Bird's Eye view benefits IL-2 video game

505 Games in collaboration with 1C Company, the publishers of upcoming WWII flight combat title IL-2 Sturmovik: Birds Of Prey have today shed some light on the processes by which the game’s impressive visuals are produced, which include the use of satellite photography. STRM database pictures, renowned for their uttermost precision, have been used to recreate the landscapes of war-torn Europe in remarkable detail.

Building accurate 1940’s environments using the latest in cutting edge satellite technology comes with a set of immediate problems, most obviously the 50 year time gap in buildings, foliage and other features, many of which did not exist at the time of the game’s setting and others which are now long gone from the real word and need to be added. To combat this, the development team have collated and pored over hundreds of wartime photos, documents and maps, painstakingly removing unwanted additions and recreating missing landscape features.

Whenever possible, locations have been remodelled according to genuine, historically accurate photos from archives around the world. These were laboriously compared with modern images to ensure all significant features were included or removed as appropriate. Where documented evidence was unavailable, the team took the time to create unique buildings in keeping with the style of the era, often imitating structures from other cites of the era and transposing them into the created landscapes. In total, over two million buildings and around 35 million trees were put in place using these processes to produce a level of realism hitherto unseen on current generation consoles.

“Collecting all the necessary data, both old and new, to create IL-2 had been a long battle all of its own,” commented Alex Price, Senior Global Brand Manager for 505 Games. “The game is now looking as good we had always anticipated it would and in light of that, the scouring of archives and satellite databases has all been worth it!”

Developed by Gaijin Entertainment for Xbox 360 and PS3, DiP Interactive for Nintendo DS and SME Dynamic Systems Limited for PSP, IL-2 Sturmovik: Birds of Prey features the greatest aerial battles of all time, during the Second World War, and boasts the most realistic landscapes and aircraft seen in any flight sim.

IL-2 Sturmovik: Birds of Prey will be published by 505 Games in collaboration with 1C Company.

WW2: Time of Wrath video game out now

WW2: Time of Wrath! This massively improved sequel to the grand strategy game WW2: Road to Victory comes with deep turn-based grand strategy gameplay, including the ability to play any of the minor countries as well as fully modeled land, air and naval combat, research, production and logistics.

Additionally, owners of WW2: Road to Victory can upgrade to Time of Wrath and enjoy all the new features and benefits completely FREE of charge! Owners of WW2: Road to Victory should check the WW2: Time of Wrath forum and the Matrix Games’ Members Club for more information on the free upgrade offer.

David Heath, Director of Operations at Matrix Games, said “WW2: Road to Victory has enjoyed a strong and positive community response, so we’re very happy to see this exciting new game system progress. WW2: Time of Wrath is a massive improvement over its predecessor and anyone who was interested in Road to Victory should definitely check Time of Wrath! In cooperation with Wastelands Interactive, we’re also pleased to offer WW2: Time of Wrath as a free upgrade to WW2: Road to Victory owners as a thank you to them for supporting this series.”



From the front lines in France and Russia to the deserts of North Africa and the airfields and convoys of Britain, the campaigns of World War II are yours to command in WW2: Time of Wrath! This turn-based grand strategy title, the highly improved and expanded sequel to WW2: Road to Victory, puts the player in charge of the political, economic and military decisions of one or more Axis or Allied nations, including minor nations. A diplomacy system based on political points allows you to sway possible allies to your side. An upgraded and expanded naval combat system includes fleet engagements, combat patrols, massive aircraft carriers, elusive raiders and U-Boats as well as a convoy system.



Concentrate precious industrial resources on building, training and upgrading a wide variety of combat units from airborne soldiers and armored divisions up to nuclear weapons! Historical leaders enhance the performance of your armies and hundreds of historical events like the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, Lend-Lease and more give you choices that can change the course of history. WW2: Time of Wrath is fought across turns that vary in length by season and 25 km hexes with divisions and corps, giving the player a broad strategic picture of the war while still leaving enough room for operational decisions.



Features include:



* Four Grand Campaigns (1939, 1940, 1941 and 1944) cover the full war in the European Theater, lasting up to 1948 for maximum flexibility
* Two Scenarios (Fall Weiss and Overlord)
* Simple and intuitive user interface with engrossing historical gameplay
* Hundreds of historical events such as Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, Vienna Dictate, Lend-Lease, and many more.
* Play as any nation and as any combination of countries to experience the war through a unique perspective.
* Air and Land Combat, including Sieges, Interceptions, Strategic Bombardment, Air Recon, Fleet Air attacks, Bombardment.
* Enhanced naval system that includes Aircraft Carriers, Battle, Patrol and Submarine Groups. Managing fleets, convoys and raiders in Sea Zones.
* Air forces now extend their power over nearby sea zones.
* Advanced weather system simulates spring and autumn / rainfall and snow. Beware of General Winter! Weather conditions have a different effect on each country.
* Any combination of move and attack is allowed as long as Action Points are available.
* Technological race in research of new more powerful units.
* Mulberry harbors now available as a helpful and powerful tool in preparation for huge landing operations.
* Paratroopers conduct airborne landings help to take distant key point locations.
* Fully historical, detailed orders of battle in all scenarios with historical names for hundreds of land, air and naval units.
* Land units divided are into Divisional and Corps size allowing the player to choose what best fits his economy and play style.
* Historical commanders boost the effectiveness of units under their care.
* Improved A.I. to perform better at the strategic and tactical level.
* An innovative naval combat model and realistic supply convoy attack system
* A simple yet immersive political point system for diplomatic relations – alienate enemies and solidify ties with allies
* A healthy variety of combat units to command from armored and airborne forces to strategic bombers and battleships – even nukes!
* Random historical events that can guide and shape the course of the war

'Car Mania' from Origin8 - motorist management mayhem on the iPhone/iPod Touch

Origin8 are pleased to announce the release of ‘Car Mania’, a casual route management game with hardcore production values. ‘Car Mania’ provides deceptively challenging pick-up-and-play action, vibrant visuals and a criminally catchy soundtrack. ‘Car Mania’ is available for the Apple iPhone/iPod Touch from the iTunes App Store for $0.99 or regional equivalent.

‘Car Mania’ features:

- Intuitive controls – draw each vehicle’s path with your finger; tap to stop and go.

- Keep commuters moving and in one piece – delays and crashes cause the road rage meter to rise!

- Juggle a variety of cars, trucks and motorbikes, each with different speeds and capabilities.

- Watch out for road works or you’ll get in a jam!

- Play across three gorgeous maps with distinct layouts and unique challenges.

- Go for the top score in a fast and furious round of Time Attack, or play Survival mode and see how long you can keep the city moving.

- Want to let off some steam? Try Road Rage mode where pile ups mean points. Happy wrecking!

- With full online high scores and unlockable achievements using OpenFeint, there’s always an excuse for just one more go.

Get Car Mania here: http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=322429835&mt=8 For the latest news on Car Mania and our other products, follow Origin8 on Twitter: http://twitter.com/origin8, or check our forums: http://www.origin8.com/forums.

Flight1 release RealAir Beech Duke Boxed Edition

The Beechcraft Duke first rolled out in 1968 and production continued through to the early 1980s. The aircraft’s blend of elegance, pressurised cabin and performance made it a firm favourite with her owners, though her reputation for thirst and expensive repair bills were equally legendary!

Developed by the award-winning RealAir, thankfully you won’t have to worry about the bills. Instead this beautiful simulated aircraft makes the perfect platform for IFR flights, or just taking to the skies for the sheer pleasure of flying... this must be one of the most satisfying simulations of a piston twin yet available for FSX.

The RealAir Beech Duke boxed edition is available from all good retailers, from the local hobby shop to high street chain stores. The boxed version and the download version (using Flight1’s popular e-commerce system) are also both available direct from flight1 here: http://www.flight1.com/products.asp?search=true&filter=all&txtsearch=262a

PlaySpan Launches Virtual Goods Marketplace on Leading Social Networking Sites

PlaySpan, the leader in monetization solutions for online games, virtual worlds, and social networks, today announced a new marketplace storefront for Facebook, and coming soon to MySpace, which enables consumers to purchase online game items, virtual goods, and game currencies from many of today’s most popular online games and applications.

The news marks the first time that consumers will have the ability to participate in a universal virtual goods commerce marketplace that also enables them to buy, trade, and sell goods within social networks and use the items in their online game environments. The application provides game developers and publishers a massive new social networking based distribution channel to engage consumers within the context of their social graph.

“Our social network marketplace takes online game commerce experiences to the next level. We are bridging the gap between gaming on and off social networks through a common monetization platform,” said Karl Mehta, Founder & CEO of PlaySpan. “Providing our marketplace application to hundreds of millions of consumers on the social networks will significantly help them to conduct virtual goods transactions across multiple platforms, as well as engage their friends in the process through gifting, trading, and sharing.”

"Combining the PlaySpan marketplace with our existing monetization solutions within the social networks and online communities like Facebook and MySpace signals a giant step forward for publishers and developers who want to make virtual goods available to consumers wherever they are," said Lex Bayer, General Manager of Social Networks at PlaySpan and Co-Founder of SpareChange. “By uploading their items into the PlaySpan market place, publishers will tap into a syndicated distribution model that places their items in store fronts that span gaming sites, online portals, and social networking sites.”

Facebook users can go to the following page to start utilizing the marketplace:

http://apps.facebook.com/sparechange/landing.html

Tomy Corporation Unveils Tips And Tricks For Pangya: Fantasy Golf!

Tomy Corporation today released tips and tricks to increase players’ performance as they swing and putt their way through the fantastical world in Pangya: Fantasy Golf on the PSP! Players will learn when to use certain clubs, how to execute the perfect shot, how to deal with environmental elements and more. There are also secret shots such as the Tomahawk Shot and the Spike Shot that will help players become one of the best golfers on Pangya Island. Get ready to amp up your skills and take your golf game to the next level!

To download the tips and tricks, please visit: http://bhimpact.gamespress.com/product_page.asp?i=931.

Citeremis Releases Latest Version Of Aztaka, Plus Localiased French Demo And Announces Sale To Celebrate

Citeremis announces Aztaka 1.03 is out today. Aztaka is a downloadable PC side-scrolling adventure/RPG game that blends classic gameplay with modern technology and high-end graphics.

The demo - now also available in French - will give a taste of the stunning visual experience Aztaka promises.

If you haven’t enjoyed it yet, make the most of the weeklong sales price to celebrate this latest version. Available from Friday onwards at $18.95.

Aztaka can be found at the Aztaka website www.aztaka.com .

Citeremis are delighted with this latest version which includes an array of new improvements and as such is sure to meet with approval from Aztaka fans everywhere.

"We've been getting a lot of constructive feedback from our fans," says Mercier, "and it's been a great help for this latest update. The focus in version 1.03 was really to make the game more user friendly and easier to get into. I hope we'll continue to get good feedback like this to make subsequent versions even better."

As well as improving the game's stability, the update adds new features including AutoSave and a log of completed quests. Furthermore, Huitzilo's death now merely takes the player back to the last door he passed through, rather than to a Game Over screen, making the game a little more forgiving for beginners.

New tracks Kings of Leon, Racid, Kin No Doubt, Judas Priest, The Dead Weather The Grateful Dead and Thin Lizzy added to Rock Band

Harmonix and MTV Games today announced that indie rockers Kings of Leon and punk rockers Rancid will make their Rock Band debuts with three packs of songs that will be added to the Rock Band Music Store of downloadable content next week as will a three pack from Rise Against and a single from Lush, for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system.

Additionally, tracks from No Doubt, Judas Priest, The Dead Weather and more will be available in the Wii™ Rock Band Music Store, and tracks from The Grateful Dead and Thin Lizzy will be available for Rock Band Unplugged.

New Rock Band DLC Additions for Xbox 360 and PLAYSTATION 3 Systems
The Rancid pack will include “Ruby Soho” and “Time Bomb,” from the band’s 1994 platinum album, …And Out Come The Wolves, as well as “Last One to Die,” from the band’s latest studio album, Let the Dominoes Fall. The band is currently on tour in support of this album with fellow American punk rock outfit Rise Against, who also offer a three pack to the Rock Band Music Store next week. “Re-Education (Through Labor)” and “Savior,” from the band’s new album, Appeal to Reason, as well as “Prayer of the Refugee,” from the band’s 2006 album, The Sufferer & the Witness, will be available July 21 for Rock Band fans. “Sweetness & Light” from English shoegazers Lush will also be available next week, and Tennessee indie rockers Kings of Leon will make their Rock Band debut with “Crawl” and “Sex on Fire,” from their 2008 album, Only by the Night, as well as “Molly’s Chambers,” from the band’s 2003 debut album, Youth and Young Manhood.

Tracks available for Xbox 360 (July 21) and PLAYSTATION 3 system (July 23):

Kings of Leon “Crawl”
Kings of Leon “Molly’s Chambers”
Kings of Leon “Sex on Fire”
Rancid “Last One to Die”
Rancid “Ruby Soho”
Rancid “Time Bomb”
Rise Against “Prayer of the Refugee”
Rise Against “Re-Education (Through Labor)”
Rise Against “Savior”
Lush “Sweetness & Light”

(All tracks are original master recordings)

These tracks will be available for purchase as part of the “Kings of Leon Pack,” “Rancid Pack,” “Rise Against Pack” or as individual tracks for Xbox 360 and PLAYSTATION 3 systems.



Wii Additions
Additionally, tracks from Big Dipper, Judas Priest and The Dead Weather, as well as back-catalog tracks from Jethro Tull, Naked Brothers and No Doubt will be available July 21 in the Wii Rock Band Music Store. These tracks come from the catalog of Rock Band music already released to owners of Xbox 360 and PLAYSTATION 3 system. With the addition of these tracks, there are now more than 400 tracks in the Wii Rock Band Music Store.

Additional tracks available for Wii (July 21):

Big Dipper “All Going Out Together” *
Big Dipper “She’s Fetching” *
Big Dipper “Younger Bums” *
Judas Priest “Dissident Aggressor (Live)”
Judas Priest “Eat Me Alive (Live)”
Judas Priest “Prophecy (Live)”
The Dead Weather “Hang You From the Heavens”
The Dead Weather “No Hassle Night”
The Dead Weather “Treat Me Like Your Mother”
Jethro Tull “Hymn 43”
Naked Brothers “Body I Occupy” *
Naked Brothers “I Don’t Want To Go To School” *
No Doubt “Bathwater”
No Doubt “Don’t Speak”
No Doubt “Excuse Me Mr.”
No Doubt “Ex-Girlfriend”
No Doubt “Hella Good”
No Doubt “Hey Baby”
No Doubt “It’s My Life”
No Doubt “Just a Girl”
No Doubt “Running”
No Doubt “Simple Kind of Life”
No Doubt “Spiderwebs”
No Doubt “Sunday Morning”
No Doubt “Underneath It All”

(All tracks are original master recordings)

City of Heroes update announced - Issue 16: Power Spectrum for Fall 2009

City of Heroes' latest offering, Issue 16: Power Spectrum, forever changes the way all super powered beings will look at their powers. Now, changing the colors of your powers is as easy as changing the colors of your cape!

At last, our next free content update unveils the all new, much requested and long awaited Powers Customization system! You wanted more control over what your characters' powers look like, and you are getting it! Issue 16: Power Spectrum takes City of Heroes' unparalleled character creator to the next level by unveiling a kaleidoscope of colors for your characters' powers. Become your own pyrotechnician as you select themes for your characters' powers and color coordinate the hues of the power effects.

New Character Creator

Not only does the newly updated Character Creator allow players to jump directly between Archetype, Powersets, Costumes and Character ID in any order without losing progress, but it also allows you to select your colors and theme for each individual power or apply it to the entire powerset. These themes will allow for color tinting of geometry and particle effects such as energy blast colors and force field colors. The primary and secondary colors of any power effect can be changed individually for each power in the set.

Customizable Powers

Customizable powersets include Cold Domination, Dark Armor, Dark Blast, Dark Melee, Dark Miasma, Earth Control, Earth Melee, Electric Armor, Electric Assault, Electric Blast, Electric Melee, Electricity Manipulation, Empathy, Energy Assault, Energy Aura, Energy Blast, Energy Manipulation, Energy Melee, Fiery Aura, Fire Assault, Fire Blast, Fire Control, Fire Manipulation, Fire Melee, Force Field, Gravity Control, Ice Armor, Ice Assault, Ice Blast, Ice Control, Ice Manipulation, Ice Melee, Illusion, Invulnerability, Kinetics, Mental Manipulation, Mind Control, Necromancy, Plant Control, Psionic Assault, Psychic Blast, Radiation Blast, Radiation Emission, Regeneration, Sonic Resonance, Sonic Blast, Spines, Stone Armor, Storm Summoning, Super Reflexes, Thermal Radiation, Thorny Assault and Willpower.

Super Strength and Martial Arts will each receive an alternate animation for their powers, and Stone Armor and Necromancy will include limited customization.

Other Issue 16 Features

Powerset Proliferation - More powersets are now in the hands of Archetypes who couldn't use them previously! Blasters will have access to Radiation Blast, Brutes will get their Claws on, Controllers can now freeze it up with Cold Domination, and Corruptors get to feel the "twang" of Archery and Trick Arrow. Defenders can go high-tech with Assault Rifle and Traps, and Dominators can pulverize their enemies with Earth Assault. Masterminds heat things up with Thermal Radiation, Scrappers and Tankers get ready to fry their foes with Electric Melee and Electric Armor, and finally Stalkers get to swing their own mighty Broadsword.

Enhanced Difficulty Options - Players can now fine-tune their difficulty levels by telling the game exactly how they want to be treated. They can choose to be regarded as a specific size team (even if they are soloing), and even have control over the level they are detected to be when it comes to the dynamic spawn system. So if you ever wanted to see if your Scrapper could take on a map that is populated for an 8 person team, four levels higher than your own, now you can! The difficulty settings of the mission owner dictate how the mission is handled, just as before, and you can change your difficulty settings at any Hero Corp.'s Representative in Paragon City or Fateweaver in the Rogue Isles.

Other features to be announced.

Capcom at San Diego Comic Con 2009

Capcom is back- bigger and better than ever- at San Diego’s Comic-Con next week. We can’t believe it’s already been a year since we were there sporting red head bands and hosting Street Fighter IV tournaments with the coolest gaming fans on the planet. Now it’s time for Capcom to do it all over again at San Diego Comic-Con 2009.

There will be tournaments, our Japanese game developers and the hottest gaming line-up of 2009! We promise that Capcom’s event will be absolutely insane and totally worth stopping by!

Our press schedule is still open so if still need to make a booth appointment to see all the hotness, please email 47 Communications at capcom@fortyseven.com

With the show only a week away, here’s a break down of what Capcom has to offer. Read it and weep kids!


GAMES FEATURED

* Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth­ (never-before-seen demo)
* Lost Planet 2
* Dark Void
* Tatsunoko VS Capcom Ultimate All-Stars
* Marvel vs. Capcom 2
* Resident Evil: The Dark Side Chronicles
* Fate/Unlimited Codes


BOOTH INFORMATION

* Find Capcom in Hall G in booth # 5113, Wednesday, July 22 – Sunday, July 26
* The 400 sq. ft. boxing ring is back featuring our hottest fighting titles of 2009/2010, all available for hands-on demos: Tatsunoko VS Capcom Ultimate All-Stars, Fate/Unlimited Codes and Marvel VS Capcom 2 . Expect heart-pounding tournaments for Tatsunoko VS Capcom Ultimate All-Stars and Marvel VS Capcom 2
* First appearance of the North American Ace Attorney Investigations : Miles Edgeworth­ demo



* Download up to 8 free Monster Hunter Freedom Unite quests



* Hourly signings by our Capcom producers from Japan, Udon artists, and other special guests including Bear McCreary- the hottest sci-fi composer around with both the Dark Void soundtrack and BattleStar Galactica soundtracks under his belt!
* Tchotch galore – Monster Hunter Freedom Unite t-shirts, Tatsunoko VS Capcom Ultimate All-Stars fighter towels, Spyborgs comics, Dark Void photo area & figurines, Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth DS tins & towels, Lost Planet 2 plushies and zombie-hot Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles T-shirts



PANEL INFORMATION


Capcom will be hosting four panels throughout the event, complete with full Q&A sessions:

* THURSDAY, JULY 23 – 3:15–4:15 CAPCOM 2009 Lineup – Join Capcom's premiere producers as they present sneak peeks at the most anticipated games of the year featuring Jun Takeuchi ( Lost Planet 2), Morgan Gray ( Dark Void), Daryl Allison ( Spyborgs), Motohide Eshiro ( Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth), and Masachika Kawata ( Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles). Moderated by Capcom-Unity.com's Seth Killian, see exclusive gameplay footage and behind-the-scenes making-of features followed by a Q&A session! Room 6BCF
* FRIDAY, JULY 24 – 2:30–3:30 CAPCOM Fighting Games – Capcom fighting fans unite as our game producters present first looks at the hottest new fighting games for the year featuring Rey Jiminez and John Diamonon ( Marvel vs. Capcom 2), Kazuhiro Tsuchiya ( Fate/Unlimited Codes), and Ryota Niitsuma ( Tatsunoko vs. Capcom). Moderated by Capcom-Unity.com's and SFII Champion, Seth Killian, see exclusive gameplay footage and behind-the-scenes making-of features. Plus, we'll pull a couple fans onstage for an impromptu Marvel vs. Capcom 2 tournament to show off your mad skillz and earn big Capcom prizes! All followed by a Q&A session! Room 5AB
* FRIDAY, JULY 24 – 5:00-6:00 LOST PLANET 2 – Capcom presents an in-depth, behind-the-scenes look at one of the most anticipated games for the PS3 and Xbox 360 featuring premiere producer, Jun Takeuchi direct from Capcom Japan, joined by Frank Filice and Shawn Baxter of Capcom. Moderated by Capcom’s Francis Mao, see exclusive gameplay footage and making-of features. Plus, we'll pull a couple fans onstage for an impromptu Akrid hunting session to win some exclusive Capcom prizes! All followed by a Q&A session! Room 2
* SATURDAY, JULY 25 – 10:00-11:00 How to Get a Job in the Video Game Industry – Capcom presents a comprehensive panel of video game industry insiders who will share their story of how they got into the business, what types of career opportunities are available, and most importantly – provide tips and leads to the audience for their own entry into the industry. Featuring Cliff Bleszinski, Lyle Hall, Mona Hamilton, Francis Mao, Ruben Langdon, Karen Dyer and Shana Bryant. Moderated by Christian Svensson. Includes an indepth Q&A session Room 2

CAPCOM STORE

* Street Fighter IV Mad Catz Fight Stick Tournament Edition - exclusive design just for Comic-Con
* Street Fighter IV Mad Catz Fight Pad - exclusive design just for Comic-Con
* Devil May Cry 4 Nero's Red Queen Sword - Heavy and very cool. We have 10 total; 5 with the standard blade and 5 with a weathered blade. The weathered blade is exclusive to Comic-Con. They have red leather-wrapped handles and tons of detail.
* Dark Void "Will" statue - this incredibly detailed statue featuring Will from our upcoming Dark Void game, lights up with integrated lighting effects with the flick of a switch (batteries not included). He also comes in a mini version without the glowing goodness.
* SF20: The Art Of Street Fighter - what would Comic-Con be if we didn't offer a new art book. Udon does us proud once again with amazing new hardcover. This oversized 320 page art book showcases artwork from the original Street Fighter game up through Street Fighter IV and all vs. crossovers. Includes artwork from legendary artists Akiman, CRMK Kinu Nishimura, Shinkiro, Ikeno, Edayan and more!