Nyko Takes Aim With Perfect Shot and Internet Connect for Wii

Ergonomic Gun Grip and USB Network Adapter To Enhance Wii Gaming Experience

Nyko Technologies®, a premier peripherals manufacturer, today announced the Perfect Shot and Net Connect-two new products for the Nintendo Wii.

Nyko's Perfect Shot is the ideal complement to blaster/shooting games on the Wii, allowing players to experience more tactile control and accuracy during intense gaming sessions. The Perfect Shot holds the Wii remote with a secure locking system and allows players to hit the remote's B button using a tactile trigger mechanism. The lightweight and ergonomic design allows for extended use with less strain in the arm and hand. The Perfect Shot can also be used in conjunction with other peripherals by utilizing a pass-through port. This allows players to attach a Nunchuck or Classic Controller to the unit, providing more compatibility with other titles.

For gamers looking for an easy-to-use method to connect the Wii to a non-wireless Internet connection, the Nyko Net Connect is the solution. The Net Connect provides a high-speed Internet connection for the Wii, requiring only a Cat5 Ethernet cable and an existing Internet connection. With no complex setup codes or installation software, players can get their Wii online by plugging the device in to one of the Wii's USB ports and attaching it to their home network. Once online, the players can take full advantage of the Wii's unique online offerings, including the Opera Browser, WiiConnect24, Mii Parade, and all other online gameplay features for Wii video games.

"The Perfect Shot and Net Connect demonstrate Nyko's commitment to providing gamers with the most useful gaming accessories on the market," said Chris Arbogast, Marketing Manager for Nyko. "Whether you're looking for pinpoint accuracy in your favorite shooting games or a hassle-free solution for getting your Wii online, we're confident that both of our new products will fit your gaming needs."

The Perfect Shot and Net Connect will be available early in December at retailers nationwide and Nyko's online store for $14.99 and $24.99, respectively.

'Rat Race' Funnyman Hopes PlayStation 3's First Sitcom Video Game Fills Comedy Void

There are no jokes about black albino people in the upcoming PlayStation 3 sitcom video game "Rat Race."

This fact was confirmed by MTV News yesterday during an interview with comedian Victor Varnado, head writer of "Rat Race" and veteran stand-up comic, who has kicked off some of his televised routines making jokes about the fact that he is a black albino.

"We don't have any black albino characters in the game, so they would seem like a--holes if they made jokes about it," he said during an interview to promote his involvement in the bold new game.

Varnado is doing voice work for three characters — and screeching the role of a monkey — as well as serving as head writer and voice-acting director for Super-Ego Games' "Rat Race," a workplace video game comedy in the vein of "The Office," which will be rolled out as a series of downloadable, playable episodes on the PS3 this winter.

A press release touting Varnado's involvement mentions his connection to TV shows such as "Saturday Night Live," "Late Night With Conan O'Brien," "Flight of the Conchords" and "My Name Is Earl." (Watch one of his routines on his MySpace page.)

But in his interview with MTV News, Varnado flashed some other credentials that suit him well for his jobs on the upcoming game. "I've had a lot of experience with games that were meant to be funny," he said. "Anytime I can find a game that has a particularly unusual sense of humor, I play it." He said the text adventure "Loom" was an early comedy-game favorite. Other old adventure games stood out. More recently, he found the cutesy PSP game "Loco Roco." Also handy: "When I was in high school, I used to make video games — mostly stupid. I made a maze game where a blob would chase you down a maze. I tried to make a 3-D game; I could never get it to work."

So if he knows games as a player and an amateur programmer, surely he must know the problem: There aren't many comedy games these days. There used to be more, a slew of joke-filled adventures such as "The Secret of Monkey Island" and "Grim Fandango." In Varnado's view, some of the very things that games have gotten better at — visuals and interactivity — have lessened the need for developers to keep players engaged with humor. Those adventure games were popular in their day, but technology improved. "As soon as they got to the point where graphics got better, games got less funny," he said. Better gameplay also removed any outright need for a game to be funny. "If you looked at early games, they had very few game mechanics. Look at [1983's interactive cartoon/game] 'Dragon's Lair.' Not many gameplay mechanics, but it's great to look at and the comedy is funny."

"Rat Race" is an attempt to solve all this, taking a somewhat different path from the last significant game comedy attempt, the revived "Sam & Max" series, which just started a second season of downloadable PC point-and-click adventures. Super-Ego Games President Greg Easley recently told the Web site PS3Fanboy.com that his company's game will incorporate some traditional game mechanics, including stealth and shooting sequences.

"I can tell you that the jokes that work best in the gameplay are usually the more cerebral stuff," he said, referring to puns and wordplay and stuff that feels clever. By cerebral, he doesn't mean dry. Offering an example of his own style of cerebral comedy, he recounts the following gag from his stand-up: "I say, 'I'm a black albino, ladies. You know what I'm talking about: all the benefits of being black without the disappointed looks from your parents.' See, that joke, in order to make it funny, you have to put the last piece in it yourself." In "Rat Race" gameplay, some of this kind of thing will be appearing in dialogue-driven mini-games that include hundreds of possible lines that may be heard depending on how the player performs a gameplay task.

In the games non-interactive cut-scenes, however, he promises "wilder and zanier stuff." Some of that material seemed to have been released to the Web in October when four apparent trailers for the game, featuring zany non-interactive workplace scenes and ending in title cards promoting the game, appeared on GameTrailers.com. And for the most part, those "Rat Race" clips were ... trashed. "It's a game where you tell bad jokes?" one commenter wrote.

"Here's what really happened," said Varnado, who followed the reaction. "Some of the stuff that was leaked onto GameTrailers was some of the stuff meant for internal use, not something that was a finished product that would go out." He said some of the material was created to test the game's technology and didn't represent the finished product. "That isn't our best foot forward," he said. Only the video about the roach-bait commercial had gone through the proper approval process. And that one, he said, got the most positive response. "We'll make sure that what we put out next is something we've gone over and that we're proud of."

Varnado is confident that bad jokes will be weeded out well before gamers experience them. "Rule number one: It has to serve the game. Rule two: It has to be funny. Rule three: It has to be in character." And any joke that only gets laughed at by the person who wrote it won't be making the cut.

The first episode of "Rat Race," which will be "based around a Japanese toy that has to be redone for an American market because the toy is a little over-the-top violent," is set for release this winter via the PS3's PlayStation Network download service.

Source: MTV

VIDEO GAME REVIEWS

After selling almost 200 million games over more than two decades and generating untold billions of US dollars in revenue for Nintendo of Japan, Mario is back with two new games. Super Mario Galaxy, released this month for Nintendo's Wii console, is the first major new Mario game in five years. Also, Mario shares top billing with his longtime rival Sonic the Hedgehog in a separate new game, Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games.

Mario has always starred in games for everyone. So to test whether it could still appeal to an overeducated, media-saturated audience, I assembled a panel of non-gaming yuppies in their 30s at my house last weekend, put the Wii controls in their hands and sat back to check the reaction.

Judging by the hours of giggles, chortles and guffaws, Mario still has the goods and that incessant tug to play just five more minutes.

The reaction in my living room and elsewhere around the world indicates that Super Mario Galaxy is more than a worthy successor to the franchise's considerable legacy of smiles. It is being widely hailed as the best game yet for the Wii and is drawing plaudits from gamers and magazines alike.

Super Mario is generally a single-player game, but in a nice innovation, a second player can jump in and use a Wii remote to control a separate cursor on the screen that can stun enemies, pick up treasure and otherwise assist the main user controlling Mario. The game's whole feel is so finely tuned, so infectiously enjoyable, that it's understandable why Shigeru Miyamoto, Mario's creator, has been one of the most famous game designers in the world for decades.

My panel of non-experts had a lot of fun with the game's Olympic "events" (up to four can play at one time), especially the trampoline, but that game still is not receiving the praise being lavished on Super Mario Galaxy.

Richard Garriott's Tabula Rasa is another new game in an old series. How does it stack up?

The thing to understand is that playing a "massively multiplayer" online game, or MMO, is a commitment of money and time. MMO players routinely spend hundreds or even thousands of hours on their favorite games over many years. All of that time is an investment in building up the powers and abilities of one's virtual identity, not to mention the fun of adventuring with friends. For all that, players generally spend around US$15 a month.

Tabula Rasa is certainly a lot of fun, and it looks great. In an online gaming market deluged with dragons and elves, its fast-paced science-fiction combat is a refreshing change of pace. There are aliens descending all over the place and firefights stretching over gorgeously rendered landscapes.

Graphically, the game seems to take a page from Starship Troopers, with its bright colors and varied foes.

The big question is whether the game has enough depth to keep players coming back for months or years without devolving into a mindless repetition of "see alien, shoot gun, repeat."

Garriott and the rest of his team at NCsoft have been candid in saying that they are trying to appeal mostly to a broad base of casual gamers rather than to the smaller cadre of hard-core players who might spend 30 hours a week or more on a game.

More than four years after its debut, Eve Online is only now hitting its stride as one of the most interesting games in the world.

Eve takes place in a fictional galaxy in a far future, where humanity has splintered into four competing factions, the theocratic Amarr, the militaristic Caldari, the liberal Gallente and the rebel Minmatar. Players choose a side and find their own path.

At a stage when most games have long since stagnated, Eve continues to grow, recently passing 200,000 subscribers. CCP is planning a major graphics overhaul scheduled for Wednesday.

In many ways, Eve is like the real world. All 200,000 of Eve's players exist in one huge virtual galaxy spanning thousands of solar systems. About 40 percent of Eve's players are European, another 40 percent are North American and about 20 percent are from other continents. They all share one polyglot community around the clock, and at any moment tens of thousands of users are logged on.

More important, the economy and politics of Eve are almost entirely driven by the players themselves.

The most compelling aspect of Eve is that once players control a region of virtual space, they bear the responsibility of policing it, setting taxes, establishing diplomatic relations with neighboring groups and waging battles to protect their territory or take more. In most online games, the advanced content involves getting together with a few dozen friends to battle computer-controlled dragons and demons. In Eve, major battles involve hundreds of players fighting in starships in vast Star Wars-like firefights.

Source: Taipeit Times

Rise of the Video Game: Discovery Channel Special

Here in the US the Discovery channel has been running a fascinating documentary series about the rise (and fall) of the video game world.

On the first documentary it is shown how many ICONS of the video world were born
in the first wave of the video game boom (70's early 80's) and how thanks to limited resources, creativity was king (PacMan,Defender, Asteroids, Donkey Kong, Space Invaders, The Atari 2600, Pong )

...until the inevitable take over by the corporate world.
Creators were fired from the companies they created, an a more business mentality took over the whole industry.

After this there was a period of market over kill that drove quality to the ground.
And a lot creators and developers (the one who brought the boom in the first place) where left on the street.

One infamous example shiining example of games of this era is "ET the game" .
12 million copies of the games were produced at a time that ONLY 10 million users of the Atari 2600 existed. And to make matter worst the game was REALLY BAD.
So bad that most of them ended up used as landfill in New Mexico (true story) .
The result of this fiasco, and more like it, was the first video game market crash of the 80's.

For more information check out their site:
http://dsc.discovery.com/tv/video-game/video-game.html

Confirmed: Video Games Rentals Hurt Sales

A new report by Magid Associates confirms what many already know -- that video game rentals (as is the case with any type of rental) significantly hinder sales.

Less than 10 percent of renters go on to purchase a play tested game says Game Daily. That same group only buys a tenth of the games they rent, however.

That's a sizable number considering that almost 40 percent of weekly console gamers report renting at least one game in the last year.

Teenagers, with limited or no disposable income, represent almost 30 percent of game renters even though they make up only 12 percent of the total gamer population.

"More often than not consumers tell us they don't buy a rental game because it was not very good or it is too short," says analyst Mike Vorhaus. "Rental play does not lead to significant purchases of those rented games."

Assassin's Creed video game- Review

Review from Star-Telegraph

For years, Assassin's Creed has been shrouded in secrecy, with Ubisoft giving the media only the briefest glimpses of the game, and teasing it with information.

Rule No. 1: Do not tease members of the media. (Trust me, we were all teased plenty as children.)

After a few lackluster showings, including a buggy demo during Microsoft's E3 press conference in July, the Assassin's Creed backlash officially began. Suddenly, the game went from being one of the most promising triple-A titles of the year to being voted "The Game We're Most Worried About" by the staff at Electronic Gaming Monthly.

The game's big secret -- and if you've been following it closely, then you've probably already figured it out -- is that you're not actually a cowl-wearing assassin in 1191 Jerusalem. You're a humble modern-day bartender.

You read that right -- a bartender.

But apparently one of your ancestors was indeed a cowl-wearing assassin in 1191. The sci-fi premise of the game is that the memories of our ancestors are actually stored in our DNA. And a pair of scientists, for reasons that eventually become clear to you, are holding you against your will, and forcing you to relive those ancestral memories.

The story isn't the only aspect of Assassin's Creed that feels complex.

During your memory sequences -- ostensibly flashbacks -- the control scheme also is complex. In fact, it's complex enough to merit not one but two nearly identical tutorials in the first hour of gameplay. No doubt you'll spend some time pressing the wrong buttons before you get the hang of them.

You play the game as Altair, the aforementioned cowl-wearing assassin. Think of him as a kind of Old World Batman. Your mission is to track down and assassinate various crime lords, politicians and all-around bad guys. You're not a welcome presence in the cities; if the street-roaming guards spot you, they'll take chase. So, like Batman, you'll spend much of the game lurking on rooftops, peering down at the action below, tracking your marks and finding the right moments to strike.

You pickpocket targets, eavesdrop on conversations or trail targets into back alleys, wait for them to be alone, then beat a confession out of them.

Sound complicated? Oh, it is. Indeed, there's a pretty substantial hump to get over in the first few hours of the game.

It's difficult to see the appeal of Assassin's Creed in the first hour or two of gameplay. It's not an easy game to like. It's heady. It's mature. It's complicated. The game's world -- three massive cities spread over hundreds of virtual miles -- feels too vast, too overwhelming.

To its credit, Assassin's Creed feels decidedly adult. In fact, it's one of the most adult games, in theme and content, the 30-or-so-year-old medium has ever seen. It made me realize how few games display this degree of maturity. We could certainly use more of them.

I admire Assassin's Creed for its scale and scope, for its terrific writing, for its supremely gorgeous look, and for its ambitions, for what it attempts to do.

I only wish that I enjoyed playing it more.

Nintendo admits Wii video game system shortages are a "missed opportunity"

There's no supply conspiracy, says Nintendo boss

Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime has admitted that the shortage of Wii units at retail is a missed opportunity for the company.

And he dismissed the conspiracy theory that Nintendo is holding back stock to drive demand, saying such a move would be counterintuitive to the audience it is trying to sell to.

"At this point we are literally trying to catch up with demand," said Fils-Aime, in an interview with news.com.

"There is no secret plan to store Wiis in a warehouse to spur demand. The company, after all, is trying to reach out to women and 40 and 50-year olds who aren't avid gamers."

"They aren't going to sleep outside of a store overnight or visit a retailer five or six times. It is literally a missed opportunity," he said.

Although the Wii is being snatched up just as fast as Nintendo can supply units to retail – with HMV last week telling GamesIndustry.biz that the console is selling out within minutes – it hasn't stopped the company from clocking up massive sales numbers.

During the Thanksgiving period last week, Nintendo sold over 350,000 Wiis in the US.

Nintendo DS video games player sales smash Game Boy Advance record

Nintendo of America enjoys record-breaking week

Nintendo of America has set a new sales record by selling more products during the Thanksgiving week than at any other time in the company's history.

During the period November 18 to November 24, over 653,000 DS units were sold, smashing the previous record of 600,000 Game Boy Advance consoles sold in 2005.

A further 350,000 Wii home systems were also snapped up by Christmas shoppers, along with "millions of games and accessories".

"As shoppers look for ways to maximize their limited holiday spending money, they turn to gifts that can be used by the entire family," commented George Harrison, Nintendo of America's senior vice president of marketing and corporate communications.

"Wii and Nintendo DS offer something for every member of the family. They're the most fun video game experiences at the most affordable price."

How To Properly Sell A Copy Of Rock Star

Without a doubt, this auction manages to speak for itself. I have to admit, I was tempted to post the link to this auction, the pic and nothing more.

However, I will take some time to describe an auction that really doesn’t need one. We all know that by throwing a picture of a hot girl holding the item for sale into your auction, you can (and will) slightly boost its selling price.

Well, how about you include two hot girls? And a game that’s going to be relatively hard to find this Christmas? And the two girls are going to deliver the game to you on Christmas day? And said two girls are both softcore porn models?

Well then, now you’ve got something.

As much as I look forward to asking her to bang on my drums when it arrives, I can’t help but looking at that pic and worrying about receiving a box that has already been crushed.

Source: Gamesniped

Is tomorrow's Clapton playing 'Guitar Hero'?

In a recent South Park episode, we see two of the show's main characters, Stan and Kyle, rocking out to the video game Guitar Hero as a roomful of their friends watch, rapt.

As they're playing, Stan's father walks in, asks, "You kids want to see something really cool?" and starts to play an electric guitar.

For a moment, the room is dead silent. Then, Stan asks, incredulously, "Dad, what are you doing?"

"I can actually play a lot of these songs on a real guitar," the father responds. "Want me to show you boys how?"

Stan spits back, "That's stupid, Dad."

Well, maybe not, say guitar teachers. In fact, the immense popularity of the hit Guitar Hero franchise--the third iteration of the game, Guitar Hero III, brought in $115 million during its first week on the market--may be the best thing that has happened to the instrument, to rock 'n' roll, and to guitar instructors, in a long time.

"I have an overwhelming feeling that my business is safe for years to come when I see kids playing Guitar Hero," said Dan Emery, owner of New York City Guitar School. "These kids are really enjoying playing Guitar Hero, and they're really being turned on to old classic rock" via the game.

More from CNet News

Smarty Pants Lets Gamers Show Off Their Brainpower

With 20,000 questions and a filter that sifts by age, everybody has an equal opportunity to win the intelligence crown.

Smarty Pants uses 1 to 4 Wii remotes for dancing, spinning the wheel, and making intuitive gestures to play. Four-player action allows players to team up with friends and family for plenty of fast-paced multiplayer fun.

ESRB: Everyone

Official website

Fantasy Aquarium by DS video game released

Growing UK games publisher, Mercury Games today released more screen shots and a video from fourth coming relaxing simulation games “Aquarium by DS” and “Fantasy Aquarium by DS” both for the Nintendo DS.

Just like keeping fish in real life, the fish need to be fed and have their tanks cleaned. “Aquarium by DS” allows the player to keep the usual types of fish that one would find in a fish tank including Clown Fish, Angelfish, Neon Tetra and Guppy. While “Fantasy Aquarium by DS” allows the player to keep fish which could never be kept as pets in a tank such as Blue whales, dolphins, Seals and sharks.

Aquarium by DS and Fantasy Aquarium by DS are due for release in February 2007. The SRP will be £19.99/ €24.99.

GripShift video game races on Xbox Live Arcade

Sidhe Interactive, industry leading developer of cross platform titles, today announced that their award-winning driving platformer title, GripShift®, is headed to Xbox LIVE Arcade (XBLA), the premier destination for digitally distributed, high-definition original and classic games. Available this year, the Xbox LIVE Arcade-exclusive title features updated graphics, improved controls and additional single and multiplayer content, including new Challenge courses and a Deathmatch mode.

"Veteran players and newcomers to the game will both find something to love in this definitive version of GripShift," said Mario Wynands, Managing Director of Sidhe Interactive. "We've added a substantial amount of new content, including new single player courses and a multiplayer Deathmatch mode for players bent on dominating their friends or climbing to the top of the leaderboards."

GripShift brings the action online to Xbox LIVE Arcade with an abundance of new content, including upgraded graphics, Deathmatch mode and new race courses. Additionally, unlockable achievements and TrueSkill Leaderboard functionality will keep Xbox 360 owners coming back to race their way to glory!

For more information on GripShift, please visit: www.gripshiftgame.com.

Stranglehold - Short Film Contest Starts Today!

Midway Games Ltd launches the European Stranglehold short film contest powered by Eurogamer at www.massive-d.com.

Today, Midway Games Ltd announced the start of the European Stranglehold™ short film contest powered by Eurogamer. As of now, amateur directors can create their own Stranglehold short films at www.massive-d.com and enter their creation into weekly competitions to win exclusive prizes.

The competition will run over eight weeks, with winners selected and voting reset to zero every week. The weekly winners will receive a limited edition game console with a Stranglehold design, while the overall winner will enjoy a luxury trip for two to Hong Kong. In addition, Midway will be giving away games signed by acclaimed action director John Woo to lucky registered users who have participated in the voting.

“The European Stranglehold short film contest powered by Eurogamer is a fantastic way for us speak directly to game fans from the three largest European markets and challenge them to participate,” says Leonie Manshanden, European Marketing Director for Midway Games Europe. “This activity is an elemental component of our pan-European, multi-million Euro campaign supporting the launch of Stranglehold, and is the largest that Midway Europe has ever implemented.”

Until mid-January, users can create their own custom-made Stranglehold short film on the amazing www.massive-d.com website. There are over 160 all-time classic films, texts, and sound clips available to be

pieced together to make their very own, 90 second short film.
About Stranglehold™

A collaboration with world renowned action film director John Woo's Tiger Hill Entertainment, Stranglehold allows players to experience the excitement of true next-gen action as you take on the role of Inspector Tequila created by John Woo for his influential action film, "Hard Boiled" starring Chow Yun-Fat. Ensnared by a crime boss with a gripping secret, Inspector Tequila is forced to cross the line from sworn duty to bloody revenge. Engage your enemies with intense cinematic gun battles and cause massive environmental damage in real-time or revolutionary slow-motion Tequila Time.

Penumbra: Black Plague video game developers diary...

Introduction
Welcome to the first Penumbra: Black Plague developer diary! In this part we will focus on some of the improvements we have made to this stand-alone game since Penumbra Overture and elaborate on some of the game features.

Overture vs Black Plague
Black Plague is a sequel, however we did not just want to settle with what we had and only make minor improvements. Instead we aimed to really evolve as game creators and that has meant identifying imperfections in our previous game and remove them completely.

One of the challenges we've faced when creating a game, is that we become very attached to our creation and that makes it more difficult to objectively identify these imperfections. We also get used to the elements that make up a game and have a hard time imagining how first time player perceive specific features.
Examples of such imperfections are technical features, where improvements are easy to evaluate because we can use simple metrics (frames per seconds, visual quality etc) to determine if they are better then last time. At the same time there are other imperfections related to gameplay and the quality of a gaming experience where it is a lot harder to determine if and when these have been fixed.

Thankfully we have a great bunch of people trying out new ideas and we use their feedback to see if our improvements have been successful. We have also gained a lot of knowledge through the feedback from our first game, all of which has made us better at judging what works and what doesn't.

More to follow...

Corrosion - Cold Winter Waiting video game annouced

UK based games developer Viperante is proud to announce production of their brand new adventure game: “Corrosion: Cold Winter Waiting” for PC, and the launch of the game's official website.

About “Corrosion: Cold Winter Waiting”
Corrosion: Cold Winter Waiting is a dark, shocking, uncompromising, and fear charged horror adventure game, that casts the player in the role of Sheriff Alex Truman as he attempts to break the monotony of life by piecing together the history and origins of a disturbed and unidentified car crash victim.

Set entirely underneath an idyllic country farmhouse, in the deserted and claustrophobic confines of a mysterious and secret underground complex, players will explore a place nobody knew existed, and uncover a twisted past that gets more and more terrifying with every corner turned, every door opened, and every note read.

What happened beneath Cold Winter Farm? What does it have to do with the stranger, who survived a terrible crash, only to sit and mutter the farm’s name? And if the place is supposed to be deserted, what do you keep seeing out of the corner of your eye?

Backed by atmospheric pre-rendered 3D scenes, and a chilling yet beautiful score, Corrosion: Cold Winter Waiting weaves a tangled and brutal tale of love, revenge, jealousy, and bitter rivalry to create a horror experience that will bring new meaning to the concepts of hope and trust, and leave you questioning whether what you know, is really what you know!

Key Features:
- A vast and detailed storyline
- Engaging and realistic characters
- Puzzles integrated logically into the story
- A large and exciting location with many secrets
- 1st person style interface and control system
- 1024 x 768 screen resolution
- Detailed and atmospheric pre-rendered 3D backgrounds
- An original and emotive score

Production on Corrosion: Cold Winter Waiting has been underway for more than six months, and the projected release date is August 2008.

For more information visit the official site at: www.coldwinterwaiting.com

The Storyline
Deacon Oaks is a small and quiet town, where nothing bad ever happens. Sheriff Alex Truman has a peaceful life dealing with lost dogs, trivial disputes, and a few drunks here and there. He should be the happiest lawman in the world. But there's just one small part of him that longs for some excitement, for something that would break the monotony he doesn't even realise is eating him alive.

One cold November night it seems his unspoken wishes may have been granted when he’s involved in a car accident with a man who appears suddenly in the middle of the road. Alex is fine, but the man ends up in hospital with a broken leg, and several cracked ribs. Nobody knows who this guy is or where he has come from, and to make matters worse, he won’t speak. Finally the town has its first real mystery, and Alex is overjoyed. But that joy is to be short lived.

With no way of finding out the man’s identity, he’s moved to the local state mental health facility, and life in Deacon Oaks goes back to normal, until two months later when Alex gets a call informing him that the “road guy” has at last spoken. Three words were all he would say – “Cold Winter Farm, Cold Winter Farm, Cold Winter Farm”, over and over again.

Alex has no idea what it means, but he does know that Cold Winter Farm is on the edge of town, and that’s good enough. The mystery is back, and Alex wants to get to the bottom of it right away. Problem is, the biggest storm in fifty years is heading towards town – he’ll never make it out to the farm and back before the storm hits. But Alex doesn’t care – something deep inside is driving him – he has to know who the “road guy” is, and he has to know now. Abandoning all rational thought and ignoring the warnings of his deputy, he grabs the keys to the 4x4 and heads out.

Ten minutes after he arrives at the farm, the storm is so out of control, that it uproots a tree, which falls onto the house, crushing the roof, and trapping him in the basement. That’s not all though. The fallen tree has opened up a hidden doorway, which leads to a secret corridor. At the end of the corridor is an elevator, and the only place it can go is down. With no chance of being rescued until the next day, and with the overpowering need to find answers drowning out the fear he feels, Alex decides to take the elevator down.

But what will be waiting for him at the bottom? Will it explain the origins and identity of the “road guy”? Will it explain why the “road guy” was walking in the middle of the road, in the middle of the night, in the middle of the freezing winter? Will it explain why he wouldn’t speak for two months? And if it does, will the answers be simple, or will they be ultimately more disturbing and terrifying than anyone could imagine?

August 2008 Games Conventions tickets onsale now

GC - Games Convention (21 to 24 August 2008)

Advance ticket orders end on 17 December 2007

Christmas tree, goose and Christmas cake - still not found that perfect Christmas present? With the GC Christmas campaign GC fans can secure their exclusive ticket for the games event of summer 2008 and brighten up the Christmas of friends or family. The tickets come packed in an original Christmas greeting card with optional GC winter hat, they can be booked in advance up to 17 December 2007, ensuring that they are under the tree in time for Christmas Eve. "This helps to shorten the wait until the beginning of the GC on 20 August 2008", smiles GC Project Director Peggy Schönbeck.

And: This original Christmas gift also saves money. There are no advance sales fees and the ticket also entitles the holder to free travel to and from the Leipzig exhibition centre in the zones 110, 151-156, 162-168, 210, 221-225 and 231-234 of the Mitteldeutscher Verkehrsverbund public transport authority during the period of the GC. Further information and the online order form can be found at www.gc-germany.com.

First screens of video game - Supreme Ruler 2020

Paradox Interactive released today the first screen shots for the real-time strategy title, Supreme Ruler 2020, scheduled for release during Q2 2008.

Developed by the Canadian studio Battlegoat studios, Supreme Ruler 2020 is a strategic and tactical geo-political game where direct control of the military and the policies of a nation becomes the key to survival.

Will your leadership take you to new heights of power or will you be nothing more than a footnote in history?


Review information on any other region in the world
Control of Spain is crucial to controlling access to the Mediterranean


After reviewing information on other regions, decide whom you want to make deals with
The Middle East…the source of oil or of instability and conflict?


Review what commodities are helping your economy
The Middle East…the source of oil or of instability and conflict?


Review information on any other region in the world
An alliance with Cuba can prove very useful for any move against the southern United States

Devil May Cry mobile phone video game

Mobile game to be released alongside Devil May Cry 4 on the home console

Capcom, a leading worldwide developer and publisher of video games, today announced that Devil May Cry, a full 3D adventure based on Devil May Cry 3 on the Playstation 2 (PS2), will be available for mobile phones across Europe from February 2008.

The highly anticipated Devil May Cry for mobile immerses gamers in a gothic supernatural world where Dante, a mercenary whose speciality is tackling paranormal cases, opens up the battle between good and evil.

Featuring over 10 hours of gameplay in over 45 missions, Devil May Cry takes the player on a journey of fast and frenetic combo driven combat and mind-bending puzzle solving, typical of the highly successful Devil May Cry series on the home console. Set in a dark unforgiving underworld, Devil May Cry boasts stunning 3D environments and characters, including an array of fearsome enemies. With an arsenal of weapons at Dante’s disposal, including the Rebellion sword and the Ebony and Ivory pistols, and a “style” rating at the end of each stage, players can take advantage of combos and multiple weapon usage to maximise their high score.

With the path of the game left in the hands of the player, different routes open up new puzzles, new enemies and new weapons to master.

Devil May Cry will be available from all major European mobile phone operators and www.capcom-world.com from February 2008.

Game for Mobile Phones – "Crazy Frog Racer"!

MobilityZone Ltd, a mobile phone games developer & publisher, announced the acquisition of a worldwide exclusive license for the most famous character to emerge from the web and mobile phones, Crazy Frog.

The first games from the Crazy Frog series of games, “Crazy Frog Racer” is ready now

Description
The frog is back!
Ride with The Annoying Thing in a high octane riot through cityscapes and underground mayhem.
Blast your opponents, picking up many power ups and super boosts.
This is your chance to either join The Annoying Thing or help beat him.

Game features
- Variety of Game modes including
- Up to 20 levels
- 3 Crazy Frogs with different abilities to choose from
- 7 opponents to fight with
- Up to 8 players on the track (behind character view)
- Number of weapons, items and power up’s during the course
- Up to 10 mini-games
- Dozens of quests to pass trough the race course
- Great player animations and behaviors
- Many track obstacles and objects
- Online feature – collect points and then send it to server
- Different weather conditions – real impact on the game play

Game Modes
- QUICK RACE: Single race, just pick up random road, a character and be the first on the finish line. Gain points to write your name in online high score.
- STORY: about 30 different races to pass trough during the mode. Each one with different combination of quests, mini-games and conditions player needs to pass.
- CHALLENGE: Around 30 different quests unlocked after pass in Story Mode. Examples:
- Finish with 50% energy
- Eliminate 3 contenders before race is over
- Grab 30 bonus crowns
- Finish the race without using speed up pods
- On each checkpoint last one will end the race, be the first one on the last checkpoint to win the game (just like eliminator mode in Burnout series)
 And more…

Supported phones: All major handsets in the market (more than 700 handsets).