Sherlock Holmes v Jack the Ripper - The Hunt Continues video game update

Frogwares Studio and Focus Home Interactive are pleased to share with you new images from Sherlock Holmes vs. Jack the Ripper, the upcoming adventure/detective title for PC but also for the first time on Next Gen console. Indeed, Sherlock Holmes will also track down the atrocious serial killer on a Xbox 360 version specially adapted by the Parisian studio Spiders Games.

Sherlock Holmes vs. Jack the Ripper allows you to play as the greatest detective of all in the London of 1888. A series of particularly horrible murders creates a real psychosis throughout the country. Atrociously mutilated prostitutes' bodies are found by the police without them being able to find a serious lead. Sherlock Holmes starts looking for clues in the dark and sinister alleys of Whitechapel in order to follow the macabre trail of the one the press now calls Jack the Ripper. During an adventure full of twists, Sherlock Holmes will try to bring out the true identity and the motives of the one who hides behind this scary alias.





The Sherlock Holmes series is known as one of the best franchises in adventure games and is very popular with around 1.5 million copies sold worldwide. Now, Sherlock Holmes is back with a game that will give a new dimension to the series. Indeed, Sherlock Holmes vs. Jack the Ripper will offer players two different views that are accessible at any time: a third person view in the purest style used in point & click adventure games, as well as a first person view. The player will be free to play in one or the other modes or even combine them for greater immersion into this terrifying adventure. Another novelty: the player will also find an original crime scene reconstitution system that will allow him to test his theories during his progress in the investigation to follow the bloody trail of the terrifying serial killer.

Sherlock Holmes vs. Jack the Ripper will be released for DVD ROM PC in May of 2009.

EA Active exercise game on Nintendo Wii this May - with video

We get it: in the battle of couch versus gym, the couch usually wins. It’s so much easier to find an excuse than to actually do the workout.

But what if your gym was two feet away from the couch and your workout was actually fun to do?



Meet EA SPORTS Active, the motivating fitness program you can do at home at any time. With over 25 calorie-burning, muscle-toning exercises and activities, daily progress reports, and encouraging virtual personal trainers, you’ll get gym-worthy results without even thinking of making an excuse!

DJ Atomika's Power Playlist in Burnout Paradise City from the sub-zero heights of Peak 3

Hey, it's DJ Atomika back to sea level in Paradise City from the sub-zero heights of Peak 3.

Being a well-worked radio DJ like myself, I've gotta be serious about staying in shape, and man have I got a tip for you. Boost Specials.

Let me tell you, I've traded my Wii Fit - these "Pro" vehicles are giving me all the workout I need.

So head over to the Burnout Store and get yourself the Boost Specials Collection. And once you get behind the wheel, I've got the perfect Power Playlist for you:

They may be from Germany, but they hit the heights in 1990, first on the list is Snap and The Power.
Rocking over from the USA, a record that hit the heights in 1984 it's the instantly recognisable Jump by Van Halen
No Hot Rod fantasy is complete without ZZ Top. Bearded by nature (and one by name) Gimme All Your Lovin' also from the early 80's demands to be in your playlist.
and I'm rounding out today's recommendation with Survivor - Eye of the Tiger - enough said.

This is Atomika, sounding off.

Source: Criterion Games News

Runes of Magic PC video game launched

Frogster today announced that the commercial launch of Runes of Magic has exceeded all expectations. The online role playing game was able to add considerably to its registered users: nearly 700,000 players have registered to enter the fantasy world of Taborea worldwide. Runes of Magic launched commercially on 19 March.

To handle the rush of players, the Runes of Magic team added one additional European server to the line-up. This means that right now there are already nine game worlds up and running in German and English languages. On the most frequented servers, character creation for new players has been capped until further notice. Only already existing avatars can log on to ‘Laoch’ and ‘Aotacht’. Should any other servers reach their full load, additional server capacity is on hand to guarantee trouble-free gaming enjoyment for the fans.



Runes of Magic – a world full of wizardry and adventure
Runes of Magic was commercially released on 19th March. During a successful open beta the population soar to over 650,000 players. All interested players can continue to download the fantasy online role playing game for free at www.runesofmagic.com and following a short registration process, can plunge into the game world.

With an extensive range of features Runes of Magic prepares to redefine the standard of free to play massively online role playing games. Runes of Magic conveys an absorbing story through more than 1.000 quests embedded in an atmospheric fantasy world. Players can choose between six main classes and combined with a secondary class they present 30 individual combinations of character classes over all. All characters possess unique skills with impressive combo attacks and can use mounts like war horses and more. A particularly attractive feature for guilds and players is the possibility to arrange their own virtual homes with individual furnishing. Thanks to an extensive crafting and reputation system, thrilling PvP, as well as demanding dungeons and boss-monsters, no wishes remain unsatisfied. The Taiwanese developer Runewaker has developed Runes of Magic according to western MMO standards within a time frame of three years. The studio will provide new challenges for players every four to five months with free add-ons and updates. MMO fans can find more information, pictures and videos on the official website www.runesofmagic.com.

Features

- Free to play: no monthly fees, free download
- Extensive dual class system (six primary and secondary classes)
- Versatile spell- and attack-combinations
- Enthralling background story
- More than 1.000 quests and quest series on launch
- No zone boundaries thanks to seamless architecture
- Dungeons: Instanced and tile based as well as persistent
- Individually developable skills and spells
- Armour sets with special bonuses
- Dynamic item system with hundreds of runes for upgrading
- Optional PvP system with arena battles and guild wars
- Ranking system with player-ranking lists
- Multitude of unique mounts
- Epic crafting system with the chance to improve existing items
- Personalization of player houses through individual furnishing
- Reputation system
- Customisable user interface with the option to use Add-Ons
- Map and radar system to find dealers, resources and quests easily
- In-game auction houses for trading items
- Teleport-Runes for instant travel
- Mouse and keyboard controls for movement
- Regular updates with new content
- Guild castles in special zones
- Cross-server fights in three-server-battle in development

Facts
Titel: Runes of Magic
Genre: Fantasy-MMORPG
Platform: Windows-PC
Publisher: Frogster Online Gaming
Developer: Runewaker Entertainment Ltd.
Release: March 19th 2009
PEGI: 12+

Capcom release Street Fighter IV Classic Costume Pack

This is not one of them....
Classic Costume Pack available today on European Xbox Marketplace Capcom today announced that Classic Costume Pack, a new content for Street Fighter IV, is now available in Europe via Xbox Marketplace.

The Classic Costume Pack features new costumes for characters Guile, Blanka, Dhalsim, Gen and Fei Long. PS3 fans will be able to download this new pack next Thursday, March 26th.

E74 Xbox 360 error on the rise say Joystiq

When we recently posted about the Xbox 360's E74 error and asked for your input, we weren't prepared for the staggering response we'd receive.

Within a few hours, we had dozens of emails from readers like you who had experienced this particular hardware failure (typically caused, according to unofficial web reports, by a loose scaling chip).

It was surprising to touch such a nerve, but what really knocked us for a loop was what we found when we started compiling the data sent to us.

Read full post here on Joystiq

Guitar Hero Metallica four song demo on Xbox Live Marketplace

Four song demo unleashed featuring Metallica and two guest acts: Queen and Alice in Chains

Gamers itching to get a taste of Guitar Hero Metallica in advance of the game’s release need not wait any longer as Activision Publishing announced that the demo will be available today for free download on Xbox LIVE Marketplace for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft.

In the demo, virtual rock stars across the globe can shred, drum and wail to Metallica’s explosive hits “Sad But True” and “Seek And Destroy,” as well as “No Excuses” from Alice In Chains and “Stone Cold Crazy” from Queen, both hand-picked by Metallica as featured guest acts in the game. Set in The Forum venue, highlighting the new in-the-round stage designs and custom camera angles, players can begin honing their skills in single-player and band Quickplay, head-to-head, Face-Off, Pro Face-Off and Battle gameplay modes.



“Ride the Lightning” with musical icons Metallica and 21 other rockin’ acts in an all new Guitar Hero® experience – Guitar Hero Metallica. Enter the world of Lars Ulrich, James Hetfield, Kirk Hammett and Robert Trujillo and experience the intensity and skill of one of the greatest bands of all time. Shred on the guitar controller, rip on the drum kit controller and wail on the mic to a set list featuring over 45 explosive hits from Metallica’s illustrious career and a wide variety of other legendary artists personally selected by the band, such as Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band, Alice In Chains, System of A Down, Foo Fighters and Queen. Fans will be able to rock as Metallica while performing in venues reminiscent of the band’s epic album covers, themes from their music and real world locales.

Guitar Hero Metallica is being developed by Neversoft Entertainment for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and the PLAYSTATION 3 computer entertainment system. The Wii home video game system from Nintendo and the PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system versions are being developed by Budcat. The game is rated 12+ by the BBFC.

Mushroom Men – The Spore Wars on Nintendo Wii -Part II - Combat

An ichorous green meteor plummets through Earth's atmosphere, fracturing and showering the earth with glowing green space dust that affects all forms of life nearby. Some plant life - like mushrooms and cacti -acquire sentience. At the same time, the green glow twists and mutates other life forms like spiders and roaches, transforming them into semi-intelligent, warlike communities.

DEVELOPER DIARY

WII COMBAT Prt 2: Combat Variety
Written by Kain Shin, Lead Programmer/Combat Designer

Input Variety with Combat:

Variety was another core aim of the combat system. Melee combat by itself would eventually feel repetitive and tiresome if the game offered nothing else to the user throughout the game. The combat design of Mushroom Men emphasizes variety in the form of motion (melee), pointing (Spore Punisher), and a combination of the two (Telekinesis-Throw). Telekinesis-Throw allows the player to use the environment to make fights end quicker. It provides an opportunity for a gratifying tactile sensation related to picking something up and throwing it at an enemy. The physics objects in each level have been tuned to apply just enough damage to make medium-sized enemies bleed. Bleeding is an important part of the feedback in the game because it indicates the availability of the third and most lethal attack method in the game: Spore Punisher. Spore Punisher not only destroys the victim completely, but it also has an area of effect that damages nearby enemies. Because it is so powerful, it has to be presented as a finishing move available only after the enemy has been "softened up".

Strategic Weapon Choices:

In addition to three actions for use in combat, weapon variety also adds a reason for having four types of weapons in the game. Not all weapons are good for all situations and that will become apparent in specific situations:

Bashing Weapons:

The player starts out with Bashing weapons, which have a vertical arc but can be a handicap when facing multiple opponents.

Slashing Weapons:

Eventually, the player gets Slashing weapons, which do less damage, but can be useful against multiple opponents with its wide horizontal arc.

Piercing Weapons:

Piercing weapons happen to be my favorite weapon category. The emphasis with piercing weapons is auto-aiming precision against a single enemy, but a master player can really feel like a ninja with its flying thrust. The piercing jump attack is especially useful against flying enemies.

Radical Weapons:

The Radical Weapons use ammo and can run out, but the amount of damage they cause can be the difference between life and death when facing a gang of aggressive enemies.

Miscellaneous Combat Features:

There are three features in the game that are never taught to the user for various reasons and will probably be discovered by the more core players. These three features deserve more than just a mere mention in the instruction manual.

The first unmentioned feature is the passive co-op mode where anyone can pick up the second Wii remote and help out the first player by using reticle actions or mashing the A button to regenerate health on the hero. We call this the roommate feature.

The second unmentioned feature is batting non-physical projectiles back at the shooter. This is a fun thing to do against enemy sage characters that shoot unblockable projectiles at Pax.

The third unmentioned feature is the ability to flick the nunchuck to switch to the last equipped weapon. Switching back and forth between radical weapons and melee weapons can be very convenient in tight situations.

Mushroom Men – The Spore Wars and Mushroom Men – Rise of the Fungi will be available across Europe in March, 2009.

TITLE: Mushroom Men – The Spore Wars
PLATFORM: Wii
TITLE: Mushroom Men – Rise of the Fungi
PLATFORM: DS
DEVELOPER: Red Fly Studio
GENRE: Action Adventure
RELEASE DATE: March, 2009

Parabellum - brand new Free2Play massive multiplayer online First Persons Shooter

Parabellum combines the best elements of FPS (First Person Shooter) and MMO (Massive Multiplayer Online) games to create an extremely unique and fully customizable gaming experience. Parabellum introduces the first interactive non-linear multiplayer campaigns in addition to an advanced character & weapon development system and realistic and engaging game-play.

“Parabellum will set the standard of what to expect from Free2Play games,” said David Demers, Associate Producer of Parabellum. “Bringing quality Triple-A titles to the Free-to-Play market raises the bar for all and sets GamersFirst apart from the rest.”

Set in a world in a not too distant future, the privatization of global military forces has created highly profitable opportunities for ex-soldiers, mercenaries and adventurers. Gamers must choose their alignments carefully to survive. You must join forces with one of the two foremost covert reconnaissance organizations in the world. The CTF; an organization avowed to keeping anarchy at bay, or the Syndicate; a legion of bloodthirsty rebels bent on destruction and chaos. Each of them are solicited by the C.I.N. a Global Mercenary Network that provides contract missions to each of these factions who vie against one another with the fate of the World as the ultimate prize.



“GamersFirst is a pioneer and market leader of the free-to-play model in Europe
and North America.” Says Frank Trigub, Director/Founding Partner, Acony Games. “We are happy to have such an ideal partner in GamersFirst for Parabellum.”

Leisure Suit Larry - Box Office Bust video game on Xbox 360 and PC with Carmen Electra as Porn Star Ginger Vitus and Jay Mohr - with videos

Exclusive voice talent from Carmen Electra and Jay Mohr

Leisure Suit Larry - Box Office Bust is an innuendo-filled third-person comedic adventure game about a guy looking for love in all the wrong places. Lampooning the glitz, glamour and gorgeous women of Hollywood.
Larry’s set to run riot on the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and PC when the game is published on March 27th with a S.R.P. of £19.99 on the Funsta label.

Laden with illustrious voice talent to provide the laughs, gamers can now catch video interviews with Jay Mohr (Simpsons, Family Guy, West Wing, Scrubs) who voices Larry Loveage and Carmen Electra (Starsky & Hutch) who plays Ginger Vitus.

Leisure Suit Larry: Box Office Bust sees the eponymous amorous hero spending his vacation working on his uncle’s film studio as he tries to make a name for himself in Tinseltown. However, while working on the movie lot, Larry stumbles upon a plot from another studio that threatens to air the studio’s dirty laundry in the tabloids – now it’s his job to save the day and the reputation of his uncle’s studio.

Leisure Suit Larry: Box Office Bust will feature saucy comedy and bombshell babes as players tackle exploration, platforming, racing and puzzle-solving challenges to complete missions. The series’ trademark humour is in full effect as Larry’s new adventure takes him through parodies of Hollywood’s most famous studio sets. Whether he’s sneaking around on the ‘Bytanic’ or gun-slinging on ‘Beefcake Mountain’, Larry’s always got an eye out for the ladies.



Join Larry on the Hollywood studio tour that they never wanted people to see when Leisure Suit Larry: Box Office Bust launches for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and PC on the 27th March, with a PLAYSTATION 3 computer entertainment system version to follow.