Juiced 2 - Hot Import Nights Video Game

THQ has signed a major co-marketing agreement with mobile media company 3, one of the world's largest mobile network operators.

The 3 agreement allows for the company to be included in THQ’s video game Juiced 2: Hot Import Nights scheduled to release later this Autumn for Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PLAYSTATION3 computer entertainment system, PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system, PSP (PlayStation Portable) system, Nintendo DS and Windows PC.

“To be able to offer 3 the ideal position between mobile and console games with Juiced 2 – THQ’s sequel to a two-million selling Juiced franchise is very exciting for mobile entertainment, " said Adam Comiskey, International Vice-President, THQ Wireless.

"This is yet again an original marketing move for THQ Wireless. Through this integration, thousands of gamers around the world will potentially see the 3 logo within the Juiced 2 video game,” said James Scalpello, Director of Marketing, THQ Wireless.

"Juiced 2 is a great opportunity to reach out to a significant segment of our customers,” said Fergal Walker, Director of products, 3UK. “3’s prominent positioning within this video game enhances our credentials as the market-leader in mobile gaming."

Under the new agreement, the 3 brand will be fully integrated into the mass market console video games. In addition, the Juiced 2 mobile game will be available for download directly from the 3 portal. In the game, players can create and customize a 3 branded car, designing everything from hot hatches to super cars. They can spray paint, choose modifications and race the 3 car to stunning effects.

About Juiced 2: Hot Import Nights

Juiced 2: HIN evolves the current street racing scene, letting players experience the culture of the real-life HIN tour, the nation’s largest lifestyle custom car show in an intense racing experience. Featuring track and drift racing at real-world locations around the globe, next-gen AI and unparalleled vehicle customization, Juiced 2: HIN brings street racing to life, allowing players to test their skills at live street racing events against a back-drop of DJs, fashion, models and musicians. Groundbreaking new features include addictive drift/ powersliding races and “Driver DNA” that tracks gamers’ personal driving traits. 

These profiles, along with the profiles of select celebrities will be available for download across all online gaming systems. Elite racing developer Juice Games has evolved the game-play that revolutionized online racing, giving players the power to create their car, assemble their crew and put it all on the line in intense pink slip and crew races. Gamers will also be able to bet cash on each event, bringing a gambling element to the game that greatly increases the importance of each race.

Harry Gregson-Williams To Product Score Call Of Duty 4: Modern Warfar

Award-Winning Composer Leads Soundtrack to Infinity Ward's Epic Thriller

Infinity Ward and Activision, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI) have announced that award-winning Call of Duty® 4: Modern Warfare™ will feature an original score by Stephen Barton with the Main Theme & Music Production provided by award-winning composer Harry Gregson-Williams. Gregson-Williams’ work has been featured in numerous feature films, television series, and videogames with credits including Enemy of the State, Man on Fire, Spy Game , The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, and Team America: World Police. The soundtrack for Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare was performed and recorded by a full orchestra, largely at the legendary Abbey Road Studios in London, England.

“Harry Gregson-Williams was the perfect choice to craft an immersive and rich soundtrack that matches the heightened atmosphere and tension of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare,” says Grant Collier, Studio Head at Infinity Ward. “Harry’s wealth of experience, passion and intensity together with the talents of young composer, Stephen Barton, shine through in the score draws gamers deeper into the epic and cinematic experience that is Call of Duty 4.”

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare for Xbox 360, Windows PC and PLAYSTATION 3 computer entertainment system will begin deployment on Tuesday, November 5, 2007 and has been rated “M” for Mature by the ESRB for Intense Violence, Strong Language, Blood and Gore. The game will also be available for and Nintendo DS and has been rated “T” for Teen by the ESRB for Teen for Blood and Violence.

Players anxious to answer the call can visit www.charlieoscardelta.com for additional information and exclusive updates.

Little Britain gets Glu'd to Mobile

Little Britain characters to debut on mobile

Glu Mobile Inc. (Nasdaq: GLUU), a leading global publisher of mobile games, today announced a partnership with Granada Ventures to develop and publish a mobile game based on the award-winning Little Britain TV series.

Following on from the highly successful Little Britain – the Video Game on PS2, PSP and PC published on the Blast label by Mastertronic – the mobile game will include four mini-games exclusively for mobile featuring a number of action-packed challenges and adventures themed around the most popular characters including roller-skating Vicky Pollard and fat-fighter Marjorie Dawes. The game will also feature the voices of Little Britain creators Matt Lucas and David Walliams with narration from Tom Baker.

In addition, Glu will publish additional mobile entertainment content. The Little Britain game will be distributed primarily across the UK, Australia and New Zealand via Glu’s extensive network of operator partners.

“Little Britain is one of the UK’s most successful comedy shows of the decade. Creating and distributing the first mobile game for the brand is an exciting challenge and supports our strategy of developing relevant, engaging content and making it widely available,” says Patrick Mork, Marketing Director, EMEA. “Bringing Little Britain to the mobile screen is yet another example of Glu’s commitment to give fans yet another way to connect with the content and brands they love.”

Van Uong, Licensing Manager, Granada Ventures, adds “Little Britain is incredibly popular among mobile gaming’s core audience of 18 to 34 year olds, making it a perfect title to bring to the mobile platform. The game will be true to the original concepts of Little Britain incorporating all of the most popular characters, giving fans a unique experience made just for mobile Glu’s expertise in developing quality games and bringing them to a vast audience will create a truly engaging experience for existing fans, whilst also welcoming a new audience to the world of Little Britain.”

Guitar Hero III: Legends Of Rock

Master Tracks from Aerosmith, The Killers, Slipknot, and Sonic Youth Added

Activision announce additional songs to be included in the main set list for the highly-anticipated title, Guitar Hero III - Legends of Rock. While delivering more master tracks than ever before, strategic partnerships have been secured with all the major and independent record labels and publishers to allow unrivaled access to their vast catalogs of music, along with supplying artists' original recordings for even greater authenticity.

The additional tracks include:

· Same Old Song and Dance (by Aerosmith)
· Helicopter (by Bloc Party)
· Stricken (by Disturbed)
· Monsters (by Matchbook Romance)
· Before I Forget (by Slipknot)
· Kool Thing (by Sonic Youth)
· When You Were Young (by The Killers)
· Devil Went Down to Georgia (as made famous by Charlie Daniels Band)
· Sunshine of Your Love (as made famous by Cream)
· Holiday in Cambodia (as made famous by Dead Kennedys)
· Cliffs of Dover (as made famous by Eric Johnson)
· Hit Me with Your Best Shot (as made famous by Pat Benetar)
· Black Magic Woman (as made famous by Santana)
· Story of My Life (as made famous by Social Distortion)
· Pride and Joy (as made famous by Stevie Ray Vaughn)
· The Seeker (as made famous by The Who)
· Black Sunshine (as made famous by White Zombie)

In addition to the newly announced tracks, previously announced songs in Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock include:

· Miss Murder (by AFI)
· Minus Celsius (by Backyard Babies)
· Sabotage (by Beastie Boys)
· Hier Kommt Alex (by Die Toten Hosen)
· Through Fire and Flames (by Dragonforce)
· In the Belly of a Shark (by Gallows)
· Welcome to The Jungle (by Guns N' Roses)
· Avalancha (by Heroes Del Silencio)
· Take This Life (by In Flames)
· Number of the Beast (by Iron Maiden)
· Ruby (by Kaiser Chiefs)
· Closer (by Lacuna Coil)
· Cult of Personality (by Living Colour)
· One (by Metallica)
· Knights of Cydonia (by Muse)
· Mauvais Garcon (by NAAST)
· Even Flow (by Pearl Jam)
· Lay Down (by Priestess)
· Bulls on Parade (by Rage Against The Machine)
· 3's and 7's (by Queens of the Stone Age)
· Suck My Kiss (by Red Hot Chili Peppers)
· Generation Rock (by Revolverheld)
· Raining Blood (by Slayer)
· Cherub Rock (by Smashing Pumpkins)
· Radio Song (by Superbus)
· The Metal (by Tenacious D)
· I'm in the Band (by The Hellacopters)
· Anarchy in the U.K. (by The Sex Pistols)
· Reptillia (by The Strokes)
· Paint It Black (by The Rolling Stones)
· My Name is Jonas (by Weezer)
· Slash's Original Boss Battle Recording
· Tom Morello's Original Boss Battle Recording
· School's Out (as made famous by Alice Cooper)
· Paranoid (as made famous by Black Sabbath)
· Cities on Flame (as made famous by Blue Oyster Cult)
· Slow Ride (as made famous by Foghat)
· Barracuda (as made famous by Heart)
· Rock and Roll All Nite (as made famous by Kiss)
· Mississippi Queen (as made famous by Mountain)
· Rock You Like a Hurricane (as made famous by Scorpions)
· La Grange (as made famous by ZZ Top)

Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock will include explosive new content and features including a multiplayer action-inspired battle mode, grueling boss battles, a host of exclusive unlockable content and visually stunning rock venues. Expanded online multiplayer game modes will also allow axe-shredders worldwide to compete head-to-head for true legendary rock status. While continuing to retain all the key features from their prior legendary performances, fresh downloadable content will be offered on multiple platforms, and players can now shred to a killer set list from many of the most popular rock songs ever recorded.

For the first time ever, Guitar Hero fans will also be able to thrash and burn with new wireless guitar controllers available for each platform, including exclusive Gibson Guitar's Les Paul model for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, Wii home video game system from Nintendo, and PLAYSTATION 3 computer entertainment system. PlayStation 2 gamers will also get to shred on a new exclusive shape, Gibson's Kramer guitar, popularized by hard rockers and known for its body design, pickups, electronics and construction for furious finger fretting.

Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock, published by RedOctane and developed by Neversoft, is rated 'T' for Teen by the ESRB and will be available October 28, 2007. For more information about the Guitar Hero franchise, please visit the dedicated community site: www.guitarhero.com.

EA GOES FULL-THROTTLE WITH NEED FOR SPEED PROSTREET SOUNDTRACK

New Installment of Top-Selling Race Game Fueled By Explosive International Styles Plus Original Score By Junkie XL

Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) announced today the complete soundtrack for Need for Speed ProStreet, which is set for release across Europe on 23rd November , 2007 on the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system, PLAYSTATION 3 computer entertainment system and Wii as well as the PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system, Nintendo DS, PC and mobile. The soundtrack features over 35 songs from artists representing a volatile range of styles, along with an original score by internationally renowned DJ/Producer/Musician Junkie XL that captures the skill, risk and velocity of pro street racing culture.

“The Need for Speed franchise has set the worldwide standard for not only racing games, but their soundtracks as well,” said Steve Schnur, Worldwide Executive of Music and Music Marketing at EA. “Now for the first time, Need for Speed ProStreet takes street racing from the underground to pro level with a music mix to match. We've brought together an unprecedented collection of artists that represents an international convergence of emerging Rock, aggressive Electro, UK Grime and much more, including a truly dangerous original score by our Artwerk artist Junkie XL. In a still-outlaw culture that demands complete authenticity, we have blended the ultimate audio racing fuel.”

In addition to the explosive lead track “More” from Junkie XL, the Need for Speed ProStreet soundtrack also features premiere songs from Artwerk artists Datarock and Airbourne. Additional highlights include tracks from the most recent albums by Avenged Sevenfold, the Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs, TV on the Radio, and UNKLE, featuring Josh Homme from Queens of the Stone Age. The new rave scene is represented by Mercury Prize winners Klaxons, electronica by Peaches and MSTRKRFT, dance punk by Bloc Party, and dubstep by UK sensations Wiley.

To hear samplings of each song please visit www.ea.com/eatrax/

The soundtrack completes a racing experience like no other. In Need for Speed ProStreet, gamers can design and build a car to compete in iconic locations from around the globe and battle in four distinct racing styles- grip, drag, drift and the all-new speed challenge. The atmosphere is electric - complete with energetic crowds, photo-realistic vehicles and billowing smoke - all designed to embody the pressure and intensity of the gladiatorial challenge known as Show Down.

Need for Speed ProStreet also continues the tradition of featuring the most desirable street racing cars. This November, Need for Speed ProStreet is the first full packaged videogame where gamers can test drive the Nissan GTR before its launch in Spring of 2008.

Handheld Learning Conference and Exhibition

Technology in Motion at Handheld Learning 2007

Leading lights in portable technology to unveil exciting new products at the Handheld Learning Conference and Exhibition 2007 Wednesday 3rd October/... In reflection of its growing importance, the third annual Handheld Learning Conference and Exhibition has again attracted a number of high profile sponsors. The likes of Fujitsu Siemens Computers, Nintendo, Samsung and T-Mobile UK will be demonstrating new learning technology at the event taking place on 10-12th October 2007 at Central Hall Westminster, London.

Samsung is launching a new product line at Handheld Learning 2007 specifically designed for the education sector. RedHalo – the next generation managed learning platform for mobile devices – will be offering a free 1Gb online personal learning space for every primary and secondary school student in the United Kingdom.

Plus UK education technology specialist RM will be announcing a new product line, and Promethean will be introducing Activexpression, a new student response system, for the first time in the UK.

T-Mobile is exhibiting at Handheld Learning 2007, demoing the latest mobile broadband technology and what opportunities this will present in education.

Derek Williamson, Head of Business Development, T-Mobile UK, says:
“We are proud to be sponsors of this year's Handheld Learning conference. High-speed, ‘mobile broadband’ networks have the ability to completely transform how, when and where we learn. In the next five years we will see mobile technology start to deliver education in a new, interactive and exciting way that will benefit pupils and teachers alike. The conference is a fantastic forum to generate ideas, debate and plans for how mobile technology can be exploited in learning in the future.”

For more information about the Handheld Learning Conference and Exhibition, go to
www.handheldlearning2007.com

Havok Comes to You with a Halo!

Halo 3 arrives with immersive Havok PhysicsTM environments

Halo 3, the most eagerly anticipated first-person shooter of the decade, developed by Bungie Studios, hit the shelves this week with the assistance of Havok, the premier provider of interactive software and services to digital creators in the games and movie industries. Halo 3 is released exclusively for Xbox 360.

Halo 3 is the final game in the Halo trilogy, which started with “Halo: Combat Evolved”. The game picks up where "Halo 2" left off, answering the questions for the millions of fans left wondering since November 2004. The Master Chief is returning to Earth to finish the fight to save humankind from destruction at the hands of the alien coalition known as the Covenant. The game offers single, co-operative and on-line multiplayer modes.

To create the immersive game environments, Bungie once again chose Havok Physics™. Havok’s continuous physics technology is used to drive the behavior of a wide variety of objects in the game. Bodies fly through the air using ragdoll physics, vehicles explode showering debris onto their surroundings, and new additions such as the portable gravity lift and the “mancannon” propel players through the world. Havok is also used for special effects, including plants swaying in a jungle and flood tentacles hanging from a ceiling. The scalability and solid performance possible with Havok Physics™ ensures that the player has a fully immersive experience in any situation.

"Havok's flexibility and ease of use have made it one of our cornerstone development tools and almost a recognizable "character" within the Halo 3 engine. Its elegance and scalability mean that it adds features and value to our engine, and yet integrates seamlessly without impacting performance." said Eamon McKenzie, Physics Engineer, Bungie Studios

“We are very proud to have been involved with the development of the global phenomenon that is Halo 3.This final chapter in the Halo trilogy is a fantastic first person shooter game with a great array of characters and weapons.” said David O’Meara, Managing Director of Havok. “The use of cutting edge physics by the talented development team at Bungie in creating the reactive environments in Halo 3 adds to the tension and excitement for the player, ensuring the cult status of this historic game.”

CHANNEL 4 INVESTS IN GAMES WITH ELECTRONIC ARTS AND THE GOLDEN JOYSTICK AWARDS

Channel 4's 4Talent has partnered with the Oscars of the gaming world, the Golden Joystick Awards, and Electronic Arts (EA), the world's leading interactive entertainment software company, to offer budding games developers the chance to pitch their mobile gaming ideas to a panel of industry experts and gaming gurus. The panel will include Channel 4 Education's Commissioning Editor, Matt Locke; EA Mobile's European Marketing Director, Tim Harrison and UK Executive Producer, Chris Gibbs; and O2 UK's Head of Games, Despina Kaparaki. One lucky winner will be announced at the Golden Joystick Awards and receive a cash prize of £2500 from Channel 4 and the chance for a short hothouse placement within EA's mobile game division.

"4Talent is committed to helping emerging content producers maximise their creative potential", says James Estill, Senior Producer, 4Talent, "and these days it's not just about TV. This partnership with EA provides the perfect opportunity to support the gaming industry and nurture the next generation of games developers."

Full details can be found at www.channel4.com/4talent. Closing date for submissions is 17th October 2007.

The initiative is an extension of 4Talent's recent media partnership of the Mobile Game of the Year award at the 25th annual Golden Joystick Awards. Hosted by Peep Show's David Mitchell, the awards will take place on Friday 26 October, on the last day of the London Games Festival, at London's Park Lane Hilton Hotel. Gamers across the world will be able to watch the awards via a live web-cast through computerandvideogames.com and gamesradar.com.

Officially the world's oldest and most respected games award ceremony, the Golden Joystick Awards this year celebrates its 25th anniversary. Held for the first time in 1982, the Awards have been honouring innovation in gaming since the days when Atari, Commodore and Spectrum ruled the earth.

Once considered the pursuit of bedroom geeks and younger kids, video gaming has broken through to the mainstream and is now one of the biggest entertainment industries in the UK, equalling the UK film industry in economic value.

To vote, visit channel4

Official US PlayStation Magazine returns

Future US to begin publication in November

Future US has announced that it will be publishing PlayStation: The Official Magazine under an agreement with SCEA.

The new magazine will debut in November, with former PSM editor-in-chief Rob Smith at the helm.

Future plc currently publishes the Official Sony PlayStation Magazine in the UK and licenses it in other countries. It expects an initial circulation of 300,000 copies, with 13 issues printed each year.

"We're very excited to be working with a group that is nearly as passionate about our brand as we are ourselves and we look forward to working with Future on many innovative ideas they have to create a best in class enthusiast publication," said Peter Dille, SCEA's senior VP of marketing and PlayStation Network.

The original Official PlayStation Magazine was published in the US by Ziff-Davis from September 1997 until January 2007. It was the first gaming magazine to include a demo disk.

Wii outselling PS3 more than 4 to 1 in Japan

Xbox 360 still struggling

The Nintendo Wii has outsold the Sony PlayStation 3 by more than four to one in Japan during the past six months.

According to Enterbrain data, as cited by a Reuters report, from April to September of 2007, Nintendo sold approximately 1.6 million Wii consoles.

Sony, meanwhile, sold 385,492 PS3 consoles in Japan during the same period.

Both the PS3 and the Wii were released in Japan within a few weeks of each other in November and December of 2006. Microsoft's Xbox 360, released a year earlier, has continued to struggle. In the first half of 2007, only 122,565 Xbox 360 consoles were sold in Japan.

The demand for the Wii continues to be so high that spokesperson Reggie Fils-Aime claims that Nintendo won't be able to meet the demand for the upcoming Christmas season.