Sony Announce PSP Essentials, A Budget Range Of Essential PSP Titles

Sony have announced PSP Essentials, a range of essential titles for the PSP that will be available for €9.99 at retail and on the PSN. this new range of titles is coming out 2nd June across PAL Territories, with a Australia and New Zealand release later in the year.

The PSP Essentials Launch Titles Are (Type Of Game):
Daxter (platform)
Everybody’s Golf (sport)
LocoRoco (platform)
Medievil Resurrection (action/adventure)
Pursuit Force (action)
Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters (platform)
Secret Agent Clank (platform)
WipEout Pulse (racing)
Patapon 2 (puzzle)
Buzz! Master Quiz (quiz)
EA SPORTS FIFA 09 (sport)
Fight Night Round 3 (sport)
Sims 2 (simulation)
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (adventure/platform)
Burnout Legends (racing)
Ben 10 Alien Force (action)
NARUTO: Ultimate Ninja Heroes 2 (action)
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (action)
F1 2009 (racing)
Spongebob Yellow Avenger (platform)

Notable titles include LocoRoco, WipEout Pulse, Patapon 2, Burnout Legends, and Daxter.

From EU Playstation Blog

Nintendo Have Filed A Lawsuit Against A Repeat Piracy Offender

Nintendo have announced that they have filed a lawsuit against NXPGAME as they have repeatedly sold game copiers, which allows users to download, play, and distribute illegal copies of Nintendo DS and Nintendo DSi Games. Nintendo Say that they got in touch with NXPGAME, who agreed to stop selling the devices and closed down their website. NXPGAME reportedly launched a identical business, on a different website, and linked to the new site on their old site. Nintendo repeatedly requested NXPGAME to stop its illegal activities and illegal use of Nintendo Trademarks and Copyrights.

Nintendo reveal that since 2009, Nintendo have supported almost 1,500 legal actions in 20 countries which have resulted in the confiscation of more than 422,000 video game copiers.

Press Release

REDMOND, Wash., May 13, 2010 - In the ongoing fight against video game piracy worldwide, Nintendo of America Inc. has filed a civil lawsuit against the owner of multiple websites that sell illegal video game copiers. Nintendo filed suit on May 11 in the Western District of Washington against the owner of NXPGAME of Queens, New York.

Nintendo investigated a website owned by NXPGAME and found that it was selling illegal video game copiers that enable the user to download, play and distribute illegal copies of Nintendo DS™ and Nintendo DSi™ video game software. After multiple letters and telephone calls from Nintendo's legal counsel, the owner agreed to cease selling game copiers and closed his website. Shortly thereafter, the owner launched an identical business at a different website address, and redirected people who visited his old site to the new one to purchase illegal game copiers.

Despite the repeated attempts to get NXPGAME Inc. to cease its illegal activities, the company and its owner continue to operate multiple websites that sell illegal game copiers. Nintendo asserts that NXPGAME is willfully infringing on the company's intellectual property rights. Additionally, one of the company's websites uses Nintendo registered trademarks and violates Nintendo's copyrights.

"Using game copiers to play unauthorized downloaded games is illegal and it's wrong," said Jodi Daugherty, Nintendo of America's senior director of Anti-Piracy. "Piracy is especially harmful to smaller developers. When their creative works are stolen and copied illegally, some companies find it difficult to survive economically."

Internet piracy hurts Nintendo, as well as the businesses of more than 1,400 video game-development companies that depend on legitimate sales of games for their survival.

"I love gaming and I spent years of hard work and a significant personal financial investment to make my video game dream a reality," said Alex Neuse, CEO of Gaijin Games, the developer of the BIT.TRIP series of games available on the WiiWare™ service. "But I estimate that more than 70 percent of our games that are in the hands of the public have been copied illegally. Every download that is made illegally is another blow against new and original games. Put simply, if you enjoy a company's games, paying for them helps to ensure that they will continue to make products you'll like. Piracy especially hurts small independent developers who don't command the sales figures/profits that the bigger companies do; and that ultimately hurts not only developers but all gamers."

This lawsuit follows the 2009 Nintendo v. Chan case, in which a U.S. District Court in Los Angeles confirmed that game copiers violate the Digital Millennium Copyright Act and are deemed illegal in the United States. The U.S. District Court ruled that devices such as the R4 copier infringe on Nintendo's intellectual property rights. In that case, the court ordered Chan and the three major websites that he operated to stop selling the illegal devices immediately.

Game copiers are designed to connect to the Nintendo DS, Nintendo DS Lite and Nintendo DSi hand-held systems and circumvent the technological protection measures embedded in the system. This infringes on Nintendo's intellectual property rights. These game copiers are then used to copy and play illegal Nintendo game files offered unlawfully via the Internet.

Illegal copying of video game software is an international problem that continues to plague the video game industry. Companies such as Nintendo, various law-enforcement authorities and trade organizations like the Entertainment Software Association continue to take aggressive steps to prevent the proliferation of these devices on a global scale, and similar results are being achieved in many countries. Since 2009, Nintendo has supported almost 1,500 legal actions (including customs seizures, law-enforcement actions and civil proceedings) in more than 20 countries that have resulted in the confiscation of more than 422,000 video game copiers.

To report game copiers, illegal Nintendo software or other piracy-related activities, please contact Nintendo at 1-800-255-3700 or piracyscene@noa.nintendo.com.

For more information about Nintendo's fight against piracy, visit http://ap.nintendo.com.

About Nintendo: The worldwide pioneer in the creation of interactive entertainment, Nintendo Co., Ltd., of Kyoto, Japan, manufactures and markets hardware and software for its Wii™ home console and Nintendo DS™ family of portable systems. Since 1983, when it launched the Nintendo Entertainment System™, Nintendo has sold more than 3.4 billion video games and more than 565 million hardware units globally, including the current-generation Wii, Nintendo DS, Nintendo DSi™ and Nintendo DSi XL™, as well as the Game Boy™, Game Boy Advance, Super NES™, Nintendo 64™ and Nintendo GameCube™ systems. It has also created industry icons that have become well-known, household names such as Mario™, Donkey Kong™, Metroid™, Zelda™ and Pokémon™. A wholly owned subsidiary, Nintendo of America Inc., based in Redmond, Wash., serves as headquarters for Nintendo's operations in the Western Hemisphere. For more information about Nintendo, please visit the company's website at www.nintendo.com.

Funcom Announce They Will Publish Stunlock Studios "Bloodline Champions"

Funcom have announced that they have signed a publishing agreement with Stunlock Studios AB. Funcom will publish, operate, and provide customer support for Stunlock Studios AB's upcoming PC game, Bloodline Champions. Bloodline Champions is a arena based player vs player game that is currently near the end of its beta testing. Funcom have also announced that they now have a minority stake in Stunlock Studios AB.

Bloodline Champions Trailer


Press Release

Durham, USA – May 13th, 2010 – Funcom has signed a publishing agreement with Stunlock Studios AB, a start-up company based in Skövde, Sweden. Funcom will publish, operate and provide customer support for the multi-player arena game ‘Bloodline Champions,’ which is currently in the later stages of beta testing. ‘Bloodline Champions,’ is an arena-based player vs. player game featuring unique and action-packed gameplay for up to ten people.

“‘Bloodline Champions,’ is a game that we are very excited about. We have been play testing the game extensively at Funcom and we enjoy its fast-paced, player vs. player action-focused gameplay,” says Funcom CEO Trond Arne Aas. “We believe that the way ‘Bloodline Champions,’ executes this gameplay will appeal to a significant gamer segment. The game represents a complement to our large-scale MMO games and it will expand the product offering to our ever-growing online gaming community. The game fits well with the current trend of quick access online multi-player experiences.”

"Everyone at Stunlock Studios is very happy and excited to start this co-operation with Funcom", says Tau Petersson, CEO of Stunlock Studios. "We met with several potential partners for our game, Bloodline Champions, but when we met Funcom we felt that they really understood our game and its needs. We believe that Funcom and Stunlock together can make Bloodline Champions the best game it can be"

Funcom will also purchase a minority stake in Stunlock Studios AB. The company has exclusive ownership of ‘Bloodline Champions’. The remaining shares of the company are owned by the founders and employees of Stunlock Studios AB, and by Gothia Science Park Invest AB, a wholly owned subsidiary of Gothia Innovation AB (please see http://www.gsp.se).

‘Bloodline Champions,’ is expected to launch in late 2010. Gamers interested in participating in the ongoing beta can register at http://www.bloodlinechampions.com.

This Weeks UK WiiWare, DSiWare, And Virtual Console Releases

Nintendo have revealed the titles coming out today in the UK. in all there are 7 new games coming out today, 1 on the virtual console, 1 on WiiWare, and 5 on DSiWare. I have included screenshots where i could. If you head to the link at the bottom of the page, Nintendo have a video of all the games coming out today.

Virtual Console

Ghoul Patrol – Super Nintendo


WiiWare

BIT.TRIP RUNNER

DSiWare

AiRace


Brain Drain


Chronos Twins


Fire Panic

Sudoku Challenge!


From Nintendo UK

Sony Announce Helghast Assault And Helghast Scout Troops Are Coming To Lost Planet 2

Sony have announced that coming exclusively from June, players will be able to download for free from the PSN Helghast Assault and Helghast Scout troops for Lost Planet 2. The Trailer Sony have released showing the Helghast fighting in Lost Planet 2 appears to show the the Helghast Assault character fights with a heavy weapon, whilst the Scout Troop has the invisibility Cloak from Killzone 2 and a sniper.



Screenshots


From EU Playstation Blog

Konami Announce Castlevania Puzzle: Encore of the Night For The iPhone And iPod Touch

Konami announce Castlevania Puzzle: Encore of the Night is coming soon for the iPhone and iPod Touch. This new Castlevania game brings the platformer to the Puzzle-RPG genre. The Screenshots Konami have released for the game reveal that the Puzzle aspect of the game when your up against enemies is similar to Puzzle Fighter and Columns. Konami have also said that you need to solve puzzles to get weapons and spells for your character.

Screenshots


Press Release

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. – May 13, 2010 – Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. today announced Castlevania Puzzle: Encore of the Night. Tailored specifically for the iPhone and iPod touch, the latest iteration of the classic platformer game will now allow fans of the franchise to revisit the Transylvanian castle with new addicting puzzle-RPG action on-the-go.

A first in the Castlevania series, Castlevania Puzzle: Encore of the Night will employ a unique style of puzzle-RPG, allowing players to take on the role of Alucard, the son of Dracula. Players will also have the option to play as or against characters directly from Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. Developed exclusively for the iPhone and iPod touch, Castlevania Puzzle: Encore of the Night drops players inside the walls of Dracula’s castle challenging them to solve puzzles in order to provide weapons and spells to aide players in their quest.

Castlevania Puzzle: Encore of the Night will be available soon on the App Store for iPhone and iPod touch or at www.itunes.com/appstore/.

For more information, including all-new screenshots please visit: www.konami.com/touch. About Konami Konami is a leading developer, publisher and manufacturer of electronic entertainment properties. Konami's titles include the popular franchises Metal Gear Solid, Silent Hill, DanceDanceRevolution and Castlevania, among other top sellers. The latest information about Konami can be found on the Web at www.konami.com. KONAMI CORPORATION is a publicly traded company based in Tokyo, Japan with subsidiary offices, Konami Digital Entertainment Co., Ltd. in Tokyo, Japan, Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. in the United States and Konami Digital Entertainment GmbH in Frankfurt, Germany. KONAMI CORPORATION is traded in the United States on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol KNM. Details of the products published by Konami can be found at www.konami.com http://www.konami.com.

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KONAMI is a registered trademark of KONAMI CORPORATION.
Apple, iPhone, iPod and Multi-Touch are trademarks of Apple

EA And Klei Entertainment Announce Marianne Krawczyk Is Writing The Story For Shank

EA And Klei Entertainment have announced that Marianne Krawczyk, a BAFTA Award Winning writer, is writing the story for their upcoming Shank game. Marianne has taken the characters and world created by Klei Entertainment and flashed them out, creating a story that matches Shanks Gameplay.

Screenshots


Press Release

Guildford, UK – May 13, 2010 – Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ ERTS) and Klei Entertainment today announced that acclaimed writer Marianne Krawczyk will be writing the story for the striking 2D action brawler Shank™. Krawczyk is best known for her BAFTA award-winning work on the God of War® franchise and was named by Gamasutra as one of the top 20 game writers in the industry. Krawczyk is lending her expertise in crafting rich, well-developed characters for Shank’s twisted tale of revenge.

“I'm very excited to be a part of Shank,” said Marianne Krawczyk. “I fell in love with the artwork, characters and world that Klei Entertainment created and together we are creating a story that will allow gamers to explore a world where values like integrity and loyalty take on their own twisted meanings.”

“When Shank was first conceived, we envisioned a fully realized world with provocative characters living out a mature, cinematic story,” said Jamie Cheng, CEO of Klei Entertainment. “Marianne has been able to flesh out our characters, and create a gritty, personal and unique story of full frontal revenge.”

Shank invites players to let loose with multiple weapons and rack up the kills with an exciting and free flowing combo system. Rip through the ranks of a legion of gang members to compete against friends on Shank’s online leaderboards. Featuring a captivating art style inspired by golden age comics and graphic novels, Shank’s blend of classic intense 2D action with a mature and gripping storyline makes it one of the most anticipated downloadable titles this year.
Shank will be available this summer for Xbox LIVE Arcade, PlayStation Network and PC. For more information on Shank, please visit,http://shankgame.com

ABOUT KLEI ENTERTAINMENT
In 2005, Vancouver-based Klei Entertainment started from a basement to become a dynamic workplace with award-winning game developers. Klei CEO, Jamie Cheng, first developed AI for Warhammer 40,000K: Dawn of War (PC) and The Outfit (Xbox 360) while working at Relic Entertainment. After selling his THQ stock and borrowing some money, he built a small developer-friendly studio from the ground up. Klei's creative lead, Jeffrey Agala, was a long-standing director for the hit television cartoon series Atomic Betty. The team’s goal: Creating new, authentic experiences with memorable characters and great story telling.

Since 2005, Klei has released a number of titles for a variety of platforms: Eets (PC), Eets: Chowdown (Xbox 360), N+ (Xbox 360), and coming this summer, Shank (PC, PS3, Xbox 360). Shank was nominated for Excellence in Visual Art at the 2010 Independent Games Festival.

About Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts Inc. (EA), headquartered in Redwood City, California, is a leading global interactive entertainment software company. Founded in 1982, the Company develops, publishes, and distributes interactive software worldwide for video game systems, personal computers, wireless devices and the Internet. Electronic Arts markets its products under four brand names: EA SPORTSTM, EATM, EA MobileTM and POGOTM. In fiscal 2010, EA posted GAAP net revenue of $3.7 billion and had 27 titles that sold more than one million units. EA's homepage and online game site is www.ea.com. More information about EA's products and full text of press releases can be found on the Internet at http://info.ea.com.

EA, EA SPORTS, EA Mobile and POGO are trademarks or registered trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. in the U.S. Xbox and Xbox Live are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies.“PlayStation” is a registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.