Microsoft Xbox 360 games tackle drink driving - Scottish Government to spend £10,000 on in-game advertising

Anti-drink driving adverts are to be inserted into computer games amid concern at the number of youngsters who consume alcohol before driving.
Police said they had caught almost 150 people under the age of 25 in their annual festive drink driving blitz.

The Scottish Government is to spend £10,000 on adverts on the virtual billboards within Xbox 360 games.

Campaigners said it was vital to look beyond conventional methods of communicating with young people.

The adverts will be seen by Scottish Xbox 360 gamers playing the online versions of titles including Need for Speed: Carbon, Project Gotham Racing 4 and Pro Evolution Soccer 2008.

If the trial is successful, the same technology could be used to deliver a wide range of road safety messages.

More from the BBC

Nintendo Wii shopping channel add - BLADES OF STEEL - Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble - Rolling Thunder 2

This week's merry Wii Shop Channel lineup includes a classic adventure title to entertain every reveler in your household, from the nicest to the naughtiest. Plus, you'll find a wicked-cool dose of ice hockey action and a thrilling secret-agent sequel to help keep spirits bright all winter long.

Nintendo adds new games to the Wii Shop Channel every Monday. Wii owners with a high-speed Internet connection can redeem Wii Points to download the games. Wii Points can be purchased in the Wii Shop Channel or at retail outlets. 

This week's new games are:

BLADES OF STEEL (NES®, 1-2 players, Rated E for Everyone-Mild Violence, 500 Wii Points):

With stick in hand and confidence brimming, you are looking to bring home the cup, win the MVP award, get on the covers of major sports magazines and date a beautiful model (not necessarily in that order). 

But soon you will learn that, in this league, nothing is ever given to you, and before you can reach your goals, you'll have to put the puck in the net and score some.

You'll need both the artful skills of a finesse player and the bone-crushing brutality of an enforcer. Defend your own goal against unrelenting power plays, or put the pressure on your opponent's goalie and try a slap shot of your own. 

Don't forget to defend yourself when anger flares because the gloves come off and fists start flying. So strap on blades of steel and prepare to either make a name for yourself or be put on ice.

Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble (Super NES®, 1-2 players, Rated E for Everyone, 800 Wii Points):

Revisit Donkey Kong Island and join the Kong family for their latest adventure. The Kremlings have a mysterious new leader named KAOS and are up to their usual mischief, even capturing Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong.

Now it's up to Dixie Kong and the newest Kong, a giant infant named Kiddy, to rescue the two missing apes.

They'll travel across previously unseen parts of the island in their search, and even take to the skies in a rocket at one point. Lucky for them, Dixie and Kiddy's powers complement each other (including Kiddy's talent for rolling like a barrel), so they form a powerful team capable of major Kremling damage. 

They're not completely on their own, either, since returning favorites like Funky Kong and Enguarde the swordfish provide help along the way. And in a series known for its abundance of secrets and high replay value, this entry doesn't disappoint, with enough hours of game play to satisfy Donkey Kong himself. 

Anyone else have a sudden urge for some bananas?

Rolling Thunder 2 (Genesis, 1-2 players, Rated E for Everyone-Violence, 800 Wii Points):

In this follow-up to the original classic, you are once again a member of Interpol's Rolling Thunder task force, and it's up to you to stop the return of the evil Geldra organization. 

Now known as Neo-Geldra and led by a newcomer named Gimdo, the bad guys are bent on destroying several valuable outer-space satellites. 

In this one- or two-player game, you can play as Leila or Albatross-both characters from the original-as you venture through several different levels, trying to put a stop to the nefarious efforts of Gimdo and the rest of Neo-Geldra. 

Use your bullets wisely and make Rolling Thunder proud.

For more information about Wii, please visit wii.com.

Santa Spotted Playing Toki Tori

Santa Claus was recently spotted playing Toki Tori in his North Pole residence. The problem is... he doesn’t seem to be doing anything else!

Eyewitnesses have confirmed that Santa Claus has in fact been playing Toki Tori non-stop since he received his pre-release copy of the game. Evidence can be found at http://www.twotribes.com/santa. Industry analysts have already expressed concerns; with some even claiming Santa will not be able to deliver his products on schedule before the end of his fiscal year, ending December 25th.

Collin van Ginkel, Creative Director at Two Tribes - the development house behind Toki Tori – commented: "Santa usually receives games well in advance of their release to make sure they are suitable for the people he delivers presents to. But in hindsight it might have been better to wait until after Christmas, we hope this will not affect his delivery schedule."

“It’s unfortunate this image was leaked to the press”, said Martijn Reuvers, Managing Director at Two Tribes, adding: “Since the game hasn’t officially been announced for a specific platform yet, we’re happy this image doesn’t reveal too much.”

When contacted about this situation, Santa was reported to shout: “There are not enough Telewarps! And where is that last egg?!” We’ll take that as a ‘No Comment’ for the time being.

Two tribes games...

Pirate Quest video game 20% Christmas Discount on download

Spell of Play Studios are offering a 20% Christmas Discount on their game Pirate Quest for all old and new Spell of Play Gaming Community members.

The Spell of Play Gaming Community

The Spell of Play gaming community is free and open for all people interested in gaming. The community provides valuable feedback in the development of games. As a community member you get special benefits and first hand information on game releases.

Pirate Quest

Take your parrot and your pegleg and go treasurehunting in this superfun puzzlegame!

Search for treasures from sunken ships, chests full of gold and ancient loot is just waiting for a captain brave enough to find it!

Game Features:

• 100 levels


• 5 maps to explore


• 10 treasures and game features to unlock


• Relaxing Arcade mode


• Treasure Room


• Become the most infamous pirate in the online hall of fame

System Requirements:
DirectX 9 compatible graphics card
DirectX 9 compatible sound card
Windows XP, Windows Vista

Pricing and Availability:
The Pirate Quest Demo is available via our web site: www.spellofplay.com/play-games

You can currently buy the full version for 11.99 (+vat) and get all future versions for free.

Links:

Spell of Play Studios web site:
www.spellofplay.com

Pirate Quest web page with new screen shots:
www.spellofplay.com/games/pirate-quest

v1.02 Patch for Strategic Command 2 Weapons and Warfare

Merry Christmas all! This is a busy season for everyone and to help celebrate a little early we are releasing the latest Strategic Command 2 Weapons and Warfare Expansion v1.02 Patch. This patch improves the various aspects of Amphibous Transport units and warfare as well as adding other improvements and fixes noticed since the expansion was released including an important tweak to the road network system. This Command 2 Weapons and Warfare Expansion v1.02 Patch also includes all the previous fixes from the first v1.01 patch.

Strategic Command 2 Weapons and Warfare Expansion v1.02 Patch

Download Page:
http://www.battlefront.com/products/sc2/sc2_wwe/patch.html
Filesize: 124Mb

v1.02 Patch Notes

Please note, this is a PATCH for the Strategic Command 2 Weapons and Warfare Expansion and will only work for the Battlefront.com English language version. This patch will not work with any non-English version of Strategic Command 2 Weapons and Warfare Expansion at this time. This patch can be applied to either the original v1.0 version of the game or one that was already patched up to version 1.01.

Separate patches for the other language versions will be released in the future.

v1.02

GAME ENGINE CHANGES
- fixed an Amphibious Warfare research upgrade error - fixed an Amphibious Transport properties display error when Amphibious Warfare Research Levels are less than 0
- fixed an AI unit upgrade error
- Amphibious Transports that end their move adjacent to an enemy Battleship, Cruiser, Destroyer or Carrier will now
be automatically attacked regardless if it was hidden or not under Fog of War. Note, unloading after the automatic
defensive naval fire, will still be possible if the Transport is stopped adjacent a valid debarkation tile
- FREE UNIT script now called when a SURRENDER 2 event is triggered
- fixed a combat error that caused a CTD when a hidden rocket attacked a defending unit on a resource
- roads now eliminate supply range penalties over rough terrain such as mountains, marshes etc.
- fixed an AI upgrade error
- fixed a SUPPLY SCRIPT error that targeted resources such as Fortresses that were set to 'Destroy On Overrun'
- subs that dive and move will now move in a more random directional pattern

EDITOR RELATED CHANGES
- fixed an Amphibious Warfare research upgrade error
- added NAVAL DEFENSE= entry to localization.txt
- Build Limits can now be set to (None) and this will subsequently delist them from purchase in the Purchase
Unit dialog, i.e. useful for modding when you want to eliminate certain unit types from in game purchase
- updated several FLEET events for the UK to take better advantage of the modified Amphibious Transport rules
- updated several bitmapped flags
- added some Axis AI UNIT script and GARRISON enhancements for the post D-Day period
- fixed a railway disconnect between Narvik and the adjacent mine
- made an adjustment to an ACTIVATION No:2 event checking for UK aggression in Norway, it now checks to see if Norway has
surrendered to the Allies and not the case where the UK is attempting to liberate Norway
- updated the North African campaign flags for Malta as well as for the Commonwealth

Version History

v1.01

GAME ENGINE CHANGES
- fixed an AI destroyer unit combat error
- fixed an AI upgrade unit error
- fixed an animation replay error
- fixed a MINOR country Corps purchase error
- paratroops that are preparing and engineers that are fortifying are no longer hidden under FoW
- subs caught in sea ice no longer raid convoy lanes until sea ice clears
- subs now use the following rules:
- Silent
- Sub can pass through hidden enemy units except for a Destroyer under FoW
- Sub cannot attack convoy lanes
- Hunt
- Sub cannot pass through hidden enemy units under FoW
- Sub can attack convoy lanes
- Note, a Sub will dive (if a dive is successful) when atta cked and move away under either Silent or Hunt mode
- transfer of capitals now reduces that country's morale the same as it would if an ally were to surrender
- transfer of capitals now increase occupier's morale the same as it would if it forced the surrender of a country
- any country that has a capital transferred to a disconnected area loses its current production/queue items
(complete wipe out) unless the transfer location is connected to the current location of the capital (pre-transfer) or
to any of the Industrial Center locations for that country
- fixed a script handling error for CONDITION POSITIONs
- fixed a Paratroop glider sound error when playing under Military unit icons mode
- fixed a Paratroop drop and new unit selection error when Fortifications are destroyed or a Paratroop unit takes
landing casualties
- surprise encounters will now only apply the 'Hidden Attacker Readiness Bonu s' to decrease attacker losses and not to also
increase defender losses as was previously the case
- fixed an 'add_unit' bug when minors are activated
- fixed a resource mpp calculation error that did not include Fortresses if a value was assigned to them
- fixed a bug where custom combat supply loss values via the Editor were not being read in game

EDITOR RELATED CHANGES
- fixed the military unit bitmaps to show some differentiation between tactical bombers and strategic bombers
- replaced Manstein with Bittrich in the Wacht Am Rhein scenario
- removed all incorrect references to O'Conner in the 1939 and 1940 campaigns and replaced them with O'Connor
- fixed a SURRENDER_2 script error for the surrender of Italy
- added several new Axis Middle East OFFENSIVE events
- added several new Axis Middle East TRANSPORT events
- added several new Axis Middle East GARRISON events
- added several new ACTIVATION No:3 events
- added PRODUCTION LOST= entry to localization.txt
- fixed a Polish campaign victory condition error
- fixed several Spanish Civil War campaign errors
- updated Manual with several new entries regarding changes in Weapons and Warfare

Top Year-End Honors Establish BioShock as a Must-Have Gift for Christmas

2K Games, a publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, announced today that BioShock, the bar-raising “genetically enhanced“ first-person shooter available exclusively for Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and Games for Windows, is a must-have gift for the holidays with extensive year-end accolades to prove it. A wide range of publications have bestowed “Game of the Year” status on BioShock, including The Associated Press, the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA), Game Informer, Spike TV’s VGAs, G4’s X-Play, Amazon.com, The Houston Chronicle and Paste Magazine. Additionally, BioShock has ranked among the top 10 titles on many other “Best of 2007” award lists, including The New York Times, Time Magazine and Maxim.

Beyond “Game of the Year” roundups, BioShock is being championed as a top pick for the holidays, with the top video game enthusiast websites leading the pack. These include IGN, GameSpot, 1UP, GamePro.com, GamesRadar and GameSpy. The honors follow in the footsteps of the game’s stellar performance on the review circuit. BioShock is one of the highest-scoring games this year on Metacritic.com, the popular site that aggregates review scores from the leading video game publications and websites.

"The winter holiday season is the most important time of the year for game companies, so we are excited to have BioShock selected by many of the largest media outlets as the best game of the year and a top pick for gift guides,” said Christoph Hartmann, President of 2K. "The media have been supportive of the game ever since it launched, so it’s great to see that praise carry on, especially among such a diverse group of publications.”

BioShock is the "genetically enhanced" first-person shooter that lets players do things never before possible in the genre: turn everything into a weapon, biologically modify their character’s body with plasmids, hack devices and systems, upgrade weapons and craft new ammo variants, and experiment with different battle techniques.

Players experience the game as a castaway in Rapture, an underwater Utopia torn apart by civil war. Caught between powerful forces and hunted down by genetically modified “splicers” and deadly security systems, players will have to come to grips with a deadly, mysterious world filled with powerful technology and fascinating characters. No encounter ever plays out the same, and no two gamers will play the game the same way.

BioShock is rated M for Mature and is available now. For additional game details, visit www.2kgames.com/bioshock.

Pirates Of The Caribbean Free Online Video game added content

Just after the launch of Pirates of the Caribbean Online, Disney Online has already announced new content that will give players the opportunity to give their customized Pirate avatars a whole new look!

In Pirates of the Caribbean Online, players create and customize their own pirate choosing from over a million combinations – from gender, body type, face, and hair, to clothing and names. Adding to the already extensive character creation system, Disney Online will introduce new customization options in February. Just a few of these include:

- Clothing: New pants, hats, coats, and more
- New hairstyles
- Tattoos
- Jewelry: Including earrings, nose rings, necklaces and more

In addition to new character customization features, Disney Online has additional content planned for 2008 including expanding ship customization, extending quest story lines, and adding more enemies and challenges.

Pirates of the Caribbean Online, developed and published by Disney Online, is rated E10+ and features lower PC and Mac system requirements than most other games in this genre, allowing for easier access to a broader audience of players.

Players can download the game directly and access additional information at the game’s Web site, www.PiratesOnline.com. A portion of the game is available for free and players can get unlimited access for a monthly subscription fee.

Mech-Based Strategy RPG Drone Tactics For Nintendo DS

Atlus U.S.A., Inc., a leading publisher of interactive entertainment, today announced Drone Tactics, a game of turn-based strategy RPG warfare, for the Nintendo DSTM. Command a brigade of colossal mecha insecta and coordinate your forces as you take on the ruthless army of the Black Swarm! Drone Tactics is currently scheduled to release on March 25th, 2008.

For more on Drone Tactics, please visit the official website: http://www.atlus.com/dronetactics!

About Drone Tactics
Transported to an alien world, you find yourself in the middle of a great conflict. An army of evil Drones is on the march, threatening to obliterate the land of Cimexus. Its inhabitants now turn to you to lead them in battle against the Black Swarm. Each level offers new challenges, and taking full advantage of each Drone's unique specialties will be the difference between success and defeat!


Key Features
Build and command your own Drone army – Wreak mechanical havoc with your squad of insect mechs, choosing from over 100 weapons, upgrades, and power-ups to optimize your forces.

Conquer dozens of campaign operations and over 50 additional maps – Take on the forces of the Black Swarm then confront the challenges that wait in the mysterious Badlands.
Battle for domination in head-to-head combat – Friends become enemies in local wireless play.

Drone Tactics has not yet been rated by the ESRB.

GameSpy Names Call Of Duty 4 video Game Of The Year 2007

Additional Category Winners Announced as GameSpy Unveils Games of the Year for 2007

IGN Entertainment’s GameSpy (http://www.gamespy.com), the ultimate Web site for multiplayer gaming, has announced its 2007 “Game of the Year” winners in various platform and themed categories. The “Game of the Year” is an annual list honoring the best games released in the past 12 months. GameSpy’s editors have declared Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare “Overall Game of the Year”, with The Orange Box and BioShock finishing in second and third place, respectively. Additional titles across each platform have been revealed throughout the week. The full list of winners, and a look back at the gaming world in 2007 are available at http://goty.gamespy.com/2007/.

“This year was great in terms of high-quality, action-packed videogames. Gamers saw the next-generation platforms mature with impressive technology, incredible cinematic visuals and more creative and communal experiences,” said Dave ‘Fargo’ Kosak, Executive Editor of GameSpy. “Naming the top games of the year was easy, but ranking the titles in a year with so many great products proved to be a real challenge.”

Winning games were chosen based on an extensive list of criteria, including: art, graphics, sound, story, innovation, technology, longevity, expandability, community interaction, multiplayer functionality and, most importantly, gameplay. To be eligible, games had to be released between December 15, 2006 and December 15, 2007. GameSpy users were also offered the opportunity to pick their favorites from the year featured in the “Gamers’ Choice Game of the Year.”

The winners of 2007 “Game of the Year” are:

“Overall Game of the Year”


1. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (PC, Xbox 360, PS3)
2. The Orange Box (PC, Xbox 360)
3. BioShock (PC, Xbox 360)
4. Super Mario Galaxy (Nintendo Wii)
5. Rock Band (Xbox 360, PS3, PS2)

“PC, Xbox 360 and PS3 Game of the Year”
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare

“Multiplayer Game of the Year”
TeamFortress 2 (PC) (Part of The Orange Box)

“PSP Game of the Year”
Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of The Lions

“Handheld and DS Game of the Year”
The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass (Nintendo DS)

“Wii Game of the Year”
Super Mario Galaxy

“PS2 Game of the Year”
God of War II

“Gamers’ Choice Game of the Year”
PC: The Orange Box
Xbox 360: Mass Effect
PS3: Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune
Wii: Super Mario Galaxy
PS2: God of War II
DS: Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass
PSP: Final Fantasy Tactics: War of the Lions

Deliver Toys for Santa this Christmas with Jenkat Media's Free Online Game, The Santa Express

Santa needs a little extra help this Christmas after reviewing his naughty and nice list. Help Santa deliver toys to good children and lumps of coal to not-so-nice kids this holiday season with The Santa Express, a new, free, online casual game released December 11th and available at JenkatGames.com

Jenkat Media, Inc., a leading casual game developer and distributor, founded by veterans of Fox Interactive Media and Intermix Media (parent company of MySpace.com), today announced the release of The Santa Express in time to spread some holiday cheer among fans of online arcade-style games. The Santa Express is a free online casual game where players help Santa with his Christmas deliveries.

As the classic Christmas song goes, Santa "knows if you've been bad or good." This Christmas, Santa will make his deliveries of presents for good little boys and girls and lumps of coal for naughty children with the help of The Santa Express - his souped-up sleigh fully-equipped with turbo boosters to help him through the Christmas rush.

"The holidays are when we all get to be kids again and enjoy the lighter side of life," said Malcolm Michaels, President and co-founder of Jenkat Media. "The Santa Express is a free online game where players of all ages can get into the Christmas spirit, whether during a short work break or playing as a family. Because The Santa Express can be played online for free, players can take a little bit of holiday cheer with them no matter where they go."

In addition to their latest casual free online game in The Santa Express, Jenkat offers a number of downloadable games for purchase, including the recently-released Finders Keepers (an underwater, arcade-style, treasure-hunting game) as holiday gift ideas for casual gamers.