It's England v Australia on UK turf in Ashes Cricket 2009 video game

From the home of video game cricket comes the official game of this summer's sporting battle it's England versus Australia on UK turf in Ashes Cricket 2009

The Ashes, the most exciting and thrilling confrontation in international cricket, will be brought to game screens this July as Codemasters today announced it will publish Ashes Cricket 2009 as the official game of this summer’s tournament for the PLAYSTATION 3 computer entertainment system, Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and PC; a Nintendo Wii version will be released later in the year.

Providing gamers with the most authentic Ashes experience possible without having to don their whites, Ashes Cricket 2009 is fully licensed by the ECB (England and Wales Cricket Board), the MCC (Marylebone Cricket Club, the world's most famous cricket club and owner of the Ashes urn) and Cricket Australia, providing the game with all the official players, kit, stadia – including Lords and The Brit Oval – and equipment from this year’s npower Ashes Series.

Coming from the home of video game cricket, Ashes Cricket 2009 is set to build on the heritage that Codemasters has enjoyed with its best-selling Brian Lara series and will continue to lead the field with great batting, bowling and fielding gameplay and authenticity that made the series a huge hit with cricket fans the world over. Produced by Codemasters, the game is currently being developed by Transmission Games (Brian Lara 2007 Pressure Play (PSP)).

Delivering all the exciting, athletic, skilful and technical elements of the sport, the game’s comprehensive ‘Ashes’ mode will feature all five Tests played out at carefully detailed recreations of each authentic venue. In addition, gamers will also be able to play Test matches, One Day Internationals, 20 over games and a series of challenge modes. The high definition current generation versions will feature full online multiplayer as well as support for local multiplayer games.

“The Ashes is set to be the sporting event of the summer and it’s great to be producing the official game of the Series,” commented Jamie Firth, Producer, Codemasters. “In partnering with the development team at Transmission Games, Ashes Cricket 2009 is a cricket title with an unprecedented heritage that comes from two companies that know and love the sport. The Brian Lara titles became the number one cricket gaming brand for over ten years and it’s a reputation that we fully intend to continue with Ashes Cricket 2009.”

John Perera, ECB Commercial Director said, “The Ashes is one of the iconic challenges in world sport. With cricket set to dominate the sporting calendar this summer we're delighted to be able to give cricket fans the chance to follow in the footsteps of their heroes and try and win back the Ashes for England.

“Cricket as a sport lends itself extremely well to this type of treatment and we are pleased that with Codemasters technical expertise we will be providing gamers with the next best thing to be playing out in the middle. We are sure it will be a great success."

Prepare to step up to the crease and help England win back the trophy in Ashes Cricket 2009, coming this summer for Xbox 360, PLAYSTATION 3 and PC.

Trino makes its way to Xbox Live Community Games Community Games

Ready to take on a nano-robot army with only triangles?

TrinoTeam, an independent game developer, today announced Trino is now available on Xbox Live Community Games. Players take control of TRINO, an evolving alien, that must escape the NANITES, an insidious nano-robot swarm, which imprisoned Trino for his powers.

Trino features a unique triangle trapping mechanic which players must use to evade and ensnare over 10 different enemies across over 40 levels in 3 chapters.

Trino was in the top 20 finalists of Microsoft's Dream Build Play 2008 contest, and entered into the student competition in IGF 2009. The team has been interviewed in Official Xbox Magazine (OXM Feburary 2009 issue), Gamasutra, and Game Career Guide. IGN mentioned Trino in an article called "5 Community Games to Watch" and an alpha version of Trino was briefly listed in "Most Popular Downloads" on Gamespot for 2 weeks in December 2008.

For more information on the Trino, please visit www.TrinoTeam.com.

Trino was developed for the Xbox 360 console platform by TrinoTeam. The game is available for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system, for a suggested retail price of 400 Microsoft Points.

Hannah Montana - Rock Out the Show PSP video game

The real-life Miley Cyrus might be looking to break away from her insanely popular Hannah Montana alter ego, but you can bet that Disney isn't ready to let Hannah go just yet.

Based on the megapopular Disney show, Hannah Montana: Rock Out the Show is the first Hannah Montana game for the PSP, and one of the few games on the handheld aimed squarely at tween girls.

If there's a word that best describes Rock Out the Show, it would be "customization." Nearly everything in this game is meant to be customized to the exact specifications of the person playing it. You play as Miley Cyrus, who, with her Dad out of the country, is responsible for organizing and running a worldwide Hannah Montana tour. As you play through the game, you'll visit numerous tour stops in places such as Tokyo, Venice, and Nashville, and at each stop, you'll be in charge of calling all the shots for the show.

"Calling the shots" essentially comes down to making every design decision imaginable for the show. From choosing the exact stage set from a load of unlockable options, to outfitting Hannah, her band, and her four backup singers in a variety of different getups, the sheer amount of preshow customization boggles the mind--unless, we suppose, you happen to be an 8-year-old girl.

Once you've organized the show the way you see fit, you can choose to play the concert, which involves a bunch of simple minigames that differ depending on the instrument you're focusing on in the song. At the end of the concert, you'll be able to check out how well you did, not just in the performance itself but also your level of customization in making the show your own. Playing through concerts will unlock new items that you can use for later concerts as well.

Although the game focuses on Miley's tour management and Hannah's onstage performances, you can expect to see characters from the television series making appearances in the game. The game is largely focused on the single-player aspect, but players who've unlocked similar content to one another will be able to wirelessly share their concert designs. There will even be some free downloadable content available on the PlayStation network on the game's release, including goodies such as new outfits for Hannah and her backup singers, and more. Hannah Montana: Rock Out the Show will be shipping to stores on August 4.

Tome of Lost Souls pre order bonus foe Knights in the Nightmare for Nintendo DS

Atlus U.S.A., Inc. today revealed even more from Tome of Lost Souls, the pre-order bonus art book for the upcoming Knights in the Nightmare for Nintendo DS.

A breathtaking blend of genres and gameplay styles, Knights in the Nightmare features the stunning works of designers and illustrators Shinichi Ito, Satoko Kiyuduki, Yoshinori Iwanaga, and Sunaho Tobe.

Their art is represented in the beautiful 96-page, full-color art book that will be free to customers who pre-order Knights in the Nightmare at participating retailers.

In addition to the pre-order bonus, anyone who picks up a launch copy of Knights in the Nightmare will receive the game's soundtrack CD, with music from composer Shigeki Hayashi. With 38 haunting tracks, in addition to one bonus song that cannot be heard anywhere else, this disc is yet another premium supplement to the game, and another rare collectible for fans to add to their library.

Knights in the Nightmare releases on June 2nd with a suggested retail price of $34.99.

For more information, visit the official website.

Click here to sample Tome of Lost Souls, the Knights in the Nightmare art book.

ART BOOK SAMPLE:
http://issuu.com/atlususa/docs/knights_in_the_nightmare

About Knights in the Nightmare
Somewhere between heaven and the underworld - in the center of a quiet lake - stood an ancient castle known as Aventheim. One night, without warning, denizens of the netherworld emerged and slaughtered the kingdom; nary a soul was left alive.

Within an abandoned, long-forgotten church deep in the woods, a wisp is set free. Bereft of memory, it is drawn toward the monster-infested castle and re-awakens the souls of the vanquished knights, leading them back towards the fallen stronghold to confront the very forces of evil that took their lives.

Key Features
• An experience unlike any before it - Incorporating strategy RPG, real-time strategy, and shooter elements, you've never experienced a game like this. Control a Wisp with your stylus and activate the souls of deceased knights to aid you in destroying foes on the map. Enemies fire bullets in multiple directions, making it vital for players to master the unique touch controls.
• Over 100 playable characters - Find and recruit the ghosts of seven different classes of knights from your kingdom, and learn of their pasts, hopes, dreams, and untimely deaths. Sacrifice their souls to one another to balance their skills and create your ultimate party.
• A tale from two perspectives - This twice-told legend entangles you in a dark and brooding tale that is simultaneously examined through events both past and present. Complete the adventure to unlock the ability to play through the game with a new narrative twist, placing the antagonist in the starring role.

Knights in the Nightmare has been rated "T" for Teen with Alcohol and Tobacco Reference, Mild Fantasy Violence, Mild Language, and Suggestive Themes by the ESRB.

Rock Band - trackes added from Silversun Pickups, Duran Duran, The Pretenders, Mötley Crüe and many more.

Harmonix and MTV Games announced today a massive array of new tracks coming this week to the Rock Band Music Store catalogue of downloadable content for the Nintendo Wii system, including 25 hit songs from artists like Silversun Pickups, Duran Duran, The Pretenders, Mötley Crüe and many more.

As previously announced, Wii Rock Band 2 owners will also gain access this week to three tracks from Social Distortion, two tracks from Disturbed, two tracks from Steely Dan and singles from Elvis Costello and The Replacements.

British post-punk pioneers Siouxsie & The Banshees offer three tracks to Wii music fans including “Hong Kong Garden,” from Once Upon A Time: The Singles (1981), “Kiss Them for Me,” the lead single from the band’s tenth album, Superstition (1991) and “The Killing Jar,” from Peepshow (1988).

Indie rockers Locksley offer up three tracks this week with “All Over Again,” “Don’t Make Me Wait” and “She Does,” all featured on the band’s 2007 album Don’t Make Me Wait. Plus, rising indie rockers Silversun Pickups make their way into the Wii Rock Band store with “Melatonin” and “Well Thought Out Twinkles” from Carnavas (2006).

This week’s content update also includes two tracks from Duran Duran: “Girls on Film” and “Rio.” “Girls on Film” was the band’s breakthrough single and the biggest hit from their 1981 self-titled debut album, while “Rio” was the fourth single from Rio (1982) and featured one of the most well known music videos from the 1980s.

Six additional singles from a variety of rock artists round out this week’s music store offering with “Rescue Me” from Buckcherry’s album Black Butterfly (2008), Mötley Crüe’s “Face Down in the Dirt” from Saints of Los Angeles (2008), “Life is Beautiful” from Sixx:A.M.’s album The Heroin Diaries Soundtrack (2007), “Pretty in Pink” from Psychedelic Furs’ Talk Talk Talk (1981), Pretenders’ hit “Brass in Pocket” from the band’s self-titled 1980 album and “Get Your Rock On” by The Janitors featured on the American Mall soundtrack (2008).

The tracks from Social Distortion, Steely Dan, Disturbed, Elvis Costello and The Replacements will be released simultaneously with the weekly content update for other consoles. The remainder of the tracks comes from the back catalogue of Rock Band music already released to owners of Xbox 360 and PLAYSTATION 3 system. Wii fans can expect a rollout of previously released downloadable Rock Band content until the entire back catalogue of more than 670 songs is available.

Release Date: Tuesday, May 12, 2009
** Dates for Rock Band game tracks are tentative and subject to change **

Tracks:
Social Distortion “Bad Luck”
Social Distortion “Ring of Fire”
Social Distortion “Story of My Life”
Steely Dan “Black Friday”
Steely Dan “My Old School”
Disturbed “Stricken”
Disturbed “Stupify”
Elvis Costello “Radio Radio”
The Replacements “Kids Don’t Follow”
Siouxsie & The Banshees “Hong Kong Garden”
Siouxsie & The Banshees “Kiss Them For Me”
Siouxsie & The Banshees “The Killing Jar”
Locksley “All Over Again”
Locksley “Don’t Make Me Wait”
Locksley “She Does”
Silversun Pickups “Melatonin”
Silversun Pickups “Well Thought Out Twinkles”
Duran Duran “Girls On Film”
Duran Duran “Rio”
Buckcherry “Rescue Me”
Mötley Crüe “Face Down in the Dirt”
Psychedelic Furs “Pretty in Pink”
Sixx:A.M. “Life is Beautiful”
The Pretenders “Brass in Pocket”
The Janitors “Get Your Rock On”

(All tracks are original master recordings)

Price: $2.00 (200 Wii Points) per track
Location: In-game Rock Band 2 Music Store (Wii Points must be purchased through the Wii Shop Channel)

Nintendo USA downloads Real Soccer 2009 on DSiWare, Family Pirate Party on WiiWare and Galaxy Force II on Virtual Console.

Nintendo DSiWare takes its first trip into the sports category this week with the cool, camera-enabled Real Soccer 2009. For more of a board-game feel, dive into Family Pirate Party on WiiWare and see who can collect the most gold. Finally, the out-of-this-world arcade shooter Galaxy Force II hits the Virtual Console.

Nintendo DSiWare

Real Soccer 2009 (Gameloft, 1-4 players, Rated E for Everyone, 800 Nintendo DSi Points): It’s time to live the soccer season to the max with Real Soccer 2009 on Nintendo DSi. It will offer you a never-before-seen soccer experience with revolutionary yet easily accessible touch-screen controls. Take a photo of anything with the Nintendo DSi Camera and turn the image into your own custom ball or team flag, or even make yourself into your favorite player. With 198 teams using real player names, realistic opponent behaviors thanks to advanced artificial intelligence, and superior 3-D graphics, you’ll feel just like a professional soccer player. Go ahead, take your best shot!

WiiWare

Family Pirate Party (Aksys Games, 1-4 players, Rated E 10+ for Everyone 10 and Older – Mild Cartoon Violence and Suggestive Themes, 500 Wii Points™): Daddy, Mommy, Sarah and Billy make their return as pirates sailing the seas and skies. Roll the dice and sail through the islands to gather the treasures each island holds. The person with the most gold at the end wins. Family Pirate Party shines with its appealing cel-shaded graphics and endearing music. Challenge up to three other players (friends, the CPU or both) for some four-player board-game fun. Do you have it in you to defeat your opponents and become the king of Family Pirate Party!?

Virtual Console

Galaxy Force II (Sega Genesis, 1 player, Rated E for Everyone – Fantasy Violence, 800 Wii Points): Galaxy Force II is an arcade shooter with a 3-D view from behind your spaceship. Fly through five different planets, taking on enemies in environments that range from a peaceful garden to lands made of fire or ice. Navigate treacherous landscapes by flying low over the planet’s surface and blowing up enemy robots, ships and turrets, then flying through a tunnel to destroy the alien stronghold on each planet. It is your duty as part of the Galaxy Force to defend against the alien invasion and maintain peace in the solar system.

Nintendo adds new titles to the Nintendo DSi Shop™ and the Wii™ Shop Channel at 9 a.m. Pacific time on Mondays. Users with broadband Internet access can redeem Wii Points or Nintendo DSi Points to download the games. Wii Points can be purchased in the Wii Shop Channel. Nintendo DSi Points can be purchased in the Nintendo DSi Shop. A Nintendo Points Card can be purchased at retail locations. All points from one Nintendo Points Card must be redeemed in either the Nintendo DSi Shop or the Wii Shop Channel. They are not transferable and cannot be divided between the two systems.

Remember that both Wii and Nintendo DSi feature parental controls that let adults manage the content their children can access. For more information about this and other features, visit Wii.com or NintendoDSi.com.

Raid Galleries, Steal Paintings, Make Millions! Honeyslug announce the release of Ric Rococo - International Art Thief video game

Honeyslug are pleased to announce the launch of their latest title, Ric Rococo: International Art Thief. Art Thief is a stealth based platform game in which you control Ric Rococo, a master art thief, as he makes his way through 10 themed and increasingly complex art galleries stealing everything from old masters to 20th century surrealists.

Along the way, Ric must avoid security cameras and guards, as well as finding ways to access the most secure and valuable paintings to steal. Ric is also ably assisted by his girlfriend and partner-in-crime Nancy, who hovers outside in the Rocococopter waiting to take the pictures from Ric at the nearest open window.

Ric Rococo: International Art Thief is available to play here: http://www.mygames.co.uk/game/Art-Thief.html or on various sites in the Spil network worldwide. It’d be a crime not to play it!

World of Warcraft developer Blizzard Entertainment conquers respected yearly list of planet's best studios

Today sees the publication of the fifth Develop 100, a respected annual listing of the world's most successful games developers.

The book is published, in association with technology firm Emergent, by the editorial team behind Develop magazine (www.developmag.com) – the leading international publication for games developers.

World of Warcraft developer Blizzard Entertainment takes the top spot, knocking last year's number one Nintendo down to second place.

Generating over a billion dollars in revenue every year from both online transactions and boxed product sales, Blizzard is responsible for one the most famed massively multiplayer online games ever with over 11 million players.

The Develop 100 is an invaluable guide that throws light on the real winners in the world’s fastest-growing creative industry. The list is put together by the magazine's editorial team, taking into account a variety of criteria including key sales charts made available by the likes of GfK-ChartTrack, NPD and Famitsu, success of online business models, Metacritic scores and industry standing.

31 studios from across Europe feature in the list - 26 of them in the UK. These include the likes of Rockstar North (third on the list and responsible for the Grand Theft Auto franchise), LEGO Star Wars developer Traveller's Tales (11th) and Media Molecule (18th), the developer of LittleBigPlanet - and the highest placed independent UK studio on the list.

"Our yearly Develop 100 has become an essential read for games industry executives the world over," said Develop editor-in-chief Michael French. "It is read by everyone in the sector, from the tiniest independents to business leaders at gaming giants like Electronic Arts HQ in America to Kojima Productions in Japan. With widened criteria which better reflect the fast-changing and various business models adopted by studios across the globe, this edition is no different."

The listing, from 1 to 100, plus a free digital edition, can be found at www.develop100.com. More analysis and data can be found at www.developmag.com

Develop 100 is sponsored exclusively by Emergent.

Guitar Hero Metallica European-exclusive Solo Guitar Game bundle

Guitar Heroes Across Europe Will "Ride the Lightning" in May

In celebration of the upcoming release of Guitar Hero Metallica in Europe, Activision today announced a European-exclusive Guitar Hero Metallica Solo Guitar Game bundle which includes an exclusive guitar controller faceplate featuring the iconic Metallica skull motif, a copy of the critically acclaimed game and a wireless guitar controller.

Guitar Hero Metallica allows fans to experience the intensity and skill of world-renowned metal and rock band, Metallica, while shredding on the guitar controller, ripping on the drum kit controller and wailing on the mic to a set list of over 45 explosive hits from both Metallica’s illustrious career and a more than 20 popular artists selected by the band. Guitar Hero Metallica allows fans to perform in venues reminiscent of the band’s epic album covers, themes from their music and real world locales. The all-new Expert+ drum difficulty setting, available for all platform versions of the game, features two bass drum kick pedals, offering an authentic Metallica experience with note-for-note tracking, and Metallifacts, which, after nailing a song, lets players enjoy a virtual concert filled with on-screen facts and trivia about the song being played.

Guitar Hero Metallica is set to be released across Europe and in Australia on May 22, 2009 and in the UK on May 29, 2009 for the Nintendo Wii home video game system from Nintendo, the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and the PlayStation 2 and PLAYSTATION 3 computer entertainment systems.

Championship Manager video game comes to iPhone and iPod Touch...

Beautiful Game Studios and Dynamo Games, today announced their Championship Manager application is now available on the Apple App Store. Championship Manager for iPhone and iPod touch is the ultimate football management simulation experience allowing players to take total control with multiple league and job options, player training, board interaction & press conferences.

"The revolutionary capabilities of iPhone and iPod touch make it a compelling platform and we have designed the Championship Manager gameplay specifically for theses devices," said Roy Meredith, general manager of Championship Manager. "We're excited to continue to evolve the features and think players are going to love it."

“It’s great to be working with Dynamo Games again on the entertaining Championship Manager” said Allison Archer, External Producer at BGS. “The iPod touch and iPhone provide a great platform for gamers and deliver a unique experience for those wanting to manage on the move.”

Developed exclusively for iPhone and iPod touch Championship Manager boasts a completely redesigned navigation system to take full advantage of the innovative Multi-Touch user interface.

Championship Manager is available for £3.49 from Apple’s App Store on iPhone and iPod touch or at www.itunes.com/appstore/