Arma II video game Mod Tools released

Bohemia Interactive is well known for providing continued support to its customers, fans and dedicated community. Each of the titles from Bohemia's military simulator range has been supported and updated for years, cementing Bohemia’s commitment of working hard to deliver the ultimate gaming experience.

Following its successful titles of past years, Bohemia will continue to release modding tools completely free, to support the ARMA II community which in turn helps the brand to grow even stronger. With these tools every ARMA II user can modify and create their own content from camo, vehicles, models and weapons or even whole new environments and share them with hundreds of thousands of likeminded fans online. The new mod tools are available to download now from http://community.bistudio.com/wiki/BI_Tools_2

ARMA II mod tools require ARMA II version 1.03. The tool suite consists of:

Oxygen 2 Personal Edition for ARMA II - model editing and animation package
Visitor 3 Personal Edition for ARMA II - terrain and map editing
TexView 2 - texture convertor and viewer
BinPBO Personal Edition - packer
Sound Tools - sound and lipsync utilities
FSM Editor - tool to edit and compile fsms used in ARMA II
BinMake - conversion tool
Tools Drive - main working directory for tools with mandatory data files

“Our engine is designed from the ground up to allow the community and fans to easily create and share additional content. OFP, ArmA: Armed Assault and ARMA II are some of the most modified games on the market” said Marek Spanel, Bohemia’s Interactive CEO and continues: "We really appreciate the work done by fans of our games and by officially releasing these sophisticated mod tools we want to renew our commitment to them. These tools will simplify the work of the community; allow them the freedom of creativity and expression and to ensure that ARMA II provides them with an almost never ending source of entertainment and value."

ARMA II offers the ultimate realistic combat simulation experience in a modern day setting. With unprecedented freedom of movement, actions and tactics, the game allows players to immerse themselves in battle as never seen before.

Transformers video game - download content information

Now that you’ve had the opportunity to play through the single-player campaigns and multiplayer modes of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, Luxoflux have announced a new downloadable content pack that they've been hard at work on.

Set to launch later this summer for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions of the game, this DLC offering should appeal to fans of all Transformers eras.



The pack will include:

* Over TEN new multiplayer characters including ultimate fan favourites such as G1 Starscream and movie favourites like Sideswipe.
* Three all-new multiplayer maps.
* Play new characters in both the Autobot and Decepticon single player campaigns.
* New Expert difficulty mode with a fresh set of leaderboards to challenge more experienced gamers in the single-player campaigns.
* New Achievements and Trophies to earn.

Wolfenstein new video released

With the release of Wolfenstein on Tuesday, Activision have released this trailer with plenty of intense explosions and ghoulish like Nazi creatures.

Wolfenstein is released on August 18th 2009.

This months 'Amusement' Gaming magazine from France answers the question 'Where do classic games come from?'

The 'class' French gaming magazine 'Amusement' has published some great images to answer the question 'Where do classic games come from?'.

The images have all been set in workshops surrounded buy items you'll know from some great games - from Mario to Tetris.

You can see the full gallery here...

Or visit the magazine website here...

Beatle track list on Rock Band video game

The list comes from this month’s Game Informer magazine.

Please Please Me (1963)
I Saw Her Standing There
Boys
Do You Want To Know A Secret
Twist And Shout

With the Beatles (1963)
I Wanna Be Your Man

A Hard Day’s Night (1964)
A Hard Day’s Night
Can’t Buy Me Love

Beatles For Sale (1964)
Eight Days A Week

Help! (1965)
Ticket To Ride

Rubber Soul (1965)
Drive My Car
I’m Looking Through You
If I Needed Someone

Revolver (1966)
Taxman
Yellow Submarine
And Your Bird Can Sing

Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967)
Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band/With A Little Help From My Friends
Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds
Getting Better
Good Morning Good Morning

Magical Mystery Tour (1967)
I Am The Walrus
Hello Goodbye

The Beatles (White Album) (1968)
Dear Prudence
Back In the U.S.S.R.
While My Guitar Gently Weeps
Birthday
Helter Skelter

Yellow Submarine (1969)
Hey Bulldog

Abbey Road (1969)
Come Together
Something
Octopus’s Garden
I Want You (She’s So Heavy)
Here Comes The Sun

Let It Be (1970)
Dig A Pony
I Me Mine
I Got A Feeling
Get Back

Love (2006)
Within You Without You/Tomorrow Never Knows

Singles
I Want To Hold Your Hand
I Feel Fine
Day Tripper
Paperback Writer
Revolution
Don’t Let Me Down

A decent list, and one sure to be topped up by future DLC. Which is also sure to cause more umms and ahhs as to whether people actually like DLC or not.

Will PSPgo games be cheaper than iPhone games? Sony say yes...

Sony is planning to set the price of PSPgo games at a similar level to Apple iPhone titles - at 1, 2 and 5 euros.

That's according to a report by Pocket Gamer, suggesting that the low pricing could provide consumers with an incentive to buy the new 249euro hardware, which has been derided by some industry watchers as too expensive.

It would also lower the entry barrier for developers, allowing smaller studios scope for releasing games onto the Sony console.

Indeed, the site also reports Sony has been actively encouraging iPhone developers to port their existing titles to PSN, although it will still be imposing formal requirements as well as a two week QA testing period on games submitted before they are allowed for release.

These stringent checks would fit with comments previously made by SCEA director of PSN operations, Eric Lempel who recently spoke out to say that PSN wouldn't be going down the same route as the App Store.

"I want to make sure we uphold the quality of games on PSN; that doesn't mean they can't be shorter or quirky but we don't want to see a bunch of little things that don't quite make sense or provide a good experience," he stated, saying that users would expect a higher quality experience on a games focused device like PSPgo than they do on something that is primarily a mobile phone.

Sony will actively control the release schedule for games too, said the report - an involvement that should prevent the network flooding with too many titles.

Over 50 developers have so far been signed up to produce content for digital distribution via PSN ahead of the new PSPgo's launch on October 1, said the site.

Source: GamesIndustry

Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box out in US on August 24th

Professor Layton and the Diabolical literally "Professor Layton and the Devil's Box", known in Europe as Professor Layton and Pandora's Box, is the second game in the Professor Layton series by Level-5.

It was followed by a third game, Professor Layton and The Last Time Travel which so far has only been released in Japan.

The game follows Professor Layton and Luke traveling cross country by train to solve the mystery behind a strange box that is said to kill anyone who opens it.

It was announced on March 26, 2009 that it will be released in North America and Europe under the name Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box in about six months, indicating a Fall release.

Online retailer Amazon lists the game for an August 24 release date. This date was confirmed at E3 2009.

Command & Conquer Red Alert 3 Commander’s Challenge Fifty Unique Challenges on PSN and Xbox Live for Under $10

Comrades, the Red Alert 3 battle rages on! Electronic Arts announce Command & Conquer Red Alert 3 Commander’s Challenge, a new console gaming experience for Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network from the storied Command & Conquer franchise. The new game will challenge players to take on the world’s toughest commanders and conquer the globe in 50 unique challenges when it is released this fall.

Command & Conquer Red Alert 3: Commander’s Challenge delivers trademark fast and action-packed C&C gamezplay, tongue-in-cheek live-action cinematics, new units and a new game mode for just 800 Microsoft Points on Xbox LIVE Marketplace and $9.99 at the PlayStation Store.

“Command & Conquer Red Alert 3 Commander’s Challenge launches players into action-packed scenarios while going head-to-head against ruthless commanders who will stop at nothing to crush your army,” said Wes Eckhart, Producer of Command & Conquer Red Alert 3 Commander’s Challenge at EA Los Angeles. “Commander’s Challenge delivers the ultimate RTS gameplay experience console players have been craving. Delivering over thirty hours of RTS entertainment, it is an incredible value at less than $10.”

Command & Conquer Red Alert 3 Commander’s Challenge throws the player into 50 intense challenges against a set of nine different commanders, including 16-time world champion “Nature Boy” Ric Flair. Each challenge features its very own over-the-top and distinctive twist, confronting players with everything from giant Soviet war bears and an entire army of psionic Japanese school girls to massive satellite orbital bombardments. As players progress throughout the gauntlet, they gradually unlock more units, technology and new challenges. Additionally, each challenge is equipped with a par time set by the dev team that is up to the most competitive players to beat. Command & Conquer Red Alert 3 Commander’s Challenge offers more than classic Red Alert action gameplay and will allow players to command their forces by air, land and sea, as introduced by the award-winning Command & Conquer Red Alert 3.

Command & Conquer Red Alert 3 Commander’s Challenge is being developed at EA Los Angeles and will be available this summer on the Xbox LIVE Marketplace and the PlayStation Store. Command & Conquer Red Alert 3 Commander’s Challenge can be played without Command & Conquer Red Alert 3 and has been rated ‘T’ for Teen by the ESRB and ‘16+’ by PEGI.

About Command & Conquer

The groundbreaking Command & Conquer franchise was one of the first to introduce players to the modern RTS genre, has spawned over a dozen PC titles, and ranks in the top 5 best-selling PC franchises of all-time according to the NPD Group. Command & Conquer 3 Tiberium Wars was the number No1 selling PC RTS of 2007 and won numerous awards, including the “Strategy/Simulation Game of the Year” award from the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences. Additionally, Command & Conquer Red Alert 2 and Command & Conquer Generals were the number one best-selling* PC RTS titles in 2000 and 2003 respectively. Command & Conquer Red Alert 3 won the 2008 “Strategy/Simulation Game of the Year” award from the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences. Collectively, the series has sold more than 30 million units worldwide to date. The franchise boasts one of the largest and most active fan communities in the world. For more information on Command & Conquer series, please visit www.CommandAndConquer.com.

* According to NPD Group

Karos Online video game website launched... - with videos

NHN announce the launch of the official European website for Karos Online, its first free-to-play MMORPG to be published in Europe. At www.karosgame.com, players can now register and sign up for the closed beta test, which will be starting later this month. Discussion forums have also been opened to allow the community to chat about Karos Online, and additional information about the game will be posted there to help fans prepare for the closed beta. An English release is scheduled for early autumn 2009, with German and Turkish versions to follow.



NHN has also revealed details about the game's dynamic dungeon system, which will be playable in closed beta. In addition to traditional MMORPG dungeons full of monsters and epic loot, two types of original dungeons will be available in Karos Online:

• Event dungeons, instanced for parties of up to five players, will offer adventures marked by spectacular happenings: as a party progresses into the dungeon, the environment will evolve in response to their actions, with bridges collapsing, ceilings crashing to the ground and passages appearing to reveal the path ahead.
• Maze dungeons, integrated in the open world with no party size limit, will surprise and bewilder players with walls that move and shift constantly to affect the party's path, offering a dynamic, action-packed game experience.
Dungeons are arranged in progressively difficult stages, with the later levels -- including battles against fearsome boss monsters -- accessible only to those who have proven themselves worthy.
Each victory in the dungeons will grant the player a ticket, which can be used to advance to harder challenges.



Karos Online - Stunning 3D Action Fantasy MMORPG

In Karos Online, players take the role of a hero determined to defeat the curse of darkness falling over the world of Asmara and ascend to ultimate glory by becoming the mythical Karos warrior. Through questing, guild clashes and mass PvP, they enter the fight for domination over the world's vital energy source, Fletta. Fletta gems provide the basis for the game's unique and complex alternate progression system; alongside traditional leveling within the game, Fletta energy can be used to increase stats, give buffs, buy resources and enchant items.
With a strong RPG component, wide range of class skills and fantastic visual combat effects, Karos Online offers a rich player experience and an exciting end-game for guilds, including castle sieges and resource control points. There are a variety of dynamic dungeons to explore, with shifting paths and surprises to challenge players as they progress in level. The economy is well-developed, with mining, fishing and crafting elements, and a consignment system for storage and an auction house.
Karos Online offers rare graphical quality for its small client size, and will be accessible to a vast range of computers with minimal requirements. Videos demonstrating graphics and gameplay are now available on the official website at www.karosgame.com, and more features will be revealed as the closed beta test, scheduled to start in mid-August, gets underway.

Karos Online features

• Breathtaking 3D graphics and combat action effects
• 5 different races and 9 original classes, evolving into 36 different specialized classes
• Dynamic, evolving dungeons with shifting paths and surprises
• Guild wars, territory control and 500 vs 500 castle siege battles
• Alternate Fletta level progression system
• Elaborate mining, fishing and crafting system
• Small client size (700MB) and low minimum PC requirements
• Keyboard and mouse control both available

Foo Fighters back on Rock Band with new song pack + Gorillaz, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Pat Benatar

Harmonix and MTV Games announce that a three-pack of songs from Foo Fighters, as well as singles from Blind Melon, Blur, Dropkick Murphys, Eve 6 and Kaiser Chiefs will be available in the Rock Band Music Store of downloadable content next week for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and PLAYSTATION 3 computer entertainment system.

Additional tracks from Gorillaz and Red Hot Chili Peppers will be available in the Nintendo Wii Rock Band Music Store, and tracks from Pat Benatar and Coheed and Cambria will be available for Rock Band Unplugged.

Rock Band DLC Additions for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 Systems
The Foo Fighters three-pack is the second pack available from the American rockers for Rock Band fans and features “All My Life” and “Lonely As You” from the band’s Grammy Award-winning fourth album One by One, as well as “I’ll Stick Around,” from the band’s self-titled 1995 debut album. Founded by former Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl, Foo Fighters have won three Grammy Awards, with all six of their albums being nominated.

Among other songs available in the Rock Band Music Store next week is Blind Melon's breakthrough 1992 single “No Rain,” as well as “I’m Shipping Up to Boston” by Boston punk favorites Dropkick Murphys, which was featured on the band’s album, The Warrior’s Code, and in the soundtrack to Martin Scorcese’s Academy Award-winning film, The Departed. Songs from British rock groups Blur and Kaiser Chiefs, as well as alternative rock band Eve 6, will also be available.

Tracks available on Xbox 360 (Aug. 18) and PLAYSTATION 3 system (Aug. 20):

• Blind Melon - “No Rain”
• Blur - “There’s No Other Way”
• Dropkick Murphys - “I’m Shipping Up to Boston”
• Eve 6 - “Inside Out”
• Foo Fighters - “All My Life”
• Foo Fighters - “I’ll Stick Around”
• Foo Fighters - “Lonely as You”
• Kaiser Chiefs - “I Predict a Riot”

(All tracks are original master recordings)

These tracks will be available for purchase as part of the “Foo Fighters Pack 02” or as individual tracks on Xbox 360 and PLAYSTATION 3 systems.

Price: $1.99 USD, £.99 UK, €1.49 EU (160 Microsoft Points for Xbox 360) per track
$5.49, £2.49 UK, €3.99 EU (440 Microsoft Points for Xbox 360) for “Foo Fighters Pack 02”

Wii Back-Catalog Additions
Additionally, tracks from Gorillaz, The Band, Janis Joplin, Jefferson Airplane and The Who, as well as back-catalog tracks from Honest Bob, Megasus and Red Hot Chili Peppers will be available Aug. 18 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 475 tracks in the Wii Rock Band Music Store.

Additional tracks available for Wii (Aug. 18):

• Gorillaz - “Clint Eastwood”
• Gorillaz - “Feel Good Inc.”
• Gorillaz - “Re-Hash”
• Janis Joplin - “Piece of My Heart”
• Jefferson Airplane - “White Rabbit”
• The Band - “Chest Fever (Live)”
• The Who - “Magic Bus (Live at Leeds)”
• Red Hot Chili Peppers - “Apache Rose Peacock”
• Red Hot Chili Peppers - “Blood Sugar Sex Magik”
• Red Hot Chili Peppers - “Breaking The Girl”
• Red Hot Chili Peppers - “Funky Monks”
• Red Hot Chili Peppers - “I Could Have Lied”
• Red Hot Chili Peppers - “If You Have to Ask”
• Red Hot Chili Peppers - “Mellowship Slinky in B Major”
• Red Hot Chili Peppers - “My Lovely Man”
• Red Hot Chili Peppers - “Naked in the Rain”
• Red Hot Chili Peppers - “Sir Psycho Sexy”
• Red Hot Chili Peppers - “Suck My Kiss”
• Red Hot Chili Peppers - “The Greeting Song”
• Red Hot Chili Peppers - “The Power of Equality”
• Red Hot Chili Peppers - “The Righteous & the Wicked”
• Red Hot Chili Peppers - “They’re Red Hot”
• Red Hot Chili Peppers - “Under the Bridge”
• Megasus - “Megasus” *
• Honest Bob and the Factory-to-Dealer Incentives - “Entangled” *

Price: $2.00 USD, (200 Wii Points) per track

* Denotes $1.00 (100 Wii Points)


Rock Band Unplugged Tracks for PSP System

Rock Band Unplugged fans will enjoy the addition of Pat Benatar’s “Heart Breaker” and Coheed and Cambria’s “A Favor House Atlantic” to the 31 tracks already available via the Rock Band Unplugged in-game music store for the PSP (PlayStation Portable) system.

Tracks available for Rock Band Unplugged (Aug. 20):

• Pat Benatar - “Heart Breaker”
• Coheed and Cambria - “A Favor House Atlantic”

Price: $1.99, £.99 UK, €1.49 EU per track on the PSP system