SOUTHPEAK'S CUTTING EDGE REDEFINES THE GENRE WITH X-Blades on PC

SouthPeak Games has announced X-Blades, a dynamic third-person hack-and-slash action title for next-gen consoles and PC, due for release in late 2008. X-Blades sees players controlling an enchanting anime-style heroine who must battle through a host of locations using guns, blades, magic and a healthy dose of cinematic flair.

“The unique anime-style backdrop combined with high-octane, multi-discipline combat gameplay really pushes X-Blades into brand new territory,” said Melanie Mroz, CEO of SouthPeak Games. “The 3rd-person ‘hack-em-up’ genre needs a fresh perspective and X-Blades is poised to deliver it.”

X-Blades features a special combination of cinematic style, beautiful animation and relentless high-speed gameplay. Players assume the role of Ayumi, a stunningly seductive yet tenacious heroine who battles enemies with her pistol blades, acrobatic ability and magic spells. With full anime-style cut scenes, the story unfolds revealing demonic hordes and spectacular landscapes, all ripe for exploration and frenetic supernatural battling.

“We are big fans of anime and that was really our inspiration for X-Blades,” said James Seaman, Managing Director at Topware Interactive. “Our goal was to create stylistic characters and artwork and to mix that bombastic visual style with lightning fast action. The result is a killer title that gamers and animation fans won’t be able to put down.”

X-Blades will be released for next generation consoles and PC in late 2008.

Total Nonstop Action (TNA) Wrestling And Longtail Studios Announce Development Of TNA Wrestling Mobile Video Game

TNA Wrestling and Longtail Studios today announced the development of “TNA Wrestling,” a new game for mobile phones. TNA Wrestling for mobile is the first mobile wrestling game to truly immerse the player in both the wrestling and storytelling aspects of professional wrestling.

The TNA mobile game will allow fans to step into the world of TNA as an up-and-coming superstar. Fans will be able to go head-to-head with their favorite TNA superstars both in and out of the ring.

“Wrestling is about so much more than what happens inside the ring” said Jason Altman, Head of Production, Longtail Studios, “With the TNA mobile game fans will get to experience and control the action both in and out of the ring.”

“TNA is consistently searching out new media platforms to better serve our fans worldwide, and mobile gaming will put our brand at the cutting edge of gaming,” TNA President Dixie Carter said.

Features of “TNA Wrestling” for mobile phones include:

• Master strategy and turn-based wrestling gameplay

• Strategy gameplay - Decisions and alliances you make outside the ring affect what happens inside the ring

• Customizable characters fans can create, including looks and persona

• Accumulate points to learn new moves and finishers

• Special matches such as tag team gauntlet and iron man formats

• Unlockable “unlimited wrestling mode”

• TNA superstars such as Kurt Angle, A.J. Styles, Christian Cage, Samoa Joe, Sting, The Latin American Xchange and more!

The “TNA Wrestling” mobile game is slated for a Spring 2008 launch, published by Advanced Mobile Applications. For more details on the release date and specifics per mobile service providers, visit www.tnawrestling.com.

TNA Wrestling delivers a distinct brand of high-risk, athletic entertainment featuring the biggest names in the business, including Kurt Angle, Booker T and Christian Cage, as well as the hottest young stars today – “The Phenomenal” A.J. Styles, Samoa Joe and the Motor City Machineguns. TNA features the innovative six-sided ring and the high-flying “X Division,” as well as concept matches such as “Ultimate X,” “King of the Mountain,” and “Six Sides of Steel.”

TNA Entertainment, LLC is a privately held company headquartered in Nashville, Tenn. For more information, visit www.tnawrestling.com.

“TNA iMPACT!” airs every Thursday at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Spike TV. Spike TV is available in over 96 million homes and is a division of Viacom International Inc.

Longtail Studios (www.longtailstudios.com) is an award winning developer of games and entertainment. Established in 2003 by Gerard Guillemot, a co-founder of Ubisoft Entertainment, Longtail Studios is committed to developing character driven games and content. Through partnerships with leading publishers, Longtail's products are distributed worldwide. Longtail Studios operates offices in New York City, Quebec City and Charlottetown. For more information please visit www.longtailstudios.com

Failure is not an option... This is Warfare in RTS Warfare on PC

The long-anticipated RTS Warfare is soon going to appear on the market. The term called so far is Q2 2008.

Saudi Arabia, one of the world’s leading oil suppliers and a key U.S. ally, has been taken over by a highly organized group of radical terrorists. The government is in a state of collapse and turmoil and you have been chosen to lead the United States’ armed forces to restore control.

Search and destroy using the latest military hardware from the Abrams tank to the Apache helicopter in realistic settings ranging from the open desert to close-quarters infantry combat. Wear down enemy morale by capturing vehicles, weapons and buildings.

Plan and execute, the soldiers who survive will gain experience and move with you from mission to mission. You’ll need elite forces to destroy the world’s best-armed fanatics, bent on world-wide economic collapse.

Features:
• Fight with the latest U.S. & Russian Weapons Systems
• Dominate real territories created from satellite images
• Gain experience for your troops by keeping them alive
• Capture Enemy vehicles and weaponry
• Destroy everything in your path with realistic physics
• Shock and Awe your opponents to wear down their morale
• Hone your tactics in various environments from open desert to urban combat

About GFI

GFI (www.gfi.su) is an established Russian developer and publisher of interactive software and multimedia products for PC, Wireless and DVD-Video platforms.

We specialize in Entertainment, Educational and Productivity software and Video products as well as hosting for MMOG for both domestic and international markets. With several development offices in Russia and Ukraine, we have a proven track record of creating original quality content ranging from casual to hard core.

Warrior Quest - The Online RPG – Launches On Wii | PS3 | PSP | PC And Mac

NextGenBooks.com today announces that its brand new online RPG, Warrior Quest, has gone live on its official website. The game, a traditional RPG adventure in a similar vein to classic games Dragon Quest and Phantasy Star, is a free browser based adventure that is set to grow and evolve continuously with new features scheduled to be added every month until the end of this year. The game has been optimized to run not just on home PCs and Macs but also Wii and PS3 with a PSP edition scheduled for launch before the end of March.

Warrior Quest is a magical adventure that places gamers in the role of a young, aspiring Battle Master. Battle through numerous quests in order to gain new skills, collect and trade Battle Cards, and unlock new areas of the map. New features, areas, and Battle Cards will be added to the game throughout the year meaning that there will always be a reason for gamers to return to Warrior Quest for another game, be it a short five minute session or one that lasts hours.

With the first build of the game now live the Warrior Quest development team have returned to working on the first expansion which will included a collection of new Battle Cards, new and revamped animations, and the first part of a new story mode. The first update for Warrior Quest is currently due on April 2nd. Future updates will follow every month from this.

Warrior Quest is the first in a series of new titles that will spearhead the recently re-launched NextGenBooks.com website. It has always been the goal of NextGenBooks.com to provide free content to home console, handheld console, and home computer gamers that explore new ways of storytelling. In addition to Warrior Quest an online graphic novel series, Dark Worlds, is also currently in the works and is due to launch in the coming weeks. www.NextGenBooks.com is also readying content suitable for videogame magazine cover mounts, including a standalone edition of Warrior Quest for the PSP and exclusive magazine “keys” that will unlock exclusive areas of the main online game to readers of particular magazines. Magazines and websites interested in partnering with NextGenBooks.com for this exciting opportunity can contact the development through the official website at www.nextgenbooks.com

Lara Croft, Master Chief and Super Mario request your presence!

Guinness World Record’s Gamer’s Edition will be attempting the ‘Largest gathering of Games characters’ on March 18, 10.30 for 11am at the Millenium Bridge, London and are looking for all cos players and gamers to come down and make Guinness World Record history!

Think you could be King of All Cosmos (Katamari Damacy), Master Chief (Halo) Dante (Devil May Cry) or Gabe Logan (Syphon Filter) then we want to see you there! Anime or Manga to World of Warcraft, whatever you are in, get dressed up and help break a record!

All characters will appear in the Guinness World Record Gamers Edition 2009 plus on the website as well as receiving a gift for their efforts!

The record attempt celebrates the inaugral Guinness World Record Gamer’s Edition that is on sale now and is bursting with new records, high score statistics and fascinating facts.

In addition Guinness World Records are also searching for the next new gaming record breaker to join the hallowed ranks of the book. Applicants are being encouraged to upload their scores on the Gamer’s Edition website, http://gamers.guinnessworldrecords.com to enter the challenge.

Konami Digital Entertainment Reveals Details For Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns Of The Patriots

Following opening remarks made during the General Session at the 2008 Destination PlayStation retailer event in Scottsdale AZ, Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. confirmed several new initiatives related to Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, including a North American street date, online multiplayer, and pre‐sell program.

Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots is the final chapter in the saga of Solid Snake which sends him around the world in pursuit of his arch nemesis, Liquid Ocelot. Armed with new gadgets and abilities, Solid Snake must shift the tides of war into his favor, using the chaos of the battlefield to infiltrate deep into enemy territory. In his globetrotting final mission, Snake must sneak deep into enemy locations in the Middle East, South America, and other corners of the Earth to foil Liquid Ocelot’s plans for total world domination.

Street Date
Opening remarks revealed that the final chapter in the saga of super spy Solid Snake is expected to arrive in stores in North America on Thursday June 12th, 2008. “Blockbuster events and premieres are a tradition of the summer,” said Kazumi Kitaue, Konami Digital Entertainment Inc. Chairman and CEO. “We anticipate that Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots fits that bill perfectly, and consumers will be waiting in line to get their copy of the game just like it’s a hit Hollywood movie.”

Metal Gear Online Starter Pack
It was also confirmed today that Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots will launch with the Metal Gear Online “Starter Pack” supporting online gameplay. In addition to the single player experience, gamers will also be able to take the action online with up to 16 players and battle it out using the latest weapons and stealth techniques.

Pre‐Sell Program
Beginning April 2008, consumers that pre‐order Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots will receive the Metal Gear Saga 2.0 DVD, containing a Prologue that recaps the Metal Gear franchise, a 20th Anniversary retrospective, character bios for Big Boss, Liquid Snake, Solidus Snake, and Solid Snake, plus a collection of international trailers of Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots. This pre‐order package also contains an insert with a download code and special instructions for accessing the Metal Gear Online beta test when it goes live in late April. This special pre‐order package will only be available while supplies last.

Get ready for war on an epic scale with BATTLESTATIONS: PACIFIC

Eidos Interactive Ltd., one of the world’s leading publishers and developers of entertainment software, can today confirm that Battlestations: Pacific, the official sequel to 2007’s acclaimed Battlestations: Midway, will be released on the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and Games for Windows.

Set in WWII, Battlestations: Pacific delivers intense, action-packed combat and strategic warfare on an extraordinary scale and features two distinctly different single player campaigns. As the Americans, the game picks up the story where Battlestations: Midway left off and allows players to fight their way from The Battle of Midway to Okinawa as they try to secure peace in the Pacific. As the Japanese however, players take control of the Imperial Japanese fleet and have the unique chance to fight at Pearl Harbor before attempting to change the course of history and take full control of the Pacific Ocean.

Battlestations: Pacific offers a unique blend of action and strategy, as players must plan their moves carefully on huge open-world arenas and then fight in the air, above sea and underwater as they take direct control of their units and storm into combat. Join forces with friends online or play solo against the computer controlled opponents in the all-new Skirmish mode or battle each other in one of the five new, innovative multiplayer modes.

“Battlestations: Pacific is even bigger, more authentic and innovative than ever before, taking the Battlestations franchise to the next level and allowing players to relive some of the most memorable battles in modern history, as well as gain an insight into what could have been, should Japan have gained the upper hand against the United States,” said Trevor Burrows, Brand Manager at Eidos. “We have been paying great attention to our loyal online community and fan base to ensure that Battlestations: Pacific delivers the most exciting, authentic and fun Battlestations experience yet!”

Battlestations: Pacific features a massive US and Japanese single player campaign with over 28 story missions, double the size of the previous Battlestations: Midway. The game also features 21 new units, including kamikaze and other WWII jets and units. Players can now experience for the first time a whole new level of depth of gameplay while taking direct control of the infamous Ohka and other Japanese air units that terrorised the Pacific Ocean during WW2.

For the first time, the game also includes the tactical landing of troops in battle. Launch your parachute squadrons with pin-point accuracy or ensure the safe passage of your landing craft and watch your battalions of troops capture key locations, man the defensive artillery and gain a strategic foothold to support your offensive efforts.

Battlestations: Pacific is set for release on Xbox 360 and Games For Windows.

Eccentric weapons in Elf Online

As the Confucius said, A craftsman, if he means to do good work, must first sharpen his tools. It’s quit a golden saying. In Elf Online (http://elf.happymmo.com), whatever your career is, weapon is always the foremost item to bear the brunt of fighting externally as well as bring out your characteristics and disposition internally.

The weapon system of Elf Online (http://elf.happymmo.com) is composed of short weapon, long distant weapon, double weapon, soft weapon, boxing tools, etc. Here we will introduce some interesting weapons which are out of common imagination.

Boxing Chicken Leg Stick, please notice that it’s not a delicious fried chicken leg from KFC or Macdonald, so when you see it, please cautious and stop your mouth watering despite its attractive smell.

Dodging Banana Dart. Does it made from banana? May be. It makes sense that even banana peel can make you slip down, let alone banana dart. Please pay more attention to it. Toilet Brushes for Knights. Judged from its name, we can guess it’s a noble weapon for the cavalier, but, toilet brush? Ha-ha, I can’t believe it even when I saw.

OK, it is hard to list all the wonderful weapons in Elf Online (http://elf.happymmo.com), please join in the game and enjoy more fun there.

More information about Elf Online, please visit http://elf.happymmo.com
Official forum: http://forum.happymmo.com/

English trailer for Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a King

Even though we’re still running content from GDC on Siliconera the conference seems like a distant memory. Last week at Square Enix’s WiiWare panel, I saw an English trailer for Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a King. The trailer didn’t go into gameplay, there was a second video detailing that, but for those of you who were not at GDC you get to see approximately a third of the video presentation. (The second video was significantly longer than the trailer.)



Is Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a King aesthetically pleasing? Originally, Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a King was going to have graphics slightly better than the best looking Virtual Console games (read: Nintendo 64) to keep costs down. The team had a change of heart and settled on upgrading the visuals to make them on par with a Gamecube game. Finally, since this was a Final Fantasy title they wanted to go all out.

Even more interesting, as revealed in the Q&A, My Life as a King didn’t begin its life as a Final Fantasy game at all. Instead of fluffy moogles this could have had original characters.

Source: Siliconera

Nintendo Wii version of the Freeloader complete

I’m sure you’ve read this somewhere else by now, but in case you haven’t a Nintendo Wii version of the Freeloader exists. Datel’s device allows gamers to boot Wii games regardless of region similar to the Gamecube Freeloader, which was recently blocked by a Nintendo firmware update. Until the next firmware fix this nifty tool should let importers pick up Japan only releases like Naruto Shippuden: Gekitou Ninja Taisen EX 2 and Eyeshield 21: Field Saikyou no Senshi Tachi plus a bevy of games before they get released internationally.

So, why did I wait on posting breaking news? I put in multiple calls / e-mails to Datel to ask if the product is actually shipping, what games they’ve tested and if they have a contingency plan to fight firmware updates. I still don’t have a solid answer to any of these questions, but these are the things that happen behind the scenes at some desk littered with Katamari cell phone charms.

Source: Siliconera