VideoGames

April 21, 2009--EA SPORTS, a label of Electronic Arts Inc., today announced that the Wii version of Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 10 will be bundled with Nintendo's new Wii MotionPlus accessory when the title ships to stores in June in North America. In Europe, both Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 10 and EA SPORTS Grand Slam Tennis will be bundled with the Wii MotionPlus accessory at launch.

"This exclusive and limited-time offer is exciting news for sports fans who want to enhance their Wii experience for a great value with the new Wii MotionPlus right at launch with Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 10," said Peter Moore, President, EA SPORTS. "The functionality of the Wii MotionPlus will help us deliver the authentic, true-to-life sports motion for Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 10 and EA SPORTS Grand Slam Tennis that will redefine the sports experience on the Wii."Read more

April 21, 2009 -- Playlogic Entertainment, Inc., an independent worldwide publisher of entertainment software, is pleased to announce that Pool Hall Pro, the action-packed sports game developed by Icon Games Entertainment, is coming to Wii home videogame console from Nintendo, and PC May 26, 2009. Pool Hall Pro calls on players of all levels from amateurs to pool sharks to take on the world's toughest opponents as they travel the globe mastering an array of pool and snooker games in order to earn fame and fortune.

"Pool Hall Pro brings action-packed entertainment back into casual sports games with customizable characters, exotic pool hall locations, numerous modes and countless hours of gameplay," said Adam McGowan, Marketing Director for Playlogic. "The simple control scheme and easy-to-access modes make Pool Hall Pro a great game to pick up and play."

Pool Hall Pro features six modes with a vast array of pool and snooker games, such as basic pocket billiards to U.S. 8 ball and 6 ball snooker. Create your own avatar before setting out to challenge the pool hall’s toughest opponents and take your character from rags to riches! Compete against the pros in single player mode or make a name for yourself as you travel the globe earning cash and unlocking collectibles in world tour mode. Win games and unlock collectibles to pimp out your crib and give your billiards room your own personal touch. Increase the difficulty by adjusting AI opponents for more challenging games! Read more

April 14, 2009 – Everlast, the preeminent brand in boxing since 1910, announced today that they have partnered with Atari for the release of their new video game, Ready 2 Rumble Revolution. The game, released in stores on March 18, 2009, is available exclusively for the Nintendo Wii video game system.

"Everlast is excited to team up with Atari for this knockout new video game," said Andy Slate, Director of Marketing of Everlast Worldwide, Inc. "Ready 2 Rumble Revolution offers a natural way to promote the sport of boxing and extend the Everlast brand into the gaming world. The game will also give consumers an authentic boxing workout that is sure to inspire them to step into the ring."

As part of the partnership, the Everlast logo and name will appear on all packaging for the game. The game’s website, www.ready2rumblerevolution.com, will also be holding an online sweepstakes, giving consumers a chance to win a pair of authentic Everlast boxing gloves, which will be featured prominently on the site.Read more

Advanced Motion Controls Arrive June 8; Wii Sports Sequel to Follow

April 14, 2009--Nintendo is setting the stage for a blockbuster summer with the announcement of two hotly anticipated product releases. The new Wii MotionPlus accessory will hit U.S. retailers on June 8, taking the motion-sensing controls of the popular Wii system to new levels of precision and performance. What's more, these control enhancements will be on vibrant display when the Wii Sports Resort game launches on July 26, offering a beach-themed follow-up to the groundbreaking Wii Sports game. Wii Sports comes packed with the Wii console. It grew into a worldwide phenomenon and continues to attract millions of new players to the world of video games. Each Wii Sports Resort game comes packed with a single Wii MotionPlus accessory.

When used with specially designed games, Wii MotionPlus tracks players' movements in finer detail and with greater accuracy than ever before, building upon the innovative wireless function of the motion-sensing Wii Remote controller. Even the slightest twist of the wrist or turn of the body is replicated exactly on the TV screen, allowing users to become even more immersed in Wii game play. Designed for easy attachment to the Wii Remote controller, the Wii MotionPlus accessory will be offered at an MSRP of $19.99. Read more

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

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

It came as a rude shock to our son…he was no longer one of the most sought after people on the planet – the hardcore gamer. It dawned on him after watching his sister and Mom play their Wii musical instruments, exercise with the system and do a little Dancing With the Stars. While he and his comrades were busy shootin 'em up, bustin 'em up; the gaming industry had discovered there was a brave new market existed beyond teens…beyond boys! We sorta, kinda knew it back at the beginning when worked with the Tramiels to introduce the 7800 console and Lynx. We just didn't admit it. The game industry was in its infancy and only accounted for a few hundred million bucks. Today the market is huge and serious.

Despite (or perhaps because of) the anemic economy, the gaming industry appears to be hell-bent on fighting the tide again this holiday season with another record year!

In good and bad times the game industry has grown steadily. Read more