Superbike World Championship SBK09 Demo on Xbox 360 over 100,000 downloads this week

In just one week, the official SBK 09 Superbike World Championship Demo for Xbox 360 has been downloaded 105,381 times.

Black Bean Games is really proud of such an extremely important result. More than 100.000 gamers have tested their skills and felt the adrenaline rush of real motorbike competition.

Such a result testifies the dramatic improvement Milestone achieved with SBK 09 Superbike World Championship. New 3D environments, new teams, complete track overhaul, new game play structure, new game modes, revamped user interface. The real Championship has never been so close to the virtual one.

Last but not least, from now on PC users can share the passion with their fellow console players. PC Demo is available on SBKTM09 official website:
www.sbk09.com

New Overlord II videos feature the fluffiest creatures ever to be massacred by Minionkind

Showing megalomaniacs everywhere how two wrongs can make a right, Codemasters today released two new gamezplay videos showcasing Overlord II, the upcoming tyrannical action adventure that’s set to launch on June 26th.

‘Creature Crush’, the first of the new gameplay videos, features some of the fluffiest, sweetest and cutest creatures ever to come face to face with a snarling horde of menacing minions (and being bashed to bits). As the Overlord, gamers direct their manic minion horde to kill, club or maim everything from cute garden Gnomes and seal pubs to pandas and even hippy Elves.

Also released today is the second instalment of the Overlord II development diaries, featuring Mr Overlord himself, Lennart Sas, the Creative Director of Triumph Studios. In this instalment, Lennart details the new tactics that the Minions, the most vicious (yet lovable) creatures in gaming, have learnt and what they’ve been up to since the time of the original Overlord game.

“All four Minion races return in Overlord II and they’re fiercer, funnier and more disruptive and destructive than they were before”, says Lennart, discussing the Minions’ new skills. “In Overlord II, if there’s a specific task that’s just too filthy for an Overlord to do, he can just possess a minion and get his dirty work done that way.”

Prepare to become the master of minions and the squisher of Gnomes in Overlord II – the game that puts the laughter into slaughter – coming June 26th for the PLAYSTATION 3 computer entertainment system, Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and Games For Windows.

Free Monster Hunter Freedom Unite Demo on PSN now

You've already heard about Monster Hunter coming to the west as Monster Hunter Freedom Unite. If you're new to the vast world of Monster Hunter, we've got some great new things to help you better understand what this game really has to offer.

First, the official demo is launching today, and loaded with brand new monsters. There's three quests to choose from: Hypnocatrice, Plum Hermitaur, and an Epic Hunting Quest with three monsters to slay. Aside from new monsters, there's also pre-made characters for each weapon type to choose from. Great Sword, Long Sword, Sword, Dual Blades, Hammer, Hunting Horn, Lance, Gun Lance, Light Bowgun, Heavy Bowgun, and Bow... They're all there. We've crammed as much into the demo as we could. You'll be hunting in the forest, the desert, and in the swamp.

Monster Hunter just wouldn't be the same without co-op, so the demo is fully capable of four player ad-hoc co-op! The demo isn't going to just leave you to fend for yourself if you aren't playing ad-hoc. If you play single player, you'll have your choice to bring one of three Felyne Fighters with you. There's Kota a Melee Fighter, and then there's Ginger a Bomber, and finally Melody a Support type. Look for the demo on the PSN later this afternoon.

More Monster Hunter goodness after the jump.

Now that you have a chance to finally hop into MHFU, we have a brand new set of videos coming to teach you some basics about hunting. Check out the first video right here!



There will be 3 more tutorial videos to come soon. You'll be able to snag these videos online via the PSN so you can take the tips they offer with you on your PSP. In all, there's going to be nine videos total for you to grab on PSN before the game launches.

And finally, we have one more tool to help you start your hunt: The Encyclopedia Gigantica. It's focused on the community, and gathering all the knowledge from fans like you in a wiki style. Right now there's not much in it, and the tools to add information about the in depth details of Monster Hunter will be coming around the E3 timeframe. Once that's available, you'll find much information about the world of Monster Hunter, including everything from the basics all the way to pro tips from other hunters who've contributed their own experience.

And remember, Monster Hunter Freedom Unite hits shelves on June 23rd!

Free Rock Band tracks and games from Pepsi

Summer Promotion to Offer Music Fans Thousands of Rock Band Tracks and Games. First-Ever MTV Video Music Awards Moonman for Best Rock Band Music Video to be Awarded to Contest Winner.

Today, MTV and MTV Games, a part of Viacom’s MTV and Pepsi announced a multi-platform “Drink Up, Rock Out” promotion that will give away thousands of Rock Band DLC music tracks and games. Music lovers and gamers nationwide will be able to win prizes instantly and will have the opportunity to participate in the first-ever Pepsi Rock Band music video contest that will award one talented band a 2009 MTV Video Music Awards Moonman. The summer promotion begins June 2 and continues through the MTV Video Music Awards.

As part of the “Drink Up, Rock Out” promotion, fans who see a Rock Band icon on specially-marked packages of 20-ounce and 1-liter bottles of Pepsi, Diet Pepsi, Pepsi Max and other Pepsi products are encouraged to look under the cap for a code and then go to www.pepsirockband.com to enter the code for a chance to win prizes. During the promotion, MTV and Pepsi will give away a Rock Band 2 Special Edition bundle every hour and thousands of Rock Band downloadable tracks each day. Additionally, fans can enter a weekly sweepstakes for opportunities to win a trip to a Harrah’s Entertainment property, Xbox 360 Consoles and other great prizes.

“MTV’s Rock Band has quickly established a new gaming platform that is extremely popular with music fans and gamers alike,” said Ralph Santana, VP of cola marketing, Pepsi-Cola North America Beverages. “We’re partnering with MTV to bring a new exciting twist to the game that will give one talented band a once-in-a-lifetime experience and a taste of stardom.”

Christina Glorioso, Vice President Marketing Partnerships for MTV Games added: “Pepsi is continuing their long standing tradition of being on the forefront of music with the decision to partner with Rock Band, the genre-defining music game platform that allows music fans and gamers to interact with and discover music like never before. This campaign has something for every Pepsi consumer from those that love to rock to the fans that love to cheer on their favorite bands.”

And for those Rock Band groups who seek fame, Pepsi, Rock Band, and MTV are giving fans the opportunity to win a Moonman for the first time by entering their own Rock Band music video into the competition. Entrants can choose a song from the official competition list – available at www.RockBand.com/Pepsi and start making their Rock Band music video right now. Music video submissions can be uploaded to www.PepsiRockBand.com where bands and fans will be able to enter, view, rate and vote on their favorite Rock Band music videos. To jump start the promotion, MTV Games is giving hardcore fans, those that upload a music video on the first day of the promotion (June 2 before 6pm EDT), the opportunity to win a trip to Los Angles the very next day to be the house band at the Rock Band booth at E3. Fans must register separately on June 2 to be entered for the chance to win this prize at www.RockBand.com/Pepsi.

For a shot to win the Moonman, Pepsi Rock Band music video submissions will be accepted June 2 through July 28. Beginning August 8 – September 1, fans take the reins as they vote online and decide the fate of the winning Rock Band band. The winning band will travel to the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, walk the red carpet, receive their very-own Moonman statue, and will be featured in a spot produced by MTV to air the night of the awards show.

The “Drink Up and Rock Out” summer program will also include promotion across MTV Networks channels, including MTV, MTV2, mtvU, VH1, CMT, Spike, COMEDY CENTRAL, TV Land and Nick at Nite.

Women Choose "Casual" Videogames Over TV; 100 Million+ Women Now Play Regularly, For Different Reasons Than Men

The Largest-Ever Survey of Casual Game Players Yields Surprising Data: 76% of Players are Female, 89% Are 30 or Older, and Nearly All Women Derive Stress Relief From Play; Psychologist Dr. Carl Arinoldo Explains.

Seattle, Washington - October 2, 2006 - Of the tens of millions of women who play family-friendly, non-violent puzzle, word and simple action games on the computer regularly, more of them consider playing such games "an important leisure time activity" than alternatives such as watching television - and just about anything else - according to a recent survey of nearly 2,200 consumers.

PopCap Games, the leading developer and publisher of casual games, today unveiled the "male/female" segmentation results of the largest survey of players of "casual" computer/videogames ever conducted. The survey found that 76% of casual game players are female, with an average age of 48, and fully 90% of female players say they derive stress relief from playing the games, while 73% identified "cognitive exercise (mental workouts)" as a benefit. With an estimated 150 million consumers now enjoying casual games on a regular basis, the survey places the number of female casual gamers at 100 - 110 million.

Comparing the responses of the 1,663 women who answered the survey to those of the 528 men who participated yields some surprising contrasts in terms of how, why and when consumers of each gender play casual games. Following are segmentations of the survey specific to the differences between male and female casual game players, as well as the key differences between older and younger women who play these games.

Motives For Playing: 89% of players overall indicated they experienced stress relief from playing casual games and 74% of all respondents cited mental exercise as a benefit. But women in particular said the games provided distraction (30%) as well as actual relief (9%) from chronic pain and/or fatigue - compared to 20% and 6% of men, respectively, who named those as benefits. When asked to name the single most important reason for playing, the top three choices by women were stress relief (44%), entertainment (17%) and mental workouts (16%). Men also named stress relief most frequently in their responses, but only 33% of them selected that choice.

Dr. Carl Arinoldo, a Stony Brook NY-based psychologist of 25 years and an author and expert on stress management who has played casual games and advocates them as a source of both stress relief and cognitive exercise, was not surprised by the overall survey results, or the disparity between the responses of men and women. "Casual word and puzzle computer games, such as 'Bookworm' and 'Bejeweled' can actually develop new cellular brain connections thereby helping to keep the healthy brain active and vital," he stated. "And by seriously attending to the word and puzzle games, people can control stress by cognitively 'blocking out' the negative stresses of the day and ultimately train themselves to do this more reflexively. Furthermore, women tend to be more in touch with their feelings and more introspective than men, generally speaking, so it's logical that when they're feeling stressed women would more readily seek out some sort of remedy such as playing casual computer games."

Other Male/Female Differences: While the overall audience for casual games is predominantly female, the percentage of women under 40 who play casual games (25%) is significantly smaller than men under 40 (37%). Further, of those men who do play casual games, their history of playing such games is generally much longer than their female counterparts' - 61% of men said they have been playing casual games for 5 years or more, while only 46% of women said they'd been playing that long. However, female casual gamers are making up for lost time by playing more frequently and for longer periods of time: 60% of all female casual gamers say they play on a daily basis, compared to 44% of men, and 29% of women casual gamers say they play for 10 or more hours per week compared to 22% of men.

Game Genre Preferences: Finally, the types of casual games enjoyed by each gender were significantly different: while men chose more game genres and identified simple sports, war, role-playing and other simulations between 14% and 18% of the time, women cited those genres only 1% to 9% of the time (including 1% of women choosing "war/combat" games, compared to 18% of men). Women named "puzzle" (87%), "word games" (66%) "arcade" (60%) and "card games" (53%) as their top genres, compared to 79%, 47%, 62% and 45% of men choosing those respective genres.

Older Women vs. Younger Women: There were a number of sizable differences in the responses from women aged 50 and over and their younger counterparts. 67% of women aged 50 or older said they play casual games on a daily basis, compared to 54% of women under 50 (and 46% of women under 40). By the same token, 34% of women aged 50 or older stated they spend 10 or more hours a week playing casual games, as compared to 27% of women under 50 (and just 17% of women under 30).

Leisure Time Priorities: When asked to identify "important" leisure time activities from among more than a dozen common such activities listed, overall survey respondents picked "playing casual computer games" (75%) more than any other choice, including "reading a book, newspaper or magazine" (73%), "spending time with friends or family" (70%), "watching television or movies" (69%) or "listening to music or the radio" (57%). While those top two responses tied for the most important leisure time activity among female survey subjects with 76% each (with 73% of women choosing "spending time with friends and family"), men chose "spending time with friends or family" only 58% of the time, less than the amount who named "watching television or movies" (68%). "Women tend to be both more socially oriented and interactive than men, and also somewhat more family-oriented, so the difference in the value placed on spending time with friends and family is understandable," noted Dr. Arinoldo.

There were also very sizable discrepancies in the types of casual games that older and younger women said they enjoy playing: only 18% of women aged 50 or older selected simple action games as one of their genre preferences, compared to 47% of women under 50. And while 58% of women aged 50 or older named card games as a genre they enjoyed, only 48% of women under 50 (and 37% of women under 30) did so. When asked about the single most important sensation they hoped to experience while playing casual games, the top two choices among women aged 50 or older were stress relief (41%) and cognitive exercise (22%), while women under 50 named stress relief (47%) and entertainment (19%). For all female age groups, stress relief was the single-most important reason for playing.

Survey Methodology: This international research was conducted by Information Solutions Group, www.infosolutionsgroup.com on behalf of PopCap Games. The overall results are based upon online surveys completed by 2,191 randomly selected respondents, including 1,663 women. The survey occurred between the dates of August 11th and August 21st 2006. In theory, in 19 cases out of 20, the results will differ by no more than 1.9 percentage points, and +/- 2.2 for a sample of 1,663 women from what would have been obtained by seeking out and polling all PopCap.com visitors age 18 and over. Smaller subgroups reflect larger margins of sampling error. In addition to sampling error, there may exist other sources of error. For example, variations in the order of questions or wording within the questionnaire may contribute to different results.

About PopCap: PopCap Games, www.popcap.com is the leading multi-platform provider of "casual games" — fun, easy-to-learn, captivating computer games that appeal to everyone from age 6 to 106. Based in Seattle, Washington, PopCap was founded in 2000 and has a worldwide staff of over 120 people in Seattle, San Francisco, Chicago, Vancouver, B.C. and Dublin. Its games have been downloaded more than 350 million times by consumers worldwide, and its flagship title, Bejeweled®, has sold more than 10 million units across all platforms. Constantly acclaimed by consumers and critics, PopCap games are played on the Web, desktop computers, myriad mobile devices (cell phones, smartphones, PDAs, Pocket PCs, iPod and more), popular game consoles (such as Xbox), and in-flight entertainment systems. PopCap is the only casual games developer with leading market share across all major sales channels, including Web portals, retail stores, mobile operators and developers, and game device manufacturers.

Bejeweled Twist Mobile game launched in Europe

Bejeweled Twist Mobile, a faithful adaptation of the highly acclaimed PC game, across a wide array of European carriers – with more set to follow over the coming weeks.

PopCap’s fourth in-house title for mobile, Bejeweled Twist puts a completely new spin on the top-selling puzzle franchise of the 21st century and will offer mobile owners a deep and fun game experience. According to recent research*, 57% of mobile device owners play mobile games on their device. Mobile gaming serves as a distraction and stress relief for on-the-go consumers: more than 50% of mobile gamers polled said they gamed as a distraction from daily life issues, while 40% said they gamed for relaxation and stress relief.

Andrew Stein, director of mobile business development at PopCap, said: “Bejeweled Twist is a milestone title in the mobile games category and offers something for everyone: novice players can pick it up and enjoy it immediately, while avid gamers will appreciate the depth of strategy, challenge and the overall flexibility in its gameplay.”

Bejeweled Twist features a revolutionary new style of play - removing the barriers of traditional match-3 games. Instead of swapping adjacent jewels to make a set, players rotate an entire 2x2 block of gems clockwise in an effort to create a line of three or more gems of the same type. Additionally, in Bejeweled Twist, players don’t have to make a match with every move – instead they can freely rotate gems anywhere on the board, allowing far greater liberty of movement and vastly increased strategic freedom to plan combinations, cascades and chains.

Beyond the completely different method of moving gems, Bejeweled Twist provides a wealth of new power-ups and obstacles. New gem types include Flame, Lightning and Fruit gems that produce fiery explosions and other powerful effects; and new obstacles such as Bomb and Locked gems as well as Coal will challenge players as never before. In addition, four game modes (Classic, Blitz, Challenge, and Zen) offer vastly different ways to experience Bejeweled Twist.

According to PopCap’s recent research, Tetris (20%) is the game most enjoyed on phones – closely following by Bejeweled (18%) so this release is sure to be a hit with mobile game players, who incidentally are fairly evenly split by gender – 51% male and 49% females. Research suggests that men tend to play mobile games somewhat more frequently than women but women play for longer stretches of time.

Manage Your Football Club (MYFC) 1.1 update, now available on Apple App Store

Manage Your Football Club (MYFC) football management game kicks off extra time with a list of enhancements for the new 1.1 update, now available on Apple App Store.

WHAT’S NEW IN THIS VERSION?

Version 1.1 contains the following enhancements :-

1. Foreign Players tab added to transfer filter. You can now buy and loan foreign players.
2. Out of contract players (Bosman rule) tab added to transfer filter (operates from the start of the second season).
3. Formation screen numbering sequential as squad screen.
4. Amended player stats database to match real life abilities.
5. Smoothed out ball movement and included club badges on match radar screen to indicate which goal your team is attacking.
6. Commentary window now displays Goals in yellow text and sending off’s in red.
7. Modified- ‘frequency of red and yellow cards’.
8. Player profile now displays- Goals (con) for goalkeepers and (Scr) for outfield players.
9. Intermittent- ‘friendly game bug at the start of the second season’ fixed.
10. Intermittent- ‘difficult to win matches bug’ fixed.

Developer, Sports Director welcomes more ideas and suggestions through the support page on the MYFC website http://www.manageyourfootballclub.com/support.html

Manage Your Football Club is available for £3.49/$5.99 from Apple’s App Store on iPhone and iPod touch or at www.itunes.com/appstore/

Kalypso Media today released five new screen shots for Officers: World War II, Morphicon’s and GFI’s 2nd World War real-time strategy game.

Officers: World War II provides real-time strategy gamers with warfare on a scale that has not previously been seen. Massive maps allow players to control battles of 1,500 military units fighting over up to 10 square miles. Take command and feel what it’s like to play your part in some of the greatest battles the world has ever known.

Officers: World War II will be available from 29th May 2009 at a RRP of £24.99

Kalypso Media are publishing Officers: World War II from Morphicon in selected European Territories.

Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10

Come experience the thrill and spectacle of tournament golf! The Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 10 demo is now available on Xbox LIVE and PlayStation Network. Play a couple of holes in the demo and get an early taste of what the real-life PGA TOUR pros will be facing at this year’s U.S. Open on Bethpage Black and Turnberry, which will be hosting the 2009 British Open.

Gamers will also get a chance to check out the all-new Tournament Challenge mode as the demo features a playable event from the famous 17th hole at THE PLAYERS Stadium Course - TPC Sawgrass.

In addition, tournament atmosphere has been ramped up this year and players will experience dynamic weather conditions and its effects on gameplay, huge galleries, a new commentary team and broadcast style introductions. Looking to tune your clubs prior to a big tournament? Come check out the new Practice Round mode in the demo where gamers can place the ball anywhere on the course and really dial in their shots before taking on the official leaderboard.

Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 10 takes golf fans inside-the-ropes to experience the drama and emotion of tournament golf. New additions to this year’s game include Tournament Challenge Mode, Tournament Atmosphere, Precision Putting, EA SPORTS Live Tournaments and new courses and golfers.

Guitar Hero Metallica out in Europe

Experience the Intensity of Musical Icons Metallica and Over 20 Additional Rockin' Bands in the Newest Entry to the Guitar Hero Franchise

Guitar Hero Metallica, the latest entry in Activision Guitar Hero franchise, will be available at retail outlets across Europe and Australia on May 22, 2009 and in the UK on May 29, 2009.

At launch, 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, will be available to fans.

Enter the world of Lars Ulrich, James Hetfield, Kirk Hammett and Robert Trujillo and experience Metallica’s intensity and skill 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 the GRAMMY Award-winning band and more than 20 popular artists selected by Metallica, such as Alice In Chains, Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band, Foo Fighters, Lynyrd Skynyrd and Queen. As one of the greatest metal bands of all time, players 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 Guitar Hero Metallica, 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 will be available for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, the PlayStation 2 and PLAYSTATION 3 computer entertainment systems and the Nintendo Wii home video game system from Nintendo. All platforms will be available as stand-alone software or as the European-exclusive Guitar Hero Metallica Solo Guitar Game bundle. The game is rated 12+ by the BBFC.