Full list of BAFTA video games nominations for 2009

The Academy today announced the nominations for the GAME British Academy Video Games Awards which this year feature 39 different games and reflect the growing diversity of games capturing the public’s imagination.

This year’s host Dara O’Briain, an avid gamer himself, recently described these times as a ‘golden age’ in video games, and this year’s nominations showcase the breathtaking imagination and creativity of the development talent working in the Video Games industry today. The Awards recognise the very best in artistic, creative and technical innovation in video games, and will be held at the London Hilton on Park Lane on March 10.

THE NOMINATIONS

ACTION & ADVENTURE

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
Dead Space
Fable II
Grand Theft Auto IV
Prince of Persia
Tomb Raider: Underworld

ARTISTIC ACHIEVEMENT

Assassin's Creed
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
Dead Space
Gears of War 2
LittleBigPlanet
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots

BEST GAME

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
Fable II
Fallout 3
Grand Theft Auto IV
Rock Band
Super Mario Galaxy

CASUAL

Boom Blox
Buzz! Quiz TV
Guitar Hero: World Tour
LittleBigPlanet
SingStar Vol. 2
Wii Fit

GAMEPLAY

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
Grand Theft Auto IV
Left 4 Dead
Mario Kart Wii
Rock Band
Super Mario Galaxy

HANDHELD

Geometry Wars: Galaxies
God of War: Chains of the Olympus
The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass
Patapon
Professor Layton and the Curious Village
Soul Bubbles

MULTIPLAYER

Buzz! Quiz TV
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
Gears of War 2
Left 4 Dead
Mario Kart Wii
Rock Band

ORIGINAL SCORE

Assassin's Creed
Dead Space
Fable II
Fallout 3
LittleBigPlanet
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots

SPORTS

FIFA 09
Football Manager 2009
Motorstorm Pacific Rift
Pure
Race Driver: GRID
Wii Fit

STRATEGY

Advance Wars: Dark Conflict
Command and Conquer: Red Alert 3
Ninjatown
Sid Meier's Civilization Revolution
SOCOM: US Navy Seals Tactical Strike
Viva Pinata: Pocket Paradise

STORY AND CHARACTER

Assassin's Creed
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
Fable II
Fallout 3
Grand Theft Auto IV
Mass Effect

TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENT

Assassin's Creed
Fable II
Fallout 3
Grand Theft Auto IV
LittleBigPlanet
Spore

USE OF AUDIO

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
Dead Space
Gears of War 2
Grand Theft Auto IV
LittleBigPlanet
Super Mario Galaxy

BAFTA ONE'S TO WATCH AWARD in association with Dare to Be Digital

Boro-Toro
Origamee
VegeMe

GAME Award of 2008
(The only award to be voted for by the public)

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare
Fallout 3
Gears of War 2
Grand Theft Auto IV
Guitar Hero World Tour
Left 4 Dead
LittleBigPlanet
Professor Layton and the Curious Village
Wii Fit
World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King

fun4all Wii games, Pirates: Hunt for Blackbeard’s Booty, Monkey Mischief , Block Party, Pitfall: The Big Adventure, Little League World Series...

Activision UK announced six titles in the UK as part of its new ‘FUN4ALL’ range designed exclusively for Wii. With a choice of astounding adventures, mischievous gameplay and thrilling sports challenges, the child-friendly collection offers something the whole family can enjoy! The six Wii exclusive titles will be arriving in UK stores on 13th February.

The FUN4ALL range launches with the following titles:

Pirates: Hunt for Blackbeard’s Booty - Set the sails towards family fun! There’s adventure ahoy in Pirates: Hunt for Blackbeard’s Booty as you swashbuckle your way towards Blackbeard’s treasure in a series of timber-shivering challenges. Bolster your trusty crew with friends and family, or clash cutlasses with them and go head-to-head!

Monkey Mischief - When the zoo keeper’s away - the monkeys will play! Get mixed up in some serious ape antics with Monkey Mischief, packed with enough crazy chimp mini-games to get the whole family going bananas!

Block Party - Take to the streets in Block Party to show the neighbours who’s boss – taking on friends and family in 20 exciting challenges including Garage Juggle, Slobber Slammer and Picnic Pests. Settle once and for all who’s best on the block!

Pitfall: The Big Adventure - Leap and swing your way through the exciting world of Pitfall: The Big Adventure as you step into the shoes of Pitfall Harry – treasure hunter extraordinaire. Explore exciting new worlds and battle evil with Harry’s astounding athletic abilities. This title also includes bonus content, bundling both Pitfall 1 and Pitfall 2 with The Big Adventure.

Little League World Series Baseball - Go for a home run in the comfort of your home with Little League World Series Baseball. Learn to bat your way to first base with the Skills Challenge mode before smashing your way to the top of your field in World Series mode!

World Championship Sports - Take on the world from your living room with World Championship Sports, pitting your skills against friends and family in sports such as tennis, basketball, football, hockey, Lacrosse and Ice Hockey – see who can perform under pressure and go for gold.

300AD releases Be a King video game on Windows and Mac

300AD, a casual brand of Rake in Grass company, is proud to present the release of a fantasy strategy game Be a King.

"Be a King" is a fantasy strategy game targeted to casual players. It offers fast and entertaining gameplay. The player - as a ruler of a medieval kingdom - must perform various objectives, build towns and defend them against raiders.

The player tries to rule his land as a prince. He builds and maintains villages, towns and even big cities. He must defend his minions against hordes of monsters and bandits. The player ventures on being a honest and determined ruler to realize the dream of becoming a brave king who leads his people to a better future.

Be a King is available in Windows PC and Mac OS X version.

The main features:

- 25 original levels
- Building 7 different types of buildings to grow cities
- Upgrading the buildings - each building has 3 variants
- Defending lieges against hordes of monsters and bandits
- Fulfiling different types of objectives
- Training heroes and completing a lot of adventurous quests
- Original soundtrack inspired by film music

First NASCAR Game for the Wii Ships to US Stores

Electronic Arts announced that NASCAR Kart Racing, the first and only NASCAR racing title available for the Wii, shipped to retailers in North America today with an MSRP of $39.99. The game’s release coincides with this weekend’s Daytona 500 and the official start of the 2009 NASCAR season.

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Designed exclusively for the Wii, NASCAR Kart Racing enables all players, from hardcore to casual, to experience NASCAR in a brand new way. Grab the steering wheel as a famed NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver and speed through treacherous landscapes, wind around rocky cliffs, jump rivers and dodge falling boulders. Up to four players can go head-to-head, via split screen, in a mad dash to the checkered flag, making NASCAR Kart Racing an ideal game to play with family and friends.

Make a pit stop at your local retailer to pick up NASCAR Kart Racing and enjoy the thrill of racing as three-time consecutive Sprint Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson or choose from 13 additional NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers. Strategy is key when choosing a driver and a teammate, as each driver has personal attributes that will determine how the team will perform on a course. Teams that work together win championships!

Licensed NASCAR Drivers:

• Jeff Burton • Jimmie Johnson
• Kyle Busch • Kasey Kahne
• Dale Earnhardt, Jr. • Matt Kenseth
• Carl Edwards • Joey Logano (Unlockable w/purchase at GameStop)
• Jeff Gordon • Elliott Sadler
• Denny Hamlin • Tony Stewart
• Kevin Harvick • *Unlockable Mystery Driver*

In addition to the 14 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers, NASCAR Kart Racing players can take the wheel as one of 10 original animated characters known as “Outsiders”. Hit the off-road courses or take these “Outsiders” for a spin around classic NASCAR tracks. Each “Outsider” hails from a racing background outside of NASCAR, providing a unique twist to the NASCAR Kart Racing experience.

“Outsiders”

• Billy Backfire • “Shakes” McDaniel
• Bobby Backfire • “Thriller” Tadwell
• Kelly Kates • Monica Torres
• Linda Leadbetter • Luke Trigger
• Maurice L’éclair • Terri Winsome

The courses in NASCAR Kart Racing feature a vast range of exhilarating terrain. Experience 24 entertaining race layouts that wrap through deserts, freeways, back roads, canyons, junkyards and more. Drivers will also push the pedal to the metal inside and around four popular NASCAR tracks: Daytona International Speedway, Talladega Superspeedway, Dover International Speedway and Bristol Motor Speedway. Each track in NASCAR Kart Racing can be reversed to provide two unique racing experiences.

NASCAR Kart Racing has been rated E for Everyone by the ESRB with a descriptor for “Cartoon Mischief”

Britain buys more games than Japan

In the world of sales figures, America and Japan have commonly been seen to dominate the market - which is why so many games nowadays seem to cater to those markets. There's nothing but big muscles and spiky hair - not a Brogue-wearing businessman in sight.

Or, at least, that used to be the case. Japan it seems is no longer the market leader it once was, with the UK growing it's gaming market to become the nation with the second-biggest gaming market ever.

According to GfK ChartTrack, a sales-tracking firm that monitors retail games sales across the world, the UK's games sales have risen by more than 37 percent compared to January 2008, with total software sales rising by 26 percent. What recession, eh?

That said, it's important to consider the number of factors here - such as the fact that a lot of games and platforms are released early in Japan, so customers over their will have already got over the sales spurt bought on by the release of the DSi. Thus, while the UK is still steadily improving, Japan is actually in decline according to a ChartTrack spokesperson.

“Japan is certainly in decline at the moment, mainly down to the fact that everyone seems to have already bought a DS or PSP, so hardware sales aren’t driving software sales – although DSi is flying off the shelves," a spokesperson said to MCV.

"The very sudden decline of PS2 is also a factor. The Japanese market is about twice the size of ours, so there is room for manoeuvre in terms of people who had a DS four years ago and want a new handheld.”

Source: bit-tech

FIFA 09 Ultimate Team Enables Gamers To Create And Collect Their Dream Team To Compete Online

Electronic Arts announce the development of a unique, downloadable game mode called FIFA 09 Ultimate Team that will deliver a strategic new online experience to the award-winning EA SPORTS FIFA 09 on the PLAYSTATION 3 computer entertainment system and Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system. FIFA 09 Ultimate Team challenges gamers to collect or create the most talented football players in the world, develop them into a dream team and then compete online against a legion of challengers to be crowned the ultimate team.

Winner of 25 international game quality awards, FIFA 09 is the most popular EA SPORTS game played online*. Over 141 million games of FIFA 09 have been played on the PLAYSTATION 3 and Xbox 360 by gamers connected online since the game’s European launch on Sept. 25, 2008. An average of 1.25 million games are played online daily, which is a 321 percent increase over FIFA 08. FIFA 09 Ultimate Team expands the FIFA 09 online experience by delivering the ultimate fantasy in club football to the record number of individuals playing while connected online.

“Online is the next great frontier in sports gaming. We are seeing a record number of individuals globally playing FIFA 09 online so we are focused on developing games that maximize the online experience,” said Andrew Wilson, Vice President & Executive Producer for the franchise. “A dedicated team developed FIFA 09 Ultimate Team and they have created a game within the game, delivering a strategic new way to play FIFA 09 that will create hundreds of additional hours of playing time.”

FIFA 09 Ultimate Team challenges gamers to collect 30 different types of bronze, silver and gold virtual cards, including Player, Staff, Contract, Formations, and Tactics, to create their fantasy team. Strategically collect and manage players and different types of cards, and then set the match strategy to win. Carefully select or trade for the right Manager, then choose the best Tactics and Formations that forge the team chemistry necessary to take your club to the top. Plus, deal Gameplay cards on your opponent at key moments of any match for a tactical advantage.

Live the ultimate dream in FIFA 09 Ultimate Team. Create yourself in game, line up alongside your heroes and captain your squad to glory. Customize everything from players and stadiums to the kits and badges, creating the world’s next great football club. Compete offline and online to earn more valuable cards or trawl the market for the ones needed to complete a winning team. Climb the league table or compete in knockout tournaments for the most coveted trophies, where the opposition becomes more difficult after each victory.

Feel the exhilaration as you take your carefully assembled squad into matches and tournaments online against the most formidably talented teams ever assembled—and out play them. Here is the ultimate test of your skills as a player and manger. Write your own legend with FIFA 09 Ultimate Team.

FIFA 09 Ultimate Team will be available as a download to FIFA 09 beginning March 19, 2009. Fans will be able to experience the new game mode by creating a team with a starter package of players and virtual cards and play a five game trial before deciding to purchase the FIFA 09 Ultimate Team mode. FIFA 09 is required.

FIFA 09 Ultimate Team, scheduled for worldwide release on March 19, is developed by EA Canada in Vancouver, B.C. It is rated “E” for everyone by the ESRB and 3+ by PEGI.

* based on average daily online users between Sept. 25, 2008 and January 26, 2009.

Tom Clancey's H.A.W.X. demo out February 11th on Xbox Live and 12th on PlayStation Network

Ubisoft have announced that an official Tom Clancy’s H.A.W.X demo will be available for download for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft on Xbox LIVE online entertainment network beginning on February 11, 2009 and for the PLAYSTATION 3 computer entertainment system on the PLAYSTATION network beginning on February 12, 2009. The demo will be also available for Windows-based PCs beginning on February 26, 2009.

In this demo, players will dominate the skies for the first time and battle planes, tanks and amphibious assaults and have the opportunity to dogfight with other elite pilots in a stunning panoramic boss scene.

Key features of the H.A.W.X demo:

• Co-op enabled for up to 4 players – Jump in/Jump out

• Gain experience points and unlock up to three real, licensed planes in the demo:

F-16A Fighting Falcon
SU-35 Super Flanker
AV-8B Harrier II

• Choose between two different game modes:

Normal – Default control type
Expert – Allows full control over the aircraft in “Assistance Off” mode

• Two heart-pounding missions:

Operation: Off Certification (Training mode)

• Learn the skills of an elite pilot in “Assistance Off” mode and pull extreme maneuvers

Operation: Glass Hammer (Rio De Janeiro)

• Take flight over GeoEye technology (the world’s best satellite data), and witness Brazil like never before

• Learn to use the Enhanced Reality System in “Assistance On” mode, where your plane’s computer calculates the best interception course for you to follow to attack an enemy, evade a missile or hit a ground target

Download the gameplay trailer here from our press extranet: http://ubipress.ubi.com

Tom Clancy’s H.A.W.X will be available on March 6th 2009 for the consoles and on March 13th for PC.

About Tom Clancy’s H.A.W.X

Developed by Ubisoft's Bucharest studio, Tom Clancy's H.A.W.X delivers an intense and authentic aerial combat experience by fully leveraging the benefits of the next-generation platforms. The story begins in the year 2014. As the era of the nation-state draws quickly to a close, the rules of warfare evolve even more rapidly. More and more nations become increasingly dependent on private military companies (PMCs), elite mercenaries with a lax view of the law. The Reykjavik Accords further legitimize their existence by authorizing their right to serve in every aspect of military operations. While the benefits of such PMCs are apparent, growing concerns surrounding giving them too much power begin to mount.

PC game discounts including - Raging Tiger - ATF - Space Horse and BCT commander

While those clowns in Washington continue to wallow in pork and dig the United States deeper into debt for future generations, Shrapnel Games would like to announce their very own stimulus plan designed specifically for gamers. From today, February 10th, until February 22nd, Shrapnel Games is slashing prices on the majority of available titles in our catalog. Whether you're on a budget or have simply been waiting for a price drop on a game you've been eyeing, now is the time to purchase!

The Shrapnel Stimulus Plan includes the following titles on sale:

Save $8.00 on these A-List Titles

• Raging Tiger: The Second Korean War ONLY $36.95
• ATF: Armored Task Force ONLY $36.95
• Space HoRSE ONLY $26.95
• BCT Commander ONLY $24.45

Save $7.00 on these Popular Games

• Scallywag: In the Lair of the Medusa ONLY $22.95
• Dominions 3: The Awakening ONLY $47.95
• The Star and the Crescent ONLY $37.95
• The Falklands War: 1982 ONLY $37.95

Save $6.00 on the Sure-to-Please Titles

• Air Assault Task Force ONLY $38.95
• Salvo! ONLY $33.95
• Air Command 3.0 ONLY $33.95

Save $5.00 on these Succulent Offerings

• Remote Assault ONLY $9.95
• winSPWW2 Enhanced CD Edition ONLY $34.95
• winSPMBT Enhanced CD Edition ONLY $34.95
• Air Command 3.0 Airport Expansion Pack ONLY $14.95

And Save $3.00 on the Following Got-to-Have Games

• Weird Worlds: Return to Infinite Space ONLY $21.95
• BRAINPIPE: A Plunge To Unhumanity ONLY $11.95

Now, you could do something silly with your money like put it into your 401K, but we think your money will be better served investing in some quality award-winning strategy gaming. You never have to worry about waking up one morning and finding its inherent worth slashed in half, nor does it end up becoming nothing more than a memory like a dinner out or trip to the movies.

So come on, pick up a title. Or two. Or three. Or go crazy and get the entire catalog! Games make perfect gifts for all your upcoming holidays needs. Nothing says Arbor Day like Dominions 3: The Awakening!

And if even with a sale this is just not the right economic time for you to be buying games, fear not, for Shrapnel Games offers a healthy selection of absolutely free games. From Digital Eel enjoy Plasmaworm, Dr. Blob's Organism, Big Box of Blox, and the print-and-play board game, Goblin Slayer. Illwinter Game Design of Dominions fame bids you to download their Conquest of Elysium II, while the Camo Workshop has both winSPWW2 and winSPMBT available as free downloads. These are the same core games as the Enhanced CD Editions, only the Enhanced CD Editions are well, more enhanced with extras that you won't find in the free version.

You can find our free games here, and to take advantage of our sale please visit our online store, the Gamers Front, here.

To read up on any of our games featured in the Shrapnel Stimulus Plan, download demos, or participate in our community please visit us at www.ShrapnelGames.com Shrapnel Games is celebrating a decade of being your choice for fine independent strategy and niche gaming!

Take part in the new Valentine's Day quest in the free-to-play MMORPG Flyff: lots of rare items to win !

A softness wave will blanket the world of the free-to-play MMORPG Flyff : Fly For Fun to celebrate Valentine’s Day, from the 10th to the 16th February.

A new character will appear in Madrigal and will give players the chance to take part in a new quest, and win lots of rare items.

From the 10th February, adventurers will have to help this new character by collecting different ingredients, in order to cook delicious chocolates for Valentine’s Day. These ingredients could be found by fighting monsters from the Flyff world, and by digging up the special collecting areas in Madrigal. All players connected on Flyff during the event will receive a surprise box holding the needed tools for this greedy quest.

Various rewards will be offered to the community: rare items giving the possibility to improve your weapons, colourfull fireworks and lovely outfits, such as a Dress and a Tuxedo, perfect to hang out with your lover. For a whole week, a special ring, engraved with the name of a chosen player, will allow lovers to teleport one of them near to the other, whenever they want.

The gPotato team wants to organize events opened to every player from all level. The Valentine’s Day event will give the chance to players to celebrate this lovely day by coupling on Flyff, and by offering them tradable rewards.

NecroVisioN FPS video game free level available

Sample both the frying pan and the fire in the new one level demo for NecroVisioN, 505 Games’ and 1C’s old school style FPS, set both in the First World War and the innards of the earth.

Starting near the beginning of the game, you will have to battle your way through the German lines, dispatching the Kaiser’s boys as they cower in their trenches. As you push further forward into enemy lines things take an unexpected and horrific turn as the dead rise from their muddy graves and attacking any living creature they can find. Now you must try and escape through the scores of German soldiers, while fighting off flesh-hungry zombies.

You will be able to use traditional allied weapons, such as the Colt 1911 or Lee Enfield, whilst selecting from the German Luger and Gewehr rifles, if you manage to salvage them from the battlefield. There are also traditional bayonets, heavy machine-guns, trench guns and, if you are truly desperate, a shovel to batter their spiked helmets flat.

The demo features one full level and will be released today. Visit www.necrovision-game.com for a list of mirrors to download the NecroVisioN demo now!

About NecroVisioN

NecroVisioN is a fast-paced shooter which will be exclusively released for PC this spring by 505 Games, under the 1C Company label. Developed by Polish developer The Farm 51, it mixes historical accuracy with a twisted plot and an alternate reality that sees gamers venturing into the very jaws of Hell itself to stop a zombie army and an evil demon overlord. Created by several of the original members of the Painkiller Team, NecroVisioN throws non-stop hordes of enemies at the player but gives them powerful weapons to fight off the invasion and save the world.