Da Vinci Code game play it while waiting for Angels and Demons video game...

While attempting to solve a murder, Harvard professor Robert Langdon and brilliant French cryptographer Sophie Neveu uncover a 2000-year-old conspiracy through clues encoded in paintings by Leonardo Da Vinci.

The Da Vinci Code takes you on a heart-pounding non-stop race through Paris and through time to find the truth and protect a secret that could shake the world.

In the game, players will be kept on the edge of their seat with suspense, discovery and survival as they guide Robert Langdon and Sophie Neveu on their quest to solve a bizarre murder-mystery and uncover the ultimate treasure protected by an ancient secret society.

Features:

* Expands upon The Da Vinci Code universe by giving the player new experiences and locations not visited in the book or the film.
* Solve mysteries and puzzles that go beyond anything you have seen or read. Elude danger and stay one step ahead of an enemy that will stop at nothing to protect their secret.
* Combines a unique blend of adrenaline-pumping stealth, frantic chases and combat, diversely cryptic puzzles, and exciting exploration.
* Explore detailed environments and discover hidden clues in world famous locations such as The Louvre, Westminster Abbey, St. Sulpice and more.
* Players must solve a wide variety of challenging physical and intellectual puzzles that will ultimately lead them to the resting ground of the Holy Grail.
* The game will appeal to the hard core fans of the book and movie by offering an experience faithful to the movie. In addition, it will also appeal to gamers who have enjoyed the movie but want new challenges.


As much as people might bemoan the decline of the printed word's value in our society, it seems every year there's another hugely popular book racking up incredible sales and becoming a cross-cultural phenomenon complete with an inevitable movie adaptation. Some of these book-based movies seem tailor-made for games (Jurassic Park, Harry Potter), while others just don't lend themselves so well to the medium (The Bridges of Madison County, Tuesdays with Morrie).

Given a storyline devoid of both dinosaurs and dragons, but rife with suspense and intrigue, Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code, in which a Harvard professor investigates a murder at the Louvre Museum in Paris that leads to revelations about secret societies and international cover-ups, lies somewhere in between. Gamers everywhere will find out soon just how well Brown's tale acquits itself to the interactive environment, as 2K Games today announced that it will publish games based on director Ron Howard's film adaptation of the book. Both the film and the games are scheduled to be released in May of 2006.

The games will be developed for current-generation consoles by The Collective. While it hasn't worked on something with literary roots before, the developer has a long track record of bringing TV and film properties to games. The Collective worked on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: The Fallen, Men in Black, and Indiana Jones and the Emperor's Tomb. And currently the developer is working on Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure and another movie-based property, Dirty Harry.

2K Games has promised that the Da Vinci Code game will feature "action-oriented suspense" to please gamers and fans of the book alike. For that reason, the publisher has brought veteran developer Charles Cecil into the fold to work with The Collective. Cecil created the Broken Sword series of adventure games, latter-day throwbacks to a deliberately paced style of gameplay, where the emphasis is on puzzle-solving and storytelling instead of making things explode.

Nostradamus - The Last Prophecy PC video game out now

GAME SUMMARY

March 1566 - Salon de Provence, France

It has been three years since Catherine de Médicis' rule as regent came to an end, but she still holds the reins of power, making her the target of repeated attacks from the French nobility. One day in March 1566, when she realises that she has fallen victim to a terrible curse, she turns to her doctor and astrologer, Michel de Nostre-Dame, better known as Nostradamus.

Unfortunately, the famous prophet is too old and weak to take on such a mission alone. Refusing to abandon his Queen in her hour of need, he sends his daughter Madeleine in his place. However, there is no such thing as female astrologers, let alone female doctors in medieval times. To be accepted as such, the young woman must go in disguise and assume her younger brother César’s identity.

Alternating between Madeleine the young woman, and Madeleine disguised as César, players are plunged into a thrilling adventure where political scheming and ancestral prophecies are intertwined. The game begins as an initiatory adventure in the footsteps of her father Nostradamus, and transitions into a suspenseful test-riddled forensic investigation as you are faced with one murder after another.

FEATURES

• The first-ever game based on the life and works of Nostradamus
• Defeat the last prophecy of the great astrologer Nostradamus and change the course of history!
• Become a criminal profiler centuries in advance as you investigate a series of murders perilously linked to the royal family
• Play as 2 different characters throughout this thrilling adventure
• Unravel a series of Machiavellian riddles and puzzles based not just on astrology, but also alchemy, apothecary and ancient runes
• Delve into Renaissance Provence and discover rich photorealistic environments faithfully recreated to reflect the time of Nostradamus
• From the creators of best-selling adventure series: Atlantis, Egypt, Versailles and The Secrets of Da Vinci

The Hot Places to Go for Gold in Paradise City

It's Summer in the City, and everyone's fighting over the latest fashions up and down Lambert Parkway. Apparently GOLD is the new black, and since everyone is after a bargain this season, it seems that all the WAGs have sent their men to grab them something sparkly, at any cost!

Auntie Rich is here to rescue you all from mediocrity by filling you in on the places to be on the 'upper' side of town during this fashion Gold Rush!

The first place is where I go to have my spa treatment every Tuesday morning, the Maplemount Country Club. It's also very popular with the Paradise Police Force as it's where they hold their Policemen's Balls every year. I'm told they also use it as a meeting point when there's a big gold heist on!

Read the full list here on the Burnout website...

Resident Evil - The Darkside Chronicles video game

Capcom brings the Resident Evil series back to the Nintendo Wii with the sequel to the highly successful, million-selling title, Resident Evil - The Umbrella Chronicles, Resident Evil - The Darkside Chronicles.

Unlike the evil enemies you fought against in the previous story, in Resident Evil - The Darkside Chronicles, players will fight against the characters' own inner demons. Two of the most popular characters in the series and heroes of the beloved Resident Evil 2, Leon Kennedy and Claire Redfield, will be making their return. As unconventional heroes, the two start out the game as ordinary individuals who are thrown into terrorizing situations where their own fear is their biggest enemy. Featuring a brand new storyline that will fill in missing pieces of the "Chronicles" series, Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles leads players into a horrific world where the lines between good and evil are blurred and the fight begins with your dark side...

The game's on-rail, arcade shooter gameplay first featured in Resident Evil - The Umbrella Chronicles, has been radically upgraded in Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles. One of the major additions is a sub-screen which will allow for weapon configuration and use of recovery items regardless of time progression. A horde of new features including a new system that allows players to modify the difficulty level according to their playing skills will bring accessibility and fun to both the hardcore and casual gamer.

Continuing in the survival horror tradition, Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles will increase the thrills and chills with an enhanced two-player co-op mode where players will be able to follow their partners on the same screen. Their conversations and interactions have also been improved to create a more intense co-op experience.

A more terrifying experience than ever before, Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles combines a shaky and realistic handheld camera experience with an eerie soundtrack and creepy sound effects utilizing state-of-the-art technology.

In development exclusively for the Nintendo Wii, Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles will be available this Winter.

Key features

• Two-Player Co-op Shooting: Invite friends and family to experience the horror alongside you in 2-player co-op mode.

• Fan Favorite Characters Return: Play as Leon S. Kennedy, protagonist of Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 4, his partner Claire Redfield, who appeared in Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil: Code Veronica, and others still to be announced.

• New Evade Movements: Utilize the Wii Remote to flank and evade your enemies, creating a more in-depth and intense shooting experience.

• Customizable Weapons: Players can upgrade and customize their weapons for each battle scenario. Each playable character can be specialized for a specific combat style.

• Dynamic Difficulty: In addition to the initial settings of Easy, Normal and Hard, the game’s difficulty level will adjust automatically based on the player’s skill level so that both old and new fans can have a fun and challenging experience.

• Collectibles Galore: For true Resident Evil devotees, archive items such as characters, enemies, old documents and movies can be found throughout the game.

Need For Speed Undercover iPhone video game Review

Need For Speed Undercover (NFSU) might well turn out to be one of those defining games for the iPhone. The whole package here is amazingly slick, the graphics look and feel incredible and the controls are even better (more of that later).

The basic idea here is to play as an undercover cop and infiltrate street gangs and take them down all through speed races. It is a little similar to the Fast & Furious franchise but these two latest iPhone games are very different.

NFSU storyline is split across three districts and there are about 8 races in each. From the onset, this feels so much like a big console game. A very high quality video intro sets the scene with Maggie Q and later Christina Milian making an appearance as the plot drags you in. No matter how good the N-Gage might be, very few handsets could seamlessly intermingle video clips with gaming.

The guys at EA have also spent time figuring out how to create some unique controls for the touchscreen. The car auto accelerates and you just need to tilt to steer and braking is a simple touch on the screen. That's all fairly standard. However, the extra gestures are a little different. Swipe upwards to activate the nitro. Swipe downwards with two fingers to pause and a single downward swipe initiates the slow motion. You can even pinch to zoom when you're in the garage. To be fair a pause button could have been placed in the total corner but the double swipe is a cool feature and frees up the screen from virtual buttons.

There is only a single story mode and it is quite linear in its progression. However, there are a bunch of different race types so the variety is always there. Some of the levels will have you delivering a stolen car while being chased by the police. Others are all about crashing into and destroying as much public property as possible.

Every race earns you money (and more can be gained for stylish driving) and you can use this to boost up your garage. There are 20 real cars to choose from and they can all get engine/performance upgrades as well as some new rims and spray.

The only criticism is the long term play. This $9.99/£5.99 game will give a few hours of pleasure but once the story is complete, there's little reason in revisiting. Fast and Furious does not have as good a driving experience as NFSU but the online scores will always have you coming back.

From: Mobile Game FAQs

Is this Duke Nuken Forever trailer for real?

As if to show the Duke's fans what they've been missing out on for years, a video surfaces with gameplay footages from notorious vaporware Duke Nukem Forever. It's a bloody futuristic FPS, featuring the attitude and the nudity - all in Duke Nukem fashion. Check it out.

Age gate trailer...

LittleBigPlanet Judge Dredd Sackboy...

Found this poster over on MediaMolecule announcing the launch of Judge Dredd costumes and stickers coming soon to LittleBigPlanet...


More LBP posts on gamezplay here...

From the Creative Mind that brought Sonic the Hedgehog to Life Comes a Finger Tapping Sensation

SEGA announce Let’s Tap, a game that is blazing new ground in Nintendo Wii control design. Developed by Prope, the studio that Sonic the Hedgehog creator Yuji Naka established in 2006, Let’s Tap is the first product from the new studio to be released to in North America and Europe.

Developed exclusively for Nintendo’s Wii system, Let’s Tap utilizes a ground-breaking control scheme where the Wii controller is placed on a box or flat surface so that the controller can detect minute vibrations. Players of all ages and skill levels then tap the box or flat surface to interact with the game; there’s no need to hold the controller. Let’s Tap is slated for a summer 2009 ship for the Nintendo Wii in North America and Europe.



“Lets Tap offers a new and innovative way of playing on the Wii which only a videogame legend such as Naka-san could have ever possibly imagined” Commented Gary Knight, European Marketing Director SEGA Europe. “It’s such a simple yet genius concept and still easy to pick up and play, everyone will be tapping away before you know it!”

Featuring five separate game modes with multiple levels and allowing up to four players for multiplayer action, Let’s Tap presents an assortment of different finger-tapping challenges for players to master. In Tap Runner players use differing finger tapping pressure to make simple stick figure racers run through an obstacle course. In Visualizer players are allowed to create dazzling fireworks effects, dramatic paint strokes, amongst other effect as they tap out different rhythm patterns that correspond to different effects. Silent Blocks finds players taking turns removing blocks from a large stack, tapping too hard will result in a collapsing stack of blocks. Bubble Voyager allows players to fly through space, blasting obstacles and enemies in order to reach the far stretches of the universe. And finally Rhythm Tap allows players to time the taps of their fingers to high energy music.

Win a NVIDIA GeoForce 9800GTX+ video card with Sacred 2 desktop contest

cdv Software Entertainment USA and GameRigs are inviting gamers to show off their creative skills in the newly launched Sacred 2: Fallen Angel “Mighty Desktop Wallpaper” contest. The contest challenges entrants to design and submit a Sacred 2-themed desktop wallpaper, which will then be judged by cdv USA and GameRigs staff.

The best wallpaper entry will then be converted to a large-sized poster to be given to the winner, along with the following first-place prizes –

• One NVIDIA GeForce 9800GTX+ video card
• A Razer DeathAdder gaming mouse
• A GameRigs “Sacred 2 BattleMat” gaming mouse pad
• Sacred 2 decal set
• A copy of Sacred 2: Fallen Angel for PC or Xbox

There will also be 10 “Honorable Mention” prize packs given out, which include –

• A Sacred 2 “Monster” poster
• A GameRigs “Sacred 2 BattleMat” gaming mouse pad

To enter, please visit the URL for complete instructions –
http://www.game-rigs.com/promos/sacred2wp

Guitar Hero sales pass $2 billion with Guitar Hero 5 confirmed (surprise!)

Activision has officially confirmed earlier reports that it will expand its 2009 rhythm game line-up this Fall with Guitar Hero 5, DJ Hero, and Band Hero. Additionally, the publisher has announced that the franchise has reached a USD 2 billion milestone, and is only the third gaming franchise to do so.

According to a press release issued today, Guitar Hero 5 "gives players an unprecedented level of control over the way they play the game with the ability to drop in and out of songs and change band members, instruments and difficulty levels on the fly." Band Hero meanwhile is an attempt to expand the franchise to a younger audience, and DJ Hero, which has seen some court attention recently, introduces a brand new turntable peripheral. All three titles are slated for fall of this year.

During a conference call discussing the publisher's quarterly financial results, Activision expanded on its music genre strategy, revealing that the Guitar Hero franchise has now generated USD 2 billion in sales.

In response to a question by Deutsche Bank analyst Jeetil Patel, Activision CEO Robert Kotick said "We feel very good about our holiday slate."

"The Guitar Hero franchise in fact, this quarter, surpassed the USD 2 billion dollar mark, and was only the third franchise in the history of gaming, besides Super Mario and Madden, to ever achieve that milestone," he continued. "So, it's got a strong foundation."

In regards to music titles from other publishers, Kotick said "We're much more focused on our own business than the overall market, because we can't really control what happens with the other titles, such as Rock Band, where we've seen a rather precipitous fall-off of that franchise."

Kotick also said that Guitar Hero Metallica is "off to a good start," and that the publisher will be sponsoring the band's European tour next month - just in time for the game's European launch. "We think that's going to be a very positive addition," he said.

"And then the triad that we've got in the holiday, between Guitar Hero 5, DJ Hero and Band Hero, we think will not only serve the current user base, but also provide significant additional expansion opportunities to new genres, so that we can start tapping into the significant number of households that are a part of the 170 million install base of hardware, but haven't yet engaged with Guitar Hero."

"So, I think we're feeling that we've got a very strong programme in the year ahead, and we're bullish on the music category."

In response to an additional question from Piper-Jaffray analyst Anthony Gikas, Activision CFO Thomas Tippl spoke briefly on the profit margins for the Guitar Hero franchise, saying that "margins have been compressed as a result of the hardware cost related particularly to the band products," but that the publisher expects profit margins on the franchise to improve later this year.

"What we expect to see is that margins will improve as we get into the latter part of the year, where we will have new hardware out that is not only better and innovative, but also cost-optimised," he continued, also adding that another factor for higher margins will be a heightened focus on software over hardware, which has significantly lower manufacturing and freight costs.