HP To Deliver Customizable Print-on-Demand Gaming Artwork will allow players to view, create and purchase custom prints for EverQuest and Free Realms

Following the Sony Online Entertainment (SOE) Fan Faire event June 25-28, HP today launched an innovative print-on-demand service for Massively Multiplayer Online (MMO) gamers. The HP print-on-demand technology will allow players to view, create and purchase custom prints of classic characters, imagery and scenes from SOE’s various fantasy worlds, games and artists. The service, which will be accessed directly from the online games, is scheduled to launch later this year in EverQuest, EverQuest II and Free Realms.

“There is a significant opportunity among SOE’s gamers to provide personalized and customized offline souvenirs from the games and fantasy worlds they love,” said Rohit de Souza, Vice President and General Manager, Retail Publishing Solutions, Imaging and Printing Group. “We believe this program is a first of its kind in the MMO gaming segment and demonstrates the wide range of opportunities available for delivering custom print-on-demand services.”
“This unique service allows players to create their cards during an online play session then, though HP’s state-of-the-art print-on-demand service, we’re able to provide ‘offline’ access to online content to create a whole new interactive experience,” said Christopher Sturr, Director of Corporate Strategy Sony Online Entertainment. “We’ve been impressed with the customization and personalization capabilities offered by HP and are excited about the value this service will bring to gamers.”
How it Works
Through the in-game Station Cash® commerce system in SOE’s games, players will access the Marketplace and choose from a list of select art images and sizes. A simple in-game and/or web-based interface will walk players through the entire process from the initial order to purchase confirmation, without ever closing the game world and/or current game session.

For the initial launch of the service, SOE will debut 10 art images from the Legends of Norrath™ series. The companies plan to feature and debut new prints, limited edition collector’s prints and select prints from top game artists throughout the year. Ultimately, SOE and HP plan to offer players the ability to personalize and customize their own art prints, posters, and other merchandise using their avatar, screen shots and artwork.

About HP Print on Demand Services
HP offers print on demand technologies, expert design services and business processes to produce high quality printed products using the latest HP hardware and media. The products are produced at time of order using secure digital technologies for immediate customer delivery. With the use of the broad suite of HP publishing technologies and services, HP eliminates the need for finished goods inventory, offering competitive price points and unsurpassed quality for print-on-demand products.

Be the first to play Tatsunoko v Capcom - Ultimate All-Stars Hits Anime Expo

You darn kids will get your first open-to-the-public crack at Tatsunoko Vs Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars this weekend at Anime Expo in Los Angeles CA.

It's not the final build of the game, but is already 100% awesome with all of the characters you got a peek at during E3, all their epic supers, and some giant robots thrown in for good measure.

Check here or here for some fun backstory on a few of the glorious TvC characters, or here or here to watch the game being played in the wild.

The full post with links can be found here...

Over 100 games to play on National Geographic Kids website...

National Geographic Kids website has over 100 interactive games for the kid inside us all to enjoy! Between action games, adventure games, puzzles and quizzes, geography games and much more there is a game or puzzle for everyone.

The number one game on the site is Pluto’s Secret which came out last fall and garners over 1 million page views a week! The game developed by National Geographic and Sarbakan, blasts kids into a virtual solar system to complete exciting space missions as well as teach kids why Pluto is no longer considered a planet.

This game among the many other exciting games (which will help pass the time!) can be found at our kids website:

http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/

Knowing that everyone loves free gifts, especially free games, I felt that this would be of great interest to you and your readers of your blog.

Mabinogi video game has released a slew of sunshiny features to kick off its Summer of Fun

Mabinogi has released a slew of sunshiny features to kick off its “Summer of Fun” which includes the release of Hawaiian-style shirts, shaved ice snacks, and an Independence Day event which will add rewards and fun to Mabinogi players’ adventures.

With the purchase of an Aloha Card, players can rebirth their characters (or start new characters) complete with weather appropriate clothing. This clothing includes beach print shirts and shorts as well as sandals. The Aloha Card is currently available.

Once appropriately attired, players can travel to Emain Macha to visit the NPC Gordon to receive sweet treats as part of the Mabinogi “Summer of Fun Shaved Ice Event.” Players can give Gordon fruit juices and he’ll make a shaved ice treat, which will bring refreshment to the players if they choose to eat it. However, to earn rewards and prizes, players can race with their shaved ice to Qilla Base Camp where an overheated Ethna is trading rewards for the cooling effects of the shaved ice. This event is underway and runs through July 9.

More rewards are available to players via the Independence Day event where general stores are selling Red, White and Blue Fireworks. When players shoot off their fireworks, rewards can come to those whose fireworks go especially high. Players will earn a box decorated with the American flag as a reward for their achievement. This event is underway and runs through July 9.

For more information about the Summer of Fun event or the free-to-play and download game, Mabinogi, go to: http://mabinogi.nexon.net/

PC video games Worms 4 Mayhem and Rainbow Six 3 Raven Shield just £4.88 in UK

The titles will retail at the VAT- reduced price of £4.88 and are available to buy NOW on the Sold Out label.

Worms 4 Mayhem is one of the most infectious strategy action games! Worms are back in force with bold new levels, an improved 3D camera and animation system, new customisable weapons, ridiculous new outfits, and the same devilish attitude.

Blow the bejaysus out of each other’s team in the turn-based anarchy that you love. Experience online multiplayer madness with crazy new battle modes and max out your damage with utterly destructible, themed landscapes. Make your team unique with custom hats, hair, hands, glasses voices and more and build your own fiendish ûber-arsenal! Described by PC Gamer as ‘Classic stuff... A multiplayer blast’, this game is a true manic mischievous mayhem!

Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six™ 3 Raven Shield™ Complete, the sequel to Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six™: Rogue Spear™ (2000 Action Game of the Year - PC Gamer US) and Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six™ (1999 Action Game of the Year - PC Gamer US) is sure to keep you right at the edge of your seat. Take command of Team Rainbow, the most elite counter-terrorism force ever assembled. When terrorists assault our world, they incur the wrath of Team Rainbow. Your duty begins when negotiations end. With 30 specialist team modes and over 57 real-world weapons, there is not threat you cannot contain. PC Gamer wrote: ‘No other games out there offer the same level of thoughtful action. It is the best single-player close-combat game and excellent online’. Ensure you do not compromise with terror – just eliminate it!

Nintendo Wii and DS New Adventure Game Based on the Multi Million-Selling The Daring Book for Girls Series out in October

For a daring girl, rafting down the Amazon, climbing Mt. McKinley, or embarking on an exotic African Safari is all in a day's event! Majesco announce The Daring Game for Girls for Nintendo Wii and Nintendo DS. In this adventure title based on the bestselling books published by the William Morrow imprint of HarperCollins, players can achieve their dream adventure by successfully completing an array of exciting challenges.
"The Daring Book for Girls series is the ultimate can-do, how-to 'manual' that celebrates the female spirit and guides adventurous girls in a range of daring and practical activities," said Gui Karyo, Executive Vice President of Operations for Majesco. "This game captures that content and is the perfect interactive complement for fans of the books and other girls interested in a game designed specifically for them."

"The Daring Book for Girls series, including the new book, The Double Daring Book for Girls, has entertained and inspired millions of girls, and we look forward to the game furthering the reach of this well-loved property," said Liate Stelhik, SVP and Publisher of William Morrow.

The Daring Game for Girls is an entertaining and informative adventure that lets players virtually experience activities straight from the popular book. Players can pick from one of several character models with a wide range of ethnicities and features. As they play, girls will earn gear and collectibles while having fun in spy missions, cave exploration, freeze tag, double dutch, basketball, arts and crafts, managing a corner stand, making friends, and much more. Players will also learn educational facts about famous women in history and use that knowledge to ace Pop Quizzes. Only by earning all six types of Daring Girl Badges - including Girl Lore, Life Skills and World Knowledge - can players realize an adventure to Africa, the Amazon or Mt. McKinley and become a true Daring Girl!

Developed by WXP, The Daring Game for Girls on Nintendo Wii and Nintendo DS is expected to release in October 2009.

Mission of Burma, Pearl Jam, The Offspring download tracks added to Rock Band video game

Harmonix and MTV Games announce 16 tracks from artists including Mission of Burma, Pearl Jam, The Offspring and more coming this week to the Rock Band Music Store catalog of download content for the Nintendo Wii system.

Three songs each from alternative rockers Pearl Jam and punk favorites Mission of Burma will be added this week. Additionally, songs from The Offspring, Harvey Danger, Panic at the Disco, George Thorogood and more will be released June 30 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 345 tracks in the Wii Rock Band Music Store.

Release Date: Tuesday, June 30, 2009

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

Tracks:
Deep Purple “Space Truckin’”
George Thorogood “Bad to the Bone”
Harvey Danger “Cream and Bastards Rise”
In This Moment “Forever”
Lacuna Coil “Closer”
Lacuna Coil “Swamped”
Mission of Burma “Mica”
Mission of Burma “That’s How I Escaped My Certain Fate”
Mission of Burma “That’s When I Reach for My Revolver”
The Offspring “Gone Away”
The Offspring “Pretty Fly (For a White Guy)”
Panic at the Disco “She’s a Handsome Woman”
Pearl Jam “Brother”
Pearl Jam “Alive (Live: Drop in the Park)”
Pearl Jam “State of Love and Trust (Live: Drop in the Park)”
Snow Patrol “Take Back the City”

(All tracks are original master recordings)

Price: $2.00 (200 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.

Fragile - Farewell ruins of the moon video game comes to Europe

Rising Star Games is pleased to confirm securing the publishing rights for the much anticipated fantasy adventure title. Fragile: Farewell Ruins of the Moon developed by Tri Crescendo, the team responsible for Baten Kaitos and, more recently, Eternal Sonata exclusively for Nintendo Wii. Fragile is scheduled for a Q1 2010 release in the PAL territories.

“Fragile has a great team of creative designers who in turn have brought to life a beautiful art style that pushes the limits of the Wii console without compromising on gaming quality” stated Tyrone Walcott product manager at Rising Star Games. “This announcement will delight European gamers and the Otaku community. Rising Star Games has again shown its commitment to bring the best games from Japan.”

For members of Rising Star Games exclusive Hoshi Club, this information was released exclusively 72 hours earlier. “We’re incredibly excited about bringing Fragile to the PAL territories. There’s been a massive upsurge of interest for this title since being showcased in Famitsu (Japan)” explained Simon Alty, Rising Star Games’ Head of Brand. “The feedback from fans in our forums was that this was a title they wanted us to champion and we are very excited to respond to that ‘fan power’ with this announcement.”

Fragile takes place in the near future, in a world that has lost its population. You play as Seto, a young boy searching through the abandoned cities and facilities of this world, trying to learn the truth behind the disappearance of all the people, and to find someone to keep him company. In addition to exploration, Seto has to deal with ghosts who appear in the ruins.

Players will be able to explore a dark and abandoned world with the aid of their Wii Remote that functions as a flashlight and as a proximity sensor to hunt down invisible ghosts. The cinematic presentation, joined with an emotional soundtrack, bring the tale of a lonely and lost individual to life as players encounter memorable characters and discover the back story behind scavenged objects that provide insight on people's last days before the apocalypse.

New Hitman 5 video game expected in 2010

The next Hitman game will be released in late 2010, and will share story points with the upcoming film sequel by Twentieth Century Fox.

That's according to Variety, which claims that the fifth Hitman game will have deadly baldy Agent 47 "at a low point" and he must build himself back up psychologically and physically to reclaim his mantle as the world's most feared assassin.

Screenwriter Kyle Ward is back on script duties, as well as penning the Kane and Lynch and Uncharted films.

A Moogle Kupo d’Etat – Evil in Small Doses add on for Final Fantasy XI video game

Square Enix announce that the second add-on scenario for FINAL FANTASY XI, their MMO (Massively Multiplayer Online Game), will begin pre-sale on July 5, 2009. Titled “A Moogle Kupo d’Etat – Evil in Small Doses”, this upcoming add-on scenario will launch simultaneously worldwide later this summer, for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system (North America and Japan only) and Windows.

Beginning on July 5, 2009, “A Moogle Kupo d’Etat – Evil in Small Doses” will be available for pre-purchase and download for £7.99 in the UK and €9.99 in the rest of Europe via the PlayOnline Viewer. Slated to launch at the end of July following the next FINAL FANTASY XI version update, players whose in-game character’s main job level is at least 10 can begin to enjoy this new content. Introducing a brand-new story arc, this new scenario requires the installation of RISE OF THE ZILART®, the first expansion pack in the FINAL FANTASY XI series.

The development of these add-on scenarios, including the already launched “A Crystalline Prophecy - Ode of Life Bestowing” and the upcoming third and final scenario – “A Shantotto Ascension – The Legend Torn, Her Empire Born” – is led by Masato Kato, who created the stories and scenarios for FINAL FANTASY XI, and its first expansion pack, RISE OF THE ZILART. With the summer release of this second scenario, “A Moogle Kupo d’Etat – Evil in Small Doses”, players will delve into a dark mystery set in motion by a single drop of water.
About A Moogle Kupo d’Etat – Evil in Small Doses

Story
It all started with an innocent drop of rainwater and a rickety, ramshackle Mog House desperately in need of repair.
Little did anyone suspect that this would be the beginning of a harrowing nightmare unheard of in the annals of moogle-kind.

About FINAL FANTASY XI

Accommodating players in Europe, North America and Japan, FINAL FANTASY XI is the first massively multiplayer online role-playing game capable of simultaneous multiplayer cooperation across three different platforms. Now in its eighth year of service, FINAL FANTASY XI has a robust community of 500,000 subscribers from around the world. The series continues to evolve and expand, offering newcomers and fans alike an immersive, engrossing and engaging universe to traverse, defend and explore.