Halo 3 picks up prestigious Edge Award

Bungie beats Nintendo and Rockstar to scoop gong

Edge – the respected videogames magazine and website, has awarded Halo 3 the prestigious Edge Award for Innovation at this year’s Edinburgh Interactive Festival.

Now in its fourth year, Edge hands out the accolade to the title released in the last 12 months that does most to further the creative culture of gaming – marking out new directions for the form.

This year’s award was a closely fought affair, with Bungie proving victorious in a shortlist that also included Grand Theft Auto IV, Portal, Rock Band, Super Mario Galaxy and Wii Fit.

Edge steeped particular praise on the integration and coherence of Halo 3’s online content, demonstrating an unparalleled understanding of the potential for online console play. Judges believed the Halo 3 stats and communities found on Bungie.net provided life for the game – even when the console was switched off.

Alex Wiltshire is Deputy Editor of Edge:

“Halo 3, just as Halo 2 did before it, presents a roadmap for the way online will be integrated into videogames in the coming years. The game has been incredibly successful and attracted millions of fans, but we shouldn’t overlook all of the ideas that are present in the game, and the remarkably robust manner in which they are presented, Bungie deserved to be credited for their achievements, as they will help shape the future of online games.”

For more information on the Edge Award – please visit www.edge-online.com

Multiwinia: Survival of the Flattest present Multiwinia Mondays!

As the release of Multiwinia: Survival of the Flattest inches ever closer, we bring you the launch of Multiwinia Mondays!

For the next 6 weeks, we dedicate Mondays to showcasing all that's new in Multiwinia. Each Monday, we will be bringing you a whole host of new content, including video tutorials of each of the 6 game modes, the latest screens, wallpapers, artwork, and interviews with the developers themselves.

This Monday 11th August, we dedicate to the first of Multiwinia’s game modes: Domination - an epic tale of stickman slaughter where you must fell your enemies’ armies by controlling as many spawn points on the map as possible! Click here to view the first of our fantastic animated walk-through.

About Multiwinia

Multiwinia: Survival of the Flattest is Introversion’s fourth stand-alone title due to be released on the 19th September 2008. With a choice of six action-packed multiplayer game modes, and 40 unique maps set in one of the most beautiful, retro-arcade inspired game environs ever created, Multiwinia promises to be the ultimate homage to the halcyon days of gaming. Challenge your opponent to a game of stick-man slaughter, and watch digital-war unfold, as your Multiwinian army struggles to complete a chosen task faster and better than your rival’s. It’s fast, it’s furious, and only the flattest will survive!

Multiwinia will be available to demo and buy from the Introversion Store, Steam and all major retailers.

Wii Survival Horror game Cursed Mountain

Sproing Interactive, Vienna, today announced that is currently developing the Wii Survival Horror game Cursed Mountain for, and together with, Deep Silver. The player takes on the role of a fearless mountaineer as he climbs into the Himalayas on a quest to find his lost brother. As he ascends the mountain, he encounters an ancient curse: the souls of the people who died in that region are stuck in limbo, caught in the Shadow World. Deep Silver announced the first details of the upcoming Wii hit title Cursed Mountain on July 31st.

“Aside from the challenge to develop an innovative title with spectacular levels and new controls, the focus in Cursed Mountain is the overwhelming environment of the Himalayas,” said Harald Riegler, CEO of Sproing. “It is really important to us that the player experiences nature’s powers as realistically as possible, and that the game’s viewing distance allows the player to see the monumental landscapes at all times. We are also going to great lengths to make the dead souls look as convincing as possible in order to deliver the level of immersion necessary for really effective and believable survival horror.”

To deliver on these goals, the Sproing team relies on its proprietary “Athena” game engine, which is rendering the Himalayas on Wii at a quality never seen before. The engine highlights of “Athena” include amongst others, HDR-Rendering, shader simulations developed especially for Wii in order to display ice, heat and water (realistic reflections and refractions), an ultra-fast particle system for amazing snow storms, soft particles for realistic fog and smoke, depth of field, motion blur, dynamic soft shadows, spherical harmonics lighting, as well as a high performance level-of-detail and streaming system in order to provide long viewing distance of the entire surrounding. In order to create an exciting atmosphere when battling the ghosts, the game employs a number of custom-created special effects such as the shader simulations as well as a newly developed post-processing framework. “Our engine technology really takes the Wii hardware to its limits and Wii gamers can really look forward to a heart-stopping, and breath-taking world that comes alive with this title,” said Gerhard Seiler, Technical Director of Sproing.

Cursed Mountain will be released worldwide for Wii in 2009.

Stores extend hours for Madden video game

A wave of "Madden" mania came over local fans today as they went shopping in the wee hours of the morning to get their hands on the latest edition of their favourite video game.

The mega-selling Electronic Arts football video game is celebrating its 20th anniversary edition, the longest-running franchise of any sports video games, and the biggest buzz.

Circuit City's Newark, Del., store was open at 6 a.m. as Philadelphia Eagles cheerleaders welcomed shoppers.

Up until 8 a.m., the cheerleaders judged customers' "end zone dances." And from noon to 3 p.m., gamers participated in a "Madden NFL 09" gaming tournament.

Seven GameStop stores in Chester County reopened at 10 p.m. Monday, one hour after closing. GameStop sold the "Madden NFL 09" video game Monday but only gave customers a receipt. Between 12:01 and 1 this morning, those customers came back and were handed their games.

Jon Trivuno, who works at the Brandywine Square GameStop in East Caln, said the store had sold about 200 games by the early afternoon Monday.

"It's people who have followed it since it came out," Trivuno said.

The store had planned to play a "Madden" demo from 10 to midnight Monday to make the event more fun for the crowd, Trivuno said.

Likewise, GameStop in Whiteland Towne Center in West Whiteland reopened at 10 p.m.

"'Madden' is always big," said Alex, a store employee who did not want to disclose his last name.

If customers had to wait until midnight to purchase the game, "we probably wouldn't get out of here until 3," Alex said.

With popular games like "Madden" and "Halo," there is usually a big turnout, Alex said

The employee said the store was planning to have pizza and drinks from 10 to midnight to keep customers happy.

The West Whiteland and East Caln stores were among 3,000 GameStop locations to host "Madden Mania."

Wal-Mart Super Center in the West Sadsbury Commons was ready with extra floor staff and cashiers at 12:01 a.m.

Department manager Brenda Moran made sure of it.

"I e-mailed my overnight manger and told her to be prepared with an extra cashier and extra person to hand out the games," Moran said.

"Madden" is generally the biggest video game launch of the year, Moran said.

Headquartered in Grapevine, Texas, GameStop launched "Madden NFL 09" with tournaments, tailgate events and a variety of contests. The company operates 5,453 retail stores in 16 countries worldwide.

Target, which has been open at midnight for past "Madde"n launches, did not do so today, said Joshua Thomas, corporate spokesman at the chain's Minneapolis headquarters.

Source: Daily Local News

20th-anniversary 'Madden NFL' is better than ever

When Electronic Arts announced the retired Brett Favre as its 20th anniversary cover boy, it looked like the notorious "Madden" curse — which had mangled the careers of Michael Vick, Donovan McNabb and Shaun Alexander — was finally broken.

But when Favre decided to play again and was traded from the Packers to the New York Jets, it looked like the Curse simply reversed onto EA itself.

By the time the dust had settled, "Madden" (EA Sports, for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, $59.99; Wii, $49.99; PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, $39.99; Nintendo DS, $29.99), the mega-selling football video-game franchise's latest installment was too far into production to switch Favre's wardrobe. You'll be able to download rosters that feature Favre as Jets quarterback, and Gang Green diehards will be able to download a fresh "Madden" cover that puts the superstar in a New York uniform.

More from the Associated Press...

Romance of the Three Kingdoms XI Demo download

Download the playable demo and find out more about this epic PC strategy game on the official website.

Romance of the Three Kingdoms XI will be released across Europe on PC this September. RTK XI is the latest instalment in this award-winning strategy series but the first to be released in Europe on PC. Combining political manoeuvring with city building and tactical warfare, RTK XI is a tremendously involving experience that will appeal to PC strategists of all flavours. It will be available in stores and online from September 5.

The Romance of the Three Kingdoms XI website is now live and the playable demo can be downloaded here for free. Head to the link below to learn more about the game’s devious politics, where you get to duel directly with fellow leaders. Discover more about the ways in which you can develop your city into the capital of a thriving empire. And find out about all of the intricate details which combine to make RTK XI a genuinely epic, time devouring experience.

www.rotk.co.uk



About ROMANCE OF THE THREE KINGDOMS XI
From legendary video game producer Kou Shibusawa comes his next historical simulation masterpiece! Rediscover an ancient civilization with an explosive history in this most stunning edition of Romance of the Three Kingdoms to date. Set during the end of the Han Dynasty and the 2nd and 3rd centuries A.D., RTK XI presents the most visually captivating evolution ever seen in the history of the series. Featuring an artistic style evocative of classical Chinese ink-paintings, and with debates and duels now rendered in real-time 3D animation, RTK XI pushes the boundaries and blurs the line between video games and art in this stunning recreation of the mood and feel of ancient China.

Players will need to dig deep within to prove themselves adept at both the military and political arts in order to bring China under one rule. Domestic affairs, diplomacy and warfare are all conducted on a single vast 3D relief map, dramatically bringing to life the epic scale of the adventure that lies before them.

As the ruler of a kingdom, each player will have complete control over their territories. More than 40 base commands give players the power to govern cities, manage their personnel, practice diplomacy, and much more. Complete freedom to develop markets, shipyards, outposts, forts and military units expand on the already substantial benchmarks established by previous editions of the series. Finally, players will watch the era come to life through the unique individual personalities of more than 780 officers and supporting characters that they will meet and interact with while engaged in one of RTK XI's eight gripping scenarios

For improved control over each military campaign, RTK XI's turn-based game play allows the player to plan their movements without undue time constraints, and then execute their battle tactics when ready. RTK XI also introduces an entirely new system for researching military techniques, as well as an Advanced Tactics System that allows players to drive or lure enemies into devastating ambushes. Skilled players will be able to link together tactics for maximum damage.

Mount & Blade Launches the Final Beta

Take a Final Look at Paradox's Upcoming Title Before the Full Release

Paradox Interactive today announced the opening of the final beta, version 0.960, for their upcoming PC medieval, action-RPG title, Mount & Blade. Mount & Blade will be released in North America on September 16th and in Europe on September 19, 2008. To sign-up for the beta, please visit http://www.gamespot.com/event/codes/mount-and-blade/. The beta period will be open for two weeks, closing on August 25th.

Mount & Blade is a single-player, third or first-person action/role-playing game with a focus on medieval combat. Developed by the Turkish development house TaleWorlds Entertainment, the BETA version of the game has received acclaim worldwide from gamers impressed by the game’s realistic horseback combat, luscious graphics, and open-world sandbox gameplay. The latter enables players to roam the map freely in a medieval world that offers activities ranging from hunting down bandits, to trading for profit in the game's complex economic system, to becoming a commander and taking part in the wars, with the ultimate goal of becoming a great lord of the realm.

Mount & Blade will be available for purchase in stores and for digital download at GamersGate, the leading digital distribution platform creating easily accessible gaming experiences for gamers worldwide.

Discarded Online, Free MMO Beat-em-up Launches!

Discarded Online is now in open beta at http://discarded.gamedozer.com . Discarded is a mix of beat-em-up, RPG, and card game where the action is king rather than the grind. Both during beta and after launch Discarded Online will be free to play. After beta, players will be able to purchase in game equipment, clothing, and items to aid them, but such purchases will not be required.

Leveling in the game has taken a unique approach, with players able to change their stats at the start of each game. Items in the game temporarily use stats you assign, so while one mission may be best suited for hard power slugging, the next may have you focusing on defense and abilities. Form a team of up to 4 players from all over the world and go on a huge number of missions with variable level of difficulty, equip dozens of items, dozens of different clothing accessories, and of course slay a multitude of beasts.



Discarded is a child-safe game with only animated violence and no blood, gore, or questionable content. While we do our best to limit chat based threats, we do note that parental supervision of children is advised. The game is completely free and does not even require a download, so get playing today at http://discarded.gamedozer.com or www.discardedonline.com.

Playboy Games: Pool Party - non nude phone game

First Release, "Playboy Games: Pool Party," Scheduled to Launch Worldwide In Summer 2008

The multi-year Playboy agreement covers the development and publishing rights to multiple Playboy-branded, lifestyle themed, non-nude mobile games featuring bikini-clad Playmates to be released worldwide. The first title, Playboy Games: Pool Party, is scheduled to launch in summer 2008.

“Given the extensive appeal and popularity of the Playboy brand, mobile games based on this license are sure to provide a fun and entertaining experience,” said Adam Comiskey, vice president, international, THQ Wireless. “THQ Wireless is ideally positioned to provide engaging games with the hallmark of the Playboy lifestyle.”

“The number of Playboy fans around the world has never been greater and that popularity is reflected in the growing sales of Playboy-branded products and services,” said Ed Lang, senior vice president of mobile, Playboy Media Group. ”Given the growth of the mobile industry, we’re excited to join THQ Wireless in offering this next-generation form of entertainment to consumers."

Playboy Games: Pool Party will include a set of mini-games depicting animated, bikini-clad Playmates at the famous Playboy Mansion engaged in “pool party sports” including poolside water balloon fights, waterslide slaloms and aquatic mechanical bull riding. 

Developed by THQ Wireless internal studio Universomo, Playboy Games: Pool Party is based on actual events held at the Playboy Mansion and immortalized in the Playboy Home Entertainment DVD release, Playmate Playoffs, hosted by Chuck Woolery.

Sony's maze game a tribute to Escher on PlayStationPortable PSP

For more than half a century, the works of Dutch artist MC Escher have at once perplexed and entertained people, using a two-dimensional medium to create impossible three-dimensional scenarios.

The quirky works, finely detailed thanks to Escher's background in architecture, bridged the gap between art and puzzle.
Escher's works were ground-breaking in their nature because they turned perspective on its head.

It seems only fitting that one of the latest releases by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation Portable should be equally innovative.

Echochrome owes its legacy to Escher's work, taking his style from the printed page to the interactive environment of the portable games system.

As with its predecessors, Echochrome is disarmingly simple: the player guides a mannequin through a series of mazes based on line drawings.

Where the latest games feature ever more complicated and lush graphics, Echochrome is little more than black-and-white line drawings in which the complexity is limited to the design of the maze. The challenge is the mazes' three-dimensional drawings of stairs, passages, gaps, holes and launching pads.

As the game begins, the mannequins start walking and the player must rotate the picture, so a path is created.

For instance, the player may be walking along a plank towards a gap. By rotating the image and obscuring the gap with a nearby column, you can guide the mannequin to walk straight through. Holes must be aligned, so the player falls through to another level below. As you move through the game, more levels are achieved and more mannequins are added to the confusion.

Like Sudoku, Echochrome is not for everyone. But for those who get it, it may be impossible to put down. It is a delightful tribute to Escher's legacy.

Source: Australian IT