Harmonix and MTV bring Rock Band to Japan

Harmonix and MTV to Partner with Q Entertainment for Rock Band - Japan

Harmonix Music Systems, the leading developer of music-based games, and MTV Games, a part of Viacom’s MTV Networks, announced today that they will team up with Q Entertainment, a leading Japanese music game designer, to bring the best-selling music videogame Rock Band to Japan. The two studios will work together to develop the title, marking the first US-originated rock music game to be heavily localized for the Japanese market. The game will feature Japanese musical acts as well as other localized assets.

Rock Band’s return to the birthplace of rhythm games will benefit from Q Entertainment’s experience designing progressive and engaging games many of which have a heavy focus on integrating music elements into gameplay. Since its founding in 2003, Tokyo based Q Entertainment has become a leader in rhythm oriented titles, including the critically acclaimed music and luminary action puzzle game series Lumines,and the recently released Extend Every Extra Extreme (E4) and Rez HD for Xbox Live.

Today’s announcement was also featured Saturday at the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards - Japan, where a Rock Band trailer was presented.



The US-version of Rock Band was also prominently featured backstage and at the afterparty, giving Japanese attendees a taste of what’s to come in the newly announced title.

Rock Band, which has sold over 3 million units in North America and Europe, is an all-new platform for music fans and gamers to interact with music. The game challenges players to put together a band and tour for fame and fortune, mastering lead/bass guitar, drums and vocals.With more master recordings than any other music game, Rock Band features some of the world’s biggest rock artists and spans every genre of rock ranging from alternative and classic rock to heavy metal and punk.

Rock Band is a true music platform, with over 12 million songs sold as downloadable content since its initial release. There are currently over 140 songs available for download in the Rock Band Music Store and Harmonix continues to release new music every week.

Since its North American release in 2007, Rock Band has garnered over 40 awards including Game Critics Award: Best of Show E3 2007and three awards at The 11th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards including Outstanding Innovation in Gaming, Family Game of the Year, and Outstanding Achievement in Soundtrack.

Toki Tori for WiiWare in North & South America, Europe and Australia

Two Tribes, the Dutch game developer behind "Worms: Open Warfare 2" for Nintendo DS, announces the full availability of Toki Tori for WiiWare. Toki Tori was a launch game for the European/Australian launch of WiiWare and is available in North and South America as of today, June the 2nd.

Toki Tori has been available for two weeks in Europe and Australia and has met with a lot of praise from the online gaming community. Early reviews have also been favorable, with gamesradar.com claiming:

"Fun, clever, friendly and rewarding, it will stimulate the old noggin without ever feeling like hard work. And that's exactly what puzzle games should do."

The gameplay in Toki Tori is a blend of two genres. While it looks like a platform game, it's a puzzle game by heart. Players will have to look and plan ahead carefully while using a variety of items, such as the Telewarp, Freeze-o-Matic and InstantRockTM to name but a few.

To celebrate its release, Two Tribes has released some new footage in the form of a TV Commercial. The video can be found at:

http://www.tokitori.com/downloads/TokiToriTVCommercial.mov (Quicktime)
http://www.tokitori.com/downloads/TokiToriTVCommercial.wmv (Windows Media Video)

Aces of the Galaxy - plus Action Puzzler - Roogoo - coming to Xbox LIVE Arcade

Experience the thrilling retro arcade space shooter “Aces of the Galaxy,” and enjoy a new type of action-puzzler, “Roogoo,” both launching on Xbox LIVE Arcade this Wednesday 4th June, 2008 at 09.00.



Enjoy the frantic action of “Aces of the Galaxy,” an old fashioned arcade adrenaline-pumping shoot-em-up that allows players to save the Universe from the wicked Skurgian Empire. Players annihilate enemy ships with an impressive arsenal of upgradeable weapons including high-powered missile launchers, devastating torpedoes and the relentless chain gun. Battle intense waves of enemy Skurgians against a breathtaking outer space backdrop, and choose to fight alone or join up with a friend at home or via Xbox LIVE.


“Roogoo” takes puzzles to a whole new level. Help the Roogoo defeat their enemies, the evil Meemoo, in “Roogoo,” a new and innovative action based-puzzler with addictive gameplay. Players line up multiple platforms on different levels to allow shaped blocks to pass through and once enough stack up, that particular shape closes off. A simple premise becomes more complicated as Meemoos begin to obstruct players' paths and butterflies attempt to steal blocks away. Players must swivel, roll and boost their way through 45 puzzle-filled levels alone or with up to four friends in cooperative party mode play. For those with a more competitive spirit, “Roogoo” offers a two-player multiplayer mode over Xbox LIVE where players battle to solve the same puzzle and can build up attacks to defeat their competitors.

Where can I get theses games from?

"Aces of the Galaxy" will be available worldwide for 800 Microsoft Points.

Video for Hellgate - London patch 1.3

Flagship Studios today released a video to coincide with the recent launch of patch 1.3 for its action RPG Hellgate: London. Patch 1.3 offers no less than eight new features including Shared Stash, a Premium Item Merchant, Donation Collectors and Global Buffs, Ranks and the Expertise system.

Interacting with your fellow players has been enhanced with the introduction of optional chat bubbles that appear when players talk and performable emotes that characters now have at their disposal. In Patch 1.3, players can also easily browse lists of chat and emote commands using the two according buttons in the chat panel.

Visit the site here

Battlefield 2142 video game - Patch 1.5 Released

The highly anticipated patch integrating map making skills from the community is now available. The patch integrates the maps Wake Island 2142 and Operation Shingle into the game as well as the ability to use wide-screen resolutions.

read more | digg story

Burnout Paradise - Software Update for PS3 and Xbox 360 new cars modes and more...

At the end of this month (June 2008), the software update Cagney will be released for Burnout Paradise on the PS3 and Xbox 360 with a plethora of fixes, changes, and additions. Some very notable changes include a new title screen, live frontpage, new cars, and more modes.

read more | digg story

Born of blood update released for sword of the stars video game

Sword of the Stars Update 1.5.2 released for Born of Blood, the official add-on to critically acclaimed 4X space strategy game Sword of the Stars. Update 1.5.2 allows current owners of Born of Blood to play on custom maps created by others, and engage in multiplayer action with those who are playing the recently released version included in Sword of the Stars: Collector’s Edition. The Update however does not contain many of the robust features that are exclusive to the Collector’s Edition, such as the ability to share custom maps or create stand-alone servers.

Update 1.5.2 is English only and can be installed over all previous versions of Born of Blood. Some of the key features include:

Play custom maps created by other players and access example custom maps in the Maps folder

New encounters added

Addtional visual feedback to polygon targeting an enemy in combat (i.e. during mass missile launches)

AI enhancements (i.e. prevention of the AI from surrendering too early)

Various performance issues corrected

The ability to observe encounters even if players have other combats queued

The Zuul receive one additional colony despite the map settings and a free bore ship is provided at every initial world

Build queue is now visible from the trade tab in the Empire Summary

New AI player names, badges and portraits to reflect characters and references from The Deacons Tale (visible to 1.5.2 players, but not accessible for personal use)

Drag & drop multiple ships from side list into fleet manager

Though Update 1.5.2 is quite comprehensive, it does not include the following features that are found exclusively in the retail version of Sword of the Stars: Collector’s Edition, which is out now:

• Create a stand-alone game server
• Ability to permanently save a copy of a custom map created by other players
• New ship badges and player avatars
• Use of custom maps in single and multiplayer modes
• The first ever Sword of the Stars novel entitled, The Deacon's Tale by acclaimed science fiction author Arinn Dembo
• Bonus CD with full music tracks (including never-before-released tracks), concept art, video trailers and interviews, and detailed bios for each race

To download Update 1.5.2 and view the complete feature list, visit: www.lighthouse-interactive.com

Real airfield scenery from just flight FSX Airfield for under €5.95 - $7.99 - £4.00

Real Scenery Airfields – White Waltham

Developer: Just Flight
Genre: Flight Simulation
Format: PC – ESD download
UK Release: 2nd June 2008
SRP £3.99 / €5.95 / $7.99


Just Flight is pleased to announce the release of the second instalment in its series of British airfield sceneries for Flight Simulator X. Real Scenery Airfields – White Waltham re-creates the well-known home of the West London Aero Club – a very popular destination for both real and virtual pilots.



Available to download exclusively from Just Flight, and at a special introductory price of just £3.99 / €5.95 / $7.99, Real Scenery Airfields – White Waltham is fantastic value and a must-have for anyone who wants to experience real GA flying in FSX. The product page can be found here -

http://www.justflight.com/product.asp?pid=312

Real Scenery Airfields – Denham, the first out of the blocks, has been very well received by press and public alike and Just Flight’s in-house development team has been spurred on by its success. White Waltham has been designed to the highest standards using high resolution aerial images and on-site research; the scenery includes all the major buildings that make White Waltham instantly recognisable.

Among the many unique features of this scenery is snow on the ground during December and January – a first for FSX add-on airports! As well as the authentically-modelled buildings, custom night textures and high resolution mesh, White Waltham boasts static and AI aircraft, people and objects - there are even animated flocks of birds!

Another first for White Waltham is a fully functioning demo version of the airfield [here] that users can try before they buy.

Demo link –

Demo download

SOFTWARE REQUIREMENTS: Microsoft Flight Simulator X (Service Pack 2 and Acceleration compatible) – Windows Vista or XP

HARDWARE REQUIREMENTS: PC with 3.0 GHz (equivalent or higher) processor, 1.0Gb RAM, graphics card with 128Mb (or higher) video memory, Hard disc space 1.0Gb

Demo Version of SimCity Societies - Updated Content Free Download June 12

SimCity Societies from The Sims Label, Electronic Arts

Demo will show off much of the new fan requested content and features that have been added to the game over the last few months through five free game updates. Just some of the features and content added to Societies include:

· New strategic modes: Basic, Hardcore and Nightmare, each one a more intense challenge to your city buildings skills.
· Three new exotic disasters, including UFOs, a giant robot and a massive monster
· New events and crises, including counter-cultural revolutions, general strikes, epidemics and more
· Easy firefighting controls. Put out the flames faster!
· Improved road placing controls
· Almost countless UI additions, everything more charts and graphs to new auto-execute buttons for special abilities
· City Policies, giving you the power to enact Universal Healthcare, Indoctrination, and other ways to affect, or control, your citizens lives
· Six scenarios ranging from the relaxing the intense
· Dozens of new buildings and special Sims
· More than 100 other additions and improvements

The free downloadable demo will include the tutorial, a challenging scenario and two major disasters.

Look for it on June 12 at www.simcity.com.

The SimCity Societies free game updates are available right now at www.simcity.com. When you download update 5, it will include all previous updates.

Upcoming for SimCity Societies after the demo launch is its first expansion, Destinations, and the massive compilation, The SimCity Box (which includes Societies, Destinations, SimCity 4, SimCity 4 Rush Hour, Snap City and Spore Creature Creator Trial Version), due out on June 23. Check www.simcity.com for more info.

Start a Band and Rock the World with Rock Band Exclusively on Xbox 360

Celebrity Rock Band fans Maximo Park headline search for this summer's biggest rockers and announce June 10th download date for their critically acclaimed track Girls Who Play Guitars

This weekend, at a beachside event in Ibiza ‘Xbox 360 Presents Rock Band Live’ was launched. The promotion allows music fans in France, Germany and the U.K. to Start a Band and Rock the World with Rock Band, a new video game available only on Xbox 360 this summer! Those who give stellar performances on Rock Band could win a rock star lifestyle: living it up VIP style in Ibiza with a week’s holiday at the Ibiza Rocks Hotel.



Rock Band is available exclusively on the Xbox 360 console this summer and is going to be the season’s biggest hit! The game takes the music videogame genre to new heights of enjoyment as music lovers and would be band superstars get access to their favourite artists across the generations from every genre of rock. With an endless supply of digitally distributed content downloaded over Xbox LIVE the game brings together friends and family and challenges players to tour for fame and fortune by mastering lead/bass guitar, drums and vocals.

Xbox 360 Presents Rock Band events will be held in a number of different locations in U.K., France and Germany. Fans will have the opportunity to perform songs on Rock Band from a variety of artists including David Bowie, The Clash, Jet, Radiohead and Garbage. Those who give outstanding performances on Rock Band will make it to the wall of fame on www.xbox.com/rockband with the winners, chosen by MTV and celebrity judges Maximo Park, living like VIPs in Ibiza.

Paul Smith, front man of Newcastle’s finest export and Xbox 360 Presents Rock Band Live judge explains what they will be looking for when picking the winners:

“All the best rock bands have got amazing star quality and whilst they’ve got to play their instruments well they’ve also got to have the showmanship to excite a crowd. From outrageous outfits and haircuts to amazing postural performances we are looking for a group who give us all of this and more on top!”

Maximo Park have been rehearsing furiously for a tour of Europe’s summer music festivals are big fans of Rock Band, performing David Bowie’s Suffragette City at the Xbox 360 Presents Rock Band Live event. The band’s track “Girls Who Play Guitars”, taken from their highly acclaimed album Our Earthly Pleasures, will be available to download and play with Rock Band from Tuesday 10th of June 2008:

“We have an Xbox 360 with Rock Band installed in our rehearsal studio in Newcastle and it’s great for thrashing out some amazing songs,” explains Paul. “We can’t wait until our fans can do the same with Girls Who Play Guitars.”

Rock Band’s amazing offering of over 70 songs to date is available for purchase and to download from Xbox LIVE. New songs will be made available for download on a weekly basis. Full-length albums such as Judas Priest’s Screaming for Vengeance and The Cars self titled album are also available on Xbox LIVE as digitally distributed game levels.

Chris Lewis, Vice President of Xbox 360 Europe concludes:

“Rock Band on Xbox 360 is going to be the biggest game of the summer. It makes rock stars of you, your friends and family, bringing them together to compete not just for high scores but for the ‘stage floor’. With the launch of Xbox 360 Presents Rock Band Live promotion we hope everyone will have a chance to feel like a star, even if only for five minutes.”