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Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Video Game Review: Buzz! The Hollywood Quiz


With the success of the movie board game Scene It? and it’s exclusive video game on Xbox 360, it was only a matter of time when we’d see a copycat game on another system. Well, thanks to Sony Computer Entertainment of America and it’s hit trivial “Buzz!” games we now have “Buzz! The Hollywood Quiz” for the Playstation 2.

When you first see the display box, the first thing you’ll notice is that it contains four of its own controllers. Each controller has a large red button, much like something you’d see on Family Feud. Bellow that, four small rectangular buttons. Each with it’s own color (blue,orange,green,and yellow). Obviously the goal was to give you a game show feel while playing. Luckily, each controller is connected together to one USB port-meaning you can also play this on the PS3.

When you boot up the game you’ll notice the host looks somewhat like a 3-D Philip from South Park. But less funny and more annoying. A lot like Ryan Seacrest actually. What’s even more upsetting is he’ll say the same thing over and over. Nothing will ever change. This can easily get REALLY annoying. The game in total has seven different rounds with seven different types of games. Some good, and some well…not so good. Here are a few examples:


Faster Finger: Each Contestant studies a photo of either an actor or a scene of a movie. The game will give you four multiple choice answers. The faster you choose the more points you receive. Very meh.

Source: SlashFilm

Gamers skate into action with - Skate It - on Nintendo Wii and Nintendo DS


'Skate It' Delivers Popular Flickit Controls and Introduces Support for Wii Balance Board to Deliver Unique Skateboarding Experience

Electronic Arts today announced Skate It, a new game in the award-winning Skate franchise that taps into the heart and soul of being on a skateboard. Designed exclusively for the Wii and Nintendo DS systems, Skate It has Nintendo players riding with the skate pros, owning the best spots in San Vanelona and pulling off the sickest tricks using the popular FlickIt controls. Loaded with all-new gameplay features, Skate It breaks new ground by introducing innovative support for the Wii Balance board which gives players a fresh way to create their own signature skateboarding style.



“We knew it would be an exciting challenge to bring the soul and feel of skateboarding to the Wii and Nintendo DS,” said Scott Blackwood, Executive Producer - Skate franchise. “With fresh new designs and gameplay components built from scratch, we’ve been able to, once again, capture the true experience of skateboarding in a completely innovative way.”

Skate It unleashes the FlickIt revolution on to the Nintendo platforms, letting gamers use the Wii remote or the Nintendo DS stylus to string together their best tricks for the ultimate skate line. The Wii remote becomes a skateboard and reacts to gestures that mirror actual skate flips and moves. Players can also deepen this experience by planting their feet on the Wii Balance board. Skate It brings the hit Skate franchise to a new level of creative ingenuity and gameplay excellence.

Monday, May 12, 2008

Rare says "Gamers shouldn't judge Banjo-Kazooie based on SS"


George Kelion has said that these screenshots only show how pretty the game is, and that gamers shouldn't judge it based on them alone. “You can’t tell altogether that much from the screenshots other than the fact that it’s pretty,” Kelion said.

read more | digg story

Race Driver - GRID playable demo now available


PC gamers can get off the grid and race the world right now as Codemasters announces that the Race Driver - GRID playable demo for Games For Windows is now available to download from http://community.racedrivergrid.com/.

Delivering intense competition right from the off, the demo enables players to compete in single-player GRID World events and 12-player online races.

In the single-player GRID World showdowns, take to the wheel of a Ford Mustang GT-R on the streets of San Francisco in the eBay Motors Muscle Cup; in Japan, compete in a Nissan S15 Silvia in the Advan Drift Trophy at Yokohama Docks, while the sweeping curves and hairpins of the Jarama circuit in Spain plays host to the Euro Touring Cars championship featuring BMW 320si touring cars.

For players who want to compete online, the demo delivers 12-player online competitions at the European and U.S. locations.

Race Driver: GRID is coming May 30th (Europe/PAL) for Games For Windows, the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and the PLAYSTATION 3 computer entertainment system. A Nintendo DS edition will follow.

The Race Driver: GRID playable demo is also available for the Xbox 360 from Xbox LIVE Marketplace and for the PLAYSTATION 3 system from the PLAYSTATION Network. For all driver briefings and the latest videos, be sure to visit www.racedrivergrid.com

New screenshots from Sudden Strike 3 Arms for Victory addon



Leading video game developer and publisher, Fireglow Games, today announces a new batch screenshots from Sudden Strike 3 Arms for Victory addon.

In order to make battles more realistic and to improve the gameplay, we have decided to add a new feature for armor units to transport infantry.

About Sudden Strike 3 - Arms for Victory:



Sudden Strike 3: Arms for Victory is the latest instalment in the award-winning, critically acclaimed and hugely popular Sudden Strike series. It features historically authentic models built to scale, fully interactive giant maps and full 3-D state-of-the-art graphics in the popular Sudden Strike style. Only Sudden Strike plays like the 'real thing'. WW2 gaming at its best: on land, at sea and in the air!

Features:



• Fully interactive landscape (all objects can be destroyed, all buildings and pillboxes can be used as shelter)
• Massive operations on big maps, strategic scale of the maps (front line can be a few kilometres long)
• Thousands of units fighting in real time
• More than 300 tanks, ships, soldiers, guns and planes with original weapons built to scale
• Great sounds, 5.1 supported, nations speak native languages
• New feature - advanced Micro AI-behaviour allows your troops to act exactly as you plan
• Joint naval and ground operations, air raids, artillery strikes etc.
• State-of-the-art technology to render 3D landscape, realistic lines of sight and fire
• Spectacular visual & lighting effects
• Multiplayer mode: up to 8 players, GameSpy supported
• Five campaigns playable for American, British, German, Japanese and Soviet sides

Cake Mania - In The Mix! for Nintendo Wii


Popular Online PC Franchise From Sandlot Games Coming To Nintendo Wii

Baking bedlam goes motion-based as Majesco Entertainment, an innovative provider of video games for the mass market, and Sandlot Games, a leading developer and publisher of casual and family-friendly games, today announced Cake Mania - In The Mix! for Nintendo Wii.

Following the hectic, time-management style gameplay of the original Cake Mania, and the branching storyline of Cake Mania 2, Cake Mania: In The Mix! introduces all-new characters, motion-based mini-games and a unique co-op mode where cake baking heroine Jill Evans receives some much needed assistance. Based on Sandlot Games’ award-winning PC franchise that has been downloaded more than 80 million times worldwide and sold 315,000 units on Nintendo DS™, Cake Mania: In The Mix! is expected to release in Europe and PAL territories in early 2009.

“Joining Cake Mania’s trademark resource management play with the Wii’s motion-based control is a natural extension of an incredibly successful brand on PC and DS,” said Gui Karyo, Executive Vice President of Operations, Majesco. “The Wii version’s expanded feature set, ranging from catering integration to cake design mini-games, enables fans of the series to experience the franchise in an entirely new way.”

“We are thrilled to combine Majesco’s expertise on the Wii platform with the massive fan base and addictive gameplay of Cake Mania,” said Daniel Bernstein, founder and CEO, Sandlot Games. “The combination of a great story, memorable characters and the Wii platform will deliver something that Cake Mania fans have never seen before.”

In Cake Mania: In The Mix! players use the Wii Remote to lead Jill through nine new bakeries filled with baking and frosting mania. Aspiring bakers control every aspect of the business, from serving cakes and advertising in the Dessert Daily newspaper, to running a catering business by phone.

By unlocking bonus levels, players can expand the bakery to exotic locales on the moon, under the sea and in the rainforest, among others. In addition, the all-new Shop Rating feature lets players earn extra cash, promote catering services and unlock special kitchen upgrades and new cake designing mini-games where they can use the Wii Remote as a cake decorating tool.

Additional new game features include:
• 10 customer friendly bakery add-ons: fish tank, bench, table, table game, promotional decorations and more!
• Phone system allows players to accept catering orders and increase their business exponentially.
• Demanding customers ranging from ninjas to pregnant moms to leprechauns.

Frontier's LostWinds launches with WiiWare in the Americas

As of 5 a.m. PST today, millions of families in the Americas now have LostWinds available in their living rooms - an enchanting adventure bursting with new gameplay ideas that embrace the innovative controller of the Wii.

www.frontier.co.uk/games/lostwinds

That's when Nintendo of America launched WiiWare, a brand new way of delivering games over the Internet straight to your Wii console, with LostWinds as a launch title.

LostWinds puts the power of the wind in the palm of your hand – from raging tornados to the gentlest breeze – as you wield your Wii Remote to guide and protect Toku, a young boy who is the only one who can help you in your quest to release a curse placed on the stunningly presented, magical land of Mistralis. You'll power Toku's jumps and glides through different regions, suspend and smash enemies, meet friends and solve puzzles to progress through the game's environments, which have been designed to encourage and reward exploration using LostWinds' novel, intuitive and playful control system.

"LostWinds has a great new control mechanic that makes the game feel really fresh – I think the quality of the game and the fact it's a WiiWare launch title are things we can be really proud of "
said David Braben, Frontier's Chairman and founder.

LostWinds can be downloaded for 1000 Wii Points, is rated E for Everyone [mild fantasy violence] by the ESRB, and has been created especially for Wii by Frontier, who are the developers behind RollerCoaster Tycoon 3, which was a USA No1 game and is part of the second biggest selling PC game franchise of all time, and Thrillville, which was the USA's No1 original kids game in 2006.

Nintendo launches WiiWare - an open playground for creativity


Downloadable Game Service Delivers Developers' New Ideas Directly to Consumers

Nintendo's Wii console has already changed the way people play games. Now its new WiiWare service decisively tears down limitations for how developers create games - and the way people receive them.

Starting today, Wii owners with an Internet connection can download new, creative games from a wide range of developers, from large publishers to indie shops. By reducing the barriers that make console game development prohibitively expensive, WiiWare showcases original ideas in the most democratic environment in industry history, connecting the people who make games more directly with the people who play them.

WiiWare frees developers from the traditional constraints of video game development. WiiWare lets developers experiment with big ideas and small budgets to the benefit of players everywhere. Newer, smaller teams now have an outlet for their creative ideas. The constantly growing WiiWare library will have a regular flow of unique video gaming experiences consumers might not otherwise have access to.

"WiiWare is to the video game industry what independent films are to Hollywood," said Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America's executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. "WiiWare lets developers experiment with new ideas and experiences. Combined with our collection of classic Virtual Console games, Wii provides one-stop shopping for the greatest games of the past - and the future."

WiiWare games are easy to download. Just go to the WiiWare section of the Wii Shop Channel, find the game you want, redeem Wii Points and start the download. Wii Points can be purchased in the Wii Shop Channel or at retail outlets. New games, at various Wii Point values, will be added to WiiWare on Mondays. The newly launched Nintendo Channel on Wii will let people view videos of and read information about WiiWare games and other Nintendo products. Users also can see player opinions to help them decide what to play next.

Today, the inaugural lineup of WiiWare games is just a taste of things to come:

FINAL FANTASY CRYSTAL CHRONICLES - My Life as a King (Square Enix, 1 player, Rated E for Everyone - Mild Fantasy Violence, Mild Suggestive Themes, 1,500 Wii Points): FINAL FANTASY CRYSTAL CHRONICLES: My Life as a King takes a legendary franchise and launches it into the realm of simulation gaming. Players are challenged to rebuild a kingdom, leading its young king on a path of discovery through an adventure bristling with mystery and intrigue.

LostWinds (Frontier Development, 1-2 players, Rated E for Everyone - Mild Fantasy Violence, 1,000 Wii Points) - A fresh, enchanting platform adventure that puts the power of the wind in the palm of your hand - from raging tornados to the gentlest breeze. You'll wield your Wii Remote controller to power Toku's jumps and glides, suspend and smash enemies, meet friends and solve puzzles using LostWinds' novel, intuitive and playful control system.

Defend your Castle (XGen Studios, 1-4 players, Rated E for Everyone - Cartoon Violence, 500 Wii Points): Defend your Castle takes place on a grassy plain surrounded by invaders. You are the commander of your castle, and it is your duty to fling the invading enemies sky-high, watching them plummet to their demise. As you progress, add powerful spells and upgrades to your arsenal for repelling the attacks. How long can you hold them off?

Pop (Nnooo, 1-4 players, Rated E for Everyone, 700 Wii Points): Pop bubbles to score points and stop the timer from running out. Pop can be enjoyed by anyone - casual gamers can simply play to pop bubbles and keep the game moving, whereas advanced players will need to pick their shots rapidly and accurately and generate combos to maximize their score.

V.I.P. Casino: Blackjack (High Voltage Software®, Inc., 1-4 players, Rated T for Teen - Simulated Gambling, 700 Wii Points): V.I.P. Casino: Blackjack re-creates the casino experience, with fully animated players and a realistic Las Vegas dealer. Single players can increase their bankrolls, while multiple players can engage in a head-to-head mini-blackjack tournament.

TV Show King (Gameloft, 1-4 players, Rated E for Everyone, 1,000 Wii Points): TV Show King transforms your living room into a real TV quiz show studio where you'll face the challenge of answering more than 3,000 questions across six different categories. Compete against family and friends and use your Wii Remote controller in original ways to make it to the finals to see who can win the greatest amount of cash in one final, deciding duel.


For more information about WiiWare, visit WiiWare.com. Remember that Wii features parental controls that let adults manage the content their children can access. For more information about this and other Wii features, visit Wii.com.

Hammer Creative Takes Home - Best Video Game Trailer - Award


Hammer Creative has been honored with the award for the year’s “Best Video Game Trailer” at the 9th Annual Golden Trailer Awards for their THE SIMPSONS GAME - MEDAL OF HOMER (Electronic Arts) trailer.

This win marks the third year in a row that Hammer Creative has garnered this prestigious recognition, and is preceded by Best Video Game Trailer awards for THE GODFATHER - THE GAME (2006) and TOM CLANCY’S SPLINTER CELL - DOUBLE AGENT (2007).

"It's a real tribute to our video game team, led by Scott Hayman and Jim Botko, that we have had such consistent, long term creative success in the video game arena,”
commented Hammer Creative founder Mark Pierce.

“EA has been a terrific partner and we look forward to our continued relationship with them.”

Tamagotchi Connexion - Corner Shop 3 for Nintendo DS


Tamagotchi Town Opens for Business in October 2008 with All New Features and Lots More Fun

Atari today announced the forthcoming launch of NAMCO BANDAI Games’ Tamagotchi Connexion: Corner Shop 3 for the Nintendo DS. Available in Europe from October 2008, Tamagotchi Connexion: Corner Shop 3 will feature the most well-stocked store lineup to date, with 13 brand new shops to run and expand, a park to design and visit, and the ability to trade journals with your friends via Wi-Fi.

Business in Tamagotchi Town is booming, and over a dozen new shops have moved in. Help manage these brand new shops and keep customers coming back for more. When the work day is done, relax in your very own park that you've created. You can write in your journal to record the day’s events, and share items and journals with your friends over Wi-Fi.

Tamagotchi Connexion: Corner Shop 3 introduces players to the responsibilities of running a successful businesses in a fun and creative way. Key game features include:

• All New Stores: Find over a dozen brand new stores to run! Bake fresh bread at the Bakery, plan a party at the Event Coordinator shop, or scoop ice cream at the Ice Cream Parlor. Combine and upgrade stores to keep happy customers coming back for more.

• Create Your Own Park: Create a relaxing and fun park to hang out with friends and chat with other Tamagotchis. Decorate your park with fountains, gardens and other items to be discovered. Come back often to see how your park has changed.

• More Characters: The popular Violetchi joins in on the fun with Mametchi, Kuchipatchi and Memetchi to team up with players and help them run the best business they can.

• Connect With Friends: Share items and swap journals with friends via a wireless connection.


Tamagotchi Connexion: Corner Shop 3 is scheduled for European launch in October 2008.