Pearl Jam Rock Bands tracks added

Harmonix and MTV Games today announced that three tracks from alternative rock legends Pearl Jam will be added to the Rock Band Music Store of downloadable content for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and PlayStation 3 computer entertainment system.

At the dawn of the '90s, Pearl Jam came together to form one of the most influential bands of the modern era. Beginning with their iconic debut album, "Ten," in 1991 and continuing through to today, the quintet have consistently combined the perfect amalgam of punk aesthetics with anthemic, classic rock sounds, and in the process have created one of the most respected catalogs in rock history. For the past 18 years, Pearl Jam has remained a relevant cultural and political force, having completed countless international tours and selling over 60 million records world wide. “Brother,” as well as live recordings of “Alive” and “State of Love and Trust,” from this year’s reissue of the band’s classic debut album, Ten, will be available this week in the Rock Band Music Store.

Tracks:
Pearl Jam “Brother”
Pearl Jam “Alive (Live: Drop in the Park)”
Pearl Jam “State of Love and Trust (Live: Drop in the Park)”
(All tracks are original master recordings)
These tracks will be available for purchase as part of the “Ten Bonus Pack” or as individual tracks for Xbox 360 and PLAYSTATION 3 systems.

Release Date: Tuesday, June 23, 2009
(Xbox LIVE Marketplace for Xbox 360)
Thursday, June 25, 2009
(PlayStation Store)

** Dates for Rock Band game tracks are tentative and subject to change **

Price: $1.99 (160 Microsoft Points for Xbox 360) per track
$5.49 (440 Microsoft Points for Xbox 360) for “Ten Bonus Pack”

Locations: Xbox LIVE Marketplace for Xbox 360
PlayStation Network

Fallen Earth video game Beta test with FilePlanet

Stress Test and Increased Beta Mark the Next Phase in Testing for the Highly Anticipated Post-Apocalyptic MMO

FALLEN EARTH, LLC announce that the post-apocalyptic massively multiplayer online game (MMO) Fallen Earth will partner with the leading download service from IGN -FilePlanet- to increase the number of participants in the Beta session while allowing the development team to confirm launch capabilities of the network infrastructure.

Fallen Earth combines the best of both worlds by giving players first-person shooter combat with the depth and character advancement of a role-playing game. Taking place in the Grand Canyon as mankind teeters on the edge of extinction, players are thrust into a decaying society and must choose to rise above the hardships or embrace the surrounding destruction.

"The past few months have really helped the team solidify the gameplay and performance for Fallen Earth and we are ready to put the pressure on our servers to ensure they are ready for launch," said Colin Dwan, Project Manager for Fallen Earth. "FilePlanet brings the community and download capabilities necessary for a strong stress test, allowing us to focus on fixing the remaining bugs and to prepare for a successful launch."

To sign up for the expanded Beta and participate in the stress test, fans should visit FilePlanet. Only FilePlanet paid subscribers and Founders' Club members will be granted access through June 23. Current testers in the Fallen Earth Beta program will remain in testing. Fans can also stay up to date with Fallen Earth news and images on the Facebook and Twitter pages.

Dark Void new game play system explained - with video

Interested to know what Airtight originally had planned for Dark Void?
The second developer diary sees team members from Airtight & Capcom discuss the games early concept; why vertical combat was introduced plus the genesis of the jet pack.



Older videos...



Eight Dark Void trailers on my YouTube channel (please subscribe) here...

Weezer, Nine Inch Nails, Dead Kennedys come to Nintendo Wii Rock band

Harmonix and MTV Games today announced 16 tracks from Weezer, Nine Inch Nails, Dead Kennedys and more coming this week to the Rock Band Music Store catalog of downloadable content for the Nintendo Wii system.

Three songs each from West Coast favorites Weezer, alternative rockers Nine Inch Nails and punk staples Dead Kennedys will be added this week. Additionally, songs from Testament, Staind, Dashboard Confessional and more will be released June 23 to the Wii Rock Band Music Store.

These tracks come from the back catalog of Rock Band music already released to owners of Xbox 360 and PLAYSTATION 3 system. Wii fans can expect a rollout of previously released downloadable Rock Band content until the entire back catalog of more than 700 songs is available. With the addition of these tracks, there are now more than 330 tracks in the Wii Rock Band Music Store.

** Dates for Rock Band game tracks are tentative and subject to change **

Tracks:
The Cab "One of THOSE Nights"
Dashboard Confessional "Hands Down"
Dead Kennedys "California Uber Alles"
Dead Kennedys "Holiday in Cambodia"
Dead Kennedys "Police Truck"
Free "All Right Now"
Nine Inch Nails "Burn"
Nine Inch Nails "Capital G"
Nine Inch Nails "Last"
Scars on Broadway "They Say"
Staind "This Is It"
Testament "Electric Crown"
thenewno2 "Yomp"+
Weezer "Dreamin"
Weezer "The Greatest Man That Ever Lived"
Weezer "Troublemaker"

(All tracks are original master recordings.)

Release Date: Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Price: $2.00 (200 Wii Points) per track
+ $1.00 (100 Wii Points) per track

Location: In-game Rock Band 2 Music Store (Wii Points must be purchased through the Wii™ Shop Channel)

Rock Band 2 is available for Xbox 360, PLAYSTATION 3 and PlayStation®2 systems and the Wii system. The Xbox 360, PLAYSTATION 3 system and Wii versions support downloadable content.

Downloadable content for Wii is purchased via the in-game Rock Band Music Store using Wii Points purchased through the Wii Shop Channel and can be downloaded to the system memory or to an SD card for additional storage. The tracks stream directly from the SD card for seamless play.

Flick Fishing game sells a million on iPhone and iPod Touch

Flick Fishing the first paid application to reach the one million download milestone.

Flick Fishing, which costs 99 cents, allows iPhone and iPod touch users to take a virtual fishing trip with the flick of a wrist. The game uses the iPhone’s accelerometer to recreate a casting motion, then a combination of bait choice and fishing skill helps players land the big fish.

The iPhone OS 3.0 update issued last week for Flick Fishing allows peer-to-peer networking for players to compare their catches while competing in a blackjack style fishing contest. In addition, in-app purchases of a new fishing location and new fish have been made by nearly 10 percent of users since the OS 3.0 update was issued.

“We couldn’t be happier that so many people decided to put on their virtual fishing cap and give Flick Fishing a try,” said Ian Lynch Smith, president and co-founder of Freeverse. “We’re very proud that over one million players have discovered that Flick Fishing is a great way to enjoy summer fun on your iPhone without the pesky flies and mosquitoes.”

Flick Fishing is one of Freeverse’s innovative Flick Sports titles, which make use of the accelerometer and touch screen interface featured in the iPhone and iPod touch to provide players with an immersive gaming experience. Freeverse’s extensive catalog of games also include Flick NBA Basketball, Flick Bowling, Top Gun, and its Postman virtual postcard application, which is currently the top selling social media app on the App Store.

Flick Fishing is available on the Apple iTunes Store

Family Party Outdoor Fun Nintendo Wii video game

D3 Publisher today announced an addition to the Family Party franchise, bringing Family Party: Outdoor Fun exclusively to Nintendo Wii. Entertaining for all, Family Party: Outdoor Fun has a wide variety of fun and exciting party games featuring martial arts, athletics, team sports, challenging brain games and more.

Players can choose from a dozen cute characters as they party with up to 4 friends and unlock games and challenges to achieve the highest score and win medals! Family Party: Outdoor Fun is a perfect follow-up to the 2008 hit, offering over 30 great games and hours of entertainment for all the family.

Family Party: Outdoor Fun is under development by Tamsoft Corporation, and due for release this Autumn.

Reel Deal Live PC video game free demo download

Cardsharks and Gamblers Can Experience the Online Casino MMO and Try Reel Deal LIVE for Free

Phantom EFX, the world’s leading developer and publisher of PC-based casual game titles, today released a free downloadable demo of the ever popular Reel Deal ‘LIVE’, the first-ever massively multiplayer online (MMO) casino.

“We wanted to give everyone the chance to experience a little bit of what Reel Deal ‘LIVE’ is all about,” said Phantom EFX CEO Aaron Schurman. “This demo is perfect for those who want to test drive the game before making the purchase. You’ll get a chance to see LIVE’s detailed casino environments and get a taste for some of the multiple slots, tables, and games that are available to play.”

The free Reel Deal 'LIVE' demo offers players a peak at the largest virtual casino ever constructed, giving would-be gamblers the thrill of the game without the upset of losing a fortune.

Constructed inside a seemingly boundless full 3D casino, Reel Deal ‘LIVE’ is a gambler’s paradise. Wager thousands on Black 21, go all in with Hold Em’, win big with on your favorite slot, or just cruise around and socialize. With Reel Deal ‘LIVE’, everyone wins!

Players who chose to become full members of the Reel Deal Community have access to a bevy of features:

• Completely customizable characters, or “avatars”
• Phantom EFX’s award winning card and slot titles, with free updates
• Video poker
• A race book and sports book
• Tournament play
• Social networking and alliance building through guild creation
• NPC (non-player character) quests
• A shopping mall for character and environment customization
• A university, for skill improvement
• Special “Golden Ticket” prizes, and much, much more.
To download the free Reel Deal ‘LIVE’ demo, visit www.gamershell.com.

Team Fortress 2 SDK Update Includes Source Files For 10 Maps

Valve recently announced on the Team Fortress 2 blog that they are releasing the source files to 10 of the game's maps, making it much easier for fans to customize them. They also said they'd be releasing more source files for maps and models in the future. "Here's the list of maps that are included in the update: Lumberyard, Ravine, Badlands, Dustbowl, Granary, Gravelpit, 2Fort, Badwater, Goldrush, and Hydro. For the beginner map makers out there, we hope this gives you an easier entry point by allowing you to alter or edit an existing map, as opposed to being forced to start from scratch.


... We also hope that it'll reduce the amount of confusion around the game logic and entity setup required for the various TF game modes."

An update to the Source SDK that includes the .vmf source files for many of the official TF2 maps. This is something we've wanted to do for a while, especially as we've been growing the range of game modes in TF. Here's the list of maps that are included in the update: Lumberyard, Ravine, Badlands, Dustbowl, Granary, Gravelpit, 2Fort, Badwater, Goldrush, and Hydro.

For the beginner map makers out there, we hope this gives you an easier entry point by allowing you to alter or edit an existing map, as opposed to being forced to start from scratch. For example, you could start by fine-tuning cover in Goldrush, alter the layout of Granary, or tweak the amount of health and ammo in Gravelpit. Or maybe you just have a ton of ideas on how you think you could improve Hydro or 2Fort. We'd love to see what you come up with.

For the experienced map makers, we hope this gives you a variety of examples of how we design and construct levels, the tools we use to finish the aesthetic/thematic elements, and some specific implementation solutions to performance and networking problems. We also hope that it'll reduce the amount of confusion around the game logic and entity setup required for the various TF game modes.

Our plan is to get more of our TF content source out in the SDK, so look for more maps & model sources in the future.


Read the Team Fortress blog

Open Source FPS Game Alien Arena 2009 Released

The open sourced, freeware FPS game Alien Arena 2009 has been released (Windows and Linux). The improvements to the game engine are very significant, and have surely raised the bar for free games of this genre. All surfaces in the game are now rendered using GLSL, not only improving the visual quality, but the performance as well. Interesting new effects like post-process distortions using GLSL have been implemented, as well as light volumes, better per-pixel lighting (reminiscent of UT3), and shaded water.

Equally notable is that the sound system has been completely rewritten using OpenAL, allowing for effects such as Doppler, and adding Ogg Vorbis support. The game is free to play and available for download on its official website. It has a stats system and a built-in IRC client in its front-end game browser.

This time around, the game's been almost totally overhauled, with a "staggering" amount of improvements to the game engine. Full implementation of GLSL per-pixel lighting on all services sees the game come alive, especially when coupled with the OpenAL audio system and some spiffy new gameplay features. Optimisation has been a major focus, with the developers claiming that "No longer does one have to be leary of cranking the settings up, the game plays remarkably faster with the switch to GLSL for per-pixel operations."

Described as a "lean, clean fragging machine", the devs have made the statement that "This isn't your daddy's Alien Arena" - and it's a good few notches above last years model, boasting new and improved maps, music and sound effects.

So - what else is new?


Some of the new features in this release:

* GLSL per-pixel lighting on all surfaces.

* OpenAL 1.1

* Ogg-Vorbis support.

* GLSL post process framebuffer effects.

* New scoreboards.

* New HUD.

* Stereo music files.

* Seven new maps and two new player characters.

* Light volumes.

* Voice taunt system.

* Doppler sound effects.

Alien Arena 2009 is completely open source, free to play, and promises to set a new standard in freeware FPS gaming. Check it out now for Windows or Linux/Unix, and let us know what you think!


7.21 - 7.30 changelog

1. Rscript shader optimizations, fixed bug with flushing.
2. Fixed maxclients so that timedemo and other items can be run.
3. Added new textures and meshes for maps.
4. Added dm-deimos2k9.
5. Added realistic sun object.
6. Quake4 style explosion shockwave effect.
7. Added type option for vegetation shaders(grass and leaves).
8. Fixed and modified cvar r_speeds operation.
9. Added dm-warmachine2k9.
10. New scoreboards.
11. Rewrote mesh rendering routines, removed ordered iteration for non-legacy code.
12. Replaced all fixed function mesh per-pixel lighting routines with GLSL.
13. Removed Cybergirl until UV maps and animations can be fixed.
14. Changed lighting in player setup menu.

15. Added support for scrolling and glow effects for GLSL mesh shaders.
16. Improved accuracy of real-time lighting of meshes in GLSL.
17. New player model, Slashbot.
18. Much faster shadow rendering.
19. Fixed map voting string.
20. Low skill bots no longer user disruptors or vaporizers.
21. Added Mouse Smoothing(adaptive sensitivity).
22. Constrain overbrights to valid values.
23. Eliminate duplicate putenv() calls.
24. Updated blaster skin, fixed uv maps.
25. New HUD for AA2k9.
26. Ejecting brass now makes noise.
27. Add gl_showpolys.
28. Fixed some bad water normalmaps.
29. New player character, the Commander.
30. Added voice taunt system.
31. Fixed bug in func_rotating flags.

32. Rescaled Violator view weapon.
33. Added ctf-frost2k9.
34. Added dm-invasion.
35. Better culling of grass.
36. Fixed bullets endless bouncing in some cases.
37. Added water splash entity(misc_watersplash).
38. Added OpenAL 1.1 sound system.
39. Replaced all music with stero files.
40. Rocket, rocket launcher sound effects changed.
41. Vaporizor sound effect changed.
42. Disruptor no longer sends sound to entire level.
43. Added GLSL post process framebuffer effects.
44. Added explosion distortion(using GLSL FB effect).
45. Added pain distortion(using GLSL FB effect).
46. Added widescreen resolutions to non-custom list.
47. Updated menus with new options.
48. Added aoa-frost2k9.
49. Allow alt-fire to respawn players.
50. Added dm-chasmatic2k9.

51. Added normalmaps for vehicles, consoles, and powerup items.
52. Fixed bug with normalmaps getting gamma correction.
53. Added smoke to explosions, updated smoke effects.
54. Flag return for campers who die from anti-camp.
55. Resampled sounds that need to be upsampled.
56. Status explanations of video settings.
57. Added doppler effect setting.
58. Fixed bug with normals array being undersized.
59. Updated vehicle icons.
60. Added dm-command2k9.
61. Added Ogg-vorbis support.
62. Slight repositioning of beamgun.
63. Fixed menu bug with dynamic lights, bulletproof the menu from doing bad things with settings.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince on PS3 Wii and Xbox 360

Muggles and Magicians

Although you’ll be playing as Harry for nearly all of the Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince videogame - no spoilers about who else you’ll get to play, but if you remember the moment when Harry is out of action in the film you might manage to guess - everyone else in the game is just as detailed and full of character. Many of the actors from the film have provided their voices for the game, and the team have had access to photos and bodyscans of all the characters, so every raised eyebrow and fluttering cloak is accurately portrayed.

For the first time in a Harry Potter game, it’s really possible to read the emotion in characters’ faces as they talk, thanks to the advanced facial animation system that’s been used. And it’s not just that the characters in the game look right and sound right - they moved right, too. EA has made every effort to perfect the animation for all the action in the film. To capture the moves that Harry can make on his broomstick it wasn’t enough to film a stuntman in a studio to get a decent approximation.

Instead, one of the game team built a complete broomstick rig in his kitchen at home, bringing it in so the animators could experiment with every possible move by ‘flying’ one themselves.