Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Re-Cap of Yesterdays News (oldest to newest)

  • QTE Blog: Re-Cap of The Weekends News (oldest to newest) http://ow.ly/16YZjc

  • QTE Blog: Audio Re-Cap of The Weekends News (oldest to newest) http://ow.ly/16Z0Ab

  • 360: "The 'Splode Beneath My 'Splosion" and "Donuts Song." from 'Splosion Man are coming to Rock Band http://ow.ly/1uFL6

  • Quentin Tarantino says he's not interested in Videogames, prefers special region DVD players http://ow.ly/1uFPC

  • PS3: Sony has said that Killzone 2 is not going 3D, says Quore episode was a demonstration. http://ow.ly/1uFS9

  • CV from a ex Pandemic staff, reveals the studio was working on Legends for 360/PS3 but their work on it stopped in 2008 http://ow.ly/1uFUG

  • Tameem Antoniades, the co-founder of Ninja Theory, says next gen consoles not coming soon, industry still licking wounds http://ow.ly/1uFNE

  • 3DS: a video of the new Sharp Parralax Barrier screens has bee found. it mention non-touch versions also coming. http://ow.ly/1uImH

  • QTE Blog: Apple Announce 300,000 iPads Were Sold In The USA By 4th April http://ow.ly/16Z5S6

  • QTE Blog: Nintendo Celebrates The DSiWare's 1 Year Anniversary http://ow.ly/16Z5S5

  • iPhone: Apple is holding an event on 8th April where they'll be showing a sneak peak at the upcoming iPhone OS 4 http://ow.ly/1uKYm

  • QTE Blog: Sony Online Entertainment Announce Free Realms Has Over 10 Million Registered Players http://ow.ly/16Z7lt

  • QTE Blog: This Weeks WiiWare, DSiWare, And Virtual Console Releases http://ow.ly/16Z7ls

  • A Trailer for Resident Evil: Afterlife has been released. http://ow.ly/1uL8E

  • Denki announce they've cancelled XBLA game Quarrel and restructured asQuarrel couldn't find a publisher http://ow.ly/1uLap

  • QTE Blog: Big Fish Games Announce Amazon: Hidden Expedition Is Out Now For iPad http://ow.ly/16Z9VR

  • QTE Blog: Sony Announce The Flower Soundtrack Is Coming Out This Week On The PSN For $2.99/€1.99/£1.59 http://ow.ly/16Z9VQ

  • Reliance Big Entertainment have acquired a 50% stake in Codemasters. Reliance are a part of the Dhirubhai Ambani Group http://ow.ly/1uLd9

  • PS3: Polyphony Digital's Kazunori Yamauchi says PS Move and 3D Technology could come to Gran Turismo 5. http://ow.ly/1uLfF

  • Beenox Studios confirm that Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions does not have any support for PS Move or Natal http://ow.ly/1uLi0

  • 360: Geometry Wars Retro Evolved 2 is half price this week for Xbox Live Gold Members. it'll cost 400 MS Points this week http://ow.ly/1uLFX

  • ZuneHD: Firmware 4.5 is out now. it brings SmartDJ, increased Video codec support + more http://ow.ly/1uNM9



Monday, April 5, 2010

Sony Announce The Flower Soundtrack Is Coming Out This Week On The PSN For $2.99/€1.99/£1.59


Sony have announced that the Soundtrack to the PSN game Flower is coming out on the 8th April. the soundtrack will be released on the UK, USA, and EU PSN Stores for $2.99/€1.99/£1.59. The Soundtrack will come with 8 tracks and has a runtime of over a hour. Both sites linked in this story have a indepth interview with the games composer.

From USA And UK Playstation Blog


Big Fish Games Announce Amazon: Hidden Expedition Is Out Now For iPad


Big Fish Games have announced that Amazon: Hidden Expedition is out now for the iPad. Amazon: Hidden Expedition has some unique gameplay features that can only be realised on the iPad. 2 players can play against each other on one iPad as they try to complete a level, the screenshot above is an example of this.

the size of the iPad's screen means the screen can be split and the image mirrored for Competitive gameplay, or the whole screen can be taken up with the image for co-op gameplay. The game comes wtih 50 hidden object scenes to play through, as well as 14 mini games. Amazon: Hidden Expedition also comes with a 3 stage hint system.


Press Release

SEATTLE --(Business Wire)-- Apr 02, 2010 Big Fish Games today announced its Amazon: Hidden Expedition® App for iPad is now available on the App store. The app offers players a new take on the hidden object game genre by allowing two players to compete against each other on a single iPad. Amazon: Hidden Expedition takes advantage of iPad’s generous screen size and innovative Multi-Touch user interface by offering two modes of play: split-screen with mirror images for head-to-head gameplay or full-screen for individual and collaborative gameplay.

“The integration of our games with iPad effectively transforms the device into a modern board game,” said Patrick Wylie, vice president of Big Fish Games Studios. “Whether you choose to play against a worthy adversary in split-screen mode, or in collaboration with friends and family in full-screen mode, the Amazon: Hidden Expedition App for iPad promises to be an incredibly enjoyable experience for all ages.”

Players join the Hidden Expedition team as they explore the Amazon rainforest in search of a missing professor. A tattered map referencing the legendary Beetle Temple provides clues as players explore cities, temples, and ruins, all the while unlocking secrets of an ancient yet advanced civilization. The game features 50 hidden object scenes, 14 mini-games and a three-stage hint system.

The Amazon: Hidden Expedition App for iPad is available now from the App store on iPad or at www.itunes.com/appstore.

For more information about Big Fish Games’ offerings for iPad, iPhone and iPod touch, please visit www.bfgiphone.com.

About Big Fish Games
Founded in 2002, Big Fish Games is a multi-platform developer, publisher and distributor of casual games, including downloadable, flash, social, MMO, console and mobile games. Renowned for offering A New Game Every Day!® onwww.bigfishgames.com, Big Fish Games distributes more than 1.5 million games per day worldwide. With headquarters in Seattle and offices in Vancouver, Canada, and Cork, Ireland, Big Fish Games partners with 500+ game developers, and both develops and publishes some of the industry’s leading brands, including Mystery Case Files®, Hidden Expedition®,Drawn™, Fairway Solitaire™, My Tribe™ and Faunasphere™. For more information, visit www.bigfishgames.com.

This Weeks WiiWare, DSiWare, And Virtual Console Releases

Nintendo have revealed this weeks USA WiiWare, DSiWare, and Virtual Console releases. there are 7 new games in total, 1 on Virtual Console, 2 on WiiWare, and 4 on DSiWare. Nintendo have also revealed that this release of Ironclad marks the first time that this NeoGeo game has been released in the USA. Finally, Nintendo announces that new WarioWare D.I.Y. Levels have also been released for free, including SuckGoo from the World Of Goo Team and Ikachan! from the Cave Story Team.

Virtual Console

IRONCLAD
This is a 1-2 player game that costs 1,000 Wii Points. this is the NeoGeo version of the game. this is a sidescrolling shoot-em-up that has plenty of different weapons and power ups to use against your enemies.


WiiWare

FISHIE FISHIE
This is a 1-4 player game that costs 500 Wii Points. this game you play as a fish who must eat all the time and must play through all the game modes as quickly as possible. there are 100 levels spread across the games 7 modes. the game can be played with just 1 button.


Learning with the PooYoos: Episode 2
This is a 1 player game only and it costs 500 Wii Points. this game is aimed at the ages 3-6 years old, and helps them learn numbers, letters, laterlisation, shapes, colours, and more.


DSiWare

Game & Watch: Manhole
This is a 1 player game that costs 200 DSi Points. in the game you must move quickly to cover open manholes and prevent pedestrians from falling through.


Game & Watch: Helmet
This is a 1 player game only that costs 200 DSi Points. you play as a worker who must get from on building to another without getting hit in the middle.


Game & Watch: Vermin
This is a 1 player game that costs 200 DSi points. this game comes with 2 game modes, Game A has moles coming out of 4 holes that need to be hit, whilst Game B has moles coming out of 5 holes and the pace is quicker compared to Game A.


Mr. DRILLER: Drill Till You Drop
This is a 1 player game that costs 500 DSi Points. this is the latest version of Mr Driller and it has been made exclusively for the DSi. the game has 40 stages, 6 different drillers to choose from, and many game modes.


Press Release

With new games available for easy download to your Wii™ console or Nintendo DSi™ system each week, players of all ages, tastes and experience levels are enjoying an ever-growing library of top-quality entertainment options. This week's additions include an arcade-style game set in a fish-eat-fish world, an engaging game for young kids and the North American debut of a side-scrolling gem from the NEOGEO era. Also, the Nintendo DSiWare™ service offers another round of retro gaming in the form of three more Game & Watch™ titles from Nintendo's classic 1980s series of hand-held games, plus the latest version of the Mr. DRILLER® franchise, which invites fans to drill through multiple game modes and a variety of stages.

Meanwhile, Nintendo's WarioWare™: D.I.Y. "Big Name Games" series continues with two new downloadable microgames created by top game designers. Suck Goo! is an imaginative offering from 2D BOY's Ron Carmel, co-creator of the award-winning World of Goo™ for the WiiWare™ service. You'll also find Ikachan!, an original microgame designed by Daisuke Amaya (a.k.a. Pixel), whose popular Cave Story is also available for the WiiWare service. New "Big Name Games" will be added every Monday through July 26, all available to download for zero Nintendo DSi Points™ to anyone with broadband Internet access and a copy of eitherWarioWare: D.I.Y. for Nintendo DS™ or WarioWare: D.I.Y. Showcase software for the WiiWare service. Visit the Nintendo Channel on your Wii system today to learn more about the games and view an exclusive behind-the-scenes video featuring 2D BOY's Ron Carmel.

Also, a special reminder for Club Nintendo™ members: You can now redeem 80 Coins to download Grill-off with Ultra Hand!™, a wild game for the Wii console that challenges players to cook a variety of meats with an extendable arm. For details on this delicious new offering, visit http://grilloff.nintendo.com.

WiiWare

FISHIE FISHIE
Publisher: DK GAMES
Players: 1-4
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Comic Mischief
Price: 500 Wii Points™
Description: Welcome to FISHIE FISHIE, a game that can be played with just one button. You're going to experience something extraordinary that will really test your reflexes. The game contains a series of tutorials that will teach you not only how to control your fishie, but also how to use the various game modes. In Fishie Fishie, you are a fish that must eat all the time. You also have to finish several different game modes as quickly as possible. Every second counts. To win, you'll have to get through more than 100 levels spread over seven game modes: Story, Soccer, Capture the Star, Survival, Skill and a large competition. Play solo or allow up to four people to play on the same screen.

Learning with the PooYoos: Episode 2
Publisher: Lexis Numérique
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: EC (Early Childhood)
Price: 500 Wii Points
Description: Welcome to the world of the PooYoos, the first fun, poetic trainer for children aged 3 to 6. With the PooYoos, a merry band of adorable baby animals, children will have fun while learning the basics: numbers, letters, lateralization, shapes, colors and more. Children get to dance with their new friends and earn lovely interactive rewards. With two levels of interactivity, children of any age and development level can enjoy activities based on plants and music. This game was designed for children who have not yet grasped reading. The instructions are spoken in French, English or Spanish, depending on the language setting of the Wii console.

Virtual Console™

IRONCLAD
Original platform: NEOGEO
Publisher: D4 Enterprise
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: E10+ (Everyone 10 and Older) – Fantasy Violence, Mild Language
Price: 1,000 Wii Points
Description: IRONCLAD is a side-scrolling shoot-'em-up originally developed by SAURUS in 1996. You operate a warship and team with the mighty Iron Clad in order to fight the Iron Mask Republic and save the Kingdom of Chop. The biggest appeal of this game comes from discovering all the ways you can attack your enemies. Your weaponry includes three main blast weapons upgradable by collecting more items, a charged attack you can use when Iron Clad is attached to your ship, three types of melee weapons you can brandish to show off your strength in close-range combat, a bomber that clears all enemy bullets, and shooting patterns that change based on whether the Iron Clad is attached or disconnected from your ship. A vast array of weaponry lies waiting to become part of your arsenal. You can even select the stages you want to play, feeding your hunger for combat and allowing you to see different endings for each play-through.

Nintendo DSiWare

Game & Watch: Manhole
Publisher: Nintendo
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 200 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Move quickly and use your manhole cover to prevent the pedestrians from falling through the holes. Pedestrians appear from the left on the upper path and from the right on the bottom path. Earn a point every time a pedestrian walks safely over a covered manhole, or receive a mistake icon for every pedestrian who falls down an uncovered manhole. Receive three mistake icons and it's game over!

Game & Watch: Helmet
Publisher: Nintendo
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 200 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Tools are falling from the sky! Help the worker at the construction site move from the building on the left to the office on the right while avoiding the hammers, wrenches and pliers dropping from above. Earn five points for entering the office and one point for every three tools that hit the ground. Receive a mistake icon each time the worker gets hit with a falling tool. Receive three mistake icons and it's game over!

Game & Watch: Vermin
Publisher: Nintendo
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Comic Mischief
Price: 200 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: It's time to clean up the neighborhood. Move the player to the left or right and hit the moles that pop out of holes in the ground. Moles appear from four holes in GAME A and from five holes in GAME B. The moles in GAME B move faster than those in GAME A, and they also appear more frequently. Earn one point for each mole hit, or receive a mistake icon for each miss. Receive three mistake icons and it's game over!

Mr. DRILLER: Drill Till You Drop
Publisher: NBGI
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Comic Mischief
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Drill till you drop with the latest version of Mr. DRILLER, created exclusively for the Nintendo DSi system. Featuring the classic game play that the series is known for, Drill Till You Drop has three different game modes and more than 40 stages of nonstop drilling action. Go underground with Mission mode and dig into various locales with deeper and more challenging goals. Race against the clock to reach the goal in Time Attack mode. Drill through a labyrinth of stones to collect the rare and precious Dristones in the Dristone mode, exclusive to the Nintendo DSi system. Choose from six different drillers, drill through a seemingly endless onslaught of colored blocks, avoid falling obstacles and strategically manage your oxygen on the go.

Nintendo adds new titles to the Nintendo DSi Shop and the Wii Shop Channel at 9 a.m. Pacific time on Mondays. Users with broadband Internet access can redeem Wii Points or Nintendo DSi Points to download the games. Wii Points can be purchased in the Wii Shop Channel. Nintendo DSi Points can be purchased in the Nintendo DSi Shop. A Nintendo Points Card™ can be purchased at retail locations. All points from one Nintendo Points Card must be redeemed in either the Nintendo DSi Shop or the Wii Shop Channel. They are not transferable and cannot be divided between the two systems.

Remember that both Wii and Nintendo DSi feature parental controls that let adults manage the content their children can access. For more information about this and other features, visitWii.com or NintendoDSi.com.

Sony Online Entertainment Announce Free Realms Has Over 10 Million Registered Players


Sony Online Entertainment have revealed that Free Realms has over 10 Million Subscribers in less than a year of being online.

Sony Online Entertainment have also detailed some of the Birthday celebrations that are going to take place in Free Realms. by around Mid-April, part decorations will be going up in the game. there are also celebratory live community events planned, new combat mini-games, and new shirts for Avatars. the game will also get 15 birthday quests and a cake fight. New rides will also be introduced to the game.

Press Release

SAN DIEGO, CALIF. – April 2, 2010 – Sony Online Entertainment’s family-friendly online game, Free Realms™ (www.FreeRealms.com), has surpassed 10 million registered players, hot on the heels of its first birthday celebration which kicks off with a festive, month-long in-game celebration. Free Realms launched April 28, 2009.

“Reaching 10 million registered players on the eve of Free Realms’ first birthday is an incredibly exciting event for SOE and our passionate online community,” said John Smedley, president of SOE. “Millions of gamers have confirmed that the genre we pioneered over 11 years ago with the original EverQuestcontinues to evolve and expand to include new styles of gameplay that reach a wider audience than ever before.”

As early as mid-April, players will see party decorations in various areas of Free Realms that signal the kick-off of the birthday festivities. Celebratory live community events, two new combat minigames, party hats and commemorative t-shirts for player avatars are just some of the new extras to look forward to. A new series of 15 birthday quests will also be added. Players are urged to participate in a large scale cake fight in order to help prevent the ruin of the Free Realms birthday bash by Cakenstein, a colossal monster made from cake recipes gone wrong.

This month, Members can also look forward to the release of new types of Rides like the rainbow-mane Unicorn, Beetle and Balloon Animal Pets, and Chick and Rabbit Pet Pals.

To get a head start on all the April festivities, SOE is running a Double Station Cash Weekend where players pop into select retailers to purchase Station Cash™ cards (excluding Starter Cards), which can be redeemed from April 2 to April 4 for double their value in Station Cash, which is used to buy virtual goodies or upgrade to a Membership status in the game. Only cards redeemed between Friday, April 2, 2010 (after 4 PM Pacific Time) and Sunday April 4, 2010 (before 11 PM Pacific Time) will receive double Station Cash value.

Free Realms offers an endless array of activities and minigames to entertain players. From ninja fighting to kart racing to raising pets, Free Realms offers a safe, family-friendly environment to connect with old and new friends. Free Realms is rated E10+ for Everyone 10 and up with content descriptors of Crude Humor and Fantasy Violence. To play Free Realms, visit: www.FreeRealms.com.

About Sony Online Entertainment
Sony Online Entertainment LLC (SOE) is a recognized worldwide leader in massively multiplayer online games which have entertained millions of players around the globe. SOE creates and delivers compelling entertainment for the personal computer, online, game console and wireless markets. Known for its blockbuster franchise EverQuest®, its successful online trading card game Legends of Norrath®, as well as the recent kids’ phenomenon Free Realms™, SOE continues to raise the bar for online gaming and players worldwide. Headquartered in San Diego, with additional studios in Austin, Seattle, Denver and Tucson, SOE has a slate of engaging, high-quality games currently in development across new genres for all platforms and audiences.

SOE, the SOE logo, EverQuest and PlanetSide are registered trademarks of Sony Online Entertainment LLC. Free Realms and Legends of Norrath are trademarks of Sony Online Entertainment LLC.

All other trademarks and trade names are properties of their respective owners.

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Nintendo Celebrates The DSiWare's 1 Year Anniversary

Nintendo is celebrating the 1 year anniversary of the DSiWare service. in that year, over 150 games and applications have been released on the DSiWare store. Nintendo have released a new video showing some of the games that are already out on DSiWare as well as some upcoming titles.



Press Release

In just one year's time, the Nintendo DSiWare™ service has offered more than 150 downloadable games and applications that illustrate the service's reputation as a playground for creativity.

Trajectile™, Starship Defense™ and Link 'n' Launch™ are just a few examples of original games published by Nintendo exclusively for the Nintendo DSi™ system that have been well-received by reviewers. Art Style™ series games like Art Style: Pictobits™ and Art Style: DIGIDRIVE™ also showcase the system's versatility.

Flipnote Studio™ is among the best reviewed software of all time for the Nintendo DS™ family of systems, while Mario vs. Donkey Kong™: Minis March Again! is a perennial fan favorite.

Third-party developers, big and small, have taken advantage of the unique properties of the Nintendo DSi system to create some outstanding software. Glow Artisan won the Independent Games Festival's Best Mobile Game Design Award, while titles like DRAGON QUEST® WARS™,Mighty Flip Champs and Dark Void Zero all continue to deliver fun game play.

Nintendo DSiWare has a lot of exciting original, exclusive titles on the horizon, including Nintendo's Photo Dojo™, which uses the Nintendo DSi camera to put players right in the midst of a side-scrolling street brawl. With Nintendo's 2-D shooting game, Metal Torrent™, players try to convert a shower of opponents' bullets into cubes that, when collected, increase their score and fill an energy meter that powers special weapons. And X-Scape™ from Nintendo immerses players in an exploratory adventure involving more than 20 planets.

Upcoming third-party games include Earthworm Jim from Gameloft, Tetris Party Live from Hudson, Surviving High School from EA and Frogger Returns from Konami.

Apple Announce 300,000 iPads Were Sold In The USA By 4th April


Apple has announced that the iPad has sold over 300,000 Units by the start of 4th April. Apple have also announced that iPad users have downloaded over 1 Million apps, and over 250,000 eBooks from the iBookstore during the first day.

Press Release

CUPERTINO, California—April 5, 2010—Apple® today announced that it sold over 300,000 iPads in the US as of midnight Saturday, April 3. These sales included deliveries of pre-ordered iPads to customers, deliveries to channel partners and sales at Apple Retail Stores. Apple also announced that iPad users downloaded over one million apps from Apple’s App Store and over 250,000 ebooks from its iBookstore during the first day.
“It feels great to have the iPad launched into the world—it’s going to be a game changer,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “iPad users, on average, downloaded more than three apps and close to one book within hours of unpacking their new iPad.”
Apple ignited the personal computer revolution with the Apple II, then reinvented the personal computer with the Macintosh. Apple continues to lead the industry with its award-winning computers, OS X operating system, and iLife, iWork and professional applications. Apple leads the digital music revolution with its iPods and iTunes online store, has reinvented the mobile phone with its revolutionary iPhone and App Store, and has recently introduced its magical iPad which is defining the future of mobile media and computing devices.