Chaos at Mercenaries 2 video game £20,000 petrol giveaway

A stunt in which £20,000 of petrol was given away in north London to promote a computer game has been criticised as "irresponsible and dangerous".

Traffic was gridlocked outside the Last Stop garage in Finsbury Park as drivers queued for £40-worth of free fuel each.
The promotion began at 0630 BST and ended about four hours later.

Lynne Featherstone, MP for Hornsey and Wood Green, said: "Whilst a lucky few might have got free petrol, hundreds of residents have faced misery".

Earlier Gamezplay story here...

More on Mercenaries 2 give away at BBC web site...

Spore - changing the game

Spore is one of the most eagerly awaited games in years and has both players and pundits watching its every move.

The game takes evolution as its broad theme and is the creation of famed developer Will Wright. Many believe it will change gaming just like his previous effort The Sims did.

Earlier this year the 100 millionth copy of The Sims was sold and it has been widely credited with improving the appeal of games to people who had never considered themselves players.

More from the BBC here...

SPORE Origins iPhone and iPod touch out soon plus Monopoly , Need for Speed & Tiger Woods

Spore Origins, an original game for the iPhone & iPod touch, will be available later this month.


Spore takes full advantage of the iPhones built-in accelerometer as players tilt, turn and twist their way through a world made of primordial ooze. In conjunction with the launch of Spore Origins, EA Mobile also announces a list of nine games in development for both the iPhone and iPod Touch platforms.


Eat-or-be-eaten in Spore Origins! Designed exclusively for the iPhone and iPod touch, Spore Origins uses the platforms’ motion-sensing technology to let gamers navigate a primordial tidepool on a quest to evolve. Feast on the weak and flee from the strong through two exciting modes and 35 challenging levels. Pinch, pull, and poke your creation in the Creature Editor, customising the texture, shape and body parts to improve your offense, defense, perception and movement as you evolve over millions of years.

“We’re really excited to bring Spore Origins to the iPhone and iPod touch,” said Travis Boatman, Vice President Worldwide Studios at EA Mobile. “By leveraging the unique capabilities of these devices, players can customize their own creatures and shape their destiny in an exciting evolutionary journey.”

EA Mobile today also announced nine titles in development for the iPhone and iPod touch, pending regional availability.

This list includes:

• YAHTZEE Adventures
• EA Mini Golf
• Lemonade Tycoon
• Mahjong
• MONOPOLY: Here & Now The World Edition
• SimCity
• Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 09
• Need for Speed Undercover
• The Sims 3

Spore Origins will be available globally from the Apple App Store on iPhone and iPod touch, or by simply visiting www.eamobile.com from an iPhone.

Additional versions of Spore Origins are also available for the iPod, as well as regular mobile phones. All iPod games are available for the third-generation iPod nano, iPod classic and fifth-generation iPod and can be sent as a gift using the iTunes gifting feature (www.itunes.com).

Multi-terrain race game FUEL first screenshots

FUEL, the forthcoming title from Asobo Studios that's set to deliver the largest environment ever created in multi-terrain race gaming


Coming in 2009, FUEL will present players with an astonishing no-boundaries playfield that’s over 5,000 square miles (14,000+ km²) in size. The creation of Bordeaux-based Asobo Studios, FUEL is powered by a cutting-edge proprietary engine, the result of over four years development, that will deliver the ultimate competitive go-anywhere racing experience.


FUEL will have players competing across wildly different terrain and executing spectacular death-defying stunts as they race dozens of varied two and four-wheeled rides and explore this epic world on an unprecedented scale. FUEL is set in an alternate present in which whole swathes of the globe have been ravaged by the effects of climate change brought on by decades of environmental abuse.



Bringing this vast, open ended landscape to life is a dynamic weather system with full day and night transitions, brilliant sunshine, torrential rain and everything in between, plus destructive tornados, sandstorms, thunderstorms, lightning strikes, and blizzards requiring mid-race strategy changes.


Complete with the ability to go online to explore this massive world and compete in hundreds of multiplayer challenges, FUEL is coming in 2009 for the PlayStation 3 computer entertainment system, Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, Games For Windows Live.

Mega Man Star Force 2 Nintendo DS video game - Fact Sheet

Mega Man Star Force 2 - Fact Sheet

Mega Man Star Force returns, delivering a totally new and cutting- edge portable RPG adventure that is brought to life in the iconic, action-driven Mega Man way! Mega Man Star Force 2 will be available in two versions, Zerker X Ninja and Zerker X Saurian, with players able to choose between the three characters of Zerker, Ninja or Saurian depending on which version they choose.

Developed by the team behind the popular Mega Man Battle Network series, Mega Man Star Force 2 continues two months after the previous game left off. Geo Stelar and crew return to battle a whole host of UMA’s (unidentified animated beings) and new rival character called Rogue.

When a mysterious organisation plans to revive the ancient civilization of Mu by unleashing the sinister force of the ancient OOPArt, it’s up to Geo and his virus-busting buddy, Omega-Xis, to thwart this latest threat.

Mega Man Star Force 2 blends a unique formula of RPG exploration elements with fast-paced action as players travel and battle between coexisting worlds, the physical world and the virtual Wave World to unravel the mystery around this new trouble maker. Players will encounter enemies in the virtual Wave World and battle them on three-by-five grids with their Battle Card deck. Mega Man Star Force 2 also features an upgraded “Transer” system.


Features:

• Two co-existing worlds – explore the real world in human form and transform into Mega Man to maneuver through the virtual “Wave World”.


• Each version of the game offers its own Mega Man transformations with unique elemental powers and spectacular special attacks. Zerker wields a large sword imbued with the power of lightning, Ninja boosts Mega Man’s speed and enables him to throw a huge Shurikan and Saurian is able to reduce enemies to smoldering pieces with the power of his explosive fiery fists.


• Each character has their own customizable Personal Page in the game where Battle cards and information can be viewed and traded with friends to compare progress.


• Nintendo Wi-Fi connection and the wireless LAN allows players to connect with in-game friends regardless of their location and add new friends to their network to create a “Brother Band” network where they can share cards, status upgrades and even help each other to perform upgraded transformations.

Release Date: Autumn 2008
Genre: Action RPG
Platform: Nintendo DS
Rating: PEGI 7+
Developer: Capcom Co. Ltd.
SRP: £29.99 / €39.99

Football Manager 2009 video game with new 3D Match engine

The most realistic representation of the world of football management is back and set to hit PC and Macintosh on November 14th.

Watch the video and read the last Football manager 2009 post on Gamezplay.org here...

Football Manager 2009 for PC and Apple Macintosh will be released on November 14th.

Football Manager 2009 is set to feature a vast array of all new features including, for the first time ever, a full 3D view of the world famous Football Manager match engine. Football Manager Handheld 2009 for Sony PSP is also set for release on the same day and sees the debut of a 2D match engine for the handheld franchise.

The Football Manager match engine is being brought into full 3D with motion captured animations for each player, developed in conjunction with SEGA’s in-house studio, Sports R&D Division. You can now watch your matches in 3D from multiple camera angles, and can re-watch any part of the match by fast forwarding and rewinding the action using a new match time bar that flags the key moments in the game. There is also a new full screen TV view, where players can customise their match view by choosing the information they would like to view during the match, be it the latest scores or player performance stats for the match, and arranging this information onscreen using a new drag-and-drop widget system, that lets players customise their match day screen with the information that they need as a football manager.

“With the 3D view of the match engine, and dozens of animations for each player, this year is definitely one of revolution for the Football Manager™ series,” commented Miles Jacobson, Studio Director of Sports Interactive. “We always said that we wanted to make the in-game match engine fully 3D but that we wouldn’t do so until we were confident that it was technically possible, and after nearly 3 years work and with huge thanks to Sports R&D Division, it’s now here.”

Football Manager 2009 will also allow players to receive added help from their Assistant Manager with pre-match and in-match feedback on how the team is performing, as well as hints on how the team could play better. So if you can’t work out why your tactics aren’t working, why the opposition seem to effortlessly demolish your team, or why a new signing isn’t fulfilling his potential, having the advice of a good Assistant Manager will be an invaluable asset.



The media system has been vastly improved to provide the player with an unprecedented level of detail on what’s going on at their club and the in-game football world as a whole. Football Manager 2009 also sees the introduction of press conferences for the first time. Attend pre-match and post-match press conferences with local and national journalists but choose your answers carefully because they could come back to haunt you in the media at a later date!

The entire transfer system has been completely overhauled and re-written, providing an even more realistic simulation of real-life football, with the addition of transfer rumours so you can view the hottest news on what players are being speculated on, and who’s said to be interested in securing their services.

Players can be trained to learn a wide variety of ‘preferred moves’ to add to their game on the pitch that are applicable to their played position, so you can train central defenders to hold onto possession, or wingers to cut inside to bypass the full backs.

Football Manager 2009 allows you to play as a female manager for the very first time, so you can be the first woman to lead your favourite team to domestic and European glory. The game will also be fully updated for the new 2008/09 football season with all the latest league, club and player data, featuring over 5,000 playable clubs from over 50 countries, and around 350,000 players and staff from around the world, drawn fresh from the famous Sports Interactive database.

Watch the video and read the last Football manager 2009 post on Gamezplay.org here...

Free petrol in London from Mercenaries 2 - World in Frames video game makers EA

Electronic Arts is giving away £20,000 of FREE petrol to customers at a London petrol station


‘Mercenaries’ from Electronic Arts are hijacking a London petrol station this morning and giving away £20,000 of FREE petrol to customers.

The entire forecourt of Last Stop Ltd near Finsbury Park, North London will be completely transformed into that of a military style bunker, with jeeps, oil barrels, sandbag walls, and fully costumed actors on hand to pump the petrol for the customers.

The stunt is taking place to celebrate the launch of new videogame Mercenaries 2 - World in Flames out today on Xbox 360, PS3, PS2 and PC:DVD. The activity mirrors that of the game, which features a mercenary soldier taking possession of the local oil supply.

The full address of petrol station is - Last Stop Ltd, 73 Stapleton Hall Rd, London, N4 3QF

Here on Google maps... (up the road a bit from the arrow Google place)

Read all about Mercenaries 2 - World in Frames video game on gamezplay.org here...

SPORE the video game - www.gamezplay.org all twenty one SPORE posts

SPORE video game

Here is a link to all the www.gamezplay.org posts on the new SPORE game including the iPhone version.

All 21 www.gamezplay.org SPORE posts here...

Spellbound, Maths Made Simple, Blended puzzle video games for Nintendo DS

Test the nation thanks to a fantastic line up of fiendish puzzle and brain stimulating games created exclusively for Nintendo DS.

Are you ready to spell, calculate and colour your way to success?

Spellbound, Maths Made Simple and Blended provide DS owners with the perfect mix of learning, intellectual stimulus and addictive puzzle action. What’s more, they’re all heading your way this Autumn – just in time for those cold train commutes to work or a little bit of extra-curricular activity for pupils starting the new term.

Spellbound is an innovative spelling game that tests your language skills and gets more difficult as your abilities improve. With more than 25,000 different words to spell, 100 potential difficulty levels and 11 varied modes you’ll be a walking dictionary in no time. And, if you want a little extra challenge, you can choose from five languages to hone your foreign abilities too.

Up next is Maths Made Simple, which is based on a book by Japanese professor Susumu Sakurai. Through a range of exercises, you’ll learn Professor Sakurai’s revolutionary method for breaking down mathematical problems into simply easy-to-follow steps. There are 17 different techniques to learn and each has practical applications in everyday life too.

Finally it’s time to exercise your brain in Blended, the colourful puzzler from new UK developer Crush Digital. Similar to the popular “gem-swapping” genre of games, Blended takes things a step further by challenging players to mix colours together to create groups of three or more. Using the stylus, it’s incredibly easy to blend yellow and blue to make green or red and blue to make purple, just like an artist’s palette. But you’ve got to be careful to use the correct colours, otherwise you’ll create a grey splodge that can’t be mixed. With six different modes to text your skills, it’s the perfect way to liven up those dull moments.

Spellbound is released on September 5th, Maths Made Simple is heading your way on October 3rd and Blended completes the set on November 7th. All are available exclusively on Nintendo DS.

KEY FEATURES

Spellbound

• Test yourself with more than 25,00 spelling words
• 11 challenging word games
• Improve your spelling in Quick Play mode
• Choose from 100 difficulty levels
• Learn words in five languages

Maths Made Simple

• Learn simple and fun ways to perform complex calculations
• Lesson mode with 17 different calculation methods
• Choice of game play modes: Lesson, Quiz, Drill and Skill Exam
• Hint mode will suggest how to use maths effectively in everyday life

Blended

• Simple but addictive gameplay
• Four different single-player modes: Quick Draw, Freehand, Puzzle and Painter
• Two multiplayer modes: Tug of War and Speed Painting
• Wireless demo to send to friends with a Nintendo DS

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Kickster - Online Street Soccer video game seek 1500 players

Kickster - Online Street Soccer video game 1,500 new players activated for participation in private alpha

Frogster has opened the virtual soccer pitches of Kickster - Online Street Soccer for 1.500 new players. This current wave of new players is by far the largest expansion to date. With the closed beta for Kickster scheduled to start soon, Frogster is going to activate even more registered accounts for the alpha version within the next few days. Frogster has suggested players sign-up for the alpha phase of Kickster to ensure they can keep playing through the game's various test phases.

With a German beta client due to be released soon the closed beta will be open only at certain weekends during the first beta phase. Thus, a quick registration for the alpha assures the opportunity to play Kickster non-stop for a while. Register now at the official website http://kickster.eu/user/register.



Kickster – Online Street Soccer
Stale football simulations are a thing of the past – on the comic inspired online grounds of Kickster, only those players who control the most individual character and master the coolest special moves will rule. Two vs. two or three vs. three: with their team of real buddies online, players stir up international tournaments and leagues. With dashing moves, impressive tricks and absolute ball control, PC kickers gain respect from the ball addicted online community. Only those who have the coolest special skills will climb up the player rankings.


Kickster offers various scenarios in authentic street style. Backyards, parking lots or factory premises – a fast match can kick off anywhere. Thanks to the dynamic motion system, artists with the ball sweep their opponents from the court with impressively animated dribbling, tackling, tricks and straddles.

But only players with the best skills receive respect from the streets. As soon as they reach the expert level, Kickster offers even more strategic game-play and lots of new powerful moves. A tutorial is available to get you started and will help new players increase their skill level ready for human opponents. 

The dynamic and elaborate tournament and league system of Kickster will see the best players unveiled and glory claimed. "Easy to download" and "free to play" – Kickster offers fun football without complications or any payment liabilities. The original online game can be quickly installed and runs smoothly on any average PC. Currently Kickster – Online Street Soccer is in the private alpha stage. After the following closed and open beta phases this autumn the whistle will blow: Kick off in the backyards!



Features Kickster – Online Street Soccer

• Free2Play: free game client, no subscription fees
• Team based multiplayer online game (no single player, no AI opponents)
• Getting started easily: comprehensive tutorial with 13 game missions, hints and rewards for completed missions
• Intuitive controls, but profound game-play
• In-game chat and community tools
• Compact game client of about 300 MB and moderate system requirements
• Customization of player character in large-scale item shop: trendy outfits from head to toe and special moves available for micropayment
• Level based game system: advanced skills learnable with progress
• Strategic team play and tactical moves in expert level
• Elaborate league system with promotion and relegation
• Ample tournament system
• Formation of clubs and club ranking available in the future