Galaxy Online: Alpha Test Date Advancing

IGG announced the Alpha Test of Galaxy Online will start at 9:00pm EST (GMT-5) on February 23rd and last until 9:00pm EST (GMT-5) March 2nd, which is one week in total.

The server name is Aries.

There are two main goals for this test. One is to perfect the game and the other is to prepare for the upcoming Closed Beta Test.

During the test, many fun-filled events, such as “the King of the Newbie’s Contest” and the “Guilds are Wanted” events, will offer big rewards and lots of fun in the game and in the forum. Players are more than welcome to join these events.

Notes: All testers' character data will be kept after the Alpha Beta Test

Myth War II Online: New Avatar and New Version Release

It has been a long and impatient journey for all Myth War fans that have been waiting for the latest news on the new version. The most highly anticipated aspect of the game is probably the new reborn 2 avatars. Not only do they have that to look forward to, but the new version 1.0.4.30, will finally be available on February 19th.

As the new version gets up and running, players will be anxious to see the new avatar designs. All of them are displayed in brilliant color with dazzling effects, and smoother animation. Character’s who have reached reborn 2 status will have their names displayed in purple. Come join us for the next chapter in the ongoing story of Myth War!

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Tales of Pirates - Maze-Cross-Harbor Tunnel Guide

The folks at Tales of Pirates want to tell you about the Cross-Harbor Tunnel. It is a fun underwater world on Spring Town with various kinds of cute little monsters. But be careful of their attacks! Players above level 65 can make a team and travel that mysterious Cross-Harbor Tunnel!

Guide of the Maze:

• Step 1: look for the underground Watercourse of Spring Town.
  
• Step 2: get through the maze after entering the underground Watercourse to reach the entrance of the Cross-Harbor Tunnel.
  
• Step 3: get into Cross-Harbor Tunnel
  

The maze monsters:

• Level 62 Long Hair Crab has Binding Skill, and drops the items: Long Hair Crab Pincer, Long Hair Shell, Tinder, Pink Crystal, Hurricane Vest, Lucky Bunny Muffs etc. (The Tinder can be used to resist Baby Icy Dragon’s Frost Breath.)
  
• Level 68 Cursed Water Fairy has Cursing Skill, and drops the items: Whirlpool Boots, Rattlesnake, Revival Clover, Arista etc. (The Arista can be used to resist Long Hair Crab’s Binding.)
  
• Level 65 Baby Icy Dragon has Frost Breath Skill, and drops the items: Cursed Bone, Blessed Shield, Protector Robe etc. (The Cursed Bone can be used to resist Cursed Water Fairy’s Curse.)
  
• The Level 75 Icy Dragon is a BOSS, guarded by many Cursed Water Fairies. We suggest players kill the little critters around first before killing the BOSS, because if they are cursed, it will decrease their Defense by about 100 points. After killing the Icy Dragon, players will obtain a Dragon's Tear, a level 75 Bow of Dusk and Faerie Gloves etc. (Dragon's Tear is a prop which grants players an attractive quest after use. But players need to explore it themselves. )
  

DisneyXD.com online games, video and mobile features for kids

Site Plays Key Interactive Role for Rebranded Television Channel and Builds on Company's Casual Games Strategy

Disney Online, part of the Disney Interactive Media Group, today introduced DisneyXD.com, the online and mobile Web destination for the new Disney entertainment brand designed to appeal to kids and tween boys. An abundance of action-based games, full-length video and customizable community features populate the site focused heavily on themes of adventure, accomplishment, gaming, music and sports.

“The mutual introduction of the new Disney XD network and online entertainment destination is a ground-breaking partnership among Disney Channels Worldwide, the Digital Media team at ABC Cable Networks Group and Disney Online that delivers a truly cross platform and fully integrated experience,” said Paul Yanover, Executive Vice President and General Manager, Disney Online. “Disney XD leverages the creativity and power of Disney Channel and the digital expertise of Disney.com to deliver great programming and interactive entertainment.”

DisneyXD.com is ad supported and will continuously roll out new, advanced features to ensure a fresh, fun experience every time Guests log on. At launch, features of the site include:

• Games Driven Environment: DisneyXD.com features a vast selection of action, adventure and sports themed game, which are a mixture of those branded upon Disney XD properties (such as Aaron Stone, Phineas and Ferb and Kid Vs. Kat) and popular licensed games boys like to play.
  
• Rich Video Content: Full-length episodes of Disney XD live-action and animated series, music- and sports-themed shows are available online all day, every day. DisneyXD.com also features exclusive online-only videos.
  
• Custom 3D Avatars: Guests can create a unique avatar representation of themselves – complete with animated poses. Points earned by playing games and completing special adventures allow Guests to receive exclusive collectible items (some with TV-branded themes) to transform themselves.
  
• Active Community: Each week, the DisneyXD.com hosted community will feature Guests who have completed online challenges or who have achieved high scores on game leaderboards. Players can also chat with their friends and explore player profiles that display high scores, trophies and rank.
  
• Multi-Platform Access: Fans can take Disney XD with them anywhere by texting XD to DISNEY (347639) and get first look access to games, videos and more – including one-of-a-kind wallpapers and ringtones.
  

The dynamic gaming content on DisneyXD.com is the latest addition to Disney Online’s growing portfolio of casual game offerings, which include a unique mixture of original content and licensed games, designed for kids, tweens and their parents. The constantly evolving and relevant portfolio of high-quality, compelling casual games allow fans to more deeply engage and interact with their favorite Disney characters and shows. According to a recent analysis by ComScore, Inc., Disney Games ranked third among online gaming destination with 13.4 million visitors in December 2008, and had a reported traffic

increase of 13 percent from the previous year. According to the data, online gaming usage in the U.S. grew 27 percent over the past year to 86 million visitors in December 2008. Moreover, the total time spent playing online games increased by 42 percent.

The simultaneous rollout of the Disney XD channel on Feb. 13 will include a cross-platform on-air, online and mobile broadcast of the new original series, "Aaron Stone," and will feature a special online challenge where players can earn points to unlock the “Aaron Stone” battle suit for their avatar’s wardrobe. More information and details can be found online at www.DisneyXD.com.

About Disney XD
Disney XD, launching Friday, February 13, is a basic cable channel and multi-platform brand that will showcase live-action and animated programming for kids age 6-14, hyper-targeting boys and their quest for discovery, accomplishment, sports, adventure and humor. Disney XD branded content will span television, online, mobile and VOD platforms. The programming includes series, movies and short-form, as well as sports-themed programming developed with ESPN. In the U.S., Disney XD will premiere on a 24-hour, advertiser supported network (currently known as Toon Disney) that reaches over 72 million households via its basic cable affiliates.

Watchmen - The end is nigh voice-over talent announced

Stars of Upcoming Watchmen Film Patrick Wilson and Jackie Earle Haley to Reprise Their Roles, Bringing Characters to Lifein an Action Brawler Videogame

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment is proud to announce that Patrick Wilson and Jackie Earle Haley, stars of the upcoming Watchmen film, will lend their voices to the long-form downloadable videogame Watchmen: The End is Nigh. Developed by Deadline Games and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, Watchmen: The End is Nigh will feature the voices of Patrick Wilson as Nite Owl, a refined fighter well-versed in martial arts and cutting-edge gadgetry, and Jackie Earle Haley as Rorschach, a feral, streetwise fighter who can disarm enemies and use their own weapons against them.

A prequel to the Watchmen film directed by Zack Snyder, the videogame Watchmen: The End is Nigh will be released on March 4, 2009, two days before the movie opens in theaters nationwide. Watchmen: The End is Nigh extends the film experience and will delve into the characters, rivalries and challenges in a mature action-brawler. The game explores the crime-fighting partnership of urban vigilantes Nite Owl and Rorschach, who track and beat down criminals to uncover a dangerous conspiracy.

Watchmen: The End is Nigh will be released on Xbox LIVE Arcade for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and PC, and on March 5, 2009 on the PlayStation Network

Please visit the official Watchmen: The End is Nigh website at http://www.watchmenvideogame.com. Give your readers an early glimpse at Watchmen: The End is Nigh by posting the news to your site!

ABOUT “WATCHMEN”: Opening nationwide on March 6, 2009, “Watchmen” is a complex, multi-layered mystery adventure, “Watchmen” is set in an alternate 1985 America in which costumed superheroes are part of the fabric of everyday society, and the Doomsday Clock—which charts the USA’s tension with the Soviet Union—moves closer to midnight. When one of his former colleagues is murdered, the outlawed but no less determined masked vigilante Rorschach uncovers a wide-ranging and disturbing conspiracy with catastrophic consequences for the future.

Warner Bros. Pictures and Paramount Pictures present, in Association with Legendary Pictures, a Lawrence Gordon/Lloyd Levin Production, a Zack Snyder Film, “Watchmen.” The film stars Malin Akerman, Billy Crudup, Matthew Goode, Carla Gugino, Jackie Earle Haley, Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Patrick Wilson. “Watchmen” is directed by Zack Snyder and produced by Lawrence Gordon, Lloyd Levin and Deborah Snyder. The screenplay is by David Hayter and Alex Tse, based upon the graphic novel co-created and illustrated by Dave Gibbons and published by DC Comics. Herbert W. Gains and Thomas Tull are the executive producers, with Wesley Coller serving as co-producer.

DC Comics, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company, is the largest English-language publisher of comics in the world and home to such iconic characters as Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and the Sandman. These DC Super Heroes and others have starred in comic books, movies, television series (both animated and live-action) and cyberspace, thrilling audiences of all ages for generations. DC Comics’ Web site is located at www.dccomics.com.

WATCHMEN and all related characters and elements are trademarks of and © DC Comics.

Battle Group Commander - Episode One! Brand New Game Series From ProSIM Company!

In a gaming world obsessed with the big Dubya Dubya Two one developer, ProSIM Company, has represented the spearhead in providing gamers with exciting alternatives in the form of the ultimate in modern land combat simulations. From the early days of BCT Commander to their latest title, Air Assault Task Force, ProSIM has given PC gamers the very best in real time simulations, allowing players to fight in North Korea, the Middle East, Afghanistan, Somalia, and more using today's tools of conflict. Their titles have changed the way gamers view real time gaming and what a wargame actually can deliver, and in 2009 ProSIM is once again ready to set the wargaming world on fire.

Publisher Shrapnel Games and developer ProSIM Company are extremely proud to announce the launch of a brand new episodic series of modern warfare simulations for the PC entitled Battle Group Commander. A Battle Group is a British Army term for a battalion-sized formation that brings together armor, infantry, artillery and other assets into a combined arms team.

Battle Group Commander: Episode One is designed by Gary Bezant, former member of the British Army and designer of the controversial ProSIM title, The Falklands War: 1982 (also published by Shrapnel Games). Episode One allows players to step into the boots of a Battle Group Commander (imagine that!) and fight a Soviet-style enemy in the Salisbury Plain Training Area of England (analogous to the NTC in the US). No word yet on whether steaks will also be involved.

Powered by the Air Assault Task Force engine, Battle Group Commander: Episode One gives players everything they've come to expect from a ProSIM title. Players can command units individually or by company in pausable real time. Detailed weapons modeling allowing for individual weapon destruction. Terrain that is derived from real world digital elevation mapping. Intuitive GUI. Aggressive AI that uses a variety of operational plans for great replayability. Realism and playability, the dream of every wargamer, all found in Battle Group Commander: Episode One.

What's most exciting though about Battle Group Commander: Episode One is the episodic nature of the series. Priced at a very affordable $14.95 and available as a direct download, it is a perfect way in these challenging economic times to enjoy quality wargaming without breaking the bank.

Episode One contains four scenarios and supports both single and multi-player gaming. As a standalone product new players can enjoy the simulation, with a detailed web-based tutorial, streamlined yet comprehensive electronic manual, and pre-set scenario planning. Veterans of ProSIM games will find that although made more noob-friendly, Battle Group Commander: Episode One boasts all the detail you're used to. Nothing has been "dumbed down", and in fact owners of Air Assault Task Force (or the older Armored Task Force) can install Battle Group Commander: Episode One and gain access to all the units and the map found in the new title!

So, not only is Battle Group Commander: Episode One an exciting standalone digital wargame that hearkens back to days of the cardboard microgame (big gaming for very little money), it's also the equivalent of an expansion for owners of Air Assault Task Force or Armored Task Force! A win-win for both new and old fans alike!

Future episodes in the Battle Group Commander series will feature British operations in other settings and situations. Later this year another series will launch, March To Baghdad, whose episodes will cover Operation Iraqi Freedom.

For more information on Battle Group Commander: Episode One please visit its official product page. Please note that since this is an episodic release there will not be an official demo for the title. To experience the engine it is based upon please download the demo for Air Assault Task Force, found here.

Battle Group Commander: Episode One is available for Windows and only as a direct download. It is priced at just $14.95.

GTA IV – The Lost and the Damned for the Xbox 360 is out on the 17th February

Without an Xbox 360 you'll be left empty handed, at least when it comes to GTA The Lost and The Damned. This extra content is exclusively available on the Xbox 360. Now for the good news though.

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From the 17th to 22nd February Xbox Live users who “only” have a silver account will have the chance to run riot on in the GTA 4 and GTA 4: The Lost and the Damned multiplayer mode.

According to the information already out, the additional content will cost 1,600 Microsoft points, which is about 20€ (around £18). We’re not talking about peanuts here, but gamers who do make this investment will be able to enjoy new characters and a new gameplay, that is to say new missions in Liberty City.

Some PC gamers might think that the money involved in this DLC might have been better spent ironing out some of the bugs in GTA 4 PC.

Who knows though – maybe Rockstar might have a surprise on the horizon for PC gamers – it would be very welcome at least.

House of the dead - Overkill

Hot on the heels of the nefarious Papa Caesar, the third mission of The House of the Dead: OVERKILL brings our heroes to a deserted freak show just outside Bayou City. Detective Washington and Agent G know that demented clowns bar their progress but the hunt for the truth must go on, and nothing in this twisted county fair will stand in their way.

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The pair will shoot a path through stands, arcades, and tents, braving all manner of horrific mutant horrors. Before long though they will reach the big top, wherein wait Nigel and Sebastien, the biggest freak of them all…

The House of the Dead: OVERKILL uncovers the ugly, terrifying, red hot secrets behind the House of the Dead; the daddy of all over-the-top shooters. While staying true to the classic gameplay this hugely successful SEGA series is getting a new retro look, with distinctive graphics, sound and attitude that will add to its horror cool status. Plus, thanks to the Wii Remote™, players will fight off zombies when they get too close; pistol-whipping jaws off and smashing in skulls with their shotgun butt.

The House of the Dead: OVERKILL will be released in February 2009, exclusively for Nintendo Wii.

Nintendo own half the console market

Nintendo once more led game console shipment numbers, according to market research firm NPD.

The company accounted for 57% of shipments in January and is quickly approaching a 50% share of current-gen game consoles shipped overall – despite a one year market advantage of the Xbox 360.

Of 39.5 the million consoles sold to date, Nintendo shipped almost 18.4 million units, and its share grows every month.

Source: tgdaily

F.E.A.R. 2 Project origin video game Black cats promotion

Warner Bros unleashed a group of black cats across London on Friday to promote the launch of its new computer game F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin.

The trained cats are prowling the city wearing branded cat jackets aiming to play on the superstitions of passers by spooked by Friday 13.

The game was released on Friday 13 because of its horror inspired content.

A hotline for cat owners wanting to turn their own pets into walking ads for the game has also been launched.

Warner Bros claims it had been inundated with calls from cat owners requesting the branded cat jackets.