gamezplay

Monday, October 13, 2008

Trackmania video game the cars revealed on Nintendo DS

“Play it, and you’ll be hooked.” That is the TrackMania message. Simple, addictive and to the point.

TrackMania DS allows players to drive at mind-blowing speeds in hi-octane racers on incredible tracks made of jumps, loops, turbo boost pads and other crazy design features. Ascaron and 93 Games will release TrackMania DS on 21st November 2008, providing players with more than a hundred circuits to tear around, in three distinct single-player modes.

The Desert, Rally and Stadium environments have been expertly implemented onto the handheld, ensuring that TrackMania on Nintendo DS pushes the boundaries of the format.

Rally courses require expert handling across dirt paths, asphalt roads and winding, hilly tracks. In the Desert environment players negotiate chain bridges and giant potholes through dusty, stony canyons. When racing in Stadium, the most famous TrackMania environment, it is all about speed and style as cars power-slide and skid around corners at blistering pace.

Each environment has its own vehicle type, delivering three unique styles of gameplay. Rally tracks put players in an ultra light vehicle with immense power and great handling. In the stony canyons of the Desert it’s down to sensitive suspension and handling skills, while the iconic TrackMania car, a stylised F1 racer, is unleashed for players in the Stadium environment.

“If ever a game deserved to be the new craze, TrackMania is that game,” stated Alan Wild, International Product Manager at Ascaron Entertainment. “Words don’t do the game justice… literally. Play it, and you’ll be hooked. Therein lies the TrackMania ethos. This is gaming as it’s meant to be.”

Ascaron and 93 Games will release TrackMania DS on November 21st 2008, providing the millions of Nintendo DS players worldwide with a whole new racing experience on a thoroughly addictive handheld version.

Fast facts:
Publisher: Ascaron Entertainment / 93 Games
Web: www.Ascaron.com / www.trackmania.com
Developer: Firebrand
Release date: November 21st 2008
Price: £29.99
PEGI: 3+ (Expected)
Format: Nintendo DS
Genre: Racing

Call of Duty World at War multiplayer video game beta on Xbox 360

Windows PC Multiplayer Beta Coming Soon

The dogs of war are being unleashed today, as Activision and developer Treyarch announced the launch of the multiplayer beta for Call of Duty: World at War on the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft. Console players can guarantee themselves a token by pre-ordering the game at UK Game retail locations,* or online at http://www.game.co.uk/. Call of Duty fans that register to become members at www.callofduty.com are also eligible to receive a token, but these tokens are limited in supply, so register today. Additionally, Eurogamer will also be distributing keys from 5pm today on a first-come, first-served basis (http://www.eurogamer.net/).

Windows PC fans can expect a multiplayer beta soon and more information will be made available at www.callofduty.com/beta.

The Call of Duty: World at War multiplayer betas will provide players with an opportunity to play as U.S. Marines, German Wehrmacht, Japanese Imperial Army and Russian Red Army factions in a variety of game types (Team Death Match, Free-For-All, Capture the Flag and War), across three different maps:

Castle: The Imperial Japanese Army faces off against the Marine Raiders in a daytime battle, located on the grounds of an ancient, Japanese castle.
Makin: The U.S. Marine Raiders square off against the Imperial Japanese Army in a nighttime fight, set in an outpost on the Makin Atoll in the Pacific.
Roundhouse: The Wehrmact will fight the Red Army to the bitter end in a daytime struggle that features tank and infantry combat, set in a desolate, war-torn European train depot.

The betas will last for a few weeks; however, the full battle will commence on 14th November, 2008 when Call of Duty: World at War is released to retailers nationwide.

Call of Duty: World at War is in development for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, Games for Windows, PLAYSTATION 3 computer entertainment system, Nintendo Wii and Nintendo DS. The title has been rated 15 for Mature for strong violence and language by the BBFC. The Nintendo DS and PlayStation 2 versions have been rated 16+ by PEGI.

For more information and exclusive updates about Call of Duty: World at War, visit www.callofduty.com.

White Knight Chronicles huge medieval world of combat and magic video game PS3 exclusive

See the game that lets intrepid adventurers embark on an epic quest in a huge medieval world of combat and magic created exclusively for PLAYSTATION 3

A young man, protecting a princess, comes to possess an incredible ancient artefact that can transform him into the White Knight, an all-powerful, seven-metres-tall warrior from ancient times. This is the setting for the eagerly-awaited White Knight Chronicles™, the forthcoming flagship role-playing title for PLAYSTATION®3 (PS3™) that takes players on an epic quest in a huge, lavishly-designed medieval world, and also allows them to team up in bands of four to quest online via PlayStation Network. An enormous role-playing adventure developed by acclaimed RPG developer LEVEL 5 and published by Sony Computer Entertainment Europe, White Knight Chronicles will be previewed at the PlayStation stand at this year’s Tokyo Game Show, with its online features showcased prominently.

The story of White Knight Chronicles begins in the kingdom of Balandor, where a princess’s coming-of-age banquet is raided by an evil Corporation called “Wizard”. A boy called Leonard grabs the princess’s hand and leads her to safety in the castle cellars, where he finds a strange suit of armour that transforms him into the White Knight – an ancient warrior with the strength to defeat the Wizard corporation forces. Leonard’s transformation into a mighty hero, the White Knight, is the beginning of a life-changing fantasy experience, fighting against the fiercest enemies.

Alongside the huge single player quest, adventurers will be able to meet in online lobbies to team up for their quests through the wide world of White Knight Chronicles. Players will find friendship and team spirit in abundance as they journey through a land of awe-inspiring mountains, a lofty castle, a cavernous mine and a towering mobile city built on the back of a gargantuan creature. They’ll hone their combat skills and strategy against foe after foe in gripping melee battles with enemies large and small – and they’ll join a globe-spanning community of brothers (and sisters)-in-arms with a shared taste for adventure.

Square Enix 'MindSet' mind controlled video games

NeuroSky manufacturer of “wearable” consumer bio-sensors, announced the unveiling of a brainwave-controlled video game at the Tokyo Game Show 2008 in Makuhari, Japan, on October 9 and 10. This exciting and entertaining demonstration is based on a new game concept being jointly developed with Square Enix.

The technical demonstration developed with Square Enix operates in conjunction with Windows PC machines and features the NeuroSky commercial headset, MindSet. The recently introduced MindSet is capable of interfacing to a variety of gaming platforms, including PC, console and mobile. It resembles a pair of headphones, with a single electrode contacting the user’s forehead while reading the player’s brainwave information, or EEG data. The headset registers the current state of relaxation or concentration of players, allowing them to perform a variety of actions within the game.

“At Square Enix, we are actively involved in developing a variety of gaming interfaces. I am thrilled to have this opportunity to work with NeuroSky, and apply their advanced sensor technology in this brain-wave controlled game demonstration,” commented Ryutaro Ichimura, Producer at Square Enix. “Although the main purpose of the demo is to test the results of our short development period, I hope it also unlocks new potentials in gaming.”

Stanley Yang, the CEO of NeuroSky, considers the joint development with Square Enix as further validation that brainwave-reading (EEG) technology is rapidly emerging onto the video game scene. “We are delighted to have built such an important partnership with a key industry player to have jointly developed a demonstration based on brainwave-reading technology. The market has been anticipating the introduction of this technology for many years, and the reality of controlling features of a video game through mental control is finally taking root.”

Fallout 3 video game leaked 3 weeks before release

The highly-anticipated follow-up to video game Oblivion - Fallout 3 is available now on the internet on various torrent sites.

The official Fallout 3 video game - due for release on October 28 in America and October 31 in Europe.

The Xbox 360 version of the game has been hacked and at the time of writing had well over 2000 people downloading the 6.52GB file on one site alone.

The hacked version of the game would only be playable on an illegally modified Xbox 360.

Although a majority of console and PC games are leaked online before the official release, for a game to be distributed illegally three weeks before it hits the shops highlights the demand for pirated material from users - and the holes in security measures designed to prevent illegal copying of games.

Source: Games Industry

Golden Balls video game for SKY EV interactive

Game development studio Denki today released Golden Balls the company's latest game for digital interactive television.

The game is now available in the UK through Sky’s interactive TV games service. Every Sky customer can access and play Golden Balls using their Sky remote control.

Golden Balls was reinterpreted and built specifically to recreate the popular television gameshow, within the tight constraints of digital interactive television (DiTV). The design and development was completed by Denki's highly experienced External Development Department (EDD), the world's leading developer of games for DiTV.

The release of Golden Balls brings EDD’s total releases for DiTV in 2008 to 17 games, while the department has designed, created and released more than 170 games over the last eight years.

“We're very pleased with the way Golden Balls turned out,” says Richard Ralfe, the head of Denki's EDD. “Capturing the essence of a very popular show and recreating it within the confines of a set-top box was something of a challenge, but which we were more than capable of meeting. Anyone who's watched Golden Balls will be able to pick up and enjoy the game. It's as close to being on the real show as we could possibly make it. The only way we could make it any more realistic is to send the presenter round people's houses to press the buttons for them...”

The market for DiTV games is growing worldwide, with the UK leading the majority of other countries in the penetration of set-top boxes and the advanced nature of Interactive services. Sky has 8,980,000 subscribers in the UK and Ireland and a growing number of interactive services – including games – which every customer can access through their set-top box and Sky remote control.

Denki’s EDD has recently celebrated seven continuous years of DiTV Product development, and an incredible 72% of its total product portfolio is still being broadcast today for audiences to enjoy.

Other countries around the world are now starting to open up their digital interactive television markets, offering enormous potential for Denki's titles to reach a massive global audience. In February 2007 Denki premiered titles on DIRECTV in North and South America, providing a number of games for the launch of their new DiTV ‘Game Lounge’. DIRECTV reaches over 16 million subscribers in the United States and over 1.5 million in Latin America.

Denki is now actively pursuing opportunities in other countries around the world.

Colin Anderson, the managing director of Denki, said, “The Digital Interactive Television market is one which is often overlooked by the mainstream gaming industry, yet it offers significant benefits to developers, brand owners and gamers alike. While the technology is restrictive, compared to the current generation on consoles – or even handheld games devices, the penetration into households, familiarity with the controller and the on-demand nature of the games lend themselves to a very large mainstream market. This market is growing in leaps and bounds as more and more countries begin offering these services to television viewers.

“Our external development team is quite simply the most experienced and talented DiTV game developer in the world today. They've done an incredible job with Golden Balls and I am delighted to have them available to millions of Sky homes.”

Denki’s External Development team is always happy to offer their experience to brand owners and media companies with properties they wish to bring into the interactive entertainment market

Golden Balls can be found on Sky Games, which is accessed by pressing the Interactive Button on your Sky Remote Control.

My Pet Dolphin 2 video game on Nintendo DS

My Pet Dolphin 2 builds on the success of the original game but offers a new experience because this time you actually get to play as a baby dolphin that has an entire island to explore. As your dolphin gains experience you unlock new areas and meet different sea creatures along the way.

To explore the island you use the touch screen to guide your dolphin through an undersea paradise. While swimming you must also hunt down rare treasures, which unlock different mini-games, like dolphin racing and deep sea diving. You can also view all the treasures that you’ve collected in the special Album mode or create your own garden in the brand new Flower Growing mode.

With intuitive touch screen controls - which make it a breeze to guide your dolphin as he swims or play with one of the many toys available for new aquatic friend - My Pet Dolphin 2 is a fantastic pet game that’s simple to pick up and play.

My Pet Dolphin 2 is available exclusively for Nintendo DS on October 31.

KEY FEATURES

• Developed by Starfish

• Mission mode packed full of sea exploration

• Find rare treasures hidden in the sea depths, which unlock new mini-games

• Album mode to check the collectibles you’ve found

• Flower growing mode

Secret Service Xbox 360 video game puts the president's life in your hands

Activision announced that Secret Service will be released later this year for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, Playstation 2 computer entertainment system, and PC. The title will allow players to assume the role of an elite agent, tasked with protecting America’s top leadership.

Secret Service takes place on Inauguration Day in Washington D.C. An extremist assault has been launched against the capitol - security has been compromised and it is unclear who is friend or foe. There is no time for negotiation as you are thrust out of the shadows and into the line of fire in order to protect the nation’s leaders. The action takes place among famous landmarks and everywhere in between, including both Marine One and Air Force One.

A tactical first person action game full of plot twists and revelations, Secret Service features story and level design contributions by Daniel Arey, who previously worked on Uncharted, the Jak series and the Crash Bandicoot series.

“This game is a unique addition to the first person action genre, with a rich storyline set across famous locations and the need to use both lethal and non-lethal force to achieve your objectives,” said Dave Oxford, Activision Publishing. “Secret Service brings a nice refreshing spin to fans of run-and-gun games.”

Secret Service will be available for $39.99 on Xbox 360, $29.99 for Playstation 2 computer entertainment system, and $19.99 for PC.

The Secret Service videogame is not approved, endorsed or authorized by the U.S. Secret Service.

The Lord of the Rings Online - Mines of Moria Legendary Items Screen shots

Game - The Lord of the Rings Online - Mines of Moria
Title - Legendary Items
Description - Screen shots of Legendary items.

All Lord of the Rings posts on gamezplay.org here...

Cities XL is One Today - video gaming and social networking

It’s been a great year for CITIES XL, the next-generation city-builder from Monte Cristo. With today marking the first anniversary of the official Web site and forum community at www.citiesxl.com, Monte Cristo has built what could be the largest online focus group ever. Community members have contributed feedback to the game’s design, along with participating in various contests, such as the “Point, Shoot – Win!” photography contest which offered fans the chance to have their homes featured in the final game.

CITIES XL is going to be independently developed and published by Monte Cristo. The game will feature a mix of social networking, virtual worlds, economics and city building to offer a fantastic experience both on- and offline. To fund additional development, which is currently taking place in the company’s Paris and Kiev studios, Monte Cristo received an supplementary EUR 4.5 million (approx. $7 million U.S.) from Arts Alliance, 360 degrees Capital Partners and Innoven Partenaires earlier this year.

“We are very excited to announce the one-year ‘birthday’ of the CITIES XL community,” said Philippe da Silva, Internet Director at Monte Cristo. “Our community is dedicated to helping us make the most incredible game possible, and with the significant financial investment from our business partners, along with an incredibly positive response from the media, we are sure that CITIES XL will be an outstanding social and entertainment experience.”

In development by Monte Cristo Games, CITIES XL expands upon all the features that make city builders fun and interesting, while also letting players take their game online, as they interact with others in a persistent online environment. Realism will be pushed to the limit with cities that are bigger, more realistic and more sophisticated than ever before.

For more information about CITIES XL, which will ship in the first half of 2009, please visit www.citiesxl.com.

Cities XL gamezplay.org videos on YouTube here...

Second Cities XL gamezplay.org video here...

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Monday, October 13, 2008