Space Empires V PC game Patch v1.74

new Patch for “Space Empires V.” The Space Empires V patch version 1.74 will update the English U.S. version of “Space Empires V” to version 1.74. See the history.txt file for a complete list of the changes and fixes included in the patch. The new Space Empires V patch will also be available to Steam users to download via Steam.

Download the patch today directly from the Space Empires website at:
http://www.spaceempires5.com/files/se5patch_v174.exe

The history file can also be downloaded directly from the Space Empires website at:
http://www.spaceempires5.com/files/se5patch_v174.txt

About Space Empires V

“Space Empires V” is the new edition in the Space Empires series. This new chapter’s completely updated UI takes the player into a real-time rendered 3D universe. Watch space battles played out with incredible detail and realistic effects. Expand, Explore, Exploit, and Exterminate in a huge living and breathing galaxy. New features abound, with political alliances between multiple empires, top-down ship design systems, hexagonal movement grids, and much more.

Mobile Rally Game to use iPhone as Steering Wheel

The iPhone is a handy little gadget - goodbye Wii?
Following yesterday's news that Apple could kill off the DS, last night a US event was held to show off key games for the iPhone.

Apple's CEO Steve Jobs played through demos from Sega, Pangea, Digital Legends, eBay and more, while also confirming that only two price points will exist for iPhone games: free and $9.99 (£5).

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PC Game - International Cricket Captain 2008 with England hero Monty Panesar

The worlds No 1 cricket management game teams up with England's king of spin to launch International Cricket Captain 2008

Best selling cricket management franchise, International Cricket Captain 2008 will release on 27th June 2008. International Cricket Captain 2008 is the most realistic and in-depth cricket management game to date. With a complete statistical update, a remodelled game engine and a vastly enhanced and re-designed interface and the most up to date statistics available, International Cricket 2008 is set to reclaim its place amongst the sports management elite.

Monty Panesar, Northamptonshire and England’s leading spin bowler said “International Cricket Captain 2008 has everything a cricket fan could possibly want.” James Spice, Empire Interactive VP of Marketing added, “Monty Panesar is one of the hottest talents in world cricket today and a legend among the England fans. We’re delighted to be working with him on what is the most spectacular version of International Cricket Captain to date.”

International Cricket Captain 2008 is set to be the world’s No1 cricket management game for cricket fans of all ages. Gamers can manage all aspects of their team’s progress from transfers, team selection and training to detailed match tactics on the road to ultimate cricketing glory! International Cricket Captain 2008 will launch on 27th June 2008 and will be available exclusively for PC.

“We've redesigned the fielding engine with a new range of features, each modelled on thousands of real matches which has helped us to produce our most accurate simulation yet,.” Commented Chris Child, CEO Childish Things, “The interface has been overhauled to incorporate the ball-tracker as a central feature and give the game a more intuitive and relaxing feel.”

Gamers can now manage all aspects of their team’s progress from transfers, team selection and training to detailed match tactics on the road to ultimate cricketing glory! International Cricket Captain 2008 will launch on 27th June 2008 and will be available exclusively for PC.

Product Information:

International Cricket Captain 2008 is the most realistic and in-depth cricket management game to date. Take charge of a domestic or international team and experience the highs and lows of cricket management on the road to ultimate glory. With a complete statistical update and brand new features, this edition raises the benchmark for cricket management simulation.

Complete statistical update

• Complete player database containing every player currently playing first class or List-A limited overs cricket from around the world. (Over 3000 players).
• Comprehensive domestic and international fixtures for 2008 and all future scheduled fixtures.
• Accurate and up to date rules reflecting the latest regulations.

More game play options & features

• More game play options with NEW coaching and player development attributes.
• NEW youth player options, develop and select youth players in your first team squad.
• NEW and improved match screen, including an all-new integrated ball-tracker and statistics window.
• Improved 3D game highlights with an extensive range of NEW diving and slip catch animations.
• Re-balanced game engine with accurate match simulation.
• Optimised game engine speeds up game play.
• Improved new player generation keeps the game realistic for over 100 years.
• Track your bowler's performance with realistic ball dynamics accurately simulating bowling speeds, spin and swing.
• Full range of over 60 classic strokes and aggressive slogs covering classic shots such as; defence, sweeps, drives, cuts, hooks and more.
• Online play: challenge players from all over the world using your own team and score rating points in our online league.
• Two player: Play against a friend with your choice of teams in a test or one-day series.
• Includes tips and advice for novices and managers of all levels.
• Real-time updates as play progresses.
• Commentary from Test Match Special's Jonathan (Aggers) Agnew.

Match modes

• County & International Career: captain both the county team and international team of your choice from the start of the game.
• Exhibition Match: go straight into a one off match with two international teams in either Twenty20 or a One Day International (ODI) match.
• Match Series: create a Test or One Day series of your choice with any two international teams.
• World Cup Series: replay the 2007 World Cup tournament in the West Indies.
• Play against a friend or challenge 1000's of teams online for ultimate cricketing glory.

Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli July release on PlayStation 3 Nintendo Wii - DS and PlayStation 2

Veteran videogame publisher System 3 has today revealed the news that its hotly anticipated racing simulation Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli will see a July release throughout Europe.

Following an extended tuning session prior to its debut on the track, Ferrari Trofeo Pirelli boasts the most authentic, authoritative, demanding and downright thrilling racing ever to come to consoles.

Featuring 50 Ferraris painstakingly modelled right down to the smallest detail, gamers are able to drive across every Ferrari Challenge series track with supreme handling, realistic AI and the most comprehensive custom vinyl editor ever offered in a racing title. On PlayStation 3, an amazing 16 racers are also able to compete on the online tarmac – in the most intense multiplayer racing ever seen on the console.



Throughout the development of Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli, Bruno Senna, nephew of F1 legend Ayrton, has acted as technical director, advising on everything from engine sounds to vehicle handling and has been instrumental in crafting one of the most anticipated racers of the year.

Mark Cale, CEO of System 3 said: “This, literally, is the ‘Ferrari of videogames’. We’ve been confident from the very beginning that not only will we deliver a licence worthy of the Ferrari name, but a racing simulation like no other. With the input of Bruno Senna, the expertise of Eutechnyx and System 3’s pursuit of excellence, gamers will be stunned by the realism and sheer fun to be had with Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli when it sees release in July.”

“We want to redefine what people expect of licensed racers with an attention to detail and playability unmatched by other racing simulations.”



Features

• Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli is the only video game to feature every track from the world renowned 430 series Ferrari Challenge. Every track has been recreated in painstaking detail, offering a racing experience closer to real life than ever before.


• Recreating the experience of driving a Ferrari isn’t just about visual flair, but about how the car feels and sounds. System 3 has modelled each car in exquisite detail with engine and environmental audio recorded both internally and externally.


• Once the race is over, watch television quality replays of the race from beginning to end. From behind the action, inside the wheel arch or overhead views, there is no competition for Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli’s replay system.


• Driving the average car is nothing compared to the thrill and excitement of stepping behind the wheel of a Ferrari. Utilising some of the best development talent in the videogames and motorsport industries, System 3 has crafted a game that demands respect, and rewards it in return. With some of the most advanced handling physics achieved on each format, nothing will feel like a Ferrari before or after you sit behind the wheel in Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli.

Google Maps meets 'Grand Theft Auto'

Who would have believed Google's geographic Web services could actually get your adrenaline going? Granted, these aren't real video games, but two Web sites are pushing what can be done with interactive interfaces to Google Maps and Google Earth.

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Monster Jam: Urban Assault the genre-defining monster truck action game

Monster Jam: Urban Assault. The genre-defining monster truck action in the original hit Monster Jam has destroyed the stadium barriers and players will now be able to wreak havoc on city streets around the world. The game will be available on the PlayStation2 computer entertainment system, PSP (PlayStationPortable) system, Wii and Nintendo DS in fall 2008.

Selling a record of over 4 million tickets at over 325 performances in 2007 at the premier stadiums and arenas in the world, Monster Jam is one of the best known touring entertainment brands in both North America and Europe, in addition to its recent international expansion into Central America. The 2008 Monster Jam tour kicked off this year with further record breaking attendances and is on pace to be the greatest year to date in terms of live event attendance, television coverage on network and cable, worldwide licensed merchandise, international event growth and online presence.



"Last year's launch of the Activision produced Monster Jam, which was the first Monster Jam branded video game at retail in over five years, exceeded our expectations in terms of both gameplay and positive fan response," Charlie Mancuso, President of Live Nation Motor Sports, Inc. "But Monster Jam fans and gamers are not easily satisfied. For the sequel, we agreed with Activision that we had only one choice: throw the rules out the window and go for total destruction outside the normal Monster Jam environments!"

Taking Monster Jam monster trucks onto the streets and other urban settings and being rewarded for the scale of the damage and destruction is one of the new key features of Monster Jam: Urban Assault. Feel the crunch of twisting metal underneath as you drive legendary and world famous monster truck favourites like Grave Digger, Maximum Destruction, Monster Mutt, El Toro Loco, Captain's Curse, and Blue Thunder, or select from newer stars on the Monster Jam tour like Stone Crusher, Backwards Bob and Spitfire Monster Truck. Your goal is to demolish every vehicle you see.

"What would Monster Jam fans do if they could unleash the raw power of the world's biggest and baddest monster trucks in an urban setting, however they liked? Monster Jam: Urban Assault is our attempt to answer this question," said Dave Oxford, Activision Publishing. "We are confident Monster Jam fans and all gamers will enjoy doing things like crushing a NYC cab or smashing through one of London's famous double-decker buses."

For purists, Monster Jam: Urban Assault will still offer stadium racing and stadium freestyle competitions with gamezplay much improved over the original game. Mini games have also been added, including ones brand new to the franchise like Monster Jump, Truck Trickster, Skee Ball and Air Strike.

Stay tuned to www.MonsterJamOnline.com to learn how you can have a chance to qualify for the second annual Monster Jam Video Game National Tournament. The inaugural tournament was won at the 2008 Monster Jam World Finals in Las Vegas by 14-year-old Jordan Rager of Loganville, Georgia after he qualified through a series of regional qualifiers at the Atlanta Georgia Dome and Las Vegas' Sam Body Stadium.

The “Whore”-ible Truth About Video Game Hookers

It may be one of the oldest professions in existence, but lady-companions are a still-evolving addition to the virtual world. Are games devolving into complete sexual escapes, or is the world which produces them merely expanding its horizons...horizontally.

read more | digg story

Atari team up with Renault for Driving Theory Training on Nintendo DS

Atari UK have teamed up with Renault UK for ‘Driving Theory Training’ on Nintendo DS.

Renault will be the official car manufacturer featured in the driving mini games. Their cars will also feature in the ‘learn about your car’ section of the application.

This will be the first time that the Nintendo DS has been used as a new media device to help learners study and simulate the actual test. Driving Theory Training is aimed at provisional license holders who need that little extra help to be successful when the day of the real test comes around and offers valuable help to anyone who’s learning to drive.

Available in August 2008, Driving Theory Training will feature driving theory questions and answers officially licensed by the DSA (Driving Standards Agency). In addition to a full theory test based on the real life exam, learners can benefit from revision, graphs, mini games and questions and answers relating to vehicles. The application also features the full Highway-code, ways to learn and revise as well as fun games to entertain whilst stimulating the mind.



“We’re very pleased at the feedback we’ve been getting on this title, and it will most definitely help those that need that added support for their theory exam as well as assist current drivers who want to brush up on their skills.” Lee Kirton ‘Head of UK PR’ Atari UK

Driving Theory Training is on sale August 29th for Nintendo DS

Dion Phaneuf named worldwide cover athlete of EA's NHL 09

NHL Stars Alexander Ovechkin and Daniel Alfredsson Featured on Packaging in Russia and Sweden Respectively

Calgary Flames defenseman Dion Phaneuf will be the cover athlete and spokesman for NHL 09. With just three NHL seasons under his belt, Dion Phaneuf has been nominated for the 2007-2008 Norris Trophy, is a two-time All-Star, and has put up 159 points thus far in his short NHL career. Phaneuf is joined by some of the NHL’s biggest international stars on packaging across Europe, including Alexander Ovechkin (Russia) and Daniel Alfredsson (Sweden). NHL 09 is being developed under the EA SPORTS brand by EA Canada in Vancouver, B.C and will be available worldwide this September.

“It is an incredible honor to be named to the cover of NHL 09,” said Phaneuf. “I’ve been a really big fan of the franchise for as long as I can remember and am looking forward to being the face of the game this year, particularly because of the significant improvements that have been made to the defensive game and the new checking engine.”

Player Territory Team
Dion Phaneuf Worldwide* Calgary Flames
Alexander Ovechkin Russia Washington Capitals
Daniel Alfredsson Sweden Ottawa Senators
*with the exception of the countries named below

As the successor to the critically acclaimed NHL 08, winner of seven sports game of the year awards, NHL 09 builds on the momentum of last year, with innovative controls, added depth and new features designed to help newcomers jump into the series.

The revolutionary Skill Stick System evolves to bring an unparalleled level of control to the defensive side of the puck. The all new Defensive Skill Stick gives you the ability to sweep your stick to block passing lanes and lift an opponent’s stick to prevent one-timers. Take your game online with 6 vs.6 team play, where 12 people can play together on 12 different consoles around the world. With new teams from the Russian, Czech Republic and German Elite leagues, NHL 09 connects hockey fans around the globe like never before.

Players new to the series can now shoot, pass and check with ease. NHL 09 features Be A Pro, a game mode that will put you on the ice with a dynamic new 3rd person camera that allows you to play the role of one player. With a performance tracker grading your progress in more than 50 categories, you will know exactly where you need to improve to become the next NHL superstar.

The EA SPORTS NHL franchise is the #1 selling hockey game and the No1 selling sports game in Canada**. The game will be available for the PLAYSTATION 3 computer entertainment system, PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system, Xbox 360 video game system from Microsoft, and PC. For more information, log onto www.easports.com/nhl09. Media can find screenshots and video of the game at http://info.ea.com.

Card-Based Strategy RPG Yggdra Union For Sony PSP System

Yggdra Union, a card-based strategy RPG for the Sony PlayStation Portable system (PSP). 

For years, strategy RPG fans have accepted repetitive, non-interactive battle sequences as the genre standard; few games have dared to break the mold. Yggdra Union blows through, shattering the mold into tiny, unrecognizable bits. 

One reviewer wrote of the game’s ground-breaking mechanics, “It's no easy feat to invigorate a genre that has remained fairly set in its ways for the last few generations, let alone do it with the imagination and energy present here.”* Experience a fresh mix of turn-based strategy and real-time action, constantly engaging the player and providing intense, riveting gameplay combined with tactical card-based combat.

Originally released for Game Boy Advance to warm praise, Yggdra Union is beautifully remade and loaded with enhancements, including fully remastered audio and visuals (featuring the artwork of famed character designer and manga artist Satoko Kiyuzuki), fully-voiced dialogue in both Japanese and English, a widescreen aspect ratio, additional difficulty settings, new unlockable content, and more… all exclusive to the PSP system!



Yggdra Union is currently scheduled for release on September 16.

Key Features

• Break-the-mold strategy system – Turn-based strategy meets real-time action in this innovative battle mechanic! Build your strongest deck of cards to rain down special attacks, monitor the aggression meter to adjust the power of each hit, and create troop unions that will overwhelm the enemy’s numbers.
  
• Rebuilt for the PSP – Yggdra Union is brand new again on the PSP system, boasting remastered audio and visuals, new playable characters, additional missions, difficulty options, widescreen support, and dual English and Japanese voiceover tracks.
  
• Unlock even greater rewards – There is more to Yggdra Union than can be revealed in a single game. With 3 different endings plus a hidden ending and secret characters, there’s tons of treasure for a true gamer to uncover.