Chronicles of Riddick - Escape from Dark Xbox Live and PlayStation demos in March

Chronicles of Riddick - Escape from Dark out April 7 in Us and April 24th in Europe

Featuring the brand new full-length ‘Assault on Dark Athena’ campaign, an HD remake of the classic ‘Escape from Butcher Bay’ and multiplayer options including the unique Pitch Black mode all on one disk The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena will deliver an incredibly rich experience to gamers following its worldwide release this coming April.

Renowned developer Starbreeze Studios has effectively combined stealth, vicious hand-to-hand combat and ferocious gunplay in The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena, creating an irresistible game with something for all fans of action gaming. With playable demos coming in March to both Xbox Live® and PLAYSTATION® Network, fans won’t have to wait long to take their first steps as the galaxy’s most notorious bad-ass, Riddick.
Featuring the brand new full-length ‘Assault on Dark Athena’ campaign, an HD remake of the classic ‘Escape from Butcher Bay’ and multiplayer options including the unique Pitch Black mode all on one disk, The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena will deliver an incredibly rich experience to gamers following its worldwide release this coming April.

Renowned developer Starbreeze Studios has effectively combined stealth, vicious hand-to-hand combat and ferocious gunplay in The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena, creating an irresistible game with something for all fans of action gaming. With playable demos coming in March to both Xbox Live and PLAYSTATION Network, fans won’t have to wait long to take their first steps as the galaxy’s most notorious bad-ass, Riddick.

Xbox Live and PLAYSTATION Network Demos Coming March, Official Website Now Live

Featuring the brand new full-length ‘Assault on Dark Athena’ campaign, an HD remake of the classic ‘Escape from Butcher Bay’ and multiplayer options including the unique Pitch Black mode all on one disk, The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena will deliver an incredibly rich experience to gamers following its worldwide release this coming April.

Renowned developer Starbreeze Studios has effectively combined stealth, vicious hand-to-hand combat and ferocious gunplay in The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena, creating an irresistible game with something for all fans of action gaming. With playable demos coming in March to both Xbox Live and PLAYSTATION Network, fans won’t have to wait long to take their first steps as the galaxy’s most notorious bad-ass, Riddick.

Age of Conan video game for Russia and Poland

Age of Conan launches in Russia and Poland

The third best-selling US PC title of 2008 now available in six languages, with Korea to come

Funcom is proud to announce that Age of Conan has launched in Russia, and Poland. As the game gets ready for full service in two new languages, Funcom has seen a clear trend towards strengthened feedback from the current player community, which praises the many improvements to the game.

The Russian and Polish versions of Age of Conan mark the first time Funcom works directly with an external publisher who take care of all service aspects related to the running of a MMO. The partners 1C and CD Projekt are responsible for localization, customer service and community management, as well as sales and marketing.

“Eastern Europe is quickly becoming one of the most important markets for massive online games, and it will be a continued focus for Funcom to strengthen our presence there. Together with our partners we will therefore focus on making the game a success for many years to come,” says Morten Larssen, Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Funcom. “Since we launched Age of Conan last year, the game has taken large strides. This means that all new customers get a fuller Conan experience and nothing pleases us more.”

Launched in May last year, ‘Age of Conan’ quickly became a smash hit in retail, shipping over 1,2 million copies around the world. In North America, the most prominent online gaming market in the west, Age of Conan became the third best-selling PC title of 2008, only beaten by ‘World of Warcraft’ and ‘Spore’. In the weeks after launch, Age of Conan simultaneously topped the charts in 17 countries, even in some all-format lists. This showed the enormous marked demand for brutal, barbaric MMO fun. This was further highlighted by the 15 million unique visitors to the Age of Conan website during 2008.

After having lower customer retention than anticipated in 2008, Funcom is now seeing a distinct turn of events when it comes to Age of Conan. Not only has the company seen a significant improvement in subscription retention, the trend is also that the players spends more time in-game. As a result Funcom continues to invest heavily in the game, and currently more than 120 people are working on adding new content.

Funcom sees that the challenges from 2008 are now turning into positive opportunities going forward, and the many content updates since launch have resulted in a better gaming experience. This is evident not only from the feedback in Eastern Europe, but also through the current word of mouth among the many active players of the game.

With launch in new markets, an upcoming expansion pack, consistent content updates and numerous marketing initiatives Funcom is excited about the outlook for Age of Conan.

For more information on the local Russian version of ‘Age of Conan’ please visit http://ageofconan.1c.ru/
For more information on the local Polish version of ‘Age of Conan’ please visit http://www.aoc2009.pl/

House of the Dead: Overkill soundtrack - Plus Online poster creator

PitStop Productions receive critical acclaim for their House of the Dead: Overkill soundtrack

Online poster creator site

A game’s sound doesn’t often grab the headlines, but with the release of the SEGA blockbuster, House of the Dead: Overkill, PitStop Productions have placed themselves firmly in the top tier of Game Audio. The developer, Headstrong Games approached PitStop to provide script development, sound design and voice production for the zombie gore-fest. The results speak for themselves:

“..brilliant writing and voice acting”
Gamespot

“And the music is fabulous, surely a soundtrack of the year candidate; note-perfect parodies of vintage funk and rockabilly, with thumping, dirty electro remixes for the boss battles.”
Eurogamer

“Sound: 10/10 - The voice work is hilarious and the music is an orgasm for the ears”
Cubed3

“Because we were asked to produce the script as well as the music voice and sound design for House of the Dead, we were able to make sure that the audio was an integrated part of the game – the feel of the music, the voices, the sound design, they all fit together.”
John Sanderson
Managing Director

So what makes Pit Stop so different? Fresh thinking. Without the overheads of large central London facilities, Pit Stop are able to provide top quality assets at realistic prices. With two in-house composers, and experience ranging from west end musicals to chart topping dance tunes Pit Stop are the UK’s leading provider of bespoke, royalty free music. Because Pit Stop’s composers are not affiliated to the MCPS/PRS alliance, when you buy music from Pit Stop, you own it – to use however you like.

Whatever the project, PitStop take the same pride and attention to detail on every element – from the smallest sound effect to the provision of a full set of audio assets. It’s an approach that has meant that within the last 12 months, Pit Stop has been chosen for projects with SEGA, Sony, Codemasters, Microsoft, Kuju, Rockstar, Climax, Empire, Team 17, Gamerholix, and Blitz.

New website for Dokapon Journey - Nintendo DS video game

Check out the website and trailer to learn more about this friendship-destroying RPG-board game
Atlus U.S.A., Inc. today launched the website (www.atlus.com/dokaponjourney) and trailer for Dokapon Journey for Nintendo DS. Brave adventurers in search of fame and fortune are invited to hit the road... literally. In this RPG-board game, monsters have invaded the Kingdom of Dokapon, and the King has offered his throne and the hand of his daughter to any challenger who would rise to the occasion and save the land. Alas, that kind of offer is bound to attract some very over-determined adventurers...

Alone against devilish AI, or together with up to three of your friends via single- or multi-card local wireless play, sign up to save the Kingdom and win the throne. Just make sure to sabotage the competition at every chance you get!

Dokapon Journey is currently scheduled for release on April 14, 2009 with an MSRP of $29.99.

For more information, please visit the website www.atlus.com/dokaponjourney.

Gel set and match brings Wiggle and Wobble Puzzler to Xbox Live

Unique Puzzle-Action Hybrid Offers Competitive and Cooperative Online Play

Gastronaut Studios LLC, the award-winning developer of video games for Xbox LIVE Arcade, today unveiled its latest title "Gel: Set & Match", featuring character-based puzzle-action gameplay.

With goopy grace and colorful characters, "Gel" delivers a novel experience that mingles brain-bending puzzles with intense side-scrolling action. Players control kooky, customizable characters to compete or cooperate for points by matching four or more wiggly, wobbly colored blocks. When blocks are matched, they dissolve. Tossing melting blocks into other blocks creates chain reactions for even bigger bonuses.

"Gel" offers three distinct game modes in which to raise a ruckus. In Puzzle Mode, players tackle challenges designed to test their mettle. In Action Mode, players rush to defend a tank by clearing debris from the field. In Battle Mode, players engage in arena combat, armed only with a will to survive... and exploding, gelatinous bombs. Each mode provides online competitive and cooperative play over Xbox LIVE.

"'Gel' is the spiritual successor to our first game 'Fuzzee Fever' which launched on the original Xbox in November 2004," said Don Wurster, co-director at Gastronaut Studios. "We've wanted to give fans and uninitiated millions of Xbox LIVE members a chance to enjoy that game today, with a load of improvements, modes, and new ways to play over Xbox LIVE."

"Gel: Set & Match" is rated "E" (Everyone) by the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) for Animated Blood and Comic Mischief.

NeoFun Games Portal Begins Website Renewal

Free Online Games Portal starts its renewal to become a total community site for gamers.

Lizard Interactive’s Free to play games portal NeoFun begins its renewal process to improve and strengthen the community features. It is a first step of a long-term project carefully planned.

NeoFun has officially opened last October, 2009 to serve as a one stop portal where gamers can enjoy various genres of free to play games. The plan Lizard Interactive is drawing for NeoFun consists of two phases. The first phase is to have a strong line up of free online games. It now has line up of 3 MMORPGs, 1 Casual MMO and has plan to service web-based mini games of Frosmo in the first quarter 2009. With Forum and Support feature renewed last February 19, Neofun is now at its development phase to provide strong community features.
Some of the community features being developed are UCC, Mini blogs, and more. Details of all the features to be added are not yet to be announced, but Lizard Interactive is confident that NeoFun will be the ultimate playground for gamers which will satisfy all the needs of what gamers ever hoped for.

For further information, please visit the website, NeoFun. Always fun and always new.

Cronous - Limited Item Packages Ready for Its Update!

Cronous Item Shop is coming up with new limited and upgraded items!

Cronous, a popular MMORPG developed and published by Lizard Interactive, is preparing limited and upgraded cash items to be sold in its Item Shop.

Starting next week, two Package items will be sold only for two week. First limited edition package Blessing of God 1.8 Package contains 1.8 times EXP, 4 types of weapon enhancement, a 30-day avatar items and the second package item contains Double EXP instead of 1.8 and better enhancement items.

Widely loved cash item also returns next week. New Premium Dice is a random item-generating item that, if you are lucky, you can get a rare item without farming or completing series quests for it. Premium Dice offers armors for 105 level Masters, New Growth Weapons, 4th Hover Weapons and more.

For further information, please visit the website Cronous.

FUEL multi terrain racing game Screenshots - on Xbox 360 PS3 and PC

FUEL will see players competing across wildly different terrain from deep snow to lush forests and arid deserts, executing spectacular stunts as they race and explore this epic world of an unprecedented scale. FUEL is in development at Asobo Studios in Bordeaux, France, for the PLAYSTATION 3 computer entertainment system, Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, Games For Windows and due to release in May 2009.


No boundaries racing: FUEL is a groundbreaking racing game without boundaries – on and off-road, two and four-wheeled vehicles race a massively diverse environment inspired by the most challenging real areas of the America. Experience exhilarating races in a huge range of vehicles, explore over 5,000 square miles of wildly different terrain, battle the elements and pull off spectacular stunts in this epic world of an unprecedented scale.

Vrooom with a view: In FUEL if you can see it you can drive to it. With a jaw-dropping draw distance of 40KM, there’s never been a world so large to explore or so many striking vistas to discover. The entire game world is available for players to explore in free-roam and provides a challenging, compelling environment for FUEL’s stunning race events.

Dramatic, dynamic, extreme weather: Set in an environmentally damaged fictional future, the game world is further brought to life with a full day/night cycle and real-time extreme weather that includes lashing rainstorms, lightening strikes, and tornados that transform the terrain and affect vehicle performance creating a unique race experience.

Break out of the corridor, win your way: With a huge range of vehicles, player choice lies at the heart of FUEL’s action-packed races as players speed across huge swathes of diverse terrain, carving out on-the-fly routes to take the chequered flag. Roadsters reach extraordinary speeds on the asphalt, monster trucks steam-roller through forests and dirt-bikes scramble down mountainsides as gamers take on dangerous short-cuts, death-defying jumps and clatter through spectacular cross-over points in FUEL’s go-anywhere at anytime world.

5,000+ square miles inspired by America: FUEL’s world is created from the most compelling, diverse and striking areas of America, from the Utah salt-plains, to the Grand Canyon and snow-capped Mount Rainier, all modelled from satellite data and rendered beautiful by the A.C.E. game engine. Players will explore and race around the remains of devastated towns, cities and villages and the on-going effects of accelerated global warming – from sandstorms, blizzards and brush fires to tsunamis and tornados - create unpredictable and spectacular races.

Online multiplayer: The online and offline worlds become one with a fully-integrated multiplayer featuring hundreds of preset challenges and countless locations where players can explore and race together. FUEL empowers gamers to let their imagination run wild with a powerful route editor that lets players create unique races anywhere in the gameworld and share them with friends online.

How to build a Supercomputer out of PlayStation 3s...

Less than a 10th the cost per GFlop of the $2500 supercomputer
Take 8 PS 3 consoles, Yellow Dog Linux, a Gigabit Ethernet switch and your favorite protein folding or gravitational wave modeling codes and you’re doing real science. On a Playstation!

Try playing Ratchet & Clank on a Cray
Most scientific computing is done on cluster computers. Blue Gene/L, the world’s fastest supercomputer, uses 130,000 processors. Plus a lot of money, power and cooling.

At about $4 per billion of floating point operations (GFlops) the PS3 is the cheapest supercomputer building block available today.

Full post here on zdnet...

What the 'i' in Nintendo DSi stands for...

No it's not to make sound hip like the iPhone, iPod or iMusic (surely). So is it Internet, Input, Important or Incredible?

The "i" is symbolic of the subject "I" and its personal aspect. Plus, the addition of two cameras gives the system its own "eye" on things. Nintendo hope that the Nintendo DSi becomes more than a game system and more of a personal tool to enrich our daily lives.
Nintendo of America representative

Some Nintendo DSi games