Silent Hill - Shattered Memories new artwork

The story follows Harry Mason, who wakes up after a car accident to find that his daughter Cheryl is missing. Harry will wander the snowy streets of Silent Hill searching for answers of her disappearance, but when the world freezes over, he will need to escape the lumbering demons that haunt his steps.

Harry will need to navigate both worlds to discover the truth; not just about his missing daughter, but also the type of person he actually is.



Silent Hill's debut on the Nintendo Wii makes the fear more real than ever before. Players will be drawn into the mysterious town using the Nintendo Wii Remote as a flashlight and a cellphone as they search for clues. Choices they make will shape Harry Mason, as well as the people he meets and the places he visits. The enemies evolve as well, taking the form of the player's deepest fears. Silent Hill promises to be more terrifying than ever, bringing the fear to Nintendo Wii, PlayStation 2, and PSP.

More artwork here...

Key Features:

* A re-imagining of the original Silent Hill that turns everything you thought you knew on its head.
* The game watches you and adapts to your actions to create a unique experience to each player and intensify their fears.
* Implementation of a cell phone as the user interface, which acts as a story telling device, map, puzzle helper, and camera that provides seamless flow with no interruption in gameplay.
* New nightmare sequences focus on escape and evasion rather than direct confrontation.
* Silent Hill: Shattered Memories will feature an all-new soundtrack by acclaimed series composer Akira Yamaoka.

Sega unveil new Shining Force Website

A new Sega teaser website has appeared here Shining Force.

The launch date - 17 April 2009 doesn't mention what game or games it promotes...

Could it be a new Skies of Arcadia game or a new Shining Force title? Hope that it promotes ports of the existing Shining Forces games onto the new DSi platform are also being considered.

Sega trademarked the name Shining Force Cross last year so maybe that's a hint?

We'll just have to wait and see...

Guilty Gear XX Accent Core Plus Arrives on the PlayStation 2 system and PSP

the arrival of Guilty Gear XX Accent Core Plus today! Hardcore players will finally be able to take their fight on the PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system and PSP (PlayStation Portable) system. Developed by Yokohama-based developer Arc System Works, Guilty Gear XX Accent Core Plus is the definitive installment in the series and is widely cited as one of the most balanced fighters among its peers.

Sporting high-resolution graphics in 480P, Guilty Gear XX Accent Core Plus marks the return of over 20 beloved characters from the Guilty Gear franchise, including Kliff and Justice! Fans of the series will be pleased to not only find all their characters available right off the bat, but will finally be able to uncover the rich stories of each character for the first time!

“With the inclusion of Kliff and Justice, a brand-new story mode, a re-tuned survival mode, and a team mode, be prepared for long nights of Guilty Gear action,"
said Michael Manzanares, Producer, Aksys Games. "I hope fans of the series will enjoy this title as much as we did working on it.”

Guilty Gear XX Accent Core Plus Features

• 2 COMBATANTS RETURN TO THE BATTLE!
Accent Core Plus marks the return of fan favorites Kliff Undersn and Justice, rounding out the cast of 25 playable characters.

• ALL NEW STORY MODE CREATED SPECIFICALLY FOR GGXXACP!
Discover the back story to all of your favorite characters in the Guilty Gear mythos, with fully-voiced dialogue.

• FIGHT TO SURVIVE!
Level up your character's abilities and traits in the re-tuned Survival Mode.

• TEAM BATTLE ROYALE!
Create a three-man team in Versus Mode to find out which characters are the ultimate Guilty Gear team-up.

Guilty Gear XX Accent Core Plus has been rated T for Teen by the ESRB.

Download Guns 'n' Roses Chinese Democracy album on Rock Band

Chinese Democracy, the sixth and most recent album from Guns N’ Roses, will be released in its entirety to the Rock Band Music Store catalog of downloadable content on April 14, 2009.

The highly anticipated November 2008 release of Chinese Democracy was Guns N’ Roses’ first official music release in 15 years. It debuted at #3 on the Billboard 200 chart, at #2 on the UK Albums chart and was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America on February 3, 2009. Chinese Democracy has already sold nearly three million copies.

Formed in the early 80s in Los Angeles, Guns N’ Roses has sold an estimated 100 million albums worldwide. The band’s 1987 major label debut Appetite for Destruction, featuring the hits “Welcome to the Jungle,” “Paradise City” and “Sweet Child o’ Mine,” has sold in excess of 28 million copies and remains to this day the fastest-selling debut album in history.

Next week’s Rock Band Music Store lineup will feature 13 songs from Chinese Democracy. With “Shackler’s Revenge” from Chinese Democracy already featured on the Rock Band 2 soundtrack, the DLC album includes the following tracks:

Tracks: Chinese Democracy

Better
Street of Dreams
If the World
There Was a Time
Catcher in the Rye
Scraped
Riad N’ the Bedouins
Sorry
I.R.S.
Madagascar
This I Love
Prostitute

(All tracks are original master recordings)

The tracks will be available for purchase as an album or individual tracks for Xbox 360 and PLAYSTATION 3 system. The tracks will be available for purchase as individual tracks only for Wii.

Release Date: Tuesday, April 14, 2009
(Xbox LIVE Marketplace for Xbox 360 and in-game Rock Band 2 Music Store for Wii )
Thursday, April 16, 2009
(PlayStation Store)

Freaky Creatures, the massively multiplayer online (MMO) game available on PC, MAC and mobile

Abandon Interactive Entertainment announce the release of Freaky Creatures, the massively multiplayer online (MMO) game available on PC, MAC and mobile.

Freaky Creatures combines the best of online multiplayer gaming, collectible action figures, virtual worlds and social networking.

The Freaky Creatures experience begins with a starter pack that includes two action figures and a one gigabyte reusable flash drive that unlocks the Freaky Creatures universe. Each starter pack also comes with 50 different parts, 20 powers and four objects that can be placed into the creature’s lair.

Players can then bring their creatures to life online and customize them with rare parts and powers to create one out of 3.2 billion possible combinations. Once players have created their custom creature, they can jump straight into battle or build a lair within which they can care for their creature or hang out and socialize with friends. Gamers are encouraged to visit the community to personalize their homepage, play mini-games, join tournaments, check leaderboards, trade items, read animated comics, enter contests and much more in the ever expanding Freaky Creatures universe.

“From the beginning, Abandon has been committed to creating a multi-faceted entertainment adventure. We created an experience that is accessible to the amateur MMO player, but also offers enough in-depth gameplay to appeal to the hardcore gamer,” said Jamie Ottilie, President and COO of Abandon Interactive Entertainment. “As a completely unique and original IP, bringing Freaky Creatures to market has truly been a labor of love, and we’re thrilled to share the end result with the gaming community.”

In addition, Abandon Interactive Entertainment has teamed up with the Starlight Children’s Foundation to spearhead the launch of Freaky Creatures, donating a portion of the sales of Freaky Creatures starter packs to Starlight’s “Great Escapes” program benefitting local children’s hospitals nationwide. The foundation gives terminally ill children and their families the chance to partake in fun activities in a friendly, accepting environment, including movie screenings, circus trips, mother and daughter makeovers, sporting events, picnics and more.

For more information, or to purchase your very own Freaky Creatures starter pack, please visit http://www.freakycreatures.com.

Guitar Hero fans can now cast their votes online

Online voting at GreatestHits.GuitarHero.com Begins Today

Guitar Hero fans can now cast their votes online at GreatestHits.GuitarHero.com to determine the order in which songs will be revealed for Activision Guitar Hero Greatest Hits.

Guitar Hero Greatest Hits takes the most exciting, recognisable and fun to play music from genre-defining titles Guitar Hero, Guitar Hero II, Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks the 80s and Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock, which were previously available for guitar-only in-game play, and delivers them as a compelling and dynamic full band experience.

Starting today, music and video game fans alike can visit GreatestHits.GuitarHero.com to cast their votes for which previous Guitar Hero game they would like the set list unveiled from first. Each week, a portion of the Guitar Hero Greatest Hits set list will be revealed based on which prior game captures the most votes.

Guitar Hero Greatest Hits feature the most memorable songs from Guitar Hero games together in one epic set list, including these tracks:
• Guitar Hero

o “Killer Queen” – Queen
o “I Love Rock N Roll” – Joan Jett and The Blackhearts
o “Bark At The Moon” – Ozzy Osbourne

• Guitar Hero II

o “Them Bones” – Alice in Chains
o “Killing in the Name” – Rage Against The Machine
o “Message In A Bottle” – The Police
o “Carry On Wayward Son” – Kansas
o “Free Bird” – Lynyrd Skynyrd

• Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks the 80s

o “I Wanna Rock” – Twisted Sister
o “Nothin But A Good Time” – Poison

• Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock

o “Barracuda” – Heart
o “Through the Fire and Flames” – DragonForce

Turn down the lights, crank up the amps and prepare to command center stage as some of the most famous AND infamous tracks from Guitar Hero, Guitar Hero II, Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks the 80s and Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock step into the spotlight in the most epic, full band jam session to-date - Guitar Hero Greatest Hits. The No1 best-selling video game franchise of 2008 presents the best of the best to music video game aficionados so they can join together for guitar, bass, drums and vocals in-game and rock to master tracks of their favorite Guitar Hero music.

Featuring 48 master recordings, Guitar Hero Greatest Hits delivers exciting online and offline gameplay modes including Band Career and 8-player “Battle of the Bands,” which allows two full bands to compete head-to-head online. Players’ rock n’ roll fantasies turn to realities as they create their rocker, compose original music and share it with the world through the innovative Music Studio, GHTunes and robust Rock Star Creator gameplay modes first introduced in Guitar Hero World Tour.

WiiWare Sales of Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People Double with New Wii Storage Solution

Telltale has announced that WiiWare sales of Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People, the first monthly episodic series on a console, have more than doubled since Nintendo's new storage solution was unveiled at the Game Developer's Conference in March.

The Strong Bad series began releasing episodically on WiiWare in August 2008.

"Nintendo's new solution really opens the door for players to add to their collection of downloadable games, which is critical for a series with multiple installments," says Telltale CEO Dan Connors. "This is a major step forward for episodic gaming. We're looking forward to even greater success on WiiWare with Strong Bad, as well as other projects."

Like a TV series, Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People is best enjoyed when the full five episode "season" is played in its entirety. Nintendo's new option to play WiiWare games directly from high-density SD cards gives customers a convenient way to enjoy this full-season experience.

Starring Strong Bad, the self-proclaimed "coolest person ever," and the rest of the characters from the popular Homestarrunner.com website, Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People is a series of comedy games that play like interactive cartoons. Each episode features a unique storyline penned by series creators Mike and Matt Chapman and the writers of Telltale's award-winning Sam & Max series. Arcade-style mini games, achievements, and the ability to email Wii™ friends from Strong Bad's laptop complete the experience.

The Strong Bad games can be downloaded from the Wii Shop Channel for 1,000 points each. For more information on Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People on WiiWare, visit http://www.telltalegames.com/strongbad/wiiware. The series is also available for PC from Telltale's website.

Telltale's episodic offerings are expanding to Xbox LIVE Arcade this spring with Wallace & Gromit's Grand Adventures.

Bionic Commando out on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC this May

Capcom, confirmed that the highly anticipated Bionic Commando will be released on the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and Sony Computer Entertainment’s PLAYSTATION 3 (PS3) this May across Europe with a PC version available in the following months.

Reloaded for the latest generation of hardware, Bionic Commando sees the return of the ultimate fusion of man and machine who became a firm favourite with gamers around the world some 20 years ago with the release of the 8-bit original on the NES. Bionic Commando features Nathan Spencer (voiced by former lead singer of Faith No More, Mike Patton), as a government operative who, after distinguishing himself in a fierce conflict against the Imperials, is betrayed and falsely imprisoned by the very people he unquestioningly served.

Five years later, on the day he is due to be executed for his supposed crimes, an experimental weapon detonates in Ascension City, unleashing an immensely powerful earthquake coupled with a radiation shockwave that leaves the city in ruins, wiping out its populace. Military intelligence suggests that a large terrorist search force has moved in and occupied Ascension City, but as yet their motives remain unclear. With the terrain in ruins and the terrorists in control of Ascension City’s air defences the FSA has only one option open to them – the reactivation of Nathan Spencer.

Both the Bionic Arm and swing mechanic that made the original so unique make a welcome return. They have been upgraded to deliver a range of devastating attacks and allow Spencer to quickly traverse the game’s diverse environments. Players can harness the power of the arm in a variety of ways to take out enemies - launch huge boulders or cars; send them flying with a close-quarters uppercut; use enemies as a shield or whip them into the air transforming them into a human kite.

Bionic Commando is being developed in partnership with Swedish developer Grin, and provides a further example of Capcom’s strategy to work with the best developer talent, whilst maintaining the unique elements of creativity and approach to game design for which Capcom is renowned.

PSP Monster Hunter video game Freedom Unite for Europe

Japanese multi-platinum selling Monster Hunter Portable 2G will be coming to European gamers as Monster Hunter Freedom Unite. Since its release in Japan earlier this year, the game has shipped over 2.4 million copies, making it one of the most successful games on the PSP (PlayStation Portable). To date the Monster Hunter series has sold over 7.8 million units worldwide. Monster Hunter Freedom Unite is scheduled for release across PAL territories this coming spring.

The epic Monster Hunter series is the leading PSP franchise in Japan becoming the fastest selling third party portable game on any format. More than just a game, Monster Hunter has become a social and cultural gaming phenomenon, giving rise to Monster Hunter festivals and seminars plus numerous merchandising lines. With the upcoming release of Monster Hunter Freedom Unite in Europe players will be invited to experience the thrill of the hunt with more action and combat than ever before.

“Monster Hunter’s success on the PSP in Japan is unprecedented,” commented David Reeves, President Sony Computer Entertainment Europe. “So it is great news that the latest instalment of the series will shortly be available in Europe and I am confident that its key tenet of social gaming that has made Monster Hunter so popular with Japanese gamers will resonate strongly with European PSP owners.”

With over 500 hours of gameplay and previously unreleased monsters, weapons and missions, Monster Hunter Freedom Unite is set to be the biggest game of the series so far. Via Ad-Hoc functionality, players can experience the social gaming phenomenon that’s gripping Japan and adventure with up to three friends for a thrilling and savaging multiplayer hunting party. From devising the strategy to executing the attack, team play with your friends is going to be key to hunting down the ferocious beasts.

Monster Hunters can prepare for the ultimate fight with more than 2000 armour sets, 1500 weapons and 400 missions to choose and customise their characters from. Throughout the strategic gameplay players will be rewarded for their deep fighting combat sequences and tactics, encouraging them to seek out the more experienced Monster Hunters and team up in order to learn from their experience.

New to Monster Hunter Freedom Unite is the fully customisable AI Felyne companion who will accompany players on quests and gather extra resources for the player. PSP owners may then share their companions with other players through ‘felyne casting’ with users transferring data through the PSP sleep mode.


Also new to Monster Hunter Freedom Unite is the improved media install option where players can save the game to a memory stick, allowing the game to load from the memory stick and UMD simultaneously for faster loading times. Fans of the series will be pleased to hear that they can transfer their data from Monster Hunter Freedom 2 over to the new game.

Unemployed to get Adobe Flex Builder 3 web application (worth $699 or £480) FREE

Adobe are offering a licence for Flex Builder 3 – its Eclipse-based web application development tool – completely free for any developer as long as they can prove they are unemployed.

Details on the company's website (link below), Adobe are offering the license, which normally costs $699 (£480) providing applicants state they are “not currently employed or being paid to develop software applications or web pages,” and to provide “some basic information about previous work experience.”

There are restrictions on the offer, however: the license, for the Professional edition of Flex Builder 3, is for personal use only and must “not be used for production or commercial purposes.” Adobe is also restricting the resale rights, telling developers that the freebie cannot be “transferred to any other person or entity.”

That said, free is free: with the open-source Flex language proving popular in web development circles, anyone interested in improving their skills while they're temporarily between posts could do worse than to snag a copy at Adobe's expense.

It's not all generosity on Adobe's part, of course: the more developers that are skilled in Flex, the larger the market for the commercial editions of Flex Builder. Coupled with the non-production and non-transfer restrictions on the licence, as soon as a developer finds himself back in work it's a pretty much guaranteed sale.

Flex has been used by Wilson Sports and the Discovery Channel to create their websites...

Link to Adobe site...

Eternal Sonata - Fact Sheet PlayStation 3 - Xbox 360

Cross the Bridge Between Dreams and Reality… On his deathbed, the famous composer, Chopin, drifts between this life and the next. In his final hours, he experiences a fantastical dream where he encounters a young girl facing a terrible destiny and the boy who will fight to save her. On the border between dreams and reality, Chopin discovers the light that shines in all of us in this enduring tale of good and evil, love and betrayal.

Developed by Tri-Crescendo and featuring the music of Chopin, Eternal Sonata for the PLAYSTATION 3 delivers amazingly detailed 3D graphics, a captivating storyline, an innovative action battle system as well as new playable characters, quests, music and more.




FEATURES:

• New PS3 Quests, Battles and Events: Experience new quests, battles, events and multiple endings that will shed new light on the dramatic and evolving storyline;

• New Playable Characters and Costume Changes for the PS3: Now players can play as Crescendo or Serenade and change favourite character’s costumes;

• Exclusive New Music for the PS3: Listen to newly added Chopin music – a key element in the environment and story;

• Custom-Made for Next-Gen: Enjoy amazing, high-definition, anime style cel-shading and high quality textures delivering an spectacular next gen experience.

• Innovative Battle System: Battle using a unique, hybrid turn-based / action RPG system that combines free-roam and turn-based action (up to three players during battle).

• Strategic Use of Light and Darkness: Adjust your battle strategy in the ongoing struggle between light and darkness. Beware of enemies lurking in the shadows, as their stats – attacks and potency – will change, as will their physical form. Lure them out into the light or destroy them under the cloak of darkness. Change your special attacks depending on whether you are in the light or the dark.

• Dramatic and Evolving Storyline: Experience a deeply moving story focusing on the enduring struggle between good and evil, all taking place in a dream during the final 3 hours of world-famous music composer Frederic Chopin’s life.

Platform: PLAYSTATION 3
Release Date: February 2009
Developer: Tri-Crescendo
Publisher: Namco Bandai Games
Distributor: Atari (Europe)
Category: Role-playing
Players: 1, 2-3 battle co-op
Rating: 12+

Steambot Chronicles Battle Tournament video game for PSP

Steambot Chronicles Battle Tournament for PSP (PlayStation Portable) system, an action game overflowing with intense mech customization, an open-world mission structure, and fast-paced arena style combat. Did we mention you spend most of the game making the earth beneath your hulking metal feet tremble as you impose your will using your awesomely impressive, customized Trotmobile of destruction? Yes, that's right, this game is all about metal-on-metal action!

Steambot Chronicles Battle Tournament opens its valves this summer.

About Steambot Chronicles Battle Tournament
A young Trot driver comes to Orion City with one dream in mind: to win the prestigious Orion City Trotmobile gladiator tournament. However, you'll quickly learn that it takes more than pluck and optimism to earn victory in the coliseum. With the help of a spirited mechanic named Venus, you'll have to take on a series of jobs to earn the money and fame required to make a name for yourself about town as a skilled Trotmobile operator. When a series of bandit attacks begins to affect the city's economy and distress the citizens, who will have the mettle and the metal to put a stop to it?

Key Features
• You control your adventure - Mission-based gameplay puts you in the driver's seat: you choose what you do and say. Take on missions ranging from cross-town delivery to mining in a canyon to defeating bandits. The money and fame points earned can be used to upgrade your Trotmobile and enter arena battles.
• Complete freedom to build - The cardinal rule of Trotmobile design is that there is no ideal design. Instead, there are tons of customization options, letting you upgrade your arms, legs, heads, bodies, and more, each changing the nature of how you battle! Personalize your vehicle with color and emblem to make it distinctively yours.
• Four-player competition mode - Clash with your friends' Trotmobiles in 4 player ad hoc multiplayer! Set each player against the others battle royale style, or pair up for tag team action.
• One cartridge, four players - Only one UMD disc? You can still compete! Activate "game sharing" to enter multiplayer mode with standard Trotmobiles, or use multiple UMDs to have access to your customized battle vehicles!
Steambot Chronicles: Battle Tournament has not yet been rated by the ESRB.

City of Heroes - Power to the players online video game

The launch of the highly anticipated Mission Architect system in its comic-book inspired MMO, City of Heroes. Free to current PC and Macintosh subscribers, the release of Issue 14: Architect marks the first time in MMO history that players have been given the power to create and share their own custom missions and story arcs, thus generating an unprecedented and virtually limitless amount of user-generated content for the City of Heroes community.

In addition to allowing players to create their own missions using thousands of existing assets from the game, players may also use the Mission Architect system to personalise their stories by building their own characters and enemy groups using City of Heroes’ highly regarded Character Creator system. Players will be able to publish up to three story arcs per account which will be displayed to all players across all servers in the Mission Architect system. Each user-created story can have up to five missions containing up to twenty-five individual objectives. Players will even be able to write custom dialogue for their missions, offering true flexibility in dynamic story telling.



“We are very excited for City of Heroes to be the first-ever MMO to offer this revolutionary new system to our players,” said Brian Clayton, general manager and executive producer of the franchise. “Within two weeks of opening the beta version of Mission Architect to our community, players published an astounding 5,000 custom stories, representing up to 25,000 user-created missions. Such a steady in-flux of fresh content offers the capacity for endless adventures to City of Heroes subscribers."

Not only will players be able to share and search the content they upload to the game, but the Mission Architect system allows players to play and rate each other’s story arcs as well. The highest rated missions will be prominently displayed earning those players in-game rewards for creating excellent content. Additionally, the best of these submitted story arcs will be hand-chosen by the City of Heroes development team and deemed as “Dev Choice” missions. Receiving either of these prestigious designations will reward the author with an additional slot to create even more quality custom stories.

Cover players for Grand Slam Tennis game - John McEnroe, Roger Federer and Serena Williams Featured on US box

Electronic Arts announced today that tennis stars John McEnroe, Roger Federer and Serena Williams will be the North American* cover athletes for its new tennis franchise, EA SPORTS Grand Slam Tennis. Eight different regional player partnerships will be announced soon. McEnroe, one of the sport’s most recognizable figures, was recently confirmed as exclusive to the game.

Federer and Williams are among the biggest names in tennis and the most accomplished; having won 23 Grand Slam singles titles between them. Williams becomes the first woman to grace the cover of an EA SPORTS simulation product.

“It’s very exciting to be on the cover of EA SPORTS Grand Slam Tennis. This game not only shows EA’s enthusiasm for tennis but for also women’s tennis,” said Williams. “I know from experience how tough and gratifying it is to win all four Grand Slams so I hope people will enjoy the Grand Slam experience that is offered in this game.”



EA SPORTS Grand Slam Tennis is being developed under the EA SPORTS brand by EA Canada in Vancouver, B.C. Designed first for the Wii, it ships to North American retailers on June 15th, one day earlier than the previously announced ship date. Worldwide it ships on June 26th with the exception of the United Kingdom, Sweden, Finland, Norway, Denmark, Spain and Australia, where it ships on June 12th.

This fall, EA SPORTS Grand Slam Tennis will also be served up for the PLAYSTATION 3 computer entertainment system and Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft. With stunning realism, it will feature innovative control systems and robust online** capability. Classic matches from the past will be recreated, along with simulated dream match-ups that weren’t possible before.

EA SPORTS Grand Slam Tennis for the Wii has been rated “E” by the ESRB and “3+” by PEGI, and has an MSRP of $49.95 USD in North America.

Top-selling titles and franchises from EA SPORTS include Madden NFL football, FIFA Soccer, NHL, NBA LIVE, NCAA Football, Tiger Woods PGA TOUR and NASCAR racing.

*In addition to select other global territories
** INTERNET CONNECTION required for online features. See product pack for details.

Update expands Runes of Magic game world New zone 'Ravenfell' open as of now

Just three weeks after the launch of Runes of Magic Frogster is expanding the game world with new content. The newly launched update makes fresh features immediately available: The high level zone ‘Ravenfell’ now offers exciting adventures and challenges to level of 45 - 50 players in a Caribbean setting, bringing Runes of Magic’s total quest-count up to over 1,600 quests.

Additionally the ‘Ruins of the Ice Dwarf Kingdom’ dungeon challenges mid-level players, despatching them to the forgotten fortress of the Ice Dwarves. Offering something of a change from levelling and collecting equipment, the ‘Wind-Runner Races’ is already the second mini-game in the fantasy world of Taborea. Heroes from level 35 can look forward to the new Elite skills which will further expand their dual class abilities.

However, new players aren’t being short-changed either. A completely reworked tutorial eases the path for budding heroes in their entry into the online role-play game. In addition, the patch optimises the localisation of areas, items and quest texts. “This content update meets the wishes of our players by further expanding the high level area.” commented Runes of Magic PR Manager, Philipp Senkbeil on the new features being built-in so shortly after the game launch. These seamlessly join up with the content that was already implemented at the launch, such as the difficult instance, the ‘Kalin Shrine’. There is also a new dungeon, ‘Treasure Trove’ which is set to appear in the near future.

You can read further information about the current content as well as comprehensive patch notes, on the official Runes of Magic forum:
http://forum.runesofmagic.com/showthread.php?t=52932.

Runes of Magic – a world full of wizardry and adventure
Runes of Magic was commercially released on 19th March 2009. All interested fantasy fans can continue to download the online role playing game for free at www.runesofmagic.com and can plunge into the game world after a short registration process.

With an extensive range of features Runes of Magic prepares to redefine the standard of free to play massively online role playing games. Runes of Magic conveys an absorbing story through more than 1.600 quests embedded in an atmospheric fantasy world. Players can choose between six main classes and combined with a secondary class they present 30 individual combinations of character classes over all. All characters possess unique skills with impressive combo attacks and can use mounts like war horses and more. A particularly attractive feature for guilds and players is the possibility to arrange their own virtual homes with individual furnishing. Thanks to an extensive crafting and reputation system, thrilling PvP, as well as demanding dungeons and boss-monsters, no wishes remain unsatisfied. The Taiwanese developer Runewaker has developed Runes of Magic according to western MMO standards within a time frame of three years. The studio will provide new challenges for players every four to five months with free add-ons and updates. MMO fans can find more information, pictures and videos on the official website www.runesofmagic.com.

Features

- Free to play: no monthly fees, free download
- Extensive dual class system (six primary and secondary classes)
- Versatile spell- and attack-combinations
- Enthralling background story
- More than 1.600 quests and quest series
- No zone boundaries thanks to seamless architecture
- Dungeons: Instanced and tile based as well as persistent
- Individually developable skills and spells
- Armour sets with special bonuses
- Dynamic item system with hundreds of runes for upgrading
- Optional PvP system with arena battles
- Ranking system with player-ranking lists
- Multitude of unique mounts
- Epic crafting system with the chance to improve existing items
- Personalization of player houses through individual furnishing
- Reputation system
- Customisable user interface with the option to use Add-Ons
- Map and radar system to find dealers, resources and quests easily
- In-game auction houses for trading items
- Teleport-Runes for instant travel
- Mouse and keyboard controls for movement
- Regular updates with new content
- Guild castles in special zones
- Cross-server fights in three-server-battle and guild wars in development

Facts
Titel: Runes of Magic
Genre: Fantasy-MMORPG
Platform: Windows-PC
Publisher: Frogster Online Gaming
Developer: Runewaker Entertainment Ltd.
Release: March 19th 2009
PEGI: 12+

Crazy Machines Complete - Built for complexity and fun! Video game info

Invent your Crazy Machines with two packs in one! Crazy Machines 1 and 1.5 in one box!

Enjoy 70 different elements to make your contraptions in this fun-filled game which will keep you engrossed for hours! A “Rube Goldberg” Machine is a deliberately over-engineered apparatus - why do it simply when you can create something engrossing and crazy?

Let your imagination take flight and fulfil your creativity by making an impossibly complex and interesting machine. Choose from 70 different elements with over 200 puzzles and fulfil the budding inventor you have inside you!

From grilling sausages with a pulley, gears, rubber bands and a candle to firing a cannon with a basketball, these wacky brainteasers will light up your imagination with creative and addictive fun!”

Go to the Inventors Laboratory where you can go wild and make whatever you want! Hone your skills, practice, pick up tips and then let your imagination do the rest….

FEATURES
Over 70 Game Elements
Addictive Fun
Over 200 Challenges
Multiple Solutions
3D Graphics and Real Time Shadows

Crazy Machines 1.5 Features:
Over 200 brand new level!
New backgrounds, elements and music!

Crazy Machines Complete will be released in the UK on 24th April for a recommended retail price of £19.99.

Buccaneer - The Pursuit of Infamy tops indie games chart

Number 1 selling Indie game on Steam available NOW for $9.99

Following on from its tremendous success at Games Developers Conference in San Francisco and a fantastic 50% discount on Steam, Buccaneer: The Pursuit of Infamy is selling by the boatload. Don’t miss your chance to become the most infamous pirate in the Caribbean at just $9.99 until 17 April.

Partnered with Blitz 1>UP, Stickman Studios created the critically acclaimed Indie arcade game that lets you sink ships, plunder gold and strike fear into the hearts of your opponents as you blast enemy ships out of the water. Will you become the world’s greatest pirate captain, or will you watch your infamy ebb away and risk mutiny at the hands of your crew?

“We're absolutely thrilled to have hit Number 1 on the Steam Indie top sellers list,’ says Stickman Studios’ Simon Nevill. “We’ve always known that we have a quality game and that even a little exposure would help it sell. We’re utterly delighted that all our hard work and efforts are now beginning to pay off.”

Buccaneer is arcade-style fun on the high seas with easy to use controls, great looking visuals and more fun than you can shake a parrot at. In single-player you have to transform your down-on-its-luck crew and basic ship into the wealthiest pirate galleon on the high seas. There are 56 missions to pit your wits against.

If you fancy taking your swashbuckling skills online, check out the epic multiplayer game and show off your teamplay prowess. With 10 maps there are countless emergent strategies to discover.

“Thanks to the increased sales the multiplayer games are really alive and kicking,” says Chris Swan, Blitz Arcade’s Business Development Director. “It's now incredibly easy to find a game size and map that suits everyone’s pirating tastes.”

Download now for your chance to get this gem of a game for half price.

Spellborn Concept Art - Wallpaper to download

Deathhands are alchemist specialists, they know how create volatile substances, plagues and tamper with the bodily functions of his adversaries, or rather its victims.

Today, these highly specialized assassins get their new exclusive wallpaper on the official website of The Chronicles of Spellborn! We are sure that you will enjoy this beautiful concept art and put it as your desktop wallpaper!

4:3 resolution
800x600
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16:10 resolution
1280x800
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Enjoy and see you in the game !

Blood Bowl video game - New website opens

It is with great pleasure that Cyanide and Focus Home Interactive are announcing the opening of the official Blood Bowl website!

Source of all information on the game and its content, it is the best place to discover the Blood Bowl video game and stay informed of the latest news about the game and the growing community around it. To accompany this event, we are pleased to offer exclusive new images from the game.

An ultra-violent mix of Warhammer Fantasy and American football, Blood Bowl allows players to create the ultimate “fantasy” sports teams. Coaches can build bone-crushing teams of Orcs, Wood Elves, Humans, Dwarfs and many more fantastic creatures – then throw them into the stadium for the ultimate blood sport! Blood Bowl is strategic, action-packed and violent, requiring coaches to use their best tactics, team design – and a dose of pure ruthless bloodlust always helps too!

All of these charming creatures teams are waiting for you to play in highly contested games in Q2 2009.

Blood Bowl is currently in development and will come out on PC, Xbox 360 and on Nintendo DS and Sony PSP handheld systems.

Published by Focus Home Interactive.
Developed by Cyanide Studio.

Visit the website: http://www.bloodbowl-game.com/

Major New Update for World War One: La Grande Guerre 1.06d patch download

The 1.06d includes dozens of fixes and improvements to add more shine to the muddy trenches!

Matrix Games and AGEOD are pleased to release the new comprehensive 1.06d update for World War One: La Grande Guerre.
The v1.06d update includes many crash fixes and scenario tweaks, some balance changes, and improvements to the rules for rail systems.

David Heath, Director of Operations at Matrix Games, said “World War One: La Grande Guerre has come a long way since its initial release.

World War One is a well designed combination of innovative strategy played out on the canvas of a massive conflict that is often overlooked in the wargaming genre.”

As Europe mobilized in August 1914, both sides of what would be called World War I chanted “Home before the leaves fall!’’ Four long and bloody years later Europe lay in ruins and many once-enthusiastic patriots returned home disenchanted and broken ... Will YOU be able to prevent that outcome?

Take charge as a military and political leader during the most trying and critical times of World War One! As either a member of the Central Powers, the Entente or a neutral nation, you will confront the epic gauntlet of challenges that faced the likes of Kitchener, Joffre, Luddendorf, Clemenceau, Czar Nicholas II or Enver Pasha in scenarios that range from single theatres to the entire grand campaign.

Gaze over an incredibly detailed, beautifully crafted, and massive WWI map as you control dozens of different ground units, planes, and ships. To add further flavor to an already chaotic and intense period of conflict, hundreds of military, economic, political and technological events can help turn the tide of war for or against you. Deftly craft new alliances and jockey for any advantage that can break the deadlock by using ambassadors in an innovative and intuitive diplomacy system.

Update file patch download...

This update is comprehensive and will bring any previous version of World War One: La Grande Guerre to version 1.06d. Get more information on World War One: La Grande Guerre from its official product page.