New "Halo Wars" Video Series Examines Expanded "Halo" Universe free demo download on Xbox Live

“Halo Wars” sets the stage for one of the most beloved video game conflicts to date: Humanity’s struggle to save the universe from annihilation at the hands of a relentless consortium known as the Covenant.

Halo Wars Episode 3 and Episode 4 YouTube videos - please subscribe...

In a new video series from Microsoft, “Halo Wars: Universe Expanded” examines this epic story which spans across four game titles. With insight from creators, critics and the franchise’s biggest fans, this series told in three acts illustrates why “Halo Wars” is such an important chapter in the “Halo” timeline.

Act 1 draws deeply on the story and art elements that make up “Halo” and how they are presented in “Halo Wars” and previous titles starring Master Chief. This required viewing for all “Halo” fans titled “Universe Expanded: Act I” is available for download on Xbox.com/Halo and on Xbox LIVE Marketplace, with subsequent acts following the week of 2nd March.

“Halo Wars” is rated 16+ PEGI, and is available in Europe on the 27th February. A demo is now available on Xbox LIVE in all LIVE enabled regions worldwide. For more information, visit Xbox.com/Halo or HaloWars.com.

Over 1.5 million players play Moshi Monsters game

New features boost the unstoppable global growth of Moshi Monsters

Mind Candy (developers of the online game for kids, Moshi Monsters) today announced that over 1.5 million Monsters have now been adopted at www.moshimonsters.com. The free-to-play online children’s game with an educational twist announces explosive worldwide growth since its recent launch.

Moshi Monsters Cheats, Codes, Hints and Game tips....

CEO of Mind Candy, Michael Smith, commented: "We’ve been absolutely amazed by the early growth of Moshi Monsters. Every month hundreds of thousands of children from all over world are joining the community and adopting their own pet monster. Children love the social gaming element while parents appreciate the educational qualities of the puzzle games.”

The company also revealed a number of new updates to the game recently including “Moshlings”, collectable pet Monsters that vary in rarity and style.
With over 40 Moshlings to collect in total, the race is already on to see who can capture the full set. The winner will be honoured with their very own in-game statue built on Main Street within Monstro City to celebrate this great achievement!

Moshi Monsters is a world of adoptable pet monsters, an exciting cross between a virtual pet, social network and educational puzzle games site for kids. The puzzles test a variety of skills including basic maths, spatial awareness, logic, counting, anagrams and vocabulary. Moshi Monsters is free to play, allowing kids to adopt their own pet monster and play games online with millions of other children across the world.

To create your free Moshi Monster and enter a world of fun and puzzles visit www.moshimonsters.com

NEW POST - Moshi Monsters Cheats, Codes, Hints and Game tips....

Navy Field PC video game - New Server Open and Update of New Submarines & Game Mode!

Navy Field Europe launched their new server “Yamato” today with a special Event of Double Exp, Credits and Points for a 1 month period.

At the opening, many other events have been started. Among others, NFEU is arranging Ranking Events, a Level 30 Challenging Event, and they will open special battle rooms in the next period where players have to fulfill specific objectives.

Event participants can win many Premium Items and Navy Field Crystals.

Gamers can check the details at http://www.navyfield.eu/eng/event/list.asp

NFEU also released their newest patch today, with the 3rd generation of submarines, new weapons and additional functions for submarine captains, as well an advanced Night Battle mode.

Next week, Thursday March 5th, an additional patch will follow with a special game mode for Light and Heavy Cruisers.

Furthermore the newest Balance Update for battleship nears completion. As a result all battleships on the Ship Tree, from First until last, will be revised. In addition the Account System will be updated in March.

Anno - Create a New World on Nintendo Wii and Nintendo DS

Uniquely Designed for the Wii and the Nintendo DS, New Game Allows Players to Create Their Own Flourishing Empire

Today Ubisoft announced Anno: Create a New World, a real-time strategy and simulation game specifically designed for the Wii home video game system and the Nintendo DS hand held system.
Scheduled for release in summer 2009, Anno: Create a New World gives gamers the opportunity to explore new civilizations and build their own empire like never before through the immersive action of the Wii Remote and the DS stylus.

“ANNO: Create a New World allows gamers to take the civilization building experience to the next level of fun and interactivity,” said John Parkes, marketing director EMEA at Ubisoft, “We’re pleased to be bringing the brand new, uniquely designed game to the Wii and Nintendo DS for the first time.”

Developed by Keen Games, ANNO: Create a New World takes place in 1404: King Georges’ land is suffering from droughts and famine. Aware of the distress of his citizens, the King decides to send his two sons, William and Edward to gain new territories in order to produce enough goods to satisfy the inhabitants. Whereas Edward suggests fighting to collect the precious resources, his brother, William offers a peaceful solution proposing to explore new and unsettled lands in the south of the Kingdom. With the agreement of his father, William heads to the South and discovers the mysterious orient culture.

Key Features of ANNO: Create a New World :

• Explore & create with fun and ease

- Explore a beautiful world, discover new places to settle and create your own realm
- Learn from other cultures (Oriental, European…) & expand your horizons
- All the controls are intuitive, the interface is fully adapted to the consoles’ gameplay

• Discover how to manage cities & societies

- Be considerate, plan wisely and learn to manage resources
- Satisfy the needs of your citizens and care for your society

• Enjoy friendly, peaceful family entertainment

- Relax & build your cities in a rich and peaceful world
- Play together with your family & friends and let them help you to create your world thanks to the 2-player co-op mode for Nintendo Wii and the 4-player multiplayer mode on the Nintendo DS

In addition, ANNO: 1404 the next PC game of the ANNO franchise developed by Related Design will be also available this summer 2009.

Ninja Blade out april 7th Ninja Blade Free Xbox Live demo download March 9th

Free Xbox LIVE demo coming March 9 - Bonus content available with title pre-order

Microsoft and FromSoftware announced today that Xbox 360 exclusive “Ninja Blade” has gone gold and will ship to retailers in the UK on April 3rd. FromSoftware, well-known for their work on “Armored Core” and the “Tenchu” franchise, created a modern ninja epic where Ken Ogawa and his team of skilled fighters battle a terrifying disease that transforms the citizens of Tokyo into an infected monster horde. Armed with an extensive arsenal of ninja weapons and abilities, including Ninja Vision and Todomé Attack, players confront grueling challenges in their mission to save humanity.

Get a head start on the action by downloading the “Ninja Blade” demo on Xbox LIVE Marketplace. Available March 9, this free demo will provide players with an engaging first look into the world of Ken Ogawa and a chance to battle the monster horde before the game hits store shelves in April.

“Ninja Blade” will have an estimated retail price of £44.99 and is rated PEGI 16+. For more information, visit www.xbox.com/ninjablade.

Cities XL - City Builder PC video game

In Cities XL, the main game will be a city builder: You will be the mayor of a city and you must try to regulate its development. We say “try” because you will not have 100% control over what happens in your city – the city simulation will have a certain autonomy, combining both unyielding logical rules (the public sector) and decisions taken by independent entities (the private sector). It is this simulation that we will describe here. This article will be spread over several blog entries.

1.1 Resources

The simplest rule has to do with resources. Some buildings will supply one or more resources, while other buildings will consume them. First and foremost, there will be resources useful to the city: electricity, fuel, water, waste management. Then there will be industrial resources: agriculture, industry (heavy, manufacturing, high-tech), and services (hotels, and “offices” that represent the tertiary services – finance, the legal profession, marketing, and research). Finally, there will be transport.

Players will not necessarily have to establish a fine balance between supply and demand for each of these services. They will however have to keep an eye out for potential imbalances. For example, a resource that is in too short supply will see its price rising, which can have a negative effect on the businesses that use it. This will reduce the city’s tax income or, worse, result in bankruptcies. If electricity is too expensive, it could result in heavy industry moving out of the city. In contrast, a resource that is over-supplied will see its price collapse. This could have an effect on the industries that produce it.

1.2 Services

Other buildings will provide services to the population. This category includes education, health, the police, the fire department, shopping, and leisure. The bigger and wealthier the city becomes, the more demanding the citizens will be in terms of the quality, quantity, and variety of services available nearby. Residents will take into account the distance that separates their home from a building providing a service. This distance will be calculated based on roads and transport facilities. It’s not much use being close to a hospital as the crow flies if you’re actually on the other side of a river and there’s no bridge… Ease of access to a hospital for different inhabitants, taking roads and traffic into account. Similarly, traffic jams will in effect increase the distance from a service. Players will therefore need to improve the transport infrastructure by building highways and providing bus services.

1.3 Living environment

The third important factor will be the living environment. In this context, certain buildings will have a negative impact: buildings that emit pollution or make noise, industrial dangers, and abandoned buildings. Others will have a positive impact: nature in the vicinity of the city, parks, and monuments.
The living environment will be an important factor in citizens’ satisfaction levels. It will be easy to control at the start of the game, but will become more complicated as the city grows.

Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 - Grand Slam Tennis on Nintendo Wii from EA Sports

New Nintendo Wii MotionPlus Compatible Products Launching In June

Electronic Arts today announced that Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 10 and EA SPORTS Grand Slam Tennis will be the first two products from the EA SPORTS label that utilize the functionality of the Wii MotionPlus. EA SPORTS has at least five products, including EA SPORTS Active in May, in development that will launch before the end of 2009 designed specifically for the Nintendo Wii.

“On the Wii, Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 10 and EA SPORTS Grand Slam Tennis bring the authentic motion and excitement of championship golf and tennis to life for fans of all ages and skill levels,” said Peter Moore, President, EA SPORTS. “With the new Wii MotionPlus, slicing a winner on Centre Court at Wimbledon or dropping an 8 iron pin high on No. 17 at TPC Sawgrass have never felt better. We couldn’t be more excited about the dynamic new EA SPORTS experiences coming this year to the Wii.”

With the all-new Wii MotionPlus, Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 10 will allow golf fans to experience a near-perfect 1:1 swing – and control to work the ball – from the tee box to the green. The game brings players inside the ropes to experience the drama of PGA TOUR tournament for the first time. Feel the intensity and excitement on every swing as you compete against the leaderboard.

EA SPORTS Grand Slam Tennis, available first for the Wii, puts the racket in the palm of your hand and offers the deepest tennis experience ever for the Wii. As the home to all four Grand Slams, and exclusive to Wimbledon, you can take your customized created player on a quest to win the four slams in Grand Slam career mode. Giving gamers a chance to play at Wimbledon’s famed Centre Court adds a level of authenticity that isn’t available anywhere else. EA SPORTS Grand Slam Tennis delivers an authentic tennis experience that makes you feel like you are playing with and against the sport’s greatest legends and today’s current stars.

Resident Evil demo downloads top 4 million on Xbox 360 and PS3

Capcom's Jun Takeuchi has revealed that the Resident Evil 5 demo has been downloaded over four million timess on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 consoles worldwide.

The information emerged in an MTV interview, in which Takeuchi discussed acusations of racism surrounding the title.

"When the game is out to the mainstream and on the shelves and being played by users, I'm not expecting it to be a problem," he explained, adding: "People will be able to play the game and see what it is for themselves."

Microsoft also announced plans to launch a limited edition red Resident Evil Xbox 360 Elite to coincide with the release of the game. See my earlier gamezplay.org post...

The new coloured console will retail for $399, with a copy of Resident Evil 5, plus Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix, the limited edition console will be available from March 13.

Colplay first Lips video game download song pack

The first downloadable Lips song pack will be available on March 13th and features Coldplay Microsoft have revealed.

Three tracks - Speed of Light, The Scientist and In My Place will feature.

On 27th February they plan to add Amber by 311 , In the Shadows by The Rasmus plus The Adventure by Angels and Airways. Later on March 6th Hook Me Up by The Veronicas, Shake It by Metro Station and Lips of an Angel by Hinder will also be added.

A game update is also expected in March with improved scoring and vibrato detection added to a global leaderboard offering.

Kart Racer and Truck Racer on Nintendo Wii plus PlayStation 2 and PC April 24th release

Nordic Games Publishing AB today announces their second set of console titles, Kart Racer and Truck Racer, for the Nintendo Wii, PlayStation 2 and PC.

Both titles will launch across EMEA on the 24th April 2009.

Kart Racer is a fast paced game that really hones in your close proximity racing skills, and Truck Racer is all about muscle power versus smaller more nimble utilitarian vehicles. The two genres were chosen to appeal to a wider gaming audience, and also mark the beginning of a range of Racer titles.

Pelle Lundborg, Publishing Director, Nordic Games says, “We used the consumer sales research data from over 2,000 retail installed Game Outlet pallets which led to the conclusion that racing games were great impulse purchases for parents and young gamers alike, so our strategy was to utilise this data and produce games that fit the market.”

Kart Racer and Truck Racer were developed by racing specialist game developer Brain in a Jar. Working out of Oulton Park Race Circuit they are responsible for over 20 racing games in the last 10 years.

Lundborg concludes, “Our intention is to deliver a set of entertaining products at the right price point, and we’ve found that both Kart and Truck Racer play especially well with steering wheel accessories so we expect the games will be sold as high value-for-money bundles when they arrive in the stores.”

Kart Racer & Truck Racer will launch on the 24th April, with an SRP of £14.99 / €19.99 for the WiiTM versions and £9.99 / €12.99 for both the PlayStation®2 and PC versions.