Lost Odyssey experience expands with all new download content

New downloadable content is now available to help continue your immortal quest with Kaim and his companions in “Lost Odyssey”, the epic RPG Xbox 360 exclusive. Available on 25th April for only 200 Microsoft Points on Xbox LIVE Marketplace, this DLC includes a new dream sequence, “The Shattered Beyond” and an invaluable “memory lamp,” which allows you to view previously seen dreams. Also, a new ring is introduced to specialize in fighting against magic powered weapons.

• New Dream “The Shattered Bond”
  
• When all of the playable characters have joined the player party, visit the bridge (a demolished bridge) in front of Castle of Uhra with this item in possession. Then the event cut-scene to view episode 31 “The Will of an Old Soldier” will be triggered.
  

• Ring “Killer Machine”
  
• This is a special ring forged to specialize in fighting against Magic-Powered weapons.
  
• The ring will apply the following three effects:
  
• Machine Killer Light LV3
  
• Magic Killer Light LV3
  
• Spirit Magic Killer Light LV3
  

• Valuable “Memory Lamp”—
  
• This is a key item for Theater Mode that allows users to view Dreams. You can find this in the Upgraded Nautilus towards the bottom of the screen to the end of the corridor.
  

• An Old Soldier’s Legacy & “An Old Soldier’s Legacy” unlock
  
• This is an example of how the main hero Kaim experiences flashback from the things he sees or hears in the game.
  

Sony PlayStationPortable PSP - Go!View video download service starts in the Summer

Sony reveals Summer launch for Go!View

Sony has announced that the Go!View video download service for its PlayStation Portable handheld will be officially launched this summer across Europe.

The service, in partnership with satellite broadcaster Sky and first announced during the Sony keynote at last year's Games Convention in Leipzig, will offer content on either a subscription model or pay-per-view basis, although pricing structures and specific content details have not yet been revealed.

Users can register for more information now on the Go!View website, and when the service launches will be able to download content to the PSP via an internet-connected PC.

Alison Turner, MD of Go!View stated her belief that "Go!View is a perfect marriage of great content and leading on-demand technology from Sky and the best portable device to watch it on from PlayStation."

Other products in the Go! range include a video messaging service and a GPS navigation software platform.

Source: Games Industry

NBA Ballers - Chose One on Microsoft Xbox 360

MIDWAY EUROPE SOARS INTO STORES WITH THE RELEASE OF NBA BALLERS - CHOSEN ONE

Orlando Magic Superstar Dwight Howard Shines As Cover Athlete

Midway Europe, a leading interactive entertainment software publisher and developer, today announced that NBA Ballers - Chosen One has shipped for the Xbox 360 videogame and entertainment system. With fast-paced gameplay and state-of-the-art player likenesses, Chosen One delivers classic Midway arcade-style hoops action. NBA Ballers: Chosen One is scheduled to be available at a suggested retail price of £29.99 in the UK and €44.95 throughout the rest of Europe.

"With Dwight Howard as cover athlete, NBA Ballers: Chosen One brings the franchise back to its basketball roots with fantastic gameplay and true, next generation graphics," said Leonie Manshanden, European Marketing Director, Midway Games Ltd. "We definitely wanted to listen to our NBA Ballers fan base and focus on the gameplay elements that were considered most desirable to them. As a result, we feel as if Chosen One delivers the best over-the-top basketball gaming experience available."

Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic and Al Horford of the Atlanta Hawks are featured on the packaging for NBA Ballers: Chosen One. Howard has established himself as one of the NBA's elite big men, enjoyed a breakout season averaging 20.7 points and 14.2 rebounds per game. Voted by fans as the starting center on the Eastern Conference 2008 All-Stars, Dwight wowed the nation by winning the Sprite Slam Dunk contest with some of the most innovative dunks ever seen during an NBA All-Star Weekend. Atlanta rookie, Al Horford, who plays a key role in the game's single player story mode, is enjoying a fantastic rookie season in the NBA. The "double-double machine" has been named the NBA Rookie of the Month twice and is in the running for the NBA Rookie of the Year Award.



In addition to its superstar NBA talent, Midway has also employed the talents of two music industry heavyweights to score the game's soundtrack and to announce the game's play-by-play. Chuck D, the famed front man and founder of Public Enemy, serves as announcer and studio-host for Chosen One, and provides play-by-play commentary throughout the game. Just Blaze, who has produced tracks for best-selling artists such as Jay-Z, Usher, Kanye West, Busta Rhymes, T.I. and many more, produced the entire instrumental score for NBA Ballers: Chosen One.

NBA Ballers: Chosen One is a unique fantasy basketball entertainment experience featuring one-on-one and two-on-two action with the NBA's elite players. More than 65 of the NBA's top superstar athletes come to life as the NBA Ballers franchise continues its legacy as the graphical leader in the sports videogame industry. NBA Ballers: Chosen One will put players up-close and into the action with new "action movie" style game cameras that highlight every move. Create-a-Baller and take on the challenge of the epic "Chosen One Tournament", brought to you live from the most exotic courts around the world. As you progress through the game, earn the right to use an NBA star's "Shut 'Em Down" Super Move or take your Baller online to test your playing skills against others.

Available soon - Spore Creature Creator Available Worldwide

Spore Creature Creator Available Worldwide June 17

Free Demo and Complete Retail Versions Deliver Powerful Creativity Tools to Create, Play and Share

Electronic Arts and Maxis today announced that a free downloadable demo, and complete retail version of the Spore Creature Creator will be available starting June 17, 2008. The Spore Creature Creator gives Spore fans, and those who are creatively curious, the first hands-on opportunity to design their own species and share it with their friends. All creatures designed with the Spore Creature Creator can be imported into the full retail version of Spore for PC and Mac when it launches on September 5, 2008 in Europe and September 7, 2008 in North America.

“We are thrilled to finally be putting the creative tools of Spore into the hands of players around the world,” said Will Wright, chief designer, Maxis. “The amazing creations players design this summer will help populate the game universe we all enter when Spore ships this September, so in a sense, the Spore Creature Creator is the birth of Spore.”

The free demo version of the Spore Creature Creator will be available worldwide via download from www.spore.com. The demo lets players shape, paint and play with an unlimited number of creatures, using 25 percent of the creature-making parts from Spore. Gamers can then share these creations with their friends, including seamless uploads to YouTube. The demo will also be included in the The SimCity Box, which ships on June 23.



A complete retail version of the Spore Creature Creator will also be available in North America for $9.99 and most European territories for €9.99, which gives players access to all the creature-making parts in the game.

Spore, the highly anticipated game from the creators of The Sims, gives players their own personal universe in a box. Create and evolve life, establish tribes, build civilizations, sculpt entire worlds and explore a universe created by other gamers. Spore gives players a wealth of creative tools to customize nearly every aspect of their universe: creatures, vehicles, buildings, and even UFOs. Players can then seamlessly share their creations with the world or explore infinite new galaxies created by other gamers.

Consumers can visit www.spore.com to sign up for the Spore newsletter or check out all-new screenshots and video of the game.

Spore Creature Creator retail version is not available in all territories.

Pirates v Ninjas Dodgeball Website Updated With Podcasts, Free Pirate and Ninja Tracks, and Fresh Media

Pirates v Ninjas Dodgeball Website Updated With Podcasts, Free Pirate and Ninja Tracks, and Fresh Media

New Content Hot As a Sweaty Game of Dodgeball

Gamecock Media Group announced today that the website for Blazing Lizard’s masterpiece, Pirates v Ninjas Dodgeball, has been seriously upgraded over at www.piratesvsninjas.com.

Market research shows that all dodgeball enthusiasts, pirates, and ninjas own MP3 players. Upon hearing this information, Gamecock realized it needed to act quickly to get these demographics exactly what they demand: free stuff to download.

The first result is four podcasts, one for each team. Some describe these podcasts as avant-garde, or even Web 3.0. Have a listen and decide for yourself.



The second is four free songs – two ninja tracks from deeply underground stealth assassin DriftingNSilence and two pirate songs from sea shanty masters Sharks Come Cruisin’. These songs can be unlocked by sending the site to a fellow ninja or pirate. Download and listen to ‘em as much as you like!

There are also fresh game assets on the site such as new screenshots and previously unreleased character concept art. As always, there is a sweet collection of desktop wallpapers and IM buddy icons. And for the laziest of the lazy, the site gives you a direct link to the best Facebook “battle app” of all time, “Pirates v Ninjas”.

Get everything now at www.piratesvsninjas.com. The game is coming to Xbox LIVE Arcade in mid-Spring 2008.

Codemasters and Sega Racing Studio

Codemasters today announced that it has reached an agreement with Sega that facilitates accelerated growth for Codemasters Studios. With immediate effect, Codemasters is to take over the Sega Racing Studio, based in Solihull, central England.

“In seizing this opportunity, we have created additional resources to escalate our plans in the racing segment,” said Rod Cousens, chief executive, Codemasters. “We hope to welcome more than 40 people to the company and we have enjoyed the full co-operation of our friends at Sega in making this happen. It is good business for Codemasters, an exciting prospect and there will be more to come as we are not content to stand still.”

Mad Catz Introduces Wii Fit Kit

Mad Catz, a leading third-party interactive entertainment accessory provider announced today the release of an exciting new range of accessories compatible with the Nintendo Wii Fit system.

Currently featuring a range of four individual, unique and innovative accessories, each product has been thoughtfully designed to enhance and maximize exercise regimes.

The Wii Fit Rechargeable Battery Pack plugs quickly and simply into the Wii Fit balance board, eliminating the need to purchase expensive batteries. Providing up to 20 hours of game play from a single charge, the Rechargeable Battery Pack draws power from the Wii’s own USB output, removing the need for a separate power pack and keeping obtrusive wires to a bare minimum.

Fashioned from high quality weather-resistant materials, the Wii Fit Travel/Storage Case provides ample space for the balance board, software and accessories. Durable and practical, the Wii Fit Travel/Storage Case provides an ideal solution to housing and transporting your Wii Fit balance board when not in use.

Designed with comfort and safety in mind, the Wii Fit Exercise Mat adds increased stability and protection to any Wii Fit workout. Protecting the user when playing on a potentially slippery or hazardous surface, the Wii Fit Exercise Mat features a durable textured surface which improves traction whilst helping decrease impact during intensive workouts.

Keeping the hardware in premium working condition, the Wii Fit Protective Silicone Cover attaches instantly to the balance board, protecting the unit from outside elements and damage. Constructed from lightweight yet durable silicone, the Wii Fit Protective Silicone Cover provides stylish protection and helps ensure accurate operation of the Wii Fit balance board.

Darren Richardson, President and Chief Executive Officer of Mad Catz commented, “Wii Fit is yet another example of how gaming continues to grow in an organic fashion, providing a compelling experience for the entire family. Mad Catz is delighted to further enhance this innovative release with a range of useful and eclectic accessories which we feel will prove enticing to consumers everywhere”.

The Mad Catz range of Wii Fit compatible accessories is expected to be available across Europe in April 2008 and the United States in May 2008.

NLGD Opens Call for Papers

The NLGD today announced that it has opened its call for papers for possible speakers at the NLGD Game Conference, June 18-20 in Utrecht, the Netherlands. Potential speakers are invited to submit their ideas for lectures, workshops and roundtables over the next week. All lecture and session proposals should cover one or more of the Avenues of Exploration that the NLGD has set for the conference. The deadline for the call for papers is May 1, 2008.

The NLGD also confirmed the following speakers for its upcoming Game Conference: Heather Chandler (Executive Producer and founder of Media Sunshine, Inc.), Ben Sawyer (Co-Founder of Digitalmill), and Chris Swain (Professor, University of Southern California).

After several years in the trenches of video game production at Electronic Arts, Activision, and Ubisoft, Heather Chandler started her own development studio. During her eleven years on the front lines of the games industry, she has contributed to the production of over 35 games, including the first seven games in the Ghost Recon series.

Chandler will be leading a 2-hour work shop session focusing on the production cycle of a fictitious game, some of the problems it encountered, and how the production team solved them.

Ben Sawyer is the co-founder of Digitalmill. He has worked in, and covered game development, for over eight years.

Sawyer will talk about the serious games field, providing strong definitions and a well-built platform on what is needed to make serious games. He will also provide tools for attendees to better understand the serious games market.

Chris Swain is a game designer, educator, and co-author of the textbook Game Design Workshop. He co-directs the EA Game Innovation Lab at USC. His work has received many awards including Time Magazine's Best of the Web.

Swain will present best practices in game development processes. He will provide tools and metrics, in order to reveal different approaches to game development.

“When I was invited to speak at the NLGD Game Conference it did not take me long to say ‘Yes’,” said Swain. “It is an excellent opportunity to reach a new audience as I present Master Metrics 2.0 in Utrecht.”

GOLDEN TRAILER AWARDS ANNOUNCE NOMINEES FOR NINTH ANNUAL AWARDS SHOW

Hammer Creative garnered three of the five nominations from the 9th Annual Golden Trailer Awards for Best Video Game Trailer. This year's nominations for Hammer include ASSASSIN'S CREED (Ubisoft), MASS EFFECT (BioWare Corp. and Microsoft Game Studios), and THE SIMPSONS GAME: MEDAL OF HOMER (Electronic Arts). "These nominations are a real tribute to the entire Hammer video game group, spearheaded by Jim Botko and Scott Hayman," commented Hammer Creative founder Mark Pierce. “We value the opportunity to work with these top publishers and help launch their AAA games.”

D2C GAMES REVEALS NEW SCREENSHOTS, DEFINITION OF SPOGS RACING

D2C Games, Inc. a premier developer and publisher of mass-market downloadable interactive entertainment, today revealed a new batch of screenshots from its upcoming WiiWare title, SPOGS Racing.

In addition, the company has decided to clear up a question that numerous gamers have raised since the game's announcement: What, exactly, is a SPOG?!

First, to dispel the rumors, here are several examples of what 'SPOGS' does not stand for:

•Schizophrenic Psychotics Owning Guns and Shooting: The Game (a delightful World War II romp)
•Some People Often Golf Sloshed: The Game (this one already came out - it's called golf)
•Spelunking Pays Off Great . . . Sometimes: The Game (a spiritual successor to Pitfall)

In reality, SPOGS stands for 'Sports Player Object Gyros.' This name was deliberately chosen because there is - scientifically - no other way to describe the unique characters in the high-speed arcade racer. There is no relation to British candy. Please do not attempt to eat SPOGS Racing.

For more information, visit www.spogsracing.com.