Runes of Magic Open Beta on DVD available now

We are currently working with Frogster Interactive to promote Runes of Magic, a PC MMORPG that is currently in open beta and has created a huge interest in the online gaming community by redefining the standard for free-to-play titles, not only for the quality of game but the fact that the game already has more than 300,000 active players since the launch of its open beta in December, with hundreds of thousands more expected as word of the game's features and community spread each day.

Already a winner of multiple awards for its content and overall gameplay, Runes of Magic is expected to be a major international hit in 2009 and beyond.


As the client for Runes of Magic is currently over 3.3GB, we have recently created a press only DVD that we can send directly out to you today. As well as including the Runes of Magic client, the DVD will also contains the latest press kit containing screen shots, concept art and videos.

Once you have the client installed and a username set up, we can then add the in-game currency diamonds to your accounts so you can use the item-shop in game.

Mortal Kombat v DC Universe video game sells 1.8 million

Well Over One Million Units of Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe Sold Worldwide

Midway Games, a leading interactive entertainment publisher and developer, today announced that the company has shipped approximately 1.8 million units of Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe worldwide for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, and the PLAYSTATION 3 computer entertainment system.Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe was the result of countless hours of hard work by many people, and seeing the game surpass the million-seller plateau makes it worth all the effort," said Ed Boon, Mortal Kombat co-founder and creative director, Midway. "We're already hard at work on our next version of Mortal Kombat, and look forward to being able to reveal more details in the future."

Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe also continues to set a number of internal Midway records. The game was the most pre-ordered MK title in company history, and more than 3.6 million Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe matches have been played online worldwide for the PS3, according to numbers from GameSpy Technology,* which provides connected gaming, multiplayer and statistics gathering services to the title.

The standard edition of Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe is available for a U.S. suggested retail price of $59.95, and a limited number of copies of the Kollector's Edition are still available for a U.S. suggested retail price of $69.95.

Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe is licensed by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, and is available for the PS3 and the Xbox 360. For more information please visit www.worldscollide.com.
About Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe

For the first time ever, Scorpion, Sub-Zero and the Mortal Kombat warriors battle with Batman, Superman and other popular DC Universe Super Heroes. Choose your side and challenge your opponents with a new fighting system including Freefall Kombat and Klose Kombat inside dynamic multi-tiered environments. Plus, pick your favorite character from Mortal Kombat or the DC Universe and pursue a fighting adventure in the new single player mode with an intertwined storyline and two unique perspectives.

Although this is the first Mortal Kombat title to be given a "T" rating by the ESRB, the game embodies all the qualities that made the franchise such an integral part of gaming culture, including the ability to perform the unique Fatalities and Heroic Brutalities that are a signature of the Mortal Kombat series.

Metal Gear Online Bomb Mission out 27th January

A battle to destroy or protect target areas on the map.
The attacking team will claim victory if they can plant time bombs in the target areas and protect them until any one of them detonates.

The defending team can win by protecting all of the target areas on the map until the timer expires. The defending team can use Coolant to nullify planted time bombs.
The attacking team can only have one bomb at a time.


The defending team can use Coolant to nullify a bomb, or defeat the player with a bomb and then eliminate it by leaving it on the ground for a set period of time.
When the bomb is eliminated, it will reappear at its original location.
To win the defending team must either hold the base until time runs out, or eliminate all of the bombs.

Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, a casual hidden object-adventure game inspired by the classic masterpiece by Daniel Defoe

MagicIndie Softworks (www.magicindie.com), announced today the release of Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, a casual hidden object-adventure game inspired by the classic masterpiece by Daniel Defoe.

About the Game

Adventures of Robinson Crusoe is a story of a XVII-th century mariner who survives a terrible shipwreck and finds himself cast away on an island in the Caribbeans. The game takes the player through all most important events of the book from exploring of the Wrecked ship and to saving of his man Friday.

Two game play modes, 36 unique locations to explore, unique mini-games and a fun adventures spirit awaits the player in this incredible story of survival and hope.

Trial version of the game offers 60 minutes of play time and is available for free, immediate download. For more details visit www.crusoegame.com.

About MagicIndie Softworks

MagiIndie Softworks is located in Chisinau, Republic of Moldova

Tales of Pirates - Lunar New Year Event

As the old saying goes, the early bird catches the worm! At the start of 2009 Tales of Pirates ( http://top.igg.com/ )will greet many new players in the launch of the new version 2.0. In order to let the newbie players do some preparation in advance, they have specially arranged the cool Leveling Contest throughout all of the servers. If the players can reach the required level, they will obtain the big rewards that IGG has prepared for them!

Event Duration:
12:00a.m. January, 25th -- 12:00a.m.February, 9th EST (GMT-5)

Event Location:
All Servers

Event Description:
Entrants should create an account during the period between January, 25th and January 31st and strive to level up quickly. Until 12:00am EST (GMT-5) February, 9th the TOP official will check the players’ levels in a ranking list. Entrants who have reached Level 60 and level 69 will obtain a Chest of Enigma as reward and those who are level 70 or above will obtain a Chaos Chest.

The challenge of the new map, the challenge of the new BOSSes, also the chance to make new friends in TOP version 2.0 ! We want to see what you can do!

Rock band add six pack from Grateful Dead Psychadelic Band

Harmonix and MTV Games announced today the addition of six new Grateful Dead tracks to the Rock Band Music Store catalog of downloadable content. The tracks include “Cold Rain & Snow” from the band’s original 1967 album, The Grateful Dead.”

"Hell in a Bucket” from the 1987 In the Dark album, “Uncle John’s Band” from Workingman's Dead (1970), “Fire on the Mountain” from Shakedown Street (1978), “Don’t Ease Me In” from Go to Heaven (1980) and “Doin’ That Rag,” from the 1969 album Aoxomoxoa.

Grateful Dead, well known for its 30 years of wild and lengthy tours, announced last week its first tour in over five years. Founded by the infamous singer-songwriter Jerry Garcia, the band’s journey ignited in San Francisco’s Haight and Ashbury district during the psychedelic ’60s. In 2007 the Recording Academy honored Grateful Dead with the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award for its contribution to the evolution of rock music.

The “Grateful Dead Pack 02” is the second Grateful Dead pack to join the Rock Band Music Store. “Casey Jones,” China Cat Sunflower,” “Franklins Tower,” “I Need a Miracle,” “Sugar Magnolia” and “Truckn” were released to Rock Band fans last March. In addition, Grateful Dead’s “Alabama Getaway” is featured on the Rock Band 2 disc.

Release Date: Tuesday, January 27, 2009 (Xbox LIVE Marketplace for Xbox 360)
Thursday, January 29, 2009 (PlayStation Store)

Tracks:

Grateful Dead “Hell in a Bucket”
Grateful Dead “Don’t Ease Me In”
Grateful Dead “Cold Rain & Snow”
Grateful Dead “Doin’ That Rag”
Grateful Dead “Fire on the Mountain”
Grateful Dead “Uncle John’s Band”

(All tracks are original master recordings)

Price: $1.99 (160 Microsoft Points for Xbox 360) per track
$9.99 (800 Microsoft Points for Xbox 360) for the Grateful Dead 6-pack

Locations: Xbox LIVE Marketplace for Xbox 360 and PlayStation Network

Free download update Towering Dungeons Imperial Rewards to Fantasy MMORPG Florensia Update Brings 100-Floor Dungeons to Every Major Island in Florens

Burda:ic, a publisher of online games worldwide, today released a major update for free-to-play MMORPG Florensia. Players are now able to venture into the mysterious towers that appeared last month, an imposing set of 100-floor dungeons that will challenge even the toughest adventurers.

Access to the towers is granted by Tower Masters who stand in the center of each town. These strange individuals have a number of quest scrolls on hand that reward players handsomely for taking risks, and they are quite happy to trade Imperial Gifts for the Military Crosses earned within the new dungeons.



On the sillier side of things, every player will receive one of six new headmounts as a gift to celebrate the upcoming launch of Florensia’s Gacha system. The goofy headgear ranges small black cats to steaming bowls of noodles, all available for one week of adventuring. After that, you’ll have to take a chance and spin the Gacha wheel if you want to look ridiculous!

Florensia is a free-to-play, maritime MMORPG that blends vibrant, colorful graphics with classically accessible gameplay. Choosing one of four starting classes, from the sword-wielding Mercenary to the spell casting Noble, players will do battle with a huge variety of weapons and magical abilities as they explore expansive, underground dungeons and sail uncharted seas. Thousands of players have already signed up and headed out in search of adventure, and there has never a better time to join them in the wild and wonderful world of Florensia.

Dungeon Party - New Images of Our (Almost) Fearless and Blameless Heroes

While Dungeon Party's currently closed Beta is moving forward and will soon open to everyone, Cyanide and Focus Home Interactive are pleased to share these new images of their free team-based game to celebrate the opening of the official English website.

Dungeon Party is a free PC online game developed by Cyanide and based on team play. Plunge into a wild heroic-fantasy universe and play against each other in teams of heroes across dungeons filled with deadly traps and monsters to try and collect the treasures they hold.





In Dungeon Party you can create and customize your character with different costumes and objects. A holiday-making sorcerer, a thief straight out of a night club, or a gothic hangman…all styles are possible! Each player can equip his character with different objects and weapons before the battle against opponent teams starts.

You'll have to develop your character through the matches and carefully choose which spells and skills could help the best your team. In order to spice up the game, deadly traps and hunted creatures are scattered throughout the dungeons. These creatures won't make any difference between the teams and protect their treasures with a lot of zeal. Kill monsters will give you more experience points which allow you to buy faster new spells. Bosses and mini-bosses will be harder to beat but will also give you a greater amount of points and, most of all, will help you to seduce the Chest.

Star Ocean - First Departure PSP video game review

The game begins on the planet Roak, a relatively primitive world where the inhabitants appear mostly human, except for the tails and pointy ears.

Roak seems peaceful - one of the game's young heroes, Roddick, laments the boredom to be had even as a member of the defense force for the town of Kratus.

Roddick and his friends Millie and Dorne find more excitement than they bargained for when they encounter two strange beings who appear in a flash of light. These beings turn out to be Ronyx Kenny and Ilia Silvestri, humans from Earth who belong to a "Star Trek" Federation-like alliance that has a policy of noninterference with undeveloped worlds.

But Ronyx and Ilia are bending the rules because a petrifying contagion sweeping through Roak was introduced by a rival faction of humans.

They offer to help, and the group soon learns the origins of this disease and its cure lie in Roak's past, and so they head to an ancient time gate to travel back and wrest the cure from the body of a legendary evil. But they have to leave behind their advanced equipment, and then something goes awry in the time trip.

Other Star Ocean games have had a similar mix of futuristic high technology with common fantasy tropes, such as monsters and magic (called symbology here). It's a combination that has served the series well.

Battles are played out in real time. The player can have up to four characters in the party and can switch control among them at will.

When controlling a character, the player can hammer on the X button to keep up a series of combo attacks, use the shoulder buttons to execute pre-selected special attacks or pause the action to choose items and magic. The fighting is fast-paced and can be pretty tough.

PLOT: A time-traveling, role-playing favorite hits these shores.
PLATFORM: Sony PSP
COST: $40
BOTTOM LINE: The graphics are the most obvious improvement.
RATING: T for Teen

Source: Newsday

iMafia Free social game for iPhone with new virtual goods model

Social games have taken off on networks like Facebook, and now mobile platforms like the iPhone. One of the newest examples is the iMafia game from PlayMesh, which has found a clever way to integrate virtual goods — a challenge for most iPhone apps.

Social games like Mob Wars are already hugely popular online. But Charles Ju, co-founder of PlayMesh in San Francisco, believes the time is right to migrate the concept to the iPhone, which is capable of supporting the same features that draw audiences on the web. The result, iMafia, was released on Friday and already ranks No. 88 in the Apple AppStore.

The object of the free game is to climb the ranks of a crime family by pulling small jobs and shaking down the neighborhood. You can compete with other players (even if you aren’t playing at the same time), and buy virtual goods that will help you along the way. The graphics are pretty basic, with two-dimensional artwork and text-based instructions giving users a variety of options.

On the game’s homescreen, you see a neighborhood, and can use your finger to navigate through the map. You tap on the iPhone’s screen to enter a building. For instance, you can stop into a bar and buy something or get in a fight (and if you fight someone, you’re fighting against another real player). The idea is to succeed at quests to gain experience and earn promotions.

Ju says the game is groundbreaking because it successfully relies on virtual goods to monetize a social network in the context of a free game.

Full post here on The Standard...