VideoGameNews

April 13, 2009 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Showing its support for Nintendo's new handheld game system the Nintendo DSi, Activision Publishing, Inc. is the first third-party publisher to have a downloadable game available via the DSiWare service that lets consumers populate their Nintendo DSi system with downloadable games. Created by Vicarious Visions, an award winning studio with a history of developing landmark titles for the Nintendo handheld platforms, Mixed Messages is a party game designed for 2 to 21 players that delivers hours of creative and hilarious fun by allowing players to take turns either writing a phrase or drawing picture and passing it onto the next player to add their style to it.

"The Nintendo DSi should further broaden the appeal of portable gaming and we are excited to debut Mixed Messages," said Mike Griffith, President and CEO, Activision Publishing, Inc. "The game is a fun way for consumers of all ages to explore their creativity as they evolve the message in the game."

"Nintendo DSi lets people create their own personalized content and share it with friends and family," said Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America's executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. "Mixed Messages balances those features in a fun way by putting a modern twist on the classic game of telephone. Players create a new Nintendo DSi experience every time they play.

Mixed Messages is now available for Nintendo DSi from the Nintendo DSi Shop at a price of 500 DSi points and is rated "E" for Everyone by the ESRB. For more information on Mixed Messages, visit www.mixedmsgs.com.

April 10, 2009 - Harmonix and MTV Games announced today that Chinese Democracy, the sixth and most recent album from Guns N' Roses, will be released in its entirety to the Rock Band Music Store catalog of downloadable content on April 14, 2009.

The highly anticipated November 2008 release of Chinese Democracy was Guns N' Roses' first official music release in 15 years. It debuted at #3 on the Billboard 200 chart, at #2 on the UK Albums chart and was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America on February 3, 2009. Chinese Democracy has already sold nearly three million copies.

Formed in the early 80s in Los Angeles, Guns N' Roses has sold an estimated 100 million albums worldwide. The band’s 1987 major label debut Appetite for Destruction, featuring the hits "Welcome to the Jungle," "Paradise City" and "Sweet Child o' Mine," has sold in excess of 28 million copies and remains to this day the fastest-selling debut album in history. Read more

Protect your Nintendo DSi with WaterField Designs' formfitting, compact DSi Cases

April 10, 2009—WaterField Designs, a leading maker of bags and custom-fitted cases for digital gear, introduces two stylish cases to protect the Nintendo DSi. The slim, leather and nylon DSi Case holds the DSi itself, extra games, the stylus, and ear buds while the formfitting, Ultrasuede DSi Suede Jacket protects it from everyday bumps and scratches.

The DSi Case is constructed from sturdy ballistic nylon with a double-layer leather flap. A padded, lined interior protects the device from bumps and scratches. Under the flap are easy-to-access game pockets and a loop to hold an extra stylus. The back of the case has a zippered pocket for larger games and ear buds. An optional cutout design on the leather flap is reminiscent of Nintendo icons.

The minimalist, formfitting DSi Suede Jacket Case is made from soft Ultrasude, and protects the DSi from bumps and scratches. It can also be used as a screen cleaner. Read more

April 8, 2009 /PRNewswire/ -- Power Play Corp has announced the launch of a new fitness accessory designed for use with the Wii and Wii Fit called Riiflex. The patent-pending peripheral converts the Wii remote and Wii "nunchuck" (the alternate hand controller) into a set of dumbbells giving the users the resistance of weights while still allowing access to of all controller functions.

The Riiflex dumbbells will be initially sold in pairs with preorder pricing set to $34.95 per set of two, 2-pound weights and $39.95 per set of two, 4-pound weights. The 2-pound (1 Kilo) sets are scheduled to begin shipping summer 2009 with preorders being priority filled on a first-come first-serve basis. Announcements regarding the shipping dates of the 4-pound (2 Kilo) units are forthcoming.Read more

April 8, 2009 - Harmonix, MTV Games, and Electronic Arts announced plans today to release Rock Band Unplugged for the PSP (PlayStation Portable) system. Rock Band Unplugged, developed by Harmonix in partnership with Backbone Entertainment, a Foundation 9 Entertainment studio, and based on the award-winning Rock Band series of games, will launch simultaneously in both North America and Europe June 9, 2009. The game will launch exclusively on the PSP system with software retailing for $39.99 in North America.

"Rock Band Unplugged reinvents band gameplay while staying true to the authentic feel of the Rock Band console games," said Bob Picunko, Senior Vice President of Electronic Games for MTV Games. "Harmonix delivers innovation with every game they develop and we are excited to continue our long-list of industry firsts with the Rock Band in-game wireless music store on the PSP system."

Rock Band Unplugged creates a full band experience in the palm of your hand by combining traditional beat match gameplay with key elements from both Rock Band and Rock Band 2, such as overdrive and chords. Your hands are the "peripherals" in Rock Band Unplugged allowing you to take direct control of the lead/bass guitars, drums and vocals. In addition, players can expect a rich Rock Band experience with fully functional modes like World Tour, Band Survival and Warm Up and a robust character creator for full customization! Read more

Act Like a Mobster and Think Like a Don in the Game that Scores a Perfect 5 out of 5 in GamePro Magazine

April 7, 2009--Electronic Arts Inc. and Paramount Digital Entertainment today announced the arrival of The Godfather II videogame in stores now in North America for the Xbox 360 videogame and entertainment system, PLAYSTATION 3 computer entertainment system, and PC. The game will be available on April 10th in Europe.

The Godfather II is the sequel to the multi-platinum hit The Godfather The Game and has earned a perfect 5 out of 5 from GamePro magazine. GamePro calls the game "…criminally addictive" and "...the experience by which other crime games must be judged."

"The Godfather II offers players the ultimate fantasy of being a Don - of finally being the guy who calls all the shots for the family," says Executive Producer Hunter Smith. "By combining the strategic gameplay of thinking like a Don through the 'Don's View', with our intense, visceral 'Blackhand' combat, we are focusing on the game at the root of the Godfather franchise, the game of organized crime. In essence, we're creating a new niche in the open-world genre and are really excited to see how players will build their families and customize their own experience in both the single player campaign and multiplayer battles." Read more

April 2, 2009--On April 5, Nintendo launches Nintendo DSi, the third iteration of the best-selling portable video game system and the latest evolution in hand-held gaming. Nintendo DSi gives new and veteran gamers the ability to customize, personalize and share their experiences with friends and family. Two built-in, interactive cameras let people snap and modify photos, while recorded sounds can be played and manipulated in interesting and imaginative ways. Also on April 5, Nintendo will launch the Nintendo DSi Shop, a new online storefront where users can redeem Nintendo DSi Points to download an ever-growing variety of inventive games and applications. Nintendo DSi will be available in the United States in Blue or Black at an MSRP of $169.99.

"The concept of entertainment is clearly expanding to enable self-expression and creation in ways never before possible," said Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America’s executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. "Nintendo DSi is loaded with software to help people do exactly that. It's not just about the cameras or audio playback, but what people can do with these features that makes Nintendo DSi such an enjoyable game system."

Beyond the creative user experience, these features also give developers the tools to create new games and applications not previously possible. In the same way that WiiWare has given developers big and small a way to deliver their most original games directly to Wii users, Nintendo DSiWare provides access to the latest and most inventive hand-held games from a variety of studios and genres. Read more

March 31, 2009 – Having pioneered and expanded the heavy metal genre while gaining critical and popular success over the past 25 years, Metallica invites gamers to "Ride the Lightning" with them and over 20 other rocking artists in Activision Publishing, Inc.'s latest release – Guitar Hero Metallica. Enter the world of Lars Ulrich, James Hetfield, Kirk Hammett and Robert Trujillo and experience the intensity and skill of one of the greatest bands of all time. Shred on the guitar controller, rip on the drum kit controller and wail on the mic to over 45 explosive hits from both Metallica's illustrious career and a variety of other legendary artists selected by the band, such as Alice In Chains, Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band, Foo Fighters, Lynyrd Skynyrd and Queen.

"When Guitar Hero came to us with the idea to do a game based on Metallica, we call this a no brainer and said yes very quickly," said Lars Ulrich, drummer for Metallica. "It seemed like the next step - a whole other platform for musicians to reach an audience. If we talk about this in five years, I think it will turn into an expected way to release music."

"Guitar Hero is a great way for people to experience the music of a band. Not just Metallica, but many bands. It's almost educational in that sense, where people can learn about groups that range from Santana to Lynyrd Skynyrd to Journey," said bassist Robert Trujillo. Read more

March 23, 2009--Electronic Arts Inc. announced today that Command & Conquer Red Alert 3: Ultimate Edition, the first game in the storied Command & Conquer franchise to appear on the PLAYSTATION 3 computer entertainment system, is shipping to retailers worldwide. With improved graphics and an extensive array of exclusive bonus content, the Command & Conquer Red Alert 3: Ultimate Edition takes full advantage of the PLAYSTATION 3's Blu-ray disc capacity in addition to delivering the Command & Conquer franchise's signature fast, fluid and fun RTS gameplay.

"It was really important to us to make sure Red Alert 3 on the PS3 took full advantage of everything the system has to offer," said David Seeholzer, Development Director at EA Los Angeles. "The additional time we’ve had allowed us to improve the PS3 version, with big performance increases and better visual fidelity. The Blu-ray disc's storage capacity also gave us an opportunity to add a tremendous amount of bonus content, some of which is entirely exclusive for PS3 owners, making the Ultimate Edition the ultimate value."Read more

March 23, 2009--Electronic Arts Inc. announced today that Need for Speed SHIFT, the all-new authentic racing game in the Need for Speed series, will hit stores in Europe on September 17 and North America on September 22, 2009. Need for Speed SHIFT brings a true driver's experience to some of the world's most iconic racing tracks, including the storied Brand's Hatch in the UK. The game also features the largest roster of high-performance cars in Need for Speed history including race cars such as the Pagani Zonda F, Porsche 911 GT2 and Lotus Elise.

"With Need for Speed SHIFT, we set out to create a racing game that pushes the genre and delivers something never before seen in a Need for Speed title," said Patrick Soderlund, Senior Vice President at EA Games Europe. "By focusing on the driver's experience through the first-person view, we are able to capture the high-speed intensity and gripping emotions of racing."

Players are thrust into the loud, intense, and athletic experience of racing a car from the driver's perspective through the combination of perception based G-forces, the hyper reality of the cockpit view, and the all-new brutally disorienting crash dynamic. Need for Speed SHIFT features an accurate, accessible physics-based driving model that allows you to feel every impact, every change of track surface and every last bit of grip as you push yourself to the edge. Read more