Icy Tower Video game version 1.4 released

Free Lunch Design, the company behind the Internet cult hit Icy Tower today released Icy Tower 1.4. What might seem like an indie release is actually an eagerly anticipated title. The game’s fan base has steadily grown from a handful of enthusiasts to a large international following.

“Currently, the game Icy Tower 1.3.1 is downloaded at least 10 000 times every 24 hours. With the release of Icy Tower 1.4 we are certain the numbers will double” says original creator, Johan Peitz.

Icy Tower 1.4 includes new gorgeous graphics, customizable game play, user profiles and the possibility for users to create their own characters. Currently, the game has over 200 000 Facebook fans, hundreds of user generated videos on Youtube and even several European national teams.
The game can be downloaded from the site www.icytower.com which opened today.

Obscure - The Aftermath video game for the PSP go System

Experience grisly monsters, spectacular powers and mysterious battles 'on the go' this fall!

Playlogic, an independent worldwide publisher of entertainment software, announced today that the grisly survival teen horror title Obscure: The Aftermath is coming to the PSP go Portable Game System and will be available for download when the system launches this fall.

“We are thrilled that this critically acclaimed title will be available for the PSPgo when the system makes it debut,” said Rogier Smit, Executive Vice President of Playlogic. “Our talented team has crafted the game to fit the unique co-op capabilities and controls of the PSPgo while also maintaining the exciting gameplay and stunning graphics featured in the original console versions.”

Obscure: The Aftermath, the sequel to 2005’s acclaimed survival horror game Obscure, picks up two years after the terrible events at Leafmore High, following the few teens who survived being trapped inside their school, hunted by monsters and their maniac headmaster. Hoping to put the past behind them, the kids start college at Fallcreek University, but soon discover all is not well as strange black flowers appear all over campus. While experimenting with these flowers, a dangerous substance is discovered that induces hauntingly vivid dreams. Soon the survivors find themselves fighting for their lives—and their sanity—as their nightmares become a horrible reality.

Game features include: Six individually developed characters, all with their own unique skills; Unique co-op mode; second player can join in or drop out at any time; Highly detailed and rich 3D environment; Huge variety of weapons and horrifying monsters; Stunning soundtrack performed by the Boston String Quartet and the Paris Opera’s Children’s choir; User accessible playlist of the musical tracks and FMV cutscenes; Stunning storyboard, artwork and concept art galleries.

Obscure: The Aftermath is rated “M” for mature by the ESRB.

Is Left for Dead 2 sequel just 'in it' for the money?

Only recently announced at E3 a few days ago, Left 4 Dead 2 is already causing a stir amongst fans who feel let down by Valve, the development team behind the original and the upcoming sequel. A group of boycotters claim that this sequel is nothing more than a money grabbing opportunity through the success of the original Left 4 Dead game released only 6 months ago.


The group known as ‘L4D2 Boycott (NO-L4D2)’ have set up a protest on the Valve Steam-Software social network system to bring awareness to Valve’s False Promises which the group have also highlighted their issues:

* Significant content for L4D1 was promised, and never delivered.
* Valve put little faith in L4D1 since they almost certainly started working on L4D2 right after release.
* The fact that L4D2 is nearly identical to L4D1 will decimate the community for both games.
* The announced date is not nearly enough time to polish content or make significant gameplay changes.
* The new character designs seem bland and unappealing so far.
* L4D2 is too bright to fit in with L4D1’s visual aesthetic.
* The fiddle-based horde music is extremely disliked, though the differently orchestrated music is otherwise welcome.
* L4D2’s release will result in a drop in quality and frequency for L4D1 content, even compared to before.
* The community has lost faith in Valve’s former reputation for commitment to their games post-release.

The group currently has almost 4500 members and is expecting to increase these numbers as a protest against not only the lack of content promised for the original, but the quick release of the sequel. Do you think this group are justified in their angry claims at Valve, or should they move on and look forward to the sequel due out Nov 17th, which happens to be a year on from the original ‘Left 4 Dead’ release anyway?

Source: xboxic

Tropico 3 PC video game Developer interview

Kalypso Media are happy to unveil the first third of an interview with the developers of Tropico 3. In the first 15 questions Haemimont Games discuss amongst other things - the online part of the strategy game and give insights into diplomacy, weather, natural disasters, production chains and game editors.

Tropico 3 goes back to the roots of the hit strategy series closely following the original Tropico story-line. Tropico 3 is being developed by Haemimont Games who previously developed the popular Imperium Romanum and Grand Ages: Rome for Kalypso Media.

Kalypso Media would like to invite you to their tropical paradise, Tropico 3 – El Presidente is awaiting you this September!

Tropico 3 will be released in September 2009.





TROPICO 3 - Interview with the developers (Part 1)

Kalypso: Is Tropico 3 going to be more complex than its predecessors? Will it still be
accessible to casual gamers?
Haemimont Games: One of our goals during the development of Tropico 3 was to make the
game even more accessible than its predecessors without sacrificing the gameplay elements
we all love. While Tropico 3 has cool new features and expanded mechanics in addition to the
classic Tropico gameplay, we are confident that the game is still accessible to regular gamers.

Kalypso: Will there be an overview of your people's status (happy/neutral/angry)?
Haemimont Games: It is possible to monitor the individual happiness satisfaction of every
citizen in several categories. Various overviews summarize this information.

Kalypso: What new edicts will there be?
Haemimont Games: Just recently El Presidente firmly denied the rumors of nuclear testing on
Tropican land and the establishment of a Secret Police in Tropico - http://twitter.com/el_prez.
And, as you know, when the government denies something, it is probably there. Don't tell
anyone, but these are two of the new edicts we are working on.

Kalypso: In the multiplayer component, will you be able to visit islands of other
presidents and help them with their administration or start trade alliances?
Haemimont Games: After the successful completion of any game scenario or player issued
challenge, you will have the opportunity to share your country and island online and invite
other players to visit it. Visitors have the opportunity to take over and reign in your place after
your mandate is over - this is just for fun and doesn't grant score, campaign progress, or any
other in-game benefit.
This should be the island you are most proud of and you can identify yourself with - the one
with the biggest population, the most beautifully decorated, or just the most challenging
scenario that you've ever completed. Of course, you are always able to change your mind and
invite visitors to another island of yours.
There are no trade alliances between players possible.

Kalypso: Since music was such a big and impressive part of the game (more than
graphics, which is rare), how will this aspect be handled in Tropico 3? Do you have any
plans concerning the soundtrack?
Haemimont Games: The music was one of the most important parts of the game's unique
identity and we are staying true to the style established by it. Certainly, to feel like Tropico,
the game has to sound like Tropico.

Kalypso: Will diplomacy and the education system in this game be expanded upon?
Haemimont Games: Veterans from the original Tropico will quickly recognize the base
mechanics behind diplomacy and education.
Players have to balance the external affairs of their countries between the cold war
superpowers USA and USSR, possibly even allying with one of them. A ruler who disregards
the foreign politics will receive less foreign aid and may even have to face the threat of an
invasion. Diplomatic negotiations will be themes for several missions in the campaign.
High-school and college education are still required for prestigious jobs such as doctors,
engineers, soldiers, and generals. Qualified foreign experts may be attracted, but it is often
better (and cheaper) to educate your own people.

Kalypso: Will there be "political" events such as a world finance crisis?
Haemimont Games: Yes, there will be many such events in the game. Furthermore, players
will be able to use them to create their own scenarios with the Timeline Editor.
Kalypso: Will the weather and/or natural disasters have an effect on the game and what
will these effects and disaster be like?
Haemimont Games: Various plants require different humidity and soil conditions. The
Caribbean winds spread the effects of industrial pollution. There will be various disasters such
as earthquakes and tropical storms, but they will function differently than the disasters in the
original Tropico. Players will be able to play and create both – scenarios without any disasters
and disaster-themed scenarios.

Kalypso: Will your people be able to express their complaints directly to their leader (for
example by petition or open letter)?
Haemimont Games: Factions will express their major concerns by petitions. Individual people
are able to protest, and if their demands are not met they may even become rebels and take
arms against the government. El Presidente is finally able to meet the protesters and calm
them down personally.

Kalypso: What will the production chains in this game look like? Can you give an
example?
Haemimont Games: A classic example - Logs are produced from nearby forests by a Logging
Camp. While the player is able to export them directly, it is more profitable to convert them to
Lumber in a Lumber Mill. Furniture, constructed from Lumber in a Furniture Factory, is an
even more lucrative export.
Another example would be Oil that is found in two types of deposits – under the sea and on
land and may be refined into advanced oil based products.

Kalypso: Will Tropico 3 be presented tongue in cheek like the last one?
Haemimont Games: We are currently replacing the hamsters powering our own patented
tongue-in-cheek humor generators. We are assured by our finest experts that the new hamsters
are of the highest quality, so we hope they will do their job well.

Kalypso: What kinds of new industries (aside from the ones we know from Tropico 1)
will we be seeing in the game? Will there be new things to mine? Different kinds of gems
for instance? Maybe "advanced" metals such as titanium, or maybe radioactive metals
such as uranium/plutonium/radium or even oil that the Superpowers might take a lot of
interest in?
Haemimont Games: Oil is a new natural resource found both in water and on land. Players
will be able to export it or process it into advanced oil based products in their refinery. Prices
of oil generally go up over the years, so it is wise to save your oil reserves for later in the
game, instead of exploiting them instantly.

Kalypso: Will there be political parties/factions and elections? If so, how will elections be
handled? Will there be campaigns, debates or interviews? If there are political parties,
will these replace generalized citizen factions, or be in addition to factions?
Haemimont Games: There are political factions - the six from the original Tropico and a new
one. Factions have leaders and their own agenda, so they may be perceived as a generalization
for political parties.
Election Speeches are a new feature for Tropico 3 that allows the player to sway voters in his
favor before the elections. He is able to make election promises (and bear the consequences
from them at the next elections), praise a faction or foreign power, or address a hot issue by
blaming it on someone else.
Of course, the player will be able to listen to his own election speech just before the elections.

Kalypso: Will there be a trade system with import/export goods?
Haemimont Games: Goods export prices change over time. For instance a lucrative trade
agreement will adjust the prices of processed goods in the player's favor, but the rumors of a
mad cow disease will lower the price of beef. As said before, Oil prices generally go up over
the years.
Like in the original Tropico, there is no general mechanic for imports.

Kalypso: Are there any plans for building a community through modding and scripting
support? How "open" and customizable will Tropico 3 be in this regard? Will you
provide an easy to use map editor?
Haemimont Games: The timeline editor is a powerful tool allowing users to create their own
custom scenarios called challenges. Events in these challenges will be very customizable,
right up to the flavor text. So if you want to create a challenge about aliens abducting
Tropican citizens, or to recreate a historical event like the Cuban missile crisis, you can now
do so. The game will fully support sharing and rating user created scenarios online.
The players will be able to customize some aspects of the maps. The Map Generator allows
you to quickly create a wide variety of random islands by setting various parameters such as
map size, elevation, vegetation and natural resources.

New Professor Layton game - Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box Nintendo DS E3 Fact Sheet and video

Puzzle master Professor Layton and his apprentice, Luke, have stumbled upon another mystery. It’s up to them to navigate their way through numerous puzzles to determine who – or what – caused the death of Professor Layton’s mentor, Dr. Schrader. Was it the mysterious Elysian Box, rumored to kill all who open it? Professor Layton and Luke find a clue that begins their adventure: a train ticket for the Molentary Express.

New game - with video hereProfessor Layton and the Unwound Future

FEATURES:
• Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box features a riveting new mystery and more than 150 new brain teasers, riddles and logic puzzles to challenge and delight players.

• Beyond the puzzles found in the game, players with a broadband Internet connection who connect their Nintendo DS and Nintendo DSi™ systems to Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection will get access to downloadable bonus puzzles. A new puzzle will be available each week for 33 weeks after the game launches.

• The new game includes a significantly greater amount of voice work and animated movie scenes compared to the original.

Platform: Nintendo DS and Nintendo DSi
Genre: Puzzle Adventure
Players: 1
Rating: E10+ (Everyone 10 and Older) - Alcohol Reference and Mild Violence
Release: Aug. 24, 2009
Developer: LEVEL-5 Inc.
URL: www.Nintendo.com
Suggested Retail Price: TBD

Japan - Nintendo to sell Red Dsi and Black Nintendo Wii

Set for sale in Japan in July is the Red Nintendo DSi… And if you are fed-up with the boring white of your Nintendo Wii, in August to could buy yourself a Black Nintendo Wii.

GameTap - Top Ten Most Played Games This Week: S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow Of Chernobyl Titan Quest Sid Meier's Civilization IV: Warlords Hitman - more

This week's new release for GameTap subscribers is Runaway: A Road Adventure, a widely acclaimed adventure game that harkens back to classic titles such as Broken Sword. Slick animation, lush visuals and a fun story separate the Runaway from most modern hum-drum adventure games.

Additional Announcements:

* This week we announced that 3D Realms Prey would soon be coming to GameTap.
* Last week saw the debut of GameTap's new Parental Controls which allow parents to create up to 6 sub-accounts for their children. This system also provides web-based tools for parents to schedule play times for each sub-account, limit total time spent playing, and restrict games based on content (ESRB rattings).

New Release For Subscription Service, Available 06.04.09:
Runaway: A Road Adventure- One minute, Brian Basco is a nerdy physics student headed from New York to California for grad school. On his way out of town, he (literally) runs into Gina, a beautiful singer with a secret. As a result, Brian's life is turned upside-down, as he finds himself fleeing from the Mafia with Gina in tow in this stylish adventure game from Focus Interactive.

Next Week's Release: Freelancer

Free Game Of The Week:
While we aren't adding any free games this week, we aren't removing any either. The complete list of free games can be found here: http://www.gametap.com/video-games/free-pack-games.html

Top Ten Most Played Games This Week:
S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow Of Chernobyl
Titan Quest
Sid Meier's Civilization IV: Warlords
Hitman: Blood Money
Cradle Of Rome
Deus Ex: Game Of The Year Edition
Psychonauts
Heroes Of Might and Magic III: The Restoration Of Erathia
Zoo Tycoon Complete
Puzzle Quest: Challenge Of The Warlords

Halo Reach details from E3 and game trailer video

Two new major details have arisen regarding Halo - Reach, a title recently revealed at Microsoft’s E3 09 press conference. The first is the game’s genre which has been confirmed by Microsoft’s John Schappert to Joystiq as a first-person-shooter.



Secondly, Halo: Reach has been revealed as a prequel to the Halo series by none other than Shane Kim. When questioned by SKOAR: “Will Halo Reach follow the story of the first novel? (The Fall of Reach),” Kim replied:

“You’ll have to wait and see. There is an opportunity to tell the prequel to Halo. People are interested now they see how the trilogy of Halo ended. Now they can see how it began. The Halo universe is very rich and there are a lot of stories to tell.”

All that was revealed at the conference was how Halo: Reach would be arriving in 2010 and that a multiplayer beta for the title would launch alongside Halo: ODST. We’ll have more details on both titles as we receive them.

Fish'em All! for WiiWare arrives on Nintendo Wii 8th June

Fish'em All!, an arcade game with real coin-op flavor!
Alone or with your friends, you will have a great time catching these little fish... they're crazy! Beat your own high scores, take on challenges and solve fun puzzles in a range of amazing stages full of color and fantasy. Watch out for the dragon, the ninja-rat and the sumo-toad!

Do you think it looks easy?
This arcade game will bring all the excitement of the great classics to your Wii™ console.

* Nine colorful scenarios.
* Three game modes: Arcade, Challenge, Fishtris.
* One or two players.

Arcade

Can you beat the high score? Play a game in Arcade mode to see how long you can last. Catch as many fish as you can within a time limit. Watch the fish meter. The more points you score catching fish, the faster it will fill up. Each time you manage to fill a whole fish on the meter, you will receive extra time. If you manage to fill them all, you will move on to the next stage.

Challenge

Complete the challenges to unlock stages. You can then select any unlocked stage to play in two player mode.
Each challenge sets you a target. Note how many fish of each color you need to catch. Sometimes, it will tell you which items you need to avoid or set a time limit.

Fishtris

Even more difficult!
Every time you catch a fish, it will fall into the tube. If the tube fills up, the game will end. To keep on playing, match three or more fish of the same color to make them disappear.
When you match three or more fish of the same color, the fish meter will be slightly filled. When you manage to fill a whole fish on the meter, you will receive extra time. If you manage to fill them all, you will move on to the next stage. If things get tough, try and catch the Anglerfish.
It will eat all the fish in the tube.

Nickelodeon Announce Ni Hao, Kai-lan Video Games

Hit animated preschool series joins Dora the Explorer and The Backyardigans video games at retail this holiday season

2K Play, the family label of Take-Two Interactive, and Nickelodeon, the number-one entertainment brand for kids, today announced that the network's newest hit preschool series, Ni Hao, Kai-lan, will join 2K Play's all-new slate of preschool video games for the upcoming 2009 holiday season.

Available for the Wii system from Nintendo, Nintendo DS and PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system, the Ni Hao, Kai-lan video game combines educational elements of learning Chinese language and culture with game play and action, and features familiar voice actors from the animated show. Ni Hao, Kai-lan joins 2K Play's game line-up featuring popular Nickelodeon characters such as Dora the Explorer and The Backyardigans.

"We're excited to offer our most diverse line-up of Nickelodeon games this holiday season," said Steve Lux, vice president of business development for 2K Play. "Our titles will provide preschoolers with a fun and immersive way to learn all about their growing world."

"Kai-lan, Dora and The Backyardigans encourage preschoolers to explore and learn through teamwork," said Shaan Kandawalla, vice president, Nickelodeon Kids and Family Games Group. "This partnership with 2K Play allows us to take these lessons to a new level through gaming, while strengthening the diversity of Nickelodeon's gaming portfolio."

In the upcoming Ni Hao, Kai-lan DS game, players will assume the role of Kai-Lan in a series of adventures relating to Chinese New Year, including: marching in a parade; decorating colorful lanterns; and learning about ethnic foods.

2K Play will also introduce Dora the Explorer: Dora Saves the Crystal Kingdom, an all-new title based on Nickelodeon's upcoming prime-time television event airing this fall. In the new game for the Wii gaming platform, players will assist Dora in her goal of restoring color to an enchanted village that has fallen under an evil spell. Also, in Dora Puppy for Nintendo DS, Dora learns pet care first-hand as she grooms and plays with her puppy, Perrito.

Fans of The Backyardigans will be treated to a triple adventure on Nintendo DS as the backyard pals sail the seas as pirates, journey into outer space and test their mettle as superheroes.

All of 2K Play's upcoming Nickelodeon games will feature actual voice actors from the popular Nickelodeon television shows. In addition, 2K Play's Nickeolodeon games are tested by kids and parents for age-appropriateness, fun-factor and quality. 2K will support the launch of the titles with a national media campaign.

The console titles are being developed by High Voltage Software, Inc., and the DS titles by Black Lantern Studios, Inc. These games have not yet been rated.