Two Worlds - Tainted Blood - Free Download

Multiplayer Add-on with over 30 new quests available on the first of May

Gamers who bought the Game-of-the-Year edition of "Two Worlds" (available in the European shops for 29.99 Euro since the beginning of April) were thrilled with the brand new PC multiplayer add-on for the RPG - and now they can download the new adventures in Antaloor from the first of May - for free at www.2-worlds.com.



Players can now go on the hunt for a crazy Necromancer, unsolve the mystery of a massacre in a woodcutters' camp, deal with a rebel knight (permanently) and lots more. The new add-on doesn't only give you a new series of Quests - it also opens up the doors to an all-new Business and Training Center! The town of Tharnburg offers you a large traders' district - and various arenas in which you can try out your newly-learned combat techniques right away. By the way - "Tainted Blood" isn't the only add-on that will help sweeten your wait for "The Temptation" follow-up... another add-on's coming soon!

Buzz! comes to Sony PSP

Take the Buzz! show on the road with PSP

Buzz to make his PSP (PlayStationPortable) debut this Spring

Test your quiz skills wherever you want with Buzz! for PSP
Enjoy brand new round types and three new PSP multiplayer modes
Bigger single player mode than ever before – are you up to the challenge?
This Spring, for the first time in Buzz! history, you’ll be able to take cheeky game show host Buzz! wherever you want – thanks to the release of the first Buzz! title for PSP (PlayStationPortable), the handheld entertainment system that offers gaming, web access, movies, music, photos and more.

New from Sony Computer Entertainment Europe, Buzz! for PSP packs over 5000 questions – on topics including music, celebrities, TV, sport, science, nature, movies and general knowledge – alongside 1000 pictures and videos, into a handheld PSP game ready to test your knowledge at home or on the move. The title features six new round types specifically designed for PSP including the speed-is-of-the-essence ‘Quickfire Challenge’, the picture-puzzler ‘Picture This’ and the mind-boggling ‘Virus Challenge’.

The focus of Buzz! has always been on social play and the PSP version is no different, with three exciting multiplayer modes to test your quiz skills to the limit. Pass Around is a mode that you only need one PSP for, as you pass the system from player to player. As well as the fun of traditional quizzing, some rounds will let you prey on your opponents’ general knowledge weaknesses: you can choose who to pass PSP to according to the question’s subject matter. Other rounds will let you select the section of a photo you want to reveal to the next player, as you try to make it as difficult as possible for them to guess what it is. It’s perfect for stitching up your pals and adds an exciting new tactical edge to game play - as well as a new social gaming element to PSP.

Game sharing is also supported – up to 4 friends can connect multiple PSPs and share just one copy of the game to see who’s quickest off the mark in frenzied ‘Fastest Finger’ play. Then there’s Quiz Host Mode which is where one of the (two to six) players takes control of the game to select and ask the other players questions. The Quiz Host runs the whole game, with the power to award (or even deduct!) points however they see fit.

Not only does Buzz! for PSP offer great multiplayer quiz action; it also has a bigger and more exciting single player mode than previous Buzz! games. This mode presents players with a series of 15 different quiz challenges designed to test all aspects of your general knowledge. In each round, players can earn medals for their performance according to how many points they collect from correct answers. Each quiz has bronze, silver and gold medal criteria, so be sure to brush up on your general knowledge skills if you want to earn those elusive golds! There is also a variety of special trophies to collect according to how many correct questions the players has answered in a row, or how fast the players react.

Key Features:

• Three new multiplayer modes, all requiring either just one PSP or one copy of the game to enjoy: Pass Around, Game Share and Quiz Host
• Bigger and better single player mode than ever before, with 15 quiz challenges to test your knowledge to its limits
• Six all-new single and multiplayer round types specially created for PSP
• Over 5000 unique questions alongside over 1000 licensed picture and video assets
• Eight question categories: Music, TV, Science, Celebrities, Nature, Sport, Movies and General Knowledge

It’s the perfect way to share the fun of PSP with friends, or test your general knowledge on your own. Brilliant for a long journey, on holiday or at home, Buzz! for PSP will keep you and your friends quizzing for hours.

Sony signs 13 devs for Indian video games market

Sony has revealed plans to continue to push into the Indian market by signing local developers to create titles for the PlayStation 2.

According to a rediff report, 13 developers have signed up to produce games for the ageing console, with the titles likely to take advantage of the EyeToy to offer motion sensitive gaming.

To help keep development costs low, Sony is loaning development kits to studios such as Trine, Indiagames, DQ Entertainment and Dhruva.

"We are supporting the game developers by lending them developers kit at subsidised rates," said Zeno Colaco, VP of publisher and developer relations at SCE.

"Such special pricing helps the game developers in breaking even as it brings down the cost of game development."

Data from research firm iSuppli suggests that the console market in India could be worth around USD 125 million by 2010.

Source: Games Industry

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.