Sacred 2 - Fallen Angel out soon on PLAYSTATION 3

cdv Software Entertainment USA and Ascaron Entertainment today announced that Sacred 2: Fallen Angel has gone gold for the PLAYSTATION 3 computer entertainment system. Sacred 2: Fallen Angel is an action-RPG that combines a massive hand-crafted game world with a unique storyline and seamless drop-in cooperative play. The game will be released in North America on May 12, 2009.

Sacred 2: Fallen Angel is a hack-and-slash action-RPG with a rich story that takes place in a gigantic seamless world. This world contains massive dungeons, treacherous opponents and hundreds of challenging quests. Intelligent enemies, which adapt in number and difficulty based on player progress, challenge gamers in heroic single- and multiplayer battles for up four players on next-generation consoles.

See this post about developer problems...

Sacred 2 - Fallen Angel out soon on PLAYSTATION 3

cdv Software Entertainment USA and Ascaron Entertainment today announced that Sacred 2: Fallen Angel has gone gold for the PLAYSTATION 3 computer entertainment system. Sacred 2: Fallen Angel is an action-RPG that combines a massive hand-crafted game world with a unique storyline and seamless drop-in cooperative play. The game will be released in North America on May 12, 2009.

Sacred 2: Fallen Angel is a hack-and-slash action-RPG with a rich story that takes place in a gigantic seamless world. This world contains massive dungeons, treacherous opponents and hundreds of challenging quests. Intelligent enemies, which adapt in number and difficulty based on player progress, challenge gamers in heroic single- and multiplayer battles for up four players on next-generation consoles.

See this post about developer problems...

Studio Nouveau Creates Cinematics for Capcom's Resident Evil 5

Studio Nouveau, a cinematic and 3D animation production studio have completed the game cinematics for the highly-acclaimed video game Resident Evil 5 for Capcom, a leading game industry publisher.

Studio Nouveau is an L.A.-based visual effects and animation studio providing 3D animation for film, games and broadcast with access to the most talented Hollywood VFX artists and animators.

Studio Nouveau has earned a reputation for exceptional development of motion capture technologies and methods that helps directors become quickly acclimated to working with virtual actors and sets.

Studio Nouveau founder and CEO Frank Bonniwell has worked on blockbuster Hollywood films such as Polar Express, Monster House, Letters from Iwo Jima, Flags of our Fathers, and working in the role of Technical Director directly with James Cameron on his film project, Avatar.

Capcom's Resident Evil 5 represents the latest installment of the series and boasts the stunning visual quality and engaging gameplay now possible on next-gen video game consoles. The Resident Evil series has generated global sales of 24 million. Resident Evil 5 released on March 13, 2009 in Japan, and March 13, 2009 in North America and Europe for the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 game consoles.

Studio Nouveau's proprietary motion capture and animation production methodology and pipeline allowed live action director Jim Sonzero (Pulse) to bring traditional directing techniques to the Resident Evil 5 production. Based on Sonzero's needs, Studio Nouveau's technical team developed a pipeline for a virtual camera allowing a digital DP (Director of Photography) to use traditional cinematography methods on the Resident Evil 5 cinematics.

Bonniwell adds, "It was a great honor and privilege to work with a company of Capcom's stature and history on one of the premiere video game franchises of all time. Here at Studio Nouveau we're all playing Resident Evil 5 and are thrilled to see our work come alive in the game."

Studio Nouveau works on long and short-term projects creating full CG motion capture and hand-key framed film production for live action and animated films, game trailers and cinematics, commercial and broadcast clients and more.

Hannah Montana - Secret Star mobile video game

Hannah Montana the mobile game will be a story driven adventure with many different quick mini game challenges connected with the story and music performances of Hannah Montana controlled by the player.

The story will include Miley Steward alias Hannah Montana from the Hannah Montana series and many of her friends and even foes that has been previously seen on the show.

During the game, Miley has to face a big thread for Hannah Montana’s popularity and deal with it while keeping her secret and normal life in balance with her celebrity life.

Publisher: Disney
Developer: Disney Mobile Games Studio
Target Consumer: Early teenage girls (10 – 15 year old)
Genre: Story driven adventure with different mini game challenges
Platforms: Java
Network Aware/Enabled: No

Game Feature Highlights:
• Immersive adventure story based on popular series
• Including many well known characters from the show
• 12 different quick mini game challenges
• Well known locations based on the Hannah Montana series.
• Musical performance of Hannah Montana completely under player’s control.
• Customisation: change clothes and buy new ones whenever you like.
• Stealth: after your concert, get to your car without being seen by paparazzi!

Pirate Galaxy online 3D action video game final version

Gamigo, one of Europe’s leading MMOG publishers is excited to announce the commercial launch of our latest game: Pirate Galaxy. This unique 3D action MMOG can be played entirely in your browser – you can support mankind in your epic battle against the MANTIS menace on practically any PC, no special software required!

As with all other games in gamigo’s diverse and growing portfolio, Pirate Galaxy is completely free to play! No download or subscription costs! To play, all you need do is go to www.pirategalaxy.com, register and start your engines…

Become a Space Pirate

In the outer realms of our universe, humanity is plunged into a fierce battle against the MANTIS. The only person standing in the way of complete annihilation is you. You will be tasked with destroying enemy ships, harvesting power crystals and discovering MANTIS blueprints to help both you and your species in the war effort. As the game progresses, you can upgrade your ship’s capabilities as well as give it a personal touch. The missions form a story that takes you on a truly fantastic odyssey across many worlds and star systems.

As you earn the right to upgrade and replace your ship, you still need to consider what kind of player you want to be… Some ships are faster, others are more manoeuvrable – of course you could always choose simple, brutish firepower. Your task will be to work out what is the best combination to survive on the battlefield. Each of these ships can be personalised in millions of ways – a multitude of designs and colour schemes, as well as some special equipment, can be bought from our item shop.

Even as we release the game, we’re already working on expanding gameplay. “Gemini”, a brand new star system is in development and will be released soon. We’re working on some exciting new adventures and carefully crafted planets; players that want to test this new system can go to http://pirate-galaxy-forum.gamigo.com/ for details on how to be part of the exciting next chapter of Pirate Galaxy a little early…

Real-time Action in the Browser

Pirate Galaxy offers full screen 3D gameplay with spectacular battles and an imaginative storyline. But best of all, it can be played on almost every single PC with an internet connection – no special software needed. Once registered, just go to www.pirategalaxy.com and click on Play Now – could it be any simpler? Add to this, the game’s community features – clan wars and a squadron system and we can guarantee you’ll get hooked! Fight together against the MANTIS, fight against other human factions – or simply be a pirate and take on everyone!

“Players were amazed with the game when it was still in beta”, says Elmar Kofler, Junior Product Manager for Pirate Galaxy. “We’re happy that we can now take this game out of beta and offer it to the wider community along with a great deal of brand-new content.”

The official website is www.pirategalaxy.com. Simply register, then play!

Pirate Galaxy introduces a new era of browser-games and offers a fantastic Science-Fiction-Online-World to the gamers. The game can be played via a clientprogram, or directly in a web-browser from almost any PC. In both cases players are able to navigate their spaceships through a high-resolution 3D-ambience.

In Pirate Galaxy the player immerges into a Science-Fiction-World, where the galaxy is controlled by maleficent aliens, called MANTIS. The player takes control of a spaceship and takes his fate into his own hands. Along with thousands of other onlinepirates, players will fight with aliens, hunt for worthwhile treasures and reconquer the despoiled colonies.

Features:

• detailed 3D-Graphic within the browser
• exciting real-time-fights in PVE and PVP-Modes
• spaceships can be adjusted individually
• motivating role-playing-elements
• a huge game universe with hundreds of planets and innumerable quests
• easy and simple navigation
• comprehensible user interface
• free to play – no payments, no monthly fees

Tales of Symphonia - Dawn of the New World Nintendo Wii

Follow-up to Smash-Hit RPG Coming to Wii in Europe and PAL Regions this Autumn 2009, with Exclusive New Content

NAMCO BANDAI Games Europe today announced that role-playing title Tales of Symphonia - Dawn of the New World is heading to Europe and PAL regions this autumn 2009 with exclusive new content.

Only on Nintendo Wii, the game continues the story of the best-selling Tales of Symphonia for Nintendo GameCube, while introducing a new monster collection system that lets players capture, evolve and do battle with more than 200 monsters alongside a huge cast of new and returning characters.

Set two years after the events of the award-winning Tales of Symphonia, Dawn of the New World introduces two new young heroes, Emil Castagnier and Marta Lualdi, as they journey to find the cause of a catastrophic change in their world. Crossing paths with fan-favourite characters such as Lloyd, Colette and Sheena, the brave adventurers will also encounter a spirit known as Ratatosk, lord of all monsters, who will grant them new and incredible powers over the fearsome creatures that now roam the land.

Debuting a major new gameplay system for the Tales series, Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World allows players to capture more than 200 unique monsters that they face in battle. Players can feed these monsters to make them more powerful, and even evolve them into several new fearsome forms. Up to three monsters can be taken into any battle situation, offering unique benefits against enemies and imparting new strategic depth to the Tales series’ lauded real-time battle system.

Brand new content exclusive to the PAL version of Tales of Symphonia™: Dawn of the New World include the Gallery Mode and head accessories. Unlocked once the game is completed, the Gallery Mode includes a Skits Library containing viewable skits of the gameplay, and an Image Library with a wealth of design sketches, illustrations, pack art and more. The game also contains a number of new themed masks and head accessories for Emil and Marta which are exclusive to the PAL version and allow players to customise the characters in battle and will also add new special effects during fights.

Featuring a massive cast of returning playable characters, Dawn of the New World offers complete freedom in creating a custom party that best suits the needs of each enemy encounter. Up to four players can enjoy the full game together cooperatively, working together to strategically complete each battle.

jOG, Revolutionary Video Game Accessory for Nintendo Wii On Sale Now!

Ground-breaking motion-sensing video game peripheral jOG, compatible with Nintendo Wii, today goes on sale across the UK to widespread acclaim, having been recently voted the number one product of Toy Fair 2009 by The Gadget Show, rated ‘Essential Gadget’ by The Sun and featured on Jo Whiley’s gaming spot on BBC Radio 1.

jOG is a unique accessory that works with many existing Wii games – quite simply, to move in the game, you have to jog on the spot. Connected between the Nunchuk and Wiimote, then clipped to the belt of the player, jOG detects when the player takes a step and translates that to game character movement, creating a feedback loop that immerses players deeper into the game play while compelling them to take light exercise. It works with any game that uses the Nunchuk stick for character control, effectively the majority of adventure, shooter, RPG, kids and sports games. jOG requires no special versions of game software to operate: players just plug in and go. What’s more, for games which allow multiple players at the same time, you can connect as many jOGs as the game supports – enabling the whole family to join in the fun.

“We’re absolutely delighted gamers can get their hands on the hottest new accessory for Wii from today – one that’s great value for money and works with their existing games,” said Brendan Ludden, Managing Director, New Concept Gaming. “We really proud that we’ve achieved what we set out to do – to produce a unique accessory that adds to the sense of immersion as you play your favourite games, is enormous fun, and contributes to your daily recommended exercise.”

An independent report from John Moores University in Liverpool revealed that one hour using jOG to play a typical Wii game can involve taking as many as 10,000 steps – that’s the number the government recommends adults take each day to stay healthy. Not only that, using jOG more than tripled energy expenditure and increased heart rate by 40% in the young adults who participated in the tests.

jOG for Wii is available today on the UK High Street from Argos and from online retailers including www.game.co.uk and www.firebox.com, with a RRP of £24.99. For more information about jOG, consumers and editors should point their browser at www.jog2play.com.

Elven Legacy PC video game - playable demo to download

Get a taste of the recently released Fantasy Wargame

Paradox Interactive has released a playable demo of Elven Legacy, the Fantasy Strategy Wargame for the PC developed by Russian studio 1C: Ino-CO.

The demo allows players to play the tutorial along with one mission from the Campaign mode and can be downloaded from the following location:
http://www.elven-legacy.com/index.php/downloads/demo/

Elven Legacy sends players on an epic quest aimed to restore the former glory of the Elven race. With a thrilling storyline with multiple endings and tools that allow players to create their own missions and share them in multiplayer mode, Elven Legacy will provide hours of exciting game play for strategy fans.

Elven Legacy is available from retailers everywhere, along with all good digital download outlets for a suggested retail price of €29.99.

Game Equals Life Announces: The Magi and the Sleeping Star – A Breakthrough Health Game for Type 1 Diabetes

Oklahoma based independent game design studio, Game Equals Life, officially announced their first project, The Magi and the Sleeping Star (MSS). MSS is a health education game that will aid in teaching adolescents and adults with type 1 diabetes how to better manage their condition through interactive gameplay and story-telling.

MSS is a 3rd person action adventure game that sends players on a quest during which healthy blood sugar must be maintained in order to achieve success. In MSS the player is a Magi, a powerful young magical hero, who happens to have type 1 diabetes. At the start of the game the player’s family is kidnapped and he must go on a quest to save them while using his magical abilities to defeat robotic enemies along the way. The only catch is that the potency of the player’s magical power is a direct reflection of how well his blood sugar is managed.

When the player’s blood sugar is too high or low, his powers are reduced or even nullified. This makes it impossible for the player to achieve victory until his blood sugar returns to a healthy level. Players are even rewarded with increased power when blood sugar is kept at ideal levels. Players must test blood sugar, choose healthy food, count carbohydrates and deliver appropriate amounts of insulin. This teaches the players to take full responsibility for diabetes management and puts them in a position to deal with its real-time affects in exciting gameplay situations.

Using a classic adventure game structure, MSS will teach players about appropriate diabetes management and offer ongoing advice on how to best balance blood sugar throughout the game’s adventure. MSS aims to help people with diabetes understand the core principals of good diabetes management and consistently reinforce the implementation of these principals in their daily lives. Players will quickly come to understand the importance of carbohydrate counting, frequent blood testing, and responsible insulin delivery. However, the key differentiator between MSS and traditional health education games is its invocative fantasy world. With exciting boss battles, breathtaking magic spells and a compelling storyline, MSS offers an adventure experience that could stand alone from its health education benefits.

"The illness isn’t the focus in The Magi and The Sleeping Star. The game is about a hero who must battle armies of robots and giant monsters in order to save his world. But since this hero happens to have type 1 diabetes, players must learn to manage the disease in order to be successful,” said Adam Grantham, President of Game Equals Life and Creative Director of MSS. “With MSS we’re using the incredible teaching power of play to illustrate that life with type 1 diabetes doesn’t have to center around the disease and that good blood sugar management is the key to living a free and healthy life. As someone who’s lived with type 1 diabetes for over 15 years, I’m very excited to be working on such an innovative and positive new game.”

Story:
When a legendary ancient king returns to enslave the world, a young boy named Oz must awaken the hero within. Oz is a descendant of a powerful line of warrior-wizards known as The Magi and will have to master his powers in order to save the world. But this young hero faces another challenge, for he has been diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes, and before he can master his magic he must first master his blood sugar. Equipped with the powerful arrow launching Witch-Cannon, an arsenal of magic spells and his trusty robotic assistant MOMO, Oz must venture into the enemy’s land and defeat the tyrant king.

Features:

* 3rd Person Adventure Gameplay: Charge into battle against hordes of mechanical soldiers and monstrous bosses as you fight your way through enemy territory! Use the mighty Witch-Cannon to launch a barrage of arrows at your enemies.
* Diabetes Management Education: Gain more power throughout your adventure as you improve your diabetes management by learning to balance your blood sugar and eat healthy food.
* Powerful Magic Spells: Master all the spells of The Magi as you progress through your adventure. When your blood sugar becomes more balanced, your spells’ powers increase!
* Epic Boss Battles: Face colossal Kings of Old World in fierce battle! Use your incredible power to bring down the towering giants!
* Massive Fantasy World: Explore a large diverse world with lush green fields, stone dry deserts, arctic wastelands and ashy mountains.

Darkeden - Super Power Event begins in the Free-to-Play Vampire MMORPG

Joymax, an independent developer of interactive entertainment for the global market, today announced the start of the Super Power Event for the vampiric MMORPG Darkeden.

Slayers, Ousters, and Vampires can now gain up to a maximum of 2,000% experience for every quest completed and enemy killed, making this the perfect opportunity to level up and do some damage to the opposing forces!

Premium card users also have their standard experience bonus doubled, combining for an impressive maximum of 8,000% experience gained. As if that weren’t enough, the Super Power Event is a harbinger of things to come: events that will provide luck, rank, and drop rate increases across the board. The modern war between humans and undead is heating up, and the time has never been better to join the fight and help decide the fate of our world!
To find out more about the Super Power Event, visit the Darkeden website at http://www.joymax.com/darkeden/.