HMV to open specialist PC gaming centre

Trocadero store in partnership with Gamerbase.com

High Street retailer HMV is teaming with Gamerbase.com to open a dedicated PC gaming centre in the heart of London.

Located at the Trocadero centre in Piccadilly Circus, the store will boast 80 multiplayer PCs allowing users to try games ahead of release, as well as take part in tournaments and promotional events.

"This represents a tremendous opportunity for HMV to further develop its specialist credentials as a destination store for games and for gaming," offered Tim Ellis, head of games for HMV.

"I'm optimistic the Gamerbase gaming centre will meet with a very positive response, which would then allow us to consider extending the concept to other stores in the chain in the not-too-distant future."

The Gamerbase gaming centre will operate on a concession basis within HMV's Trocadero store, which occupies 2300 square foot of trading space.

One of the founders of Gamerbase, former ELSPA boss Roger Bennett, says that publishers are already keen on the set up, which will allow them to trial games and gain real consumer feedback ahead of a titles release.

"This is the first centre to combine the entertainment aspect of a consumer gaming experience with a retail solution where customers can try gaming titles before they buy," he said.

"Games publishers are keen to work with us to allow HMV customers to play the newest games before anyone else, and then pre-order the titles at the HMV games retail store just a few feet away from the gaming centre.

"Never before have we been able to track gaming directly with purchases. Now we will be able to see what gamers play, how long for, and how this influences their purchasing habits," he added.

Gamerbase marketing director and professional gamer Sujoy Roy reckons the centre could also act as a talent spotting operation to find some of the UK's best games players, who could then go on to enter professional events.

"This is the first time that a PC gaming centre has been built in conjunction with a major High Street retailer, and we look forward to providing a true consumer experience that will hopefully find the UK’s next top gamers to represent our country at Worldwide competitive events," he said.

Last week HMV opened a dedicated console gaming environment in its Edinburgh store, with Microsoft supplying over 25 Xbox 360 consoles and Samsung hi-def TV screens.

Access to the Trocadero centre will be via a membership scheme, with doors due to open next month.

Source: Games Industry

NARUTO Wii Ramen Noodle Eating Championship

Top Pro Eaters Compete for $5,000 in Cash Prizes

On October 27th, the world’s hungriest competitive eaters will gather for the first-ever NARUTO™ Clash of Ninja™ Revolution World Ramen Noodle Eating Championship, the culmination of a multi-faceted launch event for the new Wii™ video game. Major League Eating have initiated a mandatory chopsticks rule for the competition, in keeping with the traditional method of consuming ramen.

The contest will feature not merely an all-star cast of competitive eaters, but a virtual cornucopia of interesting characters to boot. The focus will be on 4th-ranked Tim “Eater X” Janus of New York City, the face-painting tiramisu champ who recently ate 20 pounds of grits in ten minutes. Nipping at Janus’ heels will be his roommate and training partner, Crazy Legs Conti, a man who once ate his way out of an 96-cubic foot box of popcorn, earning the nickname, “the Evel Knievel of the Alimentary Canal.” Arturo “Grande” Rios, the 13th-ranked pigs’ feet-eating champ from New Jersey, will be fending off best friend duo Eric “Steakbellie” Livingston and Micah “Wing Kong” Collins, as well as 18th-ranked Justin Mih, a Harvard graduate student and chopstick specialist.

The contest will be the cornerstone of an entire day’s worth of activities surrounding the launch of the most exhilarating fighting game yet for the Wii™ home video game system: NARUTO: Clash of Ninja Revolution from TOMY and D3Publisher of America. From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., the Nintendo World® Store in New York’s Rockefeller Center will be filled with gaming stations and collectible card game areas. The first 1500 fans to arrive wearing a NARUTO headband will receive an exclusive free gift. Also involved will be card games, Q&A sessions, mini-tournaments with prizes, and a raffle for a one-of-a kind NARUTO DS!

Based on episodes from VIZ Media’s hit anime series SHONEN JUMP™ NARUTO, NARUTO: Clash of Ninja Revolution ships to stores on October 23rd, 2007.

Major League Eating (MLE), the world governing body of all stomach-centric sports, conducts more than 70 events annually, including the Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July

International Hot Dog Eating Contest in Coney Island, N.Y. The competitive eating community, which numbers more than 8,000 veteran and rookie athletes, travels the nation in search of top titles and the glory that they provide.

With U.S. headquarters in Santa Ana, California, TOMY Corporation is one of the worlds’ oldest and most endearing toy companies. For more than eight decades, TOMY has developed and manufactured a broad portfolio of exciting and educational toys, games and video games for children of all ages.

Headquartered in San Francisco, CA, VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), is one of the most comprehensive and innovative companies in the field of manga publishing, animation and entertainment licensing of Japanese content.

D3Publisher of America, Inc. is a subsidiary of D3, Inc. with headquarters in Tokyo, Japan. D3Publisher of America’s strategic focus is on licensed and original titles from leading third-party developers that appeal to mass-market consumers or gaming enthusiasts.

Gamerpics for Bomberman Live Xbox Live Arcade This Week

Second Batch of Gamerpics for the Popular game available October 24

Today Hudson Entertainment announced that it is releasing a second batch of gamerpics (pictured below) for Bomberman Live on Xbox Live Arcade. The gamerpics will be available starting this Wednesday, October 24th and include:

A bomb, Mr. Destructoid, Bomb of Doom (the executioner), Debbie Downer (the goth girl), and Bomb the Fool (the jester).

Bomberman Live delivers frantic 8-player online play. Fans can also play with their friends in 4-player local action on one system. In addition, Bomberman Live features new character customizations, which allow players to personalize their Bomberman from over 10,000 possible combinations. Bomberman Live offers gamers the chance to finally prove that they’re the best Bomberman player in the world.

To download the image of the gamerpics vist: http://www.clevercomm.com/Gamerpics/

For more information on Bomberman Live visit www.hudsonentertainment.com

Microsoft Lauches New Xbox 360 Console For Families

New Console Includes Five Games, Wireless Controller And Storage To Save Games, All For An Estimated Retail Price Of £199.99

Just in time for the festive season, Microsoft today released a new Xbox 360 console that delivers games and content to everyone in the family for an estimated retail price of £199.99. Available in stores in the United Kingdom from Friday 26th October 2007, Xbox 360 ‘Arcade’ is the first Xbox 360 console to include five family-friendly games. Xbox 360 Arcade also includes a wireless controller, an HDMI connection to enable high-definition output if desired and 256MB of memory--useful for storing games and other entertainment content. At an estimated retail price of just £199.99, the Xbox 360 Arcade console will include the full versions of the five best-selling games from the Xbox LIVE® Arcade including “PAC-MAN Championship Edition,” (NAMCO BANDAI Games), “Uno,” “Luxor 2,” “Boom Boom Rocket™” (Electronic Arts), and “Feeding Frenzy.”

“As European families gather together this Christmas, it’s the perfect time to launch a family orientated Xbox 360 package that plays games, video and music for everyone to enjoy,” said Stephen McGill, Head of Gaming and Entertainment for Microsoft UK. “In addition to offering an incredible all-in-one package for families to get right into the fun, the Xbox 360 Arcade system features the industry leading family settings that allow parents to control what their kids are watching and playing, and we know how important that control is to families around the world.”

The news of Xbox 360 Arcade comes as part of a broader initiative by Microsoft to bring the Xbox 360 experience to families everywhere. Microsoft also announced today that “SHREK-N-ROLL™” (Activision) will be coming exclusively to Xbox LIVE Arcade, the place to download games for Xbox 360 over Xbox LIVE, adding more fun for everyone in the family.

Microsoft’s commitment to family entertainment is complimented by the largest library of more than 200 family-friendly games available at retailers in the United Kingdom this Christmas, including “BEE MOVIE™ GAME” (Activision), “Guitar Hero III®: Legends of Rock” (Activision), “Naruto: Rise of a Ninja” (UbiSoft) , “Scene It? Lights, Camera, Action” and “Viva Piñata: Party Animals.”

Hong Kong Raid Nets 10,000 Products Used To Play Pirated Nintendo Software

Illegal WiiKey
At Nintendo's request, the Hong Kong High Court has intervened to help stop a global distribution operation involving game copying devices and modification chips ("mod chips") that violate its copyrights and trademarks in the Nintendo DS and Wii systems.

On Oct. 8th, the court ordered the raid of Supreme Factory Limited facilities. During a three-day period, Nintendo representatives seized more than 10,000 game copying devices and mod chips. The game copying devices connect to the Nintendo DS and are used to copy and play game files offered unlawfully via the Internet. The mod chips allow the play of pirated Wii discs or illegal copies of Nintendo games downloaded from the Internet.

The search also turned up volumes of documents reflecting the scope of the operation. The Supreme Factory Limited has ties to a French company, Divineo SARL, and its principal, Max Louarn, who are also named in the legal action initiated by Nintendo. The High Court prohibited the companies from further distribution of the devices and from disposing a portion of their assets worldwide, and ordered that such assets be frozen pending outcome of the legal proceedings.

"Piracy affects the entire video game industry, from large companies to independent developers," says Jodi Daugherty, Nintendo of America's senior director for anti-piracy. "It can destroy years of hard work by a team of very talented software developers, who strive to create games consumers enjoy playing. Copying the developers' work and spreading the game files globally is blatant stealing."

Piracy not only affects Nintendo, but also more than 100 companies that independently create, license, market and sell Nintendo video game products. Nintendo and these companies lost an estimated $762 million in sales due to counterfeits in 2006.

This action is one of several that Nintendo has initiated over the years against game copiers and mod chips. In 2005, Nintendo was awarded more than $5 million in damages from the Hong Kong High Court against Lik Sang, a company responsible for the widespread distribution of game copying devices. In another case, a U.S. judge ordered Bung Enterprises to pay Nintendo $7 million in damages in connection with its involvement in manufacturing and distribution of such products.

The SIMS 2 Castaway OUT THIS FRIDAY

For the first time ever, your Sims can survive and thrive on an uncharted island

Electronic Arts announced that The Sims 2 Castaway for the Wii, the Nintendo DS and the PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system will be available in all main UK retail outlets from October 26th. The PSP (PlayStation Portable) system will follow closely on November 2nd. New and old fans of The Sims will now be able to leave the urban jungle for an uncharted island filled with sandy beaches, blue lagoons, explosive volcanic mountains and more! Will your Sims choose to survive and thrive on a tropical island or begin planning their escape back to civilization? The choice is yours in The Sims 2 Castaway!

As The Sims 2 Castaway begins, players will have the opportunity to create a crew of Sims. And in true Sims fashion, each character brings a unique skill, humor and quirkiness to the crew, promising an entertaining adventure in this new island environment! Upon setting sail, a storm quickly approaches casting your Sims overboard on a beautiful beach all alone. Having no other items but the shirt on his back, your Sim will embark on a tropical journey, choosing to either subsist on the beautiful island or flee altogether. Will your Sim choose to reunite with the crew and enlist the help of clever monkeys to make a flourishing community with the Musician, Doctor, Park Ranger and more? Or will they follow the treasure map island to island in search of clues that will eventually lead them to freedom? How your Sims survive, or thrive, is up to you.

Studio Head of The Sims Label, Rod Humble said, “Whether you’re spending hours collecting resources to build the ultimate island hut, or passing time taming wild boars with your crew, there is a new adventure for all types of players this holiday season in The Sims 2 Castaway. The gameplay is magnificently tailored to each of the four platforms – we can’t wait to see how players are going to help their Sims survive and thrive on this beautiful, uncharted island.”

Regardless of their destiny, your Sims will explore a variety of new environments, from lush green jungles and dark spooky caves to forbidden plains and more! In addition to new environments, Nintendo DS players will also hone their Sims survival skills such as spear fishing, fire starting and bug squashing in one of the six fun mini-games. Whether your Sims are collecting unusual shells for crew members, crafting furniture out of palm leaves or creating dry shelter out of bamboo, what you build and collect makes all the difference!

The Sims 2 Castaway ships today on the Wii, Nintendo DS and PlayStation2 to retail stores across North America and Europe. The PSP version ships today across North America and on October 26th across Europe. For more information – and to check out the hilarious, recently-launched webisodes – please visit The Sims 2 Castaway website at www.foundthesims.com

Codemasters celebrates Halloween early with release of Jericho

Just in time for the fright-filled holiday of the year, Codemasters today announced that its long-awaited action horror game Clive Barker's Jericho is now shipping and will be available from retail stores this Friday, 26th October, for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, the PLAYSTATION 3 computer entertainment system and Games for Windows.

Clive Barker's Jericho is a spectacular blast from Barker's cannon of nightmares and an interactive experience that mingles the darkest elements of his creative works with an ambitious, age-spanning story for mature gamers and horror fiction enthusiasts.

Clive Barker's Jericho dispatches gamers to the Middle-Eastern city of Al-Khali, where the most ancient of evils has resurfaced; causing intense paranormal activity that has caught the eye of the military. Controlling the Jericho squad, an expert strike team skilled in both conventional and paranormal warfare, players fight their way through slices of time on a gruelling journey as they make their way toward the heart of the evil.

En route, gamers encounter the horrific armies of hellish denizens that now rule the city and corrupt everything they touch. As the squad incrementally approach the source of evil, players will have to rely less and less on traditional weapons and instead focus on the combined psychic talents of the Jericho team.

Assassin's Creed at HMV Oxford St, London

Personal Appearance by Jade Raymond and Demonstration of Assassin's Creed at HMV Oxford St, London this Saturday 27th October

As part of London Games Festival, Jade Raymond, Producer for Assassins Creed by Ubisoft, is set to make a special appearance at HMV's flagship store on Oxford Street, London this Saturday 27th October. New levels from the latest version of the game will be presented at this one off event in anticipation for the release of the game next month.

The presentation is open to all members of the public and will take place at 3pm and then again at 4.30pm on the day. Jade will meet and answer questions from the public and also sign merchandise available for the game.

Details of event:

Attendees: Open to all public on the day
Address: HMV Level One, 150 Oxford St, London W1D 1DJ.

Details can also be found here on the London Game Festival website:

London Games Festival

For more information on Assassin’s Creed please visit www.assassinscreed.com

For more information about Ubisoft please visit www.ubi.com.

ChartTrack UK weekly games charts

All formats

(Full price) Week ending 20 October 2007
POS TITLE PUBLISHER
1 FOOTBALL MANAGER 2008 - SEGA
2 FIFA 08 - ELECTRONIC ARTS
3 THE ORANGE BOX - ELECTRONIC ARTS
4 THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: PHANTOM HOURGLASS - NINTENDO
5 HALO 3 - MICROSOFT
6 PROJECT GOTHAM RACING 4 - MICROSOFT
7 RATATOUILLE - THQ
8 TIGER WOODS PGA TOUR 08 - ELECTRONIC ARTS
9 RESISTANCE: FALL OF MAN - SONY COMPUTER ENT.
10 CRASH OF THE TITANS - VIVENDI GAMES
11 MYSIMS - ELECTRONIC ARTS
12 HEAVENLY SWORD - SONY COMPUTER ENT.
13 MOTORSTORM - SONY COMPUTER ENT.
14 HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL: MAKIN' THE CUT! - DISNEY INTERACTIVE STUDIOS
15 JUICED 2: HOT IMPORT NIGHTS - THQ
16 FORZA MOTORSPORT 2 - MICROSOFT
17 RUGBY 08 - ELECTRONIC ARTS
18 SEGA RALLY - SEGA
19 SKATE - ELECTRONIC ARTS
20 MARIO PARTY 8 - NINTENDO

Guitar Hero tracks available on iPod

Do you wanna rock like a hurricane with your iPod? Of course you do! Check it:

Activision, Inc. announced that starting today a series of compilations featuring music from the hit franchise Guitar Hero will be available for purchase and download on the iTunes Store. The tracks will be featured in iTunes Essentials for Guitar Hero, Guitar Hero II, Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks the 80s and Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock.

From “Surrender” to “Welcome to the Jungle,” to “Carry On Wayward Son,” nearly every song to appear in the Guitar Hero franchise has been gathered. A newly recorded version of "Anarchy in the U.K." which the Sex Pistols recently recorded for Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock, is also available as a separate track. The series also includes Artist and Genre Essentials custom-created especially for guitar fans. Titles include Shredders, Live Guitar Heroics, Killer Guitar Solos and Guitar Anthems of the ‘80s with tracks from Aerosmith, Guns ‘N’ Roses, Rage Against the Machine, Metallica, the Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix and Pearl Jam. Additionally, iTunes will be offering guitar-themed playlists from guitar legends Steve Jones of The Sex Pistols and Slash of Guns ‘N’ Roses and Velvet Revolver so fans can download the legends’ favorite anthems.