Avatar Attack allows gamers to use their Xbox 360 avatars as game characters

Playbrains announce a new and very personal way to play with your friends over Xbox LIVE. For the first time in any Xbox LIVE Arcade game, gamers will be able to take full control of their custom Avatar as a playable, in-game character through “Avatar Attack” mode in Madballs in…Babo:Invasion (MiBI) for Xbox LIVE Arcade on Xbox 360.

By selecting the “Avatar Attack” mode from the multiplayer Skirmish menu in MiBI gamers will be given the option to use their custom Avatar as a fully-controllable in-game character. Once selected, the “Decappuccino Machine,” in a very sanitary manner, will painlessly separate the Avatar’s head from its body where it will then be fitted and equipped with some heavy hitting and highly explosive artillery! And unlike the bright gooey mess that Madballs and other Babo spew when they take damage, each Avatar head is hand-filled by the loving and caring folks at Playbrains with only the finest confetti to ensure a pleasant and colorful display upon destruction.

“We wanted to give Xbox LIVE Arcade players an opportunity to really go ‘head to head,” commented Scott Simpson, president of Playbrains. “We feel that the Avatar Attack mode in MiBI will soon take its place in our world’s society as a critical tool for settling disputes – leapfrogging wars, lawyers, reality show judges and other far more expensive methods that humans have used till now.”

About Madballs in...Babo:Invasion
A gameplay rich, feature laden "casually hardcore" action shooter, Madballs in...Babo:Invasion (MiBI) is that rarest of gaming commodities: a genuinely unique title. Featuring the recently re-released Madballs™ characters, Oculus Orbus and Horn Head, from the popular 1980's toys best remembered for their outrageously bad looks and graphically colorful names, MiBI is an arena-based 3D shooter where players are able to design their own combat maps almost instantaneously by placing a combination of map tiles to create a never-before-seen map before gameplay starts. Truly, no two games are ever the same.

Offering players a satisfying and immersive experience in both single-player and multiplayer, Madballs in...Babo:Invasion has a plethora of features and game modes such as 4-player online co-op along with, never-before-seen in an Xbox LIVE Arcade title, being able to incorporate your Xbox LIVE Avatar into multiplayer combat via the 'Avatar Attack' mode. Yes, Xbox LIVE Arcade combat just got personal. And with up to 16-player multiplayer support, MiBI will be one of the few Xbox LIVE Arcade games to support more than 8 players at a time, and the only avatar-based game to support 16 players.

Treasure World Nintnedno DS video game - Explore Real World Surroundings to Collect Treasures

Unique Wi-Fi Gameplay Encourages Players to Explore Real World Surroundings to Collect Treasures.

Aspyr Media announced today that Treasure World has shipped to retailers across North America. The game, which encourages players to seek out Wi-Fi signals in order to unlock in-game treasures, is available on Nintendo DS for $29.99.

“With Treasure World, we’re offering players an entirely new level of interaction that crosses from the traditional game world into the real world,” said Ted Staloch, Executive Vice President, Aspyr Media. “With thousands of treasures to unlock and hundreds of player customization options, in addition to the real world treasure hunts, players are going to be able to spend months finding and doing everything the game has to offer.”

Treasure World is the world’s largest treasure hunt with hundreds of millions of treasure spots around the world. Players use the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection to find Wi-Fi signals, DS and Wii™ systems and other wireless signals to collect treasures. Each of these signals delivers one of thousands of new treasure collectibles. A vast amount of treasures await to be found, ranging from traditional scenery such as flowers, statues and tiki torches, to iconic landmarks like the Statue of Liberty and Big Ben, to holiday themed items like jack-o-lanterns and snow men. In addition, players can unlock new attire for their character and offer limitless possibilities for customization, including Panda, Feline, Ninja and Anime costumes. And along the way, players accumulate in-game currency to purchase additional treasures.

They can then use their treasures to decorate their in-game world and create musical compositions. Each treasure even has its own sound associated with it such as a guitar, piano or trumpet. So when the treasure is placed on the ground players can create their very own music tracks. Players can then upload their DS save data to the official website, www.clubtreasureworld.com, and show off their treasures, world creations, character disguises and musical creations to other players around the world. The website even has a built in real world treasure map that allows users to place pins in order to show where they found their treasures.

Sign up to become a member of Club Treasure World and you'll be automatically entered to win your very own copy of the game and a Nintendo DSi system! Deadline to enter is July 31, 2009.

With over 2,600 unlockable treasures in the game, Treasure World offers players limitless potential for creation and exploration!

Monster Hunter London gathering hall artwork

Work on the Gathering Hall has begun! In only a few days critically-acclaimed artists End of the Line will have transformed a space that was once used as an art gallery into a full-blown Monster Hunter art installation. Only a stone’s throw away from Tottenham Court Road tube station in central London the Gathering Hall will be the ultimate destination for Monster Hunters. Aiming to recreate the social gaming environment enjoyed by Monster Hunters in the east, people will be able to meet other players easily, download exclusive quests, learn how to play on dedicated tutorial nights and meet the developers when they visit the UK. The Gathering Hall will be open seven days a week and entrance will be free and exclusive to anyone with a PSP and copy of Monster Hunter Freedom Unite.

Fight on Land, Sea or Air in Battlefield 1943 video game on July 9

DICE, an Electronic Arts announce that Battlefield 1943 will be exclusively available July 8th on Xbox LIVE Marketplace and July 9th on the PlayStation Network. Battlefield 1943 is an all-new download-only action game that brings DICE’s first-class vehicular warfare to gamers for just $15, or 1200 MS Points.

Battlefield 1943 is a critically-acclaimed First-Person Shooter (FPS) multiplayer game that puts players in the middle of a dogfight on land, sea or in the skies. The game introduces two thrilling new modes that can be played across four classic Battlefield tropical WWII maps: Wake Island, Guadalcanal, Iwo Jima and Coral Sea. These maps are inspired by the award winning Battlefield 1942 game, but have been redesigned and reengineered using the DICE destructible Frostbite engine which takes down walls, blockades and cover spots, leaving players with almost nowhere to hide. The game delivers endless hours of social online gameplay – an extraordinary value at just $15.

The Coral Sea map which is included in the game will be unlocked as part of a worldwide community challenge, where players will work together to reach 43M kills on both Xbox LIVE and the PlayStation Network. To help gamers reach that goal, up to 24 players can play together online in countless matches. They will have the freedom to compete by land, air and sea as either the US Marines or the Imperial Japanese Navy. Whether they choose to play the role of a rifleman crawling through the trenches, a steel-fisted tank commander, or a dog fighting ace pilot, gamers will have the power to rule the Battlefield.

“Battlefield 1943 is going to change consumer expectations of what a downloadable game can be. By offering Frostbite’s next generation destruction technology with a full Vehicle Warfare FPS multiplayer experience at a mere 560MB, Battlefield 1943 sets a new standard,” said Gordon Van Dyke, Producer on Battlefield 1943. “Our goal is to blow people away with a fully accessible, retail-calibre game for veteran Battlefield fans and shooter fans alike to enjoy for only $15.”

GameTap Runaway: Dream Of The Turtle & Rogue Trooper New Releases

GameTap - Today we released the adventure game Runaway: Dream Of The Turtle, the sequel to last month’s release Runaway: A Road Adventure. Our free game of the week is the 2006 release Rogue Trooper a third-person-shooter based on the 2000AD comic of the same name.

New Release For Subscription Service, Available 07.02.09:
Runaway: Dream Of The Turtle- After their adventures in Runaway: A Road Adventure, Brian and Gina decide to take a relaxing vacation in Hawaii. But when taking a flight to tiny Mala Island, everything goes all wrong once again. Their elderly pilot dies on them, Gina has to parachute out of the plane, and Brian ends up crash landing in the jungle. Now Brian has to make his way to civilization, find Gina, and figure out how to get off the island in this madcap adventure game.
http://www.gametap.com/video-games/Runaway:-The-Dream-of-the-Turtle-20001151-0.html

Next Week’s Release: Hotel Giant 2

Free Game Of The Week, 07.02.09 – 07.08.09:
Rogue Trooper- In the far future, the war between the Norts and the Southers has poisoned the very earth with toxic biological and chemical weapons. Now humanity is forced to live in domed cities to escape Nu-Earth’s corrosive atmosphere. But the Southers have a new weapon in this war: the Genetic Infantry, gene-spliced soldiers immune to any poison - leaving them capable of fighting the Norts in any terrain.
http://www.gametap.com/video-games/Rogue-Trooper-20000329-0.html

Next Free Game Of The Week: Tomb Raider Anniversary

The complete list of free games can be found here: http://www.gametap.com/video-games/free-pack-games.html

Top Ten Most Played Games This Week:

1. Rise Of Nations
2. Titan Quest
3. Sid Meier’s Civilization IV: Warlords
4. Freelancer
5. Sacred: Gold
6. Disciples II: Rise Of The Elves: Gold
7. Hitman: Blood Money
8. Puzzle Quest
9. Fable: The Lost Chapters
10. Heroes Of Might And Magic III: The Restoration Of Erathia

If you need any additional information or graphical assets feel free to contact me.

NFC East team and players ratings in madden NFL 10 season preview - with video

The summer is in full swing, and what better way to celebrate Independence Day than Madden NFL 10 team previews, featuring the NFC East. What teams will lead the pack? Which players are prepped for a breakout season? Will your team be a contender or pretender? See how your favorite team and players will fair – according to the Madden NFL 10 Season Preview.



We continue our look at each team’s overall rating and individual player ratings with a focus on the NFC East division. In addition to the player ratings, a wealth of team-specific assets will be made available, for both the Xbox 360, PLAYSTATION 3, and Wii versions of Madden NFL 10.
Everything culminates on August 3rd, where Madden NFL 10 will predict the 2009 NFL division winners, season MVP, and more.

To view the overall team ratings for the Eagles, Giants, Redskins and Cowboys, as well as download the complete team roster ratings, visit the official Madden NFL 10 website below:

• Madden NFL 10 Season Preview

Up next week: The AFC North

Madden NFL 10 will be available on the Xbox 360 video game system from Microsoft, PlayStation 2 and PlayStation 3 computer entertainment systems, Nintendo Wii, PSP (PlayStation Portable) handheld entertainment system and is rated E for Everyone by the ESRB.

Exclusive Green day three track pack and Mayhem Festival Eight pack Rock Band download

New Green Day Tracks off 21st Century Breakdown Now Eligible for Best Performance in a Pepsi Rock Band Video at MTV Video Music Awards

Harmonix and MTV Games announce that three exclusive tracks from multi-platinum, Grammy Award-winners Green Day, as well as eight songs from artists performing at the premiere of the RockStar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival, will be added to the Rock Band Music Store of downloadable content next week for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, Playstation 3 computer entertainment system and Nintendo Wii system.

The Green Day tracks available next week are the first in an exclusive partnership between MTV Games’ Harmonix and Warner Music Group’s Green Day to bring the band’s songs to the Rock Band platform as downloadable content. These first songs, “21 Guns”, “Know Your Enemy” and “East Jesus Nowhere,” are from the band’s latest album, 21st Century Breakdown.

Selling nearly 50 million records worldwide, Green Day has won critical acclaim and numerous accolades, including three Grammy Awards for Best Alternative Album for Dookie, Best Rock Album for American Idiot and Record of the Year for their smash hit "Boulevard of Broken Dreams." Green Day recently released their eighth studio album, 21st Century Breakdown, on Warner Music Group’s Reprise Records. The album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Top 200 chart, as well as on the Rock, Active Rock and Alternative charts, fueled by the Alternative radio No. 1 single “Know Your Enemy.” 21st Century Breakdown, which Rolling Stone has called “a rock opera in which the rock always comes first,” is also a hit around the world, topping the charts in 24 countries, including the United Kingdom, Canada and Japan.

Eight songs from artists performing at the RockStar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival, including Behemoth, Cannibal Corpse, Marilyn Manson and Slayer, will also be available for download next week in the Rock Band Music Store. The RockStar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival is a new summer touring metal and rock festival in the United States during July and August, assembled by Vans Warped Tour founder Kevin Lyman. Rock Band fans can also play tracks by RockStar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival performers Killswitch Engine and Bullet For My Valentine, previously released as downloadable content.

Tracks:
Green Day “21 Guns”
Green Day “East Jesus Nowhere”
Green Day “Know Your Enemy"
Behemoth “Conquer All”
Black Dahlia Murder “What a Horrible Night to Have a Curse”
Cannibal Corpse “Hammer Smashed Face”
God Forbid “Empire of the Gun”
Job for a Cowboy “Embedded"
Marilyn Manson “Disposable Teens”
Slayer “Black Magic”
Whitechapel “This Is Exile”

(All tracks are original master recordings)

These tracks will be available for purchase as part of the “Green Day Pack” or “Mayhem Pack” or as individual tracks for Xbox 360 and PLAYSTATION 3 systems.

Release Date: Tuesday, July 7, 2009
(Wii and Xbox LIVE Marketplace for Xbox 360)
Thursday, July 9, 2009
(PlayStation®Store)

** Dates for Rock Band game tracks are tentative and subject to change. **

Price: $1.99 (160 Microsoft Points for Xbox 360) per track
$5.49 (440 Microsoft Points for Xbox 360) for “Green Day Pack”
$13.49 (1,080) Microsoft Points for Xbox 360) for “Mayhem Pack”
$2.00 (200 Wii Points) per track

Locations: Xbox LIVE Marketplace for Xbox 360
PlayStation Net
In-game Rock Band 2 Music Store (Wii Points must be purchased through
the Wii Shop Channel)

NeoGames now accepts Scandinavian Currencies in it's video games

Today, NeoGames opens its doors to the Scandinavian market as part of a program to maintain itself as a worldwide and specifically Scandinavian leader in Scratch Cards.
NeoGames Partners has now dedicated local currencies for the 3 major Scandinavian countries Sweden, Denmark and Norway, with dedicated websites and all games in Swedish and Danish.

This includes NeoGames’ original and market leading brands, Scratch2cash and hopa.com.

Currently, NeoGames accepts US Dollars, British Pound and the Euro. Now with the new additions of the Scandinavian currencies, players will have wider payment options available to them.

Targeted sites in these languages, local currencies and tailor-made marketing material will attracts new and existing players and increase affiliate conversion rates.

For more information, please email: Affiliates@NeoGamesPartners.com

Team6 Game Studios proudly presents their new website!

Please visit http://www.team6-games.com to have a look. The new website will provide visitors with a better overview of all our games and easy acces to media. We also like to take this opportunity to introduce our 5 new game titles for the Nintendo Wii!

Pacific Liberator
Pacific Liberator is an all-action helicopter game that places you in the middle of the pacific. You'll be conducting aerial warfare versus fast and trigger happy enemies. Your adversaries will range from simple foot-soldiers to heavily armed tanks and from fighterjets to incredible carriers!
You'll have to push your heli's to the limit if you want to stand a chance! During the action packed missions you will have to protect and destroy objectives. Beware when you open fire because everything you see can be blown up, including whole villages.

Features:
- 18 singleplayer missions
- Everything in sight is destructable
- Control your helicopter with Wii mote and Nunchuk

Link to the website with media: http://www.team6-games.com/games/Pacific-Liberator-54

Glacier2
Glacier 2 starts at the very top of the Alps: Are you ready to reach insane topspeeds by driving down the mountains of death? While it goes faster and faster downhill, watch out for dangerous cliffs, dodge falling rocks, go aim your rockets, heat up your machine guns and deploy mines to take out your opponents and finish first place!

Features:
- Over the top combat racing action!
- 18 Freezing cold levels full of traps, cliffs, mines, falling rocks, canyons and spectacular jumps!
- 7 tuned superrides, all equipped with various deadly weapons from rockets to machineguns, and from shotguns to mines!

Link to the website with media: http://www.team6-games.com/games/Glacier-2-50

Monster Trucks Mayhem
Enormous tires, incredible, massive engine power and the shocking excitement of Monster Trucks has made it to the Nintendo Wii system (and PC)!

Get ready to race and roar in some real crazy, monstreous outdoor and indoor tracks, meanwhile destroying whatever lies on your path and smashing your opponents from the road.

Breakeable objects and big jumps (airtime) result in more nitro boost for your seven terrorizing monstertrucks!
Monster Truck will contain seven of these detailed landscapes: Canadian junkyard, City Centre Chaos, Desert rocks, Death Mountain, Manhattan Rooftop, Stinky Sewers and the Dark Volcano

Link to the website with media: http://www.team6-games.com/games/Monstertrucks-Ultra-Mega-Extreme-51

Kyiv Chase
Select the side of either the police or the criminals, and shoot & race your way through 20 deadly racing missions.
Destroy all what lies in your path with rocketlaunchers, homing missiles, machine guns, gattling guns, mines, shotguns, cannons and more.

Link to the website with media: http://www.team6-games.com/games/Kyiv-Chase-52

Speed
Speed is all about, as the name suggests, speed!
At various racetracks around the world you will prove you're the absolute master of fast reflexes time after time in this ultra fast, arcade racer.
Can you handle the speed?

Link to the website with media: http://www.team6-games.com/games/Speed-53

Alawar Entertainment releases Magic Encyclopedia: Moon Light!

Alawar Entertainment, one of the world's leading publishers of casual games, today released "Magic Encyclopedia: Moon Light." The hidden object adventure game is a sequel to "Magic Encyclopedia: First Story", a popular release set in a world of fantasy and enchantment.

Players join Katrina and her brother as they travel across the world and through time to save their professor from the curse of the werewolf. The gameplay involves finding the hidden pieces of important items and reassembling the objects to solve challenging puzzles.

"Magic Encyclopedia: Moon Light" takes players on a captivating and unpredictable journey across four continents. The game features dazzling hand-drawn graphics, 32 challenging levels, 18 mini-games and over 1,500 objects to find.

Kirill Plotnikov, vice president of publishing at Alawar, says "Magic Encyclopedia: Moon Light" is a deeply satisfying game experience with extraordinary artwork. "We worked hard to create an exceptional visual experience for players. Our artists drew each location and object by hand, giving the game a warm and charming feel. After all, true creativity is always an act of magic."

With the release of "Magic Encyclopedia: Moon Light" also comes the announcement that Alawar has begun production on "Magic Encyclopedia 3." The third game in the continuing series is on target to be released in 2009.

• Read more about the PC version at http://www.alawar.com/game/magic-encyclopedia-moonlight/

Risen video game to be launched on October 2nd on PC and XBox 360!

Risen will make its international debut on October 02, 2009. The new RPG from the inventors of Gothic, Piranha Bytes, has already entered the Beta phase and is now being honed to perfection. Risen will be available for PC and Xbox 360, the video game and entertainment system from Microsoft.

"The release date for Risen enables us to introduce the game to the market in the best possible condition," says Daniel Oberlerchner, Brand Manager at Deep Silver. "We have been in the Beta phase here for several weeks, and now our focus lies on eliminating the remaining bugs."

The contents of Risen are already complete, and all dialogs have been recorded. A total of three quality assurance teams are working on the game – one directly at Piranha Bytes, one at Deep Silver, plus an additional external studio.

About Risen:
This epic role playing game is set in a medieval world on a volcanic Mediterranean island, The “Risen” story unfolds over four chapters and will offer multiple ways to develop the story by his own actions and decisions. An innovative and intuitive user control interface will support both casual and hardcore gamers. With full world streaming support, the player will have a seamless experience while playing in a fully simulated game world with authentic characters.

Risen will be released for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and Windows® operating system. More information about Risen on http://risen.deepsilver.com

Aspyr Media's Treasure World video game now shipping for Nintendo DS!

Aspyr Media announced today that Treasure World has shipped to retailers across North America. The game, which encourages players to seek out Wi-Fi signals in order to unlock in-game treasures, is available on Nintendo DS for $29.99.

“With Treasure World, we’re offering players an entirely new level of interaction that crosses from the traditional game world into the real world,” said Ted Staloch, Executive Vice President, Aspyr Media. “With thousands of treasures to unlock and hundreds of player customization options, in addition to the real world treasure hunts, players are going to be able to spend months finding and doing everything the game has to offer.”

Treasure World is the world’s largest treasure hunt with hundreds of millions of treasure spots around the world. Players use the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection to find Wi-Fi signals, DS and Wii™ systems and other wireless signals to collect treasures. Each of these signals delivers one of thousands of new treasure collectibles. A vast amount of treasures await to be found, ranging from traditional scenery such as flowers, statues and tiki torches, to iconic landmarks like the Statue of Liberty and Big Ben, to holiday themed items like jack-o-lanterns and snow men. In addition, players can unlock new attire for their character and offer limitless possibilities for customization, including Panda, Feline, Ninja and Anime costumes. And along the way, players accumulate in-game currency to purchase additional treasures.

They can then use their treasures to decorate their in-game world and create musical compositions. Each treasure even has its own sound associated with it such as a guitar, piano or trumpet. So when the treasure is placed on the ground players can create their very own music tracks. Players can then upload their DS save data to the official website, www.clubtreasureworld.com, and show off their treasures, world creations, character disguises and musical creations to other players around the world. The website even has a built in real world treasure map that allows users to place pins in order to show where they found their treasures.

Sign up to become a member of Club Treasure World and you'll be automatically entered to win your very own copy of the game and a Nintendo DSi system! Deadline to enter is July 31, 2009.

With over 2,600 unlockable treasures in the game, Treasure World offers players limitless potential for creation and exploration!

For more information about Treasure World, visit www.clubtreasureworld.com.

The Punisher - No Mercy Full version and demo download first-person shooter

ZEN Studios, creators of the recent PSN smash hit ZEN Pinball, confirmed today that it will release a free-to-play demo of The Punisher - No Mercy on July 2, 2009, exclusively for PlayStation Network. Releasing the same day as the full version of No Mercy, the demo will allow players to sample the fast-paced action of the Marvel Comics-inspired first-person shooter with two of the eight levels from the original version of the game.

Today the studio also released the list of No Mercy trophy achievements, which can be viewed at www.marvel.com or www.psu.com.

Powered by Unreal Engine 3, The Punisher: No Mercy lets players jump into Punisher action, fighting alongside or taking on an eclectic mix of Punisher allies and villains in a series of online arena-style multiplayer matches that feature solo and team-based missions for up to eight players. Battle arenas span from shipyards rife with contraband to the “birthplace” of Jigsaw, the Punisher’s archenemy.

In addition to the exceptional online gameplay, No Mercy also boasts a single player story mode where players can unleash their vengeance on hordes of villains while unfolding an original storyline and unlocking new additional content. The story mode also features exclusive artwork from acclaimed Marvel artist Mike Deodato.

Battlestations - Pacific Prepares For Summer Offensive Two new download packs to hit Marketplace in July

Two new download packs shipping in July for Battlestations: Pacific, giving gamers new units and maps for tailor-made battles.

Featuring six new units and 18 new pieces of nose art, the Mustang Pack allows players to customise their battles in both single and multiplayer modes.

Amongst the units, players can take to the skies in the legendary US P-51 Mustang bomber escort, a late entry to the Pacific campaign but one which made its mark in Europe as a deadly force; or control the seas with the US Navy’s Alaska Class, giving the upper hand with a large and heavily armed ‘cruiser killer’; or the Super Yamato Class, a huge behemoth of a ship which, had it left the drawing board, would have outclassed the Yamato in every way with the potential to be the most powerful battleship in history.

The Carrier Battles Map Pack gives gamers four new maps, playable across all five multiplayer modes. Take part in a clash of carriers at Midway, do battle at dawn in the mist of the Philippine Islands, experience the fury of Kamikaze attacks in the rocky islands of the Leyte Gulf and take control of your forces amongst the mountain peaks and glacial waters of the icy Aleutian Islands.

The Mustang Pack, priced at 160 points, and the Carrier Battles Map Pack, priced at 800 points, will be available to download on Marketplace from July 2nd and July 23rd respectively for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and Games for Windows LIVE. Battlestations: Pacific™ is rated ESRB “T” for Teen in North America and PEGI 12+ in Europe.

2K Sports Invites Fans to Play The BIGSTM 2 with the New York Mets at the Nintendo World Store on July 6

2K Sports invites gamers and fans of The BIGS™ video game series to the Nintendo World Store in New York City on Monday, July 6 for The BIGS 2 Home Run Pinball tournament. Attendees will have the exciting opportunity to meet and get autographs from the New York Mets’ Mike Pelfrey and Alex Cora, who will help kick-off the tournament.

Eligible participants in the The BIGS 2 Home Run Pinball tournament will have the chance to win prizes such as a Wii system from Nintendo, an authentic Major League Baseball jersey autographed by Prince Fielder of the Milwaukee Brewers, the cover athlete and spokesman for The BIGS 2, and a variety of other prizes. Attendees will also have the exclusive opportunity to purchase The BIGS 2 for Wii a full day before the game is released in retail stores. Registration for the tournament begins at 12:00 PM Eastern Time and registration slots will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. Tournament play begins at 4:15 PM Eastern Time. All prospective tournament participants must be 10 or older, and participants 17 or younger must be accompanied by and have permission from a parent or guardian.

Date: Monday, July 6

Location: Nintendo World Store

10 Rockefeller Plaza
New York, NY 10020

(646) 459-0800


Schedule: 12:00–3:30 PM – Home Run Pinball Tournament registration

4:00 PM – Event introduction

4:10 PM – Mike Pelfrey and Alex Cora of the New York Mets to faceoff in The BIGS 2

4:15 PM – Tournament begins

6:00 PM – Tournament concludes

Coming to retail stores on July 7, 2009, the Big Leagues will get BIGGER with The BIGS 2. Rated E 10+ by the ESRB, The BIGS 2 will be available on all major video game platforms. The BIGS 2 has been elevated to new heights this season with amazing visual effects and a variety of new gameplay modes, including the fan-requested Season Mode and Become a Legend. With improved player animations and pick-up-and-play controls, The BIGS 2 will deliver an action-packed MLB video game experience.

Seek n Spell GPS - Based iPhone Game

Temporarily Available for Only 99 Cents, the GPS-Based iPhone Game Is An Exciting New Way to Have Fun at Holiday Events

The Retronyms have announced a special holiday weekend price drop for Seek ‘n Spell, the GPS-based word game for the iPhone 3G and 3GS, to celebrate their recent “Best Use of Technology” award from the 2009 Come Out & Play Festival. Held in New York City, the Come Out & Play Festival is an annual event that celebrates outdoor and street games played in public spaces.

Chosen by a panel of fourteen judges, the award was presented to The Retronyms team at a ceremony on June 14. Regularly priced at $2.99, Seek ‘n Spell will be available for a special price of only 99 cents from July 2 to July 6 to celebrate the award.

“We are honored that the Come Out & Play Festival recognized Seek ‘n Spell for its innovative use of the iPhone and GPS technology,” said Dan Walton, co-founder of The Retronyms. “We felt that Independence Day weekend would be a perfect time to celebrate with our fans by offering a holiday discount. Seek ‘n Spell is a great game to play with family and friends during picnics, barbecues, or any other outdoor festivity.”

Seek 'n Spell is the iPhone 3G and 3GS application that transforms gaming from a sedentary experience to an active and social outdoor contest that exercises the mind and the body. Combining real outdoor spaces with virtual letters, Seek Ê»n Spell is the word game where players race against the clock to gather letter tiles and create words to score the most points. When the game begins, Seek 'n Spell displays a satellite map of the player's location with letters scattered about the field. Players run to a letter to pick it up, and they can collect up to ten at a time to spell as many words as possible. More points are scored for longer words, and coveted gold letters appear randomly on the field to double a score when used in a word. Visit the Seek ‘n Spell forums to find other players in your area (http://seeknspell.com/forums/) or join the Seek ‘n Spell Meetup.com groups in San Francisco and Cleveland to play in those cities.

Seek ‘n Spell is available for a special Independence Day weekend price of $0.99 from the iTunes App Store at http://linktoapp.com/seeknspell.

Cake Mania 3 video game coming to Nintendo DS

Third Edition of Best-Selling Franchise Features All New Mini-Games, Bakeries and Customization

Majesco and Sandlot Games creator of the Cake Mania franchise announce Cake Mania 3 for Nintendo DS.

Based on Sandlot Games' award-winning online PC franchise that has been downloaded more than 100 million times, Cake Mania 3 features all-new bakeries, bakery upgrades, kitchen customization, customers and mini-games.

"We are excited to continue building on the success of the Cake Mania franchise on Nintendo DS™," said Daniel Bernstein, Founder and CEO of Sandlot Games. "Millions of Cake Mania fans will be thrilled to play the latest and most ambitious installment in Jill's cake-baking adventures."

"Sandlot Games' Cake Mania franchise is beloved by casual gamers of all ages and Cake Mania 3 delivers the frantic gameplay fans expect, but topped off with many new features," said Gui Karyo, Executive Vice President of Operations for Majesco. "With worldwide sales of more than 650,000 units, the Cake Mania franchise remains a strong property for us that we will continue to leverage with this third release."

Cake Mania 3 boasts new features that will attract everyone from loyal fans to first time players. More than 80 new levels, 30 new customers and 6 beautiful time-spanning environments test Jill's speed and efficiency. Gamers will meet the challenge of spell-casting Egyptian Pharaohs, Dinosaurs with dangerous appetites, and impatient Medieval English princes with a myriad of exciting new kitchen upgrades. In addition, players can unlock three new mini games, and for the first time in the series, change Jill's outfits throughout the game. So no matter the era, she'll never be out of style!

Developed by Digital Embryo in partnership with Sandlot Games, Cake Mania 3 on Nintendo DS™ is expected to release early fall.

Numerous Free features are added to MapleStory, including its undefeated monster, Pink Bean

Summer is officially here and MapleStory rolled out its latest update with a sunny new set of features to provide its players more fun and adventures. The update offers an exciting new title system, time travel to battle the game’s biggest challenge, Pink Bean, work as a secret agent and the opportunity to be a hero as part of a party quest to save the polluted Ellin Forest.

Here are more details on these exciting updates:

Time Temple – Players travel through time via the ‘Time Temple,’ to stop Kirston from reviving the Black Wizard. There are numerous new monsters to battle, including the toughest boss ever, Pink Bean. This undefeated monster champ of the world might look cuddly but is so deadly, it has yet to experience defeat.

Title System - Players complete special challenge quests and earn medals that display below their characters names in game.

Title medals include:
• Diligent Explorer: Log in for three hours every day for a set number of days.
• Veteran Hunter: Kill 100,000 monsters your level or above.
• Party Quest Mania: Achieve the S rank on eight party quests.
• Quest Specialist: Complete 800 quests.
• Celebrity: Acquire 20,000 fame points.
• Ultimate Warrior, Magician, Thief, Bowman, or Pirate: Reach level 200

Some titles can only be held by one Mapler at a time and will be replaced if another player tops their record. These titles are:
• Donation King: Donate the most mesos to any one town.
• Maple Idol Star: Be the most famed person in MapleStory.
• Legendary Hunter: Kill the most monsters of any type your level or above

Finding Master M - Look out for secret agents, who have invaded the Maple World. Players can join them on exciting missions to uncover the true identity of Master M. Event quests give players the chance to gather clues which assist in unveiling Master M’s identity. Players who complete this mission will be rewarded with an Agent Equipment set. This event runs through August 25.

Agent Training Program - Players will test their combat skills in this new program, which pits an individual player or team of players against boss monsters for the ultimate monster battle. Players must defeat each monster to advance to the next stage and do not see their EXP suffer if defeated.

Ellin Forest Party Quest – Three to five players rally together in this party quest to save the polluted Ellin Forest. Players travel back in time and battle their way through the poisoned forest to uncover the cause of the pollution.

All these new features are now available for free in MapleStory.

Mastertronic releases World of Goo on new Great Indie Games label

Mastertronic have announced the release of the critically acclaimed “World of Goo” on PC, previously available as download and as WiiWare, but now a debut for boxed product. It will also be the first title to be released on their new label, Great Indie Games, a label set up to offer a route to market for independent games developers.

World of Goo is a simple puzzle/building game with a quirky sense of humour. The main objective of the game is to get a requisite number of goo balls to a pipe representing the exit. In order to do so, the player must use the goo balls to construct bridges, towers, and other structures to overcome gravity and various terrain difficulties such as chasms, hills, spikes, or cliffs.

The 48 levels are varied with wide-ranging objectives and a variety of goo. New goo is introduced early on in each chapter, and subsequent missions progressively ramp up the challenge and force you to put it to good use. Different types of goo have special abilities – black goo is rigid and cannot be moved after being placed, green goo can be moved around after initial placement, white goo hangs down like long water drips, red goo can be deployed to act as helium balloons to help keep long bridges in the air over treacherous pits, yellow goo can stick to vertical surfaces while Skull goo is resistant to being popped by spikes.

World of Goo on the PC is a unique visual experience. Brilliant design is achieved through vibrant and contrasting colours and beautiful graphics, giving a surreal cartoon feel to the game. Realistic sound effects add to the games wit and personality and the game is accompanied by a fantastic, atmospheric soundtrack whereby carefully chosen music tracks set the atmosphere for each level.

World of Goo boasts raving reviews and extremely high scores. PC Gamer awarded World of Goo 93% along with PC Format, and PC Zone came in just short of that at 90%. Eurogamer scored World of Goo 9/10 commenting “The world of Goo is a raging pleasure to spend time in, and interact with” whilst Gamespy gave it five stars commenting “(World of Goo is) an amazing, breathtaking and immeasurably charming piece of game design”. The comments continue - “The most charming, creative and generally weird indie title to come out this year” Escapist magazine and “One of the most original and addictive gaming experiences to come along in years” Gamespot

World of Goo has been developed by 2D Boy, an independent developer consisting of Kyle Gabler and Ron Carmel, both former Electronic Arts employees, who with World Of Goo won awards at the Independent Games Festival at the Game Developers Conference in 2007.

Kirsty Payne, Marketing and PR Manager at Mastertronic commented “We are so proud to be releasing World of Goo on PC. It has all the makings of a classic and has received phenomonal reviews from the specialist games press. We will be rolling out a full mainstream consumer marketing and PR campaign targeting specialist PC press, lads mags, national press and womens press as this game can be played and enjoyed by absolutely everyone”.

World of Goo is released on 3rd July 2009

Limited edition game locker, Kobe Bryant figurine and poster, NBA 2K retrospective video and VIP online lobby with NBA 2K10 anniversary edition

To celebrate 10 years of the popular NBA 2K franchise, and the milestone of having sold two million units of NBA 2K9 worldwide, 2K Sports today announced that the NBA 2K10: Anniversary Edition is planned for release in North America this fall for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and PLAYSTATION 3 computer entertainment system.

NBA 2K10: Anniversary Edition will come packaged in a specially designed 2K Sports locker configured for game storage, and include exclusive items featuring 2009 NBA Finals MVP, Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers, along with a special commemorative video looking back on 10 years of the NBA 2K franchise and its past cover athletes.

As part of a limited edition offering of only 30,000 copies, each NBA 2K10: Anniversary Edition will be individually numbered for authenticity. Fans can now preorder their copy online and at local retail outlets across the country. Ten lucky fans will have the rare opportunity to find an autographed Kobe Bryant fine-art print, designed by Shepard Fairey’s Studio Number One, which will be hidden and randomly packaged among the different lockers. Gamers with Xbox LIVE online entertainment network and PlayStation Network membership will also be able to enjoy special privileges for NBA 2K10: Anniversary Edition, including exclusive access to an online lobby - the Gold Room - where celebrities and other VIP members will go to play, and only players with the Anniversary Edition will be allowed to enter.

NBA 2K10: Anniversary Edition will include:

• NBA 2K10 video game
• 2K Sports’ NBA 2K10 game locker
• 3” Figurine of Kobe Bryant by McFarlane Toys
• 16” x 36” Kobe Bryant poster
• Commemorative NBA 2K 10th anniversary DVD
• Access to the Gold Room, the NBA 2K10 VIP online lobby (accessible only with Xbox LIVE and PlayStation Network membership)

“NBA 2K is the premier basketball video game franchise for serious players, deeply rooted in rich and pure authenticity that real hoop heads get, which is why we’ve been the favorite NBA simulation for so long,” said Greg Thomas, senior vice president of sports development for 2K. “We’ve always been very proud of how we engage our fans on a community level, and NBA 2K10: Anniversary Edition is our way of giving back to all those that have supported us along the way.”

Coming this fall, NBA 2K10 is expected to deliver the most realistic, stylistic, and feature-rich simulation experience ever available in the NBA 2K franchise – from gameplay to graphics, presentation and online features. Developed by Visual Concepts, NBA 2K10 is not yet rated by the ESRB and will be available for Xbox 360, PLAYSTATION 3, PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system, PSP (PlayStation Portable) system, Nintendo Wii system from Nintendo, and Windows PC. NBA 2K10: Anniversary Edition will be available for Xbox 360 and PLAYSTATION 3.