Rail Simulator Official Expansion Pack Released - 08 SHUNTER AND CAJON PASS ROUTE OUT NOW!

Rail Simulator Official Expansion Pack Released

08 SHUNTER AND CAJON PASS ROUTE OUT NOW!

Just Trains is pleased to announce that its first official expansion pack, Rail Simulator Official Expansion Pack – Cajon Pass/ 08 Shunter is now available to purchase in boxed format with the download version already on sale. European users can now add the fantastic 80-mile Cajon Pass route to Rail Simulator. This route links San Bernardino in Southern California to Barstow in the north and the challenging climbs, descents, embankments and cuttings are faithfully reproduced.

There are two brilliant locomotives - the Union Pacific ES44AC and SD40-2 – as well as bonus skins, eleven unique rolling stock wagons and seven scenarios. As if that wasn't enough, the pack also features the classic British Class 08 Shunter in 12 period liveries and with six all-new scenarios,

A video showing the product off in full has been produced –

http://videos.justflight.info/jt/RailSimulator/RailSimulator_OfficialExpansionPack_HQ.wmv and the product page can be found here

SOFTWARE REQUIREMENTS: Windows Vista or XP

MINIMUM HARDWARE REQUIREMENTS: PC with 2.6 GHz equivalent or higher processor, DVD-ROM drive, 512Mb RAM, 256Mb video card, 2.0Gb hard drive space

Title: Rail Simulator – Official Expansion Pack
Label: Just Trains
Developer: Rail Simulator Developments Ltd

Genre Train Simulation
Platform PC – expansion for Rail Simulator
Release Out now as download and in Boxed format
SRP £19.99 / €29.95 / $39.99

Hurry Up Hedgehog Out now on Nintendo DS

Probably the cutest hedgehogs ever to be seen on the Nintendo DS will be out in full force tomorrow with the fervent arrival of Hurry Up Hedgehog!

This is the best chance you are ever going to get to lead your family and friends up the garden path (quite literally!). Hurry Up Hedgehog features dynamic game play which will require you to dodge hazards, outsmart your opponents and use cunning to race your hedgehogs across the garden and claim victory!

Race, creep, jostle and out-manoeuvre in this intriguing multiplayer brainteaser for all ages!

Bella Sara, the leading girls trading card series and online world, to Nintendo DS and PC.

Codemasters, Granada Ventures and Hidden City Games to bring Bella Sara, the leading girls trading card series and online world, to Nintendo DS and PC.

Bella Sara's world of inspirational fantasy horses and positive messaging to come to game screens in Q4.

Strengthening its casual entertainment portfolio Codemasters, a leading creator and publisher of video games, today announced that it has secured the rights to introduce Bella Sara™, the award-winning trading cards and online world for girls, to the video game market.

In a worldwide licensing agreement with Granada Ventures, the merchandise, licensing and publishing division of the UK's largest commercial broadcaster ITVplc, and Hidden City Games, Inc., the Seattle-based game and entertainment company, Codemasters will publish Bella Sara video games for Nintendo DS™ and PC in Q4, 2008.

Bella Sara is a phenomenon amongst 5–12-year old girls and has sold over 40 million trading cards worldwide since the series debuted in 2007. Each Bella Sara card features a fairytale-like illustration of a horse along with a positive and inspirational message for young girls, such as "Beauty comes from within" or "Be the hero in your own story". A unique code on every card activates a virtual horse that can be cared for in the Bella Sara online world at www.bellasara.com. The site, which features hundreds of virtual horses, a variety of age-appropriate casual games, customizable cottages, puzzles, colouring books, interactive stories and more has amassed more than 2 million registered users from 240 countries.

"As the leading card and online property for young girls, Bella Sara is a proven success and the perfect addition to Codemasters' casual entertainment category," said Leon Sanders, Brand Manager, Casual Entertainment, Codemasters.
"Signing Bella Sara extends our portfolio to the young female gaming market and, with the immensely popular online world of Bella Sara, the property brings an established computer-friendly audience that already understands its unique, creative playing experience."

"We're delighted to be working with Codemasters on this exceptional brand", commented Melanie Beer, Head of Licensing, Granada Ventures. "We look forward to seeing the world of Bella Sara come alive as console and PC games."

As Nintendo DS and PC titles, the Bella Sara games will immerse players in an interactive world of fantasy horses. Players will be able to ride, care for, accessorise and trade the horses with friends whilst discovering secret items and exclusive cards to activate on the official website. For more information on Bella Sara, please visit www.bellasara.com

Dexter the Video game comes to consoles

Players Enter the Conflicted World of "The Dark Defender"

Marc Ecko Entertainment has announced it has entered into a production agreement with Showtime Networks to design a videogame based on the Emmy® and Golden Globe® winning hit television series “DEXTER”, currently airing on ITV1. Marc Ecko Entertainment will develop the property for interactive media in close collaboration with Showtime Networks to guarantee its faithfulness to the spirit of the groundbreaking show.

DEXTER follows Dexter Morgan, a forensic blood spatter expert for the Miami Dade Police Department whose perfectly respectable persona hides a dark compulsion: he is a serial killer who hunts down people who have escaped justice.

“DEXTER is the extremely rare TV show with enough layers of action and tension to translate perfectly into a compelling videogame,” said Marc Fernandez, Vice President of Marc Ecko Entertainment. “Our game designers, writers, and artists are going to give Dexter’s morally complex world the kind of interactivity that gamers will love.”

“DEXTER is one of the most popular shows on SHOWTIME with a particularly strong fan base among gamers. It’s a very logical jump to create a game with the website IGN.com naming it 2007’s ‘Best Television Program’,” said Len Fogge, Executive Vice President, Marketing, Digital Media and Research at Showtime Networks. “We’re confident Marc Ecko Entertainment’s team has the unique talents to take Dexter to the interactive space in the right way.”

Marc Ecko Entertainment handled the production side of 2005’s game “Getting Up” and is currently working on an untitled project with developer Human Head. The Dexter game is in pre-production and Showtime Networks and Marc Ecko Entertainment are in talks with a handful of developers to bring the game to life. More details will be announced in upcoming months.

High Tech Heroes Return to the Nintendo DS in Code Lyoko - Fall of X.A.N.A

Previously entitled Code Lyoko 2; Code Lyoko: Fall of X.A.N.A scheduled for June Release

The battle continues as family-friendly video games publisher The Game Factory announced today its popular Teen action-oriented franchise will return to the Nintendo DS system in” Code Lyoko: Fall of X.A.N.A.” Boasting an exciting new storyline, multi-player modes and a unique real-time turned base-battle system, “Code Lyoko: Fall of X.A.N.A” offers a new role playing game experience and newly-designed characters. Based on the hit animated TV series CODE LYOKO, from Taffy Entertainment, players can expect fierce cyber action with challenging missions set in the CGI 3D world of Lyoko. “Code Lyoko: Fall of X.A.N.A” is set to be released in June 2008.

“Once again, we feel very proud to be partnering with Taffy to deliver a new sequel to the Code Lyoko video game universe. Responding to the success of the first installment, we felt compelled to give fans a new take on interacting with their favorite characters,” said Leah Kalboussi Vice President North America at The Game Factory. “With Code Lyoko: Fall of X.A.N.A, the role-playing experience is a natural evolution to developing the franchise, offering a deeper immersion into the Code Lyoko lifestyle."

A brand-new tale, based on the fourth season of the show, unfolds as William is being held captive somewhere on Lyoko by the evil virus X.A.N.A. Gamers will follow our heroes on a quest to destroy X.A.N.A. Their final challenge is to defeat the mysterious and dangerous Volcano Replika containing the very core of X.A.N.A.: a crater containing a number of towers one of which holds William…

Code Lyoko: Fall of X.A.N.A features include:

• Control with your stylus fully-customizable characters with upgradeable attacks, Powers, Functions and virtual Items (Firewalls, Viruses, Bugs, programs...)
• Fight your way through the Digital Sea and battle more enemies using subterranean vehicles ( Navskids)
• Battle against your friends in 4 different multiplayer modes : normal, handicap, bet & challenge
• Play with the four Lyoko warriors and experience a Unique Real Time turn base Interactive battle system
• Defeat X.A.N.A’s minions in 100 different Battle Arenas
• Enjoy Newly-designed heroes in Super-Deformed style

Pendulum Lends Cinematic Spark To Stuntman: Ignition

Pendulum Lends Cinematic Spark To Stuntman: Ignition

THQ-Paradigm calls upon on Pendulum for development of four HD cinematic trailers

Pendulum, a leading digital animation studio for the advertising, video game and entertainment industries, has announced its recent production of four HD cinematic trailers for THQ's Stuntman: Ignition. Developed by THQ's Paradigm Entertainment, Stuntman: Ignition is the second installment in the critically acclaimed, million-plus-unit selling Stuntman franchise. The game challenges players to pull off death-defying stunts with precision driving by dropping them into the adrenaline-fueled role of a Hollywood stuntman, where they help make "Night Avenger", "Strike Force Omega", "Never Kill Me Again", and "Whoopin' and a Hollerin' II".

The trailers draw inspiration from iconic films throughout the superhero, action, spy, and comedy film genres. THQ relied upon Pendulum and the project's creative directors, studio owners Michael McCormick and Robert Taylor, for a turn-key solution that included not only full 3D production, but also look, style and script development, full-performance motion-capture, voice and mo-cap talent casting & direction, sound design, and the creation of original musical scores for each trailer.

"When you combine Pendulum's talented team and their ability to create visually compelling content for games, with Paradigm's desire to replicate a true Hollywood style trailer, there was no doubt we would get a stunning cinematic product for the title," says Jim Galis, Executive Producer for THQ-Paradigm. "Pendulum's attention to detail, their amazing facial animation software, all around competency from storyboard to render and their dedication to a superior final piece went above and beyond our expectations."

Leaning on the intriguing character designs and genres provided by Paradigm, Pendulum began by creating a story treatment for each movie. Since the four trailers would exhibit out-of-context movie sequences, as in the typical Hollywood-style movie trailer, the directors felt a solid background story was necessary to motivate each shot and convey the scope and depth of a full-length film. In mimicking the traditional editorial style of movie trailers, each one would require a level of scene diversity uncommon for such short 3D pieces. "To paint a believable picture for each trailer we had to create environments specific to each film's genre and story, some of which were used for only a single shot," says Pendulum's Director of Animation, Michael McCormick. "Each film had a distinctive look and feel, which drove the need for unique cinematography and lighting styles, as well as a huge number of environments, matte paintings, characters, vehicles and props. Building so many assets and maintaining stylistic consistency for each trailer was a big challenge, requiring a great deal of organization and planning."

Faced with the creation of a large number of high-quality believable characters, who needed to exhibit dynamic personalities, dramatic actions and considerable amounts of dialogue, Pendulum employed their well-honed character development pipeline and a uniquely powerful full-performance motion-capture solution. The studio relied upon their longstanding relationship with premiere motion-capture studio, Vicon House of Moves, where they directed all of the project's mocap. Vicon's leading-edge full-performance mocap technology allowed Pendulum to capture multiple actors' bodies, fingers, and facial motions, while simultaneously recording their voices. This resulted in vast amounts of high-quality data, especially for the characters' faces. However, transferring complex facial data onto digital characters, to create emotive and realistic looking facial animation, is a well known and difficult hurdle in 3D animation. To meet this challenge, Pendulum made extensive use of their proprietary facial performance software, AlterEgo, which allowed the studio to apply many minutes of facial mo-cap data to the project's large number of characters, creating realistic and accurate facial animation in a short period of time. The software also allowed the team to animate on top of the mocap data, to enhance or modify facial expressions as needed. "It was critical to the project that we were able to manipulate facial performances to achieve the right amount of drama or intensity demanded by each scene," says Pendulum's Exec Producer, Robert Taylor. "AlterEgo provided us the ideal tool to achieve this flexibility, and at a speed and cost that I doubt would have been possible with any other solution."

Clothing for the trailers' many characters presented its own challenges. To increase efficiency, Pendulum built a library of reusable wardrobe elements which, with a few texture and modeling tweaks, provide for a flexible digital wardrobe department. However, some of the characters required some very specific and creative outfits. For this and all of the project's production efforts, Pendulum relied upon a combination of Pixologic ZBrush, Autodesk Maya, Syflex Cloth Simulator, Shave & Haircut, the mental ray renderer, and eyeon's Fusion compositing software. Other critical tools used were Wondertouch's particleIllusion, Apple's Final Cut, and the studio's proprietary facial software, AlterEgo.

The game allows players to showcase their skills in a wide variety of big-budget action films, commercial shoots and tournaments while commanding more than 25 unique vehicles, including exotic sports cars, motorcycles and hovercraft. Online multiplayer mode allows rival stuntmen to battle it out on the film sets and custom built back-lot arenas, or players can devise their own insane stunt runs and challenge other stuntmen at their own game. Stuntman: Ignition is available for Xbox 360, PLAYSTATION 3 system and PlayStation 2.

To see stills and video clips from the trailers go to: http://www.studiopendulum.com/qt_images_stu.html

GameStop - Battlefield - Bad Company with Bonus Exclusive Closed Beta Access!

Pre-order now and get into the GameStop Exclusive Closed Multiplayer Beta for Battlefield: Bad Company beginning on March 25, 2008 and ending on April 25, 2008. This exclusive offer is only available for GameStop customers who pre-order Battlefield: Bad Company for the Xbox 360. Only the first 5,000 pre-orders will receive a beta key, so pre-order now! Allow 48 hours from time of purchase to receive your code, excluding weekends and holidays. Please provide a valid e-mail at time of purchase.
Beta Features

Only the 3rd X360 title to have a closed beta, 1st for EA.
Multiplayer gameplay with 2 maps, Ascension and Oasis
Ascension is an infantry based map, Oasis is vehicle based with tanks, jeeps and helicopters
First look at an all new game mode, “Gold Rush” with 12v12 action
When you pre-order Battlefield Bad Company online, you will receive a GameStop Exclusive Limited Edition Sniper Rifle. Customers, who pre-order online, will receive their code by e-mail to unlock the sniper rifle. Codes will be e-mailed one week prior to ship date or sooner. Please supply a valid e-mail address at time of purchase.

More information here

Sierra Online Announces Lost Cities video game on Microsoft XBox 360 and XBox Live

Sierra Online Announces Lost Cities

Sierra Online, a division of Vivendi Games, is bringing the award-winning card game Lost Cities exclusively to Xbox LIVE Arcade for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system this Spring for 800 Microsoft points.

In Lost Cities, players draw from a pool of cards with the goal of amassing the most points and making prosperous expeditions through the various lost cities: the Himalayas, the Brazilian rain forest, the ever-shifting desert sands, ancient volcanoes and the mystifying depths of the Oceans.

50 Cent Is Back in a new Microsoft Xbox 360 and Sony PlayStation 3 Video Game

50 Cent Is Back In New Xbox 360 And PLAYSTATION 3 Video Game

Hip-Hop Fans Welcome Long Awaited Sequel to the Multi-Million Unit Selling 50 Cent - Bulletproof

Sierra Entertainment, a division of Vivendi Games, announced today that 50 Cent will reprise his role as video game hero with the upcoming sequel to the hit 2005 PlayStation 2 and Xbox game with 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand. 50 Cent and G Unit’s Lloyd Banks, Tony Yayo and DJ Whoo Kid will star and provide voice and likeness in the upcoming video game this fall on Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system, and PLAYSTATION 3 computer entertainment system.

In this fictional follow-up story to the multi-million unit selling Bulletproof video game, players will be able to play as one of the world’s biggest hip-hop stars in an all-out battle to protect 50 Cent’s assets and to collect payment from a crooked overlord.

“We are taking this sequel to the next level with exciting combat and gunplay, new original music, great graphics and a new story,” said 50 Cent. “50 Cent: Blood on the Sand will have everything my fans are looking for in a 50 Cent game.”

The 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand video game will feature multi-player drop-in and drop-out co-op, interactive counter-kills, driving, and aerial combat. Following the success of the 2005 Spike TV Video Game Award winner for Best Original Song “We May Be Crazy”, 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand will be packed with more exclusive unreleased music from 50 Cent and G-Unit.

“50 Cent and shooter fans everywhere came out to support 50 Cent in Bulletproof and made it a multi-million unit selling video game,” said Al Simone, senior vice president of Global Marketing for Sierra Entertainment. “Gamers will be excited that 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand will provide the ultimate 50 Cent next-gen game experience.”

The 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand video game is written by Kamran Pasha, Producer of Bionic Woman, and is being developed by Swordfish Studios. For more information, please visit the game’s official website at www.50bloodonthesand.com.

Vivendi Games Mobile is also making 50 Cent - Blood on the Sand available for mobile phones throughout North America and Europe.

PC video game Exteel Developer Tutorial Feature - free to play online game

NCsoft Europe Presents Exteel Developer Tutorial Feature

Exteel Developer Tutorial - Overview and the 'Pinkett'

NCsoft is starting work on Exteel, the free to play online game where huge warrior robots fight against one another for supremacy. The action is fast and furious, where only the most competitive of player will dominate and improve their Mech for future engagements.

One of the reasons why Exteel is so easy to play and master is that it contains a comprehensive tutorial system that all players can access, complete and even run through again if they wish. Not only do the extensive and interactive tutorials give you a full sense on how to play Exteel, they grant extra in-game credits and other bonuses that will prove extremely beneficial almost immediately.

Exteel features nine tutorial missions altogether, five of which are “beginner”-type missions, built around teaching basic movement, using the booster, jumping, using weapons, overheating and swapping (exchanging) weapons. You won’t get any bonuses or extra goods for finishing these tutorial missions, but they’ll give you a good understanding on how Exteel plays at its basic level.

The four “advanced”-level missions delve into using specific types of weapons in Exteel. For instance, the first mission, “Rifle Training”, deals with proper use of rifles and destroying the enemy at range. “Sword and Shield Training” describes how to use melee weapons as well as defensive shields. These missions usually require the player to kill a certain number of opponents within a time limit. Advanced tutorials, once completed, also give a reward to the player, depending on the mission. For finishing “Cannon Training”, the player will receive a giant cannon. Completing the tutorial “SMG Training” will reward the player two decent SMGs and a nice credit bonus.

Here’s a listing of the tutorials and associated rewards:

• Beginner Training 1: Movement

• Beginner Training 2: Booster Movement

• Beginner Training 3: Jump Movement

• Beginner Training 4: Aiming and Attacking

• Beginner Training 5: Overheating and Weapon Swapping

• Advanced Training 1: Rifle Training
Reward: 2 Marauder-C rifles

• Advanced Training 2: Cannon Training
Reward: Poseidon-C cannon

• Advanced Training 3: SMG Training
Reward: 2 Planet Eagle-C SMGs and 5,000 credits

• Advanced Training 4: Sword and Shield Training
Reward: 10,000 credits

You can stop playing any of the tutorials at any time, and come back to finish them off later. However, you can only receive the reward for completing an advanced tutorial mission only once.

The Pinkett
All players also start out with the Pinkett, also known as “Old Reliable”, the standard all-around multi-purpose Mechanaught. The Pinkett is a decent light Mechanaught valuable for new recruits; equipped with the p-booster backpack, it can perform well in a combat environment and can even be deadly at the hands of an expert pilot.

Pinketts come equipped with two sets of weapons, a pair of Tommy Striker-C SMGs for short-distance ranged combat, and a Crimson Edge-C blade with a Defender-C shield for melee combat. The SMG is a very basic, rapid-fire close-in weapon. It doesn’t overheat quickly and can easily hit targets without requiring exact aim. In other words, it’s perfect for a beginner. The blade and shield combo is typical of a second set of weapons; when the SMGs eventually overheat, switching to this set will you move in close for some sword fighting. The shield, when in use, will block a portion of the damage received from incoming fire.

Another benefit of the Pinkett (and the sets of weapons it comes with) is that it doesn’t degrade through usage. Most Mechanaught parts and weapons have a durability rating, and you must repair each item (by purchasing repair points in the store) before they become useless. Because the Pinkett or its weapons won’t wear out, new pilots don’t have to worry about buying repair points just yet. Note that you cannot scrap these items for credits like they can with regular items (like the weapons rewarded from advanced tutorial missions).

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