Atari's Godzilla Unleashed

Atari, one of the world's most recognized brands and a third-party video game publisher, today announced that development on Godzilla Unleashed, a long- running publishing franchise and the ultimate giant monsters fighting game, is complete. Godzilla Unleashed for the Wii and PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system and Godzilla Unleashed: Double Smash for Nintendo DS are scheduled for release this holiday season.

Featuring the legendary Godzilla and at least 20 of some of the most renowned monsters of all time, Godzilla Unleashed is an epic fighting game on a giant scale. In an attempt to save the planet earth from total mayhem and destruction, gamers must cause some damage of their own by fighting with or against other giant monsters.

"We are excited to bring Godzilla Unleashed, the next installment of a beloved franchise, to so many great platforms," said Keehwan Her, Producer, Atari, Inc. "Each platform offers a unique line-up of monsters and gameplay innovations. The Wii version presents a new story mode and robust motion-based controls; the PlayStation 2 system includes a story mode along with a slightly different monster roster and the Nintendo DS version features two-player cooperative gameplay with side-scrolling action that takes advantage of both screens for dual action gameplay."

Godzilla Unleashed provides an environment perfect for stopping this worldwide obliteration with nine urban arenas, interactive 3D cityscapes, big destructible buildings, soaring skyscrapers and towering alien formations. Featuring an innovative non-linear storyline which allows players to influence how the story unfolds through their choices within battles, and a flexible multiplayer mode which supports up to four players for the ultimate city- crushing monster extravaganza, Godzilla Unleashed is a must-have this holiday season.

For more information on Godzilla Unleashed, Atari and its entire product line-up please visit www.atari.com.

Rayman Raving Rabbids 2 website

Ubisoft kicks off the countdown to the release of Rayman Raving Rabbids 2 with the launch of the game’s official website. The website will be THE place to catch up with the Rabbids and enter their wacky universe.

The official trailer for the Nintendo DS version can be downloaded at the Rayman Raving Rabbids 2 website: http://www.raymanravingrabbids2.com

Developed by Ubisoft’s Paris Studio, Rayman Ravinds Rabbids 2 will launch worldwide on the Wii home entertainment system from Nintendo and the Nintendo DS on November, 16th 2007.

About Rayman Raving Rabbids 2
The mischievous bunnies are back in a hilarious sequel that is guaranteed to be even crazier and funnier than the first – and with even more wacky games!
They've invaded the world of Rayman®, and now the insane Rabbids have a new objective: invade planet Earth! They have established their base at a shopping mall and begun training for their nastiest scheme yet. As part of this training, the Rabbids must carry out several missions around the globe to help them in an attempt to dominate the world. The Rabbids will also try to study human behavior by mimicking everything we do…but in the Rabbid sort of way, with no logic…of course. Back to battle the Rabbids and stop the invasion is Rayman, who will infiltrate the Rabbids by disguising himself as one of them.

Have a horrific Halloween with Clive Barker's Jericho

Trick out and ghoul-up your PC this Halloween as Codemasters treats gamers to a monstrous collection of Clive Barker's Jericho desktop wallpapers featuring gruesome creatures from the recently released supernatural shooter. Four foul monster wallpapers are now available to download from www.codemasters.com/jericho in Community > Wallpapers.

Inspired by Barker's fiction, the detailed illustrations depict four of the game's most iconic and fearsome fiends, including the gorged and bloody bulk of the Roman Governor Cassus Vicus, hung from his chains as he rips open his stomach in readiness to unleash a jet of blood and toxic entrails.

Other wallpapers feature Arnold Leach, the demonic winged leader of the Brotherhood of the Dark Rapture, the axe-fused Exploding Cultist and Vicus' own gladiatorial beast, the Blind Behemoth. Each wallpaper design is available in 1024 x 768, 1280 x 1024 and 1600 x1200 resolutions.

Launched last week, Clive Barker's Jericho is a spectacular blast from the master mythmaker's cannon of nightmares. Mingling the darkest elements of his creative works with an ambitious, age-spanning story, the squad-based FPS gameplay takes players on a journey through hellish locations and slices of time combating gruesome and twisted enemies.

As this Halloween's must-play title, Clive Barker's Jericho is now available for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, the PLAYSTATION 3 computer entertainment system and Games for Windows. To download the new desktop wallpapers, videos and the Games for Windows playable demo, visit the game's official website at www.codemasters.com/jericho.

DRAGON BALL Z BUDOKAI TENKAICHI 3 PLAYSTATION 2 COLLECTOR'S EDITION

Exclusive Content Accompanies the Ultimate DBZ Fighting Experience

Atari today announced the forthcoming PlayStation 2 Collector’s Edition of Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3 containing great exclusive content. Developed by NAMCO BANDAI Games Inc. / Spike, Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3 for PlayStation 2 is scheduled for European release on 9 November in both standard and Collector’s editions.

Available in a specially designed retail box, the Collector’s Edition contains the game, plus an exclusive digital art book and giant wall poster. The 50-page art book includes imagery from the development team detailing how the game’s characters and environments were created, plus a personal message from the team at Spike. The poster features a dazzling array of DBZ characters, making the Collector’s Edition something no fan should be without.

Improving upon last year’s hit 3D fighting experience, Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3 offers more than 150 playable characters, more than 30 battle stages, and upgraded shading techniques providing enhanced and devastating effects. The exclusive ‘Disc Fusion System’ featured in the PlayStation 2 version of Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3 lets players insert either Budokai Tenkaichi 1 or Budokai Tenkaichi 2 into the console to unlock brand new gameplay modes. Each game in the series will provide a different and exciting new gameplay mode.

The immensely popular Dragon Ball Z series is the gold standard of anime-based video games, with more than 25 different games and over 10 million units sold since May 2002.

Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3 for PlayStation 2 is scheduled for release on 9 November. Featuring online play for the first time in a DBZ game, Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3 for Wii is scheduled for European release in January 2008. For more information on Dragon Ball Z video games, please visit www.dbz-videogames.com.

Spyro the Dragon Puffs His Way Back onto Mobile Phones

Vivendi Games Mobile, a division of Vivendi Games, today announced the launch of The Legend of Spyro: The Eternal Night for mobile phones, the latest title in the multi-million unit selling Spyro franchise. The Legend of Spyro: The Eternal Night is now available on mobile phones throughout Europe and will be available in November in North America.

The Legend of Spyro: The Eternal Night gives players the chance to guide the famous purple dragon through 13 new graphically stunning levels which have been specially adapted for mobile phones. Spyro’s mission is to collect the four elemental powers that will halt the resurrection of the Dark Master. As Spyro’s powers are gradually unlocked, players will uncover the mysteries of the bizarre universe and the many enemies that populate it.

“Eternal Night picks up where the last game, A New Beginning, left off with an exciting new quest, gameplay and rich graphics,” said Paul Maglione, president of Vivendi Games Mobile. “Fans of the adored purple dragon and anyone looking for a new adventure will be in for quite a treat as Spyro has an arsenal of new advanced powers to defeat the enemy bosses.”
The Legend of Spyro: The Eternal Night was recently awarded the Best Mobile Video Game Award at the second annual Video Game Festival in Montreuil, France.
The Spyro video game franchise to date has sold more than 15 million units globally and continues to be a big hit among both mobile and traditional console gamers. Sierra Entertainment will launch The Legend of Spyro: The Eternal Night game for console and handheld in mid-October.

About Vivendi Games Mobile
Vivendi Games Mobile (http://www.vgmobile.com/), a division of Vivendi Games, creates and publishes quality titles for the mobile games market. The division runs a global business, with its headquarters, operations and an internal development team in Paris, a US-based team in Los Angeles and its Centerscore studio in San Mateo, California. The company publishes games based on original IP, popular entertainment licenses and classic Sierra Entertainment IP, which are distributed by more than 90 operators and dozens of Web portals in 60 countries around the world.

Viva Piñata: Party Animals for Xbox 360 out 16th November

"Viva Piñata: Party Animals" features tricks and treats for everyone; new social party game takes place on the Piñata Island set in an episode of the critically-acclaimed animated television series

Microsoft Game Studios and Krome Studios present the latest party gaming extravaganza developed exclusively for Xbox 360. Arriving in stores on 16th November, “Viva Piñata: Party Animals” is a social party game for gamers aged six and up that is set inside an episode of the critically acclaimed 4Kids TV™ Viva Piñata animated series. Regardless of whether you are young or just young at heart, “Viva Piñata: Party Animals” is a real treat for gamers of all ages.

In the game, players star as their favourite candy-filled Piñata from the popular Saturday morning animated series including Franklin Fizzlybear, Hudson Horstachio, Paulie Pretztail, Fergy Fudgehog, and more as they compete for fame and fortune in more than 50 distinct mini-games and races across Piñata Island. “Viva Piñata: Party Animals” features Xbox LIVE and local multi-player contests, like Burps Ahoy!, where colourful Piñatas send burp fuelled sailboats across Lake Piñata! Nothing gets a hungry Piñata’s candiosity up like a sweet, yummy caramel apple! Players bob their way through Caramel Apple Gobble taking big bites out of the fruit, chewing it up as fast as they can to be the first one done. Or they can squeal with delight as they tackle Blown Away – a game of hot potato unlike any other – where they trick their pals into being the one left holding an exploding jack o’ lantern.

Plus, gamers will love taking on the persona of several new characters in the Piñata line-up who are ready to get their game on:

Meet Hailey Horstachio: There’s only one way to describe Piñata Island’s newest Spanish sensation, and that’s “Muy Caliente!” No other Piñata combines style, glamour, and spice quite like Hailey Horstachio. Always seen at the right party with the right Piñata at the right time, Hailey’s already established herself as a super-chic fashion icon who sets the trend every time she steps out on the scene. She’s also a great athlete, and believes winning the competition will launch her star into the stratosphere, while also reminding another certain Horstachio that there’s a new horsey on the block.

Meet Petunia Pretztail: Petunia may appear soft-spoken and well-mannered, but buried beneath that quiet exterior is a karate-chopping, kung-fu-fighting thrill seeker. Since arriving on Piñata Island from the Land of the Rising Sun, Petunia’s daredevil-may-care antics have made quite an impression, good and bad. Some, like Paulie, find her aggressive streak a little intimidating, while others, like BFF Hailey Horstachio, appreciate her live-in-the-moment attitude towards life. Ultra-competitive and always up for a new challenge, Petunia can’t wait to test her skills in the competition, score a big victory, and hopefully score some one-on-one time with a certain brainy Pretztail.

“Viva Piñata: Party Animals” is designed especially with friends and family in mind. Gamers of all ages can gather around the living room or connect from afar, with up to four gamers playing simultaneously over Xbox LIVE or split screen. “Viva Piñata: Party Animals” is the perfect game for parents looking for new ways to connect with their kids or friends just looking to share a few laughs. Pushing the advanced capabilities of the Xbox 360, “Viva Piñata: Party Animals” brings the colorful world of Piñata Island to life in way that’ll ensure that fans have a blast whether they’re playing for a few hours or just a few minutes.

Made exclusively for Xbox 360, “Viva Piñata: Party Animals” is available in stores from 16th November at £39.99.

The Perfect Accessory for Viva Piñata: Party Animals Fans

If you’re shopping for the festive season your favourite little elf will love the new Xbox 360 Wireless Controllers in pink and blue. Adding a splash of colour to the holiday season for an estimated retail price of £32.99, the whole family can enjoy Xbox 360 with these bright additions to the “chill” and black Xbox 360 Wireless Controllers.

The pink and blue Xbox 360 Wireless Controllers will make a great gift for newer gamers. Delivering high-performance wireless gaming, the Xbox 360 Wireless Controllers feature all of the convenience and flexibility of the originals with a unique twist of personality. Now every member of the family can have a favourite colour controller to match their favourite animal from “Viva Piñata: Party Animals.”

Resident Evil 4 on Wii sells a million

Ultimate in convergence: casting actors for video games

There will soon come a day when creating a video game will be not much different than filming a movie. Two games currently in development illustrate the fine line that divides the two processes -- and the actors who were cast for the games, rehearsed for them, and then acted in their "filming" can surely attest to their similarities.

Brand new technologies contributed to the creation of both games: Sony's "Uncharted: Drake's Fortune" -- expected to be released on Nov. 20 for the PlayStation 3 -- utilizes a state-of-the-art motion-capture process to give the illusion of life-like animated characters, while the martial arts fighters in Creative Edge Studios' "Warriors of Elysia" don't just seem real, they are real. For possibly the first time, live actors were filmed and their nonanimated images placed in 3-D environments and made available for gamers to manipulate in real-time with whatever punches and kicks they choose. "Warriors" for the PC had been scheduled for year-end release but may be postponed until early 2008.

Sony and Creative Edge both claim that they are creating better games that benefit from being more lifelike because they capture human emotion. It remains to be seen whether gamers will agree when they vote with their pocketbooks.

Sony's Santa Monica, Calif.-based Naughty Dog studio is known primarily for more stylized, cartoon-like games like "Crash Bandicoot" and the Jak and Daxter series. But Amy Hennig says that the launch of her new franchise, which is based on the classic pulp action-adventure serials of the '30s, demands a more realistic look.

Hennig's role would be that of "producer" at another game studio but, at Naughty Dog, her title is "game director," since, as she explains, her company has moved slowly toward more of a film model. It is a nod toward how game-making is become increasingly like movie-making, she agrees.

More from: Hollywood reporter

“Manhunt 2:” Most Violent Game Yet?

Just in time for Halloween comes one of the scariest video games ever seen.

The objective: a mental patient tries to escape from a bizarre insane asylum using everything from a sickle to rip out a character’s skull to a club to attack a police officer, CBS News science and technology correspondent Daniel Sieberg reports.

As Scott Steinberg, a video game reviewer and author, demonstrated for CBS News, the experience is even more intense when it's played on Nintendo’s Wii, which gets players to act out the violence.

“We’re going to lure them into the open and then chop them up,” Steinberg explained while playing.

"The Wii has motion-sensing controls, and therefore to stab you're gonna mimic a stabbing motion, to swing a sledgehammer or a shovel you would do the same. Unfortunately it's probably not something you would want to have your kids get much practice on," Steinberg said.

That has parents' groups outraged, worried it will be played by teens and younger children.

"It is some of the most horrific, senselessly violent stuff you've ever seen," James Steyer, CEO of Common Sense Media, said.

CBS News invited Dr. Christopher Lucas, a child psychiatrist at New York University, to watch the game being played.

Sieberg asked him if this is a cause for worry for parents.

“I think we don't know at the moment, but I think this is the sort of game that is most likely to have an effect,” he said. “Games that actually have players act out things in a physical way, are more likely to have one.”

Researchers have not found a direct scientific link between playing violent video games and carrying out those acts in real life. But some studies have shown children who play certain video games become more aggressive and could become desensitized to violence.

The entertainment software rating board has rated "Manhunt 2" "M" for “mature,” meaning no one under 17 should be allowed to play or buy it. It’s made by the same company - Rockstar Games - that created the controversial and popular “Grand Theft Auto” titles.

What surprised industy watchers is that Nintendo, maker of the Wii, has allowed "Manhunt 2" to be played on its system. Nintendo has been known for its kid-friendly games, but now it will have an edgier reputation that may be good for business.

In a statement, Nintendo told CBS News: “Just as with movies, television, and books, different video games appeal to - and are appropriate for - different audiences."

Sieberg took "Manhunt 2" to a local gaming center and let three 20-something-year-old gamers get their hands on it. They enjoy playing, but even these hard-core gamers recoiled at the violent imagery.

“The game looks like they made it like this just to make it controversial, just to bring something up, because there's no reason for the amount of, the level of violence in the game,” said Jackie Waldman.

“This definitely takes the cake as probably the most violent thing I’ve played,” another player, Chris DeMaida, said.

Source: CBS

Nintendo surpasses Sony in video game sales

The success of the Wii shows its impact on the video game market: Market research firm iSuppli believes that Nintendo game sales in the third quarter kept increasing at a record pace and passed the mighty Sony.

While video game sales for the DS have been outpacing sales for competing platforms consistently, Wii software sales have been approached half a billion dollars in the third quarter ($461.8 million). Combined with DS sales of $777.7 million, game sales for the two Nintendo platforms came in at $1.24 billion in Q3, ahead of the $1.0 billion that is estimated to have been generated by Sony’s PS3, PS2 and PSP as well as the $317.8 million by the Xbox and Xbox 360.

Wii software sales were up from 295.5 million in Q2, $250.4 million in Q1 and $353.5 million in Q4 2006. iSuppli estimates that Wii software sales will slightly exceed $1.0 billion in the Christmas quarter. Total Nintendo video game sales are estimated to come in at $2.15 billion in Q4 2007 and $2.37 billion in Q4 2008.

“Nintendo is likely to maintain its lead in this area, as it expects by the end of 2007 to ship about 200 additional titles, adding to the more than 150 games already released, many from outside publishers,” said David Carnevale, vice president of multimedia content and distribution at iSuppli, in a prepared statement. “Company software sales should be further boosted by the addition of a new flagship title for the Wii, dubbed Wii Fit, which encourages players to engage in full-body exercises using Wii Balance Boards, performing activities including yoga, push-ups, aerobics and stretching.”

Carnevale also expects the DS to keep on ticking, with its software revenue reaching $1.2 billion by the fourth quarter of 2008, rising at an average growth rate of 12.6% from $333.2 million in the first quarter of 2006.

The analyst believes that especially the Wii’s mass market appeal is what makes the platform successful. In contrast, both the Xbox 360 and PS3 have a more limited reach, as the Microsoft platform is aimed at more serious gamers, with cutting-edge titles like Halo 3. The complaint about the PS3 remains its high price, which, according to iSuppli, is driving game developers away from Sony. “Because Sony was slow to reduce the price of the PlayStation 3 and to produce compelling games, third- party game publishers are flocking to other platforms. If the PlayStation 3 can’t promote more game sales, developers may begin to feel working with Nintendo outweighs the benefits of working with Sony,” iSuppli wrote in its press release.

Source: TG