Sacred 2 - Fallen Angel developer goes bust - files for backruptcy

Ascaron Entertainment, the European publisher and developer behind Sacred 2 Fallen Angel, has entered administration.

The company, with a development studio in Birmingham, filed for bankruptcy in the regional court at Bielefeld, Germany.

"Due to the protection offered by German administration rights, Ascaron intends to use this as an opportunity to secure the future of the company," read a statement on Ascaron's website.

"We, the executives of Ascaron Entertainment GmbH, thank all our fans for their superb support and assistance in making Sacred 2 - Fallen Angel the success it is today.

"Our special thanks go to all our employees. Without the dedication and motivation of all the staff Sacred 2 would not exist."

The company said it has completed work on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions of Sacred 2 and would start shipping units at the beginning of May.

Source: GamesIndustry

Adventure game - Dante’s Inferno video game coming to PSP, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3

Dante's Inferno Coming to Sony's PlayStation Portable Alongside PLAYSTATION 3 and Xbox 360

Electronic Arts announce that its highly anticipated action adventure game Dante’s Inferno will be coming to the PSP (Sony PlayStation Portable).

Based on part one of Dante Alighieri’s classic, “The Divine Comedy,” EA’s Dante’s Inferno will also take players on an epic adventure through Dante’s famously mapped nine circles of hell. Dante’s Inferno will be available simultaneously for the PSP, the PLAYSTATION 3 computer entertainment system and the Xbox 360 videogame and entertainment system next year.

Dante’s Inferno for the PSP is being developed by EA’s award-winning EA Redwood Shores studio and Artificial Mind and Movement (A2M), based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

“Our team and the team at A2M are taking the vision for Dante’s Inferno and translating it directly to the PSP,” said Jonathan Knight, executive producer and creative director on Dante’s Inferno. “PSP owners can expect to get the same level of fast, responsive gameplay through all nine detailed and unique circles of hell we are aiming to achieve on the consoles.”

Alighieri’s “Dante’s Inferno” is widely credited for being the work that has defined the western world’s contemporary conception of hell and purgatory. Just like the poem, players of EA’s 3rd person action adventure game will descend through all nine circles of hell: limbo, lust, gluttony, greed, anger, heresy, violence, fraud and treachery, playing as Dante as they battle through a gauntlet of unimaginable evils, fighting to recapture the soul of his beloved Beatrice.

8 Bit Weapon's Sony Chiptune Loop Library and Limited Edition Floppy Disk CD

We have some news for you and your patrons, both our Sony Loop Library and our EP Limited Edition CD are now available!!! :)

Sony Creative Software has released our loop and sample library called, "8 Bit Weapon: A Chiptune Odyssey" today!
The library contains real sounds from each of the following computers/consoles: Apple II, Commodore 64, NES, Gameboy, and the Atari 2600. Each system library has everything from drums, bass and synth to special effects.
Both Michelle (aka ComputeHer) and I have featured song demos built into the collection to boot!

The sound library works with ACID, Ableton Live, Cubase, Garage Band, Logic, Soundtrack, and more!

Users who purchase the "Green" Downloadable version of the Sony loop library will get the full MP3 release of our
"Electric High EP" plus an exclusive track "Break Beat Bonanza" as an added bonus!

Click the link to see Sony's official page: http://www.sonycreativesoftware.com/8bitweapon

ALSO

Limited Edition CD in a 5.25" Floppy Disk

The "Electric High EP" is a full throttle electronic thrill-ride! Six new songs that utilize sounds and FX
of classic computers and consoles like the Apple II, Commodore 64, Atari 2600, Nintendo Gameboy,
Nintendo Entertainment system(a.k.a. NES), and more!

Preview tracks 1, 2, 3, & 5 here: www.myspace.com/8bitweapon

1. Closer (Bitpop Mix)
2. Kiss My Bits (ComputeHer Mashup Mix)
3. Chip on your Shoulder
4. FUNDAnalogue
5. Chiptune Attack 2600 AD
6. Macro Disko (Minimal Mix)

The "Electric High EP" CD comes in a real 5.25" floppy disk and sleeve. Each album is hand numbered.
$9.95 with FREE Worldwide Shipping HERE:
www.8bitweapon.com/store.htm

Microsoft announce Xbox 360 Elite plus Halo 3 and Fable II for the console price in US

Microsoft has announced the upcoming US release of the Xbox 360 Elite game of the year bundle deal - with Fable II and Halo 3 packaged alongside the console at no extra cost.

Beginning in May, the bundle will be available for a limited time at select US retailers for the same price as a standalone Xbox 360 Elite console at USD 399 - no European release details were offered.

Earlier this year, Microsoft reported that Halo 3 had seen over 1 billion online games played, while the series had sold 25 million units worldwide.

Lionhead's Fable II was also a success for Microsoft Game Studios, having shifted 1.5 million units within its first two weeks on sale.

Source: GamesIndustry

Hellgate London Tower Bridge release

HanbitSoft announce that the company released Tower Bridge map for HELLGATE - LONDON, an online action RPG developed by Redbana US Studio, at Hellgate’s Korean official website on April 17th.

Tower Bridge is not the first new map HanbitSoft released. The company already revealed screen shots of Training Ground and Maritime Museum on April 10th. All revealed maps will be included in Hellgate: London’s 1.5Patch later this year.

The released screen shots show the disrupted Tower Bridge which also has a distinct vive from the other maps. HanbitSoft announced that as of 1.5Patch, Hellgate will have each act very unique environment. Training Ground, Maritime Museum, and Tower Bridge give out different atmosphere, which will allow players to enjoy freshness each time they enter to a different map.

HanbitSoft also released a screen shot of new monster as a preview. Details will be introduced this Friday.

Strategic Command WW2 Pacific Theater v.102 patch!

Strategic Command WW2 Pacific Theater keeps getting better and better! We're thrilled to be able to release the v1.02 patch for the game, boasting dozens of improvements, enhancements and fixes to the game and editor.

v1.02 takes precedence over any previous versions and hotfixes, and is available immediately for free download at the Strategic Command Pacific Theater Patches page www.battlefront.com/patches

Official European Street Fighter IV Championship details

Capcom has joined forces with Xbox 360® to find the Street Fighter IV champions, of France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK and then the chance to be crowned Ultimate European Street Fighter Supreme Master AND win some amazing and unique prizes.

With the new free ‘Championship mode’ update for Street Fighter IV, you can truly test yourself against the very best. The new mode will be available to all SFIV players through a free update through your console.

Entering the tournament couldn’t be easier. Registration is open to all Street Fighter players on Xbox LIVE® from 17 th April until 17 th May and can be done through this link.

www.capcom-europe.com/sfivofficialtournament

Lets us know your contact details and Xbox Gamertag and we’ll track your progress in the new automatic Championship Mode leader boards.

You don’t have to set up matches and can play at times that suit you. All you need to do is win as many matches as possible and build up your score of Grade Points (the new reward system in ‘Championship Mode’).

The top 30 Grade Points scoring players will be invited to an exclusive live final in their respective country to be held on the weekend of 30/31 st May. National champions will be sent on (all expenses paid) to a secret European location for the Euro final weekend 13 th/14 th June.

Full details can be found on the www.capcom-europe.com website

FREE ONLINE PLAY TO ALL XBOX LIVE GAMERS
You don’t even have to have Gold membership play in the tournament. From the 1 st to the 4 th of May, Xbox is running the Xtival weekend which gives all silver live members full access to online gaming. Street Fighter IV is a top featured game for the Xtival and a perfect chance for everyone to start winning the all important ‘Grade Points’ and a chance to win the title.

Prizes and glory await!!

Final Fantasy XIII video game demo HD and Analogue TV compared

Kotaku have done the work...

Not all televisions are built the same. For kicks, Japanese site Intermezzo compared the Final Fantasy XIII Blu-ray PS3 demo on two televisions (one HD, one analog). Let's have a look.

One of the televisions was a US$200 model 14-inch Sony WEGA from the year 2000. It was connected to the PS3 with composite cables.

The other was a US$4,000 50-inch Pioneer plasma panel from 2006. It was connected to the PS3 with composite cables.

See the full post with images here on Kotaku...

Trash Panic video game for PlayStation 3 announced on Earth Day

Don't let the planet get swamped by rubbish think quickly to dispose of it properly in this fast, fun, environmentally-aware brainteaser!

April 21st 2009 is Earth Day, a day when people put their heads together to think about the issues facing the planet – and Sony Computer Entertainment Europe is challenging gamers to get to grips with rubbish with the announcement of Trash Panic for PLAYSTATION 3 (PS3) – a new, downloadable puzzle game that challenges players to stop a virtual environment being swamped by an ever-flowing tide of rubbish.

A game that takes the puzzle genre and gives it an environmental twist, Trash Panic challenges players to dispose of the rubbish by arranging it strategically in a giant rubbish crate before it overflows. Players have to think quickly, dropping heavy rubbish on crushable items to compact it – or placing biodegradables together so that they rot – meanwhile, the clock keeps ticking and the tide of rubbish keeps advancing.

It’s fast, furious – and socially responsible – what more could you want on Earth Day? Available exclusively for PS3 as a download from PlayStation Network, Trash Panic will be released later this spring.

Tiger Woods PGA tour 10 and Grand Slam Tennis to ship with Wii MotionPlus

EA SPORTS, a label of Electronic Arts, today announced that the Nintendo Wii versions of both Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 10 and EA SPORTS Grand Slam Tennis will be bundled with Nintendo’s new Wii MotionPlus accessory when the titles ship to stores this summer in Europe. In North America, Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 10 will be bundled with the Wii MotionPlus accessory at launch.

“This exclusive and limited-time offer is exciting news for sports fans who want to enhance their Wii experience for a great value with the new Wii MotionPlus right at launch with both Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 10 and EA SPORTS Grand Slam Tennis,” said Peter Moore, President, EA SPORTS.



“The functionality of the Wii MotionPlus will help us deliver the authentic, true-to-life sports motion that will redefine the sports experience on the Wii.”

Both Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 10 and EA SPORTS Grand Slam Tennis have been rated 3+ by PEGI and will have an RRP of £49.99 when bundled with the Wii MotionPlus.

EA SPORTS has at least five products in development that will launch before the end of 2009 designed specifically for the Wii, including:

Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 10
Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 10 coupled with the Wii MotionPlus accessory gives players an unprecedented authentic golf swing experience and the ability to control and work their golf ball around the course. The Wii MotionPlus accessory also adds to the gameplay experience with an all-new disc golf mode in Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 10. With Wii MotionPlus, gamers have increased fidelity and complete free motion of their disc and can throw it in any manner they choose. Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 10 is developed by EA Tiburon in Orlando, Florida.

EA SPORTS Grand Slam Tennis
EA SPORTS Grand Slam Tennis, launching first on the Wii, makes users feel like they are playing championship tennis in the comfort of their living rooms. Wii MotionPlus elevates the authentic tennis experience to a higher level with precise ball placement and added shot depth. With the accessory, tennis fans will appreciate the freedom to control the backswing of champions like John McEnroe, Serena Williams, Roger Federer or any one of their in-game players, as well as have the ability to run around a forehand or backhand. EA SPORTS Grand Slam Tennis is developed by EA Canada in Vancouver, B.C. The product will ship on additional platforms later in the year.