New Historical Strategy Game Empire: Time of Troubles PC video game in development

Leading Eastern and Central European publisher 1C Company and Lesta Studio today announced the development of Empire: Time of Troubles.

Empire is a turn-based, historical strategy game which covers the events of 1350-1650 taking place in Russia, Poland and the Great Lithuanian Princedom. Players will find themselves in a large-scale campaign commanding one of 26 warring factions.



The year is 1350 AD. The deadly plague that burst out from the center of Asia came to Europe and stopped the wars for some time. When it reached the Crimean cities where the Genoese people lived it moved on to Istanbul and then made its way to Spain. After devastating Germany, France and England the plague spread to the East and came to the Baltic on board of Hanseatic ships which came close to the borders of Russia.

In the outskirts of Europe lay the lands of Russia and Poland which are ready to finally defeat the dominion of the Golden Horde and the Knight Orders. They will hold on in the battle for freedom and independence, and fight for lands stretching from one sea to the other. The die is cast and a new Empire will become glorious and survive these death-filled times.

Empire: Time of Troubles is a turn-based, historical strategy game which covers the events of 1350-1650 taking place in Russia, Poland and the Great Lithuanian Princedom. The game takes place over a large-scale campaign and players will command one of 26 warring factions. By controlling a hero characters which improve their skills in battle the player can win battles and rule their state any way they wish.

Empire: Time of Troubles allows players to have a well thought-out and historically accurate system of building and assigning labor forces in cities, a large selection of scenario based and random missions, an expansive and realistic technology tree, more than 150 types of military units and beautiful graphics and animations which bring the war to life.

By controlling a hero character, and improving their skills in battle, the player can win wars and rule their state any way they wish.

Empire: Time of Troubles allows players to have a well thought-out and historically accurate system of building and assigning labor forces in cities, a large selection of scenario based and random missions, an expansive and realistic technology tree, more than 150 types of military units and beautiful graphics and animations which bring the war to life.

Empire: Time of Troubles is scheduled for release on PC in 2009.

Features:

- Large-scale military campaign where the player can turn a small principality into a large and powerful empire
- 3D strategy map of Eastern Europe from 1350-1650 with authentic landscape and military units
- 26 factions to control: Russian, Polish and Lithuanian princedoms, lands of the Knight Orders and Eastern European monarchies
- Political, economic and role playing systems showing the intricacies of diplomacy and wars in medieval Europe
- Dozens of famous historical personalities and hundreds of game characters, each with their own unique specialties including rulers, commanders, priests, alchemists and spies.

TactX footie tactics simulator to be launched on UEFA's website with PS3 titles soon

Independent video game developer Cohort Studios has today re-launched its official website and announced an exclusive new project which will launch on the official UEFA website later in coming months.

The 40-strong studio, which has produced top titles for Sony consoles, including Go! Puzzle, Buzz! Junior: Dino Den and Buzz! Junior: Ace Racers, now has a string of exclusive and as-yet unnamed titles in development for release on Playstation 3 throughout the year.

Cohort Studios most recent project is innovative football tactics simulator TactX developed for professional use via the official UEFA web page. Commissioned by Scottish company AVC Media, the developer has created the perfect tool for football coaches to devise in-depth training regimes and complex match tactics within a web browser format.

TactX uses a simple interface, allowing managers and coaches to dive straight in and easily create new routines with a few clicks of the mouse. Users can edit their projects and save them for other club members or players to view and modify at leisure via the online service.

If you think of a tactic, you can create it. From complex passing formations to sprinting and co-ordination exercises, the program lets users of any skill level devise the routines they need in preparation for matches and training days.

To provide an accurate simulation of created tactics, TactX allows users to view a realistic, three-dimensional visual representation of their routine, using fluidly animated motion-capture players to deliver comprehensive replays.

UEFA site here...

Resident Evil Archives play classic games on Nintendo Wii

Resident Evil Archives gives Nintendo Wii gamers the opportunity to play classic Resident Evil games they may have missed at a great value price. Experience the beginning of the Resident Evil saga with the remake of the game that started the survival horror genre, Resident Evil.


The Raccoon City Police Department doesn't know what happened to the Special Tactics and Rescue Service (S.T.A.R.S.) team it sent out to investigate the Arklay Mountain area, where a number of people have recently gone missing. The unit's helicopter seems to have crashed in the woods, and it hasn't received any contact from the squad since. The department decides to dispatch another S.T.A.R.S. unit, the Alpha team, to check things out… but something goes terribly wrong.

You take control of S.T.A.R.S. Alpha team members Chris Redfield and Jill Valentine (both recently seen in the smash hit, Resident Evil 5). Your mission is to investigate the ominous mansion at the core of the horrific disaster and uncover the secrets behind a radical, genetic research facility. With unspeakable horrors lurking around every corner, the ultimate test will be to make it out alive! Relive the thrills and terror that defined the genre of Survival Horror and launched a franchise that has sold over 40 million games worldwide.

Features:

• The Original, Reborn: This is a Wii version of the classic Resident Evil remake, originally released on GameCube in 2002 which featured new rooms, areas, items and creatures that were not included in the PlayStation original released in 1996

• Survival of the Fittest: Battle against putrid zombies, infected dogs and horrific gigantic bosses as you struggle to survive

• Defense weapons: Defensive weapons protect characters when being attacked

• Your favourite Resident Evil Characters on the Wii: Play as Chris Redfield and Jill Valentine, who each uncover two completely different paths as they explore deep within the horrific mansion

• In-depth Puzzles: Solve dangerous, intricate puzzles and uncover terrifying secrets

• More than 10 Different Game Endings: Unique endings dependent upon play decisions and successes

Spore Hero and Spore Hero Arena two games built from the ground up exclusively for the Wii and Nintendo DS

The Spore franchise continues to evolve as Maxis, an Electronic Arts studio, today revealed details about Spore Hero and Spore Hero Arena – two games built from the ground up exclusively for the Wii and Nintendo DS platforms. Building on the franchise’s core tenets of creativity, exploration and adventure, Spore Hero and Spore Hero Arena will immerse Nintendo fans into all-new experiences when the games launch this year.

Spore Hero delivers the unmatched creative freedom of Spore in an accessible, story-driven action-adventure made exclusively for the Wii. Set in a rich and vibrant 3D world, Spore Hero empowers players to create their own Hero as they embark on an epic quest to save their new home world from destruction as a dark force threatens the planet. Taking full advantage of the Wii controls, Spore Hero engages players in heated battles, humorous missions, curious puzzles and more. Throughout the game, players will collect more than 250 parts with unique abilities and experience the unparalleled customisation of the revolutionary Spore Creature Creator enhanced for the Wii

Building on the success of Spore Creatures for Nintendo DS, Spore Hero Arena catapults Nintendo DS players into a 3D galaxy filled with fun, intense arena-based combat. Players create a unique gladiator Hero creature and guide it from planet to planet as they fight dangerous enemy creatures and complete special missions, collecting new parts and abilities, gaining upgrades along the way. In the quest for combat, they’ll seek out to defeat each local champion and unlock special abilities that will benefit their Hero. By combining special abilities, parts, and upgrades, players create a fighting style of their own in hopes to stop an evil force and save the galaxy. Spore Hero Arena will also feature multiplayer capabilities as players can battle with up to three friends locally or play with a friend over Wi-Fi.

“When Maxis first considered bringing Spore to console players, the Nintendo platforms jumped out as a perfect fit. Whether it is the stylus-driven action of the Nintendo DS or playful controllers of the Wii, the massive Nintendo audience is the ideal home for Spore Hero and Spore Hero Arena,” said Lucy Bradshaw, VP and General Manager at Maxis. “Nintendo fans will love the humor, ability to create their own Hero, fun gameplay and immersive storylines we’re creating for these two games.”

Spore Hero and Spore Hero Arena will be available in 2009.

About Spore
Spore, available for PC and Mac®, gives players their own personal universe in a box. Create and evolve life, establish tribes, build civilizations, sculpt entire worlds and explore a universe filled with creations made by other gamers. Spore gives players a wealth of creative tools to customize nearly every aspect of their universe: creatures, vehicles, buildings, and even spaceships. Spore Creatures, available on Nintendo DS, takes players on a quest to save their species and the entire Galaxy. Meet, befriend or fight other creatures in a number of unique Touch Screen-based activities. Spore Galactic Adventures, available 26th June 2009 is a highly-customisable expansion pack for Spore, adding a tremendous amount of variety and fun to the Space game. Players can beam down to planets for the first time ever, play Maxis-created Adventures and easily create customised missions.

To learn more about Spore, Spore Galactic Adventures, Spore Hero, Spore Hero Arena or to download a free trial of the Spore Creature Creator, please visit www.spore.com.

Cooking Mama video game sales pass 4 million

The award-winning Cooking Mama franchise has sold more than 4 million units domestically. Developed by Cooking Mama Limited, all five games within the Cooking Mama franchise feature easy to pick-up-and-play entertainment for people of all ages. And now, each game in the Mama line is available for $29.99 or less.

"We are thrilled to reach this significant milestone. Majesco's #1 franchise continues to resonate with gamers of all ages and genders," said Jesse Sutton, Chief Executive Officer, Majesco. "We will continue to explore ways to expand the Mama brand with innovative and compelling products that offer new entertainment experiences."

The Cooking Mama franchise includes:

• Cooking Mama for Nintendo DS™: Released in September 2006, the very first cooking game introduced quirky Mama to gamers everywhere, scored industry awards and established fun and addictive Touch Screen play with bite-sized recipe mini-games. SRP $19.99.
• Cooking Mama: Cook Off for Wii: Released in March 2007, Mama's first Wii debut turned the Wii Remote™ into a universal kitchen tool that players could use to whip up international delicacies in their living rooms. SRP $19.99.
• Cooking Mama 2: Dinner with Friends for Nintendo DS™: Mama's handheld follow up added customization, new recipes and hungry dinner guests to the series so no one had to eat alone. SRP $29.99.
• Cooking Mama World Kitchen for Wii: The Wii sequel gave the iconic leading lady a full 3D makeover and added kitchen mini-games, customization and 2-player cooperative cooking into the stew pot. Now available for a new low price of $29.99.
• Gardening Mama for Nintendo DS™: Fresh for spring, Mama's first brand offshoot proved that her superior skills weren't confined to the kitchen. The game transforms the Nintendo DS stylus into a universal gardening tool that green thumbs in-the-making will use to plant, nurture and harvest flowers, fruits and vegetables. Gamers can download a playable demo currently in approximately 10,000 Nintendo kiosks at major retailers nationwide. SRP $29.99.

Gardening Mama will launch March 31st for a suggested retail price of $29.99.

Gardening Mama

All games in the Cooking Mama series are rated E for Everyone and available at retailers nationwide.

Choose your weapons, Officer - World War II

Play your part in the greatest conflict the world has ever known. Officers: World War II from Morphicon & GFI provides real-time strategy players the opportunity to take command in some of the greatest battles of World War II. See whether you can emulate the likes of Eisenhower & Montgomery in smashing the Axis forces and releasing Europe from the steel grip of the Nazis.

Officers: World War II allows players to fight on a truly massive scale with over 1500 units to control and maps of up to 10 square miles. Construct your optimal fighting force using a realistic mixture of fighting unit types. Officers: World War II comes complete with a large range of authentic & historically accurate artillery pieces, tanks and aircraft such as;

Hanomag
The SdKfz 251, or HANOMAG half-track was an armoured fighting vehicle built by Germany during World War II. They were produced throughout the war, and are one of the most well known half-tracks of all time. The initial idea was for a vehicle that could be used to transport a squad of troops to the battlefield protected from enemy fire. The open top meant that the crew was still vulnerable, especially to high explosive rounds and shrapnel.

Panzer III
The Panzerkampfwagen III, more commonly referred to as the Panzer III, was a medium battle tank developed in the 1930s by Germany and used extensively in World War II. Armed with a 50 mm cannon and two MG-34s it was designed to fight other AFVs, serving alongside the infantry-support Panzer IV. It soon became obsolete in this role, and for most purposes was supplanted by up-gunned Panzer IVs, though some would continue to be used for infantry support until late in the war. The 50 mm front armor was sufficient against antitank grenades and MG rounds.

Sherman
The US M4 Sherman had the highest production run of any battle tank in WWII. Many variants were designed and manufactured to increase their effectiveness against German Panzer Divisions. The M4A1 was quick, highly manoeuvrable, simple to maintain and equipped with a 75MM gun and twin fixed MGs.

P-40
The P-40 fighter/bomber was the last of the famous “Hawk” line produced by Curtiss Aircraft in the 1930s and 1940s, and it shared certain design elements with its predecessors,
the Hawk and Sparrowhawk. It was the third-most numerous US fighter of World War II. An early prototype version of the P-40 was the first American fighter capable of speeds greater than 300 mph. The first aircraft went into service in May 1940

Cromwell Mk IV
This Cruiser Class medium tank was designed in the difficult economic period of the mid 1930’s. As such, the construction lacked a lot of features that would have increased its cost. The Mark IV lacked most of the exotic weapons carried by earlier models. Instead, it came with 76 mm armour plating and a 75 mm main gun that, for a limited time, made it superior
to the US Sherman.

Officers: World War II will be available on the 29th May 2009 at a RRP of £24.99

Rhiannon Destined for French Speakers

Wales-based adventure developer Arberth Studios announces today that translation into French of its supernatural mystery game 'Rhiannon' is almost complete. Arberth has joined with 'Les Rhemystes', an enthusiastic and talented band of gamers based in France and Belgium, to produce the localisation.

A spokesperson for Les Rhemystes said "We enjoyed Rhiannon very much – the immersion effect thanks to the first-person point of view, robust puzzles requiring from the player to deduce and not just to guess, a full-bodied scenario with the occasional touch of humour - and let's not forget the cultural aspect of Wales at the dawn of Christianity a time of superstition and magic. We believe 'Rhiannon' is a classic - and we're so enthusiastic about it that we'd like other non-English speakers in France, Belgium, Switzerland and Québec to get a chance to play the game."

Arberth Studios' Noel Bruton adds "Les Rhemystes have done as complete and polished a job as could be expected from a professional agency. This is more than just a dry localisation. What's most heartening is that it has been done by people who have played 'Rhiannon' the way we intended. Their love of the game and their understanding of its subtleties come through in their translation. We know their enjoyment will rub off on other French-speaking players.

We're excited by the opportunity they have given us by their efforts and look forward to signing a distribution channel for the French-speaking territories."

It's England v Australia on UK turf in Ashes Cricket 2009 video game

From the home of video game cricket comes the official game of this summer's sporting battle it's England versus Australia on UK turf in Ashes Cricket 2009

The Ashes, the most exciting and thrilling confrontation in international cricket, will be brought to game screens this July as Codemasters today announced it will publish Ashes Cricket 2009 as the official game of this summer’s tournament for the PLAYSTATION 3 computer entertainment system, Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and PC; a Nintendo Wii version will be released later in the year.

Providing gamers with the most authentic Ashes experience possible without having to don their whites, Ashes Cricket 2009 is fully licensed by the ECB (England and Wales Cricket Board), the MCC (Marylebone Cricket Club, the world's most famous cricket club and owner of the Ashes urn) and Cricket Australia, providing the game with all the official players, kit, stadia – including Lords and The Brit Oval – and equipment from this year’s npower Ashes Series.

Coming from the home of video game cricket, Ashes Cricket 2009 is set to build on the heritage that Codemasters has enjoyed with its best-selling Brian Lara series and will continue to lead the field with great batting, bowling and fielding gameplay and authenticity that made the series a huge hit with cricket fans the world over. Produced by Codemasters, the game is currently being developed by Transmission Games (Brian Lara 2007 Pressure Play (PSP)).

Delivering all the exciting, athletic, skilful and technical elements of the sport, the game’s comprehensive ‘Ashes’ mode will feature all five Tests played out at carefully detailed recreations of each authentic venue. In addition, gamers will also be able to play Test matches, One Day Internationals, 20 over games and a series of challenge modes. The high definition current generation versions will feature full online multiplayer as well as support for local multiplayer games.

“The Ashes is set to be the sporting event of the summer and it’s great to be producing the official game of the Series,” commented Jamie Firth, Producer, Codemasters. “In partnering with the development team at Transmission Games, Ashes Cricket 2009 is a cricket title with an unprecedented heritage that comes from two companies that know and love the sport. The Brian Lara titles became the number one cricket gaming brand for over ten years and it’s a reputation that we fully intend to continue with Ashes Cricket 2009.”

John Perera, ECB Commercial Director said, “The Ashes is one of the iconic challenges in world sport. With cricket set to dominate the sporting calendar this summer we're delighted to be able to give cricket fans the chance to follow in the footsteps of their heroes and try and win back the Ashes for England.

“Cricket as a sport lends itself extremely well to this type of treatment and we are pleased that with Codemasters technical expertise we will be providing gamers with the next best thing to be playing out in the middle. We are sure it will be a great success."

Prepare to step up to the crease and help England win back the trophy in Ashes Cricket 2009, coming this summer for Xbox 360, PLAYSTATION 3 and PC.

Trino makes its way to Xbox Live Community Games Community Games

Ready to take on a nano-robot army with only triangles?

TrinoTeam, an independent game developer, today announced Trino is now available on Xbox Live Community Games. Players take control of TRINO, an evolving alien, that must escape the NANITES, an insidious nano-robot swarm, which imprisoned Trino for his powers.

Trino features a unique triangle trapping mechanic which players must use to evade and ensnare over 10 different enemies across over 40 levels in 3 chapters.

Trino was in the top 20 finalists of Microsoft's Dream Build Play 2008 contest, and entered into the student competition in IGF 2009. The team has been interviewed in Official Xbox Magazine (OXM Feburary 2009 issue), Gamasutra, and Game Career Guide. IGN mentioned Trino in an article called "5 Community Games to Watch" and an alpha version of Trino was briefly listed in "Most Popular Downloads" on Gamespot for 2 weeks in December 2008.

For more information on the Trino, please visit www.TrinoTeam.com.

Trino was developed for the Xbox 360 console platform by TrinoTeam. The game is available for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system, for a suggested retail price of 400 Microsoft Points.

Hannah Montana - Rock Out the Show PSP video game

The real-life Miley Cyrus might be looking to break away from her insanely popular Hannah Montana alter ego, but you can bet that Disney isn't ready to let Hannah go just yet.

Based on the megapopular Disney show, Hannah Montana: Rock Out the Show is the first Hannah Montana game for the PSP, and one of the few games on the handheld aimed squarely at tween girls.

If there's a word that best describes Rock Out the Show, it would be "customization." Nearly everything in this game is meant to be customized to the exact specifications of the person playing it. You play as Miley Cyrus, who, with her Dad out of the country, is responsible for organizing and running a worldwide Hannah Montana tour. As you play through the game, you'll visit numerous tour stops in places such as Tokyo, Venice, and Nashville, and at each stop, you'll be in charge of calling all the shots for the show.

"Calling the shots" essentially comes down to making every design decision imaginable for the show. From choosing the exact stage set from a load of unlockable options, to outfitting Hannah, her band, and her four backup singers in a variety of different getups, the sheer amount of preshow customization boggles the mind--unless, we suppose, you happen to be an 8-year-old girl.

Once you've organized the show the way you see fit, you can choose to play the concert, which involves a bunch of simple minigames that differ depending on the instrument you're focusing on in the song. At the end of the concert, you'll be able to check out how well you did, not just in the performance itself but also your level of customization in making the show your own. Playing through concerts will unlock new items that you can use for later concerts as well.

Although the game focuses on Miley's tour management and Hannah's onstage performances, you can expect to see characters from the television series making appearances in the game. The game is largely focused on the single-player aspect, but players who've unlocked similar content to one another will be able to wirelessly share their concert designs. There will even be some free downloadable content available on the PlayStation network on the game's release, including goodies such as new outfits for Hannah and her backup singers, and more. Hannah Montana: Rock Out the Show will be shipping to stores on August 4.