Miami Law video game on Nintendo DS this June

Hudson Entertainment to Lay Down Miami Law for Nintendo DS

Intense Action-Adventure Game Will Transform Players into Crime-Solvers

Nintendo DS owners will be challenged to help save the world with their fingertips in the upcoming game, Miami Law, set to be published by Hudson Entertainment, the North American publishing arm of HUDSON SOFT. Scheduled for release in June 2009, Miami Law contains explosive action, as well as crime-scene investigation, which players will use interchangeably to help save the city of Miami.

“Miami Law has a great mix of up-tempo action and mind-challenging forensic investigation that players will absolutely love,” said Mike Pepe, Director of Marketing at Hudson Entertainment.“The unique game design will turn the DS into both an action-adventure experience and a crime scene lab all-in-one.”

Miami Law is an action-adventure game packed with all of the ingredients of a prime-time TV show: an intricate storyline with a shadowy terrorist conspiracy, furious shoot-outs in abandoned warehouses, challenging crime-scene detective work and more. Players will have many opportunities to choose their path and change the story– either as the intense Law Martin from the Miami PD or the brainy Sara Starling from the FBI. Players will be presented with different challenges depending on which character they pick– playing as Sara will feature a puzzle-based, mystery solving element, whereas playing with Law will thrust the player into the action, often into car chases or shoot-outs where taking out the bad guys is the only way to get results. Unlockable extras, including Texas Hold‘Em Poker and Sudoku, are included to take the pressure off players when the tension gets thick.

Load more promotions for Xbox Live Gold subscribers

Microsoft are upping the anti with more benefits for Xbox Live Gold subscribers as reported on Electric Pig/Ars Technica...

Microsoft is upping the incentives to hand over your credit card details and subscribe to its Xbox LIVE Gold service with a weekly sales promotion for Xbox LIVE Arcade titles. The superb time-shifting platform puzzler, Braid, will be the first to get the discount treatment, being offered to paying subscribers for 800 Microsoft points (£6.80) instead of the usual 1200 (£10.20).

Each deal of the week aims to add more value to the £39.99 per year service, which already counts early demos and trailers, Netflix access (in the US only), and the chance to play multiplayer games online as a lure to Xbox 360 owners.

Future promotions won’t just include Xbox LIVE Arcade titles; game add-ons, Xbox Originals and ‘other great content’ will be available as well.

Even so, faced with the free alternatives provided by Wii’s Nintendo WiFi Connection and PS3’s PlayStation Network, coaxing players into paying for a multiplayer service is going to be an increasingly tall order in the coming months.

Xbox 360 outsells Nintendo Wii, PlayStation 3 in Japan last week

Microsoft's Xbox 360 sold more consoles than Sony and Nintendo in japan, last week, for the first time in five months.

Star Ocean - The Last Hope from the blockbuster video game series from Square Enix's helped push sales.

• Xbox 360 -21,013
  
• Nintendo Wii - 16,900 
  
• PlayStation 3 - 15,927

"Star Ocean: The Last Hope", which is designed for the Xbox 360, went on sale on Feb. 19 in Japan, and is estimated to have sold 173,850 units by Feb. 22, becoming the top-selling game software in the country last week, the research firm said.

Wolfire - Black Shades action packed video game on iPhone and iPod Touch

The classic action-packed title is now mobile.

Wolfire released its classic first person shooter Black Shades for the iPhone today. Fans can find it on the app store for only 99 cents.

Black Shades is an intense first-person-shooter game about a bodyguard protecting a VIP from an onslaught of assassins. Originally created by Wolfire's lead programmer David Rosen (while he was was still in high school) Black Shades has been ported to iPhone by Henry Kropf with support from the rest of the Wolfire team.

Features:

• Use seven different weapons to take down the assassins, or use your bare hands to disarm them!
• Slow down time to line up the perfect headshot for instant kills!
• Use the shotgun to blast the heads off of hordes of zombies!
• Zoom in with the scoped rifle to take out enemy snipers!
• Watch enemies fall to the ground with realistic physics!

"It sounds impossible, but Black Shades actually manages to turn the generally plodding, infuriating task of the escort mission into something challenging, fun, and strangely replayable. And before you say anything, yes: the graphics do suck, and no, it isn't a big deal." -Destructoid.com

"The game does a great job of making you feel like a psychic bodyguard with very basic graphics and simple game mechanics, and that’s really something. It’s so satisfying when you catch an assassin rushing in with a knife, only to plug him with your gun… or when you spy a sniper across the street, and knock over the VIP as a bullet whizzes over his head." - Tigsource.com

For more information check out the Wolfire Blog

and the Black Shades iPhone launch page

New "Halo Wars" Video Series Examines Expanded "Halo" Universe free demo download on Xbox Live

“Halo Wars” sets the stage for one of the most beloved video game conflicts to date: Humanity’s struggle to save the universe from annihilation at the hands of a relentless consortium known as the Covenant.

Halo Wars Episode 3 and Episode 4 YouTube videos - please subscribe...

In a new video series from Microsoft, “Halo Wars: Universe Expanded” examines this epic story which spans across four game titles. With insight from creators, critics and the franchise’s biggest fans, this series told in three acts illustrates why “Halo Wars” is such an important chapter in the “Halo” timeline.

Act 1 draws deeply on the story and art elements that make up “Halo” and how they are presented in “Halo Wars” and previous titles starring Master Chief. This required viewing for all “Halo” fans titled “Universe Expanded: Act I” is available for download on Xbox.com/Halo and on Xbox LIVE Marketplace, with subsequent acts following the week of 2nd March.

“Halo Wars” is rated 16+ PEGI, and is available in Europe on the 27th February. A demo is now available on Xbox LIVE in all LIVE enabled regions worldwide. For more information, visit Xbox.com/Halo or HaloWars.com.

Over 1.5 million players play Moshi Monsters game

New features boost the unstoppable global growth of Moshi Monsters

Mind Candy (developers of the online game for kids, Moshi Monsters) today announced that over 1.5 million Monsters have now been adopted at www.moshimonsters.com. The free-to-play online children’s game with an educational twist announces explosive worldwide growth since its recent launch.

Moshi Monsters Cheats, Codes, Hints and Game tips....

CEO of Mind Candy, Michael Smith, commented: "We’ve been absolutely amazed by the early growth of Moshi Monsters. Every month hundreds of thousands of children from all over world are joining the community and adopting their own pet monster. Children love the social gaming element while parents appreciate the educational qualities of the puzzle games.”

The company also revealed a number of new updates to the game recently including “Moshlings”, collectable pet Monsters that vary in rarity and style.
With over 40 Moshlings to collect in total, the race is already on to see who can capture the full set. The winner will be honoured with their very own in-game statue built on Main Street within Monstro City to celebrate this great achievement!

Moshi Monsters is a world of adoptable pet monsters, an exciting cross between a virtual pet, social network and educational puzzle games site for kids. The puzzles test a variety of skills including basic maths, spatial awareness, logic, counting, anagrams and vocabulary. Moshi Monsters is free to play, allowing kids to adopt their own pet monster and play games online with millions of other children across the world.

To create your free Moshi Monster and enter a world of fun and puzzles visit www.moshimonsters.com

NEW POST - Moshi Monsters Cheats, Codes, Hints and Game tips....

Navy Field PC video game - New Server Open and Update of New Submarines & Game Mode!

Navy Field Europe launched their new server “Yamato” today with a special Event of Double Exp, Credits and Points for a 1 month period.

At the opening, many other events have been started. Among others, NFEU is arranging Ranking Events, a Level 30 Challenging Event, and they will open special battle rooms in the next period where players have to fulfill specific objectives.

Event participants can win many Premium Items and Navy Field Crystals.

Gamers can check the details at http://www.navyfield.eu/eng/event/list.asp

NFEU also released their newest patch today, with the 3rd generation of submarines, new weapons and additional functions for submarine captains, as well an advanced Night Battle mode.

Next week, Thursday March 5th, an additional patch will follow with a special game mode for Light and Heavy Cruisers.

Furthermore the newest Balance Update for battleship nears completion. As a result all battleships on the Ship Tree, from First until last, will be revised. In addition the Account System will be updated in March.

Anno - Create a New World on Nintendo Wii and Nintendo DS

Uniquely Designed for the Wii and the Nintendo DS, New Game Allows Players to Create Their Own Flourishing Empire

Today Ubisoft announced Anno: Create a New World, a real-time strategy and simulation game specifically designed for the Wii home video game system and the Nintendo DS hand held system.
Scheduled for release in summer 2009, Anno: Create a New World gives gamers the opportunity to explore new civilizations and build their own empire like never before through the immersive action of the Wii Remote and the DS stylus.

“ANNO: Create a New World allows gamers to take the civilization building experience to the next level of fun and interactivity,” said John Parkes, marketing director EMEA at Ubisoft, “We’re pleased to be bringing the brand new, uniquely designed game to the Wii and Nintendo DS for the first time.”

Developed by Keen Games, ANNO: Create a New World takes place in 1404: King Georges’ land is suffering from droughts and famine. Aware of the distress of his citizens, the King decides to send his two sons, William and Edward to gain new territories in order to produce enough goods to satisfy the inhabitants. Whereas Edward suggests fighting to collect the precious resources, his brother, William offers a peaceful solution proposing to explore new and unsettled lands in the south of the Kingdom. With the agreement of his father, William heads to the South and discovers the mysterious orient culture.

Key Features of ANNO: Create a New World :

• Explore & create with fun and ease

- Explore a beautiful world, discover new places to settle and create your own realm
- Learn from other cultures (Oriental, European…) & expand your horizons
- All the controls are intuitive, the interface is fully adapted to the consoles’ gameplay

• Discover how to manage cities & societies

- Be considerate, plan wisely and learn to manage resources
- Satisfy the needs of your citizens and care for your society

• Enjoy friendly, peaceful family entertainment

- Relax & build your cities in a rich and peaceful world
- Play together with your family & friends and let them help you to create your world thanks to the 2-player co-op mode for Nintendo Wii and the 4-player multiplayer mode on the Nintendo DS

In addition, ANNO: 1404 the next PC game of the ANNO franchise developed by Related Design will be also available this summer 2009.

Ninja Blade out april 7th Ninja Blade Free Xbox Live demo download March 9th

Free Xbox LIVE demo coming March 9 - Bonus content available with title pre-order

Microsoft and FromSoftware announced today that Xbox 360 exclusive “Ninja Blade” has gone gold and will ship to retailers in the UK on April 3rd. FromSoftware, well-known for their work on “Armored Core” and the “Tenchu” franchise, created a modern ninja epic where Ken Ogawa and his team of skilled fighters battle a terrifying disease that transforms the citizens of Tokyo into an infected monster horde. Armed with an extensive arsenal of ninja weapons and abilities, including Ninja Vision and Todomé Attack, players confront grueling challenges in their mission to save humanity.

Get a head start on the action by downloading the “Ninja Blade” demo on Xbox LIVE Marketplace. Available March 9, this free demo will provide players with an engaging first look into the world of Ken Ogawa and a chance to battle the monster horde before the game hits store shelves in April.

“Ninja Blade” will have an estimated retail price of £44.99 and is rated PEGI 16+. For more information, visit www.xbox.com/ninjablade.

Cities XL - City Builder PC video game

In Cities XL, the main game will be a city builder: You will be the mayor of a city and you must try to regulate its development. We say “try” because you will not have 100% control over what happens in your city – the city simulation will have a certain autonomy, combining both unyielding logical rules (the public sector) and decisions taken by independent entities (the private sector). It is this simulation that we will describe here. This article will be spread over several blog entries.

1.1 Resources

The simplest rule has to do with resources. Some buildings will supply one or more resources, while other buildings will consume them. First and foremost, there will be resources useful to the city: electricity, fuel, water, waste management. Then there will be industrial resources: agriculture, industry (heavy, manufacturing, high-tech), and services (hotels, and “offices” that represent the tertiary services – finance, the legal profession, marketing, and research). Finally, there will be transport.

Players will not necessarily have to establish a fine balance between supply and demand for each of these services. They will however have to keep an eye out for potential imbalances. For example, a resource that is in too short supply will see its price rising, which can have a negative effect on the businesses that use it. This will reduce the city’s tax income or, worse, result in bankruptcies. If electricity is too expensive, it could result in heavy industry moving out of the city. In contrast, a resource that is over-supplied will see its price collapse. This could have an effect on the industries that produce it.

1.2 Services

Other buildings will provide services to the population. This category includes education, health, the police, the fire department, shopping, and leisure. The bigger and wealthier the city becomes, the more demanding the citizens will be in terms of the quality, quantity, and variety of services available nearby. Residents will take into account the distance that separates their home from a building providing a service. This distance will be calculated based on roads and transport facilities. It’s not much use being close to a hospital as the crow flies if you’re actually on the other side of a river and there’s no bridge… Ease of access to a hospital for different inhabitants, taking roads and traffic into account. Similarly, traffic jams will in effect increase the distance from a service. Players will therefore need to improve the transport infrastructure by building highways and providing bus services.

1.3 Living environment

The third important factor will be the living environment. In this context, certain buildings will have a negative impact: buildings that emit pollution or make noise, industrial dangers, and abandoned buildings. Others will have a positive impact: nature in the vicinity of the city, parks, and monuments.
The living environment will be an important factor in citizens’ satisfaction levels. It will be easy to control at the start of the game, but will become more complicated as the city grows.