Five-Song Preview of The Beatles - Rock Band - Participating Bars can host their own Rock Band Nights

Harmonix and MTV Games, announce the launch of “Rock Band Bar Nights,” a ground-breaking initiative providing tools for U.S. bar owners to host their own Rock Band Nights. The program gives bars a cutting-edge in-bar entertainment option to help increase foot traffic and provide Rock Band fans with the opportunity to take the stage for a true rock star experience.

Rock Band - featuring a full band performance with guitar, bass, drums and mic – is revolutionizing the standard karaoke night in bars. The Rock Band Bar Nights program expands the Rock Band social experience for current fans and gives new fans the opportunity to try the game in an authentic performance setting with a live crowd cheering them on.

To help venues host and promote their own Rock Band Bar Nights, the program offers support to registered bars with everything from exclusive Rock Band product offerings to multiplatform marketing support. Through an exclusive e-commerce store, the program will also provide bars with a full music solution to easily rock their bar with the extensive Rock Band catalogue featuring more than 800 tracks and growing every week!

To kick off the program, Harmonix and MTV Games are providing bars that sign up before September 8th with an exclusive five-song preview disc from The Beatles: Rock Band, allowing their customers to experience the highly anticipated game before it hits stores on September 9th.

In addition to offering in-bar support for this new entertainment option, the Rock Band Bar Nights program extends online and gives members direct access to the Rock Band community with hundreds of thousands of fans, as well as the chance to stay connected on Rock Band’s official Facebook and Twitter pages. In the coming months, Rock Band fans will be able to find official Rock Band Bar Nights in their area through an online application searchable by zip code and a mobile version available for download as a free iPhone application.

Interested bar owners or fans can check out www.RockBand.com/BarNights for registration and more information.

Grand Theft Auto Chinatown Wars video game coming to iPhone and iPod touch

Rockstar Games announce that the critically acclaimed Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars from Rockstar Leeds, the winners of the 2009 Develop Award for Best Handheld Game Studio, will be making its way to the iPhone and iPod touch this fall.



"Chinatown Wars is a perfect match for the iPhone and iPod touch," said Sam Houser, Founder of Rockstar Games. "We are very excited to bring this incredibly ambitious version of Liberty City, with this level of detail and immersive gameplay on Apple's new gaming platforms."

Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars is currently available for the Nintendo DS and is also coming this fall for the PlayStation Portable system. The game follows the story of Huang Lee, a young Triad who travels to Liberty City after the mysterious death of his father. Players will navigate their way through the streets as they uncover the truth behind an epic tale of crime and corruption within the Triad crime syndicate, delivering the unprecedented amount of depth that has become a true trademark of the Grand Theft Auto franchise.

Disney to buy Marvel as Mickey joins Spider-Man and X-Men

Walt Disney Co said on Monday it will buy Marvel Entertainment Inc for $4 billion, striking the biggest media deal of the year.

Here are some key facts about Marvel:

* The company has a library of more than 5,000 characters and has been publishing comic books since 1939.

* Marvel has more than a 40 percent market share in comics, graphic novels and magazine publishing, according to a spokesman.

* Its stable of superheroes include Iron Man, the X-Men, the Incredible Hulk, the Fantastic Four and its first blockbuster character, Captain America.

* Spider-Man, whose theatrical rights have been licensed to Sony Pictures, is considered the company's most popular character.

* Many of its characters were created by comic book legends Stan Lee, Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko.

* Marvel enjoyed blockbuster success with "Iron Man," its first self-produced film. Distributed by Viacom's Paramount Pictures and released in 2008, the movie pulled in the second-biggest non-sequel box office opening in history.

* It is currently working on "Iron Man 2," a sequel set for release in 2010.

* Marvel's shares soared in August when it posted a second-quarterly profit that beat market estimates, boosted by DVD and pay TV sales of blockbuster "Iron Man."

* Marvel posted $676 million in revenue in 2008, up 39 percent from $486 million in revenue in 2007.

* The company had $221 million in net profit in 2008, up about 35 percent from $164 million in 2007.

* The company had $938 million in total assets at the end of 2008.

* For 2009, Marvel forecast earnings of $1.25 a share to $1.35 a share, on revenue of $465 million to $485 million.

* The company is headquartered in New York City but has corporate offices in London and Manhattan Beach, California. It has about 300 employees.

* Total market capitalization reached more than $3 billion in 2009.

* Before the deal with Disney, 2009 had been a lull for Marvel as it is not releasing any films of its own this year.

* Upcoming projects include: "Thor" and the first "Avenger" movie, as well as Sony-produced "Spider-Man 4" slated for a 2011 release. The "Avengers" sequel will follow in 2012.

* Marvel's primary competitor is DC Comics, the company behind the "Watchmen" characters. DC Comics is a subsidiary of Warner Bros, which is owned by Time Warner Inc.

* It operates three divisions: licensing, film production through Marvel Studios, Marvel Animation and publishing via Marvel Comics.

* Marvel has a monthly circulation of more than 4.1 million.

Source: Reuters

Flight1 open day Saturday, October 3rd at Shoreham Airport

When we announced our inaugural Open Day we had no idea the event would prove so popular – at the time of writing we have nearly 400 guests registered and the list continues to grow daily.

We’re working with Shoreham Airport to ensure there is room for everyone and there is plenty to see and do on the day – from our own simulation products to lectures and real aviation activities.

The Open Day web page has been updated – and we invite you to take a few minutes to read about the latest news and activities which are highlighted there. In particular:

- Discounted landing fees
- Talks and lectures
- VATSIM and the Virtual Fly-In
- Official Airport Tour

We welcome any thoughts or suggestions you have and of course are happy to answer any queries or questions you might have. Just email us at europe@flight1.com

we will be in touch again in a couple of weeks as more activities are firmed up.

With best wishes,

The Flight1 Crew

Exclusive Dark Void video game jetpack offer for pre order at Gamestop

Calling all adrenaline junkies! Capcom announced today that its highly anticipated action-adventure game, Dark Void, has received an extra boost of speed thanks to a new pre-order item available exclusively from Gamestop.

Fans who preorder early will receive bona-fide jetpack bling with a downloadable golden jetpack which gives players unlimited boost ability. The new boost upgrade will make you an unstoppable master of the skies – fly faster, avoid enemy fire, run down your foes and own the battlefield – all with unlimited turbo boost and special moves! Check out the new Gold4Jetpack site at www.gold4jetpack.com for more preorder details and see how the gold jetpack will not only change your game but will change your life!

For that extra-special boost of bling, you can pre-order now at http://www.gamestop.com/Catalog/ProductDetails.aspx?product_id=74226

Dark Void’s unique combination of jetpack-booster aerial dog fighting and third-person combat creates a thrilling new gameplay dynamic to the third-person shooter experience. Taking 3D action to a whole new level, Dark Void’s unique vertical combat system allows players to dangle from thousand foot drops as they take cover and hurl enemies to their doom, bringing a whole new sense of tension and thrill to the player. Will is also equipped with a powerful rocket pack which allows for fierce in-air combat, hurtling through the Void at blistering speeds while shooting down anything that gets in his path.

Sensational Soccer is now free for subscribers to the New Star Games newsletter

New Star Games are delighted to announce that the full Windows version of Sensational Soccer (worth $9.99) is now free for newsletter subscribers. Just head over to www.newstargames.com to sign up and download your free game. Mac users need not feel left out as the next newsletter will feature a $5 coupon to spend on any New Star game.

Sensational Soccer is a 2D football game inspired by the classics of old such as Kick Off and Sensible Soccer. Playable in 18 languages, you can compete against a friend or in league and cup competitions. Create your own tactics and build your team stats in the training games to become league champions, and on the way complete the challenges to unlock 20 star player portraits in the gallery.

Bounty Bay Online expansion Beyond the Horizon with South America and six new cities

The largest ever expansion for Bounty Bay Online is set to launch in the fourth quarter of 2009 under the name of ‘Beyond the Horizon’. Right from first glance the add-on will integrate a significant geographical expansion of the historical explorer and sailor world. With South America, experienced players will receive a completely new continent as a destination for their voyages of exploration.

Six new port cities ranging across the western coasts of South and North America serve as focus points for a vibrant trade with the new world. For the first time ocean adventurers will have the opportunity to sail right around the whole world in ‘Beyond the Horizon’ using the Cape Horn route.

Passing by the village-like ‘Magellan Supply Station’ on the tip of South America, players will be able to arrive at San Diego. Those who venture further up north will discover the Mayan capital of Salinas to be an important hub of the expansion. The tropical metropolis represents the showplace for a high level quest line which leads player groups past snakes, Maya guardians and other dangerous creatures in a jungle-draped Mayan instance with some valuable treasures. Following Salinas players reach the scenic Cruz in Middle America as well as San Francisco, the first glamorous and sophisticated city on America’s west coast – each city featuring its own trading port. In the far north players who aren’t too shy of the cold can discover the snowy Seward and its off-shore icebergs on the Alaskan coast.

Frogster is going to publish the expansion ‘Beyond the Horizon’ with its many new features in both German and English language versions. A little later French players of Bounty Bay Online will also be able to check out the new content, such as five new character classes, the active pet system, new instances, new PvP arenas and tournaments, new ranking system and new mini-games. In keeping with its predecessors, ‘Beyond the Horizon’ will be available free of charge.

About Bounty Bay Online
With Bounty Bay Online players enter the Age of Discoveries from the 15th to the 17th century. MMO fans are able to choose an online career as a merchant, sailor, fisherman, pirate or adventurer and make their fortune at land and on the seven seas. Alone or with a guild of players, many adventures and gripping quests lie on their way. Thousands of ancient discoveries on all continents like the pyramids of Gizah or the Chinese Wall are waiting to be explored. After exciting PvP combat at land and on the seas, strong guilds can take control of colonies and cities and decide upon their destiny. Bounty Bay Online features a unique trade system based on supply and demand. In April 2008 Frogster has started a free-to-play server with an integrated item shop as an alternative to the subscription model, so that new sailors can now roam the Seven Seas without any fixed costs. More information is available on www.bountybayonline.com.

Features

• Hundreds of authentic ship models
• Land and sea combat
• More than 60 realistic towns and harbours.
• Guilds can conquer towns and decide upon their taxes and tariffs
• Free add-on „Storm Island“ with new items, new features and new regions included
• Free Colony Add-on released in January 2009

East India Company - Pirate Bay video game contest and New Patch - DLC

Paradox Interactive and Nitro Games has launched an all-new contest to reward players of the popular DLC East India Company: Pirate Bay. Based on the naval strategy title's in-game reward system (which offers points to sea dwellers as they progress in the game and climb up its ladder system), the two week event will call on players to challenge themselves to gain as many points as possible in the Pirate Bay campaign.

At the end of these two weeks, the top three players who have managed to gather the most pirate points and top the ladder will receive a $100 Gift Certificate on GamersGate for any Paradox titles released on the platform prior to September 13.

The contest will start on Monday August 31st at 3pm CET/9am EST and end on September 13 at 6pm CET/12 noon EST.

In order to be eligible to compete in the contest, players must download Pirate Bay Patch 1 (1.06). To access the patch, press the "Check for Updates" button on the in-game "Options" menu.

To view current contest standings and for other information related to East India Company, please visit www.eic-game.com.

In East India Company, players will enjoy building the World’s most powerful trading empire and engaging in vigorous battles in both single player and multiplayer modes, all within a breathtaking cinematic game environment.
Players will fight, manage and rule nations from Europe to the Far East with eight nationalities to choose from: British, Dutch, French, Danish, Portuguese, Swedish, Spanish and Holy Roman Empire.
Starting modestly, you will build your fleet, establish connections to far away countries, and keep the rivaling nations at bay. Choose from a wide array of ship classes, including a variety of transport and military vessels. Create diverse fleets and assign each of them specific trading routes. Control and upgrade well situated ports as you form your strategy for domination.
Conflicts and wars are inevitable. When hostile fleets engage each other, the spectacular naval battles are fought from a real-time tactical level. Devastating broadsides are fired with a deafening roar and cannon balls tear through enemy ships and their crew. For greater tactical depth, command your ship and give independent orders to each of your fleets. Fight against the other European powers to create a trading empire that will rule above all others in this groundbreaking strategy war game!
Features

- Spectacular cinematic and epic naval battles.
-Two Command Modes: Give orders to all your ships in RTS mode or take the helm of a single ship in Direct Command-mode.
- Unique combination of war and trading.
- State of the art diplomacy AI.
- Eight playable nations: England, France, Holland, Portugal, Denmark, Sweden, Spain
and the Holy Roman Empire.
- Over 10 realistic ship types; from small sloops and cutters to the East Indiaman and warships.
- Realistic yet fast-paced naval combat
- Hire fleet commanders who will gain new skills and increase the abilities of your fleets
- Take over ports and protect your shipping routes to create the largest trading empire.


Multiplayer (Internet or LAN)
• Supports up to 8 simultaneous players.
• Player statistics tracked on the EIC game server.
• Several game modes for with single and team approach.
• Raise your ranking by thwarting your opponents.
• Head-to-head missions are a true test of strategic skill.

System requirements

* Windows XP
* 1,6 GHz Intel Pentium processor or equivalent AMD Athlon processor
* 1 GB (2 GB recommended for Windows Vista)
* 128 MB DirectX 9.0c compatible or better video card with pixelshader 2.0
* 4X PC DVD-ROM
* DirectX 9.0c compatible sound card
* Available Hard Disk Space: Approx. 6 GB
* DirectX: 9.0c
* Other: 3-button Mouse, Keyboard and Speakers.
Internet connection for multiplayer.

Shattered Horizon PC video game - Fact Sheet

Shattered Horizon is a multi player first-person shooter with unique freedom of movement and realistic zero gravity combat.




Design principles

* The real space setting of Shattered Horizon offers gameplay, tactics and freedom of movement that cannot be found in any other shooter.
* Simple and intuitive controls let you take full advantage of the distinctive zero gravity environment.
* A sci-fi game you can believe in. Shattered Horizon uses real-world technology and physics as the basis for a fun and accessible game.
* Astonishing visuals combined with functional art design immerse you in the cold reality of combat in space.

Game Description

25 Word Limit
Shattered Horizon is a multiplayer first-person shooter game with unique freedom of movement and realistic zero gravity combat.

50 Word Limit
Shattered Horizon is a multiplayer first-person shooter where players fight in zero gravity surrounded by rocky debris
from a huge explosion on the Moon. With simple and intuitive controls players have complete freedom of movement
to create gameplay and tactics impossible in games constrained by gravity.

100 Word Limit
Shattered Horizon is a multiplayer first-person shooter where players fight in zero gravity surrounded by the broken remains of orbital infrastructure and billions of tons of rocky debris thrown into orbit by a huge explosion on the Moon. With simple and intuitive controls players have complete freedom of movement, making full use of the distinctive environment to control the battle. Shattered Horizon rewards players with gameplay and tactics impossible in games constrained by gravity.
Stunning lighting effects and zero gravity physics give the look and feel of real space, bringing to life an extraordinary and epic vision of the future.

Background Story

25 Word Limit
When a catastrophic accident on the Moon fills near-Earth space with debris, the survivors must fight or face deathin the cold of space.

50 Word Limit
Man is back on the Moon but greed soon leads to a catastrophic accident, when an explosion fills near-Earth space with debris. Survivors on the Moon are forced into conflict with those trapped on the battered International Space Station. Control of limited supplies means the difference between survival and death.

100 Word Limit
Man is back on the Moon and the companies that took him there are reaping huge profits. Their greed soon leads to the largest mining accident in history, when an explosion throws billions of tons of rocky debris into near-Earth space. Fragments of the Moon settle around the Earth and become known as the Arc. With Earth surrounded by debris there's little chance of rescue or return. Survivors on the Moon are forced into conflict with those trapped on the battered International Space Station. Control of the Arc means the difference between survival and death in the cold of space.

Shattered Horizon beta
In late August a limited number of gamers will be taking part in a technical beta for Shattered Horizon. At Gamescom, Futuremark Games Studio revealed the first details of what gamers could expect.

Moondust
Moondust is an oxygen-rich fragment of Moon rock where MMC miners have set up a mining facility. This is a risky venture, as the Arc's rotation brings it right under the ISA's nose. The MMC has little choice: with most of Moon's oxygen farms destroyed, they are literally fighting for air. Moondust is designed to be accessible to new players. It features a lot of indoor spaces, corridors and caverns. There are man-made structures which give a natural sense of “up” even though there’s no gravity. Combat tends to be close range and sudden.

Flipside
The remains of Hadley Science Station now orbit the Moon. The station contains stockpiles of high-purity nuclear fuel that could sustain the conflict for years. Determined to cut the MMC's fuel supply, the ISA launches a mission to confiscate the supplies or destroy them. In Flipside players fight on both sides of a broken disc of Moon rock, moving between the two through cracks and fractures in the level. As players move from one side to the other, up becomes down. Teams must control both sides to win.

ISS
A meteoroid impact has severed the International Space Station nearly in two. MMC troops seize the opportunity to raid the crippled and understaffed station. A skeleton crew of ISA astronauts must hold out against the attack. ISS is the most open of the three beta levels. The long axis of the station provides clear direction for the players. In this level players can make full use of zero gravity resulting in fast paced tactical play.

Players
The beta will support 32 players simultaneously.

Game Modes

Battle
In Battle two teams compete to capture control points and dominate the map. Teams must defend their own control points while attacking the enemy’s.

Assault
Assault is a turn-based control point capture game. Teams take turns attacking and defending. Control points cannot be recaptured by the defending team once lost. The attacking team must capture all control points in order to win the round.

Skirmish
Skirmish is a team deathmatch game mode. At the end of the round, the final score determines the winning team.

Weapons
In space it is impractical for an astronaut to have a large amount of weapons and equipment. With too much gear something is bound to float away. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvUhFwNxEqU
For that reason each player in Shattered Horizon carries a single multifunctional assault rifle. Using this weapon, the player is equipped for every type of combat scenario: up-close melee attacks, medium range fire fights and accurate long range combat.

Tactical Grenades
Grenades are fired with the rifle’s under-slung launcher. In zero gravity, grenades have special properties: they fly straight and true, with no drop to limit the range. Players can also ricochet grenades off surfaces to attack beyond their line of sight.

All the grenades in Shattered Horizon are non-lethal. Rather than provide cheap one-shot kills, they are designed to support team tactics and enhance the zero gravity experience.

ICE
The ICE grenade releases a fine cloud of water particles which flash freeze in the vacuum of space. The ice crystals block both sight and radar. This grenade can be used to provide cover, block lines of sight or disorient enemies caught in the cloud.

EMP
The EMP grenade disables an astronaut’s suit electronics. When a player is caught in an EMP blast their HUD crashes, taking away their radar and audio simulation. Their rocket pack also becomes less responsive, inhibiting movement until the suit’s OS reboots.

MPR
The MPR grenade’s blast pushes away astronauts and floating objects. Players can use the MPR grenade to dislodge defenders from their cover, or protect themselves from charging enemies by knocking them back.


Genre
Multiplayer first-person shooter
Tactical shooter (gameplay involves teams capturing control points)
Science fiction shooter (set in near-Earth space 40 years from now)

Platforms
Windows Vista, Windows 7 - DirectX 10 graphics card required

Developer
Futuremark Games Studio

Game Engine and Technology
In-house DirectX10 engine using PhysX and optimized for multi-core PCs.
Shattered Horizon carries the NVIDIA “The Way It’s Meant To Be Played” seal.

Rating
The game has not yet been rated by ESRB, PEGI or other rating bodies.

Release date
Ready for release holiday 2009 (dependent on this summer’s technical beta)

Rapala we love fish the first fishing game made specially for the Nintendo Wii

A Whole New Species of Fishing Game!

Activision announce a brand new entry in its Rapala fishing franchise, Rapala - We Fish for Nintendo Wii. Slated for release on September 29, Rapala: We Fish is the first fishing title developed specifically for Nintendo Wii, featuring over-the-top fun and action-packed fishing.

The game is packaged with the Rapala fishing rod and reel peripheral, letting players cast it, crank it and set the hook!

“We’ve partnered with Rapala to develop a new type of fishing game that focuses on arcade style family fun for the Wii™,” said David Oxford, Activision Publishing. “Combining responsive controls with an action-packed, humorous direction, we have created a fishing game that’s unlike anything out there.”

Rapala: We Fish takes a “pick up and play”, comical approach to fishing. Featuring five different game modes, including co-op tournaments, 4 player split-screen and multiplayer modes, players can choose from five hilarious characters or play as their favorite Mii™. Players travel to eight locations around the world and compete in 24 tournament events. Battle over 50 wacky fish species, including enormous Legendary Lunkers, with the Rapala rod and reel peripheral for side-splitting fun!

In a unique twist, the fish themselves feature zany personalities and hilarious facial expressions that will make players chuckle as they race each other to be the first to catch them. Winning a tournament requires more than just fishing – you must race your boat in arcade-style competitions with power-ups and turbo speed boosts. But hurry - if a competitor knocks the fish out of your boat before you get to the safe harbor, you lose your prized catch!

“We love Activision’s fresh, colorful approach to Rapala: We Fish,” said Kelly Brockpahler, Rapala. “It doesn’t matter if you are a fisherman in real life, this game lets players of all ages and abilities have a ‘laugh out loud’ good time!”