Today marks the 12th anniversary of this landmark RTS franchise. To kick the celebration off, today we have a special surprise which we are certain new and old Command & Conquer fans will enjoy. We are providing the original Command & Conquer Gold as a free download, compatible for Windows XP!
Blogger Marco has recently discovered that the newest version of Google Earth includes a flight simulator. Though simple in comparison to full-blown simulators, Google Earth's is fun and addictive. To get started, press Ctrl+Alt+A for the initial dialog (on OS X, Command+Option+A). Then choose your plane (F16 or SR22) and initial airport. Joysticks are supported; it has even been reported that force feedback works. The game's controls are sensitive so it takes some getting used to. Here are all the available controls.
FA 08 is now available for you to sample in playable demo form over on the game's official website.
There's no sign of it on Xbox Live or PSN at the time of writing, but don't be surprised if it "pitches" up at some point. Guffaw.
FIFA 08 may be the latest of many attempts by EA to rejuvenate its ageing football series, but we were definitely impressed with the steps taken when EA Canada invited us over to have a go earlier this year.
Following on from FIFA 07's full engine revamp, 08 introduces a lot of the features that that game was missing - including an intuitive and versatile trick system that gives you precise control over the things that players like Ronaldinho are able to conjure.
Meanwhile, tangibly better AI and other complementary systems improve the general quality of play for everybody who isn't Barcelona's toothy favourite. So give it a go - and let them know what you think, since we know they read what you say.
The full version of FIFA 08 is due out on (deep breath) PS3, Xbox 360, Wii, PC, PS2, PSP and DS on 28th September.
Capcom has unveiled its line-up for the upcoming Tokyo Game Show, taking place from 20th to 23rd September.
The majority of games on show will be for Nintendo platforms, although the listings show three new titles yet to be announced. Hopefully one of these will be Resident Evil 5, which we are hoping to play at the event.
Wii offerings will include We Love Golf, Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles, and the hugely promising adventure Zack & Wiki: Quest for Barbaros' Treasure. Mega Man Star Force 2 and Wantame Music Channel Doko Demo Style will be there for DS.
Elsewhere Devil May Cry 4 will be the headline act for PS3 and 360, with Sengoku Basara 2 HEROES aiming to prove there's still life in the ageing PS2.
We'll let you know as soon as the other games are named.
Eidos has announced that Championship Manager 2008 will be out this Christmas on PC. It will sport a redesigned look and is billed as the most accessible instalment in the series so far.
But unfortunately Eidos was unable to narrow down the exact date for us this afternoon, or confirm if the game will be coming to consoles.
This time around there will be more options to highlight and analyse key events that either won or lost you the game. You'll be able to see them as they happen using the new and more realistic 3D match engine, before picking them to pieces in the returning ProZone feature.
Players should act a little more believably now, too, and have personality traits which will influence how they behave for the full 90 minutes. We're told there will be 32 of these in total, which your players can learn through training if you want them to.
You'll be able to play with your friends on one computer, and there will be all the new and updated goings-on from the recently closed August transfer window - from as far away as the Australian league.
Funcom has cried havoc and let slip details of the siege warfare in Age of Conan.
It will let you and your guild members take part in massive battles in the Border Kingdom area, earning prestige and bonuses for yourselves, as well as venturing down a separate player versus player progression system.
Those of you with lots of members in your jolly old throng will want to go for the bigger battlekeep structures. Within these will be stables, blacksmithing equipment, alchemist workshops, universities, and more - each designed to give your guild a bonus in a certain area. You might be able to travel 10 per cent faster when you have a stable, for instance.
You'll have to keep hold of the resources around the map if you want to maintain your grip over these, and fight off attempts by other guilds to gain control.
Other people in smaller guilds will be able to take over forts, which will require less man power to hold on to. And if you're not a member of any group but still want in on the action, then you can be drafted in using a mercenary system, where guilds agree to pay you a fee for fighting on their side.
Smashing someone else's creation to pieces, on the other hand, will mean getting hold of some siege weaponry like trebuchets. This will be linked to a crafting skill, where more powerful and better quality machines can be built as your skill increases.
But you won't be able to attack keeps at any time you please, thanks to the introduction of attack windows. These will stop people rampaging late at night when there's usually significantly less opposition. You can specify when you want your battlekeep to be vulnerable, although you will want to make this as often as possible so you can maximise your rewards.
Those of you doing this a lot will start earning points in the player versus player progression system. It's made up of 20 levels and will reward you with new skills and impressive titles (something like "The Ultimate Slayer of all Men", joked product manager Erling Ellingsen) the further you get. Funcom is even talking about an immortality quest for those of you hardcore enough to chase it, although it won't tell us much more about it.
Siege warfare joins drunken brawling and instanced capture the flag or deathmatch battles in a three pronged player versus player approach. It makes up a key part of Funcom's end game, along with raiding and epic boss encounters, but is said to be designed with everyone in mind, not just the hardcore.
"Age of Conan is designed with that very clear idea in mind that it should appeal to both casual and hardcore players. We want you to feel rewarded even if you only have the opportunity to play for a short amount of time each week. If you want to solo, then go for it," said Erling Ellingsen, product manager for Age of Conan.
"Many of us at Funcom are family men and women, and we know very well that you can't pour endless hours into a game each night. You'll see this reflected in all the different aspects of Age of Conan."
Age of Conan was at the recent Games Convention in Leipzig, where it was hailed as the best online game of the show.
It's due for release on PC next March, with an Xbox 360 version to follow.
IMC has finally shed some light on mysterious shooter They, unveiling Metropolis Software as the developer.
It takes part in the near future, after a devastating attack on England leaves nasty robots in control. You and a pilot from your army squadron managed to survive the initial onslaught, and will soon find out that not all is as it seems - the robots aren't thinking for themselves. It appears invisible aliens are doing it all for them, you see, although it will be a while before you'll actually be able to see and attack them.
Key to your adventure will be your gun, which you'll upgrade along the way. Hundreds of items can be swapped in and out of four slots, and you'll be able to adjust and save your weapon settings to the number keys on your keyboard. So, you might like a burst-style attack on key one, or an explosive assault on key two - apparently the possibilities are endless.
You'll even get the chance to change the skin on your gun, decorating it with various pictures of skulls, or sensible camouflage.
They is being powered by its very own engine, and boasts all the usual trimmings like DirectX 10 support and clever enemies that probably know their seven times-table.
Multiplayer will tout the familiar faces of capture the flag, deathmatch, and so on, as well as an entirely new mode based around the customisable gun.
They is in development for PC, PS3 and Xbox 360. A release date is yet to be announced.
The news is slopping around the decks of the official website, under the "What's next for Outerlight?" section. But unfortunately no gameplay details or platforms were mentioned, just orders to keep an eye out for more information.
The Ship was released last year on Steam. It's a multiplayer action game that challenges you to assassinate specific targets on board a luxury 1930s ocean liner before they can get you. A bit like Titanic, but with less romance and more murder.
You have to use objects at hand to achieve your goal, and keep your intentions to yourself, otherwise the guards will pop you in gaol.
Nintendo's DS handheld scooped the top four positions in the Spanish chart, according to the most recent data available from GfK International.
There were no surprises in the top 10, with Pokemon, Brain Training, Ratatouille and some PlayStation 2 Platinum releases making up most of the places.
Only three of the ten were non-Nintendo platforms as the company continues to maintain its strong presence in European software sales, while the PC and Xbox 360 platforms were entirely unrepresented.
The PC edition of BioShock has entered the German software chart at number one, with the Xbox 360 version also slipping into the top 10 at number six, according to the latest information from GfK International.
The 2K title managed to disrupt an otherwise Nintendo-centric chart, with DS and Wii titles taking up almost all of the other positions – prevented only by continued strong sales of the World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade expansion.
ow is the time to kick-start the strategy genre on console as its audience is now "ready to step up to strategy gaming", reckons Firaxis chief and Civilization creator Sid Meier.
"I think the console audience has evolved to where it's not just hand-eye action games that we're seeing, there's a much wider variety of game genres becoming interesting on the consoles", Meier told CVG recently.
He explained that Firaxis, currently developing Civilization: Revolution Xbox 360, PS3, WII and DS, believes turn-based strategy is one of those things that needs to be there for the console player. "The console audience is ready to step up to strategy gaming, especially when we can present in a way that looks cool and sounds cool."
Consoles are an area where "there's so much energy and innovation", Meier added.
Meier paints a very clear picture of Firaxis's enthusiasm for console development, but it doesn't mean the developer's about to sideline the PC platform. "We're certainly not abandoning the PC, it's a very important part of our development thinking", he went on to say.
"For Civilization," he continued, "right now we have a separate approach for console versus PC because the PC version's really a fourth generation, it's really evolved to be a game that serves the hardcore, fanatic Civilization fan base."
Keep an eye out for our full interview with Sid Meier hitting these pages shortly.
Japanese top 20 includes just four non-Nintendo platform titles
Another successful week last week of software sales in Japan for Nintendo saw PlayStation platforms represented by just four titles in the top 20.
According to data from Media Create, three of those came in the top 10, including new number one Sengoku Musou: Moushouden.
However, the rest of the top 20 was entirely made up of titles for the DS or Wii, and there was just one PlayStation 3 title in the entire top 50 – Hot Shots Golf 5, at number 17.
There were once again no titles for the Xbox 360 in the chart last week.
The top ten in full:
1. Sengoku Musou 2: Moushouden (PS2)
2. Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Rings of Fate (DS)
3. Pheonix Wright 3 (DS)
4. Mario Party 8 (Wii)
5. My Housekeeping Diary (DS)
6. Dragoneer's Aria (PSP)
7. SD Gundam: G Generation Cross Drive (DS)
8. J-League Winning Eleven 2007: Club Championship (PS2)
On the heels of a recently announced Conservative Party mini-manifesto on violent videogames, UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown has outlined plans for a public review of violent and sexual imagery in games.
According to the Daily Mirror, Brown promised to look again at banning violent videogames.
"I know... that parents are concerned about whether children are too exposed to harmful violence and sexual imagery in video computer games and on the internet," said Brown, "so as we launch the court consultation on our children's plan we will be looking at all the evidence on the effects of this material, whether we need new rules for the advertising and sale of these products to children and young people."
Mr. Brown intends to put the plans to a "Citizens' Jury" this week, in which members of the public will have a direct influence on policymaking, airing their views and offering suggestions.
Another "Citizens' Jury" on crime and gang warfare will follow next week.
Mr. Brown said that "It will look at how we can empower people to work with police to tackle crime and antisocial behaviour."
Square Enix has wheeled out a list of the titles it will be showing at the Tokyo Game Show later this month.
Among the line-up are lots of playable versions of its games, although headline acts Final Fantasy XIII and Final Fantasy Versus XIII are shrouded in uncertainty - listed simply as "undecided".
The ninth and DS-exclusive instalment in the Dragon Quest series will be there, however, as will The Last Remnant - but sadly both only in trailer form.
We're still waiting to hear back from the European arm of the publisher for final confirmation on the Famitsu-produced list. Cast your eyeballs down a bit for the full banana.
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Ring of Fates - Playable
Final Fantasy Tactics A2 - Trailer and Playable
Final Fantasy IV (DS) - Trailer and Playable
Chocobo's Mysterious Dungeon - Trailer and Playable
Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII - Trailer and Playable
Dragon Quest Monster Battle Road - Playable
Dragon Quest Monsters Joker- Playable
Slime Mori Mori Dragon Quest 2 - Playable
Dragon Quest IV - Playable and Trailer
The Last Remnant - Trailer
Dragon Quest IX - Trailer
Final Fantasy XI Online: Divine Soldiers of Atlanta - Trailer
Final Fantasy VII Advent Children: Complete - Trailer
Universe At War developer Petroglyph might be in the process of tooling up for an online game.
That's certainly been the reaction to a job posting for an "MMO Game Designer" spotted by Firing Squad t'other day.
Responsibilities will include "understanding, refining, maintaining, and disseminating the game design vision, game design, mission building, gameplay balancing, and game proposal development of a Massive Multiplayer Online Game," it says here.
Of course, it could always be that the work done by said MMO Game Designer will be pumped into Universe At War itself. The game's due out quite soon, but the role could always complement that of those working on the game's multiplayer features, which the developer has previously said were "inspired by popular massively multiplayer online games and competitive online playable titles".
Attempts to contact Petroglyph's Universe At War publisher, SEGA, for clarification were unsuccessful, which is a fancy way of saying they will call us back. In the meantime, speculate!
Petroglyph has previously worked on Star Wars: Empire at War and its expansion pack Forces of Corruption.
The interactive arm of Warner Bros. has announced plans to publish a game based on upcoming film Speed Racer.
Gripshift developer Sidhe Interactive will be making it for Wii and PS2, with an as-yet unnamed team creating it on DS. The two Nintendo games are expected alongside the film next summer, with the PS2 version following when the DVD eventually hits shelves.
The film is being made by Matrix masterminds the Wachowski brothers, who will be lending their action panache to the games' development.
It's all based around an old 1960s Japanese animated series that follows a chap called Speed Racer as he tries to win a cross-country rally called The Crucible - the same one that claimed the life of his older brother. Sob.
Emile Hirsch is starring in the big-screen version, alongside Susan Sarandon, John Goodman and Christina Ricci. And we're told to expect lots of fancy visuals as futuristic cars hit unheard-of speeds - they're even calling the new style "car-fu". Silly old them.
"Speed Racer is an exceptionally creative property and teamed with the Wachowski brothers' vision it makes for action-packed racing gameplay," said Samantha Ryan, big cheese at Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment.
"The game will capture the intensity of the racing in the film to give gamers and movie fans a chance to take the wheel after the experience of the film."
Developer Splash Damage has confirmed that a demo for Enemy Territory: Quake Wars will be available to download on Monday.
It will give PC gamers the chance to try out the title's fast-paced online action.
The demo should also provide an idea of what to expect when the full game launches on 28th September now that two beta tests have been conducted to help iron out the kinks.
The PC version of Enemy Territory: Quake Wars is being created by Splash Damage under the watchful eye of id Software. It marks the beginning of what both hope to be a new and successful franchise, rather than a spin-off of an old one.
We recently went to see the game and talk to the people behind it at the annual QuakeCon event in Dallas.
A report released by casual gaming mecca PopCap Games indicates that white collar workers play games constantly throughout the day. The study indicates that as salaries and titles improve on the organizational chart, the amount of gameplaying in a given day increases substantially.
"Considering that the casual games market is around 200 million people, PopCap estimates that the executive crowd is very much into casual gaming, with about 80 million 'white collar' workers playing. 24 percent of the 'white collar' employees said they do play at work, and that number jumps up to 35 percent for CEOs, CFOs and other senior executives. 98 percent said that they play casual games at home too."
The boom in China's online gaming sector will continue for the foreseeable future, according to Lu Guangyuan Desmond, director of international business development for Chinese online games publisher Shanda.
In his opening keynote speech at the Games Convention Asia Conference, he quoted a DFC report which estimated that global revenue for online games would multiply five times from 2003 to the end of 2008, with China alone accounting for 13 per cent, and other Asian territories a further 55 per cent.
Desmond attributed the continuing upwards trend to a number of factors, including consumer, supply and technology elements, and cited management of these issues as the path to success in the country.
Whereas packaged games have suffered from piracy and affordability problems, Desmond pointed out the accessibility and social nature of internet cafes as a reason that 52 per cent of its members were over 23, and specifically that the approach for free-to-play games worked better than a subscription model.
To underline that he revealed the company had 80 million active users during the first quarter of this year, although only 4.7 million were classed as paying members, with the rest given the option of microtransactions to purchase functional or cosmetic items at their convenience.
Furthermore, Desmond went on to explain that one of the cornerstones of Shanda's success in the sector was down to support: "Customer service is critical to maintaining and expanding [the] user base."
Currently the company has 17 existing games published, with a further 16 under development.
Heres this weeks list of releases from Import Store Play Asia
Xbox360™:
Blue Dragon US US$ 59.90
Dynasty Warriors: Gundam US US$ 59.90
Fatal Inertia ASIA US$ 59.90
Fatal Inertia JPN US$ 64.90
HORI Fighting Stick EX2 US US$ 79.90
Medal of Honor: Airborne ASIA US$ 44.90
MotoGP '07 ASIA US$ 44.90
MotoGP '07 US US$ 59.90
Stuntman: Ignition ASIA US$ 49.90
Stuntman: Ignition US US$ 59.90
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08 US US$ 59.90
Two Worlds [Collector's Edition] US US$ 72.90
Xbox 360 Messenger Kit ASIA US$ 29.90
PlayStation3™:
Bladestorm: The Hundred Years' War ASIA US$ 64.90
Dynasty Warriors: Gundam US US$ 64.90
Lair US US$ 64.90
Warhawk (w/ Bluetooth Headset) US US$ 64.90
Yamasa Digi World SP Pachislot Sengoku Musou JPN US$ 59.90
Nintendo Wii™:
Carnival Games US US$ 44.90
Shin Chuuka Taisen: Michael to Meimei no Bouken JPN US$ 59.90
PlayStation2™:
A.C.E. Another Century's Episode 3 The Final JPN US$ 68.90
Dear My Sun JPN US$ 64.90
Dear My Sun [Limited Edition] JPN US$ 89.90
EA Sports Rugby 08 JPN US$ 64.90
Final Fantasy XII International Zodiac Job System KOR US$ 59.90
God of War (Best Price) JPN US$ 19.90
Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories JPN US$ 39.90
Wild Arms 5 10th Anniversary Edition US US$ 49.90
Will O' Wisp JPN US$ 64.90
Will O' Wisp [Limited Edition] JPN N/A
Nintendo DS™:
ATV: Thunder Ridge Riders / Monster Truck Mayhem US US$ 24.90
Adventure Pouch DS Lite (blue) JPN US$ 14.90
Adventure Pouch DS Lite (yellow) JPN US$ 14.90
Garfield's Nightmare US US$ 24.90
Hard Pouch DS Lite (pink) US$ 9.90
Hard Pouch DS Lite (silver) US$ 9.90
Hoshigami Remix: Ruining Blue Earth KOR US$ 49.90
Imagine: Happy Cooking ASIA US$ 34.90
Kidou Gekidan Haro Ichiza: Gundam Mahjong + Z: Sara ni Deki Ruyouni Nattana! JPN US$ 48.90
Mondai na Nihongo JPN US$ 39.90
Pet Alien: An Intergalactic Puzzlepalooza US US$ 24.90
Professional Fisherman's Tour: Northern Hemisphere US US$ 24.90
The Legend of Zelda Fabric Case (blue) JPN US$ 8.90
The Legend of Zelda Fabric Case (green) JPN US$ 8.90
The Wild West US US$ 24.90
Theta JPN US$ 39.90
Sony PSP™:
Blood Diamond JPN US$ 14.90
Dead Head Fred US US$ 39.90
Monster Hunter Freedom 2 US US$ 39.90
NHRA: Countdown to the Championship US US$ 24.90
Naruto Ultimate Ninja Heroes US US$ 39.90
PC Games:
Monster Madness: Battle for Suburbia (DVD-ROM) ASIA US$ 39.90
Guide Books:
John Woo presents Stranglehold: Prima Official Game Guide US US$ 19.90
Lair Signature Series Guide US US$ 17.90
Medal of Honor: Airborne Prima Official Game Guide US US$ 19.90
Toys & More:
Aliens 1/12 Scale Power Loader (Limited Version) JPN US$ 139.90
Aliens 1/12 Scale Power Loader (normal version) JPN US$ 139.90
Busou Shinki Pre-Painted PVC Figure: MMS Type Builder - Grapprap JPN US$ 25.90
Busou Shinki Pre-Painted PVC Figure: MMS Type Calf - Vitulus JPN US$ 36.90
Busou Shinki Pre-Painted PVC Figure: MMS Type Tiger - Tigris JPN US$ 36.90
Darkstalkers Painted PVC Figure: Felicia JPN US$ 64.90
Excellent Model Core Queen's Blade P-3 1/8 Scale Pre-painted PVC Figure - Elina JPN US$ 52.90
Excellent Model Core Queen's Blade P-3 1/8 Scale Pre-painted PVC Figure - Tomoe JPN N/A
Fate/Hollow Ataraxia 1/8 Scale Pre-painted PVC Figure - Saber (High School Uniform Ver.) JPN US$ 72.90
G-Shock Watch Batman JPN US$ 139.00
G-Shock Watch Superman X JPN US$ 139.00
Garamon Monster Soft Vinyl Figure: Garamon (Green Version) JPN US$ 99.90
Garamon Monster Soft Vinyl Figure: Garamon (Regular Red Version) JPN US$ 99.90
Halo 3 - Master Chief ArtFX non scale prepainted statue JPN US$ 99.90
Ikkitousen: 1/7 Scale Painted Figure - Untyou Kanu (Adesugata Ver.) JPN N/A
Ikkitousen: 1/7 Scale Painted Figure - Untyou Kanu (Strawberry Milk Ver.) JPN US$ 64.90
Masterpiece of Shunya Yamashita No 1: Rudy 1/7 Scale Figure (HK Comic Fair Special Version) JPN US$ 54.90
Melty Blood Series II Painted PVC Figure: Ciel JPN US$ 54.90
Neon Genesis Evangelion Horror Summer Mini Display Figure JPN US$ 5.49
Nintendo DS Character Touch Pen Bomberman Version Gashapon JPN US$ 2.49
Rozen Maiden Non Scale Painted PVC Figure - Shinku JPN N/A
Shining Wind Trading Figure Collection JPN US$ 6.90
Street Fighter Action Figure: Gen (Blue) US$ 8.90
Street Fighter Action Figure: Gen (Green) US$ 8.90
The Art of Shunya Yamashita 1/7 Scale Pre-Painted Figure: Mirei San (HK Comic Fair 2007 Special) JPN US$ 64.90
Ultimate Action Neon Genesis Evangelion DX Figure (New Theater Version) JPN US$ 5.49
Whip X Nonoko - Nonoko: moon 1/6 Scale Figure JPN US$ 54.90
Video Game Soundtracks:
Etrian Odyssey Drama CD JPN US$ 31.90
Etrian Odyssey Super Arrange Version JPN US$ 29.90
Hiiro No Kakera Series Original Soundtrack JPN US$ 27.90
Neoromance Trillion Aromatic Autumn JPN US$ 28.90
Que Character Image Mini Album Vol.7 JPN US$ 19.90
Star Drops (Hoshifull Seito Gakuen Tenmon Dokokai Intro Theme) JPN US$ 11.90
Super Eurobeat presents Initial D Battle Stage 2 JPN US$ 32.90
Super Robot Taisen OG: Original Generations Original Soundtrack JPN US$ 36.90
In a panel session at the Games Convention Asia Conference, Boomzap's co-founder Allan Simonsen stated his belief that as long as the Asian market was seen, as traditionally, an outsourcing sector only, generating original intellectual property would continue to be a struggle.
The comments came as the panel looked at the challenges of local content development, and there was general agreement that being taken seriously by global publishers could be problematic.
"You have to bridge that [perception] gap before you can even get to the discussion on 'here's my original IP, please publish it.'"
As a result, developers such as New Zealand-based Sidhe Interactive, need to generate additional income in the interim to fund original projects by supplying staff to other companies or taking on contracted work.
However, as Sidhe's managing director Mario Wynands pointed out, there can be positives to that approach – although it might slow down the initial process of creating fresh games, it does yield stronger ties with publishers that can be invaluable when it comes to pitching those new games.
"From that perspective, longer term, I always see our studio to do work for hire, even though we're expecting the weight to shift [towards more original IP.]"
Wynands also noted the importance of keeping a company in the front of a publisher's mind, especially when dealing with teams that may be based on the other side of the world, and recommended focusing efforts on communication in order to be considered for development projects.
"We've taken on that particular challenge by going over the US as much as possible and just staying in their faces."
"We send out press releases, we send out Christmas cards, we send them birthday greetings, occasionally if we do a new run of company T-shirts or get some good New Zealand wine, we'll send that on…"
Gordon Brown has pledged to work with the TV, advertising and games industries to reach a consensus on the issue of violence in the media and potentially introduce voluntary controls.
As reported by the Guardian, Brown was speaking at his monthly press conference. He stated, "Where there is pornographic or violent material, any parent is going to be concerned.
"This is not the Government telling people what they should do... This is society reaching a conclusion with all those people involved about what are the legitimate boundaries.
Brown continued, "I think we have got to look at this as a society. I hope this is one of the areas where there can be common ground between all parties. I think you need to review this with a large number of representative groups, from parents, from the different industries itself and from other areas of public life."
The Prime Minister's comments come just days after he announced the launch of a Government review which will focus on the way violence in the media affects children. It will be conducted by the Department for Children, Schools and Families, and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
The initial announcement raised concerns amongst gamers and the industry regarding potential censorship of videogames - but Brown's latest comments seem designed to allay these fears.
"I am not interested in censorship at all, but I think we do need rules governing some aspects of the Internet and videos where children are involved," he stated.
"This is not an area where you can proceed, in my view, without trying to establish both what the boundaries are and what is the consensus you can build around these boundaries."
Hiromichi Tanaka, an executive officer and producer for Square-Enix, spoke to an Austin Game Developers Convention audience about the difficulties of designing global entertainment.
Five years ago, when Square-Enix released Final Fantasy XI as the world’s first cross-platform MMO, most companies had different servers in each region of the world.
“Not once did we consider this an option for Final Fantasy XI,” said Tanaka.
Instead, the company used common servers, separating players into three different regions with 7 to 9 hour time differences to reduce the amount of stress on the servers. The servers are currently divided into 32 public game worlds, with 15,000 to 20,000 unique users per world.
Square-Enix thought they would see limited interaction between players from different parts of the world due to the time differences, but they underestimated the hardcore gamers spending a longer time playing the game.
“The mixture of cultures and languages was a nightmare!”
The company developed auto-translation to assist players in communicating with people from other parts of the world, but has resisted requests to establish regional servers.
“It is true that we have had requests from users to establish regional-based servers,” Tanaka admitted. “But I think back on my own online gaming experience and how it allowed me to meet people from different parts of the world and learn about their lives and culture.”
The game was recently launched in France and Germany, but it took Square-Enix longer than they anticipated translating the existing content. The next Final Fantasy game is being developed simultaneously for all four current languages.
One problem that has plagued Final Fantasy XI, as with other MMO games, is Real Money Trading (RMT).
Online producer Sage Sundi took the stage to discuss how Square-Enix formed a task force to deal with the problem. He said that companies had three options: to allow all aspects, to self-engage, or to ignore RMT.
“While I won’t go so far as to recommend one method over another, I strongly feel that a game company has a duty to select and enforce a method that will most benefit the user,” Sundi said.
Square-Enix’s task force was able to eliminate 90% of the RMT in-game activities in Final Fantasy XI, and Sundi noted that approximately two-thirds of the RMT sites worldwide supplying FF XI have disappeared.
“It is like and endless game of cat and mouse, with persistence being the key to victory.”
Although the company is busy developing Final Fantasy XIII for PS3 and their next MMORPG for multiple platforms, Square-Enix continues to support Final Fantasy XI with expansion packs.
The fourth expansion pack, entitled Wings of the Goddess, will be released this fall across all platforms.
“We still have 500,000 [Final Fantasy XI] players around the globe,” Tanaka noted. “If they keep playing, we’ll keep developing.”
NCsoft has announced that Tabula Rasa will be available to play on 19th October in North America and Europe. Those of you pre-ordering the game will get a three-day head start.
The news first emerged during a special pre-launch party held at creator Richard Garriott's Britannia Manor in Texas. Here new details of the game were also forthcoming. Apparently player versus player clans will support up to 200 people, while maps are designed to hold 300 to 400 players and up to 2000 computer-controller characters.
"It has been a heck of a journey," said Richard Garriott. "The fact that we are getting ready for the final stretch towards launch feels great, but it is also just the beginning."
"I think we've managed to do something truly unique and I hope that the gaming community likes it as much as we do. Now, I am looking forward to a really fun 'end of beta event' for our incredible testers, and focusing development on new planets and innovations for future expansions of Tabula Rasa."
You'll be able to pick up the standard version of the game for around GBP 29.99 / EUR 44.99, and a collector's edition for GBP 49.99 / EUR 69.99. Both include one month free of charge. After that, you'll be asked to chip in GBP 8.99 / EUR 12.99 a month like everyone else.
American cable channel HBO has bought the screening rights to a documentary created entirely within Second Life.
Given the snappy title Molotov's Dispatches in Search of the Creator: A Second Life Odyssey, it follows the adventures of an character called Molotov Alava as he travels through the virtual world learning about the social interactions that go on there.
Veteran director of the piece, Douglas Gayeton, believes HBO will submit it for an Academy Award in the short-subject category - if he doesn't say so himself.
The feature lasts around 35 minutes and is expected to air sometime next year.
Second Life is a massively-multiplayer online world, where real people can create digital lives and interact with each other, spending real money and creating real profits.
It continues to attract lots of attention from mainstream media, thanks to its user base of 9 million people worldwide, and prompted The BBC to broadcast an entire episode of The Money Program there from an in-game cinema back in May.
Head over to the official website to find out more. But be careful, there's no turning back.
PRESS RELEASE - Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. Announces Sale of Joytech Video Game Accessories Subsidiary
New York, NY - September 7, 2007 - Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ:TTWO) today announced that it has sold substantially all of the assets of its wholly owned Joytech video game accessories subsidiary to Mad Catz Interactive, Inc. (AMEX/TSX: MCZ). The Joytech sale reflects Take-Two's previously announced plans to divest its non-core businesses.
"The sale of the Joytech assets is consistent with one of the key goals we established in our 100 Day Plan: to develop strategic alternatives for any operations that we determined to be outside our core publishing business," said Ben Feder, Take-Two's Chief Executive Officer. "We are particularly pleased that we accomplished this goal in a manner that will allow substantially all of our Joytech employees in the U.S. and U.K. to join Mad Catz, which is a highly respected provider of video game peripherals."
The Joytech sale is not expected to be material to Take-Two's financial results.
I personally like Joytech products more than Mad Catz. But good thing about this, Joytech products will now be featured on shelves in retail stores. Usually its Mad Catz, Pelican and Nyko taking up all the pegs on the wall or shelf space.
Chart-Track has released new statistics which show a 260 per cent week-on-week increase in UK sales for Microsoft's Xbox 360 in the UK - while the PSP has suffered its worst week of sales since launch.
As reported by MCV, the change in fortunes for both machines are down to hardware line-up changes.
In Xbox 360's case the sales spike coincided with the introduction of the new Elite model, and a price reduction for the existing Premium and Core versions.
Strong sales continued into a second week, falling by only 20 per cent.
The blame for the crash in PSP sales is attributed to retailers and consumers anticipating the imminent launch of the new Slim and Lite model of the handheld on September 14.
ChartTrack declined to supply specific sales figures for either Xbox 360 or PSP.
It seems like just yesterday when online functionality was a new, exotic feature that was far from required for most games. Now, it seems, online functionality is practically a must if a publisher wants to squeeze as much money as possible from a release. Reuters is reporting on a new study by research firm Electronic Entertainment Design and Research that shows, so far in this generation, console games that allow online play bring in nearly twice as much revenue as games that don't.
This isn't that surprising, considering mega-sellers like Madden, Gears of War, and Resistance are weighing on the online side. Would these same exact games make half the money without an online component? It's hard to say, but it's definitely a possibility, and one that should worry online-shy Nintendo. According to the study, only two percent of Wii games included an online component as of June 1, compared to 23 percent of PS3 games and a whopping 77 percent of Xbox 360 titles. That could translate to a lot of early revenue left on the table for the big N. Look, just make the Super Smash Bros. Brawl's online functionality relatively painless and all will be forgiven, all right?
They were once human but were infected and consequently resurrected by the T-Virus. A zombie will continue its search for food even with severed limbs or when missing the lower half of its body. The Labcoat Zombie Action Figure features ball-jointed neck and shoulders, swivel wrists and waist, and Crow and Severed Limb accessory. Note: photo is of unapproved production sample. Final figure may be different from item shown. Available exclusively at Transworld stores in the U.S. and all retailers overseas.
Manufactured by NECA and licensed by Capcom, the Resident Evil 2nd Anniversary Edition 7" Action Figure: Labcoat Zombie is in stock today, shipping at US$ 19.90 only.
A nine-year-old boy who saved his father's life by taking the wheel of a speeding big rig when his dad suffered a seizure and blacked out has finally gotten his wish.
When asked last month what kind of reward he would like for his bravery, Matty Lovo said he would like a new PlayStation.
When readers of the story suggested pitching in and buying the boy a PlayStation, his father, Matthew Lovo, initially declined to accept the offer while thanking the community for its generosity.
Eventually, after Sony called to donate one, Lovo Sr. agreed to accept it.
"We've seen this topic talked about as far away as the UK and all over the U.S. People like the story a lot," Lovo Sr. said.
The company presented Matty with the gift Wednesday evening at KGW.
"I'm gonna let my dad play this one. He needs to have a spin,” Matty said.
Matty said his real reward is that his father recovered after the seizure.
The incident occurred in Saint Helens, Ore., in August. A Good Samaritan who noticed a child at the wheel of the huge truck jumped out of his own car to help stop the vehicle.
TV parenting expert Tanya Byron is to head the inquiry into violent and sexual content in video games and other media, the BBC is reporting. The review was announced by Prime Minister Gordon Brown earlier this week.
Byron presented the BBC TV shows 'The House of Tiny Tearaways' and 'Little Angels', but decided to end her career as a TV presenter earlier this year.
Byron will talk to parents and the entertainment industry about how better to protect children from unsuitable material. The inquiry will study the availability and prevalence of violent games and internet pornography in particular, and look at the effectiveness of existing laws.
"It is essential that parents and anyone involved in the care and development of young people are familiar with the material they will access and view - and of the potential and actual risks therein," said Byron.
Byron will report to the Department for Children, Schools and Families and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
"It is not about stopping children having fun," said Ed Balls, Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families. "It is about making sure they can do so safely."
Earlier this week, Prime Minister Brown said that the study would not lead to increased censorship.
The current hardware sales situation in Japan is listed below.
DS Lite: 94,339
Wii: 39,371
PSP: 22,196
PS3: 18,068
PS2: 14,280
Xbox 360: 1,635
Game Boy Micro: 263
Game Boy Advance SP: 195
Gamecube: 73
Game Boy Advance: 16
DS original: 0
Nintendo is on the top as usual but with reduced sales on all consoles compared to the last weeks' reading. PSP, PS2 and the Xbox 360 has also experienced a slight drop too. Only the PS3 has seen a slight increase roughly by some 1,600 units.
A Seattle man who allegedly used file sharing software to steal personal financial details has been arrested.
Gregory Thomas Kopiloff reportedly used peer-to-peer applications such as Limewire to trawl other p2p peoples' computers for information that he used to open credit card accounts. He then used the cards to buy at least $73,000 worth of goods online, which he then sold on Ebay for around half price.
Law enforcement officers have found at least 83 victims, though they believe that many more were compromised and that total losses will be hundreds of thousands of dollars. Most were teenage children who said they were unaware that the file sharing software was on their computers.
Kopiloff, who is charged with mail fraud, accessing a protected computer and two counts of aggravated identity theft, has not entered a plea. His lawyer said he was still examining the charges against him.
Assistant US attorney Kathryn Warma explained that while typically p2p users would search for the name of a favourite singer or group, Kopiloff preferred to look for "federal tax return" or student funding forms. He even checked potential victims to ensure they has a good credit rating.
"If you are running file-sharing software, you are giving criminals the keys to your computer," Warma said. "Criminals are getting access to incredibly valuable information."
Lime Wire, which develops the software of almost the same name did not comment, but recently Mark Gorton, its chairman, told a US Congress committee that the company is frustrated by users who ignore its security advice.
"We continue to be frustrated that despite our warnings and precautions, a small fraction of users override the safe default setting that comes with the program and end up inadvertently publishing information that they would prefer to keep private," he said.
The same committee was given a demonstration by a security consultant who managed to find information about troop movements in Iraq.
Now for those not familiar the Iphone has already seen a mass of homebrew released for it including Nes Emulators, Frotz, Doom and MAME is being worked on.
With the worldwide popularity of the iPod and this much easier way to get homebrew on it coupled with the Touch Screen we could see a major homebrew scene in the making. Interesting times ahead.
Apple News will have all the latest news as it happens.
It must be a year since i found out about a new project from CraigIX (Owner of the former GBAX.com Shop - Best one in Europe for DS etc) and now owner of GP2X UK.
Now because sites like Engadget have made the news public and got it wrong a tad too then i thought it was about time i posted what i know about the handheld that has been told to me will be more powerful than the PSP.
The handheld is not being made by Gamepark so thats one rumour dead. Craigix and some others are behind it and most likely it will be made in China (not 100% confirmed). The Console will be Linux Based again (like the GP2X). It will have a decent 2D and 3D Graphics Chip. I gather it will have a very nice 128MB of Ram, it will use SD Cards. It will have a touchscreen. TV Out will also be an option. The screen is rumoured to be 800x400 resolution, i understand that Sony/Sharp have the deets on the 480 screen. Wifi is also on the cards.
The console at this time doesnt have a Public name but sometime in October we will know for sure. It promises to be an exceptional console for homebrew and other items not 100% confirmed are some kind of keyboard too.
The price im told will be around the £150.
Like everything things change but it sounds a mouthwatering console, taking the ideas for the GP2X and features from the PSP/DS and making what could be a Dream Homebrew Handheld that doubles as a Console too.
Only PS3 sees modest growth following Bladestorm release
Sales of Nintendo hardware have fallen in Japan, where the DS handheld has shifted less than 100,000 units for the first time this year.
Despite the drop in sales, the DS still leads the market with 94,339 consoles sold for the week ended September 2. Nintendo's Wii sold 39,371 for the same period, according to recent data from Media Create.
Sony's PlayStation 3 was the only console in the region to record improved sales, with 18,068 consoles sold – in the same week that Koei's PS3 title Bladestorm entered the all-formats charts at number two by selling 58,996 copies.
Sales of the PlayStation Portable fell to 22,196, compared to 26,089 the previous week, while the PS2 sold 14,280 units, down from 15,139 the week before.
Microsoft's Xbox 360 sold just 1635 units, while the GBA sold 474 and the GameCube 73 units in the region.
As well as Bladestorm, there were two other new entries in the Japanese software charts last week. Bandai Namco's One Piece: Gear Spirit for the Wii sold 41,207 copies and entered the charts at number 5, while Banpresto's DS game Summonight: Twin Age took the number seven spot with 27,692 sales.
The full Japanese software top ten follows:
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Ring of Fates
Bladestorm
Gintama: Together with Gin-san! My Kabuki-cho Diary
Community and data collection tool, Xfire, has now passed the 8 million subscriber mark, GamesIndustry.biz reports.
What's more, the latest information on the top 20 most-played titles indicates that World of Warcraft's popularity is holding steady - despite eight months having now passed since The Burning Crusade expansion's release.
Over 60 per cent of Xfire users are based in Europe, with around 40 per cent in North America, and the company has logged over 120,000 man-years of data since launch, with multiplayer games outperforming traditional offline games by a long way.
According to the details based on activity across the month of August, taken almost entirely from PC game-playing data, World of Warcraft logged over 440,000 hours of gameplay on average per day.
This was followed by Call of Duty 2 Multiplayer and Counter-Strike: Source, on 173,355 and 158,714 average hours respectively.
The second most popular MMO was Guild Wars, logging 59,199 average hours per day, while Eve Online was sixth most popular MMO, and Lord of the Rings Online came 8th.
Interestingly, both of those last two titles were outperformed in Xfire user data by Asian games Silkroad Online and MapleStory, and Korean free-to-play titles occupied five of the MMO top ten.
Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne was the most popular strategy game, with 41,242 hours per day, and Diablo 2: Lord of Destruction was top of the miscellaneous category with 12,502 hours.
In comparison, traditional offline games were much lower down on the list. Oblivion and Football Manager 2007, although much older titles now, were still among the highest non-multiplayer performers, yet notched up fewer than 10,000 users between them.
Monolith Productions has announced that the name of its F.E.A.R. sequel will be Project Origin.
It was the winning entry in the Name Your Fear competition, which the developer ran during the summer months to help it come up with a title for its new game. You might remember that it couldn't just call it F.E.A.R. 2, because it doesn't actually own the rights to the name - old pal Warner Bros does.
Project Origin was picked above other (and much better) finalists Dark Signal and Dead Echo. But our real favourite was the unrecognised and punchy "THE GIRL IN THE KETCHUP STAINED DRESS".
Head over to Monolith's site for more information, like a Hilarious List of Rejects, or a short video about why a name is so important.
F.E.A.R. is a paranormal and actually very creepy shooter that was released on PC back in 2005. It's had subsequent ports to PS3 and 360, and is due new expansion content later this year.
features
Epic RPGs are one of the hottest genres right now, and Two Worlds is the best of 2007’s batch. Its bigger and badder than Oblivion.
MMO gameplay! Up to 8 player co-op, side by side play allowing users to quest together to overcome more difficult tasks than playing alone.
Seamless transition from Indoor to Outdoor environments – no loading screens.
For the 1st time in the history of the genre, unique magic system allows the players to assemble their own magic spells.
6 Different mounts you can ride and fight from including horses, lizards, and beasts.
Hyper-realistic environments along with seasonal weather changes in the worlds.
Music composed by Grammy award winner Harold Faltermeyer (Top Gun, Beverly Hills Cop)
A freedom of choice unseen in any other Role-Playing Game. The world comes to life, reacting and changing to decisions made by the player.
Open and unlimited character development. Players can experiment with different careers and even reverse their choices.
Spectacular and dynamic combat that combines intuitive controls, intense action, tactical challenges and movie-like visuals.
A deep and intuitive weapon upgrade and enchanting system.
Traps and snares are at the player's disposal, allowing them to weaken the enemy before closing in for the kill.
description
A fragile peace between the civilized races and the hordes is at stake. When the dwarven mining expedition discovered an ancient temple dedicated to an unnamed deity - all of the world's most powerful factions saw it as a possible clue to the place of Azriaal's burial ground. A silent war has now begun and it will soon ignite the fires that will lead to the holy crusade of the Orcs. However, the real danger lies somewhere else. A powerful force churns silently - weaving a secret plot of fear and destruction. In the end one of the Two Worlds will remain. It is up to you to save the world …or destroy it!
Atari says that a new demo for Race 07 is now available to download. We checked and it is. Good work, Atari!
You can fetch it over on the official website, where it will speed down your digital chute until all 504.7MBs are done.
The demo will let you race online against real-life human people in up to 24-player races, zipping around the Anderstorp and Brands Hatch courses in either a BMW E90 or Seat Leon. Or you can play bots, if you're boring.
You'll probably also notice fresh features like weather effects splattering off of your exposed helmet as you zoom down into the new cockpit view.
Race 07 is the official World Touring Car Championship game, and boasts all the official names and faces of its real-life counterpart. The full version is said to have around 300 cars in nine different classes, as well as 32 locations to zoom around - you can also reverse those and use alternate track layouts.
Swedish developer SimBin will be making the ridiculously fast Formula 3000 cars playable this time, too, which will behave realistically so we can all experience just how flimsy and dangerous they are.
The first Race game was released last year to very favourable reviews, and follows the developer's past racing successes with games like GTR 2 - The FIA GT Racing Game.
Look out for our thoughts closer to the full game's release later this year.
Splash Damage has announced that the PC demo for Enemy Territory: Quake Wars will be available to download this afternoon, from 6pm BST (UK time) onwards. Isn't that the evening? We're not sure.
A list of mirrors will be published on the official community site closer to the time.
In the demo is the retail version of the Valley map, which has undergone numerous balance tweaks from the various beta tests. So you'll be enjoying the final iterations of XP, weapon balancing, player movement and vehicle handling.
You'll also get a chance to use the bots as single-player fodder, or as filler in your multiplayer matches - which you'll be able to host using the standalone server and server launcher tool.
Valley is one of the biggest maps in the game, and will give you a good chance to test out all the various types of combat: vehicle battles, air fights, artillery bombardments, or just plain face-to-face pulverisation.
The main aim of the scenario is to flush the Strogg out of a contamination plant messing up the local water supply, but there will be side missions to explore if you want to wander off the beaten track.
If that makes you very excited, then you might like to pop into the Quake Wars IRC channel and chat to the developer and publisher at a demo-launch get together. The network is irc.quakenet.org and the channel is #quakewars. Words will be flying from around 6:15pm BST.
Pop over to the official community site for the system requirements, and keep your eyes peeled for the demo.
Enemy Territory: Quake Wars is due out on PC on 28th September. PS3 and 360 versions are also planned, but not yet dated.
Psychonauts developer Double Fine has skilfully crafted a new epic to yank us through a long Monday back at the grind stone. Except it's not their big new release, which we don't know about yet, but a web-game instead.
Dubbed Epic Saga - Extreme Fighter, it puts you in control of one of five finely honed brawlers. Trade a kicks and punches as a Barbarian, Horny Witch, Gnome King, Dark Wizard or Cave Dweller - and unlock a secret character after you've pounded each to a pulp.
The game has all the hallmarks of a next-generation super project, plus some funny quips and an ending to keep you in deep thought for weeks.
Pop over to the developer's website to start your adventure now.
Double Fine is currently working on an as-yet unannounced project for Sierra Entertainment. Its last game, Psychonauts, earned a pin-on rose from us as game of the year 2005.
Next-gen consoles have been banned from UK jails following concerns they could be used to coordinate terror attacks
The Sun reports that games consoles that can be used by inmates to send and receive radio signals have been deemed too much of a threat to the peace. Microsoft's Xbox 360, Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's DS consoles have reportedly been banned from jails as a result.
As reported previously, UK home secretary John Reid said in March, "Advice was issued to all prisons in December 2005 that the Sony PlayStation 3 was barred from the prison estate because of the equipment's ability to send and receive radio signals."
