Popular Summer Movie Properties Coming to EA Mobile: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, G.I. JOE The Rise of Cobra, Star Trek, & X-Men Origins

EA Mobile announce that it is bringing Hollywood to mobile phones everywhere in 2009 with the launch of four new, movie-based titles: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, G.I. JOE The Rise of Cobra, Star Trek and X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Each title from EA Mobile will give fans the chance to extend their movie experience by stepping into the shoes of their favorite characters from the big screen for all new action and adventures on a mobile device. Whether battling against Death Eaters as Harry Potter, facing off against Cobra Commander as a G.I. JOE operative, taking on hordes of Klingons aboard the USS Enterprise starship, or slashing through enemies with Wolverine’s adamantium claws, movie fans are sure to enjoy EA Mobile’s action-packed roster of mobile games.

“There are a lot of great movies this summer that translate into exciting mobile entertainment experiences, including these phenomenally popular franchises,” said Adam Sussman, VP Worldwide Publishing, EA Mobile. “These are four of the hottest films this year, and EA Mobile is proud to bring fantastic game companions of each title to mobile phones.”

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Experience the magic of Harry Potter in this exciting new mobile game for feature phones based on the latest installment of one of the most popular movie franchises of all time. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince delivers all the fun of the movie via varied, action-packed gameplay in the authentic and interactive setting of Hogwarts™ School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Join Harry, Ron and Hermione as they explore the school grounds, interact with popular characters, and battle Dark Forces in an all-new free roaming environment.

G.I. JOE The Rise of Cobra

Developed under license from Hasbro, Inc. and based on the blockbuster movie due out on August 7th, G.I. JOE The Rise of Cobra for feature phones gives players the chance to join Conrad R. “Duke” Hauser, Shana “Scarlett” O’Hare, and Wallace “Rip Cord” Weems in the events that take place directly after the movie’s conclusion. Face off against Cobra Commander’s toughest villains including Storm Shadow, Destro, and Cobra Commander using the very latest technology and vehicles at your disposal in this frenetic side scrolling action game inspired by the famous action figures.

Star Trek

Become the captain of the USS Enterprise and fight against the Klingons, Cardassions and Vulcans in an all new space adventure based on the world famous Star Trek franchise. The game is available now on feature phones and iPhone, to coincide with the release of the latest movie directed by J.J. Abrams. The Star Trek mobile game pits players against enemies from all over the galaxy in a number of diverse and exciting gameplay scenarios that are guaranteed to keep you coming back for more.

X-Men Origins: Wolverine

Take on the role of one of Marvel’s most popular X-Men as he attempts to discover the secrets of his past in this all new mobile game based on the Hollywood blockbuster starring Hugh Jackman. Players must use all the weapons at their disposal and battle through hordes of enemy mutants on the journey to discover Wolverine’s origins in an action-packed mobile gaming experience on feature phones.

Star Trek is now available on feature phones and iPhone; X-Men Origins: Wolverine is now available on feature phones; and Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and G.I. JOE The Rise of Cobra will both be available on feature phones in July.

New PlayStation 3 firmware to allow background downloads and abuse logging

Reported changes could be a long-awaited "reputation system," where players can evaluate each other. There will also be grief reporting as well, which doesn't mean you tell Sony about how sad you are over Michael Jackson. Instead, you'll be able to take screenshots of player abuse and show the PSN overlords.

The most pleasant bit of gossip is talk about players being able to download patches in the background, meaning one can do other things while waiting for excessively long updates to install. Audiophiles will also be thrilled to hear that simultaneous HDMI and digital optical outputting should also be on the way.

Until Sony confirms any of this, we can't say it is definitely coming, but everything sounds like a good feature for the PS3 and will be welcomed with open arms. As soon as more is said, we shall let you know.

European Street Fighter IV Championships

With the European Street Fighter IV Championships taking place tomorrow it's the perfect time to check out the UK Championships matches from last week. Now available for download from our press site, these exciting matches feature stellar performances from the best players the UK has to offer.

Of particular note is the Vega vs Sagat match. Who says tiering counts at tournament level play?

NFC West team and player rating revealed in Madden NFL 10 season preview

Can you feel it? With NFL OTA’s (Organized Team Activity) concluding, that means that start of training camp draws ever closer. What teams will lead the pack? Which players are prepped for a breakout season? Will your team be a contender or pretender? See how your favorite team and players will fair – according to the Madden NFL 10 Season Preview.

We continue our look at each team’s overall rating and individual player ratings with a focus on the NFC West division. In addition to the player ratings, a wealth of team-specific assets will be made available, for both the Xbox 360, PLAYSTATION 3, and Nintendo Wii versions of Madden NFL 10.
Everything culminates on August 3rd, where Madden NFL 10 will predict the 2009 NFL division winners, season MVP, and more.

To view the overall team ratings for the Cardinals, Seahawks, 49ers and Rams as well as download the complete team roster ratings, visit the official Madden NFL 10 website below:

• Madden NFL 10 Season Preview

Up next week: The NFC East

Madden NFL 10 will be available on the Xbox 360 video game system from Microsoft, PlayStation 2 and PLAYSTATION 3 computer entertainment systems, Nintendo Wii, PSP (PlayStation Portable) handheld entertainment system and is rated E for Everyone by the ESRB.

Tropico 3 – Sign up now for the closed beta – due to go live on the 13th of July!

Kalypso Media are offering a select group of gamers the opportuity to pay an early visit to their tropical paradise, Tropico Island. Closed beta testing of Tropico 3 will provide the opportunity to visit Tropico Island at the start of summer. Tropico 3, published by Kalypso Media and developed by Haemimont Games is the sequel to the hit title Tropico series and follows closely the storyline of the original title in the series, Tropico.

The beta testers will be the first El Presidentes of the modern Tropico Island, with new features such as secret police, a lucrative oil industry, additional edicts and much more. Applicants for the position of El Presidente can sign up here:

www.haemimontgames.com/tropico3/betatest.php

The first mandate to rule the people of Tropico will begin on the 13th of July. Selected candidates will be provided with further details by e-mail.

Monster Hunter Freedom Unite with free downloads arives

Monster Hunter Freedom Unite has arrived in Europe and as part of Capcom’s post launch initiatives there will be a range of new quests and bonus items available to download for free of charge each month. To celebrate today’s launch the first three are already available and feature a jungle based quest for beginners and two hunting quests for the more advanced hunter.

Gamers have 50 minutes to complete each quest and if successful they will be rewarded with some cash to purchase new weapons and armour or buy some treats for their Felyne. If that’s not enough then take advantage of some of the bonus items that are also on offer. There are new titles to add to your Guild Card and access to new Felynes and skills to equip them with. Just visit the download section when you’re in the main menu of the game and you will be able to download the quests for free.

Capcom is also launching a retail initiative to encourage players to team up and embark on their journey through the world of Monster Hunter together. Purchasers of the game will find a unique game code printed on the back of the game manual which once entered on the Capcom Europe website www.capcom-europe.com will generate its own unique team code. Everytime you persuade one of your friends to purchase the game make sure they register on the website using this team code. Get three of your friends to register and you will be automatically entered into a monthly prize draw to win some fantastic Capcom prizes as well as a position on the leader board. The person sitting at the top of the leader board at the end of the year will win a grand prize!

Share Gifts with your My Friends! on Nintendo DS

Collect cool gifts for your friends and share them in My Friends! Explore the many different game locations to collect your gifts and once you have them you can share them with your friends, choosing from flowers, snacks or surprises! Got a friend who’s hungry?

Then make sure you give them a snack! A young lady you want to impress? Flowers are the way to her heart! Not sure what to give? Then surely a surprise is the right thing!

You’ll get extra points if you give the perfect gift, so make sure you choose wisely!

The happier your friends are, the more games, clothes, accessories and hairstyles you can unlock, you can even unlock new locations to go and explore and play games in! You can share gifts and friends with other Nintendo DS owners and also chat with up to three of them via DS Wireless Communications.

Travel through the different worlds to find your gifts, it’s not easy as they’ll never be in the same place again in the same world! See if you can get the complete set of gifts, you’ll never run out of friends and be the best friend ever!
This summer, let My Friends take you to a whole new world of fun & games!

Make Friends, Play Games, Have Fun with My Friends, available for Nintendo DS™ on 31st July 2009.

Addictive puzzler Droplitz on Xbox LIVE PlayStation Network and PC

Blitz Arcade’s fantastically addictive downloadable bundle of joy is out now on Xbox LIVE, PlayStation Network and PC. Look out for it on iPhone soon.

Brought to the unsuspecting and soon-to-be-addicted world by Atlus and Blitz Arcade Droplitz promises hours and hours of: “Just five more minutes…”

The game:
Droplitz is all about connecting dials to save the precious droplitz dripping from the top of the screen. If you create multiple paths at the same time, you earn score combos and generate more droplitz.

Steve Stopps, Blitz Arcade Project Director, says: “Droplitz is such a favourite in the studio and we’re really excited that players are getting their hands on it finally. Reaction so far has been great and we just want everyone out there to enjoy it as much as we do. It’s great working with such a passionate and enthusiastic publisher as Atlus, who share our excitement about this game.”

Special things about Droplitz:
• Infinitely accessible, instantly addictive – Turn dials, open paths, and don't let the droplitz go to waste! Casual and hardcore gamers alike will be mesmerised by Droplitz as they rotate and connect puzzle pieces to let the droplitz flow and earn high scores.
• Four unique game modes – Distinct layers of complexity keep the challenge fresh with Classic, Zendurance, Power Up and and Infection. Learn how to deal with sluggish, infected dials; strategically use bombs to clear sections of the game board or speed up the action.
• Endless replayability – The timeless satisfaction of making combos, clearing boards, and earning top scores will keep players coming back for more. Ever increasing speeds and larger boards ensure that there will always be a challenge ahead.
• Compete for high scores – Online leaderboards and 12 trophies/achievements mean that when you're the best, everyone will know it. High score-based gameplay makes every game a competition to get to the top of the charts.

Users Who Had Albatross 18 Accounts Before Pangya Re-Launched In U.S. Must Submit Their Account Recovery Requests By 11:59 PDT June 30

Ntreev announce it will be closing Pangya migration from Albatross 18 at 11:59 PDT June 30th. This means any Albatross 18 users who want to migrate their accounts over to Pangya must submit their recovery requests to Ntreev USA before the cutoff time on June 30. After that, the account recovery service will no longer be available.

This announcement is only for players who had played Albatross 18 and have not yet submitted a request for account recovery. For players who have never played the previous version of Pangya, this announcement does not apply. Albatross 18 players can request account recovery through the ‘RECOVER ACCOUNT’ button located on the right side of Ntreev’s website at:
http://Pangya.ntreev.net/.

Pangya is a casual golf game that takes the difficult rules of golf an transforms them into an easy to pick-up and play casual golf experience that a player of any skill level can enjoy. Pangya is free for players to download and play, while some items in the game including certain characters, clothing sets, new equipment and accessories are available to purchase via micro-transaction. The in-game currency in Pangya, called Pang, allows players to purchase items from the in-game shop that will enhance a character. The in-game shop also provides new inventory and equipment and offers players the ability to send gifts and more. Gamers can earn Pang by finishing a hole at par or better and by showcasing powerful shots.

Empire Total War video game soundtrack released

Epic Original Score Performed by the Slovak National Symphony Orchestra

Sumthing Else Music Works, Inc., through its licensing relationship with SEGA, proudly presents Empire: Total War - The Soundtrack featuring the musical score from the latest installment of The Creative Assembly's multi award winning Total War PC gaming franchise.

Empire: Total War - The Soundtrack will be released on June 30th to retail outlets through Sumthing Else Music Works www.sumthing.com, and will be available for digital download on Sumthing Digital www.sumthingdigital.com and iTunes®.

Empire: Total War - The Soundtrack features the epic orchestral score composed by Richard Beddow (Viking: Battle For Asgard), Richard Birdsall, Walter Nair, Simon Ravn and performed by The Slovak National Symphony Orchestra at the Slovak Radio Concert Hall in Bratislava. The score was orchestrated and conducted by Nic Raine (Viking: Battle For Asgard) and the soundtrack was produced by lead composer Richard Beddow.

"Undertaking the challenge of the music production for Empire: Total War was no simple task," said composer Richard Beddow. "The game needed music to convey its size and breadth, covering the various countries at war, delicately accompanying campaign gameplay and underpinning the various cinematics and events in the game."
Empire: Total War is set in the 18th century, a turbulent era that is the most requested by Total War's loyal fan base and a period alive with global conflict, revolutionary fervor and technological advances. With themes such as the Industrial Revolution, America's struggle for independence, the race to control Eastern trade routes and the globalization of war on land and sea, Empire: Total War delivers one of the richest and most dynamic PC RTS game experiences of all time. For more information on the game, please visit www.totalwar.com.

For more information on Sumthing Else Music Works and its complete catalog of video game soundtracks, please visit www.sumthing.com and www.sumthingdigital.com.