Oscar De La Hoya joins first boxer download for Fight Night Round 4 video game

Electronic Arts revealed that its first downloadable boxer pack for Fight Night Round 4 will be available in late August on Xbox LIVE and the PlayStation Network for 800 Microsoft points and $9.99, respectively. The downloadable boxer pack will include Oscar De La Hoya, Vitali Klitschko, Wladimir Klitschko, and alternate versions of George Foreman and James Toney. Named the Game Critic Awards “Best Sports Game of E3 2009”, Fight Night Round 4 has been winning over reviewers and fans since its release on June 23rd.



In addition to the boxer pack, EA SPORTS will also be releasing a free downloadable game update at the end of August. The free update will include additional trunks, gloves and shorts, as well as a free button control scheme that will allow gamers to use face buttons on the Xbox 360 and PS3 game controllers to throw punches, hooks, uppercuts and haymakers. A new demo featuring the button controls will also be available on Xbox LIVE and the PlayStation Network by early September. The 12 round demo will feature Mike Tyson and Muhammad Ali as playable boxers.

“We are extremely excited to be able to add Oscar and the Klitschko brothers as part of our roster,” said executive producer, Dean Richards. “As three of the most globally recognized names in the sport, they are an important addition to the Fight Night Round 4 lineup.

Fight Night Round 4 is currently available for the PlayStation 3 computer entertainment system and Xbox 360 video game system from Microsoft. This game has been rated T for Teen by the ESRB, and 16+ by PEGI.

Battle for Fallen Earth video game open beta opens August 17th

The post-apocalyptic massively multiplayer online (MMO) game of the same name will begin an Open Beta program August 17. Players who want to get an early glimpse of Fallen Earth on August 17 need only register on FilePlanet beginning Friday, August 14 at 1 p.m. ET (GMT-4).

Taking place in the Grand Canyon, Fallen Earth gives players the choice to rebuild the decaying world or participate in its destruction through use of the classless advancement system, real-time crafting and the seamless integration of first-person shooter and role-playing game mechanics.

"The Open Beta and Pre-Order programs give a much larger group of players the opportunity to experience Fallen Earth," says Jessica Orr, product manager for Fallen Earth. "We are excited that players want to get a jump on the game, and we are including a little something extra for being among the first to order."

Those who pre-order Fallen Earth at Direct2Drive get an exclusive in-game mount-the Wasteland Runner-which has four more points of defensive skills, 2500 more Stamina and six more pack slots than other horses. Additionally, pre-orders receive a guaranteed spot in the Open Beta and a five-day head start in the game, beginning September 4.

EVE Online's Fight Against Currency Farmers

Massively has a writeup discussing the way CCP Games is battling ISK-farmers in EVE Online (ISK is the game's currency).

The developers felt that merely banning sellers whenever they could was not enough, so they introduced a system where players could purchase game-time codes that could then be sold within the game to other players. Since players are unlikely to give up buying ISK voluntarily, CCP's thought is that they can at least keep the money and currency distributed among the real players.

Some of the player-base has been critical of the plan, but it's becoming more and more popular as time goes on — and the old ISK-sellers aren't pleased.

Source: Slashdot

amBX takes its games technology to professional sector

amBX UK announced that lighting giant TMB will distribute its first professional LED lighting control system, amBIENT XC, a deal which could see amBX’s award-winning games technology take the professional lighting world by storm.

amBIENT XC pioneers completely new concepts in the control of lighting and effects, by using amBX proprietary patented technology to allow the creation of lighting effects in a revolutionary way. Unique immersive experiences in professional productions and architectural installations of all kinds can now be achieved easily and quickly by lighting professionals.

As with amBX’s games technology, amBIENT XC can be pre-programmed or will respond in real-time to visual and/or aural stimuli, such as video or audio signals. Sophisticated control of interpretation and output parameters offers dynamic control of mood and atmosphere, providing an innovative, maintenance-free, cost-effective means of creating appealing immersive environments in spaces of all kinds, including hotels, nightclubs, restaurants and retail. The amBIENT XC control system also provides a low-cost yet impressive upgrade solution for venues or productions currently only capable of limited lighting effects.

The use of amBX to control lighting through the amBIENT XC transforms the way in which professional lighting installers use LED lighting, from large scale projects and installations to smaller bars, restaurants, and home theatres.

“amBX is the most exciting, groundbreaking technology in LED control to appear in quite a while,” says TMB Architectural Sales Director Sarah Cox. “Any installation or show that uses media combined with RGB LEDs can benefit from this product: Nightclubs, lounges, hospitality suites, museums, theme parks, corporate boardrooms, live productions, you name it – the possibilities are unlimited.”

Jo Cooke, amBX Chief Marketing Officer, adds: “We have been delighted and excited by the reception of the lighting industry to amBX and we are as keen to support the fantastic creativity we are finding there as much as that in the games industry where amBX was introduced.”

amBX has already licensed its technology to many content developers and publishers in the gaming sector, and holds a middleware licence from Sony Computer Entertainment Europe for PlayStation 3. It enables content creators to add real world effects in entertainment media using light, colour, rumble and even air flow, through licensed amBX hardware. With amBX the entertainment world can be brought into the real world to create incredible immersive experiences.

Ship Simulator Extremes gives players the opportunity to take on exciting missions all over the world

Paradox Interactive today announced Ship Simulator Extremes, the next instalment of the acclaimed Ship Simulator Series. Created by Dutch game developer VSTEP, Ship Simulator Extremes gives players the opportunity to take on exciting missions all over the world as they captain an impressive array of vessels and live the story of real ship captains.

Have you ever wondered how it feels to sail a half-million ton supertanker through the perfect storm or to take on illegal whale hunters in the Antarctic? Feel the rush of serving as a coast guard as you evacuate an island threatened by a volcanic disaster. With missions based on actual events that take place in realistic environments and locations from all over the world, Ship Simulator Extremes has you endure extreme conditions, fight the elements and face all of the challenges associated with being a ship captain.

“Following the successful legacy of our game series, we look forward to cooperating with Paradox Interactive and continue to give gamers worldwide all the excitement of being in the captain’s helm chair,” said Frank Dolmans, CMO of VSTEP.

Wide range of vessels to control, including hovercrafts, coast guard interceptors, mammoth tankers, tugs, cruise liners, and many others.

Key features:
• Wide range of vessels to control, including hovercrafts, coast guard interceptors, mammoth tankers, tugs, cruise liners, and many others.
• Includes exciting storylines and missions all over the world.
• From the very hot to the very cold, sail to the most enchanted regions of the world. Explore the Antarctic or take in beautiful Bora Bora. Includes famous harbours and locations worldwide.
• Official Greenpeace license : sail famous Greenpeace ships and take on ecological missions based on real events!
• Realistic water & weather system. Sail a calm sea or take on the most extreme conditions ever witnessed at sea.
• Online Multiplayer mode. Sail online with your friends and take part in cooperative missions and community events.
Ship Simulator Extremes is scheduled for release in Q1 2010 and will be officially introduced to world press at the Gamescom 2009 in Cologne.

Evil Plans are Revealed as CJ Internet Unleashes the Third Story Trailer for Action MMORPG Mini Fighter! PC video game

When we last left the story of Mini Fighter, Cro and Hikaru were facing off in the semifinals of Delta-M’s Grand Arena Tournament, each hoping to earn the title of Strongest Fighter.
As the fierce battle raged, resulting in one regrettable casualty from the arena’s audience, Delta-M and the villainous Marshall hinted at their evil plans for the tournament. Everyone arrived expecting a fair fight, but things may not be what they seem…

Will the warriors find out about Delta-M’s sinister goals? Will Kang survive the injuries he took as an audience member? And just who are those six, shadowy figures waiting in the wings? Check out the third story trailer for Mini Fighter, “New Beginning,” to find out!

Miner Wars space shooter video game details and videos

Keen Software House release new Miner Wars video, revealing very large but still-destructible asteroids. The video was captured from the actual game and the scene contains two 8-km asteroids, five medium-size asteroids, and 300 mining ships.

“In this footage we tried to show how your mining ship is small compared to the biggest asteroid. Even your base ship is little compared to them. All asteroids are fully destructible,” says Marek Rosa, Game Director of Miner Wars.



“I guess that in a few years we will be able to reach the moon’s size. It is only 400 times bigger than our asteroids. Think about it – a fully destructible moon,” laughs Marek.
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ABOUT MINER WARS:

Miner Wars is a 6DOF underground and space shooter played in a fully destructible environment and is a combination of single player story game and MMO.

As a player, you operate an advanced mining ship in an open world asteroid belt area. You dig kilometers of tunnels, harvest the ore, travel the solar system, fight your enemies and discover mysterious alien secrets.

Game play is led by an epic story and is a combination of a single/multi-player game, cooperative, or you against everyone.



The story will introduce you to many types of missions: rescue, exploration, revenge, base defense, theft, transportation, stealth, search and destroy, pure harvesting, racing or just flying around and destroying everything you see.

Platform: Windows, Xbox 360 Live Arcade.

Andy Serkis and John Rhys Davies join Risen video game voice talent

Deep Silver, the games label of Koch Media, a leading producer and distributor of digital entertainment products, today confirms the A-list voice talent featuring in forthcoming RPG Risen.

One of the busiest actors in the UK, Andy Serkis takes the role of The Inquisitor. Serkis, who has had a long and varied acting career, is best known for his CG character representations Gollum in the Lord of the Rings trilogy and King Kong in the movie of the same name. Veteran British actor, John Rhys Davies, who has starred in countless blockbuster movies such as Indiana Jones and the Lord of the Rings trilogy, performs as Don Esteban. Movie actress Lena Headey, who played Sarah Connor in Terminator TV spin-off Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles take the role of Patty. “The quality of the voice casting reflects the quality of the game” stated Paul Nicholls, Sales and Marketing Director, Koch Media UK “with such an amazing lineup of talent from movies and TV, there is a voice everyone will recognize; we will attract a new generation of RPG players to the genre”.

Serkis, Rhys-Davies and Headey are joined by a lineup of some of the most recognisable British TV actors; Fincher is played by Torchwood actor Burn Gorman, Larkrise to Candleford star Brendan Coyle takes the role of Commandant Carlos, Damian O’Hare who starred in medical drama The Royal plays Olf. I’m Alan Partridge regular and Star Stories narrator Simon Greenall plays Luis. Oscar is played by Grange Hill actor Donald McCorkindale while fellow Grange Hill actor and Secret Diaries of a Call Girl star Stuart Organ plays Brogar. The Archers actress, Louiza Patikas represents Sara and Timothy Watson who has starred in countless TV dramas from Eastenders to Casualty takes the role of Romanov

All the actors were cast and recorded by award winning London agency Side, with voice direction carried out by Andrew S Walsh.

Developed by Piranha Bytes and releasing on Xbox 360 and PC, this epic role playing game is set in a medieval world on a volcanic Mediterranean island. The “Risen” story unfolds over four chapters and will offer multiple ways to develop the story depending on the player’s actions and decisions. An innovative and intuitive user control interface will support both casual and hardcore gamers. With full world streaming support, Risen offers a seamless experience while playing in a fully simulated game world with authentic characters.

Bum Expansion free addon pack for Room Boom Suburbia free demo download

The Bum Expansion, is a free addon pack for Room Boom: Suburbia, containing two additional board pieces that will greatly affect how the game is played:

The word is spreading about the building skills of the local house builders, and people are lining up for new houses. If a Buyer is waiting in an area, the next house built there will generate an additional 25% in revenue. Just make sure to build it before The Bum arrives, or they will look elsewhere!

A vagrant has taken his residence in peaceful Suburbia. He will seemingly mindlessly wander across the board, scare potential Buyers away and halve revenue and rent wherever he decides to stop and rest.

The Room Factory has also received some upgrades. Now, users are promised to receive more relevant parts than before. In addition to this, a saw has been installed. This allows you to modify rooms passing on the conveyor belt by removing parts you don't want.

To celebrate the release, we're doing a temporary offer, which means for a limited time you can get the full game for only 12.99$!

For more information about Room Boom: Suburbia, and a free demo, visit:
http://www.roomboomsuburbia.com

Ultima Online - Stygian Abyss, the 8th expansion out September 8th 2009

Mythic Entertainment, an Electronic Arts studio, today announced Ultima Online: Stygian Abyss, the 8th expansion to one of the longest-running MMORPGs in the genre’s history, will be released on September 8, 2009.

Available via digital download only, Ultima Online: Stygian Abyss revolves around the introduction of the playable Gargoyle race. Players will also find expansive new areas to explore, including Ter Mur, the Gargoyle homeland, and the Stygian Abyss – the largest dungeon area ever introduced to Ultima Online. This sprawling dungeon will contain new boss monsters of unparalleled difficulty, including the Medusa, Primeval Lich and the Stygian Dragon, as well as Player vs. Player zones where adventurers will be turned against one another.

Current subscribers can also take part in the Stygian Abyss Open Beta from Friday, August 14th – Sunday, August 23rd by logging on the Retribution server on the server selection screen.

“As the 12th anniversary of the storied Ultima Online franchise approaches this fall, we could not be more excited to launch UO’s 8th expansion, Stygian Abyss,” said Jeff Hickman, Executive Producer for Mythic Entertainment. “On September 8th UO players past and present will be able to experience all new content, including the new Gargoyle race and one of the largest dungeons in UO history.”

Ultima Online: Stygian Abyss will be available via UOGamesCodes.com and the EA STORE:

* Stygian Abyss Expansion: $29.99
* Stygian Abyss Expansion & 30-Day game-time: $39.99

Additionally, consumers who purchase Ultima Online: Stygian Abyss from September 8th – 29th will receive multiple Alteration Tokens to transform current characters into Gargoyles, an exclusive gargoyle craftable pet, and decorative Stygian Abyss mob boss statues.

Earlier this month Mythic announced that Ultima Online: Mondain’s Legacy, the 7th expansion of UO which introduced the playable Elven race and several expansive dungeons, is now available at no charge to existing subscribers, and to new players as part of the 14-day free trial.

Ultima Online: Stygian Abyss expansion requires the original Ultima Online game to play and will be available via digital distribution only. To download Ultima Online at no charge or to find out more information about Ultima Online and the additions from Mondain’s Legacy and Stygian Abyss, please visit: http://www.uo.com or http://www.uoherald.com/stygianabyss.

About Ultima Online

Released in September 1997, Ultima Online is one of the longest-running games in MMORPG history. The first widely successful graphical online role-playing game, Ultima Online has thrived for over a decade, with armies of devoted followers around the world. Fans of the game continue to experience an epic storyline set in an ever-growing world of magic and fantasy. Ultima Online has spawned seven expansions and dozens of content updates, making it one of the deepest, largest MMORPGs ever created.