City of Heroes Issue 12 - Midnight Hour

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NCsoft Europe unveil a selection of new screenshots for City of Heroes Issue 12 - Midnight Hour. The images showcases the new Villain Epic Archetypes, known collectively as the Soldiers of Arachnos.

Mystic Meg's Palm Reader - goes mobile

Mystic Meg Goes Mobile

AMA announce the launch of Mystic Meg's Palm Reader – a unique and interactive palm reading mobile gaming application.

The interactive game is split into five sections –

Palm Reader – gives a personal palm reading, based on the analysis of the user’s palm lines, mounts, hand shapes, finger types and thumbs.
Tell a Friend – this feature helps the user practise palm reading and encourages them to share the new knowledge with friends. By analysing each palm reading area, the user will begin to understand the complex and mystical subject.
Coffee Reader – an interactive feature in which fortune telling is done by interpreting the signs and symbols found in the virtual coffee cup.
Bocca della Verita – a daily fortune-telling tool giving the user short predictions about luck, love and money.
Puzzle – the brain busting feature contains four images that the user has to reassemble on three levels of difficulty.

Mystic Meg is a renowned astrologer and one of the most well-known fortune tellers in the UK. Her appearances on BBC Lottery Live Show, best-selling book titles and a regular horoscope column for The Sun and News Of The World ensure she is household name.

Mystic Meg says, “The secrets of your personality, love life and destiny are in the palm of your hand.”

“Our aim is to deliver a unique and interactive experience for the user whilst at the same time introducing a new skill or knowledge. Mystic Meg’s Palm Reader begins to explore the fascinating subject of fortune telling through a variety of different features,” says Christian Guillemot, CEO of AMA.
Mystic Meg’s Palm Reader is available in the UK since March 2008

DC Comics And Epic Games Announce Plans For Comic Book Series Based On Hit - Gears Of War - Video Game Franchise

DC Comics And Epic Games Announce Plans For Comic Book Series Based On Hit 'Gears Of War' Video Game Franchise

DC Comics, the largest English-language comic book publisher in the world, in partnership with Epic Games, Inc., announced plans today to publish a comic book series based on the hugely popular action video game franchise Gears of War. The series is slated to debut from DC’s WildStorm publishing imprint in October. More details about the series, including the creative team, will be released at a later date.

The winner of over 30 Game of the Year awards, Gears of War for Xbox 360 and PC features amazing tactical action and multiplayer excitement. The plot thrusts gamers into a deep and harrowing story of humankind’s epic battle for survival against the Locust Horde, a nightmarish race of creatures that surface from the bowels of the planet. Gears of War 2, which continues the story of Marcus Fenix and Delta Squad in an epic saga of survival, loss and retribution, is the sequel to the blockbuster game that sold over 4.5 million copies and redefined the third-person tactical action game genre. Gears of War 2 is being developed exclusively for Xbox 360 and will launch this November.

“We are thrilled to be working with DC Comics to further bring to life the Gears of War universe. A lot of our developers are huge comic fans, and have loved the personas and chronicles unique to DC Comics since childhood,” said Dr. Michael Capps, president of Epic Games. “The Gears of War storyline and characters that millions of gamers have come to cherish will be a perfect fit under the WildStorm imprint.”

“Big guns and monsters — what a perfect comic book for WildStorm! We have an opportunity to work closely with Epic to add to the canon of the Gears of War mythos, so you can imagine how excited we all are, said Hank Kanalz, VP – General Manager, WildStorm. “Epic sets the bar very high, in graphics, story, and gameplay — and expect no less from our series, starting with our lead-in arc that fills in the gaps between the first game and the upcoming sequel.”

Fallout 3 Collector's Edition now available for Windows and PlayStation 3

Bethesda Softworks Announces Fallout 3 Collector's Edition

Fallout 3 Collector's Edition to be Available Worldwide

Bethesda Softworks, a ZeniMax Media company, officially announced today that it will release a special Fallout 3 collector’s edition worldwide for Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, Games for Windows, and PLAYSTATION 3 computer entertainment system. The limited collector’s edition is available for pre-order through participating retailers.

This premium Fallout 3 package, presented in a customized, metal Vault-Tec lunch box, includes the highly-anticipated game, a collectible 5” Vault-Tec Vault Boy Bobblehead, ‘The Art of Fallout 3’ hardcover book, featuring never-before-seen concept art and commentary from Bethesda Game Studios artists, and ‘The Making of Fallout 3’ DVD that includes an inside look at Bethesda Game Studios and the team behind the game.

“We’re very excited about this collector’s edition and believe it truly offers gamers an amazing mix of unique items from the Fallout universe, combined with a great behind-the-scenes look at what goes into developing such an immense title,” said Vlatko Andonov, president of Bethesda Softworks.



Fallout 3 features one of the most realized game worlds ever created. Create any kind of character you want and explore the open wastes of post-apocalyptic Washington, D.C. Every minute is a fight for survival as you encounter Super Mutants, Ghouls, Raiders, and other dangers of the Wasteland.

Currently under development at Bethesda Game Studios – creators of award winning The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, the 2006 Game of the Year – Fallout 3 is one of the most anticipated games of 2008 and is slated for release this Fall on Xbox 360, Games for Windows, and PLAYSTATION 3 system.

Ace Combat games sell over 5 million copies

ACE COMBAT SERIES SURPASSES 10 MILLION UNITS SOLD WORLDWIDE

Ace Combat 5 Surpasses One Million Units Sold as Leading Flight-Action Series Soars Past Worldwide Sales Milestone

Leading video games developer and publisher NAMCO BANDAI Games Europe S.A.S announced today that the Ace Combat™ series has surpassed 10 million units sold worldwide. Fueled by consistently entertaining and accessible gameplay as well as cutting-edge graphics, the series has remained a critical and commercial smash hit since its introduction in 1995.

Debuting in Europe with Air Combat for the PSOne, the Ace Combat series spans eight releases across four platforms. The latest game in the Ace Combat series, Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation, was released for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft in November 2007. Featuring photorealistic HD graphics and online play via Xbox LIVE, the game introduced the franchise to an all-new generation of players while redefining the boundaries of flight-action for longtime fans.

Ace Combat 6 is currently available in stores for the Xbox 360 for a suggested retail price of €69.99.

Crosswords DS great crossword games on Nintendo DS

Crosswords DS

Format: Nintendo DS
Launch Date: 05/05/08
ESRB: E (Everyone)
Game Type: Word Puzzle
Players: 1
Developer: Nuevo Retro Games

Game Information

KEY INFORMATION

In Crosswords DS, you'll find puzzles perfect for everyone regardless of age or experience. Exercise your word skills in more than a thousand touch-control word puzzles to challenge every skill level.

Crosswords DS offers crossword puzzles at multiple skill levels to engage any player, all controlled with the Nintendo DS stylus. Simply use the stylus to write your answers on the touch screen. Erase your mistakes with a quick tap on the screen, or write new answers directly over old ones.

An interactive hint system helps you move along at your own pace. For particularly puzzling problems, tap the "Hint" button to receive an additional clue, reveal a letter or have the word solved for you—the choice is yours.

The wordplay doesn't stop with crosswords. "Wordsearch" challenges you to find words hidden among random letters, while "Anagrams" will stretch your imagination to see how many words you can assemble from a group of letters.

Game description: Choose from more than a thousand crossword puzzles or hone your word skills with Wordsearch or Anagrams. No matter which type of puzzle you choose, you can easily save your progress at any time and return later to finish. Crosswords DS is designed for all players—just select your difficulty level and start off with a basic four-by-four puzzle. As you progress, the game will increase in difficulty and puzzle size. Use the DS stylus like a pencil to write or circle your answers on the touch-control screen. Erasing mistakes is as simple as writing the new answer over the old one. A hint system is also included in case you need some friendly assistance.

Activities:

Crosswords:

• Puzzles are designed for stress-free completion and are broken into three difficulty levels: Easy, Medium and Hard—plus an unlockable fourth level.
  
• Unlike paper puzzles, Crosswords DS can offer help if you get stuck. By simply touching the hint button above the puzzle, players can choose to receive another clue, fill in an unknown letter or even reveal the entire word.
  
• To input a letter, simply touch a square on the screen and write the answer just as you would in a paper puzzle. If you make a mistake, simply write the new letter over the old one—no more messy eraser bits.

Wordsearch and Anagrams:

Wordsearch is just like the classic word searches you played as a kid. Use the DS stylus like a pencil to circle words hidden in a letter-filled screen. The more difficult the puzzle, the larger the block of letters you'll need to scan.

* In Anagrams, players are given six random letters that must be arranged to spell out three-, four-, five- or six-letter words. Even if you don't identify every suitable combination, you only need to find a majority of possible words to move on to the next level.

Space Invaders Extreme on Nintendo DS Sony PlayStationPortable PSP Fact Sheet

SPACE INVADERS EXTREME

Developer: TAITO Corp.
Publisher: Square Enix, Inc.
Platform: Nintendo DS and PSP (PlayStationPortable) system
Genre: Arcade Shooter
ESRB: E (Everyone)
Ship Date: June 17, 2008

The legendary game returns! With SPACE INVADERS celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2008, TAITO is offering an all-new, more intense edition of the game that started it all. With all-new, enhanced graphics and sound that preserves the classic design loved by generations of players, SPACE INVADERS EXTREME is an exhilarating shooting experience.

Whether players were part of the original SPACE INVADERS generation or are fighting against the Invaders for the first time, they can now take SPACE INVADERS EXTREME with them anywhere on two handheld systems: Nintendo DS and the PSP system.

OVERVIEW

Experience this simple but addictive game as never seen before.

Shoot, attack, and stave off the assault by defeating all the Invaders on the screen. After annihilating a battalion of Invaders and defeating the Boss, players move on to the next stage. But beware of different types of Invaders, each with their own unique abilities – it’s “Game Over” if players lose all of their stock cannons!

FEATURES

•New Look: The much loved design of SPACE INVADERS, now with revamped graphics and new background effects that add to the game’s excitement.

• New Music: Get in the groove with up-beat techno tunes that are synched to gameplay.

• New Mini-Games: Experience varied gameplay with mini-games, called Rounds, that are launched mid-game – they add to the fun, and are a good way to rack up points!

• New Twists: Discover exciting twists to the classic game that provide swift, fast-paced gameplay.
- Features: Numerous Features kick-up the power and kick-up the fun.
- Breaks: Destroy Invaders and UFOs during Breaks to increase scores by 10 times.
- Fever Time: Look out for this chance to increase scores after completing a Round. Destroying Invaders leads to bonus points and players can try to hit the Jackpot UFO for a Jackpot Bonus!

• New Multiplayer Elements: Battle against a friend with the all-new multiplayer element, available on both platforms.

Moshi Monsters launches and brings a virtual world of adoptable pet monsters to life

Mind Candy, the award-winning creators of global Alternate Reality Game Perplex City, this week launched Moshi Monsters, their brand new virtual world for little kids and big kids alike. After 4 months in private beta, Moshi Monsters opened up to everyone for free on April 16th at http://www.moshimonsters.com

Players adopt their own Monster and keep it happy by solving the daily puzzles that it sends them. Monster owners can interact with their pets in a wide variety of ways such as tickling, playing games, shopping, designing their rooms, and dressing up (coming soon). One of the core elements of Moshi Monsters is the emotional bond created between the user and their Monster which is achieved through sophisticated flash animations and a complex behavioural engine. Over time the Monsters develop their own unique personalities depending on how well, or badly, they've been treated.

There are many ways players can connect and communicate with others such as the Friends tree, visiting other Monster's rooms, and leaving customised Pinboard messages. During development child safety online has been kept at the forefront of the Moshi experience.

The more attention a Monster gets from its owner and their friends, the higher its Monstar status rises. All Monsters start as Z-Listers and can rise through the ranks to become A-List Monstars.

Moshi Monsters is played in the browser and requires no download. The game is free to play, although a subscription feature for premium elements will launch in the future, as well a range of offline products.

Michael Acton Smith, CEO of Mind Candy said, “Playing games and chatting to friends are two of the most popular activities for children online. Moshi Monsters provides these experiences in a safe environment while also helping children learn through the puzzle games and educational elements”

Free Linux / Windows video game - Digital Paint's Paintball 2.0 Fast first person shooter

Paintball 2.0 is a fast-paced first person game with capture the flag, elimination, siege, and deathmatch (free-for-all) styles of gameplay.

Map downloads and Windows version available.

Available here from Digital Paint... http://digitalpaint.planetquake.gamespy.com/files/

More Free Linux games posted on 10th December here...

Judas Priest will be first full album on Rock Band

Rock Band's First Full Album Announced Judas Priest's 'Screaming For Vengeance' hits next week.

Judas Priest will become the first band to make a full-length album available for download on Rock Band, Harmonix and MTV said today.

The metal pioneers' 1982 record Screaming For Vengeance will be released April 22 for Xbox 360 and April 24 for PlayStation 3. Priest's inclusion in Rock Band is welcome news for nostalgic headbangers, but it's not the announcement gamers were expecting.

In June of 2007, when Harmonix first said Rock Band would eventually include full-length downloadable albums, the company announced that The Who's Who's Next would kick off the service. Harmonix went so far as to provide a track list of the landmark 1971 Who record. Today's news release made no mention of Who's Next.

The Judas Priest album will cost $14.99 (1,200 MS points) or $1.99 per track (160 MS pts.).

Here's a full track list (all master recordings):

1. "The Hellion"
2. "Electric Eye"
3. "Riding on the Wind"
4. "Bloodstone"
5. "(Take These) Chains"
6. "Pain and Pleasure"
7. "Screaming for Vengeance"
8. "You've Got Another Thing Comin'"
9. "Fever"
10. "Devil's Child"