Metal Gear Solid 4: Limited Edition and Pre-Order

Metal Gear Saga Vol. 2 leading a Pre-Sales initiative

Konami Digital Entertainment has announced two innovative initiatives for the forthcoming launch of Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots for PLAYSTATION 3 on June 12th.

In advance of the game’s release, Konami has unveiled a pre-order campaign, which will be allied with key retail partners throughout Europe. Consumers who pre-order a copy of Metal Gear Solid 4 can receive an exclusive DVD entitled Metal Gear Saga Vol. 2. This seven-part documentary details the origins of previous Metal Gear games and the evolution of Hideo Kojima’s epic series. This gripping documentary offers a valuable insight into the series and the history of Metal Gear’s iconic hero, Snake.

Scheduled for release on June 12, Konami will also produce a Limited Edition collector’s package. Destined to be a highly sought-after compilation, the package includes a soundtrack CD, a 6” Old Snake action figurine, and an exclusive ‘Making Of’ Blu-ray disc. The Blu-ray disc contains two high-definition documentaries which offer a candid, behind-the-scenes look at the development of Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, with interviews with series creator Hideo Kojima and key Kojima Productions personnel. The Limited Edition will carry a £79.99 RRP.

“Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots is rightly seen as the stand-out title for 2008, and we were determined to come up with something special for its launch,” commented Martin Schneider, European Marketing Director for Konami Digital Entertainment GmbH. “With interest so high, it is only right that we reward fans of the series for pre-ordering the game, and the Metal Gear Saga DVD is a stunning look at how the series has evolved into the phenomenon it has become. Likewise, the Limited Edition is a celebration of all things Metal Gear, and will be prized by those who buy it.”

GRAN TURISMO SERIES SHIPMENT EXCEEDS 50 MILLION

Remarkable Sales Achieved In Only 10 Years And 4 MonthsSince The Original Gran Turismo Launched In 1997

Sony Computer Entertainment announced today that the cumulative worldwide shipment of the Gran Turismo™ franchise, a genre-defining racing and car-life simulator available on PlayStation, PlayStation 2, and PLAYSTATION 3 (PS3) computer entertainment systems, has exceeded 50 million units as of April 30, 2008. This remarkable sales figure was achieved in just 10 years and 4 months since the launch of the first title in the franchise - Gran Turismo, in December 1997.

The Gran Turismo franchise, from the original Gran Turismo to the latest Gran Turismo™ 5 Prologue, has continued to evolve alongside the PlayStation platforms. With its outstanding game play, beautiful graphics and the true to life driving feel, the franchise is recognized as the world’s number one automotive game title on the PlayStation format, receiving high regard not just from game fans, but also from professional racing drivers and people in the automobile industry.

The seventh installment of the world’s best-selling racing franchise, Gran Turismo 5 Prologue introduces entirely new entertainment modes by taking advantage of the broadband network, such as online head-to head racing for up to 16 players, “GRAN TURISMO-TV”; a new in-game online channel that delivers automotive video contents from around the globe, and downloadable additional contents including new cars and courses, only possible on PS3. Gran Turismo 5 Prologue has recorded strong sales since the first launch in Japan in December, 2007, followed by North America and Europe in Spring of 2008, with more than 2 million units of cumulative shipment worldwide and contributing to the further expansion of the PS3 platform.

For all Gran Turismo fans around the world, SCEI and the developer of the Gran Turismo series - Polyphony Digital Inc., will continue hereon to vigorously promote development of the Gran Turismo series, which can be expected to evolve even further through the PS3 platform and broadband network environment.

“Initially, “Gran Turismo” was an “alternative” racing game, kind of an outsider in the genre.” said Kazunori Yamauchi, Producer of Gran Turismo. “And we made it thinking that it would be okay as long as it reached out to “the select few who would agree with us”. So this figure, 50 million units - is simply astounding. If you go to a game store and look for a particular package, and pay for it at the cash register, though the time may be very brief, it still takes at least 3 minutes or so. It’s simply mind boggling and hard to believe that this has been repeated 50 million times all around the world in the last 10 years. I would really like to thank all the fans who have supported the Gran Turismo series over the years, for all their passion and love of the game. We’d like to continue making every effort to create cutting edge, high quality games, so that we don’t disappoint anyone’s expectations.

Title Release Dates in Japan

Gran Turismo December 23, 1997

Gran Turismo 2 December 11, 1999

Gran Turismo 3 A-spec April 28, 2001

Gran Turismo Concept 2001 TOKYO January 1, 2002

Gran Turismo 4 Prologue December 4, 2003

Gran Turismo 4 December 28, 2004

Gran Turismo 5 Prologue December 13, 2007

Advergames For Everyone

There were a number of interesting news tidbits this week, ranging from EA's decision to take a severe Big Brother approach to piracy protection with the upcoming "Mass Effect" and "Spore" PC releases, to the drama between Take Two and the City of Chicago Transportation Authority regarding the removal of $300,000 worth of advertising for "GTA IV," in response to standard fare, violent game fear-mongering. But the most interesting story is Microsoft's new game building functionality from Popfly for its Silverlight rich-media platform.

Popfly is part of Microsoft's Developer Division's Non-Professional team. That mouthful essentially means they worry about how users that aren't actually professional developers can still do cool stuff with Microsoft tools. They just added functionality to the site that allows users to build games by customizing pre-existing game templates.

The Good: This new development opens up many possibilities for hobbies game developers and long-tail marketers to develop simple but potentially compelling games and advergames on a budget. No programming experience or knowledge is required, just some elbow grease and sweat. Once the game is finished, it can be plopped down anywhere on the Internet, from a blog to a company Web site.

The Bad: Silverlight. Not everyone has it, which requires users that want to play the game to download and install the plug-in, assuming they are on a Mac or Linux computer, or on a Windows computer that hasn't run updates recently. Browser compatibility is also limited to Firefox 2.0 and Internet Explorer. Personally, I think Silverlight is a clunky offering compared to Flash (its competition), but that is purely my personal bias. Additionally, the interface, while not requiring any programming knowledge, does have its own learning curve, and it is a bit steep for a lay user.

The Ugly: The alternative. Paying $150,000 for a Flash game developed from scratch may yield a great game that catches on virally, but not all marketing wallets are that large. Popfly offers a free solution, in the hopes of spreading the good word about Silverlight. For marketers unable to pay for development from scratch, or even larger marketers who want to play around with game concepts before committing to development of an advergame, the Popfly solution is an extremely viable one.

For more information on the system, I highly recommend watching this video.

Source: Media Post Publications

Book 13 - Doom of the Last-King for the Lord of the Rings Online

Turbine, Inc. and Codemasters Online announced the details of the fifth content update for subscribers to The Lord of the Rings Online - Shadows of Angmar. Book 13 - Doom of the Last-king continues the epic story of The Lord of the Rings Online, adds an entire new region to the world of Middle-earth, a new Monster Play class and the introduction of the hobby system. Book 13 - Doom of the Last-king is available now to subscribers of The Lord of the Rings Online in North America and Europe.

“The Lord of the Rings Online has grown dramatically in scale, content and the size of our community in its first year of operation,” said Jim Crowley, president and CEO of Turbine, Inc. “We’ve received a very positive response from players about the new region of Forochel and the long-awaited addition of fishing that adds an entirely new level of fun and enjoyment to the game. It’s been an incredible first year and we are hard at work finishing up Book 14 slated for release this summer. All of us are very excited for our journey this fall into the Mines of Moria.”

"We have seen a huge increase in overall players over the last few months as more people than ever move to Middle-earth", said David Solari Vice President of Codemasters Online. "After a fantastic first year we look forward to continued momentum as more and more people try this incredible game".

NEW FEATURES:

• New Region — In the far, frozen north of Eriador lies Forochel, a land unlike any other in Middle-earth. This new region lets players see the ocean for the first time and introduces several new temperature based landscape effects. Players will need to be mindful of the cold due to a new damage type - frost. Frost will slowly damage their character until they find a source of warmth in the form of shelter or a campfire.
  
• New Faction — Beneath the brooding skies of Forochel dwell the hardy tribes known as the Lossoth. Suspicious of outsiders, they have long warred against other folk - especially the Guaredain, bloodthirsty wolf-loving barbarians in league with the forces of Angmar. Players can earn favor with the Lossoth by helping them in the struggle against their ancient enemy in this latest addition to The Lord of the Rings Online’s (LOTRO) reputation system. Lossoth reputation rewards include unique armor sets, weapons, a new mount, housing decorations, and class specific items.
  
• Introducing the Defiler — The first new class for Monster Players debuts in Book 13. The Defiler is a healer that will round out any War Band in their quest to dominate the Ettenmoors. The Defiler uses new healing skills such as Fertile Slime and Fungal Bloom to aid its party in battle and has a host of new Debuff skills including Curse of the Lethargic Heart to defeat their enemies.
  
• The Hobby System — The player hobby system is introduced in Book 13. Fishing is the first hobby being introduced in LOTRO. From the Midgewater Marshes to the Shores of Evendim, players will find fishing to be a relaxing, entertaining and beneficial pastime. Players can earn deeds and traits as they improve their fishing prowess and captured fish can be used to cook in recipes or be mounted as trophies in a player’s house.
  
• The Epic Continues! — At Elrond’s urging, players venture into the frozen wastes of the north to continue Laerdan’s search for the remnants of the ring Narchuil. Aided by the Snowmen of Forochel, players will uncover the fate of an ancestor of Aragorn and strive to thwart the terrible aims of Angmar.
  
• Over 100 New Quests — The story continues for players as they aid the Fellowship and encounter new adventures in Middle-earth.
  

Nintendo Wii Real Heroes - Firefighters

Conspiracy Entertainment, a developer, publisher and marketer of interactive entertainment software in North America and Western Europe, announced today that it has entered into a publishing agreement with Epicenter Studios, developer of Real Heroes: Firefighters ("Real Heroes"), the fire-fighting action game exclusively designed for the Nintendo Wii. According to the agreement, Conspiracy has the rights to market, sell and distribute Real Heroes in the US, Canada, Mexico and South America. Conspiracy expects to begin distribution in the 2nd Quarter of 2009.

Real Heroes emphasizes non-violent, game-integral puzzles that mirror the challenges and on-the-fly choices firefighters face every day. Featuring Epicenter's proprietary "Thinking Fire" technology, Real Heroes' blazes will seem almost alive as they not only attack structures, potential victims and firefighters, but also cause unexpected changes to the environments that will suddenly alter the player's options and strategies. No two scenarios will play out the same way.

"The motion sensing capability of the Wii Remote, combined with Epicenter's intuitive fire technology, equips anyone to step into the role of rookie firefighter," said Sirus Ahmadi, CEO of Conspiracy Entertainment. "Not only is this game thrilling, but its realistic action pays homage to the nation's real firefighters and is appropriate for the whole family."

Epicenter CEO Nathaniel McClure, "We are favorably impressed by Conspiracy's flexibility and industry expertise in reaching the North American marketplace. We look forward to a successful product launch next year."

Keith Tanaka, CFO of Conspiracy Entertainment, said, "We are pleased to add Real Heroes to our product line up for 2009. Designed by some of the world's top gaming producers, the early buzz on Real Heroes has been very positive. We anticipate a very busy year into 2009, including distribution of this highly-anticipated release."

Aardvark Records teams up with gaming company Audio Surf

Aardvark Records and Audio Surf LLC today announcing a partnership which will see the British record label supply the US-based gaming company with its extensive catalogue of pop, rock and dance tracks. The innovative deal will see the initial delivery of 160 songs - including chart hits from Yahel, Zetan Spore, Jeff Alford, Eric M, Little Spitfire and other artists signed to the label - available to Audio Surf enthusiasts.

Audiosurf is the Independent Games Festival 2008 Audience Choice Award winner and the Excellence in Audio award winner. The game is popular with hundreds of thousands of users and a top seller on Steam, the #1 online publisher, for three months with good reason. Audiosurf is a music-adapting puzzle racer where players use their own music to create their own experience. The shape, the speed, and the mood of each ride is determined by the song a player chooses. Players earn points for clustering together blocks of the same colour on the highway, and compete with others on the internet for the high score on their favourite songs.

Like many other racing games, Audiosurf can import music from a player’s collection - including CD audio, MP3s, M4As, WMAs and OGGs. Unlike those other games, Audiosurf actually analyzes each track a player uploads and generates a course specific to that song, using the primary instruments to place coloured blocks and tempo to alter the elevation of the highway. The result is a compelling and intuitive experience. As a song slows, players find themselves slowing, moving uphill, weaving between lanes and casually scooping up the blocks. As the tempo increases, players start heading downhill and pick up speed until the blocks are flashing past so quickly it's practically dizzying. Music can be shared amongst players, however, not in the peer-to-peer or download sense of sharing music. Songs sit on the game’s central server and can be accessed directly, through recommendations made by Audiosurf itself or through Audiosurf’s virtual radio station.

Artists receive branding in the game with links to artists’ websites, promotional artwork, artist details and other information embedded with their songs.

Aardvark Record Director, Alex di Savoia, said: “I didn’t hesitate when Audio Surf got in touch regarding the availability of our catalogue. It was a no-brainer. The appeal of the platform was that self-evident.” di Savoia laughed when asked if he tried the game himself. “Audiosurf has to be one of the most addictive games I’ve come across in a long time. I keep telling myself it’s all to better aid the research process; figuring out which tracks work and which don’t. I’ve played the game using everything I could throw at it: Bjork, Tiesto, Frank Sinatra, Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins, Earth Wind and Fire and our own Zetan Spore and Yahel.”

X-Blades - Corridor of Power now revealed

First information about the interface of the action spectacular now available

You all know that Ayumi, that charismatic heroine in the Anime spectacular "X-Blades", has lots of real cool moves and combat techniques - but you can only reap the full benefit of all these skills if you can call them up fast and accurately with your mouse or controller. That's why the developers invested a lot of time and effort in developing an interface that's straightforward and good to look at too - the attached screenshot will give you an idea of what to expect and here’s a summary of the elements for you:

Upper left - life energy and magical skills default values. Lower left - current spells, in an amulet. Right - combat displays. Screen top - currently collected experience points. Lower right - another Life bar that tells you at a glance how your opponent's health is. Screen center - graphic portrayal of especially successful attack combos. Here you can see your score, including multiplicators and commentary, plus optical extra - small bolts of lightning in the glass tube accompany the special combinations.

First Gameplay Footage from - Gears of War 2 available on Xbox LIVE Video Store

Epic Games and Microsoft Game Studios Reveal the First Gameplay Footage from "Gears of War 2" Available on Xbox LIVE Video Store

Players eager for a look at the highly anticipated Xbox 360 exclusive “Gears of War 2” can soon experience the heart-pounding action when the video becomes available for download on Xbox LIVE Video Store on Saturday 10th May at 7am.

With a personal introduction by Epic Games Design Director Cliff Bleszinski, the trailer captures the essence of the bigger, better and more badass gameplay in “Gears of War 2.” Featuring the first in-game look at chainsaw duels, large scale fire fights with Locust Horde and stunning new visuals, the action-packed video is sure to please fans around the world.

“Gears of War 2” is the highly anticipated follow up to the best-selling Xbox 360 exclusive “Gears of War,” and will be available this November from acclaimed developer Epic Games.

The “Gears of War 2” Assault trailer can be downloaded from the following locations shortly after 7am on Saturday 10th May

SIERRA ENTERTAINMENT REVEALS INNOVATIVE MULTIPLAYER MAP PACK FOR TIMESHIFT

TIRED OF THE SAME OLD TEAM DEATHMATCH?

SIERRA ENTERTAINMENT REVEALS INNOVATIVE MULTIPLAYER MAP PACK FOR TIMESHIFTTM

Sierra Entertainment today revealed plans to launch the Futures-Past Multiplayer Map Pack, a new downloadable content (DLC) package for TimeShift for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, available for free download on 9th May 2008. The map pack features five new multiplayer maps for players to unravel while annihilating online enemies with time-bending chrono grenades. Each map presented in the DLC package supports classic multiplayer modes: One-on-One, Deathmatch, and Team Deathmatch, but TimeShift’s exclusive multiplayer modes, King of Time and Meltdown Madness modes reveal the future of multiplayer fragging.

For more information on downloadable content package, Futures-Past Multiplayer Map Pack, be sure to visit the official website at www.timeshiftgame.com.

Microsoft, Xbox, Xbox 360 Xbox LIVE and the Xbox logos are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies.

First Gears of War 2 Gameplay Video!

It's here, the first ever video footage of Gears of War 2 for Xbox 360! It's two full minutes of freaking awesome gameplay video.

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