Capcom set to announce new game

Capcom to Announce New Game...
A teaser message via Xbox Live states a new game will be announced in trailer form Feb 23rd.
Lots of site are speculating - we don't...

Tom Clancy's H.A.W.X. original music by Tom Salta

Salta Records with A-list Musicians in New York for the New Title in the Prestigious Tom Clancy's Video Game Franchise

Composer and music producer Tom Salta, whose previous credits include the MTV VMA-nominated original score for Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter (GRAW) and the acclaimed sequel Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter 2, has written and recorded the exhilarating original music score for Tom Clancy's H.A.W.X, the first air-combat game set in the world-renowned Tom Clancy's video game universe. Tom Clancy's H.A.W.X will be available March 3, 2009 for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and the PLAYSTATION 3 computer entertainment system. The Windows-based PC version of the game will be released the following week.

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 current-generation platforms. To emphasize the game's cutting-edge technology, devastating firepower, and intense dogfights, Salta composed an adrenalized and emotionally-charged live orchestral / electronic hybrid score recorded at Legacy Studios in New York with A-list musicians from the New York Philharmonic and Metropolitan Opera Orchestra.

"In Tom Clancy's H.A.W.X we had to explore five emotional dimensions: the patriot, the life of a mercenary, betrayal, hopelessness and open war on U.S. soil," said Emil Gheorghe, producer of H.A.W.X. "Tom Salta managed not only to tie all these elements together in an astoundingly rich and memorable score but he also crafted an acoustical identity for our game to stand up in the midst of the Tom Clancy's titles. Using orchestral arrangements, high-tech sounds and a mix of traditional instruments, he built an incredibly diverse soundtrack ranging from flavorful traditional themes to military tracks."

To preview samples of Salta's music for the game, visit the official website at http://hawxgame.com/.

Tom Salta's other video game credits include Ubisoft's exclusive first-person action title for the Wii home video game system from Nintendo, Red Steel, drawing from traditional and contemporary Japan for the game's original soundtrack which received IGN's Wii Award for Best Original Score. Recording under the artist name Atlas Plug, he is currently writing the follow-up to his highly acclaimed debut solo album 2 Days or Die. For more information on Tom Salta visit www.tomsalta.com.

Hello Kitty Online beta preview extended until 22nd February

"Helping Hearts" invites players to craft virtual items for real orphanage

Sanrio Digital today announced an extension of the current beta preview of Hello Kitty Online, the official massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) of the Hello Kitty universe. Hello Kitty Online will remain open to the public until 23:00 (11 PM) EST on Sunday, February 22, 2009. The current Valentine Day-themed event has been phased into a charity event named “Helping Hearts”, in which players will craft virtual items that Sanrio Digital will convert to real world clothing donations to an orphanage.

“Helping Hearts” starts at 21:00 (9 PM) EST on February 19, 2009. Hello Kitty Online players will have to use teamwork and organizational skills to collect resources and craft specific virtual shirts and bags. At the end of the event, items crafted and submitted by players will be counted and Sanrio Digital will donate a corresponding number of real, limited edition Hello Kitty shirts and bags to an orphanage. The three guilds with the highest donation values will be declared winners and will be featured on the Hello Kitty Online game site. To join this event or play the Hello Kitty Online beta preview, simply sign up to SanrioTown and download and install the game client from www.hellokittyonline.com. Log in to the game using your SanrioTown username and password.

“Helping Hearts” continues Hello Kitty Online’s efforts to recruit players for socially responsible causes. In the previous charity event, called “Food For Friends”, beta players were asked to craft virtual food items that Sanrio Digital then tallied and converted into a cash donation to charity. Thus, participants in “Food For Friends” effectively raised about USD 12,000 in charity donations to UNICEF and the Asian Youth Orchestra.

“Helping Hearts” begins at 21:00 (9 PM) EST on February 19 and ends at 23:00 (11 PM) EST on February 22, 2009. Hello Kitty Online will be closed after that time to continue work on the game. Contest results and further details will be provided on www.hellokittyonline.com.

All-new downloadble time trial pack for Mirror's Edge

Leave the city behind! DICE announced today that the highly acclaimed first-person action adventure title, Mirror’s Edge has released downloadable content (DLC) for the PLAYSTATION 3, the Xbox 360 and the PC.

Watch my HD video here... please subscribe

Players will be challenged to achieve the fastest times possible on nine races across seven all-new and totally redesigned Time Trial maps. No guns, no cops, and no city: this is true aesthetics, agility and flow that will challenge any runner. This special DLC pack is available for £7 or 800 Microsoft points. As an added bonus, all PLAYSTATION 3 Mirror’s Edge fans can now download an additional map for free.

Time Trial is a popular mode in Mirror’s Edge that challenges players to find the fastest route across various maps. Players can upload their best time to the Mirror’s Edge leaderboards for their friends to download and compete against. Players can see their friend’s ‘ghost’ run as they race their way through the course to the top of the leaderboards.

Mirror’s Edge delivers players straight into the shoes of Faith, a modern day heroine who traverses the vertigo-inducing cityscape, engaging in intense combat, fast-paced chases and challenging puzzles. With a never-before-seen sense of movement and perspective, players are drawn into Faith’s dangerous world.

Players can also experience Faith in 2D this Friday when the hand-crafted animation and old school platform game by Brad Borne, creator of Fancy Pants, goes live at www.mirrorsedge2d.com

SingStar to get wireless microphones

Sony has announced they will finally be releasing wireless mics for their Singstar games . The mics will come with a new version of the game, SingStar Pop Edition, which will be released March 20th. If Pop is not your thing, then tough luck, as the mics will not be sold seprately.

The mics will be compatabile with both the both PS2 and PS3, and there is a chance they could work with Rock Band as well, although that is not confimred.

Get ready to unleash the SingStar within - with the launch of brand-new Wireless SingStar Microphones from Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE). Rated as ‘excellent’ by the SingStar community, Wireless SingStar Microphones will have you and your friends performing from couch to table-top - completely leads-free! Coming to UK stores on 20th March, the launch of Wireless SingStar Microphones coincides with the release of SingStar Pop Edition for PLAYSTATION 3 (PS3).

With full focus on the SingStar community, SCEE asked community members to trial the new Wireless SingStar Microphones and offer their feedback. An amazing 99% of participants rated their microphones as ‘excellent’ or ‘very good’, while SingStar community member Stuart from the UK said “Wireless Mics kick ass!” Dave Ranyard of Executive Producer of the SingStar franchise says “We’re excited with the community’s response to Wireless Mics. Now SingStars can enjoy their experience wire-free – and test them out with the exciting launch of SingStar: Pop Edition along with hundreds of new tracks in SingStore. We’re looking forward to seeing your brand-new wireless videos at My SingStar Online or www.singstargame.com.”;

Easy to pass around or keep to yourself; Wireless SingStar Microphones are lots of fun and easy to use. Test them out with brand-new SingStar Pop Edition, with brand-new voice control feature. Unleash some attitude with P!nk’s So What? Then grab your best mate for a pop duet with Jordin Sparks feat. Chris Brown’s No Air , rock out with Bon Jovi’s Livin’ on a Prayer or perform a sexy solo with Sam Sparro’s Black and Gold. Here’s the international playlist:

Alphabeat 10.000 Nights Of Thunder
Amy Winehouse Rehab
Black Kids I'm Not Going To Teach Your Boyfriend How To Dance
Bon Jovi Livin' On A Prayer
Chris Brown With You
Chris De Burgh Lady In Red
Cyndi Lauper True Colors
Gloria Estefan Rhythm Is Gonna Get You
Jordin Sparks feat. Chris Brown No Air
Kaiser Chiefs Never Miss A Beat
Kate Nash Mouthwash
Kings Of Leon Sex On Fire
Klaxons Gravity's Rainbow
Little Jackie The World Should Revolve Around Me
N*E*R*D Sooner Or Later
P!nk So What!
Queen Bohemian Rhapsody [DSCIMG]
Robbie Williams Angels
Robyn Be Mine
Rockwell Somebody's Watching Me
Sam Sparro Black And Gold
Solange I Decided
Sugababes Girls
The Feeling Rose
The Killers Human
The Police Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic
The Script The Man Who Can't Be Moved
Will Young Changes
will.i.am Feat Cheryl Cole Heartbreaker
Yazoo Don't Go

Meanwhile the brand-new Voice Control function Only compatible with PLAYSTATION 3 available with SingStar Pop Edition means you won’t need to worry about picking up your PS3 controller as you sing along. Simply speak into your Wireless SingStar Microphones and announce which track you want to sing next - and it will appear on your screen! Plus you can even shop and search through your SingStore Carousel using your voice! Being a SingStar’s never been so much fun…

Wireless SingStar Microphones come with improved high-quality sound and are compatible with both PS3 and PlayStation 2. So cue the lights, turn up the volume and get ready to unleash the SingStar inside you when Wireless SingStar Microphones are launched 20th March whilst SingStar Pop Edition hit stores in April.

Unreal Tournament 3 - Titan Pack Expansion details

Unreal Tournament 3 - Titan Pack is a major expansion to the award-winning Unreal Tournament 3. The Titan Pack gives players a substantial amount of enhanced features and new content, including many original environments, new gametypes, the namesake Titan mutator, powerful deployables and weapons, new characters, and the Stealthbender vehicle.

Also included are sweeping enhancements to AI, networking performance, UI usability and mod support, plus the addition of 57 PS3 Trophies and Steam Achievements to make the UT3 experience even more satisfying. The “Titan Pack” also brings client-side demo recording, major Server Browser enhancements, a new maplist system, plus mid-game mutator and gametype voting functionality to the PC, while additional PS3 upgrades include split-screen support, mod browsing and Trophy support.

“Unreal Tournament 3: Titan Pack” includes:

* 16 environments – four Warfare, three vCTF, six Deathmatch, and three CTF maps – that are new to the PC and PS3 versions
* Three bonus pack maps, CTF-Face, CTF-Searchlight and DM-Morbias
* The namesake Titan mutator, which lets players overwhelm opponents as a 15 foot tall titan, or crush them as a 30 foot tall Behemoth
* Greed and Betrayal, two gametypes that breed new-found fervor throughout the competitive UT3 arena
* Two powerful weapons, the Stinger Turret and Eradicator Cannon artillery
* Two valuable deployables, the X-Ray Field and Link Station
* The Slow Field power-up, a portable version of the Slow Field deployable
* Stealthbender, a new vehicle that carries two spidermine trap deployables, one EMP mine, and one each of the new Link Station and X-Ray Field deployables
* Two new characters, Nova and Kana
* 57 awards attainable as Steam Achievements and PS3 Trophies
* Broad improvements for PC and PS3: Significant AI enhancements, especially in vehicle gametypes; networking performance upgrades; greatly improved menu flow and UI usability; better mod support
* Client-side demo recording, highly improved Server Browser, a new maplist system, plus mid-game mutator and gametype voting functionality for PC
* High demand PS3 features including PS3 Trophy support, two-player split-screen support, and mod browsing

Pokemon Diamond on Nintendo DS Unlockable guide

Pokemon Diamond, or Pocket Monsters Diamond, as it is know in Japan, is a role-playing game developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo exclusively for its hugely-popular Nintendo DS handheld gaming console.The title is part of the Pokemon RPG series, which also comprises releases such as Pokemon Pearl or Pokemon Platinum. Based on the world famous Pokemon anime series, it was first launched in its native Japan on September 28, 2006, and reached North American and European shores on April 22, and July 27, 2007, respectively.
Both Pokemon Diamond and Pokemon Pearl are set in the fictional world of Sinnoh, which is the habitat of 493 different species of Pokemons, a special type of animals that possess different kinds of powers that can be used in the fight against their enemies. As all Pokemon stories, this title documents the journey of a young trainer who needs to raise and battle Pokemons, all of this while investigating a criminal organization that wants to hurt the creatures.

Features such as Internet play, via the Nintendo Wi-Fi connection, or changes to the gameplay and battle mechanics are also present in the title, which aims at giving a fresh new experience to Pokemon fans all across the world. Older concepts such as Pokemon contests are also introduced, in order to bring back the old fans of the anime series and older video games. Pokemon Diamond and Pearl are similar in some ways, but cover different stories and don't have the same gameplay mechanics. In order to complete the Pokedexes of the two titles, you must trade between them in order to uncover new species of animals.

The game has received positive reviews, with critics praising the Wi-Fi features, which enable players to engage in some interesting battles, and the gameplay that, although being based on almost the same principles as older titles, has managed to offer an entertaining experience. Sales have been very good, with the game shipping around 15 million units worldwide, thanks to the big number of Pokemon fans out there.

UNLOCKABLES

Trainer card ranks

Complete any of the following tasks in any order to earn a star and change the color of your trainer card, as indicated below: Defeat the Elite Four, win all of the Master Rank Contests, complete the Underground Flag mini-game with friends, capture 482 different Pokemons, or win 100 times in a row at the Battle Tower.

Blue Trainer Card (one star);
Bronze Trainer Card (two stars);
Silver Trainer Card (three stars);
Gold Trainer Card (four stars);
Black Trainer Card (five stars).

New and improved PDC World Championship Darts 2009 on Nintendo Wii

The throwing method with the Wii Remote in PDC World Championship Darts 2009 is all new, having been re-designed and improved, from the 2008 version. The mechanism has been completely rewritten to give you the most realistic darts throwing experience yet – so you’ll have no excuse if you miss an easy shot!

Oxygen and Rebellion studios have strived to give darts fans a throwing gesture as realistic as possible using the Wii Remote. PDC Darts 2009 will have 3 throwing assist levels; Max, Min and Off. Max will allow those not experienced at throwing real darts the ability to keep up with the games professional players, Min and Off modes will challenge players with greater experience taking power, dart weight and accuracy into account.

Phil The Power Taylor, who has been working with Rebellion and Oxygen to improve the throwing method said “The throwing method is smooth, fluid and simple. Oxygen have really improved upon last year’s version and it feels the same as throwing a real dart with the advantage being that I don’t have to walk to the dart board to take out the arrows!”

Steve Hart, Producer at Rebellion commented “We wanted to offer people the ability to compete against the worlds top Darts players, those starring in the game compete at their real life dart averages. We knew we couldn’t expect everyone to keep up with such professional play. In order to achieve this we had to first, design and implement a throwing gesture that felt natural and as close to the real thing as possible. Once this was in place we went to work on offering different levels of “Assist Mode” as per last years game, where by assisting people with the throw accuracy, power etc. the game offered a more forgiving game mechanic, or with Assist Off, as close to the real thing as a computer game could ever provide. We’re very happy with the results.”

Jim Scott, CEO of Oxygen Games added “We got some criticism from a few passionate sports and darts fans last year who thought the throwing method could be improved. We took everything they said on board and have now created the purest and most realistic darts experience to date. We are sure anyone who tries this version will not be disappointed.”

Specific Improvements:

1. Assist modes cover more areas than previous version.
2. PDC2009 has a more intuitive system, whereby aim reticule can be re-locked into same position.
3. The gesture is more sensitive and accurate
4. On screen feedback is centred on the reticule, so all info is provided at the point of interest, instead of looking into a corner as in the previous version.
5. Dart weights are taken into account this year. So if you’re throwing high all the time, select a heavier dart rather than tweaking your gesture.
6. Relentless Focus Testing to ensure we knew where it was wrong, and where it was right. And the readjusted accordingly.

Killzone 2 - Guerrila boss admits "Some Areas to Improve"

Hermen Hulst is the managing director of Guerrilla Games. He appears to be a refreshingly honest and straightforward chap in an industry rapidly disappearing beneath a mountain of jargon, obfuscation and plain BS. He is also responsible for Killzone 2, the game that could either breathe new life into PlayStation 3 or serve as the first verse in its swansong.

While Internet forums have been befouled with rants about how good or bad the game is, Mr Hulst is more up front. He says, "We've delivered in most areas on the vision we set out. We have pushed the machine hard". However, he also states, "If you analyse down to the nitty gritty, there are some areas to improve."

That is not the kind of statement a company leader makes about a make-or-break product that he is not confident in. He's also upfront about why the game came about, telling the BBC, "Our mission for the title was to build a showcase for the PlayStation 3 hardware. I think we have pushed the machine, so I am hopeful that we can help Sony push hardware units."

Source: Spong

Runes of Magic - Daily quest has players battling against huge minotaurs

A new challenge arises in Runes of Magic. From today with 'Battle for Mystery’ a truly epic encounter awaits players in the high level area of the fantasy online role-play game.

This encounter follows the concept of the Daily Quests – tasks that are only accessible once a day - requiring a challenging battle with a world boss. The daily quest leads players out of the 'Harf trading post' to the 'Mystical Altar', a location up in the Ystra Highlands. This is where they have to overcome the sinister magician Samoge. In the course of the battle, two gigantic stone statues in the form of minotaurs are awakened and brought to life. However, the player ought not to wage the ‘Battle for Mystery’ on their own: nothing less than a combat troop of up to 36 players with a level of at least 45 are needed to bring Samoge to his knees. They will also be supported by envoys from the NPC faction ‘The Eye of Wisdom’ who have also placed a price on the magician’s head.

Considerable valuable rewards beckon to the raiding party in the event of a victory over the world boss Samoge and his enlivened helpers. Together with epic quality weapons and armaments, players will also bag rare scrolls to help them with rune interpretation which could also help them in increasing the value of their equipment.

Runes of Magic started the open beta with an English and a German version in the middle of December 2008. All interested players can now download the online-role playing game and enter into the fantasy world after creating an account for free on www.runesofmagic.com.

Runes of Magic – a world full of wizardry and adventure
With an extensive range of features Runes of Magic prepares to redefine the standard of free2play MMO games. Runes of Magic conveys an absorbing story through more than 1.000 quests embedded in an atmospheric fantasy setting. Players can choose between six main classes and combined with a secondary class they present 30 individual combinations of character classes over all. All characters possess unique skills with impressive combo attacks and can use mounts like war horses and more. A particularly attractive feature for guilds and players is the possibility to arrange their own virtual homes with individual furnishing. Thanks to an extensive crafting and reputation system, thrilling PVP, as well as demanding dungeons and boss-monsters, no wishes remain unsatisfied. The Taiwanese developer Runewaker has developed Runes of Magic according to western MMO standards within a time frame of three years. The studio will provide new challenges for players every three to four months with free add-ons and updates. MMO fans can find more information, pictures and videos on the official website www.runesofmagic.com.

Features

- Free2play: no monthly fees, free download
- Extensive dual class system (six primary and secondary classes)
- Versatile spell- and attack-combinations
- Enthralling background story
- More than 1.000 quests and quest series on launch
- No zone boundaries thanks to seamless architecture
- Dungeons: Instanced and tile based as well as persistent
- Individually developable skills and spells
- Armour sets with special bonuses
- Dynamic item system with hundreds of runes for upgrading
- Optional PvP system with arena battles and guild wars
- Ranking system with player-ranking lists
- Multitude of unique mounts
- Epic crafting system with the chance to improve existing items
- Personalization of player houses through individual furnishing
- Reputation system
- Customisable user interface with the option to use Add-Ons
- Map and radar system to find dealers, resources and quests easily
- In-game auction houses for trading items
- Teleport-Runes for instant travel
- Mouse and keyboard controls for movement
- Regular updates with new content
- Cross-server fights in three-server-battle in development
- Guild houses in special zones in development