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TimeShift Demo Today on Xbox Live

Sierra Entertainment, a division of Vivendi Games, announced today that the demo for TimeShift will be available via Xbox LIVE download today.

Developed by Saber Interactive, and published by Sierra Entertainment, TimeShift is a first-person shooter (FPS) videogame that allows players to master the flow of time, to become the ultimate weapon in war-torn environments. Armed with the experimental time-manipulating Beta Suit and a huge arsenal of weaponry and vehicles, players have the ability to slow, stop and reverse the flow of time, allowing them to control several aspects of each battle sequence. Intuitive time controls give the player the ultimate advantage in avoiding attacks, correcting mistakes and outsmarting the enemy.

With a comprehensive online 16-player multiplayer mode, featuring time grenades, 14 different maps and over 40 different features, TimeShift gears itself to the players’ unique style of gameplay by allowing matches to be completely customisable. Players can battle it out in a tight, well-balanced multiplayer experience that implements several aspects of the time-manipulating gameplay element found in the single-player campaign.

Lost Planet For Xbox 360 Gets Network Upgrade

In a continuing effort to ensure the best possible gameplay experience for Lost Planet Xbox 360 players, Capcom has developed an extensive network update which will optimize the online gameplay experience.

On Thursday, August 30 ^th, a network update will be implemented where players will be able to select from three different connection types when creating an online match.   By allowing players to select the best connection type for their environment, the patch aims to improve the game’s connectivity for any players that have had previous problems.    

There are 3 connection types. Players should choose the option that suits their configurations:

[Default]

This is the standard setting regardless of upload speed.

[Pattern A]

This is more suitable when your upload speed is fast.   Try this if your connection is unstable with Default.

[Pattern B]

This is more suitable when your upload speed is slow and your connection is not stable with Default.   Try this if your connection is unstable with Default.

After the update is released, you may experience some problems if you join a multiplayer match where players who have installed the patch and those who haven’t are participating. The expected problems are as follows:

·        Glitches with screen text

·        The game stops progressing at certain screen.

·        Disconnection (disbanded mission, etc)

If you experience problems like these, please try signing out once and signing in again.

Lost Planet is an epic gaming masterpiece combining a gripping single player campaign and intense multiplayer modes.  Lost Planet contains sophisticated visuals, with an unmatched level of detail as advanced light sourcing is used to ensure a realistic presentation that enhances every explosion, smoke and particle effect.  Enormous world maps unfold as players battle hostile creatures in blistering weather conditions across vast snowfields and blazing volcanic areas either on foot or in armed, robotic Vital Suits.  

StarCraft 2 New ScreenShots And Game Info.

Blizzard today offered players the first-ever public opportunity to play an early version of its highly-anticipated real-time strategy game, StarCraft II. Attendees of the company’s BlizzCon gaming festival enjoyed single-player skirmishes as well as multiplayer battles on six different StarCraft II maps. “Since announcing StarCraft II at the Blizzard Worldwide Invitational in May, we’ve been hard at work bringing our ideas for the game’s Terran race and single-player campaign to life,” said Mike Morhaime, president and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment. “We’re excited to be sharing these new features and gameplay experiences with our players and seeing their reactions.”

One highlight of BlizzCon was the formal unveiling of the Terran race, which features new units such as the Banshee aircraft, the Cobra hover tank, and the fearsome Thor, a massive assault mech designed for attacking enemy bases. Blizzard also emphasized the Terrans’ adaptability, upgradeable structures, and other unique gameplay mechanics designed for strategic flexibility. The first details on StarCraft II’s immersive single-player campaign, in which players will interact closely with the characters of the StarCraft universe while determining their own course through the game’s story line, were also revealed.

Designed to be the ultimate competitive real-time strategy game, StarCraft II will feature the return of the Protoss, Terran, and Zerg races, overhauled and re-imagined with Blizzard’s signature approach to game balance. In addition to its unique single-player campaign, which picks up the epic saga where the last entry in the series, StarCraft: Brood War, left off, StarCraft II will offer fast-paced online play through an upgraded version of its renowned online gaming service, Battle.net.

Blizzard is developing StarCraft II for simultaneous release on the Windows and Macintosh PC platforms.

WorldShift Preview and 8 New ScreenShots

Name: WorldShift
Developer: Black Sea Studios
Publisher: TBA
Format: PC
Release Date: TBA
ESRB Rating: Pending

DARK FUTURE LIES AHEAD
In the 21st century, shortly after the colonization of our Solar System had begun, a huge dark object appeared beyond the orbit of Pluto. The object, called ‘Shard Zero’ by the scientists, possessed some kind of a deadly aura, spreading mysterious ‘plague’ of cosmic scale around itself, twisting and disrupting the very nature of space and life. There was no time for reaction, and all attempts to study the anomaly remained futile. When we finally realized the object is moving on a collision course with our planet, it was too late. Shard Zero hit Earth and that was the end of our civilization.

WorldShift is set thousands of years later, when our civilization is no more than a fading myth. The remains of Shard Zero still are spreading its Plague, twisting and re-shaping Earth and its nature, sometimes in the course of centuries and sometimes in a matter of hours. Humans developed a new culture and now live in 5 mega-cities, struggling every day for the precious resources they need to survive. The rest of Earth is populated by the Tribes, successors of early humans, that were affected by the Plague.

A NEW TAKE ON STRATEGY
WorldShift is a next-gen cyber-fantasy RTS game designed to be quick and very easy to learn and play. It offers hectic, fierce encounters all around the Earth and a fascinating story uncovering ancient secrets about the true nature of the Shard and the Plague. But also, WorldShift introduces many features new to the genre, like modifiable factions, unqiue cooperative multiplayer gameplay, and more.

ITEMS, RELICS AND THE ABILITY GRID
In WorldShift, there are no technology trees featuring hundreds of upgrades; instead, WorldShift allows the players to discover and acquire a vast number of items and powerful relics that they can use to freely change their gameplay and preferred tactics and to surprise their foes. The players will gather items as they fight their opponents and as rewards for completing missions. But to discover the most powerful relics, they must form teams with their most trusted friends and embark on deadly missions where it is difficult to survive and where the real challenges await.

GAME FEATURES

• Fast and furious multiplayer
• Thousands of items and powerful relics to collect
• Use items and relics to build your own tactics
• Lots of cooperative, player-vs-environment gameplay
• Random maps for infinite exploration
• Unique blend of post apocalyptic setting, hi-tech and primitive
• Epic, dangerous missions with great rewards
• 3 playable races

Wing Commander Arena For Xbox LIVE Arcade!

Electronic Arts today announced the worldwide availability of a new take on its classic Wing Commander franchise with Wing Commander Arena for the Xbox LIVE Arcade this Wednesday, July 25. Up to 16 space pilots can take to the stars and blast opposing ships in a number of ways — single player, multi-team, multiplayer duel and multiplayer free for all.

Wing Commander Arena takes the classic space combat game in a much more action-oriented direction, where dueling teams can pilot up to eight ships, each with their own unique assets. With 16 player play, Wing Commander Arena offers the largest multi-player melee experience to date. Players can propel their ships through space, fire torpedoes and unleash deadly particle cannons as they try to climb the leader board.

“We’ve updated the Wing Commander series and brought it to a new platform, making it an action-packed, pure arcade style game,” said Sean Penney, EA Wing Commander Arena producer. “We’re redefining the Arcade multi-player experience — the adrenaline rush you get in a 16-player fight is an unmatched experience and gives those who remember the Wing Commander franchise a new way to experience it.”

The game offers everything a space combat rookie or a veteran Wing Commander pilot would expect: four types of game play, eight maps including team maps, free for all maps and dueling maps, 18 different ships within nine environments and two races with light fighters, medium fighters and bombers. Online players compete for frag count, high score and dueling stats.

Wing Commander Arena is produced and published by EA and cooperatively developed with Gaia Industries. This is the second EA title for Xbox LIVE Arcade with EA’s first title Boom Boom Rocket(TM) currently available. For more information about EA’s Xbox LIVE Arcade titles visit http://www.EA.com/Arcade. The Wing Commander Arena game manual can be found at http://images.ea.com/ea/arcade/draft2cRGB.pdf.

E3 - New Products For Wii, 360, PS3, and DS Lite

Nyko Technologies today announced their product lineup. The lineup includes new products for the Nintendo Wii , PlayStation 3, and the Nintendo DS Lite, including a new version of the popular Intercooler for the Wii, as well as all-new products such as the Zero for PS3 and Party Station for Wii. All products are currently slated to ship to retail in Fall of 2007.

The Intercooler for Wii is the next installment in Nyko’s popular line of console cooling solutions. The unit attaches easily to the back of the Wii, ensuring a perfect fit and cooler ambient temperature levels, thanks to a built-in fan that increases airflow circulation out from the unit’s main ventilation slot. For added convenience, the Intercooler also powers on and off with the console itself, as well as features a white finish that matches the original color scheme of the Wii.

For the ultimate in Wii party experiences, Nyko’s introduces The Party Station. Combining multiplayer conveniences with food and drink storage, the Party Station is one of the most unique Wii products, but also one of the most useful. Multiple LCD scoreboards allows gamers to keep track of multiplayer face-offs, while the Party Station’s built-in fan keeps hands cool during the most heated of tournaments. When it’s time to eat, the Party Station’s built-in snack and dip bowls keep the food coming, while drinks stay upright in four cup holders, including four supplied freezable cup sleeves to keep them chilled. Storage is also made simple with four slots to hold Wii remotes and a drawer to store accessories like SD cards and manuals. The Party Station is designed to maximize the social gaming experience unique to the Wii.

The Power Adapter for Wii provides gamers with a simple solution for powering their Wii console. The Power Adapter plugs into any standard wall outlet, and also features a built-in LED to indicate when the unit is connected to AC power as well as a visual modeling that compliments the Wii console.

All three new Nyko products for the Wii will ship in the Fall of 2007.

For the ultimate solution in PS3 gaming, the Zero Wireless Controller is the final word in wireless and convenient controller options. Continuing the popularity of Nyko’s Zero controller line, the PS3 Zero features a unique metal polymer hybrid design putting the most advanced controller into the hands of PS3 gamers. Able to provide up to 25 hours of continuous play with the included removable and rechargeable NiMH battery, the Zero also features a revolutionary wireless chipset that provides a reliable and accurate range of up to 30 feet as well as backlit LED buttons and precision analog sticks, buttons, and triggers for maximum durability. The controller is also equipped with a precise accelerometer that detects six different directions of motion for the most accurate game play experience. The Zero Wireless Controller is available in three distinct color schemes to match the tastes of any gamer.

DS Lite gamers needing a convenient carrying and charging solution for their portable handheld need look no further than Nyko’s Ultimate Kit Lite. The bundle comes in multiple color designs, and each includes a stylish, protective carrying case, matching car charger and DS styli. A supplied carabineer allows the carrying case to be attached to a backpack or belt, while convenient pockets on the case allow for the storage of up to eight DS game cards.

The Zero Wireless Controller, and Ultimate Kit Lite will ship to retailers in August of 2007.

Dark Messiah of Might and Magic: Elements Screens and Info for the Xbox360

In Dark Messiah of Might and Magic: Elements, players will be introduced to the dark and unforgiving world of Ashan, scarred by a bloody history and threatened by the apocalyptic prophecy of the Dark Messiah.

The game will sport a refined experience thanks to several improvements in gameplay, design and other technical aspects. Players will embody the young hero Sareth and choose his evolution path to acquire spells, skills and abilities that will set his destiny.

Key Features of Dark Messiah of Might and Magic: Elements for Xbox 360 include:

• More action, new challenges. Experience Might and Magic like never before, with refined game mechanics carefully crafted for pad-controlled carnage, including a brand new lock-on feature and tweaked level design and game statistics. Explore three previously unreleased secret levels with new objectives, gameplay, and rewards.

• Multiplayer remixed. New multiplayer maps have been created exclusively for Xbox 360, while all other features have been completely remastered for an optimal Xbox LIVE experience, allowing you to play with up to 10 players. Enlist with the Humans or the Undead and choose to play as an archer, priestess, mage or knight. Make use of powerful and unique skills and spells on the battlefield, including powers such as meteor shower, berserk charge and rain of arrows.

• Cutting-edge technology. Discover the power of the Source engine on Xbox 360, featuring jaw-dropping environments, incredible graphics and top-notch physics. Immerse yourself in a gritty first-person experience with complete body awareness, realistic movements and physics rendering, making Dark Messiah of Might and Magic: Elements the first action game to feature a complete first-person combat system.

· Environmental mischief. Use your environment as a weapon to outsmart the most fiendish monsters. From bottomless pits to diabolical traps, players will find that that their spells and weapons are not always the most effective solution to dispatching their foes.

• Never-ending action. Challenge the forces of evil across 12 chapters and master over 30 weapons and 12 devastating spells. Engage the enemy in intense melee combat with swords, bows, staffs and daggers; summon magic powers or sneak in the shadows to stalk depraved creatures. Show no mercy as you carve deep into the enemy’s flesh and use the environment as a weapon to outsmart the most fiendish monsters.

• The Might and Magic universe’s darkest side. From bottomless pits to abandoned temples, dark catacombs and swelled cities, explore the remotest recesses of Ashan, populated with fearless Orcs, dreadful Undead, elusive Cyclops and many other creatures that defy nature’s creation. This is the darkest side of the legendary Might and Magic universe, where the forces of evil are stronger and more cunning than ever.

Dark Messiah of Might and Magic: Elements will be released in Q1 2008.

The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass for the DS

What do you get when you combine the world’s best-selling video game system, the Nintendo DSâ„¢, with one of Nintendo’s best-loved franchises, Zelda? An epic new adventure that satisfies longtime fans but draws in new players with intuitive touch-screen controls. Launching Oct. 1, The Legend of Zelda®: Phantom Hourglass, complete with crisp 3-D cartoon graphics and multiplayer battles over Nintendo® Wi-Fi Connection, marks the debut of the franchise on Nintendo DSâ„¢.

“Since 1987 The Legend of Zelda franchise has sold more than 52 million units worldwide,” says George Harrison, Nintendo of America’s senior vice president of marketing and corporate communications. “The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass stays true to the richness of the console Zelda franchise while introducing new controls that allow veterans and first-time gamers to become fully immersed in the adventure.”

The game involves legendary hero Link and Tetra, the leader of a band of pirates, as they discover a ghost ship in dense fog. Link falls into the ocean when Tetra gets into trouble, and he wakes up alone on the shore of a mysterious island. Throughout the game, Link collects sand for his Phantom Hourglass, which allows him to explore deeper and deeper into a time-limited dungeon in his quest to find Tetra.

You can play the entire game with only the Nintendo DS touch screen. Walk up to characters and tap them to start a conversation. Slash your stylus across the touch screen to swing Link’s sword. If players touch an enemy with the stylus, Link attacks. Players can even navigate their ship or set a route for their boomerang simply by drawing a path on the touch screen.

The robust single-player adventure will have Zelda veterans and newcomers alike engrossed by the story as they move through the game with the stylus. A special two-player battle mode lets players connect locally or via Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. One player controls Link as he tries to gather as many Force Gems as possible, while the other player manages the enemies who pursue Link. The replayability of these winner-take-all matches is virtually endless.

In both style and characters, The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass echoes the smash-hit The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Wakerâ„¢ for Nintendo GameCubeâ„¢, which sold more than 2.2 million in the United States alone. But the inviting, easy-to-understand story and ease of control will attract casual and younger players who might be new to Zelda games.

As a special bonus for Nintendo’s rewards club, My Nintendo members who register the game and their Nintendo DS hardware at MyNintendo.com and fill out a short survey will receive a special Nintendo DS stylus that looks like an old-fashioned quill pen, modeled after an item in the game (subject to availability).