Monday, June 15, 2009

jOG - Study Shows using jOG for a hour can give the user their recommended steps to be healthy - Press Release

A Study by John Moores University, Liverpool, has shown that by using the jOG peripheral for the Wii for a hour is enough for the user to get the governments recommended steps to keep healthy.
The device hooks to your belt, whilst the Nunchuk and Wiimote connect into it. it measures the steps you take and moves the characters on screen to your steps. it works with many current Wii games.

Press Release

LONDON --(Business Wire)-- Jun 15, 2009 The study by John Moores University in Liverpool revealed that one hour using jOG to play a typical Wii game involves taking 6,000-10,000 steps. 10,000 steps is the number the government recommends adults take each day to stay healthy. jOG more than tripled energy expenditure, and increased heart rate by 40% compared to seated game play, in the young adults who participated in the tests.

Launched earlier this year, the jOG is an add-on controller for the Wii that detects body motion. When the player takes a step, so does the game character on screen. Players become immersed in the game and are compelled to take light exercise. The jOG works with many existing Wii games and is a small device connected between the Nunchuk and Wii Remote that clips onto the player’s belt or waistband.

Information about this revolutionary new Wii controller is available at www.jog2play.com. There is also a competition to win a jOG, plus a Wii console and five games, which is open until 27th July. Visitors to the website will also be able to see the jOG in action as members of the public can upload clips of themselves using the jOG.

Already widely acclaimed, the jOG has been named the Gadget Show’s number one product from the UK Toy Fair 2009. It has also been rated ‘Essential Gadget’ by The Sun and featured on Jo Whiley’s show on BBC Radio 1.

Brendan Ludden, Managing Director of NCG said: “We’re really proud that we’ve achieved what we set out to do – to produce a unique accessory that adds to the sense of immersion as you play your favourite games, that is great fun and contributes to your daily recommended exercise.”
The jOG is currently available through online retailers www.amazon.co.uk, www.firebox.com, www.iwantoneofthose.com, www.prezzybox.com, www.play.com andwww.game.co.uk. It is also available through these high street retailers: Argos, Smyths Toy Superstores, Toys R Us, WHSmith and Asda.

EA - Need For Speed Shift Driver Profiles Detailed - Press Release

EA have released information regarding driver profiles in their upcoming game Need For Speed Shift.
The Driver Profile runs through the single player and multiplayer games that is unique to each player as it's based on the way the player plays the game. It measures the players driving personality, basically their driving style, the players success, whether they go for wins or positions, and the badges earned, these relate to "achievements" that can be obtained during a race.
The Driver Profile then creates rivalries, challenges and customisation options relevant to the player alone.

Press Release

Guildford, UK – June 15, 2009 – Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) today announced details on the exclusive driver profile system in Need for Speed™ SHIFT. Driver profile is the ultimate extension of the true driver’s experience. Extending through the single player career and online multiplayer modes, driver profile gives each player a unique game experience based on the way each player drives on the track. This exclusive driver profile system pushes the entire racing genre forward.

Driver profile is a tailor-made career mode based on four key game play components:
1. Personality - a player’s driving style determines whether they are an aggressive or precise driver.
2. Success - as in every race, the ultimate goal is to finish at the top of the podium.
3. Profile points - every car passed, every corner mastered, every opponent taken out generates profile points.
4. Badges - these unique icons bring individuality and style to each player’s driver profile, as each player races and completes top achievements.
As a player’s driver profile develops through the course of the game, it creates rivalries, triggers specific challenges and even unlocks vehicles and customization options. Need for Speed SHIFT’s multiple reward systems keeps players in each race regardless of their position.

“The new driver profile feature in Need for Speed SHIFT gives players full control of how they progress through game,” said Patrick Soderlund, Senior Vice President of EA Games Europe. “In SHIFT, how you drive is who you are behind the wheel.”

Need for Speed SHIFT is being developed by Slightly Mad Studios in collaboration with Black Box and Patrick Soderlund. Slightly Mad Studios includes developers and designers that worked on the critically acclaimed games GT Legends and GTR 2. The PSP® (PlayStation® Portable) version is being developed by EA’s Bright Light studio.

Need for Speed SHIFT is scheduled for release in the UK on September 18 on the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system, Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system, PC and PSP® system. More information can be found atwww.eagames.co.uk/shift or follow us on Twitter at NeedforSpeed. Press can download assets at www.eagames.co.uk/press

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 SPORTS Freestyle TM and POGOTM. In fiscal 2009, EA posted GAAP net revenue of $4.2 billion and had 31 titles that sold more than one million copies. 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, POGO and Need for Speed are trademarks or registered trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries.

Sega - Wacky World Of Sports Screens

Sega have released screens for Wacky World Of Sports, showing wacky racing, wacky tuna tossing and wacky ironing.





Re-Cap of The Weekends News (oldest to newest)

  • DSi: a Picture of all of pokemon's Pixels characters, buildings, pokemon and more together in one "poster" http://tinyurl.com/ndwmtr

  • PSPgo: it's rumored at Games Con Sony will announce a PSPgo shop. games/apps cost $2-$6, be under 100mb + more. http://tinyurl.com/nhhddv

  • Metal Gear Solid Rising will not use the MGS 4 engine. a new one is being built, will look better than MGS 4. http://tinyurl.com/neqgob

  • Criterion has said that nobody's maxed out the 360/PS3, those who say it have just ran out of ideas. http://tinyurl.com/lclk9v

  • Analysts predict that by the end of 2009, modern Warfare 2 will have shipped over 11 million units. http://tinyurl.com/kor4sb

  • Wii: Capcom have not denied that there could be a Street Fighter IV game. core elements possible. http://bit.ly/w0VFy

  • PC: Ghostbusters requires Internet connection to authenticate the game, doesn't use the Internet again at all. http://tinyurl.com/lfrzlc

  • Obsidian, Fallout New Vegas dev's, are working on a forth game. currently unannounced, it uses their own engine. http://tinyurl.com/kuvlcx

  • DSi: The ESRb has a listing for Gauntlet, published by Majesco. the game had been canceled by backbone. http://tinyurl.com/lbd8sy

  • QTE Blog: What Have You Played This Week? http://tinyurl.com/mndv4l

  • PS3: Final Fantasy Tactics has been rated by the ESRb. most likely PS1 Classic. http://tinyurl.com/mx3vn3





Sunday, June 14, 2009

What Have You Played This Week?

Football Manager 09 – PC – Still playing, still going. It is my vice and will be for many years to come.

Little Big Planet – PS3 – a mate of mine had done a level, so I played the game and had a look at what levels are out there now. It always amazes me how good the levels are and how they've improved since the game launched. All sorts of mechanical devices have been made and used in levels in ways beyond anything in the single player.

Final Fantasy VII: Dirge OF Cerberus – PS2 – it had the possibility of being a good game. Unfortunatly it falls short. The gameplay is average, but the possibility was there for making it great, think Bayonetta. The game was also cut scene heavy, in game was good graphic wise, but CGI was very impressive. Most were relevant, but sometimes it felt like a short cut for changing the topic, or moving on. With the games frequent loading times during this, it made these less fluid. For fans of the FFVII series (not game) it does add to the story and feature a lot of the characters. Overall I enjoyed it, but think it could be better on a current gen system

? – ? – I can't really talk about this game. All I can say is that it made a big showing at E3 with it's single player, and whilst people have talked down its multiplayer aspect, it actually is some fun. It si a Beta, and has some problems, but it looks graphically impressive and it's maps make a great use of height.


So What have you played this week. feel free to comment on what i've played, or add the games you've played in the comments below.





Saturday, June 13, 2009

Re-Cap of Yesterdays News (oldest to newest)

  • 360: Microsoft responds to Halo ODST price, say it's scope wasn't realized when they said it would be cheap. http://tinyurl.com/l43d9g

  • 360: Sam & Max Save The World is coming to XBLA on June 17th. http://tinyurl.com/lrhp9v

  • Lost Planet 2 could be a timed exclusive for the 360. The japan site has it out in Winter on 360, TBA on PS3. http://tinyurl.com/kkqrjz

  • Estimates put XBLA downloads ahead of PSN with 18% of all users regularly downloading, to 10% from PSN. http://tinyurl.com/lr3ua7

  • Pachter regrets PSPgo "Rip-Off" comments, regarding it's price. says it was a poor choice of words. http://tinyurl.com/n87tal

  • Assassins Creed 2 is coming out in the UK on November 20th. http://tinyurl.com/n7k2ex

  • DSi: New Tingle website online. expect trailer next Thursday. http://tinyurl.com/mzkam6

  • Sony boss says people don't respect confidentiality in the business. leaks lead to conjecture and misinformation. http://tinyurl.com/mvpbgp

  • Valve are still not talking about Half Life 2 Episode 3. say "there are very good reasons why" http://tinyurl.com/n6gqde

  • PSPgo, SCEE answers questions, 3 new features, will come with everything you need, 3-6 hour battery + loads more http://tinyurl.com/mznadc

  • EA have confirmed that a small team is working on Mirror's Edge 2. no launch window for it. http://tinyurl.com/l62wlg

  • QTE Blog: Atlus - NeoSteam The Shattered Continent, a MMORPG, Is Now Online And Free To Play - Press Re.. http://tinyurl.com/l4kfbb

  • Neversoft have hinted at a Turntable controller for Guitar Hero, not Guitar Hero 5 though. http://tinyurl.com/lat949

  • PS3: MotorStorm 2 DLC detailed, pictures of the new Speed tracks shown and video of adrenaline expansion. http://tinyurl.com/l6hlxh

  • QTE Blog: Microsoft - Forza 3 Announces Le Mans Circuit and 12 of 100 Cars In The Game - Press Release http://tinyurl.com/ktyloj

  • QTE Blog: EA - BioWare's Dragon Age Origins is Coming To 5 Public Game/Entertainment Events - Press Rel.. http://tinyurl.com/lrefw5

  • QTE Blog: Sony Online Entertainment - Free Realms Now Has Over 3 Million Players. 3M Pet Party Pack Ann.. http://tinyurl.com/m68og6

  • The Saboteur's main campaign is expected to last between 12-18 hours, depending on how much the player sprints. http://tinyurl.com/mhy5fm

  • Wii: Mistwalker, lost odyssey and Blue dragon dev's, have "photoshoped" a picture to remove Wii Dev Kit. http://tinyurl.com/nd8ebd

  • Wii: Miyamoto says Mario Galaxy 2 is light on story. Motion Plus Zelda is experience that needs Motion Plus http://tinyurl.com/lkyshr

  • Capcom have announced that Lost Planet 2 will be out on both 360 and PS3 on the same day in US/EU. http://tinyurl.com/nr6e93

  • THQ have said they are working on a anti quitter patch for UFC 2009. other issues will also be fixed. http://tinyurl.com/l27ekz

  • 360: it is rumored that a new Xbox console is coming next fall. Natal comes as standard, add-on for 360. http://tinyurl.com/n3l88j

  • Wii: Muramasa The Demon Blade will not be dubbed into English, will feature subtitles, for it's western release. http://tinyurl.com/kwk69r

  • DSi: Pokemon Gold/Silver, All 493 pokemon follow u, interact with them, can visit Kanto and new locations + More. http://tinyurl.com/m58r6e



Friday, June 12, 2009

Sony Online Entertainment - Free Realms Now Has Over 3 Million Players. 3M Pet Party Pack Announced - Press Release

Sony Online Entertainment have announced that Free Realms now has over 3 million players. to celebrate this, Sony Online Entertainment have announced a 3M Pet Party Pack for it's registered players. this pack is for both the cats and dogs, and is filled with goodies. Players will have until Friday June 19th to redeem this pack.



Press Release

SAN DIEGO, CALIF. – June 12, 2009 – Sony Online Entertainment LLC (SOE) today announced that more than three million unique users have registered for Free Realms™ (www.FreeRealms.com), the free-to-play, family-friendly online video game that launched on April 28, 2009. Recently awarded recognition by Guinness World Records for conducting the first concert to take place simultaneously in the real world and a virtual space during E3 in Los Angeles last week, Free Realms continues to redefine the scope and pace of online games.

“SOE worked diligently over the past four years to ensure that Free Realms would take the online space by storm,” said John Smedley, president of Sony Online Entertainment. “We are pleased to be able to provide such a vast, in-depth and, most importantly, fun world to an average of 500,000 new gamers per week.”

To celebrate the rapidly growing community of players, SOE will grant its first three million Free Realmsregistrants the “3M Pet Party Pack,” filled with goodies for use with their virtual pets, both cats and dogs. In Free Realms, players are free to do or be anything, including donning the job of pet trainer to raise a pet! From the in-game Marketplace, players can choose from more than 20 different types of playful dogs and cats to train, feed, groom and dress up. Players have until Friday June 19, 2009 (11:59 PM PDT) to redeem the “3M Pet Party Pack”.

Free Realms also features 14 other fun jobs to master, as well as the Free Realms Trading Card Game: a full-featured trading card game, playable both digitally within the Free Realms online game and offline via physical card decks sold wherever you buy trading cards.

To support the initial release and launch of Free Realms, nearly one million Station Cash™ game cards were made available across five major retail chains. Free Realms players can pop into select retailers to purchase Station Cash cards, which are used to redeem Station Cash and buy virtual goodies or upgrade to a Membership status in the game.

Free Realms is rated E10+ for Everyone 10 and up with content descriptors of Crude Humor and Fantasy Violence. To play Free Realms, visit: http://www.FreeRealms.com.
Press assets: http://www.soepress.com/product.asp?s=72

About Sony Online Entertainment
Sony Online Entertainment LLC (SOE) is a recognized worldwide leader in massively multiplayer online games, with hundreds of thousands of subscribers around the globe. SOE creates, develops and provides compelling entertainment for the personal computer, online, game console and wireless markets. Known for its blockbuster franchises and hit titles including EverQuest®, EverQuest® II, Champions of Norrath®, Untold Legends™, and PlanetSide®, as well as for developing Star Wars Galaxies™, SOE continues to redefine the business of online gaming and the creation of active player communities while introducing new genres on various entertainment platforms. Headquartered in San Diego, CA, with additional development studios in Austin, TX; Seattle, WA; Denver, CO; Tucson, AZ and Taiwan, SOE has an array of cutting-edge games in development.