Creat Studios announce the release of their first downloadable game for Nintendo’s DSiWare service. An original Creat Studios IP, Alien Havoc has the look and feel of an updated classic era arcade game and is expected to be released for the Nintendo DSi via DSiWare this summer.
Alien Havoc is a throwback to the classic arcade game genre, putting gamers in command of a little alien who must pluck cows from farms on Earth, load them onto his spaceship, and bring them back to his home planet. The farmers, however, won’t let their cows go without a fight. Players must tackle wrapping farm mazes of confusion, play hide and sneak under the cover of tall grass, and throw veggies, rocks, or whatever they can get their alien claws on at the farmers as they fight to bring these valuable livestock back to their home world.
Alien Havoc Features Include:
Classic Gameplay. Getting back to the basics, your objective is to fight the farmers and clear each level of all cows and reach the end with the highest score possible. Challenge yourself. 20 wacky levels, delivering a mix of mazes, puzzles and action.
Unlockable mini game. Work your way through the levels and unlock the hidden mini game.
Customizable. Choose from four alien heads (three of which must be unlocked) and customize the color of your alien’s body, head and eyes.
“Alien Havoc is a true return to the classic arcade games from the 1980s with simple, yet wildly entertaining gameplay,” said Vladimir Starzhevsky, CEO of Creat Studios. “We are thrilled to be publishing our first game for Nintendo’s new handheld game system, and believe strongly in the downloadable games model that DSiWare supports.”
Warner Bros announce a long-term partnership with The Saul Zaentz Company and New Line Productions for literary and film rights to develop and publish games based on The Lord of the Rings trilogy.
As part of the game franchise, Warner Bros will publish multiple games across many genres designed to appeal to a wide range of unique gamers, including hard-core RPG fans and families.
The first game will be The Lord of the Rings: Aragorn's Quest, a new third-person action adventure videogame offering an authentic gameplay experience based on The Lord of the Rings that all ages can play together on Nintedo Wii, Nintendo DS, PlayStation 2 and PSP (PlayStation Portable) system in Autumn 2009.
“The Lord of the Rings franchise is world renowned for its captivating adventures, and we are creating new experiences in the game space designed to appeal to a wide array of consumer tastes from core to casual,” said Martin Tremblay, President, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. “The Lord of the Rings: Aragorn's Quest is the first of many different types of games we will be developing with the film and literary rights. It is also the first game allowing kids and their families to interact in their favourite locations and stories from The Lord of the Rings with accessible gameplay.”
“We are looking forward to continuing The Lord of the Rings’ amazing legacy with new videogames that capture and expand upon elements from the trilogy,” said Fredrica Drotos, Business Affairs, The Saul Zaentz Company. “The first title with Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, The Lord of the Rings: Aragorn's Quest, is set in a colourful, action-filled rendition of Middle-earth that will appeal to new and dedicated fans.”
In The Lord of the Rings: Aragorn's Quest, preparations are underway in Hobbiton for a great party to welcome Aragorn, King of Gondor, and honour Samwise Gamgee for his service during the War of the Ring. The children of the town are eager to learn more of this great man and so Samwise, now Mayor, embarks on a tale of the revered warrior, Strider—as Aragorn is known in his Ranger days - and his most valiant battles. Players assume the role of Aragorn and embark on his greatest quests from The Lord of the Rings trilogy as they wield his sword, bow or spear on foot and on horseback through an action-packed gameplay experience. On the Wii platform, two-player co-op gameplay featuring Gandalf will allow kids, families and friends to work together in the heart of the action.
The Lord of the Rings: Aragorn's Quest is being developed for nintendo Wii by Headstrong Games and for Nintendo DS, PlayStation 2 and PSP (PlayStationPortable) system by TT Fusion.
Theatre of War 2: Africa 1943 strategy game which covers the events of 1943 in Tunisia, North Africa.
Theatre of War 2: Africa 1943 patch version 1.1.0 optimizes such game assets as objects, textures, sounds, animations and brings other minor fixes and enhancements.
Theatre of War 2: Africa 1943 1.0.0 to 1.1.0 patch ====================================
- Some large game assets (objects, textures, sounds, animations) were optimized or reworked to reduce strain on RAM and especially video memory - RAM handling improved on 32-bit systems (see below) - Potential crash causes fixed in several maps - "Save As..." function added to Map Editor - Submission text editing added to Mission Editor - Soldier reaction time decreased - You can now play gunfire sounds in encyclopedia (left-click on gun icon) - Thickness of one armor sheet on Pz. IV F1 and F2 tanks corrected - Thickness of Pz. III N gun mantlet corrected, it's price equalized with Pz. IV F1 - PaK 35/36 armor penetration data corrected - http:// prefix removed from multiplayer server search system for compatibility with certain networks (delete old mp.ini file in 'users' folder to apply this) - SmartPause mode customization added (see below) - Inabilty to start multiplayer game in some circumstances fixed - Crash while calling British mortar support fixed - Absent Allied plane textures on some dates fixed - Other minor fixes and enhancements
SmartPause mode customization ===================== After patch installation messages.xml file in Data\Ai folder appears. You can edit it to customize SmartPause behavior (SmartPause mode can be turned on and off using options.exe utility or editing game.ini file in 'users' folder).
You can change reaction to following events:
Command_Incomplete - order can not be carried out and disregarded Soldier_Death - soldier dies Soldier_Under_Attack - soldier is under fire Soldier_No_Ammo - soldier has no ammo left Soldier_No_Weapon - soldier has no weapon Soldier_No_Point_In_LOF - soldier don't have clear Line of Fire to the target Soldier_In_Panic - soldier in panic Vehicle_Death - vehicle destroyed Vehicle_No_Crew - no crew in the vehicle Artillery_Death - artillery gun or Heavy Machine Gun is destroyed Artillery_No_Ammo - artillery gun or Heavy Machine Gun have no ammo left Artillery_No_Point_In_LOF - artillery gun or Heavy Machine Gun don't have clear Line of Fire to the target Tankman_Under_Attack - vehicle is under fire Tankman_No_Ammo - vehicle have no more ammo left Tankman_No_Weapon - all vehicle weapons are disabled Tankman_Damage_Engine - vehicle immobilized (engine, transmission, tracks or wheels are damaged) Tankman_Blocked - vehicle stopped because it's path is blocked Tankman_In_Panic - vehicle crewman in panic Tankman_No_Point_In_LOF - vehicle shooter don't have clear Line of Fire to the target Driver_Not_Skilled - vehicle driver's skill is too low to drive (1 for own vehicles, 50 for captured enemy vehicles) Shooter_Not_Skilled - vehicle shooter skill is too low to fire (1 for own vehicles, 50 for captured enemy vehicles)
Reaction to the event is specified in string. Possible reactions are:
NONE - do nothing PAUSE - pause the game automatically MOVE - instantly move the camera to event location PAUSE_AND_MOVE - pause the game automatically and instantly move the camera to event location (default setting).
For example, if you want the camera to move to immobilized tank, but don't want the switch on automatic pause, find the section with string Tankman_Damage_Engine and change the string PAUSE_AND_MOVE to MOVE:
Tankman_Damage_Engine Icon_Engine
60000 TRUE 10000 80 GhostWhite MOVE
Memory compatibility mode ================== If the game sometimes still crash during saving because of lack of allocated memory (this may happen on certain hardware configurations, especially if your OS is 32-bit Vista), you can turn on safer (but longer) save routine. To do this, go to 'users' folder inside the game folder and edit game.ini file:
CompatibilityMode=1
(it's set to 0 by default). Please note that after that, calling menu during battle (by pressing Esc or menu button) will take several seconds and save procedure will be slightly longer.
Sword of the Stars Ultimate Collection is the definitive space strategy anthology for the PC, due for release in June 2009 by Ascaron Entertainment. The collection contains Sword of the Stars and the two expansion packs, Born of Blood and A Murder of Crows, offering value for money and extensive gameplay for existing fans of the series and strategy gaming enthusiasts.
In the Sword of the Stars Ultimate Collection, players can take control of six different species in a fight for galactic domination. Humans and alien creatures such as Hivers, Liirs, Tarkas, Zuuls and Morrigis each possess a unique mode of transport enabling players to move between star systems at varying speeds and in different spaceships. For example, humans can fly quickly between stars using special space lines while the hivers rely on building interdimensional gateways for direct travel to different galaxies.
Gamers can design and build spaceships from three different classes; Destroyer, Cruiser and Dreadnought. By mixing and matching a wide variety of technologies players can customise their fleets, arming them with a choice over 40 different weapons including point-defence cannons, cloaking devices and missile launchers.
Sword of the Stars It is the year 2405 and human scientists discover a new technological system called Node Drive that allows space travel faster than light speed. However, the Hivers choose this moment to attack Earth killing 70% of the population. A military organisation called Sol Force is established allowing players to develop infrastructure, build new ships and colonise other planets to ensure the survival of the human race.
Born of Blood Set 40 years on from Sword of the Stars in 2445, the violent wars between the Humans, Hivers, Liirs and Tarkas have subsided and diplomacy is dawning. However, the Zuuls, a species of marsupial-like creatures, emerge and shatter the peace. Players can take command of the Zuul army utilising over 90 new ship sections and 15 new weapons to obliterate enemies. Alternatively, players can unite with other races against the Zuuls using the new ship upgrades War, Projector and Boarding and a new type of defence satellite, the Torpedo Defence Platform.
A Murder of Crows While battles against the Zuul continue, a ghost from the past returns in the form of the scheming Morrigi. A host of new features is available for players with 12 new ship sections and a unique Grav Flock Drive system so that the more ships are added to a fleet, the more speed will increase. New gameplay options include the addition of espionage operations and demands for planetary surrender.
Sword of the Stars Ultimate Collection’s multiplayer option enables players to test their skills against up to 8 others via LAN and online, battling head to head in cosmological warfare in the fight for galactic supremacy.
Fast facts: Publisher: Ascaron Entertainment Web: www.ascaron.com Developer: Paradox Interactive Release date: 12th June 2009 PEGI: 7+ Format: PC Genre: Turn based Strategy
The next generation puzzle craze has made its way to the iPhone. Popularized by famed puzzle master Will Shortz and created by Tetsuya Miyamoto, KENKEN is a simple concept that’s entertaining, engaging and addictive.
Puzzles serialized in top U.S. dailies including The New York Times.
The evolution of sudoku.
Puzzles designed by creator Tetsuya Miyamoto’s puzzle team.
Varying complexities of puzzles.
Interactive tutorial to help new players with the basics.
Stunning graphics to capture the players’ imaginations.
Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) and its Visceral Games studio announced today that Dead Space Extraction, will be available in stores on September 29, 2009 in North America and October 2, 2009 in Europe exclusively for the Wii. Dead Space Extraction delivers the highly-polished, action-horror experience the Dead Space franchise is known for while upping the ante for technical excellence on the Wii with some of the best visuals ever showcased on the platform.
“Our team is really excited to bring the intensity of the Dead Space universe to an entire new audience,” said Executive Producer, Steve Papoutsis. “We are going to deliver the same high quality, cinematic experience we delivered in the original Dead Space, while also adding co-op, new enemies, weapons and taking advantage of all of the unique features the Wii has to offer.”
Developed at EA’s award-winning Visceral Games studio, Dead Space Extraction tells the story of a handful of space colonists desperately struggling to escape from a horrific infection on the Aegis VII mining colony deep in the furthest regions of space. The game introduces Lexine, an important new heroine, to the Dead Space universe. Players will play as the crew who falls victim to a mysterious contagion aboard the ship, with it quickly becoming clear that protecting Lexine will be their only hope for survival.
Funji, Inc., an iPhone application company, launches the first avatar-based social networking application only for iPhone and iPod touch on May 23. While some avatar applications allow users to customize characters, Funji is the first to blend avatars and social networking only for iPhone/iPod touch users. Funji users can decorate their own avatars and rooms to show friends, save as wallpaper or publish to Facebook using FB connect. They can visit strangers' rooms to see what they have created and initiate friendships.
Funji’s comic-book style stands out from the geometric 3D virtual worlds prevalent on the web and many other iPhone applications. With Funji, users have more than 2000 possible combinations for creating their unique avatar. The customizable avatars show random dance moves when touched. Each update will feature new avatar animations for intimate and personal interaction. The background and decorative items also help to create imaginary scenes, such as a huge cupcake on the bed or pink dog on the road.
Funji will regularly update items based on a theme such as disco hall or summer vacation. While Funji is focused initially on giving users a new level of self-expression, the company is planning to expand its application to allow users to communicate with and play games with friends. Games will allow users to earn points to express themselves with unique items.
An intensive development effort was required to create animated avatars in traditional comic book style without using 3D tools. Funji is the only iPhone application that allows users to customize and animate avatars.
“Users have been thirsty for an avatar application for the iPhone that integrates with other social networks,” said Shinyoung Park, CEO of Funji, Inc. “At Funji, our goal is to satisfy users’ quest for self-expression and playful interaction with friends within the mobile environment. Funji’s offerings will move users beyond the web, leveraging the mobile platform to create a far more intimate and personal means of communication.”
The price of the Funji is $2.99. However, for a limited time, Funji is available for $0.99.
Have fun learning music theory with the great masters!!!
In Music School you can play all kinds of music and rhythm activities with your Nintendo DSi, and learn the basics of music theory applying your knowledge to different musical instruments that you can control just using your Stylus.
Mozart, Beethoven and Bach will guide you through different fun to play lessons that will help you master from the recognition of the different musical notes, to the reading of a stave, across plenty of very well known classical music master pieces.
KEY FEATURES:
Over 10 different activities and mini-games, to master dictation, reading and rhythm
Practice your learnings or record your own songs using 3 virtual instruments: Piano, Guitar and Flute (+15 sound banks each)
The Great Masters will follow your evolution and progresses
Constant and exclusive rewards, unblocking exclusive content and features for your NDSi (videoclips, gadgets, screenshots)
Smoothly learn the basics of music theory through knowledge-pills
Work out your musicality and skills across a series of mini-games designed to practice your sense of rhythm, your memory, your musical ear
Exclusive tone recognition system for the NDSi Mic. Get evaluated playing real instruments or even record new sound banks!!!
More than 30 catchy songs of very well known master pieces (styles include classical, folklore, and xmas carol)
Enjoy playing head-to-head with your friends with multiple and original multi-player game modes
Music School is the ideal tool for introducing music theory to children and adults alike, empowering their intellectual development and appeal and enjoyment of classical music, through an easy and fun to play learning method. This original IP is aimed to become a new saga of edutainment games.
JoWooD has compiled the three best Agatha Christie adventures for Windows PC into one box called “Agatha Christie Mysteries“. This triple pack, containing the top sellers “Evil Under the Sun”, “And Then There Were None” and “Murder on the Orient Express”, guarantees hours of fun! Get ready to put your detective skills to the test, each story will take you by surprise, even if you’ve read the books! This triple pack will be in retail stores June 2009.
Agatha Christie: And Then There Were None Prepare yourself for an extraordinary investigative thriller in this superb adaptation of the world’s bestselling mystery novel. 10 people, all strangers to each other, are lured to a mysterious island where the guests are murdered off…one by one. It is up to you to track down the unseen killer, be fore it’s too late.
Agatha Christie: Murder on the Orient Express Play as a brand new character and work alongside the famous Belgian detective Hercule Poirot aboard the historic Orient Express to solve a baffling murder of one of the passengers. With a cast of colorful characters aboard this lavish train, everyone is a suspect.
Agatha Christie: Evil Under the Sun The latest video game adaptation of the Queen of Crime’s bestselling novel Evil Under the Sun. A young and beautiful actress has just been brutally murdered on the shores of idyllic Seadrift Island and several vacationers have compelling motives. Step into the shoes of Hercule Poirot himself and put your best detective skills to the test before there is another victim!
Facts: Platform: PC Genre: Adventure AgeRating: PEGI 12+
Sail the seas as a swashbuckling pirate or assume the role of a daring naval captain!
Playlogic, an independent worldwide publisher of entertainment software, announced today that Age of Pirates 2 - City of Abandoned Ships for Windows PC is now available at major retail outlets nationwide.
This pirate adventure role playing game (RPG) is not for the faint of heart, as neither the dead nor the seas sleep easy in this mythic land.
Age of Pirates 2: City of Abandoned Ships, the sequel to the popular Age of Pirates franchise, reinvents itself with a larger playing field and tons of exciting new content. From the game’s new combat system and trading options to its numerous quests and character classes, players will have countless hours of entertainment at their fingertips. In addition, the game’s free-roaming options expand the already massive storyline to include endless play through uncharted waters, new islands and undiscovered cities.
Players courageous enough to delve into the dangerous world of Age of Pirates 2: City of Abandoned Ships will discover treasure and adventure as they choose to go it alone and become the most feared pirate on the seven seas, or prove their loyalty and take the coin of one of four different navies; French, English, Spanish or Dutch. As players navigate their own route through the seas of the Caribbean they can explore strange new countries and undiscovered civilizations, plunder merchant ships and even raid fortified ports and cities – interacting with most characters and buildings along the way.
Players will experience tons of ship-to-ship combat and toe-to-toe clashes, as they cross paths with real-life historical characters such as Jamaican governors Colonel Thomas Lynch and Thomas Modyford. Almost everything in the game can be adjusted according to players’ wishes, making customization and resource management a key element to gameplay.
Age of Pirates 2: City of Abandoned Ships has been rated “M” for Mature by the ESRB.
