GamesPit

PSP Exclusives to Look Forward to this Year

2009-07-08T13:29:00.000+05:30

We’ve already taken a look at both PS3 and Xbox360 exclusives set to hit consoles this year. Normally we would have hit the PC platform next but since this year is dry as a bone for PC gamers as far as exclusives are concerned we’re jumping straight to Sony’s handheld console and the list goes something like this:

Gran Turismo PSP

Set to launch on the same day as the PSP go, Gran Tursimo for the PSP will feature over 800 cars to choose from along with visuals running at a steady 60 FPS. You’ll also be able to share cars with your friends using the PSP’s ad hoc abilities.

GTA Chinatown Wars

Rockstar wowed DS audiences with a mature GTA game and now PSP owners can look forward to that very same game enhanced by improved visuals and newer missions among other details we don’t know much about yet.

Assassins Creed: Bloodlines

Altair and his love for Parkour will be assaulting the PSP this year in the form of a brand new game, built ground up for the PSP. Details are scarce at this moment but we do know that it will be a full-fledged 3rd person action game and will shed a bit of light between the events of the 1st and the 2nd game.

LittleBigPlanet PSP

Not that I was surprised by this announcement at E3 2009 but it was nice to hear that Sackboy and his cute little friends will be available on the PSP later this year. The handheld version of the game will retain its core mantra – Create, play and share (or is it the other way around?) but offer players newer levels and tools to mess around with.

Soul Calibur Broken Destiny

Not only is this game built from the ground up for the PSP (no port treatment here) but Kratos will be a playable character in the game. If that’s not incentive itself to pick this game up, I don’t know what is.

Duke Nukem Trilogy

As long as I’m breathing I will not give up hope for Duke Nukem Forever but in the meantime I can take solace in the fact that the King will be assaulting the PSP this year in the form of a Trilogy consisting of three games: Critical Mass, Chain Reaction and Proving Grounds. The King left the building... but now he’s back again.

Tekken 6

Since Tekken Dark Resurrection was one of the best fighters to grace the PSP, Tekken 6 automatically scores a comfortable place on our list. Also it won’t be a mere port but will ship with tons of new content exclusive to the PSP.

Army of 2: 40th Day

Similar to Killzone Liberation: Army of Two: The 40th Day will be an isometric third person action game with a strong emphasis on co-op. Expect certain locales, co-op moves and multiplayer modes from the console versions to make an appearance as well.

Strategy Games for Beginners

2009-07-07T13:01:00.001+05:30

If the idea of complex resource gathering, micro-management, base planning, and all the other common ingredients of traditional features of real-time strategy games seem too tedious to you, we're here to help bridge the gap between you and this genre of gaming. To do this, we've made a list of some of the best off-beat RTS games out there, that do away with the potentially boring stuff in RTS' and give you the best of the genre in ample doses. Just pick any one of them, and discover the joy of strategy games...

Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II

Relic Entertainment's masterpiece - Dawn of War II - did away with base building and resource management altogether, and threw you straight into the action with powerful units and a crapload of ammo. The mantra of this game was - a little less boring RTS, a lot more action. The entire game, be it the lengthy (and awesome!) single player campaign or the wholesome multiplayer, required you to dive in and capture power, resource or victory nodes in order to gain the upper hand. This ended up in an insane amount of small skirmishes rather than large scale wars, keeping you on your toes constantly! I recommended this one to RPG fans out there, since the single player campaign plays out pretty much like an RPG, and the great gear and level up systems are comparable to some of the best sci-fi RPGs out there.

Company of Heroes

Company of Heroes was another amazing RTS by Relic, which managed to breathe new life into the age old World War II setting. Everything from the Omaha beach invasion to the Battle of Okinawa was captured with more intensity than most shooters could dream of. The game's strong point was its squad-based unit structure and cover system, that required you to focus more on positioning your troops than building fortifications or accumulating resources. The game followed the formula of a few powerful, well-placed units, over the traditional rush of units you'd see in most RTS games, and it worked incredibly well for this one. The squad system ensured that managing units was as easy as rich, wholesome, RTS-pie, making this game ideal for those who've found the squad system of action games enamoring, but lacking.

Defense of the Ancients

What started off as a community made map for Warcraft III became so popular, that it spawned not only one of the biggest gaming communities, but it grew into one of the most widely played online competitive games out there. The premise is simple - this RPG/RTS hybrid requires you to pick one of two sides, Sentinel or Scourge, each of which can have up to 5 players. Each player picks a "hero" out of 80+ choices, each with a unique play style, and locks themselves in battle against the opposite team. There's no resource management, no base building, no micro-management. All you have to manage is one hero, help him level up, and work with your team to take down the enemy's base. The game's so accessible that almost anyone can pick it up; all you need is the competitive spirit, a copy of Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne, and a working net connection!

Demigod

If you find even DotA's too complicated, or the dated visuals are a little inadequate for the graphic-whore within, this one might be right up your alley. Demigod is a complete retail game inspired from DotA, with amazing RTS/RPG features that work together to please both audiences. Just like DotA, you have two sides with unique heroes to pick from, only here there are various maps, and detailed skill-trees to deal with, much like a complete RPG. There's a lot more eye candy here and the game's a lot simpler to pick-up than DotA, or most other RTS games out there.

Overlord

If you can't get the hang of DotA or Demigod, chances are you're either strategically challenged or not inclined to playing RTS' at all. You might be a lost cause, but I'm not ready to give up on you yet - hang in there, little budding strategy gamer! Our last attempt to introduce to you the goodness of RTS games is, ironically, a game that's more action than strategy - Overlord. In Overlord, you play the role of an evil Overlord that, with the servitude of a bunch of the most devious and brainless minions, is bent on wreaking havoc. It has none of the potentially annoying elements you might hate in RTS games, the only thing left here is a bit of strategy involving how you control your minions. As you progress in the game, you can access different types of minions that each have their own special ability. You can use this to your advantage and build a unique army of your own. This is the most dumbed down of strategy gaming, with all the edges chipped to fit into the action gamers' brain. If it still doesn't appeal to you, I give up.

Overlord II

2009-07-06T14:47:00.002+05:30

Ever hear of the phrases “Bad guys have all the fun” or “It pays to be evil” or “Being evil is so totally awesome”. Ok so I’m pretty sure I made the last two ones up but my point is that it’s fun to be evil in games - if not in real life. And developer Triumph Studios’ latest game, Overlord II allows you to heavily indulge in that very same urge. Overlord II serves as a sequel to Overlord in which you wreak havoc as an evil overlord helped every step of the way by your loyal gremlin-esque minions.

In case you haven’t played the first game, the premise is very simple. You control your Overlord, the way you would control any third person action game protagonist while you can send your minions to attack, pillage, plunder people and objects alike. It’s essentially an action adventure with minor elements of strategy and RPG tossed in for good measure.

Overlord II grants you two views to choose from. You have your regular third person camera for a more up close and personal view of combat while the isometric view gives you a wider view. In both views however both the minions and your camera are controlled by the right stick. Now this creates a certain amount of conflict at times as you’ll send your minions scurrying across somewhere when all you want to do is get a better view of your surroundings and vice versa. This tends to get a lot more problematic when you’re up against bosses.

Not much has changed as far as core gameplay is concerned. Your Overlord is restricted to just moving around and smashing people with his weapon or zapping them with a few spells. Don’t go expecting a deep combat system over here since the minions and not your Overlord are the starts of the show here.

Unlike the first game (that I barely played for an hour) your minions in Overlord II have new found awesome abilities. They can now ride mounts like wolves and spiders, sail the open seas, use stealth to kill unsuspecting enemies etc. Initially you’ll have access to just one variety of minions but as you play through the game you’ll gradually unlock more. There are four variants altogether: Browns, Reds, Greens and Blues. Browns are your basic grunts and are adept in close quarter melee combat. Reds dish out some fiery attacks and are good at ranged combat since they can obliterate enemies with fireballs from a distance. Greens are sneaky little hand-claw (think Wolverine) wielding devils that are perfect for stealth attacks while Blues are adept at magic.

Once you get access to all these minions how you use them is entirely up to you. You could send in your greens first to kill unsuspecting enemies, following it up with a full frontal attack using your browns while your reds keep hammering away on enemies from a distance. During certain levels you’ll even be able to possess a minion and play as the little critter. These levels are thoroughly entertaining and offer a much needed respite from the ‘kill-everything-that-moves’ formula.

As opposed to the first game, Overlord II offers a healthy amount of environmental variety and you’ll find yourself moving from snow laden villages to tropical islands to the Roman empire. While variety is appreciated, path finding leaves a bit to be desired and there were times when I found myself moving around in circles clueless about my next goal. Also the game’s mini-map isn’t very accurate in displaying your goals.

Visually the game is impressive. Environments are vibrant and very well detailed thoroughly immersing you in the game’s twisted fantasy world. Character modeling is top notch and watching your minions in action is just plain entertaining. Humor is the game’s strong point as every dialogue is laced with tongue-in-cheek humor and/or a satirical look at modern society. Some of it worked for me while some was just plain unfunny. The minions are on the other hand are a constant hoot and their constant demented babble is guaranteed to make you smile if not roll on the floor. Your Overlord himself is the silent brooding type and isn’t half as entertaining as his faithful minions.

So yes Overlord II is a lot like Overlord; only this time developer Triumph studios has injected it with a good amount of variety. It can get repetitive after a while so I suggest you play it in short bursts. It has a few multiplayer modes (that I sadly didn’t get to try out) and the single player itself is pretty lengthy so you’re looking at sinking 15 – 20 hours into it, especially if you end up doing all the side quests as well. Even if you didn’t much care for the first game, I suggest you give it a shot while if you’re new to the series, I’d definitely recommend it. I mean how does killing baby seals using gremlins not sound like fun?

Xbox360 Exclusives to Look Forward to This Year

2009-07-05T17:34:00.002+05:30

Even though the Xbox 360 boasted of a good amount of exclusives in the years gone by, the rest of 2009 isn’t looking too hot for MS. As opposed to what Sony’s bringing to the table, Xbox 360 exclusives aren’t all that umm... exciting and the worst part for MS is that tons of exclusives like Mass Effect 2, Dead Rising and Lost Planet have now gone multiplatform. Either way, let’s take a look at what 2009 has in store for 360 owners:

Halo 3: ODST

Halo 3: ODST will be a stand-alone expansion for Halo 3 in which you step into the boots of an unknown Orbital Drop Ship Trooper (ODST) before the events of Halo 3. Unlike the iconic Master Chief, you’re a run-of-the-mill grunt so don’t expect to just run into the heat of the battle and regenerate health; you’ll have to survey the situation, move carefully and even use stealth to your advantage as and when possible.

Shadow Complex

Announced at E3 2009 by the makers of the Gears of War series in conjunction with Chair Entertainment, Shadow Complex is an all out, balls-to-the-wall side scrolling shooter for Xbox Live Arcade. I normally don’t mention XBLA games in such lists but this one grabbed me by my throat with its fast paced action, gorgeous visuals and a 3D open-world game design.

GTA: The Ballad of Gay Tony

Since the first episode of downloadable content for GTA IV impressed the crap out of us we sure have high hopes for the second one in which you’ll step into the boots of “Luis Lopez, part-time hoodlum and full-time assistant to legendary nightclub impresario Tony Prince (aka Gay Tony)”. Betrayal, loyalty, guns, glamor and copious amounts of Liberty City night life is what’s been promised to us so far.

Forza Motorsport 3

A wet dream for gearheads, Forza Motorsport 3 is all about realistic racing in pretty cars. Besides that expect visuals running at 60 frames per second, over 400 vehicles to choose from, user-generated content and the ability to upload your very own fully customized high-definition videos on Xbox Live.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince India Prices Announced by EA

2009-07-04T19:03:00.002+05:30

The video game, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is the latest in the series and is a highly anticipated one at that. Earlier we reported that the game would be releasing this month. Now EA has revealed the various platform prices for the game in India.

The game gives players the option of selecting from single and multi player gameplay modes. Players assume the role of Harry, Hermione or Ron and try to discover the identity of the Half-Blood Prince. Gamers can also take part in wizard duels and dabble in potion making, as they explore the magical Hogwarts and cast spells.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince game will release on July 3, 2009 and will be distributed in India by Milestone Interactive. The game is expected to be available at Landmark, Croma, Planet M and other retail outlets. The PC and PS2 versions will cost Rs. 999 while the Xbox 360 and Wii versions can be purchased for Rs. 1999. The PSP version can be bought for Rs. 1599 and the PS3 version of the game is listed at Rs. 2499.

Games Coming July 2009

2009-07-03T17:30:00.003+05:30

July is a relatively mellow month for gamers which is good in a way since you can now save up for the more intense months to come. There are a few interesting games heading our way this month, two of which are PC ports of excellent games so lets take a look at what July has in store for us:

Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood (Xbox 360 PS3 PC)

A prequel serving as a sequel, Call of Juarez: BiB will shed some light on Reverend Ray’s violent past as he along with his brother Thomas McCall rebels against the US government and hunts down the legendary gold of Juarez while killing half the population of Texas and Mexico.

Punisher: No Mercy (PSN)

When I heard of a new Punisher game I was elated. Then I heard it was a PlayStation Network exclusive not being developed by Volition so I was a tad bummed out. But today I actually checked out a few gameplay videos of this Unreal 3 powered first person shooter that’s looking insanely violent and gratifying so I’m kinda happy again.

Street Fighter IV (PC)

We’ve already reviewed the console version of Capcom’s excellent fighter. If you’re like really lazy, here’s a quote from the review:

To sum up, Street Fighter IV is undoubtedly at the zenith of the franchise where depth and balance is concerned. There's a really deep combat system in place for those who wish to immerse themselves in multiplayer bouts, but the lasting appeal is limited when it comes to new players since it can get repetitive if you don't enjoy the intricacies of two player versus games. If you do however, there's no better game than Street Fighter IV.

Bionic Commando (PC)

The world didn’t like this game but I loved it. People hated the swinging mechanic but once again I loved it. Now I could go on and on about how I’m radically different from the world. Once again, if you’re the lazy variety, here’s a quick quote:

So do I recommend Bionic Commando? Hell to the mother loving yeah. Bionic Commando is a game that challenges you, but never frustrates you. The game achieves a perfect balance between platforming and combat so you never get really bored of either of them. Even though the game’s pretty linear, you do have a few options up your arsenal so you could say the game even warrants multiple playthroughs. The swinging mechanic will take some time getting used to but stick with it and you’ll love it the way I do.

7 Best Video Game Remakes

2009-07-03T06:58:00.003+05:30

If you’ve got a stomach for an imagination, the word “remake” could very well mean stepping into a time machine and taking technology a good ten years back to see what it stirs up. This here, applies to those perfect formulas that backed some of the most sore thumb inducing games, only because we could play them through and through for years.

Who’s really “stepping into the time machine”, here are game publishers and developers who know how to appreciate an all time favorite every now and then and reinvent it, as a gentle reminder that it’s legacy will live on. Herein lies a risk of entirely ruining the same but the below mentioned 7 are what’s keeping us really optimistic about the trend:

Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix.

Publisher: Capcom.

Platform: PlayStation Network, Xbox Live Arcade.

Developer: Backbone Entertainment.

Original on: Arcade, SNES.

Just how do you refresh the Street Fighter experience, a whole 15 years down the line when we’ve got arcade fanatics who know every blistering combo sequence to precede every obliterating special attack at the back of their D- pads? Capcom’s solution: Throw in the word ‘remix’ and boast all new move sets and attack enhancements, bringing back those that were ignored in the first place to the forefront. This is madness, this is Capcom and we have learnt the good wholesome versus beatdown way that they leave no room for gimmicks. Ryu’s faking fireballs, M. Bison is dishing out “psyche-out” sliding kicks and you can note down 17 uniquely powered character’s move sets in all that have been reworked and bundled in the “Remix Mode”. But we are steering way past the point which is the game being presented in truly awesome HD! Comic publisher UDON have made that very clear adding a crispy edge to the characters and animations, carefully escorting the game to new graphical realms and leaving its straightforward fighter spirit intact. For as long as you can tolerate words like “FIGHT” and “KO” bellowed by a rather enthusiastic announcer over a booming microphone, Capcom assures the Street Fighter series will never die.

Prince of Persia.

Publisher: Ubisoft.

Developer: Gameloft.

Platform: PlayStation Network, Xbox Live Arcade.

Original on: MS-DOS, Apple-2, NES, Atari ST, Mega CD, Mega Drive, GB, GBC.

Once upon a time, video games were plain difficult and brutally unforgiving, and that’s right about the time we were introduced to the first Prince. Remember the whole one-hour time limit, the mad rush to the end? Some like a challenge, some won’t stare at a Game Over screen more than twice before they realize rescuing a pixelated princess-in-distress is pretty overrated. So developer Gameloft souped up the remake, to serve the former with a different ending over the latter who would go way past the time limit to settle for the milder gaming course, due courtesy to the newly added checkpoint system. Everyone’s a winner, see, and when that’s settled you can stop and appreciate the brilliant use of slick graphics and tweaked game play, making for swift and lifelike movements within greatly defined backdrops and environments. Even that odd mess of a colour scheme mass for a prince has been given a solid makeover to resemble the prince from the newer games. While the game stays true to the traditional side scroller format (quick sliding doors, ready-to-drink-potions, deadly pitfalls, quick sword fights and the works), it makes up for the absence of an overly dramatic music score by actually using silence to its advantage. Executing that long jump is ten shades more terrifying when all you hear is the sound of prince barely grabbing the ledge and breathing heavily. The game would have been perfect if it included the original version as a bonus but there’s a good bet going that your computer technician has left the PC version lying somewhere around your hard drive if you’d bother to look.

Super Mario All Stars.

Publisher: Nintendo.

Developer: Nintendo EAD.

Platform: SNES.

Original on: NES.

For every two people that think the original Mario game is pure 8-bit gold and should be kept in a time capsule for preservation, there’s about ten that upload various versions online for free play. Then we shouldn’t make a fuss if Nintendo decided to tamper with it back then. Mind you, Nintendo knows like most of us, there’s no point changing what we love about one of the most timeless games in history so all they did is fill its skies with twinkling stars. No, literally, the backgrounds were given all that extra 16-bit charm and the characters sprung to liveliness with a few tweaks in the game engine. For that final touch, Super Mario Kart composer Soyo Oka recomposed the music replacing crude synthesis with brilliant orchestration via sampling and filling up even those portions of the game that were once condemned to an awkward silence in the process. Sparkling fresh.

Metal Gear Twin Snakes.

Publisher: Konami.

Developer: Silicon Nights.

Platform: Gamecube.

Original on: PSOne.

The first 1998 MGS stealth classic revolutionized the genre, which had deep roots in the more cinematic experience. This alone was enough to keep things fresh for the future of the series. Most would then, go right on to labeling this remake as a mere copy of a masterpiece. Well a copy is by all means is what it is, but Konami intended that impression on the surface whilst brilliantly upping the ante in a select few areas. While the game’s challenge aspect is just about right this time, the inclusion of a first person view to give headshot fanatics they are due, is what really showcases Konami’s ability to preserve a good games legacy and still make it an essential second run through for its religious fan base. If that doesn’t work for you then let me throw another fancy Japanese name at you, in this case, action film director Ryuhei Kitamura who directed some truly extreme cutscenes to take this game’s action quotient over the edge. For all its worth, this is just the well aging of another classic in gaming history.

Resident Evil.

Publisher: Capcom.

Developer: Capcom Production Studio 4.

Platform: GameCube.

Original on: PlayStation, Windows, Saturn.

When Resident Evil arrived at the shores of mainstream gaming entertainment bringing the entire survival/horror genre with it, it was a nothing short of a cluttered mess. Poorly rendered graphics aside the FMV sequences were amateur and awkward, perhaps in the true spirit of B-movie horror if you’d shed a little optimism, but inexcusable nevertheless. Seeing it as a shame to continue with the stellar sequels alone, the legendary game designer Shinji Mikami ran a rescue mission to pull the original from the cold grasp of mediocrity and bring it to the GameCube platform, and how. For the first time in this list comes a remake in truest sense of the word. While were talking words, what happens here in all brilliance, is the segregation of storytelling, where we get the same original story, but told to us on another level. To keep up with the modern script and photorealistic graphics that set the seriously dark tone for the series, the game is infested with all new puzzles, plots, subplots and environments. You bet Capcom threw in generous amounts of unlockables.

Mega Man Maverick Hunter X.

Publisher: Capcom.

Developer: Capcom.

Platform: PSP.

Original on: SNES, MS-DOS.

Only Capcom (who’s featured for the third time on this list because they are just that unavoidable) know how to make a little blue guy shooting bullets out of his hand a truly epic video game experience. It’s probably because the game featured the most memorable set of boss fights to ever grace the side scrolling blasters, or just the brilliant weapon and armor upgrade system for the time, but whatever it was it worked best with the original debut SNES format. Period. So it made perfect sense for X to go back to his roots with the latest addition to the PlayStation Portable system. Nostalgic value intact, the graphics were lifted to a more relevant 3D presentation and seamlessly at that. Every anime aficionado had their day made when the game went on to feature cutscenes straight out of Mega Man’s anime universe. Initial ones played out in bits to simply tell a story better, but the final sequence was a glorious 24-minute long running unlockable that dwelled on the back-story of the game. Also worth mentioning in the department of unlockables is Capcom’s famous “beat the game and play as your arch nemesis” bonus, in this case the relentless maverick hunter Vile you face off a number of times in the game. Thankfully, this isn’t just Mega Man with a fancy change of clothes but a whole new unique character gifted with a much larger arsenal of weaponry, and that wraps up the entire package.

Tomb Raider.

Publisher: Eidos Interactive.

Developer: Crystal Dynamics.

Platform: PS2, PSP, Windows.

Original on: PlayStation, Sega Saturn, MS-DOS.

All credit goes to Core Design for creating what the Guinness Record Books recognized as the “most successful human videogame heroine”. Sure Lara Croft did her fair share amongst a majority of testosterone driven lads found at any cross section of the gaming populous. But, you can’t help but notice the Derby-based developers fell right out of it at a certain point and more or less plagued their “claim to fame” status with the Tomb Raider series (Angel of Darkness maybe?). But that’s right where Crystal Dynamics lifted off from, firstly by re-imagining the beautiful miss Croft and secondly by pleasing the Gods of relentless adventure gaming with the breakthrough Tomb Raider: Legend. All that was left really was a need to celebrate Lara’s 10th anniversary and you bet the developers went back a whole ten years back to show Core how its done. Though released within the limits of the PS2, the game achieved graphical wizardry with its steep polygon count. Expect the lush environments from its Crystal Dynamic predecessor with a few additions to the design that directly target the hardcore fan base. The levels themselves present the player with multiple paths and the developers seem content keeping that thin line between familiarities with the original and a whole new world. They sure know how to treat a lady and as a consequence, gamers have learnt to respect the more realistic Lara Croft image as much as they will appreciate the next bold step in the evolution of the series

For a final note, let’s hope the industry keeps the trend locked to games that stand the test of time as much as the above mentioned seven and not every run of the mill title capable of producing a mild shock in sales. In a way, it’s a lot like a well-deserved plastic surgery minus the side effects. Facelifts? No. Remakes? Yes.

Fernando Torres is Cover Athlete for PES 2010

2009-07-01T07:49:00.002+05:30

Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 was released by Konami sometime last year. The Japanese publisher had signed Argentinean footballer, Lionel Messi, as a cover athlete for the game. For the latest installment of the football game, PES 2010, the publisher has managed to rope in Spanish striker, Fernando Torres, as a cover athlete.

It was revealed that Fernando Torres and Lionel Messi will grace the front of PES 2010’s marketing and packaging material. Torres, 25, was born in Madrid and quickly climbed up the soccer ranks. In 2007 the striker was transferred to English Club, Liverpool for GBP 26 million. The striker’s lone goal played an important part in Spain’s victory in the Euro 2008 final.

Jon Murphy, PES European Team Leader stated, “Fernando Torres has established himself as one of the most exciting strikers in the game. He encapsulates everything that is good about the modern game, showcasing both pace, skill and vision – three elements that play a major part in PES 2010 as a football simulation.”

Konami revealed a host of new features for PES 2010. The Enhanced Realism feature will do away with ‘soft’ goals and players who are looking to score goals will have to make precision plays and work the channels. Player characteristics have been stressed upon in this installment as many players have their own unique skills. These characteristics have been given names and can be incorporated into the playing strategy.

Torres commented, “Everyone knows that when it comes to football simulation, Konami’s PES series is by far the most realistic title available. The new game looks absolutely stunning, and I look forward to seeing myself in action in PES 2010.”

Other features of the game include Instant Tactical Switching where a new tactical bar system will reveal additional information. Users can access this bar during a match and switch tactics to suit the situation. The Master League incorporates the Europa League, previously called UEFA Cup, and the Champions League. Successful campaigns in the Master League will draw stronger players from other teams to your side.

Jon Champion and Mark Lawrenson step into the game’s virtual commentary box. The game commentary will give details about player abilities, match history and will mimic commentary like that heard in a real game.

Konami’s PES 2010 will be released for PS3, Xbox 360, PC-DVD, PSP, PS2 and mobile phones this autumn, while the prices have not been announced.

PS3 Exclusives to Look Forward to This Year

2009-06-30T09:51:00.001+05:30

Even though the PlayStation 3 has had its share of system sellers from years gone by, 2009 looks like its best year so far with tons of exclusives on the horizon. Today we’ll take a look at the more interesting ones:

Heavy Rain: The Origami Killer

From the makers of Indigo Prophecy comes yet another film noir-ish thriller in which you step into the boots of multiple characters hot on the trail of a killer known only as the Origami killer. Gameplay will mainly involve context sensitive actions but the game’s draw will be in its deep, intricate, dark and disturbing story line.

Agent

Not much is known about the game as of now except that it’s being developed by Rockstar games and it’s a PS3 exclusive. Now in all honesty I really don’t think this game will see the light of day before 2010 but since we have no concrete release date to fall back on, one can dream right?

MAG (Massive Action Game)

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MAG or Massive Action Game is basically an online multiplayer only first person shooter on steroids in which you’ll have servers where 256 players will be able to play against each other at one time. Ambitious yes?

The Last Guardian

From the makers of ICO and the Shadow of the Colossus comes a spiritual successor to both those games that tells the magical tale of a special bond between a huge mythological creature and a young boy in a hostile world.

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

From gameplay videos we’ve seen so far, Uncharted 2 is looking ace. It looks phenomenal and has all the makings of an enjoyable Hollywood blockbuster (epic set pieces, big explosions etc). Oh and it’s also got multiplayer now.

Gran Turismo 5

If realistic racing sims adorned by photorealistic visuals are your thing, Gran Turismo 5 is already/should be on your radar.

Batman: Arkham Asylum

Yes I know Arkham Asylum is not a PlayStation 3 exclusive but the PS3 version of Arkham Asylum stands to enjoy exclusive bonus content in the form of the Joker actually being a playable character. Definitely an incentive for fans of the franchise.

Top 10 Swords in Gaming

2009-06-29T18:39:00.001+05:30

Be it in first person shooters, third person action games, or massively multiplayer online role-playing games, there's no denying that no gun can feel half as cool as yielding a massive sword that slices, impales and dismembers. With that in mind, we've listed 10 of the most awesome swords in gaming. Here they are:

Blood Reaver
Game: Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver
Yielded by: Raziel

The ancient sword that was fused with the fallen vampire Raziel, made the duo the 'Soul Reaver' and the most powerful force in the realm of Nosgoth. With this bad-ass blade by his side, Raziel was able to shift between the spectral and physical realm, allowing him to feast on and collect the souls of his fallen enemy.

Energy Sword
Game: Halo
Yielded by: The melee-addict fragger

This one might not have too much lore or any history behind it, but it undoubtedly made for the most satisfying kills in Halo. One hit from this baby could kill a shielded Spartan or a Covenant Elite, or put a smile on your face when you close in on an enemy in multiplayer, and introduce him to the double-edged sharp end of this instrument of melee doom.

Red Queen
Game: Devil May Cry 4
Yielded by: Nero

The real star of DMC 4, the Red Queen was a highly customized, industrial looking sword with a complex fuel injection system that was too complex for any but Nero to yield. This bladed-delight could be revved up thrice to unleash carnage of cosmic proportion upon the enemy!

Thunderfury, Blessed Blade of the Windseeker
Game: World of Wacraft
Yielded by: The Hardcore Raider with no life

The first legendary sword to enter the World of Warcraft, back in the day Thunderfury used to be the most sort after sword for its immense power and insanely good looks. It was one of the hardest swords to get though, since you'd have to raid 'Molten Core' - one of World of Warcraft's best dungeons - week after week in order to even stand a chance at getting this baby.

Twin Blades of Azzinoth
Game: World of Wacraft: Burning Crusade
Yielded by: Illidan Stormrage

These are perhaps the most gorgeous looking blades ever designed. Yielded by the demon Illidan, these blades have seen more bloodshed than any other. For those who were hardcore enough to enter the realm of the Black Citadel and clear it, these blades would lie in waiting as reward.

Frostmourne
Game: Warcraft Universe
Yielded by: Death Knight Arthas

The most popular and revered weapon in gaming - Frostmourne was the Lich King's weapon that would drain the soul of both - its victims and its yielder. Through this sword King Arthas was controlled by, and eventually merged with the Lich King to become the most powerful character in gaming.

Dragon Tooth
Game: Deus Ex
Yielded by: Nanotechnology Whores

Developed by the controversial VersaLife corporation in Deus Ex, Dragon Tooth was the game's most awesome secrets. The nanotechnology-forged sword was build to be unbreakable and to be sharper than the sharpest katanas in existence. The sword wasn't much to look at, but was the most powerful weapon in the game! One shot kills, anyone?

Heavenly Sword
Game: Heavenly Sword
Yielded by: Nariko

This heavenly blade was said to be so powerful that it would drain the life of any who yield it. In Heavenly Sword, the protagonist Nariko honed the blade masterfully to dispatch enough badguys to fill up a small country. The blade consisted of two blades that could be detached to switch between power and speed stances.

Dragon Sword
Game: Ninja Gaiden 2
Yielded by: Ryu Hayabusa

The agile blade was Ryu Hayabusa's weapon of choice for its razorsharp edge, incredibly aerodynamic katana-style and maneuverability. The game's upgrade system allowed you to beef this weapon up till it had a gold hilt, making it far more powerful and unlocking some of the most eviscerating combos ever!

The Blade of Olympus
Game: God of War II
Yielded by: Kratos

Forged by Zeus using the Heavens and the Earth during the great titan war, this blade was bestowed with enough power to defeat the entire titan race with effortless ease, or even kill a God! This magical sword was unlocked to those who finished God of War II, allowing you to upgrade it during a second play through and taste the immense power it stored.

These were our favorite swords in gaming. If you think any other sword needs to be on the list, please leave a comment and share your thoughts with us all!

Zotac GeForce GTX 275 1792MB Graphic Card Announced

2009-06-28T19:48:00.001+05:30

Zotac International has unveiled the Zotac GeForce GTX 275 1792MB graphics card, which is the latest addition to its GeForce GTX 275 series. The graphics card combines a high performance graphics processor with a large amount of video memory.

The graphic card has 1792 MB of GDDR3 video memory and provides resolutions up to 2560 by 1600. Its 240 stream processors are supported by an efficient Nvidia Unified Architecture and it can run the latest DirectX 10, OpenGL 2.1, Nvidia CUDA and PhysX enabled 3D games and applications. The card is Dual dual-link DVI output HDCP, DirectX 10 with Shader Model 4.0 and OpenGL 3.0 compatible.

“We try to deliver the best performance value for gamers. With the new Zotac GeForce GTX 275 1792MB, we’ve managed to achieve a balance of performance and value for those that demand more video memory for gaming at extreme HD resolutions,” commented Carsten Berger, Marketing Director, Zotac International.

The graphic processor is suited for Nvidia PureVideo HD technology and is Nvidia Stereoscopic 3D ready. It also has a wide 448 bit memory interface providing true to life visuals. The card has a core clock speed of 633 MHz and a shader clock speed of 1404 MHz whereas its memory clock speed is 2268 MHz. The graphic card features a PCI Express 2.0 interface which is 1.1 compatible. The other hardware features of this active cooled graphic card include Nvidia Lumenex Engine and Quantum Effects Technology.

Prices of the Zotac GeForce GTX 275 1792MB graphics card have not been announced. But it comes with the Zotac Extended Warranty and a full copy of Race Driver: Grid which lets you test the graphic card.

Top 5 Deathmatches

2009-06-28T06:55:00.001+05:30

Classes, Unlocks, Squads, Teams, Nodes, Flags - if all those terms make you dizzy, maybe it's time you indulged in some old school deathmatch action. If you're in the mood for an every-man-for-himself free-for-all bloodbath, we feel you! In fact, we've been missing the good old deathmatch so much off lately, that we've decided to commemorate some of our favorite free-for-all indulgences in this article. Here are a few games with our favorite deathmatch offerings:

Unreal Tournament 2003

Right since the original Unreal Tournament days, you could never have a discussion about the hottest deathmatches without mentioning a game from this franchise. Right from the redeemer to the shockrifle, Unreal Tournament hit the sweetspot when it came to weapon selection. Then along came Unreal Tournament 2003, with far sweeter visual, faster action and some really massive shock-rifle combo-blasts! The best part about this one was that it had a very steep learning curve for those who chose to indulge in it. Each weapon had its individual learning curve too, with different ways of honing them - the Flak Cannon could be used to scatter shots around corners, the rocket launcher could load-up a payload of three boom-booms and blast an unsuspecting duo of enemies fighting each other, and the shock-rifle could me masterfully honed to combo the alternate fire with its primary fire, to create an explosion that would send your enemies' limbs gleefully skimming through the air.

Quake III Arena

The classic shooter, and one of the first shooters to make it extremely big in the multiplayer competitive shooter scene - Quake III Arena undoubtedly dwarfs most other deathmatches by leaps and bounds. From the pin-point precision of the rail gun and its per-shot load time, to the powerful but laggy blasts of the Plasma rifle, each weapon was balanced out perfectly to ensure that only those with true skill could dominate each match. The unique and customizable character selection were a big boon, but what really took the cake was the game's masterfully designed maps that allowed you to catapult yourself between platforms (how I love DM17!), and others that were labyrinths of claustrophobic passages that would make for great rocket launcher splash damage zones. This game was the manifestation of online carnage!

Alien Versus Predator II

Some of you might find this game ill-fitting to this sort of a list, but don't dismiss it yet. Not only did Alien Versus Predator II have a superb singleplayer campaign, it had some of the best multiplayer deathmatch modes out there! It had the best of both worlds - you could pick between different classes of Marines, Aliens or Predators, each of which played vastly different from one another. Marines were all out firepower, Predators were stealthy and lethal, and Aliens were sneaky, fast and devastating in close quarters combat. There were great modes, the best of which was one that allows you to start off as an Alien Face-hugger that let you latch onto the enemy, and depending on their race, you'd get a different hybrid of an evolved Alien with unique abilities!

Halo 3

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As much as the Halo series might seen overrated, there's no denying that it always had some of the best multiplayer play to offer. The deathmatches right from the first Halo game have been top-notch, with the perfect mix of great maps, awesome power-ups and some of the best vehicular combat in multiplayer. Running after a tank with the invisibility power-up, yielding a rocket-launcher, and planting a rocket right in the driver's face, has got to be one of the most satisfying things you could do in a deathmatch, and it was possible in all Halo games.

F.E.A.R. Combat

F.E.A.R. Combat got a new addition to the mix of deathmatches - Slo Mo DM - that allowed the yielder of the reflex booster to slow time down, and frag all his sluggish opponents with a distinct speed advantage on his side. It was absolutely the most orgasmic feeling to use your nail-gun and pin your enemies to the wall in slow motion, or to shoot from your grenade launcher and see debris fly all over the place, with the dead enemy(s) rag-dolling like a kitten in a washing machine! The best part about the game was that it was completely free, so if you haven't tried it already, please do yourself a favor and download it from here.

Maroon 5 and Warped Tour Artists to Hit Rock Band Music Store This Week

2009-06-27T19:06:00.000+05:30

After recently revealing the full set-list for the Rock Band Country Track Pack featuring songs from famous country stars, Harmonix and MTV Games announced that they will be introducing more tracks to the Rock Band Music Store. They plan to add songs by Maroon 5 and artists featuring on this year’s Warped Tour, to the Rock Band Music Store this week.

The Warped Tour is an annual international music and extreme sports festival which started in 1994 and this year’s Warped Tour is going to be held between the end of June and August. Five tracks by artists performing on this year’s Warped Tour and a pack of three tracks from Grammy Award winning band, Maroon 5, will be released this week. The band holds the distinction of selling nearly 15 million albums worldwide.

The five songs from this year’s Warped Tour are The Downfall of Us All by A Day to Remember, 21st Century Digital Boy by Bad Religion, I didn’t Say I Was Powerful, I said I was a Wizard by Chiodos, The Flood from Escape the Fate and Underoath’s Reinventing Your Exit. The three tracks from Maroon 5 coming this week are Little of Your Time, Makes Me Wonder and Wake Up Call. The tracks can be availed of as part of the Warped Tour Pack or the Maroon 5 Pack and can also be purchased individually. All the 8 tracks are master recordings.

Harmonix and MTV Games will make the tracks available on the Xbox Live Marketplace on June 23, 2009 and on the PlayStation Store on June 24, 2009. Individual tracks can be bought for USD 1.99 (approx. Rs.95) or for 160 Microsoft Points. The Maroon 5 Pack can be purchased for USD 5.49 (approx. Rs.265) or for 440 Microsoft points while the Warped Tour Pack costs USD 8.49 (approx. Rs.410).

Pre-order Halo 3: ODST and Unlock Sgt. Johnson in Firefight

2009-06-26T19:11:00.001+05:30

Halo 3, developed by Bungie, is a first person shooter which was released around two years ago. The game went on to register record sales and was the best selling game of 2007 in The US. Halo 3: ODST is a new game in the Halo series and it covers the events which lead to the captivating story told in Halo 3.

We have word that fans who pre-order Halo 3: ODST will receive a token which will help them unlock UNSC Sgt. Johnson as a playable character in Firefight, the new cooperative multiplayer mode. Sergeant Avery Junior Johnson is a veteran marine who has seen his fair share of war and is a highly decorated war hero.

In Halo 3: ODST, the player assumes the role of an Orbital Drop Shock Trooper, who has to find a way to regroup with separated squad members and investigate the Covenant’s invasion of New Mombasa. The game also introduces a new cooperative mode called Firefight. In this mode, players team up to form an ODST squad and battle hordes of enemies across a variety of battlefields. To add to the excitement, the enemies keep getting harder to kill as you progress in the game. The game has incorporated Halo 3’s ‘Skulls’ which activate from time to time to further increase the difficulty level and add new depth to the gameplay.

The game includes a second standalone disc, containing a total of 24 maps which include all Halo 3 maps and three new Halo 3 multiplayer maps. It also contains the Legendary, Heroic and Mythic Map Packs.

Bungie will release Halo 3: ODST on September 22, 2009 and it will be priced at GBP 39.99 (approx. Rs.3170). The game will be available exclusively for the Xbox 360 and fans who purchase the game will get access to Halo: Reach multiplayer beta when it goes live.

Awesome Game Expos Besides E3

2009-06-26T18:45:00.000+05:30

Now most of you may have heard of E3 since it’s become somewhat of a household name among gamers but there are dozens of other expos that take place around the world throughout the year. Sure they may not be as extravagant and commercial as E3 but they’re a good source of information and many of them are open to the general public as opposed to E3 that’s strictly for the press. Today we'll take a look at five such expos.

Games Convention

When: July 31st 2009 – August 2nd 2009
Where: Usually held in Leipzig, Germany, the conference has been moved to Cologne (in Germany itself) this year.

Why should you care: Last year’s Games Convention was a tremendous success clocking over two hundred thousand visitors. In fact last year’s event was so well received, people started referring to it as the spiritual successor to E3. Oh and this event is open to the general public for an entire day.

PAX (Penny Arcade Expo)

When: September 4th – 6th 2009
Where: Seattle, Washington

Why should you care: PAX is the brainchild of the two talented dudes behind the Penny Arcade comics. The Expo is all about games (largely indie stuff), LAN parties, concerts and having a good time while in a drunken stupor. It's wholesome non-corporate fun for everyone.

TGS Tokyo Game Show

When: September 24th – 27
Where: Japan

Why should you care: Like PAX and GC, TGS is open to the general public for two entire days. During that time you’ll witness video games and some of the best cosplaying on the planet. And don’t let the name mislead you; even though a large amount of content is geared towards the local audience, there’s something for everyone in there.

Comic Con

When: July 23rd – 26
Where: San Diego

Why should you care: Unlike what the name may suggest, Comic Con is an expo for pretty much every form of entertainment on the planet be it comics, movies, video games etc. And the icing on the cake is that this event is open to the general public on all four days.

PlayStation Experience

When – TBA 2009
Where: All over India

Why should you care: For starters this is pretty much the only high profile expo in India. And with a name like PlayStation Experience, don’t go expecting anything besides Sony hardware. Still it’s open to the public and it’s a chance for gamers to get their hands (momentarily) on high profile PS3, PS2 and PSP games from both 1st and 3rd part publishers.

Besides the above mentioned expos you also have stuff like BlizzCon and QuakeCon. The only reason I didn’t mention them in the article is because they’re specific to both Blizzard and id Software.

Some Video Games Can Make Children Kinder

2009-06-25T12:37:00.004+05:30

Most of us are aware of the relationship between violent video games and aggressive behavior. But now for the first time, researchers have found that some video games can make children kinder and more likely to help other people.

Pro-social video games involve characters who help and support each other in non-violent ways.

Three separate studies conducted in different countries using different age groups and a variety of scientific methods all suggest that playing games with pro-social content cause players to be more helpful to others after the game is over.

Douglas Gentile, lead author and a psychologist at Iowa State University said: "Dozens of studies have documented a relationship between violent video games and aggressive behaviours. But this is one of the first that has documented the positive effects of playing pro-social games."

"These studies show the same kind of impact on three different age groups from three very different cultures," said Brad Bushman, study co-author from the University of Michigan. He added that "the resulting triangulation of evidence provides the strongest possible proof that the findings are both valid and generalisable."

Some Video Games Can Make Children Kinder

2009-06-25T12:37:00.002+05:30

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2009-06-24T19:50:00.004+05:30

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Ghostbusters: The Video Game to be Published in India by Sony

2009-06-24T18:49:00.000+05:30

Sony Computer Entertainment Europe, Atari Europe and Sony Pictures Consumer Products have made known that Ghostbusters: The Video Game will be published in India for the PS2 and PS3 by SCEE in June.

Fans of the series will get to join the ghost-busting team as a new recruit in a game which takes place some two years after the events from the second Ghostbusters movie. The game’s story has been written by Harold Ramis and Dan Akroid, the original Ghostbusters writers. The game brings together the original cast members for the first time in twenty years and features the voices of Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis, and Ernie Hudson, and performances from Brian Doyle-Murray, Annie Potts and William Atherton.

Ghostbusters: The Video Game, developed by Terminal Reality and Red Fly Studios will be available this June to PS2 and PS3 owners. The version of the game for the PSP is expected to be available in the autumn.

Awesome Games Based on Movies

2009-06-24T12:34:00.001+05:30

It's easy to come up with a list of crappy game-to-movie conversions, since almost every big budget Hollywood flick and its grandmother was followed by a substandard piece of gaming garbage developed by Neanderthals. I'm sure most of them sold well riding on the movies fame alone, but that's a whole other story. When it comes down to great games based on movies though, it's a whole new ball game and you've got to respect the developers that don't budge under studio pressure, and deliver a great game that's an awesome experience independent of the movie fame. Here are a few such games based on movies that have earned our respect:

Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay
Platforms: Xbox, PC
Released: 2004

If you've not played Escape from Butcher Bay, you've not tasted melee combat in all its glory! There's nothing like pummeling the face of a prison inmate with your bare-fist (or one of the gazillion melee weapons you find in the game) as you hear Vin Diesel's cocky one-liners in his gruff voice, that the lot of us gamers have learnt to associate with all things awesome. If you liked the dark universe of the movie, the game took the gritty setting to the next level through the highly fortified prison complex of Butcher Bay.

You'd traverse multiple layers of the prison, you'd sneak past guards, stab them in the back, and ambush the unsuspecting prisoner with a screwdriver in the face. If you're a fan of the movie and love great melee combat and stealth, you owe it to yourself to play this one.

X-Men Origins: Wolverine
Platforms: Xbox360, PS3, PC
Released: 2009

If you like blood and gore, the Uncaged Edition of X-Men Origins: Wolverine lets you impale, maim, eviscerate, mutilate, decapitate, dismember and down-right mince-ify any and everything you came across! The game didn't follow the movie's story entirely, and the developers added their own bits and pieces to the mix, which is inspiring since developers of movie-offshoot games rarely get that much freedom; this game should be a testament to why they should be given such freedom!

Think of this one as the God of War of the X-Men universe, and Wolverine's Adamantium Claws as the Blades of Chaos; this caged beast chews through almost everything through some of the most visceral, gory and stylish moves that are sure to quench your thirst for blood.

Spiderman 2
Platforms: Xbox, PS2, PC, GameCube
Released: 2004

For once a Spiderman game managed to capture an experience that did the franchise justice! While the game based on Spiderman 2 meandered around the story of the movie, there were many villains included from the comic book series, quite a bit of sidestory added to the mix, and a whole lot of freeroaming included. You could freeroam through the crime ridden streets of New York City, scale the highest buildings, bust robberies and swing through the air at lightening fast speeds, making you feel as epic as Peter Parker did when he donned that suit.

If you're a Spiderman fan, you owe yourself the pleasure of playing this one - it's the best game to come out of the franchise, and perhaps any comic book series!

Aladdin
Platforms: PC, Sega Genesis, SNES
Released: 1993

Based on the super-successful Disney Animated movie 'Aladdin' that released way back in 1992, this game bedazzled the lot of us with some of the best cel-shaded visuals ever. Aladdin used new technology developed by Virgin Interactive, that allowed the developers to take Disney's detailed animated frames and compress them so that they'd play fluidly using the highly limiting power of PC during those days.

The result was a game that was ahead of its time! This sidescrolling platformer offered challenging gameplay too, as the sword-slinging Aladdin would traverse desert locales, jump over spiked pits, stab weird, scantily-clad, scrawny men that would throw bottles at him all to save the love of his life. Then there were a huge number of bonus levels that would award you extra lives and continues! There was just so much going on in this game, that you couldn't help loving it!

The Matrix: Path of Neo
Platform: PC, Xbox, PS2
Released: 2005

After the first game based on the series called 'Enter the Matrix' disappointed us, Shiny Entertainment did it right with the second called Path of Neo, and picked the best action sequences from the movies and let you play every one of them! While the gunplay was a little lousy, the game featured orgasmic melee combat, where you could learn most of the moves from the movie and incorporate it into the gameplay.

The storyline felt a little haphazard though, so the game would completely confuse anyone who's not a fan of the series. Fans, on the other hand, loved this game completely!

That's it for our list of awesome games based on movies. If there are any such games you'd like reminisce about, please share them with us via a comment.

Is Sony Planning to Launch its own App Store?

2009-06-23T18:35:00.001+05:30

iPhone and iPod Touch users can download games and applications via the Apple App Store. And with the release of Sony’s new handheld system, the PSPgo, UMDs will become all but obsolete. In fact, rumor has it that Sony is planning to put in place an App Store dedicated to the PSPgo.

Destructoid has been informed by “sources close to game development” that Sony is pushing developers for smaller games and applications, best suited for download, for its PSP. Also, Sony is said to be ready to reveal this new development at gamescom in Cologne, Germany which will take place in August. Apparently the company plans on keeping the price of these “non-retail” games low-key, considerably less than retail UMDs.

The smaller games and applications are likely to be priced somewhere in the USD 2 (approx. Rs. 95) and USD 6 (approx. Rs. 290) price brackets, and would have file sizes of not more than 100 MB each.

Codies and Ashes Cricket 2009 get Kevin Pietersen as Cover Athlete

2009-06-23T11:13:00.001+05:30

Codemasters had said earlier that Ashes Cricket 2009 would be coming this summer. Now the publisher has officially announced that it has signed England batsman, Kevin Pietersen, to be the cover athlete for the game.

Kevin Pietersen, batsman for England, enthused, “I am delighted to be involved with the official game of the Ashes. The game looks fantastic and I’m sure both England and Australia fans are going to relish the opportunity to take part in a virtual Ashes series. Representing your country in the Ashes is a huge honour and I can’t wait for it to start.”

Ricky Ponting, who graces the Australian game’s pack art, comments, “I think it’s going to be massive. There are guys all over the world playing against each other trying to recreate us playing against England at grounds like Lords. We have some bad memories from our last trip to England to play in the Ashes so we are desperate to put it right.”

Commentary in the game will be given by Shane Warne and Sir Ian Botham, lovingly known as “Beefy”. The two will take up commentating positions and will also host the ‘Legends Mode’ in the game.

Speaking on his role in the game, Shane Warne says, “Recording commentary for the game was a lot of fun and I am really pleased with the result. It’s always good to have some banter with Beefy. I played in eight Ashes Series and it’s an amazing feeling to represent your country on the biggest stage. Hopefully Ashes Cricket 2009 will allow cricket fans a taste of what that feels like.”

“I’m sure cricket fans in England, Australia and all around the world will have a lot of fun playing against each other on Ashes Cricket 2009,” said Sir Ian Botham. “I’m very pleased to be involved in the game and hope that the people who play it enjoy the Legends Mode. In 2005 we all saw what kind of positive effect a successful Ashes series can have on the country and hopefully the boys can emulate that this year.”

Ashes Cricket 2009 is to feature kits, equipment, stadia and players that have all been fully licensed, adding to the authenticity of the game.

Ashes Cricket 2009 is being developed by Transmission Games and will be published by Codemasters for the PS3, PC, and Xbox 360. A Wii version of the game is currently in development with Gusto Games and will be released in August.

The Conduit for Nintendo Wii has gone Gold: Sega

2009-06-22T21:04:00.001+05:30

Sega and High Voltage Software have made known that their new FPS, The Conduit, has gone gold and will be out in North American stores by the end of next week. The game will be available only on the Nintendo Wii platform.

The story takes you to a futuristic Washington DC; you play the role of a newly inducted government agent, Michael Ford, whose job is to investigate the bizarre attacks in the capital city. The game has you battling a variety of enemies ranging from rogue agents to aliens, and to do so you are given a variety of weapons to choose from. A new multiplayer mode lets you compete against players from around the world.

The developers, High Voltage Software, designed a new game engine known as Quantum3 especially for the Wii platform so as to provide graphics not seen before on the Wii. The player is allowed to customize everything from the cursor sensitivity to the camera change speed. The enemies are also a lot smarter and harder to kill owing to the advanced AI which lets them strategize while in battle.

The game is to be released in the UK and Australia on June 26, 2009 while the North American release is set for June 23, 2009.

Best of Singapore and CommunicAsia 2009

2009-06-22T11:04:00.001+05:30

Aside from the all beautiful women at CommunicAsia 09, the opportunity to play around mobile tech that hasn’t yet hit us here yet, new handset models and the beautiful women, did I say that already?... a few handsets also peaked my interest. I decided to compile a quick list of the handsets that I was eager to review first if or when they got here, so here are my choices of the best of Singapore and CommunicAsia 09.

GD900 Crystal
One of the handsets I was hoping to see at CommunicAsia 2009 was LG’s GD900 Crystal with it’s transparent keypad and LG’s S-Class UI. What intrigued me was the keypad itself that doesn’t just function as any other touch sensitive keypad that we’ve ever come across. It is in fact a navigation system as well that offers users more than just a method of data entry. Since the Crystal also supports multi-touch, the keypad’s surface can be used for pinch controls for zooming in and out of the images. It also has an intuitive shortcut system wherein you can assign specific functions to a design or alphabet and simply by tracing out the form on the keypad the function will commence.

The 1GB of internal memory, Wi-Fi and its 8MP AF camera are also what will make this handset quite a sought after device, aside from its unique and creative design and functionality. It’s not something that you can use on a daily basis of course, but for the luxury loving fashionistas, this handset is going to be right up there with the best of them.

LG GW525
Fans of the LG Cookie are gong to love this – the GW525 takes things to a whole new level with a full slide out QWERTY keypad. It’s a well designed light weighted handset and even though it may ‘seem’ a tad bulky, believe me, that’s well worth that slight weight addition. The key pad is well laid out and each key is well laid out for ease of typing quickly.

Its features are quite similar to the Cookie's but the screen size is just a little smaller at 2.8-inches. The 3 megapixel camera is still present and it’s loaded with features for social networking. A few business features like a document reader are also thrown in. The touchscreen was quite responsive and the UI is easily usable without a stylus.

Samsung I7500 Galaxy
The Samsung booth at CommunicAsia had a lot going on - from its mobile projector unit to the plethora of Omnia variants and even its Pixon 12 camera phone. But my personal favorite wasn’t the newly unveiled super fast Jet handset. I rather liked the I7500 Galaxy, Android powered mobile. Having had limited opportunity to check out the OS and UI personally, the Galaxy was just what the doctor ordered. To start off with, the handset itself is very sleek with well defined curves and a refined yet somewhat sporty finish. It has a real feel good factor and a comfortable grip.

The Android OS is brilliant. It took me a few seconds to adjust to the layout and that’s all it takes really to have a great first impression. With its 3.2-inch AMOLED touchscreen display, 3.5mm earphone socket and large internal storage capacity the Galaxy will do well when it gets here sometime in July or August.

Sony Ericsson Yari
Although Sony Ericsson didn’t even have a booth at CommunicAsia this year, they did have an event of their own to unveil a few new handsets for their South East Asia Markets. Of these that included the W995 with its 8MP camera, the Satio with its 12 megapixel snapper and the Aino for PS3 connectivity the future actually lies with the Yari. It’s not as flashy as the other handsets but this slider has taken mobile gaming to whole new level. The Yari employs a motion sensor in the front of the handset. It detects motion like a proximity sensor and converts it into signals on the handset for specific games.

With this handset mobile gaming is now totally interactive, like the Nintendo Wii and, dare I say it, a smaller less intricate version of Microsoft’s Natal. You don’t need a set of controls for the handset to recognize movement, just go with the flow. From boxing games to yoga and workouts, the Yari’s gaming capabilities are brilliant. The iPhone may have the market cornered when it comes to touchscreen gaming, but there’s nothing like the Yari yet.

Garmin ASUS Nuvifone G60
Finally, and I’m quite surprised myself, the one handset that really fascinated me with its brilliant interface and smooth functionality, was the nuvifone G60 from ASUS and Garmin. For a handset that’s primary function is its GPS capability, the OS and UI, which is Linux by the way, was the most responsive I’ve seen till date, bar none. If you’re thinking – hey what about the iPhone’s U.... Stop right there. I said bar none.

The Linux OS was fluid and responsive to a fault. Accessing information with large clear cut icons and a smooth yet intuitive navigation system makes the G60 the best in my book. It’s fully equipped for GPS functionality with A-GPS support for location-based apps, a 3MP camera, 4GB of storage space and 3G capabilities with Wi-Fi thrown in. The only minor flaw I saw was the 2.5mm handsfree socket. All else was A+. The good news is that I was told that the handset could very well be on its way to India, but that’s yet to be officially confirmed.

Hon. Mention
LG GD910 Watch Phone
There’s just one more device I’d like to talk about before I end this list - We’ve seen watches that have the ability to integrate with mobile phones via Bluetooth and we’ve even seen touchscreen watches that bring up data and features stored on the device. What’s really impressive is when a manufacturer successfully combines all three bits of hardware and technology. Enter, LG’s Watch Phone, the GD 910.

It has a smooth flowing, very responsive touch sensitive UI. From typing messages to taking calls the GD910 is a luxury product of course and will make Dick Tracy’s overcoat turn green with envy.

This was a rather difficult list to make up as there was so much in the way of mobile technology and handsets that were showcased at CommunicAsia this year. It was a great opportunity to be there and get first hand information on what we can expect from the future of this industry. I hope you’ve enjoyed the live coverage we’ve been providing for the same.

The Biggest Loser for Wii and Nintendo DS coming this Fall, says THQ

2009-06-21T20:58:00.001+05:30

The Biggest Loser, the television program in which overweight contestants compete to lose the highest percentage of body weight is coming to the gaming world as THQ announces that the game ‘The Biggest Loser’ is in development for the Wii and Nintendo DS and is expected to release in the fall of 2009. The game is based on the NBC television show and features comprehensive workouts from trainers Jillian Michaels and Bob Harper.

“The Wii is the perfect video game platform for The Biggest Loser, as it encourages activity and motivation,” commented Mark Koops, Managing Director at Reveille, the production company behind The Biggest Loser. “The video game not only offers a really fun way to work out, but it also provides users with an effective weight loss tool to help them meet their personal goals. It is a perfect complement to our existing Biggest Loser lifestyle products.”

“NBC’s The Biggest Loser show has transformed so many lives across the globe,” Randy Shoemaker, VP of global brand management at THQ, stated. “The Biggest Loser video game will help Nintendo players everywhere achieve that same success at home. The video game offers fun, innovative work-out routines and functions as a complete, personalized health and fitness experience, giving players the tools they need to change their bodies and change their lives.”

“We are really proud to be able to introduce this video game as part of the great line of product affiliated with ‘The Biggest Loser,’” remarked Kim Niemi, Senior VP, NBC Universal Television, DVD, Music and Consumer Products Group. “This video game presents an opportunity for the whole family to exercise and get fit, while having fun together.”

“The hardest part of getting in shape and staying fit is knowing what to do, as well as maintaining the desire to stick with it,” explained The Biggest Loser trainer, Bob Harper. “The Biggest Loser video game incorporates years of research and proven results taken from The Biggest Loser television show. This program offers personalized fitness and nutrition goals to give players the tools they need to lose weight and keep it off. ”

The Biggest Loser video game has detailed nutrition goals and carefully planned workouts to assist players to get in shape and keep fit. Alison Sweeney, the host of the television show, will also appear in the Wii and Nintendo DS games. Players can choose between a 4, an 8 or a 12-week program and either challenge a friend or take on past contestants of the television show. The workout sessions include cardio exercises, yoga exercises, plus lower and upper as well as core body exercises and players can even create their own workouts. The game tracks and documents progress on a calendar and even when not playing the game, players can receive credit for activities such as taking a bike ride or going for a walk or jog.

In addition, the game features 50 recipes for healthy eating so that players can have the diet for optimal weight loss. Trainers will also add their useful tips during the Wii workout program to help players stay on track and reach their goals.

So far no exact release dates or prices for the Wii or the Nintendo DS versions of The Biggest Loser video game have been announced.