Fallout 3 PC patch improves graphics - download it now...

The nondescript Fallout 3 update released to PC and Xbox 360 owners earlier this week has quietly restocked the 360 version with missing visual effects.

According to Eurogamer's Face-Off maestro Rich Leadbetter's blog, Inside Digital Foundry, the auto-update patch introduces specular maps to certain areas, delightfully illustrated with shots of bugs and a comparison video.

The Xbox 360 version was the better of the two console releases when Fallout 3 released in late October last year, but as Leadbetter points out, "despite its superior frame rate and full-on 4x MSAA, [it] had flaws of its own - notably some inferior textures when viewed close up, along with a lack of specular maps on the monsters and characters, resulting in a somewhat flat look compared to the other versions of the game".

Source: Eurogamer

Halo Wars goes on TV in Korea

Korea loves Starcraft so much that local television network MBC Game started broadcasting Starcaft matches on TV. The network expanded to other televised video game matches for Warcraft III, Tekken, and Counter-Strike.

Starcraft is still by far the most popular show on MBC Game with league matches frequently rerun.

Full story on Siliconera here...

Righteous Kill II - Everyone Respects the Gun sequel to the hit hidden object game Righteous Kill - The Game

Starz Media and Merscom announced details of two new upcoming casual games, including "Righteous Kill II: Everyone Respects the Gun," a sequel to the hit hidden object game "Righteous Kill: The Game," based on the September 2008 movie from Overture Films starring Robert De Niro and Al Pacino, and a time management game based on the upcoming Starz original comedy series "Party Down."

Both free trials and full retail purchases of the "Party Down" casual game download will be available at a wide array of leading gaming and entertainment online portals and sites, including AOL Games, Big Fish Games, MSN Games, Oberon Games, RealArcade, Shockwave, Yahoo! Games and Starz.com at http://www.starz.com/originals/PartyDown/game.

More information and screen art for the "Party Down" game is available at http://partydowngame.com/.

"Party Down" is set to debut on Starz on March 20 at 10:30PM ET/PT, and available by for early sneak previews beginning March 13 with several cable and satellite providers, including Charter Communications, which will be hosting a free trial of the "Party Down" game on Charter.Net.

"Righteous Kill II: Everyone Respects the Gun," is expected to be available for trial and purchase in June 2009, commensurate with the exclusive pay TV premiere of "Righteous Kill" on Starz.

"We are very pleased to expand our gaming relationship with Starz and Overture Films through these two appealing titles." said Lloyd Melnick, chief customer officer at Merscom, "They are a fantastic media company with multiple access points to consumers through theatrical release, premium television, DVD and more. They fit very well with our strategy of creating casual games based on properties that our audience already loves."

"Casual gaming is an effective way at both finding new and appealing revenue opportunities across the larger Starz family of media concerns, as well as building name recognition and awareness for the properties themselves," said Marc DeBevoise, senior vice president digital media, business development & strategy for Starz. "Merscom has proven to be an effective reliable gaming partner for us and we are delighted to extend the relationship for the future enjoyment of gaming fans.

"Party Down," a new 10-episode comedy series from creator Rob Thomas ("Veronica Mars," "Cupid"), follows a Los Angeles catering team - a sextet of Hollywood wannabes stuck working for tips while hoping for their "big break." "Party Down" stars Ken Marino ("Veronica Mars," Role Models), Adam Scott ("Tell Me You Love Me," Step Brothers), Jane Lynch (Role Models, The 40 Year Old Virgin), Martin Starr (Knocked Up, "Freaks and Geeks), Ryan Hansen ("Veronica Mars," Friday the 13th (2009)) and Lizzy Caplan ("True Blood," Cloverfield, Mean Girls). Celebrity guest appearances include: Ed Begley, Jr., Marilu Henner, Joey Lauren Adams, Breckin Meyer, Rob Corddry and Steven Weber.

In the "Party Down" game, the player takes over a team at the famous Party Down catering company as you serve the elite of Hollywood. Serve food, DJ the dance floor and keep conversations going as you schmooze with the stars and try and build up your reputation while waiting for your big break.

Work your way through 8 unique parties at huge yachts, extravagant balls, and exclusive night clubs. Appease the masses by dealing with all the issues that come along with high maintenance Hollywood stars such as rampaging dogs, angry boyfriends, and the paparazzi. Keep your cool, and show them what you got and maybe you can become the next big thing.

In "Righteous Kill II: Everyone Respects the Gun,"the player once again takes on the role of Erica Dean as she looks into a new rash of murders. The game is set about a year after the events of the first Poet Killer. A mob hitman is found dead, with a poem lying on his body. Erica Dean is called in to find the killer before things get out of hand. Work through multiple versions of varied locations looking for clues to the identity of the Poet Killer. Enlist the help of Mary Jacobs, a new forensic officer, to assist Erica in analyzing the items from the crime scenes. Hunt down the killer and put an end to his vigilante killings before it's too late.

Sho Online - War System Update 24 new weapons

New War System and twenty-four New Ultimate Weapons coming to you on March 11, 2009

Seoul, Korea – March 06, 2009 –Sho Online, Lizard Interactive’s free to play MMORPG, will be releasing a new War System powered by ultimate weapons series called “Treasure Weapons” coming March 12.

There will be some changes made to current War System and a new dungeon will be available for the winning side of the dynasty. Updated system will let victorious dynasty to receive 5% increase in money drops from monsters. For consecutive victories, money drops will increase by 5% for a total of up to 20%.

Winning side of every 20th war can gain access to the Raid Dungeon where generous drops and EXP can be found. The teleport NPC to the Treasure Dungeon will be located in Cheon-un and will be open for only 5 minutes to the winning dynasty. After 5 minutes, the teleport will close and mobs will start to appear. Players should also be aware there are traps and dummy monsters in this dungeon. These dummy monsters will give only regular EXP and will not drop anything.

Treasure Weapons were lost and forgotten ages ago, but the secret methods for making these magical weapons can be found in treasure chests. In order to get one of these ultimate weapons of power, players must find these secrets and gather the necessary materials by defeating menacing monsters.

Treasure Weapons are for players above level 20 and these are among most powerful weapons available in Sho Online. They have colorful graphic effects and can be enhanced. Total of 24 types of Treasure Weapons are available, four for each profession.

2K Sports Announces The BIGS 2 Major League Baseball game

Sports, the sports publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, announced today that The BIGS 2, the sequel to the hit arcade-style Major League Baseball game The BIGS¸ will be available this summer for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, the PLAYSTATION 3 and PlayStation 2 computer entertainment systems, PSP (PlayStation Portable) system, and Ninyendo Wii home video game system.

Known for its over-the-top style of gameplay, The BIGS 2 focuses on the “big” fast-paced moments in Major League Baseball with new opportunities to go up against MLB legends, more mini-games like Home Run Pinball, and a variety of other thrilling new features.

“Fans have been clamoring for a follow-up to The BIGS since it launched two years ago, so we’re excited to now deliver The BIGS 2,” said Greg Thomas, senior vice president of development, 2K Sports. “In the spirit of celebrating the most epic moments in Major League Baseball, The BIGS 2 offers a refreshingly fun and unique experience of dramatic walk-off homeruns, miraculous wall catches, acrobatic diving grabs, and many more incredible plays you’d usually see only in a highlight reel."

Visit the website here...

Lifesigns - hospital affair on Nintendo DS March 27th

Lifesigns - Hospital Affairs succeeded! After a few months away sick, the game is now ready and will hit the European stores on March 27th 2009.

'Lifesigns Hospital Affairs is one of the most anticipated releases for our console lineup in 2009 not just for JoWooD Productions, but for the international press and gamers as well. Because of the shifted release, we were able to put much more effort into a perfect localization and quality assurance to guarantee a good gaming experience for players.' explains Richard Haderer, Product Manager JoWooD Productions.

Lifesigns – Hospital Affairs is the ultimative Soap for Nintendo DS™. It’s your chance to slip on the scrubs and become a real live doctor! LifeSigns – Hos pital Affairs is an original, exciting and portable adventure game for the Nintendo DS that allows you to experience what it’s like to be a top doctor in one of the best hospitals around.

You can already sneak a peek at the screenshots, trailers and even perform a surgery on the official website www.lifesigns-game.com

Features:

• Examinate and operate sick persones with your Touch Screen
• Storyline like in famous TV-Soaps and Telenovelas
• Operate on patients of all ages – but before you operate, you’ll need to diagnose utilizing Nintendo DS unique Touch Screen technology!
• Keeping up a good doctor-patient relationship is extremely important – especially when someone’s life is at risk!
• Developed in Japan, fans of manga comics will love the popular art style used in the game

Facts:
Genre: Simulation
Platform: NDS
Entwickler: Spike
AgeRating: PEGI 12+
Release 27.3.2009

PDC World Championship Darts 2009 game on Wii players list

Fancy being a top darts player? Or would you prefer to match yourself up against the Pros? In this year’s PDC World Championship Darts 2009 game on Wii, you can do both! Either create your own male or female characters with your very own, barrel weights, flights, darts shirts and walk-ins or choose to move up the rankings by playing as (or against) one of 18 professional PDC players.

Will you play as ex-postman and five times World Championship winner, Raymond ‘The Man’ Van Barneveld or compete using the unique dart throwing style of Phil “The Power” Taylor, the sporting legend who has notched up an incredible 14 World Championship wins?

Left handed but not left out? The full list now includes 2 left handed players, James “the Gladiator” “009” Wade & Alan “the Saint” Tabern, who are new to the game – so no need to feel others have the unfair advantage!

Each Pro has their own set of influences on their play, including stamina, belief, ability to cope with pressure, concentration, accuracy and of course their favourite check out bed. Will it be double tops, or downstairs to “the basement” for double 3?

Introducing the full list of PDC Pro darts players available in the game:

• Phil Taylor
  
• Raymond van Barneveld
  
• Peter Manley
  
• Wayne Mardle
  
• Dennis Priestley
  
• Adrian Lewis
  
• Alan Warriner-Little
  
• John Part
  
• Colin Lloyd
  
• Mark Dudbridge
  
• Roland Scholten
  
• Ronnie Baxter
  
• Terry Jenkins
  
• Kevin Painter
  
• Andy Hamilton
  
• Andy Jenkins
  
• James Wade
  
• Alan Tabern
  

PDC World Championship Darts 2009 is released in Q2 2009 on Nintendo DS and Nintendo Wii.

MMORPG Titan Online Enters Limited Public Beta March 19th

Titan Online's free-to-play, massively multiplayer online role playing game (MMORPG), will enter into limited public beta on March 19, 2009. Slated for release this spring, users can get a taste for this martial arts fantasy by logging in at http://titan.eyagames.com.

An epic title based on traditional Asian culture, Titan Online is a fusion MMORPG that boasts a unique combination of martial arts and robots that takes place in a spectacular fantasy world. Titan Online is based upon the Korean best-selling novel, “Mo Siang.” Set in ancient China, players will experience historic Chinese locales, meet influential figures from various dynasties, experience mysterious aspects of various ancient Asian cultures, all while trying to save the martial arts world by engaging in intense real-time battles.

New in this beta, gamers will appreciate even more creation choices, including African American and Caucasian characters. Players who participated in the original closed beta will be able to use the same character. In other words, those testers won't have to start again from scratch and will be able to test out higher level contents. In-game and forum events also will be held for players to engage in a more interactive experience.

“This new milestone will contain quite a bit of additional game content including more quests, and various labyrinths and dungeons,” says Han Joo Lee, EYA Interactive’s global service manager. “With all the new players in the game for the limited public beta, the experience will be much more interactive and users will really get a feel for the commercial version; especially playing with group skills like formation in a party or guild battles.”

Developed in-house by EYA Interactive, Titan Online offers a very real picture of ancient China with 75 maps of historical sites, including Dun Hwang, Chang An, Kai Feng, Beijing, Shu Zhou, Shao Lin Temple, Chin Shi Huang mausoleum, Hang Zhou, Tai Shan, The Great Wall, and Hwang Her. In order to create the most true-to-life experience, the EYA development team spent time in China researching the ancient and historical cities so they could accurately reproduce them in the game.

The upcoming beta test, which will begin on March 19, 2009, will allow users to tap into a world that has already birthed a veritable civilization of fans in Asia. It will offer players an opportunity to discover enthralling characters in a beautiful 3D, cell-shaded world filled with unique characters. The limited public beta will last until the end of the month and is limited to specific number of participants. Interested players can learn more at http://titan.eyagames.com.

Street Gears, the free to play inline skating game out 5th March

The official release of the inline skating MMORPG Street Gears. With over 50000 players participating during the open beta-test phase, everyone can now download the game for free at the www.gpotato.eu gaming portal. With Street Gears going live, players can discover a bunch of new features, including new races, a new playable character, and lots of other surprises.

Street Gears is a free-to-play inline skating game where players can become “riders” fond of freedom and extreme experiences. The city of Park Town has tons of activities for all riders of all levels, such as speed-based races on lots of different tracks, team tournaments, and the possibility to show-off by doing impressive tricks and stunts. From today, all players can enjoy these features, and try the brand new ones that come with the official release of Street Gears.

These include the ability to create any second character on your account. Pick one of the classic characters or ride through the Park Town streets with a fresh, new rider called Rush, an ex-soldier with a love for inline skating. A new race mode is available to players, the Reverse mode. There are new additional quests and a new license, the Pro II, available from level 25. Players can put their reflexes to the test on the new Enberton track, challenging the riders with its various tricky landscapes. Finally, players can plug any USB pad into their computer and enjoy Street Gears as we announce controller support.

To celebrate the release of the game, this final version kicks off a lot of activities like the final events of the Asian Love Festival, which started on the 12th February during the open beta-test phase. In a festive atmosphere punctuated with exotic multicolored lanterns, a big team tournament will take place from today to the 12th March, the last day of the Asian Love Festival. The winning team will have the chance to see its logo displayed on the X-Game Stadium half pipe and win many other extraordinary rewards. Riders can also participate in a special event from the 5th to the 18th March, and win a lot of great prizes.

About Street Gears

Street Gears is a free in-line skating MMORPG with an urban and manga universe, published in its French and German versions by Gala Networks Europe Ltd. In the Park Town city, Street Gears players embody riders, inline skaters and thrill seekers fans who live only for freedom. Races, challenges and mini-games are the day-to-day of these riders, in this atypical free MMORPG!

Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D’s Stardust Accelerator – World Championship 2009 for Nintendo DS

The first game based on the new Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D’s TV show, the DS game allows up to four players to compete within two distinctly different ways. 

The ‘Story Mode’ lets single players explore the world of Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D’s world and meet its all-new dueling stars in a series of thrilling card games. Secondly, Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D’s Stardust Accelerator – World Championship 2009 will act as the basis for 2009’s Yu-Gi-Oh! World Championship, and boasts an enhanced dueling system, larger card images and more cards than ever before – with 2500 in total.

Both game modes feature new characters and settings from the Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D’s show, with Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D’s Stardust Accelerator – World Championship 2009 acting as the definitive simulation of the Trading Card Game for Nintendo DS. The game world is brought to vivid life with all new 3D character images, while the 2500 cards span Booster and Structure Decks from the Trading Card Game, allowing users to assemble powerful decks from the cards available.

As has become traditional, Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D’s Stardust Accelerator – World Championship 2009 will also be released with three official Trading Cards inside the box.