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Thursday, April 02, 2009

Free Age of Conan video game trial now LIVE!

free age of conan video game onlineThe best-selling new MMO of 2008 now available as a free trial

Funcom is proud to announce that ‘Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures’ is now available as a free trial. Funcom, Fileplanet and Ausgamers have teamed up to provide gamers everywhere with the opportunity to download and play ‘Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures’ for free for a period of seven to fourteen days.

This is the chance to experience the brutal, savage and sexy world of Conan where you can live, fight and explore in the world of Hyboria together with thousands of people from across the globe.

“The time has finally come for us to open the flood gates,” says Morten Larssen, Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Funcom. “There is a world of gamers out there who have never played ‘Age of Conan’ and we want them to experience what hundreds of thousands of gamers have before them. The game has matured tremendously since launch, and we feel confident that this is the time to launch a trial. ‘Age of Conan’ is simply bigger and better than it ever was, and we want both new and previous players alike to experience that!”

All you have to do to start playing ‘Age of Conan’ today is visit the www.ageofconan.com/trial website, download the game and off you go. Funcom has also teamed up with Fileplanet and Ausgamers, and depending on which source you download from you will receive between seven to fourteen days free play time and a host of special rewards. Various websites across the world will also be doing exclusive give-aways where gamers can receive a special key that will unlock rare virtual items in addition to the free trial play time.

Since launching last year, the development team has made significant updates to the game. Too many to list at once, here are a few highlights of what has been done in the past few months:

• NEW CONTENT! Experience countless hours of more content and adventure through new areas such as the expansive Ymir's Pass and the massive Xibaluku dungeon. Embark on new quests, face new challenges and experience entirely revamped dungeons and gameplay!

• ENHANCED PVP! The world of Conan is now more brutal than ever before. Increase your player vs. player level and reap the exclusive rewards as you slaughter enemy players, but be ready to face the violent consequences should you engage in criminal activities!

• BETTER SIEGES! The entire siege warfare experience has been improved, making sieges more fun and easier to get into. Warfare between guilds is now even more dramatic with specific resources that must be fought over in order to build and maintain battlekeeps!

• ENHANCED PERFORMANCE! Major updates have been made to technical stability and performance, allowing for a much smoother gameplay experience across a wider range of computer systems - even with higher levels of graphical detail enabled!

• ... AND MORE! Many more improvements and additions have been made to Age of Conan since launch. More voice overs, more travel options, a new friend interface, new GUI options, easier access to PvP mini-games, better tradeskills and much, much more!


Launching in May last year ‘Age of Conan’ quickly became a smash hit in retail, shipping over 1.2 million copies around the world. In North America, the most prominent online gaming market in the west, ‘Age of Conan’ became the third best-selling PC title of the year only beaten by ‘Spore’ and ‘World of Warcraft’. In the weeks after launch ‘Age of Conan’ simultaneously topped the charts in 17 countries, and the game received critical acclaim from gaming press across the globe. ‘Age of Conan’ is now available in English, French, German, Spanish, Russian and Polish, and is being prepared for launch in Korea as well.

With a constant stream of new updates and improvements, Funcom continues to push the game forward and the development team is now working on a new expansion as well as a series of free updates that will take the game to even greater heights in the months ahead.

Crayola Colorful Journey New puzzle adventure video game on Nintendo Wii

crayola nintendo wii video gameCrave Entertainment, a leading publisher of console videogames, today announced it is shipping Crayola Colorful Journey for Nintendo Wii. In Crayola Colorful Journey, players must use the creativity tools at hand to solve puzzles and help their character complete the quest. With no correct solutions, Crayola Colorful Journey encourages players to come up with imaginative ways to complete each puzzle.

"Crayola Colorful Journey offers an intriguing challenge for kids of all ages," says David Burchi, Senior VP of Content and Strategic Development of Crave Entertainment. "With no 'right' way to solve each puzzle, players have to use their imaginations. No two solutions will be exactly the same, offering endless replayability and opportunities to try out different ideas."

Crayola Colorful Journey is an adventure game set in a 3D world that encourages imagination and creativity in problem solving using diverse and flexible game mechanics. Players transform the Wii RemoteTM into crayons, erasers and more to create objects the characters can use. With several possible solutions, players are challenged to find their own answer to each puzzle. Bringing a virtual coloring book to life, the game transports players into a world where they take on the role of either Fillup or Violet on a quest across Crayola Land, visiting multiple environments over several levels. Spot, the Jack Russell Terrier puppy, tags along as helpful guide and companion.

Since its inception in 1903, the Crayola brand has grown into one of the most respected and recognizable brands in the consumer marketplace. Today, consumers equate the brand with color, fun, quality and development-all the characteristics that are reinforced in their growing product line, which includes crayons, markers, colored pencils, paints, modeling compounds and craft and activity products-for use in schools and homes. The brand has come a long way since the first box of 8 Crayola crayons made its debut in 1903. Currently the company makes more than 100 different crayon colors as well as an array of materials to stimulate children's creative development-while having fun!

Taiwan Closed Beta for Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning on April 15th

warhammer online trial
Gigamedia, publisher of Warhammer Online - Age of Reckoning (WAR) in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau, and Mythic Entertainment, an Electronic Arts studio, today announced that the closed beta for the highly acclaimed MMORPG will begin on April 15th, 2009. As part of the closed beta launch, closed beta packs will be available at major retailers.

The Limited Edition closed beta game packs, available at participating 7-Eleven retailers in Taiwan, have been sold out.

“Since day one, it’s been our goal to make the Age of Reckoning a global phenomenon,” said Mark Jacobs, VP and General Manager of Mythic Entertainment. “The closed beta in Taiwan brings more players around the world the chance to answer one very simple question: who do you fight for – Order or Destruction?”

“The sales result of Limited Edition closed beta game packs has made history in the Taiwan online game market. Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning is now a social trend in Taiwan, and everyone is waiting for the WAR to begin,” said Yautian Chen, General Manager of Fun Town.

First launched in North America, Europe and Oceania in September of 2008, Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning is an epic fantasy MMORPG based on the popular tabletop game from Games Workshop. Featuring innovative RvR game play and Public Quests™, players are immersed in a world of perpetual conflict between the armies of Order and Destruction. Novice MMO players and veterans alike will appreciate the incredible depth and variety available in WAR.

HellRazer a co-op squad based tactical FPS video game


Razer and Valve aim to evolve gaming by providing gamers with more intuitive controls for an intense gaming experience

Razer, the world’s leading manufacturer of high-end gaming and lifestyle peripherals and Valve, creators of best-selling game franchises and leading technologies, today announced an unprecedented partnership to usher the first person shooter (FPS) genre to the next stage of radical gaming evolution.

The debut title HellRazer, will be a co-op squad based tactical FPS game that will be distributed through the Steam network. Legendary game developer Gabe Newell will lead software development, while Razer will dedicate its time to design and create an intuitive game controller in its new research laboratories in Singapore. The new peripheral is slated to be the first true 1:1 motion sensing and gesture recognition controller.

“Razer is extending its vision by partnering up with Valve on this exciting new collaborative project,” said Razer president Robert “Razerguy” Krakoff. “For the first time, PC gamers will be able to experience a more integrated, immersive gameplay in a first-person shooter game.”

“We envision great possibilities for this project,” said Gabe Newell, president and co-founder of Valve. “Having a dedicated game controller for this game would help heighten the entire gaming experience and be a solid benchmark for future titles.”

Scratch - The Ultimate DJ - Kanye West, Tech N9ne, Run DMC and Deltron 3030

Scratch The Ultimate DJ
Genius Products today released new screenshots from Scratch - The Ultimate DJ, the upcoming music rhythm game for fans of hip-hop. With creative and technical input from Mix Master Mike, legendary DJ for the Beastie Boys, Scratch: The Ultimate DJ features a realistic turntable style peripheral complete with an analog wheel, cross fader and MPC sample buttons.

With a heavy-hitting setlist comprised of more than 60 licensed and original hip-hop and R&B songs from artists such as Kanye West, Tech N9ne, Run DMC, and Deltron 3030, Scratch: The Ultimate DJ will allow players to put their own “spin” on tracks with an assortment of battle records, including custom beats and quirky sounds. Players can also plug in a USB microphone and record their own battle records to improvise on their favorite tracks.

The new screenshots display DJ Travis, the laid-back urban hipster, scratching in various environments from Scratch: The Ultimate DJ, including a record store and beach party.


Jak and Daxter reunite for a brand new sky-high adventure!

Jak and Daxter
The legendary duo are back in action for Jak and Daxter - The Lost Frontier on both PSP (PlayStationPortable) and PlayStation 2

Hero Jak and his mischievous sidekick Daxter are back together… and for the first time-ever they’ve joined forces on PSP (PlayStation Portable).

Get set for the latest addition to the smash-hit Jak and Daxter series, Jak and Daxter - The Lost Frontier from Sony Computer Entertainment Europe. Prepare for non-stop action and adventure as the duo travel across mysterious lands and take to the sky on a mission to save their planet from destruction. Take this incredible adventure with you anywhere on your PSP, or play it at home with PlayStation 2 – both out this autumn for PAL territories.

Picking up from where the original Jak and Daxter trilogy left off, Jak and furry friend Daxter team up with their friend Kiera on her quest to become a Sage and save their world from the threat of darkness. As the environment of their planet slowly dies, our two worldly heroes embark on a mission to protect their world from the threat of “dark eco”.

Beginning on foot, you’ll run and jump across undiscovered lands, before taking flight in one of five different aircrafts. With cheeky Daxter and our serious Hero Jak together on the adventure, fun and laugher is never far away. Blast airborne enemies and battle sky pirates with your powerful Gunstaff – a brand-new weapon that can transform into other new weapons.

Since launching in 2001, the Jak and Daxter franchise is an ongoing success story with nearly 6 million units sold across PAL territories and seven Guinness World Records under its belt. All five titles, including the Jak and Daxter trilogy, follow Jak and Daxter’s journey as they strive to strike a balance between the light and dark eco on their planet.

The latest installment takes players to the long awaited “Lost Frontier” reached by the much-loved Jak and Daxter. Get set for a sky-high, laugh out loud and colourful new adventure with Jak and Daxter: The Lost Frontier. The future of their planet is in your hands with PSP - or save the day at home with PlayStation 2. Jak and Daxter: The Lost Frontier will be released on both platforms this Autumn.

Half a million user created levels on LittleBigPlanet

littlebigplanet patch download gamezplay
LittleBigPlanet flourishes with a community of nearly two million users

The critically-acclaimed LittleBigPlanet for PLAYSTATION 3 (PS3) has marked the coming of age of gaming as it moves into a new realm defined by creativity and community.

This best-selling title from Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE) allows players to build their own levels and share them via PlayStation Network. Nearly two million players worldwide have joined the LittleBigPlanet community since its launch in November 2008, where they, rather than developers, drive the experience by creating game content to share with others.

Each of LittleBigPlanet’s 725,000 user-generated levels is unique. Many are inspired by films, TV shows and games titles, including levels “LittleBigPlanet Takeshi’s Castle”, “LBP Jurassic Park” and “LBP-MotorStorm”, while others use in-game tools to show-off impressive engineering such as the “LittleBigCalculator”, circus-themed “Uncle Fritz’s Funhouse Frenzy” or LittleBigPlanet community favourite “Huge Pinball Machine”. Some players create music levels, requiring the player to push buttons to create a song, while Japanese rock-pop group the Beat Crusaders recently developed their music video for Phantom Planet with LittleBigPlanet. Others play tribute to family and friends, hobbies and passions, while levels like “Illumina Garden” come only from the most active imaginations.

The LittleBigPlanet community is growing rapidly day by day, and since launching, the game has been played more than 125 million times with players posting more than four million comments on game levels - many begging creators for sequels to their favourites.



Mark Hardy, European Marketing Director – Content and Platforms - at SCEE, says of the game’s success:

“LittleBigPlanet is giving people from every walk of life the opportunity to express themselves creatively. The game is just the start. This is Creative Gaming; never ending experiences that take on lives of their own through their players.

LittleBigPlanet appeals to a generation shaped by their networks and thirsty for great experiences to share with friends. Where LittleBigPlanet goes from here is up to its community; it is theirs to shape however they like. This makes it much more inclusive than gaming has ever been before.”

LittleBigPlanet teaches players to create as they play. Sackboy™ is your very own customisable character; a walking toolbox of building skills and materials that allows players to create new objects, landscapes, puzzles, characters, weapons, prizes, narratives and more. Players can also upload their own photos and media into levels straight from their PS3.

With so many different entertainment features, PS3 makes a strong case for pride of place in the home – storing photos, video and favourite TV shows via PlayTV™ – as well as offering Blu-ray Disc™ playback and the Internet access. It also supports a growing number of communities through its own PlayStation Network, including the SingStar® and Buzz! communities where people share their finest singing performances and create and share their own quizzes.

Diamon Jones - Eye of the Dragon PC video game

Diamon Jones - Eye of the Dragon
In this new adventure from GFI, Russia, Diamon Jones will travel to China to find a mystic trophy of the Celestial Empire, Eye of the Dragon.

Only ingenious and sharp person will be a successful hunter for artifacts!

KEY FEATURES

• Logical and real life-like puzzles; you won't need to smudge a statue with a mustard to open a secret passage (remember LucasArts adventures)!

• Charismatic hero who always know what to say... or NOT to say.

• Over 60 playing areas and 15 mini-games including dungeon puzzle, Chinese chess, illegal lock-picking and Cthulhu fighting.

• Humorous dialogues, book texts and characters. Take your chance to meet great Japanese general Mykatana Verysharpi!

• Amazing mystic environment of China in the middle of the 20th century.

Pirates Hijack only Raiho Plushies Rare collectables - lost at sea - video

Raiho pirates game
Atlus U.S.A., Inc. today announced that the sole shipment of Raiho plushies, the very rare and highly irresistible bonus set to be bundled with each and every launch copy of the upcoming Shin Megami Tensei - Devil Summoner 2 - Raidou Kuzunoha v King Abaddon for PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system, has been hijacked by a roving pirate frigate.

A video of the captive stuffed toys has also surfaced, emphasizing the seriousness of the matter.



"Today is a somber day for Atlus," began Aram Jabbari, Manager of PR and Sales for Atlus. "Nearly 4.6 tons of Raiho, our ultra-collectible bonus for Devil Summoner 2, have been plush-napped. The pirates responsible have made a list of demands and offered numerous overt threats as to the safety of the Raihos. While it pains us gravely, and it no doubt disappoints the fans, we remain strong in our resolve and maintain our corporate policy: Atlus does not negotiate with sea pirates. Let us think of the plushies as they were... cute, stuffed, and delightful."

MotoGP on Nintendo Wii races into stores this week


World's Premier Motorcycle Racing Championship Game Crosses the Finish Line March 24th

Capcom a leading worldwide developer and publisher of videogames, has today confirmed that MotoGP for the Nintendo Wii home video game system will ship on March 24, 2009.

This is the first officially licensed MotoGP title to be published for the Nintendo Wii platform and comes as part of Capcom’s five year deal with Dorna Sports, providing exclusive rights to publish video games based on the world’s premier motorcycle championship across all hardware platforms.

MotoGP for Nintendo Wii turns the Wii Remote into a virtual set of handlebars to deliver the definitive two-wheeled racing experience. Players are put at the center of the MotoGP experience by letting them join a team and compete alongside their sporting heroes in all three race classes – 125cc, 250cc and MotoGP. The game features a scaled and competitive AI which adjusts within limits to give a more enjoyable race experience on the lower levels but shows no mercy in the higher levels.

Players will be able to decide what motorcycle and racing style suits them best in Tutorial mode. Rather than taking players ‘out of the main game’, this mode will transport them immediately into an arcade race and offers tips right at the start.

In Career mode, players can develop their racing skills for up to 5 seasons with the aim of becoming the ultimate MotoGP champion. Choosing a team and bike class at the beginning of each season, riders can make customizations through a selection of bike helmet designs that unlock as players progress. As races are won, stronger teams will be looking to recruit for the following season, enabling players to race better performing bikes. Climbing the ranks will also allow access to certain bike upgrades which improve the rider’s performance across a range of parameters such as straight line speed, acceleration, braking and cornering.

Players can choose their favorite track and rider in Quick race mode or set the best time at each circuit, competing against themselves to shave vital seconds off their personal record in Time Attack mode. If that’s not enough then select any class, rider and team and re-create an entire season in Championship mode. The weather conditions, difficulty setting, number of laps and handling model can all be decided, allowing players to shape their own season.

MotoGP for Nintendo Wii also features a two player head-to-head option with the addition of AI controlled bikes to add more of a challenge to the race.