GAME! Magazine

TeamSpeaking Online: Reaffirming FTP and PTP

lancetanong — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 02:25:46 +0000

Issues ago, a very detailed TeamSpeak article focused on the differences between Free-To-Play (FTP) online games and Pay-To-Play (PTP) online games. By all means, I do agree for a fact that both forms of online gaming have its pros and cons, but these days, one particular notion has caught my attention.

While it is true that dealing with FTP games would more or less net you with encountering people bearing unfavorable attitudes (as the previous TeamSpeak article has mentioned), but these days (or even before), some people playing PTP online games can be utter douches.

Look no further than with the neverending World of Warcraft. Experiences may differ between people, but I can tell you firsthand, dealing with people in PTP games are no different, albeit similar, to dealing with FTP gamers. Familiar with the internet trolling phenomenon? It’s a staple language in WoW, as much as being a jerk towards other people is a natural occurrence. Though some people may look at saying racial profanities online as a humorous thing and not to be taken seriously at times, it is still shocking to see things like this take place.

And let’s not forget about the superiority complex found in such games. End-game content is tough business indeed, so everyone has to get the best gear possible in order to succeed. The problem, however, is how elitist certain people can be. Let’s face it, people online, on a more or less basis, don’t exactly like noobs who have either low gear or lack of experience in dealing with dungeons. If anything, there are people with high gear who look down on people with low gear just because the latter may not have been lucky, too busy, or something else. And with that kind of thinking, expect to be blacklisted, be it within the game society or within your guild.

Of course PTP has positives, that goes without question, as much as FTP has as much. But PTP games have as much negatives as FTP has. In other words, it all depends on players’ perspectives. Everything has positives and negatives.

Random Posts

Natsume Brings Harvest Moon: Sunshine Islands to the DS Next Month

rubs — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 02:17:26 +0000

Everyone’s favorite chore simulator not called Animal Crossing lands itself a release date. November 10 is when Natsume’s bringing out their new Harvest Moon title, and here’s what the nice people at Natsume have to say about the game’s plot:

In Harvest Moon: Sunshine Islands, players rejoin all of the beloved characters from Harvest Moon: Island of Happiness, and meet some new faces as well! Years ago, a powerful earthquake struck the Sunshine Islands chain, and most of the islands sank forever…or did they? It’s up to the player to find the magical Sun Stones and raise the sunken islands. As they do, they’ll meet new characters, harvest new crops, and befriend animals such as ducks, monkeys, and badgers. Players will grow their farm, care for animals, mine, fish, and compete in festivals in their quest to restore the Sunshine Islands to their former glory. With a little luck, they may even find true love and start a family along the way.

“Just in time for the holidays, Harvest Moon: Sunshine Islands is a wonderful game for players of all ages. You get to meet some great new characters, train your pets in fun minigames, and grow a huge variety of crops. It’s the best Harvest Moon yet!” said Hiro Maekawa, President and CEO at Natsume. “Whether someone is new to the Harvest Moon series, or a long-time fan, Harvest Moon: Sunshine Islands is a great game with tons to offer.”

Holy Invasion of Privacy, Badman! Goes UMD

rubs — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 02:13:24 +0000

Due to incessant public demand, NIS America has announced that they will be releasing a limited run of the previously digital-distro only PSP release, Holy Invasion of Privacy, Badman! through online retailer RosenQueen.

NIS PR dude (dood?) Nao Zook chimes in, “We have received lots of emails from our fans about the UMD version of Badman, and we did a poll for it. Turned out, lots of people are still interested in Badman UMD. So we decided to support their needs. (And, we really REALLY wanted to make the UMD version of Badman, too!) We’ve decided to start the preorder, and if we get 1,000 orders we will go ahead and manufacture the UMD version of Badman. We are also trying to get support from retailers. If they support us, we’ll create the UMD even if the preorder doesn’t reach 1,000.”

I never got around to getting the PSN release (I did import the original Japanese title, however), so this upcoming UMD release is great news for folks like me who held out. And of course, great news overall for the boxed-copy brigade.

Today’s News Bits – 10/18/2009

rubs — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 01:53:51 +0000

And we are back, with some more bits of news for you folks out there. It’s been a while, hasn’t it?

SplitFish Announces Release Date for New FragFX Controller
SplitFish Ltd., will ship the much anticipated wireless version of their critically acclaimed FPS, PC crossover controller, the DUAL SFX FRAG PRO, in time to hit stores for Activision’s® CALL OF DUTY: MODERN WARFARE 2 release. SPLITFISH first revealed this latest addition to its line of innovative controllers for PlayStation®3 to rave reviews at E3 and GAMESCON 2009, as part of SplitFish’s brand-new Frevolution X System to be available worldwide in fall 2009. SPLITFISH will have the new WIRELESS DUAL SFX FRAG PRO and the DUAL SFX EVOLUTION both in stores by end of NOVEMBER 2009.

The DUAL SFX FRAG PRO brings all the best of the dominating FRAGFXv2 mouse gaming design in a DUAL WIRELESS COMBO. The new controller showcases a 2000dpi customized gaming mouse and FREVO “Fragchuck” and functions as a full featured wireless PS3 and PC gaming controller with programmable button configurations and adjustable mouse aiming that provides unprecedented levels of accuracy. It improves upon the tremendously popular FragFX, adding a dual wireless rechargeable system to the intuitive controller and a new “FRAG CONTROL CENTER” utility to adjust button configurations and sensitivity and save individual game configurations. The ergonomic, 2000 DPI laser mouse provides PC-like accuracy and easy PS Home navigation, while the left-hand grip provides full SixAxis motion control and a whole slew of customization functions and other special performance features.

GP2X Wiz Games to be made available in retail stores
Independent handheld manufacturer Gamepark Holdings just sent out word that they will be making their games available in retail stores as well as online. Similar to Sony’s attitude with concurrent UMD and digital distribution releases (okay, I couldn’t say that with a straight face, I’m sorry), Gamepark hopes to release boxed retail and digital-distro games through their games portal FunGP.

Supersonic Acrobatic Rocket-Powered Battle-Cars Receives Limited Time Price Cut to $4.99
Supersonic Acrobatic Rocket-Powered Battle-Cars (SARPBC) will be receiving a limited time price cut to $4.99 in celebration of October marking the title’s first Birthday. The sale will run from October 15, 2009 through October 29, 2009 and is available for download on the PlayStation®Network on the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system.

In addition to twenty five single-player mini-games, which also serve as a platform for users to learn the ins and outs of the game, SARPBC shipped with three Battle-Car arenas and two skins for each of the seven different battle-cars. For the last year, Psyonix has stood by their title and has nearly doubled the content by delivering constant gameplay-enhancing updates and free downloadable content in the form of three new arenas and 14 additional battle-car skins.

“October marks the one-year launch anniversary of Supersonic Acrobatic Rocket-Powered Battle-Cars — our first self-published title — and we feel like having a party,” said Dave Hagewood, Director of Development for Psyonix. “So we decided to give back to PlayStation 3 owners by giving those who have been missing out on the fun some added incentive to join the Battle-Cars community.”

Innex Launches Licensed Retro SEGA Platforms

rubs — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 02:23:42 +0000

Breaking News! Sega’s making consoles again… Well, not exactly. Innex announced the release of two Genesis-themed retro products, a handheld and a console respectively.

The unnamed handheld (pictured left) will contain twenty classic Genesis games; titles mentioned on the press release included Sonic and Knuckles, Ecco, and Golden Axe. The handheld will have a 2.4″ LCD screen and has three buttons, so that probably removes SF2CE from the equation! It’s probably all emulated, like your regular old Chinese MP4 knockoff, but at least the games are officially licensed.

The FireCore console is a bit more interesting. Featuring another set of twenty titles as well as the ability to play standard Genesis carts, it also features some interesting tech in the form of a standard SD slot. “Dubbed the Firecore SD cartridge, the Firecore is also built to support newly developed games which use true color technology.” Looks like it’ll be a platform on its own as well? Or perhaps Innex plans to import some sweet Brazilian Genesis games. The FireCore also has an IR port for wireless controllers, and will probably face an uphill battle for living room spaces as the Wii already does Genesis emulation pretty admirably.

Innex, Inc. President Titi Ngoy says about the product launch: “We are very proud of our partnership with AtGames and look forward to delivering these amazing SEGA-licensed products to retailers and gamers.” “We are excited about this opportunity to further expand our collaboration with Innex and establish AtGames’SEGA-licensed products in the market,” said Dr. Ping-Kang Hsiung, founder and CEO of AtGames.

SEGA granted AtGames the exclusive right to sell selected SEGA software products for SEGA’s proprietary platforms (e.g., SEGA Master System, SEGA GAME GEAR, SEGA GENESIS (MEGA DRIVE) System, SEGA SATURN System, SEGA 32X, SEGA CD and SEGA Dreamcast System) bundled together with an emulator for these SEGA proprietary platforms to original equipment manufacturers, chip makers and other product manufacturers in Greater China. In turn, these original equipment manufacturers, chip makers and other product manufacturers will incorporate these bundles into products for sale throughout the world.

Review: Exo-Flex Snake Skins

rubs — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 21:53:44 +0000

“Skins,” protective layers of vinyl for small electronics, are a dime a dozen nowadays. Almost everyone’s jumping on this manufacturing bandwagon, and unfortunately, the production values on most manufacturers’ skins are uniformly awful: applying the skins is an ill-documented, bubble-filled malady; and removing the skins is an even worse experience—good luck not leaving semi-permanent gunk on your gadget on the way out. Moreover, skin manufacturers offer the tackiest designs ever. I mean, really, who wants to cover their devices with terrible fractal designs straight out of Kai’s Power Tools circa 1998?

Exo-Flex’ new line of Snake Skins miraculously solve all of the complaints I previously had with similar products. The company was gracious enough to supply us with a packet of skins for various devices (their product range covers quite a gamut of gadgets), and I applied some of their skins on my toys over the weekend.

The first thing I noticed, looking at their website, is that they’ve got pretty decent artists working on their skin designs. Sure, they’ve got a lot of bog-standard tiled designs, but even their more artful and character-driven designs didn’t look half-bad. I certainly didn’t feel bad about toting around my netbook with the skin I had on it. One little thing though—they don’t pre-cut the skins to show off the gadget’s branding, which can be a good thing or a bad thing for some people. I personally don’t care, but I can see it being an issue for a few people out there.

Applying the skin was a breeze. Though it’s a bit unfair to assume that given my zen-like skill at applying screen protectors and whatnot to my devices, I didn’t have to wrestle with surface bubbles post-application: a quick swipe with the end of a credit card took care of everything. And though I initially aligned one of the bigger skin chunks on my PlayStation 3 incorrectly, to my surprise, the skin peeled off fairly easily and I was able to reapply it without much fuss.

I found the vinyl covering on the Snake Skins to be more than satisfactory. As Exo-Flex’ marketing material suggests, three kinds of film make up the Snake Skins’ vinyl facade. There’s a waterproof top layer, followed by two more layers that prevent residue from building up inside, beneath, and around the skin. I performed a couple of cursory tests on the skins to see if they were indeed up to snuff, and they all performed admirably. Keying the skins produced nary a nick on the transparent top layer, and leaving a fine spray of water on the unit for a couple of hours didn’t cause the skin to peel off or slip away.

I don’t think there’s much more to say about the Exo-Flex line of skins. Like I mentioned previously, they don’t look tacky, leave any residue, and peel away easily; and really, that’s all you need to know. Exo-flex currently supports a growing line of gadgets, and the skins are available at brick-and-mortar stores and online for around $10-20.

The Verdict

Overall	****½ (4.5/5)

Exo-Flex Snake Skin Gallery:

Update: I kept the skin they supplied on my netbook since this review was written (~2 months ago), and I haven’t noticed any fading, tearing, nor bubbles, and I tend to thrash the thing and leave it out in the sun. Always a good sign!

Today’s News Bits 09/16/2009

rubs — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 19:11:43 +0000

The inaugural edition of Today’s News Bits kicks off right now! Today’s News Bits is an all-new section here on the GAME! Blog featuring little, interesting bits of information you may have missed (aka stuff that drops on my mailbox that I can’t really do a full blog post on).

Bethesda Releases Premium Fallout 3 Theme for the 360

Taken from the press release:

Today Bethesda and Microsoft revealed that a premium theme for “Fallout 3” will be released on Xbox LIVE on Oct. 1 free of charge for all players who have purchased all five “Fallout 3” Game Add-ons as of Sept. 22. Gamers who have purchased all five Game Add-ons (English only), including “Operation: Anchorage,” “The Pitt,” “Broken Steel,” “Point Lookout” and “Mothership Zeta”, will receive a token from Microsoft to download the theme for free starting Oct. 1. “This is something we’ve been asked about a lot and we’re happy to finally be able to bring it to fans as a small token of our appreciation,” said Todd Howard, game director and executive producer for Fallout 3. The theme is also available for purchase at 240 Microsoft points.

Neat stuff; let’s see ‘em do a PS3 dynamic theme next!

Tecmo’s Family Fun Football Goes Gold

TORRANCE, Calif., September 15, 2009 – Video game developer and publisher Tecmo® today announced that the Wii™-exclusive Family Fun Football™ has gone gold and will be launching in North America on September 29, 2009. Families will enjoy the casual, “pick up and play” gameplay style, simple playbook, and intuitive motion controls that help create the ultimate fun football experience. Addicting mini games, whimsical characters, and mascot modes keep kids and parents alike coming back for more, not to mention the ability to play as your Mii caricature!

Game Features

* Simple playbook: A coaching playbook that makes it easy for everyone to learn and play the game of football!
* Power-ups: Earn power-ups during gameplay to enhance certain attributes including speed, strength, passing, and interception for a limited amount of time. Use them wisely to gain momentum in the game!
* Quickplay: Jump right into the action! Select two teams and the stadium you want to play in to get started. Up to four players can play for 2-on-2 football fun!
* Season: Play through a nine game season, each game against a different opponent. Defeat every team to be the best!
* Tournament: Play your way through a double-elimination tournament and be the last team standing to win it all!
* Mascot Mode: You can play as your team’s mascot, or as one of 10 unlockable mascots in Mascot Mode!
* Mii Compatibility: Load in your own Mii and play against your friends’ and family’s Miis for a more personal experience.

Looks like it’s at least worth a look; the new Tecmo Bowl was a bit of a bust, but I for one am glad to see more games adopting Mii compatibility.

Bethesda’s WET Now Out in Stores

Bethesda announced today that WET is now available at retail stores across North America for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Combining acrobatics, shooting and sword play, WET gives you the freedom to use dual pistols or your samurai sword as you take on countless enemies in a number of exotic locations around the globe. It’s a bit unfortunately-titled (sounds like a Waverace knockoff more than a shooter), but I got to play a bit of it last June at E3 and I liked it a lot!

Capcom Shows off Spyborgs Webisode 2

As we get closer to the release of Spyborgs, we’re giving you another peek into the game’s backstory with Webisode No. 2, entitled “The Breach.” The Spyborgs main characters – Bouncer, Stinger and Clandestine – try to unravel a mystery when things get heated for the team at headquarters. You’ll have a chance to get Spyborgs, an action-packed title available exclusively for Wii, on Sept. 22. You can download the webisode for yourself via the Capcom press center at http://capcom.gamespress.com/?p=1&i=1135.

Spyborgs is Capcom’s hottest new video game thrill ride, combining an extraordinary sci-fi world with action-packed two-player co-op controls. In Spyborgs, gamers play as cybernetically enhanced superheroes who are betrayed by one of their own from the elite Spyborgs Institute. Players must team up to defeat this traitor through more than 35 stages of mind-blowing challenges, packed with epic boss battles and swarms of enemies that only two can defeat.

Gamepark Announces GP2X-F300

Korean homebrew handheld manufacturer Gamepark Holdings announced a new line of handhelds, the F300, which is essentially a Wiz packed inside the case of their old GP2X units, and equipped with an LCD screen instead of an OLED screen. Spec sheet is below:

Specification	CPU	ARM0 / 533MHz / 3D Accelerator
	Display	3.5 inch LCD Touch Screen Panel
	RAM	64MB
	NAND Flash Memory	1GB
	O/S	Linux
	Battery	1,400mAh Lithium-ion Polymer
	Size	14.3cm(w) x 8.2cm(h) x 2.8cm(d)
Video Player	File	MPEG 4, Xvid, Divx, AVI
	Audio File	OGG, WAV
	Video Resolution	Max 640 x 480 (30fbs)
Music	Type of File	OGG, WAV
Music	Lyrics	Lyrics Supported
Photos	File Format	JPG, BMP, GIF, PNG, and Others
Comics	File Format	JPG, BMP, GIF, PNG, and Others
E-Book	File Format	Text File
Other Functions	Flash	N/A
	World Time	World Time and Origin Time
	Calendar	Calendar
	Timer	Timer
	Calculator	Original Calculator
	Multi Tasking

GP2X Wiz	GP2X F-300
OLED Screen	3.5inch LCD
12.2cm(w) x 6cm(h) x 1.2cm(d)	14.3cm(w) x 8.2cm(h) x 2.8cm(d)
Flash Engine (O)	Flash Engine (X)
Battery 2,000mAh Lithium-ion Polymer	Batter 1,400mAh Lithium-ion Polymer

Screenshots for Zombie Tycoon on the PSN Mini Service Revealed

Check out the gallery here.

Nintendo Shows Off Holiday 2009 Lineup; Shantae Confirmed!

rubs — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 03:16:06 +0000

Nintendo released their 2009 Holiday lineup today via a press release, and well, it looks like they’re letting the third parties ride the software wave once again, with very little of note from the Big N (Holiday 2008 was really disappointing as all they had to show was Animal Crossing: City Folk and Wii Music). Though there are a couple scattered, decent releases, nothing of note was revealed, other than the predictably fantastic Castlevania: The Adventure Rebirth getting dated for Q3 — that means it’ll be out in a couple of weeks, maybe?

But wait, what’s this? Shan…tae? For DSiWare? Hell yes!

Though the DSi’s download service has been nothing but slim pickings so far, Shantae: Risky’s Revenge already justifies the roughshod couple of months we had with nothing of note to download. Well, kinda. Anyways, never look a gift horse in the mouth! And for the uninitiated, Shantae was a semi-obscure (though not anymore; as with all things semi-obscure, the Internet has blown its mythos way out of proportion already) platformer published by Capcom late into the Game Boy Color’s lifespan; it was one of Contra 4 developer WayForward’s first handheld forays, and by all accounts, it was pretty much required playing! And it’s a quazi-Metroidvania title, to boot; bumping it ten notches up the awesome scale. Unfortunately, it didn’t sell all that well (being a very late GBC entry, of course), and plans for a GBA sequel were canned, and WayForward spent several years in shovelware development limbo, before bouncing back and dumping out the mound of manliness that is Contra 4.

To say that I’m hyped for this long-awaited sequel is an understatement. Anyways, press release is after the cut, go ahead and check for anything notable we’ve missed! Remember, this is a partial list of upcoming titles, so everything’s still subject to change!

NINTENDO’S HOLIDAY LINEUP HAS SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE

Find Great Gifts for Everyone on Your Shopping List

REDMOND, Wash., Sept. 15 – As summer draws to a close, the air begins to chill and people begin to turn their thoughts to holiday gift lists. Whether the people on your list have been playing since the 1980s or only since last week, Nintendo has you covered. The Wii™, Nintendo DS™ and Nintendo DSi™ systems have a huge selection of games for everyone on your list, including many that you won’t find anywhere else.

“This extensive lineup will keep players busy throughout the fall and into 2010,” said Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America’s executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. “Shoppers know that Nintendo offers fun for everyone in the household.”

Upcoming Nintendo-published games for the Wii console include Wii Fit™ Plus (Oct. 4) and New Super Mario Bros.™ Wii (holiday 2009). These games will join the current hot seller, Wii Sports Resort™, which comes with the new precision-control Wii MotionPlus™ accessory. Fans of portable games will enjoy Pokémon™ Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky (Oct. 12), Style Savvy™ (Nov. 2) and The Legend of Zelda™: Spirit Tracks (Dec. 7) in addition to the just-released Mario & Luigi™: Bowser’s Inside Story, all playable on both Nintendo DS and Nintendo DSi systems.

The changing autumn leaves will be in good company with some new colors for the Nintendo DSi system and the Wii Remote™ and Nunchuk™ controllers. New White and Pink Nintendo DSi systems made their debut on Sept. 13, while a Black Wii Remote controller and Wii MotionPlus accessory package will be available this holiday season. A Black version of the Nunchuk controller will be sold separately as well.

Third-party publishers are supporting Nintendo platforms with impressive quality and wide-ranging titles. Wii exclusives like Dead Space™ Extraction from Electronic Arts and FINAL FANTASY® CRYSTAL CHRONICLES®: THE CRYSTAL BEARERS® from Square Enix will provide thrills that can’t be found elsewhere. At the same time, Nintendo DS owners are anxiously awaiting another powerhouse release: KINGDOM HEARTS 358/2 DAYS from Square Enix. And Activision’s Band Hero™, available on both Wii and Nintendo DS, features compelling interactivity between the two hardware systems through wireless connectivity.

Below is a partial list of upcoming games for Wii, the WiiWare™ service, Nintendo DS and the Nintendo DSiWare™ service. Note that game titles and launch dates are subject to change.

Wii

2K Sports
NHL® 2K10 – Sept. 15
Baseball Blast! – Sept. 28
NBA 2K10 – Oct. 6

2K Play
Dora the Explorer™: Dora Saves the Crystal Kingdom™ – Fall
Ni Hao, Kai-Lan: Super Game Day – Fall
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey™ Circus – Fall

505 Games
My Ballet Studio – November
Baby and Me – November

Activision Publishing, Inc.
Animal Planet Vet Life – Sept. 15
Marvel™: Ultimate Alliance 2™ – Sept. 15
Cabela’s Big Game Hunter 2010 – Sept. 22
Rapala We Fish – Sept. 22
Bakugan® Battle Brawlers ™ – Oct. 20
iCarly™ – Oct. 20
Madagascar Kartz – Oct. 20
Mountain Sports – Oct. 20
Hidden Mysteries Titanic – Oct. 27
Barbie™ and the Three Musketeers – Oct. 27
Jurassic Hunter – Oct. 27
DJ Hero™ – Oct. 27
Chaotic™: Shadow Warriors – Nov. 10
Hot Wheels™ Battle Force 5™ – Nov. 10
Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare®: Reflex – Nov. 10
Tony Hawk®: RIDE™ – Nov. 17
Band Hero™ – November
Guitar Hero® Van Halen® – Dec. 22

Aspyr Media
My Baby and Me – Nov. 17

Atlus U.S.A., Inc.
101-in-1 Party Megamix™ – Oct. 27
Trauma Team™ – Spring
Shiren the Wanderer™ – Spring

Capcom® Entertainment, Inc.
Spyborgs™ – Sept. 22
Resident Evil®: The Darkside Chronicles – Nov. 17

City Interactive USA, Inc.
Chicken Riot – November
Combat Wings: The Great Battles of WWII – January
Art of Murder – March

D3Publisher
Family Party: 30 Great Games™ Outdoor Fun – Sept. 22
Astro Boy®: The Video Game – Oct. 20
THE SECRET SATURDAYS™: BEASTS OF THE 5TH SUN – Oct. 20
BEN 10 ALIEN FORCE™: Vilgax Attacks – Oct. 27
Kamen Rider Dragon Knight – Winter

Destineer
We Wish You A Merry Christmas – Oct. 13
Buck Fever – Oct. 20
Alien Monster Bowling League – Oct. 27
Marines: Modern Urban Combat – Nov. 3
Satisfashion – Nov. 17
Rec Room – Nov. 17

Disney Interactive Studios
Disney Sing It: Pop Hits – October
Princess and the Frog – November

Electronic Arts
MySims™ Agents – Sept. 22
Dead Space™ Extraction – Sept. 29
Spore™ Hero – Oct. 6
CHARM GIRLS CLUB™ Pajama Party – Oct. 20
SimAnimals™ Africa – Oct. 26
LITTLEST PET SHOP™ FRIENDS – October
NERF 2: “N-Strike”™ Elite – October
HASBRO FAMILY GAME NIGHT 2 – October
FIFA 10 – October
Need for Speed™ Nitro – Nov. 17
EA SPORTS Active™ More Workouts – November

Knowledge Adventure
JumpStart® Escape from Adventure Island – Nov. 1

Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc.
Walk It Out! – October
Silent Hill: Shattered Memories – November
Storybook Workshop – November
Karaoke Revolution – November
Ultimate Party Challenge – November
DanceDanceRevolution Hottest Party 3 – November
pop’n music – November
Pro Evolution Soccer 2010 – Q4

LucasArts
Star Wars® The Clone Wars™: Republic Heroes™ – Oct. 6
LEGO® Indiana Jones 2™: The Adventure Continues – Fall

Majesco Entertainment
Our House: Party! – Sept. 22
A Boy and His Blob – Oct. 13
Jillian Michaels Fitness Ultimatum 2010 – Oct. 20
Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel – Dec. 1
The Daring Game for Girls – Holiday

Mastiff
Shimano Xtreme Fishing – Sept. 29
Remington Great American Bird Hunt – Oct. 27

NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc
Dragon Ball®: Revenge of King Piccolo – October
Food Network: Cook or Be Cooked – November
We Cheer™ 2 – November

Nintendo
Wii Fit Plus – Oct. 4
New Super Mario Bros. Wii – Holiday

Playlogic
Sudoku Ball Detective – Sept. 22

SEGA®
Wacky World of Sports™ – Sept. 22
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games™ – Oct. 13
Planet 51 – Nov. 17
Jambo! Safari:™ Animal Rescue – Q4
Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing™ – Feb. 10
Super Monkey Ball Step & Roll™ – Early 2010

SouthPeak Games
My Baby First Steps™ – Holiday
Sushi Go Round™ – Holiday

Square Enix
FINAL FANTASY® CRYSTAL CHRONICLES®: THE CRYSTAL BEARERS® – Dec. 26

Storm City Games
The Island of Dr. Frankenstein – Oct. 6
Vegas Party – Oct. 27
Bermuda Triangle: Saving the Coral – Nov. 9

Tecmo
Family Fun Football™ – Sept. 29

THQ
The Biggest Loser – Oct. 6
Cars Race O Rama – Oct. 13
Marvel® Super Hero Squad™ – Oct. 20
WWE® SmackDown® vs. Raw® 2010 – Oct. 20
SpongeBob Truth or Square – Oct. 26
Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader: Game Time – Oct. 26
World of Zoo™ – Oct. 26
All Star Cheer Squad™ 2 – Oct. 27
Drawn to Life: The Next Chapter – Oct. 27
Daniel X – Jan. 12
World of Outlaws: Sprint Cars – Feb. 2

TOMY Corporation
NARUTO™ Shippuden: Clash of Ninja® Revolution 3 – Nov. 17

Ubisoft
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs™ – Sept. 15
Where’s Waldo®: The Fantastic Journey – Sept. 22
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles™: Smash-up – Sept. 22
The Price is Right ® 2010 Edition – Sept. 22
Family Feud® 2010 Edition – Sept. 29
CSI™: Deadly Intent – Oct. 20
Monster 4×4™ Stunt Racer – Oct. 27
Rabbids Go Home™ – Nov. 3
Academy of Champions™ – Nov. 3
Shaun White Snowboarding: World Stage – Nov. 8
Just Dance™ – Nov. 17
James Cameron’s Avatar™ The Game – Nov. 24
Your Shape™ Featuring Jenny McCarthy – Nov. 24

UFO Interactive Games, Inc.
Army Rescue™ – Sept. 29
Rock Blast ™ – Oct. 20
Arcade Shooter: Ilvelo – Oct. 27
Geon Cube – Oct. 27
Smart Series Presents: JaJa’ Adventure – Nov. 10

Vir2L® Studios
Medieval Games™ – Oct. 20

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
Scooby-Doo™! First Frights – Sept. 22
Where the Wild Things Are – Oct. 13
Game Party® 3 – October
LEGO® Rock Band™ – Holiday
SCENE IT?® BRIGHT LIGHTS! BIG SCREEN!™ – Holiday

XSEED Games
JU-ON: The Grudge – Oct. 13
Valhalla Knights: Eldar Saga – Fall

WiiWare

Aksys Games
BIT.TRIP VOID – Q3
BIT.TRIP series (3 additional titles) – Q4, Q1

Broken Rules
And Yet It Moves – Q4

Frontier
LostWinds: Winter of the Melodias – Q4

Gameloft
Ghost Mansion Party – Q3
The Oregon Trail – Q4

Ghostfire Games
Rage of the Gladiator – Q1

Incredible Technologies
Carnival King – Q3

Konami
Castlevania: The Adventure Rebirth – Q3
Frogger Returns – Q4

Nabi Studios
Toribash – Q4

Natsume
Moki Moki – Q3
Harvest Moon: My Little Shop – Q4

Nicalis
Cave Story – Q3
Night Game – Q1
La Mulana – Q1

NinjaBee
The Amazing Brain Train – Q4

Nintendo
You, Me, and the Cubes™ – Q3
Eco Shooter: Plant 530™ – Q4

Nintendo/TPC
Pokémon™ Rumble – Q4

Press Play
Max & the Magic Marker – Q4

React Games
Archon: Classic – Q1

Taito
Arkanoid Plus! – Q3

Team Meat
Super Meat Boy – Q1

Telltale Games
Tales of Monkey Island™: Lair of the Leviathan – Q3
Tales of Monkey Island™: The Trial and Execution of Guybrush Threepwood – Q4
Tales of Monkey Island™: Rise of the Pirate God – Q4

Nintendo DS/Nintendo DSi

2K Play
Dora the Explorer: Dora Puppy – Oct. 26
Ni Hao, Kai-Lan: New Year’s Celebration – Oct. 26
The Backyardigans – Oct. 26
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus – Fall

505 Games
My Ballet Studio – November
Discovery Kids SpiderQuest – November
Dream Diary – November
Picture Perfect Hair Salon – November
IL2 Sturmovik: Birds of Prey – Sept. 15

Activision Publishing, Inc.
Marvel™: Ultimate Alliance 2™ – Sept. 15
Animal Planet Vet Life – Sept. 15
Bakugan ® Battle Brawlers ™ – Oct. 20
iCarly™ – Oct. 20
Madagascar Kartz – Oct. 20
Barbie™ and the Three Musketeers – Oct. 27
Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare®: Mobilized – Nov. 10
Chaotic™: Shadow Warriors – Nov. 10
Hot Wheels™ Battle Force 5™ – Nov. 10
Band Hero™ – November

Aspyr Media
Fighting Fantasy™: The Warlock of Firetop Mountain – Oct. 26

City Interactive USA, Inc.
Sushi Academy – Oct. 13
Chronicles of Mystery: Curse of the Ancient Temple – Oct. 27
Animal Country: Life on the Farm – November
Party Designer – November
Art of Murder – February
Jewels of Sahara – March

D3Publisher
Astro Boy®: The Video Game – Oct. 20
THE SECRET SATURDAYS™: BEASTS OF THE 5TH SUN – Oct. 20
BEN 10 ALIEN FORCE™: Vilgax Attacks – Oct. 27
Kamen Rider Dragon Knight – Winter

Destineer
Satisfashion – Nov. 17

Disney Interactive Studios
Disney Fairies: Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure – October
Disney’s A Christmas Carol – November
JONAS – November
Princess and the Frog – November

Electronic Arts
MySims™ Agents – Sept. 22
Spore™ Hero Arena – Oct. 6
CHARM GIRLS CLUB™ My Fashion Show – Oct. 20
CHARM GIRLS CLUB™ My Fashion Mall – Oct. 20
CHARM GIRLS CLUB™ My Perfect Prom – Oct. 20
SimAnimals™ Africa – Oct. 26
LITTLEST PET SHOP™ CITY FRIENDS – October
LITTLEST PET SHOP™ COUNTRY FRIENDS – October
LITTLEST PET SHOP™ BEACH FRIENDS – October
HASBRO FAMILY GAME NIGHT 2 – October
FIFA 10 – October

Ignition Entertainment
Nostalgia – Oct. 20

Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc.
WireWay – November

LucasArts
Star Wars® The Clone Wars™: Republic Heroes™ – Oct. 6
Star Wars Battlefront™: Elite Squadron™ – Nov. 3
LEGO® Indiana Jones 2™: The Adventure Continues – Fall

Majesco Entertainment
Our House – Sept. 22
Sideswiped – Sept. 29
Cake Mania® 3 – Oct. 13
Jillian Michaels Fitness Ultimatum 2010 – Oct. 20
Cooking Mama 3: Shop and Chop – Oct. 27
My Hero: Astronaut – Nov. 3
Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel – Dec. 1
Dawn of Heroes – Dec. 1
My Hero: Firefighter – December
The Daring Game for Girls – Holiday

NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc
Dragon Ball® Z: Attack of the Saiyans – November

Nintendo
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky – Oct. 12
Style Savvy – Nov. 2
The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks – Dec. 7

NIS America
A Witch’s Tale – Oct. 6
Atelier Annie: Alchemists of Sera Island – Oct. 27

PopCap Games, Inc.
Bookworm™ – Dec. 1

SEGA®
Bleach:™ The 3rd Phantom – Sept. 15
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games™ – Oct. 13
Phantasy Star™ Zero – Nov. 10
Planet 51 – Nov. 17
Jambo! Safari:™ Animal Rescue – Q4
Sands of Destruction™ – January
Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing™ – February
Infinite Space™ – Spring

SouthPeak Games
Montessori Music™ – Oct. 20
My Baby First Steps™ – Holiday
Sushi Go Round™ – Holiday
Crime Scene™ – Holiday

Square Enix
KINGDOM HEARTS 358/2 DAYS – Sept. 29
SPACE INVADERS EXTREME™ 2 – Oct. 20

Storm City Games
Hands On! Tangrams – Oct. 13
Jewel Master Egypt – Oct. 20
Flaw – Oct. 27
Foto Frenzy – Nov. 2
Bermuda Triangle: Saving the Coral – Nov. 9

THQ
James Patterson Women’s Murder Club: Games of Passion – Sept. 15
Fabulous Finds – Sept. 21
Just in Time Translations – Sept. 21
The Biggest Loser – Oct. 6
Cars Race O Rama – Oct. 13
Marvel® Super Hero Squad™ – Oct. 20
WWE® SmackDown® vs. Raw® 2010 – Oct. 20
Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader: Game Time – Oct. 26
World of Zoo™ – Oct. 26
SpongeBob Truth or Square – Oct. 26
Drawn to Life: The Next Chapter – Oct. 27
MX vs. ATV™ Reflex™ – Holiday

TOMY Corporation
NARUTO Shippuden: Ninja Destiny 2 – Sept. 15

Ubisoft
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs™ – Sept. 15
Where’s Waldo®: The Fantastic Journey – Sept. 22
The Price is Right® 2010 Edition – Sept. 22
Family Feud® 2010 Edition – Sept. 29
Battle of Giants™: Dragons – Sept. 29
Imagine® Salon Stylist – Sept. 29
Imagine® Sweet 16 – Oct. 4
Imagine® Zookeeper – Oct. 6
PETZ® PONY BEAUTY PAGEANT™ – Oct. 13
Imagine® Fashion Designer World Tour – Oct. 20
CSI™: Deadly Intent – The Hidden Cases – Oct. 20
Jam Sessions 2 – Oct. 20
PETZ® DOLPHINZ ENCOUNTER – Oct. 27
Might and Magic® Clash of Heroes® – Oct. 27
Imagine® Artist – Oct. 27
C.O.P. The Recruit™ – Nov. 3
Rabbids Go Home™ – Nov. 3
Imagine® Babyz Fashion – Nov. 3
Fairyland Melody Magic™ – Nov. 8
Style Lab™ Jewelry Design – Nov. 10
Style Lab™ Makeover – Nov. 10
PETZ® NURSERY – Nov. 10
PETZ® DOGZ® TALENT SHOW – Nov. 17
PETZ® HAMSTERZ® SUPERSTARZ – Nov. 24
James Cameron’s Avatar™ The Game – Nov. 24

Virtual Play Games
Junior Brain Trainer – Nov. 10
Junior Classic Games – Nov. 10

UFO Interactive Games, Inc.
Smart Boy’s Gameroom 2® – Sept. 29
Smart Girl’s Playhouse 2® – Sept. 29
Smart Kid’s Mega Game Mix™ – Sept. 29
Reversal Challenge – Oct. 13
Balloon Pop – Nov. 12

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
Scribblenauts™ – Sept. 15
Scooby-Doo™! First Frights – Sept. 22
LEGO® Rock Band™ – Holiday
Where the Wild Things Are – Oct. 13
TouchMaster® 3 – Oct. 27

XSEED Games
THE WIZARD OF OZ™: Beyond the Yellow Brick Road – Sept. 29

Nintendo DSiWare

Gameloft
Uno – Q4

Hudson Entertainment
Bomberman Blitz – Q4

Nintendo
Art Academy™: Second Semester – Sept. 28
Art Style™: DIGIDRIVE™ – Q4
Electroplankton™ (10 titles total) – Q4
Picturebook Games™: The Royal Bluff – Q4
Pinball Pulse: The Ancients Beckon™ – Q4
Sparkle Snapshots™ – Q4

Subatomic Studios
Fieldrunners – Q4

WayForward Technologies
Shantae:Risky’s Revenge – Q4

Remember that Wii and the Nintendo DS systems feature parental controls that let adults manage some of the content their children can access. For more information about these and other features, visit Wii.com, www.NintendoDS.com and www.NintendoDSi.com.

For more information about Nintendo, visit www.Nintendo.com.

About Nintendo: The worldwide pioneer in the creation of interactive entertainment, Nintendo Co., Ltd., of Kyoto, Japan, manufactures and markets hardware and software for its Wii™, Nintendo DS™ and Nintendo DSi™ systems. Since 1983, when it launched the Nintendo Entertainment System™, Nintendo has sold more than 3.1 billion video games and more than 526 million hardware units globally, including the current-generation Wii, Nintendo DS and Nintendo DSi, as well as the Game Boy™, Game Boy Advance, Super NES™, Nintendo 64™ and Nintendo GameCube™ systems. It has also created industry icons that have become well-known, household names such as Mario™, Donkey Kong™, Metroid™, Zelda™ and Pokémon™. A wholly owned subsidiary, Nintendo of America Inc., based in Redmond, Wash., serves as headquarters for Nintendo’s operations in the Western Hemisphere. For more information about Nintendo, visit the company’s Web site at www.Nintendo.com.

Parody Done Right: Guitar Hero: The Beatles

rubs — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 05:58:56 +0000

Somewhere, in a parallel universe, Activision somehow beat Harmonix/EA to the punch and got the Beatles license for their music game, and instead of the tasteful rendition of the Fab Four’s musical library, they got… this steaming pile instead.

Spot-on parody; something you hardly ever see from fan videos in this industry. Enjoy!

Perfect World’s The Lost Empire Patched Today!

The Doctor — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 04:39:03 +0000

As of today, The Perfect World servers are down for the Lost Empire Patch. So, we think and ponder, what will be the changes within the game? Well, most of the content will now be translated, new item mall items, and most of all, the new instances. Here are the official changes within the game:

Play The Cube of Fate

Have you ever played a board game which makes you roll the dice and move on to another step? Pretty much the Cube of Fate is like this. Cube of Fate is a giant board game. However in each room/step, there are specific tasks that you are required to fullfil inorder for you to roll the dice again. The objective of this instance is to reach the final room, Room 50. Upon reaching Room 50, you will have several rewards based on your level. Don’t worry if you fail, granting you have lots of Dice Exchange Tickets, you can repeat the game as many times you want per day but you can only win once.

Rewards:
Level 40-49: 200,000 EXP and 40,000 Soul, plus 1 Cube of Fate Box.
Level 50-59: 250,000 EXP and 50,000 Soul, plus 1 Cube of Fate Box.
Level 60-69: 300,000 EXP and 60,000 Soul, plus 1 Cube of Fate Box.
Level 70-79: 350,000 EXP and 70,000 Soul, plus 1 Cube of Fate Box.
Level 80-89: 400,000 EXP and 80,000 Soul, plus 1 Cube of Fate Box and 1 Cube Lottery Invitation OR 1 Expired Cube Gear and 1 Cube Lottery Invitation.
Level 90-105: 450,000 EXP and 90,000 Soul, plus 1 Cube of Fate Box, 1 Relic Page of Fate,28 Golden Statues, 29 Light Stones and 1 Cube Lottery Invitation OR 1 Expired Cube Gear and 1 Cube Lottery Invitation.

For the unofficial guide to the Cube of Fate, Click here.

Explore the Past Perfect World
This is the new instance in Perfect World where there are many tasks to fulfill. If you have the Chrono Key* you can easily teleport to the Past Perfect World instance. This instance is somewhat like Dusk or Frosty city since you can collect materials to craft sets of armors or weapons from the Heaven Tear City crafting pots. These items are ranging from ☆☆ and maximum of ★. There are also new hero quests in the Past Perfect World as well as cultivation Quest to achieve the final cultivation phase, the Immortal or the Demon.

Not only that, you can collect pieces of the BOSS CARDS in the region for you to be able to summon these bosses in dungeon raids making it easier to collect materials for crafting. These bosses can be summoned on a specific dungeon. These bosses drop some materials for crafting.

Guide Links:
Demon Esteem Quest
Immortal Esteem Quest

(more to come)

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