Grand Theft Auto IV Available Today for Xbox 360 and Exclusive Episodes Available Starting Autumn 2008

The day has finally arrived; today “Grand Theft Auto IV” is available on the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft.

Play “Grand Theft Auto IV” multiplayer online with your friends starting today over the Xbox LIVE online entertainment network. Starting this autumn, Xbox 360 owners will also have access to exclusive “Grand Theft Auto IV” episodes that will provide hours of additional game play.

Developed by Rockstar Games, “Grand Theft Auto IV” is a powerful crime epic set in modern-day Liberty City, a world with an unparalleled combination of scale, depth and detail.

Matrix Games Unveils Gary Grigsby's War Between the States!

The latest project from the people who created War in the Pacific heads to the American Civil War!

Matrix Games and 2 by 3 Games are thrilled to announce Gary Grigsby’s War Between the States, an innovative turn-based grand strategy game set during the American Civil War!

David Heath, Director of Operations at Matrix Games, said “2 by 3 Games have brought us some timeless wargames that people will be enjoying for years to come. Now that they’re taking their talent in grand strategy games to the American Civil War we can look forward to another masterpiece of wargaming!”

Taking gamers back to the American Civil War, Gary Grigsby’s War Between the States allows players to experience the trials and tribulations of the role of commander-in-chief for either side. Historically accurate, detailed and finely balanced for realistic gameplay, War Between the States is also easy to play and does not take months to finish.

Promote and cultivate talented young colonels or brigadiers to build Corps and Army commanders that will help you fight and manage the war effort from battles to training of recruits with the utmost efficiency and success. An innovative multi-faceted rank promotion system allows leaders to gain in abilities and power based on their successes, while also simulating the historical progression of leaders during the war. Each decision you make must be weighed carefully, as promoting and demoting leaders, entering neutral states, raising troops and many other actions cost you the political capital that will determine your ability to achieve victory.

Explore the historical tactics of the day to find the best way to win. Use cavalry to raid the enemy supply depots and conduct reconnaissance to determine the best place to strike and then engage the enemy head on and watch the epic push and pull of battle unfold in front of you. In between battles, the mighty Union navy or brave Confederate raiders can strangle and disrupt supply flow at critical times in your campaign. Build river gunboats and transports to exploit the strategic value of the Mississippi and entrench and fortify key locations to deny passage to the enemy.

Test your mettle and strategic vision in one of the most bitterly fought contests in history – the War Between the States.

Features include:

• Use wisdom and strategy to appoint the best leader for the job – With an innovative new system, units train and function best with the right leader. Weigh the strengths and weakness of the men commanding your armies to maximize unit attributes like attack, defense, movement, initiative probability, and training.
• Play on the edge of your seat with a suspenseful battle resolution system – Watch the push and pull of forces as the battle unfolds that will make or break your plans resolve.
• Master critical Cavalry Scouting and Raiding and penetrate deep into enemy territory - With the optional Fog of War rule, cavalry scouting becomes even more important. The Confederate early war cavalry advantage is accurately simulated.
• Achieve naval superiority with a realistic and complete naval war model – Harass and interrupt critical trade routes with a Union blockade and or Confederate commerce raiders. Build river gunboats and transports to control the “Father of Waters” and conduct amphibious assaults by river or sea.
• Fortify and Entrench – Entrench your armies and build permanent fortifications to protect strategic locations and interdict river movement.
• Conserve your Political Capital – Use it prudently to call for new troops, change leaders and enter neutral states. Build it up through successes and keep it high enough to secure final victory.

Feel The Heat With Strategy First's Exodus From The Earth For PC

Exiting Earth the Old Fashioned Way - By Vaccination and Spacecraft

Software publisher Strategy First Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Silverstar Holdings, is leading the way to space with Exodus from the Earth. The upcoming shooter takes players out of this world and back again on a quest to reveal the secrets of a dangerously powerful corporation and fight for dear life. Developed by Parallax Arts Studio and published by Strategy First, Exodus from the Earth will be available for PC in fall 2008.

Mankind assumed it would take five billion years until the earth began to die. In reality, it is 2016, and the planet earth is living its last twenty years. The Sun has begun to grow, burning everything around it and turning Earth into a lifeless nightmare. Mankind must adapt to extraterrestrial conditions or find an Earth-like planet where humans can live.

After learning the dreadful news, the powerful A.X. Corporation produced a vaccine which allows humans to survive in any environment, and now plans to inject everyone on Earth. The alleged discovery of a "Second Earth" threatens the financial future of A.X., and C.I.A. officials become suspicious of the corporation, their motives, and the mysterious vaccine. Secret Agent Francis Rixon is commissioned to infiltrate the A.X. headquarters and discover the truth.

"Exodus from the Earth is a next generation title that will create an exhilarating alternative in the first person shooter genre," said Emanuel Wall, Business Development Manager, Strategy First. "We are extremely excited to bring this title to gamers world wide."

Exodus from Earth is an action-packed shooter based on the advanced Riposte game engine, provided by Tools Media Corporation. Riposte uses modern processors and video accelerators to produce realistic and enriched game environments.

Players will be kept guessing until the final step with an intriguing and unpredictable storyline, battles and exploration through high-poly, epic locations on two planets. The powerful arsenal offers multiple, unique attacks for each weapon to be put to full use in the dynamic gun-toting gameplay that transports players from the road to the sky.

Grand Theft Auto IV launches to queues, rave reviews

"Grand Theft Auto 4" went on sale early on Tuesday, with fans lining up at midnight to get the first copies of the criminal action video game hailed as a brutal and satirical masterpiece equal to films like "The Godfather."

Retailers such as GameStop Corp and Best Buy Co Inc took advance orders for the game weeks earlier and many outlets threw open their doors at midnight to accommodate fans eager to be among the first to play.

The Tuesday launch of "Grand Theft Auto 4" is expected to be the biggest entertainment event of the year, with first-week sales forecast to be up to $400 million, beating those of last year's "Halo 3" from Microsoft Corp.

At a GameStop store in midtown Manhattan, excited fans like John Alba and Enmanuel Lorenzo had been standing for hours in a line that nearly touched the end of the block, to get their hands on the game.

"It gives you the opportunity to escape reality," Alba said. "This game has everything -- sex, drugs, cars, money... anything you want."

Early reviews over the weekend lavished praise on the latest chapter of the hit franchise.

"Grand Theft Auto 4" casts players as an Eastern European immigrant who runs drugs, shoots cops and beats up prostitutes after falling in with a crime syndicate, stuff that has drawn fire from family groups and politicians.

Avid fans like Lorenzo seemed drawn to the excitement -- but only in game play.

"Violence is like sex. It sells," Alba said, outside the GameStop shop. "I like violence in games, it's cool. Not in real life."

more...

Source: Reuters

Wii-kly Update - Double Dragon Classic Game Added To Nintendo Wii Shopping Channel

Wii-kly Update: One New Classic Game Added To Wii Shop Channel

There's one new game for the Virtual Console this week - and it's a double. Double Dragon is a true action-fighting classic. This side-scroller brought the arcade original into the home and laid the groundwork for numerous sequels. It'll get your nostalgia engine fired up. Now go put the hurt on some bad guys and save Marian.

Nintendo adds new games to the Wii Shop Channel at 9 a.m. Pacific time every Monday. Wii owners with a high-speed Internet connection can redeem Wii Points to download the games. Wii Points can be purchased in the Wii Shop Channel or at retail outlets. This week's new games are:

Double Dragon (NES, 1-2 players, Rated Everyone 10+ — Mild Violence, 500 Wii Points): Double Dragon begins with Billy Lee's girlfriend, Marian, being kidnapped by a group called the Black Warriors. They demand to know the secrets of Billy's martial-arts style in exchange for his girlfriend. However, Billy won't stand for these underhanded tactics and decides to rescue her himself. Help him fight through city streets, buildings, jungles, temples and various other locations in a quest to find his girl. He'll gain experience by using different fighting techniques to obtain more hearts, which will unlock more powerful techniques to use against his enemies. Keep an eye out for crates, boulders, whips, bats, knives and even dynamite along the way, as Billy can also use them to annihilate opponents. Armed with his mysterious and powerful martial arts, help Billy pummel his way through an array of goons, gang members and other Black Warrior scum to free Marian from their clutches.

Alone in the Dark - Fact sheet for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3

Alone in the Dark

Genre: Action survival
Platform: Xbox 360, PC, PLAYSTATION 3
Developer: Eden Games
Rating: 18+
Launch Date: Xbox 360, PC 20 June 2008; PS 3 TBC 2008

GAME DESCRIPTION

One of video gaming’s original innovators, Alone in the Dark returns to revolutionise action gaming with an apocalyptic action blockbuster set in New York’s iconic Central Park.

Central Park is hiding a secret. Built as a safe haven not for the people of New York, but for something else entirely, the vast parkland has been protected by generations of guardians while the most expensive city in the world reached skyward on its fringes. Now the truth can no longer be contained, and paranormal investigator Edward Carnby finds himself inexplicably cast into the eye of the storm as over the course of one apocalyptic night he must uncover the earth-shattering secret behind Central Park. New York will never be the same again.



Inspired by the gripping style of contemporary TV dramas, the game delivers a new degree of narrative intensity, presented as a complete season format of episodes each containing action, twists and cliff-hangers. Bursting with innovative technology, including unprecedented environmental interaction, revolutionary physics, stunning visuals, uniquely immersive user interface, and DVD style chapter select, Alone in the Dark breaks gaming clichés to fulfil the next-gen promise and change what players expect from action games.

GAME FEATURES

• Exhilarating gameplay: Blockbuster action, tense exploration, dangerous driving, and vicious fights as hero Edward Carnby fights to survive one apocalyptic night to uncover the earth-shattering secret behind Central Park;
• Intense story: taking cues from blockbuster TV dramas, the story is told in a TV season-style to deliver pace and intensity throughout, keeping the player hooked with action, plot twists and cliff hangers;
• Never get stuck: creating the first game that everyone can finish, the innovative DVD-style chapter select lets players move on if they get stuck, with the grand finale reserved for those who finish a certain amount of the game;
• Improvise to survive: a new level of environmental interaction based on real world rules where anything you could do in real life, you can do in the game. Use your imagination to create unique tools and devastating new weapons;
• Immersion: the player is plunged into the heart of the action in real-time with full movement control, in-game inventory system, on-body damage and healing system, and physiological effects;
• Pyromania: unique physics and light rendering are applied to the realistic-looking fire which propagates realistically across all flammable surfaces. Fire is a valuable ally, but can become your worst enemy;
• Photographic Rendering: a lavishly detailed game world with advanced cinematographic effects including depth of field, camera focus, numerous light sources, and High Dynamic Range effects.

FIFA, EA And PlayStation Confirm Player Line-Up For The FIFA Interactive World Cup 2008 Final

32 Of the World's Football Gaming Elite Get Ready For The Ultimate Show Down In Berlin on May 24

After seven months of intense competition, FIFA, EA and PlayStation today congratulate the 32 finalists who have secured their place in the Grand Final of the fourth annual FIFA Interactive World Cup. On the virtual football pitches of EA SPORTS™ FIFA 08, players spanning the globe from Australia to South Africa, Brazil to Korea to the USA and Italy, dribbled and scored their way through the tournament’s 20 live qualifiers, while over 25,000 players competed in the online leg via PLAYSTATION Network. The finalists will compete to become the FIFA Interactive World Player of the Year at the Sony Center in Berlin on 24 May.

”I am very impressed with the level of the participants. It is clear that they have been practicing hard, and like any football event, practice is one of the most important things. The FIFA Interactive World Cup is establishing itself as a premier gaming tournament, and the only one under the FIFA banner”, explained Chuck Blazer, who added “I think it is apt that there are now 32 competitors which mirrors the number of teams in the FIFA World Cup. This tournament is a serious one, and like its big brother tournament, the FIFA World Cup, it is the pride of being crowned the FIFA World Champion that encourages these great performances.”

Defending champion Andries Smit from the Netherlands will be vying for the crown for a second year running. Hoping to prevent this from happening are the other 31 finalists, including Chris Bullard from the UK, the only previous winner to have reached three FIWC Grand Finals in the tournament’s four year history; or Davor Brescakovic from Switzerland, who showed his true determination by competing in and winning the New Zealand qualifier having lost in the semi-finals of the Swiss event. They’ll all be keeping an eye on the next generation of virtual football virtuosos, including Ivan Pastyrčák from Slovakia and Sachith Reddy from India - both only 14. All finalists will be in hot competition to be crowned FIFA Interactive Player of the year, win an invitation to the FIFA World Player Gala 2008 and a cash prize of USD $20,000.

“The Grand Final will be played in a real football ambience and it will be an opportunity to experience a live tournament with all the thrills that spectators and players feel with a FIFA World Cup title on the line. It bears all the fast-paced, adrenaline-pumping action of watching real football and in order to compete at this level, you need a tactical mind and a love for football says Anthony Baffoe, former Ghanaian international and the first African player in the German Bundesliga, who will not only be one of the many football guests that evening but also the co-host of the event.

Everybody is welcome to cheer on the finalists at the Grand Final in Berlin and enjoy the free entertainment set up during this one day virtual football extravaganza set to kick off at 11am CET. Live entertainment will include German hip-hop artist Das Bo.

List of Finalists

1. Bjorn Diedricks - South Africa
2. Gwan Hyeong Kim - Korea
3. Sachith Reddy - India
4. Chan Charm Wah - Hong Kong
5. Andries Smit - Netherlands
6. Roland Csaszar - Hungary
7. Christian Lonhart - Denmark
8. Pedro Caiado - Portugal
9. Alex Barets - France
10. Karol Rogaczewski - Poland
11. Alfonso Ramos - Spain
12. Dominik Posch - Austria
13. Ivan Pastyrcak - Slovakia
14. Michael Labelle - USA
15. Davor Brescakovic - Croatia
16. Roberto Garrapa - Italy
17. Ruben Morales Zerecero - Mexico
18. Tunc Polat - Switzerland
19. Buey Siong Tay - Australia
20. Ivan Soberon - Spain
21. Michael Pommer - Australia
22. Max Fayers - England
23. Marko Krivokapic - Germany
24. Abubakr Ebrahim Akhalwaya - South Africa
25. Stephen Coorey - Australia
26. Andre Casagrande Buffo - Brazil
27. Didi Otisi - USA
28. Michael Ribeiro - USA
29. Carl Condliffe - New Zealand
30. Chris Bullard - England
31. Danny Taylor - England
32. Mustafa Agyuez - Germany

For official terms and conditions of the FIFA Interactive World Cup, visit: http://www.fifa.com/interactiveworldcup/organisation

Will GTA IV become a world record breaker?

Guinness World Records Eyes Release Of Upcoming "Grand Theft Auto IV" As A Potential Record Breaking Giant

As part of its continued interest in chronicling the world of video game achievements and accomplishments, Guinness World Records will be closely watching the release of Grand Theft Auto IV as a potential record-breaking phenomenon.

Easily one of the most anticipated games of the year and biggest releases in the entertainment industry, the GTA franchise is no stranger to the famed pages of Guinness World Records. Ever since the franchise released its first third-person game with Grand Theft Auto III, the series has been racking up record after record.

• First Full “Sandbox” Action-Adventure- GTA III
• Biggest Selling Game of 2001- GTA III
• Biggest Selling Game of 2002- GTA: Vice City
• Best-selling Playstation 2 game of all time- GTA: Vice City
• Best-selling PSP game of all time- GTA: Liberty City Stories
• Largest in-game soundtrack- GTA: San Andreas
• Largest Voice Cast in a video game- GTA: San Andreas
• Most Guest Stars In A Video Game Series- Grand Theft Auto Franchise

With fans counting down the hours to GTA IV’s debut, it will only be a matter of time until a new record is added to that impressive list.

For more information on these and other exciting video game records, pick up the inaugural, Guinness World Records: Gamer’s Edition 2008, on sale now.

Conquest of the Aegean PC video game gets a fourth update

The award winning continuous time strategy game just got better!

Matrix Games and Panther Games are pleased to announce that the critically acclaimed Conquest of the Aegean has received a fourth update. This update includes a few minor fixes to issues related to victory point calculations and the handling of static units that were discovered since the third update.

David Heath, Director of Operations at Matrix Games, said “The Highway to the Reich engine on which Conquest of the Aegean is based continues to excite and entertain gamers and shows no signs of abating. The latest update includes just a few small tweaks but will nevertheless improve the already groundbreaking gameplay found in Conquest of the Aegean. If you want to experience the most realistic operational command simulation on the market, give Conquest of the Aegean a try!”

In Conquest of the Aegean, players get to take on the role of either an Allied or German commander during World War II and match their wits against either a computer controlled opponent or a human opponent via LAN or the internet. You can play as the Allies in a desperate fight to maintain a foothold on the southern flank of Europe using the mountainous Greek terrain to achieve concealment and surprise. Or, the for the more aggressive commanders among us, you can fight as the Axis who are tasked with driving as hard and fast as possible into Greek territory to assure an expedient and inexpensive victory.

Based on the very successful Airborne Assault: Highway to the Reich, this operational “pausable continuous time” strategy game represents a major step forward from its predecessor. Not only does Conquest of the Aegean take you to a new theatre of the Second World War, but also major changes to the game have been made engine to make it an even more detailed and realistic recreation of WWII combat. To breathe fresh life into Airborne Assault while still capturing the strategically intense but fun gameplay that came with previous titles in the series, Conquest of the Aegean includes a realistic resupply system, a vastly enhanced interface, and improved weather patterns, all complemented by 20 brand new maps and 30 brand new scenarios.

Also, keep your eyes open for the upcoming new release Battles from the Bulge, also from Panther Games and Matrix Games!

Get more information on Conquest of the Aegean from its product page. The update will bring the game to version 3.4.151 and is comprehensive.

SingStar pass 12million video games sold milestone

Sony's SingStar series of games has recorded 12 million total sales in its four year history...

Sony Computer Entertainment Europe has announced that its SingStar series of games has notched up an impressive 12 million unit sales in PAL territories since 2004. According to the first party publisher, 5 million of these came in Sony's 2007/08 financial year ending March 31st 2008.

The online offerings for the first PS3 game in the series (which was released last December) have also pulled in large crowds, with users downloading over a million tracks on the SingStore hub within Sony's PlayStation Store.

"SingStar's success is built upon simple and entertaining game play," commented SingStar's Executive Producer, Paulina Bozek. "Historically we have added new music tracks to keep the experience fresh but the arrival of PS3 has allowed us to think differently. We can now take advantage of the next-generation features to take the next step forward in the SingStar experience. The launch of SingStore and My SingStar Online is the realisation of this and the experience is now more user-focused, personalised and interactive."

Additionally, SingStar's take on MySpace - My SingStar Online - has 120,000 registered users who have pumped out 20,000 videos of their karaoke exploits, which have been watched 2.5 million times by members of the community.

"The term 'social gaming' is widely recognised in 2008 - however, it was relatively new when we launched the first SingStar title in 2004," said Mark Hardy, SCEE's Director of Product Marketing. "That game entered the charts at number one in many countries, allowing us to pioneer the social gaming category and a new market of consumers who might not have bought games before. We really are teaching the world to sing with SingStar - and business for 2008 is looking excellent."

Source: TVG