Massive support planned for release of Monster Hunter Freedom Unite on PSP

Capcom a leading worldwide developer and publisher of videogames, has today announced that it will be working in partnership with Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE) to support the release of the upcoming Monster Hunter Freedom Unite game for PSP (PlayStation Portable).

The game which is scheduled for release on the 26th June will be heavily backed by a multi-million promotional campaign throughout PAL territories.

“We are looking forward to working closely with Capcom to promote Monster Hunter Freedom Unite,” commented David Reeves, President SCEE. “With the combined efforts of both companies we want to emulate the success that the title has had in Japan.”

Key to the huge success of the Monster Hunter series in Japan has been the social aspect of multiplayer hunts. Across PAL territories gamers will be able to sample the phenomenon of Monster Hunter before the games release with the launch of the demo available to download on PlayStation Network. The demo will feature three quests to prepare players for the arrival of Monster Hunter Freedom Unite in which you can choose to play alone with the aid of your feline companion or in a team of up to four players to get a real taste of the social gaming side of Monster Hunter that’s taken Japan by storm.

Retail initiatives include an exclusive PSP hardware bundle which contains a specially designed Monster Hunter branded PSP skin and pouch along with a copy of the game.

Michael Pattison, Senior Marketing Director of Capcom Europe stated “Working closely with Sony Computer Entertainment Europe to promote the latest title in the Monster Hunter franchise allows Capcom access to all of Sony’s promotional channels, including Playstation websites, community pages and Playstation Home. A series of events and print and on-line advertising will support a heavy weight TV advertising program. The support of Sony on this title is a clear indication that Monster Hunter can be successful across the West.”

Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 features all-new tournament challenge mode and Nintendo Wii exclusive disc Golf feature

Rewrite many of golf’s most dramatic moments in Tournament Challenge; an all-new character progression mode in Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 10. Experience historic situations over various seasons, including Tiger’s clutch birdie that featured the amazing putt on the 18th green to win last year’s Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill, only this time you determine the outcome.

Get an intimate account of specific moments as introduced by Tiger Woods, as he provides his personal insight and strategy to his real-life approach. The Tournament Challenge mode is available on Xbox 360, PLAYSTATION 3, Wii and PSP versions of the game.

Exclusive to Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 10 on the Wii, Disc Golf allows fans to trade in their golf clubs for a new way to play all championship courses featured in the game. Imagine trying to take on the famous island green on hole 17 at TPC Sawgrass with a disc! Featuring support with the Nintendo Wii MotionPlus accessory, Disc Golf brings the family-fun sport into your living room.

City of Heroes Issue 15: Anniversary Announced

NCsoft is celebrating the fifth anniversary of City of Heroes - the first and longest-running comic book-inspired MMO game. Developed by the recently-renamed Paragon Studios, the team took the opportunity to officially announce that the development is underway for the next content update for the series - aptly named Issue 15: Anniversary.

Issue 14: Architect, released earlier this month, marked the first time MMO players have been given the opportunity to create and share their own custom missions and story arcs. Now, just weeks after Issue 14’s release, players have already created and uploaded more than 120,000 user-generated story arcs. With the upcoming Issue 15: Anniversary, Paragon Studios will bring fans a host of new features and content including much greater options and more usability for the Mission Architect game system. From new mission options for both Villains and Heroes, to new costumes and faces, Issue 15: Anniversary further builds on the innovation and customisation of the Mission Architect tool.

Former players wishing to commemorate this special date can take part in a reactivation opportunity from April 28, 2009 at until Sunday, May 3, 2009 at 11:59 p.m. GMT. During this reactivation event all expired retail and trial accounts that are in good standing can access the live servers. In addition, the community can participate in a variety of five-year anniversary events, including a T-shirt logo design contest, and a City of Heroes video homage contest. For more information on our anniversary celebrations, go to http://eu.cityofheroes.com/en/news/

During the past five years, the City of Heroes series has been praised by the press with more than 22 “Game of the Year” and “Editor's Choice” awards in its first year of launch. Press accolades for City of Heroes include Computer Gaming World's “2004 MMORPG Game of the Year” award, and most recently Massively's “Most Improved Game of 2008” award. In addition, the highly praised City of Villains expansion pack received MMORPG's “2005 Game of the Year” award.

EA Reveals The Sims 3 Full Online Feature Set

Electronic Arts announce the robust online and community offerings to The Sims 3 PC and Mac game, the highly-anticipated flagship game from the best-selling PC franchise The Sims. In addition to the town included in the game, a second town, Riverview will be available for download from The Sims 3 product website at launch.


TheSims3.com also will allow players to create and share their own movies, manage their online content and purchase additional in-game content. The game is set to launch worldwide on the PC, Mac, iPhone, iPod touch and mobile devices starting June 2, 2009.

“With such a vibrant and active community as The Sims has, we wanted to build even further on the already immense offline experience, by offering players additional functionality, content and tools available online through the game,” said Ben Bell, Executive Producer of The Sims 3. “One example of the many online tools we’ve added to the game is the Create a Movie tool. Within the game, players can easily set up the camera angle they want, capture in-game footage, play director and producer and then post their movies online to show off to the world.”

Key Online Elements Include:

* The Sims 3 Store: Included with purchase of the game is $10 worth of SimPoints, which players receive when they first register their game online at TheSims3.com. They can use their SimPoints towards downloading exclusive in-game items from The Sims 3 Store to customize their game. For additional items, players can purchase bundles of 500, 1000 and 2000 SimPoints in $USD, EUR, GBP and other major international currencies using a variety of payment methods including international and national credit cards, PayPal, and EA cash cards (in North America only). Whether it’s the must-have new outfit or the latest style of plaid furniture, players have the opportunity to further customize and populate their Sims world with additional items.
* Game Launcher: The Game Launcher is the key entry point for players into TheSims3.com community. This hub page connects players to both the Store and the Exchange, and provides them with news and information about game updates. Players can keep track of their downloads, uploads, installs, game updates and their media portfolio that includes the videos and photos they can capture while playing the game. The Game Launcher also alerts players to new content in the store, localized game and store promotions along with relevant updates to the Store and cool new content from the community.
* TheSims3.com Site: With the launch of the game on June 2, the marketing website at TheSims3.com will be replaced with the full community and product site for the game. The site will not only connect players, encourage new ways to be creative in the game, and offer personally relevant information for each user, it also will serve as the hub site where players can share their content with other members, and embed them on social networking sites and blogs.
* Key Site Features:
- The Exchange: Building off of The Sims 2 Exchange’s success of more than 100M downloads, The Sims 3 Exchange highlights featured items, most popular downloads, powerful search and browse capabilities, along with giving players the ability to see what other players are recommending.
- Create a Movie and Create a Story: New easily accessible tools inspire creativity and allow players to create movies and stories and then show them off or share them with friends. Players can show off their Movies with the Create a Movie Tool by embedding them on external sites or with an email link back to their Movie on TheSims3.com.
- My Page and My Studio: The Sims 3 product site will allow players to maintain their profile pages on their My Page section as well as offering them the new My Studio section to manage all their creations – Movies, Stories, Exchange objects. My Page is also a blog space where players can post news, customize it with a personal avatar, track favorites and more. Users can make friends with other The Sims 3 players and share their content across a number of social network sites.

For more information about The Sims 3, go to www.TheSims3.com. The Sims 3 was developed by The Sims Studio. The Sims 3 will be available for purchase at retail and online through digital distribution starting June 2 at http://eastore.ea.com/store/ea/ContentTheme/pbPage.the_sims3/ThemeID.718200.

* INTERNET CONNECTION required. See product pack or digital distribution rules for details.

Lineage II Celebrates Five-Year Anniversary with Largest Content Expansion to Date

NCsoft, the world’s premier publisher and developer of massively multiplayer online games, commemorates five years of Lineage II service in its western territories with the launch of Gracia Final, the latest free expansion to the legendary Lineage II franchise. Gracia Final, the third part of the Gracia expansion series, brings Lineage II fans a whole new continent and refined player-versus-player (PvP) combat.

Other highlights of the Gracia Final expansion include more clan features, territory wars, new items, and new skill effects.

Players can log into Lineage II right now and experience the chaotic lands of Gracia, an entire new continent ready for exploration. To venture into Gracia, characters fly on airships available at the Gludio airship wharf. Characters who would rather reach the continent using their own devices can use the new aerial transformation skills Aurabird Falcon, Aurabird Owl, and the Kamael’s special Final Flying Form. While on the continent of Gracia, explorers can journey through war-torn lands filled with mysterious creatures and adventure in nearly 60 new quests.

The Gracia Final expansion also brings in Territory Battles, where any player, even those not belonging to a clan, can participate in epic-scale conflict and reap rewards from the local Territory Manager. Territory Battles provide a “capture the flag”-style PvP experience that rewards dominating clans with castle-related skills and additional revenue. In addition, the Gracia Final expansion introduces three-versus-three PvP arena battles at the Olympiad for the first time, and enables clans to earn additional abilities and membership.

“We are thrilled to celebrate five years of Lineage II live service with such a large content expansion,” said Sam Han, North American producer for NCsoft West. “This represents the largest content expansion for Lineage II to date, and we plan to keep them coming. We appreciate our loyal players, who have provided us with memorable experiences over the past five years. I encourage gamers ready for a change to join us in the new, accessible, rich world of Lineage II.”

In addition to the expansive new content Gracia Final provides, Lineage II players can celebrate the fifth anniversary with an in-game event that runs now through May 5th. During this event, creatures in the lands of Aden and Gracia drop special items engraved with certain letters and numbers. Players get rewards for acquiring the letters to spell “Gracia,” “Lineage II,” and “5 Years.” More details can be found at http://www.lineage2.com/archive/2009/04/5th_anniversary.html.

Lineage II is known as the gaming market’s premier PvP online roleplaying game, with a customer reach of more than 19 million worldwide. The game is rated T for Teen by the Entertainment Software Rating Board.

Battlestations - Pacific Demo Available To Download Now On Xbox Live

The official demo for Battlestations: Pacific, the immense sequel to the critically acclaimed Battlestations: Midway, is now available through Xbox Live, Games for Window Live, Gamespot.com, IGN.com and Steam.

Published by Eidos, Inc. and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and developed by Eidos Game Studios, Battlestations: Pacific completes the entire Pacific War with two massive single-player campaigns, the historically based US campaign and a historically possible Japanese campaign. Players will experience one war through two epic sagas to be a part of history or change it. Commanding the US Fleet, players relive the grandest and most critical naval battles of the Pacific War and for the first time, as the Japanese, players lead the IJN Fleet to a completely different ending to the war.

No other game delivers the challenge of an RTS with the rush of real-time WWII flight and naval warfare. Players need intelligence and expertise to plan their moves in order to remain one step ahead of the opponent while commanding both strategy and action to turn the tide of war.

The Battlestations: Pacific demo features:
• In-game tutorials
• One action-packed mission (Divine Winds of Leyte) from the US campaign
• Two multiplayer modes (Island Capture and Siege) that can be played in “Skirmish Mode,” a new mode which allows players to tackle multiplayer maps against AI-controlled enemy

To download the Xbox 360 demo directly from the Xbox Live Marketplace, please click on the link below:
http://marketplace.xbox.com/games/media/66acd000-77fe-1000-9115-d80253438802?cid=BSP852

The Games for Windows Demo is available at numerous download sites including IGN Direct2Drive, and Valve Steam.

Twice the size of the original, the sequel includes 28 major battles, 100 units including 21 new units, five new innovative multi-player modes, all new island capture, kamikaze attacks, and an improved easy-to-use interface. Battlestations: Pacific will be available on May 12, 2009 in the US and on May 15, 2009 in Europe on the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and PC.

BOOM BLOX Bash Party Nintendo Wii

EA is excited to announce that the anticipated BOOM BLOX Bash Party game for Nintendo Wii will ship on May 19, 2009. BOOM BLOX Bash Party promises to be one of the hottest Nintendo Wii games for this summer, taking players from the depths of the sea to outer space and beyond!

Check the game’s four new worlds as well as the game’s enhanced Create Mode!

My Friends video game for the Nintendo DS - Create your own world of friends with My Friends this Summer!

Create your very own 3D character and then go and explore your new Friends World. Explore for gifts, snacks and surprises; unlock secrets and play mini-games. You can make new friends in the game with cool outfits and keep them happy by playing mini-games with them and giving them gifts!

The happier your friends are, the more games, clothes, accessories and hairstyles you can unlock… you can even unlock new locations to go and explore and play games in! You can share gifts and friends with other Nintendo DS owners and also chat with up to three of them via DS Wireless Communications.

This summer, let My Friends take you to a whole new world of fun & games!

Make Friends, Play Games, Have Fun with My Friends, available for Nintendo DS in June 2009.

Need for Speed Undercover Unveils Challenge Series and Boss Car Content Packs

Black Box, a studio of Electronic Arts, announce two new content packs for Need for Speed Undercover. The Challenge Series is free and features 60 events across two new game modes including the opportunity to earn up to three new cars. The premium Boss Car pack will give players access to Undercover’s specially customized boss vehicles for $5.00 (400 MS points).

The Challenge Series and Boss Car packs are available now on the PLAYSTATION 3 computer entertainment system and coming soon on the Xbox 360 videogame system from Microsoft and the PC. This new content reflects an ongoing commitment of post-launch support to Need for Speed fans.

Challenge Series:

* Highway Wars is the ultimate fusion of Undercover’s signature Highway Battles with the adrenaline fueled competition of sprint racing. In this mode, players will race at top speeds through traffic filled highways against three AI opponents in a winner take all battle to the finish line.
* Highway Checkpoint forces the player to push their car to the limit as they weave through traffic in an attempt to make it to the next checkpoint before time expires.
* Players can also earn three new vehicles as they complete the Challenge Series. Each vehicle is available for use in career or online and has been specifically tuned to compete against the top cars in the game.
o Battle Machine Mazda RX-7 will be awarded upon completion of the first 30 events.
o Speed Machine Porsche 911 GT2 with matte black paint and custom gold liveries will be awarded after completing all 60 of the Challenge Series events.
o Dominator Corvette Z06 is for players that dominate a minimum of 31 events.

Boss Car Pack

This premium car pack gives players access to the entire fleet of boss cars featured in Undercover. These high performance machines are tuned for maximum performance in their appropriate tiers enabling players to compete against the fastest cars in each tier of Undercover.

* Carmen's Shelby GT500
* Chase’s BMW M6
* Chau Wu’s Mercedes-Benz CLS 63 AMG
* G-Mac’s Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4
* Hector’s Nissan 370Z
* Nickel’s Dodge Viper SRT10
* Rose’s Porsche 911 GT2
* Zack’s Volkswagen Scirocco

Activision Unveils New Guitar Hero On Tour - Modern Hits Character

Introducing Calista Valenz, an all-new character joining the Guitar Hero rocking ranks

Activision Publishing unveiled Calista Valenz - an all-new character that will debut in Guitar Hero On Tour - Modern Hits this summer.

Calista Valenz is tough as nails and sweet like candy, with a smile that can melt any man’s heart. Her motto is, “Fake it until you make it,” and she has a habit of telling strangers today is her birthday. Calista once volunteered to spend a week in jail for charity and was put behind bars on a Monday, got bored, and somehow escaped that Tuesday. She spent a month running from the law, even though no one was looking, and hid out at a night club. The rocker pretended to be a lead guitarist, and during her first show, a record promoter told her she was a no talent hack. She smacked him upside the head with a sausage and dumped spaghetti down his pants, all with a smile. He stood up and immediately signed her to a lifetime contract.

Handheld guitar gods can now choose how they raise-up their band from the underground music scene to worldwide rock stardom in Guitar Hero® On Tour: Modern Hits. Featuring a set list comprised of more than 25 master tracks from influential artists including Coldplay, Fall Out Boy and Weezer, Guitar Hero On Tour: Modern Hits expands on the innovative Guitar Hero gameplay on the Nintendo DS by introducing an all-new Fan Request system that challenges players to jam like never before. Fret board fanatics can once again unleash their inner rock stars anytime, anywhere as they hone their shredding skills and jam to face-melting modern rock tracks from the last five years in Guitar Hero On Tour: Modern Hits.

Guitar Hero On Tour: Modern Hits is developed by Vicarious Visions and will be available exclusively for Nintendo DS this summer.

NeoSteam gamigo Opens the Beta to All!

gamigo, one of Europe’s leading massively multiplayer online games publishers is happy to announce the start the open beta for the free to play Steampunk-MMORPG NeoSteam. After selected players were blown away by the closed beta, everyone can now join the epic battle between the mystical Elerd Kingdom and the technophile Republic of Rogwel. Players can register absolutely free at http://neosteam.gamigo.com/, download the game and start playing immediately.

The Struggle for NeoSteam

NeoSteam offers a high-quality, cool 3D fantasy world full of challenging quests and thrilling PvP-battles. It is set in an alternate reality where electricity was never invented and NeoSteam powers everything. Alas, the supply of NeoSteam is finite, dragging the two major powers to an inevitable war. Battles rage between the Kingdom of Elerd and Republic of Rogwel over Rope Isle – the last available source of NeoSteam. Rope Isle is the key to your nation’s future!

NeoSteam can be used to power a wide range of terrifying weaponry – from accurate muskets to steampunk battleaxes. Once players have learnt the secret of NeoSteam, they will be able to take on all comers with weaponry they themselves have constructed! NeoSteam masters can build mighty vehicles and ride across the vast and varied landscape of the NeoSteam world – so long as the player doesn’t run into trouble...

Unique Steampunk setting

NeoSteam combines the best of the MMORPG world – community elements, individual character development and legendary battles – with a unique steampunk aesthetic. “After such positive feedback during the closed beta, we’re excited to offer this game to a wider audience”, says Kerstin Bock, product manager for NeoSteam. “We’re looking forward to see how players take advantage of the unparalleled freedom and opportunities that the NeoSteam universe affords them...”

NeoSteam’s official website is http://neosteam.gamigo.com/, from which players can sign up and play – all for free!

NeoSteam offers players an all new experience that combines a highly detailed fantasy-environment with interesting steampunk machinery. The player can choose between four different character classes and join one of two Realms that fight for supremacy on the continent of Rope Isle. The Kingdom of Elerd, which represents a classical fantasy empire with magical spellcasters, is looking for new adventurers, while the Republic of Rogwel is preparing for battle as well. The Republic relies mainly on technical finesse, which is reflected in their advanced steam engines. NeoSteam, which is used to operate these powerful machines, is soon to become the most important resource in the epic struggle.

For players, NeoSteam is not only an exciting and extensive fantasy MMORPG, but offers them many unseen possibilities, thanks to the unique setting. Besides classical battles against monsters and other players, NeoSteam offers adventurers the chance, to build their own steam engines and create their own fighting vehicles.

Features:

• Free 3D Online Role-Playing Game (MMORPG)
• Innovative Fantasy-Steampunk Setting
• Five Races and Four Unique Classes
• Players Create Their Own Steam Engines and Mounts
• Many Player versus Player Arenas
• Epic Realm versus Realm Battles
• Free to Play – No Need to Buy, No Monthly Fees

Frogster casts the net

So that Bounty Bay Online seafarers no longer have to fish in muddy waters, publisher Frogster offers a special item bundle right now in the online shop. With the fishing bundle reduced by around 30% players will receive at the special price of 299 shop points some useful items for fishing in Frogster’s nautical online world. The enclosed fisheries pass gives players access for a period of 24 hours to an instanced ocean territory on the free-to-play servers, where inexhaustible fishing grounds await. While a deep sea fishing rod lets players fish not only in coastal waters, but also on the high sea, the bait which is also included, attracts shoals of fish, making for a plentiful catch. The fishing bundle is available at the special price in the shop up until Wednesday, May 6th. It’s ready and waiting via the following link: https://shop.bountybayonline.com/index.php?lang=en.

In January 2009 Frogster deployed the colony expansion as the second large add-on for the community. Along with new boss opponents and continuing quest series in the high-level area, strong guilds can now occupy their own colonies in the Bounty Bay Online game world. The 33 colony areas were taken up within just a few days. In the meantime the colony founders are vigorously building up powerful trading and military bases. There is a trailer for the colony add-on available on the official website:
http://www.bountybayonline.com/en/videos,id8,bounty_bay_online_colony_trailer.html.

The software client is available as a free download: http://www.bountybayonline.com/en/articles,id12,0,downloads_en.html.

Players can decide on either the free-to-play option or the subscription version when setting up their game access.

Blockdot Launches Game For Universal Pictures' Upcoming Comedy - Adventure Land Of The Lost!

Right place, wrong time, awesome adventure!

Dallas-based Blockdot has launched “Land of the Lost: Crystal Adventure,” a free (yes, free!) Apple iPhone game that’s based on the super-scaled comedy-adventure Land of the Lost, starring Will Ferrell — and coming to a theater near you on June 5.

In this exciting game, Dr. Rick Marshall (Will Ferrell) is trapped inside a Sleestak temple — and he’s gonna be PERMANENTLY STEWED without your help!

• Guide Rick Marshall through the temple by pushing blocks, building bridges over pits, and navigating around obstacles — all while avoiding the Sleestaks!

• Collect the small crystals during the journey — they’ll help you drive your name further up the scoreboard.

• Reach the crystal table and you’ll take Rick Marshall to the next level of the Sleestak temple!

After completing a few levels, give your brain a break and watch clips of the movie or check out photos of the spectacular sites you’ll find in the Land of the Lost.

Start your adventure now! Download the game for free at the Apple iTunes store: http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=312352650&mt=8&uo=6

MumboJumbo Continues Samantha Swift Adventure in New Chapter

Leading casual game developer MumboJumbo today launched Samantha Swift and the Golden Touch, the follow-up to the hit casual adventure Samantha Swift and the Hidden Roses of Athena. The advenure-style game takes heroine Samantha on a quest to uncover the secrets surrounding the Golden Touch of King Midas through hidden-object game-play, puzzles and a story that spans the globe.

"We're excited to give fans the second chapter in the Samantha Swift story," said Matt Lichtenwalter, vice president of product development of MumboJumbo. "In Sam's new adventure, more of her character is revealed, and the player is able to discover more about the larger mystery at play in the franchise."

In Samantha Swift and the Golden Touch, Ms. Swift's new benefactor asks her to track down Alexander the Great's Scroll of Wealth and tells her she can collect other finds along the way for The Museum of Secrets Lost. But the offer is too good to be true, and soon the fearless archeologist finds herself in a race to unravel ancient secrets surrounding the mysterious blessing and curse of King Midas and his golden touch. The engrossing story is set against a backdrop of brilliantly rendered artwork and highly-polished game-play.

"Players responded so well to Samantha's first adventure, and they were immediately asking us for more," said Lichtenwalter. "In The Golden Touch, players will find interactive hidden-object levels and a number of really clever puzzles to solve along the way."

Samantha Swift and the Golden Touch is available for digital download at leading casual gaming portals, and it will make its retail debut in June. To learn more about Samantha Swift, you can visit her MySpace page, find her on Facebook, or go to www.mumbojumbo.com.

Make Friends, Race Karts, Battle Foes And Raise Pets In Free Realms - Available Now!

Sony Online Entertainment LLC (SOE) today announced that the free, family-friendly online video game Free Realms is now available for everyone to play at www.FreeRealms.com. Free Realms is a whimsical virtual world, loaded with fun for gamers of all ages. Whether you want to race karts, raise a pet, explore mystical forests or chat with friends, in Free Realms, you can do it all.

“We’ve designed Free Realms to be a fun, safe place for gamers of all ages to play online and are excited to finally open the doors to our adventure-packed world,” said Andy Sites, senior producer, Sony Online Entertainment. “Free Realms is free to play and truly lets you do what you want, when you want. Every member of the family will find something fun to do in Free Realms!”

In Free Realms, players can customize their characters and play a wide variety of minigames in a safe, online environment, packed with stunning visuals, distinctive environments, and social networking capabilities. Players are free to do or be anything: Become a ninja, cook a yummy meal, battle goblins, set out on epic quests or connect with friends through a safe, social networking page. The Free Realms Trading Card Game is a full-featured trading card game playable both digitally within the Free Realms online game and through a physical game available wherever you buy trading cards!

Free Realms offers a variety of features, including:

• Free Gameplay: Free Realms is free to play; however, additional content can be accessed through a Membership or micro-transactions.
• Rich Character Creation: With thousands of customizations and combinations, you can blend fantasy and reality to create your perfect avatar.
• Be Whoever You Want: Characters aren’t locked into classes or jobs – you can be a ninja one minute and a race kart driver the next.
• Kid Safe: Free Realms is designed with kids’ safety in mind and has pre-canned chat, reporting, filters and Parental Controls that allow for the customization of security options, for younger players.
• Something for Everyone: Players can take care of pets, sort mail, race go-karts, battle goblins or cook meals for their friends.
• Vibrant, Deep Environment: Adventurous gamers can spend hours exploring towns, bustling cities, beaches, forests, snowy mountaintops and more.
• Connect with Friends: Whether you’re meeting up with old friends or finding new ones, Free Realms allows players to stay connected through its social networking page. Just log in, see what your friends have been up to, click their avatars and join them in Free Realms.
• Everyone Can Access: Free Realms is designed to run on nearly all PCs. The game will stream to your PC as you play, so Free Realms will not take up a lot of memory and will download quickly.
• Trading Card Game: The Free Realms Trading Card Game will let players pit fun characters like dragons and goblins against one another in fun, fast-paced combat. Half the game is collecting new cards so you are armed with the best lineup of attacks and defenses to prove your might in online tournaments.

Station Access subscribers will receive a Free Realms Membership with their all-in-one subscription. Free Realms is rated E10+ for Everyone 10 and up with content descriptors of Crude Humor and Fantasy Violence. To play Free Realms, visit: http://www.FreeRealms.com.

Dynasty Warriors: Strikeforce Available Now

Koei, recognized worldwide as the premier brand of strategy and action games, today announced that Dynasty Warriors: Strikeforce for PSP (PlayStation Portable) system is available at retailers starting today. Gamers can find Dynasty Warriors: Strikeforce, this year’s hottest multi-player experience, at: Amazon.com, Best Buy, EBCanada, f.y.e., Game Crazy, GameFly, GameStop, and Target.

Dynasty Warriors: Strikeforce delivers the newest and most revolutionary combat system to the franchise, with never-before-seen aerial fighting techniques, the ability to wield secondary weapons, and most of all the incredible “Fury” that transforms each fighter into a supernatural warrior.

Consumers can get a peek at all of the furious action by downloading a free demo and trailer today, from PlayStation Network.

Utopia Kingdoms has now arrived!

Jolt Online Gaming proudly announces the release of Utopia Kingdoms, the successor to the legendary Utopia online game. In Utopia Kingdoms, players compete within the Utopia universe to establish and expand their kingdoms across the land. Choose from a range of races including Dark Elves, Avians, Trolls and many others. Battle, trade and scheme with your fellow rulers to control your world in this Massively Multiplayer Casual Online Game, playable in any Internet browser.

“Everyone here is extremely excited to unleash Utopia Kingdoms onto the Internet”, “said Dylan Collins, CEO of Jolt Online Gaming. “It looks incredible and is guaranteed to keep you away from that Swine Flu epidemic. Why go out and risk certain death when you could just log on to www.utopiakingdoms.com and play in the legendary Utopia universe from your Internet browser?”

You can play Utopia Kingdoms for free in any Internet browser on PC, Mac or any other operating system. There’s nothing to download and there are thousands of players already there. Why not join in and see how well you would rule?

Jolt Online Gaming is one of the leading browser games publishers in the world with millions of players across its titles. More information can be found at www.joltonline.com and www.twitter.com/joltonline

Sony Online Entertainment Reveals Doomsday in DC Universe Online

Doomsday, the cursed Kryptonian creature, was bred to embody hate and rage. His sole reason for living is to extinguish all other life, including the citizens of Metropolis and their beloved hero, Superman.

Born on the planet Krypton during a time when only the strongest creatures could survive, Doomsday was the result of a rapid natural selection process bred to hate all life. Doomsday’s body is covered with vicious bony spurs that can render even Superman’s skin. His endurance makes him almost impossible to kill. He is the epitome of villainous power and strength. With the ability to regenerate after every battle, Doomsday becomes bigger and stronger; therefore no opponent of his has ever defeated him twice.

Don’t think that Doomsday is a mindless creature destroying everything in his path just because he hates all living things. He can think and reason, which makes him a valuable weapon to anyone seeking to manipulate and control his rampages of mayhem and destruction. But who could possibly want to do such a thing? That’s right: Lex Luthor is obsessed with capturing Doomsday to turn him into the ultimate minion for Luthor’s destructive plans.

The story of when Doomsday attacked Metropolis is a tragic one. During Doomsday’s rampage, an epic battle erupted on the streets of Metropolis where neither Superman nor Doomsday would back down. Superman knew Doomsday’s rage would fuel the fight driving the battle on as Superman continued to weaken, incurring severe wounds which began to drain his stamina. In the end, the two combatants attacked each other simultaneously with a fatal blow, leaving both lifeless in front of The Daily Planet Building – perfectly situated for a cover story that would shatter the world.

Batman: Arkham Asylum website is now live!

The official website and community hub for DC Comics’ Batman: Arkham Asylum - the forthcoming action-adventure game developed by Rocksteady Studios and published by Eidos, Inc. and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment in North America has officially launched! You can visit the page at the following URL: http://www.batmanarkhamasylum.com/.

Over the coming months BatmanArkhamAsylum.com will be the main resource for all the latest news and information on the game; including the new screenshots, videos and announcements, along with features and insider content such as developer blogs, interviews, podcasts and more.

The site will also serve as the primary hub for the Batman: Arkham Asylum Community, housing the official game forums - where you can speak directly to the team working on the game, enter competitions, and stay up-to-date with all community news and activity.

Based on the core Batman license, Batman: Arkham Asylum takes the Dark Knight on his greatest challenge yet when he becomes trapped with all of his most dangerous villains inside the insane asylum of Gotham City - Arkham Asylum! With amazing graphics and a moody, immersive setting, Batman: Arkham Asylum exposes players to a unique, dark and atmospheric adventure that takes them to the depths of Arkham Asylum – Gotham City's psychiatric hospital for the criminally insane. Gamers will move in the shadows, instigate fear amongst their enemies, and confront The Joker and Gotham City's most notorious villains, who have taken over the asylum.

Be sure to check the game’s new website regularly for updates. You won’t want to miss out!

For more information, please visit: http://www.batmanarkhamasylum.com/

Navis Lamia, the expansion for Rappelz will offer brand new creatures to tame from May 2009

With just a month to go before the Navis Lamia expansion hits the world of Rappelz, the free Fantasy MMORPG, the gPotato team are proud to release the first new information about what is coming player’s way. First up, there will be three brand new creatures introduced into the game which players can tame and train up to be the ultimate fighting mounts.

The wolf starts off as an unimpressive pup, ready to be trained by his master. Full of energy, his attacks start off with bites and pulls, but as he gets older and wiser, he becomes stronger and wiser. Soon he will be able to stand on his find feet and attack combatants with strong swipes of his strong paws. As he evolves over time, his teeth and mane will change until finally he will get a suit of feathers, like all mythical creatures.

Harpy’s appear humanlike, but with a difference. Their upper body is that of a woman, with the lower body of a bird covered in feathers. With its huge wings and a longbow, Harpy’s are beautiful but threatening figures. The shade of their feathers and the size of the bow they can carry will change and improve as they get more experienced.

Eimus are group hunters, coming from a pride dominated by a strong hierarchy. They like to decorate themselves with ornaments to make them stand out and are a very powerful ally if you need an axe and shield backing you up. As an Eimus evolves, their fur will change colour, their mane will evolve and their armour will become stronger. At full strength, Eimus's sport up to six horns to make them intimidating foes.

Try taming these creatures by finding the right cards and defeating them in battle, and they will loyally accompany you on your adventures. Navis Lamia is an update to the free to play fantasy MMORPG Rappelz, published in French and German on the www.gpotato.eu gaming portal.