CITIES XL for Windows PC for the Next Generation of City-Builders

Monte Cristo Unveils the Next Generation of City-Builders

Think massive, think online, think CITIES XL

Monte Cristo is pleased to announce CITIES XL for Windows today. In this next-generation take on the city building genre, realism will be pushed to the limit with cities that are bigger, more realistic and more sophisticated than ever before. CITIES XL™ will expand upon all the features that make city builders fun and interesting, while also letting players take their game online, as they interact with others in a massive online environment.

CITIES XL allows gamers to develop cities on realistic 3D maps using an incredible collection of unique structures and monuments based on American, Asian and European-influenced architectural styles. The maps feature a variety of environments: mountains, hills, canyons, beaches and islands, all set in different climates from tropical to desert, Mediterranean to temperate. Players must create the right combinations of social services, leisure activities, special events and other job opportunities within their cities in order to feed, clothe, employ and entertain their citizens. Be it planning and building a new zoo, public park, residential neighborhood or transit system - there's always a fresh and exciting challenge for would-be city managers and mayors in CITIES XL.

"We believe that the level of detail and realism brought to CITIES XL answers the needs of city-builder fans," said Jérôme Gastaldi, COO of Monte Cristo. "We believe fans of the genre will definitely enjoy CITIES XL and many of those fans have provided us with feedback on our development so far. We are really proud to have such a cool and proactive community."

The game's online features and services will allow players to create interconnected cities on virtual and persistent planets. Mayors can share and trade with one another, specialize their economy and team up with befriended cities to create sprawling metropolises. Life on the planet will be punctuated by events and competitions - a concert held in one town may, for example, be attended by visitors from other areas who can also enjoy a walk around the city to admire the urban creations of multiple players. By combining a fantastic single-player game with the social and multiplayer aspects of an MMO, CITIES XL will shape the future of the genre by offering more variety, bigger cities and multiple gameplay layers.

A400M Airlifter is back for Flight Simulator X

Title: A400M Airlifter
Label: Just Flight
Developer: Wilco Publishing
Genre: Flight Simulation
Release: 25th April 2008
Price: £19.99/€29.95/$39.99

Strategic Shifting!

A400M Airlifter is back for Flight Simulator X

Just Flight is pleased to announce that A400M Airlifter has now been updated for Flight Simulator X and is now available to pre-order. Copies of the re-mastered version are due to ship out on 25th April and the price is confirmed at £19.99/€29.95/$39.99. Existing owners of Just Flight’s 2004 version can update their copies to FSX-spec with a free patch from the Just Flight website.

The A400M is the next generation of military transport aircraft. It is being built by Airbus and is scheduled to fly in 2009. It will be used by the Royal Air Force, as well as the French, German, Spanish and South African military. This simulation of the A400M has been developed by Wilco to an extremely high level of detail and will give the flight sim enthusiasts of today the chance to fly the transport of tomorrow!

RECOMMENDED SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
Microsoft Flight Simulator X or 2004 (Acceleration or SP2 compatible)
Windows XP - PC with 3.0GHz (equivalent or higher) processor
512Mb RAM - 128Mb graphics card - DVD-ROM drive - 1.5Gb hard disc space

Flight Simulator X download versions of Airbus Collection – Long Haul

Title Airbus Collection – Long Haul
Label Just Flight
Developer: Commercial Level Simulation
Genre: Flight Simulation
UK Release: Out Now by download and box
Price: £29.99/€44.95/$59.99

Just Flight is pleased to announce that the boxed and download versions of Airbus Collection – Long Haul are now available. You can 'buy by wire' as a download product exclusively from Just Flight's website and if you'd prefer the fully boxed version this is now available too. With four aircraft variants, eight different flight models and 150 liveries for just £29.99 / €44.95 / $59.99 this package is fantastic value and a must-have package for every airliner enthusiast who is in it for the long haul!

Airbus Collection - Long Haul has been developed by the award-winning team at Commercial Level Simulations. It features the A330-200 and -300 together with their illustrious stable-mates, the wide-body A340-200 and -300, in a high quality F-Lite collection for Flight Simulator X and 2004.

• Eight distinct flight models – two for the A340 and six for the A330 covering different variants and engine configurations.
  
• 150 detailed liveries spread over the different aircraft – fantastic value for money!
  
• F-Lite branding guarantees high quality and detail – animations range from thrust reversers and control surface droop to air stairs and pushback truck.
  
• Cockpit features include custom Airbus gauges, easy-to-use Airbus style MCDU/Autopilot, realistic EICAM displays, limited function FMC which allows for SIDs and STARs in the MSFS database, EFIS displays, realistic PFD with limited Airbus Laws Logic and Alpha Protection; overhead panel comes complete with switches for air-con packs, fuel pumps, engine fire and more.
  
• Comprehensive, detailed manual includes flight tutorial and all the information virtual pilots will need to begin long haul flying.

"The models are, as always, beautiful; we love the detail very much… A trip with these aircraft is a joy." Flusipilot.de

"A solid A330 and A340 package." Flugsimulation.com

The F-Lite range is designed to provide aircraft that are not only extremely high in detail and visually impressive but also less demanding to fly than complex procedural simulators.

SOFTWARE REQUIREMENTS: Microsoft Flight Simulator X or 2004 – Windows Vista or XP

HARDWARE REQUIREMENTS: PC with 2.5GHz (equivalent or higher) processor (3.0GHz for FSX), 512Mb RAM (1.0Gb for FSX), graphics card with 128Mb (or higher) video memory, DVD-ROM drive, Hard disc space 2.0Gb

Metal Gear Online beta coming soon to North America on PlayStation 3

PLAYSTATION 3 System Online Beta

Coming soon for IGN Insider and Founders' Club members!

Beta Access Requirements

Get access to the Metal Gear Online multiplayer beta for the PLAYSTATION®3 system in this Insider and Founders' Club event. North American IGN Insider and Founders' Club members will get a chance to sign up for a beta key starting tomorrow. Click the button below to find out more information on accessing the beta.

North American users only

Find out more here

New Interactive Publishing House Building A Distinct Breed Of Online Games

FireSky, a new video game publisher dedicated to improving how gamers play and interact online, announced today that it would publish Stargate Worlds, a massively multiplayer online role playing game (MMORPG) based on MGM’s award-winning Stargate franchise. FireSky will also publish other unannounced titles as it paves the way for SNAP games.

FireSky is pioneering the development and publishing of games for Social Networks At Play™ (SNAPs), a unified theory of online gaming that combines social interaction, economies and game play across a variety of titles. The FireSky team calls this evolution “Project: Ascension.” This project – currently under wraps – will bring gamers together in new and unprecedented ways.

“We don’t intend to be another garden-variety games publisher,” said FireSky CEO Tim Jenson. “We are focused on publishing high quality social gaming experiences online. As the industry moves online, more and more people will be turning to games as a way to spend time with friends. With a few notable exceptions, game developers and publishers haven’t done a great job of marrying quality games with social experiences. Project: Ascension and SNAP games will change that dynamic forever.”

FireSky Senior Vice President of Product Development, Rod Nakamoto, has launched more than 80 titles over his 25-year career in game development. Mr. Nakamoto leads FireSky’s four internal development studios and oversees the progress on Project: Ascension.

“There is a degree of pressure to play a title after the fun factor has gone, simply because the investment is too great,” explained Mr. Nakamoto. “Gamers who invest time building characters, making friends and gathering resources typically have no ability to transfer this investment to a new experience. We’re working on a new set of ideals that will push online gaming past these barriers and into an era of portability.”

Senior Vice President of Strategic Operations Joe Ybarra, a 25-year veteran of the video game industry and one of the founding members of Electronic Arts, is heading up FireSky’s publishing operations. Mr. Ybarra has extensive experience publishing products worldwide, handling licensed material and managing business development with third-party developers.

“From a business perspective, publishing is the logical next step for FireSky,” said Mr. Ybarra. “We’ve got the chops to do it and we’re assembling a great team here in the desert. I can’t wait to get our flagship up and running to show off our operation.”

FireSky, a subsidiary of Cheyenne Mountain Entertainment, currently has four studios working on a variety of interactive titles.

“It’s almost time for us to lift the veil and show the world some of the unique projects we’re working on in addition to Stargate Worlds,” said Mr. Jenson. “Our studios are filled with talented game designers, world builders and engineers and we’ll be announcing several products over the course of the summer and fall that will lay the foundation for SNAP games and Project: Ascension. We have projects that span a variety of game genres as well as proven and emerging business models.”

Pirates - Duels on the High Seas on Nintendo DS

Pirates: Duels on the High Seas
Battle sea monsters, overcome deadly curses, and perform feats of daring do across the High Seas on your Nintendo DSTM!

Wanted! Hardy ship mates with strong sea legs and a thirst for adventure. Must enjoy battling sea monsters, fighting pirates, discovering buried treasure and performing feats of daring do on the High Seas. All aspiring crew members should board with the release of Pirates: Duels on the High Seas, the naval combat game for the Nintendo DS in June from Oxygen Games.

A chance encounter with an old sea-dog and the legend of a fantastic treasure - Thus begins an epic adventure for the ‘Seven Keys of the Seven Seas’! In an era when Britannia ruled the waves and pirates terrorized the oceans, the legend of Blackbeard’s treasure and the Seven Keys has seen many a pirate to an early grave with their fabled curse and tales of agonising death for those that dare to pursue them. Faced by the prospect of such a death should you fail, and with the allure of untold riches should you succeed, your adventure begins!



Steel yourself to face foes that no captain has ever bested before and lived to tell the tale including the might of the Royal Navy, the legendary and deadly Kraken, a Witch Queen and Blackbeard himself. Collect weapons, recruit crewmen, amass great riches and journey through unchartered waters on your quest for the fabled Keys.

Pirates: Duels on the High Seas is a fun and intuitive naval combat game transporting the player back to a golden age of adventure on the High Seas, encompassing naval battles, running blockades, battling sea monsters, encountering supernatural forces and discovering treasure. And with the WiiWare™ prequel game Pirates: The Key of Dreams expanding on the story and also set for release in the summer, what more could any self-respecting sea dog wish for!

KEY FEATURES

• • 70 unique levels – 35 single player and 35 multiplayer & Skirmish levels
  
• • Single player ‘Story’ mode and ‘Skirmish’ mode with players battling 2-3 AI opponents
  
• • ‘Salty Sea Dog’ multiplayer mode for 2-4 players, single-cart or multi-cart
  
• • Three types of ship available to captain, each one representing a different difficulty setting
  
• • Seven locations across the globe to sail including Porto Bello in South America, Port Royal in the Caribbean, The Bermuda Triangle, the China Sea and the Persian Gulf
  
• • An array of cannon-blazing sea battles against a variety of enemies including rival pirates, the Spanish Navy, Blackbeard, The Kraken and a Chinese Dragon
  
• • Discover buried treasure allowing you to hire additional crew members and pay for ship repairs.
  
• • Unearth enchanted Inca gold that creates a magical protective aura around your ship
  
• • Flotsam and Jetsam – assorted cargo that you can trade for gold
  
• • Classic ship weaponry – fight your sea battles using the tried and tested arsenal of a sea-faring pirate including cannons, sea mines, rockets and chain shot
  
• • Rescue castaways – four types of castaway to rescue in the game, each one improving the performance of your ship including ‘Lookout’, ‘Navigator’ and ‘Master Gunner’
  

MatchBox360 choose iiyama monitors for their XL Xbox360 LAN Tournament

iiyama has proven to be a massive hit among gamers in the UK, as they were the brand choice featured in the recent MatchBox360 XL LAN Gaming Event at the Birmingham NEC over Easter. This gave Xbox360 enthusiasts an opportunity to test out the high response times, colour reproduction and precise graphic delivery across the entire iiyama range.

The whole event was filmed by XLEAGUE.TV, a new Sky channel dedicated to coverage of gaming and broadcasting to around 2 million unique viewers across the UK. The MatchBox360 XL eSports tournament was the fourth in a series of events attracting over 450 gamers from across the UK and Europe. Fully branded iiyama monitors were purchased for the event and iiyama’s technical staff were on hand to assist in the equipment set-up.

Competitive tournaments and free play were available on some of today’s most popular Xbox 360 titles including Halo3, Call of Duty 4, Gears of War, Race Driver: GRID and Rainbow 6 Vegas 2 by developers such as Bungie, Activision, Epic, Codemasters and Ubisoft. Prizes totalling over £10,000 including Cash Prizes of £8750 were awarded to the winners across different categories. The next event will take place in July 2008, and iiyama will continue to work with MatchBox360 over the coming year to offer support to their UK eSports tournaments.

Feedback from the tournament has already started pouring in with many more LAN events being planned as a result. Chris Barnes, Event Manager of MatchBox360 says, “Having the latest iiyama monitor range is a valuable addition to the overall tournament set-up and I believe contributed to the success of the event, and we are thoroughly looking forward to welcoming iiyama to future tournaments.”

Nintendo Launch UK tour to get everyone Wii Fit

Latest Fitness Craze Sweeps the Nation



Wii Fit, the latest fitness craze to sweep our shores is heading around the UK in a national tour which kicks off this week. Whether its shopping centres or universities, Nintendo and their team of Wii Fit staff will be hitting the streets to show you just how easy and fun it can be to exercise in your living room with Wii Fit – regardless of age or fitness level.

Starting this week in Bristol, the Nintendo Wii Fit tour will visit a number of events, shopping centres and universities across the country until the end of June including the Grand Designs Show in London and hot spots in Newcastle, Sheffield, Manchester, London, Birmingham, Milton Keynes and Southampton.

If you loved the energetic nature of Wii Sports you’ll love Wii Fit, which makes it easy for everyone to experience a fun and interactive way to exercise which launches across the UK on 25th April 2008. So if you’re looking for a fun and easy way to incorporate fitness into your daily routine but not sure where to start then head down to one of the events for your chance to try for yourself.

Wii Fit is an easy, simple and enjoyable way for every member of the family to incorporate exercise into their daily routine. Whether you have used a Wii before or this is your first time experiencing the console, with over 40 fun and entertaining exercises, it is designed to appeal to everyone. With a collection of fun activities and exercises in the areas of aerobics, yoga, strength and balancing, Wii Fit encourages all the family to become more physically active on a daily basis.

Wii Fit comes with the Wii Balance Board, a wireless, pressure sensitive board that is placed on the floor in front of your television and console. Used in the majority of exercises, the Wii Board registers your movement as you stand on it, with the personal trainer character on the screen mirroring your actions and giving you advice. Combining this with the Wii Remote, which you simply need to pick up and point at the television, Wii Fit is simple and straightforward for anyone to use – regardless of age or fitness level.

Get ready to exercise in the comfort of your own living room as Wii Fit launches across the UK on April 25th 2008 for the estimated retail price of £69.99 with the Wii console priced at £179.99.

Elite Forces - Unit 77 for Nintendo DS

Elite Forces: Unit 77 - Our Last Hope

Gammick Entertainment and Abylight announce the development of Elite Forces: Unit 77 for Nintendo DS.

A series of mysterious disappearances of high profile personalities from the worlds of science, industry and entertainment reveal a horrific global terrorist threat. With the clock running and the lives of the hostages and millions of others in danger, the international community’s last hope lies with an extremely covert and highly specialized military team: Unit 77. Made up four professionals who are the best in the world at what they do, Unit 77 must combine skills to stop massive world destruction by the hands of terrorists.

Elite Forces: Unit 77 for Nintendo DS is a game of action and strategy in which the player must wisely use the abilities of all four members of Unit 77 and they are: Bill "The Drill" Matic technology specialist and legendary hacker; Kendra Chase, ex-government black-ops agent and the most accurate sniper on Earth; TK Richter, jet pilot and explosives expert, and Dag Hammer, a hulking heavy artillery soldier capable of incredible physical feats.

The group must infiltrate the bases where terrorists hold the famous hostages, each base set up in one of the most treacherous and remote places on Earth. Unit 77 must battle their way through inhospitable jungles, scorching deserts and endure harsh and deadly arctic conditions as they fight to rescue the hostages and defeat the terrorists.

The countdown has begun, and it’s time for the few and the brave. Will you become a terrorist’s victim or do you have what it takes to be on the team of Elite Forces? See it at www.gammickentertainment.com

Elite Forces: Unit 77 will be released on Q4 2008.

Ellark - new free mobile RPG MMO from Square Enix announced

A new Square Enix RPG that isn't built around the Final Fantasy or Dragon Quest franchises? Is there really such a thing?

ELLARK is a new RPG and MMO for mobile phones, set to be released in June.

Few gameplay details have been revealed but it will involve using your phone's mail to communicate with other players. The most surprising part of the announcement is that the game will be released simultaneously on all of Japan's three major mobile providers (DoCoMo, AU, and SoftBank).

Also, even though access to the game will be free, microtransaction payments will be included, using a currency based on a service called MobiCoin.

Source: Kotaku