Have fun, stay healthy and get fit using Yoga for Nintendo Wii

DreamCatcher Games and JoWooD Productions, leading publishers of interactive entertainment software worldwide, are pleased to announce that Yoga for Nintendo Wii is under development and set to be released October 2009.

Fans of yoga and those interested in improving their overall fitness and well-being will be able to practice Yoga from the comfort of their own home.

Utilizing the Wii Balance Board™ and following step-by-step instructions from a variety of in game Yoga Gurus, players will be guided through a variety of popular Yoga exercises.

Players will be able to monitor their progress with a dynamic tracking system and set up a schedule to follow. The yoga guru, acting as your own personal trainer, will make suggestions to you based on your progress and computations taken from the Balance Board. The Wii Remote™ and Balance Board will be used for many poses to determine the player’s balance and any movements or shifts in weight by the player will be detected and recorded once the pose is complete.

Yoga for Wii has three play modes – Story Mode where players start the game as a beginner and finish as a yoga guru; Training Mode where players have the opportunity to learn new poses to add to their routines; and Routine Mode, a set of consecutive yoga poses either user-created or pre-created routines. There are mini-games to test the player’s knowledge of yoga and predetermined routines created to help alleviate common ailments. Yoga for Wii is beneficial to anyone wanting to try Yoga and discover its unique way of providing strength, flexibility and endurance training while at the same time creating a powerful connection between mind and body.

The expected ESRB rating is E for Everyone.

Sony register PS Cloud could it be for their PlayStation 4?

Sony have patented the 'PS Cloud' with the US Patent and Trademark Office, following the announcement of a number of new 'cloud gaming' services such as OnLive and Playcast Media at this year's Games Developers Conference.

The patent has lead to speculation that Sony Computer Entertainment may well be looking to 'cloud gaming' – where the processing power of a home console is replaced by that of a remote server outside of the gamer's home – as a strategic move forward for its PlayStation division.

The future of PlayStation?

Or, put in more straightforward terms, is PS Cloud the PlayStation 4? Is the 'next' PlayStation going to resemble a server-based system that allows gamers to play and save games to a user account via a range of devices such as their PlayStation 3, their PC or even their TV set-top box?

Sony filed the patent for 'PS Cloud' on 24 March, describing PS Cloud as a provider of "entertainment services, namely, providing an online videogame that users may access through the internet".

You can see further details on the filing here.

TechRadar spoke with a SCEE rep this morning who declined to comment on the story.

Source: TechRadar

Operation Flashpoint Dragon Rising Open World Warfare video game trailernew

From the initial deployment of a US Marine Corps fireteam through to the moment when a 155mm Howitzer strike blasts the landscape, Codemasters today revealed Operation Flashpoint : Dragon Rising in action with the release of the Open World Modern Warfare gameplay video.

Presenting tactical, immersive warfare on a scale never seen before in a shooter, the new video demonstrates how Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising takes gamers to the vast 220 km² island of Skira, a rigorously researched and meticulously recreated battlefield, located off the eastern coast of Russia and north of Japan.



The game authentically recreates conflict on a 360-degree theatre of war, allowing players to approach objectives on Skira from any direction. On this immense and realistic battlefield, where one bullet can kill, players face the fear and mortality felt by soldiers immersed in deadly modern warfare as they are challenged to survive the rapidly evolving situations of battle.

As the epic campaign unfold, players will fight as US Marines Infantry and Special Operations Forces fireteam leaders against the military might of a division from the Peoples Liberation Army of China, in an attempt to prevent a flashpoint engagement over oil erupting into a full blown international war. From intense fire fights through to paced tactical decision making, Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising recreates the brutal reality of the modern combat experience with serious attention to the detail of the weapons, equipment and tactics of the armed forces.

PlayStation 2 now officially $99 in US

That's right, looks like the PS2 is going to be available throughout the US for 99 dollars. 

John Koller, director of hardware marketing at Sony US just confirmed the news via PS Blog:

"Hi everyone, the last time you heard from me, I talked about the huge milestone that PlayStation 2 achieved - reaching 50 million units sold in North America. Today I'm excited to talk about another milestone in PlayStation 2's lifespan. For the first time ever, PlayStation 2 will be offered at a price point under $100 (that's $99.99 MSRP, to be exact), starting April 1!"

Encrypted Security Token Provides Additional Protection to FINAL FANTASY XI Players

Announcing the upcoming launch of the Square Enix Account System and Square Enix Security Token to be implemented in Europe, Japan and North America on 7th April, 2009. 

Offering additional account safeguards to players of their flagship MMO, FINAL FANTASY XI, these new initiatives provide for a higher level of account security.

The new system will utilize the Square Enix Security Token, which will be available to purchase for €9.99 and £7.99 via the PlayOnline Viewer.

Creating a Square Enix Account is free and can be done by anyone via the official Square Enix website. With this new system in place beginning on 7th April, 2009, Square Enix Accounts will be compatible with FINAL FANTASY XI and PlayOnline, as well as future online services.

After registering a Square Enix Account and purchasing the Square Enix Security Token, players can then assign the token to their PlayOnline ID(s). The token generates a unique password every time it is activated, ensuring complete security. The implementation of these new features is an extension of Square Enix’s commitment to continuous service for our customers.

Additionally, players who purchase a security token will also receive the brand new in-game bonus, the “Moogle Satchel”. The Moogle Satchel provides additional inventory space and benefits all characters on the PlayOnline account(s). The space provided by the Moogle Satchel is equal to the character’s Gobbie Bag capacity and can also expand along with it. In order to utilise the bonus, it will be necessary for the customer’s PlayOnline ID to be linked to a Square Enix Account.

1 Square Enix Account
Registration Launch: - 7th April, 2009 (Tue)
Registration Location: - Square Enix website (*1)
Compatible Services (Initial): - FINAL FANTASY XI, PlayOnline.
*1 Initially players can register via the FINAL FANTASY XI official website.

2 Square Enix Security Token
Release Date: - 7th April, 2009 (Tue).
Price: - €9.99 and £7.99 (Includes tax and shipping).
Where to Purchase: - Available for purchase via the PlayOnline Viewer.
Bonus with Purchase: - The “Moogle Satchel” will be included as an in-game bonus for FINAL FANTASY XI players who purchase a security token (*1). The “Moogle Satchel” will provide up to 80 additional inventory slots and can be accessed anywhere regardless of if the player is in their Mog House or out adventuring in Vana’diel (*2).

*1 It is required for the PlayOnline ID to be linked to the Square Enix Account that has a security token associated.
*2 The space provided by the Moogle Satchel is equal to the character’s Gobbie Bag capacity.

Ys Online: The Call of Solum - 2nd Closed Beta Signup!

• You can now apply for a Closed Beta Key
  
• New features available
  
• Brand new Ys Online website
  

Starting now, you can register your interest in taking part in the Ys 2nd Closed Beta. The keys to test the game are limited and are restricted to the list of supported territories. Go to Ys Online website, choose your language and press the ‘Join the Beta’ button to apply.

The 2nd Closed Beta will be live on April. This new phase will include various new features, such as new class specializations and a raised level cap, up to level 40 instead of 30. Amongst some of the more important changes you'll find the activation of the PVP system and some new maps: 4 more instances and 3 instance dungeons.

While you wait to find out what new contents the 2nd Closed Beta will bring, Key To Play has launched a complete new website, available in 4 languages, with a brand new design.

Ys - Call Of Solum

Call of Solum is an MMORPG based on the famous Ys series, created for the Japanese company Falcom. Since its first title for 8 bits, already turned into a classic, several manga series, OAVs and even novels have been stemmed. This time, Falcom and CJ Internet are joining to present Ys - Call of Solum, the new title of the series turned into an online videogame that follows the anime style, so characteristic in the entire saga.

Ys - Call of Solum arrives in Europe thanks to of Key To Play.
With Man of Wings’ ascent to the sky, chaos reigned in the continent of Eresia. The central region known as Europe was divided into two enemy realms: Romun, dominating the centre and south of the region and Etruria, in the north.
After one hundred years of constant battles all over the continent, several kingdoms fell, one after the other, against the fearful monsters emerging from the chaos. This way, 12 soldiers of different races, Eresians, Kimoans and Afrocans, joined Grey the hero, to defeat the monsters and establish a new empire under the name of Romun all over the continent.

Key To Play

Key To Play is a new online videogame portal of different genres, created in 2008 with the aim of bringing great international titles to the European market. With several offices in Europe and Asia, Key To Play is offering offers online players a large network of support and development possibilities. All this with one goal: to be able to give the best quality and playability.

Currently, the titles are launched in 4 languages simultaneously, English, French, German and Spanish, to offer more convenience to the players.

Key To Play has committed, up to now, to two titles, Priston Tale 2: The Second Enigma and Ys Online - Call of Solum.

Gardening Mama video game on Nintendo DS - 1st May 2009

Highly anticipated next chapter in the Mama Brand, Gardening Mama will launch on 1st May across Europe.

Developed by Cooking Mama Ltd, Gardening Mama will be available exclusively for Nintendo DS.

In Gardening Mama, players must dig soil, plant seeds and harvest crops to turn their simple plots into a garden paradise.

Strong performance unlocks rare plants, fruits and vegetables, as well as ornamental objects such as swings, benches, flower pots and garden gnomes for decoration. There are over 28 different plants to unlock and grow with a host of fun and accessible mini games and if that’s not enough there is even wireless multiplayer for up to 4 players.

Gardening Mama is from the same developer as the Cooking Mama series of games, the original of which has gone on to ship over one million copies and counting. The accessible and colourful nature of this quintessentially Japanese series has made the eponymous ‘Mama’ an instantly recognisable favourite amongst casual gamers and Japanophiles alike.

Baseball Superstars 2009 mobile phone game

“Baseball Superstars has become our trademark game over the years. This is the 2nd Baseball Superstars series we are launching on the Android Market, and we are excited to see where this will take us.

The depth and details we've put into this game is beyond any other baseball game out in the market." says Eusoon Han, marketing manager at GAMEVIL.

In Baseball Superstars 2009 for the Android G1, users can select from 10 teams, 4 stadiums, and unlock 12 hidden characters. There are 5 game modes to play: Normal Mode, My League Mode, Season Mode, Homerun Mode, and Mission Mode. The game is a full baseball simulation, but also includes RPG elements where users can create their players, manage their team, and enhance player’s abilities such as hitting, power and speed - either by training or by purchasing special items and equipment with their salary every season.

Compared to Baseball Superstars 2008, which is already available on the Android Market, Baseball Superstars 2009 has major graphical updates with vibrant colors and has special effects to add excitement. Also, there has been a major overhaul in controls and game interface, optimized for the G1's touch screen.

Baseball Superstars 2009 is now available and G1 users can find it under the Arcade/Action category.

The Baseball Superstars series, GAMEVIL's top seller, has sold more than 8 million copies worldwide since its launch in 2002, establishing itself as one of the best mobile baseball games.

Sign Up To Play The New 3D Pool Simulation Game Cue online Now Through April 2nd

Cue Online offers competitive billiards games including straight pool, nine-ball, eight-ball, carom and three-cushion billiards. Developed by Happy Nation, Cue Online delivers realistic billiards gameplay with a custom physics engine and was recently nominated as "Best Game of the Month" by the Korean Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

Happy Nation's exclusive engine was designed to create as realistic of an environment as possible. Each ball's movement will depend on each player's style, including stroke power, table contact, spin and strike quality with other balls, the cloth friction of the table and more.

The closed beta will run from 3 p.m. PST to 6 p.m. PST today, March 30 and tomorrow, March 31. The closed beta will then be open all day April 1st and 2nd.

Cue Online offers five different skills that players can increase and improve upon while training. The game's skills include: Power, Spin, Push, Pull and Masse. Unlike other games where players automatically increase their skills as their average scores increase, Cue Online players will see their skills improve only after they successfully use that skill over time.

As a result, two players in the same average score can each possess different main skills, just like in real life pool play.

PSP Class of Heroes RPG video game delayed until June 9th

Atlus announce that Class of Heroes, the upcoming first-person dungeon crawler for PSP (PlayStation Portable) system, will be delayed until June 9th. The anticipated RPG, an homage to the genre classics, promises to bring expansive character and party customization options and deep, involved dungeon crawling to PSP system owners across North America.

"Just days prior to manufacturing, a show-stopping bug was discovered," explained Aram Jabbari, manager of PR and Sales. "We will under no circumstance ship a product with foreknowledge of such an issue, and so we must delay the game to resolve the problem and deliver a final product to our fans that lives up to the high standards we aspire to and that they deserve."

Class of Heroes is now scheduled for release on June 9, 2009 with an MSRP of $39.99.