Ubisoft scores with 'Academy of Champions'!

Ubisoft announced a new addition to its sports portfolio, Academy of Champions, an arcade football game featuring legendary sports icon Pelé. Developed for the Nintendo Wii system from Nintendo, the game will deliver an engaging, interactive experience for kids and their families. Academy of Champions is scheduled to be released in 2009.

“We made our mark in the sports genre last year with the global success of Shaun White Snowboarding,” stated Yves Guillemot, chief executive officer at Ubisoft. “Now, with Academy of Champions, Ubisoft offers another sports game with a fresh approach that has something unique to offer young gamers and sports fans.”

Created by an experienced team of sports game developers at Ubisoft Vancouver, Academy of Champions engages players in a rich, story-driven adventure around the world’s most popular sport. The journey begins with enrollment at an extraordinary Academy where your coach is the legendary Pelé..

“Football is a sport that is universally celebrated by all citizens of the world,” said legendary sports icon Pelé. “Working with Ubisoft to continue to promote the sport has been a wonderful experience. It is a thrill to continue to inspire a new generation of fans through an entertainment medium that introduces them to the exciting world of football.”

In Academy of Champions, players improve their skills, recruit new team members and build the best possible squad to defeat their rival Academy and win the champion cup. Compatible with the Wii Balance Board and Wii Motion Plus accessories, young soccer fans and their friends and family will enjoy playing together in a humorous, interactive universe that features over-the-top gameplay, entertaining fantastical environments, and innovative challenges.

WiiWare video game gets new name! Bang! renamed Bang Attack

Engine Software, developer based in the Netherlands, today announces that its debut WiiWare title “Bang!” will be renamed to “Bang Attack” in the European and American territories.

The WiiWare puzzlegame “Bang!”, currently only available in European territories, will undergo the name change to prevent further confusion in regards to the copyrighted game “Bang!” produced by Italian company daVinci. In light of the pending American release of “Bang!” for WiiWare, Engine Software came to this decision following friendly discussions with the producing company in Italy, and Nintendo of Europe on how to prevent confusion regarding each game.

The new name will be executed on the European WiiWare service first, and the updated version will go live in the next few days. Although there is no exact date scheduled for the American release of Bang Attack, we anticipate the game will appear in this territory in the next month.

Currently Engine Software has several new WiiWare releases planned, on which more information will be released to the press, and the public in the following months.

Men of War 1C Company Patch offers two new maps and an end to assorted woes

Men of War, the new RTS that allows players to take direct control of any unit in the game.
What: New patch with 2 new multiplayer maps and many fixes
Where: You can download the patch here:
Physical copy here...

Digital copy here...

Available immediately

BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Men of War takes place across the globe during the height of World War II and features four different armies - Russia, America, Germany and the British - each with their own unique units, vehicles and missions. From the Russian missions starring two student comrades innocent to the horrors of war, players are soon catapulted into massive battles with dozens of units under their command. The game is already available in retail both in North America and Europe.

ArmA II release date now 19th June - a week early!

505 Games and Bohemia Interactive are thrilled to announce that the release date for the upcoming tactical military simulator ArmA II forward by precisely one week, to 19th June 2009.

Fans eagerly awaiting their next foray into the world beating tactical action the ArmA series has become renowned for now have just over one month to wait.

Featuring the most realistic warfare gameplay ever, ArmA II promises to build on the excellent features that have made Bohemia Interactive a respected name among both gamers and the US army, who use a modified version to train recruits for combat situations. Team-based combat, a comprehensive playbook of military tactics and an enormous battlefield to explore are just some of the features that will make this THE military simulation of choice this year.

ArmA II will be released on 19th June exclusively for PC.

Bionic Commando

I've managed to persuade the team at Grin to produce one last trailer ahead of the game's release on May 22nd and we're glad they did, as it looks really sweet.

IDEA Games and Bohemia Interactive Reveal Full Details and Features For Their Upcoming Military Simulator, ARMA II

Seven years since the release of the genre defining title Operation Flashpoint - Cold War Crisis; with more than ten years of continual, painstaking work on engine advancement and improvements, ARMA II bears the fruit in this much anticipated return of the true legend. ARMA II, the ultimate military simulator, powered by the 3rd generation of the original Real Virtuality engine is the true sequel to the award winning and genre defining game which made the sandbox military conflict fantasies come true for millions of gamers!

Players will find themselves thrown into the very heart of modern conflict, facing the ultimate realistic gaming experience directly from the best: Bohemia Interactive, creators of the famous and award winning Operation Flashpoint: Cold War Crisis and ArmA: Combat Operations. Below is a look at the full details of ARMA II as they gear up for its launch this summer.

Storyline:
The 27th U.S. Marine Expeditionary Unit has been deployed to the former soviet republic of Chernarus: a small country chained to the threat of an upcoming civil war. Force Reconnaissance Team "Razor" is among the first to fight. This elite five-man team is about to fall down the rabbit hole, trapped in a war not only for control of the country, but also the hearts and minds of its people. With the might of the USMC offshore and Russia anxiously watching from the north, the stakes couldn't be higher. The fate of Chernarus is balanced on a razor's edge...

Key features:
•Player-driven story: Players will have the opportunity to command members of Force Recon Team Razor through a branching campaign full of twists and surprises. ARMA II integrates a combination of preset conversations with dynamic queries about the game environment: the revolutionary "dynamic conversation system" which brings to the player a unique gaming experience in a movie-like style. Players can talk to soldiers in the field and civilians caught up during fights to gather the Intel they need to further advance in the game. As a pure military simulator, there are linguistic difficulties while speaking to native citizens if you don't know their native tongue. Chernarussian's NPC's speak Czech, US NPC's speak English and Russian NPC's speak Russian, etc.
•Reality check: Bohemia Interactive's standard 225 square kilometers of highly detailed sandbox landscape, modeled with stunning detail and precision and using real-world geographical data, covered by 235 megapixel of accurate aerial map (15.3602 pixels) and more than 1 million objects. This game is a true environment master piece, never seen before in first person shooter type games with 81 weapons and 136 vehicle models created to an exacting real-world schematics with extreme precision, including 350 kilometers of roads, 50 cities and villages full of life.
•Authentic military simulation: ARMA II simulates various aspects of combat and environment effects form bullet ballistics and deflection to material penetration, tracers, varying ammunition types and stopping power, to supersonic bullet crack and weather conditions.


ARMA II benefits from the 3rd generation Real Virtuality engine featuring advanced and semi-autonomous AI. Players will compete with the ultimate next-gen AI: no scripts, no predefined pathways, and no repetitive gameplay. All units react to actual game situations and use the open environment to their advantage. Soldiers shout and use hand gestures based on real world military doctrine, actively seeking and using cover and also taking advantage of suppressive fire techniques.

The ARMA II system is so complex and effective that the same simulation technology is used to train real soldiers in numerous countries around the world.

•Live war: the campaign missions can be experienced in cooperative mode, or players can join for duty in the massive multiplayer battles with up to 50 players. Among standard MP modes is Warfare, introduced in ArmA: Armed Assault, a unique combination of RTS and tactical FPS which allows players to choose whether to control the combat with detailed base management or instead to operate guerilla hit-and-run tactics focusing on attack rather than defense.
•Unlimited Creativity: An intuitive and easy-to-use built in mission editor, together with powerful modding tools, infinitely extends the gameplay of ARMA II and moves it far above the standard gaming experience. More than 200 character models, 81 weapons, 136 vehicles are ready to be used in an enormous 225 square kilometers sandbox map.

Players can use default models or create completely new models and mods can be shared with other players all around the world.

For more information on ARMA II visit www.arma2.com.

Challenge Joe Calzaghe to Nintendo's Punch- Out! - London

WHAT: On-stage computer challenge and signing session
WHERE: HMV London, 150 Oxford Street W1D 1DJ
WHEN: Sunday 24th May 2009 from 11.30 am

The undefeated former world boxing champion Joe Calzaghe visit’s HMV’s flagship Oxford Street store in London’s West End, on Sunday 24th May 2009 to help launch Nintendo’s new release, ‘Punch-Out!!’ on the Wii by competing against members of the public on the store’s main stage.

Joe will be at the store from 11.30 am to play the new game against any challengers on the stage and in front of the big screen. Joe will then remain in the store to meet fans and sign copies of the new game, which is officially released on the 22nd May 2009.

‘Punch-Out!!’ was one of the biggest names in boxing and the release on the Nintendo Wii follows a 15-year hiatus. In ‘Punch-Out!!’ you play as young up-and-coming fighter Little Mac who, with the help of his ringside trainer Doc Lewis, is working his way through the ranks of a wide variety of boxing caricatures, each with their own patterns of attacks.

Due to anticipated demand to meet Joe Calzaghe the event will be wristbanded. Fans can pick free wristbands at HMV’s 150 Oxford Street store only, from 10.30 am on the day of the event. One wristband per customer, in person only, on a first come first serve basis. No reservations.

Age of Conan One Year Anniversary massive increase in players Free download link...

This week Funcom and a worldwide community of gamers celebrate the one year anniversary of the massively multiplayer online role-playing game ‘Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures’. One year after the mighty barbarian burst onto the online gaming market, shipping over 1.2 million copies around the world, Funcom is seeing a significant increase in players and new customers per month. Activity levels have risen significantly, and the communities are thriving with more and more players finding their way into the game.

“We are very pleased to see that more players are experiencing ‘Age of Conan’,” says Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Funcom, Morten Larssen. “The team has been working diligently on improving the game since launch, with several major updates that in addition to improving technology and client stability, also have added hours of more content, new gameplay features, and more. The fact that we are now also seeing longer average subscription periods is a testament to the fact that ‘Age of Conan’ is just getting better and better, and with the launch of the recent trial campaign there has never been a better time to check out the game than now!”

Since launching in May 2008, several major updates have been released for ‘Age of Conan’. These updates have added hours upon hours of additional content such as new lands to explore, new quests to undertake, new equipment for characters, and several new gameplay features. The technology behind the game has also advanced significantly, with improved framerate, smoother gameplay and the inclusion of DirectX 10. There are currently 120 people working on ‘Age of Conan’ divided into the live team and the expansion team, with several exciting updates planned for the time ahead. The team is currently doing the finishing touches on Update 5, an update that will introduce a whole new itemization system, new game areas and more.

“It has been an interesting and challenging year, and I am very proud of the hard work that the team has put into improving the game,” says Game Director on ‘Age of Conan’ Craig Morrison. “We have focused on adding content, improving existing content, and adding new gameplay features. Player feedback has been very important throughout the whole process, and will continue to be so as we continue improving the game.”

In celebration of the one year anniversary, all characters in ‘Age of Conan’ will be treated to free fireworks this week, and a contest has been set up where players are urged to head out into the streets of Hyboria to color the sky and capture the festivities in a screenshot for a chance to win some exciting prizes! Soon players will be able to purchase additional character slots, and as an anniversary gift, Funcom is awarding all veteran players that have six months or more accumulated subscription time with a free character slot. For more information on the anniversary celebrations and the anniversary gifts, please visit the ‘Age of Conan’ community website.

Launching in May last year ‘Age of Conan’ quickly became a smash hit in retail, shipping over 1.2 million copies around the world. In North America, the most prominent online gaming market in the west, ‘Age of Conan’ became the third best-selling PC title of the year only beaten by ‘Spore’ and ‘World of Warcraft’. In the weeks after launch ‘Age of Conan’ simultaneously topped the charts in 17 countries, and the game received critical acclaim from gaming press across the globe. ‘Age of Conan’ is now available in English, French, German, Spanish, Russian and Polish, and is being prepared for launch in Korea as well.

‘Age of Conan’ is currently available as a free trial. Download yours today at www.ageofconan.com/trial.

Ntreev releases new screenshots for its popular online Golf game, Pangya!

Ntreev USA, a leading online game developer and publisher, announced today that it has released new assets for Pangya, its popular, online casual golf game that will soon officially re-launch commercially in North America. Please visit http://www.clevercomm.com/Pangya/ to download the newly released screenshots. To learn more about the game and to join in the open beta, which is currently offered, visit http://Pangya.ntreev.net/.

Pangya is a casual golf game that takes the difficult rules of golf and transforms them into an easy to pick-up and play casual golf experience that a player of any skill level can enjoy. Featuring simple and intuitive controls, Pangya allows anyone to connect and play with other gamers.
And, unlike other online games, players in Pangya are friends, not enemies!

In Pangya, players are taken to 14 gorgeous locations where they can choose one of eight unique playable characters. The game offers players an extensive customization experience with thousands of possible combinations of costumes, accessories, equipment, golf clubs, power boosts and more that help them to become a pro out on the green.

Pangya is free for players to download and play, while some items in the game including certain characters, clothing sets, new equipment and accessories will be available to purchase via micro-transaction. The in-game currency in Pangya, called Pang, allows players to purchase items from the in-game shop that will enhance a character. The in-game shop also provides new inventory and equipment and offers players the ability to send gifts and more. Gamers can earn Pang by finishing a hole at par or better and by showcasing powerful shots.

For more information about Ntreev USA visit www.ntreev.net.
For more information on Pangya, please visit http://Pangya.ntreev.net/.

Killer Edge launched for iPhone and iPod Touch

Nalin Sharma, the award-winning game designer behind PuzzleKings, is delighted to announce the immediate world-wide availability of Killer Edge on the AppStore for iPhone and iPod Touch for a mere £1.19/$1.99.

Killer Edge is a rip-roaring racing game where players can nudge, smash and swerve their way to the front of the race across a variety of tracks featuring incredible inclines, crazy curves and soaring straights.

Players can use the tilt control or touchscreen of the iPhone/iPod Touch to steer their way expertly round the tracks while avoiding collisions that reduce energy. If this runs out or if they fall off the "Killer Edge", they will lose a life.

All 12 cars in Killer Edge are accurately modelled with an expert physics engine inside, so they each handle differently and when they go over bumps, you can see them fly!

The Grand Prix mode has 3 cups, Bronze, Silver and Gold, each with 3 unique tracks that get progressively harder throughout, and there are 7 different pickups that can boost your car: Turbo, Speed, Attack, Defence, Traction, Shield and Energy.

Easy, Medium and Hard game settings plus Quick Race and Time Attack game modes complete the features in this super-smooth arcade racer along with pulsating music and 3D sound.

“I think there is room in this market for a fun exciting 3D racing game with retro graphics” said Nalin Sharma, and he goes on to reveal that he did this whole project as part of a bet with his better half: “my wife thinks that I won’t sell any copies, and maybe she’s right, but it would be nice to prove her wrong!”

Killer Edge is available at this link on the AppStore within iTunes.
For more information visit the Killer Edge website at www.killeredge.com