Theatre of War Free ModPack offers 2.6GB of maps, weapons, vehicles and buildings.

ImageImageImage1C Company and Battlefront.com are thrilled to announce the release of a massive (and completely free) ModPack for their groundbreaking WW2 tactical combat simulation Theatre of War.

The TOW ModPack contains over 2.6 GB (!) of free maps, weapon and vehicle models, and buildings which can be used to create countless modifications to the original game. Two instruction manuals covering modding basics (such as how to add new units to the game as well as about model and building conversions) are included as well.

A complete list of all the material included in the mod, and a number of additional and enlarged screenshots, can be found by clicking on the Read More link below.

The ModPack is released as a free download to the public, broken up into 4 parts, via Battlefront’s File and Mod Repository at www.battlefront.com/repository, as well as via participating mirror and file hosting partner sites (download links to the mirror sites are listed below).

The ModPack contains no immediately playable materials, but can be used for creating countless mods and missions with the editors and battle generator that has been released with the game. Only your imagination is the limit!

Direct link to the Theatre of War section of the Battlefront Repository

A chilling forensic police investigation on Nintendo DS - Crime Scene

Discover all you ever want to know about CRIME SCENE on the game’s official website:

- Find out what Crime Scene is all about
- Discover all the game features
- Learn about the game mechanics (from the discovery of the crime scene to the identification of the potential suspect, through the removal and analysis of clues and comparisons of the results…)
- Watch and download the official trailer
- And start the investigation through an exclusive flash game: Find out if you have the ability to join Alexandra Malone’s forensic team!

START THE INVESTIGATION ON
www.crimescene-thegame.com

Official website homepage

Flash game
FEATURES REMINDER

A forensic agent’s best tool? Your Nintendo DS!
The best agent to take point on the mission? You!

A city where crime runs rampant…
A corrupt justice system…
Illegal human test subjects…
A dead cop…

With one suspicious event after the other and clues hard to come by,
it’s time for the forensic investigation to begin!

In Crime Scene you are part of the forensic police department and have to find and analyze clues with sophisticated equipment, interrogate witnesses and suspects, build a file with enough proof so there is no room for doubt and condemn the guilty!

A fully fledged crime lab on your Nintendo DS™!

Crime Scene is no simple point and click game! Thanks to your stylus and your Nintendo DS, take part in an immersive and breathtaking adventure where it will take everything you’ve got to uncover the hidden truth and put the bad guys behind bars!

Discover more about Crime Scene trough this exclusive batch of screenshots. Meet the main characters of this breathtaking scenario and learn all the game mechanics. Turn your Nintendo DS into a crime lab and become the best forensic agent in town.

Screenshots content:

- Main characters

Matt Simmons (the hero)
Young detective recently promoted from forensics.
You will play the part of this dynamic and efficient officer.

Peter Wayne (colleague)
Incompetent detective who is nearing retirement.
He is there to help you throughout all your investigations.

Alexandra Malone (the boss)
The superintendent in charge of investigations. You must frequently provide her with progress reports on your cases; in exchange, she gets search warrants for you!

- Game mechanics

1- Discovery of the crime scene
2- Initial assessment and removal of clues
3- Analysis of the clues and the incriminating evidence
4- Comparisons and analyses of the results
5- Development of the forensic case and identification of the potential suspect

Examine crime scenes with a fine-tooth comb!
9 tools to remove clues with using your stylus: UV lamp and spray to reveal clues, tweezers (for hairs, bullets, fragments etc), swabs (cotton buds) for lifting liquids, brush, powder, adhesive strip for prints...

Analyse clues using hi-tech hardware.
6 tools to analyse clues with using your stylus: blood, sweat and DNA analysis, hair analysis, ballistic analysis and weapons comparison, photo scanning, digital print database, composition analysis (earth, mud, drink)...

Lead the interrogation of witnesses and suspects:
Question 19 charismatic characters. An interesting multiple choice dialogue will aid you and certain secrets you discover will help to expose the culprit!

Don't lose your boss's respect:
A gauge assesses you according to any handling or judgement errors you make…
Be careful, if you are too hasty you could compromise the entire investigation. It's up to you to convince your boss that you have enough evidence to mount a case!

Genre: Police investigation / Adventure
Publishor: Nobilis
Developer: White Birds
Platform: Nintendo DS™
Release date: Q2 2009
PEGI: +7

The ascent continues the next stage of climbing Cursed Mountain

Survival horror game Cursed Mountain will be released exclusively on Nintendo Wii

On the official Cursed Mountain website, Deep Silver opens the gate to the next stop during the ascent of Mt. Chomolonzo in the Himalayas. What traces did Eric Simmons leave in the village at the foot of the mountain during the search for his brother? Are there any clues in the monastery? Postcards from his grueling trip, diary entries and video material speak of the dangers Eric encounters while climbing Mt. Chomolonzo. The documents surrounding his journey can be viewed at http://cursedmountain.deepsilver.com.

About Cursed Mountain:
Set in the late 1980s, gamers will take on the role of a fearless mountaineer as he climbs into the Himalayas on a quest to find his lost brother. As he ascends the mountain, he encounters an ancient curse: the souls of the people who died in that region are stuck in limbo, caught in the Shadow World. Villagers, pilgrims, mountaineers and Buddhist monks – dead but not yet reincarnated – are all that is left on the mountain.

Terrible visions will disorient him, and ghosts and demons block his path. But the question remains – is his brother still alive?

Cursed Mountain is set to be released in 2009.

Allods Online, the upcoming AAA free MMORPG

Discover the defining space-opera feature of Allods Online, the upcoming AAA free MMORPG

Allods Online is the upcoming free-to-play AAA MMORPG developed by Nival Online, the makers of Heroes of Might & Magic V, and published by Gala Networks Europe on the gPotato.eu Portal in Autumn 2009. The gPotato Team is proud to unveil information about the Astral Space today, a defining feature and important part of the gameplay in Allods Online, taking its inspiration from the best elements of space opera.

The Astral Space is a mystical substance holding the allods together, islands formed from the shattered remains of the planet Sarnaut. The Astral is an evolving and changing place, just like a living being, and can be seen moving from the surface of each allod. Thanks to the discovery of Astral Ship technology, people can now travel through it, conducting commerce, conquest, discovery and combat throughout the Astral, while trying to avoid the lurking dangers that it contains, mainly in the form of Astral Demons and Storms.

Astral Travel is facilitated by Astral Ships that can be controlled and crewed by dozens of players, helped by goblins technicians dedicated to the maintenance of mechanical functions. Players on an Astral ship have dedicated roles, such as the Navigator finding its way through the Astral, the Engineer in charge of the repairs and the shields, or the Shooters controlling the ships arsenal of cannons. Each of them need to be at the ready the whole time to face enemies like Astral Demons as well as other player controlled ships trying to board them up close or destroy them from a distance.

Astral travel, exploration and combat is a hugely important part of Allods Online’s gameplay, making this game truly unique by combining the best elements of space opera, a high-fantasy universe and high production values. Further information on the PvP elements and Astral Battles will be released over the next few weeks and months. Until then, stay tuned to the official Allods Online website at http://allods.gpotato.eu , and keep an eye on the www.gPotato.eu portal to read about the history of Allods Online.

Let's Tap; Let's Catch; Let's Play!

From the genius mind of Yuji Naka, two new innovative Nintendo Wii Titles Hit Shelves and the Nintendo Channel this week

SEGA Europe Ltd. and SEGA America, Inc. today announced they have shipped LET’S TAP for Nintendo Wii, which will be available at retail for £24.99. Another Nintendo Wii exclusive, LET’S CATCH, Yuji Naka’s second title from his Prope studio, will be available for download from the Nintendo Channel store on the day of the LET’S TAP release - 19th of June 2009.

Blazing new ground in the Nintendo Wii control design allows LET’S TAP players to simply tap their fingers on the Wii remote, giving hours of simple unadulterated fun. LET’S CATCH brings the time-honoured game of catch into players homes but with some creative new twists! LET’S TAP and LET’S CATCH are the first two products developed by Prope, the studio that Sonic the Hedgehog creator Yuji Naka established in 2006.

“We’re very excited to offer this new and innovative way of playing with the Wii” says Gary Knight, European Marketing Director SEGA Europe. “Let’s Tap and Let’s Catch have made outstanding use of the creative technology available on this platform, making gaming easy for all generations and levels of players.”

Developed exclusively for Nintendo’s Wii™ system, LET’S TAP utilises a ground-breaking control scheme whereby the Wii remote is placed on a box or flat surface so it can detect minute vibrations. Consumers of all ages and skill levels then tap the box or flat surface to interact with the game, so there’s no need to hold the controller!

LET’S TAP presents an assortment of different finger-tapping challenges for players to master, in Tap Runner differing finger tapping pressure makes simple stick figure racers run through an obstacle course, whilst Visualizer allows users to create dazzling fireworks, dramatic paint strokes and other effects as they tap out different rhythm patterns corresponding to different effects. Silent Blocks finds players taking turns removing blocks from a large stack, but tapping too hard will result in a collapsing stack of blocks. Bubble Voyager allows players to fly through space, blasting obstacles and enemies in order to reach the far stretches of the universe, and finally Rhythm Tap sees players tapping their fingers in time to high energy music.

LET’S CATCH is a new twist on the game of catch with six different single and multiplayer modes to play. Excelling through good timing and hand-eye coordination, players will find themselves playing games that range from passing a bomb before it explodes; testing their ability to catch a fast ball, and challenging throwing accuracy.

LET’S TAP and LET’S CATCH were developed at Prope Tokyo. For more information on both titles please visit www.sega.com/letstap

Ice Age - Dawn of the Dinosaurs video game on Mobile Phones Worldwide

Glu Mobile a leading global publisher of mobile games, today announced the launch of Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs for mobile handsets worldwide. This game marks Glu’s third mobile title based on Fox Mobile Entertainment’s hit Ice Age franchise and launches in time for the international theatrical release of Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs, an animated film from Twentieth Century Fox. Premiering July 1, 2009, the movie is directed by Carlos Saldanha (Ice Age, Robots) and introduces exciting new Ice Age characters and a new Lost World environment.

“We are pleased to once again work with Fox Mobile Entertainment to create a great game based on their newest Ice Age film,” said Jill Braff, senior vice president of global publishing, Glu. “The Ice Age franchise, with its global mass market appeal, is a hit perfectly suited for the mobile platform.”

“We continue to enjoy a strong working relationship with Glu,” said Andrew Stalbow, senior vice president, Fox Mobile Entertainment, “and we have every confidence that the Dawn of the Dinosaurs game will be a huge hit on mobile platforms around the world.”

Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs provides an entirely new mobile experience to complement Glu’s previous Ice Age games. Our beloved heroes return for an action-packed rescue mission full of prehistoric fun. Having disappeared into a strange world beneath the ice, Sid needs to escape from nasty dinosaurs to recover his missing eggs. Players avoid dangers like carnivorous plants, deadly tar pits and molten lava by sliding down hills, riding on dinosaurs and swinging from tall cliffs – all the while protecting Sid’s precious cargo.
Features include:

• Multiple Characters – Play as either Sid the sloth or all-new character Buck the weasel
• Cameo Appearances – Manny, Diego and other characters from the film appear throughout the game
• Extended Gameplay – Ten playable action-oriented levels
• Simple Controls – Player abilities include swinging, rolling and jumping, all controllable with one button
• Familiar Locations – The unique storyline, environments and game challenges stay faithful to the movie

Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs, the mobile game, is now available on all major carriers worldwide. For more information, go to www.iceage3mobile.com. For live updates, follow Glu on Twitter at www.twitter.com/glumobile or become a Glu Mobile fan on Facebook.

New wedding system in Luminary - Rise of the GoonZu PC video game

Marry for Love or Power with new Wedding System

NDOORS Interactive today announced the debut of a new social feature in their acclaimed MMORPG Luminary: Rise of the GoonZu. Starting today, players will have the ability to get married in the game. The new wedding system will allow two willing parties to tie the virtual knot and have their union officially recognized in-game. A marriage in Luminary will bestow benefits upon the couple, as some will marry for love and others will marry for political alliances.

In order to wed in Luminary, players can simply travel to the church west of Trania, where at least one party has to make their marriage proposal. Both boy and girl characters must obtain a Marriage License and be unmarried for the proposal to be executed. Once these conditions are met, the two parties will agree on a date and time for their wedding.

On the day of their wedding, the newlyweds will be teleported inside of the church where the ceremony will be carried out by the Wedding NPC. The bride and groom will receive a temporary gown and tuxedo, with a Flower Crown for the bride. Several questions will be asked of the couple by the Wedding NPC, and the bride and groom may answer freely. While the wedding ceremony takes place, news of the nuptials will be scrolled across the bottom of the game.

The wedding is just the beginning of married life and it will take effort from the bride and groom to maintain a happy union. Purchasing a Pink Rose from Clara will award the married couple with Affection Points, which in turn will bestow an added bonus to status effects. After a couple has been successfully married for 1 year (12 days game-time), they can celebrate their anniversary and the couple will receive a gift.

Luminary is a free-to-play MMORPG that incorporates real-world politics and economics. Players are citizens of the Luminary world who not only battle monsters, but engage in the production of new goods, trade commodities, stocks, and real estate, and even hire NPCs. Additionally, a player can advance to the pinnacle of success, the GoonZu, by being elected by his gaming peers.

For more information on Luminary please visit: www.playluminary.com/lrg

Cities XL video game beta programme begins today

Monte Cristo, developer and publisher of CITIES XL™, is delighted to announce that the game’s official closed Beta programme begins today. Those who were successful in their applications to join the CITIES XL Beta programme will receive their exclusive game keys today and can begin playing the full beta version of the game. UK gamers who have not applied can still get a key and download the Beta Client from the following partner websites: Eurogamer, Alltern8, GamesRadar, NowGamer, Total PC Gaming, C&VG and MMOzine.



CITIES XL enables players to develop and run their own cities, built on realistic 3D maps featuring a variety of environments from mountain ranges to beaches and islands. Each city manager, or mayor, needs to create the right combinations of job opportunities, social services, leisure activities, and special events that will occupy and entertain their citizens.

In the Beta programme, mayors can trade with one another, manage their economy and team up with neighbouring cities to create sprawling metropolises. The Beta version of CITIES XL is fully playable with online elements fully implemented.

“We’re delighted to have reached this milestone in the development of CITIES XL with the start of the Beta programme,” said Jerome Gastaldi, CEO of Monte Cristo, “We can’t wait to see how players interact with CITIES XL to create some amazing cities, and of course it will be an incredibly valuable testing time for the game itself.”

Visit http://www.citiesxl.com for more information about the game, and to learn more about the beta programme.

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
DESKTOP MINIMUM
CPU Intel Pentium 4 @ 2.5 GHz or better
RAM 1 GB (XP), 1.5 GB (Vista)
Video Card nVidia GeForce 6600GT / ATI Radeon X1600 or better
256 MB VRAM or better

DESKTOP RECOMMENDED
Intel Core 2 or better
1.5 GB (XP), 2 GB (Vista)
nVidia GeForce 8800 / ATI Radeon HD 3850 or better
512 MB VRAM or better

LAPTOP MINIMUM
Platform Intel Centrino 2 w/ Intel Graphic Accelerator
RAM 1.5 GB (XP), 2.5 GB (Vista)

LAPTOP RECOMMENDED
Intel Centrino 2 w/ nVidia or ATI GPU w/ 512 MB VRAM
1.5 GB (XP), 2.5 GB (Vista)

ALL PLATFORMS MINIMUM
Sound DirectX Compatible
DVD ROM 2x
Hard Drive 8 GB
Operating System Microsoft Windows XP SP3 or Microsoft Windows Vista SP1
DirectX 9.0c
Note : need to be DirectX 9.0c compatible and support Shadel Model 3.0

Horse and Musket: Volume I video game Now Available!

Muster the troops and prepare to march, this anticipated turn-based strategy game is now ready for battle!

Matrix Games and Boku Strategy Games are thrilled to announce that Horse and Musket: Volume I, Frederick the Great is now available for release! Now gamers can enjoy tons of scenarios and many new features to the popular and proven Horse and Musket game engine.

David Heath, Director of Operations at Matrix Games, said “Horse and Musket: Volume I breathes new life into a proven game system, which happens to be one of the best ever designed for 18th Century warfare. It’s been a pleasure to work with Boku Strategy Games and Double Shot Designs on this new release and we can’t wait to see what the Horse and Musket system has in store for gamers in the future!”

The Seven Years’ War was fought across the globe and called by some the first “World War” as virtually every major power participated. In the center of events was Prussia, almost constantly at war and lead by the now legendary Frederick the Great.

Relive the exciting and trying days of Frederick the Great in Horse and Musket: Volume I, the improved and expanded combination of the previous Prussian War Machine and Prussia’s Glory titles. Horse and Musket: Volume I is a reboot of the successful Horse and Musket series, including not only two solid historical titles in one package, but also many new game features, a powerful new editor, and a complete graphics overhaul to an already acclaimed gaming system.

Through the classic turn-based hex system, gamers take command of a wide variety of historical units and leaders as they try to follow in Frederick’s footsteps across 10 of his famous battles, making for a whopping 40 scenarios in total. Maneuver your infantry battalions, cavalry squadrons, and artillery batteries to break the enemy lines and claim your own title as a great captain of history!

Perhaps the most important feature to celebrate with Horse and Musket: Volume I is the revival of this innovative gaming system! With many new features and improvements, this latest release still has the same engaging game mechanics that bring to life the battlefields and tactics of the 18th Century!

Get more information on Horse and Musket: Volume I, Frederick the Great from its official product page.

Pangya Fantasy Golf video game out June 23rd for PSP

Players Will Soon Experience Golf Like Never Before on the Beautifully Rendered Fairways of Pangya Island

TOMY announce PANGYA: Fantasy Golf for the PSP (PlayStation Portable) system has gone gold and will begin shipping to retail outlets nationwide on June 23, 2009. In PANGYA: Fantasy Golf, players will experience hours of golf gameplay on the beautifully rendered courses of Pangya Island. Combining thousands of customization options and 18 playable characters set in beautiful environments, PANGYA: Fantasy Golf boasts an original storyline with new, exclusive features for the PSP system.

“PANGYA: Fantasy Golf brings a completely unique golf experience to the PSP and offers both hardcore gamers and casual audiences the opportunity to immerse themselves into a compelling game full of charm and imagination,” said Laura Yoshioka, director of consumer software at TOMY Corporation. “As the first PSP title to come from TOMY Corporation’s growing portfolio of games, we are looking forward to introducing PANGYA: Fantasy Golf to all gamers, whether they play it for the eye-catching anime characters, extensive customization and RPG elements, engaging golf gameplay, or all of the above.”

About PANGYA: Fantasy Golf

Based on the global PC MMO PANGYA game developed by Ntreev Soft, PANGYA: Fantasy Golf contains an original storyline with all-new, exclusive features for the PSP system. Set on nine fantasy fairways on the mythical Pangya Island, PANGYA: Fantasy Golf encourages players to practice and perfect their swing using a variety of unlockable golf clubs and golf balls. Players can immerse themselves in a world with a combination of solid golf gameplay mechanics, infinite character customization options and a variety of playful anime and fantasy characters set in picturesque environments. Players can collect the currency known as Pang to purchase items from the in-game Pangya Shop and customize as many as 18 playable characters and their golf equipment with thousands of unlockable accessories, outfits, gear and power items to improve their golfer’s stats and land that hole-in-one. Multiple gameplay modes including Story, Free Round, License, Tournament and Network Mode offer an engaging and varied golf experience. Additionally, Network Mode allows the ultimate golfer to connect with up to eight players and compete against them in either single or team-based tournaments.

PANGYA: Fantasy Golf is developed by Ntreev Soft and is slated for release on the PSP system on June 23, 2009 for an MSRP of $29.99.