GUITAR HEROR III: LEGENDS OF ROCK - ROCK YOUR PARTY WEEKEND ON MICROSOFT XBOX LIVE ANNOUNCED

Gridiron fans get ready to rock out and win prizes on Xbox LIVER with Guitar HeroR III: Legends of Rock! Activision announced today that Xbox LIVE will host the Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock - Rock Your Party Weekend, a special event happening the weekend of the
big game, February 1-3, 2008 for U.S. and Canada residents. The 72-hour event gives players the chance to prove their axe grinding skills and includes a Play & Win Sweepstakes that offers gamers who register and play, the chance to win a multitude of prizes. Before the big game, fans can test their talents against Neversoft, developers of Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock, from 12 - 4 p.m. PST on Sunday, February 3.

Some of the prizes up for grabs include Microsoft points, Guitar HeroR Gear and an Xbox 360R wireless guitar faceplate signed by Slash. One lucky grand prize winner will take home the Ultimate Home Gaming Center, which includes an LG 50" 1080p Flat-Panel Plasma HDTV, an Xbox 360 Elite and a BoomChair -

Wi-FX Wireless Gaming Chair.

Fans can register for Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock - Rock Your Party Weekend on Xbox LIVE by downloading the Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock GamerPics exclusively through Xbox LIVE Marketplace for the Xbox 360R video game and entertainment system from Microsoft. Players can also register by visiting http://www.xbox.com/rockyourparty/, where they can get additional details regarding terms, conditions and official rules.

Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock offers the ultimate rock experience with new wireless guitars, freshly added content and features including a multiplayer action-inspired battle mode, grueling boss battles, a host of exclusive unlockable content and visually stunning rock venues. Expanded online multiplayer modes allow axe-shredders worldwide to compete head-to-head for true rock status as they riff through a star-studded soundtrack including master tracks by legendary artists such as Aerosmith, Guns 'N' Roses, The Rolling Stones, Beastie Boys, Rage Against the Machine and Pearl Jam, as well as original songs by guitar icons Slash and Tom Morello. Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock is now available and is rated "T" for Teen by the ESRB. For more information visit.

http://www.guitarhero.com.

Painkiller: Overdose Update

SINGLE PLAYER
Stat counting fixed
Rebalanced idle comments

Tarot Cards
Assault functionality fixed
Ascendance functionality for Animal Farm and Ragnarok fixed
Ascendance color fixed
Hellish armor color fixed

Demon mode
Fixed bug allowing the use of demon gun after demon mode

Weapons
Fixed bug causing counting some destroyed projectiles as destroyable items

LEVEL CHANGES

ASTEROIDS

• Update of final battle (it's longer and harder)
  
• Fixed position of spawn points of Demon hands
  
• Fixed monster count
  

AIR COMBAT

• New holy item
  
• New secret
  
• Update of final battle (it's longer and harder)
  
• Item positioning fix
  
• Fixed spawn points under crashed plane
  
• New effects on crashed plane
  
• Changed the path of the plane meant to fly over
  

DESERT

• Fixed position of health
  
• New secret
  
• Proper monster count (you can get Star for killing all monsters now)
  

RIOT

• Small fixes in item placement
  
• Lights in fifth arena fixed
  

FIELD AMBULANCE

• Object number fix
  
• Missing collision fix
  
• Fixed monster count
  

RAGNAROK

• Hammers fixed
  
• Ammo moved to reachable area
  
• Cerberus slightly tweaked
  
• Spawn point of Snow giant lowered
  
• Fixed monster count
  
• Fixed possible lockup in arena before Cerberus
  

DEAD MARSH

• Fixed spawn in the air
  
• Balanced level difficulty
  
• Fixed some missing collisions
  
• Textures on gravestones fixed
  

ANIMAL FARM

• Total number of monsters corrected
  
• Fixed flying crates in storeroom
  
• Some items moved to areas where can be destroyed
  
• Health added
  

POWER PLANT

• Wrong monster number opening slab too early fixed
  
• Fixed position of fire particles on train
  
• Fixed size and position of hurt zone on train
  
• Fixed monster count
  

LOONY PARK

• Fixed position of Pirate boss in last arena
  
• Fixed monster count
  
• Destroyable items fixed
  
• Zones fix
  

CATACLYSM

• Added a danger zone in the fire in the collapsed room
  
• Stone shader on monsters is now correct after load
  

STUDIOS

• Difficulty tweaked for Nightmare and Trauma
  
• Total number of monsters fixed
  
• Items moved for better destroying
  
• Health and ammo added
  

VILLAGE OF DAMNED

• Added missing texture on grate
  
• Fixed monster count
  

HAUNTED VALLEY

• Fixed monster count
  
• Fixed potential blocker in arena
  

JAPANESE MASSACRE

• Blood decals fixed
  
• Fixed monster count
  
• Health added
  

SOUNDS

• Added missing sounds for:
  
• gong in Japanese massacre
  
• Rain in Field Ambulance
  
• Exploding barrel
  
• Crypt in Haunted Valley
  

MULTIPLAYER

WEAPONS CHANGES

• Fixed view distance on primary fire from the cannon gun
  
• Fixed Razor Cube’s appearance in opponent's hand
  
• You can now only place 8 Egg Bombs at a time.
  
• Gorgon shoots more pellets (18 to 23)
  
• Egg Bombs have larger damage range, but deal less damage
  
• The Ectoplasmer deals more damage (80 to100)
  

LEVEL CHANGES

DM SPHERE

• Fixed sticky corners
  

Miscellaneous

• Extracting packs in the editor now works
  
• Fixed localization of some hardcoded network error messages.
  
• Fixed sound in story video for Italian language
  
• Fixed many text bugs in localizations
  

Get it here: http://www.projectoverdose.com/

ROCK BANDTM DOWNLOADABLE CONTENT GOES "DOUBLE PLATINUM," SELLING MORE THAN 2.5 MILLION SONGS IN JUST OVER EIGHT WEEKS

Eight weeks after the release of the red-hot music video game, and while Rock Band continues to fly off store shelves, the response to the downloadable music is clear, as fans and gamers have propelled its downloadable content to “double platinum” status, purchasing more than 2.5 million game levels based on songs since its launch on November 20, 2007.

"Our goal with Rock Band was to create an entirely new way for people to interact with the music they love," stated Van Toffler, president, MTVN Music Group/Logo/Films. "The incredible response to the downloadable content we've released to date motivates us even more to establish this platform as a way for people to discover new, up and coming artists through the game - in addition to delivering great game play experiences set to the music of mega-artists."

A Metallica pack featuring three of the mega-platinum band’s most electrifying tracks—“Ride The Lightning,” “Blackened” and “And Justice For All”—is currently the game’s top-selling music download, followed by three-song packs from The Police, Queens of the Stone Age, David Bowie and a collection of Black Sabbath covers. Top-performing singles are Foreigner’s early ‘80s hit, “Juke Box Hero,” followed by a cover of Creedence Clearwater Revival’s late ‘60s smash, “Fortunate Son,” Weezer’s mid-90s single “Buddy Holly” and a cover of The Knack’s blockbuster hit, “My Sharona.”

In addition to bringing mega-star and classic rock acts to Rock Band, this new distribution method for music has seen fans and gamers also embracing developing artists. The first selection of up and coming bands included 30 Seconds To Mars, All-American Rejects and The Sounds. These three bands were part of a special holiday promotion, offering tracks such as 30 Seconds To Mars’ “Attack” and “The Kill,” All-American Rejects’ “Dirty Little Secret” and “Move Along” and The Sounds’ “Song With A Mission” at a discounted price of $0.99 per song (80 Microsoft Points for Xbox 360) for the month of January. Fans can expect more music available for download every week through 2008 through a variety of song packs, albums and individual tracks with suggested retail pricing varying from $.99 to $2.99 per track (The equivalent of 80 to 240 Microsoft Points for Xbox 360), with the vast majority selling for $1.99 (160 Microsoft Points for Xbox 360).

BIONIC COMMANDO® REARMED REPORTS FOR DUTY AS DIGITAL DOWNLOAD

Capcom®, a leading worldwide developer and publisher of video games, today announced Bionic Commando Rearmed™, a makeover of the classic 8-bit game originally released 20 years ago. Bionic Commando Rearmed will be available for digital download from Xbox LIVE® Arcade, PLAYSTATION®Network and PC this spring. This announcement follows the news that Capcom will be releasing an all new next-generation sequel to Bionic Commando® on Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, Sony Computer Entertainment’s PLAYSTATION®3 (PS3™) computer entertainment system and PC platforms.

Bionic Commando Rearmed sees a return of the intense 2D side scrolling, shooting and grappling action from the much-loved 1988 Bionic Commando on the original 8-bit Nintendo Entertainment System™. Bionic Commando Rearmed brings the amazing gameplay up to date with stunning new visuals, new weapons, online rankings, a reworked musical score and the addition of a 2-player co-op mode. The title will also provide cross-game interoperability, as completing parts of Bionic Commando Rearmed will unlock new content and provide secret insight into characters and plot of the brand new Bionic Commando sequel coming later in 2008.

“The release of Bionic Commando Rearmed allows us to deliver to fans of the original game a remake they have been clamoring for, while also introducing the series to a whole new audience,” commented Ben Judd, Producer of both the Bionic Commando projects. “And with GRIN taking care of development, we can ensure that there is real consistency across both the Bionic Commando titles.

Bionic Commando Rearmed will contain the following features

•Classic Bionic Commando gameplay focused around the use of the bionic grappling arm
•2-player co-op mode
•Total modern visual revamp, including dynamic shadows, particle effects and environmental damage
•Reworking of musical score
•Cross-game interoperability – complete specific parts of Bionic Commando Rearmed to unlock new content and hints for the •Bionic Commando sequel
•In-game art designed by one of Capcom’s most talented artists, Toshiaki Mori

Eidos and Funcom launch new Age of Conan website

Funcom and Eidos are proud to reveal that a new website for Age of Conan has launched. Conveniently located at www.ageofconan.com, the site gives both new and existing fans an exciting look at the fascinating Age of Conan universe. Filled with several new videos, a selection of some of the best screenshots from the game, popular links and much more, the new site is an entertaining and informative experience for both new and existing fans.

“As an online gaming company we are always focused on improving our online presence, and the launch of the new Age of Conan website is a move we wanted to do prior to launch,” said Morten Larssen, VP of Sales & Marketing in Funcom. “With the new website we have tried to capture the very essence of what the Conan brand is all about, and we hope both fans and newcomers will enjoy it.”

To celebrate the launch of the new website Funcom and Eidos are also releasing a new trailer* showcasing the incredible qualities of the Dreamworld MMO engine. Shown for the first time at the CES convention last week, the new video gives a small peek into what the proprietary Funcom MMO engine is capable of.
Additionally three new teaser web trailers are now available on the site, each one giving a further glimpse into the world of Conan.

Age of Conan is consistently mentioned as one of the most anticipated PC games in development. It has received more than twenty magazine covers and more than fifteen major awards, including numerous "Best MMO of E3" awards and the official "Best Online Game of Show" award at the GC convention 2007. Age of Conan is a key title in Microsoft's Games for Windows line-up, as well as a showcase title for nVidia.

INDEPENDENT DATA REVEALS NINTENDO SALES FOR 2007

Nintendo DS™ and Wii™ finished strong in 2007, commanding sales in the holiday shopping period and finishing the year as the two best-selling video game systems in the United States, according to new data just released by the independent NPD Group. Nintendo DS was the top-selling U.S. system of 2007, with nearly 8.5 million sold, including more than 4 million in November and December alone. Wii placed second, with nearly 6.3 million sold through the year, more than 2.3 million of which sold in the final two months.

"By the end of 2007 we were sold out of virtually all hardware, and much of our stock of software and accessories was sold out as well, thanks to the broad appeal of Wii and Nintendo DS to core gamers, women, families, grandparents – and seemingly everyone in between,"said Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America’s executive vice president of sales & marketing. "And that momentum continues here in the early weeks of 2008."

Some additional facts about Nintendo's 2007 performance in the United States (note: All figures are from NPD):

Nintendo accounted for 52 percent of all video game hardware systems sold in 2007 – more than all other manufacturers combined.

Since their respective launches, Nintendo has sold more than 17.6 million Nintendo DS systems and nearly 7.4 million Wii systems in the United States alone.

Wii Play™, a collection of nine fun mini-games, finished 2007 with 4.1 million units sold.

Super Mario Galaxy™ sold through more than 2.5 million copies since it launched on Nov. 12.

The two games in the Brain Age® series each sold about 1 million copies in 2007.

Half of the top 30 best-selling games of 2007 were made for Nintendo systems, including Pokemon® Pearl, Pokemon® Diamond, Mario Party® DS, Guitar Hero III™: Legends of Rock and Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games™.

Nintendo continues to dominate the hand-held market: Of the top 30 best-selling portable games sold in 2007, 25 were made for Nintendo DS and another two were made for Game Boy® Advance.

Sales of Nintendo DS systems grew 60 percent over those from 2006.

In 2007, the video game industry grew by 43 percent over 2006. Nintendo is responsible for 60 percent of that growth.

Democracy Now Available from Matrix Games!

Matrix Games (www.matrixgames.com), Tri Synergy, Inc. (www.trisynergy.com), and Positech Games (www.positech.co.uk) are thrilled to announce that Democracy is now available for purchase from Matrix Games! As the first release of the 2008 election year, the fully updated version of this political strategy gem is now available for worldwide download.

David Heath, Director of Operations at Matrix Games, said of the release, “This game puts the quote ‘Democracy is the worst form of government except for all those other forms…’ into perspective. Democracy is as addictive as it is realistic as players struggle to keep everyone happy and in the process make everyone angry too!”

Shane Nestler from Tri Synergy also added, “We’re very pleased to be working with Matrix Games in bringing this unique strategy game to digital download. Now gamers looking to snag a copy of Democracy over the internet can use Matrix Games’ safe and reliable system.”

Democracy is an intelligent and sophisticated game that will entertain you, but could also teach you a thing or two about politics as well. You may think that politics is about sticking to your principles no matter what, but in Democracy you'll quickly see just how easy it is to "compromise" those principles to keep your seat in government and how hard it is to balance the conflicting priorities of your constituents.

Democracy starts with you in the role of President (or Prime Minister) of a modern country. Choose from twelve real countries, ranging from the United States to Australia. The object of the game is to stay in power as long as possible while pursuing policies that will turn your country into your definition of a utopia.

As the game progresses, you influence your constituent groups by putting new policies into place, changing existing policies and dealing with new and unexpected dilemmas. There are dozens of different policy areas in several general categories, including Foreign Affairs, Public Services, Taxes, Transport, Welfare and so on. Different voting groups will have very different and often conflicting views as to which policies are desirable. If you make your voters mad enough, in some countries you may even face the threat of revolution or assassination, so watch your step!

Features of Democracy include:

• Plenty of never-before-seen events and dilemmas, some of which may seem similar to recent world events…
  
• Choose from twelve different real-world countries
  
• Manage each turn of government development including policy changes, population agenda, re-election and control of legislature, budget decisions, satisfaction of constituent groups
  
• Over 80 different policy changes, each with an emphasis slider you can create a limitless number of political combinations to push whatever agenda you wish
  

Can you keep your voters happy while keeping the budget balanced? Will you be re-elected or viewed as a one term failure? Play Democracy and find out!

Get more information on Democracy from its official Matrix Games webpage.

Fantasy Wars Ascaron Strength, size and evil spells; or tactics, skill and weaponry: the choice is yours

Battle Of The Century Invades Eolia As Two Ferocious Armies Clash

EOLIA WASHED RED AS ORC AND HUMAN BLOOD IS SPILT

The clash of swords, the chink of metal armour and the cries of the wounded can be heard for miles, echoing around Eolia. The inevitable battle has finally erupted into a horrific clash of humans and orcs fighting for their lives and their territory. Prepare for Fantasy Wars, an exciting new battle strategy game for PC…

Choose brute strength, size and evil spells…
Play as Ugraum Grableg using your extensive and fearless orc army to mercilessly tear through the human opposition. The orcs have physical strength and brute force on their side and grotesque goblins to unite with them, smashing through the human troops. Powerful orc shaman Ash-hoon summons evil spells to inflict nasty impediments upon the human enemy: magic that makes feet rot, and potions to create deadly poisonous venom.

Or choose tactics, skill and weaponry…
Play as Derrick Pfeil, the leader of the skilled human army. Feel the ground tremble as your archers take down orcs from a safe distance and hear swordsman roar as they slice through hideous goblins. Flying war eagles circle above, making unsuspected attacks on the enemy below. Noble mage Alfred Brennock can also conjure up spells to freeze the orcs, whilst his Wizard Eye spell spots enemies from afar, useful in the surrounding mountainous terrain where enemies lurk.

Unlock the Alliance!
After battling your way to complete both the orc and human campaigns, the option to play as either elves or dwarves is now unlocked. The elves and dwarves are independent and pacifist races that ally when needed to fight a common danger. Play as Teya Essente, the renowned elven sorceress, or take charge of the dwarf clan, through the small but mighty Dwarnrock.

Fantasy Wars is a turn based battle strategy game for PC from Ascaron Entertainment. Take on campaigns or missions as either the humans or orcs, later unlocking the elf army. Complete set tasks to win your mission, defeating the opposing enemy. The faster you complete missions, the higher your score.

www.fantasywars-thegame.com

Michael Rosenbaum Lends Voice Talent to D3Publisher of America's Highly Anticipated Next-Gen Title Dark Sector

LOS ANGELES-D3Publisher of America, Inc. (D3PA), today announced that Michael Rosenbaum, an award-winning Hollywood actor known best to audiences as Lex Luthor on television’s “Smallville,” will voice the main character in Dark Sector™, an original action-thriller offering heart-pounding action, incredible superpowers and a compelling story for the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system and the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft. Rosenbaum will bring to life the character of Hayden Tenno, a cold-blooded, ruthless killer who awakens after an attack with an infection that has granted him inhuman abilities. Through the storyline and Rosenbaum’s voice over, players will experience Hayden’s transformation into something more than he was, his fight against the powers taking over his body and his evolution as he becomes a hero. Dark Sector is slated to ship to retail stores in North America this spring 2008.

“We are thrilled to work with Mr. Rosenbaum on Dark Sector,” said Peter Andrew, vice president of product development, D3PA. “His experience in portraying tormented characters on-screen translates incredibly well to the tortured character of Hayden Tenno in Dark Sector, a true anti-hero who makes no excuses for his actions. The combination of his voice talent and the compelling storyline of Dark Sector will offer a truly immersive experience for players.”

Developed by acclaimed developer Digital Extremes, co-creators behind the award-winning Epic Game’s Unreal franchise, Dark Sector thrusts players into the role of Hayden Tenno, an elite black-ops agent sent on a dangerous mission into a decaying Eastern European city that hides a deadly Cold War secret. Attacked by an unknown enemy, he awakens to find part of his body altered by an infection that has granted him inhuman abilities; now he must learn to evolve along with his powers, to survive and to become a hero. A dark, gritty experience packed with fast action, incredible superpowers and an engaging story; Dark Sector represents the next evolution of gaming.

Dark Sector is rated “M” (Mature – blood, gore, intense violence and strong language) by the ESRB. For more information about Dark Sector, please visit the game’s official website at www.darksector.com.

Rosenbaum’s acting credits span a decade and include his current work on The CW action series “Smallville” as the tormented and dysfunctional Lex Luthor. He is also known for his roles in feature films including Cursed (2005), Bringing Down the House (2003), Poolhall Junkies (2002), Sorority Boys (2002), Sweet November (2001), Urban Legend (1998) and Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (1997) as well as roles in television and theater.

Toy Shop video game For The Nintendo DS

Turn the fledgling family toy store into a toy business empire! That’s the premise behind Toy Shop, an exciting new simulation for the Nintendo DS announced today by Majesco Entertainment Company, an innovative provider of video games for the mass market. Developed by Gameinvest, Toy Shop puts players at the helm of a struggling toy shop where they’ll need to create fun toys that sell while managing store inventory, customers and budget.

“The concept for this unique simulation is like Santa’s workshop meets retail tycoon,” said John Merchant, Marketing Manager, Majesco Europe. “Toy Shop combines creative toy-making with overall store management to give players insight into the challenging, yet rewarding, business of fun. We believe Toy Shop has the same type of appeal as successful casual games like Cooking Mama and Cake Mania.”

In Toy Shop, players can choose their style of play—whether it’s assuming full control of all aspects of the family toy business or just making toys to sell in the store. As the business grows, seasonal holidays will attract new customers that will in turn help the business grow and unlock additional store locations. A true hands-on management approach is the key to success as players use the stylus to make toys, adjust prices, manage merchandising and review customer habits that affect buying patterns. An unhappy customer just might spread the word and compromise your reputation so service is a critical component to the burgeoning business. Shop owners can create more than 30 toys for the store, including teddy bears, action figures and board games, and a tutorial helps future entrepreneurs learn the ropes of the business.