Guitar Hero II Xbox 360 Song Packs has 650,000 Downloads

More Than Two Million Single Songs Accessed Through Xbox LIVE Marketplace® since April Highly Anticipated Sequel Guitar Hero III to Feature Master Tracks, Original Songs and Downloadable Content

Downloadable Xbox 360 video game song packs for Activision, Inc.'s (Nasdaq:ATVI) Guitar HeroTM II hit multi-platinum status with more than 650,000 downloads through Xbox LIVE Marketplace® in less than five months, as defined by the music industry's RIAA. Each downloadable pack contains three individual songs. Individual songs combined have topped the two million mark, making the Guitar Hero II packs some of the most downloaded content on Xbox LIVE Marketplace.

"Activision was the first third-party publisher to offer downloadable content via Xbox LIVE to consumers and as a result, we have tremendous insight into the types of content that consumers want," states Dusty Welch, head of publishing, RedOctane. "The Guitar Hero II downloadable video game song packs are some of the most popular content on Xbox LIVE and are quickly becoming a very lucrative revenue stream and powerful promotional vehicle for musicians and record labels today."

Tim Riley, worldwide executive of music for Activision, added, "Activision has long been a pioneer in recognizing the importance of music in games and has forged unprecedented partnerships with all of the major record labels, music publishers and bands in order to offer Guitar Hero fans unrivaled access to music catalogues."

"We have been working very closely with Activision to make our catalog available for download for the Xbox 360 version of Guitar Hero II. The results we have seen from download sales to date have been very impressive. This partnership is providing EMI Music Publishing and its songwriters with a valuable new source of revenue, and at the same time giving us the opportunity to exploit portions of our catalog that might otherwise not get such high-profile exposure," remarked Rod Kotler, Director of Music Services, EMI Music Publishing.

On August 14, 2007, Activision released a new My Chemical Romance video game song pack which included original recordings of the hit songs Teenagers, Famous Last Words, and This is How I Disappear from the band's latest album "The Black Parade." In its first week of release, over 50,000 downloads of the three-song pack were purchased through Xbox LIVE Marketplace.

Commenting on the success of the My Chemical Romance video game song pack, Brian Schechter, the band's manager, said, "Activision has always had the artists and music culture in mind for their games. Now, the band's fans will be able to enjoy their music in a new way that they truly enjoy. As long as Activision and Guitar Hero keep providing quality products to the world, I would love to have all Riot Squad artist's in business with them."

Additionally, Activision's highly anticipated sequel, Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock will feature master tracks from some of rock's most legendary bands like the Rolling Stones, Aerosmith, Pearl Jam, Beastie Boys, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Metallica, as well as original songs by such guitarist icons as Slash and Tom Morello. The sequel also will offer a vast array of downloadable content including songs from some of the most popular European bands.

"Having Warner Music Group's master recordings in Guitar Hero III is a fantastic opportunity for everyone. Both our current and catalog artists are being exposed to new audiences through this great game. By selling additional tracks, we don't have to wait for another volume of the game to be released to offer new artists and music to gamers around the world," said Mark Pinkus, SVP Synch Licensing & Strategic Marketing at Rhino Entertainment.

To date, Guitar Hero games have sold more than 5.5 million units, according to The NPD Group, Charttrack and Gfk. Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock is scheduled to launch in October on all major console platforms and is rated T for Teen by the ESRB.

Take-Two Interactive Software. Announces Sale of Joytech

Take-Two Interactive Software today announced that it has sold substantially all of the assets of its wholly owned Joytech video game accessories subsidiary to Mad Catz Interactive. 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."

Star Wars Galaxies

While in-game events are a fairly common occurrence in a MMO (Massively Multiplayer Online) game it’s not often that they result in the joint effort of a major video games publisher and a leading charitable organization promoting affordable housing. But it’s exactly that kind of event that has enabled Sony Online Entertainment (SOE) LLC’s Austin, TX studio to team up with Austin Habitat for Humanity (AHFH), contributing financially as well as through volunteer efforts to help people in the Austin community find homes.

In SOE’s Star Wars Galaxies (SWG) MMO, there was a surplus of player-created houses and buildings that had been abandoned or left unoccupied by players. SOE Austin VP of Development John Blakely wanted to remove the houses, but do so in a way that is uniquely Star Wars – the buildings were marked as “condemned” by the evil Galactic Empire, and scheduled for demolition – TIE fighters would swoop in and bomb the buildings to the ground.

The SWG community was also given the chance to join in the fun of this “urban renewal;” players were provided reward points for the number of buildings they destroyed, which could be redeemed for special in-game items like droids, paintings and furniture. “When we initially conceived this idea, we didn’t know how the community was going to react,” said Blakely. “Oddly enough, it was very well received; some players that hadn’t been in the game for months came back to reclaim their property, re-activate their accounts and start playing the game again.”

SOE Austin took things one step further and offered to match the number of houses demolished with a donation to charity, considering Austin Habitat for Humanity first. “Using the money we raised blowing-up virtual houses and buildings to help build real homes was a no-brainer for us,” said Blakely. “Austin Habitat for Humanity has done incredible work in the community, helping people find good homes, and our whole studio wanted to contribute to their efforts.”

On Thursday, September 6th, Blakely will present AHFH Executive Director Michael Willard with a donation at SOE’s industry reception at the Austin Game Developers Conference.

“Teaming up with Sony Online Entertainment is a wonderful opportunity for Austin Habitat and the families we serve. The creativity and diligence that these professionals exhibit in their work are traits which translate well to our efforts to eradicate poverty housing in our community,” said Willard. “Austin needs creative solutions in our quest to create more affordable housing and diligent leadership in as we work toward those goals.”

Skate is Right Around the Corner, but Why Wait?

Get the free Xbox 360 playable demo on Xbox Live Marketplace! Fire up your Xbox 360 and download the skate demo and experience a new way to skate. The demo features tutorials and gameplay challenges in San Vanelona’s community center skatepark. It also includes skate. Reel for you to capture video footage of your sickest tricks and share it online.

BMW M3 Challenge

Europe’s largest independent computer, video and online entertainment developer 10TACLE STUDIOS AG will be delivering goose bumps this September when the first PC fires up the engine of the new BMW M3 Coupé. The racing specialists from London-based subsidiary Blimey!Games show for the first time on PC just what the impressive 420 horsepower Bavarian powerhouse can do in the freeware game ”BMW M3 Challenge”.

For the Munich-based automobile concern the title represents an important part of the communications mix for the launch of the new BMW M3 Coupé. This innovative product is designed to quickly reach a large target group using a free-of-charge distribution system. The partners also followed this innovative communications strategy in financing the mid-six-figure development budget, carried by BMW and other sponsors and through in-game advertising. In cooperation with marketing partner YOGO Media from Düsseldorf allowed renowned partners such as INTEL, Bilstein, Castrol and Sport1.de to be won for the project.

In addition to this project 10TACLE STUDIOS AG is already in the midst of concrete negotiations with a world-renowned firm looking to commission a comprehensive game project as part of an upcoming marketing campaign. The goal is to begin work on the title, which is to have a budget volume in the double-digit millions, before the end of 2007.

For the Germany-based firm the background for the cooperation with automobile concern BMW lay not only in an intense interest in the product to be advertised, but also in the fast-growing market for in-game and online content marketing. New studies predict a turnover volume for 2011 of 971.3 million US dollars generated through in-game advertising. Branch turnover for the year 2006 totalled around 77.7 million US dollars (Source: Yankee Group, 2007).

For 10TACLE STUDIOS the cooperation with BMW represents a consequent continuation of their concentration on cooperating with large brand name partners (such as MTV or FERRERO before this). The firm sees these cooperations as a means to tap the developing market for advertising and advertising platforms in computer and video games and secure a large market share at an early stage.

10TACLE STUDIOS AG CEO Michele Pes: “For years we have been successfully positioning ourselves in a gigantic market of which others are just beginning to take notice. We want to build on that and continue to grow with the market in this area as well. I expect this segment to provide a sizable additional yield for the 10TACLE Group, a yield not yet taken into account in any planning. Others acquire and invest vast sums in doing so – we let our strong products and first-line brand name partners do our persuading for us. “

New PS3 starter pack is for France only

Sony has confirmed that the rumoured new PlayStation 3 starter pack is genuine - but the bundle is only intended for the French market.

An image surfaced yesterday of a starter pack that replaced Motorstorm and Resistance with Heavenly Sword and F1 Championship Edition. At the time, Sony declined to comment.

In a clarifying statement, a Sony spokesperson has now said: "The choice of which titles to include in the Starter Pack, and the freedom to change the titles is up to the individual markets based on their unique market conditions."

"The F1 and Heavenly sword pack is only being introduced in France for the time being, and will be available from the launch of Heavenly Sword in France on 19th September."

Ubisoft could be behind SCi offer

SCi Entertainment, owner of the Lara Croft Tomb Raider computer game franchise, admitted yesterday that for the second time in two years it had received a bid approach, believed to be from its French rival Ubisoft.

The news is likely to arouse interest from Time Warner, which has a 10% stake in SCi; the leading US gaming company Electronic Arts - home to The Sims and Medal of Honour - and possibly Sony.

A deal, however, is by no means certain. SCi warned recently that the delayed launch of Sony's PS3 had hit sales. Its shares plunged to levels not seen since SCi bought Eidos, creator of the pneumatic Ms Croft, in May 2005 and the Ubisoft approach may be mere opportunism.

Shares in SCi closed up 44.5p at 384p yesterday, valuing the company at £332m. Just before July's profit warning, however, they were at 520p and Time Warner bought its stake at 502p a share.

The property magnate Robert Tchenguiz is also likely to play a key role in any takeover as his Thorson Investments vehicle is SCi's largest shareholder with a stake of 15.5%. He acquired the shares from Robert Bonnier, a well-known internet figure and founder of Scoot.com, who had stalked SCi after the dotcom crash

SCi has been in talks before. After seeing off competition for Eidos from the private equity group Elevation - fronted by U2's Bono - it received a bid approach in October 2005. The talks, which are believed to have been with Ubisoft that time too, dragged on but in February 2006 SCi admitted they had come to nothing.

Sony confirms white PSP delay

Sony has denied reports retailers will not be receiving official TV cables for the new PSP Slim and Lite model when it launches in the UK on September 14 - but admitted that the white model has been delayed.

The claims were made in an article on CVG.com earlier this week, which cited an official spokesman for GAME stores as the source of the news.

However, when contacted by GamesIndustry.biz, a Sony spokesman confirmed that the official cables will be available alongside the PSP Slim and Lite at launch.

The spokesperson did concede that only the black version of the new PSP will be available on September 14. The 'ceramic white' PSP Slim and Lite will follow in October.

The TV cables allow PSP users to play PSP games and UMD videos on TV sets, a major new feature of the revised PSP hardware.

Metal Gear Solid music video

Eminence rated No 1 video games music video clip on YouTube



amerNode have rated Eminence’s Metal Gear Solid music video as the number 1 music cover video available on YouTube today.

GamerNode Editor-in-Chief, Brendon Lindsey, who performed a survey of online game music videos said of Eminence’s performance, “there is no video game cover on the Internet that tops this one, in my opinion. Take your One-Winged Angels and Zelda Medleys; push aside your Shadow of the Colossi and Vagrant Stories. This has everything done right, and then some.”

“Intermixed with awesome footage, featuring a sweet guitar, and not missing a beat, this is the perfect song to remind you that MGS4 is still a ways off, and you're forced to wait to see how it ends. Until then, just rip the sound from this video and put it on repeat. It's what I'm doing,” he concluded.

Visit YouTube to view Eminence’s Metal Gear Solid performance and decide for yourself whether you think the ranking is worthy or not!

Hot on the trail of the very successful Eminence quintet ‘Destiny Reunion’ concert tour, which included performances in Japan, at Otakon in the USA and in Sydney and Melbourne, Eminence are back in the studio preparing for more concerts and album releases. Stay tuned!

Worms: A Space Oddity

Challenge Up to Four Friends Anywhere in the World with New, Intuitive Controls Designed Specifically for the Wii Remote

Worms: A Space Oddity, the newest iteration of the popular turn-based strategy game, is scheduled for release in spring 2008. Retaining the humor synonymous with the Worms brand, Worms: A Space Oddity marks the franchise debut on the Wii™ with a fresh visual style, new environmental settings, intuitive controls and even more customization options. Players will be closer to the action than ever before, launching attacks through a wide range of gesture-based maneuvers only possible with the Wii Remote™.

In Worms: A Space Oddity, players will enjoy the ultimate blend of classic Worms game modes and re-invented single-player missions, as well as multiplayer modes that include a host of all-new party games and even more customization options. The game takes advantage of the Wii’s intuitive controls, on-screen hints and the redesigned interface with an in-game help system. Worms: A Space Oddity demonstrates significant visual, technical and design advancement over its predecessors with a new visual style that abandons the traditional drawn approach and replaces it with a distinctive style inspired by classic Sci-Fi looks. The Worms battles take place across six planets, each with its own, unique environments and global events. The online multiplayer experience pits up to four Worms fiends from all over the world against each other.

Worms: A Space Oddity is being developed by Team17 Software Ltd out of West Yorkshire, UK. Along with this title, two additional titles in the Worms series, Worms: Open Warfare 2 for the Nintendo DS™ and PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system and Worms 2007 for wireless handsets, are scheduled for release this fall.

The SIMS on stage

Experience the Ultimate Online Destination for Performance and Creative Expression with The Sims and Find Your 15 Minutes of Fame!

Today, Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) announced the beta launch of The Sims™ On Stage, an interactive online playground that allows anyone with a standard PC or Mac™ and broadband connection to unleash their inner creativity! By visiting www.thesimsonstage.ea.com, people can immediately and free-of-charge start recording karaoke songs, stories, comedy routines and more. The site offers incredibly fun and accessible tools that make it easy to watch, create and share recordings with just a few close friends, The Sims On Stage community, or the entire world online. Bringing together elements of performance, humour and community, The Sims On Stage is the perfect destination for people to express their creativity – and enjoy the talent and imagination of others!

“The Sims has long had one of the largest, friendliest and most creative communities in the world. With the release of The Sims On Stage, we welcome a new kind of customer to our way of having fun,” said Studio Head of The Sims Label, Rod Humble. “The world of interactive entertainment is now broader than ever thanks to new web-based technologies, and we are thrilled to give you a new way of having fun with The Sims On Stage.”

The Sims On Stage will also feature an easy-to-use Movie Mashup that will allow members to create original movies featuring The Sims content made available exclusively to members of The Sims On Stage community. Looking for your 15 minutes of fame? The Sims On Stage spotlight shines on thousands of well-known rock, pop and country songs available to karaoke fans at launch, making it easy to record and share your favorite ditty! And if singing is not your thing, take a shot at Open-Mic Recordings and share your favorite performances -- from spoken word and comedy routines, to knock-knock jokes and more!

Keep recordings private or make them public for the world to see! With one click of the mouse, The Sims On Stage members can easily upload their recordings onto blogs, social networking sites and more. Plug in your microphone, grab your webcam and record away!

Launching today in English, The Sims On Stage is an entertainment and performance destination based on the online karaoke community, SingShot Media that was acquired by Electronic Arts in February 2007. Please visit www.thesimsonstage.ea.com for more details, and to experience the fun firsthand!

BioShock, Metroid Prime 3 Shoot to top

This week's top rental charts from U.S. game rental company GameFly, representing the most requested games for the week ending September 1st, highlight both to-be-released and already released games in a unique demand-specific chart.

In its second week of release, BioShock maintains its dominance over the charts in the top position for the fifth straight week, while Midway's soon-to-be-released action/adventure title Stranglehold holds steady from the previous week at number two. Medal of Honor: Airborne took third place, and Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, which slipped to fifth position last week after two weeks in fourth place, regained the number four spot this week, with Halo 3 bringing up fifth place, displacing last week's third position holder Blue Dragon to sixth.

What follows is a breakdown of the top titles requested by GameFly subscribers across each of the major platforms:

Xbox 360

1. BioShock (Take Two), 2. Stranglehold (Midway), 3. Medal of Honor: Airborne (EA), 4. Halo 3 (Microsoft), 5. Blue Dragon (Microsoft)

BioShock is still not budging from the top spot, while Stranglehold climbs from fourth position into second. EA's Medal of Honor: Airborne comes in third, nudging Madden NFL '08 out of the top 5 this week, making room for the Microsoft duo of Halo 3 and Blue Dragon; the latter shifts from second to fifth position this week.

Nintendo Wii

1. Metroid Prime 3: Corruption (Nintendo), 2. Carnival Games (Globalstar), 3. Mario Strikers Charged (Nintendo), 4. Brunswick Pro Bowling (Crave), 5. Tiger Woods PGA Tour '08 (EA)

Metroid Prime 3: Corruption maintained the top spot among Nintendo Wii requests for the third week, while Carnival Games and Mario Strikers Charged swapped places for second and third since last week. Brunswick Pro Bowling holds steady in fourth place, while Tiger Woods PGA Tour '08 edges out Mario Party '08 to take the fifth spot.

PlayStation 3

1. Warhawk (Sony), 2. Lair (Sony), 3. Heavenly Sword (Sony), 4. DiRT (Codemasters), 5. Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2 (Ubisoft)

PS3 game requests this week saw Lair and Warhawk trade places in the first and second spots since last week. Heavenly Sword sticks in the third position, while DiRT and Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2 also made a trade with the fourth and fifth slots since last week.

PlayStation 2

1. Stuntman: Ignition (THQ), 2. Naruto: Uzumaki Chronicles (Namco), 3. God of War II (Sony), 4. Madden NFL '08 (EA), 5. Wild Arms 5 {Xseed Games)

Wild Arms 5 in fifth position is the only title new to the top 5 PS2 requests this week as Persona 3 drops off; the other four play musical chairs, with Stuntman: Ignition climbing from second into the top spot as the previous week's number one, Naruto: Uzumaki Chronicles slipped a bit into second place. God of War II moved up from fifth spot into third, and Madden NFL '08 keeps the fourth spot.

Xbox

1. Halo 2 (Microsoft), 2. Madden NFL '08 (EA), 3. Ninja Gaiden Black (Tecmo), 4. Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords (LucasArts), 5. Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy (LucasArts)

Doubtlessly anticipating the long-awaited impending release of Halo 3, the second installment of the Halo trilogy maintained the top spot again over the previous week. The first installment, however, did not retain its fifth-position slot, as the only other movement on the Xbox charts was Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy taking the place of the original Halo in fifth.

GameCube

1. Metroid Prime 2: Echoes (Nintendo), 2. Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (Nintendo), 3. Super Smash Bros. Melee (Nintendo), 4. Legend of Zelda: Collector's Edition (Nintendo), 5.Mario Party 7

The top five GameCube requests this week were a solid block of Nintendo mainstays, with Metroid Prime 2: Echoes rising into first place, likely representing a surge of interest following the very recent release of Metroid Prime 3: Corruption. It previously occupied the third position, into which it now bumps Super Smash Bros. Melee, as Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess keeps the second spot again this week. The Zelda: Collector's Edition enters the top 5 in fourth position, while Mario Party 7 stays in fifth again this week.

Nintendo DS

1. The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass (Nintendo), 2. Rune Factory: A Fantasy Harvest Moon (Natsume), 3. Brain Age 2: More Training in Minutes a Day (Nintendo), 4. Worms 2: Open Warfare (THQ), 5. Heroes of Mana (Square Enix)

Though it's not releasing until October 1, The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass edged out Rune Factory: A Fantasy Harvest Moon for the top position this week, climbing from its spot in third last week. Brain Age 2 slipped from second to third position, while Worms 2: Open Warfare replaced Disney's High School Musical: Makin' the Cut in fourth position. Classic RPG Heroes of Mana held steady in the fifth spot.


Game Boy Advance

1. Pokemon: Emerald (Nintendo), 2. Pokemon: Sapphire (Nintendo), 3. Pokemon: Ruby (Nintendo), 4. Pokemon: Fire Red(Nintendo), 5. Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team (Nintendo).

This week saw the GBA requests once again dominated by Pokemon titles, though with the exception of Emerald retaining the number 1 spot, there's been some movement. Pokemon: Sapphire advances from third position into second, while Pokemon: Ruby takes the third spot after spending last week at number five. Pokemon: Fire Red slips down from second into fourth place, knocking off last week's number four, Leaf Green. Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team enters the top 5 in the fifth spot. There seems to be no sign of Pokemon dominance letting go of the GBA anytime soon.

PlayStation Portable

1. Monster Hunter Freedom 2 (Capcom), 2. Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Heroes (Namco), 3. Jeanne D'Arc (Sony), 4. Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2 (Ubisoft), 5. Dead Head Fred (D3P)

Jeanne D'Arc continues its downward slide; after falling from first to second place last week, it slips slightly into the third spot this week. Meanwhile, Capcom's Monster Hunter Freedom 2 climbs up into the top spot, nudging Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Heroes into second. Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2 holds on at number four again this week, while Dead Head Fred replaces Dragoneer's Aria in the fifth spot.

HD-DVD gets European price cut

The consortium responsible for the HD-DVD format have named the Xbox 360 add-on as one of a handful of players that will experience a slight dip in price throughout mainland Europe.

The news was confirmed at the IFA (Internationale Funkausstellung) consumer electronics fair in Germany, where the new price was announced at EUR 179 - a 20 Euro saving on the original cost.

However, the announcement didn't come from Microsoft itself, which is yet to give its official take. That may include an update on the UK price, but, again, this is far from confirmed.

PS3 price cut?

simExchange predicts $100 drop to remain competitive

The simExchange has released an analyst research report indicating that it believes Sony needs to drop the price of the PlayStation 3 in the coming weeks or months in order to remain competitive with the Xbox 360 in North America.

The report, by analyst Jesse Divinch, indicates that either a USD 100 price cut or an added-value bundle would help to reduce the apparently widening gap with the Microsoft console.

Divinch believes that although a price drop would incur a greater financial loss per console manufactured, he feels that such action is necessary as "Sony’s third party software support could be at serious risk if they allow Microsoft to continue to widen the sales gap."

If Sony does announce a price cut, the logical time to do that would be the Tokyo Game Show, taking place later this month – and such a move might have repercussions on the market share in its home territory as well.

Figures used in Divinch's analysis are taken from the virtual trading in the simExchange, a prediction market which allows gamers and developers to dabble in industry forecasting, and isn't based on actual share prices or financial exchanges.

The Lord of the Rings Online FREE 7-day trial across Europe

It's Time to Pack Your Bags and Move to Middle-earth for FREE at www.trylotro.com

Codemasters Online today unveil the The Lord of the Rings Online™: Shadows of Angmar™ 7-day trial has been released across Europe. Fans can now venture through the epic world of Middle-earth free of charge for 7 days by visiting www.trylotro.com

The Lord of the Rings Online is the European No 1, best selling MMORPG and now players can experience for free this online virtual recreation of Middle-earth with thousands of other players as they embark on their epic quest against the evil forces of Sauron. On completion of the 7-day free trial, players have the opportunity to upgrade their game and carry over their characters.

Ed Relf, Director of Marketing, Codemasters Online commented “The launch of the European free trial for The Lord of the Rings Online is a milestone in the ongoing development of this year’s No 1 selling MMORPG. The game has already seen two free content expansions since launch expanding the already immense recreation of Middle-earth and we look forward to inviting players to pack their bags and join us in the game.”

Since its release in April, The Lord of the Rings Online has celebrated unprecedented success across Europe and North America. With the release of the second free content update, Book 10: The City of the Kings, The Lord of the Rings Online continues to

expand with over 200 new quests, new monsters, new game systems and significant enhancements to the monster play PvP system.

The Lord of the Rings Online lets players experience the unique and mystical world based on the Books of J.R.R. Tolkien, creating a virtual setting that brims with life. The game delivers an experience that takes players beyond the Books to a place where they can create their own story within the most famous fantasy world of all time.

To download The Lord of the Rings Online 7-day free trial visit www.trylotro.com

FREE GEARS OF WAR TOURNAMENT

Sponsored by The Daily Star

31st Aug 2007 (London, United Kingdom) – Earlier this month XLEAGUE.TV, the UK’s first dedicated eSports service, announced a free Mario Strikers: Charged Football and Pro Evolution Soccer 6 tournament. XLEAGUE.TV can now announce that the next free tournament will be Gears of War, where players can compete for a top prize of £250.

“We’ve had a terrific response to our previous free tournaments sponsored by The Daily Star,” says Lee Catania, XLEAGUE.TV Marketing Manager. “We’re sure Gears of War, one of the most popular games on the Xbox 360, will prove just as successful.”

Registration for the tournament opens on the 31st of August, and is absolutely free. The remaining two free tournaments will be unveiled over the following weeks.

For more information on the new free tournaments and prizes, please visit www.XLEAGUE.TV or contact Marketing Manager Lee Catania on lee.catania@nasnet.co.uk. XLEAGUE.TV can also be found on Sky Channel 279.

About XLEAGUE.TV:
XLEAGUE.TV is the UK’s first dedicated eSports channel and fully integrated website launched in May 2007. The revolutionary channel, which broadcasts on Sky channel 279, offers a comprehensive range of services to its members including leagues and tournaments, customisable user profiles, match scheduling and club and team creation. By competing on www.xleague.tv, gamers can win the opportunity to be invited to the studio for the chance to play on television.

The channel was launched at a cost of £5 million and is part of the Portland Media Group. XLEAGUE.TV has a wealth of In-house facilities include production, post-production and play-out, as well as an advertising agency, a media buying and planning department and a modelling agency.

Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning

Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning caused a stir at Games Convention 07 in Leipzig last month, as the final two armies were unveiled to press and public. These were the High Elves and Dark Elves, who despite sharing a common ancestry have been fighting a perpetual war against each other for thousands of years, using their unique and varied warriors.

For the High Elves, the Swordmaster, a Tank class, leads the front line. Wielding a huge and powerful blade, he is a cross between a Jedi and a US Marine, proud of his ancestry and an expert with his weapon. Supporting him with devastating magic and much needed healing, is the versatile Archmage. A master of the Winds of Magic, she drains the energy from her foes and distributes it to her allies. With her powerful skills, she is capable of turning the tide of battle in a heartbeat.

Tanking for the Dark Elves are the Black Guard, the bodyguards to King of the Dark Elves, Malekith. Completely psychopathic and without regard for the lives of their allies, let alone their foes, they wield their enormous Halberds with an unprecedented thirst for blood. Lurking in the shadows of war is the Witch Blade. With an elegant but deadly grace, she waits until the best possible moment to strike and then unleashes a flurry of fearsome Frenzy attacks. You don’t want to get on the wrong side of her…

Games Added To Wii Shop Channel

Everyone believes education is important, even apes. To celebrate the back-to-school season, Donkey Kong Jr.™ Math is now available on the Wii Shop Channel. It'll help you get those math skills back in shape after their summer slumber. After that, there's still plenty of adventure, treasure seeking and a never-ending supply of bad guys to fight. Good thing it's a holiday today, huh? Enjoy.

Four new classic games go live at 9 a.m. Pacific time. Nintendo adds new games to the Wii Shop Channel every Monday. Wii™ owners with a high-speed Internet connection can redeem Wii Points™ to download the games. Wii Points can be purchased in the Wii Shop Channel or at retail outlets. This week's new games are:

Adventure Island (NES®, 1 player, rated E for Everyone - Comic Mischief, 500 Wii Points): A mysterious tropical paradise known as Adventure Island is the setting for this side-scrolling action game. The evil Witch Doctor has kidnapped Tina, the true love of Master Higgins. To save her, you must safely guide Master Higgins through eight perilous stages - including dense forests and creepy caves - while defeating all of the enemies in your path. Each area is made up of four rounds filled with enemies determined to stop you in your tracks. In addition, as time passes, Master Higgins's vitality is automatically drained. To keep going, he must eat constantly by grabbing fruit, milk and whatever other goodies he can as he races toward his goal. Sometimes eggs containing miraculous items like axes to throw at enemies or honey that grants temporary invincibility will appear. Use items skillfully to help you clear the areas. At the end of each area you'll face the Witch Doctor, who you must defeat to advance. Go, Master Higgins, go!

Donkey Kong Jr. Math (NES, 1-2 players, rated E for Everyone, 500 Wii Points): Learning can be fun, especially when you play along with Donkey Kong Jr. Practice addition, subtraction, multiplication and division by directing Junior, a cute little monkey who must climb up and down vines to collect numbers and math symbols to solve the math problems his father gives him. Compete with a friend in a race to solve problems in Game A or add more challenge with Game B. Of course, you can also practice on your own. This game is perfect for younger players who are looking for a fun and easy way to develop their math skills.

Landstalker: The Treasures of King Nole™ (Sega Genesis, 1 player, rated E for Everyone - Mild Fantasy Violence, 800 Wii Points): After hearing of the legendary treasure of King Nole, the elvish treasure hunter Nigel undertakes a quest to gather various pieces of the famed loot. His journey takes him through Mercator Island's villages, caves and dungeons that hold King Nole's riches. Along the way, he'll have to help the inhabitants of the island while fighting against the treachery of Duke Mercator, who is searching for the treasure as well. A variety of obstacles and foes will try to deter Nigel, who must use all his wits and skills to defeat Duke Mercator and uncover the secret of King Nole's treasure.

Bonk 3: Bonk's Big Adventure (TurboGrafx16, 1-2 players, rated E for Everyone - Comic Mischief, 600 Wii Points): The hard-headed hero is back for more side-scrolling action in the third installment of the popular Bonk series. It's up to Bonk once again to thwart the plans of the relentless evil King Drool. There are seven rounds scattered throughout the Dinosaur Kingdom, each one filled with fun contraptions and comical enemies. Grab a Flower Copter or exchange 16 Smileys at the end of each round to play up to eight different bonus stages. Or you can change the size of Bonk by grabbing the new red or blue candy items. Depending on the situation, you can change your size to bonk your way through a dead end or to get a hard-to-reach item. And if that's not enough, you can grab a friend and put your heads together to defeat King Drool in the new two-player mode.

Charttrack weekly games chart

All formats
(Full price) Week ending 1 September 2007
POS. TITLE PUBLISHER
1 BIOSHOCK TAKE 2
2 TIGER WOODS PGA TOUR 08 ELECTRONIC ARTS
3 TRANSFORMERS: THE GAME ACTIVISION
4 TOM CLANCY'S GHOST RECON: WARFIGHTER 2 UBISOFT
5 HARRY POTTER & THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX ELECTRONIC ARTS
6 STUNTMAN: IGNITION THQ
7 POKEMON DIAMOND NINTENDO
8 MARIO PARTY 8 NINTENDO
9 BLUE DRAGON MICROSOFT
10 NEW SUPER MARIO BROS. NINTENDO
11 MEDIEVAL II: TOTAL WAR - KINGDOMS SEGA
12 GUILD WARS: EYE OF THE NORTH NCSOFT EUROPE
13 POKEMON PEARL NINTENDO
14 PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: AT WORLD'S END DISNEY INTERACTIVE STUDIOS
15 RESISTANCE: FALL OF MAN SONY COMPUTER ENT.
16 MADDEN NFL 08 ELECTRONIC ARTS
17 BOOGIE ELECTRONIC ARTS
18 MOTORSTORM SONY COMPUTER ENT.
19 RESIDENT EVIL 4 CAPCOM
20COMMAND & CONQUER 3: TIBERIUM WARS ELECTRONIC ARTS

Disney say - Videogames can be a force for good

Videogames can be a force for good, uniting families in a single activity, according to Disney vice president Thierry Braille.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Braille talked about the vision of the Disney brand, and that although more mature games such as Turok are published under the Touchstone label, there's still something for everybody.

"We have titles that are for a younger audience, but there are more titles, such as High School Musical that could gather the family, after the Sunday lunch maybe, and we can imagine them singing together."

"This is Disney – this inclusive way to bring the family together and have fun."

Braille went on to detail the company's development budgets, with 70 per cent spent on existing character franchises, 20 per cent on developing new characters, and 10 per cent that can go on new game areas – with the exception of sports and extreme-rated content.

"In the sports market we have our ESPN brand and an existing deal with Electronic Arts there, and for the extreme-rated area, we as a company don't want to touch these kinds of products."

He also stated his belief that Nintendo's platforms have made a "very beneficial contribution" to the games industry, and that rising development costs can in fact be a good thing for consumers, because it focuses publishers on producing games "of the highest quality."