Rolling Stone - Drum King for Nintendo Wii out in Spring

New Music Rhythm Game Brings Air Drumming to Nintendo Wii Consoles This Spring

Global videogame publisher 505 Games and Rolling Stone magazine today announced a new music and rhythm game, Rolling Stone: Drum King for Nintendo Wii.

Available at retailers nationwide this spring, Rolling Stone: Drum King allows gamers to utilize the Wii Remote and Nunchuk controller to rock out like some of the greatest drummers of all time.

“For more than 40 years, Rolling Stone has been a staple in the voice of American music culture and entertainment and we are pleased to collaborate with 505 Games as we venture into video games for the first time,” said Will Schenck, Publisher of Rolling Stone magazine. “With more people playing console video games than ever before, this was a natural next step for the Rolling Stone brand.”

“We’re thrilled to be working with a music and entertainment pop culture icon to bring some of the greatest music in rock ‘n’ roll history to this game,” said Adam Kline, president of 505 Games. “This partnership with Rolling Stone puts 505 Games at the forefront of the growing crossover between music and video games on one of the hottest gaming platforms available today.”

In Rolling Stone: Drum King, players can rock out in single-player mode or duel against a friend in multiplayer mode by swinging the Wii Remote and Nunchuk controller to the beat of the music. Gamers can enhance their experience with a customizable avatar complete with a rock ‘n’ roll drummer personality and put their dashboard drumming skills to the test with a wide range of drumming styles and music. Aspiring drummers and gamers alike will be able to perfect their drumming skills with 30 top-quality cover tracks inspired by artists like Queen, Fall Out Boy, The Clash, Gorillaz and The Police as they go on tour and take the stage at numerous performance venues.

Here is the full list of hit songs featured in the game:

All Star – Inspired by Smash Mouth
Banquet – Inspired by Bloc Party
Be My Baby – Inspired by The Ronettes
Blister in the Sun – Inspired by Violent Femmes
Born to Be Wild – Inspired by Steppenwolf
By the Way – Inspired by Offcuts
Can't Get Enough – Inspired by Bad Company
Can't Stand Losing You – Inspired by The Police
Cissy Strut (instrumental) – Inspired by The Meters
Click Click Boom – Inspired by Saliva
Direction – Inspired by Starting Line
Feel Good Inc. – Inspired by Gorillaz
Fight the Good Fight – Inspired by Triumph
I Fought the Law – Inspired by The Clash
In Too Deep – Inspired by Sum 41
Let There Be Drums – Inspired by The Ventures
Lifestyles of the Rich and the Famous – Inspired by Good Charlotte
Mickey – Inspired by Toni Basil
No One Knows – Inspired by Queens of the Stone Age
On Top of the World – Inspired by Boys Like Girls
Organ Donor (instrumental) – Inspired by DJ Shadow
Pull Me Under – Inspired by Dream Theatre
Saturday Superhouse – Inspired by Biffy Clyro
She Sells Sanctuary – Inspired by The Cult
Song 2 – Inspired by Blur
Soundgarden – Inspired by by Spoonman
Stay With Me – Inspired by Faces
The Final Countdown – Inspired by Europe
The Take Over, The Breaks Over – Inspired by Fall Out Boy
We Will Rock You – Inspired by Queen

Pin-Up Girls Invade Battlestations - Pacific video game plus create your own pin-up

Create your own WWII aeroplane nose art at www.BombShellBeauties.com (age gate).

This week, to celebrate the recent release of Battlestations: Pacific on the Xbox and PC, co-publishers Eidos and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment have released a brand new pin-up girls website, BombshellBeauties.com, to salute the naughty but nice nose art of World War II.

The new site, www.BombShellBeauties.com (age gate), lets users create their own WWII nose art, which appeared on the sides of fighters, bombers and other war planes of the era. The site features the talents of the lovely international pin-up model Tailor James along with the stunning newcomer Irena G striking classic WWII-style pin-up poses.

The user can rewind, slow down, speed up and even zoom in and out, frame by frame, to find the perfect pin-up pose for their nose art. The user can also place the pose onto one of four WWII war planes. With the flash-based paint tool, the user can even adjust the pin-up pose, add a background image, name and more. A postcard showing the new nose art on the WWII plane can be shared and turned into a desktop background.

To check out the site for yourself, or try your hand at creating the ultimate pin-up girl image, please visit www.BombShellBeauties.com (age gate).

Microsoft patent Wii like controller

Newly released patent applications from Microsoft have sparked speculation that it is to unveil a Wii remote rival at the E3 expo in Los Angeles. An application was filed in 2007 for a motion controller, dubbed Magic Wand, that interacts with "a collection of sensors".

Microsoft says it will not "comment on speculation" about a possible launch.

Gavin Ogden, from gaming site c&vg.com, told the BBC that Microsoft needed to "jump on the motion sensor bandwagon".

"We thought they were going to show something off at the E3 Expo in 2007 - some sort of waggle stick - but nothing materialised," he said.

"I have no doubt they are going to try and do something, although it remains to be seen how they do it."

Biometrics

The patent application also describes "biometric sensors" that would examine "fingerprint, hand geometry, hand vein pattern, palm pattern, and grip configuration" along with "facial thermogram, a facial feature, a retinal feature, or an iris feature".

"There was talk, a long time ago, about mapping people's faces on to characters," said Mr Ogden.

"However, there were concerns that people would stick real faces on it - such as Gordon Brown - and then spend all day shooting them. The world wasn't ready for that."

At the beginning of May, Microsoft's boss, Steve Ballmer, gave a speech to the Dallas Regional Chamber and was quoted as saying: "Pay attention to the stuff we're announcing in the next month on Xbox."

So the industry will be waiting to see if Microsoft comes up with any surprises at the Los Angeles expo in June.

Source: BBC

No legacy teams in Madden NFL 10 on PS2 but Hall of Fame make appearance..

Madden NFL 10 will no longer have legacy teams on the PS2. That's the bad news. The good news is that Hall of Fame players are set to make an appearance. And there's a chance that, if some law suits have their way, this is the last year when we get to see them.

Electronic Arts is saying that the PlayStation 2 version of Madden NFL 10 will not have the legacy teams because the franchise needs consistency and the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3 version never had that feature.

For the company, it is easier to take it out of one of the features rather than adding it to another two. But the action seems to be the result of the 28-million dollar suit brought by a group of retired NFL players who argued that the accurate stats featured in the game made it pretty clear which players were modeled even if their names were not used.

A lot of players seem to be upset at Electronic Arts these days. There's already an ongoing suit from former stars of the NCAA and there are threats coming from retired NFL players. This means that Electronic Arts might make sure that it's delivering potential enemies as little ammunition as possible.

Madden NFL 10 is set to change the way the franchise looks. There's a brand new graphics engine that should simulate movement, tackles and throws much more naturally. EA Sports is also saying that the game will offer many more options and will create an atmosphere that will attract hardcore players and new comers. The Wii version of Madden NFL 10 is also taking on a more stylized look with the stated aim of creating an experience that is more suited to the users of that console.

Mirror's Edge cosplay stunning pictures released

Some images are completely original, others imitate certain poses or scenes from the video game. Not the same bright-white-and-red colour scheme but it's pretty damn close to nailing the look and feel of Mirror's Edge, more so than any other cosplay we've seen.

Link to Savage Land Flickr slideshow

Restaurant Empire 2 video game for the PC

Newly formed videogame publisher Iceberg Interactive today announced that it has acquired the publishing rights in several territories for “Restaurant Empire 2” for the PC, from videogame developer Enlight Software.

Slated for release later this month in the UK and Scandinavia, Restaurant Empire 2 takes gamers further into the depths and delights of the culinary universe than ever before.

“We are really proud to be bringing the sequel to the widely popular Restaurant Empire franchise to major parts of Europe”, said Erik Schreuder, CEO of Iceberg Interactive. “A game like this certainly fits the genre that gamers will come to expect from us.”

In Restaurant Empire II, players must build, cook and hire their way to the very top of the gastronomic biz, where tasty food is king and smart management reels in the dollar signs. And if you’re lucky, you just may go further than any other before you and cement your status as a true legend of cuisine…

Features:
• A brand-new 16-misssion campaign that gives us a look at the ongoing story of the Leboufs, as they try to tiptoe through the minefield of marriage and the unique circumstances of professional success.
• A superior graphics engine brings to life the cities, characters and restaurants that populate the world of cuisine. Food has never looked so good.
• Two new enterprise categories: Coffee Shop and Dessert House that complements the existing Restaurant enterprise.
• Over 600 recipes in total, offering a huge variety of food.
• New themed restaurants ranging from the aquatic deep, exotic rainforest and motor racing takes the idea of “themes” to unprecedented heights
• Over 700 new interior objects, bringing the total number to 1400.
• Introducing the new German cuisine category of restaurants complimenting the existing foods and architectures of the French, Italians and Americans.
• Munich, in addition to the triumvirate of Paris, Los Angeles and Rome is now yours to select as a destination to set up shop and expand your burgeoning business.
• Hire live performers to perk up your restaurant’s atmosphere, varying from concert soloists to rock bands and indoor circus performers.
• With the new Recipe Research feature you can now actively invest into improving the quality of your food as well as gain invaluable knowledge in the formulation of new delicious recipes.
• And finally, Armand awaits you with a secret mini-game inside.

EA Throws a Party With BOOM BLOX Bash Party for Wii with the help of Steven Spielberg

It’s time to throw, bash, and party, as the EA Play Label of Electronic Art announces BOOM BLOX Bash Party for Nintendo Wii has shipped to stores in North America today and will hit stores in Europe beginning May 28. EA and Steven Spielberg continue their collaboration to bring players this highly-anticipated sequel to last year’s critically-acclaimed BOOM BLOX game for Nintendo Wii, which earned more than a dozen awards and received recognition from parenting organizations, media outlets and the gaming industry.

With more than 400 new levels, stunning new worlds, and twice as much multiplayer game play, BOOM BLOX Bash Party brings tons of action-packed fun for the whole family.

“The original BOOM BLOX really came from a need to bring families back into the same space playing games together,” said Steven Spielberg. “We had so many more creative ideas that we wanted to put into the sequel, and BOOM BLOX Bash Party really takes the original concept to a whole new level of interactive family gaming.”

BOOM BLOX Bash Party features nearly twice as many multiplayer challenges as the original BOOM BLOX making it the ultimate party game! Players will have a blast playing with or against friends in co-op, versus and new team-based challenges. Whether playing solo or with friends, BOOM BLOX Bash Party will have players off the couch, throwing, bashing and slinging blox like never before!

In addition to the more than 400 new levels in BOOM BLOX Bash Party, players can also easily download new levels created by EA and the BOOM BLOX Bash Party community at no additional charge with an Internet-connected Wii. EA will make 40 additional levels available at launch with many more to come. In addition, players can create their own levels using the game’s enhanced Create Mode, and submit those levels to be posted and made available to the community. Over time, BOOM BLOX Bash Party owners will have access to many more downloadable levels in addition to those already included in the game.

"We are thrilled to be able to offer players a constant stream of new and exciting levels in BOOM BLOX Bash Party,” said Amir Rahimi, Senior Producer. “The EA team has been working hard creating exciting new levels that will be made available over time, and we cannot wait to see the passion and creativity the BOOM BLOX Bash Party community members put into making their own shared levels.”

EA takes the destruction to new heights with four stunning new themed worlds including Space, Pirate, Heroic and Show Time! Players will experience action puzzle game play in new physical environments like zero gravity and under water. Players will also encounter exciting new block types, like Virus, Conveyor and Push blox; new block shapes like cylinders and wedges, and engaging new tools, like the cannon and the slingshot. A new cast of characters, as well as favorites from the original BOOM BLOX, are now part of the puzzle-solving strategy. Players can now throw, grab or sling them, and watch them fly, knocking down blox and causing eye-popping explosions!

Developed by the EA Casual Studios, BOOM BLOX Bash Party is rated E for Everyone by the ESRB and 3+ by PEGI. The game has a US MSRP of $39.99.

In 2005, EA and Steven Spielberg entered a multi-year collaboration that would generate three new original franchise properties. EA owns the intellectual properties and the franchises will be developed, published, and distributed worldwide by EA. Spielberg has been working directly with the EA development teams at the EALA studio in Playa Vista to offer his signature style of storytelling to the concept, design, and artistic vision of the unique games.

Fitness Goes Virtual: EA SPORTS Active Arrives in Stores Offering Benefit of Personal Trainer in a Box

EA SPORTS announce that EA SPORTS Active is now available in North American retail stores and will be available worldwide by May 22, 2009*. Developed exclusively for the Nintendo Wii by EA Canada, EA SPORTS Active is an innovative, virtual fitness product that offers personalized, customizable workouts that can be done from the comfort of home.

Developed in collaboration with fitness experts, including Bob Greene – renowned exercise physiologist, author and Oprah’s personal trainer – EA SPORTS Active is a fun and cost-effective way to achieve a healthy lifestyle. The product will be the first in a new line of EA SPORTS virtual fitness products to improve the well-being of people of all ages.



“The EA SPORTS brand is known for award-winning sports video games, but today marks our entrance into the entirely new genre of virtual fitness as EA SPORTS Active hits stores,” said Dave McCarthy, vice president, EA SPORTS. “Now more than ever consumers are seeking economical solutions to getting exercise and living a healthier lifestyle, and with EA SPORTS Active we’ve designed an experience that will appeal to a variety of audiences and deliver a truly fun yet challenging workout in the home.”

Users will get their heart pumping through interactive circuit workouts from more than 25 different activities and exercises that target the upper and lower body, as well as cardio. Similar to a personal trainer, the program provides clear instruction, feedback on technique and encouragement with visual and oral cues, while also providing calories burned in real time. Preset workouts are designed by fitness experts to target specific workout results. For optimal personalization, circuits can be customized based on interests and fitness level and there is complete flexibility for the duration and intensity level.

EA SPORTS Active includes software, a specially-designed leg strap that holds the Wii’s Nunchuk™ controller to track lower body movements, as well as a resistance band to increase the intensity to upper body exercises. The program can support two players at one time, and the EA SPORTS Active Accessory Pack containing one leg strap and one resistance band is available for an MSRP of $19.99 in North America. The product is compatible with the Wii Balance Board™, which will add components to the sports drills.

To help get started users can also choose to take the 30-Day Challenge, a fitness road map designed to provide tangible fitness goals with the guidance of the virtual trainer. The Challenge provides a new workout every time a player exercises that will increase in intensity and track progress throughout the 30-day period. To encourage overall wellness, there is also a Journal that allows users to track nutrition elements, set goals, and account for other physical activities accomplished.

For inspiration, consumers can view highlights from 12 men and women who participated in the EA SPORTS Active 30-Day Challenge April 18 through May 17, 2009 by visiting the EA SPORTS Active website: http://easportsactive.com/thirtyday.action. The Challenge focused on helping a variety of people integrate fitness into their lifestyles. Among the participants was Alison Sweeney, TV personality and host who participated to lose baby weight and represent busy moms who need a convenient way to get fit. Bob Greene hosted a kick off retreat for the challengers to get them started on their journeys.

“Helping the challengers use such an innovative program to reach their fitness goals was a truly rewarding experience, and showed me what a powerful product EA SPORTS Active can be,” said Bob Greene. “Anyone looking for an in-home fitness solution will appreciate the combination of a fun and effective workout.”

EA SPORTS Active has been rated “E” by the ESRB and “3+” by PEGI, and has an MSRP of $59.99 in North America.

Monster Hunter Freedom Unite video game on PSP

Monster Hunter Freedom Unite is shipping on June 23, 2009. To help prepare the west to hunt the ferocious beasts of the game, Capcom has enlisted the help of the top four Japanese Monster Hunters in the world. Amongst the four of them they have hundreds of years of experience.

With the help of these expert Monster Hunters, we’ve prepared a few videos to help explain how to achieve successful hunts in Monster Hunter Freedom Unite. In “Episode 1: Welcome to Monster Hunter,” you will learn all about the basics of the game. Head-on over to the Capcom Press Center and download the first video in the series.



About Monster Hunter Freedom Unite

Japan’s most successful PSP title, Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G, is heading to the west. Renamed Monster Hunter Freedom Unite, this latest installment in the epic Monster Hunter series delivers over 500 hours of gameplay spanning over 400 missions.

Using the Ad-Hoc connection players can adventure with up to three friends for a savaging multiplayer hunting party. From devising strategies to executing the attack, players will need to work together in order to hunt down the ferocious beasts and progress through the wide range of quests offered. Players will be rewarded for their use of the deep fighting combat system, encouraging them to seek out the more experienced hunters and team up in order to learn from their experience.

Even in single player mode Hunters won’t be alone thanks to the introduction of the new Felyne Companions. Accompanying players on quests, your furry ally will help battle monsters and gather extra resources.

There are five new monsters to the game waiting to challenge gamers in battle. These include: the Nargacuga, who inhabits the old forest and attacks with lightning speed, the Lavasioth, a lava-breathing reptile who hides in volcanic areas and the Hypnocatrice, a bird-like monster that wards off hunters with its unique ability to produce sleeping gas.

FREE DEMO DOWNLOAD...

Raven Squad: Operation Hidden Dagger for Xbox 360 and PC

Southpeak Games has confirmed that its RTS/FPS hybrid, Raven Squad: Operation Hidden Dagger is in development for PC and Xbox 360 and will be released this Autumn.

Developed by Atomic Motion, Raven Squad blends the real-time strategy and first person shooter genres and puts players in control of two groups of mercenary squads who crash land behind enemy lines in the Amazonian jungles.

Each of the eight squad members possesses distinctive skills and weaponry that the player will have to use wisely to progress through the game's story driven objectives. Raven Squad sets itself apart by allowing players to switch freely between real-time strategy and first-person shooter gameplay.

"Raven Squad combines two extremely popular genres into a single robust experience where either gameplay mode could stand on its own merits," said Melanie Mroz, CEO of SouthPeak Games.

"Atomic Motion is creating something that's visually compelling and building new boundaries in what a military title can accomplish. Fans of both RTS and FPS games are going to love it, as will anyone who enjoys intense, action titles."