Strategic Command 2 v1.09 patch & demo

A new update to the critically acclaimed Strategic Command 2 Blitzkrieg grand strategy game is now available! v1.09 improves Operating System compatibility and includes several changes to the game editor.

The v1.09 is all-inclusive (including of course the 1939-46 WW2 Global Conflict Campaign, designed by David Stoeckl and modified by Hubert Cater) and will work with the Battlefront.com English language version of Strategic Command 2 Blitzkrieg only.

(This patch will not work with any non-English version of Strategic Command 2 Blitzkrieg at this time.)

Click here to jump directly to the SC2 Patches page = http://www.battlefront.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=78&Itemid=122

Develop Brighton announce - David Jones - creator of legendary titles Lemmings and Grand Theft Auto, and founder of Realtime Worlds as keynote speaker

Anticipation for this year’s Develop Conference in Brighton continues to build as organiser Tandem Events announces David Jones.

David, creator of legendary titles Lemmings and Grand Theft Auto, and founder of Realtime Worlds (one of the most successful developers in Europe) - as the event’s first prestigious keynote speaker.

Joining the list of developer heroes who have also graced the keynote stage at Develop, such as Peter Molyneux, Richard Garriott, Ken Levine and Tsutomu Kouno, David promises an insightful talk into how to make great games.

David, who has been in the video game industry for over two decades, will share his thoughts on how to make a game successful, drawing on his experience from the award-winning and record-breaking Crackdown through to Realtime Worlds’ upcoming online title All Points Bulletin (APB), the hotly tipped online action game. Currently keeping his cards close to his chest with regards to APB before its launch this year, David promises to reveal more about his talk closer to the conference.

“Develop is the most prestigious development conference in the UK, and I’m looking forward to coming to Brighton as it’s a great opportunity to share some of my experiences of making games – both good and not so good - plus tell a few of the Realtime World’s stories to my fellow developers,” commented Jones.

As well as the announcement of the first keynote presentation, the programme is beginning to take shape for both Evolve on Tuesday 14 July and Develop on Wednesday 15 and Thursday 16 July.

Evolve is a new part of the Develop conference, focusing on developing games for new platforms including mobile devices, iPhone and XBLA, new technologies and growing markets like social and casual gaming. It takes place on Tuesday 14 July as a one-day event with three tracks and then as a new track within the main programme on Wednesday 15 July.

“Tandem Event’s philosophy has always been to provide a programme that inspires today’s developers to make better games. The Develop Conference offers a relaxed setting, which people love, but it’s the quality of speakers and the opportunity to share in their experiences that really inspires our delegates.” said Andy Lane, managing director of Tandem Events.

“And with the line-up for both Evolve on the Tuesday and Develop on the Wednesday and Thursday already looking fantastic, I’m confident that this year’s programme will be the best yet.”

Evolve sessions include:

• Panel: The Fight for Playtime: What Do Social Networking Sites Have to Offer the Games Industry?
Limvirak Chea, Google; Chris Thorpe, MySpace; Tom Armitage, Consultant

• How Today's Social Networks Will Change How You Make, Play and Sell Games Tomorrow
Kristian Segerstrale, Playfish

• Taking Your Game to iPhone and Android, Without Killing Your Team
Chris White, Glu

• 10 Things Nobody Tells You About Digital Distribution and Self-publishing That You Must Understand to Succeed
Martyn Brown, Team 17

• User Generated Content – the Legal Consequences
Tahir Basheer, Sheridans

• 20 Great Innovations in Casual, Social and Mobile Games That You Should Steal
Stuart Dredge, Pocket Gamer


Develop sessions include:

• Driving 3D TV’s Using Current Generation Consoles
Andrew Oliver and Aaron Allport, Blitz Games

• Online Games, Virtual Worlds and MMO’s: Raising Money and Making Money
Paul Flanagan, Ariadne Capital

• Usability Testing for Videogames
Jason Avent, Disney and Graham McAllister from Sussex University

• Gold Blend: Audio Code and Design Working Together for the Perfect Flavour
Steve Emney & Ciaran Rooney, Disney Black Rock Studio

• How to Staff and Manage a Flexible, Scalable Development Facility
Simon Gardner, Climax Studios

• How to Communicate with Artists
Arran Green, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe

• Painting With Sound: The Future of Procedural Audio
Andy Farnell

• The Edge Panel: Architecture and Games
Alex Wiltshire, Edge Magazine

Smashing Tennis new Mac video game

Independent game developers at the mac games and reviews website, Macgames.org, have announced the release of their first game, a new tennis game for Macintosh, Smashing Tennis.
Smashing Tennis was created with a specific focus: to make a game challenging and entertaining for avid, arcade tennis players. Realistic physics were incorporated into the game as best as could be done in a 2D environment, therefore, the game play is accentuated by real ball flight trajectory, as well as sound effects, which are recordings of actual tennis matches. The court surfaces also come into play and greatly vary the feel and style of game play. Each court surface offered in Smashing Tennis: grass, clay, hard decoturf courts, behaves as on real life tennis court surfaces, such that grass courts will have a fast performance with balls skidding and bouncing low favoring serve and volley players; hard court surface play involves a medium speed tennis, which gives slight advantage to fast and hard hitting players; and, clay courts, having the slowest speed but high bounce, reduce any sort of power game but will work well with drop shots.

Players of Smashing Tennis choose their own abilities, as well as their level of difficulty. Pressing F6 enables the Easy Play Mode whereby the up and down cursors are disabled, so it is only necessary for the player to use the left and right cursors and the space bar. The up and down movement of the on-screen player will be automatic in Easy Mode. To play the advance Hard Mode, press F7 and players use all cursor keys to control multidirectional mobility of the tennis player. Note: Gamers on laptops must press the function key and the F keys to select difficulty level).

Smashing Tennis offers a Training Mode so that players can practice refining their moves and shots, as well as become more familiar with the game, before they embark on playing in Tournament Mode. (Tournament Mode is only available after purchase). With some training and a knowledge of key controls, players will be able to smash, dive, lob or even make a drop ball shot to trick their opponent. They will also be able to aim their serves and well as control the strength of their hits. A look at the in-game "Help" and "Tips" describes all the moves and shots a player can make, along with which keyboard controls to use.

Single Player option in Smashing Tennis involves one gamer playing against the computer, however, 2-Player mode allows two players to play against each other on one Macintosh computer.

Smashing Tennis Features

1. Family Friendly, A Game for Both Adults and Kids
2. 1 and 2 Player Modes
3. Easy and Hard Difficulty Options (F6, F7 - laptop players must press Function Key and F Keys)
4. Adjustable Skill Levels (Strength, Precision, Speed)
5. Training Mode
6. Tournament Mode (Full version only)
7. 3 Court Surfaces: Clay, Hard (Decoturf Blue) and Grass
8. Realistic Physics and Sound Effects
9. Blinking shadow shows where the ball will land and/or if it will be out of bounds.
10. Games are automatically saved.
11. An Easter Egg is hidden in the game.

More information about Smashing Tennis can be found at the macgames.org website.

Smashing Tennis is available to download and/or purchase for $9.95 at the macgames.org website:

http://www.macgames.org/smashing-tennis/

Hello Kitty Online video game for Indonesia

Sanrio Digital and GOGAME, an Indonesian online games publisher, today announced a partnership to launch Hello Kitty Online and SanrioTown in Indonesia.

Hello Kitty Online is the eagerly anticipated official massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) of the Hello Kitty universe.

SanrioTown is a Sanrio-themed portal and social networking site integrated with Hello Kitty Online. GOGAME will publish and operate Indonesian versions of Hello Kitty Online and SanrioTown.

“Sanrio Digital is privileged to be collaborating with GOGAME to publish Hello Kitty Online in Indonesia. With a young, growing, and dynamic Internet population, Indonesia is an exciting prospect and a relevant market for the convergence of online gaming and social networking being spearheaded by Hello Kitty Online. We are confident that our partnership will be a fruitful one,” said Yat Siu, CEO of Sanrio Digital.

GOGAME CEO Patrick Setiawan commented: “GOGAME’s partnership with Sanrio Digital to launch SanrioTown and Hello Kitty Online in Indonesia will bring a breath of fresh air to the online games industry in the territory. As the first MMOG based on Sanrio intellectual property and the first to offer portal-game integration, Hello Kitty Online will attract MMOG players and Hello Kitty fans throughout Indonesia, and help confirm GOGAME as a major player in the Indonesian gaming industry.”

Hello Kitty Online is the official MMORPG based on the popular Sanrio characters. The game, currently in its beta stage, will launch in various territories throughout 2009, using a free-to-play model with optional premium upgrades. Players will explore and experience magnificent adventures in the magical and cute world of Sanrio Land as they interact with other players and more than a hundred Sanrio characters, including Hello Kitty, Badtz-Maru, Cinnamoroll, and many others.

Hello Kitty Online is one of few MMORPG titles targeting a female gaming audience. Aside from redefining traditional MMO gaming with the inclusion of integrated social media services provided by SanrioTown, Hello Kitty Online makes a connection between the virtual world and real charity events. In a recent beta, the event “Food for Friends” invited players to craft virtual items to raise money for UNICEF and the Asian Youth Orchestra. A similar event named “Helping Hearts” asked players to craft virtual items that Sanrio Digital then converted into hundreds of real gifts for the children of the Po Leung Kuk residential child care unit.

About Hello Kitty Online
Hello Kitty Online, developed by Sanrio Digital, is the official massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) of Hello Kitty and friends, and the first MMORPG to integrate social networking web services into the game experience. In addition to standard features such as customizable avatars, guilds, skill systems, and player economy, Hello Kitty Online offers a social networking platform including blogs, video sharing, and email services. For more information please visit www.hellokittyonline.com.

Majesty 2 Developer Diary Debuts on GamersDailyNews

New Entry Explains Character Design and Gender

Paradox Interactive announced today that the latest developer diary for the upcoming PC title Majesty 2: The Fantasy Kingdom Sim debuted today on GamersDailyNews. In the diary, Alexey Kozyrev, Lead Developer from 1C: Ino-Co., details the development process of the highly anticipated PC title as it approaches release.

In this latest diary entry, Mr. Kozyrev explains the changes made to the main characters and races, especially in regards to gender. Regarding the change of the Paladin from female to male characters, Alexey writes, “As far as narrative continuity, one need not be greatly concerned: the events of Majesty 2 happen in the distant future, from the perspective of Majesty 1. Many centuries have passed in Ardania, and naturally, many things have changed. The traditional female order of the Paladins has evidently passed into history, and after the Paladin deity Dauros came back from a long and well-deserved tropical vacation, a new order came to be. Or perhaps the service to Dauros gradually changed, with the “sisters” being replaced by “brothers” over the centuries.”

To read the complete entry for Majesty 2 on GamersDailyNews, please visit: http://www.gamersdailynews.com/blog-79.html.

New entries will be posted every two weeks exclusively on GamersDailyNews. The previous entries are also available on the site.

Majesty 2 is scheduled for release on the PC and digital download release via GamersGate during 2009. For more information about Majesty 2, please visit the official website at http://www.majesty2.com/.

Men of War video game now available at GamersGate

GamersGate today announced that Men of War is now available exclusively for sale as part of its growing digital catalog. Published by 1C Company, Men of War will be available for 39.99.

Men of War takes place in Europe and North Africa during the height of World War II, the story unfolding across three different campaigns played out through he eyes of Soviet, Allied and German soldiers. Each campaign has its own scenario and structured timeline bringing a different story of the war to life.

In addition to Men of War, GamersGate will be adding other 1C titles to their catalog exclusively over the next two months including Death Track (3/24), Cryostasis (4/20), Necrovision (5/25), and Hummer 4x4 (5/22).

To find out more about GamersGate, please visit www.gamersgate.com

View screenshots and video for cancelled Superman video game...

A handful of concept screens from Factor 5's cancelled Superman game have emerged, showing the last son of Krypton as he may have looked on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

Showing Superman in flight, his rival Doomsday and a rudimentary Metropolis backdrop, the screens are all we're ever likely to see of the game. Seeing as the now departed Brash Entertainment took with them the rights to several DC franchises – and whether the game would fare any better than the notoriously dire Superman 64 is hard to ascertain from the leaked shots.

See them on unseen64 website here...

Bioshock 2 Viral website - Creepy site goes online

There's Something in the Sea...

More stuff being added daily here's a link...

KORG DS-10 - KORG synthesizers on Nintendo DS create unique sounds, anytime and in any place - with video demo

A new and affordable tool for electronic music fans everywhere has arrived. Prepare and create unique sounds, anytime and in any place, as one of the world famous KORG synthesizers heads onto the Nintendo DS. Reproducing the quality and behaviour of original KORG products, KORG DS-10 provides a fully functional, complete synthesizer on the Nintendo DS that will allow musicians to improvise and record their own music alone or with fellow musicians when it launches across Europe on 10th October 2008.

KORG DS-10 lets you produce analogue synthesizer sounds and music samples on this pocket sized, convenient platform. Reviving the KORG MS-10 analogue synthesizer’s behaviour, KORG DS-10 enhances the experience of music creation thanks to the innovative features of the Nintendo DS. Use the Touch Screen to easily access all functions of the synthesizer, including the famous KORG KAOSS Pad which allows for easy beat and melody improvisation. With the stylus or your finger, open the mixer’s channels, lay down a kicker drumbeat, patch synthesizer sounds and add effects as you build up the perfect electro tune or pattern.

Work your way around the synthesizer, using a replication of the original KORG MS-10 interface spread across the two screens of the Nintendo DS. Switch interruptors, modify drumbeats by drawing marks or edit the synthesizer tone colour by tweaking knobs and connecting patch cables between the jacks on the Synthesizer Patch Panel. With the ability to save up to 18 different sessions, you can continually develop and build electro tunes and even wirelessly connect to fellow musicians’ handhelds to work on a project together.

Get ready to create your very own sound on this complete, professional and fully fledged KORG product as KORG DS-10 is made available across Europe on 10th October 2008.

Vertigo to launch on the 3rd April; ball rolling action to feature Balance Board functionality

Play V has announced that it will be releasing Vertigo, a novel ball-rolling race and puzzle hybrid, for PC and the Nintendo Wii on the 3rd April 2009. Vertigo tasks players with controlling a rolling ball though over 50 levels of fiendish, high-tension action.

Supporting both traditional remote and Wii Balance Board control methods, Vertigo harks back to rolling-ball games of old with 54 tracks across nine environments. Three classes of ‘Xorb’ ball are available, each one with their own set of unlockable upgrade options, as well as the ability to customise and tune each ball according to the player’s preferred balance of speed and manoeuvrability.

Additional game modes extend to Arcade, Time Trial and Career modes for singleplayer, with multiplayer functionality including combative versus modes in a traditional deathmatch setting and more traditional ball-based pursuits such as ten-pin bowling and football.

Brian Faller, marketing manager, PlayV, comments “Vertigo’s unique design is a fantastic fit for the Wii. Old classics such as Marble Madness and Spindizzy have been in dire need of an update and Vertigo fits that space perfectly, with motion control being the natural progression for this kind of game concept. Vertigo captures all the frenetic energy and pace of those classics, whilst introducing a fantastic array of multiplayer game types to a much-missed genre.”

Vertigo will be released for PC and Nintendo Wii on the 3rd April 2009.