gamezplay

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Spider-man - Web of Shadows video game out in UK

The fate of New York City lies in gamers’ hands starting today as Activision and Marvel’s all new Spider-Man: Web of Shadows ships to retail outlets nationwide.
The enthralling action-adventure saga introduces players to a cataclysmic Big Apple clash against an invasion of alien symbiotes that threatens mankind itself. Rated 12+ by the PEGI, Spider-Man: Web of Shadows is available on Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system, PLAYSTATION 3 computer entertainment system, the Wii™ home video game system and Windows PC, Nintendo DS, PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system and PSP (PlayStationPortable) system.

“Spider-Man: Web of Shadows delivers the deepest combat system ever in the Spider-Man universe, whether it’s going vertical up the side of neck-breaking skyscrapers or web-slinging into action over them for high-altitude, high-octane aerial battles,” said Rob Kostich, vice president, global brand management, Activision Publishing, Inc. “The team has captured a truly captivating Spider-Man experience that combines mesmerizing combat and riveting visual effects with a compelling and unfolding storyline that places gamers in control of the action.”

With a story penned by acclaimed Marvel comic book writer, Brian Reed, the title features a New York City devastated by a deadly symbiote invasion, in which players are faced with the choice to play the heroic web-slinger in his classic, agile red suit or the dark, formidable black suit. Battling with or against a huge cast of fan-favorite Marvel Super Heroes and Super Villains, gamers can switch allegiances instantly as they decide which missions will ultimately save mankind.

An all-new combat system, built from the ground up, combining web-slinging and customizable superpowers provides gamers the unrivaled opportunity to fight and explore in an open free-roaming and destructible environment. In battle, Spider-Man’s speed and agility are tested within the diverse cityscape, challenging players to master fast-moving acrobatic combat, powerful new web-slinging moves and destructive combo attacks, as combat seamlessly migrates from the streets, up the sides of buildings and onto rooftops.

Developed by Shaba Games and Treyarch, with additional development by Amaze and Aspyr, Spider-Man: Web of Shadows is available from October 24th.

Spiderman - Web of Shadows for Nintendo Wii

Free Combat Arms video game passes million users mark with two patches launched

Milestone Celebrated with Debut of New Map and A Revolutionary Game Mode Introduced for the First Time to First-Person Shooter Game Genre

Combat Arms, its new online multiplayer first-person shooter game, surpassed one million registered users since its open beta launch in July. Combat Arms was commercially launched on October 1 with the addition of the highly anticipated "Black Market," the in-game item shop that allows users to spend real money to further customize their characters. Combat Arms is available free for download at http://combatarms.nexon.net.

To commemorate this milestone, Nexon will unveil two patches including a new map and game mode that will offer a variety of game play options for users to fully experience the dynamic world of multiplayer online first-person shooters (FPS). The new map, “Waverider,” which is set in a European hilltop town, will be the game’s largest map. Waverider will be complemented by the addition of new weapons, two supply cases, special event gear and a new male mercenary for Halloween.

In addition, Nexon will introduce a new hide-and-seek game mode, “Bounty Hunter,” which has never been introduced to a FPS-genre game. The new mode enables one player to randomly become the “bounty,” who will be the target hunted by other players. The longer the bounty stays alive, the more in-game currency that player will earn.

"Nexon is dedicated to providing an interactive online gaming experience with our high quality games that are easy to pick up and entertaining at every level,” said Min Kim, vice president of marketing for Nexon. "Combat Arms’ successful commercial launch demonstrates the game’s huge mass appeal and validates market demand for great, free-to-play, online experiences.”

Combat Arms features personalized characters, various combat modes, maps, and weapons. In addition, Combat Arms offers a high level of socialization with Web 2.0 community tools for users with buddy lists, integrated clan systems in-game and on the web, and an in-game messenger system. This mix of elements ignites a revolutionary FPS experience: a dynamic, evolving game that encourages both friendly competition and friendship among its players.

"We’ve received overwhelming feedback from Combat Arms players who loved the mix of the fast-action FPS game play and ability to communicate with other players in-game," said Herb Yang, producer of Combat Arms. "People are really embracing the socialization features of Combat Arms, especially the built-in features enabling people to track their personal performance as well as to create and join clans, personalize their clans with items such as emblems, and participate in official clan matches on dedicated servers.”

Since the successful launch of MapleStory in North America, Nexon has been at the forefront of creating a broad roster of high quality multiplayer online games that appeal to both casual and hardcore gamers. The company is also a pioneer of implementing a profitable online microtransactions model in North America with its prepaid game cards being one of the top selling cards in major retail outlets including 7-Eleven and Target.

Combat Arms Europe on the mark - Closed Beta begins on October 28

First - Person Shooter Combat Arms launced online FPS

Resident Evil 5 video game website and screenshots - game out March 2009

Resident Evil 5 website relaunched ahead of the game's March release.

Website link (age restriction apply)

Screenshots

All Resident Evil gamezplay.org posts here...

Legacy of Ys - Books I & II RPG game for Nintendo DS

Legacy of Ys - Books I & II for Nintendo DS.

One of the most heralded action RPG franchises of all time, Legacy of Ys: Books I & II delivers the first two epic adventures of the famed saga on one cartridge, presented with a series of never-before-seen enhancements. For younger gamers, this is the kind of action RPG classic your older friends are always deriding you for having no memory of, and Legacy of Ys offers a perfect introduction to the long-beloved saga. Hardcore fans of the franchise will find plenty of new features to immediately post about in message boards, as Legacy of Ys offers the best version yet of a true legend of gaming. Don’t miss your chance to condescend to the next generation of gamers… Experience these celebrated classics as never before!

Legacy of Ys - Books I & II is scheduled for release on February 10, 2009, with an MSRP of $34.99.

For more information about Legacy of Ys: Books I & II, visit the official website: http://www.atlus.com/ys

About Legacy of Ys - Books I & II
Stories tell of a land of yore, now shrouded by centuries of time forgotten, called Ys. Despite its great knowledge, endless wealth, and bountiful prosperity, a sudden and unexpected cataclysm devastated the realm. Soon, its memory had faded completely from the minds of man.

Centuries later, a young adventurer named Adol set sail to explore the world and leave his mark on history. During his travels, he learned of the tragic tale of Esteria, a once prosperous island now inexplicably engulfed by a crippling storm. Adol plotted a course for the besieged isle, curious to unravel the mystery...

Key Features

• Two Legendary RPGs on One Cartridge! — Experience two all time classics that helped shape the action RPG genre… Now on a portable system!

• Upgraded Ys Experience —Behold remastered 3D graphics, a remixed musical score, and new enemies and equipment to discover. Touch control and local wireless multiplayer for up to four people deepen the adventure, while difficulty levels and dual control schemes tailor the experience to the gamer.

• The Definitive Story — Available to North American audiences for the first time, this ultimate translation delivers the most substantial version of the famous Ys story ever made!

Legacy of Ys: Books I & II has been rated "T" for Teen with Alcohol and Tobacco Reference, Animated Blood, Mild Fantasy Violence, Mild Language, Mild Suggestive Themes, and Partial Nudity by the ESRB.

Lips - Xbox 360 Singing party video game - songs list

New Xbox 360 singing experience includes 40 hit songs spanning party-favourite genres and decades from artists such as Coldplay, Leona Lewis, Radiohead and Nirvana
New exclusive wireless microphones give real on-stage feel

Calling all shower singers, wannabe rappers, pop princesses and bedroom belters: “Lips”, the highly anticipated singing party game exclusively on Xbox 360, will be hitting stores on 21st November 2008.

Priced at a recommended retail price of £49.99, “Lips” is the only music video game that comes with two wireless motion-sensitive microphones, allowing you the freedom to put your own spin on a song and not trip over any cumbersome wires as you dance around your living room. You can even get other people involved in your songs by having them playing percussion with your Xbox 360 controllers.

The “Lips” line-up features great songs from a wide range of musical genres that set the stage for evenings of fun. Whether you’re throwing a party for your friends or simply staying at home with your family, “Lips” will have everyone singing and dancing together to party favourites, backed by their ORIGINAL music videos, lyrics and scoring.

For those that want to grow their music collection, there will be a whole host of fantastic hits to download from Xbox LIVE Marketplace, giving you the opportunity to continue adding to your “LIPS” music library - up already is Estelle’s “No Substitute Love”. Plus, you can even plug in your MP3 player and sing along to your OWN music collection while a virtual music video accompanies your performance.

It doesn’t stop there. “Lips” also has exciting features like the ability to compete against your friends or family and a co-operative element that allows you to try and crack the song together.

So if you feel like you want to “Bust A Move” or simply want to “Boogie 2 Nite” then “Lips” is simply “Irreplaceable” for a night of unbelievable entertainment in the comfort of your own home!

More information about “Lips”, the hottest party game this Christmas, can be found at http://www.xbox.com/lips.

Lips Track List

1 No One - Alicia Keys
2 Stand By Me - Ben E. King
3 Irreplaceable - Beyoncé
4 Call Me - Blondie
5 Boogie 2Nite - Booty Luv
6 With You - Chris Brown
7 Yellow - Coldplay
8 Personal Jesus - Depeche Mode
9 Survivor - Destiny’s Child
10 White Flag - Dido
11 Mercy - Duffy
12 Hungry Like The Wolf - Duran Duran
13 An End Has A Start - Editors
14 It's Raining Men - Geri Halliwell
15 Virtual Insanity - Jamiroquai
16 Ring Of Fire - Johnny Cash
17 Ruby - Kaiser Chiefs
18 Suddenly I See - KT Tunstall
19 Love At First Sight - Kylie Minogue
20 Bleeding Love - Leona Lewis
21 Superstar - Lupe Fiasco (feat. Matthew Santos)
22 Makes Me Wonder - Maroon 5
23 Rome Wasn't Built In A Day - Morcheeba
24 In Bloom - Nirvana
25 Young Folks - Peter Bjorn And John
26 Another One Bites The Dust - Queen
27 Fake Plastic Trees - Radiohead
28 I Wanna Be Sedated - Ramones
29 Umbrella - Rihanna
30 Listen To Your Heart - Roxette
31 Amazing - Seal
32 Put 'Em High - Stonebridge
33 Song For Whoever - The Beautiful South
34 Just Like Heaven - The Cure
35 ABC - The Jackson 5
36 Naïve - The Kooks
37 Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic - The Police
38 I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles) - The Proclaimers
39 Love In A Trashcan - The Raveonettes
40 Bust A Move - Young MC

Two wireless interactive microphones: Featuring stylish interactive motion sensors and lights, the microphones respond to the singer's actions and can be utilized as percussion accompaniments. With the freedom and encouragement provided by the high quality wireless microphones, everyone can live out their singing dreams in style.
The best music: Lips ships with a diverse selection of songs, including your favorite blasts from the past like "Bust a Move" by Young MC, as well as new songs from breakout artists like "Mercy" by Duffy, and "Young Folks" by Peter Bjorn and John.
Sing to your music collection: Customize your experience with the songs that matter most by singing along with friends to DRM-free music from your own personal collection.*

Play along: Using the standard Xbox 360 controller, up to four people can join the fun and choose from a variety of percussion accompaniments to play along. By placing control of various tambourines, claps, and of course, the ubiquitous cowbell, at the finger tips of anyone with a controller, you have a social entertainment experience for friends, family, and kids alike!
Constant flow of new music: From the songs that come with the game, to your own music collection, and the ability to download new tracks from Xbox LIVE Marketplace, Lips continuously provides new music to bring people together and keep the party going.

*Sing along to your DRM-free music on select popular music players. Lyrics won't display with songs from your music collection. To see what you can do with songs from your personal music collection and for a list of compatible music players, visit xbox.com/lips.

Space Strategy PC Video Game - A Murder of Crows update

The first update for A Murder of Crows (PC), which comes less than two weeks after its retail release across the United Kingdom.

The following key features are included in Update 1.6.3:

• New loading splash-screen art
• Trade UI modified to separate routes from stations and systems
• Added important snap points to sliders in the Population Manager
• Updated the “End Of Flesh” scenario to include the Morrigi player position
• Sort fleets by construction ships
• Optimized AI and improved AI handling of morale issues
• Corrected issues with the Progression Wars scenario (Note: Issues may remain in old saved games)
• Defense Manager screen enhanced along with defender arrival positions in combat
• Spinal mount tech can now be unlocked by either Particle Beam or Heavy Drivers
• Fixed negative savings aid bug and all known issues where Morrigi fleet speed was not being updated

A Murder of Crows (PC) is the latest expansion to the highly acclaimed 4X space strategy game Sword of the Stars (PC). It is available for digital download at GamersGate.com and currently sits in the No2 position of their list of “Top Rated” games. Players are required to have either Sword of the Stars: Collector’s Edition or Born of Blood in order to play this new addition to the franchise.

To download Update 1.6.3 and view the complete feature list, visit:
www.lighthouse-interactive.com

Sins of a Solar Empire PC video game four add-ons announced

Kalypso Media have today announced they will be publishing 4 Add On packs for the hit space strategy PC game Sins of a Solar Empire. The first of these Add On packs will be published in Q4 2008 for £7.99 and available via download from Impulse.

Sins of a Solar Empire, which was brought to Europe by Kalypso Media has been a huge hit throughout Europe reaching second place in both the British and French PC game charts.

Sins of a Solar Empire has provided gamers with real-time strategy gaming in a new dimension. In Sins of a Solar Empire the future survival of the human race is at threat, with three mighty races fighting over control of the galaxy. Players have the opportunity to command one of these three races and attempt to survive and dominate the galaxy. Your success depends on your ability to govern your empire and to command your star-fleet. A finaly balanced combination of diplomacy, economics and military power are vital for gaining the upper hand and becoming Master of the Universe!

The first Add On will include:

- Star Bases, which can be customized and upgraded over time
- Race specific Star Bases which will have a unique variety of upgradable characteristics. The ability to upgrade your Star Bases is limited so players will have to think strategically and plan carefully!
- The number of Star Bases each gamer can control will now be limited by a new research feature.
- More Star Base goodies – both race specific and generic.
- Mine field designs specific to each race and essential for hindering and endangering enemy forces.
- More types of mines.
- More defence systems both race specific and generic.
- New artifacts and planet properties.
- And much more…

The first Sins of a Solar Empire Add On will be available via download at the online platform Impulse in Q4 2008.

No Gears of War 2 video game release for Japan or Germany

Microsoft has confirmed that Gears of War 2 will not see a release in either Germany or Japan.

It has been known for some time that Epic's upcoming highly-anticipated sequel would not pass through Germany's notoriously strict videogames censorship, considering the original title's failure to see a release in the region, however the news that it will not be released in Japan will come as a surprise to some.

This news comes after reports that Gears of War 2 is already being offered on torrent sites, well before its official release.

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

LittleBigPlanet video game to take user-generated creativity to new levels, providing it can first overcome the jitters of a sensitive Sony...

LittleBigPlanet, probably the most anticipated videogame this year (about which we have talked before) has been for delayed a few weeks. Usually, such a stall would be down to last minute bugs found in the code or something rather mundane. No-one expected something like LBP to be delayed due to an outbreak of corporate religious sensitivity.

The problem was discovered in one of the pieces of music licensed for the soundtrack, specifically a piece by Toumani Diabate which contained two expressions which are found in the Qur’an. This discovery appears to have triggered a spasm of corporate religious sensitivity with Sony immediately recalling all copies globally and Guildford-based developer Media Molecule left ‘shellshocked and gutted’. A new date for the game has since been announced.

Sony’s Playstation 3, on which the game is based, has had a previous well publicised conflict with a major religious organisation. Last year they fell into a well-publicised dispute with the Church of England over the use of the interior of Manchester Cathedral as an environment within their ‘Resistance : Fall of Man’ title. Clearly, they don’t want to enter the same kind of conflict again - and in particular not with something as family-friendly as the LBP brand.

Perhaps what’s most interesting here though, is the precedent implied for LBP as a platform for user-expression. It’s one of the flag-bearers for the idea of user generated content, the game itself is essentially a tool to allow the player to create more levels and share them with others. On the evidence of the beta version, which players have been using for a few weeks, it’s a startlingly powerful one. LBP is intended to be a place for free creativity and expression, so it’s going to be very interesting to watch the corporate reactions as the game evolves with the public expressing themselves within it.

After all, the previous poster-child was Will Wright’s Spore - and we all remember what happened there…

More on the delay here on gamezplay.org...

Source: New Satesman

Boogie SuperStar video game targets girl

The new video game "Boogie SuperStar" from Electronic Arts' Montreal studio aims to appeal to tween girls, a growing part of the gaming market which has traditionally been more geared to males

The dancing and karaoke game, which lets players sing and dance and customize their characters, is designed for Nintendo's Wii gaming console. It's similar to popular reality TV shows like "So You Think You Can Dance" and "Canadian Idol."

"The overall premise of 'Boogie SuperStar' is that your character is discovered and selected to be brought to an exclusive place called the Boogie Academy, where you will have to increase your skills, do performances and eventually become the next superstar," said Charles-William Bibaud, one of the game's producers

British pop star Natasha Bedingfield, whose songs are included in the game, is its spokeswoman and she's "a pretty good player," Bibaud said Wednesday.

"Boogie SuperStar," launched this month, is the followup to the singing and dancing video game "Boogie" that was released by Electronic Arts in 2007 to mixed reviews.

Montreal studio general manager Alain Tascan said the game is aimed at girls between the ages of eight and 14, a segment of the market that likes interactive and social experiences.

"It's also very interesting for a business that is usually more male-oriented to try to understand more a female audience," Tascan said, adding that more women were put on the development team responsible for the game.
"It's a growing market for this audience, if they find a product that is done for them," he said.

Adults and boys can play the game as well, Bibaud said, but "you can tell that it's a little bit designed toward girls." Players can pick their characters' clothes, hairstyles and colours, he noted.

Game developer Ubisoft is also appealing to tween girls with its "Petz" and "Imagine" video games.

Sam Kennedy, editorial director of the gaming site 1UP.com, said video games for girls and children are becoming a bigger part of the market, especially on Nintendo consoles like the Wii and the DS handheld.

Nintendo helped bring about a change in the market by experimenting with non-traditional video games, he said.
Girls and kids were "really, really ignored just a couple of years ago" by game publishers, who now realize they're a "huge untapped" market, said Kennedy, who is based in San Francisco.

Kennedy said he hasn't played "Boogie SuperStar" yet, but noted that some of the music on the first "Boogie" game was criticized as being "a bit adult" for younger players singing along.

Bibaud said the new game has more than 40 popular songs by artists such as Fergie, Avril Lavigne, Kanye West and the Jonas Brothers.

"The game gives users feedback and scores their performances," said Bibaud. "To get the best score possible, (you) have to follow the right icons that are associated with specific dance moves."

As for singing, the game lets users know when they're not carrying the tune. Red on the screen means "you're off-key and should work on your pitch," Bibaud said.

Source: Canadian Press

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