonus content, together in what is sure to be one of the premier Collector’s Editions of all time.”

"We are very happy to offer the Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning Collector’s Edition to European gamers," said Ghislaine Le Rhun, Executive Director of GOA. "We hope that Warhammer fans will be delighted and that they will play a part in this upcoming adventure with GOA and EA Mythic ! "

The WAR Collector’s Edition will include:

EXCLUSIVE GAMES WORKSHOP MINIATURE – GRUMLOK AND GAZBAG
From the Age of Reckoning to your tabletop battle! Based on original characters from the MMORPG and designed by Games Workshop specifically for the Collector’s Edition, this official Warhammer metal miniature depicts the Greenskin warboss, Grumlok, and his shaman, Gazbag, in rich detail. Feel the WAAAGH!

ORIGINAL GRAPHIC NOVEL – WARHAMMER ONLINE: AGE OF RECKONING PRELUDE TO WAR
The forces of Order and Destruction collide under the Chaos moon! Commissioned exclusively for the Collector’s Edition, WARHAMMER ONLINE: AGE OF RECKONING PRELUDE TO WAR is a full-colour, 128-page hardcover graphic novel that sets the stage for the start of the game. Written by acclaimed Games Workshop writer Graham McNeill, the oversized book is richly illustrated by Chad Hardin, Joe Abraham, Rahsan Ekedal, Tony Parker, and Kevin Hopgood. Each of the graphic novel’s six chapters tells a unique story about the armies in the game, and together they detail the events leading up to the Age of Reckoning:

ART BOOK - THE ART OF WARHAMMER ONLINE
A stunning collection of the art that gave birth to the Age of Reckoning! THE ART OF WARHAMMER ONLINE is a 224-page hardcover collection of original art from the game. Each of the glossy, full-color pages showcases the talented work of our concept artists and offers a glimpse of a world in the making.

EUROPEAN EXCLUSIVE - MOUSEPAD
Only for European purchasers, a unique gaming mousepad will be available in the Collector’s Edition.

BONUS IN-GAME CONTENT – THE LIBRAMS OF INSIGHT
Wisdom is its own reward. Readers of the Librams of Insight are granted special insight into their own actions and earn experience at a higher rate for a limited time. (+10% XP modifier for 60 minutes, 3 uses, 90 minute reuse timer.)

BONUS IN-GAME CONTENT – QUESTS, REWARDS, AND TITLES
New adventures and just rewards await players on the battlefields of WAR! Purchasers of the Collector’s Edition will begin their adventures in the Age of Reckoning with twelve (12) bonus quests awaiting them in their Tome of Knowledge. Each quest offers an exciting in-game reward, as well as a character title, to those that complete the challenges before them.

BONUS IN-GAME CONTENT – CHARACTER HEADS
Stand out from the crowd with a look unlike anyone else! The WAR Collector’s Edition includes twelve (12) bonus heads for additional character customisation options. Each race gets a truly distinctive look (with male and female versions) that is sure to turn heads on the battlefields and be the envy of everyone in the army.

With the pre order box of the Collector's Edition, which has a recommended retail price of 9.90€ ( deductable from the full Collector's Edition retail price), players will also receive:
Access to the open beta: be one of the first players to experience the glory of battle and the thrill of WAR!
A live game headstart: begin your adventures in the Age of Reckoning before the raw recruits arrive!

Plus exclusive bonus in game content:

In partnership with retailers and e-merchants, all pre-order customers will receive:

Rittenbach’s Portable Camp: to rest the weary soul and heal the wounds between battles.
And either Sentinel’s amber band (retailer exclusive): to enhance the stats and cast "Touch of Earth," increasing the chance of doing additional corporeal damage with each hit. (Usable in PvE combat only.)

Or Guardians’ Iolite Band (e-merchant exclusive) : to enhance the stats and cast "Touch of Spirit," increasing the chance of doing additional spiritual damage with each hit. (Usable in PvE combat only.)

For more information about the Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning Collector’s Edition, the bonus in-game content, and the European pre-order offer,visit www.war-europe.com/collectorsedition/

Based on Games Workshop’s epic and longstanding tabletop fantasy war game, Warhammer Online features revolutionary Realm vs. Realm (RvR) gameplay that immerses players in a world of perpetual conflict. Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning is scheduled for launch on the PC in the Fall of 2008.

Look forward to Summer's with SingStar Summer Party on Sony PlayStation 2

Summer's almost here and so is SingStarTM Summer Party!

It's packed with summer hits past and present for your PlayStation 2

www.singstargame.com is the only place to share the experience!

Roll on summer - the weather’s good, the nights are long, it’s the perfect time to get everyone together for a party - and SingStar’s going to be right there with you. SingStar™ Summer Party for PlayStation®2 (PS2™) is arriving this April with 30 great tracks that are just perfect for those hot summer nights. We’re talking about classic songs and videos that just capture that summer feeling: tracks from Blondie, Rihanna, David Bowie, Klaxons and Peter Andre to name just a few.

With a track list bursting with feel-good favourites, your SingStar Summer Party will turn even the most reluctant guest into a stage worthy Show stopper - there really is something for everyone to enjoy as you sing your way through all these great hits:

1. Adele - Chasing Pavements
   
2. Amy Winehouse - Tears Dry On Their Own
   
3. Blondie - The Tide is High
   
4. Blur - Girls & Boys
   
5. Booty - Luv Shine
   
6. Chesney Hawkes - The One & Only
   
7. David Bowie - Let's Dance
   
8. Diana Ross - I'm Coming Out
   
9. Dirty Pretty Things - Bang Bang You're Dead
   
10. Dodgy - Good Enough
    
11. Elton John - I'm Still Standing
    
12. Five Star - System Addict
    
13. Girls Aloud - Call The Shots
    
14. Kaiser Chiefs - I Predict A Riot
    
15. Klaxons - It's Not Over Yet
    
16. KT Tunstall - Suddenly I See
    
17. Lou Bega - Mambo No. 5 (A Little Bit Of...)
    
18. Madness - House of Fun
    
19. Mel & Kim - Respectable
    
20. Mika - Big Girl (You Are Beautiful)
    
21. Peter Andre - Mysterious Girl
    
22. Plain White Ts - Hey There Delilah
    
23. Pulp - Disco 2000
    
24. Razorlight - In The Morning
    
25. Rihanna - Umbrella
    
26. Sugababes - Red Dress
    
27. Texas - Summer Son
    
28. Toto - Hold The Line
    
29. Wham! - Club Tropicana
    
30. Yazz - The Only Way Is Up
    

So, send out those invites and call up your entourage - it’s the perfect excuse to host your very own SingStar summer party - and with all your favourite tracks on one disc, you’ll never want the party to end. And it doesn’t have to end there! You can capture and upload your videos to the SingStar website at www.singstargame.com for all your friends to tag and watch – and for you to relive your finest hour.

With a summer classic for every party guest, SingStar Summer Party is a must for your SingStar collection, whether you’re into indoor house parties or outdoor summer barbies. Let’s get in tune for summer!

Be the first to play Nintendo Wii - Mario Kart Wii at Games stores

Be amongst the first in the World to play Mario Kart Wii at a GAME store near you!

Start your engines and get racing in the Mario Kart Grand Wii tournament for your chance to win great prizes including your very own Mario Kart VW Beetle Convertible

To celebrate the launch of Mario Kart Wii, Nintendo and GAME are challenging the nation to take part in the Mario Kart Grand Wii, a tournament set to find the country’s best Mario Kart driver. Keen drivers will be first off the grid, trialling the new game before it goes on sale anywhere in the world and could win themselves their own Mario Kart VW Beetle Convertible.

Thirty GAME stores across the UK will be opening their doors to fans old and new of one of the world’s best loved racing games from Saturday 5th April. Heats will be taking place at each of the specially selected GAME stores throughout the day and the finalist from each location will go forward to race for a chance to win a Mario Kart Wii inspired VW Beetle Convertible.

Prizes up for grabs at GAME stores include copies of the game and £250 of ‘Experience Vouchers’ for activities including Karting, Paintballing, Quad Biking and other action packed family adventures. In addition, each GAME store will feature its own prize draw with the winner receiving a Mario Kart Gift Card worth £50 to spend in-store! The ‘Grand Wii’ final will take place at an exclusive racing day event at Mercedes-Benz World, Brooklands, Surrey on the 12th April which will see a winner cross the finish line and claim their prize.

You may think you’ve been racing as the Mushroom Kingdom’s finest for a long time, but now there’s a new racer in town: Your Mii! Put your Mii behind the wheel and take on all comers! For those who want to get into the game even more, Mario Kart Wii comes packed with the Wii Wheel. Shaped like a steering wheel, you place the Wii Remote inside the Wii Wheel’s casing and get ready to ride! In addition to the Wii Remote, you can also use the Wii Remote and Nunchuk controllers in combo, or use a GameCube Controller to take those tight turns and challenges Mario Kart Wii throws at you.

Those looking for world ranking domination can take on up to 11 players simultaneously worldwide using the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection service which will offer them the chance to race other players across the globe in a nail-biting contest of speed and skill! Prefer to keep the rivalry a little closer to home? Try the Multiplayer Mode, in which up to four people will be able to challenge each other in the comfort of their own living room, bringing the on screen excitement into a whole new dimension.

MARIO KART GRAND Wii EVENT DETAILS:

WHEN: Saturday 5th April 2008

WHERE: GAME Stores at the following locations:

• MANCHESTER Unit 59 Arndale Centre
  
• TRAFFORD 124 Peel Centre Trafford Centre
  
• BOURNEMOUTH Unit 4, Avenue Centre Commercial Road
  
• PORSTMOUTH 226 Commercial Road Portsmouth
  
• STEVENAGE Unit 4A The Forum
  
• MERRYHILL Unit 87, Lower Mall Merryhill Shopping Centre
  
• READING Unit 18 Oracle Shopping Centre
  
• BASINGSTOKE Unit 15 Festival Place
  
• BRAEHEAD Unit 57 Braehead Shopping Centre Kings Inch Rd
  
• GLASGOW 146 Sauchiehall Street Glasgow
  
• MILTON KEYNES 15 Crown Walk Milton Keynes
  
• NOTTINGHAM Unit 308A Victoria Centre
  
• LEEDS 50-52 Albion Street Leeds
  
• LUTON 142-144 Arndale Centre Luton
  
• CHELTENHAM Unit A 100/104 High Street
  
• CRIBBS CAUSEWAY Unit LR53 Cribbs Causeway
  
• CARDIFF 92 Queen Street Cardiff
  
• NEWCASTLE FENWICKS (GAME CONCESSION) 39 Northumberland Street Newcastle
  
• GATESHEAD
  

• METRO CENTRE 17 Red Pathway Metro Centre
  
• BLACKBURN 10-12 Market Way Blackburn
  
• WIGAN 27 Standish Gate Wigan
  
• HANLEY 214-215 The Potteries Hanley
  
• LONDON HAMLEYS 188-196 Regent Street London
  
• LONDON 100 Oxford Street London
  
• THURROCK Unit 106 Lakeside Shopping Centre
  
• ROMFORD Unit 15 Liberty 2 Centre
  
• TAUNTON 45-46 Fore Street Taunton
  
• EDINBURGH 127 Princes Street Edinburgh
  
• DUNDEE 51 Murraygate Dundee
  
• KINGSTON-UPON-THAMES 3rd Floor The Bentalls Center
  

Mario Kart Wii launches in the UK on the 11th April at the estimated retail price of £35

POSTAL video game to be shown at special screenings in major US cities

Screenings for POSTAL Movie Slated for New York and Chicago

Tribeca Film Center to Host NY Preview on April 1

Prior to its long-awaited national rollout on May 23, Uwe Boll’s cinematic rendition of Running With Scissors’ POSTAL video game franchise will be shown at special screenings in major American cities, starting with New York and Chicago.

The Big Apple preview will take place at 8PM (EST), April 1st at the Tribeca Film Center (founded by Robert DeNiro and Jane Rosenthal and home to the famous Tribeca Film Festival). “As a born-and-bred New York boy, I’m really looking forward to this event,” admitted Running With Scissors CEO Vince Desi. “I’m very happy with what Uwe has done with this film, so I’m proud to see it showcased in my home town. Plus I get some good pizza and Italian ice.”

Desi and auteur de farce Uwe Boll will both be bringing along their egos for a Q&A following the screening. The kings of multi-media controversy will take unscreened questions from the audience. The Chicago screening will follow on Thursday, April 3rd, 7PM (CST) at the Lake Street Screening Room at 70 E Lake St.

RWS is offering New York-based fans a chance to win one of five pairs of guest tickets to the Tribeca screening through a Facebook promotion. Anyone who joins the POSTAL Facebook Fan Page and leaves a wall post related to the film before March 28th is eligible to win.

The poster included with this press release is the second in an ongoing series of Running With Scissors one-sheet style movie posters being produced to celebrate the release of Postal-The Movie.

For more information on the upcoming POSTAL Movie, Postal games and gear, as well as updates on the development of POSTAL III visit our new expanded site www.gopostal.com and be sure to visit PostalNation.net for in-depth coverage of the RWS scene.

Latest UK video games charts

CHARTTRACK WEEKLY CHARTS

All formats

(Full price) Week ending 22 March 2008

1 TOM CLANCY'S RAINBOW SIX: VEGAS 2 UBISOFT
2 MARIO & SONIC AT THE OLYMPIC GAMES SEGA
3 GUITAR HERO III: LEGENDS OF ROCK ACTIVISION
4 CALL OF DUTY 4: MODERN WARFARE ACTIVISION
5 ARMY OF TWO ELECTRONIC ARTS
6 FIFA 08 ELECTRONIC ARTS
7 SEGA SUPERSTARS TENNIS SEGA
8 PRO EVOLUTION SOCCER 2008 KONAMI
9 BULLY: SCHOLARSHIP EDITION TAKE 2
10 COOKING MAMA 2 505 GAMES
11 THE SIMPSONS GAME ELECTRONIC ARTS
12 ASSASSIN'S CREED UBISOFT
13 NEW SUPER MARIO BROS. NINTENDO
14 NEED FOR SPEED: PROSTREET ELECTRONIC ARTS
15 MX VS ATV UNTAMED THQ
16 BURNOUT PARADISE ELECTRONIC ARTS
17 WWE SMACKDOWN VS RAW 2008 THQ
18 FIFA STREET 3 ELECTRONIC ARTS
19 FRONTLINES: FUEL OF WAR THQ
20 HALO 3 MICROSOFT

Little Sky - is now available to all Zu players!

Zu Online: Little Sky Open Now

The Zu team is happy to announce the long-awaited, highly anticipated scene “Little Sky” is now available to all Zu players!

“Little Sky” is a Xanadu surrounded by dense fog all year around. Nearby the tranquil lake there’s a lotus pavilion. It was originally built for Boulder Immortal, but now it is used to keep the 7 Seven Northern Immortals trapped. Although Little Sky is very small, the amount of wonder and magic there are unsurpassed. The way there is on a twisting cloud path that winds through the silent bamboo forest and Starfalling Cliff. Most of the monsters in Little Sky are approximately levels 140 to 180 and there are also many new treasures to be found including precious items and top equipment.

Below is some brief introduction to the main immortals living in Little Sky who you may encounter when doing a quest.
Fairy Yaogan: a wise and beautiful female immortal, but can show weakness when it comes to her feelings.

Immortal Tanqian: this powerful immortal is always seen carrying his magical hourglass. Inside the sand inside drops endlessly away, whilst the purpose of the item may not be certain it is said to be very important.

Cheen: One of the three highest immortals in the Purple Mansion, the precious treasure that he carries in his hand has the power to frighten Monsters away by sight alone.

Snow Beast: an inhabitant of Sky Pot, it can fly freely in the sky.
Sky Pot Guardian: The Boulder Immortal created this stone mechanism to protect the Sky Sand Pot.

Lyre Envoy: This envoy has the ability to use his musical instrument to increase the morale of the other immortals. However, due to his mercilessly hard practice over the ages, he has become both deaf and blind.

More from Zu

New Resident Evil 5 games footage appears in Japan

That Resident Evil 5 footage Capcom promised for some time this week made it into the new issue of Famitsu as planned. Here's a report on what the Japanese are getting in this week's issue of their biggest games publication.

Rather than a new trailer, the DVD provides just a few minutes of off-screen footage of the game being played in the background of an interview with producer Jun Takeuchi. In addition to the gameplay sequences, the DVD also provides a glimpse at some of the development tools being used to create the models for the game.

More from IGN here...